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As if in answer, Lou saw a highway patrol Cruiser gliding up behind him on the outside lane. He knew
that the electric wagon could never outspeed a cruiser; the turbine-driven police car
could even lift itself off the ground and literally fly on an air cushion for short distances, doing several
hundred knots. But the cruiser zipped right past him, and the two white-helmeted officers in it never even
looked at him.
Maybe the police aren't after me,Lou said to himself.
Another part of his mind answered,Somebody is.
But not the police. Then who are they?
A few minutes later he found m'mself driving past Bonnie's apartment building.Got to stop someplace.
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Got to have some time to figure this out. Even is she's been picked up; I can still use her
apartment. And if she's free, I can find out what's going on from her.
He drove the wagon halfway across town, parked it in a public garage, and then took a cab back to
Bonnie's. He gave the cab another false name and credit number. In the lobby of the apartment building,
he told the door-computer:
"I'm a friend of Miss Sterne's, apartment 27-T."
"Name, please," the computer's flat voice replied.
"Roy Kendall," Lou lied, naming a mutual friend who lived in Denver.
"Miss Sterne is not in at present. I am not programmed to admit anyone."
"Miss Sterne has left special instructions under Code V for visitors."
The computer hummed to itself for a second. Then, "Mr. Kendall, you may be admitted." The door
clicked open. Lou stepped through and went to the elevator.
He had to go through the same routine with the lock computer at Bonnie's door, but here the code
symbol was SF for special friends. Finally, the door popped open and Lou stepped into Bonnie's
apartment.
Shutting the door carefully behind him, Lou looked over the single room. Nothing seemed disturbed or
moved. The closet next to the foldaway bed was open, and there were some clothes draped on a chair in
front of it. Lou poked into the kitchenette alcove and found a pot of coffee still plugged in and warm.
Bonnie was here this morning. Or at least, somebody was here.
He took a bottle of milk from the refrigerator and downed half of it. He was just putting it back when the
front door opened.
Bonnie stood in the doorway, open-mouthed with surprise.
"Lou!"
She ran to him and threw herself into his arms. She felt warm and soft and safe.
"Baby, is it ever good to see you," he murmured into her ear as he held her. "You evensmell great."
"Lou, what happened to you? Where've you been? We heard... Oh, Lou, your face!" She reached up
and touched his swollen jaw. It hurt, but Lou didn't mind at all.
"It's a long story," he said, still holding her tightly. "For a while there, I didn't think I'd ever see you
again."
He kissed her, and then she gently pulled away. For the first time, Lou noticed she looked tired,
strained.
"What's been going on?" he asked. "Why's the Institute been closed? Ramo said..."
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"You've been at the Institute?" She looked startled.
Lou nodded. "Yep. Nearly got caught by a squad of guys who claimed to be Federal marshals."
"Theywere marshals," Bonnie said.
"But what's this all about?"
Bonnie went toward the sofa, by the windows on the other side of the room. Lou followed her there.
Sitting, she told him, "The first I heard about it was yesterday, at the glider races. There was a Federal
marshal looking for you. Then, when I got back to my apartment, there was another marshal waiting for
me. I had to go with him to the Federal courthouse. Practically everybody in the Institute was there!"
Lou sank back in the sofa, realizing now why Bonnie looked strained.
"They let some of us out after a few hours," she went on, her voice trembling a little. "But we were told
not to go back to the Institute anymore. It's been closed down."
"Closed?"
Nodding, "Permanently, they said. I had to report to the employment center this morning. That's where
I've been all day. Lou,.. what are they doing?" Her voice was starting to rise now, her tiny fists clenched.
"Why did they close the Institute? What is it? What?"
He took her by the shoulders. "Hey... ease off now," he said
softly. "Take it easy. You're okay. Nobody's going to hurt you."
"But they brought in Dr. Kaufman, and Greg Belsen, and just about all the scientists. All the technicians,
all the secretaries and clerks... everybody!"
"But why? Did they give you any reason?"
She shook her head. "Nothing. Nobody seemed to know anything. They were just following orders."
She reached out and touched his jaw again. "But what happened to you?"
"I got away." Lou told her about his night in New York, and this morning's visit to the deserted Institute.
"What are you going to do now?" Bonnie asked.
"I don't know," he admitted. "I'm about ready to cave in. Only had a couple hours' sleep on the jet "
Bonnie stood up. Brushing a blonde lock from her eyes, she said, "I'll fix you some lunch and then you
can take a nap."
She went to the kitchenette alcove and started touching buttons on the control keyboard. Lou slouched
on the sofa, already half asleep.
"Lou... it's like the world's coming apart, isn't it?"
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He looked up at her. "Whatever it is, it's bigger than the Institute. They had Kirby from Columbia at the
UN building. They were going to take us to Messina "
"The world capital?"
Lou nodded. "I guess the world government's behind this. And they've got the Federal people here on
their side. But why? What's it all about?"
Bonnie took a pair of steaming trays from the cooker and placed them on the low table next to the sofa.
She sat on the floor, next to Lou's feet.
"Lou... if the world government is after you then there's no place for you to hide!"
"Maybe," he muttered, leaning over the trays and picking up a fork.
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