Commander Thorne walked straight to the entrance of the VIP room. He took out his card and reached for the glowing screen on the wall – this was the special scanner they needed. This was their big chance, but it was also very dangerous.
Anya knew they had to be fast. She saw Lena already getting her small, special tool ready. It looked like a thin pen with a tiny light. Lena had to get it very close to Thorne's hand or eye when he used the scanner.
The security guard at the VIP room entrance was big and watched everyone closely. Even with their chameleon cloth, Anya felt like he was looking right at them. The cloth was starting to flicker more now, like a weak light, making their shapes less blurry.
"He's watching," Jaxon whispered, his voice tight.
Thorne was about to touch the scanner. Anya had to do something right away. She quickly nudged Jaxon with her elbow. "Bump him," she mouthed, making almost no sound.
Jaxon understood. He pretended to trip a little, gently bumping into Thorne just as the Commander's fingers touched the scanner.
"Watch it, you clumsy idiot!" Thorne snapped, annoyed. But he didn't look back. His hand was already flat on the scanner.
In that tiny moment, when Thorne was distracted and his hand was steady, Lena moved. Her hand, moving super fast from under the chameleon cloth, shot out. The tiny light on her tool flashed once, a quick, almost invisible sparkle, as it touched Thorne's hand for less than a second.
Then, just as quickly, Lena pulled her hand back. The cloth shimmered and blurred around her arm again.
Anya held her breath. Did it work?
Thorne's face, now back to his usual proud look, was scanned by the glowing screen. A soft click sound. The velvet rope moved aside for him. He walked into the VIP room without looking back.
"Got it," Lena whispered, sounding both relieved and stressed. She quickly put her tool away. The chameleon cloth around them was flickering badly now, showing more of their clothes, their shapes. They had to leave.
"Time to go," Anya said. "Now."
They turned, walking away from the VIP room, trying to look like normal guests leaving the party. The music sounded louder now, more wild. Anya could feel the cloth failing with every step, feeling like her body was exposed. They had the scan, but getting out of the Prosperity Tower was the next big problem. Guards were everywhere, and the chameleon cloth wouldn't hide them for much longer.