"Appleton, Victor - Tom Swift Jr 02 - And His Jetmarine" - читать интересную книгу автора (Appleton Victor)

"Yes, sir. Dad's often spoken of you. What can we do for you?"
"Tom, we need the Swifts' scientific help on these Caribbean attacks. Frankly
we're baffled by the blackout technique."
The admiral explained that his department had
4 TOM SWIFT AND HIS JETMARINE
been unable to figure out by what method persons on the victim ships were
knocked unconscious just before the looters came aboard.
"We've proved it's not an inside job," he said, "but that only makes the
problem worse. Who are these mysterious raiders, and how can they disappear
so quickly after plundering the ships? If we weren't so practical, we could almost
believe the attacks were engineered by space pirates!"
Tom chuckled, then became serious. "We'll certainly help you all we can,
Admiral Hopkins. Dad and I have a special reason of our own for wanting to clear
up this mystery."
This would not be the first mystery Tom had solved. In his Flying Lab he had
tracked down a group of clever spies responsible for the kidnaping of several
scientists.
When Tom told Admiral Hopkins about Ned Newton, the officer expressed
his concern. He said that since the Nantic was the first ship to be sunk, his
department believed that it might be because something had gone wrong in the
attackers' plans.
"It's possible your Uncle Ned might not have blacked out," the admiral
suggested.
"Which would mean," Tom added, "that the pirates, fearing he'd guessed
their secret blackout method, took him prisoner."
"If it's true, and we can locate Mr. Newton," Admiral Hopkins replied, "it may
lead us to the hideout of those devils!"
"Nothing would suit me better than to find them," Tom said.
WING-TIP ESCAPE 5
The conversation ended and he ran from the laboratory. Hopping into the
jeep, he sped toward the underground hangar on the Enterprises grounds. Tom
beamed his electronic key on the door and watched it inch open.
Down in the vast space below ground, where the Sky Queen, the Swifts'
Flying Lab, was housed, he found his father and told him the alarming news. Mr.
Swift listened intently.
"Ned missing!" he murmured. "Oh, no!" Then he added hopefully, "Tom, you
know Ned always was very resourceful. If he's alive, he'll find some way to
communicate with us."
"Yes, he could use that miniaturized twenty-meter transmitter and receiver I
built inside a pencil and gave him before he went away," Tom said. "I hope the
pirates didn't take it from him. Well, if Uncle Ned contacts us, we'll be ready to go
to his aid on a minute's notice!"
"We certainly will," Mr. Swift agreed.
"But even if Uncle Ned can't contact us, I'd like to start a search for him,
anyway."
"How?" his father asked.
"First, let's take up the Sky Queen and scan the general area of the ocean
where the Nantic was attacked," Tom replied. "It's just possible Uncle Ned may
be adrift, instead of being a captive. If that fails, the next step would be to speed
up the finishing touches on my new two-man sub and go after those pirates. I