Annabeth
Rachel's lab is huge, and I got lost in the first few turns. It's a wonder how Percy navigated this place so easily. Speaking of said red-head, Percy stopped in a large room with lots of tables; all marked with different shapes and colors, bags rested on top of them had corresponding colored shapes.
"Hey Rach," Percy called. I twitched at the nickname but didn't show my distaste. "Do you know where Malcolm is?"
Rachel rolled her eyes good naturedly, "Where he always is." Percy nodded in thanks and took my hand to pull me along again. Having still been looking at her, I saw Rachel glare at our intertwined hands before Percy did in fact pull me down several more corridors and many doors with the same colored shapes as the tables and bags; effectively getting me confusingly lost.
"Here we are." My partner proclaimed proudly. In front of me was a door identical to every other one we had passed so far, the only difference was the small purple Greek Delta placed on the top of the frame. With two quick knocks, Percy entered the room.
I followed behind him. We entered a room full of equipment I couldn't imagine anyone knew how to work, and a solo worker. At the far corner of the 3x6 meter room, was a younger looking male with blond hair like mine. He had on a blue jumpsuit with 'CSI' printed in black letters on the back.
"Hey Malcolm." Percy greeted.
'Malcolm' swiveled in his chair so he was facing us. His face lit up at the thought of visitors. "Hey Perce! Let me guess, your new partner Annabeth Chase from Mossad?"
I narrowed my eyes at him, my hand twitched to my left arm, ready to produce my knife for the second time in that hour. "Don't worry," Percy put a hand on my shoulder. I turned my glare at him and he eased off. "Malcolm does worker inventory, he puts everyone's information into the government's database. He knows everyone."
I nodded but still didn't like the idea of him knowing me without actually meeting me first. "Hey, I saw you applied to be a foster parent," The blond turned back to his computer and typed something on one of the dozens of computers crammed in the room. "I pulled some strings and...ta-dah!" A printer whirled to life next to me. I took the paper it produced and gave it a once over.
"I was accepted?" I asked, slightly at awe.
"Yup! I pulled some strings, sped the process up, and took the liberty to print out your certificate." I nodded in thanks.
"Malcolm's a computer whiz." Percy told me later as we were making our way through the many hallways back to our desks; Chiron had called us. "He can hack any codes we give him."
I nodded numbly, not necessarily caring about what he was saying; to distracted about what Chiron might have needed.
"Finally," Nico stood from his spot. "We've been waiting-"
"Easy child," Chiron calmed. "They are here now."
"Whatcha need Chiron?" Percy inquired.
"Annabeth's search hit a match. The fingerprint belonged to one of our missing terrorists."
I rubbed my eyes wearily and walked to my desk to pull up the information. Sure enough, a license photo and data of a weapons specialist named Edan Peled came up. "Why would he kill the young boy?" I muttered to myself.
"Well we think he did to make a statement against you." Chiron said, keeping his eyes on me the whole time. I refused to look back. "Do you think he would have any reason to pick a child, or carve the star into him?"
"I am suppose to pick up Madison today." I admitted quietly, that being the only thing I could think of.
"Wait, you think he killed an innocent just to get on her nerves?" Percy asked.
"It is a possibility." He nodded grimly.
"We need to catch these guys before they do something else." Nico slammed his fist against his desk. Chiron nodded in agreement, and just as he was about to say something, Nico's phone went off.
We stayed silent as he answered it, trying to piece together what he was saying with his end of the conversation, at least I was anyway. Finally he hung up and turned to us. "The bolo just got a hit." Percy, Chiron, and Nico all grabbed their things and walked to the elevators. I sighed and typed more on my computer, assuming I was still off the case, until my phone rang. I picked it up, squeezing it between my shoulder and cheek so I could continue my email to my father. "Malach."
"Are you coming, agent Chase?" My new boss' amused voice drifted through the receiver and into my ear. I smiled and, without a word to him, hung up to join them.
I entered the abandoned paper mill last, the boys ahead of me after insisting in a hushed argument I wasn't fit to lead.
Humph.
Chiron took it in my place, maneuvering through the various old machines and crates that were collecting dust. He peaked around a corner and held his fist up, signaling us to stop. After spending a few more seconds looking, he turned to us. "The four of them are sitting there, two are asleep from what I can see, the other two are playing cards."
"Let me shoot at them, I can injure them so they cannot hurt us or run." I insisted, thinking about how that worked the last time.
Chiron shook his head. "No, we need to surround them and cut them off from their weapons; take them quietly." I sighed in irritation as he dished out directions to go. I ended up getting sent to the very back, the longest distance, which makes me wonder if they were really worried about my leg or not.
Percy took his spot to the right of me, and Nico to the left, while Chiron stayed to the front. He motioned Percy to sneak forward, well at least the was the intention, because we learned very quickly Percy cannot sneak.
One of the two, who were indeed playing cards, stood from the crate they were using as a table to see what was making noise. Percy was smart enough to run into one of the machines and accidentally turn it on, so our cover wasn't blown completely.
"You think that was her?" The second one asked, in Hebrew.
"No, she would not have been so careless." The first muttered. My chin came up at the compliment. I saw Nico's confused face in the darkness and nearly laughed, but like number one said, I wouldn't be that careless.
After waiting for Percy to return to his position, Chiron motioned him forward again. I held my breath as I watched him move forward until he reached a line of crates that weren't labeled with the same logo as the others. He stopped there and Chiron had Nico do the same then did it himself.
I wasn't expecting him to text me instructions.
I took my phone out and looked at the new message. 'Talk them up. We got your back.' I nodded in his direction and sheathed my gun, walking out in plain sight.
"Shalom boys." I greeted with amusement. They scrambled to their feet, both heading towards an open crate about 3 meters away. I rolled my eyes and took both the knives from my waist. One lodged itself in a crate behind the smaller man as well as his sleeve that effectively stopped him from moving as he attempted to dislodge it.
The second was just a little off and speared the larger man's palm. He yelled out in pain, which woke up one of the other two. I sighed.
"Edan!" The large man called to the freshly awake man. I snarled, this was the guy who killed that innocent boy. While he was still groggy with sleep, I grabbed his arm and wrapped it behind his back. I kicked the back of his knees and he fell to the floor.
Nico at one time had come forward and had the fourth man handcuffed to his cot. Chiron and Percy joined us, Percy cuffed the uninjured man stuck to the crate while Chiron helped the other. I personally didn't think he deserved help, but that's just me.
"Sorry Chiron." I told my boss as the ambulance drove off.
"No, you did very good Annabeth." He rubbed my shoulder. I flinched.
Percy came up to me. "Your doctor called, she said you have to pick Madison up before 5; its 4 now."
I looked over my shoulder at Chiron hopefully. After a quick laugh, he nodded and handed me his key, saying he'd drive with Nico. I took the keys gratefully and tried to not completely run to the car in excitement. Percy laughed anyway.
I flipped him off.
When I pulled into the hospital, the elevator couldn't go faster, and the nurse at the desk was purposely going slow-I know it-but when Madison came hobbling out in a boot, it was worth it. "Annie!" Her smile was missing a few teeth. "Guess what! I lost another tooth today!"
I laughed, it was the third one this week. "That is great Maddi! You can place it under your pillow tonight." I took her hand as I lead her out of the hospital.
"Hey! Look! We're like twins!" I looked down at her confused until I saw her pointing at our boots.
I smiled down at her, releasing her hand to wrap my arm around her shoulders. For an eight year old, Maddi was quite tall; reaching up to just below my shoulders. Percy had stayed in the car, so I sat in the passenger side after situating Madison in the back. He drove us back to my condo.
Upon my request, Percy left after Madison and I got out. Once again I lead her into the building. "Whoa. This place is huge!" She exclaimed.
I rubbed her shoulders from behind her, humming in agreement. "There are two rooms for you to choose from," I told her. "Though I have a feeling I know which one you will pick."
I motioned down the corridor the bedrooms were. She wobbled down as fast as she could, stopping at the first room. "I love it!"
I stood in the doorway watching her bounce on her butt on the bed. "This was not the room I thought you would take."
"Really? Is there a better one?" Maddi asked, her excitement not dulled. After I brought her down to the pink room, her nose wrinkled in disgust. "Maybe if it wasn't pink."
"We could always repaint it if you want." I offered.
"Could we really? What about green?"
I laughed. "Ken. Seems doable."
"Yes!" Maddi exclaimed and rushed forward to hug me. She nearly knocked me over by the sudden rush.
"Come, we have to go to the elementary school a few blocks over to register you."
Her happy expression turned sour. "School? Aw! Do I have to Annie?"
I opened the front door, grabbing my keys and wallet. "Yes you do, now come." Reluctantly, she followed me out and sat in the backseat of my car. "You can sit up here you know," I turned in my seat. "I do not bite hard."
Madison smiled and came up to sit next to me. The school was only a few blocks away, so it took but a few minutes to get there. I parked close to the main entrance and put up my temporary handicap holder up. We came up to the desk where a plump woman with white hair with kind eyes sat. "Can I help you dear?" She asked.
I nodded. "I need to enroll my daughter." I said, but hesitated on the word. She was technically my daughter since I was her foster mother, but then again, only temporarily.
The woman sent me a weird look, probably wondering why I had a child so young, but gave me the papers none the less. I pulled Maddi over to the chairs and we sat down together to work out the answers.
We made a good team, because we finished them in less than 20 minutes. I handed them back to the woman, and I felt like I was in school again myself. "Welcome to Corrie Elementary Miss Chase." She said, shaking Madison's hand who shook back enthusiastically.
"She should have no problems starting Monday." The receptionist told me as we watched Maddi play. "The school year started about three weeks ago."
I nodded and checked my watch. "Well, then I should get her to bed if she is; it being Sunday and all. Laliah tov." I stood and came up behind Madison to sneak up on her. I scooped her up and threw her over my shoulder. She squealed out with laughter while I walked out of the building.
My bronchitis is gone! I'm so happy!
Annyyyway, sooorry it took me so long to update, yada yada yada
Yours always,
~Arty
