Saul discovers that there's something else in the darkness...
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The Mutual Audio Network
We're Alive: Chapter 47 - The Lion's Den - Part 1 of 3(070924)
It's time for Tuesday Terror, here on the Mutual Audio Network. The following audio drama is rated R, and is recommended restricted for anyone under the age of 17. Here's a question for the marketers listening. Want to find that perfect customer beyond the world of scrolling, swiping, and searching? Here's a secret to make sparks fly. Smooth talking with podcast ads. With ACAST, you can reach millions of listeners who will be hanging on your every word. On the train to work, in the gym, or waiting in line for coffee, start up the conversation with podcast listeners anywhere and everywhere. And they're looking for love. 60% of listeners have a higher trust in brands they've met on podcasts compared to social. Get closer to your audience. Make podcast ads with ACAST. Head to go.acast.com/closer to get started. Listen to this ACAST show. Add free on Amazon Music with your prime membership, or subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts. Wear a lie, a story of survival. Chapter 47. The lion's dead. Part 1 of 3. [Music] Soooo! Shit! No! Got that! No, no. Use your rifle. Use your rifle. Save the 50 cattle. What are we doing? It quickly became a shooting gallery. They came from all directions behind buildings and out of windows. We kept firing, still unsure of what to do. Got him! He went now! Now we go after him. Soooo! Soooo! Soooo! Two more! I can't even get close to the entrance. So what? We go? We can't leave him? We can't stay either. Did you hear that? Get on the front! There's lots more coming! Man! [Music] Oh, shit! Ride! Duck down! I'm going through him! Wait! Wait! Hold on! I'm getting the cap! [Music] Windows cost! Go for it! [Music] - Don't go down! - Do not! Oh, man! These fell over the back! I'm glad I got in here! Hey, hold on to something! Wait! Where you going? I'm making another round. What? Are they still behind us? Yeah, but they're getting further away! Good! You're going back! Yes! Why? Just let me try. I thought I heard something. Let's go! Maybe! I don't know! It's coming up! Get ready! Can you get back to the turrets? Yeah! Oh, man! It's coming to God! Let me get us out! We'll do it quick! We're coming up! So! So! Give me a second! Almost clear! Shit! Little one! Where? I don't know, but I know that's down! Couldn't be anywhere! So! So can you hear me? What if he's changed? And what if he's not? [Music] That's another! Like, where are they? So! [Music] Saul! From the darkness Saul stumbled forward. The side of his face and his neck were bleeding. I held my breath as I came closer and grabbed onto him. When I saw his eyes, they were still normal. Go! Wait! Wait! Saul! Cover us! Here! Get in! Pull this on the bleeding! You okay? I don't know! I'm sorry, man. I have to. It's fine. Just get us out of here. He's in! Hold on! Careful! I'm trying! All right! We're clear! I'm coming in! Just stay back there. Well, just hold on. Saul, how are you feeling? Are you? Yeah. It just, they hurt. The cuts. That's all. No weird! Other stuff? No! You're cheap! Yeah, yeah. Fucking God, like, scratched me. Was that who I thought it was? Yeah, Randy. Here. Put this on the bleeding. Oh, it's so crazy. You really think that was him? Yeah, I have a feeling it was. I'm sure you're not, you know. Well, we'll get to the safe house and check him out. Oh, I guess that's why stuff doesn't work for all of them, huh? Ow! Yeah, Randy would be a smart one, huh? It's the bet, okay? Here, let me find the bandages. Ah, ah, I think it's gonna need stitches. Breathe. We gotcha. That we'll be trying that again. I'm sorry, Saul. I really fucked that up, didn't I? You didn't do anything. I'm fine. We got the job done, right? What's a few more scars? We only found two ways in, and one they'll probably close now. And if that gas is still there... No! We gotta go back, hard parts over, right? We know at least one spot to send that thing in, and they didn't see us there. Don't second-guest this. We need to. Thank you, but I don't know. With those things going in and out, how can we even get past that? I don't care how dumb some might be, they're gonna see it coming. Then we'd better find a way, because you were right. Things are gonna get a lot worse. So hurry up and start thinking, 'cause we need to get back and send Cody down there. What? Why? You saw something? No, but I heard it. I've heard everything. And this was new. Something else is down there. Heycast powers the world's best podcast. Here's a show that we recommend. Hello and Tensei. My name is Joel D. Mongran. I'm an actor, and I'm indigenous, and I've created a podcast called Actors and Ancestors. It's a podcast all about indigenous actors here on Turtle Island and our experience in the industry. So if that sounds like something that your earballs would be happy to listen to, then check out ActorsandAncestors.com and go to any of your favorite podcast players, and we're there. Eggo se! Eggcast helps creators launch, grow, and monetize their podcast everywhere. Eggcast.com Hey Prime members! You can listen to this show ad-free on Amazon Music. Download the Amazon Music app today. So Peg's got exposed, I sealed off the mortuary, and then after that we came back over here to tell you. Peg's is fine, but who knows how much exposure you need for it to have any effect? The gas it's just coming right out of the body's now, or has been. It's a lot more now. That's for sure. So stay out of the mortuary until I can clean it out, if I even can. Yeah, it was pretty thick, even at the doorway. So when those things die, they start breaking down, and then the gas can affect others? Exactly, even the dead ones can turn you. Does that mean you can finally figure out what it is? If it's in the bodies? I went back and tried to look at the decomposing parts under the microscope. It's the same as the gas, too small for me to see. But you could go back in there. It doesn't affect you, like salt. What did your blood test say? What? I'm assuming you keep checking it. My level's a normal. How long have you known I've been monitoring? You came up with a test. Why wouldn't you try it on yourself? So you're fine, and none of it can affect you, even with a bite on your arm. All signs point to no. How... how is that possible? That's the question I've been trying to figure out for a long time. So all I both were up and down for a while there, but I think we're fine. No symptoms at all. Is that? Get it, get it! Hello? It's Michael. Speaker phone! Speaker phone! Oh, we don't have that on this phone. Not you. What is it? Is everyone okay? Were you able to set up the cameras? Not all of them, but we're all okay. I just wanted to lead off with that. Wait. Wait, what does that mean? What happened? Well, there were two entrances we found, and the sweat stuff worked until... well, one of them recognized us. Then what's the matter? It's always been. What do you mean? It's okay. It's okay. You can't hear him. How bad is it? It's pretty deep. Is it affecting him? Did you test his blood? Yeah, he's completely normal. His levels are right where they're supposed to be, and I wanted to test before we called. So he's immune too, huh? We were tossing that idea around. I mean, it runs in the family, right? He's completely fine? Well, uh... Saul got bit on the neck and he's bruised up, but otherwise he seems okay. I'm going to try and stitch him up in a minute, and he got some nasty gouges on his face too. Wait, where exactly? His right cheek. Look pretty deep, and it keeps bleeding. Might leave a scar, but he'll be okay. The neck and the face. You said Dottu got scratched too when you found him bitten. Is it the same spots? Um, yeah, maybe why? The neck I get, but why the face? They both survived the attack. They wanted them to turn. So... So they chose Dottu and Saul? Would they scar them to let others know that? Maybe. Or it could be something more. What does the scratch look like? Does it look like anything? Look like something? What is that supposed to mean? What are you getting at? Take a look closely. Wait, you want me to... Just do it, it's important. Um, yeah. Okay. I don't want to talk to her right now. No, I didn't check something. What? What are you doing? Just hold still. I need to... Ahhh! Would you stop that really hurt? Why would you do that? Vic, would you... Come here, hold the phone. She wants me to look at something. Well, I don't. Just hold still. What is he looking for? Shh. Ahhh! Hold still. No shit. Yeah, there is. It's hard to see. Ahhh! It's hard to see. What? Something in there? You got to clean it out? Summer straight cuts, maybe. I don't know, it's hard to tell. Do the lines look like they're side to side on top and up and down on the bottom? Did you hear that? It's hard to understand what you're saying. Hey, this is what you're looking for? Victor, you still have the copies of the symbol from the jail. Take a look at it. I think this is picture 6073. Yeah, hold on. Here it is. Does it look anything like this? Is it close? Michael? Yeah. Yeah, that could be it. Why would they do that? What does that mean? Just let me think. Are we done now? Yeah, yeah. It can be that tape. So Dattu had the same on him? Wait a minute. What was that again? Dattu had the same thing. You saw him first, right? Uh, yeah, maybe. I don't know, I just remember I'm bleeding really badly. I wasn't looking for anything. I patched it up right after it was attacked. Give me that. Let me shoot a photo. Does it affect him? Careful, Michael. No, he's fine. He's fine. He's not reacting at all. But now that I look at this, this might have been the tattoo on Randy's face. Who's Randy? It's just someone we knew before the outbreak. Who's a smart guy? Sol and I recognized him, but he never had this before. And he was the one who attacked Sol. And I think Dattu as well. So he was marked before, or chosen. Wait, is he the- Well, you know, who he is doesn't matter right now. Do you know why they cut him like that? Ask what did it with his fingernail too. I remember that shit now. What'd you say? Well, do you? What does it mean? I think I do. It's a sign of protection. I think it tells them to stop. It sets you apart. This. This does that. How? Well, it stimulates a response. Something innate, instinctive. It's the base of ink's control. He had the mark first, and then he did it to the others. So he just happened to have it on him. He was only tattooed like a day prior to all this happening. How could he have known? When he did that to himself, it was the day before the verdict. Right. Yeah. All of the tattoos, they meant protection. Whatever he could find that meant that. From whatever source, Egyptian Chinese voodoo, whatever, he had tattooed on himself. Maybe he stumbled across this one in the process. His psyche vowels said that he was terrified of dying, to the point of fits of anxiety. That was sort of the base of his insanity plea. I think he was worried about what might happen next for his sentencing, and did this to protect himself. Maybe he was really crazy then. And he doesn't see in that way now. All that we know from before was what they claimed in court, that he wasn't able to control his actions. Now maybe they were right. But when he changed, in a way, it could have fixed him. Maybe even improved him. Jesus, he didn't scream or nothing. I wouldn't cry in my eyes out. I don't know, I'm having a hard time believing all that. I mean, where did that symbol even come from? How do you know it would stop him? Move over, let me hear. Maybe he didn't. The jail, where are the other pictures? What? Here. You're right. He didn't know what it meant. In fact, he didn't even know which tattoo gave that response. But he knew something stopped them. Every room in solitary that had a symbol was destroyed except for one. There's one door still intact. Maybe it was empty? No, there's someone inside there. On the door, there was this mic. Three lines on top, watched like a rainbow, and then underneath, five lines spread out like a fan, coming to a point. He was testing it. And that's what he put on Randy, who in turn put it on Datu and Saul. Wait, why put it on more people? People who didn't even turn yet. Why would he want to protect them? Didn't know they wouldn't turn right away. And he's got a lot going on. Sometimes you need help. For whatever reason, he chose those two. I think Randy might have been the one who grabbed you, Tonya. Outside the old tower, too. Two down! I'm going after her! Look, get down, go! Get back here! Randy! So it's not the first time he was set to get someone? Really? Yeah. They already tried to grab Datu once before. Datu! Datu! Datu, where are you? Hazel! They're not fighting me! They're what? But you said they were going to kill everyone they took to the arena. They didn't get to Datu, did they? All right, I got you, Datu. Okay, come on! He got out before they could do anything. Maybe he was there for another reason. Maybe that's why they change you on the spot now. Doesn't give anyone a chance to get away. Yeah, and he needed someone he trusted to do the job. So if this symbol means that, if this can get them to stop, drive them away, we need to put it on everything. It could. Michael, you may not need to put anyone at risk. If this actually works, then... No, no, no, it might be more complicated than that. Remember how I told you there could be something new he's working on? Well, Saul thinks he might have heard it. Already alive down there. Tell them it sounded like the little ones, but lower, bigger, and raspy. You know, that symbol may not even keep them away for very long. Look at the sweat we used. It worked for some, but not for others. They keep getting past whatever we put up. Adapting to whatever we come up with. Remember when we hunted them down with the helicopter? Little one down! Move up to the other! Head door! How many left? Where are you now? Then where'd they go? Underground. Wait. What? What is it? Well, hold on. It wasn't just that. What is it? What is it? Just quiet for a minute. Let me think. It's more than the helicopter. He's reacting to everything. The first known encounter with Ink, the convoy from Dunbar, that team CJ sent out. Yeah. Heavily armed, too. Shit. This truck's empty. Check the back car. No one in that one. Ah, damn it. I thought we found other survivors. These definitely were normals. Kind of sad. We've been a threat to him, organizing, making strongholds like our towers. We're able to hold off their large numbers. What we get into positions, where we can kill a lot of them and take few losses. So he creates something that can just barge through the front door. The big ones. It's coming through the wall! One for it, hurry! [gun shots] But only a few actually follow him. They're not working like he planned. They're harder to control. He keeps them where he is, like the arena. He's already started on something else, but it's not ready, so he tries a little Trojan horse. He snakes in, lowers the gate. Shawn, what happened? You're inside. We have to get out of here. Where are the guns? They're locked up. Where? On the other side of where we are. I can break it. You're not getting me! Come on! Takes down one tower, moves on to the next, thinking he can do it himself. This guy doesn't look familiar. Nah, nah, I think that's that's that's that's that's Paul. All right, he lives on the fourth floor. He always dresses like that. Back up! Slow with us! Saul's right bird. I think it's Paul. It's Paul. See? He gets cocky, gets injured, and then doesn't get his hands dirty again. By this point, he's running to you army folks enough that he's already got something else in the works. His own soldiers. I hope you're a good shot back there. You're almost there. Just keep moving. All right, I can't get the door. They're gonna have to like you little shits. Hazel, the door! But the little ones are still young, not fully grown. Only wants to send them out for small groups, not big attacks. And he doesn't have to. We keep fighting ourselves. He sees the tower fall. He knows we left by helicopter. Guy, who else was in there? Everyone! Michael! Go, leave it! It's over! It's done! Are you sure he saw that? Who do you think does most of the calling and moving them around? If he was there and he saw it, he knows how we left. But he doesn't know to wear. Then that team comes out from Erwin in their helicopter. Guess who's there when they land? The Chinook sees us. Keep them back! What the fuck is that? I hardly think those little ones were there by mistake. They may have been following those soldiers around, waiting. They go to leave and one hitch is arrived back to Boulder and look what happened there. You think he planned that? We followed them to their hole. How was that any different? So then we come back to the colony, killing his best from the air and there was nothing they could do to stop you. So where did he take them? The one place where you can't reach underground. If all he wants is to live, then we have been the only thing standing in his way. Everything we do makes him try something different. We keep raising the stakes and so does he. You want to know why this is the only place they're different? Why nowhere else is as bad as here? It's because of us. We are responsible for how bad these things have gotten. [Music] Join us again Monday for the next episode of We're Alive. And now a word from our sponsors. Hey marketers, advertisers, and business owners. Find yourself chatting up the same audience in the same places using the same old lines. Maybe it's time to podcast the net further to catch your next customer. With Acast, there's plenty of fish in the sea with more than 100,000 podcasts and millions of listeners. So there's a perfect match for every business. Use our ad platform to cast your net. Then narrow down using targeting such as demographic, show categories, audience segments, and more. Find your match and reel them in. Advertise on more than 100,000 podcasts with Acast. Head to go.acast.com/closer to get started. [Music] Listen to this Acast show. Add free on Amazon Music with your prime membership or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Starring Jim Gleason, Nate Geeze, Shirley Jordan, Constance Parn, Otto Stirk, Elisa Elliot, Tammy Klein, and I'm Michael Swan. Written and directed by Casey Whalund, produced by Grayson Stone and Casey Whalund, composer Daniel Berkov-Hapkins, series artist Ben Hosek, editors Phil Englert, and Casey Whalund. Zinturns, Lauren Crume, Ray Husky, voice cutter Brent McLean, print editor, Elisa Elliot, line producers, Grayson Stone and Blair Whalund. To find out more and for a full list of cast and crew, please visit our website at wearealive.com. Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for all production-related updates and future projects. Thank you for listening to this audio theater for the mind by Whalund Productions. [MUSIC PLAYING] You