Looking toward Hammond, he was facing the laboratory door, and he saw
them first. Hybrids, armed with shield and electronic rifles. Two of
them. One of them carried red and green insignia on its dwarfed right
arm.
Hammond turned his head, warned by the look on Storm's face. The
laboratory head, Cuzzvi, saw the intruders a moment later. He drew up
stiffly, evidently noting the rank of the foremost hybrid. Then, all at
once, he whirled, gave a short cry of warning to his assistants, and
reached for an electronic rifle in a wall rack.
The rifles in the hands of the strange hybrids lanced their electronic
bolts. Cuzzvi staggered against the fluoroscope, his green face fused
into black mess. The other two assistants made a dash for a door in the
far end of the room. Neither reached it.
A moment later the hybrid officer was bending over Hammond, releasing
him. The other hybrid was doing the same for Storm.