Chapter 13

I should have known that the person who wanted to visit Gabe Ugliano was a very angry Leo.

We found him there, half-fuming, half-crying (which was how I felt when I had met the criminal) and waiting outside the room that Gabe Ugliano's cell was in. People inside were talking in hushed tones, but when they spotted the F.B.I. general, they seemed a lot more relieved and went about the rest of their business.

"Well, not that they're gone," Leo asked my father, "May I go see Mr. Murderer?"

My father couldn't resist a smile. "Yes, Mr. Valdez."

Annabeth and I followed Leo into the small and dimly-lit room. At the back of the cell, sitting in the darkest patch of light possible, was Gabe Ugliano looking very grumpy. "What do you want?" he growled.

"Do you remember me, you old git?" Leo shouted. "I'm Leo Valdez, and you killed my mother!"

Leo must have heard the truth somewhere; I never got the chance to tell him, but now he continued to yell insults at Gabe Ugliano, switching into Spanish midway so that we couldn't understand the rest. I guessed that was a good thing, since most of the words Leo was saying probably weren't very appropriate…

When he was finished, panting, he turned to Annabeth and I and said, "Sorry, I start speaking Spanish when I'm agitated."

"That's okay," I replied, holding up my hands. "I'm just as angry at that man as you are."

"He killed your mom, too, right?" Leo asked, shaking his head with disgust at Gabe Ugliano. "Well, I hope you're mad," he yelled at him, "because you didn't get to do the other things you wanted to do, like rob Annabeth's dad!"

"I didn't just want to rob him," Gabe Ugliano sneered, slowly inching out of the shadows and showing all the cuts and bruises he had gotten from tackling the F.B.I. agents before they captured him. "I wanted to kill him!"

Annabeth's hand flew to her mouth.

"Why am I not surprised?" I said aloud.

"I blame you two for this the most!" Gabe Ugliano yelled, turning to Annabeth and I. "If you hadn't found my hideout -"

"You guys are awesome," Leo told us brightly. "The Dynamic Duo, like Batman and Robin…"

I looked at Annabeth and she laughed, her eyes twinkling as she did. It made my heart do a somersault.

"Oh, enough with the love!" Gabe Ugliano muttered.

"You just don't like love because you don't know what it is," Leo snapped.

"Actually, he did," I mumbled. "He fell for my mother."

"EW, HIM? Please don't tell me she -"

"No, she didn't," I replied thankfully. "And that's why he killed her."

All three of us glared at Gabe Ugliano again.

"I can't believe I'm getting told off by three kids," he grumbled.

"Not just three kids," said a voice from the doorway, and I turned to see Annabeth's father, Frederick Chase. He was staring right at her, and she smiled before running up into his arms.

"Dad!" she exclaimed. "I… I'm sorry I didn't tell you -"

"It's alright, dear," he comforted. "You probably thought I'd hold you back?"

"Yeah, um, well…"

"And you would have been correct," Frederick Chase replied. "I've just finished talking to the general, and he told me about the things you did. But now that I see how well you've handled yourself… You're quite astonishing, Annabeth."

She grinned up at him. "Thank you, Dad."

"And you're Percy Jackson, isn't that right?" Frederick Chase asked, turning to me. "You protected my daughter very well."

"Yeah, well, I…" I stopped myself saying what I was going to say, because it might have been weird in front of Annabeth's father. But at that moment, I knew how important our adventure had been… what really happened… making a mental note to tell Annabeth later. "Thank you."

Then Frederick Chase turned to Gabe Ugliano. "Well, this is the lousy upstart who tried to rob me, isn't it?"

Gabe Ugliano sighed. "Go ahead, say what you want."

"I'm going to refrain from saying some of the things that I'd like to say…" Annabeth's dad said, clearing his throat.

"Oh, I said everything," Leo replied, grinning.

"He wanted to kill you, Dad," Annabeth told him. "Just like he killed Leo and Percy's mothers."

"Oh, is that so?" Frederick Chase murmured, his voice becoming colder as he glared at Gabe Ugliano. "Well, then…"

"Come on," Leo said, starting for the door, "I'm starting to feel sick from spending so much time in the same room with him."

I had to agree. The three of us followed Leo out of the room and back into the hall, where my father was waiting.

Once again, Frederick Chase went into conversation with him, and Leo turned to Annabeth and I. "Well, I should head back to the shop," he said, sounding deflated, as if all the anger that had previously been in him was replaced by sadness.

"Hey, Leo," I said, placing my hand on his shoulder, "I know exactly how you feel about all of this. And don't worry - Annabeth and I will visit you again sometime."

That made Leo smile a little, and he said bye again before leaving the building.

Just then, Annabeth's father turned toward her. "Well, Annabeth, we should be getting home soon."

Annabeth looked at me sadly. Oh, no! I thought. I'll never get to tell her about what I was thinking about before!

"Wait a minute," my father interrupted. "Annabeth, I was going to ask you earlier, but we got interrupted. I am so grateful for how much you helped my son on his mission, and you demonstrated the true aspects of an F.B.I. agent. If it's alright with your father, how would you like to work here?"

Annabeth's eyes widened. "I… I… Dad?"

Frederick Chase smiled. "You earned it, my dear."

Her face lit up, and she turned to my father. "Then yes!"

"Great," my father answered, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

"Well, then, I suppose I'll have to talk to you a little longer, about the new matters…" Frederick Chase said to him, and they enveloped back into conversation while Annabeth turned to me.

"Um, you wanna…" I began.

"Go outside?" Annabeth suggested.

That was a good idea. "Sure. I think I know the perfect spot."