"Come on," I urged the traffic, even if they couldn't hear me. Being late to pick up your kids is never, ever fun. "Really? Are you kidding me?"

My phone beeped in the passenger seat. Where are you? -T

"I'm on my way, sweetie!" I called to the phone. Of course, Taylor wasn't hearing me either. The traffic just wouldn't go faster.

Mom, I really need you!!! -T

"Ugh, don't you see the traffic, honey?" I groaned.

It's urgent. -T

"I don't have any control over these stupid-" The traffic picked up then, and soon I was speeding my way down to Brookside. I turned to see a young woman (probably a child of Aphrodite) bent over, trying to replace her tire. Of course all the cars with men in them stopped to catch of glispse of her. Men.

I pulled into the parking lot, where Taylor was anxiously awaiting my arrival. By her side was a nervous looking girl around her age. They bolted for the car.

"Taylor, I don't appreciate it when you have friends tag along without telling me-"

"Drive, drive, drive!!!!" Taylor screamed. Only then did I see the flames billowing up from the atheltic fields. I pressed my foot to the accelerator.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" I screamed. I could hear something behind me. I didn't want to know what it was.

"Mom, I don't have time to explain!" Taylor's breath was heavy, but the girl next to her wasn't breathing at all. "We have to go to Camp."

"Camp?! Are you crazy? I have a roast in the oven!" Gods, what a housewife I'd become.

"Baylor needs to go, Mom!" I turned around for a split second, getting a good look at this Baylor girl. She had long brown hair, with pretty ringlets framing her face. Her tan skin was bruised and scratched in more places than one. Her lip was split open, blood forming a droplet there. 

The images flashed through my mind of the times when my friends were in their own times of need. "Half-blood?" I asked simply. There was no way I was lugging a human to Camp... I'd just bring her to the hospital.

"Yeah," Baylor spoke, but her voice sounded pained. 

We were on the highway now. It would be hours before we'd be at Camp, and the thing on our tail was about to wreak havoc on the city of Boston. 

"Hang on, girls," I said through gritted teeth. "We're changing out plan."

While Taylor's experience and knowledge of strategy was practically irrelevant, I took matters into my own hands. If we were playing his game, it would be on our terms, on our playing field. 

"Mom...!" Taylor grabbed the seat, knuckles white with fear. Baylor looked like she was going to throw up. My eyes were locked dead ahead, where a pack of angry hellhounds growled at us. And believe me, these were no Mrs. O'Leary dogs. 

I drove straight ahead, squeezing my eyes shut because I knew the impact could kill us all, or save us all from death. When we hit, my entire skeleton shook. 

The car drove threw the barricades, up the bridge that was still under construction. I felt the adrenaline rush I hadn't felt in years, and I got that feeling where I shoud've been filmed. 

The hellhounds were yards behind us, but not far enough. "C'mon," I urged, pressing my foot down harder. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon!" 

Foom. We were on solid land again, and the bridge was collapsing behind us. There goes Plan A. On to Plan A.2. 

The car creaked through the forest, smoke coming up from the engine. I drove slowly, knowing that I couldn't go fast with so many trees around. 

Howls echoed through the darkness. The hellhounds live to see another day. "Holy Hades, they don't give up." 

We finally reached our destination. The moon was shielded from the place by the trees that loomed over it, peace and fright belonging to the same place. We were at an abandoned military base. 

"Here we are," I said, pulling the car over. Baylor's face was pale and sickly. Taylor's heart was pounding so loud that I could hear it. I forced myself out of the car, dragging Taylor and Baylor (ha, Taylor and Baylor, funny) behind me. I found the bunker where I'd slept years ago. My condition had been ten times worse then. 

"What is this place?" Taylor asked, running her fingers along the wall. A continual drip from a leaky old pipe echoed in the tunnel. Our footsteps were silent, but Taylor's voice carried. 

"It's an old military base," I said, turning right and hoping it was the right way. "I came here a long time ago, knew it was safe."

"What for, Mrs. Jackson?" Baylor asked. "If you don't mind me asking."

The images flashed through my mind again. Winter, between 2006 and 2007. I was 14 years old that winter. It had been awful; I was tracked down by a pack of lycanthropes, and there was no way I could kill them with my stupid bronze knife. I was just about dead, when Athena guided to the base. She showed me the bunker, which had been kept in great condition regarding medical supplies and clothing. And for some reason, no one could ever find it. I stayed there for about a week before I was healthy enough to return home. 

I didn't tell Baylor all that though. "I was chased down a while back," 

The girl was satisfied with that answer. We entered the bunker, and Taylor gasped. "Wow."

Inside, rows of beds stretched as far as you could see, piled three high. Huge boxes with bright red + signs on them marked the medical supplies. The blue boxes housed non-perishable food. But most magnificent of all was the left wall. On it, thousands of names were scribbled, dated from hundreds of years ago to last summer. The bucket of paint still sat there, where I'd left it and found it during my stay there. 

Baylor moaned in pain as Taylor rubbed some Neosporin on the gash the ran along her thigh. Her jeans were stained with blood. 

"OW!!!!!!!!!" She screeched. Taylor shut her eyes, holding her hands over her ears. 

"Here," I said, taking Taylor's place. "I'll do this... you go find some food and clothes." I took out a bandage, wrapping it around Baylor's leg. Pounding shook the lanterns that hung from the ceiling. The hellhounds were above us. 

"Is that-" Taylor had returned, arms full of goodies. 

"Yes," I said, motioning for them to find a place to sleep. "We're going to have a long night."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Hey guys... you asked for action, so... here's my rendition! What do you think?

I'm sorry I didn't update earlier like I meant to... I kept putting it off because of stupid reasons like school. UGH. 

I have to babysit for my neighbors in an hour, which should be fun, but I hope you all enjoy the update!

QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: 

What do you want to happen in the next chapter?

XO

~PercyAnnabeth20owl