Read Captain Future 10 - Outlaws of the Moon (Spring 1942) for Free Online

trial.”
    Curt made his decision then. He wasn’t going to let these misguided officials lock him away! It was better to risk life in an attempt to break away to freedom, for only if he were free could he possibly combat Larsen King’s scheme. Bonnel had gone to the audio phone on the desk, and was summoning a detail of officers from the Planet Police floor.
    Curt Newton flashed a glance at the Brain, Simon Wright. He was hovering unnoticed beside Grag in mid-air. The Brain’s expressionless lens-eyes instantly caught the direction and meaning of Curt’s glance at the atom-gun in Anders’ hand.
    The Brain acted! Hurling his square “body” of transparent metal through the air upon a sudden jet of traction beams, Simon Wright moved with such velocity that the eye could hardly follow.
    He struck Halk Anders’ right forearm with a sharp impact that sent the atom-pistol of the Planet Police Chief flying from his hand. At the same moment, Captain Future drew his own proton-pistol.
    He fired at the glowing krypton bulb in the office ceiling. The needle-like ray of protons shattered the bulb. The room was plunged in darkness.
    “The Comet !” Curt yelled to the Futuremen in the dark. “Quick!”
    “They’re getting away!” bellowed Halk Anders furiously. “Grab them — turn in a general alarm!”
    Curt, Grag and Otho were driving through the confusion and darkness toward the door. The mighty metal form of Grag brushed the others in the room aside like tenpins. They heard Simon Wright ahead of them. Curt turned and called back into the dark, confusion-filled office.
    “Ezra — Joan — we’ll be back!”
     
    THEY plunged down a softly lighted corridor, heading toward the stairs that led to the landing deck atop Government Tower.
    Clang! Alarm bells were letting go all over the great building. Bonnel had found the alarm switch in the dark.
    “Let’s get out of here!” yelled Otho, his eyes blazing with excitement. His proton-gun had leaped into his hand.
    “No shooting!” Captain Future rapped as they ran. “We’re not going to endanger the lives of men who are only doing their duty.”
    They heard Halk Anders’ yell behind them, the pound of running feet as a detail of dark-uniformed Planet Police started in pursuit. As they raced up the stairs, it seemed that the great building was a giant wasp’s nest that they had stirred into fierce activity. Brazen throats of bells were clamoring deafeningly, and hoarse voices yelling.
    They burst out on the little landing-deck where the parked Comet glittered under the stars. Tumbling into it, Curt jumped for the control room. The cyclotrons started with a bursting roar, as Otho swung the door shut. Curt jammed down the cyclotron pedal and yanked back the space stick.
    Pluming flame from its tail, the Comet slammed skyward. Curt sent the little ship screaming up over the mammoth pinnacles and lights of New York, recklessly arrowing up through the local traffic levels.
    On the Comet climbed, straight into the stratosphere. Earth had dropped to a shadowed convexity beneath them. Overhead gleamed the silvery crescent of the Moon, a brilliant half disk. Grag had turned on their televisor to the wavelength used by the Planet Police. The big robot called out abruptly in his booming voice.
    “Listen to this, Chief!”
    A hard, rapid voice was hammering from the televisor.
    “All cruisers and stations of the Planet Patrol! Emergency Flash! President Carthew has just been murdered. Captain Future, accused of murder, has escaped custody. He and the Futuremen are breaking for space. They are hereby declared outlawed, and are to be taken at all costs!”
    “They’re calling up all the Patrol squadrons in this part of the System to net us,” Curt gritted.
    “Holy sun-imps, we’re outlaws now!” Otho exclaimed. His slant green eyes flashed. “They’ll find us Futuremen the slipperiest ‘outlaws’ they ever handled!”
    They were out in clear space by now, the Comet