- WhiteBird -

- Chapter Seventeen - Arturo and Abraxas

Casey stood speechless for a moment, unable to form any sounds or words, his heart completing award winning flips.

The memory of his father had long faded, but he found such familiarity in the man that stood before him.

He had come to the front glass doors, against his guards advice, but his hazel eyes twinkled with confusion, not recognition.

"It's been a while since anyone directly confronted me." He laughed, his accent thick. Arturo leaned against the door frame. "What fool sent you?"

Casey watched Arturo, taking in his features, the silver dusted in his hair, stubble that hadn't been shaved, the hard jawline that still remained. His words had barely registered to Casey, but he shook his head quickly.

"No one sent me." Casey stuttered out, taking a single step back. "I came on my own."

"Then what do you want?" He barked, looking more ridged than relaxed.

The only reason Casey didn't faint was the reassurance that Karr was just behind him, ready to intervene if it was absolutely necessary.

Casey took a deep breath, calming his nerves, and looked up at the man that had once been his father.

"I thought maybe you'd recognize me." He said.

Arturo looked highly amused by Casey's comment, giving him a weird look. Even the men behind him seemed to shake slightly with laughter.

Arturo opened his mouth to speak, but his eyes quickly changed from amusement to seriousness and surprise. His mouth shut with a click, and he himself took a step back.

He shook his head, but his gaze remained transfixed on Casey.

"Abraxas?" He asked.

Casey felt a strong lurch in his chest, like an elephant trying to charge its way out of his lungs and through his chest.

Abraxas was his middle name, and he never told anyone. Not even Karr, unless the A.I. already knew.

"That's.. that's my middle name." Casey said.

Arturo seemed to flood with a mix of various emotions, anger, surprise, shock, sadness, his features strained under the weight of his feelings.

Casey didn't expect a hug, or a welcome party, or Arturo to jump up and down with glee, but what he really didn't expect was for the man the slam the door shut in his face.

Casey jumped back in surprise, the door popping shut loudly just a few inches from his nose. His heart did a few more acrobatic flips and he struggled to comprehend what had just happened.

Casey went for the door, but it was firmly shut and locked. A sense of disappointment washed over him like an icy, fiery wave, knocking away all his hopes, and drowning his chance for answered questions.

He stood by the door, furious and disappointed. It really was Arturo, his father. But why did he only know Casey as Abraxas? He paced quickly, thinking, but there was nothing he could do. He could not force his was into someone's life.

Casey turned away from the building, the heat of the day warming his back, and made his way back to the car, who's windows were darkly tinted, but not completely.

Casey opened the door, which unlocked automatically at his touch. Another feature Karr had, was to scan fingerprints under the door handle, allowing some people in, but not others.

Casey dropped down into the car, cold air rushing out past him. He closed the door with a loud click, and put his head down against the steering wheel.