Byers, the engineer mechanic appointed captain of the group, nodded.
"They won't know what hit 'em," he promised.
"I hope so," said Underwood. "All right, take your stations and signal when you're ready."
The men filed out of the room while the big ship slowly settled toward the Earth. The three police fliers continued to move about with deadly inquisitiveness. Then the sudden signal from Byers indicated the men were positioned and ready.
Underwood watched the fliers. One was out of sight of the other two near the nose of the Lavoisier. Underwood called sharply: "Number three, attack!"
Almost instantly, a lock opened behind the unsuspecting police flier and three scooters darted out, their riders firing a deadly stream which came to a focus on the tail of the flier. A sudden blossom of flame sent up a plume of black smoke and the flier nosed Earthward without its occupants knowing what had struck.
But now the second flier was rounding the hull and the three scooters were spotted. The police fired and one scooter plummeted out of sight.
"Number seven!" Underwood ordered.
A lock near the top of the hull opened and a second trio of scooters darted out. The flier was beneath them, and its pilots had time to look up and see the blasting fire that poured through the transparent bubble over them. But they had no time to retaliate.