((I do not own the Animorphs. They are the creation of author K. A. Applegate.))
Chapter 7
Four hours later I was a great horned owl winging my way over the forest. My eyes could pick up everything through the dark. An owl is nocturnal, so its eyes are like natural night vision goggles. I was flying towards the campsite, a silent killer. (So, Ax-man, what exactly are we supposed to be looking for here?)
(Anything suspicious, I suppose, Marco.) Ax was a raccoon down below, scurrying across the leaves on the ground. When we reached the camp he made his way up a tree at the edge of the site, and I landed silently in a tree on the other side.
(Oh joy, they're all sleeping. This should be fun.) I ruffled my feathers as I looked around the site for anything unusual. I was a little preoccupied though. I just couldn't get Caitlin out of my mind.
(Was that sarcasm, Marco?) Ax's question made me let out a thought speak laugh.
(Yeah, it was. You're getting good.) Often times Human humor confused Ax. Andalites aren't exactly fond of jokes; they're a very serious people. Suddenly I heard a twig snap and looked over my shoulder in the direction of the sound. One benefit of being an owl, it's very easy to look over your shoulder. (Hey Ax, I think I may have found something suspicious. You keep watching the camp, I'll be right back.)
I took off and followed the two people I had seen walking away from the campsite. One was a tall blond woman, probably in her mid-twenties. She had her long blond hair pulled up into a high ponytail. The other was a man probably around my dad's age. He had short, graying hair, and was a little taller than the woman.
Once they had gotten far enough from the tents the man pressed a button on his watch and a hologram appeared a hologram of a blue creature that was definitely not from this world. The blond spoke, "Irad2247 and Rigon3472 reporting."
Those were definitely not human names. (Oh, boy. Hey Ax-man, we have definite Yeerks. And one of those hologram things of our favorite Visser.) I called out to him as I perched in a nearby tree and tried to act like I was just a clueless, ordinary owl.
(Marco, do you require some aid?) Ax asked me nervously from where ever he was at the moment. I assume still in that tree.
(Nah, I'm pretty well hidden behind some leaves on this tree I'm in. I think I'll be ok.)
(If you are certain.) Ax sounded a little uncertain as he replied. I reassured him that if I needed any help, I'd let him know, and tried to focus on what the Visser was saying.
(Is the target in place?) The commanding tone of the Visser's thought speak was scary enough. But when you realized that he would ask them to kill anything that could possibly be an Andalite Bandit, it was terrifying just being there. I wanted to hide myself a little more, but an owl playing hide and seek is definitely not a natural thing.
"She is sleeping at the camp, Visser. Along with the rest of the humans." Blondie seemed to be doing all the talking, her companion just stood there silently, "By tomorrow night, we should be able to seize her."
(Why not tonight?) Visser Three asked with a slight hiss in his voice. He was not a patient Yeerk.
"With all due respect, Visser, the timing wouldn't work. It's too soon. We will attempt to isolate her during our bird-watching expedition tomorrow, and if we cannot, we will take her from the tent in the night. If we manage to get her during the day, it will appear far less suspicious." The man finally piped up. He was terrified. I don't blame him; any Yeerk under the Visser's command knew that if you said something he didn't like there was a good chance your head would roll. Of course, he was a hologram at the moment, but that didn't make him any less frightening.
(Very well then. Just make sure you accomplish what you came here to do. I have ways of dealing with those who fail me, as you well know.)
"Y-yes Visser. We will not fail you." The man was visibly shaking he was so scared.
(They're going to get her tomorrow, during a bird-watching trip. Jake, can you guys here me too?) I directed my thought speech only at my friends. You can do that, because if you couldn't you'd be in big trouble if someone overheard you.
(We can hear you.) Tobias replied.
Suddenly I was hit from behind. (AHH!) The pain was intense, but it was more that I had been caught off guard. I looked around to see what had hit me. It was another Owl! This must have been his territory. (Damn!)
(Marco? Marco, are you ok?)
(Ack! I hate when animals get territorial on me!) I flapped my wings to get away. I had heard enough, no more reason for me to stay here.
Unfortunately, the Visser caught site of me flying away as I continued to be attacked by another bird. (Andalite spy.) He hissed, his hologram pointing in my direction. (Don't let him get away!
No questions asked two Dracon Beams were leveled at me. Those two were too smart to bring up that normal birds would live out here, and that territory disputes happen all the time. A statement like that could be fatal to them.
TSEEW! TSEEW!
The weapons fired, I barely dodged the red beams of light as I hauled ass out of their. If they hadn't known that I was a spy before, they knew now. No regular bird would have thought to dodge a light, as was made obvious when the owl that had blown my cover disintegrated in mid-attack.
TSEEW! TSEEW! TSEEW!
I was surprised no one back at the camp heard, I guess I was farther away than I thought. I flew away as fast as I could, deliberately heading away from Cassie's. This had been the plan. If you get caught and have to run, head away from Cassie's. Demorph as soon as you're safe, and then hide until you can make it back. (Ahhh! They're firing at me! I'm heading to safety. See you later.)
(Be Careful, Marco)
(No duh, Bird-boy.) I hauled ass out of there. The controllers chased as far as they could without going way to far from the camp. They couldn't risk being discovered missing.
I landed in a yard behind a house that had all the lights off and hid in the darkness behind a tool shed. I began to change. The beak sucked back into my head forming teeth. The wings popped and cracked as they switched directions, sprouting fingers at the end. My skin appeared as the feathers were sucked back in. Lips popped out of my face to cover the teeth that had been just kind of sitting there. A nose appeared right after, and I began to grow, shooting up like some magic sky scraper. The talons rotated around my feet, two of them splitting so I had the right number of digits on each of my newly formed feet.
The change finished, I looked around trying to figure out where exactly I was. How far was I from Cassie's, how long would it take me to get back without crossing the Yeerks' path again.
Suddenly I heard the sound of the shed door closing. Great, someone had been out in the shed! I could only hope that it wasn't a person who'd ask too many question's if they saw me. I tried to sneak away, but Human's don't have the stealth benefit of the owl. I stepped n a stick and there was a loud crack which caused the person who had been in the shed to run around behind it to investigate.
"Marco?" Came a voice filled with disbelief.
As my eyes adjusted to the dark I realized who it was. What were the odds this house would belong to her? "Caitlin…"
((Bum bum buuuum. How evil am I? Cliffhanger! Muwahahahahah! Go ahead just guess what happens next, if I like it, maybe I add it. As long as it doesn't interfere with my own plans.))