With the distraction successful, Tom heads up to the cabin with the rest of the family.

After this Jake insists on handling the situation by himself. Afterward, they allow him to escape, and Ax insists that he will never do such a thing again as it is not the conduct of a warrior. To make the kidnap seem convincing they have Ax interrogate Chapman for hours. The Animorphs kidnap Chapman, holding him hostage in an abandoned house to distract the Yeerks from taking care of Jake's father. After several close calls protecting Jake's father, the Animorphs decide to make a distraction for the Yeerks so that Tom is no longer their top priority. A slight power struggle ensues between Jake and Marco who insists that Jake isn't thinking clearly on this matter. Jake must save his father, but for the first time, his quick thinking tactical mind freezes up. When they leave for a Sharing meeting together, Jake fears that Tom may force their dad into involuntary Yeerk infestation or even kill him. Tom fights relentlessly with Jake's father about going. They plan to be gone for three or four days, however, this presents a problem for Tom, who can not stay away from the Yeerk Pool for more than three days at a time. His father insists that the family go to his home in a wooded cabin far away and help plan the funeral arrangements. Jake returns from school to discover that his great grandfather has died.

It is known to have been ghostwritten by Laura Battyanyi-Weiss. The Conspiracy is the 31st book in the Animorphs series, authored by K.A.

The Solution by K.A. Applegate