Only a Game (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 50: No plan

Ariadne

I finally finish with the Labyrinth, just in time to turn around and help Dean and Maya fight an ever increasing number of guards. Maya has knives, Dean nothing but his fists. I snag a fallen baton and go to work. We're not trying to kill, just incapacitate. Dean touches them and can sap their energy down to nothing, so once Maya and I get them down he can make them stay down.

I have no idea where these escapees from a slapstick comedy learned how to fight like Jackie Chan. But here we are. I'm not even questioning it anymore.

We're all three bloody, bruised, and panting, by the time we get to the bottom of the stairs.

"Where did you learn to fight like that?" Maya asks Dean.

"You've met my brother, Time?" he says, flatly, "Where did YOU learn to fight like that?"

"Your brother, who apparently just grabs people by the back of the neck and drags them behind his dad's house to teach them kick boxing," Maya says.

"Cool, let's go," I say, leading us back towards the family quarters.

"Where are we going?" Dean asks, jogging to catch up with me.

"To talk to my step mom. She's the only person on this island who might potentially help us get Teddy and Aster somewhere safe," I don't know where we're taking Aster or what we're doing since he's used to eating people now. Damn it. Damn it.

"Oh, yeah, she was cool," Dean says.

"We talked to her yesterday, she was upset," Maya says.

"Yeah, well, things have been upsetting. Anyway, she might at least help the three of us get off this island," I point out.

"Is the only way off boats?" Dean asks.

"We don't keep any boats here, just the helicopters, I don't suppose your brother taught you how to fly one?" his brother has been the explanation for half his random knowledge. I don't think I want to meet this brother.

"No. My sister wanted to teach me; I said no," Dean says.

"Don't try to keep up with his siblings," Maya advises.

"Oh, I haven't been," I sigh, leading us to my parents rooms, "If my dad is here you may want to be ready to do the knock out thing you do."

"Got it," Dean says.

I open the door to my mother's sitting room. For whatever reason the smell hits me first. Bodies smell awful when they're torn apart. Then there's the blood.

So much blood.

Dean and Maya and I scream in unison, upon seeing my step-mother, torn apart across the entire room. Ripped limb from limb.

Her blood and organs smeared across the floor and walls. And in the middle of it, a clean spot, where the blood and tissue is dabbed away. Written there is:

Stay Lost ; )

I'm well aware it's a message for me. And I'm well aware who it's from.

Dean grabs us both around the shoulders and tugs us back out of line of sight of it as I gag.

"I've got you, I've got you," he says, hugging us both.

"What did that?" Maya sobs into Dean's shirt.

"Not what---who," I say, my voice shaking, "Metion is loose."