Chapter 82

John took the wheel and pulled out. Heading towards Mirror lake and Bald Mountain Pass.

Knowing the area, he kept his eyes open and his speed slow. He’d had an unpleasant experience years before on this same road, involving a motor cycle and a deer. He’d come out lucky. So had the deer. The bike wasn’t so lucky. He’d faired okay because he had his leathers and helmet on. He still got a mild concussion. The impact when he’d flipped off the rock had ripped the zipper out of his pants and shredded his parka. If he hadn’t had on his leather coat under his winter parka, it would have ripped him open.

He remembered all this while he drove up the scenic highway. Now mostly just a wall of dark trees on either side and an occasional moonlit lake.

“Keep yourselves braced back there. I may have to brake suddenly to avoid a deer. In fact, I’d feel better if you both buckled in and held dinner till later.” he said.

“How about I nuke some veggies and start the steaks in the broiler, then strap in while they cook?” Sheila asked.

“That will probably be alright.” he said.

“Good, I’m hungry.” she replied.

“I will start the vegetables while you start the steaks.” Catarina volunteered.

About that time the agent in the car came sailing down the dirt road, trying to make up time. There was suddenly his partner in his path and he laid on the brakes hard, barely missing him, but showering him with gravel and dust.

“Where the fuck have you been?” asked the first, climbing into the car, coughing dust.

“He decided to play Jeremiah Johnson and go mountaineering. I just got back to the car. Where are they?” asked the second.

“Fuck if I know. Turn on the heat, I’m freezing. God you stink.” said the first.

“Yeah, I got a little wet in stagnant ponds. What do you mean you don’t know?” asked the second.

“Fuckin’ dike bitches decided to take a little walk down the road a mile and a half to make out. Then old Cowboy comes toodling along and they climb in the car with him. I’m supposed to be watching their every move, so that’s what I do. Freezing my nuts off while they walk along in thin pant suits like they was in fricking Las Vegas. Now they head back to the motor home, only I ain’t that fast. You had the car. That’s what I mean I don’t fucking know!” said the first.

“Calm down. Ain’t many places they can hide a motor home that size. We head in the direction they were going. We should see them.” said the second.

“So do it. We lose them and Sergei will have our nuts for lunch. Where’s my damn jacket? Turn on that heat. God you stink.” said the first.

“Which first?” asked the second, mockingly.

“Hit the gas, turn on the heat. I’ll find the jacket. I’ll have to live with the stink.” said the first.

The second headed down the road, chuckling.

John drove leisurely up the road. Whenever a car would come up behind him, he would pull a little to the side and let them pass. There weren’t many. It was a weeknight. Just as it had been that night he laid his bike down to avoid the deer.

Past Mirror lake and up the backside of Bald Mountain pass he slowly climbed. The large engine of the motor home equal to the task. He only had to slow once to let a deer cross. It just stood there in his headlights. Smack dab in front of him until he honked once, then it was bounding away, back on its original course to get a drink of water.

“That’s precisely why I wanted you strapped in.” John said.

“Why do they do that? Just freeze I mean?” Catarina asked.

“I guess it’s just instinct. A moving target is easier to spot. Especially in the forest. Our eyes automatically move towards any movement. Headlights are an unknown to them so they represent a danger. By the time the flight mechanism cuts in, it’s too late. They’re not used to things approaching them at automobile speeds.” John explained.

“That makes sense.” Catarina nodded.

“He just made it up.” Sheila chuckled.

“It still makes sense.” Catarina said.

“I like her more all the time.” John chuckled.

“I’ll bet.” Sheila said, but she squeezed Catarina’s hand.

“Coming up on an important spot.” John said as he slowed for the hairpin.

Just around it he slowed to a crawl.

“That big rock right there. I know it intimately.” he said.

“You had sex with a rock?” Sheila asked, smirking.

“Almost. A deer jumped out in front of my motor cycle, on a night just like this. I had to lay it down to miss it. I bounced off that rock halfway through my resultant flight.” he said.

“You never told me that. Is that why you’re so spooked about deer in headlights?” Sheila asked.

“Maybe. I just don’t want to hurt them unnecessarily. I was only a teenager when that happened. Back in the middle ages. Funny thing is that deer don’t like it up this high. He must have been crossing over the top.” John mused.

“How high are we?” Catarina asked.

“Read it yourself. Just over ten thousand feet. This is the pass.” John said as they passed the sign.

He pulled the motor home over into the lookout stall. It was big enough it would block any other cars from using the small lookout, but it was a weeknight and not everybody stopped to look. He set the brake and shut off the engine.

“An oooh, ahh stop.” he explained.

He snagged a jacket and they all piled out of the motor home.

“Oh god, John. It is so pretty!” Catarina exclaimed.

Below them was a myriad of lakes shining silver white in reflected moonlight. Everywhere they looked, they looked down, except behind them to the side where the actual bald headed peak resided.

Sheila kissed him on the cheek.

“Thank you dear. I’m gonna go take the steaks out before we need those fish again.” Sheila said.

Catarina snuggled back against him and he put her arms around her.

“I will always remember this ... as long as I live.” she said.

He kissed her tenderly in the shining moonlight. The air so crisp, clean —and thin— that you could see for what seemed hundreds of miles.

“Well, that’s my ooh, ahh stop.” he said, “guess we’d better go eat.”

“Just a sec ... ooooh, aaahhh ... Okay, now we can go eat.” she chuckled.

Sheila’s timing was perfect. The steaks were medium rare. The veggies were done to just the tender edge of crispness. With microwave technology, man no longer had to eat a hard vegetable to have a healthy one. The over cooking in water that robbed them of vitamins didn’t apply. John still liked his a little bit crisp.

John opened the side curtains so they could see the view.

“Like dinner on the top of the world.” Catarina mused.

“John certainly has his moments.” Sheila mused.

“Like every one of them.” she thought to herself.

Catarina was thinking along the same lines.