Danger Trail #2 (1950)

Wandering the city, King Faraday is surprised by an old quarter hitting the ground in front of him. He recognizes it as an old signal from his war days and seats himself in a nearby car with his old paratrooper buddy Jimmy West. West recruits Faraday for a government job: criminals have faked an eminent scientist's death and have imprisoned him in Hangman's House. It's up to Faraday to rescue Arnold Leroy, the next Einstein, before America's enemies discover the knowledge he possesses. Later, Faraday waits for Jimmy to pick him up. However, Jimmy's being tailed and speeds by King to escape his pursuer. The criminals kill Jimmy and his driver in a shootout, but Faraday rushes over to take out the murderers. Faraday is brought to the police station but is soon released and heads to the airport to meet a Colonel Danby, who gives the detective a photograph of Leroy and a list of contacts he must reach in forty-eight hours. While on the plane, Faraday and Danby debate the merits of hypnosis, and King manages to hypnotize himself. Reaching the destination, Faraday jumps out of the plane, parachuting into the water below. Making his way to the town near Hangman's House, Faraday gets himself thrown in the notorious prison by picking a fight at a local bar. As they boat to the prison, Faraday sees a body in a sack being thrown from the walls. The detective is put in a cell but, using his quarter as a lure, manages to overtake a careless guard. Faraday steals the man's pistol and forces him to lead the way to Arnold Leroy's cell. Reaching the scientist's quarters, the guard turns the tables and struggles with Faraday. Faraday, however, knocks out the guard and opens the cell. Out of his mind from torture, Leroy is hypnotized by King, putting the old man to sleep. Faraday hypnotizes the guard into believing he will see two dead bodies and hypnotizes himself in order to enter a deep sleep. The guard, believing he has killed two important prisoners, puts the bodies in sacks and throws them from the walls. Faraday awakens underwater and rescues the professor. However, they are soon found by the officer Faraday had fought earlier in the bar. Faraday pulls the officer into the water and steals his boat. They almost manage to escape, but they crash into a pursuing boat. Somehow escaping again, King and Leroy float to shore, where they are rescued by their secret contacts.