Trust No One

Chapter 16

Annabeth POV

Rushing Lieutenant Charles Beckendorf to the hospital wasn't that difficult, especially considering Clarisse's mad driving skills. 

We were in a relatively small town, so there was only one main hospital. 

Unfortunately, it was a solid 20 minutes away from the warehouse building that we infiltrated. The bad news was that our mission was technically a failure.

We didn't get Kronos. 

However, we did found out from Atlas that BlodgeHarm and WiCKeD were planning a series of bombs all around the world. This was horrible news, and we had to stop it. 

My busy thoughts were interrupted by coughing. 

My attention snapped towards Beckendorf, who was coughing up blood. The blood splattered over the car's leather seat. 

"Annabeth," Agent La Rue commanded. 

"I know," I said as I climbed into the backseat. The seats were drenched in sweat, dirt, and blood as Beckendorf groaned in pain. 

"Lieutenant, please hold on. We're almost there," I said firmly. 

Agent La Rue was driving as fast as possible. Clarisse, Charles, and I were driving alone in this car. The others were following behind us. 

Percy wanted to come with Charles since they were friends, but there wasn't any room. Beckendorf was a big man who took up the backseat. 

And, we were in a hurry. 

Suddenly, Clarisse took a sudden turn causing me to crash against the back seat on top of Beckendorf's legs. I got up quickly, but Beckendorf didn't seem affected. My bodyweight probably wasn't anything compared to the pain of his stab wound. 

His right hand was shaking as he held it out. 

I quickly took it. I could feel that Charles was dying, and we had to save him. This wasn't just a race against the clock. It was a race against death. 

"Please, hang on, sir. We're almost at the hospital," I said again. 

My other hand brushed his curly brown hair off of his forehead. His body was shivering and sweating at the same time. 

"Annabeth," he whispered with a choke. "Tell Silena that I love her."

"Lieutenant, you're going to tell her yourself," I said firmly. I decided to distract him with a conversation. 

"Kronos was having a meeting with his fellow terrorist leaders. How did you get into that building? We're you in captivity?" I asked. 

Beckendorf groaned as a bump in the road vibrated the car. 

"Um, I was in captivity elsewhere. But, I snuck out of my prison cell. When I saw Kronos, I knew that I had to follow and help rather than try to escape," Charles said with a shaky voice. 

He winced in pain and arched his stomach. 

"No, please, don't do that," I said as I continued to apply pressure on the wound. Despite the amount of pressure, he was still bleeding through the cloth. "Hang on," I whispered. 

"Anyway, I snuck into their truck, but they found me. I guess that I was more of a hindrance than a help," Charles said with a wry chuckle. 

"No, Beckendorf, you got yourself out of that situation," I said firmly. I was quite impressed that he escaped a BlodgeHarm and WiCKeD containment facility. 

Technically, even Percy wasn't able to escape. 

"We're only a few minutes away," Clarisse exclaimed. Agent La Rue obviously had a history with Charles Beckendorf. They had a friendly relationship for years during their service.