The grey light of dawn seeped through the cracked shutters of the roadside diner.
The morning air smelled wet, full of sulfur, and stale dust. By the time the faint glow touched the counter, Hide was already standing by the doorway. He couldn't sleep at all. His face unremarkable.
Beside him, Kiko tightened the straps of her boots. Her grey hair concealed beneath her dark hood, her own face smoothed into the rounded, forgettable features sculpted by the slime the previous afternoon.
"How far is the city center from here?" She asked quietly, adjusting the collar of her vest.
"Fifteen kilometers down the secondary artery," Hide replied, his voice slightly muffled beneath the disguise. "Keep your hood low. If there are automated scanners at the provincial toll gates, let me walk first."
They stepped out of the depot, leaving the empty plastic cake wrapper on the booth table.
