The Sleepers Page 6

  Two of the men picked Jubilee up and dragged him roughly inside the semicircle. Then they retreated hastily, leaving Jubilee’s lonely body lying 15 steps from Kennof. There’s nothing I can do for him, Kennof tried to calm himself.

  And then Jubilee vanished! His big red face dissolved in no time at all before Kennof’s eyes and the space behind the metal rods looked as empty as if there had never been a person there.

  Finally he became aware that his detector had responded to Jubilee’s disappearance with another signal and he realized what the strange apparatus represented. He stood before a matter-transmitter although it was unlike any of those used in the Solar Imperium!

  Kennof’s thoughts whirred around madly. He didn’t dare move as the six men turned to the exit and walked in a silent group as if the eerie feat had robbed them of their voices.

  Suddenly Kennof was struck by horror, as he understood the meaning of the first signal he had received from the detector: Lester Duncan, the politician, was sent at that time through the transmitter to an unknown destination.

  If the ISC did this to its clients, who were the sleepers in the chambers? Kennof was not a faint-hearted man but he was overcome by the most ghastly feelings.

  The detective didn’t have much time to think about the answers to the problems which disturbed him so profoundly. At the same moment as the last of the six men passed by him on his way out, his micro-deflector stopped functioning and Kennof was suddenly visible again. The transmitter must have affected the operation of the device.

  Kennof didn’t wait till he was discovered. He leaped instantly on the man and put him out of action with two well-aimed blows. Fortunately his training in the Solar Defense Corps had included the most effective methods of hand-to-hand fighting.

  The other men were already out of sight in the passageway. Now Kennof had to leave the cave as quickly as possible. Since it had only one exit it was a dangerous trap. The other five were sure to come back in a few minutes to see what happened to their companion. Kennof searched the man crumpled on the floor for weapons but he was out of luck.

  He ran out of the transmitter station. Now he was no longer primarily concerned with digging up evidence for crimes perpetrated by the ISC, now it was a simple matter of life or death for him. He could not imagine that the ISC would ever let him go with his newfound knowledge.

  He reached the shaft leading to the sleeping cavern without being molested. Then he heard the voices of the men who presumably returned to look for their missing buddy. Without wasting a second he slipped once more into the hole and made his way to the big vault where he would be safe for the time being.

  He could make a fair prediction of what was going to happen. As soon as they found the man he had knocked senseless, they would summon Clinkskate and the two physicians. A quick investigation would disclose that Kennof had left his bed and had put the robot out of commission. It didn’t take much imagination to make the connection between the unconscious man near the transmitter and the disabled robot in the person of Richard Kennof who had disappeared without a trace. This would make him enemy number one and the ISC would leave no stone unturned to apprehend him. Kennof expected no mercy from his hunters.

  It would come to a bitter fight to the end. Once they had flushed him out it would be only a question of time before his demise. Nevertheless he hesitated to send an emergency call to Shane. He wanted to get unassailable proof that would cause Shane’s armed men to take vigorous action once they arrived.

  There were a few doors which Kennof checked and found to be locked. He cursed his bad luck and looked around for a place to hide.

  "Richard Kennof!" a voice called.

  The detective was startled and whirled around. Take it easy, he admonished himself,it’s probably only a loudspeaker somewhere in here.

  They had obviously noticed his absence and tried to make him betray his whereabouts, a favor he was not going to do them. He ran to the repository in the middle and climbed up the ladder to the top from where he could watch the entire cave. He slid to the outer edge and squeezed his body under one of the pipelines.

  "Kennof!" The detective recognized Clinkskate’s voice. "You’re an intelligent man and you must know that we’re going to catch you sooner or later. Give yourself up at once and save yourself some drastic measures you force us to take against you. We give you three minutes to tell us where you are. If you fail to show up within that time we’ll come in to get you."

  Kennof waited, keeping his mini-radio transmitter handy.

  After awhile he heard Clinkskate speak again. "Kennof, your time is up!"

  That’s it, Dickie boy, Kennof thought, they’ll make it so hot for you that you’ll wish you never heard of the ISC.

  The night had almost ended, he figured, although he had no way of verifying it deep inside the Earth. But he didn’t feel tired as yet.

  Suddenly two men came in through one of the doors. They both carried gas pistols. Kennof watched them quietly as they began to scour every corner.

  "He can’t be in here, St. Cloud," one of them said. "The doors were all locked.

  The man called St. Cloud replied, annoyed: "Maybe he came through the shaft."

  "Like Dunbee?"

  St. Cloud nodded. Kennof listened anxiously. Apparently Dunbee had become suspicious and tried to run away. However the next words of the ISC-man made it obvious that Dunbee had been captured again, as he said: "He fought like a madman when we finally found him. Come, let’s take a look under the containers!"

  Kennof heard them crawl around underneath. Then St. Cloud emerged again, followed by his companion.

  "If he isn’t under the containers, he might be atop one of them," St. Cloud suggested.

  "Why would he do a crazy thing like that?" the other contradicted him. "Let’s look someplace else."

  As soon as they were gone Kennof wiggled his way out from under the pipelines and carefully descended the ladder. He jumped from the last two rungs and landed in front of Dr. Le Boeuf, who pointed a pistol at him.

  "Hello, Kennof!" the little physician greeted him.

  6/ THE ISC UNVEILED

  "I can’t stand all this waiting," Celia Mortimer said to Shane, who sat across from her. "Why don’t we hear from Dick?"

  Shane Hardiston was a tall muscular man with gentle blue eyes. At a superficial glance he could be easily mistaken as a kind and reticent person. But his enemies knew that his calm manners concealed his ability to act savagely.

  "Maybe they already put him to sleep," Shane said teasingly.

  "We’ve got to do something," Celia urged angrily.

  "Yes," Hardiston agreed, "we’ve got to wait."

  She gave him a furious look but refrained from answering. They sat in Kennof’s private office, which had become a sort of headquarters for them.

  Hartz came in and tossed a bundle of papers on the table. His face had a cunning expression. "I think we’ve thrown the snoopers from the ISC off the scent. Cascane has reported that they left town." He rubbed his hands in pleasure. "Everything works out just fine." Then his face darkened. "Poor Dick. A lot of debts and a hang-up like you, Celia," he said in a plaintive voice. "Oh well," he continued unabashed when nobody cracked a smile, "the mood around here seems to approach absolute zero. Never mind, you can’t get a good man down. I’ve discovered that the president of the ISC, a certain Cavanaugh, has got more money in his bank account than he can possibly have earned in his business."

  "He’ll trump up some kind of an explanation for his fortune when we ask him about it," Shanke said.

  "Of course," Hartz admitted. "It was just an idea. By the way, that Cascane is getting awfully impatient in his office. I can hardly talk him out of going to Cheyenne to help Kennof."

  "He seems to have more guts than some other men," Celia commented ironically.

  "She’s giving me the needle," Shane explained to the financial adviser. "The young lady is of the opinion that it’s time to intervene."

 
"But Celia," Hartz said indignantly. "Just now when everything is colacoola? (hunky-dory) If Dick needs help, I’m sure he’ll let us know. He’s not a kid who doesn’t know what to do in an emergency."

  "I know him better," Celia declared. "If there ever was a man who stumbles from danger to danger, it’s Dick. And in most cases he gets the biggest kick out of it."

  "She’s exaggerating, Gaston," Shane said with a smile.

  • • •

  "Where did you come from?" Kennof exclaimed in surprise, raising his hands to let the physician know that he had no thought of fighting him.

  Dr. Le Boeuf put the finger of his free hand on his lips. "I was already here when you came in," he said in a low voice. "Don’t talk so loudly. There are several mikes around here."

  To Kennof’s infinite amazement the physician put his weapon into his pocket and the detective dropped his arms.

  "I wish to help you," the little man stated. "The ISC is a swindle and it’s time that the public learns the true facts. Unfortunately I got mixed up with Cavanaugh because I needed money. It was a bad mistake as I’ve found out belatedly. Almost all employees have been bribed with large sums. The guards are wanted criminals who were glad to find a place to hide out. Their papers are false. Clinkskate is the worst of the lot. I’ve seldom seen a more depraved man."

  Kennof did his best to judge the new situation. He gained the impression that the man was very sincere. "What’s the purpose of the ISC?" Kennof inquired anxiously.

  "To gain control of Earth!" Dr. Le Boeuf answered tersely.

  Kennof was so stunned that he almost conked out. Was he already sleeping in the liquid and having a bad dream?

  No! The cold stone-floor and the grim face of his vis-a-vis were undeniable realities.

  "Come with me to the top of the container," Dr. Le Boeuf proposed, "and I’ll show you something you’ll never forget as long as you live."

  Whatever Dr. Le Boeuf had intended to demonstrate, he didn’t get a chance to do it. Three men jumped out of the shaft and stormed toward them. Kennof spun around, ready to defend himself. The eyes of the physician were filled with sadness. "Here, take this," he said in a tired voice to Kennof and handed him his pistol. The weapon lay cold and smooth in Kennof’s hand.

  "Doctor! What are you doing here?" one of the henchmen shouted.

  Another attacker fired a shot from his gas pistol. Kennof held his breath as best he could and returned the fire.

  "Out of the way, Doctor!" one of the guards yelled.

  Le Boeuf threw himself to the ground but Kennof was afraid to shoot because he didn’t want to hit the physician. However the goons of the ISC didn’t know such scruples. Kennof took cover behind the container.

  "He’s here, Clinkskate," a voice shouted. "We’ve cornered him in the big cave."

  "Get him!" came the reply from the loudspeaker.

  The effect of the gas became unbearable and Kennof’s eyes began to weep. He coughed painfully and retreated farther as more shots were aimed in his direction.

  "Clinkskate!" Kennof roared desperately. "I’ve got a gun. Call your men off or I’ll puncture the containers!"

  "It’s true," one of his assailants snapped. "He’s got a gun, Clinkskate."

  Dark shadows blurred Kennof’s eyes and a terrible nausea spread from his stomach throughout his entire body. He had to grasp a pipe to keep from slumping to the ground.

  Two of the men thought the time was ripe to creep up on him. Their shadowy silhouettes appeared in a milky haze before Kennof. He pulled the trigger of his gun but his aim was too fuzzy to score a hit. However he caused his pursuers to pull back again.

  Kennof’s groping hand found one of the ladders. He managed to scale it although he was barely able to breathe anymore and felt like he weighed a ton.

  "Watch out that he doesn’t damage the sleeping chambers," Clinkskate warned.

  The guards wavered and held their fire. Kennof finally succeeded in reaching the surface of the container. He gasped for air and was afraid he would choke to death. With a stubborn effort he crawled to the opposite side and found that the air was less saturated with the numbing gas.

  He took the risk of peering over the edge and saw about a dozen men, all wearing gas masks. Dr. Le Boeuf lay at their feet. Kennof narrowed his eyes. The strangled feeling in his throat tapered off and he was able to see with his tearful eyes again.

  Kennof took a fateful gamble. "I’ve smuggled an explosive charge into the cave," he shouted from his perch. "Look here!" He cautiously showed them the defective micro-deflector. "I can demolish the whole place with this," he claimed emphatically. "I’m an officer of the State Police and I guarantee a full pardon to all those who’ll act on the side of the law." He counted on the peculiar appearance of the deflector to throw the men into confusion.

  "He’s bluffing you!" Clinkskate screamed with a cracking voice. "He can’t have anything like that after we’ve examined him."

  "Some of your men have seen that Dr. Le Boeuf helped me," Kennof reminded him. "He’s made it possible for me to keep my weapons."

  "He’s not a police officer," Clinkskate shouted vehemently. "Don’t let him make fools of you! I want you to arrest him!"

  "If you’re so sure that he can’t blow us up why don’t you come down yourself to nab him, Clinkskate?" one of the men sneered.

  Kennof heard Clinkskate curse viciously. "I’ve jammed your robot," the detective told the group. "How could I have done that without police training?"

  "Sounds reasonable," the man who had made himself the spokesman for the band of hoodlums admitted. "We promise you that you won’t get hurt if you give yourself up."

  Kennof heard Clinkskate growl contemptuously over the loudspeaker and replied with a grim laugh: "I’m not a child. It’s clear to me that the ISC will never let me go. I know already too much about their felonious intrigues. But my situation is desperate and I’ve got nothing to lose. Now I will give you my conditions."

  "Get him down!" Clinkskate demanded after he suddenly emerged from the door. His face was distorted in an ugly grimace and his eyes glowered with hate. "He can’t set any conditions around here."

  Kennof took careful aim and fired. The bullet hit Clinkskate in the shoulder and knocked him to the ground. It was not a lethal shot which was as Kennof had intended. The crowd was already too agitated. Two of them dragged the moaning Clinkskate outside again.

  "What’s your proposition?" the spokesman snapped furiously.

  "Leave this cave with all your men for 12 hours. I promise to surrender all my weapons to you when you come back."

  Kennof had underestimated the man. "It doesn’t make sense to me. Your situation will be exactly the same in 12 hours as it is now. You won’t gain anything by delaying us."

  Of course Kennof couldn’t very well tell him that Shane would come to his rescue before the time was up. "You can take Dr. Le Boeuf with you as hostage," he suggested. "If I fail to come forth and give up my arms after 12 hours you can use him to thermoderm (put the heat on) me."

  The spokesman looked worried at Kennof. "You won’t sabotage the containers?"

  "I give you my solemn word of honor."

  The man from the ISC accepted his assurance with the words "I’m willing to try it." He motioned the others and they all left the cave.

  Kennof pulled the radio transmitter out of his pocket. All that mattered now was that Shane paid attention.

  The sleuth had gained a breather to investigate what the physician had intended to show him.

  7/ DUEL OF WITS

  Clinkskate pushed the pale Piotrowski away from him with a curse. The bandage dangled from his wound. "Get me a phone!" he demanded. "Get Cavanaugh on the phone as fast as you can!"

  The physician operated the telephone with trembling fingers. "You’ve lost a lot of blood, sir," he said haltingly. "It would be better if you’d let me dress your injury first."

  "Hurry up!" Clinkskate barked. "You can treat me while I talk."
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br />   He leaned back on the couch and pressed his hand against his aching shoulder as he impatiently watched the efforts of the physician.

  "Yes," Piotrowski said. "Wait a moment, please."

  He handed Clinkskate the phone. "It’s Cavanaugh himself," he whispered.

  Clinkskate made an angry gesture to him. "This is Clinkskate speaking," he blurted into the phone. "We’ve got a hell of a lot of trouble here, Mr. Cavanaugh. You’d better come here at once." After a pause he answered: "No. One of the mosky skons (21st century slang: pesky screwballs) escaped from the preparation room, apparently with the connivance of Le Boeuf. No, Piotrowski is with me. The fugitive took a shot at me. He’s down there in the repository vault. His name is Richard Kennof, a former private detective. He claims to have a bomb with him and he told our men that he’s a member of the State Police. He dunked the donks (bamboozled the chumps) in making a deal with them to leave him alone in the cave for the next 12 hours. Kennof has seen our transmitter. You know what that means."

  He waited for the answer. Then he said: "I’ll try to talk the men into capturing him without delay. I’ll be waiting for you."

  He hung up and informed Piotrowski: "Cavanaugh will be here as soon as possible. In the meantime we’ll have to tackle the job ourselves. I’m convinced that Kennof has pulled a fast one."

  "Be that as it may, he seems to have a lot of nerve," Piotrowski remarked cautiously. "I have a feeling he’s got something else up his sleeve to surprise us."

  "Nonsense! How much longer will it take you to finish that blasted bandage?"

  "It’ll be done in no time," the physician tried to calm him down.

  Clinkskate stared quizzically at Piotrowski. "I’ve got an idea, Piotrowski. I know how we can outsmart that punk."

  "Shoot!" the other one requested hopefully.

  "I’ll send you down to see him," Clinkskate informed him.

  Piotrowski’s face turned white. He tried to force a smile and raised both hands in refusal. "You must be joking," he said timidly. "How can I subdue Kennof?"

  "Use your brains, man! You must look completely harmless when you approach him. Then you tell him that you were stricken by remorse just like Le Boeuf and you decided to make amends by joining him. As soon as he relaxes his suspicions you can overpower him."