One of the gangsters was speaking.
“Sounded like it came from over on Tenth Avenue,” he said to a companion. “A couple of warehouses up there — another garage—”
A sudden thought came to Ernie Shires. One of the New Era Garages was on Tenth Avenue! One of Durgan’s garages! Another garage like this one!
He looked at his watch. Almost five minutes had elapsed since the explosion. It had occurred at the time set for the second blowoff in the Bronx garages!
There was no time for hesitation, Ernie realized, as an amazing suspicion flashed through his brain! He strode across the room and opened the door that led out through the back of the garage.
“Come on, gang,” he ordered. “Get going, quick! No talk. Out!”
The mobsmen rose to follow him. Big Ben Hargins was the first. But even as they responded to Ernie’s command, without realizing its purpose, the catastrophe occurred!
There was a terrific roar! The whole side of the partition collapsed. The moving gangsters were thrown flat. Some of them were buried amidst a pile of falling debris.
The truck that Nipper had brought to the garage had carried a time-set bomb. It had been intended to wreak ruin in Fogarty’s Garage in the Bronx. Instead, it had brought destruction to Killer Durgan’s stronghold.