"I knew this was a bad idea."

Max turned to look at Alec, "what are you psychic now?"

"No," he said brushing dust and dirt from his clothes, "but we should have known better that to trust that shady informant of Logan's. If we had just snatched that kid when we had the chance, we wouldn't be crawling around in the jungles of Paraguay looking for him, or his father."

"How was I supposed to know that Logan's informant would turn on us and give Ray to White," asked Max pulling a leaf out of her hair.

"Well he was Logan's informant..."

"Stop it. Logan's on our side. White probably paid the man a fortune. You know money does strange things to people." Max sighed in disgust, "Come on. We don't have time to argue right now, we've got work to do." Max turned on her heel and started to walk away. "I think we should follow this trail into the nearest town, maybe talk to the locals and see what we can find out."

Alec rolled his eyes and followed Max out of the thick underbrush that had been their temporary hiding place. Walking down the path Alec knocked off a few hitchhiking ants before confronting Max again.

"Max, I don't think White would be stupid enough to walk into that village in broad daylight, especially since he knows we're hot on his trail. I bet he's long gone by now…probably on his way back to Seattle while we're wandering around in circles in the Amazon. So here's what I suggest we do…"

Max turned on him, "Who made you boss?"

Alec sighed, "think about it Max! If you had a huge end of the world party coming up where would you rather be? Lost in the jungle or sitting safe in a cult full of loons just like you? He has his son…"

"But he doesn't have the bracelet! He's still out there, waiting for us to come out so he can kill us and take it."

"Or he's back at the cult waiting for us to show up and try to stop him."

A lighted seemed to go off in Max's head at Alec's words.

"Or….Alec, I think I know where White is."

"Seattle?"

"No, Wyoming."

"What? Why would he go there? There's nothing in Wyoming."

Max smiled, "noting except Manticore. Or at least what's left of it. Don't you remember what Logan said? White needs three things to complete the ritual. He has his blood sacrifice, Ray. We have the bracelet. The last piece of the puzzle is at Manticore."

"There's nothing left of Manticore." A light went off in Alec's head too and he suddenly got excited, "At least nothing on the surface. There is an underground bunker; it was under the DNA lab. I remember overhearing one of the CO talking about it one day with Lydecker. It was where they kept all the important files and samples that they procured, just in case something should happen to the building itself."

"Well whatever White's after it's in that bunker." Max took off down the path but Alec grabbed her arm, "stop," he whispered. He pointed to a thin, almost invisible line of metal strung across the jungle floor.

Max's face colored slightly at almost walking into the obvious trap. " White knew we'd come this way." Max looked up through the dense tree limbs and spotted a huge green net half hidden in the branches and leaves of the ancient trees.

She picked up a stick and tripped the wire. The net came crashing to earth as another one, hidden under the shrubs, flew upward trapping a net full of leaves.

"Let's get out of here before White's goons show up to see what they caught."

Alec nodded. Together they snuck through the jungle, avoiding countless amateur traps as they went, and finally made their way back to their 'borrowed' car. Getting into the driver's seat Max felt a sense of urgency wash over her as she slipped the key into the ignition and a deep feeling of dread was growing in the pit of her stomach. Manticore was a continent away and the world was heading for an apocalypse.

----------

Ray sat in the back of his father's car and watched the scenery fly by.

"Dad," he said breaking the silence. "Where are we going?"

Ames looked at his son in the rearview mirror, "We're going home buddy."

"You don't have to work anymore," asked Ray.

"No. It's just going to be me and you for a while."

Ray nodded and fell silent again.

"Dad," he said once more.

"Yeah?"

"I won't have to go back to that school will I?"

Ames smiled, "Just one more time Ray. Then you won't ever have to go back again. I promise. Ok?"

"Ok dad."