The Fleece Job (Olympus Drive Chronicles)

Chapter 22: I almost get shot (again)

Ev

Having died from bullet wounds twice now, even I would think that I would take being held at gunpoint more seriously than I currently do.

"Who goes there!?" Jason points a handgun at Penny and I as we limp along the side of the river, still dripping wet. We are both exhausted and have yet to take our arms from other, hands slung around the other's back to keep us up right and sane.

"It's us, you idiot!" I growl.

"It can't be," Ari says, standing behind Jason and frowning all the time.

"It is! We lived!" I cry, annoyed.

"I! Do not! Think! That's Possible! I am now! Going to! Shoot you!" Jason says, very nicely and cheerfully for someone about to shoot us, "No hard feelings! But you are probably demons!"

"Demons can't do that," Penny says, knocking the gun out of his hand and to the ground, in order to walk right up to Ari to hug him.

"Can't they?" Jason asks.

"Bro, we need like, a secret handshake or something," I say, trying to give him a fist bump and he tries to shake my fist.

"What are you doing here?" Ari asks, squeezing Penny back as she hugs him.

"Rescuing you," she says.

"Where's Charon?" I ask, looking around.

"Lost him three streets ago. He got distracted by a coin glued to the ground," Jason says.

"He glued the coin to the ground," Ari supplies.

"Well great! Let's get out of here," I say, right before I'm bowled to the ground. It takes me two seconds to realize it's only my dad. He's shorter than me and generally quiet, so I often forget that he's just really really strong and perfectly capable of holding me in a vice like grip as long as he so desires.

He's clutching me like I'm a rag doll, kissing my cheeks and sobbing into my hair.

"What? Did you think I died?" I ask, amused.