Thunder and Blood

17

Annabeth

This might be harder than I thought. 

I had made up my mind about going west, but where? There are so many places. Washington, San Francisco, Chicago, California. And they're all so big. Maybe I should have snuck into Chiron's office and tried to find something to help me, but it's too late for that now. 

I called a ride from the Grey Sisters, but they could only bring me as far as the outskirts of New York City, which wasn't particularly helpful. We're about a few miles off from where they drop me off. They're now driving through a forest,  dodging trees and deer. I'm starting to get worried I might not even make it to Percy, at the speed we're going I'll probably end up as a bloody mess splattered on some random tree. 

"Are you sure you can't bring me any farther south?" I ask. The sister with the eye turns to face me, taking their only source of vision from the trees ahead. 

"Greater New York, that's it." She croaks. 

"What if I pay you double?"

All three look at me. Or face me. I still don't know if they can all see or just the one with the eye. 

"We're listening."

I pause, not anticipating them to entertain the idea. I should go as far south-west as I can and then work my way up, which would be Arizona and California. "I'll pay you to bring me to the western border up front, and then I'll give you more once I get there." I say. "Safely."

"How much?" The middle one asks.

"How much do you want?" I pull a pouch from my bag, full of golden drachmas I stole from the Hermes campers. Their shared eye widens. 

"We'll get you there by sunup." The one with the eye tell me, turning back to the road just in time to swerve away from a tree. 

"You didn't answer the little lady's question." The one on the right says. "She asked how much we want."

"I'll give her an answer when we get there." The driver hisses. "Let me think."

The car goes quiet, save for the snapping and breaking of branches as we drive over the bushes. After a while, the middle hag begins pressing buttons on the dashboard. Lights start flashing, then she turns them off, the windshield begins wiping, air conditioning turns on, she doesn't seems to know what button does which. 

Maybe because she's blind, Annabeth. 

"I always forget where the radio is on this thing." She mutters, continuing to press random buttons. I reach forward and turn up the music for her. A familiar song comes on, but I can't pinpoint the name. 

"Ah." She puts her hand back in her lap. "There we go."

We eventually speed out of the forest, cross a major highway, and then drive straight into a wheat field. We take a few sharp turns, and I'm almost positive that we're going in circles. That is until we make it out of the field and onto a dirt road. The hag driving goes faster and faster, until the lonely trees around us are just blurs against the horizon. Soon I begin to see different landmarks, ones I've never seen before. I don't know how far we've driven, but judging by the time on the dashboard, dawn is in less than an hour. 

I left camp at around 7, meaning I've been with the Grey Sisters for about 9 hours - seeing as it took two hours for them to get to me. I have no idea where we are, and I don't care. As long as they get me to Arizona I'm happy. 

"The western border, you said?" The driver asks. 

"Yes ma'am." I nod, looking out the window.

"We're almost there. Ten minutes, give or take." 

I look at her. "Have you decided on how much?" 

"Half." She says. "We need half of what you have."

"Deal."