4.

We girls were in Cassie's room and David got the guest room. I couldn't really sleep even though Cassie and Rachel were both out when their heads touched the pillow.

It was about two a.m. and I was reading courtesy of the moonlight when our door opened a tiny bit, revealing David. He beckoned to me and, curious, I followed. We went downstairs and sat in the dining room.

"I want to call my mom and dad," he said quietly, but I could hear the fierceness in his voice.

I knew the others weren't lying. I just knew it. But I understood David. He didn't know any of them. How could he trust them? He barely knew me!

But I was still the closest thing he had to a friend. I thought for a few second and said, "We have Caller I.D. and people can trace phones. "

He nodded, understanding my point. "All right. A pay phone then."

We got dressed and crept back down the stairs and out of the house. It was chilly outside and damp. It took us a while, but we eventually found a phone.

"Wait," I said.

"What is it?" David gave me a look that was both exasperated and yet indulgent.

"I... I think that we might have to be more cautious than we thought. If they can be anyone, anywhere, if they take over your brain, they won't sound different. I know my parents don't. They'll lie and well, not like we can prove otherwise with all the resources..."

He looked stubborn, "So what? I say the bare minimum? Say 'hi,' and hang up?"

"... What would you want someone to say if you were a prisoner in your own body?" I asked, thinking.

That seemed to make his ego deflate a little bit before he slowly smiled, a dangerous one, and he quickly dialed the number.

"It's me." David's voice was dangerous. " No, don't talk. Don't lie to me, you slug. I just figured I'd tell you, you stupid Yeerk, that I'm going to fight. I'm going to be your worst nightmare. You'll wish I had never been born. Those Andalites will look like kittens compared to me. And Dad, I love you, I love you and Mom and I'll free you, I promise." With that, he slammed down the phone and I hugged him as he sobbed into my shoulder.

~I hate to interrupt, and I loved the speech, but in about two minutes a couple carloads of Yeerks are going to come screaming up looking for you. They'll trace the call.~ Marco's voice 'said.'

David wanted to protest, I could see that much, but I dragged him with me to a row of older buildings. The kind with deep, dark doorways. We slunk back into the shadows.

Marco was wrong. It didn't take two minutes.

Two Jeeps, windows darkened, came roaring down the street a minute and a half later. A long, sinister limousine was not far behind. People leaped from the Jeeps. No creatures this time.

"Cowards," David hissed, clenching his fists. "No creatures in the open."

Another car came squealing up. David's father and mother jumped out. They joined the others. His father began passing out photographs.

"My picture," he said quietly, sighing. "If they're like him, then that won't be good."

"What exactly does your dad do for a living?"

"He works for the National Security Agency. They got someone who can get them into different places."

David looked full of rage as we watched and listened.

His father and the two men came down the sidewalk straight for us. We could hear their footsteps. We could hear his father's voice.

"If we don't find that kid, Visser Three will make us wish we were dead," David's father said.

"Come on," David whispered to me, indicating that we should move.

~Stay where you are~ Jake's voice said.

"You're not my father," David hissed, ready to move anyway.

"Maybe he's got a plan," I suggested softly to David. "If we could turn the tables here, it'd become an ambush instead of a hunt. A trap."

Grudgingly he nodded.

I don't know what made me say it, but I said quietly, "They're not better than you. They've just done it longer. When we get experience..." I trailed off, because he was nodding.

We watched, trying hard to stay calm as his father and the other two came closer. "Jake, if they see us..." David hissed and I could see the promise of threats in his eyes.

And then...

PAH-LUMP, PAH-LUMP, PAH-LUMP, PAH-LUMP.

There came the sound of something running. Something large.

I stuck my head out of the shadows to watch. David did the same. The three Controllers heard the heavy galloping sound and turned.

There, running down the sidewalk, came a rhinoceros.

David's father and one of the men were bright enough to get out of the way. The third man was not.

WHUMPF!

Rhino horn hit human flesh and human flesh didn't do so well. The Controller flew up, over, cartwheeled once, and landed hard on the pavement.

David's father turned, drew his gun, and aimed for the rhino's retreating butt. Did he really think a pistol would hurt a rhino?

Then we saw the gorilla. It stepped out, wrapped a hand against the back of David's father's neck, and tossed him lightly against the wall.

David's father hit, bounced, and fell to the sidewalk with a sigh.

The other Controller took a long, gaping look at the gorilla and ran, yelling, "It's a trap!"

It was easier to return to Cassie's house after that. Both of them were awake now. "That was dangerous," Cassie said to both of us, looking back and forth. "What if they had seen you?"

"I had my hood on again," I said.

"And they already know me," David said quietly, his eyes blazing. "I'm already hunted."

"And you're not caught," Rachel said. "Keep acting stupid like that and you might be."

"I had to do it," David said, glaring at them. "Never mind, you wouldn't understand."

Their looks turned from irritated to ones of pity as David went back upstairs and went to sleep. "I think we should do the same," I suggested, yawning.

"Good idea," Rachel said as Cassie nodded in agreement.

The next morning we assembled in the woods because Cassie's dad was working in the barn. Even though it was still chilly out and the sky was filled with clouds, we were tramping along, clutching our sweatshirts and jackets closed. Cassie, Jake, Rachel, and Marco each had a pole-end of two cages. David and I walked behind them, both a bit nervous. Tobias and Ax were in the woods.

In the cages were two big birds of prey: a merlin and a golden eagle.

The merlin was about a quarter of the size of the eagle. The eagle was one big bird. If I remembered correctly, both birds had been patients of Cassie and her dad. Both were going to be released.

Tobias came swooping down, seemingly out of the clouds. He landed with easy precision on a small log.

~What are you doing with that?~ he demanded, glaring at the eagle.

"Relax, relax, Tobias," Cassie said, setting down the cage.

~You're not releasing him near my territory,~ he said flatly.

"Tobias, this bird has only been at the center for a couple of days. He has a well-established territory well back in the mountains. You know golden eagles don't like roosting in trees if they can find a nice cliff. So he won't be hanging around. But we can't get him any closer to his territory, really, because the road back up there washed out."

Tobias stared fiercely at her. Or maybe it just looked that way because it was a hawk's face. He switched his gaze to David and me, then to Jake. It was a clear, unspoken question.

"They're here to get their first morph," Jake answered. "I was thinking the merlin."

"Which one's the merlin?" David asked.

"The smaller bird," Cassie said. "They're very fast, very agile," she added helpfully.

"Faster than the big one?" David asked, giving her a look.

~You don't want to be a golden eagle,~ Tobias said. ~They're jerks. They go after other birds. Not to mention anything from a rabbit to a small deer. And I'm not kidding about the deer. I saw a golden eagle take down a young doe. Sank those talons right into the back of her head, boom, she went down like she'd been shot.~

"I want to do the eagle," David said.

A moment's hesitation. "Any special reason?" Jake asked.

I looked at him. It wasn't obvious? "Firepower, Jake," I said quietly. "I'll take the merlin, though." I slowly smiled at Rachel, "I mean, if you're big and bulky even in the air..."

"Hey!" She protested. "It's not my fault you're better at gymnastics!"

The others rolled their eyes and Jake shook his head, but I could tell he was a little amused. I continued, "But if Rachel's morph is the only big bird, that means she's always doing the heavy lifting. You're looking at the problems, which is understandable, but also remember that means someone else to do more damage and more lifting."

Jake still didn't look too pleased about it, but he nodded and looked at Tobias. "Where's Ax?"

~Can't you hear him? You people are so deaf. He's galloping, should appear right about. . . there.~

Ax sprang lightly into view. ~l am sorry to be late,~ he said. ~l had to go out of my way to avoid some human campers. Are we going ahead with the Escafil Device?~

Jake hesitated for a split second before saying, "Yes."

Rachel had been carrying the blue box in a waist pouch. She unzipped the pouch, popped out the box, and tossed it to Ax. Ax missed the catch, but before the box could hit the ground, Ax whipped his tail forward, turned the blade flat, and caught the box. "Whoa," I said. That was fast.

He raised the box to his hands. ~Press your hand on the square nearest to you,~ Ax said to us.

"Wait! Shouldn't there be some kind of ceremony or something?" Cassie said.

"Like what?" Marco asked. "You want us all to join hands and sing The Star-Spangled Banner'?"

"No, I don't know all the words," Cassie said. With a sly grin she added, "We could sing 'MMM-Bop.'"

We all laughed at that.

Ax held out the cube in one hand. David and I shared looks; I mean, Ax was an alien. We slowly stepped forward. A tingle ran through me.

"It tingles," David said as I nodded in agreement.

Marco stepped up to David and stuck out his hand. To my surprise, David took it. "Welcome to the Animorphs, new boy." Marco smiled at me and took my hand too, "You too, Melissa."

Everyone shook our hands and then Cassie cracked open the cage of the golden eagle.

"You just put your hand in very slowly," she instructed us.

David's shaking hand moved toward the eagle, while mine went to the merlin.

"Now press your palm against the bird's shoulder."

The eagle gave David a dirty look, but then ignored him. The merlin nipped at my fingers and I almost ran away shouting but forced myself to stay. Rachel would never let me live it down if a bird made me run away.

"Focus your mind. See the birds in your imagination. Think about them, what they are, what they represent."

I shut my eyes to focus better.

"Now take your hand away," Cassie said softly. "You now have the birds inside you. Their DNA is in your blood. You can become them."

David grinned. "When do we do it?"

I was glad he was excited. I was nervous.

"Soon," Jake said. "We also have to get you a morph with some teeth. Cassie? Take them to the zoo. With your access he should be able to get in and out without being spotted, but the rest of us will fly cover. Let them have whatever morph they want. But also get them a bug or two in case they have to get small. We want to be ready," he said, switching back to us. "We have a little . . . situation. A mission."

"Nothing to worry about, though," Marco said. "Just the usual: Save the world from the alien invaders. You'll get used to it."

"Shouldn't we take time to prepare or something?" I asked, curious. "If this is really an invasion and everything, do you really want two rookies involved in your mission?"

"It would be nice to prepare both of you," Jake agreed, but he looked sad. "Unfortunately, there just isn't any time."

David and I shared looks, but before we could ask any questions about why, Cassie spoke, "A summit meeting right here in town, where the Yeerk invasion is the strongest. The presidents or prime ministers of Britain, France, Russia, Japan, Germany, and the United States are all coming here to figure out what to do about all the problems in the Middle East. It's the ultimate target, the leaders of six powerful nations all in one place at one time."

"And one's a Controller," Marco said, looking tired.

"Let's go then," David said. His eyes glittered dangerously. "Us to the zoo, you guys to learn as much as you can about the summit area."

Marco and Jake shared mild glares and I bit back a smile. Boys and their egos. "Rachel, are you coming with us?"

"Jake can't look up the summit meeting, too risky," she said. "I'll do that."

"Marco and I are going to hang out to make today look normal," Jake said, making Marco nod. "Probably playing games or shooting hoops. Then we'll just tell my parents we're going to the mall or for a walk."

~I'll go with you guys~ Tobias said, looking at David, Cassie and me. ~Animorphs air force.~

So we went with Cassie's mother and Cassie to The Gardens. That's this huge amusement park that also has a zoo-or I guess they call it a wildlife park. Apparently her mother was a vet there.

Again: everyone else had cool parents. Me, I get the vice-principal that's imprisoned by an alien slug.

Life was so not fair.