Part 7 (2/2)
The scientists had departed at dawn in the _Water Witch_, after extracting a promise from Rick and Scotty that they would not stir from the hotel until Steve Ames contacted them, and that they would then fly at once to Clipper Cay
The wait had been a long one It was now nearly noon, and the boys, hungry because their breakfast had been at daybreak, were ordering lunch
Steve Ames sat down and motioned the lieutenant to a seat ”Jimmy, this is Rick Brant and Don Scott Boys, Lieutenant Kelly Have you ordered lunch?”
”We were just looking over the menu,” Rick replied
”Fine We'll join you”
The four consultedthe athletic type, you've probably never heard of the Spindrift Scientific Foundation”
The lieutenant, a heavily tanned young man with crisp black hair, shook his head ”Sorry I never have”
”Well, it's a reputable, highly coroup of some of the best scientific brains in the country But soot attached to it They're not very conservative, although they're coave the boys a corin ”If he talks that way, he rinned back The lieutenant was likable
”All right Last I saw of you two, Rick was lying across the legs of the guy who had been tailingan eye on were in the hoosegow, one with a slug in his shoulder
And I also heard so out of s Now fill in the details”
Rick started from the moment they first noticed that a shadow had picked them up He told the story in careful and accurate detail, knowing that Steve's trainedto him Now and then Scotty elaborated on a point
When Rick concluded the recital, Steve cupped his chin in one hand and stared at thehtfully
Kelly cos like real professionals, both in the water and in the hotel And I ive reports like that”
The boys thanked hi about what you do?”
”Sure I can I'm not one of Steve's hush-hush crew I'm a simple Navy lieutenant”
Rick chuckled ”In other words, you can't tell us”
Steve said, ”He's executive officer of the UDT group here And he's group intelligence officer I hter than he looks”
”Then what do you make of this business?” Scotty inquired
”I'ht,” Kelly replied ”Seriously, this one has me stumped First of all, it's easy to understand why a shadow picked you up After all, it must have been obvious that you knocked Steve's tail off So they si that you'd lead theht be important in some way they couldn't understand”
”It's nice to have so for me,” Steve said ”Carry on, Lieutenant”
”Aye, aye, Sir The tail stuck with you When your party split in two, he decided to stay with you instead of Zircon and Briotti There could be two reasons: First, you were the ones who contacted Steve on the street Second, you stayed at the waterfront while the others went off in a taxi I like the second reason better because of what happened later How about you, Steve?”