Instant of Decision Read online

out of itnow, except for two of the Leaguers. They got some lead in them,though, not gas."

  Karnes stood up. He felt a little dizzy, but otherwise there wasn'tanything wrong. He surveyed the room.

  On the floor was a slightly yellowed spot where the impressor hadflared and vanished. Lansberg was unconscious with a copiouslybleeding right shoulder. Two other men were rapidly being broughtaround by the police. Three of the League agents were still out;nobody tried to wake them up, they were being handcuffed.

  One of the women was crying and cursing the "damned filthy Nationspolice" over one of the bodies, and the other woman was sittingstonily, staring at her handcuffs with a faint sneer.

  "Where's Brittain?" roared Karnes. The man was nowhere in the room.

  "Gone," said one of the cops. "Evidently he skipped out while the restof us were unconscious. He was the guy who threw the bomb."

  Karnes glanced at his watch. One sixteen in the morning. They had beenout about twelve or thirteen minutes.

  "Where the devil did he go? How in--"

  Lieutenant Carnotti came up to him, a look of self-disgust on hisface. "I know how he got away, Mr. Karnes; I just talked to the boyson the roof. He grabbed a uniform coat and cap off Sergeant Josephwhile he was out and commandeered a 'copter on the roof."

  * * * * *

  Karnes didn't wait for further information. He ran out into the halland into the open elevator. Within less than a minute, he was on theroof.

  One cop was speaking rapidly into a transmitter.

  "--number 3765. Left about ten minutes ago, supposedly for thehospital. Officer Powers in the 'copter with him."

  He cut off and looked at Karnes, who was standing over him. His gunwas out before he spoke. "Who are you, buddy."

  Karnes told him who he was. The cop looked skeptical. Karnes didn'thave his hat on, and his clothes were a bit rumpled after his nap onthe floor.

  Karnes didn't need to say anything; another policeman was goingthrough his pockets, and he found the billfold. As soon as they sawthe forgeproof identity card, they relaxed.

  "Sorry, Mr. Karnes," said the man at the transceiver, "but we'vealready let one man get away."

  Karnes nodded. "I know. Pure blind luck that his suit was almost thesame shade as that gray uniform you guys wear, or he'd never have gotaway with it. All he needed was the jacket and cap."

  "Have any idea which way he went?"

  The cop shrugged. "He came up here and told us that three men had beenshot down below and some more gassed. He said Mr. Lansberg had senthim for a hospital call. Then he jumped in a 'copter with Powers andheaded northeast. We didn't pay much attention. After all, he waswearing a sergeant's stripes."

  Northeast. That would be toward Long Island. But, naturally, he wouldcircle; he wouldn't be dumb enough to head in the right directionuntil he was out of sight. Or would he?

  "Get on that radio again," he told the radioman, "--and tell them Iwant that man alive. Get that--_alive!_"

  "Right." The officer switched on his microphone and began to talk.

  Karnes pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes in anattempt to concentrate. With Lansberg shot up, that put the Brittaincase in his hands. Theoretically, he should be pumping the prisonersdown below to find out how much higher the spy ring went.

  * * * * *

  But his real interest lay in Brittain, himself. There was no doubtthat he had received another message from the impressor before he hadthrown it down.

  Evidently, when the thing broke, the unknown energies which powered ithad short-circuited, paralyzing everyone in the room with theirmind-impressing effect.

  Then why hadn't it affected Brittain? Perhaps his recent exposure to anormal dosage had immunized him. There was no way of knowing--therenever would be.

  But what was the message Brittain had received from the impressor thatwould make him react so violently? It couldn't be the same one thathe, Karnes, had received.

  Continued on Stratum Two!

  Sure; that was it! Like the pages in a book. He, himself, had been hitwith page one; Brittain had page two. Page three? Lost forever.

  Why hadn't they found that 'copter by now? It ought to be easy enoughto spot.

  He walked over to the edge of the building and looked down. The policewere herding the prisoners into the ground cars. Presently, they weregone. One of the police officers touched his shoulder.

  "Ready to go, Mr. Karnes?"

  Karnes nodded and climbed into the 'copter. The machine lifted andheaded toward the Central Police Station.

  He was still trying to think when the phone rang. The policeman pickedit up.

  "3217. Brown speaking. Oh? Yeah, just a second. It's for you, Mr.Karnes."

  Karnes took the instrument. "Karnes speaking."

  "Radio Central, Mr. Karnes," came the voice. "We just got some more onBrittain. About ten minutes ago, he abandoned the police 'copter.Officer Powers was in the seat, shot through the head. We'll get theessobee on a murder rap, now."

  "Where was the 'copter abandoned?"

  Radio Central told him and went on: "Funny thing was, he didn't tryto hide it or anything. And he stole another 'copter from a privatecitizen. We're trying to get the description now. I'll call you ifanything further comes in."

  "Fine." Karnes hung up. The address where Brittain had left the'copter was in almost a direct line between the apartment building andLong Island Spaceport. But if Brittain were actually heading there,why should he leave such a broad and obvious trail?

  He turned to the officer who was driving the 'copter.

  "I've got a hunch. Swivel this thing around and head for Long Island.I've got a funny feeling that Brittain will be there. He--"

  The phone rang again, and Karnes grabbed it.

  "Mr. Karnes, we've found that civilian's 'copter! It's at Long IslandSpaceport! Just a second, the stuff's still coming in." Pause. "Getthis: A man answering to Brittain's description bought a ticket forthe West Coast rocket.

  "As you know, that's UN territory, and we have no jurisdiction. Therocket is sealed for takeoff, but they're holding it for us until youget there!"

  "Right! I'm headed there now!" he answered quickly.

  It was twelve minutes later that the police 'copter settled justoutside the rocket enclosure. Karnes had already notified the pilot tobe ready for him. He sprinted up the ramp and stood at the airlock ofthe transcontinental rocket.

  It sighed open, and Karnes stepped inside. He was met by a frightenedstewardess.

  "Tell him to get in here and not to try any funny stuff!" snapped avoice from the passenger cabin.

  Brittain was standing at the forward end of the passenger compartmentwith a levelled gun.

  The rocket was tilted at forty-five degrees for the takeoff, and thepassenger's seats had swiveled with a section of the flooring to keepthem level, which gave the effect of a stairway which climbed towardthe pilot's cabin in the forward section of the ship. Brittain'sposition was at the top of the stairway.

  Karnes raised his hands and kept them carefully away from his hipholster.

  "All right," called Brittain, "Close that door and get this ship offthe ground."

  The pilot could hear him through the intercom system. The airlock doorslid shut again.

  "You and the stewardess get into a seat," the spy continued sharply."If you try anything funny, I start shooting the other passengers ifI can't hit you."

  Karnes saw then what hold Brittain had on the pilot. The rocketeercouldn't afford to risk the lives of his passengers.

  He and the stewardess slid into the acceleration seats and strappedthemselves in. Brittain stepped down the tiered floor and took a rearseat near a frightened-looking blonde girl.

  "Anything funny, and Blondie here gets a bullet. Okay, pilot. Take herup!"

  There was a faint hiss, and then the rockets began their throbbingroar. Acceleration pressure began to shove the passengers back intheir seats. K
arnes leaned back and tried--successfully--to suppressthe smile of triumph that kept trying to come to his lips.

  Brittain had finally made a mistake.

  One hundred and twenty-five miles over Pennsylvania, the rockets cutout, and the ship went into free fall. And Brittain's mistake becameevident.

  With the abrupt cessation of weight, the padded acceleration seatsexpanded again, pressing the passengers up against their safetystraps. But Brittain had failed to strap himself in.

  * * * * *

  The expanding seat shoved forward and toward the ceiling. Before hecould recover from his surprise, Karnes had undone his own seat beltand snapped his body through the air toward Brittain. They