“Now then, what’s all this?” Jake growled.
“You tell us,” one of the men retorted. “Blimey, there might be a bomb in there!”
74
THE UNDERSEA MESA 75
Jake scowled and tugged his walrus mustache. “This ain’t ticking. It’s “umming.”
” ‘ow do you know what an atomic bomb might do?”
“Atomic bomb?” The foreman’s jaw dropped. “Lumme, I never thought o’
that!”
Jake strode back to his desk and checked the shipping instructions. The crate was to be sent to a Jean Forgeron in Calais, France, aboard a small freight vessel due to dock in the Pool of London that evening. Its contents were declared to be Oriental rugs, and the sender was the Mustafa Carpet Company, London address.
Jake consulted a directory, his sausage-sized fingers fumbling with the pages. No such company was listed! Jake began to perspire.
A second later a police car screeched up to the loading dock outside. Two officers jumped out.
“Where’s that sound coming from?” one asked.
“You got ‘ere just in time!” Jake gasped. “There’s a crate with an atomic bomb inside it!”
“Lead us to it!” the policeman ordered, then added dryly, “Wait’ll you see what’s really in that crate, chum!”
Minutes later, the phone rang in Inspector Raeburn’s office. He snatched it up and spoke with the caller. Sandy, Bud, and Phyl waited breathlessly for his report.
“Your plan worked, Miss Swift-our men found your brother!”
76 AQUATOMIC TRACKER
“Oh, thank heavens!” Sandy almost burst into tears of relief. “Is he all right?”
“I hope so, ma’am,” Raeburn said. “He was in the crate, unconscious-apparently drugged. An ambulance is on the way. I’ll have one of our drivers take you to the hospital.”
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