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Updated: June 10, 2025
Well, it had served its purpose. Merlin, alias Lefty Camillion, and his electronics wizard were fitting a rocket into a loop on a plastic strap that dangled from the balloon. Rick couldn't see it clearly, but thought it was a replica of the one he had recovered. There was sound from the truck containing the dish antenna.
He recovered in time to keep from spilling the hot liquid on Steve's rug. "Scientific research is usually the reason for rockoons. They carry experiments." Scotty snorted. "Are you telling me Lefty Camillion has turned scientist?" "Nope." Rick yawned. "I take it back. We still don't know why the stingarees fly. We only know what they are. Where do you suppose Steve is?"
They'd have been curious enough to want to know why the rockets were being fired, and it's certain that an investigation would have resulted. By using rockoons, with balloons that didn't look like balloons, Camillion confused the issue. People who reported seeing things got laughed at, mostly because they call any unidentified flying object a flying saucer.
Steve saw the expression on Rick's face. He grinned. "You disappointed? First of all, my knowledge of Camillion is not greater than yours. I've never seen him in person, or had any reason to study him. Crime isn't JANIG's business. Second, one expects to see a duck near water, or a squirrel near a tree. Criminals are generally found near centers of crime.
Now connect up an electronics crook, Camillion, and that peculiar antenna." "The balloons carry radio equipment," Scotty said promptly. "The antenna picks up their signals." Steve nodded again. "That's reasonable. Now, why do the balloons carry radio equipment? And why are they launched?" "We're like a dog chasing his tail," Rick said with a grin.
He placed the pictures directly under a lamp and studied them with the aid of the magnifier. "It is Thomas Camillion," he said finally. "Your friend Sandy Allen has a sharp eye. I wouldn't have known him, either." That surprised Rick. Steve had never met the owner of Calvert's Favor, but because of Camillion's notorious reputation, Rick had been certain that Steve would recognize him on sight.
"Persistent," Rick said weakly. "Not stubborn. Did you round up the whole gang?" "The whole lot." Lefty Camillion glared at Rick from a chair on the other side of the small circle. "Why did you do it?" Rick asked. "What did you hope to gain?" The syndicate chief shrugged, but kept his silence. "I can shed a little light," Steve said. "Some of it is speculation, but it stands up.
The computer did the rest." "Then Lefty Camillion and his friends have been intercepting data from our rocket launchings at Wallops," Scotty said unbelievingly. "But why? How could Lefty use data like that? It's all straight, unclassified scientific and meteorological stuff. He's no scientist." Steve grinned. "I doubt that he even knows what the data are.
"You're right." Rick shook his head in dismay. Lefty Camillion, whose first name was Thomas, was a notorious crime syndicate leader who had come into prominence about two years ago during Senate investigations of racketeering.
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