NINE: RACHEL
5:56 P.M.
I ran as fast as my six little legs could take me. Even let the roach's jumpy instincts take over in hopes it could boast me right out of danger.
But the ginger and white cat was fast. Eyes trailed after me with lighting reflexes. One paw down. A miss. Then its gaze locked on me.
(Come here!) Ax hollered at the perky feline. It worked for a second but he was more fascinated at me than at a second cockroach.
There was one thing I had forgotten about Elle's restaurant. Well, three things. She often didn't let them out during the day, even in the kitchen. She once told me that besides being one of the reasons for the restaurant's popularity, they were "better than pest control".
Elle had three cats at her family restaurant.
Using a roach morph clearly was a stupid idea!
I couldn't stay low to the floor anymore. I had to get somewhere high.
Right! Cockroaches have wings!
I took one leap of faith, flapping my gauzy, gross wings as fast as I could. But I didn't go as far as I had hoped and landed on a metal table.
"Gingko!" I heard Elle shout. "What are you doing here? You know you're not supposed to-"
(She sees you!)
Elle sounded like she inhaled all the air to stop herself from screaming. If she did, the whole restaurant would know - a roach was in the kitchen.
To a Yeerk, they couldn't care less for a little insect. To a human whose family owns a small restaurant, that was a big deal. If word got out, Elle's family business would be ruined. I was already guilty enough to go along with Ax's plan and sneak in as a cockroach.
So...to be honest...Elle had every right to take action on a roach.
(Run, Rachel!)
The table shook violently. Bam! Bam! I think she got a utensil to try and squash me. I quickly sneaked under any nook and cranny I could find. Plates, pots, anything.
It was only for a split second every time. Elle was fast in tearing down my hiding places but I was already onto my next one. This couldn't last this long unless either of us would give up!
"Gingko!"
I didn't know what was happening. I think the ginger cat didn't give up on me.
Someone. Help!
Cloof!
(Ow!) Then I suddenly hit a wall I couldn't see.
"Kong Kong."
(Rachel! Stay still,) I heard Tobias holler.
(Stay still?! I don't know what's happening!)
(The old man's got you. In a glass.)
(That doesn't sound good!)
My whole world shifted as something strange slid under my tiny feet. Whatever it was, it was very thin and brown.
Another sudden jerk of my world and I saw an old man's face close to the glass.
Elle's great uncle, Mr Liang. Owner and chef. On first impression, the tall, broad man with grey hair looked very unfriendly. He had a scowl that told anyone to not talk badly about anything. Not even his business.
My family has been regular customers for years and before I even found out about the invasion, I learned that Mr Liang was, well, misunderstood.
He rarely showed expressions and didn't speak much English either. So anyone would find him intimidating. But Mr Liang showed his hospitality in his own ways, like occasionally refilling our green tea or giving a bow every time someone comes and leaves the place.
On the day we decided to infiltrate the restaurant, I took it that everyone inside Yan Fú Wok was a Controller. Including Mr Liang. I couldn't see the scary nice man like I did the same way.
So I really thought that he was one. All because he caught me with a glass and a piece of cardboard.
"Kong Kong, that's a…" Elle lowered her voice. "A cockroach. The customers won't like it."
Mr Liang simply gave a deep "hm-hm". I expected him to do something but all he did was look at Elle while keeping me in my prison.
At first, she looked confused. Then she glanced at me.
Had I been found out?
Elle looked sympathetic. Wait, to a cockroach?
"Sorry," she apologised innocently. "'Nature does not hurry, yet everything is accomplished.'"
Mr Liang nodded at her answer.
Hang on. Wasn't that like something you read off a fortune cookie? Also, if you see a cockroach in the kitchen, you kill it! Elle was doing just that!
Suddenly, my whole world shifted again. The old chef was taking me somewhere. Where exactly?
(He's heading for the backdoor,) Tobias confirmed for me.
The light around me blasted up a notch, nearly blinding me. I felt the world go down.
Then the glass came off.
I was near the wheel of a dumpster. Outside. The cockroach mind screamed at me to run away from Mr Liang's looming shadow. Hide. But he walked back into the restaurant.
...Was I missing something here?!
(You ok, Rachel?) Tobias asked.
(I think so? I thought he was gonna crush me… Not take me outside.)
Another cockroach then crawled out from under the door.
(Ax?) I guessed.
(Yes. It is me.)
(Good. We are never going back in there as cockroaches again. Ever.)
(Morph into birds. There's something you guys need to see,) Tobias said.
(Good. Anything to get out of this gross form,) I complained.
The back alley behind the restaurant was perfect for me and Ax to switch into our bird morphs. Up we went, joining Tobias and three other birds on the next door's rooftop.
(Rachel, I heard the commotion-)
(I'm fine,) I cut Cassie short. (One of Elle's cats found me.)
(What's happening?) Jake asked, straight into business. Whatever it was, it had to be something urgent and bad for us to bail out.
(Cops,) Marco said.
And I was right.
Sure enough, the white and black car drove down the street before parking outside the restaurant. No blaring alarm but their presence made it obviously uneasy.
To everyone, the police are supposed to help people. Catch bad guys. They are supposed to be someone you turn to for any terrible thing.
But they can't help stop an invasion. Not when they are all Controllers.
We had Yeerks coming to Yan Fú Wok.
"Oh, finally," the waitress, Hanan, stepped out of the restaurant. "About time they sent you."
The two policemen looked at each other, puzzled.
"So have you caught the thief?" she continued.
"Hello, ma'am. What is this regarding?" one of the cops spoke politely.
"Isn't this about the mugging this morning?" she asked, sounding displeased right off the bat. "My boss's relative got jumped on during a delivery."
The news flew over the two men's heads. They didn't care. And Hanan could see that in their faces.
"I'm sorry. But we are here for another matter," the same cop explained. "If you want, you can file in a report-"
"'File a report'?" she snapped. "I just said someone was mugged and had an expensive watch stolen. You're cops. You should be doing your job."
What Hanan was doing was dangerous. If she wasn't making a scene, with eyes on her, the police Controllers would take her and infest her with a Yeerk. I could feel the hostility within the Quarter. Two white men on patrol in this part of the city would make things uneasy for everyone there.
Out came Elle. "What's going on?"
"Elle. Tell these cops what happened to you. They can't just let that thief go off freely."
The moment she glanced at the two men, Elle was visibly nervous. Her left hand tightened onto her right wrist.
"Good afternoon, young lady," the 'sincere' cop introduced.
"...What do you want?" Elle reluctantly asked.
The man approached. "Don't worry. We would like to ask you a few questions regarding an incident today. Is that ok?"
"Incident? What incident?" Hanan asked in a protective manner.
"I'm afraid we cannot share any information."
"No, she shouldn't answer any questions. She's not a culprit. She's a victim!"
"We're not implying anything, miss..."
Hanan crossed her arms. She wasn't going to give her name out. So he continued.
"We are only here to clear up any misunderstanding."
Ding!
Mr Liang also stepped out of the restaurant to their rescue. With his unfriendly expression like always. "Girls. Inside."
"The owner, I presume. We have some questions to ask your grandniece-"
"Mai," Mr Liang replied sternly to the Controller with a foreign word before speaking to Elle in the same tongue.
"You can stand as her legal witness, sir," the Controller continued, using his role to stop him. "We won't make this too long."
"Mai. Leave."
"You should be more cooperative, sir," the second cop rudely said. His whole demeanor was enough to mean business. He had the gun to prove it.
What was surprising was how little of a dent he had to Mr Liang. He stood like an oak tree. Maybe because he had dealt with harsher customers than the officer.
But the thing was he wasn't dealing with a person. He was talking to a Controller.
"Or else this is obstruction of justice."
"Is that a threat?" Hanan hissed at the big cop.
"We can come back with a warrant, miss," the other cop said.
No. Not a warrant. More Controllers instead. And with force.
(Oooh, this is not good,) Marco uttered dreadfully at how fast it was escalating. I didn't like it either.
(What should we do?) Cassie asked Jake. I know, we all know - we had to keep a low profile. One wrong move just because we let our emotions get in the way, and that would be the end.
Even so, from all this, anyone could tell. Three humans that were probably not under the Yeerks' control could lose it all in an instant if nothing was done.
"Kong Kong! Hanan!"
The tension seemed to cut in half thanks to Elle suddenly stepping in. She assured her uncle and friend with a wide smile.
"It's ok. I'll answer their questions. Then we can move on with our day."
"Elle. These cops haven't explained anything to us," her friend pointed.
"It's just routine questioning," the 'good' cop exclaimed calmly. "We won't want to waste any of your time."
The amount of 'passive-aggressive talking' made my skin crawl. If I could, I'd sock that Controller down. Full bear mode. Even Hanan and Mr Liang wanted him gone.
But Elle tried being the voice of reason. "Ten minutes. Then I'll come back inside."
The two older people were torn on the spot. Mr Liang, the most, even with what little expression he showed. He spoke to her again in Mandarin and she talked back to him.
(Hey, Ax. You have that translator in your head. What are they saying?) Marco asked.
(I thought you could answer that for me.)
(What? Don't you understand most languages by now?)
(I have also told you that I need to hear enough of a native tongue for my translator chip to process the language. Speaking of which, what language are they talking in?) Ax curiously asked. (It is very different from the ones I've heard on TV.)
(It's Mandarin,) I answered. (It's what Chinese people use.)
Whatever Elle and her great uncle were talking about, it finally calmed him down. I think he looked calm.
"Alright," he said. "Ten minutes. Then come in." He nodded to Hanan.
"I don't like this but ok…" Hanan gave a piercing glare at the police officers. "We're watching you."
"There is nothing to worry about, miss. She is safe with us."
"...You cops are all the same," she grumbled under her breath.
With that, Elle was left alone with the two officers.
(This can't be good,) Cassie said. (Are the Yeerks here about the accident?)
(Well, can't blame them. The Yeerks chase after a girl with a strange device. She winds up injured and now they find her fine and dandy,) Marco relayed out the events. (So they're looking for the same answers we're after.)
(This seems a bit, well, calm for Yeerks,) Tobias pointed. (I thought they'd be taking the situation in their hands but...a police interrogation?)
(Whatever they have plans, it's not good. If they find anything suspicious from Elle, they might really drag her away. Even her whole family.)
(Like what they did to David,) Cassie said anxiously.
(Not this time. She has us watching her,) I explained.
(Hey, now. Don't go jumping in as the heroine yet. Let's see how this plays out,) Marco insisted.
Elle was led to the police car. But she stood a good distance from the two men, where we and anyone from the restaurant could see them. We flew over them to a perch closer to them, a lamppost over the police car.
It had to be scary for her, being talked to by police officers for no particular reason. Worse, she might not even be related to the accident in the first place. Her being robbed in broad daylight? Yeah, it left more questions and a Yeerk wouldn't care about it.
Elle wasn't worried, though. In fact, she didn't have her usual demeanor. She had her hands in her pockets, looking emotionless as she studied the men.
"Now, then. Can you tell us where you were this morning?" the 'nice' cop asked.
Elle averted her eyes away with a bored look.
"Stop acting and answer the question, grub," the 'bad' cop demanded impatiently. "I don't have time to be dealing with you."
(Excuse me?) I barked. Even if they were Controllers, that was downright rude.
His partner turned back. "Hey, this isn't a good idea-"
"There are no humans here to worry about semantics, Cretri."
(What?) Marco gasped.
(Did the Yeerks just outright expose themselves?) Tobias asked.
The 'bad' cop glared at Elle. "Let's get to the point, Orekor."
At first, the name didn't sink for me. Who was he talking to? The other Yeerk?
I had a bad feeling about this.
"Orekor [redacted]," the Controller hollered again. To Elle. "Tell us where you were today."
Nothing from her.
"I won't ask again, Werch!"
"Fine."
The truth hit me like a ton of bricks when Elle glanced up to the cop Controller. Methodical like. She spoke in a tone Elle never spoke before. She didn't react in a natural way that he was talking nonsense. That a human should react.
"What do you want?" she demanded calmly. Coldly.
Yeerk-like.
It wasn't Elle.
It never was her...
I had been hoping this entire time. That we were wrong. But at the same time, I sorta knew. Deep down, I should have expected it anyway.
The cheerful delivery girl I know from school was a Controller.
A/N: I got a bit eager to upload the next chapter but it's alright with how I've been progressing for my alpha/beta writing. And here we have the one of a few big reveals in this story. :) Additionally, I will be taking some time from uploading after chapter Ten to focus on refining the later plot structure and going back to edit writing errors in the previous chapters. Again, do let me know if there's anything off or wrong in grammar, etc. I really do try my best to fix things but I will overlook X'D
Anyhow enjoy this new chapter.
28/10/20 - First upload.
2/11/20 - Small edits.