Partners in Crime || PJOxHP || Marauders' Era

Percy's Detour

As the van got closer to Washington, Blackjack started slowing down and dropping altitude. He was breathing heavily. 

"You okay?" Percy asked him. He almost regretted sneaking out of camp to follow the girl gang.

Fine, boss. I could... I could take on an army. 

"You don't sound so good." And suddenly he felt guilty, because he'd been running the pegasus for half a day, nonstop, trying to keep up with highway traffic. Even for a flying horse, that had to be rough. 

Don't worry about me, boss! I'm a tough one. 

Percy figured he was right, but he also figured Blackjack would run himself into the ground before he complained, and he didn't want that. Fortunately, the van started to slow down. It crossed the Potomac River into central Washington. Percy started thinking about air patrols and missiles and stuff like that. He didn't know exactly how all those defenses worked, and wasn't sure if pegasi even showed up on your typical military radar, but he didn't want to find out by getting shot out of the sky. 

"Set me down there," he told Blackjack. "That's close enough." 

Blackjack was so tired he didn't complain. He dropped toward the Washington Monument and set Percy on the grass. The van was only a few blocks away. Zoe had parked at the curb. 

He looked at Blackjack. "I want you to go back to camp. Get some rest. Graze. I'll be fine." 

Blackjack cocked his head skeptically. You sure, boss? 

"You've done enough already," Percy said. "I'll be fine. And thanks a ton." 

A ton of hay, maybe, Blackjack mused. That sounds good. All right, but be careful, boss. I got a feeling they didn't come here to meet anything friendly and handsome like me. 

Percy promised to be careful. Then Blackjack took off, circling twice around the monument before disappearing into the clouds. Percy looked over at the white van. Everybody was getting out. Grover pointed toward one of the big buildings lining the Mall. Thalia nodded, and the five of them trudged off into the cold wind. 

Percy started to follow. 

But then he froze.

***

A block away, the door of a black sedan opened. A man with gray hair and a military buzz cut got out. He was wearing dark shades and a black overcoat. Now, maybe in Washington, you'd expected guys like that to be everywhere. But it dawned on Percy that he'd seen this same car a couple of times on the highway, going south. It had been following the van. 

The guy took out his mobile phone and said something into it. Then he looked around, like he was making sure the coast was clear, and started walking down the Mall in the direction of Percy's friends. The worst of it was: when he turned toward Percy, he recognized his face. It was Dr. Thorn, the manticore from Westover Hall.

Invisibility cap on, Percy followed Thorn from a distance. 

Percy's heart was pounding. If he had survived that fall from the cliff, then Annabeth must have too. His dreams had been right. She was alive and being held prisoner. Thorn kept well back from the five, careful not to be seen. Finally, Grover stopped in front of a big building that said NATIONAL AIR ANDSPACE MUSEUM. The Smithsonian! Percy had been here a million years ago with his mom, but everything had looked so much bigger then.

Thalia checked the door. It was open, but there weren't many people going in. Too cold, and school was out of session. 

They slipped inside. Dr. Thorn hesitated. Percy wasn't sure why, but he didn't go into the museum. He turned and headed across the Mall. Percy made a split-second decision and followed him.