Roberts spat on Farradyne's face.
The Under Secretary's voice went on, "Within the hour, Miss Norma
Hannon, one-time associate of Howard Clevis, undercover agent attached
to this office on free duty, has presented irrevocable evidence to
show that the hellflower operations have been a part and parcel of
an unsuspected plot against humanity by denizens of an extra-solar
culture. Since Farradyne's spacecraft contains the only known device
enabling matter to exceed the velocity of light, its delivery to the
Arsenal is deemed top priority. All persons are charged--"
Farradyne shrugged himself out of the grip of the truckmen. "Go the
hell aloft and grab that bastard running the ship!" he snarled at them.
The other enemy rushed forward and Roberts caught a hard fist on the
jaw and reeled back. Farradyne wheeled with a wide swing and chopped
the edge of his hand hard against the side of the alien face. The blow
hurled the other back against the little bar, against which he crumpled
and slipped to the floor in a flaccid heap.
"Watch her!" Farradyne yelled to Roberts, who was recovering from his
blow. Morgan dashed up the stairs and Farradyne was at his heels.
The truckman raced across the control room and caught the enemy pilot
by his right wrist, whipped it out, around, down, back and up in a
hammerlock. He jerked once and then lifted the screaming pilot out of
the chair; hammerlock in one hand, his other arm clenched around the
pilot's throat.
Farradyne slipped into the pilot's chair and reversed the controls. He
oriented himself, and then boldly turned the Lancaster on its side and
sent the ship screaming through the upper air towards Indiana.
In the control room there were some flashes high in the sky. Terran
forces had made contact with the enemy.
* * * * *
He turned in his pilot's chair as he heard them struggling up the
stairs. Carolyn was fighting her way up with tooth and nail and crying,
"I've got to see him!" Roberts was still stunned from the blow, a bit
groggy and also a bit reluctant to lash out and crush a few bones.