Athena did go home, but not to panic. She needed to plan. The group was struggling without Dyo, that much was clear from what Ajax had said. But Dyo wouldn't go back to the group until Bree apologised to Athena for believing she was the spy. And Bree wasn't going to apologise until she uncovered the real spy. Athena knew who the spy was, but no one - not even Dyo - was going to believe her until she had indisputable proof. She needed to find it and fast.
Athena jumped as she heard the lock click behind her and the doorway open. Cress entered the flat, followed by the very person Athena was suddenly eager to see.
"Castor." He turned at the sound of his name, his eyes darkening as they met hers.
"Miss Mills, how are you? Still fraternising with your band of renegades?" His voice was cold. Cress fidgeted nervously beside him.
Athena shook her head. "I haven't spoken to them for weeks. I'm sorry I couldn't keep gathering information with you; it just didn't feel right."
His expression softened slightly. "I understand that. It was a lot of responsibility for someone so young."
"I feel really bad. I know how important you thought it was that someone kept an eye on them."
He was quiet for a moment, debating how best to reply. "Please don't lose any sleep over it," he told her at last. "I've managed to solve that problem without your help."
It was as good an admission that there was a spy as Athena was likely to get. Before she could ask any more questions, Castor's glasses flashed. He stood rigidly for a moment, reading something on the screen, then turned back to Cress.
"I'm sorry, Cressida, that was a message from work. I'm going to have to rush back."
"But you've-"
"I'm sorry! And Athena, please rest assured those terrorists won't be bothering the city again after today. Cressida, I'll call you later with more details."
He turned and left before she could protest further.
"Cress-"
"I've got an essay to finish." She choked out before she rushed into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her. Athena looked at the door for a moment, indecision warring inside her, then she threw on her shoes and coat on and followed Castor out of the Downing Street halls.
What had he meant when he said that the group wouldn't be a problem after today? It couldn't be anything good.
Dyo? Where are you right now? She sent across to Dyo; while she was confident that following Castor was the smart thing to do, she wasn't reckless enough to try it alone.
Out for a run in St James' park. Want to meet for lunch when I'm done? Dyo replied almost immediately.
Not exactly... I'm kind of in the process of following Castor Grant. - Athena
You're what? - Dyo
I've got a bad feeling; I think the group's in danger. We're just passing through Trafalgar. I'm sharing my location with you now so you can find me. - Athena
Dyo didn't reply again, but he accepted the invitation she sent him on friend finder. He would catch her up soon.
Athena almost lost sight of Castor twice in the crowded city streets. She followed him through Trafalgar and north along Charing Cross Road, his head down and his steps determined. Athena was passing an advertisement for Freedom Pet Insurance when Dyo reached her. He squeezed her hand and she nodded in Castor's direction. He'd come to a stop outside of a cafe.
Sat at a small bistro table, flanked by two FI employees and jigging his leg nervously, was Hermes.
Athena gestured to a shoe shop on their right and the pair dipped inside before Castor and Hermes could spot them. Athena was about to speak when Dyo silenced her with a nod in the direction of the sales assistant.
"What about these?" he said instead, gesturing to a pair of teal heels in the window. From the shoes, they had a clear view of the group in front of the cafe.
It looks like I owe you an apology - it would appear you were right about Hermes. - Dyo
Right now I'm sort of wishing I hadn't been. What do you think is going on? Castor said some pretty ominous things in the flat. - Athena
I wish we could hear what they were saying. - Dyo
Dyo, your desperation not to fully integrate with the technology you have available to you is really irritating sometimes. Just download the lipreading app. It's not perfect, but it should give us an idea of what they're saying. - Athena
Hermes was sitting at more of an angle than the application liked, but it was the best they were going to get without risking exposure. Athena loaded the app on her own glasses and directed them towards the men outside.
C: Are you sure they're in there? He indicated to the building across the road with a nod. It looked long abandoned, with only a dilapidated, red F and Y left hanging above one of the entrances.
H: I watched them ho in myself. Ask your goons if you don't believe me. I still don't understand while you're treating pea like the criminal.
Dyo raised an eyebrow at Athena.
I told you it was buggy! - Athena
C: I aunt afford to take any risks with this. I hauled in a lot of favours to get the FI security team out here at all. If you're wrong, I'll be a laughing stock at the institute.
H: Well they're all there. I don't know what you think you're going to be able to a vest them for, put they're inside.
Horrible application errors aside, Athena was beginning to understand what was happening.
C: Leave that to my security team. They'll be here in ten minutes.
Dyo and Athena looked at each other, eyes wide.
"Excuse me, miss, would you like to try those on?" A sales assistant patted Athena on the arm to get her attention. Her eyes - rimmed in thick emerald eyeliner - took in Athena's lack of pop clothing with a look of derision. Athena stepped swiftly back from the window.
"Actually," Dyo began, putting his arm around Athena's waist and turning her towards the door. "I've just got an alert on the feeds to say there's a sale on in the shop down the street. Come on, Sweetheart, we should check there first."
They were out the door before the sales assistant could reply. Heads down, they hung left, away from the cafe.
"Sweetheart?" Athena whispered when they were far enough away.
"I panicked. Don't get used to it."
"Whatever you say, Buttercup. Come on, we can cross here."
Bree, you're surrounded by the FI. You need to get out! The message immediately bounced back unread, signalling that she'd been blocked.
"I can't get a message to her, can you?"
Dyo shook his head. "Everyone but Sephy, Orion and Ajax blocked me after the argument at Bree's house. Ajax won't be in there, as he's giving a second year lecture on the rise of the Antarctican state and I don't want to dwell for too long on what Sephy and Orion are likely to be up to."
"So, if we're going to get a message to Bree, it needs to be in person."
"I'm afraid so." They slipped down a side road, following the street map Athena loaded on her glasses and looping around until they was at the back of the building. More letters had survived on this sign, so it read F-YL-S. The door opened when Dyo pushed it and they found themselves inside a huge, empty space. Whatever this building had been previously, it was gutted now. It was also empty of people, on this floor at least. There were two staircases leading upwards.
"We should split up to cover more ground," Dyo suggested in a whisper.
"I have never come across a story where that ended well. We're staying together. Let's start with these stairs." Without giving him a chance to protest, Athena took Dyo by the hand and led him to the nearest staircase.
The second floor was as empty as the first. The third was too. Only one staircase led from the third floor to the forth and they had to cross most of the floor to reach it. Before they were a metre from the bottom, two figures hurriedly descended towards them.
"It's Dyo and Athena!" Penelope called to the top floor.
"What are you doing here?" Thalia asked. Her deep brown eyes were lined with heavy eyeliner, making her surprise even more pronounced.
"The Freedom Institute are outside preparing to storm the building. You need to get out now!" Athena said in a rush.
"What?" Bree had descended the stairs and was now standing between the girls. "If the FI are here, it's probably as part of a trap that you set. Are they waiting for you to lead us out to them?"
"Bree, Athena isn't working for the Freedom Institute! But Hermes is. He's sat outside a cafe beside Castor Grant right now. You can look out of a window if you don't believe us!"
Bree remained where she was, but Thalia headed over to the front facing window, her bright skirt swishing behind her.
"They're right, Bree," she called back, a moment later. "Castor, Hermes and three other FI clones."
Bree swore.
"He told us he couldn't come today," Penny said, her voice sad. "He was too busy with work."
"What are they waiting for?" Bree asked.
"For reinforcements. Then they're going to storm the building," Dyo replied.
"And you know this how?" Penelope asked, her arms folded across her chest.
"Because we followed Castor here to find out what he was up to. Please, we can resume the 'is Athena a spy' discussions later. Right now we need to evacuate the building or we're all going to be accused of sabotaging the feeds this morning and thrown into jail," Athena snapped, losing her patience.
"But we haven't done anything to the feeds!" Bree replied defensively.
Athena rolled her eyes. Why weren't they listening to them properly? They didn't have time to debate this.
"Bree, those three FI employees have now grown to almost three dozen. We need to listen to Athena and get out now, before it's too late," Thalia said, sounding panicked.
"Guys, we're leaving!" Bree shouted up the stairs.
Ismene, Ino, Orpheus, Ares, Percy, Don and Hera all descended the stairs, eyeing Dyo and Athena with varying degrees of nervousness through to hostility. Only Ismene smiled at them. Athena tried not to let their coldness affect her; getting out was the only thing that mattered right now.
They didn't even make it down the first stair before the crash of the doors opening echoed beneath them.
Back upstairs! Bree sent across to the assembled group and they returned to the floor the others had just vacated.
It looked as though the group had been meeting here for some time: a hodgepodge of furniture had been assembled in the space, which was almost a quarter of the size of the floor below.
What now? Don asked, looking to Bree.
We need to get onto the roof. We should be able to get onto the building next door, then we can find our way down from there when the coast is clear. Bree directed them to a west facing window. A rusty, long disused ladder clung to the side of the external wall beside it. It didn't look like it would support one of them, let alone survive eleven people climbing it - one of whom, Ares, probably weighed as much as Athena, Penny and Thalia put together.
It's our only option. Bree sent, sensing their reluctance. It's this or the FI.
I'll take my chances on the ladder. Penelope said, bravely perching on the window ledge and swinging onto the ladder. The group waited in silence for a few seconds until she sent: I'm up and it held. Ready for the next one. Thalia followed her, then Hera, Ismene, Ino, Orpheus and Percy. Bree refused to take her turn and Don wouldn't go without her.
You next, Athena. Dyo insisted.
Despite her eagerness to get out of the building, Athena was reluctant to chance her life to the ancient ladder. At least an FI prison cell wouldn't kill her...
Athena swallowed her concerns, knowing that she was holding the others up.
Don't look down, she told herself as the wind struck her face. Her feet shook as she balanced on the ledge, her quivering hands reaching for the ladder. Don't look down. She gripped the ladder until her knuckles grew white and her fingers hurt, then she moved her feet from ledge to metal. Don't look down. Rung one. Rung two. Rung three. The metal creaked. Don't look down. Rung four. Rung five. Don't- a bird swooped past, the flap of its wings startling Athena and breaking her concentration. She looked down.
The world stood in miniature four floors beneath her. Her stomach plummeted past her toes. Her vision swam.
Athena, look up! Ismene.
She did as she was commanded and saw Ismene's worried face hanging over the edge of the building, Orpheus beside her. She focused her eyes on Ismene's, refusing to let them flicker downwards. Rung six. Rung seven. Rung eight. She was almost at the top. Two more rungs and she was there. Hands caught her and helped her off the ladder and onto the roof.
She made it. Who's next? Ismene sent. A few seconds later, Bree was beside Athena on the roof, then Don, and then, to her immense relief, Dyo. Only Ares was left below.
Athena's legs had been reduced to jelly. They weren't out of danger yet, but she wasn't sure how she was going to move from this spot, let alone get off the roof.
She was distracted from her fear by the sound of the ladder creaking ominously as Ares climbed the first rung. As he progressed further the ladder it continued to groan and clank.
"It's not going to survive!" Orpheus told Bree in a hushed tone.
"It has to," was all she could say in response.
They were both right. Ares made it onto the roof, taking Orpheus and Dyo's outstretched hands when the metal gave way. They worked together to haul him, and the ladder that he'd clung onto with his legs, over the edge of the roof.
To Athena's amazement, Ares looked entirely unfazed by the turn of events. Instead, he untangled the ladder from his legs and lifted it gleefully. "At least they won't guess we're up here now!"
Orpheus shook his head. "We need to get you checked out, mate. My heart feels like it's about to explode and you're cracking jokes."
"Come on, we still need to get off this roof," Bree said, directing them towards the neighbouring building.
This wasn't as challenging as Athena expected as their building was joined to a series of others and they were able to move a considerable distance from their starting point without making any of the terrifying jumps she'd been worried about.
"Here will do," Bree said, coming to a stop next to a door that was marked 'fire escape'. "I've just checked on the feeds and this is a residential block. No one will notice a few extra people walking along the corridors and out the front door if we're casual." Ares pushed hard, forcing the door to buckle open and they headed down the staircase and into the apartment block.
Bree was right. It was the middle of the day and they didn't pass anyone as they walked along the top corridor and climbed into the lift that took them to the ground floor. Once they were out on the street, Bree encouraged them to scatter. "I'm going to double back towards the book shop," she said, starting off along the pavement. "I want to see what happens."
"I'll come with you," Athena said, jogging to catch up before Bree could protest. It didn't matter what Bree said; she'd got them out of that building and she wasn't going to let Bree turn her away. To her surprise, Bree nodded, accepting her company. She shook her head when Don and Dyo tried to join them too though.
"Too many of us and we'll stick out," Bree told them. Reluctant to protest, Don dropped back. Dyo gave Athena a reassuring nod before he left with Ares, leaving Athena and Bree to continue alone.
A crowd had formed around the cafe where Hermes and Castor had been based. The girls manoeuvred their way nearer to the front, careful to keep enough people between them that they wouldn't be spotted.
"They were in there, I swear!" Hermes was frantic. Two FI employees forced his hands behind his back, cuffing them. "They must have been warned! Scour the nearby buildings and streets; you'll find them, I promise!" He turned his head, trying to plead with his captors, who remained as unmoved by his words as they were by the tears running down his cheeks.
Castor was red faced and fuming, talking angrily to someone on his feed glasses. The members of the Freedom Security team were looking at him with outright derision.
"They're setting me up!" Hermes screamed as he was marched away.
Bree turned to Athena, grinning. "Thank you for the warning. It looks like I owe you an apology: I really am sorry."
Athena shrugged, trying to seem nonchalant, but she struggled to keep the beaming smile from her face. "What next?" she asked, looking across at Bree, who was staring at Castor, her expression dark. "I'm tired of being persecuted and framed. I think it's time for us to bring the fight to the Freedom Institute."
{Posting this from a campsite, so I hope it works! Please vote or comment if you enjoyed this chapter!}