Tina Kennard couldn’t stop her hands from shaking. Nor could she stop the ugly thoughts from coursing through her head. Terrible thoughts that she shouldn’t be entertaining. Shaking her head furiously, Tina temporarily rid her brain of them in time to pull her four-door Chevy to a stop. Without looking for oncoming traffic, Tina jumped out the driver’s seat and dashed across the waiting parking lot. The usually enormous space was littered with police cruisers, fire engines and quickly growing news trucks along with the thousands of spectators watching for anything and everything to happen.

“Miss, Miss you can’t go in there.”

Tina hadn’t heard the young woman talking to her and almost didn’t feel her hands circle around her upper arm.


“Excuse me, ma’am. I cannot permit you to enter the parking lot.”
“Huh?” Tina finally acknowledged.
“Ma’am, my post is crowd control and I cannot allow you to enter this zone,” the young officer replied.

Tina looked at the female officer for the first time, noticing her youthful appearance. The officer’s cap nearly engulfed her head. And if it wasn’t for the few wisps of red hair peeking out from under the cap, she could have been mistaken for a young man.

“My wife called me. Our daughter is trapped inside. Please, you gotta let me through,” Tina pleaded.
“I’m sorry ma’am but orders are orders. I cannot let you through.”

Tina looked at the female trying to get her to understand. Tina was needed by Bette’s side.

“I….,” Tina began, breaking eye contact with the officer briefly trying to see Bette from this position.

She had failed.

“I…. You don’t understand… she needs me.”
“Ma’am-”
“Posey, what are you doing? You were given a direct order not five minutes ago. When I demand that the perimeter be cleared, I want the perimeter cleared.”
“Sorry, sir. Right away, sir.”

Tina watched the female officer jump to attention and immediately usher her away.

“Sorry, ma’am but I have to clear this area.”


Officer Posy led Tina away by the elbow onto the public sidewalk.


“Wait, Officer,” Tina yelled.

Posy stopped in her tracks and turned around.

“My partner is in there somewhere. I know you can’t let me through but could you get her message for me.”
“I don’t know…”
“Please, please.”

Tina quickly fished through her bag for pen and paper. She jotted down a few lines.

“Here, give this to her. Her name is Bette Porter.”
“How will I know what she looks like?”

Tina showed the officer a snapshot taken just yesterday on her cell phone.


“I’ll see what I can do.”
“Thank you, Officer… Posy,” Tina smiled.


The officer held Tina’s gaze a minute longer than need be then returned to her post.


*****


Where is she?’ Bette’s mind wondered. ‘I called her an hour ago. It doesn’t take this long to get here.’

Bette’s head whipped back and forth looking for any sign of Tina. Nothing. She was beginning to worry. The chirping of her phone pulled Bettes attention away from the blaring fire truck charging into the parking lot.


“Hello,” she screamed into the receiver.
“Babe”
“Tee, is that you I cant I cant Tee…

Bette pulled the phone away from her ear and read the small message of dropped call on its screen.

“Damn,” she muttered.
“Look, they’re carrying someone out,” the teenage boy shouted.
“Can you see who it is?” Bette asked craning her neck to see.
“No, they took her behind the truck.”
“Her… you sure it’s a her?” Bette asked.
“I can’t be totally sure but I saw pink spiked hair.”
“That’s not her,” Bette sighed.
“And besides…. my friend Robbie has pink spiked hair and he’s a boy,” the teenage girl stated.


Bette continued to stare at her phone unsure if she should call Tina and willing it to ring at the same time.

“Cell dead?”
“No, waiting for my partner to call.”
“Why don’t you call your partner?”
“I’m afraid to. If I call while she’s trying to call me then we are both bumping up against each other.”
“She may be thinking the same thing, ya know,” the boy smiled.
“I never thought of that,” Bette smiled back.

Bette hit number 2 on her speed dial and waited as the number connected. It began to ring.

“Babe?”
“Tee, I can finally hear you,” she sighed, “where are you?”
“I’m across the street form the mall. They won’t let me in.”
“They?”
“The police, Bette. They have closed off the area. I can’t get through.”
“You have to get through. I’ll just let one of the officers know who you are and I’m sure they’ll let you in.”
“No, Bette. I tried that.”
“I need you here,” Bette whined uncharacteristically.
“I know, Babe. I want to be there, too.”
“Hey, she can’t get in?” the boy asked tapping Bette on the shoulder.
“Yeah, I mean no, they won’t let her through.”
“Where is she?”
“By the escalators,” Tina answered.

Bette repeated the information.

“Tell her to stay there. I’m going to get her,” the boy said beginning to make his way through the crowd.
“But…”
“Look, just tell her I’m coming to get her, okay?”
“Okay,” Bette smiled.

After five minutes, Bette began to pace in the small space the crowd allotted her. Rounding the ten minute mark, Bette was biting her lip and rubbing her neck. ‘Where are they?’

“Babe,” Tina called out when she spotted her wife.

Bette turned and smiled when she finally saw the love of her life. They immediately embraced.

“Thank you…”
“Cliff.”
“Thank you Cliff. Bette Porter,” she introduced holding out her hand.
“No problem.”
“Have they told you anything?” Tina asked.
“Nothing. Just them parading up and down not saying anything,” Bette seethed waving her arm at the police.
“Babe, calm down,” Tina said holding Bette’s chin and making Bette look her in the eyes.
“I’m trying to Tee. But they’re really pissing me off.”
“I know, I know… but we have to control our tempers before we are thrown out. Understand?” Tina asked bringing Bette’s attention back to her.

Bette took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

“Better?”
“Yeah. You?”
“I’m freakin’ out on the inside. We can only afford one break down at a time,” she laughed.
“Okay,” Bette smiled.
“Sorry to interrupt, but you guys all right?”
“Yes, Cliff, we fine.”
“I just wanted to make sure. I can’t handle two women bugging on me.”
“Bugging?”
“Yeah, bugging out.”

Bette smirked at Tina mouthing ‘bugging out.’

“We reserve the right to bug out at a later time,” Tina remarked.
“I’ll take that reservation and set it for three hours from now. Not that I think it will be needed,” Cliff laughed.
“Let’s hope not,” Bette sighed.


*****


Still black. Darkness was not a place she considered friendly. The pain had subsided and now she was beginning to feel cold. A nail biting cold that was slowly starting to settle in her muscles, stiffening them. Evan-Marie curled herself into the fetal position as much as possible hoping to procure some of her body heat. Sooner rather than later, her eyes began to close and sleep was taking over.

*****