Chapter 13: An Unscheduled Visit
In the spring of that year, the green conversion of the Utica plant was declared an overwhelming success. Operational efficiency had increased by thirty percent, employee retention was at an all-time high, and the facility had become the premier supplier of renewable grid infrastructure in the Northeast.
On a warm Saturday afternoon, Julian Kane was working overtime in the quiet plant office, finalizing the quarterly employee profit-sharing distribution.
A knock sounded on the open doorframe.
Kane looked up.
Marcus Vance stood there, dressed in his familiar charcoal overcoat. Beside him was Leo, now eleven, noticeably taller, wearing a freshly washed hoodie and holding a worn leather baseball glove.
Kane stood up slowly, wiping his hands on his work jeans. "Mr. Vance. Leo."
"Julian," Marcus said, his voice warm. "We were in the area checking on some road infrastructure projects. Leo insisted we stop by."
Leo walked into the office, looking around at the binders, safety charts, and photos of factory floor teams pinned to the corkboard.
May you like
"You kept the spoke wrench," Leo noted, pointing to the desk where the small brass tool was sitting right next to Kane’s computer monitor.
"I keep it where I can see it every morning," Kane said honestly. "Keeps my math honest."
