The Fleece Job (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 29: The mediocre escape

Gale

So to be clear, when I was summoned to the Underworld by a text saying 'we're gonna watch a couple of children be torn apart by hell hounds, come on, bring popcorn' I did naturally assume it was going to be a good time. But this. This is hysterical. So long as none of them know I'm responsible for Jason, we're good.

"How did this happen? We're smarter than this," Hector muses.

"I mean. Clearly, we aren't," Jasmine, my sister says, shrugging.

"No seriously though, we are; there should have been no way that boy escaped the hounds," Hector says.

"Gale's kid and the girl that fought them off carry the Blessing of the Styx; they should have been torn apart otherwise," Than says, running a hand through his hair.

"Oh---oh so what you're saying it is it all comes back to the fact that people wander down here and have pleasure cruises on the Styx," Hector says, staring directly at Charon who is eating the popcorn he told me to bring. I'm eating it too.

"Don't be looking at me. If you didn't want me to take additional employment you should pay me more," Charon says.

"It clearly states in your contract that you are NOT to take additional employment as it directly interferes with your duties," Hector growls.

"Don't be taking that tone with me. The verbal abuse I take on this job. I should quit."

"AND DO WHAT WITH YOUR TIME???? You look like a skeleton??" Hector cries, exasperated.

"You know a little body positivity wouldn't do us any harm. Sometimes I think you don't want this relationship to work out at all."

"WHAT RELATIONSHIP??? I HAVE MADE IT CLEAR HOW MUCH I DON'T LIKE YOU!!"

"See? It's things like that that make me consider finding someone new."

"Who??? Who else is going to pay you to ride up and down the Styx all day like you do anyway????"

"Don't even talk to him, come on; let's go find the girls," Jasmine says, patting her husband's shoulder.

"So, am I going after them or what because to be clear I don't want to?" Than asks, raising a hand.

"It's too late---he raised them both from the dead, it's over," Hector says, shaking his head.

"Wow, almost like you should have paid your ferryman better in the first place. I should unionize is what I should do."

"WITH WHOM??? UNIONIZE WITH WHOM??? YOU LOOK LIKE A SKELETON NO ONE WANTS TO BE AROUND YOU!!!"

"You see it's verbal abuse like this that's ruining this relationship. I think we should consider therapy.""

"Why?? I don't want to be around you!!!"

"Again with the abuse you're all witness to this," Charon says, gesturing to everyone with a piece of popcorn.

"They don't like you either!!!"

"They do. I will unionize. And sign us up for therapy. I'm sick and tired of being the backbone of this family. It's not doing anything for my nerves."

"You can't be a union of one person, Charon. I'm not having this argument with again. You unionizing is just you whining for a raise," Hector says, massaging his forehead.

"So, to be clear, again, I don't have to do anything about this? Because I've got some jobs to go do," Than says, looking at his watch.

"No, Than, keep up with your schedule that's fine," Hector says, taking a deep breath.

"Gale? You have something to add?" Jasmine asks, cocking her head at me.

I shrug really innocently and smile my precious smile that will make her believe me.

"Right, go on then."

I shrug, eating my popcorn.

"Get back to work---both of you," Hector growls at me and Charon.

We nod and then move off to not work someplace else.