Free Earthbound (Winston Science Fiction Book 1) by Milton Lesser

You’ll regret it if you do.”
    Ganymede Gus did not wait for an answer. Instead, he turned away and quickly lost himself in the crowd.
    I can go to the police, Pete thought, and end this before it goes any further. But what does Gus have up his sleeve this time? He didn’t sound as if he was fooling — and yet, and yet the deeper I get into this mess, the harder it’ll be to pull myself out. If I hadn’t started in the first place. . . .
    Idly, he walked into the tower, took the elevator up to the observation level.
    Captain Saunders was reading a newspaper, but he looked up sharply. “Oh, Pete.”
    “Hello, sir. How was the blast-off?”
    “Fine. It was fine. Pete . . .” Saunders seemed at a loss for words, and that wasn’t like the captain at all. “Yes, sir? What is it?”
    “Here, Pete. Read this.” And Captain Saunders handed him the newspaper. The headline caught his attention at once, but what followed was even worse.
     
    Unknown Pirates Loot Crape Ring
     
    Cargo of Precious Gems Stolen
    Solar Patrol Suspects Inside Job
     
Wednesday, Luna Base (Interplanetary Press) — A daring attack was made an estimated seven hours ago on the spaceship Crape Ring , heading out fifty thousand miles from Luna. Somehow, unknown pirates intercepted the Crape Ring ’s orbit, joining airlocks with the ship in deep space and making off with half a million dollars’ worth of precious stones.
Although the masked looters were armed, no casualties have been reported. Speculation in high Luna Base circles indicates what Captain R. J. Turner of the Solar Patrol calls an “inside job.” Said Turner, “It is impossible to -assume that the pirates chanced upon the Crape Ring by a stroke of luck. By some unknown means they learned of the ship’s orbit and hence were in a position to intercept it.”
Captain Turner further told this reporter that an investigation was being pushed, although he admitted that the Patrol “has no leads whatever.” (See later edition for complete details.)
     
    “What do you think of that?” Saunders demanded.
    Pete said nothing, for his worst fears had been confirmed. Ganymede Gus was in league with a group of space-pirates — and Pete’s information had led them to the Crape Ring !
    “I said, what do you think of that?”
    “I — I don’t know. I . . .”
    “You look like you’ve seen a ghost, and — say! You wanted to change that orbit at the last minute.”
    “Yes, sir. I did.”
    “It didn’t make sense, yet you wanted to change it. Why, Pete?”
    “I — I can’t answer that.”
    “You can’t answer it! Are you protecting someone, Pete? Is that it?”
    “No, sir. I’m not protecting anyone. But I can’t answer your question.”
    Saunders was angry, and his face showed it. He stormed, “I — never mind! If you don’t want to answer to me, You don’t have to. But before too long that Patrol investigation will reach us here, and when it does, you’ll have to answer to the law. By space, if you had anything to do with this —”
    He slammed his hand down on the surface of his desk.
    “I guess that means I’m not working here anymore,” Pete said.
    “It doesn’t mean anything of the sort! I think you’re connected with this in some way, Pete. I hope it isn’t as bad as that, but until we find out, you stay here. I’m not going to condemn you because I happen to believe you’re hiding something.”
    Pete mumbled, “Thank you.” That was the worst part of it. Captain Saunders had to be nice to him, perhaps had to stick his own neck into a mess of trouble because he still had faith in Pete. But Pete knew he didn’t deserve it. If they threw the book at him — well, you couldn’t blame them.
    Pete took the elevator down, stepped out on the spacefield. Far-off toward the horizon, ground crews scurried around a ship like so many insects. By morning, it would be ready for blast-off. Down to the smallest detail, the men in the ground crew had to do their job