When she and Shara made it to the shed holding the two-hundred pounds of oatmeal that the Yeerks had managed to take in, somehow, Rachel couldn't help but wonder how they were going to manage to get to all that oatmeal. There were four very tough-looking, very determined Hork-Bajir guarding the shed.

And, while she knew that Shara was more than a match for anything the Yeerks might throw at her, there were a lot of Yeerks down here; she didn't know how many of them Shara could fight off at once. Even with Slade's help, since her brother would jump right in on her side as soon as she started fighting, Rachel wasn't sure how far they'd be able to get.

The Yeerks might have even been willing to destroy all of the oatmeal in the shed, once they realized that Slade and Shara were too strong for them.

(We need to find a way to get that oatmeal into the Yeerk Pool,) Shara said, and Rachel wondered if she'd been having the same kind of thoughts that Rachel herself had been having.

The sound of someone coming up beside the two of them drew Rachel's attention to Cassie, before she and Shara could start making plans for how they would manage to get their hands on the oatmeal so they could dump it into the Yeerk Pool. Her oldest, best friend looked around, though she made sure that none of the Controllers around her saw her doing it.

Reaching out for Shara's hand, somehow knowing exactly where the other girl was, Rachel made her way over to where Cassie was standing.

(Try not to freak out, but Shara and I are right here,) she said, stopping beside Cassie, even as she and Shara continued observing the shed with all of the oatmeal.

(Jake says that he and the others are ready to move, whenever you two are ready,) Slade said, and Rachel could only wonder about the way his telepathy seemed flatter, somehow, than Shara's when she spoke. (He also wants to know if you've managed to make contact with Cassie.)

(We've caught up with her, but she's not morphed,) Shara said, before Rachel could say anything in response.

Before any of them could say anything else, the sound of some kind of announcement in some kind of alien language drew their attention, and then the top of the dome actually opened up, and a Bug Fighter came down on jets of blue flame.

(Seal every exit!) Visser Three's furious thought-speak hammered into their minds. (No one move! Not a single twitch, do you hear me?! I have security troops coming down. Until they check you, no one moves. If any of you see any movement, fire! Shoot it! Do you understand me?! I will not tolerate failure!)

xxxXxxxx

Narrowing her eyes as she found herself facing Visser Three, Shara drew her dagger and slammed the back of the hilt into the back of the nearest human-Controller. The man yelped in surprise, drawing the attention of the Controllers all around him, and while the rest of the Controllers all piled in on him, Shara grabbed Cassie and pulled Rachel along behind her.

(We need to stay out of sight,) she said, narrowing her eyes as she looked around for a place where the Yeerks were moving away from.