Olympus Drive Book 2: Nothing to See Here

Chapter 60

Detective Stamos

"All right so here are the rules—"

"Why are there rules?" Luke complains, immediately.

"Because this is dangerous, people are getting burned, and drugged, and impregnated," I inform him. We rendezvoused a good mile out of town, where we saw other cars parked. There are flashing lights and music coming from the middle of the field. The sun has just finished setting. Sadly, we picked up Rhea along the side of the road and the kids insisted on keeping him.

"Don't really think that that will be a problem," Hector says. We somehow (by we I mean me), convinced him to lose the suit. Instead he's wearing a black, tight t-shirt, black belt, black jeans, black boots, black gloves for no apparent reason, a black chain around his neck, and as always black Ray Bans. The t-shirt is a designer one, and quite tight, tight enough to show abs----how does he have muscles when the heaviest thing he picks up his that phone and he used to forge notes to get out PE because he thought sweating was gross? No, he hasn't changed; on Memorial day we were at the beach and he complained because it was warm and he didn't want to sweat because it's gross. Luke hit him with an entire wave. I don't really know why they antagonize him.

"Do not drink anything, do not take anything that is offered to you, if someone offers to brand you the answer is no," I inform them. I don't really like taking Basil here right now but it is probably Helen and we can't face her without him; we learned that the hard way before.

"Why would the answer be yes?" Luke asks.

"We won't, we will drink nothing, we won't have sex with anyone," Jasmine sighs, "We promise."

"That's all I ask," I say, holding  Basil's arm because he was about to walk away and not promise any of that shit.

"What? Let's just go it probably is Helen,"  Basil sighs.

"We have reason to believe that as soon as we enter there, we will be mind controlled into wanting to do all those things," I say. I am not especially worried about my asexual ass because I already booked myself back into rehab anyway. Thyme stabbed two people today and told one Baptist he was Jesus Christ. Even if I do drink tonight I'll be in rehab next week pretending my entire life for the past twenty-two years has been a weird fever dream.

"I'll be fine," Basil says, "I don't think any of us are going to be tempted to have sex with high schoolers and everyone here is related."

"I can have sex with my husband in a field if I want to," Luke says while Grant tries to cover his mouth.

"Right, so you two stay together and try to focus. We should split up to cover more ground, that way Helen doesn't spot us all at once," I say.

"I want to see if the handcuff thing is sexual or not I'll stay with you," Rhea is only allowed to be here because I don't trust him to exist without my supervision. He brought his dog so that's not a good sign.

"I'm going with him that way I can't die," Jasmine says, pointing at Hector, "Happy, daddy?"

"Not at all whatsoever---yeah go with your uncle fine, Detective you're staying with me," Basil says.

"Yeah, you're mortal stay with us," Rhea takes my arm and I shove him away.

"Don't make me put the cuffs on."

"Do whatever makes you happy, detective."

"Can we just focus?" Basil says, walking in between us.

"We are," I say, looking around. Kids are just—walking towards the party? I can't really hear music, it's faint.

"Hey—hey—notice they're all dancing in rhythm?" I point out. "Who does that at a party? They're in perfect synch."

"Have you ever been to a party?" Rhea asks.

"Yes," I growl.

"Like as a guest or breaking it up?"

"Clearly the second one," I say, haughtily. I'm proud I had a boring life prior to meeting these damn kids.

"Right, thought as much---where are the speakers if the music's that loud?"

"It's not loud at all," I say, frowning.

"Quit arguing you two---I'm getting a call," Basil says, answering his phone  and putting it on speaker, "Yeah, Sam, what's up?"

"It's Dean, he's not home. He left his phone here. And I called some of his friends at school, they said he mentioned  going to a party tonight----what if it's one of those raves--?"

"Funny, you should mention it, I'm already there," Basil says.

"I'm coming, he's been acting weird all week, yesterday he was all upset crying and he wouldn't tell me why and he cut out of school. I'll meet you--- where are you—"

"No don't, I'm here, I'll bring him home," Basil says.

"I want to come help you—"

"Just be ready to nurse his hang over all night," Basil says, hanging up as drunk teenagers stagger into us, making out.

"Great, why would he do that? He's a good kid," I sigh, looking around. All the kids look alike when they're drunk.

"I dunno; it's really weird and unusual," Rhea says not at all surprised. We round on him simultaneously.

"What do you know?" Basil asks.

"Nothing, kids go to parties. Look at you, it's a thing. I'm sure he doesn't mean any harm," Rhea says, holding up his hands.

"Of course he doesn't. Come on, let's just find him and Helen. I wouldn't put it past her to take him to get to me," Basil says, immediately believing him.

"Why are there so many people here?" I mutter. My head hurts. And I feel, disoriented. I pick up a drink that one of the dancing kids hands off to me. Wine? That's odd but I'm not arguing with it.

"Hey---bad," Rhea smacks the drink out of my hand so I try to slug him, "You don't want to drink tonight."

"Yes, yes I really do," I say reaching out to take a drink from one of the passing kids.

"No, you don't---look at you you're acting drunk---it's this place, it's drugging you," Basil says, shaking my shoulders, "Neither one of us are having a drink all right? Now we need to find Helen and Dean and get out---Dad can you take him back to the car?"

"No, NO," I say, shaking my head. Fuck I already feel four drinks in. And all I want is another one. "Stay with me, I'll be fine. I don't trust myself alone. Just don't let me have a drink."

"Here, put on these glasses," Rhea says, giving me a pair of mirrored glasses.

"Will they stop me from being mind controlled?" I ask, pushing his hands away as I adjust them.

"No, but you'll look cooler while you are."

"Fuck you," I say, taking them off and throwing them away, fuck my head hurts. Fuck I want a drink. I want a drink more than I've wanted a drink in years. It's supposed to get easier. It really doesn't. But for a while it hasn't gotten worse.

"Here I've got an idea----Chiron, jump on him if he tries to drink anything, good dog," Rhea says, petting his dog which sits down on his feet to be petted, tipping it's head back big dumb brown eyes, head full of love and air. It has never done anything he's said, ever.

"Come on, I'm with you, we can do this," Basil just traps me under his arm, "Which way do we think the others went? Which way are we going?"

"I dunno let's start walking in ever increasing circles and eventually we'll run into someone," Rhea suggests, taking a drink from a passerby which I was about to grab, only to dump it on the ground.

"We'll get you home soon. Come on," Basil says, tugging us onward through the throngs of dancing kids. Light's flash in my eyes making my head throb. Yet I suddenly, deeply, don't want to leave.