When the train arrived at our station, we shuffled with the slow but steadily moving crowd to the stairs taking us to street level. The adrenaline in my system coursed when we saw our faces on the giant displays, the text warning the public that we were wanted and dangerous.

The crowd didn't seem interested in the display, but that did little to soothe my nerves. I watched Sharon expertly steal two hats from a street merchant, one of which she handed me a second later. She plopped hers on her head, the wide brim shading her face. I pulled the bill of mine low over my eyes and willed myself to blend with the crowd.

We didn't have much time, and we were afraid the wait for the transport to Alpha Centauri would be long, so we needed to move quickly. We made our way to the flying car station and fed our tickets into the automated system, which gave us access to the platform. At one point, guards threaded through the crowd, but we managed to keep people between them and us, and they moved on about their business after a few harrowing seconds of alarm. When it was finally our turn to board a car, we hopped in and settled quickly. The car sped by another group of guards as it launched from the platform into the air.

The streets below us were crowded with people and creatures flowing along defined lines creating the city's lifeblood. Every now and then, we caught a glimpse of uniformed guards. My system was overloaded, amped up by the fight or flight chemicals dumping into my blood as we made our way toward the gate system. I focused on keeping it together while Sharon took a few moments to adjust the look of her clothing.

Getting out of the car and back to the street was tricky, but the morning rush helped disguise our movements. Sharon used her sleight of hand to grab us sunglasses that were perfect against the glare of the rising sun in our faces. We'd blend well with the people around us if we had different clothes.

We arrived at the gate system and were relieved to find a short line. But, we had a problem—our IDs would no longer get us in. We were flagged in the system and would be taken into custody as soon as we attempted to check in. We were trapped.

We stood to the side, trying to formulate a plan, when Juno appeared out of the crowd.

"How the hell do you keep finding us?" I demanded.

He tilted his head and wrinkled his brow. "You still have your IDs on you. I inserted tracking devices before giving them to you."

I grumbled, angry with myself for not thinking of the possibility. A simple solution to a simple problem should have been obvious.

He shoved another messenger bag at Sharon while motioning for me to give him the one I carried. I complied.

"Wait for the distraction," he murmured to me before disappearing into the crowd again.

Sharon searched the bag. "We've got wigs, clothes, tickets, and new IDs."

I pulled her further behind some trees and flowerbeds where we could change quickly out of sight. She donned a bright blue wig in a short bob and a loose-fitting matching blue dress, removing her pants last to preserve her modesty. I wasn't paying much attention, of course, my attention focused on my own transformation.

Juno had also packed a pair of low shoes for her. For me, there was a longer wig, a form-fitting suit with a long jacket. Loafers polished within an inch of their lives completed the outfit.

"Security was lax last time," she pointed out, "but they'll be more careful this time. I think we should ditch our weapons."

I reluctantly agreed and tied everything from the former disguises into the shirt I'd been wearing. I shoved it deep into the bushes under the trees, and we stepped back into the crowd, calmly making our way to security.

I grabbed Sharon's arm and pulled to slow her down. "Juno said to wait for a distraction."

"What kind of distraction?"

"I don't know, but I have a feeling it will be obvious." I looked around, wondering what he'd do. I wanted to roll my shoulders to work the tightness but didn't want to give away that I was tense.

I knew it was time to get in the short line when I heard shouting off to the right. People ran in the direction of the noise, but we hung back. Moments later, a group of guards sprinted past us, leaving a clear path to security. We hurried forward.

At the gate, we met a pair of guards who eyed us suspiciously. I tried to maintain a calm expression, but my pulse was pounding in my ears. The guards scanned our new IDs, and I held my breath, waiting for them to announce our capture. Instead, they waved us through, and we stepped onto the gate system platform.

I took a moment and set my watch to the Alpha Centauri system. We made our way to the nearest gate and settled into the line, sighing with relief. When it was our turn, I opened the door for Sharon, then followed her through.

In contrast to Vega Prime, the gate platform of the Alpha Centauri system was teeming with people and creatures of all kinds. Now, it was just a matter of finding the gates that would take us back to Earth. I reset my watch and checked the time. We had ten minutes.

"We're not going to make it home before the virus hits," I informed Sharon in a low voice.

She looked at me. For the first time, I saw her exterior crack. Her eyes were wide, and she swallowed hard. "Yeah, but we'll still be able to get back, right? It'll stop traffic going the other way first, right?"

"That's what they said," I assured her. "Just be ready for the confusion. We'll be at a gate returning to Earth, so we should be okay."

She swallowed again.

I moved closer. "Are you okay?"

"I—uh—I have this thing about getting home..."

My brow knitted. "What do you mean?"

She cleared her throat and tossed her hair. "Well, you know how some people panic at the thought of getting lost? I get panicky at the thought of not being able to get home. Of getting stuck somewhere."

I stared at her. How does someone with that kind of fear become an off-world agent? I pondered. I wanted to ask but was interrupted by the travel agent calling for us to keep the line moving. There were three other sets of travelers in front of us; two pairs of males traveling together who looked like they were up to no good and a trio of females dressed for a girl's night out. Behind us, another set of females dressed to hit the town, and even more nefarious males waited. I wondered if any of them were set to meet members of the Team.

The first pair of males opened their door when its frame turned white and walked through. When the door closed, the structure was momentarily red as the gate's location was reprogrammed for the next pair. The second pair of males, dressed considerably better than the first, went through when it was their turn.

I checked my watch. We were running out of time; just a few minutes were left, and the seconds were ticking away. The door frame turned white, and the females giggled as they pranced through their gate. I got a glimpse of a party beyond the threshold, the bass in the club pounding into my chest, pumping in time to the strobing light.

We were waiting for the frame to cycle to white for us when a loud buzzer began on the gate next door. A light above it started to flash, drawing the attention of the travel agents in the vicinity.

"What do you mean it won't open?" demanded the female at the gate angrily. "I have an appointment!"

"We're sorry, Ma'am, but there seems to be some kind of malfunction in the gate. One moment," a travel agent requested.

I looked down the row of gates and saw, one by one, their lights also began to flash. It was the same with the two on the other side of us. Sharon grabbed my arm as the traveler's protests got louder and heated arguments began. She made it look casual, but I could feel her tension.

"It's okay. We'll get home," I whispered, and she nodded.

Our gate's frame flashed once before turning white. Before anyone could stop us, I grabbed the knob and yanked the door open. I felt a sense of falling, a sensation I'd not felt the other times. I could see the people in the lab on the other side of the door frame, but it took a long time to step through.

I felt a resistance to my movement, so I pushed, straining to take the step I needed, pulling Sharon with me across the threshold. Abruptly, my foot made contact with the lab floor, and I stumbled through, my grip on Sharon sliding along her arm.

I turned and grabbed her with both hands and hauled her through, pulling until she, too, came through with an audible pop. The door slammed shut, and I heard the distinct sound of it locking somehow.

My heart raced, and I helped Sharon right herself before looking around for the face I wanted to see the most: Nancy.

"Ethan!" Nancy cried as she raced from her stool, where I stood, dazed. She flung her arms around me and held on tight.

I gladly returned the sentiment. "I'm alright, it's okay, we're home," I soothed.

"And the virus? Was the mission a success?" the Director asked, stepping forward.

"Yes, Sir," Sharon reported. "It has been deployed. The gates were beginning to shut down right as we left, Sir."

"Very good. We'll debrief in ten minutes." The Director nodded and moved away, calling his chain of command to spread the word.

Nancy pulled back and gave me a watery smile. "I was so worried," she whispered.

"I'm okay, and we're back in one piece. We had some unexpected help, so things went much smoother than they might have otherwise gone," I shared. I leaned in for a kiss which she granted me enthusiastically. We lost ourselves until the doctor cleared his throat. We parted, breathless and smiling.

"Nancy, let Sharon and Ethan go get cleaned up before the briefing," he suggested with a smile.

I caught a glimpse of a memory of Nancy with wet hair in a shower with me, and I winked at her. "I don't need a shower yet. Let's get the briefing over first, and then I can take a... leisurely... shower." I was rewarded with a blush from the woman in my arms and a chuckle from the doctor.

My stomach chose that moment to growl. I laughed. "I would like some food, however. I'm starving."

"Very good. Ten more minutes for food, then. I'm sure Catherine in the kitchen can fix something quick for you and Sharon both."

"I'm not hungry. I want that shower," declared Sharon. She pulled off the wig before starting up the basement lab stairs.

Twenty minutes later, we finally gathered for our debrief. Sharon had given the items Juno had provided to Dr. Müller, who had found a video of Juno with the instructions to show it to the Team and its Director. A projector and screen had been set up, and now we all settled in to hear what the Vegan had to say.