Chapter 7

It was both good and bad to be back home - it wasn't because I had captured Gabe Ugliano and all was well, but I was still in familiar ground and could get the resources I needed. Other agents glared at Annabeth and I as we walked through the dimly-lit halls, obviously knowing that I had sort of failed my mission.

But General Corral didn't think that, and that's what I was holding onto. "So, where are we going to examine the lighter?" Annabeth asked as we turned another corner.

"Well, there's a little examinate laboratory behind the hospital wing," I replied. "If anything, they can help us there."

Annabeth looked around. "It doesn't seem like anyone likes you here."

"Yeah, well…" I still hadn't told Annabeth the real reason why I was only sixteen and working for the F.B.I., but thankfully, she didn't pry. After all, she seemed pretty eager to do a job like this herself. I'd tell her sometime, when we weren't so busy with finding a dangerous criminal.

We reached a door at the end of the hall, with stretchers and wheelchairs parked outside of it. I pushed it open, admitting us into a room lined with hospital beds, tables with medical tools, and some people in white coats walking around.

There weren't any major injuries here, just the occasional agent with a broken leg or cuts and scars on their faces. But as General Corral always said, What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, so it wasn't like any of these agents were extremely miserable.

We walked past the beds and through another door, into a room where more people in white coats stood bent over tables, looking at things in microscopes. I led Annabeth over to one person who I knew that I could always count on to help me with looking at a clue.

"Hey, Will," I said to a man with sunny blonde hair who was currently looking over some papers. He turned and smiled when he saw me.

"Hello, Percy," he said, then turned to Annabeth, a look of mind confusion on his face. "And who's this?"

"Annabeth," I replied, not wanting to include her last name, knowing that she didn't like it. "She's helping me with a case."

"Oh, the one about Gabe Ugliano, isn't that right?" Will asked. "Shame he got away. But did you find anything else?"

"Yeah," Annabeth said. "This." She held out the lighter and explained where we had found it.

"It might have something to do with Gabe Ugliano," I finished.

"Ah," Will said, taking the lighter and looking it over. "I'll see if we can find any clues."

We followed him over to a table with a microscope and watch him put the lighter under it. He turned the knobs on the sides of the machine, getting the lighter into focus, then stared for a while. Annabeth and I shifted, wondering what he saw, until he beckoned us over and murmured, "Look at this."

I took the microscope first and peered into the little hole, looking closely. That's when I saw it.

On the end of the lighter, in little black letters, it read the name of the criminal we were looking for. I moved over to let Annabeth take a look, and when she did, she gasped softly. Then she pulled the lighter out from under the microscope and looked it over again.

"You can still see the letters," she said. "They're not microscopic."

"We just didn't look hard enough," I agreed. "But we were right - this did belong to Gabe Ugliano, and it probably had something to do with the fire."

"What fire?" Will asked.

I shook my head. "I'll tell you later. Right now, we need to get to General Corral. Thanks for helping us, Will."

He nodded. "My pleasure. I hope you find who you're looking for."

And so, in a rush, Annabeth and I left the examination laboratory, past the hospital wing, and down many halls and corridors all the way to General Corral's office. "I can't believe this," Annabeth said. "How is it possible we found a lighter that Gabe Ugliano must have dropped, what, seven years ago?"

"Well, it's because nobody suspected Gabe Ugliano to have anything to do with the fire," I replied. "Only we did. And now we have proof."

We opened the door to the general's office, and found him sitting at his usual desk, typing something on his computer. He looked up when he saw us. "Percy," he whispered, then turned to Annabeth.

"This is the person I was talking about," I told him. "Her name is Annabeth."

"Would it be Annabeth Chase, by any chance?" General Corral asked.

Annabeth looked surprised. "How did you know?"

"It's hard to conceal your identity from the F.B.I. general," he replied, smiling. "Sit down, both of you. Did you find anything?"

But I was too worked up to sit down. "Yes," I replied, running up to General Corral with the lighter in my hand. "This lighter, sir. We found it outside of Leo and Calypso's Auto Repair." And I told him the whole story.

General Corral seemed serious but not at all surprised when we finished, and he motioned for Annabeth and I to sit down again. This time, we did. "I knew that man had committed more than he had let on to. So, when we find him again, he shall be charged for murder. And do you know where to find him?"

Annabeth spoke up. "The lighter says Central Park Gift Shop, sir. Maybe Gabe Ugliano lives around that area."

"But the lighter's obviously old," I said, turning it over in my hands, "So he must have purchased it around the time he killed Leo's mother. And before he got arrested, he must have lived in a regular house, but now, when he's on the run, I doubt it. He must be hiding somewhere."

"And do you think it's in Central Park?" General Corral asked.

"Well, I don't think he can really hide in Central Park," Annabeth said. "It would be easier for him to hide in somewhere like… Grand Central Station."

"That's true, Miss Chase," General Corral agreed. "And the only way to find out is to go there. Are you two up for the job?"

I turned to Annabeth. She nodded.

"Good luck, then. Remember, you can call me at anytime. But first, you'll definitely need some things."

I knew what things meant. We needed weapons.

General Corral led us through a couple more halls and corridors before we reached the familiar room where all the weapons were kept. I usually came here to restock my belt before I went on a mission, which was happening right now.

Annabeth stared around in awe at the many pistols lining the walls, knives hanging around, and larger guns standing on tables. General Corral walked up to one wall and pulled down a leather belt, just like mine, before handing it to Annabeth.

"Use this," he said. "Percy has one, too, as do all the other F.B.I. agents. Let's see… you'll need a gun, and…"

General Corral helped Annabeth fill her belt with extremely dangerous (and useful) tools. I had to admit, it fit her perfectly - even in the little time I had spent with her, I knew that Annabeth was tough, and wearing the belt made her look like a strong and beautiful serial killer.

"Thank you, General," she said after she had wrapped the belt around her waist. "Not just for this - for letting me help Percy on his mission. It's just that, Gabe Ugliano, he…"

"I understand," General Corral replied kindly. "He's caused you enough trouble with your family, and you just want to stop him."

"But I'm not a certified F.B.I. agent," Annabeth said, sort of sadly. "In fact, I'm not even old enough -"

"Neither is Percy," General Corral told her. "Did he tell you his story?"

I fidgeted uncomfortably. "No."

"Well then, you have a lot to converse about," General Corral continued, "Er, after the mission."

Annabeth nodded, and she and I left the room after saying goodbye to the F.B.I. general, walked down some more corridors and stepped outside.

"Well," I said. "You ready?"

Annabeth managed a faint smile. "Lead the way."

Yay! They met Will Solace! As always, thank you for your reviews, and I tried to post faster today, SonOfPoseidon. I hope you enjoyed!