Piper

The next morning, the agents were there again at quarter to eight. They wrestled Percy, Nico, Hazel, and Jason to their feet. All of them save Nico were exhausted from the day before, Percy especially, who had had two shifts. I could feel the fear radiating off of Nico, who was trying to be brave. 

I met Jason's eye before he was pulled away. But then I heard a whisper in my ear. I looked to my right and then my left, but no one had spoken. I was about to brush it off when I heard it again. Go with the guards, McLean. You have some charmspeaking work to do today. It was Everette, using the so called 'brainwashing' to get me to do things. One of the guards stood waiting to take me away and I considered refusing, rubbing it in Everette's face that it didn't work on me. 

But then I thought, what would Annabeth do?

I decided I would play pretend for a little while longer. For as long as I could do get some information. Maybe I could find out more about the Drop Zones and where they took Calypso.

So I stood and exited the cell, ignoring the startled questions of my friends. I followed the agent, whose name tag read Reeds and he took me down the hallway after Jason and the others. By the time we got there, Jason, Hazel, and Nico were all in their respective Harvesters. Only Percy was on his knees in front of number one. He didn't say a word, just looked at the ground. 

"He won't move," an agent with the name Montgomery explained to Reeds. He then nudged me and used the ear piece to give me my command. It made me sick. Charmspeak him. Get him in the Harvester.

I swallowed hard and kept a straight face. I sank to my knees in front of Percy and made him look at me. His eyes were pleading, but so were mine. I flicked my eyes back to the agents and he instantly understood. He knew what I needed him to do. 

"Get in the Harvester," I told him, not an inch of charmspeak in my voice. He held my gaze for a moment more before doing as he was told. And it made me sick. Even though it wasn't charmspeak, I just told my friend to willingly get in a machine that would drain his demigod essence. In a machine that would cause him misery and agony for a straight eight hours. And he trusted me. He did as I asked without hesitating. It just goes to show how much he trusts me and what he's willing to do to keep me safe.

But am I really deserving of that trust? My question is answered as soon as they turn it on. Because I can see the misery and the agony in his eyes and I will never forgive myself. I don't even think I can stomach looking at Jason, so I just look away. Reeds takes the cue and leads me back down the hallway, then a right, a right, a left, some stairs, and then we're in the New Rome wing. 

And it's horrible. They don't even have decent living conditions. There's a whole lot of people down here, a whole lot of families. I see a mother clutching her young daughter to her. The mother can't stop crying. Everything about this place is a nightmare. 

The rest of the morning I'm sent around, ordering people to do things and coaxing people to follow orders. But mostly I'm comforting them. Whenever I can, whenever there isn't a guard watching, I charmspeak some peace and calm and comfort into these people. Everyone recognizes me since I'm one of the Seven, and they trust that I'm here to help. 

One little girl, Julia was her name, was so happy I was okay. She was thoroughly convinced that I was going to save everyone. I didn't have the heart to tell her she was wrong.

On the way back, Reeds had to take a detour into some high tech computer lab. He left me in the doorway, foolishly trusting me to be completely brainwashed, while he slipped through another door grumbling about being right back. It occurred to me then how dangerous my mission really was. If they ever found out I was faking to get information...Well I just knew I'd be in trouble.

I pushed that thought down and ran to a screen with a list pulled up. It was the same Harvester schedule posted in our cell. I switched to the next screen which was open to a different schedule featuring different names of different demigods. Some names I recognized, some I didn't.

But the next screen was labeled Drop Zones. I sat down at the chair. There were three Drop Zones listed with three names under each. The first Drop Zone was the Sonoran Desert, Mexico. Calypso's name was typed in green, and then Rachel and Reyna in red. A chill went up my spine. Calypso was in Mexico. And Rachel and Reyna weren't far behind her by the looks of it.

The Second Drop Zone was Hashima Island. I pulled up another tab and googled it. My jaw dropped as I clicked on a few pictures. Supposedly it's this super creepy abandoned coal mine off the coast of Japan. Travis Stoll was lit up green. Beneath it was Clovis and Valentina in red. Does that mean that Travis was in Japan right now? By himself on that horrifying island?

The Third Drop Zone was Chernobyl. That place I've heard of. It's a place in Ukraine that was nuclear bombed about 30 years ago. I've seen pictures and they sure aren't pretty. That place is super creepy and there are reports of mutant animals and people getting cancer from nuclear radiation. All three names, Connor Stoll, Cecil Markowitz, and Damien White, were in red. But looking closer, a little Tuesday was typed into the corner beside Connor's name. Today is Tuesday. Connor will be getting sent to Chernobyl today. There were other names under each, but I didn't recognize most of them.

It struck me that I should check when Rachel was supposed to be sent out when I heard a creek come from the back room. I closed out of the tab and raced to the doorway where I had about two seconds to gather my composure before Reeds came back into the room. He looked at me, frowned, and then shrugged. He passed right in front of the computer I was on and stopped in the doorway. 

He escorted me back to my cell, letting me walk myself in before closing the door behind me. Leo sprang to his feet, along with Will. "Are you okay?" Will asked, "Did they do something to you?"

"No," I muttered, still shocked at what I had found and the risky game I was playing. I didn't want to confront Leo and tell him, but he deserved to know. 

"I found some information on the Drop Zones," I said and that caught everyone's attention. Frank sat up a little straighter and Reyna and Rachel snapped to attention. "I found a list of the different Drop Zones and who Everette plans on sending where."

Leo was completely still. I turned to him. "Calypso's in Mexico. In the Sonoran Desert. The First Drop Zone," I said. Leo took a stumbling step backward and found a spot in the wall to stare at. His eyes were shining with unshed tears. 

"What else did you find out?" Reyna asked, glancing at Leo with sympathy. "The other Drop Zones are uh, Hashima Island and Chernobyl." Rachel shivered. "I've heard of those places. They're really creepy," she said. 

"Anything about who's going? Or who's where?" Frank asked. "I just know that Travis is on Hashima Island, Connor's scheduled to leave for Chernobyl today, and that Rachel and Reyna are both on the list for Mexico," I explained.

Rachel looked taken aback as she blinked fast approaching tears out of her eyes. Reyna puffed out a breath and set her jaw. "I figured it had something to do with the lack of a tattoo," she simply said. 

"Do you know when we're supposed to leave?" Rachel asked. I shook my head. "Maybe it's a pattern," Will suggested. He'd been quiet for a little while, so it startled me when he spoke. 

Reyna looked to be thinking it over. "It's been three days since Calypso was taken. There are three Drop Zones. It's got to be a rotation. One to a different Zone each day. And then it repeats itself."

Frank nodded, "That would make sense. But that would mean on day four, Wednesday, tomorrow, Rachel would be taken." Rachel gulped at that. "If Calypso is there than...than I think I'll be okay," Rachel was trying to be brave, but she was just a mortal. She totally didn't deserve to be in this situation. Not like any of us deserved to be here, but she's an Oracle, not a demigod. It just doesn't seem fair. But she chose this life when she chose to be Oracle. That means accepting all the risks that come with it.

We sat discussing probabilities for another two hours or so when the door opened again and Jason, Percy, Hazel, and Nico were shoved through the door. Nico fell and Will was right there to pick him back up. Jason stumbled to me and I gave him a kiss on the forehead because his breath smelt like puke. 

I tried for a smile. "Go brush your teeth, Sparky," He gave me a weak smile and limped over to the bathroom. Percy's eyes followed Jason and he made to go brush his teeth as well, but I stopped him. 

"Percy, I am so sorry," I started but he held up a hand to stop me. "I understand, Piper. It's okay. I would've ended up in there either way. And I know that look. Did you find anything out?" I allowed myself a smile and a nod.

He grinned at me and went to brush his teeth along with Hazel and Nico. I couldn't imagine going in a Harvester everyday where it causes you to throw up endlessly. That would majorly suck. After everyone came back from the bathroom, we sat and Frank filled everyone in on what I found out. I smiled at Hazel and she gave me a soft smile in return from where she was perched on Frank's lap, all curled up in a ball. 

I sat next to Jason, both of us leaning against the wall, my fingers intertwined with his fingers, my head on his shoulder. After awhile, Percy went and got comfortable in the corner and fell asleep. Hazel was the next asleep, due to both exhaustion and being in Frank's warm embrace as he rocked her back and forth.

About another three hours and Jason was asleep as well and I was left to whisper conversations with Reyna and Rachel. Jason's head was on my shoulder now. Nico and Will talked in hushed tones in the other corner and I heard the pitter patter of water in the showers, where I knew Leo to be, sulking alone.

Rachel and Reyna had long since fallen asleep, and the shower had long ago stopped and all that was left to hear was breathing and Leo's soft cries. And I found myself thinking about Connor. Has he arrived already? How is he fairing all on his own in such an infectious place. Would he be able to last okay for the four days until someone else shows up?

And I thought about Annabeth. Was she alright? It hurt that she wasn't here with us. Every major problem that comes up as a demigod, she's always there with her level head and her ideas. She's always got the perfect plan to solve our problems. Except this time, because of Everette, she just might be the cause of them. Because while she's under his brainwash, she's basically masterminding the entire operation. 

So I have to make it my focus to rescue her. As soon as I go out again for a charmspeak mission I will  find away to look for her and I will  find her. And I will  set her free.