Chapter 20
"shifting your weight to throw off the pain / well, you can't ignore it"
- careful, paramore
"Hey, Lois," Hazel says. "Have you seen Percy today?"
Annabeth's hands still. "I– no, I don't think I have."
That was weird. It's only just come to her attention that she hasn't, in fact, seen him today at all. They had texted that morning ("are you serious perce the homework is due FIRST PERIOD" "relax lois i can do it on the bus" "YOUR BUS JOURNEY IS LIKE TWO MINUTES") but because Thalia had insisted they speak in Morse code that morning it had taken Piper five minutes to tell Annabeth that her bus had come early, and so by the time she had finished banging on the table with her spoon the bus had already come and gone and which meant Annabeth had to sprint to school, meaning she arrived late. She hadn't really given Percy a second thought, because her first lesson was a Biology pop quiz and she had focused all her attention on that.
Is Percy even at school today?
"Oh." Hazel shrugs and stabs at some of her pasta. "Just wondering."
"Is he here today?"
"I don't think so. We're doing a presentation together in History and I wanted to know if he was here so we could work on it during lunch, but everyone I've asked hasn't seen him. I'm assuming he's absent."
"Oh. That's weird."
They had talked that morning. Percy had talked about handing in homework and how he was going to get killed because he hadn't done it.
And now he wasn't at school?
Something isn'r right here.
"He's probably sick or something," Hazel says.
"Yeah." Annabeth fumbles around with her phone. "Here, I'll call him."
It'll ease her nerves. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she realises that if he doesn't pick up she'll fret herself into a panic. With all that's going on, no one is safe. As far as she's aware, there are two professionally trained spies at Marino, both with the potential to kill and get away with it.
One of them is ruled out immediately, because one of them is Annabeth. But the other is Brandon, who has slits in his tires and murder in his eyes and who once locked Annabeth in a closet with the intent of keeping her there for six hours.
There could be a serial killer lurking Marino's corridors but because he's put on a woolly coat and has blood sachets sewn into the inner lining of his sleeve he's a wolf in sheep's clothing that can stalk the school undetected.
Don't mess with me, Chase. This is your lesson.
She closes her eyes and pulls out her phone. Shut up, Annabeth.
The phone rings five times before Percy picks up, and when he does Annabeth feels her chest swell with consolation.
"Hey!" he chirps over the line.
"Hey, Percy!" Annabeth says, trying not to let her immense relief show in her voice. Hazel motions to put it on loudspeaker, so Annbeth pulls the phone away from her ear and presses the button. "You're on loudspeaker with Hazel."
"Hey Percy!" Hazel pipes.
"Hey!"
"How are you?" Annabeth asks. "You haven't been at school."
"Yeah, sorry about that. I dunno, I was walking out the door and suddenly I just– passed out. Mom heard me fall and put me to bed. I've got a slight concussion from hitting my head on the doorframe but I'm okay, I think."
Hazel creases her forehead. "Oh, Percy. That's awful."
"Yeah, it wasn't fun."
The wheels in Annabeth's mind start to turn. She closes her eyes. "Did it just come out nowhere?" she asks.
"Yeah, completely out the blue. It was weird, man. My shoulder really hurts – I think i must have fallen on it when I collapsed."
Shoulder. Out of the blue.
Huh.
"Man, that sucks," she says. "I'm sorry, Perce."
"It's okay. On the bright side, I get a day in bed, which is sweet, and I only had to pass out to get it."
Hazel snorts. "Don't be silly, Percy."
"I'm not kidding. I'm extraordinarily pleased with the outcome."
"Do you think you'll be in tomorrow?" Hazel asks.
"Probably. I've taken some paracetamol and I don't feel as queasy as I did, so I should. Don't worry, I won't leave you to do the presentation all by yourself."
"I'd hope not." Hazel stands up shouldering her bag. "Well, I'd best be off. I'm meeting Frank for revision. I'll leave you two."
Percy laughs. "Bye, Hazel."
"Bye, Percy. Feel better soon."
Annabeth watches fondly as Hazel heads off. She's wearing a yellow dress and Annabeth is momentarily caught off by how flattering Hazel's hair and skin looks in yellow.
"Lois?" Percy's voice crackling over the line brings her out of her reverie. She shakes her head and clicks the setting off of loudspeaker, bringing the phone back to her ear.
"Hey, sorry," she says. "I'm here."
"Just us?"
Annabeth snorts at his hopeful tone. "Yes, Percy. Just us."
"Marvellous. I've been wanting to see you for ages."
"You saw me yesterday."
"That's much, much too long."
"You were the one who got sick."
Percy sighs melodramatically. "Yes, I know. Woe is me."
Annabeth laughs a little. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah. A little shaken up, but I'm good."
"So what happened? Did you just feel sick?"
"I think so. I don't know, I felt this sharp pain in my shoulder and then I passed out. I've had some painkillers, though, so my head's okay – I hit it when I fell – but yeah, it was just weird. It's all good, though. I'm good."
"Good. I was worried when you didn't show up. Thought you had gotten into an accident or something."
"Please, I would have told you one way or another. I would have temporarily come out of my car-crash induced coma to text you just been hit by a bus brb ily kiss kiss kiss and then gone right back into it."
ily.
Annabeth is pretty sure she knows what that means. Butterflies explode in her stomach.
"You're such a nerd," she says, trying to keep her voice level.
"Thanks, I try." There comes a little shuffling over the phone, as if Percy is moving around on the bed. "So, how's school without me? Are you all suffering?"
"We played a funeral march on the way in to acknowledge the lack of your presence."
"That's what I like to hear. Any drama?"
"Nancy Bobofit punched a girl on the cheer squad because she said she looked like an ape."
"I meant with Brandon, but I suppose that works too."
"Oh, Brandon!" Annabeth furrows her brow. Thinking about it, she doesn't actually think she's seen him today either.
Chills creep up her spine.
"Uh, nothing has happened. I don't even think he's here."
"Excellent. Now he can't make any moves on my girl while I'm not here."
"'My girl'?"
"Well, of course. We're dating now. I can say things like that."
"Then you're my boy."
Percy pauses. "See, that doesn't quite have the same effect."
"Would you rather I call Brandon 'my boy', you ungrateful monkey?"
Percy bursts out laughing. "Sorry, sorry."
"That's what I thought."
"This is what I get for trying to be romantic. Abuse."
"Oh, man up."
Percy laughs.
The bell rings. Annabeth almost throws her phone in surprise; she was so wrapped up in her conversation that she didn't realise lunch was over. She sees everyone begin to stand up and throw their food away, and with a sinking heart she realises she might have to say goodbye.
"Was that the lunch bell?" Percy asks.
Annabeth sighs. "Yeah."
"I guess we'll have to end the conversation here, then."
"I can hear your heart breaking over the line."
"I'm biting back tears."
Annabeth giggles. "You're so stupid."
"So are you. Can I text you during class?"
"I have a Maths test."
"Boo."
"I'll come around after school. I'll just need to pop home first to get some stuff."
"Will you buy me some ice cream on the way?"
"You just got a concussion, I doubt ice cream will be very helpful."
"It would have been a few hours by the time school ends."
"I'll think about it."
"Thanks, babe, you're the best."
Annabeth rolls her eyes. "I'll see you soon, yeah?"
"Yeah."
"I hope you feel better," she says. "All my love."
"You too."
"Bye."
"Bye."
The flat is empty when Annabeth arrives home.
She isn't really expecting anything else. Piper is still at school and Thalia had mentioned something about visiting a shooting range (in Morse code), so she has the place to herself. To celebrate this newfound freedom she tosses her bag on the floor and revels in the lack of, "ANNABETH CHASE YOU PICK THAT UP RIGHT THIS INSTANT" that follows.
She rips a piece of paper out of her notepad and scrawls a note to Piper and Thalia on it, so when they arrive home and she isn't there they know where she is ('hey guys I'm at Percy's [he was sick] so I'll be back soon byee xx [also pipes Jason asked for your number and i gave it to him ur welcome]'). She sticks it to the fridge with a magnet and pads to her bedroom to grab some of her schoolbooks that she hasn't already brought in.
However, something catches her eye.
It's a flyer for a phone company. The graphics are awful but it's in perfect condition, and it's lying on her bed innocently. She walks over and picks it up, frowning. It looks like an ordinary flyer – but why is it on her bed?
Whatever.
She heads to the kitchen, and is just about to toss it in the bin when something stops her.
JACK & SONS PHONE COMPANY
She's never heard of a phone company called Jack & Sons. Ever. And she knows her phones – she's gone through so many burn phones she lost track at sixty-seven. If there were a brand called Jack & Sons she would have come across them at least once.
Just to double check, Annabeth pulls her phone out of her back pocket and types it into Google.
Nothing.
Annabeth doesn't put the flyer in the bin. She places it on the table and stares at it.
There's definitely something wrong here.
She looks at it long and hard. It looks like your ordinary junk mail flyer. It's garishly coloured with rather dull letterwork – Annabeth reckons she could have made a better-looking one with her eyes closed. JACK & SONS PHONE COMPANY is pasted along the top. Beneath it, it reads:
GET WHAT YOU WANT TODAY!
JUST CALL 62618!
REMEMBER: WE HAVE A NO-RETURN POLICY, SO CHOOSE WISELY!
Annabeth frowns. No. She's missing something.
It's junk mail for a supposed phone company that doesn't exist and it ended up in her bedroom on her bed. There's something that she's not quite seeing.
Think.
She stares at the name. JACK & SONS.
JACK & SONS.
JACKSONS.
JACKSON.
Suddenly, Annabeth feels sick. Something akin to acid is scorching her insides.
No. No no no.
She looks down at the phone number.
No.
But it is.
Oh, he's so smart. So, so smart. Annabeth wants to cry.
Of course.
62618.
The image of her Nokia keypad flashes across her mind.
There are so many possible variations. But this is not a coincidence.
6 – PQRS / 2 – DEF / 6 – PQRS / 1 – ABC / 8 – WXYZ
6 – PQRS / 2 – DEF / 6 – PQRS / 1 – ABC / 8 – WXYZ
Percy Jackson.
She looks at the note again.
She knows what the message means now. It all makes sense.
WE'VE GOT YOUR BOYFRIEND. YOU MIGHT WANT HIM BACK.
JUST CALL PERCY TO FIND OUT HOW.
REMEMBER: YOU WON'T RETURN ALIVE.
She grabs her coat and sprints out the door.
She bumps into Grover on her way up to Percy's apartment.
"Oh, hey, Lois," Grover says. He's wearing a sweater that says SAVE THE TREES and has a Rasta cap crammed over his curls, and his ropey arms are shaking slightly on his crutches. "Coming to see Percy?"
Annabeth nods.
"Sweet."
They reach the apartment in good time. Annabeth knocks, and it only takes a few seconds for the door to open.
It's Sally. When she sees Annabeth and Grover, her face splits in a warm, motherly smile. "Oh, hello! What a lovely surprise!"
"Hey, Ms Jackson," Grover says. Annabeth decides to let him do most of the talking. He's known Sally for much, much longer than she has.
"Hello, Grover," Sally says, giving him a soft, dimpled beam. "Oh, now that you're here, do tell your mother it was so, so wonderful of her to let Percy stay at your house at such short notice. Silly boy – just sent me a text about an hour ago saying that he was over at yours and was going to stay the night." She shakes her head, but it's oh so fond. "He's a spontaneous one, my Percy."
Annabeth's heart stops.
Grover frowns. "Uh, Ms Jackson? Percy–"
Annabeth subtly steps on his foot. "–is having a great time," she finishes. She gives Grover a warning look. "Isn't he, Grover?"
Grover looks terrified but he must see the desperation in Annabeth's eyes because he jerkily nods his head and squeaks out, "Yeah! Great!"
Sally smiles at them. "That's good. Now, what were you here for?"
Annabeth makes it all up on the spot.
"We just wanted to know if Percy was allergic to anything," she fibs. She's doing it all wrong – she's speaking too quickly and too high and too rushed – but Sally doesn't seem to notice anything. Grover does. "Because, you know. It's his birthday coming up and we want to throw him a surprise party!"
Sally looks positively delighted. "What a wonderful idea! And no, don't you worry: Percy isn't allergic to anything. However, he does have a thing about seafood – says he doesn't want to 'offend the fish', whatever that means – so I would avoid that, if I were you." She leans against the doorframe. "Is that all you needed? I've got some cookies in the kitchen, if you want to pop in."
"That's okay," Annabeth chirps before Grover can say anything. "We told Percy we were going to the grocery store – we wouldn't want to keep him waiting."
"All right, sweethearts. Have a safe journey home!"
Grover manages to snap out of his stupor long enough to mumble a, "You too, Ms Jackson" which doesn't even make any sense, and then Sally closes the door and Annabeth drags him to the elevator.
They stand in silence as it goes down. Grover looks completely terrified, and Annabeth's mind is going a hundred miles.
JACK & SONS.
NO RETURN POLICY.
PERCY.
Percy is in danger and it's all her fault.
Grover grabs her arm. "Lois, Percy isn't at my house," he says worriedly.
"I know."
"Then why did you tell Sally that?"
The elevator doors slide open. Together, they walk out.
"Lois?" Grover prompts anxiously.
Annabeth thinks of the flyer under her bed. She knows what she has to do.
"Grover," she tells him urgently in a low voice. "What I'm going to say is going to sound ridiculous but you just have to trust me. Okay? Promise me that."
"Percy isn't– he isn't in danger, is he?"
Annabeth almost sobs. "I–I don't know. Maybe."
"Lois, you have to tell the police. He wasn't at school today and someone told Sally that he's at my house when he's not. He's gone missing."
"Grover, please."
"This is serious!"
"Please, just listen to me."
Grover eyes her suspiciously. "Did you do something to him?"
"What? No! No, don't be stupid. But– but I think I might know who did."
Grover stares at her, aghast. "Lois, you have to go the police!"
Annabeth grabs him by the arms and looks at him right in the eyes. "No police, Grover. The police can't know. This is beyond the police."
"What's going on, Lois? You're scaring me."
Annabeth sighs. "I–I can't tell you. But– you just need to do me a favour."
"Lois–"
"Please, Grover."
Grover looks at her right in the eyes. He must see the urgency because after a few seconds of stifling silence he sighs. "What is it?"
"If anyone asks, Percy is at your house. Sally, Jason, Leo, whoever – Percy is at your house, okay? If they want to talk to him, he's on the toilet or in the shower. But– at six-thirty, call Sally. Ask her if Percy's home. If he's not, call– call this number, okay?" Annabeth digs a pen out of her back pocket and scrawls a series of numbers across Grover's arm. "Don't ask any questions about who's on the other end. Just– tell whoever picks up that Percy is in trouble and to look under my bed."
Grover stares at the number on his arm. He looks near tears. "Lois–"
"Please."
He whimpers. "I'm scared."
Annabeth feels tears prick at her own eyes. "So– so am I. But Percy's in trouble. You need to do what I told you to. Please."
"O–okay."
"Thank you. Thank you so much."
Annabeth darts off down the street. She doesn't know where she's going but she knows that it's away from here, and to get an exact location, she has to make a call.
She pulls out her phone and dials Percy's number.
It rings twice before someone picks up.
"Hello," someone unfamiliar says.
Annabeth doesn't deal with pleasantries. She cuts right to the chase. "Where the hell is he?" she demands. "I swear, if you've hurt him I will rip you limb from limb."
The person chuckles. It's cold and impersonal, like a computer, and Annabeth feels her hands begin to tremble. "You're a feisty one, Miss Chase."
Miss Chase.
Annabeth clothes her eyes.
The time has finally come.
"Where is he?" she asks again.
The call cuts off. Annabeth stares at the screen in shock, until a text notification pops up on her screen.
It's an address, sent from Percy's number.
She stares at the address long and hard, and then sets off.
If she's going to die, she's going to do it fighting for the boy she loves.
A/N Hey guys!
I hope you liked that! I'm sorry I keep dragging this out, but this chapter was actually quite significant to the plot believe it or not. Next chapter is going to be 100% action (also im saying this now but you are not to hold me responsible for whatever happens next chapter do not eat me alive its all cool)
Also – can I just say how absolutely incredible you all are? Like. I love you all so so much you are all absolute gems. Legit I've put all your advice in a note on my phone and I just want to give everyone a big big hug we could have a giant sleepover and paint our toenails and trade period cramp hacks
literally you all are the best i love you thank you all so so much
(also sidenote I MET DODIE CLARK WHAT it was so weird i was in starbucks and i was shaking and she wrote me a note and was so lovely dodie is an angel i love her so much)
anyway
thank you all again so much for all of your amazing amazing amazing comments i love you all and I'll see you next week! byeee xx