Suspected Terrorists

《41》

Peter

The drive to Camp Half-blood was quiet. No one spoke. No one dared to even breathe heavily. A brooding tension hung over us, choking us slowly. I adjusted my mirror to check the guys in the back seat.

Grover bit his lip and rubbed the back of his hand, occasionally glancing over at Percy before averting his gaze back to the floor. I glanced over at Percy as well, who hadn't moved an inch since we'd gotten in the taxi. He remained hunched over, clenching Annabeth's sword in his fists. I thought back to what had happened.

I could only watch as Annabeth was dissolved in shadow and I could only stand, horrified, while Percy collapsed to his knees with an almighty cry of anguish. A wave of power rippled through the air, disintegrating all of the monsters to golden dust. I couldn't form words. Though luckily, I wouldn't need to seeing as Percy was barely conscious.

Grover and I rushed over to Percy. He was badly injured with bloody gashes across his chest. He was panting heavily and his half lidded eyes were wet with tears. He was quietly muttering Annabeth's name over and over like he was in a trance. Grover took him by the shoulders and shook him, trying to snap him out of his daze.

"Percy? Percy! Snap out of it!" He cried desperately.

I gently pulled Grover away. "Go and check on the taxi driver. Make sure he's okay. Call an ambulance if you have too." I handed him my phone which had a newly cracked screen. Grover glanced over at Percy, obviously hesitant to leave him like that. But I insisted, "He's in shock. I'll bring him over in a second. Check if the car works too."

Grover nodded and trotted back to the car. I turned to Percy and squatted down in front of him. I gently took his face and held it up to mine. "Percy," I said quietly. He did not look up. "Percy," I repeated. "It's me, Peter. I need you to snap out of it okay. We got a get to camp." He didn't look up. "Percy," I tried again. "Annabeth is still alive."

That got a reaction. He glanced up at me and took my hands off of his face. "What?" He choked.

"Annabeth got taken, but that doesn't mean she's gone. We're going to find her I promise but right now we need to get to camp."

This seemed to work. Percy stood and wobbled a little. He took a step and stumbled but I caught him. "We'll bandage your wound when we get to camp."

He nodded. Together, we trudged back to the taxi. Just before we reached it, Percy froze with his eyes fixated on a spot slightly to our left. There was something that looked like a bone resting on the ground. It took me a moment to recognise it as Annabeth's sword but by then, I'd helped Percy over to it and he'd picked it up. He grasped it tightly.

"We'll find her," I repeated once more. But despite my sincerity, I was growing less and less sure.

I swallowed the dry lump in my throat and turned back to the road. We were almost there. I took a turn onto Farm Road and drove along it for about five minutes until the familiar hill appeared. I had to really focus to see the dragon through the thick layer if mist, but knowing it was there helped. I stopped the car.