The Sun and The Sea

Snowboarding with a Giant Pig

They were crossing the Potomac when the group spotted the helicopter. It was a sleek, black military model just like the one they'd seen at Westover Hall. And it was coming straight toward them. 

"They know the van," Percy said urgently. "We have to ditch it." 

Zoe swerved into the fast lane. The helicopter was gaining.

 "Maybe the military will shoot it down," Grover said hopefully. 

"The military probably thinks it's one of theirs," Finley said. "How can the General use mortals, anyway?" 

"Mercenaries," Zoe said bitterly. "It is distasteful, but many mortals will fight for any cause as long as they are paid." 

"But don't these mortals see who they're working for?" Percy asked with furrowed brows. "Don't they notice all the monsters around them?" 

Zoe shook her head. "I do not know how much they see through the Mist. I doubt it would matter to them if they knew the truth. Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters." 

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than they were through D.C. traffic. Thalia closed her eyes and prayed hard. 

"Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now. Please?" 

But the sky stayed gray and snowy. No sign of a helpful thunderstorm. 

"There!" Bianca said. "That parking lot!" 

"We'll be trapped," Zoe said. 

"Trust me," Bianca said. 

Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river. The group left the van and followed Bianca down the steps. 

"Subway entrance," Bianca said. "Let's go south. Alexandria." 

"Anything," Thalia agreed. 

They bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, looking behind them for any signs of pursuit. A few minutes later they were safely aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C. As their train came above ground, they could see the helicopter circling the parking lot, but it didn't come after them. 

Grover let out a sigh. 

"Nice job, Bianca, thinking of the subway." 

Bianca looked pleased. "Yeah, well. I saw that station when Nico and I came through last summer. I remember being really surprised to see it, because it wasn't here when we used to live in D.C."

Grover frowned. "New? But that station looked really old." 

"I guess," Bianca said. "But trust me, when we lived here as little kids, there was no subway." 

Thalia sat forward. "Wait a minute. No subway at all?" 

Bianca nodded. 

Finley remembers Annabeth telling her about the architecture in D.C. and the subway stations. There was no way it's that new. She remembers Annabeth saying it was made decades before their birth. 

Bianca is younger than them. 

"Bianca," Zoe said. "How long ago..." 

Her voice faltered. The sound of the helicopter was getting louder again. 

"We need to change trains," Percy said. "Next station." 

For the next half hour, the group only thought of getting to safety. They changed their trains twice.