“I don’t know if I can do this.” Dee pulled the transit van over into the gas station, braking a little too suddenly. The map and a couple of coffee cups tumbled off the dashboard.

“Steady, girl,” said Ray softly. He put his hand gently on her leg. The feeling of his warmth through her tights made her breathe a little deeper. “You’ve got this.”

“Not yet, I haven’t.” Dee pulled down the vanity mirror and reapplied her lipstick—holographic and blue—the most attention-grabbing shade she owned. Even though they’d been planning the operation for days, it was Dee’s first time, and she needed all the confidence she could get.

“I’ll go fill up.” Ray closed the door as gently as he could.

Dee let her hair down out of its ponytail and rechecked the mirror. There was already some stubble coming in since this morning, but it would have to do—her supply of foundation and concealer was long gone. Maybe it’s better anyway.

The doorbell squealed a warning as they entered together, holding hands. The shop was full, and they had everyone’s attention.

“I’ll go look for supplies.” Dee’s voice was loud enough that the whole store could hear her, and she walked down the aisle towards the dark fridges. If her announcement wasn’t enough, the clicking of her heels should do the trick. She was already breaking into a sweat when a security guard headed over in her direction.

As she pretended to browse what might have been the last bottles of shampoo in the country, she watched out of the corner of her eye as Ray went straight to the desk. The cashier sat behind three sheets of bullet-proof glass and Dee could practically feel him staring at her across the store.

“Pump three,” she heard Ray announce, projecting his deep voice through the glass.

“Eighty-five seventy.”

Ray produced a note from his pocket—a two-hundred, she knew, because they’d earned it together the night before in a very nice hotel downtown.

She heard Ray say, in his most innocent voice, “Sorry, that’s all the bank gave me.”

Dee watched as the cashier absently pushed the change under the barrier. He barely took his eyes off her for a second. She fiddled with a bottle of conditioner trying to keep her expression neutral as she carefully studied the ingredients list. Her gut was churning, her head was pounding. She looked up and saw the security guard closing in. He strolled towards her past the windscreen wipers and pepper spray.

Suddenly Ray called to her and her heart skipped. “Honey? Did you find anything?”

A deep breath. “Nothing interesting,” she called back. He came to join her, flashed the security guard a look and walked her back up the aisle. They left the store and Dee didn’t notice how much her hands were shaking until she turned on the ignition.

They pulled out of the forecourt and back onto the road. “So?” she asked.

Ray stared ahead. “Let’s drive a bit first.”

They drove along the country road. Five minutes. Ten minutes. The sun began to set, and the sky ahead had turned a rich, burnt orange. Finally, impatiently, Dee pulled over in a discrete rest area surrounded by trees. She reversed up to the cliff edge.

They got out, walked to the back of the van and stretched. Ray opened the doors and they sat down together on the mattress, swinging their legs, looking out over the view. Down below them, the river sparkled red.

“So?” she asked him again.

He emptied his pockets onto the bedsheets. With security and the cashier sufficiently distracted, he’d managed to pocket a pile of candy bars, a bag of chips, multivitamins and some kind of salami.

Dee smiled. “I can’t believe that actually worked.”

“You haven’t seen the best yet.” Ray started fiddling with his belt and zipper.

Dee shot him a confused look. “Shouldn’t we close the doors first?”

Ray didn’t respond. He unzipped his jeans and with a grin, produced a bottle of vodka from his crotch.

“What? How did that even happen?”

“A magician never reveals his secrets.” Ray opened the bottle and offered it to her.

“To being visible,” she said, and took a swig.

“And fucking resilient.”

They sat for a while, looking out over the valley. Dark clouds came in from the west and smeared the sky with oily purple.

“So,” Ray said, chewing on the salami. “North?”

Dee nodded. “Everything else must be underwater by now. If we can make it to the next town, we should be able to stock up a bit. How’s the money doing?”

Ray patted his jacket pocket. “It’s been better. Maybe another duo if we find the right trick?”

With a smile, Dee took Ray’s hand and put it on her leg again. “You know I love working with you, baby.”

“You turn me on so much, baby.”

Dee chuckled. She was feeling the effects of the vodka and drank some more. “Maybe you should drive though?”

“That’s the plan.”

Dee watched the sun slip below the horizon. A cold breeze was building. “It’s amazing, you know?” Dee slurred the word ‘amazing’.

“The vodka?”

She poked him in the ribs. “This, us. Surviving out here. I don’t think we were supposed to.”

Ray produced a blanket from under a pile of clothes and put it over Dee’s shoulders. He shivered and zipped up his jacket. “Maybe we weren’t supposed to, but in a way, we knew we would.”

“What do you mean?”

“Just that we always have been.”

Dee thought about it for a moment watching the sky. He’s right of course. People like us have been avoiding the law, passing around hormones and meds through our networks, taking care of each other and fighting gangs of men since forever. “Yeah, I guess shit hit the fan for us a long time ago.”

“Thank you for being in this with me,” Ray said, taking her hand. “I couldn’t survive out here without you, and I wouldn’t want to.”

Dee gave his hand a little squeeze before jumping down onto the ground. “I‘ll find us some nettles and roots for dinner.”

“Need help?”

Dee flashed him a smile. “I’ve got it.”

She grabbed her collecting bag and stepped out into the darkness.