“Wait a minute. Don’t we need some shots after we land?”
Kin’s metabolizer-healed body was capable of swirling Penny around, her laughter providing them with a triumphant soundtrack. Except there was still one thing she needed to know.
“Same deal as before, right?” Penny pulled out the equipment piece by piece while Kin programmed the accelerator for the time jump. “Kneel down, grab the handles, and don’t let go?”
Kin punched in the arrival coordinates and leaned back to take in the view. This era was outside his jurisdiction of twenty-one-A, somewhere between his old life’s near future and his new life’s ancient past. Funny, then, that an out-of-time era for both of his lives would reunite him with Miranda, reconcile him with Heather, and probably be the cause of his death.
The zip pouch opened on the bag, and Kin pulled out the small case of remaining syringes—only two pre-jump boosters. Like before, he would administer the boosters, one to himself and one to Penny. Unlike before, though, he didn’t have any post-jump instructions for her. “That’s basically it.”
“Wait a minute. Don’t we need some shots after we land?”
“You don’t. The transponders that the TCB planted in the ground make the jump back faster, more accurate. It puts less pressure on your body. You’ll be fine. Healthy agents don’t need stabilizers upon returning to the present.”
Penny stepped forward. For the first time since they’d left Miranda, her face soured, moonlight casting harsh shadows across it. “But you’re not healthy.”
Kin nodded without looking back at her.
