Briiiiiinnnnnggg. Briiiiiinnnnnggg. The telephone began to ring. Tom reached across the counter to pick it up.

"Jake?" said a breathless voice on the other end.

"Hold on," Tom said, planning on listening in on the conversation anyways.

"JAAKKEE!" he called, listening to his brother stomp down the stairs, and pick up the telephone. He still had a strong suspicion about something...

He walked around the corner and into the other room, where he picked up the spare phone. What he heard didn't interest him.

"We have flag football in gym!" Cassie complained.

"I know. So do I. What do you want to do about it?" Jake asked.

"Uh, why don't you come over?" Cassie responded. "I think our friend from class will be there."

"Right. See you in a minute." Jake hung up the phone, leaving his brother with nothing more than before.

Sighing, Tom raced down the basement steps, carefully avoiding scrutiny from any other members of the family. Slowly he turned and walked through the basement, to a small closet that hadn't been there when the family had built the house. In fact, he was the only one who knew it existed at all.

He entered the closet, slowly pushing a red button by the door.

"Secure. Alarm. Activated," a computerized female voice stated boredly.

Tom entered the closet and closed the door, pushing a green button on a broom as he finished. The broom swung into the closet, and a computer screen appeared.

A computerized male voice began to speak, "You have reached Vice Principle Chapman's office. He is unavailable to take your call. If you wish to speak with him further, please leave a message after the tone." The tone sounded. Tom waited, saying nothing. Suddenly, after about ten seconds, a new voice appeared, also male, but now not computerized.

"This is Iniss two-six-six, who is it?" it snapped.

"Tom, I have a report again."

"Fool. You don't need to stalk your brother. I'm in the middle of something. And use your real name!"

"Security. What if they overhear me? I can't be going around parading my Yeerk name! Besides... I think he's up to something. His friends all speak in code."

"Have you ever noticed that he's always talking to the same girl, this Cassie? He's probably just arranging some normal human behavior, called a DATE!" Iniss raged.

"But wouldn't he tell my host's mom if he was in love? That's what my host thinks..."

"Fool, your host hasn't been in charge for years, and hasn't known his brother in years. He is no use in this... Now, I need to get a team together."

"A team? For what?" Tom asked excitedly.

Clearly annoyed, Iniss hissed through the connection, "A secret one. Now, will you leave me be?"

"Let me on it!" Tom exclaimed.

Tom could almost feel Iniss rolling his host's eyes. "Fine. If that what gets you to leave me alone, go ahead. Join the team. Tomorrow at the stadium at twelve. Don't miss it, Visser Three might make an example out of you..."

Excited beyond belief, Tom thanked Iniss profusely and disconnected. He ran up to his room and began to plan.