Tom and Bud looked at each other, telegraphing the same message to each other. Gates was not going to escape punishment for his crimes!
Before leaving the infirmary, Tom asked how Drayton was. Dr. Carman said the man’s condition was only fair and that they had not tried to make him talk.
“I think we’d better fly both Drayton and Radnor by copter to a hospital on the mainland tomorrow morning,” the physician stated, then added, “Tom, let me put some antiseptic on that baseball you’re wearing.”
After a bandage had been taped over Tom’s scalp wound the boys left the infirmary, wondering where to look next for Gates. They decided first to visit the security office to see if any escape avenues might have been overlooked.
“One thing’s certain,” Bud said, as he looked up at the circling robot jets, “Gates won’t try to fly off.”
At this moment a voice boomed over the loud* speaker, “Tom Swift, please report to headquarters.”
“That’s the chief radio operator. Something’s doing!” Bud exclaimed.
22 TOM SWIFT AND HIS ROCKET SHIP
The jeep roared off to the control tower. George Billing met the boys.
“I’m advising that you call off the search,” Billing said. “A report just came in from a boat that went out looking for him. A seaplane with an antiradar device landed and picked up a man from one of our speedboats. It took off before the searchers could get to it. I’m sure that’s how Gates got away.”
Bud remarked, “Gates mingled with the boat patrol to avoid being picked up.
You have to hand it to the guy-he’s clever!”