S3E7: To the Highway
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To the highway. I couldn't believe this was happening. Amber! Just then I heard someone coming. I pulled my gun and spun around. But it was Amber. She jumped at me, pushing my gun down with one hand and pressing her other against my mouth. Shhh. Her eyes were wide. She was scared. She took a moment to look around and then dropped her hand, freeing my mouth. What the hell? Someone's here. Who? I started looking around, nervously. I don't know, but they took my backpack.

I looked over my shoulder to see her pack hanging there by one strap. "That one?" "They dropped it. I think... I think I scared them off." "How do you know it was a person?" She too was looking around nervously. "It could have just been an animal." "No, Mike. I heard whispers." My anger had quickly subsided. A chill now ran down my spine. I remembered my fight with the... rats. How the whispers floated through the air. How they had attacked, scratched at me, and hissed.

They almost killed me. We need to leave. I agree. We, uh, we can follow the ridge. Okay. Here. She tried handing me the gun back. What? No, you keep it. You sure? I don't want you to think I- It's fine. I'm more worried about what's out there. I motioned to the dark woods, although I realized it didn't take much for me to be skeptical of Amber again. As much as I wanted to trust her completely, I was still a bit wary.

Let me guess, you were pretty upset to see me gone? Yeah, I thought you were up to something. By the way, you shouldn't run off like that. I know, I'm sorry. Hey, I thought it was just an animal at first, a raccoon or possum dragging my bag away. I did try to shake you awake when I grabbed your gun, but you just mumbled something and thrashed. Seemed like you were having quite the dream. You needed a gun for a raccoon? I wanted a gun because I wasn't sure what it was yet.

After everything that's happened... She motioned to her bandaged head. When did you hear the whispers? When I reached the pack. I saw something jet into some bushes. It was too big to be a raccoon, so I figured it was a bear. Then, when the whispers came... You hear what they said? No. But it sounded like it came from a few directions. You mentioned there were a lot of them, right? Aaron said twelve, but I don't know how many there'd be now.

Because he also said Iris took out some. I only saw the one get killed, so who knew how many were out there now. I'm scared, Mike. We both kept looking over our shoulders as we walked along the ridge. Talking about this gave me goosebumps along my arms and neck. I'm thinking about what you said happened to that guy. Lance? Yeah. I can't get that image out of my head. Well, that one and the one of the guy who tried to kill me. It was the same person. Who tried to kill you? Yes.

It was grotesque. Long, scraggly hair, pale and bony. Scars, crooked teeth. When the lightning flashed, I saw his eyes. His sunken eyes. One of which was messed up, milky. He lifted the rock and I thought... I thought that was it. Jesus. Yeah. It was terrifying hearing the whispers. And then you shouting. Sorry, but... No, I know. I... I understand. I promise I'll shake you harder next time. She forced a smile.

So did I. We both had our guns out as we walked, just in case they were out there following us. Who do you think they are? The rats? Aaron called them subjects. They're obviously doing some kind of weird experimenting in that lab. We both looked to the ground, imagining what could be below us right now. But who could they be? I shrugged. I didn't have the answers. I was hoping Amber did long ago. As we walked, I continued to watch the woods to our left, just waiting for one of them to come running up.

Hey, keep watch for a minute. What are you doing? I didn't have a chance earlier to see if they took anything. How about this? No more sleeping until we get to the highway. I'm good with that. How long will that take? A long time. What? Really? Probably a good 30 miles from this point. Maybe more. But we might be able to shave off a couple miles by not following the trail.

Not what I wanted to hear, but at least it meant it would be daylight by the time we reached it. Accepts? Oh no. There was always an "except" or an "although" or "but". Except what? Oh wait, I found it. Your compass? I was worried for a second. The zipper was just stuck inside the pocket. Some stuff was taken though. Like what? My bathroom bag, my thermos, one of my books, and it looks like some of my clothes.

Oh man. What? And the banana chips. I thought about the time I went for my supply drop, how NJ had raided it. That seemed so long ago. But was it? Although, I got to thinking, NJ wanted my help. But he was like the others, so he was a rat. If that was the case, why were the other rats attacking me? I tried helping NJ. Did they not realize? Did they not know? Or did it just not matter to them now that NJ was dead? Help.

Missing something else? Oh, wait. She patted her back pocket and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper. Good, I have it. What is that? She stopped walking and turned to face me. I still have so much to tell you. Okay, but not here. Let's get off this ridge. We both looked into the dark forest a moment where the wind moved the leaves on the ground ever so slightly. The constant noise that made it hard to know if we were being followed or watched. Yeah, okay. This way.

For the past hour we didn't talk too much. We were both still nervous. But we didn't hear any whispers or see any movement the whole time we walked along the ridge other than the occasional rustling of leaves. Now we had descended and walked through a large area of two foot high grass. Wind Walk is still to our right. We have to keep with it because of the terrain. Otherwise I would say we should cut more diagonal. You'd know better than me. Except I'm not sure what the overall plan is, Mike.

Are we really planning to walk the entire way? Or are we eventually hoping to flag down a car? What's the closest town? Moran? Sure. Is there a police station in Moran? No. Moran probably has a population of five people. Jackson, I think, would be the closest station. Maybe Du Bois? They have highway patrol. And those are a lot farther than Moran, I'm sure. That's right.

I think our best bet is to hitch a ride. But if they watch the highway... Oh, maybe we can scope it out. Okay, because if we don't get a ride, expect a couple more days of walking after Moran. I didn't want that. I wanted out of these fucking woods. The sky was finally lightening. The sun was not yet visible, but it would be soon. I'm getting hungry. Wish I had those banana chips. I'm just thirsty. Wish I had my thermos, too.

I had water in there, but there's a creek not too far from the highway. Okay. Wind Walk has a cache, but I don't know where it is exactly. Do you know the code? They're not locked over here. Right. Just around my tower because the woods over there are closed to the general public. Yeah. I think after all this I'm going back to data entry. I don't blame you. So, no cache.

Thought you didn't know where it was. I don't, but didn't know if you wanted to look. No, let's continue off the trail. She nodded in agreement. Do you think we're safe, Mike? We haven't heard or seen anything. I keep getting the feeling we're being watched. I felt that too, but I decided to downplay it. I think we're okay right now. If they wanted to attack, they would have already. So they just wanted to steal some banana chips and my shampoo? I remember NJ had a lot of random stuff in his cave.

Maybe he took some of it from hikers. He ever take banana chips though? Actually, yeah. From me. Oh. We walked in silence another ten minutes but I could see Amber's mouth twitching slightly. Like she wanted to blurt something out. I was just about to ask what it was when- It just pisses me off so much. What? Gene didn't warn me about this. He didn't say anything when I told him of the body. Just that he was coming out with the police. What if those people showed up at my tower? The rats?

Yeah! Do you think he knew? I don't know what to think anymore. I felt like we were about to get back into Amber's backstory since now we weren't so on edge. The brightening sky definitely helped ease our worries. Not that we couldn't be attacked during the day. I was never sure how much Gene knew about what was going on, but it also was never as serious as this. You didn't think to ask more when he told you about Tower 4 three years ago? I did, but he didn't have many answers.

He told me what I needed to do and where Tower 4 was located. They wanted someone in Tower 3 to help keep tabs on the occupants of Tower 4. He suggested me because I was easy to talk to. Seems to me like it was all a ploy to get you close to him again. Ace believed the same thing. And deep down, I realized that too, but I still couldn't pass it up. Well, by that time, you were already in Wyoming, right? Right. At that point, I couldn't say no.

I didn't know much about being a fire lookout, but Gene was one for a short time before becoming a ranger. He said it was easy, and he would be able to talk to me anytime I needed him. Needed him. Did he say anything about giving the first guy, Sam, to stay? My first day, Gene hikes out with me, shows me around, and before he leaves the next morning, he gives me a little information about a guy named Sam Taverson. A newbie, like me.

Says that Sam is going through some stuff, that all I have to do is talk and be friendly and pass on all the information about the tower that he gave me. Again, I asked what was it for. He said that it had to do with a company and they were helping people with problems, I guess. Being out here was almost... shoot, what was the word? Therapeutic. But you're not a therapist.

Trust me, I know. I've mentioned that to Jean many times. And whenever I got a little too involved, Jean reminded me as well. Too involved? Like, with you. Oh, she looked away embarrassed. But why was that? So, uh, what about the other towers? Tower two and one? What about them? The people that are stationed there. You mean Vic? Sure, you said it was hard to talk to him. Or was that an excuse to keep me on the radio more?

No, it wasn't. Victor Pascal is very much an old grump. How long's he been a fire lookout? Oh, I don't know. The longest of anyone? Eight years, maybe? What about Tower One? That's Wesley Devine. What about him? I don't know much about Wes. I've only seen him a couple of times in the off-season. And the only tower that can reach one is two. Do you know how long he's been a lookout in Tower One? Less than Vic, but more than me.

Maybe... five years? Yeah, I think it was five this season. So why the high turnaround in Tower 4? That was the only tower being used by the company? I guess. It's the only area of the forest that's closed off. I figured it was because this company... whoever they are... Iris. Sure, but I didn't know that at the time. My first thought was they were using it as a rehabilitation center, which I was all for, you know? Helping people. But rehab? Rehab for what?

Drugs and alcohol? She shrugged and then shifted the weight of her pack. You have to have some idea. I don't. And Gene didn't either. So Gene knows nothing about this company that operates in his woods? It's not his woods, Mike. Okay, sure, but they just own a section of the forest? It's more than that. Gene was hired as a ranger here.

Then a year or two later, this company came in. Fired the chief ranger and promoted Jean. But how does that happen? National parks are owned by the government. Maybe they were backed? I don't know. I thought it was odd too. But I figured with everything going on recently, like slashed park funding all over the US, maybe certain parks were bought and became privately owned. Trust me, I thought about looking into it. I wanted to.

But Gene didn't want me prying, since he was making way more money as head honcho. So Gene isn't just a ranger, he's chief ranger? Yep. Why'd they fire the last guy? Gene said Mills wasn't a team player. That's how they put it. That doesn't seem odd to you?

No, why would it? People get fired for all kinds of reasons. But if they only own a section out here, presumably just around Tower 4, how can they have any say over who runs all of a national forest? I told you, I don't know. I would think they'd have no jurisdiction. Well, somehow they did. So Jean doesn't know what Tower 4 was or is being used for. I stopped, causing Amber to stop. I really wanted her to focus on this answer.

and I think she noticed how important it was to me. Gene's a known liar. It's possible he knows... some. But I doubt he knows to the extent of everything you've told me. I don't think he was lying when he believed the Woods were getting to you. He had people he had to answer to within... Iris. Mills wasn't a team player, but Gene wanted to be. Still. Also, Mike, Gene downplayed our relationship.

I don't think he wanted them to know we had a past. He wouldn't have suggested secret phone calls otherwise. We were never sure if the company was listening in somehow. So we played it safe. Don't you guys live together? Don't the other Rangers know? Kind of. We don't post to social media, we don't live close to anyone else, and we don't broadcast it. PDA is non-existent here. Now, that being said...

We think some people did catch on and just decided to remain silent. There's also some times where our conversations over the radio do get a little too personal. So if Iris was listening, they may have known and just didn't care. Why do you say that? Because I've been back three years now. I have to be doing something right. Oh, I was slowly processing everything she was saying.

If you two thought there was a chance Iris was listening into conversations over the radio, how did you think they were doing that? You didn't know about the bunker or lab, right? Oh, hell no. Not here. Gene said something about them having facilities all around the country. One was supposed to be in Casper. So then how would they listen in? Gene believed they had... capabilities. Possibly even a mole. A mole? One of the other Rangers. Figured that's how they got Mills. Forced him out.

But also... What? Now that I think about it, maybe he thought your place was bugged. That's why he didn't want to come into my tower, right? Yeah, they were tracking me too. I don't know if they ever really listened in to our conversations, but Gene seemed a little paranoid about it. But all the secrecy and lies, was it really worth it? They pay really well, and that made it worth it to Gene.

Plus, you've gotta realize, I never knew anything sinister was happening out here. And I don't think Gene knew to this extent either. Because for as shitty as a person Gene is, I don't believe he would knowingly put me in danger. You maybe, but not me. Huh. We started walking again. So when did you find out about Iris? The name? The company. Mike, I didn't know anything about the company. How?

Gene told me I shouldn't ask. Really? He was worried if we dug too deep or asked too many questions, we'd be out like mills. But the curiosity never got the better of you? Every so often, when I walked by Gene's desk at home or in his office at the station, I'd sneak peeks, but I never really saw anything. Is it really that crazy? I'm just surprised you wouldn't have more questions. Of course I had questions, but why ask them if you're not going to get any answers? I shrugged.

I still ask Gene stuff from time to time. And I did wonder sometimes if the company was messing with you. Like, with the music. And? And Gene didn't believe they would do that. Or could do that. But like, he would know. So he really never asked any questions either? I don't think he would rock the boat. Did you two ever debate what was going on? After the first season, we ran through a ton of ideas. Like?

Rehabilitation, behavioral studies, um, isolation due to transmittable diseases. Although that one didn't really make much sense. Oh, we thought maybe it was drug testing related, or maybe even a dare. A dare? We really thought about everything. Would you ultimately settle on... We believed the people in Tower 4 must have had to deal with high levels of stress or depression and exhaustion from a former job. So that's what I...

And Gene thought you were. A former worker for the company. For Iris. Yeah. There's a reason why we talked more about family life, relationships, movies, music, and politics than we did jobs. What? On our introductions. Did you think I was lying then? No. I never mentioned Iris. You mentioned data entry. That was good enough for me. I shouldn't have stopped again, but I did. Amber turned toward me. Mike? It's just...

For as long as we talked, we still didn't really know that much about each other, huh? She looked at me with soft eyes. I don't feel that way, Mikey. I don't feel that way at all.

If you're a facilities manager at a warehouse and your HVAC system goes down, it can turn up the heat. Literally. But don't sweat it, Grainger has you covered. Grainger offers over a million industrial-grade products for all your operations, including warehouse HVAC maintenance. And even better, they offer access to experts and fast delivery, so you and your warehouse can both keep your cool.

call 1-800-GRANGER click granger.com or just stop by granger for the ones who get it done okay okay let's get back on track the first day of your first season she told me all about sam taverson or everything she could she said sam never talked much often gene would try and get amber to engage more but it didn't work sam was a man of few words you took notes

I always took notes. Gene said it would be a good idea, just so we could track how he was coming along. Coming along? I don't know. I honestly think it was a way for me to pass time. The company asked for the notes at the end of the season the last two years, but my notes were all over the place. I highly doubt they were that helpful. Hell, they didn't even keep them. That's why Gene thought, maybe they're just listening themselves. They're listening. What? Jesus Christ, it makes so much sense. They're listening.

Fill me in, Mike. The note I told you about. The notebook, which I believe to be Jerry's notebook. It still could be his. He probably knew they were listening the whole time. Maybe the message was for the next Tower 4 occupant. Maybe. NJ knew it too. I always thought he meant you and possibly Jean, but she looked over at me awkwardly. I'm sorry you went through all this. You took notes on me, right? In the beginning, yes.

Why not later? Because I didn't feel like it anymore. That's it? Yes. Because the puzzle started taking up all of your time? No. Then why? She bit her lip and looked away a moment. What do you want me to say? The truth, Amber. That's all I ever wanted. The truth. I got bored of it, okay? With the other guys, it was easy because we never talked all that much. And honestly, the conversations I did have with them were lackluster. But with you...

It was different. And I guess I just didn't feel it necessary to jot down every past relationship or Star Wars debate. Okay, sorry. While I was smiling, Amber wasn't. Was she upset or thinking about something else? I decided to get back to the conversation. So, go on about Sam. Oh, right. She told me Sam seemed a little off halfway through the season. Not only was he short with her, when they did talk, it was always random nonsense.

Like what? I don't know. He hated his last job. He would go off on all the people he worked with and how they were all incompetent. He just seemed like a pissed off dude. A Debbie Downer that was full of himself. Still, Gene poked and prodded me to continue, which I didn't want to do because I wanted to avoid job talk, but I continued. What made Sam seem off?

He started having hallucinations, or what I thought were hallucinations at the time. But no shaking trees? No music over the radio? No, not that I remember. But there is one thing that stuck with me. What? He always mentioned flashing red and white lights. Like, he saw them? He saw flashing lights? Yeah, randomly. But he also had dreams of them. I remember once jokingly mentioning aliens and...

He didn't find it so funny. Why'd you joke about that? I guess the flashing lights reminded me of close encounters of the third kind. I thought maybe Sam was having a Dreyfus moment outside in the woods, making a sculpture of Devil's Tower with rocks or something. Anything else? No. Most of the time we talked, it was all business. Supply drops, fires, storms, stuff like that. I think he gave up sharing the real weird stuff after I teased him. But I wasn't teasing out of, uh...

Malice? Sure. It's just my personality. But I can see how it comes across that way, now that I say it out loud. And now that you have more context... I still shouldn't have. Maybe I didn't know to the extent I do now, but I still believe that these people are going through some real emotions. I didn't have to be such a douche. That's a little harsh. You think? What about my Bigfoot crack? When I describe my experience at Enos Lake?

I couldn't care less. I'd rather hear that than bear one more damn time. But okay, so the weird stuff like the lights started getting mentioned halfway through the season. Sure, but then it trickled off. Probably due to my insensitivity. So nothing more? I mean, one time he did mention someone watching him. He only mentioned that once. I figured it was a hiker. Nothing else after that? Not that I remember. We didn't talk much at all the last month, if I remember correctly.

So Sam stayed the whole season. He did. Okay, so the season ends and then what? Then I go home. Jean's home. It became our home. Right.

You ever meet Sam? Yeah, on the last day. It was a bit awkward. Why didn't he come back for another season? Gene said he didn't like the job. It was too much for him. You believe that? She shrugged. I just felt bad. Because of the teasing? No, because it seemed like this place didn't help. Which was hard to believe. Why? Because it helped me. What do you mean? Not on the same level as Sam, but I mean personally.

I liked being out here. I was depressed because I thought I made a huge mistake taking Gene back, choosing to move in with him. But after your first year you didn't feel that way? After my first season out here, I didn't. But in the off season, once Gene and I were spending more time together... Let's just say I longed to come back out here again. Even two days a week with Gene seemed like too, too many. Oh, so the following season you were happy. Yep, and that next season we get Jerry Campbell.

That's when Jean and I, and even some of the other rangers, started wondering what Tower 4 was really for. An isolated work retreat? She gave me a look of sarcasm. Did the other rangers ever pry? That's a question for Jean. I know they were told to stay out of the closed section. So it was alright for me, but not for us rangers. It's like that guy said, right Mike? You were chosen. The way she said that gave me goosebumps along my arms. I think Amber saw my unease. Sorry.

It's okay. So after your first season you never thought anymore about the flashing lights? About Sam? No. But Gene warned me about how the woods and the loneliness can mess with people. I was fine, but that didn't mean everyone would share my same experience. Sam obviously didn't. Whatever he was going through, whether it was stress or depression or some kind of past demons, the isolation didn't help. A branch cracked not far from us, causing us both to freeze. See anything?

No. We waited a good 30 seconds until the animal appeared. It came out from behind a grouping of bushes, flicked its ears twice, and made its way up over a hill. I guess we're both still a little on edge. Yeah. But then suddenly the deer came flying back over the hill, bouncing and weaving between bushes. What the? What's it running from? We both pulled our guns. I don't know. 20 seconds later, I did. I heard it coming. Helicopter. Over here.

We ran under the cover of tall fir and spruce trees and crouched. The helicopter was coming in low. Attention! Attention! This is a red flag warning. Fires are moving through the area. Please make your way out of the national park. This is a red flag warning. The helicopter feared our head. Attention! Attention! This is a red flag warning. Fires are moving through the area.

What the hell was that? What do you mean?

There's a fire. They do that? I've never seen it firsthand, but if they think conditions are bad or extreme, and a fire can spread quickly, I imagine they'd do anything they could to warn people. Yeah, never heard that before. They'd only do it in extreme cases. Lets any hikers and campers know to get out. You think it's real? I don't know. I didn't recognize that helicopter.

It wasn't a ranger helicopter? No, that wasn't Nash flying. And it definitely wasn't Haley. What about police? Maybe. Maybe fire department too? I didn't get a good look. Me either. She checked her phone. What? No signal. Thought I would get an alert. Can you get an alert without reception? I thought so, but I could be wrong. Amber pocketed her phone. That's weird though. What? We just had a fire two nights ago.

Thought the storm took care of it. So it could be a lie. Well, it could be the result of a lightning strike, but who knows? I was starting to have doubts about heading to the highway. Where else could we go? Amber, are there any other roads other than the highway? That leads out of here? No. Not unless you want to walk for two weeks east or west. What about north? When you reach Yellowstone, there are other roads. But that's a hell of a trek too.

You still good for the highway? Looks like we don't have much other choice. Okay. So which way? Amber? She was looking off into the woods. What is it? We're close to the path for Brighton Rock. What's that? A place Jean and I picked and named. Where we would have our little private phone calls. It's part of a sightseeing spot that's not used anymore. Only place high enough around here to get a signal. Do you really need to see the fire alert? No, I guess not.

But, uh, maybe we should go there and try calling the cops? Instead of the highway? We could call someone. I don't know. I really just want to get to the highway and leave these fucking woods. Okay. We can call the cops when we get to the highway, right? The real cops? Yeah, in certain spots. Reception's not great. When I made my calls to Gene, he would often park off the highway, but closer to the station. Okay, well, no need to go to the rock. Okay. Okay.

She nodded but seemed put out. Everything okay? Yeah, I would just like to give Jean a piece of my mind. You can't call him, Amber. Not until we talk to the police. And honestly, I don't think we should talk to anyone until we get to a police station. Just in case. No, I know. You're right. Okay. Let's keep moving. We walked another good 30 minutes in silence. The sun was now up and it was starting to get hot.

The silence was eating at me. Amber seemed like she was in her head again, and so was I. Hey Amber. Yeah? I couldn't wonder anymore. You alright? Yeah, I'm fine. Just... nervous. About the highway? And about the warning. Well, if it was a real warning, it's probably best we keep heading to the highway rather than Brighton Rock, right? Yeah, but what if it wasn't real? To what extent will they go to find us? Us. I guess it was us.

It wasn't just me alone against everyone. Amber was here. She had a gun pointed at her head not long ago. We were both in danger. Now we were back to silence and it was me who was daydreaming and thinking about past events. You killed someone, Mike. You actually shot and killed a human being. But you had to. For her. Amber shifted her backpack as she stretched. I wanted to talk more. When we talked, time flew. At the tower and out here, but it seemed like...

She wasn't up when we were talking. Still, I wanted to try. So, why Brighton Rock? Huh? Why Brighton Rock? Because I could get reception? And since we were never positive if they could listen in on the radio, I'd- No, I mean, why'd you guys call it Brighton Rock? You said you named the spot, right? We called it Brighton Rock because that's Gene's favorite song. It used to have a real name, but the path to reach it eventually became overgrown and I guess they took it off the maps years ago.

But there's a big rock there and well, Brighton Rock fit? Stupid I know. She forced a smile but when I didn't return it she stopped. I'm sorry Mike. I know I haven't said much since the chopper but well, things keep eating away at me. I've never been this scared in my life. Me either. And there was another reason I was itching to go to Brighton Rock. To talk to Gene? No. Although I do want to talk to him at some point.

She pulled out the crumpled piece of paper from her pocket again. This time she showed me. It read, Don't trust him. And below that, it was a phone number. Who? I don't know. And I assume it's in reference to Jean, but I'm not positive. Whose phone number? I don't know that either. One of the men who was in my tower left this. And you trust it? They probably just want to know where you are.

That can't be. They hid this note. Which means they didn't want Jean to see it, and possibly they didn't want any others to see it. What others? The other fake policemen? I think they're all company men. This is ridiculous. You can't trust that. You're not the least bit curious. No, and I have no idea why you are. Because... because... the person who left it, who hid it...

was an employee I met before. An employee of Iris? I believe so. That's how I knew they weren't police. Was it Kyle? I mean, Aaron? His name was Emil. And you met with him? Not exactly. He showed up at my tower. During your first season here? No. This year. This year and you're just now mentioning it? There wasn't much to mention.

He showed up one stormy night, dirty and bruised. It was early on when you were at Enos Lake. Enos Lake, searching for the father and son? Yeah. That was ages ago. I know. I was told by Jean at that point not to venture out.

He said he got word that there were some issues, and I was told to stay put in my tower. But you told me to investigate Enos Lake. I was worried about you. I was. Gene said it was important that you continue to look for the father and son. And he said it was equally important that I stay in my tower. But this random guy... Emil. If that's his real name. Okay, Emil. He just shows up? Yeah, scared the shit out of me too.

What did he say? Not much. Anything in relation to what I told you about Aaron? No. But I wasn't sitting there questioning him either. I knew I wouldn't be told much, and he seemed like he was having a rough night. Why? He fell, hurt himself. He the one with the scar on his head? Yeah. You saw him? On the trail. He was with the others. Makes sense. You never talked to anyone from Iris before that? Before this year? Never. All my information came through Gene.

I had no reason to believe he was lying at any point. I wanted to know more about this interaction she had with Emil, but I also wanted to steer the conversation back to her past years working as a fire lookout. I wanted to tell you about that guy, especially after you mentioned seeing someone by Enos Lake. But you didn't. I couldn't. Emil said he wasn't supposed to interact with anyone. It's why I saved that conversation for Brighton Rock.

I wanted to tell Jean what happened, but I didn't want them to be able to listen. If they could. Right. If they could. Mike, I wasn't hiding this from you. I was just waiting until I got to that night. You have me recapping past years and I'm trying to tell you everything I remember. It's fine. You're not upset with me? No, but we need to keep walking. Yeah, yeah, you're right. Okay. Okay.

Two hours later and we were out of the fields and under the canopy of tall pines. Amber guessed we still had a good 20 miles left until the highway, but time was passing quickly because we were talking about our second year here now. I expected my second year to be more of the same. But it wasn't. She told me it took about two months before Jerry was having some crazy experiences, most of which he shared at first. It was just the fact that this was happening sooner than before, and Jerry did confide in me. But just a little.

Apparently Jerry talked more than Sam, but still not that much. Amber often had trouble reaching him. When Jerry got to the point he didn't feel listened to, he stopped talking altogether. The only time he was on the radio was to report random fires.

But you said you took over for him in Tower 4. Yeah. See, Jerry started calling about people in the woods. Telling me he was being watched, being followed. And that didn't tip you off? What do you mean? Sam said the same shit. Yes, and that's why I felt maybe there was something similar about all the occupants in Tower 4.

Maybe people who came through had small bouts of schizophrenia. Or maybe everyone was on some new unregulated drug. Or... or... I get your point. The only people I ever saw on Tower 3 were hikers passing through. Okay. But there was something else he did mention. What? Music. Over the radio?

Yeah. I gave her a wide-eyed look. An are-you-kidding-me look. Was it classical? He didn't say. He kind of mentioned it in one of his ramblings. But he didn't start hearing and seeing things until after the first two months. At least, that's when he started reporting it to me. He also made a few trips to talk to Gene. At Overarch? Yeah. Gene told me he started complaining about the job. He wanted to be done with it. He was freaking out. You told me before that he just up and walked out of the job, packed his stuff and left.

Is that really how it happened? Pretty much. How do you know? What do you mean? Did Gene say that or did you see that? How would I see that, Mike? Exactly. That wasn't Jerry. That guy you were helping? I know. Aaron confirmed that. But you told me that you didn't talk to him until the first day out here. That's right. And he left before you took over Tower 4. Sure. So how'd you know what he looked like?

Well, the first time I saw him was in a photo. I saw a copy of his driver's license in Gene's office a week before the season started. I told you every so often I would look at Gene's desk. That's it? No, I saw him the day before I left to go to the tower, too. He was by his truck. Gene introduced us. He was short with me, and that carried over to our radio conversations. Oh. What? You gave the impression that the first time you ever talked to him was over the radio.

I mean, it's the first time I talked to him about anything significant. It really was just a, "Hi, how do you do? I'm going to be your contact for the summer, blah blah blah." Chat outside the station. He wasn't heading out at the time, but I was. Oh. Sorry about the confusion. It's okay, but how confident are you that he left before the end of the season? I'm confident I took over Tower 4 for the final month. Okay. And Jean took over 3, right?

That's right. And while you were there, you didn't see or hear anything. Cicadas and birds. That's all. I'm sorry, Mike, but I wasn't lying about that before. It's just frustrating. I understand. Do you? Because Aaron said we were chosen. We? The Tower 4 lookouts. Oh, right. But I don't get how. Didn't you apply for this job? Yeah, I applied to a bunch of jobs.

Hundreds. All over the country. I was ready for something different. Do you remember specifically applying to this job? Yeah, I was applying at any place that was hiring. I was feeling vulnerable. It was just after talking to my therapist about looking for something new. Hmm. What? I'm just thinking, what if there was a way they knew you were looking for a job? How? I don't know, Mike. How is any of this possible? I thought about it for a good minute. Could they do that?

I got a sudden chill and had to stop. You alright? Yeah, I, uh... I'm just exhausted. Oh. Me too. Wanna rest for a bit? No. No, let's keep walking. It's only gonna get hotter. True. But neither of us moved. I bit my lip a moment, contemplating this new realization. Was I really chosen? I couldn't remember exactly how I applied to this job. Was it on a job listing site or through email? I applied to so many places. Mike?

Yeah? You ready to keep going? I kept thinking that if I were chosen, then I would have to have had something in common with Sam and Jerry. Amber, what did Sam- I don't know. I was caught off guard by her quick response. I don't know if Sam applied to the position the same way you did, or Jerry. That would be a question for Jean. Right. You really plan on calling Jean when we get to safety? After we talk to real cops? Yeah, I think I should. You don't owe him anything.

You don't owe him an explanation. No, but he owes me one. Another helicopter, or maybe the same one, had made another pass airing the same morning, but we hadn't seen any signs of smoke. We'd been walking for over two hours, and other than the helicopter, it had been uneventful. Do you get the feeling we're still being watched? I turned to Amber, who had already made her way over a hill. No, Amber.

I don't think so. You? No. I told you they ran when the helicopter showed, like they were scared of the thing. Part of me thinks the fire is a ruse and they're just continuing to hunt for us. And them. We walked up another steep incline. Please tell me we're close to this creek. Just another ten miles or so. Awesome. We made it to the top and I took a moment to rest and stretch. I don't see any smoke. See, that way is Tower 3.

Tower 4 would be... She looked at her compass. Over there. Tower 2 and the ranger's station. That way, there's no fire. Now, maybe if it's small enough, over by 1 they could start sending out warnings. They'd do that if there were high winds projected and no rain in sight. I don't see any clouds, but it also doesn't feel windy. But it could pick up. But do you really think that's the case? No, Mike. I think they're hunting us and them.

She smirked and started heading down the hill. I followed. Amber, we talked about Sam and Jerry extensively, but what about me? You said I experienced things earlier than both of them. You did. So I figured whatever you three shared, you had the worst of it. You just didn't know what it was. Nope. But Gene told me to keep talking. And you did. You did too. So I converse more than either of the previous occupants? That's right.

Why do you think that is? You tell me. But I didn't really know. I wasn't a shy person, but I wasn't talkative. I took this job to get away. First, I thought our chats were annoying because I wanted to just focus on my book. But then, as time passed, I found myself drawn to our conversations. I ended up liking the company. Well? I didn't really want to talk at first. Oh, I know. I was a little pushy. But I did like talking to you. And...

I liked talking to you. That's why I eventually ignored the notes and focused on our conversations. I guess that says more about our rapport than what I was there for. Yeah, but I won't lie. That first night? Well, ooh, it was scary. I thought you'd drop out fast. Maybe that's why I kept talking. Except how many times did you act like what I was experiencing was bullshit?

But it's not like that now. For all I knew, you were going through the same stuff that the other guys were going through. That's why you thought I was lying. But not on purpose. I believed you really thought you were seeing and hearing things. I felt bad for you. I felt bad it was happening so, so quickly. And I guess when it started happening more and more and you were bringing up all these feelings, I felt like I just didn't want to do it anymore. Jean pressed, but...

Well, I stopped taking notes. I wasn't interested in that. But you were interested in me. She looked away a moment, as if embarrassed. She bit her lip. I just wanted to talk to you, like you were a friend, not a case study. And every time Jean tried to convince me to talk you down, I found myself more and more conflicted. And that's why when it came down to you being so adamant about leaving, I was with you. I wanted you to go if being out here was hurting you.

I mean, what's the point? This place was supposed to help people, or so I thought. And if it was doing more harm than good? She trailed off, let out a slow breath. I felt like there was more she wanted to say, and I started to wonder. Amber? Yeah? Do you think if Jerry or Sam talked to you more, you would have felt the same way? About caring for them? And wanting to talk to them? No. Why's that? Why?

For the same reason I ran after you, Mike. For the same reason I risked my life to be here. To help you. Her eyes were glassy. Her jaw tightened. Holy shit. Of course. How did I not realize this? She liked me. But why? How? I was just a voice over the radio. She didn't even really know me until... She did. She didn't see me until yesterday, but she knew me.

She knew my likes and dislikes, she knew where I grew up, she knew about my past relationships, about my writing techniques, about my family. She knew me. "I feel like this is all my fault. I want to make things right." I awkwardly nodded. I had no idea what to say. I liked talking to her too, but did I know her? Not as well as she knew me. And I didn't really have much time to think about our relationship with everything going on. "It's not all your fault. You were doing a job.

Like me. Although, mine was most likely fake. No, you were still a fire lookout. I just didn't realize you were also a... Case study? She shrugged. We stood there in awkward silence a moment. Should we, um... Should we keep going? Yeah, let's. Hours passed and we were still at it. We took hardly any breaks because we were focused on getting out. The helicopter never showed up again, but we did, for the first time, see smoke.

So they weren't lying. I don't think that proves anything. She stifled a chuckle. What? I was thinking the same thing. At what lengths do you think they'd go? I don't think there's a limit. The smoke was behind us, which meant it was west of where Tower 4 would be. So, not a worry right now. We continued to talk about past events and debate about what was happening here as we trekked over hill after hill of grass and stone.

I'm just saying, maybe they did something to Jerry. You think they killed him and then had me take over? I don't know. Did Gene seem odd around that time? Around that time, we weren't talking that much. There was some trouble at home in the off-season, and we were fighting a lot more. Really? Yeah.

It started with his gambling and communication skills, but then devolved into stupid little fights about how to organize canned food and whether or not we should get a dog. Which side did you fall on? I wanted a dog. He didn't. Oh. And that's why Gene and I had so many issues. He wasn't who he said he was. He wasn't the same person I met a long time ago at a dog park. Don't you think that comes with time? What do you mean? Well, no one's exactly how they are at the beginning of a relationship.

Like psycho? Melinda was an extreme version of that. I meant in a more general sense. I get some things change. But I fell into that same trap with Gene. And I was so annoyed with myself because what the hell was I thinking? What? How did we get on in relationships? I don't know. Even now it was easy for us to talk. I started wondering if things were different. If we weren't fighting for our lives.

Would I have developed feelings for her too? That's what she was hinting at, right? Mike? What? Did you hear what I asked? No, sorry. What? How are we going to get to a town once we hit the highway? I know we plan to walk next to the highway, but if that really is a high-level fire, then we have to move fast. The woods are sparse the more south we go, so it won't be super easy to get through undetected.

You have an idea? No. Because we're not calling Jean and I highly doubt we'll have any time to Uber. She looked back. I followed her gaze. The smoke was still miles and miles away. I know that. But if they're trying to flush us out, it might work. It just scares me because if we flag down a car, how do we know we can trust the driver? But I didn't have an answer for that.

I don't know how many hours passed as we went back and forth between chatting about Tower 4 in utter silence listening to nothing but our heavy breathing. But eventually we heard a wonderful noise. Holy shit! You hear that? No way. We made it! We rushed over a hill, suddenly finding a burst of energy. There it was. Thank god. The creek wasn't too big, maybe six feet wide and a foot or two deep. We both bent down and started drinking.

it tasted so good oh too bad i don't have my thermos i could take some with us well we're not too far from the highway now right not at all but uh is it okay if we rest a moment i am okay with that i got off my knees and actually sat cross-legged in front of the water i let my hand sink into it and i scooped some and splashed my face this had to be one of the hottest days so far

It was nice to just take a moment and sit under the shade and cool off. You know, I've only been over this way twice. One time I saw a bear, so definitely be on the lookout. Awesome. It never ends, does it? She smiled, then cupped some water and took another drink. She then scooped some and rubbed it on the back of her neck. It really is nice over here. She was right. The canopy above only allowed a thin stream of sunlight to reach us in the creek.

I really wanted a nap, but I knew it was out of the question. Still, it took a moment to close my eyes. Who knows when we'd have another chance like this. So, just a quick respite. A few birds above us singing happily. I wondered what they were, but wasn't ready to open my eyes just yet. I could hear Amber beside me, drinking and splashing water on herself. I needed to be careful. If I kept my eyes closed for too long, I'd fall asleep, but...

Birds chirping and the soft rolling of water was so peaceful. Soothing. Even Amber's movements. I didn't hear her movements anymore. Mike? My eyes shot open. Amber was standing now, her hand hovering over her lower back, ready to grab her gun. What? She motioned with a slow head nod up the creek where a figure stood atop a grouping of rocks looking down at us. Who the hell was that? Tower 4. Written and edited by Robert M. Lamb.

Starring Jack Austin as Mike, Gina Coyle as Amber, and Brian Messick as Gene. Co-starring Wesley Morris. 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 7lam.com for more podcasts such as this one.

Don't forget to rate and review and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter at 7 Lamb 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 7 Lamb, thank you. And a special shout out to 7 Lamb patrons Bradley Williams and Brad McQuaid. Thank you for the support. This has been a 7 Lamb production.

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