Part 28 (1/2)
”All right Rick, we still don't know for sure, do we? About the people in the houseboat?”
”Not for sure But we have a pretty good idea How else would Dad get drugged?”
”Mightn't they have given him a sedative?” Jan asked ”That would have the saht of that He admitted it was possible
”I wish the radio trick had worked,” Barby said sadly ”I e had so a radio on the houseboat Then we could listen in on everything they said”
”No way of doing it,” Rick said He was very tired ”Forget it for now and let's all turn in We can talk so”
Steve A Rick had been sleeping lightly, his rest broken by nightot to the phone in the hall ”Just a et downstairs to the switch”
The entire family was close on his heels as he went into the library
He threw the scrambler switch, then asked anxiously, ”Yes, Steve?”
”Just had word, Rick, so I called in spite of the hour Your father is safe inside the coht And just as a precaution, he'll spend nal can penetrate Now go on back to bed and get soratefully Los Alay weapons laboratories No place in the United States was uarded Now he could be sure his father was safe as anyone could be
He repeated the conversation to his anxious faet back to bed Perhaps we can really sleep for a change”
He did sleep It was nearly noon before he awoke He got up sleepily and found Scotty had just barely preceded his were apparently normal Mrs Brant and Mrs
Morrison were at work on lunch, but since an hour was too long to wait, Rick had a bowl of cereal and a glass of milk He was careful not to choose Cruhnuts and irls?” Rick asked ”Still asleep?”
”They've gone swi,” Mrs Morrison replied ”They should be back soon, though They've been gone over an hour”
”I could use a swim myself,” Rick admitted
”Not me,” Scotty said ”Wait until afternoon and I'll join you That cold water would shock oose piotten how cold the water was ”Okay We'll wait Let's go over to the lab and take down the lights I want to clean up the trash cans, too”
They walked leisurely over to the laboratory and stopped for aon the lights, they walked around behind the lab building
The laboratories were built on a promontory that sloped inland toward Pirate's Field, which was just above sea level The raised area ran around the seaward side of the island, so that the Brant house was on high land, too On the north side, the land sloped doard the boat landing
Rick stood on the edge of the low cliff and looked for Barby and Jan
They weren't in sight
”They s,” Scotty said ”Watch for bubbles”
No bubbles were visible, either Rick checked carefully and began to worry It was a cals should have been clearly visible Surely they wouldn't swim so far the bubbles couldn't be seen on a day like this