"Yes, of course. They said to follow the plan. "If we do this right we'll be off this idiotic assignment, out of these idiotic stupid bodies, and back onboard ship where we belong." That's what the leader said."
"Uh-oh," Tobias said darkly. "They're splitting up."
"We'll have to split up, too. Follow each group," Jake advised. "Me, Cassie, and Tobias go with one group, Ax, Rachel, and Marco go with the other. Ax? Listen to them if they talk anymore. And let us know by thought-speak."
"Yes, Prince Jake."
"Have I mentioned don't call me prince?"
"Yes, Prince Jake, you have."
I fell in step alongside Jake, trying to look like any old horse walking along, minding her own business.
"This is weird," I said. "These horses are definitely on a mission. I'm almost surprised no one has ever noticed how bizarre their behavior is."
"What sane person would ever even think that a horse would be a security risk?" Tobias said.
"How do you like horse morph, Tobias?" I asked, making conversation to ease my nervousness.
"Compared to flying? It's dull. Compared to the old days when I wouldn't have been able to morph with you guys at all? It's great!"
We were at the side of a road. This part of the base was densely built up with low, whitewashed clapboard buildings, each bearing stenciled numbers. Not far away was a large building with a half-filled parking lot. I couldn't see well enough with my dim horse eyes to read the sign above its door, but people were coming out, pushing loaded grocery carts.
"Base Exchanges Jake explained. "Kind of a shopping center for the people stationed here."
"Must be boring out here," Rachel said. "Not much to do but keep secrets."
A pair of Humvees loaded with uniformed troops came racing down the road. We stepped back out of the way. Totally unhorselike behavior. No one noticed. The guys in the Humvee never even glanced our way.
They'd seen wild horses hundreds of times.
The afternoon sun was intense. It was really hot. The horse part of me wanted to go find a nice shady patch and rest. I saw some trees and picnic tables off to one side of the Base Exchange. People were carrying slices of pizza and baskets of fried chicken and potatoes out to the tables.
It was so weird. I was a human in a horse morph. I was walking along with Yeerks inside horse bodies. And we were, all of us, trying to figure out what, if anything, was being kept secret on this base.
Was it true? Had a spaceship crashed here back in the fifties? Had the government hidden it all these years? Were the Yeerks determined to get it away from the humans in order to keep us from understanding its technology?
What could be hidden on this base? A Yeerk Bug fighter? An Andalite fighter? Some ship belonging to some other race?
"Hey, Jake? Tobias? Do you smell anything weird?" I asked.
"l smell those french fries over at the Base Exchanges Jake said.
"No, not that. Smell the horse-Controllers."
"Do I have to? Hey . . . wait... you mean thatsmell "
"Fear," Tobias said. "Nervousness. Great. If they're scared, we should be scared."
"l have that covered," I said dryly.
I looked around, trying to make sense of the emotions I was literally smelling. I saw the second group of horse-Controllers. I saw Rachel, and Marco, and Ax along with a couple of tagalong horses. They were converging with us. Converging on the same building.
It was one of the hangars. A very large hangar, maybe fifteen stories high, with doors you could walk a dinosaur through. And it was a very secure hangar. There were guards at the main doors. Guards at every corner of the building. Looking up, I thought I saw the outline of a man with a rifle up on top of the structure.
There was a sign on the side of the building. I squinted but could not read it with my dim horse eyes.
"l miss my realeyes," Tobias grumbled.
BRRRRRIINNNNGGGG! BRRRRRRIIIINNN-NNGGGG!
An insanely loud bell went off. I reared up before I could control the reaction. But the horse-Controllers showed no response at all. No response except to grow very still and very focused. They were expecting the bell.
The bell was a safety alarm. It was heralding the opening of the main doors of the hangar. I saw the guards move their automatic weapons down off their shoulders and into easy firing position.
KRRR-Chunk! Rrrrreeeeeeeeee!
The doors began to open, motors whining loudly in my horse ears.
And that's when the second group of horses started to run. Three horse- Controllers, followed, after a moment's hesitation, by Marco, Ax, and Rachel, suddenly broke into full-out gallop straight for the hangar door.
"Oh, man," Tobias groaned. "Why do I get the feeling there's going to be shooting soon?"
"Why are they doing that?" I asked. "lt makes no sense. Why hide in horse bodies so you can come and go without anyone noticing, and then suddenly do this?"
"Because the subtle approach isn't working," Jake said grimly.
"Remember what they said earlier: Do this and they're out of here. It's a final desperation move."
"So what do we do?"
"We play follow-the-leader," Jake said grimly. "And we hope these Yeerks have a good plan."
Suddenly, our group of horse-Controllers surged forward. I was startled, but I quickly ran after them, followed by Jake and Tobias.
The first group was racing full tilt toward the hangar. They were almost there. The armed guards were watching them in bemusement. But you could see the bemusement turning to puzzlement. And finally ... too late .
. . fear.
WHAM!
The lead horse slammed bodily into one guard, knocking him into a second guard. Hooves flashed as the horse ran over the guard. I could see it, even with my weak horse eyes, because we were close now.
Running straight for the door of the hangar.
We were there!
A madhouse! Guards mingling with seemingly insane horses. Guards being knocked to the ground.
"Get these horses outta here!" someone bawled.
"Neigh-heh-heh-heh!" the horses screamed.
"Sarge, what do we do?"
"Ahhhh!"
"HrrrEEEE-heee-he-he!"
"Shoot 'em!"
"Negative, soldier, do not fire! We could hit what's inside!"
Our group jumped into the melee of frantic soldiers and madly dancing, rearing, screaming horses. But our group stayed close together and plowed straight through.
Straight through and into the Most Secret Place On Earth.
Chapter 19
Into the hangar we thundered!
My hooves scrabbled on smooth, painted concrete. Through the eyes on the side of my head, I saw flashes of heavy equipment, banks of com- puter consoles, and flashing numerical readouts.
There were men and women in white lab coats running as if we were a pack of wolves or something. There were uniformed airmen running after us, waving their guns in the air. There were stuffy old officers with medals on their chests, standing with hands on hips and outraged expressions on their faces.
And everyone was yelling.
"What the blazing Hades is going on here?"
"Stop those horses!"
"Shoot!"
"Don't shoot!"
"Help! I'm allergic to horses!"