Chapter 21

--Don't. Do. Anything,-- instructed Sam --They might be Controllers. Just pretend you're here to fix the computers or something,--

--Are you joking?-- I asked. --This is an international port - there's probably Controllers all over the place! God knows why I agreed to take part in this.--

I was still on the ceiling, just two feet from the top of the first person's head. I couldn't make out their facial expressions, online the outlines of their bodies. If they were Controllers, they'd recognise Philip immediately. Along with Sam, Maggie and I, and Visser Three's hated resistance, we were at the top of the Yeerks' Most Wanted list.

"What's going on here, son?" asked the first person, a man with an American accent. It was becoming easier to distinguish different sounds, now. "Who are you?"

"Err.." Philip hesitated. Then, more confidently, "My name's David Lawrence. I've been sent by technical resources to talk to someone about firewalls? I'm a, err, student."

--Good thinking,-- said Sam. --Just try and keep calm.--

"I, um, heard the fire alarm, but I didn't know where to go. I came back up when it finished bleeping to find someone…" He blinked, and smiled goofily at the two figures. "I guess you're the people I should talk to!"

"Right, well," frowned the second person, a woman with a strange trans-Atlantic drawl. "I haven't heard anything about any students coming up. There's no way you should be in this office without supervision. I'm gonna have to confirm this with the director."

--She's pulling out a pager,-- Sam told Maggie and I. --I don't have a good feeling about this. Ferdie and Maggie, can you two find somewhere you'd be able to demorph? But don't do it until I give the signal.--

--Wouldn't we be safer as flies?-- asked Maggie.

--Yes…but…--

--She wants us to be available as fire power,-- I explained privately to Maggie. I powered my wings and led Maggie into the toilet cubical, where we began to demorph. Maggie immediately started to morph to wolf.

There was a tense silence, broken by the American guy.

"I don't suppose you've got any ID?" he asked sarcastically, with a strange hint of triumph in his voice.

"Yeah…I have," said Philip, "but I left them at reception when the alarm went off."

"Right," said the woman, clearly not believing him. Then, like a cashier who had just caught a shop lifter, she said,

"Son, you understand that if you cannot prove your reason for being here, you are committing a serious crime and I'm going to have to call the police. Now, I've got now idea how you managed to get past security, but-"

She was cut off by a man who had appeared behind her.

"Ah, Assistant Director Chalmers," she said, nodding at the newcomer. "Yes, I was wondering if you could please confirm this young man's identity and clearance level?"

The man looked straight head, his eyes boring into Philip's. I heard him utter a single word.

"Fugitive," he said.

The man placed both his hands in his pockets. With his left hand, he pulled out a mobile phone, which he flipped open and pressed a button to speed-dial. He clenched his right hand around a Dracon beam.

--Maggie, Ferdie - get ready to fight!-- Samantha didn't need to say anything. I was already changing before I even had a chance to think about it.

"Hutchinson, Palliser, you two out of here," snapped the Assistant Director - or, should I say, the Yeerk who had taken over his body. "Call Reynolds of security. Tell him to get on the phone to DI Steven Bayliss of Scotland Yard. He'll know who I mean." He allowed a small smile to spread over his face. "This boy is a known…terrorist. He must be neutralised."

"Yes…sir," said the woman. The two of them left the room, looking anxious. It was just Philip and the controller, now.

--Philip - get the heck out of there!-- screamed Samantha. --Mags, Ferd - get ready to go battle morphs, on my command!--

--Is it Visser Five?-- asked Maggie, her voice shaking. She was almost fully wolf, thick black hair sprouting all over her body. --I don't know what he looks like!--

--Not Visser Five,-- confirmed Sam. --But I don't relax just yet, I'm sure he'll be popping in!--

The Controller - Chalmers - was speaking into his mobile phone.

"Yes, this is Annard three-nine-four. Yes, Visser. Yes."

He flipped his phone shut, and placed it back in his pocket. He took out his Dracon beam. Philip was already morphing.

"Oh, yes," drawled the Controller, taking his weapon out of his pocket and focussing it on Philip, who was already on all fours. "I'd almost forgotten about those little powers of yours. No…I don't think I'll kill you. You'll make fine hosts. Perhaps,

even mine. And I'm sure it would be a good idea to flush out your little friends."

Philip leapt, before he was even fully morphed. He had gone wolverine, rather than ox, and was now a dog-like creature the size of a small bear, with menacing curved claws, thick brown fur, and long, sharp teeth.

The Controller fired his Dracon beam, but Philip's wolverine body was far quicker and more agile than the director's human body. He leapt up and clenched his still-forming teeth around the Controller's right wrist, twisting his arm so that he was unable to fire the Dracon beam.

"Arrgh!" yelled the Controller.