Read Star Risk - 04 The Dog From Hell for Free Online

prepared, why did they suddenly go to square zero when they actually hit the grounds?
    "Had they been expecting more data?
    "Too many questions� so Jasmine and I decided to shake not only the girls, but tender young Alice, as well.
    "This is what we got."
    She indicated the collection on the bed.
    "A couple of nasty little push daggers, some paralyzing gas, rigged dice, three fixed game capsules, two marked decks, those very pretty knuckle-dusters and so on�all just about what we could have expected from the juvenile set.
    "Then these two items."
    She picked up one.
    "A high-powered multiband radio receiver.
    "Property, Miss Alice Sims."
    Sims squirmed.
    "I got it used," she said. "I like to listen to the radio late, and didn't know what was in it."
    "What it is," M'chel said, "is also a medium-powered transmitter. Of course she didn't know that.
    "The second item here is Sims's private com. A bit strange that she would take along equipment that wouldn't necessarily broadcast on whatever public frequencies are used on Porcellis.
    "We asked Grok to disassemble it, and found that not only would it work on Earth, but also on an unassigned frequency.
    "An outgoing signal on that frequency would also set off a small homing device in Sims's com."
    "And, by the way," Jasmine put in, "I checked with the local library, and found out what com frequencies are used on Porcellis. None that the chips of this com are set for."
    "At that point, we thought it was time to bring in our principal. So far, we've gotten nothing but a few sobs and bleats of innocence."
    "So you decided it was time to call in the wrecking crew," Goodnight said. He went to Sims's chair and stroked her hair gently. She flinched.
    "Now, Alice," Goodnight said. "I don't suppose you've studied torture at all. It's pretty much a cheap trick, and is only worth considering if you're under the pressure of the moment and need easy information that you know the other party's got.
    "Or else if you've got weeks and months and want to know everything about the person who you're slowly skinning.
    "But desperate people do desperate things.
    "I'd like you to think about how desperate we are�and remember that none of us particularly liked getting shot at the night before last, so we may be feeling a trifle barbaric around the edges."
    She looked at him, eyes wide in fear.
    Goodnight smiled, sweetly, innocently, and his eyes were dead pools.
    "I didn't know� I didn't mean�" she blurted, and the story came out.
    There'd been this man back at the school who'd met her in a bar one night, and it was very lonely with all of the "friddly farts" at St. Searles, and these "slithery little bitches," and he was very good-looking, and she didn't have any money, and all he said he wanted was to know what was going on, because he had some friends who were interested in investing in Porcellis, and they'd pay well, and�
    "And who paid you?"
    "Henri did. In cash." By this time, Sims was in tears.
    "Did he tell you who he worked for?"
    "No. Honestly, he never said a word. Just� friends."
    "So she tipped them, which got us our tail and the first attempt on the way down to London," Riss said, her face as hard as Goodnight's.
    Another "friend" of Sims's had contacted her aboard the Victory and told her what she should do next.
    "All it was was to turn on my com when we reached our next port, no matter where or what it was. I did."
    "That let them trail us to the school here on Cygnes," Riss interrupted.
    "And then?" Goodnight asked.
    "I guess I must have turned it off, or something," Sims said.
    "Which is why they didn't zip right inside and grab the girls," Riss added. "They expected to have a roadmap, which was turned off. I don't think old Handsome Hank is very pleased with you right now, Alice."
    Goodnight considered.
    "If we had six months, and a nice clean psych lab� or three days and a soundproof room and a good collection of knives," Goodnight said, "we could maybe find out if