"But you couldn't finagle your own escape, could you?"
"It's easier to work from the outside," Vickers rejoined laconically.
Thorpe said in a nasty voice: "That's just the point I'd like to make. Either you help us release Fralick, or we'll frame you and turn you over to the ISP."
Vickers' eyes narrowed. He leaned suddenly across the desk, hit Thorpe on the chin with his balled fist!
There was a "crack!" as Thorpe's jaw bone snapped. He was bowled over backward to lie in an unconscious heap against the wall.
Tani screamed. She tried to reach the desk, but Vickers grabbed her off her feet, thrust her under his arm.
"Put me down! Put me down," she cried furiously, kicking, squirming. Vickers paid no more attention to her frantic wriggling than he would have to a kitten. His inner lids were raised and he was staring with a strange fixity at the alien world visible through the walls.
"What are you going to do?" Tani gasped. "Are you crazy? You can't walk out of here. The blue door isn't operating. Besides, even if you did get away the Ring would have you framed."
"I'm not going back to Luna City," Vickers said tersely. "I'm going outside."
"Outside!"