I made sure that Howard was armed. The last two scientists had now joined us. I sent the three of them back along our bloody route, and with Nessa held protectively against my side I went forward, scouting cautiously and examining every compartment. I met Howard on the opposite side of the wheel.
We had not found Bill Cuff nor the yellow-haired fox.
CHAPTER XII
"They couldn't have left the station," said Howard again. We were sitting in the red-spangled recreation room, avoiding the sight of the Neanderthal bodies by looking at one another, and drinking whiskey and water that my brother had produced from a wall compartment. "No," he said, as I started to protest, "I tell you I locked the outer door when you all came in, throwing the switch that's camouflaged beside it, and nobody but one of my own men could possibly have discovered it. Besides, if they'd gone out, the door would be open. You can't close it from the outside."
"But I checked every hiding place—"
"Ray," he said gently, "you couldn't check every one in less than an hour. You can't even see most of them."
"Judas priest! Then we're locked in with those two—and outside there are Lord knows how many more, whimpering for our blood!"
"As for those outside," said my brother slowly, "we could blow them up—while nothing short of an atomic explosion could break into the wheel."
"How could we blow them up?"