Chapter Twenty-Eight:
I began counting down the minutes until I had to demorph. Meanwhile, I treaded water, looked into the smiling eyes of the bear, and listened to Tobias.
Marco, this is beautiful. We've got the fire department, the police department, and every civilian within miles down there. I think they let school out, because we have a zillion kids running around. Ax "gave up" on you, and slipped away. Jake's down there, just in case. How are you and Rachel holding up?
Rachel is a Controller, I said flatly.
There were a few minutes of silence.
Yeerk, you had better already be dead when you crawl out of her ear. Because, so help me, if I ever get my talons on you, I'll rip - He cut himself off mid-sentence. Then, slowly, shakily, his narration resumed. Okay, Marco. One of the fire trucks is extending its ladder and running a hose up. I think their idea is to squirt you off the tower. The news helicopters are circling like vultures out here. Whoa! Wait a minute. What's that?
I waited. Shivering in the cold water, staring into the eyes that had once been owned by Rachel.
Marco, man, the National Guard is here! They just pulled up! Oh, man, they've got bazookas and everything. Hey, wait, one of them is going up to talk to the police guy. They're arguing! I don't know what about. This is insane!
That's my line, I grumbled, swimming in a tight circle opposite "Rachel."
Okay, it looks like the policeman won for now. The National Guard is backing off. Jake is following them. Dude, they're loading weapons! What do you think you're going to do with that, pal?
I listened. My gorilla teeth began to chatter as I fought to stay above the surface. The bear floated, and waited. I didn't know whether Tobias was letting her in on his thoughtspeech or not.
Whoah. Marco, we're dealing with bazookas and submachine guns being loaded up out here. How are you?
I grimaced as my shoulder slammed painfully into the wall. Fine. What else do you see?
There's some kind of heavy-duty machinery being rolled in. I'm not sure what it is. Jake could tell you.
I shut Tobias out for a moment.
So, I said to the Yeerk, how did you get that body?
Cassie's Yeerk helped me, she purred. But we agreed that we wouldn't report your existence until all of you were ours.
That will never happen, I promised.
We'll see.
Tobias's voice cut into my mind. This crowd is huge, Marco! We've got hundreds and hundreds of people! The news helicopters are circling. Some reporter is talking about the destruction on top of the tower. They figure that you're inside with Cassie. They're going to send up a squad to get you out of there as soon as they can get the equipment! With the traffic, we're guessing ten, twenty minutes.
It would have been smarter to report us to the Visser, I told the Yeerk.
Perhaps when I leave here, that's what I'll do. Then you can explain to all your little friends that it was you who suggested I not waste time.
I snorted. You're not getting out of here, Yeerk.
Marco, have you forgotten that I inhabit Rachel's mind? That I was at all your councils of war? I know the plan. Destroy the projector. Jump in the water. Morph eel. Swim out. Perfectly simple.
I gambled that she had not counted my minutes in morph. I'll kill you as soon as you start to demorph.
But that will be a half hour after you have to return to human form, she purred.
You lose, sometimes, when you gamble.
That National Guard guy is arguing with the police chief again. Marco, I'm pretty sure that one of these two is a Controller. The chief wants to use force. Kill the gorilla and the hostage, if necessary. The Guard wants to see if he can sedate you. Knock both of you out; airlift you to the zoo and your hostage to her home.
Except that I was the hostage, now. The world just didn't know it.
They're arguing pretty hard down there, Marco. Hey! What are you doing!? Suddenly, his tone became panicked.
What's happening? the Yeerk demanded.
The policeman pulled a gun on the Guard. Is he insane? This is the National Guard! He can't . . .
He became suddenly silent. From the open hatch, I heard a faint, distorted sound, eerily twisted beyond recognition by the height and water. I guessed it was the sound of the crowd screaming.
All hell just broke loose out here.
I began counting down the minutes until I had to demorph. Meanwhile, I treaded water, looked into the smiling eyes of the bear, and listened to Tobias.
Marco, this is beautiful. We've got the fire department, the police department, and every civilian within miles down there. I think they let school out, because we have a zillion kids running around. Ax "gave up" on you, and slipped away. Jake's down there, just in case. How are you and Rachel holding up?
Rachel is a Controller, I said flatly.
There were a few minutes of silence.
Yeerk, you had better already be dead when you crawl out of her ear. Because, so help me, if I ever get my talons on you, I'll rip - He cut himself off mid-sentence. Then, slowly, shakily, his narration resumed. Okay, Marco. One of the fire trucks is extending its ladder and running a hose up. I think their idea is to squirt you off the tower. The news helicopters are circling like vultures out here. Whoa! Wait a minute. What's that?
I waited. Shivering in the cold water, staring into the eyes that had once been owned by Rachel.
Marco, man, the National Guard is here! They just pulled up! Oh, man, they've got bazookas and everything. Hey, wait, one of them is going up to talk to the police guy. They're arguing! I don't know what about. This is insane!
That's my line, I grumbled, swimming in a tight circle opposite "Rachel."
Okay, it looks like the policeman won for now. The National Guard is backing off. Jake is following them. Dude, they're loading weapons! What do you think you're going to do with that, pal?
I listened. My gorilla teeth began to chatter as I fought to stay above the surface. The bear floated, and waited. I didn't know whether Tobias was letting her in on his thoughtspeech or not.
Whoah. Marco, we're dealing with bazookas and submachine guns being loaded up out here. How are you?
I grimaced as my shoulder slammed painfully into the wall. Fine. What else do you see?
There's some kind of heavy-duty machinery being rolled in. I'm not sure what it is. Jake could tell you.
I shut Tobias out for a moment.
So, I said to the Yeerk, how did you get that body?
Cassie's Yeerk helped me, she purred. But we agreed that we wouldn't report your existence until all of you were ours.
That will never happen, I promised.
We'll see.
Tobias's voice cut into my mind. This crowd is huge, Marco! We've got hundreds and hundreds of people! The news helicopters are circling. Some reporter is talking about the destruction on top of the tower. They figure that you're inside with Cassie. They're going to send up a squad to get you out of there as soon as they can get the equipment! With the traffic, we're guessing ten, twenty minutes.
It would have been smarter to report us to the Visser, I told the Yeerk.
Perhaps when I leave here, that's what I'll do. Then you can explain to all your little friends that it was you who suggested I not waste time.
I snorted. You're not getting out of here, Yeerk.
Marco, have you forgotten that I inhabit Rachel's mind? That I was at all your councils of war? I know the plan. Destroy the projector. Jump in the water. Morph eel. Swim out. Perfectly simple.
I gambled that she had not counted my minutes in morph. I'll kill you as soon as you start to demorph.
But that will be a half hour after you have to return to human form, she purred.
You lose, sometimes, when you gamble.
That National Guard guy is arguing with the police chief again. Marco, I'm pretty sure that one of these two is a Controller. The chief wants to use force. Kill the gorilla and the hostage, if necessary. The Guard wants to see if he can sedate you. Knock both of you out; airlift you to the zoo and your hostage to her home.
Except that I was the hostage, now. The world just didn't know it.
They're arguing pretty hard down there, Marco. Hey! What are you doing!? Suddenly, his tone became panicked.
What's happening? the Yeerk demanded.
The policeman pulled a gun on the Guard. Is he insane? This is the National Guard! He can't . . .
He became suddenly silent. From the open hatch, I heard a faint, distorted sound, eerily twisted beyond recognition by the height and water. I guessed it was the sound of the crowd screaming.
All hell just broke loose out here.