Chapter 2

Crap. Even from the parking lot of the condominium complex, Lucas could tell that his father was not home. If he hadn't noticed the empty parking space assigned to the unit, the completely blacked out windows would have given it away. There was no need to even get out of the cab. It was quite clear that his next stop would have to be the office.

Lucas' stomach rumbled. Yet again, he was reminded that his birthday was almost over, and all hope of a dinner out at an actual restaurant – instead of the mess – was now gone too.

"You getting out, Kid?" The cab driver turned to face the back seat. He hadn't yet shut the meter off; an indication that the driver didn't think Lucas was going to make this his final stop.

"No," he sighed. "Do you know where the World Power Science and Research Center is in downtown Buffalo?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Can you drop me off at the main building?"

Without responding, the cab driver adjusted the gear out of park, and pulled back onto the main road.

Lucas felt himself sag back into the uncomfortable vinyl seat. The drive back into town would take at least another 15 minutes. He didn't know what he'd do if his dad wasn't there. He was pretty sure the man could not have forgotten he was coming this quickly. They'd just spoken two days before to confirm plans. This sucks. Hopefully his friends were enjoying the start of their shore leave more than he was.

Leaning his forehead against the cold window, Lucas watched as they passed through neighborhoods decorated with holiday lights, especially festive as they reflected of the snow that had already blanketed the ground. It did not take long for the residential roads to make way for busier streets and businesses, as they got closer to the city center. The World Power Science and Research Center was not significantly larger than the surrounding buildings in the business district, but due to its notoriety, thanks to the World Power disaster a few years ago, most Buffalo residents knew exactly where the headquarters were located. The cab pulled up to the loading zone directly in front of the main entrance and sat idling while the driver flipped the meter off.

"50 UEO credits."

Lucas fumbled for his wallet and pulled out enough cash to cover the fare and tip.

"Thanks," he mumbled, reaching for his duffle bag. He'd barely shut the door behind him before the cabbie took off.

Although it was past regular business hours, the building in front of him at least showed some evidence of staff working late. As far as he could tell, there were at least a handful of lighted windows on each floor. Lucas just hoped it was not just the late night cleaning crew.

Hoisting his bag over his shoulder, Lucas moved towards the glass doors of the main entrance. He hadn't expected them to be unlocked at this hour, but still tried anyway. Almost immediately, a large man in uniform moved directly in front of the doors from the inside.

"Building is closed. Come back tomorrow." The security officer's voice was surprisingly clear through the thick glass.

"I know. I was just looking for my dad. Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak?"

The officer gave him an odd glance before gesturing Lucas to move closer.

"I.D."

Lucas pulled his UEO issued identification card from his wallet and held it up against the door for the guard to see. The man studied the photograph on the card, comparing it to Lucas, before reaching for his own security card.

With a click, the door locks disengaged and the security guard allowed Lucas to enter.

"I didn't realize Dr. Wolenczak had a kid. Sorry about that. I'm not sure if your old man is even here tonight. Want me to call upstairs for you?"

"Yeah, please. "Lucas waited as the security guard pulled his communication device from its holster and punched in a code.

"I got Dr. Wolenczak's kid down here. Should I send him up?" The man listened to the response on the other end before adding, "No? "There was a slight pause before the security guard glanced at Lucas and replied, "Okay. See you in a minute," and hung up.

"Sorry, um…"

"Lucas."

"Sorry, Lucas. Looks like your dad has left already. His assistant is heading down now to talk to you. She should be here in a minute. Why don't you take a seat in the reception area while you wait?" He pointed to where a set of comfortable seating was arranged for building guests.

Lucas flopped onto the nearest chair. The fact that his dad wasn't at work, or at home, did not bode well. Hopefully the assistant would have an idea where to find him. Lucas wasn't sure whom to expect. His dad had proven to be difficult to work for: he kept long hours, and expected his staff to do the same, and most people ended up leaving before too long. As a result, Lawrence Wolenczak had to find replacement personal assistants far more regularly than most people. The last person Lucas had spoken to was an older woman named Lorraine.

The elevator dinged, notifying the arrival of the car. Lucas stood up quickly and was surprised to see Lorraine heading towards him.

"Lucas, it's so good to finally see you in person." She smiled brightly and reaching her hand out to touch him on the shoulder.

"It's nice to see you too, Lorraine. Any chance you know where my dad is?"

Lorraine's smile wavered for a moment. "I'm sorry, Lucas. I sent you a message earlier today. I'm just going to assume that since you are here now, you didn't get it. Your dad had to leave unexpectedly. He got a call about prospective funders in Asia and took the earliest flight he could get to Tokyo."

He could feel part of his resolve crumble. Of course his dad would ditch him for possible funding. Big donors aren't that common anymore and there was no way that the great Dr. Lawrence Wolenczak could fund his big ideas on the same backers he'd used for years. Lucas tried to keep the bitterness out of his voice. "Do you know when he's planning on coming back?"

"Not until after the New Year, I'm afraid." Lorraine looked a little guilty. It wasn't her fault he'd been left high and dry for the holidays, but she obviously felt bad nonetheless. "Do you want to use my line to call your mother? I'm sure she'd love for you to head there for the holidays since your dad is out of town."

"Um, no. That's okay. I'll try calling her a bit later." Lucas did not want an audience while he spoke to his mother, especially since he already knew what her answer would be. Based on conversations earlier in the month, Cynthia Holt was spending the holidays at her new husband's vacation home in Aspen. There was no way she'd let him interrupt her pre-planned Christmas with her husband and step-children. Scratching his head, Lucas tried to think of the best next step. He didn't have a key to his dad's place, nor did he plan on spending his vacation alone in a hotel in Buffalo, so it only made sense to head back to the airport. With any luck, he could get a flight out of there tonight. "Can I just call a cab?"

"You don't need to do that. I can give you a ride wherever you want to go. Just let me head back upstairs and lock up for the night." Lorraine hurried back to the elevator, leaving Lucas alone in the foyer.

The ride back to the airport had not taken long. Most people were off the roads for the night, most likely enjoying time off with family in anticipation of Christmas Eve the next day. Lorraine was chattier than he remembered, and Lucas found himself listening to her constant stream of updates on his dad and the work they were currently doing. An occasional nod, or one word answer from him, was more than enough of a response. It wasn't long before they were pulling into the departure zone passenger drop off.

"You sure you don't want to stay the night, Lucas?" Lorraine looked somewhat concerned.

"I'm fine. I'm just going to see if I can catch the next flight back to New Cape Quest." He grabbed his duffle from the back seat before closing the door.

"Okay, but call me if you need to be picked back up. You have my number, right?"

Lucas patted his jeans pocket in acknowledgement and gave the woman a quick smile. "I will, Lorraine. Thanks for the ride."

He gave her a quick wave before heading back in through the glass entrance.

To say the airport was a lot less busy than when he's left earlier that evening was an understatement. There was no line at the ticket counters, nor were there many staff manning their stations. Lucas found his airline counter quickly.

"Can I help you?" A woman smartly dressed in uniform asked.

"Uh, yeah. Can you tell me when the next flight is to New Cape Quest?"

"Let me see." She turned her attention to the computer monitor in front of her, and quickly typed in keys. "The next flight is at 6 am tomorrow morning. Would you like to purchase a seat?"

Lucas was slightly crestfallen. He'd hoped to get back to Florida tonight, and maybe get someone to pick him up from the airport. He sighed.

"Actually, would it be possible to change my flight to that one?" He unzipped his duffle and pulled out the return ticket he had booked for the end of his visit with his dad. Lucas handed the slip of paper to the ticket agent, who looked at it quickly before turning back to her monitor.

"Certainly. I just need to see your ID."

She smiled at him as she passed his ID back. "Happy birthday, Mr. Wolenczak. I have you booked on the 6 am flight tomorrow morning. Boarding will be 30 minutes before departure time. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Thanks. That's it." He took the new ticket and slipped it back into his bag.

"Have a good night."

Lucas smiled at her briefly before turning around. He walked slowly towards Security. He wasn't sure what he should do next. It was already after 10 pm. He was hungry, tired, and frustrated. This was not how he'd hoped to spend his birthday, or his Christmas shore leave. The way he looked at it, he had two choices; hail another cab and find an available hotel close by, or just find a place to camp out in here for the night. The last thing he wanted to do was to go out looking for the nearest hotel that had a vacancy. That settled it. He'd just find a comfortable space in the departure terminal to crash for the night and not have to worry about coming back in the morning.

Getting through Security was a joke at this hour. There was no one else around. It didn't take long for Lucas to find the section of the terminal dedicated to his airline, so he focused instead on finding something to eat. As he walked slowly up the main corridor, he was disappointed to see that most of the small shops and restaurants had already closed for the night. At the rate he was going, he was going to end up stranded at the airport and hungry. Lucas had almost given up, when he noticed a vending machine near the end of the concourse. Thankfully, the machine took credit cards as he'd used the last of his cash to pay the cab driver.

With a can of soda in one hand and a few packets of snack food in the other, Lucas settled down into a not-so-comfortable seat to eat his "dinner." It was going to be a long night. He only hoped that tomorrow would be better. He'd give Tony a call after he landed. It was too late now and, while the odds of Tony still being awake were high, he didn't want to disturb anyone else in the house. If he was lucky, that offer to spend the holidays was still on the table. If not, he'd either find a place to stay in New Cape Quest for the week or find a way back onto the seaQuest. Either way, he was not going to have the family Christmas he'd been looking forward to since his dad first suggested it.