"I'll call the President," Noyce said.  "If this was an act of terrorism it'll only be a matter of time before someone starts boasting about their accomplishments.  Thank god we stopped for coffee.  If you had gone back on time the three of you would have been in that explosion."

"Dear Lord," Kristin muttered and quickly wrapped her arms around Lucas. 

The thought of Kristin and Lucas being inside seaQuest, slowly choking to death on thick black smoke sent a shiver down Nathan's spine and he turned to Kristin who was still holding Lucas and wrapped his arms around them both.  They had been lucky, but how many souls hadn't been so lucky.  How many corpses would they find once the fire was out?

Nathan turned to look at his officers.  "Jonathon, Tim, Miguel, I want you on the horn right now.  We need a roll call done immediately.  I need to know who's alive and who's missing."  He refused to use the word dead just yet.  "Katie, arrange for temporary housing here on the base.  I don't know for how many just yet.  Ben, I want you to take Lucas and Kristin to the dorm and get them a room."

"Dad," Lucas suddenly exclaimed.  "Darwin!  We have to find Darwin!  I let him out to feed this morning just before Mom and I left but I don't know where he is now."

"Lucas, we can't go looking for him right now.  It's a blazing inferno down there.  We'll start searching for him first thing in the morning."

"Captain you're hurt," Ben announced.

"What?" Kristin said.  "Where?"

"His back," Ben told her. 

She quickly pulled herself out of Nathan's arms and moved to his backside.  She saw the large burn hole on the back of his sweatshirt.  The fire had burned clean through the t-shirt underneath and she could see the burned red flesh on his back.

"Nathan you have at least second degree, possibly third degree burns on your back.  This has to be treated immediately."

Nathan had been so focused on his family, his crew, and his boat that he had forgotten about the burn to his back, but being suddenly reminded of its presence caused his back to begin hurting with a vengeance.

"I'll be fine," Nathan said.  "I have to stay here."

"Nathan, you need to get medical treatment," Noyce said.  "As terrible as this is going to sound, you can't do anything right now.  Go to the hospital and I'm sure Commander Ford and Commander Hitchcock can keep you informed."

"No hospital," Nathan insisted.  "Kristin can fix me up here at the clinic."

"Dad…" Lucas started, but Nathan raised his hand to quiet him.  Lucas stopped his protest.

"Fine," Kristin said.  "Then let's get you to the clinic."  Ben and Lucas helped Nathan to stand up.  "Ben maybe you should stay with us till we get him inside the clinic and in a bed."

"You got it, doc."

Lucas was truly worried about his Dad.  The man was wheezing badly and obviously in pain from his back.  He was also worried about Darwin and the rest of the crew.  He might not be as close to them as he was with the senior crew, but they were still his friends and he didn't want anyone to die.

________________

  Lucas sat in the waiting room of the clinic waiting to hear about his Dad.  Mom had taken him into a treatment room about forty minutes ago and he hadn't seen either of them since.  Ben had only stayed a few minutes and then left to do the things Dad had asked him to do and see what Ford and Katie needed of him.

So he was sitting all alone in the waiting room.  His foot was tapping nervously at a frenzied pace.  Several times he had been on the verge of tears but so far he had refused to cry.  Still, the fact that his Dad could have been killed tonight was very much on his mind.  For that matter what if Mom and Dad both had been killed and he had been orphaned.  He couldn't even begin to imagine life without them.

He forced those thoughts out of his head as the tears welled up in his eyes once more. 

"Lucas."

Lucas sat up with a start and almost let out a small yelp.  "M-Mom…how's Dad?"

Kristin gave him a reassuring smile.  "He's going to be okay.  You can come on in and sit with him.  He's asleep."

Lucas stood up nervously and followed his Mom into the room.  Dad was lying in a hospital bed.  An oxygen cord ran under his nose and Lucas could hear the low hiss of the tank.  Dad was wearing a hospital gown and had a blanket over his legs.

"You're sure he's going to be okay?" Lucas asked again.

"Yes.  He had some smoke inhalation in his lungs, that's why he's on oxygen for the night, and luckily the burns on his back are only second degree.  Still, he's going to be in a lot of pain for a while."

Lucas finally sat down in the seat next to Dad's bed.  Kristin pulled a chair up next to Lucas and had a seat.

"How are you?" Kristin asked.

"I'm not hurt," Lucas replied.

"That's not what I was asking?" Kristin said.  "How are you handling all of this?"

"I…I'm not sure.  It all happened so fast."

"I imagine you were afraid though," Kristin said.

"Yeah, especially when I found out Dad was hurt.  He's always there for me…always looking out for me.  I guess I sort of think of him as indestructible."

"No one is indestructible," Kristin told him, placing a hand on the side of Lucas' face.

"I know," Lucas replied.  "Do you think Darwin survived?"

"Lucas I couldn't tell you.  If he was out of the ship then by all means he should be just fine, but I don't want to give you any false hope."

"I can't believe someone…" Lucas stopped as his voice hitched in his throat.  He got himself under control and continued.  "I can't believe someone blew up our home."  This time those pesky tears wouldn't cooperate and several escaped and fell down his young face.

Kristin pulled the boy to her and held him close trying to comfort him and share his grief.  "I know you're upset, and you have every right to be, but try not to be afraid.  The fact of the matter is we are still together.  Remember when we were sitting on the blanket today and I told you that it didn't matter where we lived…that home was where my family was.  Well I meant every word of that.  Besides, this isn't the first time seaQuest has been damaged.  We'll find a place to live just like last time.  We'll be just fine, you'll see."

"I know you right," Lucas said, wiping his eyes.  "God, I can't believe how selfish I'm being.  People are dead and I'm worrying about where we'll live."

"Lucas you're worried about your father, Darwin, and the crew on top of worrying about where we'll live.  Don't be so hard on yourself.  Trust me, I have the same concerns that you do.  Why don't you stretch out on the next bed and get some sleep.  Things will be clearer in the morning."

"Where are you going to be?" Lucas asked.

"Right here," Kristin said.  "I'm going to sit with Nathan for a short while and then I'll go to sleep in one of the empty beds too.  I have a feeling tomorrow is going to be a long day."

Lucas stood up and gave his Mom a quick hug.  "Good night," he said.

"Sleep well," Kristin told him. 

__________________

Nathan found himself in the middle of a nightmare, and for once it wasn't Lucas'.  He was walking through seaQuest, just making his rounds when he saw both Kristin and Lucas approaching him from the end of the corridor.

Suddenly large explosions occurred behind Kristin and Lucas knocking them to the floor.  Nathan took off running towards them.  He saw the water tight doors starting to close.  If they closed before he could get them out they would be trapped.

"NO!" he yelled as he saw the opening getting narrower and narrower.  Just as he reached the door he heard the final click of the locking mechanism, sealing his family's fate. 

"Kristin!  Lucas!" he cried as he pounded on the door.  He could see them climbing to their feet through the small unbreakable window.  They were both starting to cough as black smoke began filling the corridor. 

He watched as Kristin pulled Lucas back down to the floor and together they crawled to the door.  Lucas stood up and tried to open it but the boat was on lock down.  Lucas quickly ripped the access panel off the wall and tried to cross the wires but he was coughing so hard and the thickening smoke was blinding him, burning his eyes.

Suddenly Lucas fell to his knees as the smoke was overtaking him.

Kristin embraced him and they sat in the floor awaiting their death.  Nathan could see the tears falling down Kristin and Lucas' faces but he was powerless to save them.

"Oh God…no…no…NO!"

____________________

"Nathan!  Nathan wake up," Kristin called.  Nathan bolted up in his bed gasping for air.  "Darling it's a nightmare.  You're okay.  It was a nightmare."

"Kristin," Nathan croaked and suddenly pulled her to him.  Alive.  She was alive.  He pulled back from her and asked desperately, "Lucas?  Where's Lucas?"

"Right here," came the hesitant response.

Nathan looked up and saw Lucas standing next to his bed.  The boy looked afraid.  Nathan held his arm out to him and Lucas had a seat on the bed and allowed himself to be pulled into a hug.

"Dad, are you okay?" Lucas asked.

"I'm fine now."  Nathan continued to hold both Kristin and Lucas for a long time, and neither of them seemed to want to pull away either.  The nightmare had just been too real and too horrifying for Nathan.  Then the memory of what had triggered the nightmare came to him.  SeaQuest had been blown up.  Finally Nathan released his hold on Kristin and Lucas.

"Have you heard anything yet?  About seaQuest?  About the crew?"

"Katie came in to see me about fifteen minutes after Lucas went to sleep," Kristin said.  "They did roll call and they can't located fourteen people."

"Who?" Nathan asked.

"Dr. Knight, one of my nurses, Pamela, Dr. Brown and Dr. Renior from geology, Ensign Burke, and I can't remember the rest.  They were men who worked in Engineering and maintenance.  The good news is that there is still hope for finding them.  According to Katie, someone managed to trigger the water tight doors.  The boat didn't sink, and by sealing the doors people inside the airtight compartments would have been protected from the flames and the smoke.  It may be some time though before we can rescue them.  The power on the boat is down and the doors are now having to be opened manually with blow torches."

"How bad is the damage?" Nathan asked.

"They can't even begin to assess that yet," Kristin told him.  Nathan had figured as much but he had to ask anyway.

Kristin grabbed her stethoscope and told Nathan to take some deep breaths.  "Well your lungs sound much better than they did when we first got here.  I can take you off the oxygen now.  I want you to go back to sleep, though.  You're hurt and the rest will do you good."

"I really should go down to the boat," Nathan protested.

"Nathan Bridger, I am your doctor as well as your wife and I'm telling you that you are going back to sleep."

"Kristin."

"Don't Kristin me.  You are staying put.  Jonathon and Katie will come here and tell us anything important."

"Okay…okay…you win," Nathan relented.  There was no use arguing with her.  Besides, his back was killing him.  The skin was so tight and burned terribly.  Nathan looked at Lucas.

"Are you okay?" he asked his son. 

"I'm okay," Lucas said.  "I'm just glad that you're all right.  You didn't look so good when we first brought you here."

"Don't worry kiddo.  I'm going to be fine.  My back is a little tender and I don't think I'll be playing football for a little bit, but I'm going to be good as new in no time.  I tell you what, I'll go back to sleep if you do," Nathan said.

Lucas smiled at Dad and nodded his head.  Lucas and Kristin helped Nathan to gently lower himself on to the bed and on his side.  Once Nathan was back to sleep both Lucas and Kristin went back to bed too.

Several hours later Lucas was still lying in his bed awake.  He couldn't sleep.  He couldn't get his mind off the fact that seaQuest had been blown up.  Being careful not to disturb his parents, or alert them to the fact that he was leaving, he quietly got out of bed and pulled his sneakers on.  Then he tip toed out of the room and stepped outside. 

He had forgotten how cold it was and that he was only wearing sweat clothes.  He pulled his hands into his sleeves and kept on going.  He walked around the building and down the concrete walk towards the dock.

The base was still in pandemonium.  Fire crews were still putting water on hot spots on the boat, ambulances were standing by to take any survivors, and Lucas recognized the men who's job it was to collect evidence and try to start figuring out who masterminded the attack.

"Who are you?" a stern voice demanded.

Lucas spun around and saw a tall man in a trench coat standing there glaring down at him.

"I…I'm Lucas Bridger.  My Dad is Captain of the seaQuest.  That's my home."

"You need to leave this area now.  We don't have time to baby sit you.  This is a crime scene, not to mention a highly dangerous place at the moment.  Not get back to your parents."  The man spoke with no feeling what so ever.

Lucas felt an anger growing inside of him.  "I don't need a baby sitter," Lucas said, "and I have no intention of getting in the way.  I simply want to know what's happening to my friends still inside?"

"Listen, get out of here before I have you escorted out.  Now!"

Lucas knew the man wasn't bluffing so he slowly began backing away from his home.  He decided to start looking for Darwin.  If Darwin had made it out of the boat he would probably be swimming around near by somewhere keeping an eye on things himself. 

Lucas turned and headed towards the beach.  He made sure to stay a good distance away from the docks.  He probably walked a half a mile down the beach before he went up to the waters edge.

"Darwin!" he called out.  "Darwin!"

The sun was only just starting to come up so it was still pretty dark outside.  Lucas realized that even if Darwin were out there swimming he probably wouldn't be able to see him.  He'd have to wait for first light.

He had a seat on the sandy shore and wrapped his arms around him for warmth.  Darwin just had to be okay.  Lucas looked a little further down the beach and saw a long pier out in the water for people to fish off of.  He had an idea of how to call Darwin to him if he were out there.  He got up and took off running.

He climbed up the stairs of the dock once he reached it and flew to the end.  He realized when he got to the end that he needed a rock or something.  Quickly he ran back to the beach and started looking for a stone or a piece of liter that someone may have left.  He found an abandoned soup can.  He grabbed it and hurried back to the very end of the pier.  He was out of breath by the time he got there.

He got down on his knees next to the metal ladder that went all the way into the water.  Lucas lifted the can and began to bang the pole with it.  Darwin's sensitive frontal lobe would feel the vibrations if he were near by.

Five minutes passed and still Lucas banged on the pole.  His heart was sinking as more and more time passed by and there was no sight of Darwin anywhere.

The sun finally broke the surface of the water and the sky lit up in a rainbow of colors.  The light allowed Lucas to see the ripples of the water more clearly.  It would be easier to spot Darwin now.  He blew some warm breath on his chilled fingers and then continued to  bang the can, hoping he would see the smiling gray face that he loved so much.

_____________________

Kristin woke slowly.  She opened her eyes and saw the daylight spilling into the room.  She sat up and threw her legs over the side of the bed and groaned.  Hospital beds really weren't known for their comfort.  She got up and looked at Nathan.  He was still sleeping.  She looked at Lucas' bed and saw that it was empty.

She began going through the rooms looking for him.  The clinic wasn't very big and it didn't take long to figure out that he wasn't there.  Kristin fought down a wave of panic and stepped outside, hoping to find him just outside the building or perhaps looking at the rescue workers down by the boat.

She didn't see him anywhere.  She made her way to seaQuest and began to search through the swarm of people.

"Lucas!" she called.  "Lucas!"

"Miss you need to stay back," someone told her.

"I'm looking for my son.  Have you seen a teenage boy around here?  Blond hair…blue eyes?"

"I haven't seen any kids around here.  I'm sorry. Now I really must ask you to stay back.  Only military personnel are allowed past this point."

"Listen, I need to find my son.  My husband is Captain Bridger…of seaQuest."

"Well then tell your husband to come down here and look, but I highly doubt that a kid is wandering around down here.  He would have been asked to leave the minute someone saw him."

Kristin kept the nasty retort that was on the tip of her tongue to herself and walked away from the rude man.  Once again she scanned the crowd hoping to see Lucas.  "Lucas!  Lucas!"

_____________

Lucas felt the first few tears fall down his face.  He had been banging and calling for Darwin now for at least a half an hour and still he was nowhere to be seen.  Lucas sat back and leaned against the pylon.  He wrapped his arms around his legs and buried his face in his knees.  He didn't want to accept the fact that Darwin was probably dead.

He'd wait a few minutes and then start calling Darwin once more.

_____________

Kristin hurried back to the clinic hoping that Lucas had returned during her absence.  She didn't find Lucas, but she did find Nathan, awake, out of bed, and getting dressed.

"There you are," Nathan said.

"What are you doing?" Kristin asked.

"I'm going down to the boat.  I need to see how the investigation is going and what the damages are."

"Nathan we have a problem," Kristin said.

"Kristin we have several dozen problems," Nathan told her.  "Can you give me something for the pain in my back?"

"Of course," Kristin said and hurried to the medicine cabinet.  "But we have a big problem that needs to be addressed right now.  I can't find Lucas!  He was gone when I woke up and I've search the base and got as close to the boat as those bullies would let me.  He isn't anywhere that I can find."

Nathan did what came natural to him anymore.  He concentrated on Lucas.  It only took a second to figure out that Lucas was single-mindedly focused on Darwin.

"He's looking for Darwin.  I'm betting he's on the beach somewhere."

"How could he?  It's freezing out there and he doesn't even have a coat!" Kristin snapped.

"He's worried about Darwin," Nathan said.  "He's not thinking with his head but with his heart."

"I know, but still.  Can you picture him coming down sick already, so soon after recovering from the malaria?"

"Kristin, I hate to leave you like this, but can you find him?  I really need to get to the boat.  That's my crew trapped in there.  I have a responsibility to be there."

"Of course," Kristin said.  "Go, do what you have to.  I'll get word to you somehow once I find Lucas.  Where can I get us some coats?"

"I'll get someone to take you to the store on the base so you can get some necessities.  Where's my wallet?"

Kristin picked up the small leather wallet from the table next to Nathan's bed.  Nathan quickly pulled out his UEO card and handed it to her.  "This will get you what you need."  He gave her a quick kiss and hurried out the door.

Five minutes later a young man stepped into the clinic. "Mrs. Bridger?"

"Yes," Kristin said, not bothering to correct him that it was Dr. Bridger.

"I'm Seaman Birch, but you can call me Jesse.  I'm here to take you to the store and to help you find your son."

"Thank you Jesse.  You can call me Kristin."

Together they went to the store where Kristin grabbed two winter jackets, one for her and one for Lucas.  She didn't bother to waste time picking up anything else.  Things like toothbrushes could wait until after she had her son back.

________________

Nathan was able to walk past the security line and walk along the side of his boat.  He could only go so far though because the rest of the dock that led to the rear of the vessel was completely gone.  It had been destroyed in the explosion.

"Captain!"

Nathan turned to see Commander Ford approaching him.

"What can you tell me?" Nathan asked.

"How are you feeling?" Ford asked.

"Fine.  Tell me what's going on here."

"Well sir, the fires are out and most of the smoke has been vented.  Rescue workers have made their way to the bridge where they found Ensign Burke unharmed.  He was the one who managed to flip the switch to seal the watertight doors.  The ship has no power to run anything.  Dr. Knight, Dr. Brown, and Dr. Renior was found in the labs along with a nurse, Pamela something.  They were taken to the hospital with some smoke inhalation but they'll be fine."

"What about the men in engineering and maintenance?" Nathan asked.

"I'm afraid they didn't make it sir.  Nine dead total.  From first reports it looks like five died from burns, four from smoke inhalation."

Nathan sighed and ran a hand through his hair.  "Nine," whispered.  "Have their families been notified?"

"Not yet.  The bodies were only found in the past hour or two."

"I want them informed before the press finds out their names.  I'll be damned if I want some reporter showing up at their houses telling them that their loved one is dead."

"Understood," Ford said.

"The Secretary General was here earlier.  I informed him you were recovering in the clinic."

"Do you know where he is now?" Nathan asked.

"I believe he is staying in the Officer's Dorm.  He didn't want to leave the base and return to Washington until he had something to tell the President."

"I don't blame him," Nathan said.  "I'll be at the Dorm.  I want to be notified the minute I can go inside seaQuest."

"Yes sir," Ford replied.  "It should be within the next hour.  The feds are just about done with the crime scene.  Also several people from the UEO Drug Trafficking branch are floating around here too."

"UEO Drug Trafficking?  Why would they be interested in a terrorist attack on seaQuest?" Nathan questioned.

"I really don't know," Ford replied, shaking his head.

Nathan turned and headed to the Dorm.  He had about a million questions going through his mind and he really wanted answers.

_______________

Kristin walked along the beach with Jesse following behind her.  He seemed awfully young to be in the military, not much older than Lucas really.  It was his face.  It was one of those precious baby faces like Lucas had.

"Are you sure he'd be out here?" Jesse asked her.  "It's pretty cold to be taking a walk along the beach, ma'am."

"He's here," Kristin said.  "He's looking for Darwin."  Kristin cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled "Lucas!"

"Who's Darwin?"

"He's our dolphin," Kristin replied.

"Your dolphin?" Jesse asked in surprise.

"We don't exactly live a normal life," Kristin chuckled.  "Lucas!"

They continued down the beach and Kristin saw the pier.  She scanned the length of it and smiled when she saw Lucas' body huddled at the end of it.  She realized the reason he hadn't heard her was because he was calling out for Darwin.

She picked up the pace and hurried to the dock.  She climbed the few steps up.  She heard the sound of banging metal and understood what Lucas was doing. 

"Lucas," she called.

Lucas spun around.  "Mom," he said.  "I can't find Darwin.  I've been calling him and calling him but he isn't coming."

Kristin held the coat up for Lucas and he gladly put it on.  She felt his fingers and immediately began to rub some warmth into them.

"Lucas you're skin is like ice.  Let's get you to the cafeteria and get some hot chocolate in you."

"I don't want to leave until I find Darwin," Lucas protested.

"I promise we'll come back and look some more for him, but right now we need to get back.  I promised your father that I would let him know when we found you.  I've been looking for you for over an hour.  You scared me big time when you just disappeared like that."

"I'm sorry," Lucas said.

"I know you are, but I want you to come back right now.  We'll search for Darwin later."

_________________

Nathan stood in the Officer's Dorm.  Secretary Noyce was in a meeting and Nathan was waiting to see him.  He shrugged his shoulders slightly and winced at the pain in his back.  Finally the door opened and a middle-aged man with thick red hair stepped out.

"Captain Bridger, if you'll please," he said and motioned for Nathan to enter the room. 

Nathan stepped into the small conference room.  Noyce and Thomas were sitting at the table, along with several men that Nathan didn't know.

"Bill, what's going on here?" Nathan asked.

"Nathan I think you should have a seat.  Where is Lucas at?"

"Why?" Nathan asked.

Bill knew Nathan was going to be pissed and figured there was no easy way to say this.  "I want Kristin and Lucas here.  We think that all of you might be in danger.  We can't be sure, but we don't want to take any chances."

"What the hell are you talking about?  Did Wolenczak come out of his coma?"

"No…no nothing like that.  We have a pretty good idea who attacked the seaQuest, and it's directly related to you and Lucas," Bill said.

_________________

Kristin and Lucas had just gotten back to the base when two men in long coats approached them quickly.

"Lucas Bridger?"

"Yeah."  Lucas looked nervously at the two men.

"We need you to come with us," one of them said.

"Where?" Lucas asked, already backing away from the two men.

"Just come with us please."  They both reached out an arm to take Lucas.

"Don't touch me," Lucas yelped.  "Leave me alone."  He didn't know these men and the events of what Hector and Rico did to him was still fresh in his mind. 

"Now wait a minute.  This boy is a minor and I am his mother.  Lucas will not be going anywhere until I know who you are and what you want," Kristin said, stepping in front of Lucas protectively.  She could see how frightened he was.

"You're Kristin Bridger?" one of the men asked.

"Yes I am," Kristin said.  "Now why do you want Lucas?"

"Please, if you'll just come with us.  Secretary Noyce and General Thomas are waiting."

"Bill knows about this?" Kristin inquired.

"Yes ma'am."

"Fine, but I'm coming too," Kristin insisted.  "I plan to have a word or two with the Secretary General."

The two men stepped back and motioned for Lucas and Kristin to follow them.

_______________

"Hello Kristin," Bill said pleasantly as she and Lucas entered the room.

"Don't hello Kristin me," Kristin whipped out, her British accent more pronounced than ever.  "Just what was the big idea sending two bullies to practically drag Lucas and myself here."

Lucas was standing behind Kristin and actually cringed at how angry she was.  Once Mom got ticked nothing could stop her until she'd had her say.

"Honestly, the boy has been through enough traumatic experiences of late.  The last thing he needs is total strangers coming up to him and physically grabbing at him, telling him to come along."

"Kristin, I'm sorry if the men sent to find you frightened you and Lucas.  We simply wanted to get you here for safety reasons," Bill told her.

"You should be sorry," Kristin said snippily.

"Why don't you just tell us what is going on, and why do you think we are in danger?" Nathan demanded.  He also wasn't too happy with how Bill had gone about finding Kristin and Lucas.  Lucas looked very tense at the moment.

"If everyone will please have a seat," a man Nathan had never met before said, "I'll gladly get this meeting started."

Kristin and Lucas sat down on a small sofa that was against the wall.

"And just who are you?" Nathan asked.

"My name is Kyle Meadows.  I am with the UEO Drug Trafficking Branch."

"What does Drug Trafficking have to do with a terrorist act?" Nathan asked.

"Terrorists didn't plant the explosives on seaQuest," Meadows replied.  "Recently you apprehended a Julian Drake, correct?"

"Yes," Nathan said.  "He was running a pirate operation off the coast of Brazil.  He was also capturing people and selling them as slaves."

"Yes, we know," Meadows said.  "The fact of the matter is, without knowing it, you managed to get yourself involved in something bigger than you ever would have dreamed."

"Are you saying that Julian Drake blew up seaQuest?  The man is supposed to be in jail," Nathan said.  "We also apprehended most of his men.  How could drug smugglers pull something like this off?  Literally attacking the most powerful boat we have while sitting in a UEO base."

"Julian Drake isn't a small time drug smuggler.  He also doesn't work alone," Meadows replied.  "Julian Drake ran the largest drug operation in South America.  His brother, Antonio Drake, rules over Central America.  They have more than one government in their hip pockets.  We have been trying desperately to get our hands on these guys for a long time.  Every time we make a move they disappear, along with all the evidence against them.  Everyone in my department was shocked to hear that you had captured him."

"Truthfully our luck in capturing him was really due the mistakes of Chief Montoya and the two men working for him, Hector and Rico.  They put us on the trail of Drake.  Then seaQuest managed to pick up several communications and we pinpointed his location," Nathan explained.

"Yes, well we won't be getting any more information from Montoya, Hector, or Rico.  They are all dead," Meadows said.

"What?" Lucas gasped.

"For their own protection we were transporting them to a different holding facility.  They were cooperating for lesser sentences.  The van that was transporting them was forced over the side of a bridge, killing them along with the four men transporting them."  Meadows looked directly at Lucas and said, "Lucas, we need to know everything that happened while you were with Hector and Rico.  What did they say to you, especially about Drake?"

Lucas closed his eyes as he started remembering being in the dirty run down shack in the middle of the jungle.  He could still remember so clearly Hector and Rico taunting him, calling him pretty boy, and then touching him.

"Lucas," Meadows said, "what can you tell us?"

Lucas shook himself and looked up.  "Nothing," Lucas said.  "They didn't say anything about Drake, only that they were going to sell me to him.  I never actually saw Drake until the day he was leaving seaQuest and going into federal custody."

"Why were they going to sell you to Drake?" Meadows asked.

Lucas' eyes went wide.  He looked quickly around the room with a dozen people he didn't know in it, along with faces he did.  "Uhh…I…they…didn't say," Lucas suddenly lied. 

"I think Lucas has been through enough," Kristin stated, standing up quickly from the sofa.  "Could someone please show us where we'll be staying exactly so we can wash up and at least brush our teeth?"

"Listen," Meadows started, but Nathan cut him off.

"I agree," he said.  "Bill could you please get someone in here to take Kristin and Lucas to the Officers Dorm and get them in a room?"  There was no way he was going to let Meadows force Lucas to admit to his sexual assault in front of all these people.  Lucas didn't deserve that.

"Yes, of course," Bill said, giving Meadows a look that let him know to leave it alone.  "In fact Nathan, why don't you go ahead and take them.  I think we're just about done here anyway.  It's currently 8:30.  How about I meet you on the dock at 10:00 am so we can tour the damages and start working a schedule for repairs?"

_________________

Nathan opened the door to their small suite of rooms.  It had two bedrooms with a small living room and kitchenette.  It was about the same size as their quarters on seaQuest.

Kristin began to dig through her bag of items that they had just bought and she pulled out some shampoo and her new toothbrush.  "I'm going to take a shower" she said and headed to the bathroom.

Lucas had a seat in the stiff sofa and waited for his turn.  Nathan had a seat next to him but made sure to sit up straight so his back didn't touch.  His skin was too sensitive right now.

"Are you okay, kiddo?"

Lucas nodded his head up and down.  "I was just surprised when Meadows asked me to tell what happened on the island.  It's just that…well…you're the only person who knows," Lucas explained.  "I couldn't tell a whole room full of people what happened.  I haven't even told Mom.  I mean, I know she knows cause you told her, but…I don't know," Lucas said in exasperation.

"I understand," Nathan said.  "I really do.  I had no intention of letting Meadows do that to you in front of so many people."

"Thanks," Lucas mumbled.  "What's going to happen now?"

"What do you mean?" Nathan asked.

"I mean, where are we going to live, and where is the rest of the crew going to live, and when do we start looking for Darwin, and how long do you think it will take to get seaQuest running and will the crew come back when she's done or are they going to be on other boats by then?"

The questions were flying out of Lucas' mouth at lightning speed and try as he might Nathan couldn't get a word in edge wise.  "Lucas!  Lucas, slow down," Nathan said.  "I know you want answers, and so do I, but right now I don't have any to give you."

"I just don't want us to all get separated.  I know that this is the military and that everyone has to go where they're assigned, but this is also our family.  I don't want Ben and Katie and Tim and Miguel and the others stuck on another boat, and what if Ben and Katie don't get assigned to the same boat?  They just got together again.  Plus we still don't know where Darwin is."

Once more the words were flying out of Lucas' mouth.  Nathan put a hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down.  "Kiddo, I can't really say what is going to happen for sure, but this is my family too, and I don't just mean you and Kristin.  I promise to do what I can to keep us together, but there are no guarantees here.  Right now everything is crazy for everyone, not just you."

Lucas hung his head and nodded.  He just didn't want to lose the people he loved.  He didn't want to see his friends all get assigned somewhere else.  It was no secret that he didn't trust easily and the thought of losing the people that he did trust was rather frightening.

Nathan saw the boy's despair and worry, but at the moment he just couldn't give Lucas the answers he wanted so badly.  Nathan understood that Lucas didn't handle sudden changes well, especially ones of this magnitude.  In all honesty, the boy's entire world had just come undone, and Nathan knew Lucas was counting on him to fix it.  He only hoped that he could.