Part 14 (1/2)

All turned toward the man who lay in the alley. Somehow, he was still alive, gasping for breath. When his gaze caught Alona's, she recognized him.

”Professor Sigger!” she shouted.

”Alona...” gasped the professor.

”You're involved in this?” Ritchie demanded.

”Tricked me... Fascist swine...”

Justin bent down to the dying man's ears. ”Quick, man! Why are they doing this?!”

”Trying to take the town with them,” he gasped. ”Conspiracy... half the town... ran out of toner...”

”Shouldn't we call an ambulance?” Betty asked, wringing her hands.

Prof. Sigger looked back at Alona and with his dying breath said: ”d.a.m.n....”

The group stood around the corpse, unsure of what to do.

”Half the town? Probably the police are in on this too, then. Can't call them,” Justin said.

”Shouldn't we cover him up?” Betty asked.

”I think we need to get into that theater first,” Ritchie said. ”He said something about taking half the town.”

”If they can, we're in real trouble,” Justin said.

”But what does it mean?” Alona asked.

”The way they move. Instantly. That's how they kidnap people. They move them or themselves instantly from one point to another. That's probably what this guy meant. Their goal must be to take the town with them,” Justin said.

”That's stupid,” Tom muttered.

”No!” Alona said. ”That's what happened to Prof. Sigger! He was there one second and gone the next! And that's how they got Kurt!”

”Just what is going on here?” Betty asked.

”We won't know that until we get inside,” Justin replied.

”Right,” Ritchie began. ”Let's sneak in the back, and -- well, we'd have to crawl over the car to get in.”

”Forget that. They'll be expecting us now. Might as well use the front door,” Justin concluded.

They agreed and began the short walk around the building to the main entrance. Julia, unusually quiet, was the only one who didn't follow immediately. Her attention was fixed on a piece of paper that had fallen on Prof. Sigger's face, covering him just as Betty had wanted.

Julia bent down and saw that it was a form labeled 3G, ”Complaints, Problems, Irregularities:” The rest was blank.

”Did you ever have one of those days,” Julia found herself repeating, ”when you think you've noticed something everyone else has missed?”

27. Their Last Stand?