Bullets or Ballots Page #6

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- Lets us out, nothing.

I started this game here and I'm gonna

keep it going, and so is Miss Lee.

You and no other gunman's

gonna tell us what to do.

You have us wrong, sister.

We're businessmen.

We don't carry guns.

- Oh, you don't?

- No. We're just telling you.

Well, then I'm afraid

we'll have to ask Timothy about it.

Yes, ma'am.

Timothy.

Timothy.

Throw those gentlemen out

on their ears.

They took the money away.

The numbers money, the bag, everything.

- Who did?

- I don't know. Some men.

They told me to keep my face

out of there.

They said I couldn't collect anymore.

- They did, did they?

- What are you gonna do?

I'm gonna tell Johnny Blake about it. He'll

run those mugs off the 93rd Street dock.

Well, I guess I'll go upstairs and turn in.

You did all right tonight, Johnny.

- Hey, has Fenner come in yet?

- He's in the coffee shop.

- Where'd you get that shiner?

- An oversized bouncer up in the Bronx.

- What were you doing there?

- Taking the numbers game for Fenner.

We were doing all right

till we tangled with this Morgan dame.

Have a seat.

Where did you get the idea

to take over the numbers game?

I have taken it over.

By tomorrow it'll be in the bag.

You're gonna keep your hands off.

I'm gonna run that game.

Since when did you get to be a big shot

in this outfit?

- Tonight.

- You ain't got a crew to do organizing.

- Well, I will have, from now on.

- He's working for me, same as you are.

I didn't give you any orders to take over.

- He's to have it, eh?

- That's right.

I used to be number one man

around here, Al.

You're kind of kicking me downgrade,

ain't you?

You'll still be number one man

if you quit stepping out of line.

So you call this stepping out of line, eh?

This, and a publisher named Bryant.

- Thanks, Al.

- Okay.

There's another thing

we might just as well get straight.

Lee Morgan started this game.

She's gonna keep on getting

a smalltime rake-off out of it.

When this outfit takes anything over,

it takes it all.

If you're gonna run it,

you're gonna run it right.

Okay.

Take it easy.

Louie, call it off.

I said, call it off.

I understand John Blake lives here.

- Correct.

- I'd like to see him.

- What's your name, please?

- Lee Morgan.

I'll try his room.

Mr. John Blake, please.

Right. I'm sorry, he doesn't answer.

- Are you looking for Johnny Blake?

- Yes, I am.

My name's Nick Fenner.

Maybe I can help.

Well, I've got to find him.

- You're Lee Morgan?

- Yes.

You run the numbers game

up in the Bronx.

So what?

- I hear they started running you out.

- They won't get away with it.

It's a dirty trick.

I don't blame you for gunning for Blake.

Gunning for him?

- He's the one that's taking it away.

- That's a lie.

He's grabbing it to put himself in strong

with Al Kruger.

Go and ask him.

He's in the coffee shop.

Oh, hello, Lee.

Johnny, are you taking

the numbers game?

Yes.

- Why?

- Well, I can't tell you.

And I tried to take you in with me.

It sort of turned out better

to toss it to the wolves, didn't it?

I thought they'd let you

keep running your end of it.

I guess that wasn't poetry about friends

finding an easy place to break your back.

Hey, give me 742.

- I know I'm gonna win today.

- Yeah, sure.

I tell my wife this morning

I got luck today, all right.

- One buck on 777.

- Shooting the works, ain't you?

I just took three blonds

to the seventh floor. See you later.

Eight-eleven, 301 and 987.

Ten dollars on each of them.

I'll be around in the morning...

...with a clothes basket to collect.

- Okay.

- Oh, no such luck. Thanks.

- What is it?

- Five-zero-eight won.

- Oh, that's my number. I won.

- Really?

- Now I'll get that fur coat.

That's better than putting it

in bank accounts.

If the tax boys find out, they're liable

to wonder where it comes from.

It looks like I'll have to hire

another box.

Looks like you'll have to hire about 10,

the way the numbers keep paying off.

- You wanna send some of it to Canada.

- Is that what you do?

Yeah. It might be convenient sometime.

Well, you and the bosses

must have had to hire a vault.

Whatever they do with it,

they're not complaining.

- How about meeting them sometime?

- Not a chance.

I'm the only one who knows them,

I gather they want it to stay that way.

I guess you can't blame them for that.

Thanks.

Say, what would happen to them

if you got lost?

They'd just pick somebody else

and keep on going.

- Fenner, I suppose.

- No, I think it'd be you.

- Me?

- They think you're the best I've got.

- They do, huh?

- But you wouldn't want it, Johnny.

It's a top job, all right,

but it's the last one a guy ever holds.

There's only one way out.

Yeah, that's the payoff

for helping them, huh?

But you don't have to worry

about getting it.

- I'm not gonna get lost.

- Better keep your eyes open.

The boys are restless about

McLaren still hammering their rackets.

- He'll be washed up pretty soon.

- Oh, yeah.

Thanks.

How are you, Mr. Hollister?

Oh, Blake. I didn't recognize you.

- Well, I guess it's been about five years.

- All of that.

- Oh, Mr. Kruger, Mr. Hollister.

- Mr. Kruger.

- How do you do?

- I read you left the police.

You seem to be doing all right.

- Well, have you had any more holdups?

- No.

I lost some jewelry a few years ago.

It only took Blake

about six hours to recover it.

- Nobody was better on that job.

- I wish I'd known when you quit.

I'd have liked you in

the banking business.

Oh, there isn't enough money in it.

- I'm glad to have seen you again.

- Thank you.

- Goodbye, Mr. Kruger.

- Goodbye.

- Swell fella.

- Yeah.

Hello, Mac. I'm ready to go.

Grab Kruger right away.

I can't cover an arrest like that.

You've got him. Put him away.

- What are you gonna do, Johnny?

- I got no time to answer questions.

Wait a minute. That's not all.

Crack down on Fenner's milk outfit.

Break it up. Smash it.

This is the last move.

Okay, you'll hear more from me.

- What's up?

- They knocked over your milk outfit.

- Which plant?

- All of them.

They grabbed the trucks in Brooklyn,

all we've got left.

We've gotta do something

or be washed up.

- What's Al doing?

- Nothing.

- He'll let it ride like everything else.

- But the numbers pay big.

Sure. It's gonna keep on paying off,

as far as he's concerned.

- Where is he?

- Checking with the racetrack boys.

- Get out.

- Listen, I'm going with you.

Get out of that car.

Where's the protection

you were supposed to give us?

You're not coasting on the profits

from the numbers game, are you...

...letting the rest of us hold the bag?

I'm taking orders

just the same as you are.

When the right ones come,

I'll pass them along to you.

- Keep your noses out of this.

- We were just wondering.

- All right. See you a week from Thursday.

- Okay.

Hello, Nick. What's eating you?

I'm starting to take over

the numbers game.

- Are you at it again?

- It ain't a very big one.

If Mike catches you back there,

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