"All set?" asked Roger.
"Ready," nodded Astro.
"Let's go."
The three boys separated, and a moment later, when his unit mates were in position, Tom stood up and walked across the clearing, exposing himself to the house. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Astro and Roger moving in on the left and right. Billy was working in the front yard with his father, mixing chemicals. Jane was standing by the doorway of the house digging in a bed of flowers. Tom continued to walk right through the front yard and was only ten feet away from Billy before the youngster looked up.
"Tom!"
Logan turned and saw the cadet walking toward him. He stared. After a night scrambling around the hills, Tom looked as if he had been shoveling coal.
"Hello, Mr. Logan," said Tom, looking around. "Are you alone?"
"Yes," Logan replied. "Where are the other boys?"
"They're coming," said Tom, waving his arm toward his friends.
Astro and Roger rose from their places of concealment and darted forward.