I believe it means some things you set out to do become harder and Difficult to get out of, But you should think of the best option to do and make the best out of a bad situation.
Grover tells Percy that, when the Furies found them on the bus, they were asking, "where is it?" rather than "where is he?" It seems they are looking for an object, rather than a human.
Though he once treated Ivan as if he were almost his son, his life kind of went sour after his wife left and he grew less attached to Ivan, who was a sore spot in their marriage. These days, Mack drinks and his ethics are, well, questionable.