y will fight you. This is not a space
maneuver. It's your lives against theirs!"

Without another word, the three cadets slipped out of the room and
disappeared down the corridor.

Strong took a last look at Bush lying unconscious on the floor and
hurried silently back to the front of the building. His heart was racing
with excitement. The ball had begun to roll.

[Illustration]

CHAPTER 17

"Where do we cut off?" asked Vidac. He sat beside Winters in the
converted jet boat, speeding down the smooth highway that Strong had
passed over only a few minutes before.

"It's right along here, somewhere," said Winters.

"Better slow down," said Vidac. "We don't want to miss it. We haven't
much time. If Strong starts nosing around he might discover something."

"Lucky for us we found out so quickly where the uranium is," replied
Winters.

"It won't mean a thing unless we can get Logan to sign over his land
holdings."

Winters braked the jet car suddenly, throwing Vidac up against the
windshield. "What are you doing?" snapped Vidac.

"Sorry, boss," replied Winters. "There's the road leading to the Logan
place up ahead."

Winters slowed for the turn off the main highway and then accelerated to
full power again on the side road.

"How are you going to get old Logan to sign the release?" asked Winters.
"Suppose he knows his land is worth about ten billion credits?"

"How could he know?" asked Vidac. "The only ones that know are me, you,
Bush, and Sykes."

Winters nodded. "Then as soon as we get Logan to sign over the land, we
take care of Sykes, bring back his body as proof against the cadets, and
everything's set, eh?"

"Something like that," said Vidac. "We still have to watch our step with
Strong, though," said Vidac.

The two men were silent as the jet car raced down the side road. A
moment later they could see the lights in the small crystal farmhouse.

"Cut your lights," said Vidac. "We don't want to scare them."

"O.K.," replied Winters. He switched off the powerful beams and slowed
the car to a crawl. They rolled past the outer farm buildings and came
to a stop in front of the main house.

"Say, boss," said Winters suddenly. "Look! Tracks in the road! Car
tracks! Somebody's been out here! Logan doesn't have a car!"

"So what?" snarled Vidac. "Get hold of yourself. It could have been
anyone."

A powerful light from the farmhouse suddenly flooded them and Logan's
voice cracked in the night