Chapter Thirteen
The Controllers started talking amongst themselves.
((Back to the briefcase, everyone,)) Jake said. ((Chapman will probably leave any second now.))
((Jake?)) I asked.
((Yes, Marco?))
((This was the stupidest mission ever.))
((For once, I agree with Marco,)) Rachel said. ((We went through all this trouble to stop the dating project, only to have Visser Three do it for us.))
((Well...we didn't know that was going to happen,)) Jake said. ((Is everyone in the briefcase?))
((Yes,)) everyone chorused.
((Good,)) Jake said. ((Marco, let's follow Chapman, just like we did on the way in here. Ax, how are we on time?))
((We have well over an hour,)) Ax said. ((The Visser may be incompetent, but he is quite efficient.))
((Good,)) Jake said again. ((Now we just have to wait for Chapman to get up and leave.))
We waited for a minute or so, then Chapman got out of his chair and picked up the briefcase.
((Woah!)) Jake cried.
I saw it, too. Chapman picked up his briefcase and automatically shut the top without looking at it.
((This is not good!)) I said.
((We're trapped!)) Cassie cried. ((Jake, what do we do?))
((We should have stayed in the room and waited for the Controllers to leave instead of using Chapman's briefcase again!)) Tobias said. ((Stupid!))
((Don't panic. I've got a plan,)) Jake said, sounding like he was on top of things. ((I'll stay with Chapman. Marco, you morph back to human and think of a way to get him to open his briefcase, even if it means trying to steal it.))
((Gotcha,)) I said.
I flew off as fast as I could, trying to find a place to demorph. Somewhere where nobody would see me.
((Chapman stopped to talk to someone,)) Jake informed me. ((That should buy us some time.))
I found an empty cubicle and flew under the desk. I began to demorph, hoping nobody would come in.
My mind started working overtime. How could I get Chapman to open his briefcase? I could steal it, but that would be risky unless I went into gorilla morph or something like that.
I suppose I could have tried distracting him by tripping the fire alarm, but that happened earlier in this story, and if we used a trick twice in the same story, that would be cheating the readers, and we Animorphs have literary intergrity.
Besides, setting off the fire alarm wouldn't make Chapman open his briefcase. That was a stupid idea. No, I had to do something else, and I think I knew what.
I sighed, and started running outside the building. As I ran, I began to morph.
Jake:
((Marco, if you can hear this, hurry!)) I said. ((I think their conversation is almost over!))
Meanwhile, Cassie reported that they couldn't find any cracks in the briefcase large enough to escape through. Crap.
Then, Chapman's cell phone rang. He picked it up.
"Chapman, here,"
I hoped that was Marco with his distraction. The person on the other end of the line muttered something I couldn't quite hear, so I flew in closer.
"What kind of situation?" Chapman asked. "No humans saw the Visser leave, did they?"
"No, Mr. Chapman. It's your daughter. She's..."
"She's what?"
"She's running around the building naked, singing 'Polly Wolly Doodle'."
"WHAT?!" Chapman shouted.
Chapman dropped his briefcase. It fell to the ground, where it crashed open, and everything spilled across the floor. Chapman didn't notice.
((We're free!)) Cassie said.
((Let's get the heck out of here!)) Rachel said.
((Marco?)) I said. ((What are you doing right now?))
((Distracting Chapman,)) he said. ((Did it work? Can I stop?))
((It worked,)) I said. ((I repeat, what are you doing?))
((I'll tell you later,)) Marco said.
Later that night, when we were all going home, Marco explained that he knocked a Controller out, then morphed him and stole his cell phone. He then called Chapman and distracted him with a crazy phone call.
I seriously hope that Marco was telling the truth. Otherwise, I'll have to give him a major reprimand.
Right after asking what it's like to morph a girl.