A Very Demigod Christmas: Chapter Ten

Planning and Spying
 A few seconds later Charlie landed the sleigh and he and Andrew finished the repairs.

 “So what’s up with the heavy artillery?” I asked. “Does Santa spend time in the air force?”

   Charlie started laughing. “You’d be surprised what we encounter flying around the world.”

 We broke camp and climbed into the sleigh. Charlie pressed a button and a platter of cookies and eight mugs of hot chocolate appeared from the side of the sleigh. We each grabbed a mug and some cookies and had our fill.

 “So heated seats, Hermes Express GPS, iPod plug in, machine guns and automatic cookie and drink dispensers. What’s next a hot tub?” I asked.

 Charlie laughed. “Hmm where is that switch?” He said sarcastically but he kept looking over the dashboard and was wondering if he was serious.

 Khione’s snowstorm still raged around us. But without the Venti to add to the storm it was no longer an issue. The temperature dropped further but the heated seats and hot chocolate kept us warm.

 “Do you think your threat will have any effect on them?” Ryan asked.

 “Probably not, if anything they’ll be strengthening their defenses even more and sit there to wait for us.” I replied.

 “Isn’t there another way into the workshop?” Ashlee asked.

 Charlie shook his head. “There wasn’t a need for one, and even if there was our enemy would’ve found them by now.”

 “Ok so how are we gonna get past the army and find Santa in Fifteen hours?” Steven asked.

 I looked at my watch and realized it was nine in the morning. The sun wouldn’t be coming out because we were so far north in the middle of winter.

 “I think the best way would be to have a few of us infiltrate the workshop. The others would cause a distraction and Charlie would then fly to the workshop drop the select few off of then fly back and help with the distraction. We’d just need enough time inside to find Santa and set him free.” I said.

 The others mulled it over but seemed in general agreement.

 “So who’s going inside?” Johnny asked hoping he’d be one of the few.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “I don’t know Bub.” I admitted. I looked around at everyone in the sleigh. Anyone of us could infiltrate the workshop but we needed to split up. I waited for someone to speak but they were all looking at me.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “What?” I demanded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Well who’s going in?” Ryan asked. “You’re our leader; we thought you were calling the shots.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> I looked at Steven who grudged a smile. He was the oldest but being a child of the big three means everyone assumes you are the boss, the head honcho, the leader. I didn’t mind being team captain on capture the flag that was just a game. On a real mission if someone got hurt or killed it was on your head. I had been placed in this situation before but never with so many of my friends and family members at stake.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Okay who wants to go into the workshop?” I asked. Johnny’s hand immediately shot up. Everyone else’s slowly began to rise. I sighed. I should’ve known this would happen.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> Before I could make a decision Ashlee’s iPad beeped. She pulled it out and grinned.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “What’s up?” I asked. “Did your newest pair of shoes come in?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> Everyone laughed a little and Ashlee scowled at me.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “No, when we were fighting the wolves I managed to place a small video camera on one of them.” Ashlee explained. “They’ve made it back to the North Pole.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> She placed the camera in a spot where all of us could see then pulled out a small remote control. Ashlee must’ve managed to get the camera right between the wolves’ eyes because we had a pretty good view of Lycaon. The wolves seemed to be conversing with Lycaon in a series of whimpers and barks. Lycaon was growling viciously.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “How were you defeated!?” Lycaon howled “I sent fifty of you south and seven measly demigods wipe you all out!?”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> The wolves started barking and whining trying to explain how they had lost but Lycaon cut them off.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Get out of my sight!” He barked, and the wolves turned to run out of the room. Ashlee quickly pressed a button on the remote and the camera leapt into the air and landed on Lycaon’s shoulder. We watched as he walked through the workshop back to the room I had seen in my dreams.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> The old women sat on her chair with a flintlock pistol in her hand. She fired the gun and shot a poor teddy bear sitting on a shelf along with other assorted toys. She saw Lycaon enter and repositioned herself.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Hey Charlie, do you have any idea who this is?” I asked showing him the video. Unfortunately Charlie just shook his head.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Lycaon do you have anything to report?” The woman asked kindly. “Good news would be best.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> Lycaon had kneeling before the woman relayed the report his wolves had giving him. The women face slowly darkened with anger. She fingered her gun gingerly looking for a new target. She saw something on the shelf and rose from her chair.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> A man stepped out of the shadows and accompanied her. I couldn’t make out his face but he wore an expensive looking winter coat dress pants and black snow boots. Like something a business man would wear during the winter. She picked up something green from the shelf and handed it to the man.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Can you make me some of these?” She asked the man. “Only I want them life sized, with all the characteristics of the real one. Oh and they have to be alive! You can do that right? You were always so good with making things.”

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> The man turned the toy over in his hands. Ashlee tried to zoom in but the image was fuzzy and Lycaon was too far away.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “How many do you need?” The man asked.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Enough to eliminate those demigod brats one and for all!” The woman exclaimed.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “It shall be done.” The man concluded and walked out of the room.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> The video image started to flicker and before Ashlee could fix it, the screen went blank.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Batteries must’ve died.” She concluded.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “So we’ve got someone making an army of toy monster to send and destroy us.” Charlie stated.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; tab-stops: 167.25pt;"> “Thank you Captain Obvious.” I retorted. And everyone broke out in laughter.