Percy POV

"Hey guys come on up", I say into the intercom, while I buzz them in. Minutes later I hear the elevator door ring as it opens and there is a knock on the door. I go to open it and there stands Jason Grace and his girlfriend Piper Mclean.

"Hey. How are you?" I say, giving Jason a fist dump and giving Piper a hug. She hands me the seven layer dip covered with plastic wrap and the bag of tortilla chips.

"Not bad. Jason here just got signed onto a new case along with Frank." Piper announces proudly.

"Hey thats awesome! Here let's go to the kitchen. Nico and Will, Hazel and Frank, Thalia and Leo will all be here soon," I say as I lead them into the brightly lit kitchen. "So a promotion. You've wanted it for awhile right?"

"Yeah, it's the one I've wanted. The board was so impressed with how we handled that last case that they sped up the departement needed help on this case that's been open for eight years with no new leads for the last two years and they seemed to think that Frank and I might give some insight into the case." Jason explains proudly.

"That's so great." I say. "meanwhile I'm still at NYU busting my ass off. Do you guys want anything to drink?"

"Just water's fine thanks." Piper calls over her shoulder has she studies the family photos sitting on the bookshelf in the corner.

"You got it," I call from the little pantry off the kitchen.

"So where your mom, Percy?" Piper says to me as I emerge with a beer for Jason and I and a glass of water for Piper.

"She and Paul went down to the caribbean for a little city life escape, so I have the whole joint to myself for another week." I finish my sentence just as the intercom buzzes.

"Hey Percy it's us, can you let us in." I hear Thalia say with the muffled voices of the other in the background.

"yup"

Piper, Jason and I continue to chat until the others get here.

We spend the rest of the evening catching up; all my friends have been so busy lately, and we haven't all been in the same room in many months.

"So what exactly are you guys gonna be doing for this job." Thalia asks, with her empty plate in front of her.

"Well we are going to try to be figuring out where all these new drugs are coming from and how the shit's getting around so fast. We know that there is a bunch of suppliers and the are using these middlemen to get it spread around NYC. In the eight years since the case was opened there have been a few arrests. Just enough information to know that the main way these drugs are getting around is that they are being delivered by a girl who goes by Annie. That basically all that we know. She never been caught and she keeps a very low profile, so I guess that our main goal is to catch her."

"Wow sounds so cool," Will says. "so you know nothing on this Annie girl?"
"no, but we know a few things," Frank answers this time. "we know that she does a lot on her own, but she gets her orders from someone, she about our age and she started doing this when she was 12. Other than that not much."

"what kind of parent would let their 12 year old kid get involved in the New York drug scene?" Hazel asks.

"we suspect that she probably ran away from home or she never really had a home. there is also the possibility that her parents were involved and she just got sucked in." Jason answers.

"Oh poor kid." Hazel says sympathetically.

We all look at her incredulously.

"The girl's practically a drug dealer." I state. "I bet she's a stripper on the side."

"There is a chance. We got a lot of guys going undercover at real rough parts of town to try to figure out who this girl is." says Jason.

"Well if you ever need any help, I would be happy to give you a hand," Nico says while the rest of us nod our heads in agreement.

"Alright, who want dessert?" I get up from the table to start clearing plates.
"Me!" everyone shouts.

I make my way into my mom's kitchen, glancing at all the family photos on the wall. I am really glad that her writing career has taken off and that she and Paul are happy.

That night after everyone has left, I lie in bed thinking. I can't seem to stop thinking about that Annie girl. I am pretty sure that Smelly Gabe smoked some pot while he lived with us, and gods, when he was on that stuff he was 50 times worse than normal. I can't fathom anyone selling that stuff and ruining people's lives, even if it is for money.

I hope that Frank and Jason catch her soon, because New York could do with a few less drug addicts.