Scotty followed him, and watched Rhoads unload the stolen instruments from his cart and dump them into the base rubbish pile. The janitor covered them with other, noninflammable junk and went on about his business. "So you got the stuff back," Rick commented. "Nope." Scotty shook his head. "It's still there." "What?" "Under day and night guard. From a distance, of course. Rhoads doesn't know he was seen. Now Tom Preston is waiting for the next step." "What's that?" "Project Cetus shoots in two days." The light dawned. "And you expect Mac and Pancho will get the stuff!" "On the nose. Think you'll be around for it?" "I wouldn't miss it," Rick said firmly. He didn't miss it, although he was still too weak to be a participant. Instead, with arm in sling and ribs still taped, he was allowed to listen to the action in Tom Preston's office. It started when Mac and Pancho picked up their radar unit in the maintenance shed. They drove to a dark area behind the shed where Dusty Rhoads was waiting with his cart. The stolen material was quickly transferred, and hidden behind the equipment racks in the truck. Then Mac and Pancho drove off, en route to Careless Mesa. Dusty Rhoads put his cart away and started back to his barracks. Security officers fell in step on either side of him. Dusty was finished. The gate reported by phone when Mac and Pancho went through, then there was a long wait. Tom Preston, John Gordon, and Rick had an early breakfast in the security chief's office. Just as they finished breakfast, the communications outfit on Preston's desk buzzed. "Playboy One to Playboy Base. Come in." Preston thumbed his microphone. "This is Playboy Base. Go ahead." "Deadrock here, Tom. They're coming up the mountain." "Roger. Keep us advised." The waiting again, then Deadrock called once more, excitement in his voice. "Tom, there's another vehicle of some kind coming in from Steamboat." "Good! How are you fixed?" "We can handle a regiment. Scotty is going down around the mesa to cut them off in case they try to run for it. Hank is going down on the base side. How important is it for Careless Mesa to track the shoot?" John Gordon gave Preston the answer. "Not important enough to risk not catching all of them. The other stations are tracking." "Get 'em," Preston ordered. "Right. Soon as it's a little lighter. We don't want one wriggling away in the dark." Rick looked outside. Dawn was just breaking. It would be light enough in ten minutes. The ten minutes took an hour to pass. Then he had to wait ten more, until Deadrock came back on the air. "They're all yours, Tom. I fired a shot and they looked up. Then Scotty and Hank fired over their heads from each side and they saw they were trapped. They upped hands, polite as you please, and we moved in to put the cuffs on." Scotty elaborated later. Deadrock had waited until some of the stolen goods had changed hands before firing his warning shot. That was for purposes of evidence.