On the Trail of the Space Pirates_ A Tom Corbett Space Cadet Adventure - Carey Rockwell [283]
"Able One to Able Two. Can you hear me, Able Two? Come in, Able Two!" Vidac's voice crackled through the set.
Strong listened intently and was rewarded by the sound of another click and another voice speaking.
"Able Two to Able One. Come in."
"I've got Strong," reported Vidac, "and the cadets are somewhere in the hills between here and the spaceport. I've just organized the colonists into searching parties and am about to leave."
"Good. Contact me the minute you find them."
"Right. Keep an eye out for them. They might try to reach the spaceport."
"Very well. I've set up an alarm on the outer hatch. No one can get aboard without my knowing it."
"Right. Able One out."
"Able Two out."
Strong heard the clicks of the two communicators and sat back, breathing hard. He had recognized the voice of Able Two instantly. It was Governor Hardy. He was at the spaceport, hiding aboard a spaceship. But why? Could he be mixed up in this affair?
Pacing the floor restlessly, Strong tried to figure out the connection. Hardy's reputation was spotless. It seemed inconceivable that he could be involved with Vidac. And yet Hardy had selected Vidac as his right-hand man. And Vidac couldn't have gotten away with his treatment of the colonists unless Hardy had silently endorsed his orders.
The Solar Guard captain left the laboratory and watched the colonists as they milled around in front of the Administration Building. Vidac's jet car was in the middle of the group of men and Strong saw him jump up on top of the car and begin addressing them. He couldn't hear the lieutenant governor's words, but he knew the men were being urged to hunt the cadets down like common criminals. He watched until Vidac rocketed off in his jet car, followed by a stream of colonists in various types of vehicles. In a few moments the area in front of the Administration Building was quiet and deserted. Strong began searching for a jet car.
* * * * *
Jeff Marshall turned sideways in his seat and looked at the pretty face of Jane Logan. Her brow was furrowed with worry.
"Are you afraid?" asked Jeff as he guided the car down the private road leading to the highway.
"I'm frightened to death!" murmured Jane. "That man Vidac is so ruthless!"
Jeff grunted. "I have to agree with you there. But Tom is right. We need proof before we can stop him."
The girl shrank back. As far as one could see, the road was lined with jet cars. Colonists with paralo-ray guns and anything that could be used as a weapon were scrambling around in the hills.
"What does it mean?" asked Jane.
"I don't know," replied Jeff. "But I think it's a search for the cadets!"
"Oh, no!" cried Jane.
"I hope they'll let us through," said Jeff. He pressed down on the accelerator and started moving along the line of cars. On either side of the highway, he saw colonists beating the bushes, looking behind rocks and boulders, shouting at each other as they pressed their hunt for Astro, Tom, and Roger. Jeff managed to get halfway past the line of cars when ahead of him another jet car pulled out across the highway, blocking it. He was forced to stop.
"Hold on there!" roared a man suddenly appearing at the side of the car, holding a paralo-ray gun pointed directly at Jeff.
Jeff looked at him in mock surprise. "What's going on here?" he asked.
"Who are you?" demanded the man roughly.
"Jeff Marshall. And this is Jane Logan. What's all the fuss about?"
"We're looking for the Space Cadets. They murdered old Professor Sykes!"