Chapter 22

"Oh, my god!" cried Asha.

I spun round, facing Asha's direction, wondering what had horrified her. I don't know what I was expecting, but what I saw wasn't it.

A large shape was heading directly our way. Rounded, with darkened windows, painted a reflective chrome-like colour which made it difficult to see with the sun's rays reflecting off it. It was flying, very low to the ground, coming closer and closer. I heard the noise of its' engines – and a familiar chop-chop-chop.

"It's a helicopter!" yelled Philip.

The helicopter flew onwards towards us, coming at us like a huge, malevolent bird. It was about a hundred feet away, and was quickly descending. I could just about make out a woman, who had parked her car in the lay-by to answer her phone, staring at the choppers with her mouth hanging open. Then, she took off at neck-break speed.

"It's going to land" said Ferdie. "Wait – there are more of them!"

I looked out beyond the helicopter, and to my horror, could make out at least two others in the sky behind it. One of them was the same reflective grey of the first. The other was black, and was much larger than both. All three were preparing to land.

"Sam! The road!" I could just make out Philip's voice above the sound of the choppers. I spun round and watched the road that runs around the side of the supermarket. Two large vans were heading at top speed for the car park. They turned sharply at the roundabout – one of them narrowly missing another driver – and turned into the car park, brakes screeching as the drivers slammed on the brakes.

"I don't like the look of this!" I yelled.

"Too right," agreed Ferdie. "Controllers!"

"They've found us!" I had no idea how. But we couldn't afford to get caught. "Everyone – get back behind the dumpsters. Keep out of sight! Get ready to morph birds!"

Asha swore. "Too late!" she said. "They know we're here!"

I watched, sweating, as the helicopters landed. The drivers of the vans – one of which, I noticed, was one of those Securitas vans used to transport prisoners – jumped out and began running towards the helicopters. They were men of around thirty I guessed, dressed in black combats and jacket, one of them wearing reflective sunglasses. Both, I saw, were carrying strange, futuristic guns. One ran round to the back of his van and pulled open the doors. At least five more figures, some very large looking, jumped out and followed him. They were the bladed aliens we saw on the spaceship, I had the pleasure of noticing. Out in the open on Earth? I guess we were pretty valuable to the Yeerks if they risked bystanders sighting creatures that were definitely, by their very nature, alien.

The helicopters landed; their blades creating a wind that sent the strewn rubbish and leaves flying into the air. The doors of the helicopters opened, and out jumped several more figures, also carrying weapons. The combat men ran up to one of the figures, running with him on both sides. One of them pointed in our direction. I caught his eye and went tense with fear.

"They've spotted us!" I said to the others.

"Shall we morph bird, or what?" yelled Ferdie.

"No! They'll shoot us down! Wait just a moment, till we know whether to fight or run."

"Visser!" one of them shouted over the noise of the still-rotating blades of the choppers. "Target location confirmed, sir! We have the fugitives who possess the morphing power!"

Visser? As in, Visser Five?

As the figures came nearer, I saw they were much taller than the combat men. I swallowed as I realised what they were.

"Hork-Bajir Controllers!" I yelled, looking at the taller creature surrounded by his henchmen. There were also several similar creatures joining him who had been riding in the back of the van.

"What?" shouted Asha.

"Those creatures – they're Hork-Bajir! And that one on the right is Visser Five! I remember the Andalite telling us Visser five has a Hork-Bajir body – and that guy's Visser Five!"

"Weapons at the ready," yelled the Visser. "Dracon Beams to Level Three! Stun only! We want these fugitives alive." He paused, allowing a faint grin to spread over his face. "Shoot when ready."