unlikely the Yeerks would set a trap, yet leave

  "A rumor?" Cassie said doubtfully. our member of their team uncontrolled. It would

  Ax declared.

  no way that humans are on the verge of ZeroI felt Jake's eyes on me, then his hand on my space communications^

  shoulder.

 
  "How do we handle this, Marco? Your dad, plan,> Tobias reasoned,
  dad . . .>

  Jake is a diplomatic leader. He makes it a pol"No." I stood up and began to pace. "The icy to ask for input. But what I really wanted right Yeerks don't have my father. They don't. Sure, it then was dictatorship. I wanted him to order us looks bad. But he's not a Controller. I tested him. to save my father.

  I told you."

  "I don't know," I said instead. "What about a

  "Maybe he fooled you with that five-day trip Itakeoul at Dad's office? He's there now." stuff," Rachel said. "If he knew you were testing Jake glanced at Cassie. "Okay," he said. "A him, he would have played along. Outsmarted stakeout, starting now. Ax and Tobias, stick with you at your own game."

  Marco's dad until he leaves the office and gets

  "No!" I said firmly, stopping in my tracks. home

  "Look, maybe he's a dupe. Maybe he's an innoTHAT'S when I realized why Jake had looked at cent member of the Yeerkish team at the office. Cassie Jake had asked her if she thought I could But he's not one of them. At least, not yet." be trusted. He said it all in one quick glance. But it suddenly struck me as absurd. He had to And she'd said no.

  be next on the list. Where was he right that They thought I was too close to this. Poor minute? At the office, like he'd told us? Or at the Marco was about to lose a second parent to the Yeerk pool? And why . . . why had they let him stay enemy. Of course he'd snap.

  free this long? Did the Yeerks need a buffer, a gen"Marco," Jake continued, "you keep watch uinely ignorant human to keep their cover strong?

  on the homefront. I'll check with Erek to see Or had they just been waiting for the right opwhat he knows. We'll compare notes in the mornportunity to seize and infest him? Like tonight. 16

  Ax morphed to northern harrier and flapped up toward Tobias.

  "I want to go with them," I said. "It's more likely the Yeerks will try to infest Dad away from home."

  "They'll take care of it," Jake said. "They don't have a stepmother waiting for them to come home. Nothing's gonna happen without you."

  Did he mean it? Something in his tone made me wonder.

  "You can't be sure of that, Jake. What if something does happen? I want to be there."

  "You will be. Just go home for now. Everything's gonna be cool." He smiled, but it didn't Brrrrrrring!

  reach his eyes.

  I jolted from sleep like ,i SAC pilot at the I walked out of the barn and started down the alarm Ready to run to my plane . . . start up, road. I didn't morph to bird. I wanted to walk as a take off fight!

  kid. I wanted to pretend for just a minute that a Wait No, it was the phone. And I was Marco, kid was all I was.

  Hie kid who'd fallen asleep over his math book. But my mind knew better.

  I here w,is drool on the page. Gross.

  Jake, my oldest friend, didn't trust me to do Brrrrrrring!

  the right thing when family was involved. I reached for the phone on my desk. I lifted it I would show him he was wrong.

  up and was about to say . . .

  "Hello?" Dad said in a groggy voice. We'd picked up at the same time. Dad hadn't noticed.

  "It's Jack, from work."

  "Jack. Hey. What can I do for you?" 18

  19

  The call was for Dad, who was home, alive, voice on the phone saying, "We thought you'd be and in bed. I could hang up. Should hang up. I best at comforting her."

  looked at my watch. Eleven P.M. Why was someWe?

  one from work calling so late?

  "Oh, God!"

  "It's Russ," said the flat male voice. "There's I jumped up, flung open the bedroom door. been a car accident. Russ is dead."

  The electric garage door banged lightly closed.

  "Oh, God!"

  Dad's car pulling out!

  "Russ's wife is . . . she's hysterical, she's . . . No.

  you know what it's like. You lost a spouse. We He was driving into a trap and I hadn't listhought you'd be best at comforting her. Can you tened long enough to get the address.

  swing by her place?"

  I sailed down the stairs three at a time.

  "Sure," Dad said.

  Checked the notepad by the cordless. Nothing. I hung up the phone. Heard Dad head downThe notepad on Dad's desk. Nothing again. stairs, still on the line, getting the widow's adWhere was Russ's house?

  dress.

  Where would "they" be waiting?

  I'd met Russ at a company picnic a few years His computer screen was still up — no screenago. I'd met his wife, too. My mind flashed to the saver. At the bottom was a minimized "window," night Mom disappeared, to the terror that wound the words Yahoo! Maps written inside. I grabbed around my heart when I realized she was never the mouse and clicked.

  coming home.

  Bingo— 1366 Fairmont and a road map in

  "Hmph," I said aloud. "Sad." case I planned to drive. I didn't.

  I looked back at my math. Problem 8. I

  I was going to fly. But I had to call in backup squinted at it. Totally incomprehensible no matfirst. ter how you looked at it. Problem 9 . . . I dialed Jake, punching numbers frantically It hit me. A flash, a surge of insight. Puzzle as I walked toward the back door.

  pieces dropping into place. Not problem 9, but

  "Hello?" It wasn't Jake. The voice was gruff the phone call.

  and hoarse. It was Tom.

  A guy from work had been killed, a guy workI hung up instantly. The phone rang in my ing on the Z-space project. A call late at night. A h.ind and before I could think, I answered. 20

  21

  "Who is this? You just called and hung up on I headed out the door. I morphed to osprey in me. Who is this!" Tom had finally discovered the backyard. It was dangerous, but it was dark. I

  *69.

  started flapping hard before my wings had fully I was shaken up, embarrassed. I pictured the formed.

  Yeerk on the other end of the line. "It's Marco," I Up and up and up. The streetlights reduced muttered. "I wanted to talk to Jake. Sorry." the night city to a simple grid. The Yahoo! map. Tom grunted into the phone and hung up.

  I swooped down, lower and lower, until I spotSo much for Jake. Who else was there? Ax, ted Dad's car.

  Tobias. They were back in the woods. Cassie's Already there!

  parents would be in the way. Rachel.

  I dove like a stunt plane. Demorphed in the I dialed. She picked up.

  bushes.

  "Do you want to hang out?" I said. Always Lights were on in the house's lower level. speak in code. Always be careful.

  Dense, red curtains shielded the windows. Shad"Where?" ows played on the fabric. Strange silhouettes,

  "Thirteen sixty-six Fairmont."

  sudden movements. A struggle.

  "When?"

  Where was Rachel?! I edged toward the house,

  "Five minutes ago."

  crawl-walking to keep my head below the hedge.

  "What we talked about earlier?" I stopped at a side window. Pressed my face to a

  "Uh-huh."

  place where the curtain didn't quite meet the I set the phone down and headed for the door. window's edge.

  I was glad Rachel was the one. If you think a sit"Ahhh!" A distorted voice from somewhere in uation could get ugly, you want Rachel on your the room.

  side.

  Two Hork-Bajir stood rigid guard. Beyond

  "Marco?" Nora, standing half-asleep on the them, two human-Controllers wrestling my father stairs. "Where's your father?"

  Into a chair. . . tying him down . . . securing him

  "Dad? He just ran to the store. Probably had a next to a portable Yeerk pool!

  craving for Chunky Monkey. He'll be back soon." One of the men was Russ. The "dead" guy Nora considered for a moment, seemed to

  was alive.

  buy it, and went back to bed.

  I ,stood up. Forget about caution and stealth 22

  and security. Forget about everything except Dad, instinct said.

  Still, I stood, immobile. Watched as one of the men pushed my father's head down to the edge of the tank. Dad struggled, a desperate paroxysm of terror. The man slapped him across the face.

  Dad kicked the pool. Fluid spilled over the edge, onto the carpet.

  I watched, fascinated. Was this real? Was this now?

  Then anger and hate reared up like demons inside of me.

  "This can't happen," I said quietly. "Not Dad. Noooooo!"

  Not again . . ."

  Instinct ordered me to end the nightmare, I raised a huge, black fist to break the glass. I lunge through the glass, destroy the Controllers, had morphed, without realizing or willing it. free my father.

  Gorilla: my outward expression of an inner rage too great to contain.

  But you're an Animorph, my rational mind argued. A soldier. You have to let it happen. You That was it. This was the end of smart. And can't save him now. Even temporary freedom the beginning of right.

  would mean the end. The Yeerks won't stop till Crash!

  they find him. Find you. Your friends. You have to I broke the glass and pulled myself through let it happen. It's the smart thing to do. The only the shattered window. A million sparkling frag thing to do. ments rained to the floor. Cool night air rushed in behind me. The red curtains flapped frantically. I watched. Dad's head was forced into the sludge. One eye sunk beneath the surface. The Everyone froze. All eyes. On me.

  other fixed in horror on the slug that was swimI seized the nearest object, a huge oak chair, ming closer. Closer. Closer. . .

  and flung it out of my path. Gorilla arms are like 24

  25

  heavy machinery. You think, /'// move that, and it I heaved the couch aside.

  just happens. No straining. No effort.

  My father yelled again. I turned to see his The chair smashed and splintered into a mirhead slip back into the pool! Sludgy slime lap ror on the wall. This breaking glass thing, it was

  . gainst his cheek!

  becoming my calling card.

  And a Yeerk slug began to slither into his ear!

 
 

  get hurt,> I bellowed.

  It was maybe the weirdest moment I'll ever

  "Andalite," the "dead" man spat. live. In an instant, everything changed. Live acThe two Hork-Bajir guards lunged. Rushed for tion became slow motion. I saw Dad's future in me around either side of the dark leather couch, my hands.

  leg blades shredding upholstery as they passed. My hands alone.

  I grabbed the closest weapon, the glass globe I charged forward, arm extended, hand outfrom a floor lamp. I sneered, and stretched. Slow . . . too slow!

  threw the globe like a fast ball. One of the Hork"Ahhhh!" Bajir fumbled it like a hot potato. Fell backward Yes! I caught the slug's slippery back half in and hit his head on a table. These goons were not my massive fingers and yanked it out of my fapro-ball material. ther's head. Slapped it to the floor.

  I The human-Controller backed off. I grabbed yelled to Dad, faking a voice deeper than my the chair in which my father was tied and slid it own. across the floor, into the wall. He cursed and I saw him tilt his neck, strain against an angry kicked, still tied down. But he was free. That was human hand.

  all that mattered.

  The base of the lamp was still in my fist, a I wrapped my hands around the edge of the long wrought-iron pole.

  mini-pool and heaved.

  Whack! Whack! Whack!

  A hundred gallons of Kandronal fluid slopped I quickly struck the second Hork-Bajir in the onto the floor. One solitary gray Yeerk floated knees, in the stomach, in the head. He fell to the away in the torrent. It knocked against the leg of ground. A thud, then a clatter.

  .1 side table and was swept toward the glass patio 26

  27

  doors. Just as it was about to smack into the

 

  track at the base of the doors, I slid them open. I grunted. Heaved.

  The fluid drained quickly onto the deck outside. I hoped Russ had homeowner's insurance.

  There was a soft splat as the Yeerk dropped Ka-plash! Bam!

  over the edge.

  I missed both Hork-Bajir, but made a bull's I said to eye with the entertainment center.

  the people who remained standing. I took a step One of the Hork-Bajir began to laugh. At least toward them and what was left of their confiI think that's what he was doing. dence. They'd seen me take two Hork-Bajir out of I backed up and hit the wall. They stomped commission. They knew I could rip their arms toward me, blades flying, beak-mouths open. from their sockets.

  Whoa. Seriously hazardous breath.

  I took another step — and their expressions I looked up. Down. Left, right. There had to changed. They smiled with identical half-grins. It be an escape route. Some domestic weapon I didn't make sense. Not until I realized they hadn't used!

  weren't looking at me.

  A Hork Bajir claw squeezed my neck and

  SSSSEEEWW! SSSSEEEWW!

  pushed me back.

  Twin blades screamed toward my neck! Two

  I gasped for air and tried punching for his new Hork-Bajir!

  stomach. Couldn't reach. My face scrunched up I ducked but the sabers grazed my head. I hit with pain, head started to swirl . . .

  the floor. Scampered under the diningroom table.

  I panted.

  chair in their path. One of them kicked it away. They had exactly one second to think I was I dove for an overstuffed armchair, gripped crazy.

  the legs, and threw it behind me to block them.

  "Roooooaaaaarrrr!"

  They fought with the cotton batting and foam Gigantic paws, armed with claws that can gut just long enough for me to leap over the dea salmon before you can say "lox," knocked their stroyed couch and hoist it into the air! Turn it on heads together.

  them like a battering ram!

  I don't even want to describe what Rachel 28

  29

  did next. Let's just say those particular Yeerks wouldn't trouble anyone for a while.

  I huffed, falling back against the wall, blood smearing on the paint.

  Rachel answered, turning her weak grizzly eyes on Dad. D a d had never looked as terrified as he did at that moment. He was really pale. Paper-white. He was trembling.

  Weeeeeeeooooo! Weeeeeeeeooooo!

  Sirens screamed in the distance. They were coming for us. I stepped forward. Dad cowered like he expected me to kill him.

  Marco, you idiot, you're a freakin' gorilla!

  Speak to him, say something. Get him to trust you.

  I said trying to disguise my voice. Dad's eyes darted from the ape to the bear, not nearly convinced.

  Rachel said privately.
  What are we supposed do with him?>

  30

  31

 
  saved by an Andalite bandit, there's no way out Police car tires screeched around the corner at for him.>

  the intersection that had to be about five blocks I paused, looking at the totaled living room. back. Some of the police were free, but most were What had I done? I was insane. This whole thing Controllers. Why bet on which kind was coming?

  was insane. Dad fumbled with the keys like an old man. I waited for Rachel to answer. She was silent. His breath came fast and shallow.

  I took it as a sign that she agreed.

  Rachel asked.

  she said suddenly.

 

 

  I said. I lurched forward, untied Dad, and grabbed The engine choked to life. Rachel backed into him around the waist. He tensed and fought, the bushes.

  hollered desperately.

  Police streamed down the street.

  I growled.
  I bellowed. Dad was too We're all you've got.>

  scared not to obey. We pulled out as the flashing He kicked one more time, then settled. I

  lights and white sedans shrieked to a halt at dragged him out through the patio door, through 1366. I looked back through the door hole. the ankle-deep Yeerk sludge. Rachel followed.

  I called into the darkness, not We lumbered for Dad's parked car. I released him sure if she could hear me. in front of the driver's door.

  A van cruised past the squad cars and sped

 

  on toward us.

  I ran to the passenger's side and grabbed the

 

  door. Whoops! Too hard. It ripped almost comWe crept along with a traumatized man at the pletely off the hinges.

  wheel. Dad turned onto the street that would

  Rachel snorted. take us home.

  I shrugged, jammed my body into the cab,

  33

  32

  I yelled.

  bad about grazing the Jeep Cherokee. And that

  " B u t . . . my son," he gasped. "My wife." Dodge And the Honda.

  I ordered.
  I moved left one lane. Two lanes. Three lanes. home.>

 

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