Annabeth Chase and the Titan's Curse

Chapter 6 - We lose the kids. And Percy

The bleachers were as empty as they were at a netball match. Only a few kids skulked there, and none of them were the di Angelo siblings.

"We have to get Thalia and Grover!" I said in a panic, looking around frantically. "Oh, where'd they dance off too? Come on!"

I ran through the crowd, dodging around dancers and kids in groups. A few of them I bumped into, and one I sent skidding across the floor, but I just kept running. I must have done at least 3 whole laps of the gym before I found Grover and Thalia by the punch bowl.

Their heads were bent close together and conspiring grins were on their faces. "I don't think they even realize they like each other," Thalia was saying. "I mean, she's the wisest person I've ever met, but when it comes to boys, she hopeless."

"Percy's not much better," Grover said, rolling his eyes. "I mean, he -" He caught sight of me and his eyes widened as big as saucers. He looked as guilty as when he'd stolen an enchilada off my plate and eaten it. "A-Annabeth. I didn't see you there."

"Obviously." I narrowed my eyes at him and Thalia. "What were you two talking about?"

Grover was actually sweating, he looked that scared. Thalia appeared unaffected. Her electric blue eyes flashed with amusement and her face looked cool and collected. "Where's Percy?" she countered.

"What do you mean?" I asked. "He's right behind me." I turned to see that he had disappeared. I did a three-sixty scan for him and saw that he wasn't anywhere in the vicinity. "Oh Styx, not him too!"

"What do you mean, him too?" Thalia asked, her blue eyes betraying her alarm.

"The kids. They're gone."

Grover let out a worried bleat, his eyes dilating to look like a goats'. His hands plucked at his shirt and I had to hit them away so he didn't start chewing on it.

Thalia narrowed her eyes. "What do you mean gone?"

"Exactly that," I said, exasperated. "They're not in the bleachers. I took my eyes off them for a second, and they were gone!"

"Was this second when you and Percy were gazing into each other's eyes?"

I felt my face go hot. "This is not the time!" I snapped. "And there was no time! I mean, Percy and I - we - I - lets go find the kids! And Percy!"

I turned and stomped off, hearing Thalia and Grover's not so muffled laughter behind me.

We searched throughout the gym, earning some weird looks from kids as we brushed past them in a hurry. One guy with a flirtatious look on his face came up to me, but before he could open his mouth, I pushed him over onto his butt and hurried past. The longer we looked, the more worried I got. Who knew where Percy had got to. And the kids of course.

"He's not here!" I practically shouted as we stopped to talk. "Where could he be?"

"He must have found the kids," Thalia mused.

"But he would have found us by now if he had," I pressed.

"Then something must have gone wrong. He could be trapped."

"Dr Thorn has him," Grover said suddenly. His eyes were glazed and he swayed. I caught him before he could fall.

"How do you know that?" I demanded, resisting the urge to shake him.

"Percy. He's using the empathy link. He said 'Thorn's kidnapping us! He's a poisonous spike-throwing maniac! Help!' "

" 'Us', as in more than one?" I asked. "He must have found the di Angelos, the fool!"

I felt relief at knowing he had the young demigods, then anger at him for running off, then fear that he was in trouble. I just hoped he was ok.

"Spike-throwing maniac?" Thalia repeated. "What kind of monster is Dr Thorn?"

I shook my head. Maybe he had a collection of spikes hidden under his coat?

"We have to get to them quick," Grover pressed. "I can feel Percy's fear. I think he's in pain too." He rubbed his shoulder absently.

"Then what are we waiting for?" I demanded, feeling fear for Percy. "We have to find him! Now!"

"Hold on," Thalia snapped, grabbing my arm to stop me from running off. "We don't even know where they are. Can you pinpoint Percy's location?" she asked Grover.

He closed his eyes and seemed to concentrate. I waited with baited breath as he rocked slightly and shivered.

"Cold," he said finally. "It's really cold."

"They must be outside," I said. I turned and ran before Thalia could grab me again, dodging through crowds of dancers, the other two on my heels. We raced out of the gym the same way we entered and back along the dark corridor. I was glad that I'd studied the path as I was able to lead us back out of the main doors easily.

Immediately, we saw that we were on the right track. Four pairs of footprints led out into the snow, one man-sized and the others smaller. One of them seemed to have shuffled rather than walk, like they were injured. My heart seemed to jump into my throat as I guess this was Percy. Grover had said he was in pain.

I ran after the footsteps, not listening as Thalia tried to call me back. I knew that we should be forming a plan, working a rescue in an organized and systematic way, but I couldn't think right then. Percy was in trouble. He needed me.

The footsteps led around the side of the school and towards the cliff face. My fear heightened as I got closer and finally caught sight of them. I stopped and my Athena instincts kicked in.

Percy and the di Angelos stood in front of the cliff, facing back to me but couldn't see me in the darkness. The son of Poseidon stood in front of them, shielding them with his body from Dr Thorn, who was facing them. Even from where I stood, I could see that Percy was in pain, his face a grimace of determination and a cut on the shoulder of his coat. I couldn't see how bad it was from where I was, but it didn't look life threatening.

Dr Thorn seemed to loom over them in a menacing way, but that wasn't what caught my attention. A tail protruded from his back, looking like a rats but with spikes on the end. It looked familiar but I couldn't remember exactly what it made him. My brain was too busy whirring as a plan formed.

"So how do we go about this, Wise Girl?" Thalia asked. She came up behind me and tapped her wrist so that her shield, Aegis, sprung out. It had the head of Medusa set in the middle, a sight meant to terrify any one who saw it. I'd seen it dozens of times, and it still sent a thrill of horror through me.

"We have to get the kids away from Thorn," I said. "I can get -"

The sound of helicopter blades cut me off. I looked up to see searchlights approaching, still a long way off but getting rapidly closer. We had even less time than I'd thought.

"You get Thorn!" I ordered. "I'll get the kids and Percy. Go!"

I whipped on my Yankees cap and raced forward, pumping my legs as hard as I could. Running in snow was not fun and I was afraid that Thorn would hear me approach, but the helicopter blades and the sound of his own voice seemed to drown my footsteps out.

"The stirring of monsters," I managed to hear as I got closer. "The worst of them, the most powerful, are now waking. Monsters that have not been seen in thousands of years. They will cause death and destruction the likes of which mortals have never known. And soon we shall have the most important monster of all - the one that shall bring about the downfall of Olympus!"

Then I slammed right into Percy and the di Angelos, bowling them over as Thorn released a volley of missiles.