Chapter 5

"In other news, yet another bakery in New York City has fallen victim to a mysterious criminal gang that has remained elusive despite over twenty-six confirmed organized robberies."

The television was loud enough to distract me from the conversation that had otherwise gripped the living room. I sat forward on the sofa, hands resting just below my ears as I maintained the distraction. Jake would do nothing but talk about the Kelbrids, and I swear it was going to drive me insane.

Thankfully, I hadn't yet been dragged into the conversation. They'd left me out of it and, in a way, it came off as deliberate.

Somebody came into my peripheral vision. Turning my eyes, I saw that it was Ely. He handed me a hot mug of coffee. I greedily reached for it.

"Thanks, Weth-… Ely." I said.

"Are you alright, Marco, sir?"

I nodded and placed my lips on the rim of the mug, testing the heat. "Never been better."

"Is there anything else I can get for you?"

I was barely paying attention, but the fact that he'd asked me a question soon registered, and I took my lips from the mug. "Nah. I'm okay. Why don't you chill and watch some TV?"

Ely steadily lowered himself to the sofa beside me. He, too, was apart from the topic discussed among the others. He wasn't exactly a fighter or a tactician, nor was he sprightly in his later years. He made a mean mac & cheese, though.

I started to hear them again. Their exchanged words began to sit together in a discernible pattern. I cleared my throat and readjusted my hands to drown it out.

But it wouldn't work. It never did for very long.

"You sayin' we take out these bases?" Santorelli asked Jake.

"Only if the odds are good," he replied. "I've asked Cassie to find Jeanne and see what info she can get. There's bound to be more than one Kelbrid hideout by now."

"Maybe she can get us some stuff to take them out," Santorelli said.

Menderash was there, too, and had to have his input. "Surote was very reluctant to give us any technology. We were lucky to get what we did."

"We could disguise ourselves as other Kelbrids. Go in covert," Santorelli suggested.

"We don't know the extent of their competence," Menderash countered. "Or the likelihood that they'll figure that we don't belong there."

It was only a matter of time. They wouldn't have been discussing it if they weren't planning on doing anything about it. It would be suicide. The very idea of combating another alien invasion was insane!

I tried to drown it out again, rubbing at my ears to take away the conversation's momentum. I stared hard at the television screen. A reporter was telling a story from some bakery in NYC. I heard a bad pun. That was my ticket into the total distraction.

It kept me for a while, and I even got the impression that their discussion had died down behind me. I lost some interest in the news channel and gazed aimlessly around the room while I sipped at my coffee. I noticed Tobias preening himself on top of the open door to the kitchen. He caught me looking and conveniently covered his face in the act of grooming the underside of a wing.

There was little else to watch in the room except the open window. The late autumn sun was shining through, past wispy, greying clouds and the swaying tips of trees.

I saw a movement in one of the trees. There was something out there. The sun collapsed and faded behind a passing cloud that strode in from nowhere.

It was coming to the house. It crept through the canopies, coated in a dark shadow that hid all features.

I felt claws wrap into my torso like needles. My fingers gave way, and the mug fell, ejecting hot coffee all over my lap. It burned, but I was too frozen to notice.

"Marco, sir?" It was Ely's distant voice.

The beast dropped away from the trees. It was creeping towards the house, getting closer, closer…

I lost sight of it. It was going for the front door. I regained some control of my limbs, but only enough to force myself hard into the corner of the sofa. "It's coming in, Wetherbee," I uttered. "Don't let it in!"

The front door handle squeaked and twisted, allowing the entrance to open inwards and reveal the silhouette of the unwelcome visitor. It stepped into the doorway and craned slightly to get beneath the door frame.

My eyes adjusted to the new light. I recognized the silhouette, as did the others.

"Toby?" Jake spoke, surprised.

The Hork-Bajir stepped in further and closed the door behind her. Her neck turned so she could survey the surroundings of the gloomy living room.

I noticed Menderash had taken on a defensive stance, and his eyes darted with alertness. Maybe I had, too, but for a different reason. Jake was just baffled, and he was trying to silently figure out how she'd found us.

Then came a ruffling of feathers. Toby lifted an arm at right angles to the ground and Tobias swooped down to perch on the underside of her hand. She held him close.

"I didn't expect to see you," she stated quietly. "Ever. I thought you'd all gone."

Jake answered her, still outwardly bemused. "We didn't expect to see you, either."

Toby took her stare away from Tobias where it had dwelled. "Why are you here?"

"It's a long story," Jake said.

"I have time."

Jake pursed his lips and leaned against the sofa. "We went to find Ax, but we got taken back here. We're still trying to get him back, but while we're on Earth, we have to stay in hiding."

She nodded. "You are sought after. Both by the Andalites and the Humans."

"Yeah," Jake sighed. "We know."

"Is this why Cassie disappeared?" she asked, raising her voice just a little. "She vanished, and Ronnie would tell me nothing."

"She came with us. No one was meant to know," Jake replied. "How did you find us, anyway?"

She managed a smile, but only just. "You remember talking to one of my people? Fip? You told him to say nothing about this place, about you."

Jake closed his eyes, realizing the potential mistake. "Yeah…"

"He asked me why he wasn't allowed to say anything about you."

Santorelli shrugged and chuckled. "I told you that guy was thick as shit."

Menderash had since calmed down, but not entirely. He still looked on edge, like he was reliving the days of the war. "We should never have trusted him with our whereabouts."

"You saying we should have chained him up in the basement?" Santorelli said.

"We should have dealt better with the situation," Menderash answered vaguely.

Toby was watching him closely. I had not seen her in person since the war ended, but I had never forgotten that stare. It was like she was shoveling her way into the deepest recesses of your soul and reading it like a copy of The New York Times.

She stepped forward into the room, big dinosaur feet stomping onto the crummy makeshift carpet we'd laid down. Menderash moved a foot backward awkwardly. Santorelli was unfazed and even seemed to be thrilled by her presence.

"Good to finally meet you, Ms. Hamee," he greeted, raising a hand as she neared. "Sergeant Santorelli. US Army."

"A pleasure," Toby replied, shaking his hand after Tobias had fluttered to her shoulder like a wannabe parrot.

Then she introduced herself to Ely, who had shakily risen from the sofa. He offered her coffee, and to my surprise, she accepted. He hurried off to make some and left her to say hello to the resident Andalite nothlit.

He held his ground, probably finally coming to terms with the fact that she wouldn't suddenly slice him limb from limb. She said nothing at first, offering a very slow handshake and continuing to stare.

"Something is different about you…" she murmured. "I'm Toby Hamee. What's your name?"

Menderash glanced at Jake, whose subtle indication was little more than a shrug of indifference. He finally replied, "Menderash-Postill-Fastill. I am an Andalite nothlit."

Toby nodded like she'd been expecting such an answer. "What was your previous occupation?"

"First Officer aboard the Andalite ship Intrepid."

"Aximili's ship…" she hummed. "I hope you find our home welcoming, Menderash-Postill-Fastill."

She said it in such a way that it was entirely ambiguous whether it was genuine or a bitter shot. Toby had always been unreadable, but usually, I would err on the side of good intentions.

"Toby," Jake began. "Does anybody else know that we're here?"

"No. Only myself and Fip. I have told him not to mention your presence to anybody."

"Thanks," Jake said. "Listen, I know that this is your home…"

"But you want to remain here. In secret," Toby finished for him. "You know that I would never betray you. We are all in your debt."

Jake smiled, genuinely relieved, but at the same time, he always knew he could count on her. Even as a politician, she was as trustworthy as any other Hork-Bajir. So far as we knew. "We won't get in the way," he said. "But we may need to establish a way to stop anybody visiting. Somebody might let it slip if they find us."

"It may be impossible to convince every Hork-Bajir in the area not to come this way," she explained.

Jake considered the situation, running a hand through his thick brown hair. "Maybe we could set up sentries."

Toby didn't appear so pleased with that idea, narrowing her eyes and cocking her head. "And who would perform those sentry roles?"

Jake blanked. He must have been regretting the implication.

Toby continued, "Local Hork-Bajir? I don't see any other option. You can't perform sentry because you are the ones to remain hidden."

"Never mind," Jake interjected before she could continue. "I don't want to bother them."

Toby sighed and gazed at the floor. "If that turns out to be your idea, I cannot refuse. My people are more than capable of establishing a cordon, given the right instructions. However, there would have to be some stipulations."

"Yeah, of course," Jake replied with uncertainty.

"We can discuss this later," Toby murmured, receiving a steaming mug of coffee as Ely trundled it in on a small wooden trolley. "After we catch up. It's been far too long."