Judith and Tim were on their way to Zack, and Judith was busy eating her hamburger in the car, paying attention to things not falling. She failed, as her lab T-shirt was already messy, and pieces of onion fell into her lap.

Tim watched patiently at first, then decided they needed to stop somewhere. He pulled off the road, and Judith got out to finish the last bites. She was satisfied with herself, as she hadn't wasted the hamburger, and they had survived the day.

Tim waited for further instructions, wondering whether they should return to their accommodation or go straight to Zack. Judith wiped her face and hands, rinsed her mouth with water, and roughly cleaned her clothes. She got back into the car and gave the order to start.

"To Zack?" Tim asked.

"Yes, we're not that far away. Let's get rid of this damn briefcase!"

Tim didn't argue; it was his fondest wish, too. "What do you think about Dash? Won't he get in our way?"

Judith seemed to ponder. "Possibly. Do you think he has it in him to cross us? Now that I think about it, he might. He lost a child and wants to score points with Zack... How good are you at hiking?"

Tim feared Judith knew a shorter route, though he didn't think it would be without the car. They didn't even return to their accommodation, which would have been foolish as it might have been found by now. They headed towards the mountains and unexpectedly drove into the forest. Unexpectedly, because nothing indicated there was a road there. At Judith's direction, Tim drove further among the trees so their car wouldn't be visible from the road.

"Walking, then? I've always dreamed of this... ever since I've been with you, I'm constantly climbing mountains or swimming..." Tim said.

"At least you're not bored... What do you think? Is it better than standing by the boring teleport gate at home?"

"Well, it was a bit more predictable..."

"Come on, don't whine, you wanted to come along! Remember?"

The forest was cool and quiet. They walked in silence, side by side, still affected by the events of the past hours, especially Tim. He thought about how little he still understood about this world.

"There are so many things I don't understand. Can I ask? For example, why did the authorities not know about that restaurant? I thought we had everything under control."

Judith looked at Tim worriedly. "I told you about the service staff, that they're also monitored—every employee. But there's a flaw in the system, and a big one if we missed this. Somehow, they're in the system as reliable workers... And that Maria, what a character she was!" she recalled.

This statement surprised Tim. Why was she jumping between thoughts? "So there's a gate where they pass through as reliable staff?"

"Probably. And if Peter, the chef who was even pulled out of line for you, still managed to get through, it means there's a suspicious inspector in Walnut Grove, too. I'll have to look into that tomorrow."

Tim felt this was the moment to confess everything. "There's something I should have told you a long time ago. And believe me, I've tried and started to tell you several times, but I was always afraid that if I told you, I'd bring trouble on myself and Mara."

"Mara? That girl again..."

"I let Mara through..." Tim yelled out, bracing himself for anything—Judith might yell or shoot him on the spot.

Judith stopped and looked at him questioningly. "You let her through? How?"

"Do you remember when you gave me the list and the codes? The erase code. Well, I erased Mara from the system, too..." Tim awaited her reaction, but Judith just kept walking.

"So the girl batted her eyelashes, you let her through, and then erased her as if nothing happened..."

"Yes, but I know it was terrible of me, and that's why I'm here, why I wanted to come over—to make up for my mistake, to find the girl and bring her back."

At this point, Judith stopped and turned to face Tim. "If I told you to find her and kill her, would you do it?"

Tim just stood there, realizing he should have considered this possibility too.

"So you wouldn't. And if I told you to find Mara and let someone else kill her?"

Tim stared at Judith with the same dismal expression as before.

"Then what do you want, Tim? Or what do you expect? What do you want from me? To pat you on the back and praise you? Now I understand why you asked those strange questions..."

Tim struggled to respond, as this was different from his expected reaction. "What if I just found her and brought her back?"

"Just that?" Judith said incredulously. "Do you think it works like that?"

"And what about fate? I came with you because of Mara. My goal has always been to find her and see her again. What would have happened if I wasn't with you?" he hinted, not mentioning the two stray bullets.

"I thought you wanted to become an inspector because you were tired of the gatekeeper job... and you even got a commendation for not letting anyone through..." She recalled, slapping her forehead. She started walking again through the forest, and Tim followed.

His boss didn't want to discuss the incident anymore, but Tim needed to know what she thought. As they walked, weaving between the trees, he kept glancing at her face, trying to read her expression. But Judith just kept walking, and her face mostly showed contempt. Tim didn't want to say goodbye to Judith like this because he was determined to stay and find the girl at any cost.

"If you don't help me, I'll find her myself!" Tim finally said.

Judith stopped again. "You're crazy! And we've already talked about how the girl just used you. Was there something between you? Is that why you let her through?"

"What? No, nothing..."

"So you're saying she smiled at you, and that was enough? Or did she convince you of the resistance's doctrines? Are you one of them? Do you believe in them?"

"No, not at all... she didn't recruit me, relax!"

"And did you let Peter through, too?"

"No! I swear, only Mara. No one else!"

Judith looked into Tim's eyes for a long time as if trying to read the truth from them. The boy held her gaze; he had nothing else to hide.

"So you want to find her and take her away from here? Even if it turns out I was right, and her smile was random, she would have flirted with anyone standing there?"

Tim took a deep breath, as he had no idea how he would find out. "I don't want her to get hurt here..."

"You are crazy.

With that, Judith declared the conversation over with her actions, stubbornly moving forward until they reached a valley. They saw a building that resembled a vacation home, and as they descended, Tim noticed cameras mounted on the fence, which seemed odd in this setting.

They reached a road, and after a short walk, they heard the sound of cars and then the screech of brakes. They were stopped, the inspectors asked for their details, and then they announced over the phone. Everything seemed fine as they were placed in one of the cars and driven to the fortress-like house. No one touched the black briefcase.

They entered a dining room-like area, and Tim was seated at the table. Judith continued into a smaller room where a stocky, bald man sat with his back to them, holding a smoking cigar while listening to Judith's report. Tim only caught fragments of the conversation.

A man armed at the wall stood like a statue. Tim whispered to him, asking for the restroom. The unfriendly guard pointed the way with an upraised hand, giving Tim a once-over. Still in his lab shirt, Tim looked into the mirror in the restroom and saw how messy he appeared. Sweat and dust had dried on his forehead, making him look like a child playing in a sandbox.

He washed his face and only noticed the small soap bars in the strange little kitschy holders. This was familiar, and it struck him that it might not be a coincidence that he had seen similar ones at the restaurant.

Returning to the long dining table, he found someone else sitting there: a lively-eyed, goat-bearded man in his forties. The man stared at Tim intensely, and Tim couldn't understand why he looked that way. What was wrong with him? Tim tried to stare back, but the man's piercing gaze was too much for him.

From somewhere, a butler-like figure appeared—at least Tim thought he was a butler because he brought a half-liter bottle of mineral water on a silver tray and a glass filled with ice and lemon slices, which he placed in front of the goat-bearded man.

Tim was astonished. He had been there first and was about to ask for a drink, too, but the butler didn't even glance at him. Instead, he bowed profoundly and entered Judith and Zack's room.

Tim heard Judith asking for water, and Zack raised his empty glass. Tim tried to catch the butler's eye, but he skillfully turned in the other direction, giving Tim no chance to speak.

Tim was annoyed. Why didn't Judith say anything on his behalf? The goat-bearded man noticed all of Tim's efforts, and instead of being considerate, he played up Tim's apparent thirst. The man theatrically poured himself a glass of water, drank it all, and then looked at Tim as he poured the rest of the water into his glass, not drinking it but just playing with the glass's foggy surface with his fingers.

Tim couldn't believe his eyes. He had never encountered such rudeness. What had he done to deserve this man's hostility?

He pondered this when Judith and Zack stood up, said their goodbyes, and even embraced each other for a while—Tim assumed she was telling Zack she was quitting. Then Judith came toward them, and when Zack noticed the goat-bearded man, he greeted him loudly: "Bernard!"

Tim whispered in surprise to Judith, "Is that Bernard, the inventor?"

Judith nodded and pulled Tim by the arm to introduce him to Zack. "This is the one I was talking about, Tim."

They shook hands, and Zack's firm grip took Tim aback. "Alright, Tim, Judith will tell you what you need to know, and I'll see you on Monday," Zack said, then turned towards the inventor, signaling that the conversation was over for him.

As they walked out, Tim watched Zack embrace the inventor like an old friend. Was he confused? Yes, because Tim knew Bernard had sold the prototype to the resistance. When they got into their car -God knew who brought it there—he asked Judith about it, and she started driving towards their accommodation.

"No, he didn't sell it; the FYI has stolen from him. And now they're negotiating for him to sell the teleportation plans to Zack. For a good price, of course..."

Tim waited for an explanation concerning his situation, watching Judith intently. "I know you're curious about what I arranged for you... Listen, I want to help. You have three days to find Mara and send her back, then on Monday, you'll come here; Zack has hired you as an insider. You'll carry out assignments. I told him how well you aim, so I've done everything to ensure you can stay here.

Regarding Mara, I can help by sending you to Lenny. He has access to all the employee databases; you can review them. I told him you're looking for a fugitive, which is true. But listen, you'll recognize her by her picture, but don't reveal her. If you identify her, remember her name and where she works, then move on. Pretend you didn't find her. That's all I can do for you."

"And you? What will happen to you?" Tim inquired.

"I told Zack about the two stray bullets; he understood and let me go. So, I'm heading to Jim's in the morning."

"If I find Mara, where can I send her back? Can I take her to Jim?"

Judith shook her head. "You still haven't given up on this madness, have you? Promise me you won't act like a lovesick puppy and try to stay grounded in reality. That girl probably wants the invention. Or now, they want the plans because the prototype is with Zack. Remember that this is likely her primary goal, whatever she does or says. I understand you feel something for her and don't want her to die. But promise me you won't go further than that. Don't help her acquire the invention, for instance."

Tim nodded in agreement.

"If you understand this and act accordingly, there won't be any trouble. I'll speak to Jim on your behalf. He won't be happy and will likely want to chase you away, but he's helpful. So, take her to Jim and send her back. If you go with her, be prepared to become a fugitive, and the authorities will hunt you down. Mara probably has contacts, and you'll be able to hide. You must decide if you want that kind of life. Or you'll build a career here as a top inspector on Zack's team."