"(novel) (ebook) - Perry Rhodan 0053 - (45) Unknown Sector Milky Way" - читать интересную книгу автора (Perry Rhodan)

Using his helmet radio, the man transmitted this information to his fellow prisoners. They hesitated momentarily as though they could not believe the good fortune that had befallen them. But finally they ran off and disappeared into the dark red night.
Marshall did not bother about them any further. They would try to reach one of the 2 bunkers without being seen and they would mix among the people. Deprived of their weapons they would be happy if no one were to recognize them as members of Belal's bodyguard.
What was of major concern was the fact that Rhodan wasn't able to contact Laury on the telecom. Laury did not answer.
Rhodan shoved the small telecom instrument back into his pocket and attempted to reach Laury by telepathic means. Although he was capable of this to a small degree and under very favourable conditions, Laury herself was a telepath like Marshall. Rhodan's mental call reached her, unhindered by all the intervening earth and masonry it had to penetrate.
5 minutes later, Rhodan knew as well as Marshall what had happened in the bunker. Meanwhile, Laury and the sleeping mouse-beaver had been removed with the rest of Havan's important prisoners to the biochemical laboratory, where they were locked in. Conversation was not forbidden, so Ther and Feriar related what they had learned en route from Havan himself.
Havan had talked Belal into leaving half of his task force behind while the latter was taking possession of the Fenomat bunker. Belal had considered the plan to be useful and feasible and moreover he had been convinced that his half of the bodyguard would be sufficient to take over the alien ship.
Belal had not known that the enemy had been informed about his plan. The note delivered by Havan's messenger had accomplished 2 objectives at the same time: Belal was eliminated and the strangers found themselves-outside the bunker so that Havan could go about his work undisturbed.
Meanwhile the communication between Sallon and Fenomat had been interrupted. Havan was in complete mastery of the situation in Fenomat and Laury had been able to learn that he was sending a negotiator to Rhodan who would discuss with him the conditions affecting release of his important prisoners.
On the other hand, Rhodan left it up to Laury to undertake any measure within her power to free herself and the others. Laury had been deprived of any weapons but she still had her paramechanical gift of being able to disintegrate matter.
Rhodan advised her: "I'm completely certain that Havan and his people have never heard of parapsychic faculties and similar wild talents such as yours. Their global atom war only happened 8 years ago; there hasn't been enough time yet for development of mutational changes. But just remember that even a mutant isn't immune to rifle bullets. You have to avoid any provocation of Havan or his men. You'll have to make your own arrangements with the other prisoners. At the moment we can't help them. The minute Havan got wind that we had entered the bunker he would have all of you shot. We have to wait until our help arrives from Earth."

* * * *

Laury began to rack her brains. A number of ideas came to her, which she rejected only to search for more. It was only slowly that a plan began to emerge.
The greatest obstacle was that 3 guards had been stationed in the laboratory. Although there was no restriction against the prisoners conversing with one another, nevertheless the sentinels made it a point to always overhear what they talked about.
Laury rolled on her side so that she was closer to Ivsera. By means of her facial expression she alerted Ivsera that she wanted to say something to her without being overheard by the guards. In some doubt and wonderment, Ivsera returned the signal that she understood.
But Laury turned on her back again; she closed her eyes and concentrated.
She imagined that she was standing in front of the wall that formed part of the passage running parallel to the laboratory. In her mind's eye she attempted to trace out uneven or weak portions of the material within the masonry and the bright grey wall plastering. She visualized each individual joint and seam-then flashed a command to her brain that unleashed the disintegrating energy from a mutant paramechanical portion of the pineal region and concentrated it on the visualized target she held in her mind.
The results were terrifying.
In the wall appeared a needle-thin crack, which the tremendous pressure of the supported earth mass widened in another moment to a long fissure. Seconds later the whole wall collapsed over a length of 10 yards. Fragments of masonry plunged into the corridor and an avalanche of damp, cold earth followed it with a thundering impact.
The 3 guards moved instantly to the door. Laury saw a dark brown mass of loose earth pour in from the passageway and come to rest a yard or so inside the laboratory. The doorway was half-choked with rubble. The guards crawled through and shouted for help.
Laury turned again to Ivsera. "Try to get yourself taken to Havan," she whispered. "Distract him and flaunt yourself at him! I want his attention to be diverted for at least 15 minutes. Try to make him keep his men out while you're with him. Do you understand?"
With narrowed eyes, Ivsera nodded. Laury's assignment was the most repugnant one she had ever received in her life but she didn't oppose it. This strange woman had a definite objective in mind and even though she had not explained it to Ivsera, the latter was nevertheless thoroughly convinced that she had to do what was asked of her.
Their rescue depended upon it and in a situation like this the strangers were the only ones who could bring salvation.

* * * *

The 3 guards finally came back. They had been able to determine that their communication with the rest of the bunker had not been blocked. The caved-in earth had only obstructed half of the corridor. A group of prisoners was put to work shovelling the earth into small carts and hauling it away. Just how the cave-in had been caused, nobody knew.
Ivsera called one of the guards to her. "Tell Havan I want to make him a proposition," she blurted out.
The guard grinned. "Anybody could say that," he retorted inanely.
"Do what she says!" interrupted another guard impatiently.
The sentinel went on his way. In a little while he came back and untied Ivsera, then helped her to her feet. "Come with me," he ordered.
Ivsera turned to look at the alien woman. Laury winked at her encouragingly and so Ivsera permitted herself to be led away, slightly mollified.
Havan had set up his headquarters in the same corridor only 5 rooms away. As Ivsera had suspected, he was surrounded by bodyguards. But after Ivsera was brought in he sent the men away, together with the door guards.
He smiled and offered the young woman a seat. He remained standing but came closer to her. "Well, I hear you've had a change of mind," he said. "Is that true?"
Ivsera shrugged. "I don't know," she answered. "What is it you want in order to free the people who have been imprisoned with me?"
Havan laughed. "For that I want you!"
Ivsera shuddered. But she pulled herself together and managed to question him calmly. "Who is going to guarantee that you'll keep the bargain?"
Havan became eager. "If you wish we can put it on paper and sign it in the presence of witnesses."
You old crook, thought Ivsera disgustedly. The witnesses would be your own men and they'd make sure to keep their mouths shut if you broke the contract.
However, she pretended to consider the proposition. Somewhere in the other rooms a faint rumble became audible but neither Havan nor Ivsera concerned themselves about it. 15 minutes, she thought tensely. She had to keep him distracted for just 15 minutes.
The door opened suddenly and an armed guard rushed in. But he had not even opened his mouth to make his announcement before Havan shouted angrily at him: "Get out of here! Who told you you could come in here unannounced? Get out, I say!"
The guard hesitated but when Havan produced a gun and aimed it at him he turned about and departed hastily."

* * * *

After the guard had taken Ivsera away, Laury began with her work at once. She caused the right sidewall of the laboratory to cave in and this succeeded in sending the remaining guards out into the corridor in confused, shouting flight.
But now a hole gaped in the laboratory wall that was large enough to admit a full-grown person and which also revealed a portion of the neighbouring room. Laury also broke down a part of the farther wall beyond this. Then she disintegrated her bonds and simply shook them loose. So far the 2 guards had not come back. There was no one other than the other prisoners to see that she got to her feet and passed through the hole in the wall into the adjacent room.
Laury could sense Ivsera's anxious thoughts. She could not be very far away-perhaps 3 or 4 rooms farther on. Laury pushed through the 2nd hole in the next wall and entered an apparently empty room. Outside she heard shouts and calls but when she placed her ear to the next wall over she heard no sound coming from the next room beyond.
Laury concentrated and broke open a 3rd aperture, through which she clambered agilely into an equally empty, dark room. Ivsera's thoughts had become more distinct.