Gallifa rubbed his aching eyes and rested. How many hours had passed
since he had slept or eaten? It was fully light now, although the dawn
sky was gray because of the clouds. A strong wind pulled at his hair,
and the first heavy drops of another rainstorm pelted against his face.
Gallifa moved under the half-top canvas and wished for a slicker. The
rain was cold.
The crackle of small arms brought Gallifa to the edge of the truck. He
hadn't realized how still the camp really was. The tension was a live
thing, coiled in the wet air. There was no doubt the firing came from
the mess hall. The bio team had all of the weapons.
Gallifa was sure he could stop the panic if he could contact the men. If
only they weren't so scattered. He had to try. He gave another quick
look at the hospital door, then sped around the Administration Building.
Something hit him from the side and hurled him joltingly to the sharp
gravel. Gallifa rolled to a fighting crouch, dimly realizing that his
right arm was almost paralyzed. He shook his head hard against the pain.
The man was Nolan--and he was the most frightened man Gallifa had ever
seen.
His face was convulsed with such abject terror that Gallifa was stunned.
He was like an animal at bay, with all moving life his enemy. Gallifa
remained perfectly still, his eyes on the surgeon's scalpel in Nolan's
hand. Then from the mess hall came another rattle of fire.
Gallifa couldn't help jumping. Nolan drew his tight lips away from his
teeth and gestured menacingly with the scalpel. Then a beefy arm
appeared from nowhere and struck the corpsman a chopping blow at the
base of the skull. He dropped the scalpel and fell silently to the
ground.
MacFarland stepped around the corner of the building.
Gallifa tried to rise, then gave way to the weakness of his limbs. The
ground spun crazily past his face and he passed out.
"Gallifa! Snap out of it! Wake up, boy!"
Rough hands were shaking him. He opened his eyes.
"I didn't kill Doc," MacFarland said quietly. "There wasn't time to
explain. I had to act fast. He had enough knockout juice in that needle
to put you away permanently."
Gallifa searched the other man's face. Then, slowly the tension went out
of his features. "I heard shots?"
"Your boys took a few shots at me," MacFarland admitted. "I guess they
thought I was rushing them."
Gallifa stared at Nolan. "We've got to contact the men before it's too
late," he said. "I know what caused the epidemic--and how to stop it.
Anyway, temporarily. If I can only find some way to get them to
listen."