Chapter Nine:
SCCRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEECCCHHHH!
Enraged tires screamed as we flew over the road. Behind us, the white semi was building up speed, and coming up behind us fast. Very fast. Way, way too fast.
"Marco," Jake grated through clenched teeth, "watch that truck. Tell me if he tries anything funny."
"Well, he's pulling out a pie and putting on clown makeup," I began, then fell silent at a glare from Rachel. "There's nothing funny about this, Jake. He's just bearing down on us. Oh, man, we are toast if he hits us. Serious toast."
"Well, we'll have to make sure he doesn't!" Jake grunted, and stepped hard on the brake, bringing the car around in a hard U-turn. I was so very glad the highway was empty, aside from us. Any traffic would have meant instant death. Not that death wasn't staring us in the face anyway.
SSSSSSSCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEECCCCHHHH!
But by now, I'm pretty familiar with that particular stare.
The truck was doing something weird. It had slowed, and was now emitting a low, grinding noise. I could feel the vibration coming up through the bottom of the car. Then the cab detached itself from the bed, and swung around with startling speed. It clanked, jerked, reattached to the bed, and started after us again.
"Whoah!" I shouted. "Did you see that?"
"No."
"That truck just changed directions in about two seconds! They've modified it somehow. You're not going to be able to lose it in a turn."
"And it's doing one-seventy-five, easy."
"One hundred and seventy-five miles per hour?"
"Yup."
"It shouldn't be able to make that kind of speed, should it?"
"Nope."
SSSSSCCCCCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCHHH!
TSEEEEEEW!
"Are they shooting at us?" Rachel demanded.
"Unless they're shooting at the air right behind us," I reported, "then, yeah. They're shooting at us."
"Oh, I am so going to kick their Yeerk teeth in!" Guess who.
"Where are Tobias and Ax?" I asked.
"I don't know," Jake grunted. "Up, somewhere. Morph gorilla and make like a phone."
He wanted me to relay messages in thoughtspeak. I was exhausted, but began to morph anyway. I concentrated on the gorilla inside me, and felt the tickling sensation of rich black fur covering my body. My face broadened and flattened, and my biceps bulged from here to the North Pole. I hunched lower, now uncomfortably large in the compact vehicle. Then the gorilla instincts kicked in. The gorilla was terrified of being trapped in the fast-moving car. Well, he wasn't the only one.
This is Monkey-Man calling Bird-Boy, I announced. Come in, Bird-Boy.
Hey, Marco.
Got 'em, I informed Jake.
"Where are they?"
Where are you?
About a hundred feet above you and your escort.
Ax, are you there?
Yes.
Are both of you all right?
We're . . .
TSSSEEEEEEW!
That shot wasn't aimed at us.
We're target practice.
"Tell them to get low," said Jake. "Right above the truck. They won't be able to hit them there."
Jake, are you nuts? That's a hologram, remember?
"Okay, so tell them to dodge. And ask them what's around that blind curve up ahead."
Jake says to try not to get shot.
TSSEEEEEEEEEEW!
Gee. What a good idea.
What's around that curve up ahead?
Ummm . . . Jake, don't go around that curve.
"Ask him why."
I asked.
TSSEEEEEEEEEEW!
SCCCRRRRREEEEEEEEECCCHHH!
Landslide, said Tobias. The road is covered in rocks. Take that curve at your speed and your car will crumple like a toddler after a sugar rush.
"Good."
Good? I shouted. Good? You mean we're . . .
Rachel's face lit up. Jake had a dangerous expression on his.
Oh, man, I moaned. Oh, man! Tobias, tell my dad I love him.
Prince Jake, surely you are not going to intentionally involve yourself in a high-speed collision?
He pressed the gas harder, and squinted at the upcoming curve.
TSSEEEEEEEEEEEW!
"Yeeeeeeeeeeee-HAW!" shouted Rachel.
This is insane!
"Throw yourself clear when I tell you. Ready? Ready . . . "
TSSEEEEEEEEEEW!
This is such a bad idea. The curve rushed forward at us. This is such a really, really bad idea.
"Ready . . . "
TSSEEEEEEEEEEW!
I grabbed the door, preparing to launch myself like a rocket. Every hair on my body was standing on end.
SCCCCRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCHHHHH!
TSSEEEEEEEEEEEW! TSSEEEEEEEEEW! TSSEEEEEEEEW!
"Now!"
Noooo! This is SO -
I flew out of the car, and the last thing I heard was the sickening crunch of my spine snapping.
SCCRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEECCCHHHH!
Enraged tires screamed as we flew over the road. Behind us, the white semi was building up speed, and coming up behind us fast. Very fast. Way, way too fast.
"Marco," Jake grated through clenched teeth, "watch that truck. Tell me if he tries anything funny."
"Well, he's pulling out a pie and putting on clown makeup," I began, then fell silent at a glare from Rachel. "There's nothing funny about this, Jake. He's just bearing down on us. Oh, man, we are toast if he hits us. Serious toast."
"Well, we'll have to make sure he doesn't!" Jake grunted, and stepped hard on the brake, bringing the car around in a hard U-turn. I was so very glad the highway was empty, aside from us. Any traffic would have meant instant death. Not that death wasn't staring us in the face anyway.
SSSSSSSCCCCCCCCCCRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEECCCCHHHH!
But by now, I'm pretty familiar with that particular stare.
The truck was doing something weird. It had slowed, and was now emitting a low, grinding noise. I could feel the vibration coming up through the bottom of the car. Then the cab detached itself from the bed, and swung around with startling speed. It clanked, jerked, reattached to the bed, and started after us again.
"Whoah!" I shouted. "Did you see that?"
"No."
"That truck just changed directions in about two seconds! They've modified it somehow. You're not going to be able to lose it in a turn."
"And it's doing one-seventy-five, easy."
"One hundred and seventy-five miles per hour?"
"Yup."
"It shouldn't be able to make that kind of speed, should it?"
"Nope."
SSSSSCCCCCRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCHHH!
TSEEEEEEW!
"Are they shooting at us?" Rachel demanded.
"Unless they're shooting at the air right behind us," I reported, "then, yeah. They're shooting at us."
"Oh, I am so going to kick their Yeerk teeth in!" Guess who.
"Where are Tobias and Ax?" I asked.
"I don't know," Jake grunted. "Up, somewhere. Morph gorilla and make like a phone."
He wanted me to relay messages in thoughtspeak. I was exhausted, but began to morph anyway. I concentrated on the gorilla inside me, and felt the tickling sensation of rich black fur covering my body. My face broadened and flattened, and my biceps bulged from here to the North Pole. I hunched lower, now uncomfortably large in the compact vehicle. Then the gorilla instincts kicked in. The gorilla was terrified of being trapped in the fast-moving car. Well, he wasn't the only one.
This is Monkey-Man calling Bird-Boy, I announced. Come in, Bird-Boy.
Hey, Marco.
Got 'em, I informed Jake.
"Where are they?"
Where are you?
About a hundred feet above you and your escort.
Ax, are you there?
Yes.
Are both of you all right?
We're . . .
TSSSEEEEEEW!
That shot wasn't aimed at us.
We're target practice.
"Tell them to get low," said Jake. "Right above the truck. They won't be able to hit them there."
Jake, are you nuts? That's a hologram, remember?
"Okay, so tell them to dodge. And ask them what's around that blind curve up ahead."
Jake says to try not to get shot.
TSSEEEEEEEEEEW!
Gee. What a good idea.
What's around that curve up ahead?
Ummm . . . Jake, don't go around that curve.
"Ask him why."
I asked.
TSSEEEEEEEEEEW!
SCCCRRRRREEEEEEEEECCCHHH!
Landslide, said Tobias. The road is covered in rocks. Take that curve at your speed and your car will crumple like a toddler after a sugar rush.
"Good."
Good? I shouted. Good? You mean we're . . .
Rachel's face lit up. Jake had a dangerous expression on his.
Oh, man, I moaned. Oh, man! Tobias, tell my dad I love him.
Prince Jake, surely you are not going to intentionally involve yourself in a high-speed collision?
He pressed the gas harder, and squinted at the upcoming curve.
TSSEEEEEEEEEEEW!
"Yeeeeeeeeeeee-HAW!" shouted Rachel.
This is insane!
"Throw yourself clear when I tell you. Ready? Ready . . . "
TSSEEEEEEEEEEW!
This is such a bad idea. The curve rushed forward at us. This is such a really, really bad idea.
"Ready . . . "
TSSEEEEEEEEEEW!
I grabbed the door, preparing to launch myself like a rocket. Every hair on my body was standing on end.
SCCCCRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECCCHHHHH!
TSSEEEEEEEEEEEW! TSSEEEEEEEEEW! TSSEEEEEEEEW!
"Now!"
Noooo! This is SO -
I flew out of the car, and the last thing I heard was the sickening crunch of my spine snapping.