S3E10: Dead or Alive
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Dead or alive. You see anything else? No. He just hung up. Mike, what if he's right? You want to trust what he says? He's lied to you for years. I know. Amber, I think we need to stick with the original plan, hop on Shoshone and head north. Mike, Gene said he's in Jackson. Should we chance calling the police? I don't know if they could help us out here. But it would be real police. We could at least tell them what's going on. Do we even know what's going on? You know what I mean.

Fine, but hurry. Just in case what Jean says is true, if they can track your phone, we need to ditch it. Okay. She dialed 911 and waited. I went to the edge in front of the large rock and peered down at the dark forest below. Hello? Yes, I'm calling because... No, I can't. Yes? Huh? No, I'm in the Bridger-Teton National Forest. Yes, I'm trapped and there are fires everywhere. Can you... No, I can't. What are they asking?

She covered the mouthpiece with her hand. My name and precise location. Well that seemed like it may be standard protocol. Something felt... off. Amber removed her hand from the phone. I'm sorry, what? Hang up, Amber. No... In the forest. Amber, hang up. Her eyes went wide as she ended the call. What happened? What did they say? They already knew my name.

She said they've been waiting for my call and they wanted to transfer me. Get rid of the phone. You think maybe it was legit? Like an APB? Or do you think it was something else? It doesn't matter right now. All that matters is leaving. If they know you're still in the woods and can make a call, it might not take them long to know we're here. Especially if Gina's right and they have all your call logs and transcripts. Okay. I grabbed a rock, put it down. I raised the rock as she set her phone on the flat part of the boulder. Go ahead.

No, wait! She snatched the phone back before I brought the rock down. What? We need to get rid of it. I know, but the number... I don't think we should mess with that. But he left it for me. What if he knows how to get out of here? That's a big if. We shouldn't be wasting any more time. We're exposed right now. I did a quick glance up at the sky, expecting to hear a helicopter soon. Yeah, you're right. I was just curious. She put the phone down and stepped back.

I raised the rock and held it up a good twenty seconds, unable to bring it down. Goddammit! What? Go ahead, call it, but make it quick and don't give him any information. Of course. I set the rock down and sat as she dialed the number. She scooted closer and tilted it so we could both hear. Don't like speaker? People can tell when they're on speaker. Good point. Rang for a long time, no voicemail, no nothing. Okay.

Never mind then. She was just about to hang up when... Hello? Neither of us said anything. I think we were just caught off guard and weren't sure what we should say. Hello, who is this? Amber looked at me. I shrugged. It's Amber. Miss Reed? Yes. You got the message. I did. Emil wasn't sure if he figured out his stupid code, but he had to be careful. You had a bug in the cabin. Amber and I shared a look.

It's not the same guy. Who? She ignored me and turned back to her phone. Who are you? I really need to be careful how much I say, so I'll keep it simple. My name is Miles Easton. I worked for Iris for a time, but not any longer. I assume with this call that means you're out of the woods? Again, Amber looked at me. This time I shook my head. No. What's that? I got word you were taken out by the head ranger, Marlow.

I didn't go. Emile didn't tell you that? I haven't been in contact with Emile for quite some time. Oh. While she conversed, I continued to watch the skies. I was antsy and very curious who this man was. That's, uh, that's no good. No good at all. Are you alone? I shook my head again. Miss Reed? I'm not. I see. That means you might not be able to talk. But since you called my number, I'm sure you got the message that accompanied it. I did? Yeah.

And it's okay. I'm not with him. You're not? No. I didn't get on the helicopter with Gene. Marlo? Wait, so who are you with? She bit her lip, hesitating a moment. Mike? Mr. Archer? Yes. She seemed nervous now. What? That's, uh...

That's who the message was about. What do you mean? What are you talking about? Miss Reed, you can't trust him. What the fuck? Amber turned to me with locked eyes. I shook my head, confused. Miss Reed, is Mr. Archer near you now? Uh, yes. Then what I would suggest is that at the earliest convenience, you leave. You must get out of those woods post-haste.

There's too much going on to explain, but the forest in that area is extremely dangerous. But he... he's helped me. I implore you to get out. Alone. Amber looked as if she was holding her breath. I couldn't believe what this guy was saying. If you don't, you're liable to die. Heed my warning. Get out and call me again when you can. We sat in stunned silence. She slowly lowered the phone to the rock and scooted over ever so slightly away from me.

Amber, I don't know what that guy's talking about, but you can trust me. Everything I've said is true. Yeah, I... I know. Do you? Yes, Mike. Yes. I don't care what he says. I trust you. Okay. But her cadence and the way she was breathing made me believe otherwise. What the hell was going on? Amber, we need to go. I know. She moved the phone closer to me than stood. Destroy it.

I picked up the rock I was going to use before. I raised it above my head, gave Amber a slight nod of approval. She returned it with a nod herself, then I brought the rock down. I hit it a few times until smoke was streaming out through the cracked glass. Okay. When I looked over to Amber, she seemed confused and somewhat scared. I took a step towards her. Amber, I don't know who the hell Miles Easton is, but you can trust me. You always could.

It took her a moment, but eventually she nodded, comfortingly. I know, Mike. I believe you. Not them. Okay, good. Amber made her way to the edge of the cliff and peered out at the dark forest. Still want to scream at the top of your lungs? Yes, but I won't. Let's just get out of here.

Well, Miles? I called it in. Were you not on the line? I thought you'd be listening. I was busy. Did she give you a location? No, but she said she wasn't out of the woods. And Mr. Archer? She's with him. Well, that's what we expected. I told her to get out. Told her she's liable to die if she stays. Good. She mention Emil? I believe she expected him to answer. Of course.

So, um, what'd you do with him? I have someone taking care of him as we speak. I was going through security footage and he's made a couple unauthorized trips topside. Log it all. We'll find out what he was doing and what he knows. If anything leaked... We'll find out about that too. So you're not worried? Why should I be? I wouldn't leave anything to chance.

Miles, don't lecture me. We're covering our bases. Reed even called the station in Jackson, just as I suspected she would. And? And nothing. But you spoke to her. Do you think we can expect her to rendezvous with Marlowe? Possibly. So if you have people monitoring him- We do. I told you. We intercepted his call to his pilot earlier. He plans to make a trip out. But have you talked to him directly? Not since the ranger station.

What did he say then? He said he'll do whatever, as long as we don't hurt her. Then why not just have him fly your team out? No, that leaves opportunities for error. We'll watch the site when he lands. Which site?

Site 3. If Miss Reed goes, I expect she'll try to bring Mr. Archer with her. Even with the Ranger there? I just finished reading all the transcripts. If you saw what I did, you'd know that Marlow would be nothing more than an escape plan. What about the rats? Two men are going to Site 3. All other available men will stay on rat duty. I want those damn things all accounted for by day's end tomorrow. Dead or alive. What about Archer?

Same goes for him if he doesn't get on that helicopter with Reed. But I thought we still had a use for him. He's been more trouble than he's worth. What if they don't even go to Site 3? In about three hours, everything from the highway to the planes and the three posts curved to the ranger station will be engulfed. And anything not ablaze will be monitored by our team. There's no way they're getting out if they don't get on that helicopter. And you're sure they're on this side of the highway?

because if they got miles when i hire a team i hired the best they tracked them east of the highway and after going through the transcripts i suspect miss reed called you from her special spot coin brighton rock they're still in these woods they're still close let's just hope you put enough scare into her that she'll head for the helicopter but i what i told her that the note was about archer what if she ditches him she won't

Are you sure? I'm positive. Then what was the point of deflecting? So that she's willing to give Marlow another chance. That's all. About two hours later and we were on the Shoshone Trail heading north. We hadn't talked much since the rock and I was worried what may be going through Amber's mind right now. You doing okay? I really wish I could walk faster.

I'm surprised how well you're doing. I'm struggling and both my ankles are fine. But you're still carrying that backpack. True, but maybe we can make it a little lighter soon? Getting hungry? Thirsty. Oh man. Let's get a little more undercover. We waited for the helicopter to pass. Think they're heading to Brighton Rock? I don't know. Once the helicopter disappeared, we started walking again. I gotta admit, this trail isn't so bad. It's all downhill.

It flattens out eventually. A lot of open area, which is nice, but it makes following the trail hard. Really? Yeah. Trail markers aren't always easy to spot. Oh. What about Site 3? What about it? Is it easy to get to? Are you having second thoughts? I, um... I am. Really? Yeah. For you. What are you talking about? I, uh...

I think maybe... Would I regret saying this? I think maybe... You should go to Site 3. What? You should meet with Jean and... You should get out of here. Without you? Yes. She grabbed my arm. Are you fucking kidding me?! I'm just worried that maybe you don't... That... Maybe you're not sure about me now. Because of what that guy said? Yeah. I don't even know him, Mike! Listen, with all this going on, you've already been put in danger multiple times BECAUSE of me! Not because of you.

It was my choice to go after you, and I don't regret it. No? No. But you heard him. He said you shouldn't trust me. If it's actually true. What do you mean? The guy on the phone didn't leave the note. A guy named Emil did. For all I know, the guy on the phone was bullshitting. But you're just assuming. Well, is there anything to what he said? Are you not telling me something? I'm not hiding anything. Good. Then there's nothing to worry about. For either of us. Yeah. And I don't know why I was doubting that.

I'd told her the truth, but I was still worried for her. I was worried for us. Hey, we're in this together. Okay, but if at any point you change your mind... She leaned in close and kissed me on the lips. Not a peck like before, but slowly, softly. Sorry, I just felt like I needed to do that. Needed to, or wanted to? A little of both. It was crazy how I never thought of her as anything other than a friend. Yet, now...

I'm sorry if that was out of line. I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her close. We kissed again, this time longer and more passionately. And for the first time in a long time, I was able to forget about all our troubles, all the danger, all the mystery. None of it mattered.

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Shop blinds.com right now and get up to 45% off select styles. Rules and restrictions may apply. The next hour after our kiss was a little awkward. We continued to follow the trail, but neither of us really spoke. Although maybe that was just because we were both panting and struggling. I don't know about you, but I need a rest. Oh, thank God. I was waiting for you to say something. Really? Yes. Why? Because we keep stopping for me.

I wanted you to take the blame this time. Why are you so stubborn? I'm not. I just want to be able to keep up. We went to the side of the trail and sat. Here. You said there might be more creeks up north, right? Yeah. We could also try the ranger station if it's abandoned. There's a ton of food and supplies there. Just because Jean isn't there doesn't mean it's abandoned. No, I know. It's just a thought. She took two quick sips then handed it back to me. We'll definitely need to find something because this won't last.

She didn't say anything. She just rubbed her eyes. Amber? Sorry. I'm so exhausted. I feel like I could sleep for days. Yeah, sleep would be nice. If we find a spot, maybe we could get an hour or two? I think we should wait till we get past Bridger Trail. Okay. Yeah, it's not like I get a great sleep out here anyway. Nothing but nightmares the last two nights. Really? About what? Family. What about family?

Just fights. A lot of shouting. And crying. Is it based on real events or just dreamlike randomness? A little bit of both. Oh. I thought you said you were close with your family. That was a lie. What? Really? Yeah. That's why I never talked much about it. You said they lived in... Washington. That was true. But my mother and father... Well, stepfather. They disowned me a long time ago.

I made up the closeness because it felt nice to pretend. It often does. So your introduction... Just some parts were pretend. Not all. Promise. You said you had a sister, too. Is that real? Yeah. Younger sister? Yep. By four years. She's also a half-sister. I think I told you that my parents split but remained cordial. That wasn't true.

My biological father ran out when I was a baby. My mother remarried and had another daughter with my stepdad. You talk to her at all? Your sister? Every once in a while. It's the way that I check in. She gives me little bits of information about Mom and Dad, how they're doing. If you don't mind, why the split? Between my mother and biological father? No, between you and your parents. I was a rambunctious teen, always getting into trouble. Then, when it came to college...

I got worse. A lot of drinking and poor decisions. My dad, well, stepdad, but I call him dad. He was upset when I lost my scholarship, but offered to help out. He wanted me to get a degree. Any degree. He was adamant that if I didn't, it would ruin my life. So he paid for my classes and books. But then I squandered that too. I made a lot of mistakes then.

But he was just so controlling. It's not that he was mean or abusive. He just challenged my every move. He monitored every single thing I did. And it was never good enough. I was never good enough. I was the older child, but expected to be more like my sister, the princess. Mom never stuck up for me. She was too busy babying my sister.

I always felt that once my sister was born, I got shoved to the side. Since I was the result of the previous marriage. Sometimes it felt like they were withholding love because they had my sister. A product of their love. And they didn't need me. Maybe that's stupid, but I know for a fact they treated me differently. And I know I fucked up. I know I made a lot of mistakes myself. And things came crashing down when I ended up dating this older guy in college.

So when this guy, Dylan, offers to help me with expenses and help take care of me and he didn't judge me, I felt like I didn't need my parents anymore. So I bailed. They still won't talk to you? Well, things got really heated when they turned my sister against me.

They were a really religious, family comes first kind of unit. And I was no longer family. I couldn't believe the things they told my sister. Like what? I was unreliable, deceptive, selfish. They told her I would never be there for her. And the worst of it was when she got married, my invitation got lost in the mail.

Kat blamed me for that for a long time, thinking everything my mom and dad said was true. I hope you cleared things up with her though. I did, years later, when she finally decided to respond to one of my many texts. I'm sorry. Yeah, it's a shitty situation, but I know I'm to blame for a lot of it. But what's done is done. I talk to my sister from time to time, and I'm glad that I have her back in my life, even if it's only a 30 minute phone call every six months.

I didn't know what to say, so I just put my arm around her. I'm sorry. For what? I feel like I don't really have any room to complain after everything you've told me about your family. That doesn't negate what you're feeling, but, you know, I've had plenty of dreams about the night my dad left. Dreams or nightmares? I guess they'd be considered nightmares. Now. Why do you say that? They've gotten more extreme being here.

I used to have this recurring dream of floating above the city watching my dad drive away, but lately it's become more than just a viewing experience from the clouds. Now I find myself chained to the bed and being pulled down into a lab. A lab out here? Possibly. I see flickering fluorescent lights in a long, grimy hallway. And a monster. It's behind this large door, banging and banging, struggling to break through. Does it ever get out? No. No.

And I'm glad because I'm chained to my childhood bed. Do you think, maybe, you're recounting a real experience? It can't be completely real because I'm a child in these nightmares. I'm 12 years old, the same age as when my dad drove off. If anything, maybe these two experiences are blending together. But you believe they are experiences. Both of them. It's possible. We sat in silence a little while. There's something else...

A few times the large door has opened. I thought you said the creature hasn't gotten out. It hasn't. But I stare into the large, dark room. I can't see much, but I do see movement. But you don't see the creature. What it looks like? No, but a couple of times I've seen something else. Not a creature, but my dad. What do you think it means? I shrugged. I don't know if there is a meaning. Just two separate experiences. Again, I shrugged. We could hear helicopters far off to the south.

Mike, did you ever try looking for your father? Yeah. But you didn't find anything? No. I probably could have tried harder, but after six months I said screw it. Gave up and told myself I wouldn't waste any more time on him. If he didn't want to ever come back to me, why should I go searching, you know? What do you think happened to him? He must have changed his name or something. Probably changed his name, yeah. Then moved somewhere, like a small town or...

Hell, maybe a big city to blend in. Or he could be living in the woods for all I know, completely off the grid. I could see it. He was always going camping with his buddies and on hunting trips. Like the woods. Really? Yeah, the woods, the mountains. He had pictures all over his office. I remember going on a few trips to the Sierra Nevada mountains and I remember being really young visiting the Grand Canyon. I thought you weren't outdoorsy. I wasn't later on. Think you didn't care anymore once your dad left?

That could be part of it. I don't know. I hate to ask, but do you think maybe that he's... Dead? Yeah. It's possible. I wanted to give him that out when Mom died since he wasn't around and never checked in on her. I mean, if he's not dead, it just means he's a complete asshole. She nodded comfortingly and leaned onto my shoulder. Did your mom ever say anything about him? Not really. I remember asking her every week for like a year before she just had enough.

weren't to talk about him anymore. Even later on, after I moved out, I remember asking if she had any idea where he could be. She didn't. He never called, never wrote, never tried to contact either of us. It hurts. It did. Mom would act like she didn't care, but I knew she was hurting a ton. There were nights when I was young where I could hear her crying through the air vent in my bedroom. When he left, he took a piece of her with him.

Because she became a completely different person after he was gone. You say your dad was controlling? So was my mom. She just became unpleasant to be around. And she stayed like that? Oh yeah. That's why I couldn't wait to move out. Although I didn't move far. She needed me often. She became this very demanding and dependent person. I never dated once my dad left. I'm surprised we never talked about this stuff. We had more important things to talk about, like Star Wars prequels and classic rock songs.

I miss our talks. Even the serious ones? All the ones where you weren't mad at me. Sat up straight and gave her a look. Not that you didn't have any reason to be. Okay. But I hope we're able to keep having talks like this. I hope we're able to. We heard several gunshots not too far from us. A helicopter was also moving in. Hey, uh, let's get back to walking. We're not going to be able to have any more talks like this if we don't get out of these woods alive. Right.

How much longer do you think we have? To Bridger? A while. Maybe eight hours. The trail is a lot easier than three posts or any of the others, but... She pointed to her ankle. Okay, well, let's keep pushing. We can rest during the day once we get past Bridger. Sounds like a plan. A little over an hour later and we were in a wide open area of few trees, but tall grass, boulders, and shrubs...

It felt like we could see in any direction for miles, even with only a thin stream of moonlight cutting through the clouds. Dammit! What? You don't see any markers? I don't even know if we're on the trail anymore. Do you want to use a flashlight? I felt we were against that. I mean, I don't want to get lost. That was the whole purpose of sticking to the trails. Do you see a marker? No, but maybe... Wait, what's that? Nice! That's a marker? Nope. It's a cache. Maybe bottles of water inside?

Highly doubt it. The cache was sitting under a tall, lone spruce tree. My assumption was right. Bummer. But there are a few Neutrogame bars and a packet of nuts. Score! Might as well take everything we can. I unzipped the front pouch for Amber, but she didn't put the items in right away. What are you doing? Sorry. I know we're in a time crunch and looking to avoid being murdered, but I also like to make sure the items in the cache are sealed and not expired.

And looks like we're good. If it comes down to it and we're starving, I'll eat expired food. Well, unless we're out here for another seven months, we're good. So the cache means we're on the right track? Yep. Should be this way. Is this the trail? I think so. The trail is a little overgrown. Tall reeds stuck up through the dirt and gravel. There! There's the marker. That's a lot of open area. I know, but we don't have much of a choice.

Amber, out of curiosity, do you know how many Rangers work out here? Used to be ten, I think. But that got cut down after Gene took over. I remember him mentioning the layoffs. After Iris moved in? Yeah, to five? Let me think. Gene, Maria, Haley, Nash, Mitch? I may be forgetting someone else. Mitch and Haley are part-time, though.

Most of their hours are during the later fall and winter months. I'm also not including the lookouts. Was Gene upset they scaled back? Well, they scaled back everywhere. I told you, park services took a hit. I don't think Gene cared so much because of his promotion, and the fact that he could eventually hire me. So he made a lot more money. Oh yeah, nearly triple what he was originally making. Although, the other rangers don't know that. What about you?

You don't have to give me an exact figure. I made more money than I've made in a long time. Which is great, because I've been saving most of it. For anything in particular? I was always bad with money. So was Gene. Gene used a lot of the money he made to get out of debt. He owed a lot of people. Because of his gambling? Yeah. I opened a secret account so he wouldn't know how much I was putting away. But because he knew what I was paid, he caught on. He even mentioned it the other day.

To convince? Yeah, and for good reason. Why? Well, I'm not sure if he knew or had any suspicions.

But I was planning on leaving his ass. Really? Yeah, if things didn't get better between us. I figured I'd have another season or two. But then I'd have enough saved up to put my plan into action. Here to share? Florida. Move down there, find a place somewhere on the Gulf. Anywhere in particular? Well, no high-rise condos. Just a nice, quiet, scenic spot. Seems nice. Yeah, I think it would be.

I saw her close her eyes a moment like she was being transported to her dream home, but then she abruptly stopped. What? I heard shots. You did? Listen, I think it's heading this way. We were pretty exposed. I looked around frantically. The wood line was way too far. What about that? Amber had pointed to three trees on a slightly raised section of the field. Go!

Amber was struggling, hobbling as fast as she could. I stayed beside her the whole way, but when I saw the helicopter come over the dense forest to our right, I grabbed her around the waist and pulled her forward, realizing time was short. I got you, I got you. We reached the trees and dropped at the ground. Get down! The approaching helicopter moved slowly, hovering no more than two stories over the field. Did they see us? I don't think so. Then why are they flying so low? I shimmied to the side to peer between tree trunks. That's why.

I pulled Amber over so she could see. Several figures ran through the tall grass. Rats? Rats. Oh my god. A man in tactical gear was leaning outside the side of the helicopter, firing it. How many are there? You see, uh, four? Both the fleeing rats and helicopter were getting closer. What if they come this way? They got one. The man with only one arm flopped into the grass, disappearing from sight. The grass strand sprung back up, covered in blood.

The helicopter rotated and tilted so the shooter could get a better angle. This forced the rats to turn and head more northwest, away from us. They got another one. What appeared to be a woman was hit in the head. I saw the spray of blood before she tumbled. This is horrible. The other two are close to the wood line. That's where we have to go. We can't move. Not now. I know.

Another one of the rats was hit. I couldn't tell if it was a woman or not. The last two had longer hair. And when that person fell into the grass, the lead one turned back. What are they doing? The lead rat ran through the tall grass towards his or her fallen companion. They ended up getting hit themselves, falling into the grass and disappearing from view. That's all of them? That's all of them. Those are people, Mike. I know that they're different, but they're still people.

My feelings were conflicted since I'd been attacked by both a tactical shooter and a rat. But watching it all unfold before me made me sick to my stomach. The helicopter hovered over the last two kills a moment. The man hanging out the side made some kind of hand gesture, then dropped a small item that blinked red and floated down into the tiny field below with the help of a tiny parachute. What are they doing? I don't know. It looked like a supply drop. Can't be.

Way too small. The man made another hand gesture to the pilot and the helicopter slowly turned, facing us. Oh shit. Amber and I ducked down, concealing ourselves the best we could. It's gone. We looked back to see the helicopter as a tiny dot in the cloudy sky. Mike, this is insane. Tell me about it. Seems nowhere is safe. We have to get to Yellowstone. I helped Amber up. We both brushed each other off. You said we have to go that way.

I think that's the marker over there, but I'm nervous. What if they come back? We don't really have much of a choice though, right? There's not a lot of cover out here. No, just wish I could run, or at least walk faster. Well, let's move now. The grass is tall over there. They come back, we drop. Okay. We made our way through the tall grass, searching for the trail. Not that it mattered much because we saw the mile marker at the wood line, so we knew where to go. I can't believe they just leave the bodies out here.

Maybe they just expect them to burn up. I can't believe they're gonna let all this burn. You know how many acres this is? All that nature just destroyed. For what? To cover up their mistakes. We're not mistakes though. No, but we know their secrets. Do we? Well, we know that they have secrets. And that's good enough. We continued across the grassy field. We weren't close to the first two bodies, but I knew the last two were near the mile marker. As we approached, I got nervous.

You see anything? No. I could tell Amber was nervous too. She had her hand hovering over her gun. We heard movement and froze. Where? But I shook my head. We crept slowly forward. Mike, over there. To our right we saw a body. It appeared to be a woman. She had long matted hair, scars on her face, and weird protrusions along her legs. Her clothes were torn, revealing much of her torso. A pool of blood had formed around her head. I don't see the other one. Me either.

Amber, you hear that? I do. It's coming from over there. She pointed to the right, past the body. I think it's that thing they dropped. I walked towards the sound. Mike, what are you doing? I want to find it. And it didn't take long. It was a small flashing box tied to a crumpled parachute. The red light on top flashed with the beeps. What is it? I think it's some kind of signal. I bent down but didn't touch it.

Yeah. Yeah, this is a locator or something. Amber? She was looking around frantically. What?! I... I heard a whisper. A chill ran down my spine. The grass beside me parted slowly. Oh shit. A crazed person jumped at me. There was a scrawny man with long stringy hair. He grabbed and scratched at me as we wrestled.

I kneed the man on the side and he let out a horrible scream. But he wouldn't get off. Then I saw Amber running up. She pulled her gun. The man must have noticed because he quickly rolled to the side, grabbed a rock and threw it. Knocking the gun from Amber's hand, the man crawled at her and pounced. He rolled to my side and I sure had a torn bloody mess. Amber! I slid out from the backpack and checked for my gun. But it must have been knocked loose. Shit!

He had her pinned, but I ran over and jumped on his back. I knocked him off Amber, who rolled to the other side. I looked over to see that Amber had rolled on top of the dead woman. Dan slashed at my face, before I elbowed him in the eye. His white, milky eye. Holy shit, this was the same ride who pinned me during that stormy night. I remembered his face. The same one who bashed Lance's head in and tried to do the same to me. Ugh.

We rolled back and forth and reached back and grabbed some gravel, tossing it into his face. He leaned back. I kicked him in his jaw. Amber came running up with a stick. She hit the man on the back of his head, sending him reeling. She raised the stick again as I slowly got to my feet, but the man anticipated this and caught the stick as it came down.

He pulled Amber forward, grabbing her face and threw her to the side. How is this scrawny asshole so strong? I looked around for her gun and mine. There! I don't know whose it was, but I ran for it. But the man crawled for me. I was immediately tackled. He jumped onto my back. Then he hit me right on my shoulder. Ow! Motherfucker! I thrust him to the side and kicked wildly until I hit him in the stomach. Then sighed.

No! The pain was excruciating.

I rolled and tried to pull from his grasp. I needed to get to the gun. At one point he grabbed my waistband in my back pocket and yanked, tearing my pocket as I slid across the gravel, scraping my arms and face. He was so strong, I couldn't get loose.

Instead I rolled over and tried to block the unrelenting slashes. I was weak and having trouble keeping up the fight. The milky eyed man must have sensed this as he stopped his attack and reached for a large rock. "No, not again!" He brought it up. I put my hands up to block the blow as best I could, seeing his grinning face through my fingers. "No!" But he didn't bring it down.

I expected to hear a helicopter, but no. There was nothing. The man just suddenly stopped. He appeared confused, no longer grinning. I looked past him to where Amber was slowly getting to her wobbly feet. "Mike!" The man looked to her, then down to me. "Mike..." I didn't move. I didn't know what was happening. Amber was frozen too. Suddenly something to my left caught his attention.

He lowered the rock to the ground and leaned over. Mike? But I held up my hand, motioning for her to stay back. She did. The man picked something up. What was it? I turned my head ever so slightly. It was like being pinned by a wild animal. No sudden movements. Then I saw the yellow keycard laying in the dirt a few feet away. Is that what he was looking at? It wasn't. He was staring at the photo. The photo of NJ and the red-headed girl. Mike? His head snapped, making his long hair whip.

He was now staring straight into my eyes. "Mike?" "Yes, Mike. I'm... I'm Mike." I didn't break eye contact with him. What the hell was happening? Time was at a standstill. I could feel my heart pounding like it was trying to escape my chest. "Come for you." "What?" "You must run." "I... I... I..." The man sprung up but instantly crouched. He touched his bullet wound and looked at his bloody hand.

I didn't move. Neither did Amber. We watched as the man went to the dead woman, kissed two fingers, then pressed him against her lips. Was this a loved one of his? He then half crawled back over and held out the photo. They come. Very soon. The beeps. Run. Run from here. He dropped the photo onto my chest and looked at Amber. He nodded as if in a friendly gesture of support, then ran off into the woods. Who...

Oh my god. I rolled onto my side and slowly got up. Well, it seems like I may be known around the lab. Here, I've got you. Amber, help me up. What the hell was that? He saw the picture. I bent down and picked up the photo. Avenge? Is that why he stopped? I don't think so. He didn't attack because you...

You yelled my name. I looked towards the woods where the man ran off. He knew me. But what does that mean? I don't know. But he said to run. And that's what I think we need to do. Amber hobbled past the dead woman and found her gun. She checked it before sliding it into her waistband. She then looked at the dead woman. The pool of blood had all but seeped into the ground, barely glistening in the moonlight. Amber shook her head, a solemn gesture. He kissed her. I saw. Who?

Tower 4 Written by Robert M. Lamb Edited by Jose Caraballo

Starring Jack Austin as Mike, Gina Coyle as Amber, and Brian Messick as Gene. Co-starring Nick Cornelius, Bernie Horton, and Eric Holloway. Music provided by Taco at soundcloud.com slash madebytaco. Additional tracks from pond5.com and artlist.io. And Brett Wilkins at facebook.com slash wilkinsmusicfl.

If you enjoy Tower 4, visit 7Lamb.com for more podcasts such as this one. Don't forget to rate and review and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at 7Lamb Podcasts. And we want to give a special thank you to everyone who has donated via our website or on Patreon. We wouldn't be able to do this without you. So from everyone here at 7Lamb, thank you.

And we want to give a special shout out to this month's 7 Lamb patrons, Brad McQuaid, Chris Williamson, Corey Ireland, and Bradley Williams. This has been a 7 Lamb production.