We propose a novel and efficient mechanism for obtaining information in sensor networks which we refer to as acquire. In acquire an active query is forwarded through the network, and intermediate nodes use cached local information (within a look-ahead of d hops) in order to partially resolve the query. When the query is fully resolved, a completed response is sent directly back to the querying node. We take a mathematical modeling approach to calculate the energy costs associated with acquire. The models permit us to characterize analytically the impact of critical parameters, and compare the performance of acquire with respect to alternatives such as flooding-based querying (FBQ) and expanding ring search (ERS). We show that with optimal parameter settings, depending on the update frequency, acquire obtains order of magnitude reduction over FBQ and a potential reduction of 60% over ERS in consumed energy.