Wow, you people really need a lot of questions answered, but don't worry! All in good time; I'll answer them.
As you see my story has its own pace, and what's happening in the next chapter is going to be a huge turning point, why? Because I introduced something new to the story.
Thanks a lot to you people who reviewed, I'm looking forward to uploading the next part, the more reviews I get the faster I'm posting it –the reason behind this is that I find out if you people caught on and read it, I'm not going to give you a chance to read two chapters a day, that spoils all the fun! And kills the suspense!!
Chapter Fifteen
"What do you mean 'trade off'?" Tom exclaimed. In his mind the face of Mark's surprised face flashed before him, he imagined a similar expression across his face though he still didn't understand why Mark wasn't so pleased to see him. Mickey stared back helplessly at Tom, as if Tom caught him doing something wrong.
"Exactly what I told you. Now," Mark snarled, "Get out of my face. Consider yourself lucky that you're even alive."
"No, no, I don't think you understand," Tom was shaking his head at the ridiculousness of Mark's absurd answer, "I need to talk to Abby. Now."
"And I told you she's not here. Now, for the last time, get out of my face."
Mark started to shove past Tom when Tom reached out and grabbed Mark's arm, stopping him from going anywhere. Mark stopped, took a step back and regarded Tom with a briefly unemotional face as if considering his possibilities.
"Oh…damn you." Mark's face was suddenly contoured in anger; he pulled back an arm and violently introduced his fist to Tom's face.
"Umpf!"
THUD!
Tom hit the ground, Mickey yelped in shock and backed off. Mark stepped over him and marched out of the ally, Tom tried to shake off the blow but it didn't quite work like in the movies –where the actors just got up and walked away.
Mickey shifted his weight, muttered something incoherent and scuttled after Mark.
"So much for backup. Cousin." Tom grumbled dizzily as Rachel helped him up. He leaned against her as he tried to recover his senses, "That was a really, really fast save, look, you even missed them at the corner."
"So sorry. Tom," Rachel shrugged, "But I had my orders, "don't do anything rash", and that was coming from your brother, besides? If I did something and my rescue operation backfires…well, lets just say I don't want to go back to Jake empty handed and have to explain how I got you killed."
"I think I understand." Tom muttered. He longed to see his brother but circumstances hindered his approach on this subject, he even began wondering if his brother was really alive.
"So what happened?" Rachel regarded Tom's face, "He doesn't seem like an awfully happy character."
"Got that right." Tom said, he gently inspected his cheek with his hand; it came away bloody.
"What, he wasn't so happy to see you?"
"I got on the wrong side of the guy from the start, I guess I'd have to talk to one of the others, they're more friendly."
"What about the other guy? He acted like he had nothing to do with what's happening."
"Oh, him? Mickey, he's sort of like that. From what Abby says, his parents are filthy rich and because of that he's spoiled rotten. Abby says he's a party boy, isn't that solid and doesn't seem to have a concrete word."
"That's sad." Rachel said.
"I don't know that much about him, that's what I heard."
Rachel shrugged, "Who knows, maybe he's something different inside."
"You think so?"
Rachel too a deep breath, "So, Tom, what's this girl look like?"
Tom stopped dabbing away at his bloodied cheek; he smiled at Rachel, "Why?"
She shrugged, "Just asking, is she anything special?"
"You could say." Tom said. He smiled a little remembering what happened the day before. Tom threw away the tissue he was holding, he sighed.
"You said she was British."
"Uhuh, Irish. Got the feeling they're mistreating her." Tom said. "She got a big blurry guy for a friend and a boyfriend that stopped caring."
"Oh really?"
"Yeah, Vic, she called him." Tom paused, "He's the leader of the group but he doesn't control anyone anymore."
"How do you mean?"
"Abby said he's finished, he's sick and tired of anything to do with the war. He's just hanging in there. Barely."
"I see, you think they're slipping?"
"Pretty much. They are not going to last for another month. Besides, there's this thing about a girl that used to be with them, I didn't get the full story. But it was really deep."
"How long have they been fighting?" Rachel wondered.
"Longer than you, from what I've heard."
"How come we never heard of them?" Rachel said, "I mean we'd have heard about a 'human resistance'; busting the Yeerks."
"I don't know about that, I got the impression they used to fight off America, but I don't know."
"Yeah?"
"Could've even been off Earth."
"Hmmm." Rachel looked at the distance.
Tom stopped walking and squinted at the distance, "Hey, you're taking me to Cassie's barn?"
"Nope, you're not staying there, we're going to the forest, remember Ax? The Andalite? You're staying with him in the forest, this"-Rachel nodded her head towards the barn-"is far too close for comfort, besides, we don't need someone to I.D you. And we can't keep you with the Chee, like I said, you're fighting alongside us now. No worries. Everything is sorted out."
"I'm fighting alongside the Animorphs. And my kid brother is leader, yeah. No worries."
Rachel laughed, "You'll get used to the new Jake, we all did."
"I hope-" Tom started to say when he got interrupted by Rachel. She grabbed his hand and she started to pick up pace towards the barn.
"What is it?" Tom said alarmed, but he ran alongside her.
"Marco just talked to me, they managed to grab the other guy, you know, what's his name? Mickey?"
"How did Marco…Oh never mind." He grumbled as he halted in front of the barn door, feeling a bit out of breath.
"Lucky that Cassie's parents aren't here." Rachel started to push open the barn door.
"You let me go!" A voice threatened, "I swear it; you wouldn't want to find out what I could do."
Oh yeah? Marco sounded bored, And what is it you could do?
Rachel pushed Tom in, "I'll be back in a sec, I have to morph."
"Tom!" Mickey yelled as soon as he saw him come in, "Mate, run out of here! They'll kill us!"
"Don't worry about it Mickey, em, they just want to ask a few questions." Tom said, impossible not to feel a bit nervous with a gorilla around. It felt weird being on the good guys side.
"Questions?" Mickey looked doubtful, a bit nervous too, "What sort of questions?"
The sort we want answered, about your comrades. It was the bird talking, Tom frowned, what had they called him? Nothlit? Was that his name?
"Em, sorry, Mark would have my head off for that." Mickey said quickly, "I mean, look at what he did to Abby."
Tom stepped forward, "What did he do? I didn't get what he was talking about."
"Nothing." Mickey said quickly, "nothing happened."
You better start giving us answers, Marco said as Rachel lumbered in, or you'd have a hard time explaining it in my friend's stomach.
Luckily, there were not a lot of animals in the barn, so there was no hysteria following a grizzly's appearance, well, aside from Mickey that is, "No! No. I'll talk, whatever it is you want."
That's better. Marco said, Now, how many comrades do you have?
"Em, four. Five! No four. Em, five. Em, I-" Mickey's stuttering ended with a puzzled nervous glance at Tom, "Are you with us?"
The gorilla's muzzled face was capable of frowning, nevertheless Marco held it back, he took tow steps forwards, Don't you know how many there are in your group?
"I don't know." Mickey blurted, "There's so many people coming and going and so many people that seem to be off on their own, I…I just don't know anymore."
Okay, Rachel said impatiently, How about this? Tell us how many people were in your resistance before Tom.
Mickey swallowed, "Four. Five with me."
Good. When Tom came you were six then.
"Em, yeah. I guess."
Excuse me, but 'I guess'? Rachel muttered privately, This guy is totally starting to get on my nerves. He can't even count?
Ignoring Rachel Marco said, Okay, how many people are there now?
"Five. Four, Abby's gone. No, five…em…"
"What happened to Abby?" Tom interrupted.
Mickey flinched, "Do I have to tell? You guys are really getting me in serious trouble."
"Mickey." Tom said in a calm but edged voice, "Where is she?"
"Come on mate, you saw Mark, he'll kill me, I can't tell you." Mickey looked pleadingly at Tom. "Don't do this to me, mate. Mark swore he'll send us to hell if we talked about it outside the resistance…"
My friend the bear is capable of doing a bit more than that, Marco warned, now tell us.
Mickey scratched his ear and tilted his head to the ground and he mumbled something.
What?
Mumble. Mumble.
"Speak up, for god's sake." Tom said sounding exasperated, "What did he do?"
"He sent her off to the Yeerks." Mickey shouted, "There!"
Tom felt the blood freeze in his veins.
He did what? Marco said.
"You have to understand," Mickey cried out, "Mark isn't supposed to be in control, but Victor, oh god I don't know what happened." Mickey shook his head, he paced, agitated, "He's crazy, I swear he's nuts, and Victor isn't doing anything but standing aside and watching Mark go on."
Is she morph capable?! Marco yelled sounding alarmed.
"No, no, no." Mickey shook his head.
Thank god. Tobias mumbled to himself.
Rachel stood back, her little bear ears twitched, Then we don't have anything to worry about.
"She knows." Tom whispered.
Knows what? Rachel asked.
She knows Tom is alive. Marco hissed, She knows or thinks that the Visser caught him, what do you think that will tell the Visser?
The Andalites got her? Tobias said not quite getting it. He added a bit more aloud, Which would mean that Tom is alive. Alive and free.
"If there's one thing the Yeerks know about an involuntary host is that the first thing he'd do after being freed is go after his family. Warn them." Tom said slowly.
The group took a second to digest this.
"I don't care what you people say or who you say is guarding my brother; I'm going after Jake before the Yeerks get him." Tom turned around and headed out of the barn.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Mark sounds a bit gruff doesn't he? And yes, it's more than just your average bad day, something major happens. This chapter isn't that bad, but pleease don't miss the next chapter, its really important, I'd tell you what happens but I'll blow the surprise and I don't want that.
This is the end of part one. The story is continued in;
Sixkiller- SXK flips Time
