Knox:
The bike sputtered once—twice—then let out a final, pitiful whine before dying completely. I coasted us as far as I could to the side of the road, the desert stretching out around us like a sunburnt dream. No buildings, no signs. Just miles of empty, dusty highway and heat waves that shimmered off the asphalt like ghosts.
Viv shifted behind me. “That didn’t sound like a nap.”
“Nope,” I muttered, already swinging my leg off and crouching down beside the engine. “She’s pissed about something.”
Viv slid her sunglasses down, assessing our surroundings. “You said you fixed the belt.”
“I did,” I grunted. “This ain’t the belt. Something electrical, maybe the coil.” I ran my hand through my hair, sweat already gathering at my temples.
“Well,” she said cheerfully, “at least we’ve got sh
