They headed back in the direction of the alcove where they left the two passed out marines earlier that night. This time, James carried a video jammer in his pocket. Once activated, it would kill the video signal wherever they went. There weren’t many people out and about this late into the sleep cycle, and he activated the jammer a few turns past their bunks. As they approached their destination, he noted that the whole place seemed deserted, either due to the late hour or perhaps the events earlier that night. As a precaution, Henry and Clara stood blocking the view of any passersby while James changed, followed by Henry.

  Clara eyed them both dubiously. It wasn’t so noticeable that they would get stopped walking down the hallway, but there was zero chance they would get past a security checkpoint without those ill fitting uniforms raising red flags. “Trade your shoes.” Clara suggested glumly. “I think it’ll be a slightly better fit.”

  Fortunately, one of the marines had a second firearm in an ankle holster. James handed it over to Clara, pausing to hold out the knife that belonged to the other marine.

  “Give me that too.” Clara said.

  “Ready for fireworks?” James asked with an unexpected grin.

  “Oh yeah, we’re gonna need the fireworks.” Clara eyed the trunk balefully. “I’m not getting in.” She said suddenly. “Hear me out.” She forestalled James before he interrupted. “It’s fully anti-grav. Just load me on top and pretend you’re using the damn thing to move me around. I need to see what’s going on.”

  “Deal.” James agreed immediately. It was time to move in.

  Fortunately, there was a sign for the security checkpoint. Fully in character now, Clara was pretending to be mostly passed out on top of the trunk while Henry and James leaned against it, acting as if they could use the support to stay upright, and hopefully masking the ill fit of their clothing. Feeling inspired, Henry started singing the Sarayan national anthem. Loudly.

  “Shut up.” One of the guards shouted from up ahead, helping them gauge the distance more accurately.

  Henry raised his voice louder. “What about patriotism, brothers?” He shouted in between verses.

  “For god’s sake.” Another voice muttered.

  “They need to start watering down the beer.” A third distinct voice spoke up, this one a woman.

  Three guards, Clara thought with regret. This wasn’t the civilian’s wing, where they left poor Eric alone to deal with a crowd of hundreds. They had at least three people guarding the entrance. They were well within sight now. Three marines standing around in various poses of relaxation. No one had their guns out. So far so good. She knew James well enough to know he would try to talk his way through and save the fireworks one last time. Clara sagged lower, looking up from underneath her lashes. The smaller of the two men looked back, his eyes narrowing slightly to meet hers. Clara reached into her pocket and set off the fireworks with her left hand. The instant the guard looked away from her and out towards the noise, she shot him. James and Henry weren’t far behind, taking out the other two guards with the same seamless precision. They moved in.

  “Stay down.” James said to Clara as he saw more people coming their way. He pushed the antigrav trunk down and behind them, hoping the sound of alarms and the evacuation stampede, would keep it from being noticed.

  “Evacuation route!” The man in the front shouted, pointing deeper into the station.

  “Wha?” Henry tried the ‘too drunk to walk straight’ trick, stumbling further away from the trunk. To his surprise, the man grabbed him, seemingly intending to pull him along to safety. Doubling down, Henry allowed his feet to collapse under him entirely. Unfortunately, the man was stronger than he looked. He dragged Henry about ten feet before realizing that the second marine and the girl weren’t following. With a grunt of exasperation, the Sarayan marine turned back, perhaps hoping to convince them to head in the right direction. Fortunately, the hall had cleared out by then. Henry shot him in the back, carefully pulling the man to the side of the hall before heading on at a slower rate. It took them another ten minutes or so to find the storage area, but fortunately by then the whole place was cleared out and deserted. James and Clara covered the entrance while Henry loaded the trunk into long term storage and paid out most of their remaining credits to cover the cost.

  “Six months.” He said quietly, walking back towards Clara and James at a run. “Let’s go.”

  It was eerily quiet as they headed back. The itch on the back of James’s neck was nearly unbearable now. The fireworks had been close to the security checkpoint. Was it enough time for someone to discover what they’d done? Perhaps. His eyes met Clara and he saw the same thought on her face. “Ambush.” She mouthed.

  “Set to kill.” James said, his eyes meeting Clara’s across the hallway.

  Clara swallowed, her eyes wide. But in the end, training took over. She followed orders and set her gun to kill, knowing Henry would do the same. They were close to the security checkpoint now and she could see the prone bodies of the three security guards they had stunned on their way in. Of course, the Sarayans had figured out something was up. The good news was that unless someone was coming from behind them, the layout was in their favor. There was more cover on the inside, where the security personnel was usually stationed. If there was an ambush out there, their attackers would need to stand out in the open.

  “Call for help.” James suggested softly, looking at Clara.

  Clara nodded. “Help!” She shouted. “Help me, please!”

  There was no response, only more silence.

  “Ambush.” Henry echoed the sentiment. It had been about fifteen minutes since the fire alarms went off. Someone should have been out there. Someone should have responded to a call for help coming from the officer’s wing.

  James reached down and took off both his shoes. The damn things were tight anyway. He tossed one of the boots out into the open hallway. As expected, the sound of stunner fire filled the air. At least five, he thought. And if they were out there now, someone would be coming in behind them. He could hear nothing yet, but backup was on its way. He was certain of it.

  “They don’t have cover.” James said quietly, moving into position. “We try to take them out from here. Fast.”

  Clara and Henry were already in position on the other side of the entry. James threw out the second boot before sticking out his head and firing. The scream of pain let him know that at least one of his killing rounds had hit their target. And their eager opponents just realized they weren’t using stunner fire. With luck, that would clear out some of the less courageous souls. With a grunt, James picked up one of the prone bodies of the guards they had stunned on the way in and heaved it out towards the doorway. The Sarayans returned fire, still set to stun. Using the body of the stunned guard as a distraction, James, Henry and Clara opened fire. James thought they took out two more, there shouldn’t be many left.

  Henry took off both his boots and threw out the first. No fire came.

  At the very far edge of his hearing, James thought he heard a sound. From behind them. “I’m going out.” He said. “Follow when you can. If anyone is hit, the rest of us keep moving. Clear? Henry.” He caught his friend’s eyes. “Are we clear?”

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  “Clear.” Henry echoed.

  Before heading out, in quick succession, James fired at all three of the stunned marines who were guarding the entrance earlier, killing them instantly. He heaved the second body out towards the opening but once again, no shots were fired. Using the two bodies in the entryway as cover, he dove forward, trying to take in the hallway as he dove down. He barely saw the movement to his left but he felt the force of killing rounds piercing the two bodies in front of him. At least one of the marines hadn’t run. And he was fairly certain they were using one of the dead bodies for their own cover.

  “I got him.” Clara’s voice spoke behind him.

  James felt Clara and Henry move out behind him when he saw movement to his right. He aimed automatically, taking down the shooter, when he felt something hit his back. The knife was in his hand, the blade starting to push against the body he felt behind him.

  “Stop. It’s Henry.” Clara’s voice said softly.

  Understanding dawned instantly. Sheathing the knife, James grabbed Henry’s limp body. At least it had been a stun round. There was still a chance. He ran, and Clara followed.

  “You need to change your clothes.” She reminded him as they ran.

  “Shit.” James said under his breath. The reinforcements were coming. He knew he heard them coming from behind. Dumping Henry’s body unceremoniously into the alcove, he pulled on his old cargo pants over the green fatigues and tore off the green shirt, leaving the thin white undershirt he had underneath.

  Glancing at James briefly, Clara did her best to do the same for Henry. James helped her pull off the shirt. “No time. Take our shoes.” He hissed to Clara before heaving Henry over his shoulder and running on.

  “James.” Clara called, running after. “James, let me help you. Let me help you with our drunken friend.” She said more insistently as the first handful of sleepy civilians wandered past, staring at them curiously.

  As usual, James moved fast. She was there just in time to catch Henry on one shoulder, for a far more unassuming look as they approached the more crowded civilian parts of the station. After a few more hallways, James paused briefly to put on his shoes, nodding to Clara as she did the same for Henry. James breathed a small sigh of relief as they hit the area outside the bar, where a good number of civilians continued to mill about. He let the video jammer fall out of his pocket, leaving it amidst the crowd surrounding the bar. With luck, someone might even pick it up and take it with them, further confusing the trail. They kept moving. The station wasn’t on full lockdown yet, but they had used killing rounds. The full lockdown was coming.

  James barely paused when they approached their sleeping pods. “Get in.” He told Clara shortly, dumping Henry on the lowest pod and following him in, sealing the pod after him. His duffel was already there, making it an even tighter fit. He ignored Clara’s wide eyed gaze and dug hastily through his things for the right bottle of pills. This was going to be unpleasant, but they couldn’t get Henry off the station unconscious. He placed two pills under Henry’s tongue and waited briefly. Henry gasped as his body reacted, but his eyes remained shut. Not getting the reaction he’d hoped for, with a slight wince James added a third pill. There wasn’t time. He pulled out two shirts from the duffel, starting to dress Henry as he waited for the pills to take effect.

  “I got it. Get dressed yourself.” Clara pushed his hand away.

  Henry came to with another loud gasp, with James and Clara moving simultaneously to stifle the sound.

  “Keep it down in there.” Someone from the bunk immediately above them shouted.

  “Ignore.” James said shortly. “Henry, I need you to breathe.”

  Henry’s heart was beating like an earthquake, his breath coming out in short gasps as darkness covered his vision. His head felt as if it was locked in a vice and someone was squeezing. Hard.

  “Keep breathing.” James repeated, his steady voice guiding him through the panic.

  Giving Henry a minute to get his beathing slightly more under control, James shoved a water bottle into his mouth. “Drink.” He ordered. “I need you to drink this down. Now.”

  James handed Henry two more pills, one for the pain and another to mitigate the impact of three stimulants, and another bottle of filtered Sarayan water, nearing the end of their supply.

  Henry swallowed the pills and gagged, his eyes rolling. “Hold it down.” James said firmly, putting his hand over Henry’s mouth. “That’s an order. Hold it down.”

  Clara swallowed, watching as Henry’s eyes rolled in the back of his head, his body shaking.

  “Stay with me.” James said, his voice as calm as ever. “Henry, look at me.”

  Barely aware of his surroundings, Henry forced his eyes to focus on James’s face. “Captain.” He said weakly.

  “Henry. I need you to walk. Now. We’re with you, but I need you to walk.”

  “Yes, Captain.” Henry said, his voice barely legible.

  Clara looked up at James, her eyes huge.

  “We move out.” He said. “Now.”

  James unsealed the pod and pulled Henry out, supporting him lightly on his feet and pushing him forward. Clara grabbed her own duffel along with Henry’s.

  “Tom, we’re headed out now.” James said, his voice as calm as ever.

  Tom nodded. He’d seen the three of them come in, just as he’d seen Henry’s fully unconscious condition. He got up and followed, shocked to see the fast clip James set on his way out.

  Their timing was perfect, perhaps even a little early. The Sarayan sun was just beginning to set as they approached the exit. Henry was walking on his own steam now, albeit somewhat unsteadily. They paused to put on their spacesuits, leaving the helmets off as was customary prior to going through any security checkpoints.

  Automatically, Clara began going through the standard checks to make sure her spacesuit was in working order, until she saw James put a hand on her arm and shake his head slightly. Swallowing, she nodded.

  James led the way towards the exit. “Tom, come with us.” James said quietly, wasting precious seconds. “It’s not safe for you to stay here.”

  Tom shook his head, taking a step back.

  There isn’t time. James thought in frustration. There just wasn’t enough time. “If you’re not coming with us, stand back and walk out on your own.” He said. There wasn’t time for anything more.

  The next time Clara glanced behind them, Tom was gone.

  They were early enough to beat the crowds. So early they might end up catching the stray rays of the sun’s radiation on their way out.

  Unabated, James continued to move ahead. He hasn’t slowed down since Henry set the trunk inside that storage locker, Clara thought as she followed. There were only a few people ahead of them, and then suddenly she was looking into Eric’s warm brown eyes.

  “Hey there, lady.” He said with a big smile. “Headed out early?”

  “Uh.” For just an instant, Clara froze before smiling back. “You know how it is. The work is never done.”

  “I know how it is.” Eric agreed. “By the way, you never said. Want to meet for another drink tonight?”

  “I’ll think about it.” Clara responded, her eyes meeting his.

  Eric’s eyes narrowed slightly but in the end, he merely nodded. He was clearly about to waive them through when a buzzing sound came from his wrist comm. With a slight frown, he looked down. “It’s a station wide alert.” He said out loud, voice slightly puzzled. He looked up at Clara and froze, looking into her eyes.

  For a long moment, Clara stared back.

  “Well go on.” Eric said into the silence. “I’ve got an alert to read.” He watched the group walk out, his dark eyes unreadable.

  Once past the inner perimeter, they ran. They ran so fast the ships, shuttles, and other machinery blurred as they went, the shadows cast by the rays of the setting sun stretching out around them. Clara wasn’t sure if the bounce and low gravity was slowing them down or helping them along. There was something oddly unsatisfying about the light contact she had with the ground with every step. She held Henry by one hand while James had the other. He still wasn’t coordinated enough to keep up without assistance. But he had gotten past the security checkpoint. Eric hadn’t even noticed. Or perhaps he had. Clara shook her head and focused on running, relieved to finally see the ships around them becoming more dilapidated, interspersed with unrecognizable bits of what was, essentially, junk. They weren’t likely to meet people out here. Only one more hurdle to go. She pulled to continue running and was surprised when James finally stopped.

  “Moondust.” He reminded her shortly, taking a minute to cover his suit in the moondust covering the ground, their best hope of camouflage as they headed out towards their shuttle. Now with the station on alert.

  With a small gasp, Clara did the same, helping James coat Henry’s spacesuit as well.

  “I’ll slow you down.” Henry finally spoke up. “I’ll slow you down and increase the risk they’ll pick up…”

  “Shut up.” James said shortly.

  Henry shut up. The vice around his head had loosened only slightly, and every step they took brought more pain. The bouncing run along the moon’s surface had been excruciating. He had also thrown up into his suit, but now wasn’t the time to discuss it. The stop had been brief. Covered in moondust, they ran on.

  About twenty minutes later, they were finally sitting inside the shuttle, helmets on. Waiting. They sat in silence, as if somehow the Sarayans would find their target by hearing them speak. James called in the asteroid that was intended to mask their take-off, but it would be nearly an hour before it was positioned to hit their location without raising suspicion.

  “Thirty seconds to impact.” were the next words James said out loud. They braced as the asteroid headed directly towards their shuttle. If the calculations were the slightest bit off, they would be dead by friendly fire.

  The force of impact knocked them about like pebbles in an avalanche. That was when Clara’s harness snapped and her helmeted head hit the ceiling, hard. She heard the sharp crack of glass breaking as their shuttle tumbled off the moon’s surface and out into space.