Rick Riordan Percy Jackson and the Olympians
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Rachel opened the door. " All clear. But you ' d better hurry." She looked shaken. Her face was gray and sweaty. I peeked around the corner. Three skeleton warriors were running toward the other end of the balcony. The way to the elevator was clear for a few seconds. " I owe you one, Rachel Elizabeth Dare." " What are those things?" she asked. " They looked like—" " Skeletons?" She nodded uneasily. " Do yourself a favor," I said. " Forget it. Forget you ever saw me." " Forget you tried to kill me?" " Yeah. That, too." " But who are you?" " Percy—" I started to say. Then the skeletons turned around. " Gotta go!" " What kind of name is Percy Gotta-go?" I bolted for the exit.
The cafe was packed with kids enjoying the best part of the tour— the dam lunch. Thalia, Zoe, and Grover were just sitting down with their food.
We need to leave," I gasped. " Now!" But we just got our burritos!" Thalia said. Zoe stood up, muttering an Ancient Greek curse. " He ' s right! Look."
The cafe windows wrapped all the way around the observation floor, which gave us a beautiful panoramic view of the skeletal army that had come to kill us.
I counted two on the east side of the dam road, blocking the way to Arizona. Three more on the west side, guarding Nevada. All of them were armed with batons and pistols.
But our immediate problem was a lot closer. The three skeletal warriors who ' d been chasing me in the turbine room now appeared on the stairs. They saw me from across the cafeteria and clattered their teeth.
" Elevator!" Grover said. We bolted that direction, but the doors opened with a pleasant ding, and three more warriors stepped out. Every warrior was accounted for, minus the one Bianca had blasted to flames in New Mexico. We were completely surrounded. Then Grover had a brilliant, totally Grover-like idea. " Burrito fight!" he yelled, and flung his Guacamole Grande at the nearest skeleton. Now, if you have never been hit by a flying burrito, count yourself lucky. In terms of deadly projectiles, it ' s right up there with grenades and cannonballs. Grover ' s lunch hit the skeleton and knocked his skull clean off his shoulders. I ' m not sure what the other kids in the cafe saw, but they went crazy and started throwing their burritos and baskets of chips and sodas at each other, shrieking and screaming.
The skeletons tried to aim their guns, but it was hopeless. Bodies and food and drinks were flying everywhere.
In the chaos, Thalia and I tackled the other two skeletons on the stairs and sent them flying into the condiment table. Then we all raced downstairs, Guacamole Grandes whizzing past our heads. " What now?" Grover asked as we burst outside. I didn ' t have an answer. The warriors on the road were closing in from either direction. We ran across the street to the pavilion with the winged bronze statues, but that just put our backs to the mountain.
The skeletons moved forward, forming a crescent around us. Their brethren from the cafe were running up to join them. One was still putting its skull back on its shoulders. Another was covered in ketchup and mustard. Two more had burritos lodged in their rib cages. They didn ' t look happy about it. They drew batons and advanced. " Four against eleven," Zoe muttered. " And they cannot die." " It ' s been nice adventuring with you guys," Grover said, his voice trembling. Something shiny caught the corner of my eye. I glanced behind me at the statue ' s feet.
" Whoa," I said. " Their toes really are bright." " Percy!" Thalia said. " This isn ' t the time."