6

Bjorn went for a short stroll along the perimeter of the ferry landing, taking in some more impressions of the place before returning to the checkpoint where he entered the small box-like structure that constituted the office. He had noticed while walking about, that Trond was checking diligently the cars that had lined up to drive on board the waiting ferry, and he asked one of Trond's colleagues, as he entered the office, if any of them had managed to catch anyone trying to escape the colony.

The man smiled at him, and said that they had not been having any such luck as of yet, before offering Bjorn a cup of coffee.

"No such luck?" Bjorn asked before accepting the man's offer to pour him a cup.
"No such luck, I'm afraid," the man confirmed, handing Bjorn a mug of freshly brewed coffee. "You see, there is a bounty on any refugee we manage to catch. We get an extra month's wage for each one."
"Is that so?"
"It is. The prospect keeps us diligent, and it makes it harder for the desperate ones to bribe their way to freedom."
"Makes sense. But you haven't caught anyone yet, have you?"
"I guess they know it's hopeless. Not only do they have to get passed us, they have to find their way into the parallel economy too, and Kirkenes is just too small for a refugee to hide."

The man looked like he was about to expand on his thoughts when he was interrupted by Trond giving him a signal through the wide window behind Bjorn, to raise the barrier that was preventing the cars from entering the ferry. The man excused himself, and turned to push a button on a dashboard, prompting the barrier to be raised, and the few cars that had been waiting to enter, drove onto the ferry, making a clattering noise as they drove onto the steel plate hanging out from the front of the boat.

Once the cars were well on board, together with two pedestrians that Trond appeared to know from before, the steel plate was raised, and pretty soon the ferry started moving away from the wharf and out to the fjord, heading for Kirkenes. Trond entered the office, and they all sat down in separate chairs, waiting for the ferry to return in two hours' time.

The sound of a TV that had been muted while the ferry had been at the wharf, was turned on again, and everyone returned to watching the football match that was being broadcasted, commenting on the game, and expressing their feelings with muted cries of excitement as the players chased the ball back and forth on the green grass, some distant place, far to the south, where spring was well on its way.