* *

Two blocks away from the address he heard the sirens. Trying to act as
natural as the other pedestrians, he turned to look as the armored cars
and trucks hurtled by. Packed with armed police, their sirens and
revolving lights cleared a path through the dark streets. Neel kept
walking, following the cars now.

The street he wanted to go into was cordoned off.

Showing more than a normal interest would have been a giveaway. He let
himself be hurried past, with no more than a glance down the block, with
the other pedestrians. Cars and men were clustered around a doorway that
Neel felt sure was number 265, his destination. Something was very
wrong.

Had Costa walked into a trap--or tripped an alarm? It didn't really
matter which, either way the balloon had gone up. Neel walked on slowly,
painfully aware of his own inadequacy in dealing with the situation. It
was a time for action--but what action? He hadn't the slightest idea
where Costa was or how he could be of help to him.

Halfway down the block there was a dark mouth of an alleyway--unguarded.
Without stopping to think, Neel turned into it. It would bring him
closer to the building. Perhaps Costa was still trapped in there. He
could get in, help him.

The back of 265 was quiet, with no hint of the activity on the other
side of the building. Neel had counted carefully and was sure he had the
right one. It was completely dark in the unlit alley, but he found a
recessed door by touch. The chances were it was locked, but he moved
into the alcove and leaned his weight against it, pulling at the handle,
just in case. Nothing moved.

An inch behind his back the alley filled with light, washed with it, eye
burning and strong. His eyes snapped shut, but he forced them open
again, blinking against the pain. There were searchlights at each end of
the alley, sealing it off. He couldn't get out.

In the instant before the fear hit him he saw the blood spots on the
ground. There were three of them, large and glistening redly wet. They
extended in a straight line away from him, pointing towards the gaping
entrance of a cellar.

When the lights went out, Neel dived headlong towards the cracked and
filthy pavement. The darkness meant that the police were moving slowly
towards him from both ends of the alley, trapping him in between. There
was nothing doubtful about the fate of an armed Earthman caught here. He
didn't care. Neel's fear wasn't gone--he just had not