The Keeper

Chapter Six: One-on-One Time

A sleek black military helicopter was approaching as they crossed the Potomac. There were guns mounted on the side, and Agon could see at lease four men, not counting the pilot, with machine guns at the ready.

"They know the van," Percy said. "We have to ditch it."

Zoe swerved into the fast lane. The helicopter was gaining.

"Maybe the military will shoot it down," Grover said hopefully.

"The military probably thinks it's one of theirs," Percy said. "How can the General use mortals, anyway?"

"Mercenaries," Zoe said bitterly. "It is distasteful, but many mortals will fight for any cause as long as they are paid."

"But don't these mortals see who they're working for? Don't they notice all the monsters around them?"

Zoe shook her head. "I do not know how much they see through the Mist. I doubt it would matter to them if they knew the truth. Sometimes mortals can be more horrible than monsters."

The helicopter kept coming, making a lot better time than we were through D.C. traffic.

Thalia closed her eyes and prayed hard. "Hey, Dad. A lightning bolt would be nice about now. Please?" But the sky stayed gray and snowy. No sign of a helpful thunderstorm. I could destroy them with a snap of my fingers, Agon though bitterly, but Hades is keeping me on a short leash.

Instead, he pointed and said, "Over there, that parking lot."

"We'll be trapped," Zoe said.

"Trust me," he said, giving her a look. "There's an old subway entrance near there; we can use it to go someplace safe."

Zoe shot across two lanes of traffic and into a mall parking lot on the south bank of the river. Agon opened the van door and jumped out, the others not far behind him. "Let's go south. Alexandria."

"Anything," Thalia agreed.

They bought tickets and got through the turnstiles, looking around for any signs of pursuit. A few minutes later they were safely aboard a southbound train, riding away from D.C. The helicopter was still circling when the train came above ground, but it didn't pursue.

Grover let out a sigh. "Nice job, Aaron, thinking of the subway."

Agon shrugged. "No big deal. I came down here once when I was—"

"—living here with your dad, right?" Percy said.

Agon frowned. He had intended to say "when I was younger," but he supposed this false memory of theirs was just as believable. In truth, he had come upon this place when a rogue spirit managed to wander away from Charon's studio and walk halfway back to his home in Massachusetts. Hades had been furious, to say the least; he forced Agon to routinely check in on the old watchman and had cut his salary by twenty percent. "Yeah," he said, "when I was living with my dad."

Percy winced. "Sorry, didn't mean to—" Thalia swatted him with her elbow, but Agon held up a hand.

"Don't worry about it," he said, "it's fine."

Just then they heard the woof-woof-woof of helicopter blades; they were still being followed.

"We need to change trains," Percy said.

Agon liked the sound of that. "Next station," he said.

They spent the next half an hour evading the helicopter by switching trains twice more and doubling back through the stations. Unfortunately, when they finally got off the train were at the end of the line, in an industrial area with nothing but warehouses and railway tracks. And snow. Lots of snow. It seemed much colder here.

They wandered through the railway yard, thinking there might be another passenger train somewhere, but there were just rows and rows of freight cars, most of which were covered in snow, like they hadn't moved in years.

A homeless guy was standing at a trash-can fire. He must've thought they looked like garbage, because he gave us a toothless grin and said, "Y'all need to get warmed up? Come on over!"

Thalia's teeth were chattering. She said, "Well this is g-g-g-great."

"My hooves are frozen," Grover complained.

"Feet," Percy corrected, glancing at the homeless man.

Agon squinted at the man. He is not a mortal, he thought, yet he is no monster. Could he be a god? Though what god would help us out here?

"You know," the homeless man said, "you're never completely without friends." His face was grimy and his beard tangled, but his expression seemed kindly. "You kids need a train going west?"

"Yes, sir," Percy said. "You know of any?"

He pointed one greasy hand.

Suddenly I noticed a freight train, gleaming and free of snow. It was one of those automobile-carrier trains, with steel mesh curtains and a triple-deck of cars inside. The side of the freight train said SUN WEST LINE.

"That's…convenient," Thalia said. "Thanks, uh…"

She turned to the homeless guy, but he was gone. The trash can in front of them was cold and empty, as if he'd taken the flames with him.

-o-

Agon picked out a sleek black Mercedes with red decals running down the side and over the hood. Hades had one that was very similar, though he had a skull on the front and fuzzy dice hanging from the rearview mirror. He and Persephone like to take it out from time to time to, "paint the town red," whatever that meant. All he knew was that that meant he and Melinoe got to spend some much-needed quality time together.

Agon smiled. He missed Melinoe, the way she smiled whenever she saw him; he missed having tea with Persephone and watching mortal sports games with Hades, no matter how angry he got whenever the Dodgers lost; he missed playing fetch with Cerberus; he missed his mother of all things, her little visits, or how she'd bake cookies for him on his birthday. Maybe I'll give her a call when this is over with.

There was a knocking sound at the passenger-side door, and when it swung open, Zoe was standing there. She looks just like Arethusa, he thought for a moment.

"May I join thee?" she asked.

Agon nodded and said, "Feel free."

"Thank you," she said, closing the door.

Agon inclined his head. "No problem. Where are the others?"

"Thalia and the boy are in a dark Mercedes while the satyr plays make-believe in a red Lamborghini."

Agon had to laugh at that mental image. You used to play make-believe too. What happened to that sweet girl who used to pick flowers and braid hair? That girl was gone now, and the one who stood in her place was something else. An oath-breaker, with no honor left to her name. Agon shook his head. No, he thought. She is still our sister and deserves the benefit of the doubt.

"Can I help you, Zoe Nightshade?"

She stared out the front of the car, arms crossed. "What thee said about Artemis back in the van…"

Agon sighed. "I'm sorry if you disagree, but—"

"I don't disagree," she cut in.

Agon's eyebrows rose. "Oh?"

She sighed. "I will not pretend to agree with all of Lady Artemis's decisions; she should have taken the Hunters with her, if only the experienced ones like—"

"—you?"

She stared out the windshield for a long time. "Yes, me," she said quietly. "I told her as much before she departed. She was…rather displeased, though I could sense she wished I were there as well." She shook her head. "Regardless of what I believe or not, I must still rescue my lady, so I kindly ask that thee not question my choice in loyalty or doubt the one who has saved my life on many an occasion."

Agon thought long. He had no love for the Olympians, though he did love his sister, no matter how treacherous her past. "Sorry," he said quietly, almost a whisper. "I was out of line. You have a duty to your goddess as her second-in-command; I shouldn't call that into question."

"Duty…" Zoe whispered.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing," she said. "Where are we going, exactly?"

"San Francisco," he said. "That's where Artemis's scent is."

Agon couldn't tell what was darker—the car's shadows or Zoe's face.

"That," she said, "does not bode well."

Agon shook his head. "No it does not."

When the flame of Western Civilization shifted to the United States, the Garden of the Hesperides had done so as well. As luck should have it, Mount Othrys had formed just outside of the Garden, and Atlas with it.

One way or another, both Agon and Zoe were going home.

"Duty…" Zoe murmured again. "I had a duty once. Before Artemis, before the Hunters."

"Did you?" he asked, feigning ignorance. Agon knew all about Zoe's duty; Aaron, however, did not. "Want to talk about it?"

For a moment he though she would refuse, but then she closed her eyes and said, "I had a duty to protect my home, given to me by my brother Agon."

"I didn't know you had a brother."

Zoe nodded, tears glinting in her eyes. "Once…very long ago. He was a brave man—honorable, devoted, courageous. Qualities your kind seems to lack in recent centuries."

Agon's jaw tightened. If she was coming here to insult him, she could very well leave.

"But he was also sad. I could see it in him whenever he stood guard over our home. A certain melancholy that seemed to form a barrier between him and those close to him."

Agon frowned. Am I really so bitter and sad?

"You remind me very much of him, Aaron. Even your names are similar."

"Thanks," he muttered.

"He was good, and we loved him. But then a bad man came and threatened us, threatened our home, and my brother made a choice—family, or duty. He chose family, and left."

"If he was choosing family," Agon said, "he would've stayed. He would've protected you. That's what he should have done."

Zoe shook her head. "If he had done that, we would have been put in danger. It took me many years, but I finally understood why he had to run. I loved him even more for that. But before he left, he gave me his duty: protect our home as its Keeper, and ensure nobody hurt us."

"What happened?"

"A bad man came again, son to the first one. He was charming, and handsome, and courageous. So much like my brother. I couldn't help but fall in love with him. He tricked me into betraying my family, betraying my duty, and then he abandoned me. I was forced to flee, though unlike my brother, I fled for selfish reasons, in shame and disgrace. I gave that bad man the sword my brother had given me, and now that boy in the Mercedes holds it."

Agon's eyes shot up. He has our sword? he wanted to ask, but then he would be exposed.

"I was eventually found by Artemis and recruited into the Hunters. I know my brother is looking down on me from wherever he is, and I feel sick knowing that I failed him. I only hope to find him one day, to look on him again and ask for his forgiveness."

Agon looked over and saw that a tear was running down her cheek. He wiped it away with a finger. "If your brother could see you now," he said, "I'm sure he'd understand why you did what you did, and even though he'd be angry, he'd forgive you, because you're family."

Zoe sniffed. "Truly?"

Agon smiled. "I'm certain."

Then Zoe's lips twisted downward in a scowl. "Well what do you know?" she asked angrily, opening the car door and stepping out. Before Agon could protest or explain, she slammed the door.

A/N: Thanks for reading, leave lots of reviews, and vote on the poll. Remember, if you guys are interested in flashbacks of young Agon and Zoe and the other Hesperides, let me know in a review.

Bye!