WHEN THE ODDS ARE EVER AGAINST HER FAVOR

Like watching a slow motion movie, Annabeth saw Percy ever so slowly bend down his head towards her, his thick eyelashes dropping as he closed his eyes before his mouth connected with her lips, his stubble-covered jaw slightly grazing her chin and cheeks. And as natural as the air they breathe, her eyes also closed to receive his caress.

He kissed her passionately, almost hungrily, and Annabeth felt her whole being consumed with a wildfire of emotions completely alien to her, albeit intoxicating, and she responded to him with the same intense passion.

Suddenly, there was a loud thud.

As if awakened from a deep sleep, they abruptly detached themselves from each other, their chests heaving heavily, breathless. Then they turned around and saw a bloodied Jason, sprawled on the floor, against the doorway, writhing in pain. Percy and Annabeth immediately came to his side. Blood was spurting out from a gunshot wound on his left side of his stomach.

"Percy, they're here!" he panted, trying hard to catch his breath.

"Don't speak," Percy grimly said, as he helped him sit up, placing his arm around his hips and throwing his Jason's other arm around his shoulder. "How many are they?" He half-dragged Jason to his room, locking the door behind Annabeth as she wordlessly followed him.

"Six, I think. Maybe even more," Jason grunted, still in pain, as Percy helped him sit down on the bed. "Heavily armed. They have Piper."

"What? Oh my Gods!" Annabeth felt herself panicking as she took in the gravity of the situation.

Clenching his jaw, Percy quickly went to his room and changed in to his clothes and combat boots and got the gun out from his backpack. He handed Annabeth her suitcase and told her to put on clothes as well.

"Stay here with Jason. You'll find a first aid kit in the bathroom, dress his wound," he told Annabeth, as he opened the door slightly.

"Wait, Percy." It was the first time she uttered his name. He turned, staring back at her face and finding her even more beautiful and desirable, "Please take care."

It was almost a whisper. She was genuinely fearing for his life.

Percy's face softened a bit as he replied, "For you I will." Then he was gone, quietly closing the door behind him.

Annabeth did as she was told and tended Jason's wound, all the while thinking of Percy. Luckily, there was no bullet inside, so it seems it was a clean-through shot. When she finished bandaging his ribcage, he went into his closet and put on a clean shirt and got a revolver for himself and gave her a handgun.

"Percy needs our help. You have to learn to use this. Just aim and pull the trigger."

Annabeth shook her head, "I...I don't think I can kill anyone."

"You don't have to kill anyone. Aim for the leg or shoulder, that should incapacitate them. That's what we do." Cocking his gun, he told her as he headed for the door, "Get ready. Stay close to me."

Annabeth nodded and swallowed down her fear. She was afraid, but she was more worried about Percy. The thought of seeing him dead make her want to cry in anguish.

It was at that moment that the door suddenly flung open, and Annabeth watched in horror as Piper, tied up and gagged, was kicked violently into the room, followed by four armed men. Piper was pushed right smack into Jason, who in surprise, dropped his revolver to catch her.

Annabeth, who was behind Jason, inspite of the tremendous fear she was feeling, or perhaps galvanized by it, managed to keep her wits about her as she quickly tucked her gun inside the waistband of her pants and pulled down her denim shirt over to conceal it.

The men took hold of them forcibly and proceeded to tie Jason back-to-back with a heavily-bruised but still-conscious Piper. One of them grasped Annabeth by the arm, dragging her away from the room. The three remaining men stayed to watch over their captives, their rifles pointed at them.

"Where are you taking her?" Jason shouted, stuggling from his binds.

"You people should have minded your own business. This is about her, not you," one man told him angrily.

"Anything about her is about me too," a familiar voice said. Jason and Piper looked up to see Percy at the door, with Annabeth behind him. The man who dragged Annabeth away was nowhere to be found.

Before any of the other men could move, Percy shot them, one after the other. As they scream in pain, holding on to their arms and legs. He swiftly charged at them, punching them hard in their faces, rendering them instantly unconscious.

He rushed over to Jason and Piper to untie them. But then, a deep, ominous voice spoke.

"Do that, and she dies right now."

Percy stopped short of what he was doing and turned around. Annabeth was apralyzed with fear as an arm wrap around her neck, then she felt the cold barrel of a gun on her right temple. Instinctively, she closed her eyes, accepting her fate.

Chuckling softly, the stranger removed the gun from her temple but still kept it pointed at her head, and said in a mocking tone, "My dear, aren't you glad to see me?"

Confused, she turned to look at her captor.

"YOU!"


Thank you for the faves and follows. Please let me know if you are liking this story and if you haven't seen my other story Miss Fortune, please do read it.

Peace out demigods!