The High Place

[yarri]

Chapter Two Part one “It’s not the end of the world, but you can see it from there.�
~ Pierre Elliott Trudeau

“It’s from the waterfront. Hill, we don’t have a lot of time. We aren’t going to make it out of the city. I need the bug out bag from the jeep.�
My brain couldn’t fathom what the fuck she was talking about. “What do you mean, Bekka? Bug out bag? Why can’t we leave?�

She ignored me sitting on the bed pulling on her clothes and tying back her hair. She was all business. I grabbed for her arm and found my hand grasping at air. Bekka was on her feet, her hands clenched into fists her body in a defensive posture. I felt an impending sense of doom threaten to over whelm me. The last time I’d felt it I’d been on call facing down a berserk patient that had just stabbed a floor nurse with her own bandage scissors.

Then I got stupid and pissed. “Bekka, what the hell?� I asked her then, looking at her expression I had the urge save my own life and took a step back and to the side out of her direct line of attack. She was tense for combat. Even as big as I am at six foot four and two hundred pounds I knew Bekka could wipe the floor with me and she knew this as well.
I opened my hands and forced the trace of panic that threaded my voice out and tried to sound like I was calm and friendly. “Bekka, what’s going on? I don’t understand. Please help me understand.�

I watched the center of her chest not making eye contact I waited for her to make her move. I was horrified at how close she looked to striking me. Lesson one in the art of de-escalating a crazy person was apologize even if you know you didn’t do it or even knew what it was you might have done to offend said crazy persons. “Whatever I did I’m sorry Honey.� I’d never seen her like this before. She was so tense she looked close to snapping then it ended as suddenly as it began. Bekka lowered her hands.
“Are you going to listen to me now?� Her voice was flat, serious and cold. I kept my response short “Yes�

She stepped closer to me within arms or fists reach. I resisted the urge to flinch I’d seen her in sparing practice lay waste to guys my size. She was so close she was almost up my nose.
“I don’t tell you how to perform surgery do I? “ Wisely, I shook my head no and she crossed her arms and continued “Then don’t tell me how to assess and deal with a situation like this.�

I nodded yes and she hugged me. I let out the breath I didn’t know I was holding and hugged her back. She looked up at me “I’m going for the bag in the jeep. I need you to go up to 3rd and Pine and find a place called One Stop Shop. It’s a small convenience store almost hidden next to the Chase Bank. I want you to buy as much portable food as you can carry back here, nothing that needs a refrigerator, stuff like jerky, power bars, granola ok?�
Bekka pulled away and reached for her green duffle bag and handed it to me. This was like something out of a horror movie or a surrealistic nightmare. I turned to follow her directions when I stopped my hand on the door knob. “Bekka?� my tone a question I was unable to form into any words other than her name. She understood though, she always did and gave me the reassurance that if I stepped out that door into the unknown without her she’s be ok, that we both would be ok.

“Don’t think about it Hill, just do what I said as quickly as you can.� She was serious I didn’t hesitate and I headed out the door. Her next words were more normal her tone worried “Hill if you run into those things we saw on TV. Hide until they’ve gone. I paused in the hall “What if we get separated?� Bekka followed me into the hall closing the door behind us. “Then we meet at the High Place.�