A/N: Short chapter as I have been busy as work and have been focused mainly on the second part of my ancient Percy story.
Langley, VA, 1112 Local, 29 August 2021
Annabeth had attempted to follow Percy immediately after his departure. Reyna had grabbed her arm and shook her head. She had studied the Latina looking woman and the matched her glare. The hulking Asian man had placed a more gentle hand on her shoulder and merely nodded his head sadly to affirm Reyna's stance.
"What aren't you saying?" Annabeth asked.
"He might be the most dangerous man in the world. When his temper flares, it's best to avoid being anywhere near him." The quite one had spoken. The man was a tall and looked like an islander to her eyes. "What you may not realize is this, Miss Chase, we've been working with him for years. We know everything about each other, or thought we did. If he kept that first marriage from us, it means it is so bad in his memory he acts like it never happened. It means that bitch," he pointed at Annabeth's mother, "fucking used and lied to him. Percy values loyalty above all and she broke that."
Athena looked at Michael Kahale, "And where do you stand, Michael?"
"Wherever Percy does."
Annabeth took a deep breath and opened the door to the underground shooting range. It was a twelve lane range. She paused at the first lane to pull the over-ear hearing protection over her ears and looked at the first target. Eighteen 9mm sized holes formed a nearly perfect "G" on the target. The actual targeting area had been ignored. Annabeth took three steps forward and again looked to her left, a neat "O" had been shot into the target. Shit, she thought and maintained her progress toward the man holding a black pistol in his hand. The gun began to buck as he began to squeeze the trigger again. She read the message posted on the targets with bullet holes as she walked. "Goddamn Cun." He was rounds complete on the final target as she reached him and the phrase was complete. "Goddamn Cunt."
"Tell me how you really feel," she muttered and he pointed to his own ear protection. It was the universal symbol for "I can't hear you." He had placed the empty pistol on the shelf at the front of the firing lane. She removed her ear muffs and he did the same.
"Talk to me." Her words were short, her tone soft. Percy's jaw clinched, then he began to speak.
"My second wife was a fucking saint. Doctor working for Doctors Without Borders. I was working for the Agency already, tracking down the Sons of Khan. They found out about it. Calypso was home that weekend. I wasn't." Percy stopped and stared at the pistol on the counter. "The Minotaur tortured and raped her before killing her. After she was dead, he mutilated her body. You wondered why there was no evidence of either of my wives." Annabeth had not acknowledged that fact herself yet, but she supposed it had crossed her face. "Rachel was a temporary marriage, sex was great, we weren't. With Calypso it was something else. It's painful to think about her. She died because of what I do. That's when I started fucking women instead of dating them. I wasn't going to endanger another woman. I wasn't going to endure that pain again." Annabeth looked into his eyes, there was a coldness in them she had not seen before.
"If the Minotaur falls in my sights, I'm killing everyone in front of me to ensure he dies."
Outside Richmond, VA, 1325 Local, 29 August 2021
The Atlas Industries compound outside of the city was surrounded by three levels of fence and an army of cameras. A RFID sensor on the dash of the corporate vehicle triggered the first gate, twenty-seven seconds later the second gate swung open. The third gate was manned and despite already clearing the first two gates, the dark Suburban slowed and both Luke Castellan and Kelli McGuinness extended their A.I. badges for access. After parking in the underground parking lot, the two of them made the seven minute walk to the president and CEO's office.
"Is it done?" Luke looked at Keith Atlas, known to the world as the face of Atlas Industries. Luke extended his hand with the thumb drive. The man took it.
"You saw that last night."
"Answer my fucking questions when I ask them."
"Yes it works."
"Good. Now get out. My sources say they identified you somehow. They'll be looking for you. Go to our place out west and lay low." Atlas turned and looked out the window behind his desk. That was the que to leave. The two operatives left and Atlas pulled out a phone from a desk drawer. It rang six times before the person on the other end answered.
"Do you have it?"
"Yes sir, we do."
"Does it work?"
"Yes sir, it does."
"Be prepared to execute the plan in six days."
"Yes sir."
"And Atlas, I've gone too far in life to be relegated to sir only, you worthless fuck. Use my title."
"Of course, Mr. President."