Chapter 9

Stacey>


I wept in my mind. My mother was dead. Visser One had killed her using my hand to fire the Dracon beam. One way or another, I would avenge her death like Ketara had to avenge her father's. Visser One morphed and flew to the Hork-Bajir colony followed by David. I landed and demorphed then remorphed to Ketara.

Wait here until I give the signal,> I said as I handed him the Dracon. It's set on stun. Do not miss unless you look forward to dying at an early age?>

"I won't miss," David hissed.

Visser One trotted into the clearing next to Darrax's tree. He jumped down and stood before me, glaring suspiciously.

Greetings Darrax.>

"Ketara. Why have you come here?" he asked.

It is imperative that I speak to your mother, is she nearby?>

"Follow me." He led me through the forest to where Toby was resting. We talked as we walked.

I offer my deepest condolences, I know how you felt about Stacey.>

"She was quite a person." Darrax lowered his head.

Visser One stopped and took his hand in his. We will get her back somehow.>

"I hope so. For Jake's sake."

Were they that dejected by my tragic ordeal? I knew my dad too well, he wouldn't give up until he freed me from this living hell of a nightmare. But Darrax I wasn't sure about. I knew he loved me and would do anything to help me, but how long would he be able to hold himself together? Toby was in a tree harvesting some bark when I spotted her.

I see her,> I said. I must take my leave now. Don't tear yourself apart over it, she'll be fine.>

I trotted away and went over to Toby. She would be the first Hork-Bajir-Controller in a very long time. Toby towered a good foot or so above me. "Hello friend Ketara."

Might I be permitted to speak with you privately?>

"Certainly."

She followed me through the forest to where David was waiting. She told me how sorry she was for what had happened to me and that Darrax hadn't been himself since he found out, especially when he made the choice to kill me. That was most painful for him to deal with. But he knew that I was alive somehow and that had given him some hope. We were at the spot now. I ordered David to shoot Toby. The beam struck her in the back and she collapsed. Visser One demorphed and David placed a Yeerk in the small opening that was her ear. She awoke and saluted me.

"Return to the colony. Do not let them become aware of your presence within that host."

"Understood Visser One," she said and bounded away.

"Now what do we do?" David asked.

"We go see how Jake is handling the bad news."

We flew back to my house and perched in an oak tree in the yard. A police car had just arrived and two officers got out and knocked on the door. My dad answered. With the eagle's acute sense of hearing we could hear everything being said.

"Are you Jake Berenson?" one of the officers asked.

"I am. Is something wrong?"

"I'm afraid so. We found your wife in the woods... she's dead. A large hole had been blown clean through her chest. As far as we could tell it wasn't a gunshot wound."

In all my years of living, I never thought I would see my father break down like he did then. He fell to his knees crying. Jason and Nicole came to see what was going on. When they were told what had happened Nicole began to sob. Jason just stood quietly, shaking his head in disbelief. It tore at my soul to see them like this. I saw Dad look up in my direction. He had spotted us. He snatched the cop's gun out of the holster and aimed it at me.

MOVE IT!> Visser One shouted.

We launched out of the tree and began frantically flapping our wings to gain altitude. I don't know why I was doing it but I was helping Visser One get away, even though I would rather have died than be a Controller. Bullets whizzed by my head as he fired the gun repeatedly. When he was out of ammo he began to shout at us.

"I'll kill you for this! You hear me?! I'll kill you!"

I think he took it rather well, don't you?> Visser One said to me.

I didn't reply. I was too stricken with grief and hatred to care anymore. I hoped deep down that they would kill me. Only in death would I then find peace. I was both physically and mentally exhausted from the past few days. Visser One said that a fatigued host was useless. An anti-morph collar was placed around my neck and the Yeerk slug slid out of my ear. Two Iguadon guards dragged me to a cell and locked the door. I banged furiously on the steel walls for a few minutes before finally curling up on the dirty mattress in the corner. All the emotions that I was unable reveal came out at once. I lay there and cried until my tear ducts ran dry. I had to get out of there somehow but when I tried to morph something small the collar around my neck began to tighten and choke me, I demorphed and the collar loosened. I had officially given up hope.

I slept for an hour before David showed up with a McDonald's bag. "Hungry?"

He gave me the bag and sat down in front of me. I stuffed my mouth full with cheese burger and fries and slurpped down the soda. When I was finished David made an attempt to have a conversation with me.

"I didn't catch your name."

"I didn't throw it," I sneered.

"Aw can't we be friends?" he asked. "Tell me your name."

"The name's Stacey and no we can't."

"Hi Stacey I'm David."

"Ah, the Rat-boy."

"Don't call me that!"

"What do you have against my father? What did he ever do to you?"

"My parents were made Controllers and he didn't bother to help them because I was the one who had the morphing cube."

"Has it ever occurred to you that perhaps they were outnumbered? Besides, the hosts were freed when the Yeerks surrendered."

"They weren't outnumbered, they were scared. My life was ruined because they were afraid!"

This guy was a complete lunatic! He was determined to get back at my dad for something he didn't do. I tried my best to stand up for him. "Maybe you were the one who was scared. When things wouldn't go your way you tried to dispose of what you believed to be the problem, when in fact the problem was you and your attitude towards those who were trying to help you fight back."

David's face grew red with anger. He stood up and stormed out of the room. Before shutting the door he turned and looked at me. "You know, I'm really going to enjoy watching your little Animorph friends be destroyed. Visser One might even let me have the honor of infesting your dad and Rachel. I'll be the only free human on the planet."

"Your a fool. You honestly think he's going let you remain uninfested once he takes control of everything else?" I asked. "To him you're just another Animorph. He promised he wouldn't hurt my mom if I offered no resistance and now she's dead! He won't keep his word."

"You're his slave, he doesn't have to keep his promises to you."

I sat there in silence. I was a slave. Nothing more than a pawn in this game of chess and Visser One was the dark knight trying to take down the other side's king which was my dad. It was days later when I finally saw Visser One, he was an Iguadon-Controller when he wasn't in my head. He entered my cell and peered down at me.

"Had enough rest?" he hissed. "If so I will reinfest you."

"Can I attend my mother's funeral before you do? Just so I can see her one last time."

"Try to escape and I'll see that your Hork-Bajir friend is next to die."

I lowered my head. "Understood."

I couldn't believe myself. I was actually submitting to his control. Tom and Melissa came and took me to the cemetery where my mom was to be buried that day. They kept Dracon beams in their coat pockets, if I tried anything I would be stunned and taken to the ship to be infested again. I stood across from my family and friends at the grave site. They all stared at me as I placed a rose on her coffin. Darrax and Ketara were in their human morphs and stood in silence. I broke down as she was lowered into the ground. Tom and Melissa never showed any emotion because of their Yeerks. I started to walk over to my dad when Tom grabbed me by the shoulder.

"You're not going anywhere," he said.

I spun around. "How far do you think I can get as a human? You can morph and I can't. So I know you can easily catch me again."

"Don't try anything stupid."

I approached my father slowly. He had this distant look in his eyes and didn't notice me until I was standing right in front of him. He turned and started to walk away. "Dad wait! It's me!" I called.

I ran up to him. His eyes were dangerous looking now. "Yeerk!"

"Dad look at me," I held his face in my hands. "It's me. He's back on the ship waiting for me."

He pulled me into a tight hug and began to cry. "Oh Stacey, I don't know what to do anymore. It was bad enough losing you, but now I've lost your mom."

"I'm sorry Dad," I cried. "I should have done something. If I had Mom would still be alive."

"Listen to me. You didn't do anything, Visser One is responsible for your mother's death, not you."

I nodded. It was his fault. He was the one who raised the Dracon and it was he who pulled the trigger and killed her. Not me. I would never have harmed my mother in any way. He was the one responsible and would be the one to die.

Dad leaned in close to my ear. "Where's the ship?"

Before I could answer him Tom came and took me by the arm. "Let's go."

"Leave her alone Yeerk or I swear I'll kill you."

Tom laughed. "I presume you'll send Rachel to do your dirty work for you again?"

"No. I plan on doing it myself," Dad told him.

As Tom pulled me away I mouthed the word "mountains". Dad nodded to let me know he understood. I knew what he was up to, I just didn't how he was going to do it. All I knew was that it was going to be something unexpected and totally unpredictable. I was back in my cell waiting for Visser One to infest me once again. The memory of my mother's murder kept playing in my mind repeatedly. I wish it was me in her place, she didn't deserve that kind of fate, not from anyone. Visser One came and stood before me.

"I believe you've had a long enough vacation," he said.

He yanked me to my feet, but I wasn't going to be taken that easily again. I brought my foot up and kicked him in the jaw. It hurt me about as much as it hurt him but he lost his grip and I ran.

"Grab her! Don't let her get away!"

Hopefully all those Kung Fu lessons Cheyenne gave me would pay off. My opponents were nearly three times my size but I used that to my advantage. Tom ran at me. I grabbed him by the shoulders and placed my foot in his stomach as I rolled onto my back. He fell into the path of four Iguadons and they went tumbling to the floor in a tangle of arms and legs. I kicked my legs and jumped to my feet and continued to run. I was almost to the entrance when my body exploded with horrendous pain.

"AAARGH!" I collapsed to the floor screaming.

"Did I fail to mention that my collars do more than prevent morphing?" Visser One said.

He pressed a button on a panel strapped to his wrist and another wave of agony coursed through me. I couldn't take it any longer but I couldn't give in, I would rather have died while I was free than be part of his sick sadistic plot to rule the world. I began to morph. I knew what would happen when I did but it was better than just doing nothing. Black fur sprouted from my skin and sharp teeth grew inside my mouth. The collar tightened more and more as I continued to transform. I gasped as my air supply was cut off.

"Hold her down," Visser One ordered.

Tom and Melissa turned my head to the side and held me up next to the visser. He pressed the side of his head against mine and I could feel the slimy Yeerk touch the inside of my ear, but I didn't stop morphing. I was going to destroy him along with myself. I grew dizzy, my vision blurred and I blacked out. I opened my eyes some time later. I was still on the ship, Tom and Melissa were standing over me. Then I heard the voice once more.

Nice try human,> said Visser One.

I mentally hung my head. No,> I whispered silently. Not again. Leave me alone.>

I'm afraid I can't do that. I enjoy torturing you too much to just let you get away.>

You'll pay for everything you've done. I'll see to that.>

And how exactly are you going to do that?>

The ship suddenly vibrated as something outside exploded. Visser One ran to the bridge.

"Visual!" he shouted at the computer.

The giant screen in front of me snapped on. F-fifteens and stealth bombers flew overhead, dropping bombs and other explosives on or near the ship. I knew my dad and Tobias were piloting two of those planes, they were both retired Airforce pilots. My blood was boiling from Visser One's anger.

"Shields up! How the hell did they find us?" he asked.

I conjured up the conversation I had with my father at the funeral. Surprise!>

You primate low-life bitch!>

You're not mad are you? Think of this as payback for murdering my mother.>

Do you honestly think those primitive machines are a match for this ship? HAH! I'll swat them down out of the sky like flies.> Then to the computer he yelled, "Open fire!"