"It should arrive at five o'clock this afternoon your time. That's fourteen hundred GMT."
"I'll notify you personally as soon as they are safely in hand, Director. Don't worry about a thing."
"Thanks, Chief Tatum. I'll be waiting for your call." …
HOCKING'S HENCHMEN WERE WAITING when he returned from his talk with Zanderson.
"I am an absolute genius," crowed Hocking as he swept into the chamber. "I was magnificent!"
"He bought it?" inquired Tickler, wringing his hands.
"He took the bait like the big fish he is," smirked Hocking. "Ah ha!" he laughed suddenly. "You should have been there. It was priceless. I have him convinced that they have kidnapped his precious daughter. He's putty in our hands, gentlemen. When the time comes he'll follow like a lamb."
Tickler allowed himself a smile at their good fortune. He turned to Millen who beamed back at him.
Hocking continued. "Of course, I'm not for a moment forgetting your failure in this matter. But I will excuse it this time. It seems to have brought about a turn of events even better than we could have hoped for. Now they are the ones with the GM ground force on their tails, not us. And Zanderson is so confused he doesn't know what to believe. Their stealing that landing pod clinched it."
"What's next?" asked Tickler. He was becoming caught up in his master's contagious good cheer.
"We get ready to move out. There won't be much time – we'll have to strike and strike fast. Ground security has been notified, but if we can find out where they intend to land we may be able to save ourselves a lot of trouble. I will return to Zanderson's office to wait-I don't want to let him out of my sight. I'll be there if any calls come through."
"What about Kalnikov?" asked Kurt. "Won't he talk?"
"He can say anything he chooses; it won't matter. I was able to convince Zanderson that the taser belonged to Reston and that Kalnikov was in on the conspiracy. He accidentally got shot by his own side and left behind. Whatever he says will be assumed to be a lie. Besides, Williams has him wet-sheeted in one of his wards. No one will be seeing him for some time."
"Then this is it. The takeover has begun."
"That's what I've been telling you, gentlemen. Very soon now the station will be ours." …
ADJANI NURSED THE LANDING pod along a precision course which allowed for no margin of error. The fuel cells of the small craft had not been designed for extended flight, but since they had no intention of returning to the station Adjani figured, with the help of the on-board navigation computer, that there would be enough to get them down safely and with some speed. Spence and Ari were trusting that he was right.
"They will undoubtedly be waiting for us," said Spence. "There's no telling what Hocking has been up to. It's four hours since we left. They've had time for almost anything."
"I think we ought to call my father," said Ari. "We could let him know we're okay and warn him about Hocking and the others. He could also get us landing clearance at the base."
"I don't think it will be safe to land at that base. We'll have to choose an alternate landing spot." Adjani bent over the computer monitor and tapped the keyboard quickly. "We can land anywhere within a radius of twenty-five kilometers from the base if we want to be on the safe side. Otherwise, just pick your spot and I'll do my best to put her down anywhere you say."
"In other words, you don't know where we're going to land, do you? It's a shot in the dark."
"I wouldn't say that at all. We're safer in here than in the shuttle. It's just that the computer memory isn't charged with coordinates for landing in the continental USA."
"Oh," said Spence. "So, what do we do?"
"I could put us into orbit-we'd have time to pick out a place on our first couple of passes before our orbit started to decay."
"I take it big cities are out."
"Not at all. This machine was designed to land almost anywhere. We just won't have enough fuel to be picky. Anyway, we wouldn't want to come down in Pittsburgh rush-hour traffic. Why? What are you thinking?"
"It's just that since we'd planned to go to Boston anyway, why not try Boston Metro? Land on one of the old abandoned airstrips. They're running mostly rocketjets out of there now anyway."
"Daddy could get us clearance, I'm positive," put in Ari. "He could get us our coordinates, too, while he's at it."
"Why didn't I think of that?" mused Adjani.
"You two aren't the only ones with brains, you know," Ari said with a flip of her head.
"Precisely."
Adjani fiddled with the ComCen pac and in a few moments raised the signal channel for the space station. He matched the landing pod's signal and then sent the ID code. A second later the clear, calm tones of a ComCen operator rang out.
"Hello, Daddy?" Ari chirped as soon as the call had been put through to his office.
"Ari! Darling! Are you all right?" There was the concern of a distraught parent in the director's voice.
"I'm fine, Daddy. Really, I am. You probably know all the details by now-"
"I know what's been going on, my dear. Believe me, I've taken steps to remedy the situation."
Spence and Adjani exchanged questioning glances. Perhaps Tickler and Millen had been caught.
The director continued. "It must have been awful for you, my dear."
"I'm fine. Don't worry about me."
"Where are they taking you? Do you know?"
"We're going to try to set down at Boston Metro. Can you get us clearance? We also need the coordinates, Daddy. I think if you can get those two things for us, nothing will go wrong."
"I'll do anything you ask, dearest. Anything." There was a long pause. "Are they treating you all right?"
"Of course! Don't be silly. We're going to see Mother. Daddy? Are you still there?"
Another long pause ensued, and then the director said in a voice shaken or surprised, "I'm here. Why, Ari?"
"It's really too complicated to explain right now. But I'll call you when we're through. Don't worry, it'll be all right. Just promise me you won't get your blood pressure up."
"I promise, dear. And I'll have the clearance and coordinates transmitted as soon as possible."
"Thanks." She glanced at Spence and Adjani and then said, "I guess that's all for now. I'll call you after we've seen Mother and I'll tell you all about it."
"I'll wait for your call, dear."
Ari said good-bye to her father and turned to the others. "He didn't sound too good. He's terribly worried, I can tell. He didn't even ask about either of you."
"I suppose I'd worry, too, if my daughter was galloping all over the galaxy shooting it out with ill-tempered ruffians. Of course, he's worried."
"You know," said Adjani slowly, "I think he thought we had kidnapped you."
"What makes you say that?" Ari laughed. "He would never believe such a thing. How could he?" …
" How WAS THAT? " ASKED Director Zanderson.
"Perfect," replied Hocking. "You were perfect. Very convincing."
"I guess I'll call Ground Security and have them picked up at Boston Metro."
"Not so fast! I have a better plan, Director. I believe I'll go down and apprehend them myself."