On the way back, Judith was driving and clearly in a much better mood. She rolled down the car window and enjoyed the wind blowing against her face. Jimmy had put a nice little bandage on her ear before they left.

Tim had never seen his boss in such high spirits while full of doubts. For instance, how would they explain the delay in delivering the prototype, or why were they wearing the lab shirts?

"I'm hungry! Shall we eat at that weird restaurant with only one hamburger?" Judith asked suddenly.

"We're already late, but that's fine. Let's have an omelet..." Tim replied with a slight pout.

"Oh, come on, Tim! Be a little happy! We did it. We saved the kid; she's in a safe place now. We have the prototype and need to deliver it to Zack. And then I'm done with all this..."

"Done? What do you mean?" Tim was surprised.

"I'm thinking of quitting. You think it was just a series of coincidences that led us to the girl, but I believe it was a sign. I no longer think this is my path. I need to do something else, and I see that now," she said firmly.

"Listen," Tim started hesitantly, feeling now that it was time for the confession. "I've been thinking about those who crossed over illegally and how to find them here. You probably know since you have connections."

Judith's expression turned serious. "What are you getting at? I'm not following."

"I mean that girl, Mara, who wanted to cross through me. We talked about how she might have crossed at another gate, and you said if she did, they'd hunt her down. But if they haven't found her, could you know where to look?" Tim was still probing, not wanting to reveal everything just yet.

"Mara? But what's with this girl? You're not worried about her, are you?" Judith smiled. "When we checked the system, we didn't find any record of her crossing anywhere else..."

"And what if she crossed at a gate where the gatekeeper erased her name from the system? And she's here. Where would you look?"

"Well, that's a good question. Mara might need to use her real name or have crossed under a different name. I'd look among the resistors hiding, but it could be better. Because if you look around, this island is a tourist paradise. The tourists are very well-documented, and they're very protected to ensure their peace isn't disturbed. The authorities are everywhere; even if they don't know each other personally, they all have IDs. The inspectors specialize in looking for illegal crossers. Then there's the support staff. They're also checked, but I'd look among them too."

"And do you think the inspectors will kill them if caught?" Tim asked worriedly.

"Why sugarcoat it? Yes, they likely will be killed after they extract all the information about their connections and how they crossed over... but what's with this girl? Are you worried she might have crossed over after all?"

"Yes," Tim admitted.

"You only met her once, and she had such an impact on you?"

"I can't explain it, but I fell for her. The way she looked at me... I can't get her out of my head."

"Well, Tim, I never thought you were such a romantic type! But be careful because the way she looked at you might have been to seduce you, to do everything she could to get you to let her through..."

"So, you also think I'm not good-looking enough for girls to notice me just for myself?"

This assumption took Judith aback.

"Understand me, please. You're a good-looking guy; it's not about that. It's about the circumstances. Think about it. A girl wants to cross the gate, and there's a gatekeeper. What means does the girl have to get through, especially if what she's doing isn't exactly legal? Wouldn't she use her charm? Maybe she did like you, but you also have to consider if her smile was for you specifically or if she would have smiled at anyone standing there to get across..."

Tim often lost in these thoughts, especially when his mood was low. He couldn't help but wonder if it was all just his imagination. That's why he yearned so much to meet the girl again, to confirm the reality of his feelings.

"Maybe that's exactly what I want—to find out what happened and see with my own eyes if her smile was meant for me."

"And you think she managed to cross over somehow? You can only find that out if you join the inspectors and search for the fugitives with them. Maybe they already know if she crossed over."

Finally, a glimmer of hope followed. Tim was happy and started feeling cheerful. He was no longer cold; they could feel they were nearing the coast because the air was much warmer and the vegetation was changing. Sometimes, palm trees towered above them, alternating with olive trees and colorful oleanders.

"If we're talking about destiny, maybe my destiny is to find and save that girl," Tim continued, his voice filled with a newfound hope.

"But wait, Tim! Don't forget that the girl is your enemy, and they are trying to get the invention at all costs—the one we're delivering back to Zack! They're working to destroy the system we live in!" Judith's objection was clear and firm, underscoring the tension between them.

"But now you want to quit, so I don't understand you again."

"Look, it's not that I'm questioning the authorities' work; I just don't see myself in it anymore. My role is over. I almost died, and it's time to turn my back on all this because I don't want to tempt fate."

Tim understood, yet needed to grasp the reasoning fully. "You've probably been on many missions; you've never gotten into a firefight?"

"I've been in interesting situations, but I've never been this close to death. And it made me think about what I want from life, what else is there for me, what else I need to do."

"Yes, the girl. Are you going to raise her?"

"As strange as it sounds, yes. I've always regretted not having children...."

Before they reached the small fishing village, they stopped at a gas station where they wanted to buy some shirts to change out of their own. Searching through the aisles, they couldn't find anything suitable. Judith was annoyed because they couldn't go to Zack in lab shirts, which would raise questions she didn't want to answer. She didn't want to stop at the same gas station either because it might make the clerk suspicious, and who knows whom they might tell...

They would have to stop by their lodging to change their outfits, which would take longer. But Judith was hungry and insisted on going to the restaurant.

As they approached the restaurant, they observed a picture of a girl on the door with the word "missing," along with a reward and a phone number. Judith's hand paused in mid-air as she opened the entrance door. They barely recognized the girl in the photo because, first of all, it was a school portrait, and secondly, she was posing with a broad smile. The girl they knew was a timid, sad child. The paper listed the girl's full name, and Tim realized the resistance leader was the man who was sentenced that day.

Inside the restaurant, they have seen the same picture. Maria's broad smile, the knitting lady, the man reading, and a few others were having coffee at the counter. Judith sat in the same spot again. Tim couldn't help but voice his discomfort about the place, surprised that Judith didn't remember the suited men from last time. "Doesn't that couple seem suspicious to you?" he asked, pointing to the knitting lady. "They look like they might be some kind of observers."

Judith took a closer look around. "We'll eat and be out of here. Their hamburger was divine last time... maybe you'll have one this time."

Maria flitted to them, and Tim wondered how she could creep that you wouldn't notice her approaching. Was it because of her shoes?

"Welcome back! What can I get you?" Maria smiled as she poured them coffee.

Both knew there was no point in looking at the menu, although Tim was doing just that.

"Did you get a delivery, and can Tim finally taste your delicious hamburger?" Judith asked hopefully.

"Yes, just this morning. If you want a hamburger, you might have to wait a bit for the patties to defrost."

To Tim's surprise, Judith nodded, agreeing to wait. The waitress disappeared, and Tim's feeling that something was off grew stronger. Judith, however, was unreasonably cheerful.

"This might be our last meal together!" she leaned closer to Tim. We'll take the briefcase to Zack, and if you're still set on that crazy idea of finding Mara, I can recommend you to Zack. After all, you know what she looks like, which might make it easier to see her. Forget her name; it's probably fake anyway."

"And you're leaving." Tim agreed.

"But you know you can't tell anyone about what happened. Besides, you're in this up to your neck, too."

Tim nodded, starting to understand this world better. "I'm going to the restroom," he said hastily. The restroom was next to the kitchen, and he could hear someone arguing loudly, though he couldn't make out the words. The restroom itself had surprisingly improved since their last visit. Small soaps of various scents were placed in funny little holders. He didn't quite understand the need for so many, but he appreciated the thoughtfulness of choosing a soap that appealed to him. There was also liquid soap with a dispenser, so the small soaps were puzzling.

He sniffed each of them. Then, as he exited the restroom, he almost bumped into the chef, Peter, whom he had seen on their previous visit. However, he had a strange feeling that he had seen this man before. Then it hit him—the same Peter who had approached him, referring to Mara, trying to get him to let him through. At that time, Peter was wearing a hood, so Tim could barely see his face, so he only now recognized him in the dimly lit hallway. The chef was surprised but said nothing, quickly disappearing into the kitchen.

When he sat down with Judith, he needed to tell her about the incident. "This will sound strange, but maybe we should leave... listen, the chef, Peter. I've seen him back home. After Mara tried to get through to me, Peter also contacted me."

"Are you sure it was him?"

"Yeah, but the inspectors had taken him out of the line. So, I need to understand how he managed to get here.

"Ohh, the problem is bigger; there's a gate where they can easily get through. We need to report this, let's go." She grabbed the black briefcase, and they stood up. The door opened, and Dash walked in with his four companions.

Seeing them, Judith decided to sit back down. "This is just what we needed!" she whispered, pulling Tim down by the arm, who still wanted to leave.

"What a pleasant surprise!" Dash approached them, pushing his sunglasses up onto his head. His companions sat at the nearby free table, boredly flipping through the menu. Dash pulled out a chair and sat next to Judith.

"Hope you found the girl!" Judith tried to sound pleasant.

Dash squinted his blue eyes and smiled, showing all 32 teeth. "Do you think if we had found her, her picture would be plastered all over town?"

Judith pretended as if she had just realized the girl on the posters was the same. "We had quite a busy night; I didn't pay attention to the papers..."

"Even though it's impossible, I couldn't help but think you might know more about the girl. Oddly, you were right there, and then the girl just disappeared."

"Coincidences happen more often than you'd think!" Judith smiled.

Maria appeared with two hamburgers and placed them before Tim and Judith. Tim looked at the vast bun, slightly toasted with sesame seeds on top, in satisfaction. It smelled incredibly enticing, and the fries were just how he liked them. He didn't care about anything else, only that he could take a bite.

Dash and Judith watched in astonishment as he devoured the food. "Like I said, we had a pretty busy day; we didn't even have time to eat," Judith apologized, reaching for her fries.

Maria reappeared and poured coffee for the new arrivals. "I'll try the hamburger too; it looks delicious," Dash ordered, then continued the previous conversation. "I've decided not to believe you. And since you're suspicious, it's best to take the briefcase, whatever is in it, and deliver it to Zack myself."

Judith swallowed the fry in her mouth. "The briefcase is none of your business; it's my assignment, and I will deliver it!"

"I don't know who you are, but you should know I'm in charge here. If I say I'm taking the briefcase, that's how it will be!" Dash smiled again, his voice measured and calm, not wanting to draw attention.

"As you said, you have no idea who I am. So you'd better watch your words." Judith replied, also in a calm tone, as if they were chatting about the weather. Meanwhile, Tim had already stuffed the last bites into his mouth and brought the fries closer to himself. But he couldn't start tasting them because Dash pulled out a gun and pointed it at Judith.

Judith, however, also drew a gun and aimed it at Dash. A bit delayed, Tim stood up and aimed at the four suited men, who pointed their weapons at them.

This standoff was disrupted when suddenly all the seemingly random customers pulled out guns, aiming at Dash's group and Judith's. Even the two old folks and Maria had weapons in their hands.