Chapter 5

It was the morning of the next day when we assembled in Cassie's barn to plan our strategy. I travelled from the forest to the barn in my human morph, along with Tobias in his, and both of us demorphed upon arrival.

When we entered the barn, Prince Jake and Erek were conversing in mouth sounds. Marco was sitting on a bale of straw, and Rachel and Cassie were exchanging mouth sounds of their own.

"Ax-man!" Marco exclaimed. For some reason, my human friends call me this. It seems totally illogical. After all, they shortened my name to accommodate their mouth sounds, and now they have extended it again…

(Hello, Marco,) I replied, walking toward Prince Jake and Erek while Tobias perched himself in the rafters overhead.

Before I reached him, Prince Jake addressed everyone. "Erek's done his research for us," he said. Prince Jake inclined his head to Erek, indicating that it was his turn to speak.

"Both of the dead Yeerks were aides to Visser Three," Erek said, "and both of them had recently been assigned to some top-secret project being run out of the Yeerk pool."

I saw Erek's hologram-projected face take on a human expression of sadness. "And…another Yeerk has been killed."

"Who was it this time?" Marco asked. "Visser Three's PR guy?"

"The Yeerk's designation was Jotran 8472, and his host was a Chee named Dres. Both are dead."

Everyone fell silent.

"Wait a second," Rachel said, breaking the silence quite quickly.

"Before I ask exactly how someone killed a Chee, why was there a Yeerk inside one anyway? I thought you guys used holograms to pretend you had Yeerks instead of carrying them."

Erek swallowed hard. "When a new Chee joins The Sharing, a Yeerk is placed inside them and when they return, the Yeerk is removed and placed in stasis. From that point on, the Chee uses his hologram emitters to simulate the presence of the Yeerk."

(This Chee was a newcomer?) I asked.

"He was."

(Was he killed in the same way as the human-Controllers?)

"Yes," Erek said bitterly. "Dres' skull was cut open, and the Yeerk was torn out. However, the injuries to the skull did not kill the Chee. Whoever attacked him realised this, and stabbed him through the stomach. Dres died instantly."

"So, does whoever did this know that Dres was a Chee, and not a human?" Cassie asked nervously.

It was a valid question. If this killer knew that the Chee were posing as Controllers, we would have no choice but to kill the murderer, whoever it was.

"Not likely," Erek replied. "Our holograms are regulated by machinery on the Pemalite ship. The hologram is maintained even after a Chee is killed," he said sombrely, and then added with a wry smile, "Just as well, in this case."

"This is nuts!" Marco exclaimed. "How are we meant to take down someone who can dice up a Chee without breaking a sweat? We need Superman for this, not us!"

(I do not believe Superman would be a match for this creature, even if he were real, and not a fictional animated character,) I said sharply. (What we need is some more information. I believe we must find out where this creature is likely to strike next, and lay a trap.)

"Oh yeah, sure," Marco sneered. Let's lay a trap for someone who can tear an android's head open." Marco raised his hand. "Who wants to vote on this being officially dubbed, 'most insane of all insane ideas in the history of insanity'?"

(You've got my vote,) Tobias muttered.

"Insane or not, this has to be done, guys. And done now." Prince Jake said. "This isn't about someone just killing Controllers. This thing has killed a Chee, and they can't defend themselves, so it's up to us to help them. We owe it to Erek."

Erek smiled, trying to hide his sorrow. "Dres survived through almost every war in recorded human history, you know. He was at the battle of Agincourt, the battle of Waterloo, and even at El Alamein, and now he's been killed because of a Yeerk being inside him for less than a day."

An idea hit me. (Erek,) I said. (What was Jotran 8472's duty for the Yeerks?)

"He wasn't anything important, really. He was a really low-ranking Yeerk, and Dres was his first host that wasn't a Gedd."

(What about the Yeerk Marco brought you?) Tobias asked. (What did it, um, I mean he…whatever…what was that Yeerk's job?"

"Just a Yeerk infiltrator in a banking company, probably meant to divert money for The Sharing," Erek said.

"But the first two were connected," Rachel said. "They both worked for Visser Three. Maybe this is someone trying to make him look bad by killing his assistants."

"Visser One?" Prince Jake asked.

(Unlikely,) I said. (Visser One has a gashad on her head. It is highly unlikely she would do anything to lower her standing with the Yeerks any further.)

"I have an idea," Cassie said, silencing the conversation. "Erek, are there any more of Visser Three's aides living near here?"

"Just one," Erek said. "A woman named Aleksandra Kaniak; her Yeerk is a scientist, Sub-Visser Thirteen, and the second highest ranking Yeerk on Earth after Visser Three himself."

"Is she going somewhere anytime soon?" Cassie continued.

Erek grinned. "She is scheduled to return to the Yeerk pool today for her Kandrona shower. Problem is, we aren't entirely sure where she's living at the moment." Erek sat down, and placed his head on a hand. "The Sub-Visser has three homes listed as her place of residence, but only one of them is the real one; the other two are bogus locations."

Prince Jake picked up on what Cassie was planning quite quickly. I respect Prince Jake. He is quite astute for a human.

"Okay, so we split into pairs and watch for this woman. If the killer is going after Visser Three's assistants, she should be next, and it would make sense to target her as she goes to the Yeerk pool. After all, she's probably kind of tired and worried if she's heard about the other two."

(I concur, Prince Jake,) I said respectfully.

Erek handed out some paper with human writing on it, three of them, to Prince Jake.

"Okay. Ax and Rachel, take this place," he said, placing a paper in my hands. I read it.

(Rachel?) I asked. (Where is this place?) I passed the note to Rachel, who read it herself.

"It's an apartment building about half a mile from the mall," Rachel said, passing the note back to me. "Expensive real estate," she said, and then added with a dry smile, "for a slug."

(The Yeerks enjoy living in luxury,) I said. (That is why Visser Three travels in so large a human automobile. It boosts their already overdeveloped sense of self-importance.)

"Sounds like someone else I know," Marco said to me. I hit him with the flat of my tail-blade, with just enough force to knock him off his feet onto the floor.

(I am confident, Marco. I am not egotistical,) I affirmed. (There is a fundamental difference. Do not compare me to a Yeerk.)

"I wasn't!" Marco argued. "Didn't realise I'd hit a raw nerve," he grumbled.

(None of my nerves are raw, Marco. You simply said something I would rather you do not say again.)

"Okay, take a day off, Marco," Prince Jake said forcefully. "Everyone knows where to go, yeah?"

Everyone agreed.

"Erek, is the Sub-Visser going to the Yeerk pool yet?" Prince Jake asked.

The Chee looked vaguely into mid-distance for a moment. I surmised he was conferring with his fellow androids. Erek replied.

"Her slot in the Yeerk pool's timetable is within the next four hours. She should be leaving her home within the next hour."

Prince Jake formed a broad smile.

"Okay troops, move out," he said.

"Yes sir," Marco said, performing a traditional human military salute, and then muttering, "you lunatic."