Part 26 (1/2)

”Cap'n Mike”

Rick grinned At least the rest of theh to know that national security was somehow involved But the captain, who had the liveliest curiosity of all, knew the least

As Rick dropped hirunted, ”When you can trust ht tell me what this was all about”

Actually, Cap'n Mike's visit to the houseboat hadn't been particularly productive He had little to add to the Coast Guard inspector's description, aside froet rid of him

Scotty asked, ”Why would anyone want to disrupt the brains of the project tea it the hard way assassination would be a lot easier”

Rick shook his head He had wondered about the sa

Barby and Janto a vocalist who happened to be Barby's favorite of the moment

The boys stood silent for a few reement, turned and went back into the house

Hartson Brant came down the stairs, dressed in a suit, hite shi+rt and tie Rick stared at hi somewhere, Dad?”

”Yes Parnell Winston has disturbedto pay a call on an old friend in Newark, an associate of Chavez I want to explore soround of his hypothesis I won't be very late Is there any gas in the car?”

”Almost full,” Scotty said

The boys went on upstairs into their adjoining rooms For a few minutes Rick tinkered with his camera equipment, then he went back down to the library and searched the shelves for so to read He finally settled on W Grey Walter's _The Living Brain_ and carried it back up to his room

He sat down in the old leather arhtened to reading intensity, and the back tilted to the most comfortable position He had wired the chair himself, and it fit him perfectly He settled down to read

Ti descriptions in Dr Walter's book He heard a bell ring downstairs, but paid no attention Then Scotty stuck his head in the door ”Rick! Youryou”

Rick sat up swiftly It was true, and his ency in her voice

He dropped the book and ran to the stairs, going down the in the hallway, and hisfor him with strained white faces

”Your father has been hurt,” Mrs Brant said with false calentle Mermaids

Parnell Winston worked as Hartson Brant described his experience

”There really isn't much to it,” Mr Brant said ”I started out for Whiteside in the fast boat”

Winston focused a flashlight into one eye, then the other

”I was on the north side of North Cove when the boat s I was thrown violently into the water”