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The next chapter is here! Hope ya'll enjoy it.

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The room fell dead silent. All one could hear were the baby's whimpers as he enjoyed himself, alien to everything going around him.

"I didn't understand what to do that moment. After I could comprehend, I immediately called the police. We tried to find her but to no avail. I have filed a missing report but the police have not been able to do anything about it yet. And now they seem to have given up. But I couldn't just let her... go. I thought maybe I could get a clue here since we have already scouted her house in New Rome and found nothing significant. So I caught the first flight and landed here. I knew Piper was her best friend and she was the easiest to locate thanks to the paparazzi." Reyna completed in a slow voice.

The room was full of thick air, tension cutting through. Millions of questions were going around in everyone's mind.

Hazel was the first to voice out her question. "What did Annabeth have that someone went to the extent of kidnapping her?"

No one had an answer to that question.

Annabeth had a quotidian life. She was an Architect just as she had aspired to be, an inspiration from her mother. She had been a straight A student all through her schooling. She was the valedictorian at her high school as well as from her college, 'Harvard school of Architecture'. Landing a job with a nice pay as soon as she had completed her college and gotten her Architect's license for practice, she expected she would be at peace after everything. She never was people-oriented either. She was always too busy and occupied with her own work to even bother, much less pry about other people's lives . What could such a person hide?

"We don't know what that is. But it must be the same people who had been stalking and blackmailing her who took her. And if that is, whatever she had must be very important for the kidnappers considering they went all the way from New York to Italy to capture her." Jason said.

Everyone nodded in affirmance and silence took over again. It was Frank this time who broke the silence as he spoke in broken fragments, careful of the reactions he might receive.

"Guys, I hate to say this but... it has been two weeks since Annabeth was kidnapped. And two weeks is a long time. Anything...could have.. happened to her. She might...or might not be...alive."

This was enough to snap Percy out of his trance. His head jerked in Frank's direction as soon the words left his mouth.

"NO. No. No. Annabeth..." Percy shouted out loud. It felt heavy to take her name after so long and in such a situation. "She isn't ...dead . No she can't be." He was panicking now. He felt as though air was knocked out of his lungs and his heart was being squeezed at the mere thought of it. He was not ready to even think of such situation. She was alive. He knew it. She is a fighter. She would never give up.

Percy was so immersed in his thoughts he didn't pay heed to the eyes glued on him, some pitiful, some worried and others surprised, maybe at his outburst. But Percy didn't really care. At this moment, all he could think of was Annabeth. He would never be able to forgive himself if anything happens to her, Gods forbid anything so does.

"Yes. We certainly hope so. But we need to hurry if we wanna make sure no such dreadful thing happens." Nico said in a stern voice, his eyes reflecting determination. He seemed to be the most composed of all apart from Jason.

"We should take a look at her apartment here. She had left everything except her clothes behind. Maybe we can find something." Thalia suggested.

"That's the first and foremost thing we should do. We should also check her office." Jason added.

"Okay then. But so many people barging into places would draw too much attention. Reyna, Thalia and Percy, go to Annabeth's apartment. Nico, Jason and Frank, go to her office. Hazel and I will stay back and take care of Zale." Then her eyes turned to Calypso. Piper hesitated and said, "Calypso, if you want to, you can stay with us . Or you can be dropped on the way."

Calypso preferred the later option. She needed some alone time after everything that just happened.

As she sat in the car, her mind was sinking everything in. It was difficult for Calypso to digest the fact that her boyfriend, has a son. She had always dreamt of marrying him and starting a family. Actually, that was the only notion that had kept her alive all those days when she was held captive. And now to find out that he had a son, it was numbing for her. She knew that Percy had been with Annabeth for a while when she was gone, Percy had told her that and assured her that he was over her. But she never knew how serious or strong they were.

She never had asked Percy about Annabeth. First, she was too glad that she was back with him to think about anything else. Then when Thalia told them Annabeth was gone with just a note asking not to search for her, Percy had a turbulent reaction saying, "I don't want to know anything about her." She had never bothered to ask again not wanting to upset Percy. As for others, it had turned a sour topic for them, tearing them apart between two of their friends, so she considered it better not to instigate any awkwardness.

But now, she pitied that girl and felt guilty. It was predominately because of her, that Annabeth had had that fight with Percy that made her leave. She had to go through her pregnancy all alone and then get separated from her new born, worst nightmare of any mother.

The train of thoughts were interrupted as the car stopped at the gate of her apartment building. She went to Percy's side proceeding to kiss him goodbye but she could feel his reluctance as her worst fear surfaced . She bid bye to all of them and she walked into the apartment with a heavy heart.

Percy and Reyna stood beside Thalia as she opened the door of Annabeth's apartment with Piper's key.

Annabeth's apartment was what any architecture buff's dream would be like. It was the perfect combination of modern and traditional architectural techniques. And why would it not be? Annabeth was one of the most sought after architects of the country. At twenty five, she had already reached the top of the ladder and was planning to set up one of her own.

As they entered, the corridor lit up with automated yellow LEDs. They passed through the corridor with beautiful art pieces adorning the walls which lead to the living room. It wasn't as big as Piper and Jason's apartment but still big enough.

There was a Walnut coloured couch facing the TV to the right of the corridor which ended with an arch of Persian and Roman fusion design into the room. To the left there was the dining area graced by a four seater dining table with a glass top. There was a huge window with a brown counter on it just beside the entrance into the kitchen. There was another shorter corridor with photos of Annabeth on adoening the walls and between the fully covered walls, was an empty rectangular space .

"Reyna search the living room. I will take the study and Percy you go to the bed room." Thalia said.

Percy nodded and went to the bedroom. As he entered, he could see the perfectly made up bed and the organised room with a thin layer of dust settled on them. Annabeth seldom spent time here. She was always in her office or her study. This room was used only for the short sleeps she had.

Percy remembered the night when he had last been here.

The night he had promised Annabeth he would be at her side always, a promise that he had broken. The night they had opened their hearts to each other. The night they had ...

Percy shook his head trying to keep the memories away. He knew if he reminisced everything, he would break down and this was not the time for that. He had to remain strong for Annabeth.

Percy concentrated on the job at hand and started searching. He opened the wardrobe, to find it empty. He searched the drawers and the cabinet to find nothing of use. Just as he was about to go to her closet, Thalia called out loud,

"Guys! I have found something"

Percy rushed to the Study to find Thalia holding a bunch of photos and notes. There must have been about ten of them. She was looking at the photos one after another. They were of Annabeth in random places and with people.

First one was of Piper and her laughing at a restaurant, next one was of her doing something at her office desk. The next one was of them all at the camping site. Percy remembered that trip very well. It was where Jason had proposed to Piper.

As Thalia turned to the next photo Percy was shocked. He quickly snatched it from her, staring intently at it. It was of

Percy and Annabeth kissing in her bed. It was clicked that night.

Reyna picked up the notes and started reading. The first ones were just words describing the pics. Then began the blackmails.

"Handover the box or pay the price."

"Little Annie's stubborn. But wouldn't wanna see anyone hurt, would you?"

"Be a good girl dearie, don't go the hard way"

Percy turned to the next photos and stopped at one. It was an old photo, a little bit worn out.

There was a small boy about 6 years of age . He was grinning from ear to ear holding a baby in his lap. He had sandy pepper hair and Grey eyes, just like Annabeth's. There was a woman with brown curly hair and startling eyes just like the boy. She was wearing a pencil skirt and full sleeved shirt like a business woman would. She was smiling at the camera but still her face looked tough as though the woman had borne a lot. She had her arms around the boys shoulders as they both sat on a sofa.

It must be Malcolm, Annabeth's brother and her mom. And the baby must be Annabeth.

"Have a look at this." Percy said as Reyna and Thalia peeped to see. Then Thalia read a note out loud.

"Now now Annabeth. Wouldn't want to end up like your mom or brother, would you? So do as told. Handover the box."

The three of them looked at each other, confusion written on their faces. They had found a clue.

"Does it have anything to do with Annabeth's mother and brother's murder?" Percy voiced it out as the question hung in the air with the other two people unaware of what he was talking about.

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