“W-Wait!” Annabeth cried desperately as the phone was disconnected. Annabeth held the phone in her hands, wishing that it would re-connect again. 

“What happened?” Thalia asked, as Annabeth glanced at her watch and started counting down thirty minutes. “Did she do anything to Percy?” 

“She…” Annabeth murmured. “She asked me to…” the word begged couldn’t seem to leave her mouth, “do something to prevent Percy from being tortured…” 

“That bastard!” Thalia exclaimed. Katie nodded in agreement. “How could she do something like that? That’s… gruesome!” 

Annabeth looked at the phone again. Mrs Jackson was not in camp? That could probably mean… 

“Have you seen Sally?” Annabeth asked Katie. “Percy said Sally wasn’t in camp.” 

Katie laughed nervously. 

“I haven’t really seen Sally…” 

Annabeth sighed. Well, so much for witnesses. 

“When did you last see her?” Thalia asked. “When she gave you that phone, right?” 

Katie nodded uncertainly. 

“I’m sorry, but I don’t remember really well…” 

Suspicion rose in Annabeth’s senses, but once again she shook it off, the thought of Percy’s mom too busy occupying her mind. 

“Anyways, we should try to trace back where Percy’s mom went.” Annabeth said. “Though I have a feeling…” 

“I saw her.” A voice said behind Annabeth. Annabeth spun around, dagger at hand, only to find a familiar face looking at her. 

“Ah, Nico!” Annabeth said gladly. “You saw Sally?” 

“Yes.” 

“That’s great,” said Thalia sarcastically. “Now tell us, emo boy.” 

Nico stared at Thalia with an annoyed expression on his face. 

“I do not respond to intrusive content, beg your pardon.” 

“Now, now,” Annabeth turned to Thalia. “Let’s not get rude.” Though saying this, Annabeth felt extremely annoyed with Nico’s stubborn behaviour even at such a crucial moment. “Nico, please will you tell us?” 

Nico turned to Katie almost robotically. 

“Weren’t you with her? I saw you with her.” 

Katie squeaked. 

“It was… I-I was bringing her back to her cabin! That’s what I was doing!” 

Thalia and Annabeth exchanged glances. 

“Oh, pity.” Nico commented. “I thought you could have helped me tell what happened.” 

Katie looked at Nico expectantly. 

“G-Go on!” 

Thalia raised a suspicious eyebrow.

“I walked past Sally while she was looking for her phone. She seemed to be extremely frustrated about losing it and said she wouldn’t be able to contact Percy without it.” Nico said slowly, as if he was choosing his words carefully. “I volunteered to help her f-“ 

“You VOLUNTEERED to HELP?!” Thalia shouted in disbelief. “You have to be kidding, young man! You don’t even help Hazel do the laundry!” 

“Well, excuse me, but I can be a gentleman sometimes.” Nico shot back, seemingly offended, yet his expression unchanged. “So, while I was helping her, someone wearing a black hoodie just kind of appeared, walked to me, and told me to leave them alone, so I went away, and the next minute, Sally followed that person in a hoodie and left camp.”

Thalia snorted.

“Much cliché, di Angelo, man in a hoodie, did you make this up?” 

Nico ignored her. Annabeth couldn’t help a small smile. 

“Is the person in a hoodie a man or a woman?” she asked. 

Nico shrugged.

“That person told you to back off, remember?” Thalia snapped. “You should have deduced his or her gender by voice.” 

“That person only motioned me to go away, he or she didn't speak out loud.” 

“Please tell me you followed or know where Sally is.” 

At that, Nico smiled deliriously. 

“As a matter of fact, I do know.” Nico smiled one of his crooked smiles. “But I didn’t follow Sally, I followed Katie.” 

Everyone turned to look at Katie. Katie’s face was as pale as a sheet, as if it was drained of all blood, she gulped loudly. 

“N-Nico, I did-didn’t follow Sally…” 

“I never said you followed Sally, Miss Gardner. I only said I followed you.” 

Katie’s eyes went wide as she noticed she just blew her own cover. 

“I…I…” Tears formed in Katie’s eyes. “I’m so…sorry!” the poor girl hid her face in her hands. “They… they got Will… they got Will, and I couldn’t… I just… I’m…” 

“Hey hey hey, shhh. It’s okay, it’s okay.” Annabeth held the trembling Katie in her arms. “I understand, Katie. I know.” 

Thalia was fuming. Her face was as red as a tomato as she looked as if she was going to shred Katie into pieces.

“You little…” 

“Thals, Thals, hey. She didn’t want to, she was forced to. Give her a break.” Annabeth calmed down her friend while soothing Katie. 

“I never knew you were so motherly, Annabeth.” 

Annabeth raised an eyebrow at Nico’s comment. 

“I never knew you were so smart as well.” 

Nico raised an eyebrow. 

“Was that supposed to be a compliment?” 

Annabeth forced a sarcastic smile. 

“Was yours?” 

Nico didn’t reply. 

“So what are we gonna do with this little nasty?” Thalia asked, eyeing Katie in a disgusted way. Katie blinked away tears. 

“I’m sorry, but, I… just can’t leave Will…” 

“Look, Katie, it would be awesome if you could tell us what you know 'bout them, then we could save Percy.” 

Katie looked at her toes, a tear rolling down her cheek.

“They… they told me to take away Sally’s… Sally’s phone… a-and, then give it t-to Percy… then Will… he’ll be safe. But then… they told me to fol-follow Sally… and that hoodie thing… she just… I didn’t get to the hiding p-place...” 

Annabeth felt a lump at her throat.

“So… you don’t know where the hiding place is.” 

Katie shook her head, tears falling from her eyes as she did so. 

“But I know Gaea is in this, and she isn’t the only one.” 

“Who’s her partner?” 

Katie shook her head again. She used the back of her hand to wipe away the tears smeared on her face.

Silence.

Who? Annabeth ransacked her brains. Kronos? Eros? Erebus? Nyx? Typhon?

Who is it?

“Medusa.” 

Thalia turned to Nico, her expression unimpressed. 

“Seriously? Medusa? Got anything better?” 

“I knew where they went. Couldn’t catch the name, but, I remember there’s something with Aunty Em…” 

Annabeth’s eyes widened. 

"Aunty Em's Gnome Emporium?!” 

Nico nodded. 

“Yeah.” 

Annabeth cursed under her breath. Why didn't she thought of that earlier? 

“It’s Medusa. It has to be Medusa.”