As the motorcycle sped through the streets, the wind pulled my hair from its bun and sent it streaming behind me. When I looked up from Nico’s back, the cold air stung my eyes and face. It was a hazy, lonely morning; I could hear construction in the distance, but the road itself was quiet, with only a few vehicles in sight.

We turned a corner, wobbling for a moment before the motorcycle righted itself. I twisted my head around as the road began to tilt upwards. Behind us, the taller buildings of the inner city were shrouded in a thick layer of smog.

Nico leaned forward and increased our speed. The buildings rushed by, and the few people on the streets watched us with curious looks. I held him tighter as adrenaline rushed my body. His dark hair blew wildly in the wind, tickling my face. If he was struggling to keep the bike balanced, he didn’t show it. If I didn’t know any better, I’d think he’s enjoying himself.

Our path zig-zagged, leaving the valley far below. The city thinned until the last of the buildings were behind us. The road ahead was obscured by fog, with the peaks waiting like sentries atop the bowl of the city–a seemingly impenetrable wall of pure stone.

As the road criss-crossed the cliffside again, our path finally became clear. Between two peaks, there lay a plateau which stretched ahead for miles. Near its entrance, a watchtower poked into the clouds, and a massive barbed-wire fence stretched across the gap. I squinted as fear wormed its way into my heart. Keon’s government had used the city’s geography to its advantage, enclosing it in the valley and policing the only exit.

Nico slowed the bike and drew a timepiece from his pocket. “Fifteen minutes,” he said with an edge to his voice. He pulled off against the rock cliffside, the motorcycle wheels kicking up dust and stones.

I eyed the top of the watchtower, barely visible over the top of the cliff. “You said there was no travel ban in Trilow.”

“No ban, but there is a checkpoint.” He gestured at the tower. “This valley isn’t far from the end of the Valram Range. Since the only way across the peaks is through Trilow, the government uses this point to monitor immigration into the southern regions.” I frowned, swallowing the rest of my questions. Nico glanced at his timepiece again, and then looked me in the eyes. “When the guard changes, we will approach the tower. Let me do the talking, unless he addresses you directly.”

I pulled the snow cap back over my hair and leaned against the cliff. Nico paced in front of me, muttering under his breath. He donned a hood and mask, covering everything but his eyes. His anxiety was a far greater warning than his words, and I shivered. Neither of us can afford to have our fingerprints taken or our papers checked.

The time passed painfully slowly. Finally, we remounted the bike and sped up the remainder of the incline, nearing the great fence. The top of the plateau was barren, free of any vegetation save a few scraggly bushes. Fifty yards from the gate, Nico braked, sliding to a stop and planting one foot on the asfalt.

At the top of the tower, a light flashed from green to red. Near it, a large white camera was mounted against the cement. I watched it warily, reminded of the Fortress’s cameras that could have been my undoing. I tilted my face subtly away, hoping the distance would make my features unintelligible.

Nico flicked down the kickstand, adjusted his hood, and dismounted the bike. A moment later, a man emerged from the base of the tower. As he crossed the barren earth, his boots kicked up a cloud of dust. He wore tan camouflage, and a rifle as long as a yardstick was slung over one shoulder.

Nico took a deep breath, forcing his body to relax. “What is your business here?” the guard demanded.

Nico held out his arms in a gesture of peace. “We’re just passing through on our way to Macobe. My brother was just wounded in the battle on the plains.”

“I’ll need to see your papers and check your bags.”

Nico reached into his pocket, withdrawing a small pouch. From it, he shook out three silver pieces, wordlessly handing them to the guard. The guard’s eyes moved from Nico’s face to the coins, slowly. For a moment, it seemed that he would reject them, but he finally slipped them into his pocket. “And your partner?” he asked.

Nico shook out another three silver coins. Once again, the guard pocketed the money. He withdrew a pocketbook, and clicked his pen, about to take notes. The jangling of the pouch stopped him mid-sentence, and he looked up. Nico dropped another two silver pieces into his hand, then crumpled the pouch in his fist. Empty.

The guard looked at Nico with dark eyes, as if to say: “you’re pushing it.” Still, he slid the pocketbook back into his uniform and nodded once, then turned and retreated back into the tower. A moment later, the fence gates slid open with a screech. Nico hopped back onto the bike, hardly giving me enough time to hold on before he twisted the throttle. The bike leapt through the gap with a throaty growl, speeding down the narrow strip of asphalt down the plateau.

I fixed one arm firmly around his midsection and looked behind us, watching until the tower disappeared in a grey haze.

We drove for a couple miles before Nico pulled to the side of the road and laid the motorcycle against the rocks. He sat near it, opening his pack and pulling out the map. Although he said nothing, his relief was evident; with the tower already out of sight, Nico’s empty coin pouch was the only reminder that we had come so close to destruction.

“Was that a gamble?” I asked, half-afraid of the answer.

Nico shook his head. “Only partially.” He glanced up from the map, as if deciding how much more he could disclose. “There’s a list of the guards in Amberasta for when someone needs to travel through one of the larger cities. Each name is marked with a check, a cross, or an x, indicating how likely they are to take bribes. His was a cross: a moderate chance, but nothing confirmed. I would’ve preferred to wait for the night guard, but with Jack’s wife…” he trailed off.

I nodded. “Okay. And the camera footage?”

“I think–and hope–that he’ll delete it. He won’t want a video of exchanging money with us.”

At his mention of the money, I swallowed with discomfort, thinking of the small sum in my backpack. It was hardly enough to cover my share of the guard’s fee. “I can pay you back,” I said. “I worked as a janitor in Karakul.”

Nico waved my offer away. “Save your money. We might need it in the city. Besides, that’s not all I have.” I slapped a palm to my forehead, realizing his plan. He put a fixed sum in the pouch so that the guard would think he bled us dry. Always prepared.

Nico’s finger traced over the map. “Are we really going to Macobe?” I asked. I glanced at the map, finding that the town lay directly to the east.

“No. We will continue south, to Westborren.” He pointed to a city on the map, at least an inch away from the last of the Flemdown peaks. “A two day journey.”

“Where will we stay?”

He gave me a hard look. “We will camp.”