Survivors

So it was that very early the following day they were back at the town. This time all three of them were in the shape of eagles soaring high in the air. They were flying a lot higher than they normally would because they didn’t want anyone below to spot them and then take a pot shot with their crossbow. With their extra keen eagle eyesight they scanned the streets below for movement. For a while they saw nothing, well nothing moving or very interesting. The whole place seemed still, quite, deserted.

Suddenly Holly called out, actually it was more of a screech and then she swooped towards the north end of the town. The two boys folded their wings and darted after her. Within seconds they had spotted what she had seen. Two people were moving cautiously along one of the side roads. They were keeping to the shadows and were carefully checking the coast was clear before moving on.

The three eagles climbed higher into the air again. This time they went even higher so they were almost impossible to see from the ground. Anyone looking up might just have been able to see three dots in the sky, but that was about it. Looking down the eagles, if they had wanted to would have been able to see the colour of the eyes looking up at them. So keeping track of the people now they’d been spotted was pretty easy.

They tracked the two men (for men indeed they were) for about ten minutes as they slowly made their way further north. As the men approached a large building they became even more cautious. After about thirty seconds of checking in all directions the two seemed to make a decision. Suddenly they both broke from cover and darted towards the big building. They didn’t go towards the main doors, but instead they went down an alley at the side of the building. Half-way down the alley they stopped at a small metal door and tapped on it, three quick sharp taps.

High above them a small window opened and a head popped out. The head was only visible for a second or two before it disappeared again and the window closed. After a few more seconds the metal door swung open and the two men slipped inside.

Luke opened his beak to speak, but because he’d been an eagle for quite a while now all that came out was a screech. They’d all noticed that the longer they stayed in one animal form the harder and harder it became to speak like a human. All to do with the gradual changing of vocal cords Bretnel had told them. Whatever the reason Luke didn’t try to speak again, he just swooped down towards one of the roof tops. The others quickly followed. When the three of them had landed they all changed back into their human forms.

Luke tried again “Fnob” he began. He rubbed his aching jaw, waggled it up and down and then tried for a third time.

“I think we know where they are now”.

“Yep” said Joe “I reckon that’s where they are definitely. So what do we do now?”

“We need to check it out a bit more” replied Holly.

“Good idea....check it out…how do we do that then?” asked Joe non-plussed.

“We need to see if we can get a really good look around inside, without being seen” went on Holly.

“Good idea too....but I don’t think I can do ghost” replied Joe chuckling.

“Be serious” snapped Luke.

Joe was about to argue back, but Holly stopped him with a little pleading look. They’d spent quite a long time “talking” last night and much as Joe loved a good ruck with Luke he liked being in Holly’s good books more, so he shut up!

“I think the best thing to do is to fly to the building, land on the roof and then climb into one of the air vents. We should be able to get into the place that way without getting spotted”.

“Won’t they hear us if we’re running around in the air ducting?” asked Joe.

“No, not if we’re really small”

“How small?”

“Like cockroach small”

“Oh no” wailed Joe “I hate doing the small thing”. For some reason, getting smaller was much more uncomfortable than getting bigger. It always gave you an unpleasant squashed sort of feeling. It felt like wearing clothes that were a couple of sizes too small for you, for hours at a time. It also meant that you lost your latex costume thing, because Bretnel had only designed them to stretch, not shrink. So changing back was always a bit of an issue!

“Do we have to?” whined Joe.

“Have you got any better ideas?” snapped Holly somewhat huffily.

“Err…no…” said Joe still wanting to keep on Hollys good side, but also not wanting to be a cockroach, “What do you think Luke?”.

“Sounds like a good plan to me. But, we only go for a look! We don’t do anything. Once we’ve had a good look round, we’ll come back and decide what, if anything, we’re going to do”.

“Joe! Did you hear that?” Said Holly sharply, because it was quite obvious Joe hadn’t been listening.

“Yes, yes, yes” said Joe indignantly “.....what did you say?”