WHO Ares WHEN Thursday WHERE on the road WHAT Ares gets the tip-off he needs WARNINGS Ares
Ares was somewhere just south of Chicago when he got the call from Lincoln. He was standing by the roadside, staring off at the horizon, while the dogs galloped about in a field, chasing each other and stretching their legs. They’d been doing well, being cooped up in the car as they made their way slowly across the country.
The War Dogs didn’t have a big influence outside of New York, but they had a network, they had contacts in other cities. And Ares knew who to ask if he wanted information. He had a hunch that Kaden would try and get across into Canada, but considering that was a pretty fucking big border to cross, he had to wait, to be sure of where he was going. Every now and then he’d get a message, a kid matching the description had been seen, or his plates had been picked up, and Ares would move on to the next place, slowly but surely keeping on Kaden’s tail. The kid had doubled back at one point, and Ares for a while considered that maybe he was trying to be smart, but- nah. The dumbass probably just got lost.
Tragos had made a fucking stupid decision in making his escape route through a contact that belonged to Ares. The man knew where his value lay, tipping Ares off as soon as he’d spoken to Kaden. Tragos had made a lot of fucking stupid decisions. This was merely the latest in a long line. Trusting his younger brother to fulfill this job was the worst of them.
Right after shoving a knife into his own throat, of course.
And at last he had first hand information that the baby was alive and well too, at least so far as Lincoln could tell. He fiddled with his phone, wondering if he should message Melpomene and tell her the news. She’d certainly dropped off in demands for information, indicating waning hope. But with a small shake of his head, he stuck his phone in his pocket and whistled for the dogs. Better to not get her hopes up if the outcome wasn’t good.
As the dogs galloped over and wriggled under the fence, Ares finished his coffee and tossed the cup into the grass, then opened the back door for them to get straight in. Sparta was fine, but Nikkos was being a bit of a dick, turning around a few times in the small space and knocking against the baby carrier. Ares had to growl at him to make him sit, which he did, his chin resting on the edge of the capsule.
As Ares got back into the car, he glanced again at his phone as he set it in the cradle. He’d been ignoring most messages he’d been getting. Distractions weren’t necessary right now. He had an objective, and he was not going to stop until he’d reached it.
Except for Aphrodite. Her, he could not ignore.
Well. He had a direction now, and a long way to go to get there in time. The car roared, gravel spitting as he pulled back out onto the highway, his eyes fixed on the horizon.
He would have his son back. That boy better watch his fucking back.