The night was quiet; I got reports in from those downstairs periodically, but other than that: nothing. Nico didn't even come in to relieve me like he was supposed to at 4.

So there I was, sitting in the same now uncomfortable desk chair, staring at the wall like it was the most interesting thing in the world. It kind of was, because staring at Annabeth got boring after the first few hours.

Speaking of Annabeth, at about 6am I heard the sheets ruffle and the light suddenly came on. I covered my eyes and let them adjust. "Geez, warn a guy before you do that."

"Sorry." She said, with no actual compassion or sorrow in her voice; it wasn't even groggy with sleep! How does she do that? Annabeth grabbed new clothes and walked into the bathroom; before she shut the door she sent me a look. I sent her a shy smile and she closed the door, I even heard the slight 'click' of the lock. After I knew it was safe, I snickered.

When Annabeth emerged from the bathroom once more, I found myself speechless. She was wearing a camo vest with nothing underneath, revealing her navel and a darker shade of jeans. She raised her eyebrow at me and walked to a smaller bag next to the one with all her clothes in it. I watched as she strapped a gun to her hip and one to her upper thigh, a knife to the opposite ankle, and a third smaller gun on on her hip behind the knife.

"Why so many weapons?" I asked, still slightly entranced by the now revealed tan skin of her flat stomach.

"If you learn one thing from being my partner Percy," She stated, "Let it be 'always be prepared'."

I nodded, committing that piece of advice to memory. "Are you ready to go?"

Annabeth looked around the room like she was checking for something then sighed. "I suppose so." I stood up and walked to the door, opening it for her. As she passed me, she glanced at me sideways. "I am sorry you had to stay up so late."

I waved it off, "All part of the job, I didn't mind anyway." She raised her eyebrow at me as if asking 'You like staying up all night?' I shrugged and waved my hand out the door.

Our ride to work was quiet, a kind of awkward silence that the radio helped dim. I switched it on. It took a second to recognize it, but when I did, I almost blushed. It was 'Just the Girl I'm looking for'

In a way it was so Annabeth, like the line the singer just sung: 'She's cold and she's cruel but she knows what she's doing' Then there were ones like 'She laughs at my dreams but I dream about her laughter. Strange as it seems she's the one I'm after' that made my cheeks kind of heat up. I mean, I haven't even heard her laugh yet! Now that I think about it, I haven't seen her smile yet either.

As more of the song went by, I found more lines that screamed Annabeth. 'She runs on 100 proof attitude power' ,'She's a mystery' ,'Knows just what to say so my whole day is ruined' Everything else just made the sensors in my cheeks hot.

After two more songs, we arrived at work.

Annabeth

I thanked Percy for driving and sat down at my side of the desk. The desks were set up so there was one big unit shaped like two Ls. Percy had three computers in the corner closest to the elevator and I had the other corner with a similar set up.

Across from us was Nico and Chiron's desks, but they had two separate L desks, their backs to each other. I opened my drawer to get something to write with so I could start the surely boring paperwork I had to do, when I noticed something off. The drawer opened slower, like there was something stuck in the back. I leveled my eyes down so I could see into the desk.

I was right when I said there was something blocking its path, but what I wasn't exactly happy about. I grabbed Percy and Nico and ran to the other side of the room as quickly as I could. Nico could only get out the start of his sentence before the explosion shook the building.

"What the hell happened here?" Chiron's question rang through the now deadly quiet room.

I pushed Percy's body off of me and stood from my place against the wall. "I told you they want to kill me." Was all I said.

Suddenly, Rachel ran into the room with a frightened look on her face, "What happened?" Chiron tried to calm her, but she kept repeating her previous question. Finally he gave up and looked to me for answers.

"Common bomb rig, I was not supposed to find it until it blew me-and anyone within two and a half meters of me-to pieces, but I have used enough of those in my time to know one when I see it."

Rachel moved to hug me but I flinched away and she let her arms drop to her sides. "I'm never going to Israel!" She exclaimed.

"There are good things there." I offered. She sent me a skeptical look. "Ok, not many." I looked at Chiron to say something, but he was barking orders into his phone about locking down the building, interviewing all the cleaning crew and anyone that had access to the building last night, as well as the tape of last night's security cameras.

"Chiron," I called to get his attention. He turned to look at me. "No need for the cameras, I know who did this. If you line up all the cleaning members and others, I could identify them, should they still be here."

Chiron moved the phone so the receiver was against his neck, "We still need a face so we can put a bolo out."

"I can access my father's files and give you their information." I rolled my eyes. Americans just have to complicate things don't they?

My new boss opened and closed his mouth before turning and continuing to talk into his phone. I smiled with fake sweetness. "Annabeth!" Nico appeared in front of me, Percy came up next to me less enthusiastically than our younger co-worker. "You saved our lives….again!"

I allowed a real smile, he reminded me of Noam, and ruffled his hair. "Might as well get used to it."

"Are you alright?" Percy asked.

I did a quick check to make sure my knives hadn't stabbed me, as well as brushing off some dust from the explosion. "I am in one piece, and you?"

"I'm fine thanks to you." I nodded and snuck a look at my desk, or where it used to be. Nico and Chiron's desks seemed pretty unharmed while the half of Percy's desk that shared a side with mine was gone. Everyone else on our floor looked shaken up but other words fine.

"Hey, Annabeth," Chiron put his hands on my shoulders and looked me in the eye. "Are you alright?"

"Chiron, I get shot at and blown up every day, I am fine." He didn't look convinced. "Really."

Reluctantly he accepted and let me go. "I'm doubling up your protection." Before I could protest, he walked away. I sighed irritably. "I'll get you a new desk so you can start on that case report, don't worry." My sigh turned to a groan, Percy and Nico snickered. "What are you two laughing about? You're desks are fine. Get to work."

Our roles reversed as they sulked to their desks and to the stacks of paper that waited for them. I followed and sat on the front of Percy's desk. After a few minutes Percy looked up at me. "Can I help you?"

"No." Percy threw his arms up and shook his head.

"Don't patronize your partner, Jackson." Chiron scolded as he walked past. Percy stuttered and opened and closed his mouth. "Come on, we got a crazy mom whose daughter was abducted on an Army base." I happily followed him out, glad to get out of the dreaded tree material work.

While Percy and Nico were trying to get a lead on anything in the house, I was trying to calm the extremely frantic woman in the front lawn. "Ma'am, you must calm down so we can help find your daughter!" She continued to rant and spaz about needing to find her. I took her by the shoulders and looked her in the eye. "Mrs. Peters, you must calm down."

There were a few moments where she stared at me like I was a witch about to hex her- frightened-before the woman in front of me seemed to calm considerably. "Now, my name is agent Chase, do you mind answering some questions for me?"

The brown haired woman nodded and sniffled. "Wh-what do you want to know?"

"When did you notice your daughter had disappeared?" I started.

"About…30 minutes ago." She sniffled again.

I handed her a tissue and continued. "How long have you been home?"

"All day, today was my day off."

"How did you not hear the glass breaking and her screams?"

Mrs. Peters wrung her hands and looked down at the ground. "I…I was watching T.V, it must have been too loud."

I rolled my eyes when she wasn't looking and scoffed. "Mmhm, now the truth?"

She looked up at me, guilt prominent in her eyes, but said nothing. The brunette in front of me merely stood there with her mouth a gape and her eyes flashing over every inch of my face. I sent her a look that said 'Tell me now, or else.' Finally she broke, crying into her hands.

I sighed and looked at the house, watching Percy, Nico, and Chiron through the windows; waiting for her to stop. Then to the three agents standing around me as protection. After 5 minutes went by, and yes I was keeping track, she dammed the river of tears enough to answer. "My husband has been gone a long time agent Chase!" Mrs. Peters took another slice out of my patience by letting another wave of crying wrack her body. "You of all people should know that a woman has needs."

"So you had an affair," I summed up, before I could continue she interrupted me.

"When you say it like that…"

I took my turn to interrupt her and continued. "…and while you were fulfilling your needs, your daughter was abducted." I had to resist the urge to pull my knife on her as she started crying again. "What is his name, the man you are sleeping with?"

"A-Anthony, Anthony Smith. His wife is on a business t-trip, he had needs and-and-. It was after he left when I went in to check on Madison and-and she was g-gone."

"Would anyone want to take your daughter?"

"No, no one, Madison got along with everyone!" The previously crying woman smiled fondly at the memory.

"I mean, have you made any enemies that would want to get back at you by taking your daughter." I clarified.

Mrs. Peters shook her head. "No I…I get along with everyone I know on base. The others I don't know, well I say hi to them as they pass by, and they don't show any ill feelings towards me that I can see."

"Anyone outside of base?" She hesitated, but shook her head once more. I noticed Chiron waving me over. I excused myself and jogged up to him. "Yes?"

"How's she doing?" He asked, nodding to Mrs. Peters.

"As well as one in her location can be."

"Place," Percy corrected as he walked up to us. "Chiron, the window was broken from the outside, there's blood on it as well as the bed."

"Get samples to the lab, you got anything else?"

Percy shrugged. "We swabbed stuff, and Nico is going to get a blood sample from Mrs. Peters."

Chiron sighed, "Alright, head back to the office, I gotta clean up some stuff around here."

Percy held his hand out for the keys to the car. Chiron pulled them out of his pocket and handed them to me. The black haired man beside me glared at me as I slid into the driver's seat. "Aw, did Chiron let air out of your ego?"

"Deflate, the phrase is 'did he deflate your ego'." He grumbled.

I shrugged and started up the car, driving past the police cars and on lookers to get to the main road. "Same thing. What did Chiron mean when he said he had to 'clean up some things'?" I asked.

"He means send the police home, calm the neighbors, that kind of stuff." Percy answered me, his previous sourness gone.

"Ah." I nodded and silence filled the car; the only sound coming from the engine. Percy leaned forward and turned on the radio. The line of a song came on. 'A new soul, in this very strange world' Percy started snickering. "What is so amusing?" I asked.

"This song, it's basically you." I listened to a bit more of the song. 'Finding myself making every possible mistake' I scoffed and punched him in the shoulder.. "Well not that line." He muttered under his breath while he rubbed the sore area.

For the rest of the drive he didn't comment on any more songs.

I was sitting on Percy's desk cleaning the underside my nails with my knife when Rachel came over to us. "Hey guys." She greeted. "So I tested Mrs. Peters' blood, the blood on the window, and the sample from the bed. First off, the blood on the bed is different than the blood on the window. Second, her blood had traces of cocaine in it, but it wasn't freshly inhaled."

"So the person who broke the window cut themselves on it, and Madison was hit with fragments." I mused. "Is it possible it is Anthony Smith?"

"Nico, how close are you to finding him?" Chiron asked, choosing not to answer my question.

Nico shook his curly hair. "There isn't an Anthony Smith in that base."

No one said anything, trying to think of a reason to why that would be. Suddenly I got an idea. "Check those discharged already." I told him, walking over to his desk and looking over his shoulder.

He did as I asked and ran the name though the discharged air force personnel. "Hey you were right, Anthony Smith, Airmen first class was dishonorably discharged for possession of illegal drugs."

"Does it say which drug?" Percy asked, finally adding something to the conversation.

Nico nodded. "Cocaine."

"Current address?" Chiron inquired. Percy raised his hand. Chiron looked at me as if he was saying 'You see what I have to deal with?' "Yes Jackson?"

"He lives in an apartment complex a few miles from the base."

"Good, take Nico and check it out." I frowned but said nothing, sitting down in Percy's now vacant seat. "Annabeth, go question Mrs. Peters about the cocaine."

I nodded and stood, walking down the hall to the interrogation room she was being held in. "Shalom Mrs. Peters." I greeted.

"Sh-what?"

"Shalom, it means hello. I apologize; I am not completely use to America yet." I sat down across her.

She smiled at me, "Oh yeah? Where are you from?"

The excitement in her voice made my expression soften a bit. "I am from Israel."

"That's amazing; I've always been interested in the Middle East ever since Joe's first tour in Iraq."

I nodded, "I have a few more questions for you Mrs. Peters."

"Only if you call me Kelly." I chuckled dryly.

"Well Kelly, we found traces of cocaine in your blood. Do you want to tell me about that?"

The smile was wiped off her face faster than jet taking off, and she looked down. "I um, had a hard time during college. A friend said his secret was these energy pills, and gave me some. They ended up having cocaine in them. I was so mad when I found out but by then, I was addicted.

He gave me the name of a guy who could get me more and…I took it up. When I met Joe, he helped me quit." Suddenly her smile came back. "Then I got pregnant with Madison and I couldn't let her be a crack baby, so I had an even stronger need to stay clean."

"How did your provider feel about that?" Kelly put her head in her hands. "He did not take it well, did he?" She shook her head. "Do you think it would be a motive to take Madison?"

"No I…I quit 10 years ago, when I first got pregnant. If he was going to do it, he would have sooner."

I scratched my head. "Records say you have only been married 8 years."

"Yes," she nodded. "It was during Joe's first deployment that I found out. We got married after he got back."

"Two years is a long time away, yes?"

"You have no idea agent Chase." Kelly laughed dryly.

I nodded with a slight smile. "You may call me Annabeth."

"Annabeth," She smiled at me. "That's a beautiful name."

I nodded in thanks, even if it wasn't my real name, "Then why now? Did you go back to drugs? Decide it was wrong and cut off from your dealer. He would not like being played twice would he?" The brunette in front of me stuttered intelligently so I continued. "What is his name?"

"I-I can't-"

"Kelly," I stopped her. "Do you want your daughter back, or not?"

"Yes! of course!"

"Then tell me, his name."


I wanna thank a reviewer of mine, ChildOfWisdom (I hope I got that right), for reviewing every chapter and giving me the push to keep updating. Because if those of you who are reading the story, it doesn't have a ton of reviews. SO thanks again :)

Always yours,

~Arty