Frank Lauring is a man who has disappeared, and Johnny has reason to believe that he is on a ship to the Panama Canal as Michael Walsh. Taking a flight to head him off at the pass, Johnny sets out to intercept Frank. First a thump on the head awaits when Johnny confronts Mrs Lauring, and name drops Michael Walsh’s name.

In Panama, Walsh has kept a step ahead of Johnny, and out of his grasp. Turning the tables on traps laid in his path, Johnny closes in to deal with shady, underworld types.

In seedy parts of the world, loyalties run as deep as the deepest pocket. Greasing the skids with a few dollars, Johnny soon has his man, but there’s no guarantee that Walsh wants to return to his life in America. Life is hard when you live it at the business end of a gun barrel.

Note: In the background in the seedy bars of Panama, swing music can be heard playing. You would think something more of a South of the Border sound might be heard, but Panama has held close ties to America in its history as an independent nation. Current pop music is commonly heard in bars, hangouts, and radio stations, then and now. The other dominate sound is a style of music called ‘Salsa’ and is popular with many countries through the Gulf of Mexico areas. Just a little touch of social studies for those who care to know.