So I knew I wanted to call this chapter "Midnight" ever since my outline, and when I started writing it, it clicked that it was Chapter 12, and my brain was like "YES! Clever unintended pun for the WIN!" hahaha. I love it when that happens :D

Anyway, this chapter's a bit on the short side, more of an intro to the next chapter which is longer and more exciting. Either way it's nice to be back on schedule, right? Well... it is for me, at least. Heh.

Thanks to those of you who reviewed last chapter! Enjoy!

Who gives a damn if we lose the war?

11:48 PM.

That was the time displayed on the screen of Silena's cell phone (though it wasn't easy to read with the backlight set to absolute minimum). Twelve minutes, give or take, until go-time.

Earlier, Frank and Beckendorf had filled Percy, Silena, and Piper in on the back-story of this operation. About a week ago, some members of Medusa—a relatively small, all-female illegal espionage organization based in New England—had stolen three cases of 45-millimeter nitro-based explosive rounds a team of Hank Beckendorf's specialists had been transporting to Staten Island. Typically, Hank oversaw such deliveries himself. But, according to his son, he'd had his hands so full with special assignments from Zeke that the transport had gone ahead without him and security had been unfortunately lax. Tonight, Medusa was planning to sell the rounds to Cyclops, another east-coast gang that was larger but less connected. Frank, Beckendorf, and Clarisse were aiming to intercept the deal and take back what Medusa had stolen from Olympus.

11:50 PM.

Even fully understanding the situation, Percy was unusually jittery as they waited. He kept elbowing Silena to find out the time, which was clearly starting to annoy her, and more than once Piper had to press her hand against his knee to stop him from tapping his heel on the ground and making a repetitive crunching noise in the snow. They needed to keep quiet. The three of them were crouched behind a cluster of barren, unkempt hedges dotting the spaces between the thick lines of leafless trees overlooking Bank Rock Bay in Central Park. They were a good ways back from the water's edge, with a relatively clear view of Bank Rock Bridge—the location of the deal they were to crash. Frank, Beckendorf, and Clarisse were across the trail, about thirty yards away and hidden from sight.

11:52 PM.

Percy didn't bring it up with Piper and Silena, but he had a distinctly bad feeling about tonight. He couldn't explain the reasoning behind it. It wasn't as though the operation didn't make sense, or as though they hadn't done anything like it before. His friends were prepared, mentally and physically. They had the equipment they'd need and a solid plan of action. They didn't know how many members of Medusa or Cyclops would be present, but with the backup team Zeke was sending them they shouldn't have any issues.

11:53 PM.

Though, that was another potential problem. Zeke had promised Frank some extra manpower, but they were sure taking their time in getting there. Frank's orders were not to spread news of this operation around, just on the off chance that word got outside the organization, so they were trusting Zeke for the backup he'd promised. But what if it arrived too late? Or worse, if it didn't show up at all? Being former heir to Olympus, Percy was familiar with both Cyclops and Medusa. The members of Cyclops dealt mostly in drug trafficking and petty theft. They were known for their strength and ruthlessness, but fortunately not for their skill or organization. If things got touchy, they likely wouldn't pose much threat to trained, high-up members of Olympus like Clarisse and Beckendorf. Medusa, however, was another story. They were much more picky about who they let join. All of their operatives were fast, intelligent, and dangerous. After all, not just anybody could pull off a heist on Hank Beckendorf's team.

11:55 PM.

The Medusa team had arrived. Three lithe-looking women were congregated near the middle of the bridge, all of them dressed in athletic wear and carrying gym bags that Percy assumed hid the stolen merchandise. They looked unassuming, chatting quietly in plain sight. But he had no doubt they were there for a reason. He could see another pair of women in jeans and fluffy coats at the west end of the bridge, and more were likely hidden out of sight. East of the bridge, Percy glanced across the path to where he knew Beckendorf and the others were lying in wait. Adrenaline was starting to speed through his veins, making his skin tingle in the cold air like his jacket had sprouted tiny needles.

11:58 PM.

Movement to Percy's right announced the arrival of the Cyclops team. Moonlight streamed through the barren tree branches above the path and illuminated four stocky men of varying heights walking together, heads drifting from side to side as they surveyed the surrounding area. Though he, Silena, and Piper were yards back from the path, Percy held his breath as they passed, his muscles tensing like water turning to ice. Three more men followed the first, and while the group of four continued onto the bridge the smaller group hovered at its end and turned back toward the forest path as though on guard. Slowly and casually the exchange team approached the women on the bridge, who turned to greet them.

Midnight. It was time—and still no backup from Zeke.

Biting her lip in consternation, Silena started tapping her phone with rapidity. Percy glanced over her shoulder to see her texting a message to Beckendorf—Contingency plan?

He leaned back around a tree trunk to get a better look at the bridge. The two teams seemed to be talking cordially. Neither had made any moves toward an exchange yet.

Silena tapped him on the shoulder and turned her phone toward him and Piper, allowing them to read Beckendorf's reply—Watch for now. If no word after the switch, we jump Cyclops when they pass back.

Percy bit down on his tongue to hold in the retort that sprang immediately up his vocal cord. He gestured to Silena to give him her phone and with a skeptical look she slid it into his hand. He replied to the message, What about Medusa?

A few seconds later the response came—They'll have what they came for. They'll run. Let them go.

Percy scowled and dropped Silena's phone back into her grip. He wasn't convinced that would be the case, but they didn't have a lot of time to discuss it. He tried for an instant to come up with a better plan, until Piper elbowed him in the side and jerked her head toward the bridge. The exchange had begun, but something was wrong. One of the men from Cyclops was knelt on the ground with the three gym bags open in front of him. He looked up and said something to the biggest of his companions, who rounded on the Medusa women with a finger outstretched accusingly. The woman in front held up her hands and shook her head in a placating way, and the man shouted at her in reply, raising his voice enough to be audible from where Percy and the others sat. They couldn't make out what he said, but it was clear he wasn't pleased.

Still, the woman from Medusa held her ground. She waved a hand before placing both on her hips, responding calmly. This only seemed to anger the Cyclops rep more. He shouted again and took a step toward the woman. He reached for her, but by the time his fingers fisted in her jacket another of the women had whipped a handgun from seemingly nowhere and put a silenced bullet between his eyes.

Silena gasped in surprise and immediately threw both hands over her mouth, accidentally smacking the bush in front of her in the process and succeeding in catching the attention of the nearest Cyclops rear guard. To his credit, he didn't waste time observing or asking who was there. He turned directly toward their hiding place and raised a gun at once. Alarmed, Percy tackled Silena sideways as Piper dove the other way, and the snap of breaking branches followed the soft pew of suppressed gunfire. A snap that was entirely too close for comfort. Across the way, he caught a brief glimpse of Beckendorf springing to his feet in the shadows before his attention was drawn to the six-foot, two-hundred-fifty pound interceptor stomping directly toward them.

And that was when all hell broke loose.

This is gonna be fun, huh? Don't worry, the next chapter picks up right here—we don't switch back to Annabeth just yet. I couldn't leave it like that now, could I? Hehe.

So drop me a review if you please, and I'll see you all again next Thursday! Happy Halloween, and later days!

-oMM