Chapter 5

*A/N: HAPPY LATE EASTER! HOPE Y'ALL HAD A WONDERFUL PERCY JACKSON/39 CLUES KIND OF EASTER!

"Is there anything else I can do?" Atticus asked Jeeves.

Jeeves shook his head. "Just head on upstairs."

"And, Jeeves? What're they going to do to Ryder?"

Jeeves eyes grew sad. "Don't worry about her. She'll be just fine. This isn't her first rodeo."

He smiled and Atticus scampered up to his room. He jumped on his bed and opened his drawer. A book laid in it. He pulled it out and opened it up. A wad of cash laid in it like in the old movies with the pages cut out. There was also a note:

Atticus, I gave you this room for a reason. No, not because of the slide to the pool, but because I think you're the one that won't fight if anything happens to me. When I was little, the night my dad died to be exact, my mom told me that when the Cahill's and the demigods united, something bad would happen. And guess what happened? Anyways, if anyone shows up after I get kidnapped or die (which I know one of those will happen), don't trust them; you're the Guardian for crying out loud! Guardians don't have to be sneaky, strong, or anything like that. All they have to be is smart and you're the smartest one in this house (don't tell Leo I said that). Anyways, if they get you in a room alone, just yell "HOLY MASHED POTATOES!" and something will happen. Trust me on this! Take this money, don't tell anyone you have it, and keep it safe. Oh, BTW, look in the next drawer! Keep that with you too! You might not have to use it, but you never know. If you want to know about the needles, ask Leo ONLY! I don't care if Ian's a Lucian! And don't break that painting please: it took me thirty seconds to make! :) – Ryder

Atticus smiled, laid down the note and the book, and opened the next drawer. A silver dart gun just like Ian's laid in there. Poison needles laid in there. Atticus laughed. He jumped up, ran to his closet, pulled out some clothes (which were surprisingly his size) with cargo pants with pockets big enough to hold the dart gun. He slipped them on, put the dart gun in his pocket and the cash ($1000) in the other pocket. He slipped on a black shirt that had a rock band called My Chemical Romance on the front.

"Who's that?" Atticus muttered, looking in the mirror. He shrugged and walked out into the hallway.

"Listen, you knucklehead!" Ian said to Jonah and Hamilton. "Dan and Amy are missing! I am not risking Amy's life!"

"But it's a good plan!" Jonah whispered.

Atticus slipped behind the wall by the door frame and listened.

"We get in touch with this Gaea and ask for a trade-off. Two Cahill's for two demigods! But not Piper. I was thinking Jason and maybe Frank or Leo. Those three obviously don't like us very well."

"I hate to admit this, but Ian's right," Hamilton whispered. "Even if they don't like us, who said they'll give us Amy and Dan back?"

"She doesn't want the Cahill's! She wants the demigods – the kids of the gods AKA the people she's trying to take over! It's full proof unless those demigods find out. And we're not going to let that happen, are we?"

"No," Ian said, "we're not."

Atticus's heart raced. Trade the demigods for Amy and Dan? Don't they realize that if Gaea took over, people would die? Atticus had to do something….

But Atticus, his conscious told him, you've never been brave. You're only eleven! They're not going to believe you!

Well, I'll just make them believe me! Atticus thought back. He kept back in his room silently. The slide had two slides: one for next to the pool and one for in the pool. He chose the one next to the pool.

The slide went in circles, twisted, and even turned quickly to the left. He rolled out onto the concrete ground. The slide pulled itself back into the side of the house and disappeared. He got up, dusted himself off, and went inside.

The demigods were sitting in the living room, sharpening their weapons or making new arrows. Leo was welding with his hands. He looked over and smiled at Atticus.

"What's up, Little Dude?" he said. "You looked like you're scared of something."

Atticus motioned for Leo to follow him. Confused, Leo followed him into the kitchen, leaving his melting hot thing on the table. Jason with his smart self touched it and jumped back. His finger was burnt.

"Whatcha need?" Leo asked.

Atticus pulled his dart gun out. "Two things; First: do you know what kind of darts these are?"

Leo picked them up and looked at them. "Where'd you get this?"

"You won't believe me."

He laughed. "Try me."

"Ryder gave it to me, but she didn't give it to me."

Leo looked at him with his eyes. "You stole it?" he whispered.

"No, she gave me a note in a book. The book had that in it with the darts. She said you would know what they were."

Leo thought for a minute. "Cyanide," he said. "Stops the heart almost immediately. Guess she thought you might need it." He handed it back.

"Ok, second: you, Jason, and Frank might want to stay away from Ian, Hamilton, and Jonah."

"Why?" Leo asked.

"They're planning on making a deal with Gaea to trade you, Frank, and/or Jason in place of Amy and Dan."

"Do what?"

"That's what they said."

"She was right," Leo muttered. "Once a Cahill, always a Cahill."

"They're planning on not telling you. They're just going to go ahead, make the deal, and then force you."

Leo smiled an evil I Got A Plan smiles. "Atticus, can you help us out?"