Tim discovered a new side of the place that he had never noticed. During the day, downtown's small, narrow streets were sleepy and empty, but people were bustling everywhere at night. Tourists spent their money in shops selling trinkets or eating local specialties in restaurants. Mara held his hand, trying to navigate through the leisurely strollers. She was in a hurry. There was a bar where they met the other resistance members on Friday night.

Tim found himself neck-deep in things, having integrated into the FYI organization so quickly that he could hardly keep up. At this point, he had no specific goal, only one thing on his mind: Mara. Whatever was happening around them was just a side concern. The fact that he had been introduced to Zack yesterday and would now have a beer with the FYI organization did not bother him morally. Not at this point.

Mara's scent and proximity enchanted him, and he couldn't take his eyes off her. It was as if he were bewitched, behaving like someone who only thought one step ahead. This behavior was not typical of Tim. Having meticulously planned how to come over for Mara, he had lost all judgment. He marveled at everything like a child. The fact that they didn't sit among the guests when entering the small bar but instead headed down to the basement through a dark corner didn't even register with him because Mara was holding his hand, and he was watching her loose hair playfully sway.

He lost his sense of reason, and perhaps this naivety saved him. Because as soon as they reached the basement, dozens of eyes were on them. Among them were Maria, Peter, and the kitchen girl whose name he didn't know but remembered well from the Rooster. And maybe at this moment, when their eyes met, he briefly considered what he was doing, but only for a moment. Because Mara spoke for him, he didn't need to explain anything.

"This is Tim. He used to be a gatekeeper and let me through, but now he's here, wanting to join us!" And that was it. He was neck-deep in the resistance. He couldn't have devised a better plan if his goal had been to infiltrate. Sure, some looked at him with disapproval, but Mara's faith convinced them. Tim's confidence grew, and he felt more at ease in this new role.

Throughout the evening, there was light-hearted chatter and beer. The most awkward moment was when Maria asked Tim what was in the briefcase. Tim had thought about explaining this but had yet to come up with anything. So, the question caught him off guard.

"Unfortunately, I don't know. Judith, my former partner who helped me cross over, the briefcase was her business. I just accompanied her. She has already gone back," Tim replied, barely thinking about what he was saying.

"So, you know a gate where you can go back?" asked a stocky, stubbly man whom the others called Guldar, and it seemed to Tim that he might be some decision-maker here.

Tim nodded mysteriously at the question, and Mara kissed him on the cheek as if proud of how useful a person she had found for the team. The team's acceptance of Tim was palpable, and he felt a sense of inclusion he hadn't experienced before.

"But you can go back too, right? I assume your contracts aren't permanent?" Tim mused aloud because he had to admit that what he knew about the team or the local situation was practically nothing.

Guldar responded, "Returning means completing a full screening and inspection once our contracts expire. For instance, if you want to carry something forbidden, you'd need a gate that the authority is not monitoring. How you talked about your partner suggests you know of such an illegal gate." Tim was starting to understand the intricacies of the situation, and his knowledge was growing.

"Yes, but it's a very delicate situation, so you need to fill me in on all the details..." Tim smiled awkwardly.

"You'll learn everything tomorrow; we're just relaxing now!" Guldar said happily, ordering another round of drinks.

"Out of curiosity, what was your plan if I hadn't come along? If I understand correctly, you want to smuggle something out," Tim pried.

"We have another plan, but it's not safe at all, for example, using tourist papers to get back, but there's a high risk of getting caught. That's why an unmonitored gate would be better. We know there are such gates on the island, quite a few actually, but we haven't found a way to access them yet..."

"When you came to the restaurant with the woman, you were wearing lab coats..." Peter interrupted. "We suspect there's such an unofficial gate in the lab where they're working on the new teleporter. Is that where the one you know is?"

Tim started to realize why they trusted him so much. It might not just be Mara but also the circumstances.

"Yes, but I can't reveal my contact. If you want to smuggle something out, I'll take it through if you like, but that's all I can help with."

He could see that the team was satisfied with his answer. Tim suspected they wanted to smuggle out the invention's plans and was utterly confident they couldn't obtain them. From Zack? No way!

As the atmosphere lightened, proportional to the amount of alcohol consumed, Tim chatted more freely. He was somewhat restrained about what he could share and avoided revealing what he knew.

But when they talked about the little girl they were still searching for, and Guldar and the others believed she had likely been caught and killed, Tim couldn't hold back.

"The girl has already gotten out; she's fine. My partner and I found her, and she took her through that gate," he boasted, and as soon as he said it, he knew he shouldn't have. Maria smiled, approached him, and hugged him.

"Although I had doubts about you, this convinces me!"

She plopped down on the couch beside him, kissed him on both cheeks and started wiping off the red lipstick marks. "Come to the restaurant tomorrow; we'll make you a burger or whatever you want!"

Now, sitting between two girls, Tim smiled. Maria urged him to tell them everything about the little girl. The elimination of her father was undoubtedly a significant blow to the resistance. But Tim saw that the girl's rescue filled them with hope.

Tim recounted how they found her and evaded Dash, omitting that the incident was entirely accidental. From his account, the others might have thought that Judith and he knew where to find them but could only save the girl.

"But you can't tell anyone about this!" Tim grew serious. "My partner is working over there to ensure the authorities don't find the girl, to hide her with a new identity completely. If this gets out, they would start searching, and you know cameras are everywhere. I'm already worried that my partner might fail, and they might find them..."

Everyone nodded and agreed that this secret would accompany them to the grave.

"Dash has been a thorn in my side for a long time... so it was them..." Guldar began. "Who isn't working tomorrow? How about a little scuffle?"

Everyone raised their glasses in agreement except for Maria, Peter, the kitchen girl, and Mara. Tim was still determining because he had no plans for tomorrow while the girl worked at the hotel.

Guldar observed how hesitant Tim was, unsure if he was free. "Come on, Tim. What's holding you back from a little revenge if you're not working?"

Tim shifted uncomfortably: "Mostly, I'm here incognito. I have to go back Sunday night. I didn't want to draw the authorities' attention to myself."

Guldar smiled at him with satisfaction: "No one will pay attention to you; we know their every move!"

"The authorities? Do you have informants there, too?"

"If you mean agents, no. Much better than that. We work here, Tim. We are the unnoticed cleaners, repairmen, doormen, whatever you want, who get everywhere. For example, I clean at the residence of their big boss..." Guldar winked.

Suddenly, Tim made sense of the similar small soaps at the restaurant and Zack's. "That's brilliant!" Tim cheered, feeling antsy and finding the two remaining days excruciatingly long. "So, all the workers here are part of the resistance?"

"No... I wouldn't say that. But one of the supply companies exclusively employs people from the resistance."

This explanation cleared up a lot for Tim. And if someone were to ask Tim what he was doing at that moment—gathering data for Zack or genuinely being a member of the resistance—he wouldn't have a clue. At that moment, he just wanted to survive the next two days.

The group started to pack up around midnight. Some had already left earlier, like those who worked at the Rooster, as they needed to rest. The streets of the small resort village were still bustling with activity.

Tim put his arm around Mara, and they walked behind the others, heading to a dance club. Tim just went with the flow. He saw couples around him: Guldar and a tall, thin girl were walking ahead of them. The girl wore high heels and had to bend down to talk to the much shorter man. There were two other couples with them, about whom Tim knew almost nothing. One girl mentioned working at a gas station, and Tim tried to recall if he had seen her before. Her partner was a mechanic, but they needed to specify what they worked on. Maybe cars?

There were hardly any cars on the island; most people used small electric scooters. Or nothing at all. Tourists generally stayed in one place, enjoying the sea and their accommodations. They didn't need much else. The island wasn't a place for active vacations, although there were mountains in the island's interior that could be suitable for hiking. However, because of the lab, these forests and cliffs were off-limits to tourists. The beach remained the only place for relaxation.

Tim knew nothing about the other couple, which sometimes bothered him, but they seemed more familiar with Guldar, so he assumed they must be colleagues.

The place they arrived at was packed. On the dance floor, Tim felt like a sardine. But Mara wanted to dance, so they mostly held each other and swayed to the music.

Then Mara pulled him outside, and the fresh air was a relief. He could finally hear something. The others had disappeared, and they walked home together. Tim felt he was in the right place and wished this day would last forever. He had never partied and had a girlfriend with whom he just wandered.

He wanted to savor every moment, but Mara was a little worried because she had to get up at nine in the morning. So she asked Tim not to be mad, but she had to say goodbye.

Tim suddenly finds himself alone among the strolling tourists, feeling lost because he doesn't know where he is. It must have been around four in the morning, and it took him a while to find the right direction back to his lodging.

He collapsed onto his bed, fully dressed.