"427."
"Ready out."
"493."
"Ready out."
"495."
"Ready sir. Out."
"501."
"My fuel gauge doesn't register, sir."
"Scratch 501. 503."
"Ready out," replied Cressey. He wondered what was wrong with 501. No fuel? Or gauge just out of whack somehow? The way the Hornets were built, you could never be sure of anything. They were made for one trip, no more. No matter how the intercept worked out, they never went home again. There was not much money wasted in their construction. Mackley had easily justified that, too.