"Forty people," Colonel Fletcher said, still half blinded by the venom, "fifty people. What does that matter when the whole country, the whole world is at stake?"
More suspendees came out of the plant, slowly filling the area between the building and the fence.
"They've been continuing with the deprocessing the whole time," Mike Donovan said in wonder.
"Seemed like a good idea," Martin said, slowly releasing his hold on Broadbent.
The tank officer who had stopped the attack on the plant started directing his soldiers to come to the suspendees' aid. As word spread among the soldiers, they lowered their weapons and began to back off. The stream of suspendees was slackening now, but by Mike's estimate, fully three hundred humans were now standing out in the plant yard. Their numbers slowly diminished as those who had been instructed to help them started leading them away.
A squad of MPs dogtrotted out to where rebels and staff officers still stood in frozen postures of struggle and resistance. The soldiers nearby fell back, seeing master sergeant's stripes on the MP's leader. The Military Police knew their business and soon had Colonel Fletcher and his staff disarmed and in handcuffs.
"That sure is some secret weapon," the master sergeant snarled at Broadbent as he took him into custody.
"Colonel Fletcher told us," Captain Broadbent explained, "that you had a nuclear device in that building." He looked at Lieutenant Casey and Major Garret, whose grim faces told him they had not been deceived. "At least," Captain Broadbent went on, "that's what he told me."
A major leading another squad of white-helmeted MPs, marched across the yard from the gate in the fence. Beyond them, soldiers who were not actively engaged in assisting the suspendees were drawing back. Colonel Fletcher and his men were marched off, leaving only the rebels, and Diana still firmly in Julie's grasp, to meet the new officer.
"I think we can take this lady off your hands now," the major said, indicating Diana. "If I had known that she was behind Colonel Fletcher's orders, it never would have gone this far."
Four MPs, all the size of football tackles, went over to Diana and handcuffed her securely. She looked bizarre, with one-half of her face still that of a beautiful woman, the other half that of a green, scaly reptile. The MPs, not liking to touch such a being, were not gentle.
"There will be no convenient escapes this time," Juliet said as a security van rolled up to them. "We'll see you again, at your trial."
Diana was roughly loaded into the van. The major saluted and marched his men off the field.
Mike and Julie and the others turned to leave as well and saw Robin and Elizabeth sitting on the pavement. Elizabeth had constructed a fanciful tower out of her crystal blocks. It gleamed like fire in the sun.
V03 - The Pursuit of Diana Page 19
