Chapter Fourteen
Bullet got little sleep that night, as they worked feverishly. The
Lovers of Men in the Comet Tower called almost hourly, demanding that
at least some of the boys they wanted be brought to them. It was
obvious from the noise in the background, that some of them were either
high or drunk. Observers reported that on the lower floors they were
partying. "They're not even closing the blinds," commented one
observer, "I think they're purposely letting us see what
they're doing because they think we're helpless to stop them."
2 "They've GOT a surprise coming in the morning," growled Red Crow.
3 A couple of hours before dawn the evacuation began. People
locked their houses, took no luggage or valuables, simply got in their
cars or got on buses and trains and began to stream from the city. The
traffic looked almost normal, just the Workers going to the factories
in the outlying districts. The only thing was the cars didn't STOP at
the factories, they kept on going. The Lovers' lookouts along the
roadways were eliminated one by one, before they could report anything
unusual.
4 The sun was just beginning to rise when a dozen planes swung down
towards the airport, landed on the runway. Soon tanks and helicopters
began rolling off almost before they stopped moving. The local troops
at the airport began firing and the National and World Troops fought
back.
5 To the west of the city many more planes appeared, and the sky was
filled with parachutes. The phone in Red Crow's office rang loudly. He
picked it up. "Yes," he answered, "yes. The World Speaker is sending in
troops. He insists we turn over the city to him and attack you at once.
We need to put anti-aircraft batteries on the roofs, and send up a
screen of helicopters to keep them away. No, it's no trick! You must be
able to see the paratroops landing, yourself, and I'm sure you've got
Agents waiting