Chapter Six

"You are not taking my dad's car!" squealed Cassie, running out into the yard and attempting to barricade herself in front of the big, mud splattered four-by-four. "Marco already managed to wrap the old one around a tree, I'm not having you do the same to the new one!"

Philip ran up to Cassie, trying to persuade her to listen to him. "Cassie - don't worry! I'm a great driver! I've even got a Land Rover just like this at home!"

Cassie refused to budge, giving Philip a look of deep distrust.

"I really don't think she wants you to drive her dad's car ," said Marco casually. "How do you know you're a great driver anyway? Have you even got your licence?"

"Of course I've got a licence," Philip retorted. "I have a licence to drive almost every vehicle known to man, I think I can handle a car."

Marco stared at Philip, the expression on his face a mixture of astonishment and disbelief. Jake and the others were gathered around us, watching with amusement.

"All vehicles my ass," he muttered. "So, like, you can drive a tank then?"

Ferdie laughed at this. "You'd better believe it, Marco," he said. "He was in a regiment in the army which specialised in armoured cars. Tanks are just like any other vehicle to him. Now, the question of whether he can actually drive them well is another matter…"

"Flawless, be quiet," Philip snapped amicably. He turned to Cassie, who was shaking her head at him. "Come on, Cassie?" he pleaded. "I can drive. I can get us all to Sacramento in one piece."

"Yar, come on, Cass, don't let one little episode with Marco put you off forever!" said Ferdie.

"Even if you did have a licence-" started Cassie.

"Which I do," Philip interrupted.

"- I still wouldn't let anyone drive this thing. You're not insured - my dad would kill me."

"Sheesh, we're at war here, and you're worried about insurance?" I said.

"Actually, I am insured," Philip responded. "The army paid for it all."

"Maybe in Britain, but not over here," said Cassie stubbornly. I had no idea what sort of mess Marco had made of Cassies' fathers' old car, but it must have been pretty substantial for Cassie to become so utterly against Philip driving. And to be able to transform her normally calm personality into one resembling the instincts of a bear trying to protect its' cubs.

"I'm insured internationally," Philip said, trying to convince her. "I did go to Iraq, remember? I had to drive there as well."

"Cassie, please," said Jake reasonably. "We really do need a car, and you dad's is the only one we can get hold of right now. Philip will be able to drive it safely, I'm sure."

Cassie slumped against the bonnet, her eyes watching Philip like a hawk. "You're sure you can drive this thing?" she asked.

"Yeah, if you wrap that thing round another tree, Cassie will show you what she can do with a bucket of mature," Rachel laughed. "You'd better be totally sure of your capacities!"

"I am completely confident that I can drive this vehicle," Philip said, moving slowly towards the driver's door.

"Ok, ok, in the name of saving the planet, you can drive the thing," she said in defeat. "I need to go grab the keys though. When are we leaving?"

"Alright, road trip!" cried Marco. "I bag the seat next to Xena!"

Rachel scoffed. "Whatever. You're going in the trunk. That car only carries five people. You can morph a roach and keep out of my way."

"I'm not going in the trunk," Marco replied. "You go in the trunk. You morph a roach."

"You wouldn't really want that though, would you Marco? There'd be absolutely no chance of you sitting next to me then."

Jake stepped in. "In answer to Cassie's question, as soon as possible. It's going to take a few hours to get there, especially if the freeway is all congested, so we don't want to waste any time."

Cassie began to walk over to the house, which was a short walk away, at the other end of the farm. "You guys need any more morphs, go and take them. Just don't get your fingers bitten off."

"I think we've got everything we need," said Jake, looking at me. "You guys all have battle morphs right? Insects and birds of prey?"

"Yup," I replied.

"Seagulls? Did Maggie acquire one for the reservoir mission?"

"Yeah, she's got a seagull I think. Or a pigeon. And the rest of us have crows."

--You have crows?-- asked Tobias, who was now circling the air above us, and could hear every word we were saying. --Why'd you acquire crows? Those birds are such punks.--

"Yeah, that's what Ferdie said when we first acquired them. Or rather chavs. Crows are the chavs of the bird world."

--Swooping down, attacking a respectable hawk,-- Tobias continued, clearly lost in his own thoughts. --With no thought whatsoever…--

"Rachel said there's only room for five of us in the car," I said, looking to Jake. "Guess some of us will have to morph to fit in, right?"

"We've already established who's going in the trunk," Rachel called, poking Marco.

Jake punched Marco playfully on the arm. "Well, Philip will obviously have to go as human."

--You should go as human too, Jake,-- said Tobias.

"Well, I don't see that's necessary, but perhaps you, Ferdie and Maggie should morph. They'll be less chance of you getting recognised then."

--I will not be able to travel in that vehicle in my Andalite form,-- said Ax, who was still in the barn, not wanting to be out in the open for too long. --So I shall morph.--

--I'll just stay in my hawk form,-- said Tobias. --Save the trouble of having to demorph every two hours.--

"Ok, so that's sorted then. Philip, Me, Rachel, Marco and Cassie in the seats. Everyone else in morph. Choose something small that won't take up much room."

A few minutes later, Cassie came back over to us with the keys and a big carrier bag full of snacks. "I thought we might need some refreshments," she said. "I told my dad I'd be staying round yours, Rachel. So you might want to think up a suitable cover story for your mom in case my dad calls her."

Rachel took out her mobile and dialled home, giving her parents a similar excuse. "Hopefully we won't be gone for too long," she said. "Lucky it's not a weekday. What did you tell your dad about the car?"

"I didn't even mention it," Cassie mumbled. "But he doesn't work much on Sundays, so hopefully he won't need it. I think he prefers to take the van anyway. What's happening with Erek?"

We turned at looked at the android, who was standing casually by the fence, watching the horses.

"I'm afraid I can't come with you," he said. "I have to keep up my pretence as a Controller, and that means going along to some meeting they have planned this evening. But I can put you in touch of a couple of us in Sacramento, who'd be happy to help you out"

"Sure, Erek, that would be great," said Jake, walking over to him.

"There's two of us who have been working alongside the Controllers in the Cronin offices," Erek told us. "One of us posing as a young woman, going by the name of Jennifer Schwartz. And a guy called Paul Crocker. I'll let them know they're to expect you. Are you taking your cells?"

"Yeah, I guess so, but we obviously won't be able to have them on us while we're in morph. So we'll probably just leave them in the car once we arrive there."

"Ok, I'll send you a voice mail telling you where to meet them."

"Thanks Erek," I said.

"S'ok," he replied. "Good luck."

"Thanks buddy," replied Jake, before turning to the rest of us. "Ok, anyone going in morph, do that now. Everyone else, in the car."

Cassie tossed Philip the keys, who climbed into the driver's seat. Jake climbed into the passenger seat, and Rachel, Marco and Cassie took the back seats. Tobias flew in and perched on Rachel's knee, ruffling his feathers in claustrophobic discomfort. Ax stepped out into the yard, looking around with his four eyes to make sure there was no one around to see us. He assumed an expression of concentration and began to morph.

I peeled off my outer clothes and threw them into the boot - or as Marco called it , the trunk. Maggie and Ferdie did the same. I stood there in my black morphing outfit for a second, closed my eyes and concentrated on a morph that I had performed just twice before. My very first solo morph, as a matter of fact. I soon felt the changes begin. I opened my eyes as watched as sandy-brown fur began to appear all over my skin. Soft, downy fur, rougher on my back, lighter and softer on my stomach. My face budged forwards until I could see the majority of my face right there in front of my eyes. My ears grew and became sensitive to even the quietest of sounds. My eyesight was dull, but my sense of smell was incredible.

--Ferdie, you've stepped in something smelly,-- I commented, watching my boyfriend who was a little more than a foot long and shrinking rapidly.

--What do you expect, sitting in a barn full of stinking animals?-- he retorted, jokily.

I fell forwards onto all fours - with my knees and ankles switching direction with a sickening crunch, I was no long able to hold myself upright. My body elongated, becoming tightly gathered at the waist, like a cheetahs'. A long, whip-like tail popped out of my backside. Human fingers and toes shrivelled away to form four dainty paws. Eventually, I felt the animal's mind surface below my own.

--Whoa, road trip!-- I cried. --What fun! I can't wait!-- I jumped up and down excitedly, amazed at the flexibility and suppleness of my spine. It was great fun being a dog, and even more fun being a super-slick greyhound! I took a short sprint around the carpark, yapping madly.

"Sam! If you'd like to join us when you're ready?" Jake's stern voice, ordering me back to reality.

--Coming,-- I said, trotting up to the car and leaping onto the backseat, wedging myself between Cassie and Marco. --Where are Maggie and Flawless?--

--Right here!-- chirped Ferdie happily from somewhere on Rachel's lap, in ferret morph. I glared at him, then let out a short bark.

"What the hell are you doing, Sam?" asked Philip from the front seat. "Can't you sit properly like a normal dog?"

--Dog mind's going mental!-- I said. --It wants to chase Ferdie.--

--Don't all the girls?-- he laughed, grooming himself with his little paws then looking up at Rachel. I tried not to feel jealous as the blonde beauty laughed girlishly at his charms, and caught Tobias's eyes, glaring down him.

"Careful, Ferdie," said Marco. "You start trying to flirt with Rachel, and Tobias and Sam with be fighting over you for lunch."

From the front seat, I heard Jake sigh. "Are we ready yet?" he asked. "Where's Maggie?"

Maggie, who had morphed a hare, hopped up into the car and settled down on the floor. Rachel leaned over and picked up Ax fron the ground, who had morphed a rattlesnake. She put him down on the floor next to Maggie - whose hare immediately retreated behind Marco's legs -and shut the car door. Philip started the engine and put the car into gear.

"You really had better know how to drive," said Cassie.