Chapter 5

(On your left! On your left!) Rachel called. (Hamburger wrapper!)

(I'll see your hamburger wrapper and raise you a box of pizza! They didn't eat the crust!) Marco yelled back. He actually started to swoop down to join the mob of gulls around it to get his share before Jake reminded him why we were at the beach.

We were just four seagulls among about a thousand, wheeling and screeching in the sky above the beach. Well, technically we were over the dumpster area beside the beach, but we were slowly making our way toward the water.

We'd all done seagulls before, all except Ax and Tobias, but man! Those instincts that make you see every single piece of possibly edible trash are too strong to completely ignore. It'd be easier when we were over the water, we knew that from experience. But getting to the water...

(Jake?) Tobias said. (You just got onto Marco's case...but you're drifting a little close to that McDonald's bag.)

(I wasn't gonna eat it,) he grumbled. (I was just seeing if there were any fries left.)

(Well I suggest we move on,) Tobias laughed. (The research boat is further out than it was earlier and it'll take a while to get there.)

The boat was a few miles offshore. The plan was for Tobias and Ax to hang out over the sand, where they didn't have to work so hard to stay aloft, while me, Jake, Rachel, and Marco went out to see what they were up to. If we needed backup, Ax would get over water, demorph (he could swim quite well in his Andalite body,) and morph to Tiger shark to get in and give us some water support. I tried not to think about the fact that all that could take as long as thirty minutes.

When your life is in danger, thirty minutes is a very, very long time.

Jake didn't seem too worried about it, and I trusted his instincts. Besides, this was just a recon mission. Tobias had assured us there were dozens of gulls on and around the research vessel, which was called the Martin Swift.

The four of us flew over the waves toward our target. We didn't need the thermal updrafts that Tobias and Ax's Harrier body needed to stay airborne. The seagulls wings are narrow, designed for acrobatic flying. Our breast muscles were tireless at flapping those narrow wings, always on the lookout for anything to eat. Trash was easiest, but my gull brain spotted everything from minnows to shrimp to a barnacle-encrusted barrel. It knew there was edible meat inside of those barnacles. Anything was food to the seagull. Anything.

We heard the calls from our brothers and sisters and I knew we were getting close. (Let's land on top of the helm,) Jake suggested. (There are already some seagulls there.)

The Martin Swift was huge, but my seagull wasn't impressed. To him, it was just a place to rest up for a minute before going back to the endless search for munchies.

There were three guys down below us. Two looked like scientists, which made sense, since we were on a research vessel. The third looked like he belonged behind a desk at H&R Block. I edged closer to try to hear what they were saying.

"We're already under scrutiny," one of the scientist-looking guys was saying. "I used my hosts influence at the lab to get this boat out here in the first place, but I have raised suspicion. In addition to our real purpose out here, I will have to have results for the humans at the lab as well."

I realized I was listening to a Controller, and my blood ran cold the way it usually did when it was shoved in my face that Yeerks were actually stealing human bodies. There's a difference between knowing it's so and seeing it firsthand.

The other scientist controller was agreeing with the first. "It took considerable effort to infiltrate the Black Hole laboratories. We should not be wasting that progress on a...whim...of the Visser's."

The accountant-looking guy laughed. It was not a nice laugh. "I'll forget you said that, Porund 422. That sounded dangerously like you were second guessing Visser Three."

"No! No, I would never!" the scientist said quickly. The accountant walked away quickly, as if he didn't want to be associated with the guy who'd just questioned Visser Three. He turned to the other scientist. "I want off of this assignment," he said angrily. "Visser Three orders me to get this boat out here. He orders my men to post security. Then when Sub-Visser Eight communicates with me, he screams at me for jeopardizing my cover! This is a winless situation."

The other scientist starting backing slowly away from the one who was complaining, and after a moment I saw why. A seagull from my own perch had glided down to the deck and was changing. As the gull bulged and swelled, my stomach seemed to do the same. The white and black feathers started merging and turning blue. The complaining scientist had an expression of horror on his face, and he seemed to be frozen in place in terror.

(Guys!) I hissed in thought-speech, even though I kept it private so only they could hear. (It's Visser Three! He's here!)

(I hate that guy,) Marco tried to joke, but even in thought-speech it sounded flat. He sounded scared.

An Andalite continued to emerge from the seagull's body. (So, Porund 422,) the Visser said. He said it casually, but there was an undertone of rage and madness, as there usually was when the Visser spoke. (This is a whim, is it? You think I am jeopardizing the invasion? /My/ invasion?) Visser Three, fully Andalite, got in the guy's face.

(You want off of this assignment?) he asked quietly. The guy was too terrified to respond. I knew what was coming.

That dangerous Andalite tail flashed, and I closed my eyes. I heard a thud as the body hit the steel deck. (There. There's your reassignment.)

(He's insane,) Rachel said in disbelief. (He's not just evil, he's insane.)

Not even Marco said anything. Not so much as a 'duh.' We were all too shocked at what had just happened.

Visser Three raised his 'voice.' (Does anyone else wish to be reassigned?) he shouted to the controllers on deck. (No? Then I suggest you dispose of this traitor and get back to work!)

(I can't do this,) I said. I spread my wings to fly away. This wasn't something I could do. I'd just seen a helpless human slave get murdered because of an off-color remark the Yeerk inside of his head made him say.

(Cassie, we're already out here,) Marco said. (If we leave now, we won't know any more about what they're doing. We'll just have to come back.)

I couldn't stop thinking about the man below me, who was being dragged off the deck like a piece of garbage. I couldn't stop thinking about what his family would do when he didn't come home for dinner. (I don't care!) I yelled. I had the sense to only yell it to Marco, Jake, and Rachel, but I still yelled. (I don't want to be here! I don't want to know what they're doing! And I'm not coming back! I can't do this!) I spread my wings and flew from the boat, back toward the shore. Back toward home.

(Let her go,) Jake said. (Cassie? I'll come see you later.) His voice was full of care, and it made me even more upset for some reason. I didn't respond.

I just went home.