At a manor outside the city, Black Beauty pulls up to the gates. The guard comes out and lets them in. Inside, mobsters Phil Trager and Steve Gant are waiting for Hornet. Hornet and Kato arrive and when the guards try to frisk Hornet, Kato knocks one out and the other one back. Trager tells Gant that they need Hornet, and they order their underlings out. Once they're alone, Hornet asks Gant about any doubts that he has about him. Trager says that Gant doesn't like cutting up the take three ways, and starts to show them a map.
The guard, Jesse, comes in with Gant's thug Ttt. They drag in a man and say that they caught him nosing around outside. Hornet identifies him as Mike and says that he'll take care of him, but Trager says that it's his place. They cut high card to determine who gets rid of Mike, and Hornet "wins". Mike wakes up and Trager draws a gun and shoots him before Hornet can stop him. The reporter falls through the window and Kato confirms that he's dead. Hornet orders his aide to dump the body in Black Beauty, and Gant agrees that they'll meet the same time the next night.
The next day at the Sentinel, Casey reads an article about Mike's disappearance. She insists that it's not possible, and she begged Mike to check with Britt first before following his lead on Trager. The article says that Britt has an affidavit from one of the conspirators responsible for Mike's disappearance and likely murder.
Later, Scanlon meets with Britt and asks to see the affidavit. Britt admits that there is no affidavit, and has Kato turn on a video showing Mike in a cell. The publisher explains that Mike blundered into a top-secret meeting, and Trager and Gant invited Hornet to join after years of fighting each other. If they join forces then they'll control the city, and Britt plans to use Mike to stop them. Since the two mobsters believe that Mike is dead, Britt will use the reporter as bait to turn Trager and Gant against them. Mike is in a cell in the basement, and Britt plans to free him that night.
As Gant and Nixie leave Gant's office to get to the meeting, Hornet gasses them unconscious and then he and Kato drag them into a car. They then depart in Black Beauty.
Later, Hornet meets with Trager. They read the article and Trager figures that Gant is the unnamed snitch mentioned in the article. Trager points out that Gant isn't there because he's helping Britt, and tells Hornet that he'll take care of Gant.
As Nixie drives Gant to Trager's estate, the heroes intercept the car and drive it off the road. Hornet then tells Gant that Trager plans to kill him because he thinks Gant gave Britt the affidavit. The hero suggests that Gant take the affidavit from Britt, and then drives back to the penthouse. He monitors Gant and Nixie breaking in to the next room. The monitor is showing Mike, and Gant figures that Hornet turned him over to Britt so Hornet is the squealer.
Britt rings the phone, and Kato comes in and answers it. He stages a conversation with Britt saying that Mike is fine and there's a strange car parked across the street. Gant and Nixie head for their car, and Hornet and Kato gas Mike unconscious. As they drive off, Hornet calls Casey and tells her that Mike is all right and they had to keep her in the dark. They're leaving Mike off at his place, and if he calls in then Casey should tell him to stay put. Casey is less than thrilled that she was kept out of the loop.
Gantt and Nixie tell Trager what happened. They figure that Hornet is trying to split them up, just as Hornet comes in and accuses Gant of the same. Kato disarms Nixie when he goes for his gun, and Hornet says that he'd tell Trager what he did with Mike if he could trust Gant. He claims that he's hidden the body where no one can find it, and suggests that they go to the penthouse to confirm Gant's claim. Trager and Gant both agree.
Mike calls Casey and tells her that he's home but doesn't know how he got there. She relays Britt's orders and says that he can talk to Britt in the morning.
At the penthouse, Trager has his man Carns search the house but there's no sign of Mike. Gant tells them to turn on the TV, and Hornet turns it on to reveal a Batman episode.
Mike goes to his neighbor Gus and asks for some cigarettes. Gus tells him about the newspaper article saying that Mike is presumed dead, and takes off.
Nixie finds a locked room in the basement and they go down to check it out. Carns and Nixie try to open it without success, and Kato kicks it open. The room is empty, and Trager figures that Gant set the whole thing up and has Carns take Gant and Nixie upstairs.
Mike hails a taxi to go to the penthouse.
Carns beats Gant while Trager holds a gun on Nixie. Hornet secretly reveals a hidden safe and suggests that the affidavit is inside. He blasts it open they find the affidavit... signed by Trager. Mike comes in as Gant and Trager argue, an d the two men fight while Nixie and Carns fight each other. The reporter watches from behind the drapes, and Carns accidentally knocks him out. The mobsters realize that Mike is alive and figure that Hornet is double-crossing them. The heroes take out the four mobsters and Britt calls Scanlon to send the police. He and Kato drive an unconscious Mike back home to put him to bed.
The next day, Britt calls Mike to his office and Britt shows him a new article about the Trager gang's arrest, with Mike's byline. Mike is less than thrilled that he didn't write the line, and Britt tells him that he's the kind of guy who makes the news. Mike figures that he'll stick to writing news because the headaches are too big otherwise.
Written by Gadfly on Aug 14, 2017