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finally produced a wrinkled scrap of paper.
    “Did you say flight 880 from Washington, D.C.?” Matt stammered, as all eyes turned toward him.
    “Yes,” Lauren answered, when it seemed as if no one else was going to.
    “Look for mom!” Matt demanded, “Is she there?” It’s the flight she was going to try to make to get home tonight.”
    “Oh Jesus.” Glen held up a duplicate of the sheet he’d given Henry. At the bottom were the non-revenue names—airline personnel who were allowed to fly free if space were available.
    “Is she there?” Matt said with a raised voice.
    Henry pursed his lips and nodded.
    Lauren immediately felt her heart go out to the young man. He suddenly shared the same terrible purgatory she herself was trapped in.
    “It’s your fault,” Matt accused his father. “If anything’s happened to her, it’s your fault!”
    Lauren saw a flash of anguish, or perhaps it was guilt, appear momentarily on Henry’s hardened features. She looked at Matt, his hands balled up in angry fists. She couldn’t help but wonder what conflict had caused father and son to have declared such open warfare on each other.
    “Right now we don’t have any idea what’s happened,” Henry said, his voice wavering.
    “Call them on the radio!” Matt continued and he grew even more animated “Talk to air traffic control! You’re in charge, do—something!”
    “We have. We’re doing everything we can.” Henry offered as he shot a quick glance at Glen, who nodded in agreement.
    Henry reached out to put an arm around his son but Matt instantly side-stepped the gesture.
    “I know this place like the back of my hand. I can help,” Matt said defiantly, once he was out of the reach of his father.
    Henry’s expression hardened once again. “This isn’t some intern training exercise, Matt. We’re trying to get this situation figured out. I can’t have you getting in the way right now.” He let out a measured sigh. “I have people who are trained to do these things.”
    “Yes sir! Captain.” Matt hissed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
    “I don’t have time for this, Matt,” Henry replied quietly.
    “There’s a news flash for you! Captain Parrish only has time for himself.” Matt spun away as he got in the last shot.
    Henry shook his head in frustration as Matt left, then shifted his attention back to Glen, who had visibly shrunk away from the confrontation between father and son. “I’ll need the emergency procedures manual as well as the current phone list for essential personnel. Tucker, like I said, look after Dr. McKenna while we try and get some answers.”
    “I don’t need looking after,” Lauren spoke firmly. “If you lose an airplane, does that mean it’s crashed? Or does it mean something else? I’m a scientist and I deal in absolutes. Do you have any idea what has or hasn’t happened to flight 880?”
    “No, not right this moment,” Henry replied, his icy tone matching hers.
    “So the fact that you don’t know where they are could mean that they are in fact still flying?”
    “That is correct,” Henry said, nodding impatiently. “Which is why I have better things to do than stand here and debate semantics.”
    Lauren pulled her cell phone out of her pocket and with one glance saw she barely had any signal. “I need a phone.” Lauren looked around, trying to spot the closest one.
    “I can’t allow you to make any calls,” Henry said, shaking his head.
    Lauren stepped closer to Henry and lowered her voice menacingly. “Give me a phone now. I’m calling people who can help us find your missing plane. They’ll need to know the situation, but I can assure you they’ll keep a lid on this until it’s appropriate.”
    “I’m sure that’s your intention,” Henry replied. “But until we know exactly what’s happening, I’m going to have to insist that you don’t talk to anyone outside this room.”
    “Dial this number.” Lauren fought her rising anger at this