Seek and destroy (2)

"Luke, it's time to go!" shouted Thalia from the passenger seat of the car they had stolen.

It had been several days since they had left that cabin in the woods. Luke had said it wasn't safe to stay in one place for too long now that they were a large group. As soon as Annabeth had recovered, they decided to travel in the car which, conveniently, was perfect for five people. One at the wheel, one in the passenger seat, and three in the back seat.

Normally, it was Percy or Luke who drove. Since they were the ones who looked like they were old enough to have a driver's license. They took turns every couple of hours when one was tired or wanted to take a nap. That's what they had been doing these past few days. Traveling and stopping overnight to camp or go to a gas station for gas, supplies and bathroom breaks.

Right now, they were in Lost Creek National Park, Colorado. Why in an area so far away from the big cities? Because, according to Percy, it was better for them to be away from large accumulations of people, as monsters tended to hide in crowds.

They had stopped at a gas station on the side of the road to do just that. While Percy waited behind the wheel, the girls had gone to the bathroom and Luke went to buy whatever he could with the money he had stolen from a careless passerby. The guy looked like a bastard who wiped his ass with money, Thalia's words, so they felt no guilt about stealing his wallet. It was a jackpot. They had gotten two hundred and thirty-five dollars and several credit cards. The credit cards were useless, but the cash was more than welcome.

"What the hell is taking that idiot so long?" complained Thalia, tapping her finger on the armrest of the seat impatiently.

"Maybe he's in trouble?" asked Anabeth worriedly.

"O... Maybe he's eating the stuff he bought?" contributed Sammy.

-Selfish bastard. Knowing him, it's very likely," said Thalia, casting a grumpy glance at the gas station.

-I'll go get him," said Percy. "Thalia, get behind the wheel in case we have to make a quick getaway. Keep the engine running.

Percy watched Thalia nod before heading out the door.

He stretched his muscles, causing a satisfying creak of his joints. Sitting for a couple of hours was a bit stifling and even more so with the noisy company he was keeping,though that didn't bother him as much as he thought it would. Which he found somewhat curious.

Percy thought he'd better go find Luke, before Thalia started throwing sparks of electricity due to impatience. He'd seen it once before, and even though she looked cool doing that, he didn't want to be around again when that happened.

The store was not unlike any other. The shelves with the different products and the refrigerators with glass doors lined the walls. The manager didn't even look up from his magazine when the bell rang, signaling that someone had entered the store.

Without wasting any time, Percy started looking for Luke, but before that, he had to do something very important. He went to one of the shelves, the ones that contained treats, and grabbed a couple of bags of potato chips. He didn't know when they would return to a store to restock supplies, better safe than sorry.

Percy found Luke in a hidden part of the store. He was turning his back to Percy as he read what looked like a magazine and muttered under his breath.

"Do women really have them that big?" muttered Luke, almost inaudibly "What would it be like to knead them? Would they feel soft? They look like marshmallows..."

"What thing look like marshmallows...Luke?" asked Percy, crossing his arms.

Luke quickly turned around, pale as a ghost.

"Percy! I...well...nothing important" Luke chuckled nervously, subtly trying to hide the magazine in his hands.

Percy narrowed his eyes at the magazine.

"What were you looking at?" he questioned.

"Oh, well...you know. This area of the country is quite famous for its forests, and people come to camp there frequently, or so the manager told me. So I picked up a survival magazine they were selling in the store. It's quite useful for us, since we camp in the woods quite often."

Percy was silent for a few seconds, squinting at the young teenager. Luke felt a cold sweat run down the back of his neck, hoping his lie would go undetected.

"I see," Percy replied with a nod. "It makes perfect sense, can you show me?"

"Huh?"

"You know, the magazine. It would certainly be helpful if I read it too."

He held out his hand for Luke to hand him the magazine.

If possible, Luke turned even paler. He was a little intimidated by Percy's gaze, though he wouldn't admit it.

With nowhere to run, Luke resigned himself to his fate and handed the magazine to Percy.

Percy looked at the cover of the magazine and what he saw left him with his mouth hanging open and a lump in his throat. In front of him was a picture of a woman wearing a seductive piece of lingerie that left little to the imagination. The position in which the woman stood enticed you to admire her lush, enticing figure. Percy's eyes involuntarily

involuntarily to those graceful curves that continued down her long, defined legs.

He swallowed the lump that settled in his throat and forced himself to speak.

"Where... Where the hell did you get this?"

Luke pointed to the counter where, indeed, such magazines were displayed. Percy swallowed audibly again.

"So... it was those kind of marshmallows you were looking at."

"Please don't tell the girls!" pleaded Luke "Thalia will kill me, and I won't be able to stand the disappointment in Annabeth's eyes!"

Percy watched Luke for a few seconds. He really did look a little, just a little desperate. He couldn't blame him, though. If Thalia found out that Luke was seeing those kinds of magazines...let's just say it wouldn't be pretty. The gentlest thing he could go so far as to do to her was to electrocute her ass.

Percy looked at the magazine, then at Luke, then back at the magazine...at those legs. He swallowed audibly before letting out a long weary sigh.

"I'm not judging you, Luke," Percy said sympathetically. "We're teenagers. And it's normal to have...those kinds of interests. I'm just asking you not to see them in front of the girls."

"Thanks, Percy," Luke said, visibly relaxing. "By the way, when you said we're both teenagers, does that mean you have those kinds of interests too?"

Percy didn't answer. He simply turned and started walking toward the exit.

"Let's get going. The girls are waiting for us."

"Hey, Percy, answer me!" insisted Luke, walking behind Percy. "You know about my... tastes. It's only fair that I know yours."

"Did you pick up the stuff we need yet?" asked Percy, ignoring Luke's claim.

Luke frowned, annoyed at the evasion.

"Yes. I was just about to go pay for them," he replied.

"Perfect. Add these to the basket."

Percy handed him the bags of chips he'd picked up and they went to the counter. The manager was still with his magazine as he chewed a piece of gum nonchalantly.

When he saw the pair of teenagers, he put the magazine aside with an annoyed expression and began to run the various products through the machine.

Seeing the amount of supplies and snacks they were carrying, the manager raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Are you guys by any chance planning on going into the woods to camp?" the manager asked.

"No, we... " began Percy, but remembering what Luke had said, he played along." Yes, we are."

"I wouldn't recommend it," said the caretaker, in a disinterested manner as he went on with his work" Not many people frequent these woods, only campers. But, even so, last month three campers got lost and weren't found."

The attendant pointed to the side. There, taped to one of the glass windows, were wanted posters for three different people. Two men and a woman.

"The woods are crawling with grizzly bears. So it's not very safe to go camping, but people don't care about that. And, apparently, neither do you."

Percy and Luke got out when they finished paying and headed for the car where Thalia waited behind the wheel, tapping her fingers against the wheel in impatience.

"Did you bring the magazine?" questioned Percy.

Luke nodded, somewhat uncomfortably.

"I don't mind you having the magazine. You don't have to be embarrassed. But if you pull that thing out in front of Sammy, and she sees it, Thalia will be the least of your worries, understood?"

Luke nodded again, this time with a shiver running down his spine.

"Perfect. As of today, I proclaim you, Luke, a closet pervert."