Percy POV
Grover and I were driving to a coffee shop in the heart of downtown. Calypso said she will meet us at the coffee shop next to her father's building. Atlas is a leader in Titan industries, and he is responsible for imports.
That's his company's cover for all the illegal activities.
I'm meeting with her and Leo to coordinate a plan. Leo described it as a plan that's so crazy that it just might work. In my opinion, that's the best kind of plan.
"Are you sure that we're not driving into a trap?" Grover asked. He agreed to help me despite my reluctance. I don't want him to get in trouble. Sneaking into Titan Industries and stealing information is dangerous (not to mention, illegal).
That's right, kids. Stealing is illegal. Unfortunately, I've never been one to follow the rules, especially when it comes to love and happiness.
Regardless, I didn't want to rope Grover into my troubles, but he refused to take no for an answer.
"Calypso and Leo are trustworthy, G-man. They're going to help."
"What if Cally was caught and we're driving into her father's grip? You never know what can happen in the business world. You know that."
"Take the next right," I instructed. "Also, Calypso and Leo are a part of the business world unlike us. They know how to be careful."
"Titan Industries are ruthless," Grover continued.
He took another left. The streets were busy today because it was around 5 pm. Usually, the city bustled with activity between the hours of 9 am to 8 pm. After that, everyone goes home, so the streets are emptied at night. Grover parked on the side of the road, and we stepped onto the crowded sidewalk.
People in both work and casual clothes were bustling about. No one even gave me a second glance. These are the perks of living in a city. No one cares about the people around them because they're so busy with their lives.
We walked an entire block before coming to our destination.
The coffee shop was too crowded. There were barely any seats left. Fortunately, Leo and Cally were already hogging a booth in the back. The baristas whizzed around with coffee cups and snacks. I was impressed they weren't spilling any drinks.
"Hey guys, thanks for meeting us today," I greeted.
"Of course. I can't wait to set fire to Titan Industries. It's going to be awesome. If not fire, then an explosion," Leo said emphatically.
"Leo, we're not damaging any property," Cally resolved.
I smiled while Grover fidgeted in the seat next to me. Grover doesn't do well with stress. His face is scrunched up, and pressure makes him look like a goat. That's why his nickname is goat-man or G-man for short.
I patted his shoulder to comfort him. This is why I didn't want to involve him. Grover's a great best friend, but he doesn't like breaking the rules. For instance, Grover is a conservationist, who loves helping the Earth and nature.
"Percy, we have expedited the plan. It's going down tonight," Calypso ordered.
"WHAT, WHY?" Grover exclaimed.
"I know that it's a surprise. A part of our plan is for Leo to knock out the surveillance cameras. He tried to do it today, and he succeeded," Cally explained.
"Woah. That's fantastic. I only doubted you a little bit, Leo," I smirked.
He rolled his eyes. "Why do people doubt me? Leo McShizzle Hot-Stuff Supreme is capable of anything and everything!"
"ANYWAY," Cally stressed. "Leo hacked the system, but he can only stay in the system for a short while. He got lucky today. We don't know if/when we'll get another chance."
"How did he even hack Titan Industries?" Grover asked.
Grover was asking the right question. Titan Industries is an international corporation, and they probably have the best security system.
"I'm a tech genius," Leo defended loudly. "Also, I hacked Atlas's building and camera system. I didn't hack their servers. If I could do that, then there wouldn't even be a reason for us to go inside."
"Precisely," Calypso agreed.
I nodded before formulating a plan. I can be a leader when I want to. Since this is my idea, I have to take charge.
"Here's what's going to happen. Leo can stay in the system for a few more hours. Around 8 o'clock, he'll cut all the security cameras. I'll go into the building with Cally, who has free access to the building. We have to go to Atlas's office because his computer will have the information that we need."
Calypso picked up where I left off. "I will distract my father while Percy goes into his office and download the evidence on Titan's illegal affairs."
"What am I going to do?" Grover asked firmly.
"You're going to be the lookout for us in the lobby. The security is positioned in the basement according to Calypso. They have to go through the lobby to get to Atlas's office. You will warn us if there's any change in activity."
"Does everyone agree to the plan?" I addressed everyone.
"It's good enough for me," Leo joked.
***
"Be careful, Seaweed Brain," Annabeth whispered into the phone. I smiled while accepting her warmth and reassurance.
"I'm always careful," I smirked.
"You're never careful, Seaweed Brain, so just shut up and listen. Be careful and come back to me one way or another," Annabeth paused. "Don't be a hero. If there's any sign of trouble, just run the other way."
"That doesn't sound like me, Annabeth. You know that I'm a fighter. One way or another, I'm going to accomplish this for us."
"That's what I'm afraid of," she expressed. "Sometimes, even the best fighters lose, especially against the Titans. What if-"
"Wise Girl, I'll be fine. Don't worry," I reassured her.
"Wise Girl?" she asked in surprise.
"Yeah. The nickname suits you, doesn't it?" I smiled teasingly.
Silence followed. Only her breathing echoed out of the phone and into my ear. I liked listening to the melody of her voice and breath. It was soothing, and I wanted to just talk to her all night long. However, it was almost 8 o'clock.
I stared at myself in the bathroom mirror. Leo and Calypso were waiting for me in the coffee shop. I wanted to speak with Annabeth before we initiate the mission.
"I have to go, Wise Girl. I love you," I whispered.
"Just call me as soon as possible."
We hung up after that. Annabeth hasn't told me that she loves me yet. I wanted to hear those three words from her lips. However, I also want her to mean them. As such, there is no pressure from my end. I just couldn't wait for the day when she was ready.
I joined Cally and Grover outside. Leo stayed in the coffee shop. We chose this coffee shop because it's right next to Atlas's building. It was a place where people could still connect to Atlas's building's wifi, which makes it easy to hack according to Leo. Cally, Grover, and I walked along the street and paused in front of the glass building's revolving door.
The plaque up top read Titan Industries - Atlas Imports.
Leo gave us the all-clear, so we walked into the lobby. This building is larger than Olympus Architecture. The lobby stretched for half a football field. Also, there were several receptionist stations throughout the room.
A series of elevators were positioned beyond the several sitting areas near the receptionist desks. Grover sat on the couch to the left while Cally and I walked to the elevators.
A few employees greeted Calypso politely.
The elevator arrived after a few seconds, and we walked in. Calypso had a special gate card that she swiped on the elevator pad. That allowed her to push the 30th-floor button.
"Cally, Atlas is your father. Why are you helping me collect dirt on him?" I asked. I trusted Calypso, but I was still nervous. "This question has been bugging me."
"My father is a bad man," she replied. Then, she turned to me.
"I know that you don't like your father's side of the family. They are forcing you into something without any consideration of your feelings. My father is the same way, but he's also way worse. He hurts a lot of people, and I hate that."
"Zoe said she left you and your family because they're awful. She blamed the business, but there seemed to be more," I expressed.
"Yeah. There's a lot more. Atlas and Krios hurt people. They hurt us too. The happiest day of my life was when I got to move out of my home. However, I wasn't allowed to leave the business. Atlas needed an heir, and Zoe already left," Cally explained.
"So, you were stuck?" I asked. I know what that feels like.
"This is my chance to break free. I know that I'm betraying the family business, but I don't care. I want to expunge the illegal activities the Titans do."
Just in time, the elevator dinged. We reached the 30th floor.
The entire floor was empty. It was way past work hours, especially on a Friday. Most of the employees on the floor left. Only Atlas was in his office. Calypso said that her father had a virtual business meeting with people in Japan. Due to the time difference, he had to set up a late-evening meeting.
I hid within a cubicle near Atlas's office. Calypso walked into her father's office. I couldn't hear anything, but I hoped everyone thing would be okay.
My heart hammered in my chest as the seconds passed into minutes. What if the plan doesn't work? I wondered.
Just then, Cally and a middle-aged man stepped out of the office. Atlas's smug face was smiling at his daughter as they walked through the floor. "I'm so glad that my daughter wanted to enjoy dinner with me tonight."
"I thought we could reconnect again," Cally expressed smoothly.
I hunched under a desk within my cubicle. I pressed my back against the cubicle wall to hide. They were walking right next to my desk.
I didn't move. I didn't even breathe. I simply stared at their feet. Atlas didn't seem to notice anything. Their retreating footsteps echoed through the empty floor. I waited till they entered the elevators before getting up.
"We're still in the clear," Grover's voice said into my Bluetooth.
Leo affirmed while humming the tune to 'girl on fire.'
I smiled while running towards Atlas's office. The fool didn't even lock his office door. Annabeth always locks her door. I realized that Athena helped Octavian set up the spy cameras. That's the only possibility.
I locked the door before running to Atlas's desk and quickly moved the mouse. His desktop flashed, and a bright screen replaced the dim screen.
Most computers dim and go to sleep after a minute or two. After they go to sleep, a person has to put the password in again. Fortunately, I managed to get to the computer within a minute of Atlas leaving. As such, the desktop didn't lockdown.
This was all planned. Leo strictly instructed Calypso to lure Atlas away quickly so that I can reach the computer quickly.
I scoped the room while sitting in Atlas's brown leather seat. To the right of the desk, maroon couches were positioned around a coffee table. The left side of the room had a whole dining table. Different statues were bordering the room, and various world paintings and maps were hanging on the tan walls.
Finally, I looked at the computer again and touched the Bluetooth in my ear.
"All right, Leo, I'm sitting in front of Atlas's computer. What exactly should I do right now? The screen is filled with different documents."
"Look for projects labeled under Greek names. Their legal projects have English proceedings because that's the de facto international language. Titan's illegal operations follow the Greek language. It's their way of slightly protecting themselves while also being nostalgic about it," Leo explained.
I was confused by his explanation.
"I don't understand it either. The Titans are stupid," Leo added.
I chuckled for a second. Then, I scanned the computer's contents for Greek projects and added them to the hard drive. The process of downloading the illegal projects onto the drive was a time-consuming project.
I looked into one of the files labeled Leto. It had a lot of information about a drug-smuggling project in South Africa. Another folder named Prometheus had to do with illegal investment banking. They were gradually stealing money from banks all around the world, specifically, those belonging to poor countries.
No wonder developing countries were struggling. Powerful criminals like the Titans were stopping their growth.
"How much information are you downloading?" Leo asked.
"As much as I can see on the desktop. Any information will be helpful. All this evidence is more than enough to link the Titans with the crimes and take them down," I affirmed.
"Well, you should hurry, Percy."
87% of the illegal affairs were downloaded when I heard a rattling. My eyes snapped towards the office doors. The door handle rattled again.
Holy Crap pooped by Hera. Someone's here.
My heart thudded as I disconnected the drive. 87% will have to do. I put the computer on sleep before tucking the hard drive in my pocket. The door rattled for a third time before a click resounded through the office.
I dove to the right as the doors swung open. Shit.