Georgie's slow pace suited Kate. Her head felt like a broken egg, ready to crack and fall off her shoulders at any moment.
The air was heavy, then the rain started. A blanket of water fell from the sky and didn't stop. The spongy, water-saturated earth couldn't absorb any more. Within a half hour they were sloshing through 4 inches of water. When Georgie tripped over a vine no one could have seen, Ethan called a halt.
"Kate can you climb that ridge?" Ethan pointed ahead and to their left. A small waterfall rolled over the edge of the long, narrow elevation.
"Of course." She started heading in that direction. Georgie and Ethan followed.
They had to climb up on their hands and knees, through muddy ground cover, but once on top, they found a spot that was wet, but not flooded.
They set up their BIVVYs. To keep the tent/sleeping bag waterproof they had to close the screen. Within minutes, the air inside was like a dank, airless sauna. Ethan unzipped his BIVVY and slid out. Twenty feet away was a dense cover of leaves that worked like a leaky umbrella. He settled under the leafy shelter.
Kate slipped out of her BIVVY and joined him. "Mind if I sit?"
Ethan shook his head and she ducked and squeezed in beside him. Their wet clothing steamed in the heat.
"I can see why the Hive was built out here." Ethan mused. "Especially before modern travel and technology. It would be almost impossible to find or get to."
"True." Kate leaned her head back and closed her one good eye.
They sat in silence for a few minutes.
"You know who my father is, right?" Ethan said, half question, half statement.
"I do." She didn't look at him.
"Then, I think this belongs to you." He held the badge in the palm of his hand. Kate didn't take it right away.
"So, is he responsible for my being brought into the Hive?"
Kate answered slowly. "You were brought in for the same reason as the others. You have..."
"Stop it!" Ethan was shaken by his sudden surge of anger. "Don't give me that! Compared to Anne's visions, Georgie's telekinesis, Lucy's healing, Rufus throwing lightening bolts and whatever the hell that weird science thing Griffen does, I look like a trained poodle!" His voice got louder and louder as he listed off the talents of the group.
"That's not true!" Anne turned her good eye to look at him. "Your mind is.."
Again, Ethan interrupted angrily. "So, what, I'm a genius? So is half of Harvard and Yale and probably all of MIT."
Kate became calmer the more agitated he became. "Ethan, you are not just a genius. You are an exceptional planner, thinker and a natural leader. All qualities we need in the Hive."
Ethan's anger was exhausting. "Did my mother know?" As his fury faded, he sagged, worn out and defeated. "I want to go home."
"What? To Kingsville? And do what?"
"It's Kingston, Ontario. I moved there with my mother when my parents divorced and you know it. Go back to my life. Finish school."
"I have no insight into what your father told your mother." She watched him slumping, his strength waning with each passing second.
Kate's voice, when she finally spoke again was an angry hiss. "Go to school and spend years to get a bunch of degrees. In what? Science, medicine, law? Become a politician like your father? All so you can change the world? You have been given the ability to do all that now. Look at the changes you've help make already! Quit feeling sorry for yourself and look at the opportunity you have been given." Finished, Kate slumped back, her head pounding.
Ethan was quiet for so long, Kate turned to see if he had fallen asleep. He stared back at her.
"Does everybody in the Hive work for the Secret Service?" He didn't really expect her to answer. This time when he offered her the badge, she took it.
"No. Len Green is Interpol. Some I've met are Scotland Yard. There are probably other departments represented, but I only know the ones I come into contact with."
"Okay." Was all he said.
Rudy was feeling better, but Lucy had no way of knowing if she had cured him completely or just lifted the symptoms.
"Okay, we better get moving before the rain comes." Rudy's announcement was met with loud groans, but they all dutifully repacked their gear and wearily stood, ready to slog through the soft earth. Without waiting for permission, Rufus wrapped Twiskers against his chest and shouldered Lucy backpack and BIVVY.
"If we push through we should reach the rendezvous late tomorrow." Rudy promised as they set off once again into the sweltering rainforest.
The rain had stopped and Ethan and Kate conferred with Georgie whether to pack up and push on for a few hours or stop for the night.
They were wet, muddy and exhausted, but knew they would get no rest in the sweltering BIVVYs. They decided to hike for a few hours more, then stop at dusk. Georgie passed out chocolate bars from his stash.
"Were you going to survive solely on candy?" Kate teased Georgie.
"That was the plan." He answered seriously, then, took the lead.
They slid down the ridge on their butts to return to the path. The mud caked on their clothes added extra weight they didn't need.
While they walked Kate educated them on the history of the Hive.
"Remember when you first arrived at the Hive, I told you the story of a Precog, along with a healer, who saved Abraham Lincoln's life. It was that event that made Lincoln determined to set up a special type of police force whose only mission was to protect the president. He drew up the legislation and actually signed it into effect the day he was assassinated. That was the beginning of a long association between the Secret Service and what became the Hive."
"Cool. Does that mean I'm a Secret Service agent? Do I get a badge? A gun?"
"Georgie, what do you need a gun for? You completely annihilated an army squad single-handedly." Kate teased.
"With sticks!" Ethan laughed.
"True." Georgie gloated. "But, I still want a badge."
"We'll see." Kate promised. She was happy that after thinking through his situation, Ethan seemed less angry.
"Hey, What's that?" Georgie pointed up ahead. Something was moving.
"Wait a minute." Kate grabbed Georgie's arm. Ethan slipped past them to go ahead and investigate.
.