transcript

Speaker 1:
[00:02] National Emergency is a psychological horror audio drama that explores disturbing themes and intense moments. Some content may be unsettling for some listeners. Listener's discretion is advised. The Midnight Mystery presents National Emergency, season one, episode six, The Facility.

Speaker 2:
[00:51] Not again, not this room again. Three times, three emergencies. How is that even possible?

Speaker 3:
[01:17] Mr. Coleman.

Speaker 2:
[01:19] Who are you?

Speaker 3:
[01:20] Special Agent Sarah Chen, Federal Emergency Response Division. Thank you for coming in voluntarily.

Speaker 2:
[01:28] Did I have a choice?

Speaker 3:
[01:30] Everyone has a choice, Mr. Coleman.

Speaker 1:
[01:33] Right.

Speaker 2:
[01:34] Because saying no to the federal government always works out well.

Speaker 3:
[01:38] You're not under arrest. You're free to leave at any time.

Speaker 2:
[01:42] Am I?

Speaker 3:
[01:43] Yes, but I would strongly encourage you to stay. We have a lot to discuss.

Speaker 2:
[01:51] I already gave my statement to Detective Hutchins about the town hall, about Jim, about all of it.

Speaker 3:
[01:58] I've read Detective Hutchins' report, very thorough, but I'm not here to talk about Jim Reeves.

Speaker 2:
[02:04] Then why are you here?

Speaker 3:
[02:07] I'm here for you, Owen Coleman, age 35, released from Millbrook Correctional Facility just over a week ago after your conviction was overturned. You served 13 months.

Speaker 2:
[02:19] Do you know all of this already?

Speaker 3:
[02:21] I do. What I'm interested in is what happened after your release.

Speaker 2:
[02:26] I got a job and I'm trying to rebuild my life.

Speaker 3:
[02:29] And how's that going?

Speaker 2:
[02:31] Not great.

Speaker 3:
[02:32] No, I imagine not. February 14th, 2024, your wife, Anna Coleman, disappeared during a National Emergency event. Directive 7, the first documented case in this region.

Speaker 2:
[02:49] Yes.

Speaker 3:
[02:50] You were convicted of her murder, spent 13 months in prison before the courts accepted that emergency broadcasts were a real phenomena.

Speaker 2:
[02:58] I didn't kill her.

Speaker 3:
[03:00] I know. Then this week, Monday, October 27th, your first day as a school bus driver, National Emergency event, Directive 62, 23 children taken.

Speaker 2:
[03:12] I couldn't hear the instructions. A child screamed. I tried to...

Speaker 3:
[03:15] I'm not here to assign blame, Mr. Coleman. And then Wednesday, October 29th, town hall meeting, National Emergency event, Directive 82, Jim Reeves, father of one of the children from the bus incident, opened the coffin despite warnings. You were present, along with Detective Roy Hutchins and Lisa Park.

Speaker 4:
[03:37] He couldn't help it.

Speaker 2:
[03:38] It was his son's voice, Tyler's voice.

Speaker 3:
[03:41] I understand. Detective Hutchins has given me his account as well. Three emergencies, Mr. Coleman. Three separate National Emergency events. Do you understand how statistically significant that is?

Speaker 4:
[03:56] I didn't ask for this. I don't know why this keeps happening to me.

Speaker 3:
[04:00] That's why I'm here. To try to understand why. Most people who survive an emergency never experience another one. You've experienced three. One a year ago, and then two more within the same week. That timing, that's what makes you unique.

Speaker 2:
[04:20] Lucky me.

Speaker 3:
[04:22] You are lucky, Mr. Coleman. Most people don't survive even one. You've survived three.

Speaker 2:
[04:29] Have I? Because it doesn't feel like surviving.

Speaker 3:
[04:37] We've been tracking emergency survivors since the phenomenon began 15 months ago. Globally, there have been 651,223 documented emergency events of those approximately 1.2 million people are deceased or missing. But here's what's interesting.

Speaker 2:
[04:57] What's interesting? That people are dying?

Speaker 3:
[04:59] We're still learning about these events. Most people who survive one emergency haven't experienced another. But we've started documenting a few cases, very few of individuals experiencing multiple emergencies. We don't have enough data yet to understand why. But experiencing two within the same week? We've never seen that before.

Speaker 2:
[05:22] So, what am I? Some kind of magnet for these things?

Speaker 3:
[05:28] I don't know. That's what I'm trying to determine. Worldwide, we've documented only 47 cases of individuals experiencing three or more emergency events. Your number, 48.

Speaker 2:
[05:40] What happened to the other 47?

Speaker 3:
[05:42] Thirty-nine are deceased. Five are currently in secure research facilities. Three are unaccounted for. They went off the grid before we could reach them.

Speaker 2:
[05:53] And you want to put me in one of those facilities?

Speaker 3:
[05:57] I'm not here to take you anywhere against your will, but yes, eventually we will need to discuss that option. But first, I need information.

Speaker 2:
[06:07] What do you want to know?

Speaker 3:
[06:08] Do you have any family history of unusual events? Anything that might be considered paranormal or unexplained?

Speaker 2:
[06:16] No. My parents were normal. Divorced when I was 12, but that's not exactly unusual. My dad left town. I haven't heard from him in years. My mom passed away three years ago. Nothing weird about any of it.

Speaker 3:
[06:35] And before your wife disappeared, did you experience anything out of the ordinary? Dreams, visions, feelings of being watched?

Speaker 2:
[06:46] No. My life was completely normal until February. I had a career. I was a firefighter at the station downtown. I came home to my wife. We had dinner. We talked about starting a family. Everything was normal. And now I'm driving a bus because nobody else will hire me.

Speaker 3:
[07:11] Have you noticed any patterns before emergencies occur? Any physical symptoms? Headaches, nausea, sense of dread?

Speaker 2:
[07:19] I don't know.

Speaker 5:
[07:21] Maybe.

Speaker 2:
[07:22] I mean, after Anna, I was always anxious. Always waiting for something bad to happen. So, yes, I felt dread. But that's just trauma, not a pattern.

Speaker 3:
[07:36] What about the bus incident? The morning it happened. Did you feel anything unusual?

Speaker 2:
[07:42] I was nervous. It was my first day back driving after... after prison. But that's normal, right? First day jitters?

Speaker 3:
[07:55] And the town hall, before the coffin appeared.

Speaker 2:
[07:59] I was terrified. We'd just been talking about Anna. About what happened to her. Jim was accusing me. The whole town was staring at me like I was... like I was dangerous. I was reliving it all. And then... then it started again.

Speaker 3:
[08:20] So you were already in a heightened emotional state when the broadcast began?

Speaker 4:
[08:26] Of course I was. We were at a town hall because 23 Kids disappeared on my watch. Everyone blamed me.

Speaker 3:
[08:32] I'm not suggesting...

Speaker 4:
[08:34] What are you suggesting?

Speaker 2:
[08:36] That I'm somehow causing this?

Speaker 4:
[08:38] That I'm what? Attracting these things?

Speaker 3:
[08:40] I'm not suggesting anything. I'm gathering information.

Speaker 4:
[08:44] This is insane. I'm not causing the emergencies. I'm just... I'm just unlucky.

Speaker 3:
[08:50] Mr. Coleman, please sit down.

Speaker 4:
[08:53] You said I could leave anytime. Maybe I should just...

Speaker 3:
[08:56] Sit down. I know this is difficult, but I need you to understand something. You're not in trouble. You're not being accused of anything, but you are a statistical anomaly. And in my job, anomalies mean something. They mean there's a pattern we're missing, a connection we haven't found yet.

Speaker 2:
[09:18] I don't know what you want me to say.

Speaker 3:
[09:21] I want you to look at these locations and tell me if you've ever been to any of them.

Speaker 2:
[09:28] What are these?

Speaker 3:
[09:29] Locations where multiple emergency events have occurred, clusters. We're trying to determine if there's any geographic correlation.

Speaker 2:
[09:38] Des Moines, Iowa, Portland, Oregon, Austin, Texas. No, I've never been to any of these places.

Speaker 3:
[09:48] You're sure?

Speaker 2:
[09:49] Yes, I'm sure. I grew up in this town. The only time I left was when I was sentenced. They sent me to the state correctional facility about 60 miles north. Other than that, I've been here my whole life.

Speaker 3:
[10:03] All right. Last question for now. Do you feel drawn to certain places or people? Any unexplained compulsions or urges?

Speaker 2:
[10:14] Drawn? What does that even mean?

Speaker 3:
[10:17] Some survivors have reported feeling pulled towards certain locations or individuals shortly before an emergency occurs, like an instinct.

Speaker 2:
[10:27] No, I don't feel drawn to anything. Except maybe away from people. Everyone I get close to ends up dead.

Speaker 3:
[10:36] Is that how you see yourself? As dangerous?

Speaker 4:
[10:39] Three emergencies. My wife is gone. 23 kids are gone. Jim is gone. How else am I supposed to see myself?

Speaker 3:
[10:48] As a survivor.

Speaker 4:
[10:51] Is that what I am?

Speaker 3:
[10:52] Yes. And that makes you valuable. Whether you realize it or not, Mr. Coleman, you have information. Your experiences, your survival, they could help us understand these events. Help us save lives.

Speaker 2:
[11:07] Or they could just prove that I'm cursed. That everyone around me is doomed.

Speaker 3:
[11:14] That's enough for now. I need to speak with Ms. Park and Detective Hutchins, but we'll talk again.

Speaker 2:
[11:20] About what?

Speaker 3:
[11:22] About your options.

Speaker 2:
[11:24] What options?

Speaker 3:
[11:26] We'll discuss it after I've gathered more information. For what it's worth, Mr. Coleman, I don't think you're causing the emergencies, but I do think you're connected to them somehow. And until we understand that connection, you're in danger. And so is everyone around you.

Speaker 2:
[11:46] I know. What the hell do I do?

Speaker 3:
[12:17] Ms. Park, thank you for your patience.

Speaker 6:
[12:19] What's going on? Why am I here?

Speaker 3:
[12:22] I'm Special Agent Sarah Chen, Federal Emergency Response Division. I just need to ask you a few questions.

Speaker 6:
[12:29] About what? About Owen? He didn't do anything wrong.

Speaker 3:
[12:33] How long have you known Owen Coleman?

Speaker 6:
[12:36] Since we were seven. We grew up together, but I don't understand why.

Speaker 3:
[12:41] You're here because you're a close associate of Mr. Coleman. We're speaking with everyone who's been in proximity to him during the recent emergency events.

Speaker 6:
[12:50] Is Owen in trouble?

Speaker 3:
[12:51] He's not in trouble, but he is a person of interest in our investigation.

Speaker 6:
[12:57] A person of interest? He's a victim. He didn't cause those emergencies.

Speaker 3:
[13:03] I'm not suggesting he did. Ms. Park, I need you to understand, I'm not here as an adversary. I'm trying to help, but I need information to do that.

Speaker 6:
[13:14] Just what kind of information?

Speaker 3:
[13:16] Tell me about Owen. What kind of person is he?

Speaker 6:
[13:20] He's... He's the kindest person I know. He's always been that way. Even when we were kids, he was the one who stood up for people getting picked on. He helped his mom take care of his little cousins after his dad left. He's gentle, patient. He would never hurt anyone.

Speaker 3:
[13:46] And since his release from prison, have you noticed any changes in his behavior?

Speaker 6:
[13:52] Of course he's changed. He lost his wife. He was convicted of a crime he didn't commit. He spent 13 months in prison. Anyone would change after that.

Speaker 3:
[14:03] What kind of change is he?

Speaker 6:
[14:07] He's scared all the time, jumpy. He barely sleeps. I can hear him pacing in the apartment above my garage at three in the morning. Sometimes he just stares at the radio, like he's waiting for it to start again.

Speaker 3:
[14:27] Does he talk about the emergencies?

Speaker 6:
[14:29] Not unless he has to. It's like he's trying to forget, but he can't. Wouldn't you be the same way?

Speaker 3:
[14:37] I'm trying to understand his state of mind.

Speaker 6:
[14:40] His state of mind is terrified. He thinks he's cursed. He thinks everyone around him is going to die because of him.

Speaker 3:
[14:48] Do you think he's cursed?

Speaker 6:
[14:51] No. I think he's unlucky. There's a difference. Is there? Yes. Being cursed implies he's causing this somehow. He's not. He's just... He's just in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Speaker 3:
[15:06] Three times in the wrong place?

Speaker 6:
[15:09] Yes. Three times. And it's destroying him. You should see the guilt he carries. The way he looks at me like he's afraid I'm going to be next.

Speaker 3:
[15:19] Are you afraid of that? Being next?

Speaker 6:
[15:25] Sometimes. But not because of Owen. Because of the emergencies. They're random. They could happen to anyone, anywhere.

Speaker 3:
[15:34] Ms. Park, are you aware of what's happening in town? The community's reaction to Mr. Coleman?

Speaker 6:
[15:41] You mean the parents blaming him for their kids? Yes. I was at the town hall. I heard what they said.

Speaker 3:
[15:48] It's escalated since then.

Speaker 6:
[15:51] What do you mean?

Speaker 3:
[15:52] There was another town meeting last night. Unofficial, but over two hundred people attended.

Speaker 6:
[15:59] About Owen?

Speaker 3:
[16:01] About removing him from the community for the safety of the town.

Speaker 6:
[16:05] That's insane! He's not dangerous!

Speaker 3:
[16:09] They don't see it that way. They see a pattern. Three emergencies, three incidents where people close to him have died or disappeared. They're scared.

Speaker 6:
[16:19] Oh, so they're turning into a mob? That's the answer?

Speaker 3:
[16:22] Ms. Park, when was the last time you were at your house?

Speaker 6:
[16:28] Yesterday. Before the town hall. I haven't been home since the emergency happened. Why?

Speaker 3:
[16:34] Your house was vandalized last night. After midnight, based on the police report. Someone spray painted your garage door, broke several windows, left threatening notes on your doorstep. Local police have the scene documented.

Speaker 6:
[16:49] Great. What did the spray paint say this time?

Speaker 3:
[16:52] Cursed in red paint across your entire garage door.

Speaker 6:
[16:58] I already knew about the spray paint. But the windows. What did the note say?

Speaker 3:
[17:05] The threats were more explicit, demanding that Owen leave town, suggesting that if he doesn't, things will get worse.

Speaker 6:
[17:13] Oh my god. This is because he's staying with me. Because I'm helping him.

Speaker 3:
[17:20] Yes.

Speaker 6:
[17:21] This is my home. I grew up in this town. I teach the children, and they're threatening me because I won't abandon my friend.

Speaker 3:
[17:31] People are scared, Miss Park. And scared people do dangerous things.

Speaker 6:
[17:36] He didn't do anything wrong. He's a victim.

Speaker 3:
[17:40] I know. But perception matters. And right now, the town perceives him as a threat.

Speaker 6:
[17:46] How bad is it? The damage?

Speaker 3:
[17:50] Three broken windows. Spray paint on the garage and the side of the house. The notes were graphic, specific.

Speaker 6:
[17:59] Owen doesn't know yet, does he?

Speaker 3:
[18:01] Not yet. I wanted to speak with you first.

Speaker 6:
[18:05] He's going to blame himself.

Speaker 3:
[18:07] This isn't his fault.

Speaker 6:
[18:09] Then whose fault is it?

Speaker 3:
[18:11] The people who did this. But that doesn't change the reality of your situation. Mr. Coleman can't stay in this town. It's not safe for him. And frankly, Ms. Park, it's not safe for you either.

Speaker 6:
[18:25] So what? He just leaves? Runs away?

Speaker 3:
[18:29] I'm offering him an alternative.

Speaker 6:
[18:31] What kind of alternative?

Speaker 3:
[18:33] There's a research facility. Secure. Safe. We can study what's happening to him. Try to understand why he's experiencing multiple emergencies.

Speaker 6:
[18:44] You mean lock him up? Turn him into a lab rat?

Speaker 3:
[18:48] I mean keep him alive. And keep the people around him alive.

Speaker 6:
[18:53] You think he's dangerous?

Speaker 3:
[18:55] I think he's in danger. There's a difference. Whether he's causing the emergencies or not, the pattern is undeniable. Three events in such close proximity? The statistical probability is-

Speaker 6:
[19:07] I don't care about statistics. I care about Owen. He's a person, not a data point.

Speaker 3:
[19:14] And as a person, he needs protection from the emergencies, from the town, from himself.

Speaker 6:
[19:20] What do you mean from himself?

Speaker 3:
[19:22] You said he barely sleeps, that he paces at night, that he thinks he's cursed. Ms. Park, those are signs of someone who's breaking down, someone who might make desperate choices.

Speaker 6:
[19:38] You think he's going to hurt himself?

Speaker 3:
[19:41] I think he's in a dangerous mental state, and I think he needs help that you can't provide.

Speaker 6:
[19:49] I can take care of him. I've been taking care of him.

Speaker 3:
[19:53] And now your house is vandalized, your safety's threatened. How long before it gets worse? How long before someone does more than break windows?

Speaker 6:
[20:01] What are you saying?

Speaker 3:
[20:03] I'm saying you care about him. I can see that, but caring about him isn't enough to protect him or yourself. The facility I'm talking about, it's not a prison. It's a research center. He'd have his own room, privacy, medical care, and most importantly, he'd be away from the public, away from danger.

Speaker 6:
[20:25] For how long?

Speaker 3:
[20:27] As long as it takes to understand what's happening to him. Weeks, maybe months.

Speaker 6:
[20:33] And if he says no?

Speaker 3:
[20:34] Then I can't guarantee his safety or yours. The town is turning on him, Ms. Park. It's only a matter of time before someone does something they can't take back.

Speaker 6:
[20:45] You're asking me to convince him to go.

Speaker 3:
[20:47] I'm asking you to think about what's best for him and for you.

Speaker 6:
[20:53] He's my best friend. I can't just... I can't just send him away.

Speaker 3:
[20:59] Sometimes the best way to protect someone is to let them go.

Speaker 6:
[21:04] Can I see him before you... before any decisions are made?

Speaker 3:
[21:10] Not yet. I still need to speak with Detective Hutchins. But yes, you'll have time to talk to him.

Speaker 6:
[21:16] Then we're done here?

Speaker 3:
[21:18] Yes. Thank you for your cooperation, Ms. Park. And I'm sorry about your house.

Speaker 6:
[21:25] Are you? Or is this just part of your investigation?

Speaker 3:
[21:30] I'm sorry. No one deserves to be threatened in their own home.

Speaker 6:
[21:39] Agent Chen, do you really think the facility will help him? Or are you just trying to remove the problem?

Speaker 3:
[21:47] I think he needs answers. And so do we. Whether the facility helps him or not, I don't know. But I know staying here will destroy him, one way or another.

Speaker 6:
[21:58] That's not a comforting answer.

Speaker 3:
[22:00] No, but it's an honest one. Detective Hutchins, thank you for your time.

Speaker 5:
[22:38] Agent Chen, let's make this quick. I've got cases to work.

Speaker 3:
[22:43] This won't take long. You've been present at two of Owen Coleman's emergency incidents, the town hall, and prior to that, you were investigating his wife's disappearance.

Speaker 5:
[22:54] I was doing my job.

Speaker 3:
[22:55] Were you or are you protecting him?

Speaker 5:
[22:58] I'm protecting the truth. There's a difference.

Speaker 3:
[23:01] And what is the truth, detective?

Speaker 5:
[23:05] The truth is that Owen Coleman is a man who's experienced three separate national emergency events through no fault of his own. The truth is he's been wrongly convicted, wrongly accused, and wrongly blamed for things beyond his control.

Speaker 3:
[23:22] Beyond his control? You're certain of that?

Speaker 5:
[23:26] Yes. I've investigated his background thoroughly. I reopened his wife's case. I was there when Jim Reeves opened that coffin. I saw what happened. Owen Coleman didn't cause any of those emergencies.

Speaker 3:
[23:43] But he was present at all three.

Speaker 5:
[23:45] So were thousands of other people over the course of 15 months. Does it make them catalysts?

Speaker 3:
[23:50] But those people didn't experience multiple events, especially not two within the same week.

Speaker 5:
[23:56] No, they didn't.

Speaker 3:
[24:00] You see the pattern, then?

Speaker 5:
[24:02] I see a statistical anomaly. That doesn't mean causation.

Speaker 3:
[24:06] You've been investigating patterns yourself, haven't you? Emergency survivors, other incidents in the region.

Speaker 5:
[24:13] It's part of my job. Emergency response protocols require local law enforcement to track and document all incidents.

Speaker 3:
[24:21] But you've gone beyond documentation, haven't you? You've been looking for connections, similarities.

Speaker 5:
[24:29] Yes.

Speaker 3:
[24:30] And what have you found?

Speaker 5:
[24:31] Nothing conclusive. Every emergency is different. Different directives, different outcomes. The only pattern is that there is no pattern.

Speaker 3:
[24:41] You don't believe that.

Speaker 5:
[24:42] No, I don't. I think there is a pattern. We just don't understand it yet.

Speaker 3:
[24:48] Tell me what you found.

Speaker 5:
[24:50] Other drivers have reported incidents. Strange occurrences before emergencies, feelings of being watched, equipment malfunctions, but nothing concrete. Nothing that predicts when or where an emergency will occur.

Speaker 3:
[25:06] You mentioned other drivers. What about the previous bus driver, the one before Owen Coleman?

Speaker 5:
[25:13] Jenkins. William Jenkins.

Speaker 3:
[25:16] What happened to him?

Speaker 5:
[25:17] He quit. Lost his daughter in one of the first emergency events. Then he took his two remaining kids and disappeared into the forest.

Speaker 3:
[25:27] To the forest?

Speaker 5:
[25:29] Deep woods. About 20 miles north of here. Thought if he got away from technology, away from radios, TVs, phones, the emergencies wouldn't reach them.

Speaker 3:
[25:40] Did it work?

Speaker 5:
[25:41] He came back alone. Three weeks later.

Speaker 3:
[25:47] What happened to his children?

Speaker 5:
[25:49] According to his statement, they were taken. Another emergency, but...

Speaker 3:
[25:54] You don't sound convinced.

Speaker 5:
[25:56] The forensics report didn't match his story. Search and rescue found the campsite. Found evidence of... something else.

Speaker 3:
[26:06] Where is Jenkins now?

Speaker 5:
[26:08] Still in town. Living on the edge of the woods. He hasn't spoken to anyone since he came back. Lives like a hermit. Every radio and TV in his house running all the time.

Speaker 3:
[26:20] We'd like to speak with him.

Speaker 5:
[26:22] Good luck. He doesn't open his door for anyone.

Speaker 3:
[26:27] You could facilitate that conversation, Detective.

Speaker 5:
[26:30] Maybe. If I thought it would help.

Speaker 3:
[26:34] Help who? Jenkins or Coleman?

Speaker 2:
[26:36] Both.

Speaker 5:
[26:38] Jenkins tried to escape. Tried to isolate himself from the emergencies. If Owen is considering the same thing, and I think he is, then Jenkins' experience might be valuable.

Speaker 3:
[26:50] You think Coleman is planning to run?

Speaker 5:
[26:53] I think he's desperate. I think he believes he's dangerous. And I think desperate people make drastic choices.

Speaker 3:
[27:01] Is that why you're protecting him? Because you're afraid he'll do something reckless?

Speaker 5:
[27:06] I'm protecting him because it's the right thing to do. He's not a threat. He's terrified.

Speaker 3:
[27:12] Terrified people can be dangerous.

Speaker 5:
[27:15] Not the way you think. I shot Jim Reeves. Did you know that?

Speaker 3:
[27:23] It's in your report.

Speaker 5:
[27:24] Then you know I did everything by the book. He was going to open the coffin. The broadcast said anyone who opened it would be taken. I had to protect the others. Owen, Lisa. So I shot him. But it didn't matter. He opened it anyway. He got himself killed anyway. All that training, those protocols and rules were supposed to follow. None of it mattered.

Speaker 3:
[28:00] You did your job, detective.

Speaker 5:
[28:03] Did I? A man died on my watch. Twenty-three kids disappeared on Owen's first day. His wife was taken during the first emergency event in this region, before any of us even understood what these things were. We're all just stumbling around in the dark, trying to follow instructions we barely understand, hoping we get it right. Coleman didn't cause any of that. He's just trying to survive. Same as the rest of us.

Speaker 3:
[28:43] Detective Hutchins, I understand this is difficult, but you have to see the bigger picture. Three emergencies. Whether he's causing them or not, the pattern exists. And patterns can be studied. Understood?

Speaker 5:
[28:58] You want to take him to a facility?

Speaker 3:
[29:00] We want to understand what's happening to him, and potentially use that understanding to save lives.

Speaker 5:
[29:07] You mean lock him up and study him like a lab rat?

Speaker 3:
[29:10] I mean, provide him with protection and resources he doesn't currently have. You said yourself he's desperate, detective, that he thinks he's dangerous. How long before that desperation leads him to make a terrible decision?

Speaker 5:
[29:24] What kind of decision?

Speaker 3:
[29:26] The same kind Jenkins made. Isolation, or worse.

Speaker 5:
[29:32] You think he's suicidal?

Speaker 3:
[29:34] I think he's carrying more guilt than any person should have to bear. And I think without intervention, that guilt will consume him.

Speaker 5:
[29:44] What exactly are you proposing?

Speaker 3:
[29:48] A research facility, voluntary participation. He'd be safe there, away from the town, away from the threats. We'd study his case, try to understand the pattern.

Speaker 5:
[30:00] For how long?

Speaker 3:
[30:01] As long as necessary.

Speaker 5:
[30:03] That's not an answer.

Speaker 3:
[30:05] Because I don't have one. This is unprecedented territory, detective. We're learning as we go.

Speaker 5:
[30:11] And if he refuses?

Speaker 3:
[30:13] Then I can't guarantee his safety. The town is turning on him. You know that. You've seen the vandalism, heard the threats. It's only a matter of time before...

Speaker 5:
[30:24] Before the mob gets him.

Speaker 2:
[30:26] Yes.

Speaker 5:
[30:28] You're asking me to convince him to go?

Speaker 3:
[30:30] I'm asking you to present him with the facts. He trusts you. He'll listen to you.

Speaker 5:
[30:36] Maybe. Or maybe he'll think I'm betraying him. Just like everyone else.

Speaker 3:
[30:43] Are you betraying him?

Speaker 5:
[30:46] I don't know. I'm trying to do what's right, but I'm not even sure what that is anymore.

Speaker 3:
[30:53] None of us are, Detective. We're all just trying to keep people alive. About Jenkins. Can you arrange a meeting?

Speaker 5:
[31:02] When?

Speaker 3:
[31:03] Soon. Today, if possible. His experience with isolation could be valuable.

Speaker 5:
[31:08] I'll see what I can do.

Speaker 3:
[31:10] Thank you. And Detective, I know you care about Coleman. I can see that, but caring about someone doesn't mean enabling their self-destruction. Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is make the hard choice for them.

Speaker 5:
[31:25] Is that what you're doing? Making the hard choice?

Speaker 3:
[31:28] I'm trying to. We're done here. You can go.

Speaker 5:
[31:34] Agent Chen, if Owen goes to this facility of yours, will he ever come back?

Speaker 3:
[31:42] I don't know.

Speaker 5:
[31:44] That's what I thought.

Speaker 3:
[32:16] Mr. Coleman, I appreciate your patience.

Speaker 2:
[32:21] Do I have a choice?

Speaker 3:
[32:23] I've spoken with Ms. Park and Detective Hutchins. I have a clear picture now of your situation.

Speaker 2:
[32:30] What situation?

Speaker 3:
[32:32] There was a town meeting last night, unofficial, over 200 residents attended.

Speaker 2:
[32:38] About me?

Speaker 3:
[32:40] Yes, the parents of the children from the bus, friends of Jim Reeves, others who are concerned about the patterns of emergencies.

Speaker 2:
[32:50] Concerned? That's one way to put it.

Speaker 3:
[32:53] They're demanding that you leave town for safety of the community.

Speaker 4:
[32:59] I didn't do anything! I didn't cause those emergencies!

Speaker 3:
[33:03] I know, but perception matters, Mr. Coleman, and right now the town perceives you as a threat.

Speaker 4:
[33:09] So what? They just get to run me out, or turn into a mob?

Speaker 3:
[33:13] It's already escalated beyond meetings. Ms. Parks' house was vandalized last night.

Speaker 4:
[33:19] What?

Speaker 3:
[33:20] Spray paint, broken windows, threatening notes left on her doorstep.

Speaker 4:
[33:25] Lisa? Is she okay?

Speaker 3:
[33:27] She's physically unharmed, but the message was clear. The vandalism was because she's helping you. Because you're staying at her property.

Speaker 4:
[33:37] Oh, God. This is exactly what I was afraid of! God, everyone near me gets hurt!

Speaker 3:
[33:43] This isn't your fault, Mr. Coleman.

Speaker 4:
[33:44] Isn't it? Three emergencies! My wife, 23 kids, Jim, and now Lisa's house is destroyed because of me.

Speaker 3:
[33:53] Because of scared people making bad choices. Not because of you. Mr. Coleman, you're not safe here. Neither is anyone associated with you. Lisa, Detective Hutchins. The longer you stay, the more danger they're in.

Speaker 2:
[34:13] So I should just leave. Run away.

Speaker 3:
[34:16] I'm offering you an alternative to running. There's a research facility. Federal. Secure. We study emergency survivors there. Try to understand the phenomenon.

Speaker 2:
[34:30] You want to lock me up?

Speaker 3:
[34:32] I want to give you options. And safety.

Speaker 4:
[34:35] Safety.

Speaker 2:
[34:36] In a government facility. Studying me like a lab rat.

Speaker 3:
[34:41] Studying you like a person who's experienced something extraordinary. A person who might have answers we desperately need. We have resources. Medical staff. Psychologists. Experts who've been studying these events since they began.

Speaker 2:
[34:57] And what? I just...

Speaker 4:
[34:59] live there?

Speaker 2:
[35:01] For how long?

Speaker 3:
[35:02] As long as it takes to understand what's happening to you. And potentially use that understanding to save lives.

Speaker 2:
[35:10] You think I'm causing them? The emergencies.

Speaker 3:
[35:15] I think you're connected to them somehow. Whether as a cause or a... a beacon, we don't know. But you are connected. The statistics prove that.

Speaker 2:
[35:26] So my options are, go to your facility and never leave. Stay here and wait for the mob to kill me. Or disappear and probably die alone in the woods.

Speaker 3:
[35:37] Those are dramatic interpretations.

Speaker 4:
[35:40] Are they?

Speaker 2:
[35:41] If I go to this facility... will I ever come back?

Speaker 3:
[35:49] I don't know.

Speaker 2:
[35:52] That's what I thought.

Speaker 3:
[35:54] Mr. Coleman, I'm trying to help you, to keep you alive.

Speaker 2:
[35:58] Or to keep the town safe from me.

Speaker 3:
[36:00] Is that so wrong?

Speaker 2:
[36:03] How long do I have to decide?

Speaker 3:
[36:05] Forty-eight hours.

Speaker 2:
[36:07] And if I say no?

Speaker 3:
[36:09] Then I'll need to escalate this to my superiors. And they may not give you a choice.

Speaker 2:
[36:14] Is that a threat?

Speaker 3:
[36:16] It's a reality. The town wants you gone. If you won't voluntarily go to the facility, you won't leave on your own, then...

Speaker 2:
[36:25] They'll come for me.

Speaker 3:
[36:27] Yes. Think about it. You have forty-eight hours, but I'd suggest you decide sooner rather than later. For what it's worth, I do believe you're a victim in all this, but that doesn't change the reality of your situation. You need to make a choice before someone makes it for you.

Speaker 2:
[36:58] What do I do? What the hell do I do? Hutchins.

Speaker 5:
[37:18] Hey, you all right?

Speaker 2:
[37:21] No, not even close.

Speaker 5:
[37:23] What did she say?

Speaker 2:
[37:24] She wants to send me to some federal facility, study me like a lab rat.

Speaker 5:
[37:31] Is that what you want?

Speaker 4:
[37:33] What I want? What I want is for this to stop, for people to stop dying, for the town to stop looking at me like I'm some kind of disease.

Speaker 5:
[37:44] There is another option. What? Jenkins, the previous driver. He tried to escape, took his kids into the forest, away from everything.

Speaker 2:
[37:55] And it didn't work. Agent Chen said he came back alone.

Speaker 5:
[37:59] But he came back. That means something. He might know if escape is even possible.

Speaker 2:
[38:06] You think he'll talk to us?

Speaker 5:
[38:08] Only one way to find out.

Speaker 2:
[38:11] When?

Speaker 5:
[38:13] Now. Before Agent Chen makes her move.

Speaker 2:
[38:16] What about Lisa?

Speaker 5:
[38:17] What about her?

Speaker 2:
[38:18] She'll want to help.

Speaker 5:
[38:19] Her house is already a target. That's enough.

Speaker 2:
[38:23] She's gonna be furious.

Speaker 5:
[38:25] Probably. Come on. My car's out back.

Speaker 2:
[38:43] What if he doesn't have answers? What if the forest is just as dangerous?

Speaker 5:
[38:47] Then we'll know, better than guessing.

Speaker 2:
[38:51] Every choice feels wrong.

Speaker 5:
[38:53] Yeah, welcome to the club.

Speaker 2:
[39:06] She's gonna ask where I've been.

Speaker 5:
[39:08] So tell her.

Speaker 2:
[39:11] After we know it was worth it.

Speaker 5:
[39:13] Jenkins lives about 15 minutes north. Edge of the woods, you'll know it. Every light in the house is on.

Speaker 2:
[39:20] He's afraid too.

Speaker 5:
[39:23] Yeah, aren't we all?

Speaker 1:
[39:39] This has been National Emergency, a Midnight Mystery production, created and written by Dean Smythe. Before the credits, we've got a brief ad coming up. Back in a moment. National Emergency, starring Michael Ursu as Owen Coleman, Katabelle Ansari as Agent Sarah Chen, Maganda Marie as Lisa Park, and Amelia Monarch as Roy Hutchins. Soundtrack by Anna Landstrom, Daniella Lungsberg and Luba Hillman. National Emergency is a completely independent production, so if you're enjoying the show, it would mean a lot if you could subscribe, leave a 5-star review, and share it with a friend. We also have a Patreon for anyone who'd like to get episodes early and ad-free. Links in the description below. And don't forget to follow The Midnight Mystery for more.