"Well, this is a nice mess I got you chaps into," said Hugh unhappily.
"It's not your fault any more than it is ours," returned Nikka. "We walked squarely into a trap and were bagged. That's all."
"Were they ready for us?" I asked with what interest my aching head would permit.
Hugh laughed with hollow mirth.
"That girl Hélène has an uncanny mind. She told the others, when their trailers reported they had lost us, to watch out for a raid on Tokalji's premises. They were so exultant over it that they blabbed everything. They didn't hear the Curlew or see her. They didn't know we were here until we raised the trapdoor. But they were prepared for us no matter which way we came. They had brought in every man they could trust. We didn't have a chance."
"Did the Kings and Watty get away?"
"Must have. Hélène and the others said nothing about them."
"I hope they will not try anything foolish in the way of a rescue," said Nikka. "If Wasso Mikali establishes touch with them, I am afraid they may be tempted to do something."
"There is nothing they can do," answered Hugh. "Our goose is cooked. We're kaput, finished. As Hélène said, if the O.C. of the Forces of Occupation jammed his way in here, they could make a clean sweep of us. They might—"
He hesitated.