Chapter Twenty-Six:
Hey Rachel! I called, swinging my heavy body up the ladder as a crowd grew at my feet. Ready to be on TV? This is your big break!
Marco? her voice demanded, incredulous. Is that you?
How many other gorillas do you know who would bust up a mall and climb a water tower?
You had just better have left that clearance sale alone. I've got my eye on a pair of shoes.
Roar, Marco, said Tobias.
I roared.
"Huh-huh-HUH-HHHHRRRRRRRROOOAAAWWWEEERRRRRR!!!"
The crowd below gasped collectively. It was very satisfying. Remind me to hire you to direct all my films, I puffed.
Okay, Tobias said. We've got one, two . . . four news vans pulling up. Everything's good thus far.
You would have to go and jinx it, I muttered. I felt Cassie begin to morph beneath me. I tightened my grip to where I knew she could no longer breathe. Morph back, or you die.
The Yeerk morphed back. All the while, I kept climbing. All the while, the crowd kept gathering.
Our plan was as brilliant and as stupid as the majority of Jake's plans. Gorilla was the only battle morph that could climb up the tower to wreak havoc. If there were news vans surrounding the tower, no dracon beam could shoot me down. There would be questions asked that the Yeerks didn't want to have to answer. My hostage was just double security. People might not have a problem with a wild ape mysteriously being shot. For the girl to get shot would have caused deep and probing public scrutiny.
So our mission depended on attracting as much attention as possible. On doing as much damage as possible. On publicly destroying Yeerk property. And Rachel was on the sidelines.
Just goes to show that the irony gods do grant wishes sometimes.
Now, Tobias said, cue the Ax-man.
Fifty feet down, a teenager in a bright circus costume had gotten hold of a megaphone, and was now being pushed to the front of the crowd.
"Remain calm!" Ax shouted. "Everybody remain calm! I am the primate's trainer! I am a professional Earth animal handler!"
The crowd turned to Ax, ready to make him their new hero.
This had been my idea - the media would eat up a publicity stunt like this.
"BoBo!" Ax shouted through the megaphone. "Come down, BoBo!"
I paused dramatically, reeling and glaring down at him.
"Do you hear me? Obey me this instant! Come, BoBo!"
The crowd began chanting.
"BoBo! BoBo! BoBo! BoBo! BoBo! BoBo! BoBo!"
Ax fought to make himself heard over the deafening roar of the crowd. "BoBo! Do you hear me? Come down here!"
That's good, Tobias announced. Jake says to keep going.
Climbing one-handed, with breaks for "BoBo-ing," dramatic roaring, and dealing with the infested Cassie, it took me a full ten minutes to scale the tower.
Finally, I mounted the top. I felt insane vertigo for a moment. I was ridiculously high, with no guardrail, and guns and cameras all pointed at my head.
Then the ape took over. I found my footing. Heights were no problem for Mr. Monkey.
I looked down at the gathering crowd. Five fire trucks had arrived, and the firemen were screwing their hoses to hydrants. Don't ask me why. I guess it's standard procedure or something. News vans sprawled across the parking lot, people milled around like frightened ants. Police cars were cordoning off various areas, for no discernable reason that I could see. It was a satisfying scene.
I screamed again, and beat my chest dramatically. Then I looked away from the crowd. I looked into the cold eye of a camera. Down the gullet of a dracon beam.
The party began.
WHAM!
CRUNCH!
A camera went sailing. Electronic equipment sent off dying sparks as I ground it into so much plastic and copper beneath my feet.
CREEEAAAK!
I twisted the neck of a camera, then smashed it hard and smiled as it shattered on the steel top of the water tower.
I looked around, surveying my work.
Tobias, try now! I ordered. Tobias swooped past. Three machines swiveled, tracking him. I made sure they never moved again.
That should be it. Rachel, demorph!
In five minutes, I had laid waste to the guns and cameras around the top of the water tower. In a corner, I could see a half-squirrel, half-Rachel thing twisting and mutating, growing slowly. In my arms, Cassie had begun jerking wildly. Momentarily safe from the cameras, I held her out in concern.
"Marco, it's . . . no! You can't! This is murder! Die, die! . . . Marco, don't . . . years of training for nothing . . . the pool! The Kandrona! Marco, the . . . " her face contorted and her body twitched as she and the Yeerk struggled for control. The slug was dying. Within moments, Cassie would be free of her slave master.
Rachel put her hand on my shoulder, peering down at Cassie in concern. "Is she . . . ?"
It's dying, I said, tersely. Let's wreck the projector and get this over with.
Rachel nodded, and began morphing bear.
I squinted, searching for the projector. In the corner of my mind I heard a dull sound.
Thwop-thwop-thwop-thwop-thwop-thwop.
We've got news helicopters coming in, Tobias reported. Morph whatever you want, but get the heck out of sight.
Tobias, Rachel asked, just how long do we have?
One minute. Maybe.
Cassie screamed. Or the Yeerk screamed through her. Then she grew very still, and I saw small movement by her ear. I reached down, and plucked the slug from her ear.
I don't know if I shortened its life any. I hope so.
Instantly, Cassie was on her feet. "Marco!" she shouted.
Not now! I ordered. Morph osprey. Do it now, Cassie!
"Marco, listen to me!"
No, Cassie, you listen. In seconds, this place will be swarming with news helicopters. You *cannot* be human when that happens. Morph now, or I throw you off the tower and you morph on the way down.
"But - "
MORPH! I bellowed, clamping one huge, hairy hand down over her mouth.
She morphed. I've never seen her morph so fast in her life.
As soon as she was almost entirely bird, I swung her around and threw her into the air. I glanced at Rachel, who was now all bear. Fly, Cassie, we've got it covered up here!
She dove in a quick loop. Marco, she gasped, Rachel is a Controller, too!
Hey Rachel! I called, swinging my heavy body up the ladder as a crowd grew at my feet. Ready to be on TV? This is your big break!
Marco? her voice demanded, incredulous. Is that you?
How many other gorillas do you know who would bust up a mall and climb a water tower?
You had just better have left that clearance sale alone. I've got my eye on a pair of shoes.
Roar, Marco, said Tobias.
I roared.
"Huh-huh-HUH-HHHHRRRRRRRROOOAAAWWWEEERRRRRR!!!"
The crowd below gasped collectively. It was very satisfying. Remind me to hire you to direct all my films, I puffed.
Okay, Tobias said. We've got one, two . . . four news vans pulling up. Everything's good thus far.
You would have to go and jinx it, I muttered. I felt Cassie begin to morph beneath me. I tightened my grip to where I knew she could no longer breathe. Morph back, or you die.
The Yeerk morphed back. All the while, I kept climbing. All the while, the crowd kept gathering.
Our plan was as brilliant and as stupid as the majority of Jake's plans. Gorilla was the only battle morph that could climb up the tower to wreak havoc. If there were news vans surrounding the tower, no dracon beam could shoot me down. There would be questions asked that the Yeerks didn't want to have to answer. My hostage was just double security. People might not have a problem with a wild ape mysteriously being shot. For the girl to get shot would have caused deep and probing public scrutiny.
So our mission depended on attracting as much attention as possible. On doing as much damage as possible. On publicly destroying Yeerk property. And Rachel was on the sidelines.
Just goes to show that the irony gods do grant wishes sometimes.
Now, Tobias said, cue the Ax-man.
Fifty feet down, a teenager in a bright circus costume had gotten hold of a megaphone, and was now being pushed to the front of the crowd.
"Remain calm!" Ax shouted. "Everybody remain calm! I am the primate's trainer! I am a professional Earth animal handler!"
The crowd turned to Ax, ready to make him their new hero.
This had been my idea - the media would eat up a publicity stunt like this.
"BoBo!" Ax shouted through the megaphone. "Come down, BoBo!"
I paused dramatically, reeling and glaring down at him.
"Do you hear me? Obey me this instant! Come, BoBo!"
The crowd began chanting.
"BoBo! BoBo! BoBo! BoBo! BoBo! BoBo! BoBo!"
Ax fought to make himself heard over the deafening roar of the crowd. "BoBo! Do you hear me? Come down here!"
That's good, Tobias announced. Jake says to keep going.
Climbing one-handed, with breaks for "BoBo-ing," dramatic roaring, and dealing with the infested Cassie, it took me a full ten minutes to scale the tower.
Finally, I mounted the top. I felt insane vertigo for a moment. I was ridiculously high, with no guardrail, and guns and cameras all pointed at my head.
Then the ape took over. I found my footing. Heights were no problem for Mr. Monkey.
I looked down at the gathering crowd. Five fire trucks had arrived, and the firemen were screwing their hoses to hydrants. Don't ask me why. I guess it's standard procedure or something. News vans sprawled across the parking lot, people milled around like frightened ants. Police cars were cordoning off various areas, for no discernable reason that I could see. It was a satisfying scene.
I screamed again, and beat my chest dramatically. Then I looked away from the crowd. I looked into the cold eye of a camera. Down the gullet of a dracon beam.
The party began.
WHAM!
CRUNCH!
A camera went sailing. Electronic equipment sent off dying sparks as I ground it into so much plastic and copper beneath my feet.
CREEEAAAK!
I twisted the neck of a camera, then smashed it hard and smiled as it shattered on the steel top of the water tower.
I looked around, surveying my work.
Tobias, try now! I ordered. Tobias swooped past. Three machines swiveled, tracking him. I made sure they never moved again.
That should be it. Rachel, demorph!
In five minutes, I had laid waste to the guns and cameras around the top of the water tower. In a corner, I could see a half-squirrel, half-Rachel thing twisting and mutating, growing slowly. In my arms, Cassie had begun jerking wildly. Momentarily safe from the cameras, I held her out in concern.
"Marco, it's . . . no! You can't! This is murder! Die, die! . . . Marco, don't . . . years of training for nothing . . . the pool! The Kandrona! Marco, the . . . " her face contorted and her body twitched as she and the Yeerk struggled for control. The slug was dying. Within moments, Cassie would be free of her slave master.
Rachel put her hand on my shoulder, peering down at Cassie in concern. "Is she . . . ?"
It's dying, I said, tersely. Let's wreck the projector and get this over with.
Rachel nodded, and began morphing bear.
I squinted, searching for the projector. In the corner of my mind I heard a dull sound.
Thwop-thwop-thwop-thwop-thwop-thwop.
We've got news helicopters coming in, Tobias reported. Morph whatever you want, but get the heck out of sight.
Tobias, Rachel asked, just how long do we have?
One minute. Maybe.
Cassie screamed. Or the Yeerk screamed through her. Then she grew very still, and I saw small movement by her ear. I reached down, and plucked the slug from her ear.
I don't know if I shortened its life any. I hope so.
Instantly, Cassie was on her feet. "Marco!" she shouted.
Not now! I ordered. Morph osprey. Do it now, Cassie!
"Marco, listen to me!"
No, Cassie, you listen. In seconds, this place will be swarming with news helicopters. You *cannot* be human when that happens. Morph now, or I throw you off the tower and you morph on the way down.
"But - "
MORPH! I bellowed, clamping one huge, hairy hand down over her mouth.
She morphed. I've never seen her morph so fast in her life.
As soon as she was almost entirely bird, I swung her around and threw her into the air. I glanced at Rachel, who was now all bear. Fly, Cassie, we've got it covered up here!
She dove in a quick loop. Marco, she gasped, Rachel is a Controller, too!