A couple of weeks ago, I reviewed an Erle Stanley Gardner short story that I ran across more or less by chance in the Internet Archive. That reminded me that of the at least 49 unique characters Gardner created during the heyday of the pulps, I probably have read stories featuring less than half of them.
Sadly, most of these heroes and anti-heroes have been largely forgotten. In 2004, a book titled The Danger Zone and Other Stories was published, featuring 11 stories with non-Perry Mason characters. This book is out of print and annoyingly expensive on the used book market, so I once again took ruthless advantage of the fact that I work in a library and got a copy via interlibrary loan.
Gee whiz, there's some good stuff here. The title story--"The Danger Zone"--is perhaps the best of the lot. First published in the October 15, 1932 issue of Argosy, it features a sort-of free-lance spy/diplomat named Major Brane.
His name is, of course, a play on words. Because Brane's main talent is that he always analyzes and thinks his way through any dangerous situation he encounters. He might be trapped in a room with no apparent exit other into a burning room full of about-to-explode ammunition (as happens in this story), but he'll never stop calmly thinking it through. He might have only a split-second to make a decision, but that decision will be arrived at rationally as the best possible course-of-action, whether its running an impromptu con on the bad guys or simply punching someone out.
"The Danger Zone" is the fourth of eight Major Brane stories that appeared in Argosy from 1931 to 1934. In this one, Brane is tasked with rescuing a young Chinese lady who has proof that a guy supposedly friendly to Chiang Kai-Shek's regime is actually double-crossing that government. She's been kidnapped and is probably already being tortured.
1) Convince the bad guys he has the document they want.
2) Allows himself to be captured.
3) Pretends to escape while actually returning to the building being used by the bad guys.
4) Engineers a method to find out where in the building the girl is being used.
5) Figures out how to get himself and the girl out of an aforementioned death trap.
He does fail to think of one thing, which means he finishes up the story with a bruised skull. But for the most part, he's about two-and-a-half steps ahead of everyone else throughout this short but action-packed tale.
This particular story was reprinted twice in different anthologies, but so far I cannot find any source for any of the other seven Major Brane stories. Nor can I find the specific issues of Argosy online anywhere.
Major Brane should not be forgotten. He's too cool to be forgotten. Someone must acquire the rights and put together an anthology featuring the eight Major Brane tales. Someone MUST do this. Right now.
I'm waiting....
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