Backbiter by Annabeth Chase

Chapter Six: Clarisse Kills a Hydra

(The Sea of Monsters pg 135-150)

Our lifeboat raced through the waves as though it was a speedboat, and we tried to contact Chiron to tell him about Luke's plan. With the bad connection and loud noises from both ends of the Iris message, there was no telling how much information got through. He told us that he would be watching for us if we got out of the Sea of Monsters alive and something about Miami.

Shortly after we lost the connection I recognized where we were and got Percy's attention. "That's Virginia Beach! Oh, my gods, how did the Princess Andromeda travel so far overnight! That's like –"

Before I could estimate the distance Percy blurted out, "Five hundred and thirty nautical miles."

"How did you know that?"

"I –" he looked confused, "I'm not sure." I supposed it was possible that being a son of Poseidon would include the ability to navigate the oceans.

"Percy, what's our position?"

"36 degrees 44 minutes north, 76 degrees 2 minutes west," he said without hesitation then shook his head like his brain was not behaving. "Woah, how did I know that?"

I was almost bouncing up and down with excitement over the new information, but I explained, "Because of your dad! When you're at sea, you have perfect bearings. That is so cool!" Not to mention how much easier it would be to find the island we were looking for in the Sea of Monsters.

I was excitedly thinking through the implications of that and wasn't really paying attention to our surroundings until Tyson said, "Other boat is coming." When I looked to where he was pointing, I saw that it was a Coast Guard vessel that was following us.

"We can't let them catch us, they'll ask too many questions," Percy said, looking to me for a solution.

I didn't love the idea, but it was definitely our best option, so I told him, "Keep going into Chesapeake Bay. I know a place we can hide."

We navigated the boat into the bay and then up the James River as I looked for the place I hadn't been to since I was seven. When I saw the right piece of shoreline I pointed and told Percy, "There past that sandbar."

We beached the boat and got out, "Come on, It's just down the bank."

"What is?" Percy asked.

"Just follow, and we better cover the boat. We don't want to draw attention." We covered the boat, grabbed our supplies and I led the way up the bank towards the hideout.

When we got there, I pulled back the makeshift door and crawled into the shelter Thalia, Luke and I had stayed at right after they had found me. I hadn't been back since then, but it looked just the way we had left it. There were weapons, camping supplies, and it felt more like home than anywhere else I had ever been. If only Luke and Thalia were here with me, I thought but quickly shoved the idea from my mind. That would never again be possible.

"A half-blood hideout," Percy said in awe. "You made this place?"

"Thalia and I," I said and paused before adding, "and Luke."

"So... you don't think Luke will look for us here," he asked. It was a logical concern, but I shook my head.

"We made a dozen safehouses like this. I doubt Luke even remembers where they are ... Or cares."

I didn't want to talk about it, even with Percy. I knew Luke wanted us to find the Fleece and having his security feed us to the drakon had clearly been for show. Despite that, seeing Luke, seeing how much he had changed ... If I tried to talk about it, I would just end up sobbing and we didn't have time for that. I dropped my duffle bag and tried to focus on seeing what all Hermes had packed for us.