This answers some questions, em actually; it's more about the characters and the arguments that go over why have Tom on the team…
I've decided on Mickey's character, plus, as I mention at the end of the chapter, you're going to meet the real Roger very soon.
Chapter Six
Dominic was there when Abby received the call; she managed to get him and Roger to secure an escape route.
Dominic and Victor kept an eye on Tom as Abby wondered -seemingly lost between them. Victor turned to her and asked her the question that had been bugging him ever since he met up with the rest. "Where's Mickey?"
Abby shrugged, "I honestly don't know Vic."
"Why is it that Mickey gets to blow us off so often," Dominic demanded, "What, we're not good enough for Party Boy?"
"You know that's not true." Victor said tiredly, wishing he hadn't brought the subject up. Mick's parents are really rich. So rich, in fact, that they managed to spoil their only son silly. As a result, money had no value to Mickey. So he'd be going around inviting people to parties or going to parties or hanging out in exclusive clubs and whatever.
The sad truth was that Mick only fought because of the 'thrill' because he didn't have anything 'better to do'. And who knows? Maybe Mickey hung out with the gang because they were his only 'real' friends. Mickey has lived in the US for over ten years now, the early years of his life has been spent in his home country; Australia. He used to have real 'mates' back in Australia because he grew up with them; unfortunately, the only type of friends Mick could successfully draw in America were ones where he'd end up being used.
Roger had one hand on Tom's shoulder and was guiding him along, they blind folded and gagged Tom so that he could not see them or see where he was going to, they took a traditional deserted route to Mickey's house, as usual, they bypassed security and hid him in Mick's room.
After staring at Tom's helpless figure for a while, Abby said, "Lets not kill him okay?"
"What are you talking about?" Mark grunted as he hefted a bound and gagged Tom into the large walking closet, "We keep him for a little while then get rid of him. There's no other way."
"Yes." Abby hesitated, "There is."
They all turned to look at her, Victor shook his head, "No, Abby, you know what happened the last time we took a rash decision like this."
"Enough of the killing." Abby said, "Besides, he could help us out."
Mark rolled his eyes, "You got to be kidding. Since when do Yeerks help us out?"
"No, I meant like after we keep him for three days." Abby looked desperately at the others. "He'd be an ex-controller, he's presumed dead, he'd love a chance to get back at his captors. I know I did."
Roger looked trouble. He glanced at Abby and then he said, "Abby's right Vic, she does have a point, we'd have a substitute for Sixkiller."
"Gee, I hope the substitute doesn't turn out to be exactly like Sixkiller." Dominic said dryly.
"We don't need a substitute for Sixkiller." Mark said angrily slamming the closet door, "We're getting her back. By killing him."
"We don't have to kill both of them." Abby argued, "You're only after one. The Yeerk."
"How am I going to get the public to know that I killed Tom? How am I going to get the sharing to find out that we are responsible for the death of their second valuable controller?"
Clever Abby has already planned for this part, it was why she had been silent throughout the journey. She was playing out the argument and running it over and over in her head. She knew how to win her boyfriend's best friend over. She knew Mark just as well as Victor.
"Simple, we escalate their problem. Instead of turning up with dead bodies we turn up with the dead Yeerks. Right? So they'd be worrying about who comes by and sees their slimy friends as who they really are. They'd keep on trying to figure out where we strike next to cover up." Abby hurried on excitedly, "Basically, we expand our force, gain inside information and liberate Human hosts, how'd you like that?"
Victor smiled slowly, "I sort of like that, despite the risks."
Roger shrugged, "How long do you think we'd last? We better double our numbers fast."
"Hey, hey, hey." Mark said angrily, "Wait up. We're killing Tom. That's what Vic said we would do, we planed for it to happen, what are we waiting for?"
"New opportunities?" Abby supplied, "Better than killing."
"Not better than killing, we go according to the plan," Mark turned to his best friend, "You're with me on this, right?"
"I'm not so sure on that." Victor mumbled.
Mark appeared taken back, "What?"
"We planned for it to happen in a certain way." Victor said quietly, "It didn't go 'according to plan', look what sort of mess we made out of the last mission, Mark. So no, nothing is going according to mission; did we plan yesterday to drag Tom all the way here?"
Mark folded his arms and scowled at the distance.
Abby stepped up and touched Mark's arm. Mark stared at her hand until she withdrew it. Feeling uncomfortable and trying to sound sincere Abby said, "Mark, you killed Tom's little brother, is that why you don't want him fighting with us?"
BOOM!
At this point Mickey barged in the room, the door opened wide on its hinges and slammed at the wall, he stumbled to the ground catching Abby's last statement, he raised an arm and wiped the corner of his mouth with his sleeve, he struggled to get up, swaying he said, "Awww, I missed the party going around here, what did Mark do this time?"
Ignoring Mickey's arrival and irrelevant comment; Mark frowned at the wall like he didn't understand what Abby had said, he looked at her then at the wall, his eyes suddenly widened and he spun at her, "What?"
"You don't want to face Tom because you killed his brother. Is that it?" Abby said gently touching his arm again, "You know, its okay, you could tell us."
Mickey clapped his hands and burst out laughing crazily, Dominic watched all this in amusement, Roger's face was blank. Vic had a tired worn out look. Mick said, "I really did miss something big didn't I?" He slid down to the ground and yawned, "Sorry I'm late, but…em…the boys had me over for some fun and I couldn't help it…I got drunk…"
Mark yanked his arm away from Abby's hand, Mark wanted to yell something like; 'You witch. You want this to go your way don't you?'
"I'll just sleep it off now…" Mickey was mumbling he wandered towards his closet, "Got to change man…can't sleep like this. And my shoes…man. Untie…" He leaned down and started to yank his shoes off.
Mark would only admit to himself that this was an ingenious way to turn the argument around; Abby just knew that Mark would deny the weakness.
Mickey opened the closet and tossed the shoes in slowly, he cocked his head and blinked, "I really am drunk. What's that doing in here?" Mickey disappeared in the walking closet.
Mark did want to keep quiet; he didn't want to answer Abby. He knew that if he didn't the others would take it as a sign of weakness and for that reason he answered, "Defiantly not. Do whatever it is you want, it doesn't bother me the slightest."
There was a loud thud and then the sound of someone scrambling to his feet, Mickey walked out of the closet with perhaps the worst assortment of clothes, he looked over his shoulder and said, "Man, you people better stop inviting people for sleepovers."
Dominic laughed and said, "I better keep an eye on him don't you think?" Dominic walked over and grinned at Mickey's drunken form, "You didn't dress up properly, mate. Why'd you have that cravat on? And that shirt?"
Mickey who collapsed on his bed trying to unbutton non-existing buttons, was mumbling mostly to himself, "…and if you do bring them over, put them in the guest room… I keep my clothes in there…"
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
There's a bit more waiting for you; next chapter decides whether Tom is going to join them or not, plus, much more about Roger's twisted character.
Please tell me what you think, I've got something exciting coming up soon, it's got to do with Jake/Tom and the Animorphs colliding with our gang here; fireworks are going to be expected, especially since I'm thinking of introducing Sixkiller in the story by then.