The copilot was in sight of land before Tom was able to report the result, but he was elated.
“They’re good, Bud. You were right about an airstrip. In one corner of the dog’s shoulder is a clump of trees that could be a camouflaged hangar.”
“And I’ll bet your stolen plane’s sitting in there waiting to go out on another raid,” Bud said in disgust.
Tom looked at his copilot in amazement. “Bud, you’ve hit on an idea! Those pirates could carry out their raids, using my plane to black out ships, and no one would suspect them.”
76 TOM SWIFT AND HIS JETMARINE
As if to confirm the inventor’s opinion, when Tom clicked on his home-beamed radio his father’s voice came through clearly and excitedly: “There’s been another attack. Same pattern. This one was in Westbrook, a small town near Lake Erie. Every citizen within blocks of the center was knocked unconscious for nearly half an hour.”
“Any robbery?” Tom asked.
“The local bank was cleaned out. A big haul,” Mr. Swift answered. “Listen, Tom. Plane spotters on a nearby hill have reported every ship that passed over.
Yours was one of them!”
Tom’s eyes blazed. He determined that nothing would stop him from capturing the bandit who was flying it.
“When will you be back, Tom?” his father asked.
“Pronto.”
Upon reaching his father’s office in Shopton, Tom Was disturbed by further news. He learned that the government had called off its watch on the Caribbean.
Admiral Hopkins had notified Mr. Swift that all but one plane and one small fast destroyer had been removed from the area.