WORTH | jason grace¹

33

╔═══════════════╗

33. Protector

╚═══════════════╝

Air traffic control didn't want to let an unscheduled helicopter land at the Oakland Airport—until Piper got on the radio. Then it turned out to be no problem. They unloaded on the tarmac, and everyone looked at Piper.

"What now?" Jason asked her.

"First thing," she said. "I—I have to get my dad home. I'm sorry, guys."

Their faces fell.

"Oh," Leo said. "I mean, absolutely. He needs you right now. We can take it from here."

"Pipes, no." Her dad had been sitting in the helicopter doorway, a blanket around his shoulders. But he stumbled to his feet. "You have a mission. A quest. I can't—"

"I'll take care of him," said Coach Hedge.

Lorna stared at him. The satyr was the last person she'd expected to offer.

"You?" Lorna asked.

"I'm a protector," Gleeson said. "That's my job, not fighting. " He sounded a little crestfallen. Then Hedge straightened, and set his jaw. "Of course, I'm good at fighting, too." He glared at them all, daring them to argue.

"Yes," Jason said.

"Great." Lorna said.

"Terrifying," Leo agreed.

The coach grunted. "But I'm a protector, and I can do this. Your dad's right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest."

"But ... Dad ..." He held out his arms, and Piper hugged him

"Let's give them a minute," Lorna said, and they took the pilot a few yards down the tarmac.

Lorna watched as they said tearful goodbyes. Then Piper gave her dad a vial from her pocket. He drank the pink liquid. His eyes rolled up into his head, and he slumped forward. Piper caught him, and her friends ran up to help.

"Got him," Hedge said. The satyr stumbled, but he was strong enough to hold Tristan McLean upright. "I already asked our ranger friend to call up his plane. It's on the way now. Home address?"

Piper checked her dad's pocket, and took out his BlackBerry.

"Everything's on here," Piper said. "Address, his chauffeur's number. Just watch out for Jane."

Hedge's eyes lit up, like he sensed a possible fight. "Who's Jane?"

By the time Piper explained, her dad's sleek white Gulfstream had taxied next to the helicopter. Hedge and the flight attendant got Piper's dad on board. Then Hedge came down one last time to say his good-byes. He gave Piper and Lorna a hug and glared at Jason and Leo.

"You cupcakes take care of the girls, you hear? Or I'm gonna make you do push-ups."

"You got it, Coach," Leo said, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"No push-ups," Jason promised.

Piper gave the old satyr one more hug. "Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please."

"I got this, McLean," he assured her. "They got root beer and veggie enchiladas on this flight, and one hundred percent linen napkins—yum! I could get used to this."

"Satyrs and their enchiladas." Lorna shook her head as Coach sent her a grin.

Trotting up the stairs, he lost one shoe, and his hoof was visible for just a second. The flight attendant's eyes widened, but she looked away and pretended nothing was wrong. Lorna figured she'd probably seen stranger things, working for Tristan McLean. When the plane was heading down the runaway, Piper started to cry. Lorna hugged her, and Leo and Jason stood uncomfortably nearby, pulling Kleenex out of his tool belt.

"Your dad's in good hands," Lorna said. "You did amazing. "

"Thank you, guys," Piper said. "I—"

Then, right next to Jason, the air began to shimmer. At first Lorna thought it was heat off the tarmac, or maybe gas fumes from the helicopter, but she realised it was an Iris message. An image appeared in the air—a dark-haired girl in silver winter camouflage, holding a bow. Jason stumbled back in surprise. "Thalia!"

"Thank the gods," said the Hunter. The scene behind her was hard to make out, but Lorna heard yelling, metal clashing on metal, and explosions.

"We've found her," Thalia said. 

"Is she dead?" Lorna asked.

"Sadly, no. Where are you?"

"Oakland," Jason said. "Where are you?"

"The Wolf House! Oakland is good; you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset, or it's all over."

"Then it's not too late?" Piper cried.

Hope surged through Lorna, but Thalia's expression quickly dampened it.

"Not yet," Thalia said. "But Jason—it's worse than I realized. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry."

"But where is the Wolf House?" he pleaded.

"Our last trip," Thalia said, her image starting to flicker. "The park. Jack London. Remember?"

This made no sense to Lorna, but Jason looked like he'd been shot. He tottered, his face pale, and the Iris message disappeared.

"Bro, you all right?" Leo asked. "You know where she is?"

"Yes," Jason said. "Sonoma Valley. Not far. Not by air."

Piper turned to the ranger pilot, who'd been watching all this with an increasingly puzzled expression.

"Ma'am," Piper said with her best smile. "You don't mind helping us one more time, do you?"

"I don't mind," the pilot agreed.

"We can't take a mortal into battle," Jason said. "It's too dangerous."

He turned to Leo. "Do you think you could fly this thing?"

"Um ..." Leo's expression didn't exactly reassure Lorna. But then he put his hand on the side of the helicopter, concentrating hard, as if listening to the machine.

"Bell 412HP utility helicopter," Leo said. "Composite fourblade main rotor, cruising speed twenty-two knots, service ceiling twenty-thousand feet. The tank is near full. Sure, I can fly it."

Piper smiled at the ranger again. "You don't have a problem with an under-aged unlicensed kid borrowing your copter, do you? We'll return it."

"I—" The pilot nearly choked on the words, but she got them out: "I don't have a problem with that."

Leo grinned. "Hop in, kids. Uncle Leo's gonna take you for a ride."

"We're hijacking a helicopter but that's totally fine." Lorna mused.