WEBVTT 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:15.699 The Secrets of El Dorado, uncovering a legacy 00:00:15.699 --> 00:00:19.219 of greed and deception. A story by Jason Moimer, 00:00:19.359 --> 00:00:21.859 narrated by the International Community Schools 00:00:21.859 --> 00:00:25.539 High School Marketing Class of 2024. About the 00:00:25.539 --> 00:00:28.239 story. In The Secrets of El Dorado, a gripping 00:00:28.239 --> 00:00:30.980 tale of adventure, mystery, and historical intrigue, 00:00:30.980 --> 00:00:33.399 Professor James Hawthorne and a group of unlikely 00:00:33.399 --> 00:00:36.500 allies uncover one of the greatest secrets buried 00:00:36.500 --> 00:00:39.799 in the annals of American history. The Setting 00:00:39.799 --> 00:00:42.719 In the heart of California, nestled within the 00:00:42.719 --> 00:00:45.439 Sierra Nevada foothills, lies the quaint town 00:00:45.439 --> 00:00:49.020 of Coloma. This small town, just a 40 -minute 00:00:49.020 --> 00:00:52.079 drive from Sacramento, holds a significant place 00:00:52.079 --> 00:00:55.619 in history. It was here at Sutter's Mill in January 00:00:55.619 --> 00:00:59.619 of 1848 that James W. Marshall stumbled upon 00:00:59.619 --> 00:01:03.200 gold, igniting the famous California Gold Rush. 00:01:03.439 --> 00:01:06.340 This event marked the beginning of a transformative 00:01:06.340 --> 00:01:09.319 era, drawing thousands of fortune seekers to 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:12.400 California in hopes of striking it rich. The 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:15.859 entire area surrounding Coloma became the epicenter 00:01:15.859 --> 00:01:18.939 of this historical event, forever etching its 00:01:18.939 --> 00:01:22.840 place into the annals of American history. Today, 00:01:23.040 --> 00:01:26.200 Coloma is part of El Dorado County. It's a classic 00:01:26.200 --> 00:01:28.739 American town that thrives on a blend of agriculture, 00:01:29.079 --> 00:01:32.500 tourism, and education. El Dorado College, which 00:01:32.500 --> 00:01:36.939 opened in 1948, exactly 100 years after the beginning 00:01:36.939 --> 00:01:39.840 of the gold rush, helps contribute to Coloma's 00:01:39.840 --> 00:01:42.879 vibrant, young, and energetic community. El Dorado 00:01:42.879 --> 00:01:45.439 County and college were named after the legendary 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:48.579 treasure city of South America, sought by the 00:01:48.579 --> 00:01:51.319 early Spanish explorers in the 16th century. 00:01:51.739 --> 00:01:54.079 Gold, wealth, and riches are etched into the 00:01:54.079 --> 00:01:57.060 heritage of this place. The county is full of 00:01:57.060 --> 00:02:00.280 natural beauty and is a haven for adventure enthusiasts 00:02:00.280 --> 00:02:03.400 and nature lovers alike. Whether it's whitewater 00:02:03.400 --> 00:02:05.939 rafting on the rivers, downhill skiing in the 00:02:05.939 --> 00:02:09.560 winter, boating on nearby Lake Tahoe, hiking, 00:02:09.800 --> 00:02:11.960 camping, or simply enjoying the breathtaking 00:02:11.960 --> 00:02:15.240 scenery, El Dorado County has a lot to offer. 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:18.800 The Characters This is Ava Turner and let me 00:02:18.800 --> 00:02:21.460 tell you a little bit about myself. I'm 24 years 00:02:21.460 --> 00:02:23.280 old and I've been out of school for about a year 00:02:23.280 --> 00:02:25.900 now. I actually grew up in Coloma and I've always 00:02:25.900 --> 00:02:27.939 enjoyed the history and mystery of the town and 00:02:27.939 --> 00:02:30.780 its past. I enjoy coming back to visit whenever 00:02:30.780 --> 00:02:33.360 I can and one of my best friends, Sierra, still 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:35.639 lives and works here. My parents moved away a 00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:37.879 year ago, but that doesn't keep me away from 00:02:37.879 --> 00:02:40.400 there. There's so many places that I still call 00:02:40.400 --> 00:02:43.180 home. And growing up, I always wanted to be a 00:02:43.180 --> 00:02:45.759 reporter. Maybe it's because I watched one too 00:02:45.759 --> 00:02:48.620 many of those crime and mystery shows. Either 00:02:48.620 --> 00:02:50.520 way, I was thrilled when the Sacramento Bee, 00:02:50.599 --> 00:02:52.439 a well -known and famous newspaper, hired me 00:02:52.439 --> 00:02:54.599 right after I finished my undergrad degree in 00:02:54.599 --> 00:02:57.360 journalism at Cal State. The Bee has been around 00:02:57.360 --> 00:03:00.560 for over 165 years and it's a well -respected 00:03:00.560 --> 00:03:03.240 news source for the area. I'm currently working 00:03:03.240 --> 00:03:05.400 as one of their junior investigative journalists. 00:03:05.599 --> 00:03:08.139 I love finding the story behind the story and 00:03:08.139 --> 00:03:10.560 then piecing all the elements together like a 00:03:10.560 --> 00:03:12.639 puzzle. I'm not sure what I like better, the 00:03:12.639 --> 00:03:15.500 investigation part or the writing part. I'm curious, 00:03:15.680 --> 00:03:17.819 tenacious, and maybe even a little bit reckless. 00:03:18.180 --> 00:03:20.099 I'm also really passionate about the inequalities 00:03:20.099 --> 00:03:22.860 and injustices I see in the world. I hope to 00:03:22.860 --> 00:03:24.539 make a difference by raising awareness through 00:03:24.539 --> 00:03:27.219 journalism and telling stories. Above all, I 00:03:27.219 --> 00:03:29.080 seek truth and I want to report and write my 00:03:29.080 --> 00:03:32.319 stories with this principle. Hi, I'm Sierra Reese. 00:03:32.560 --> 00:03:35.060 Like Ava said, we are best friends and have known 00:03:35.060 --> 00:03:37.500 each other since elementary school, even though 00:03:37.500 --> 00:03:40.599 she's a year older than me. I'm 23 years old, 00:03:40.680 --> 00:03:44.080 and I just graduated from El Dorado College with 00:03:44.080 --> 00:03:47.439 a degree in art education. I not only love to 00:03:47.439 --> 00:03:50.039 make art, but I love to teach it as well. In 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:52.379 fact, if you notice some of the murals around 00:03:52.379 --> 00:03:55.240 town, you'll probably see my signature at the 00:03:55.240 --> 00:03:57.840 bottom, along with others who collaborated with 00:03:57.840 --> 00:04:02.800 me. always been amazed at the natural beauty 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:05.759 of this place which inspired me to do the murals 00:04:05.759 --> 00:04:08.439 that you see in town along main street these 00:04:08.439 --> 00:04:11.460 are done pro bono of course i'm currently working 00:04:11.460 --> 00:04:16.000 as a barista at ethan's cafe well what's now 00:04:16.000 --> 00:04:19.199 known as Ethan's Cafe. This job has helped me 00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:21.839 pay for college. I'm super thankful for this 00:04:21.839 --> 00:04:24.680 job and it will be such a sad day when I have 00:04:24.680 --> 00:04:27.240 to move on as I'm looking for a new job in the 00:04:27.240 --> 00:04:30.480 field of education where I'd like to teach art 00:04:30.480 --> 00:04:33.600 full -time. I've got to put that expensive degree 00:04:33.600 --> 00:04:37.470 to good use now. I'm creative, empathetic, and 00:04:37.470 --> 00:04:40.009 I have a good intuition when it comes to situations. 00:04:40.649 --> 00:04:43.930 My job at the cafe also helps keep me connected 00:04:43.930 --> 00:04:47.370 to the town gossip, for good or bad. I'm Ethan 00:04:47.370 --> 00:04:50.250 Brooks, the cafe owner. I bought and took over 00:04:50.250 --> 00:04:52.389 the cafe a little over a year ago from the previous 00:04:52.389 --> 00:04:55.009 owners who were retiring at that time. I sunk 00:04:55.009 --> 00:04:57.129 a lot of money into the place to revamp the menu, 00:04:57.470 --> 00:05:00.250 replace old equipment, and fix it up. It's in 00:05:00.250 --> 00:05:02.610 a good location in Coloma. My investment has 00:05:02.610 --> 00:05:04.509 paid off as the place is pretty much always full. 00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:07.100 My life took a significant turn over a year ago 00:05:07.100 --> 00:05:09.139 when I left a tech company to help start in San 00:05:09.139 --> 00:05:11.579 Jose. I still own shares in the company, and 00:05:11.579 --> 00:05:13.740 it continues to do good, but I just got completely 00:05:13.740 --> 00:05:16.199 burnt out working 80 hour weeks for 5 straight 00:05:16.199 --> 00:05:19.279 years in Silicon Valley. Man, it was fun while 00:05:19.279 --> 00:05:21.480 it lasted, but it essentially felt like I was 00:05:21.480 --> 00:05:23.439 just a tool. I'd say I'm pretty good at tech. 00:05:23.680 --> 00:05:25.959 I graduated from the University of San Francisco, 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:28.139 one of the Bay Area's top tech universities, 00:05:28.480 --> 00:05:31.300 when I was just 21 years old. I completed both 00:05:31.300 --> 00:05:33.639 my undergraduate and graduate degree in just 00:05:33.639 --> 00:05:36.439 under three years. To be honest, I don't know 00:05:36.439 --> 00:05:38.220 what will happen in the future, but I'm content 00:05:38.220 --> 00:05:40.660 with my quiet, peaceful life running a cafe here 00:05:40.660 --> 00:05:44.019 for now. I'm quiet, measured, and concise, and 00:05:44.019 --> 00:05:46.319 I feel like I have a good intuition when it comes 00:05:46.319 --> 00:05:49.160 to the uncertainty of some situations. Being 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:51.500 known as a cafe owner instead of a techie is 00:05:51.500 --> 00:05:54.860 fine with me. Hello, I'm Lily Han. I'm from Beijing, 00:05:55.019 --> 00:05:57.420 China, and I'm in the U .S. studying forensic 00:05:57.420 --> 00:06:01.519 science at El Dorado College. This college, although 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:05.000 it is small in comparison to Cal State or UCLA, 00:06:05.459 --> 00:06:07.879 has a great science department with a lot of 00:06:07.879 --> 00:06:10.680 different specialties. Many of the U .S. best 00:06:10.680 --> 00:06:13.600 forensic scientists from the last 20 years have 00:06:13.600 --> 00:06:15.920 either studied here or have been guest speakers 00:06:15.920 --> 00:06:19.399 or lecturers. We even know about this program 00:06:19.399 --> 00:06:22.279 back in China. I applied for a general science 00:06:22.279 --> 00:06:24.600 scholarship during my last year of high school 00:06:24.600 --> 00:06:27.139 in China, and I was one of the three people who 00:06:27.139 --> 00:06:30.089 won. The only two other people are at different 00:06:30.089 --> 00:06:33.089 universities. I just finished my third year with 00:06:33.089 --> 00:06:35.949 one more to go before I'm done with my undergrad 00:06:35.949 --> 00:06:39.290 degree. I'm not exactly sure what I will do when 00:06:39.290 --> 00:06:42.029 I graduate. I'd really like to stay in the U 00:06:42.029 --> 00:06:45.009 .S. and keep studying or find a job. I do miss 00:06:45.009 --> 00:06:47.670 my family though. My study group this year spent 00:06:47.670 --> 00:06:51.290 a lot of time at Ethan's Cafe. We feel like it's 00:06:51.290 --> 00:06:54.250 our home away from home. We love that place, 00:06:54.370 --> 00:06:56.829 especially since the new owner took it over. 00:06:57.389 --> 00:07:00.129 The staff are friendly and helpful. They even 00:07:00.129 --> 00:07:02.490 let us stay late sometimes to finish our studies. 00:07:03.430 --> 00:07:07.269 I'm analytically friendly and consistent. I like 00:07:07.269 --> 00:07:09.829 to think of myself as having the voice of reason 00:07:09.829 --> 00:07:13.389 when it comes to working with other people. I 00:07:13.389 --> 00:07:16.589 secretly love adventure but still just did not 00:07:16.589 --> 00:07:19.490 have much opportunity for that until I came to 00:07:19.490 --> 00:07:22.129 the U .S. for college. I love to help others 00:07:22.129 --> 00:07:24.920 and I tend to see the good in everyone. Professor 00:07:24.920 --> 00:07:27.579 James Hawthorne here. My life is quite stable 00:07:27.579 --> 00:07:29.740 and pleasant at the moment. Well, I guess you 00:07:29.740 --> 00:07:31.540 could say it's been that way for a long time 00:07:31.540 --> 00:07:34.180 now. I'm sure my wife would agree with me on 00:07:34.180 --> 00:07:37.500 that. I'm 55 years old and I'm a professor of 00:07:37.500 --> 00:07:39.560 history and archaeology at El Dorado College. 00:07:40.120 --> 00:07:42.459 I've been on staff at the school for close to 00:07:42.459 --> 00:07:45.220 25 years now. Before that, I worked in Mexico 00:07:45.220 --> 00:07:47.800 and parts of South America on several archaeological 00:07:47.800 --> 00:07:51.439 digs as an independent contractor. That's where 00:07:51.439 --> 00:07:53.560 I met my wife as she worked on several of my 00:07:53.560 --> 00:07:56.879 dig teams. After having kids, we needed to settle 00:07:56.879 --> 00:07:59.360 down, so we moved back to California, where we're 00:07:59.360 --> 00:08:02.160 both from. We settled in Coloma because of the 00:08:02.160 --> 00:08:04.839 job at the college. This community, the town, 00:08:04.879 --> 00:08:06.819 and the area is just a great place to live and 00:08:06.819 --> 00:08:09.420 raise a family, and it's full of a rich history 00:08:09.420 --> 00:08:12.660 which has always fascinated me. Our two kids 00:08:12.660 --> 00:08:14.959 are now grown and moved away, but often come 00:08:14.959 --> 00:08:16.959 back and visit when their work schedule allow. 00:08:17.769 --> 00:08:20.350 My wife is well connected in the local co -op 00:08:20.350 --> 00:08:22.550 and farmer's market, which have basically become 00:08:22.550 --> 00:08:25.089 a full -time job for her now. I've done a lot 00:08:25.089 --> 00:08:27.350 of study on the history of this area. I've written 00:08:27.350 --> 00:08:29.569 several books about the people, locations, and 00:08:29.569 --> 00:08:31.290 the events that have helped shape this place, 00:08:31.389 --> 00:08:35.289 with a special focus on the midnight 1800s, the 00:08:35.289 --> 00:08:37.649 time before, during, and after the famous gold 00:08:37.649 --> 00:08:40.309 rush. I know a lot about the town, its lore, 00:08:40.450 --> 00:08:43.169 its secrets, and some of its mysteries. Some 00:08:43.169 --> 00:08:46.850 are true, and some seem just to be legends. Sometimes 00:08:46.850 --> 00:08:49.210 it's hard to separate truth from fiction, I guess. 00:08:50.110 --> 00:08:52.570 I'm adventurous, knowledgeable, and somewhat 00:08:52.570 --> 00:08:55.710 of a pessimist. However, I try to keep that latter 00:08:55.710 --> 00:08:57.830 attribute hidden from my students at the college. 00:08:58.129 --> 00:09:00.730 I've been to most of the historical locations 00:09:00.730 --> 00:09:02.590 throughout the county, exploring and looking 00:09:02.590 --> 00:09:05.629 for relics and artifacts, not only from the gold 00:09:05.629 --> 00:09:07.590 rush days, but also from the Native American 00:09:07.590 --> 00:09:10.850 cultures that resided here as well. I'm always 00:09:10.850 --> 00:09:14.049 up for an adventure. Part 1, The Disappearance. 00:09:14.490 --> 00:09:16.850 It's early June in Coloma and this small town 00:09:16.850 --> 00:09:19.610 is bustling with activity and excitement. The 00:09:19.610 --> 00:09:22.169 annual Gold Rush Festival just began and the 00:09:22.169 --> 00:09:25.149 college spring semester ended, which ushers in 00:09:25.149 --> 00:09:27.789 almost three months of peak tourist season. El 00:09:27.789 --> 00:09:30.230 Dorado College, situated near Coloma's downtown 00:09:30.230 --> 00:09:32.970 district, has an undergraduate student population 00:09:32.970 --> 00:09:35.899 of about 4 ,000 students. Some of these students 00:09:35.899 --> 00:09:38.159 return home for the summer. However, many of 00:09:38.159 --> 00:09:40.279 them stick around town. The town's population 00:09:40.279 --> 00:09:42.700 swells during the summer months, which is great 00:09:42.700 --> 00:09:44.940 for both the local businesses and for all the 00:09:44.940 --> 00:09:47.320 broke college kids looking to make some extra 00:09:47.320 --> 00:09:49.840 money. And if you're a tourist, it's really hard 00:09:49.840 --> 00:09:52.940 to find last -minute vacancies at hotels, Airbnbs, 00:09:52.940 --> 00:09:55.799 and even campsites. It's always advisable to 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:58.480 book well in advance. There is one main street 00:09:58.480 --> 00:10:00.720 running down the center of town. It's a popular 00:10:00.720 --> 00:10:03.220 street lined with historical buildings, charm, 00:10:03.340 --> 00:10:05.320 and some of the best food and activities in the 00:10:05.320 --> 00:10:08.419 county. Ethan's Cafe, a well -known local hangout 00:10:08.419 --> 00:10:11.159 spot, is known for its amazing pastrami sandwich 00:10:11.159 --> 00:10:13.419 and root beer floats. Although they don't start 00:10:13.419 --> 00:10:16.259 serving those until 11 a .m. each day. But before 00:10:16.259 --> 00:10:18.860 11, they have an amazing assortment of coffees 00:10:18.860 --> 00:10:21.669 and pastries. Ethan's, as the locals call it 00:10:21.669 --> 00:10:24.149 now, sits on one of the busiest corners on Main 00:10:24.149 --> 00:10:27.269 Street opposite the bank and post office. Sierra 00:10:27.269 --> 00:10:30.590 loves the summertime crowds in the cafe. She 00:10:30.590 --> 00:10:32.970 gets to meet so many interesting people from 00:10:32.970 --> 00:10:35.549 all over the world, especially this time of the 00:10:35.549 --> 00:10:38.250 year during the two -week -long Gold Rush Festival. 00:10:38.610 --> 00:10:41.450 Not to mention, she gets to work a lot of extra 00:10:41.450 --> 00:10:44.570 hours. She needs the extra money because she's 00:10:44.570 --> 00:10:47.450 been wanting to trade in her old car for something 00:10:47.450 --> 00:10:50.679 newer and more reliable. She barely made it through 00:10:50.679 --> 00:10:53.320 this last winter season with the old piece of 00:10:53.320 --> 00:10:56.019 junk she still drives around. It's the second 00:10:56.019 --> 00:10:58.700 full day of the Gold Rush Festival in Coloma, 00:10:58.820 --> 00:11:01.759 and Sierra is working a long day shift which 00:11:01.759 --> 00:11:04.899 started at 6 o 'clock a .m. It's mid -morning, 00:11:04.919 --> 00:11:07.600 and she just came off her first break. Sierra 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:10.379 notices Lily coming into the shop and gives her 00:11:10.379 --> 00:11:13.139 a quick smile. Sierra knows Lily quite well, 00:11:13.220 --> 00:11:15.620 along with Lily's study group from this past 00:11:15.620 --> 00:11:18.480 semester. Lily and her college friends would 00:11:18.480 --> 00:11:21.600 come into the cafe quite regularly to study and 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:24.720 hang out. Lily orders her usual and looks around 00:11:24.720 --> 00:11:27.659 to find a seat. The cafe is quite full already, 00:11:27.820 --> 00:11:30.460 so Lily tells Sierra that she is going to stand 00:11:30.460 --> 00:11:32.840 by the door and wait for a table to clear before 00:11:32.840 --> 00:11:35.539 she sits down. Sierra asks, you're not going 00:11:35.539 --> 00:11:38.779 to sit up at the bar? Lily explains to Sierra 00:11:38.779 --> 00:11:40.860 that she's meeting someone in a few minutes, 00:11:41.039 --> 00:11:43.899 so she'd like to sit close to the door. After 00:11:43.899 --> 00:11:46.259 all, she doesn't want to miss Chen when he walks 00:11:46.259 --> 00:11:49.100 in. Eva is already about 30 minutes into her 00:11:49.100 --> 00:11:51.399 first article of a series that she's writing 00:11:51.399 --> 00:11:53.460 for The Beat. She too is in the cafe and just 00:11:53.460 --> 00:11:56.139 finished her second cup of coffee. The article 00:11:56.139 --> 00:11:57.980 that she's researching and writing are focused 00:11:57.980 --> 00:12:00.539 on the Gold Rush Festival, but she wants to add 00:12:00.539 --> 00:12:03.009 a slight... twist. The Bee's editor wanted Ava 00:12:03.009 --> 00:12:05.029 to get out of the newsroom and work on a series 00:12:05.029 --> 00:12:06.929 of summer articles that The Bee could publish 00:12:06.929 --> 00:12:08.730 over the course of the next few months. The Bee 00:12:08.730 --> 00:12:11.350 has been losing some of its readership over the 00:12:11.350 --> 00:12:13.730 last few years, partly due to the hot political 00:12:13.730 --> 00:12:15.570 climate that exists in the country right now. 00:12:15.629 --> 00:12:18.110 So the editors wanted to get back to some of 00:12:18.110 --> 00:12:20.210 the paper's original roots of focused stories 00:12:20.210 --> 00:12:23.070 about local and regional topics. Ava notices 00:12:23.070 --> 00:12:25.690 Lily standing up close to her table that is situated 00:12:25.690 --> 00:12:27.809 by one of the front windows and close to the 00:12:27.809 --> 00:12:29.940 front door. Since Ava is sitting at the table 00:12:29.940 --> 00:12:32.340 with two chairs, she offers the open chair to 00:12:32.340 --> 00:12:35.379 Lily. You can sit here if you'd like, Ava tells 00:12:35.379 --> 00:12:37.360 Lily, and then points to the empty chair at her 00:12:37.360 --> 00:12:40.159 table. Oh, thank you so much, but I'm actually 00:12:40.159 --> 00:12:43.379 waiting for someone, Lily responds. Lily's body 00:12:43.379 --> 00:12:45.639 language gives off the vibes of being anxious 00:12:45.639 --> 00:12:49.200 and worried. Lily notices Sierra walking toward 00:12:49.200 --> 00:12:52.419 her with her order, an Americano and a fresh 00:12:52.419 --> 00:12:55.700 baked scone. It's too early for lunch yet, and 00:12:55.700 --> 00:12:58.399 it's a little past ten in the morning. Sierra 00:12:58.399 --> 00:13:01.340 also makes eye contact with Ava, who's sitting 00:13:01.340 --> 00:13:03.840 right next to where Lily is standing and says 00:13:03.840 --> 00:13:06.840 a quick hello. Ava says to Sierra, you can put 00:13:06.840 --> 00:13:08.659 that on my table while she waits for another 00:13:08.659 --> 00:13:11.480 table. There's plenty of space. Sierra responds, 00:13:11.899 --> 00:13:14.419 I saw you in here yesterday, but I was too busy 00:13:14.419 --> 00:13:18.179 to chat. Are you here working or are you on vacation 00:13:18.179 --> 00:13:23.299 or both? Kind of both, Ava says. Oh, by the way, 00:13:23.340 --> 00:13:26.100 this is Lily, she says this as she nods towards 00:13:26.100 --> 00:13:28.720 Lily. She's here studying in the science department 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:32.100 at the college. Hi, I'm Ava. Sierra and I go 00:13:32.100 --> 00:13:34.700 way back. We grew up together in Coloma. It's 00:13:34.700 --> 00:13:36.799 nice to meet you, Lily. And if you don't mind 00:13:36.799 --> 00:13:39.139 me asking, where are you originally from? Ava 00:13:39.139 --> 00:13:42.080 asks Lily. Lily responds, I was born and raised 00:13:42.080 --> 00:13:44.639 in Beijing, China, and I'm here on a science 00:13:44.639 --> 00:13:47.299 scholarship. I just finished my third year and 00:13:47.299 --> 00:13:49.899 I have one more left before I graduate. Come 00:13:49.899 --> 00:13:51.690 on, you can sit here while you wait. It's no 00:13:51.690 --> 00:13:54.110 problem at all. And I need to take a break from 00:13:54.110 --> 00:13:56.169 looking at my laptop screen anyway, Ava says. 00:13:56.529 --> 00:13:58.990 I'd take a break with you too if I haven't just 00:13:58.990 --> 00:14:02.009 gotten off my morning break, Sierra says as she 00:14:02.009 --> 00:14:04.429 glances back at Ethan scrambling around behind 00:14:04.429 --> 00:14:07.490 the counter, helping get customer orders ready. 00:14:07.769 --> 00:14:10.590 Ava continues to notice that Lily is quite anxious 00:14:10.590 --> 00:14:13.529 and nervous, so she asks, Is everything okay? 00:14:13.669 --> 00:14:15.490 Are you worried about something? Lily answers 00:14:15.490 --> 00:14:18.169 as she sits down in the empty chair across from 00:14:18.169 --> 00:14:21.370 Ava. I was supposed to meet someone here about 00:14:21.370 --> 00:14:24.049 30 minutes ago, but they still haven't shown 00:14:24.049 --> 00:14:26.950 up, and they are the type of people who's never 00:14:26.950 --> 00:14:29.750 late. Well, you can sit here for as long as you 00:14:29.750 --> 00:14:33.809 want, Ava tells Lily. Sierra chimes in. As much 00:14:33.809 --> 00:14:36.549 as I like to be part of this conversation, I'm 00:14:36.549 --> 00:14:39.210 getting the get over here and help me look from 00:14:39.210 --> 00:14:42.919 Ethan, so I better get back to work. All of a 00:14:42.919 --> 00:14:45.659 sudden, Lily just starts explaining to Ava what 00:14:45.659 --> 00:14:48.240 happened and what this meetup with this another 00:14:48.240 --> 00:14:52.000 person was all about. Lily explains, I received 00:14:52.000 --> 00:14:55.019 a text message last evening from an acquaintance 00:14:55.019 --> 00:14:58.639 of mine, someone I don't know very well, and 00:14:58.639 --> 00:15:01.120 it seemed urgent and didn't make a lot of sense. 00:15:01.419 --> 00:15:04.659 Lily shows Ava the text message. Ava noticed 00:15:04.659 --> 00:15:07.840 that the name of the person who sent it was Chen. 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:10.730 The message reads, I know we don't know each 00:15:10.730 --> 00:15:12.710 other very well, but it's important that we meet 00:15:12.710 --> 00:15:15.649 tomorrow morning in person if possible. It's 00:15:15.649 --> 00:15:17.269 quite urgent and there's something I need to 00:15:17.269 --> 00:15:20.649 give you for safekeeping. Ava notices that Lily 00:15:20.649 --> 00:15:23.289 responded and said, okay, we could meet somewhere 00:15:23.289 --> 00:15:26.710 public like Ethan's Cafe at 10 a .m. Chen replied 00:15:26.710 --> 00:15:31.090 and read, yes, see you then, thanks. Sierra lingered 00:15:31.090 --> 00:15:33.370 around just enough time to hear most of that 00:15:33.370 --> 00:15:35.830 conversation before she went back behind the 00:15:35.830 --> 00:15:38.649 counter and started taking more customer orders. 00:15:44.559 --> 00:15:48.500 Part 2. Uncovering Secrets You pick out where 00:15:48.500 --> 00:15:51.679 we left off to Ethan's cafe. By now, it's closer 00:15:51.679 --> 00:15:54.039 to noon hour and Ava and Lily have been talking 00:15:54.039 --> 00:15:55.919 together about life and other things for the 00:15:55.919 --> 00:15:58.840 better part of an hour or so. Occasionally, Sierra 00:15:58.840 --> 00:16:00.980 would pop over to their table in the cafe to 00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:03.580 chime in when time allowed her to. Mainly between 00:16:03.580 --> 00:16:06.159 taking orders, delivering orders, and cleaning 00:16:06.159 --> 00:16:09.070 tables for other customers at the cafe. Lily 00:16:09.070 --> 00:16:11.110 seemed to have forgotten about the text messages 00:16:11.110 --> 00:16:13.629 and was talking about forensic science in college 00:16:13.629 --> 00:16:16.169 with Ava, saying that forensic science was very 00:16:16.169 --> 00:16:18.110 challenging and required an in -depth understanding 00:16:18.110 --> 00:16:20.830 of scientific principles and techniques. She 00:16:20.830 --> 00:16:22.490 also told Ava that she wasn't getting enough 00:16:22.490 --> 00:16:25.230 sleep due to the amount of homework. However, 00:16:25.470 --> 00:16:28.210 there was something about that text message that 00:16:28.210 --> 00:16:31.110 just didn't sit well with Ava. Maybe it was just 00:16:31.110 --> 00:16:33.610 her curiosity or maybe it was her investigative 00:16:33.610 --> 00:16:36.889 nature that kept it on top of mind. Either way. 00:16:37.360 --> 00:16:40.120 Ava wanted to bring it up again with Lily. Can 00:16:40.120 --> 00:16:42.279 I see that text message again? Ava asked Lily. 00:16:43.019 --> 00:16:45.799 Sure, Lily replied. Lily passed her phone to 00:16:45.799 --> 00:16:49.639 Ava just as Sierra was talking back in. Are you 00:16:49.639 --> 00:16:51.759 guys still trying to figure out what that message 00:16:51.759 --> 00:16:55.340 means? Sierra said as she walked by. Ava reads 00:16:55.340 --> 00:16:58.259 it again to herself. I know we don't know each 00:16:58.259 --> 00:17:00.320 other very well, but it's very important that 00:17:00.320 --> 00:17:02.620 we meet tomorrow morning in person if possible. 00:17:02.679 --> 00:17:04.480 It's quite urgent and there's something I need 00:17:04.480 --> 00:17:07.359 to give you for safekeeping. Ava thinks to herself 00:17:07.359 --> 00:17:09.980 again, this is a message from a person named 00:17:09.980 --> 00:17:13.380 Chen, probably a guy, and Lily didn't know him 00:17:13.380 --> 00:17:16.180 very well. Ava looks up at Lily and asks, who's 00:17:16.180 --> 00:17:18.599 Chen? Before Lily could respond to Ava's question, 00:17:18.799 --> 00:17:21.680 Ava says, I think we need to find who Chen is 00:17:21.680 --> 00:17:23.720 first, and then maybe you'll be able to solve 00:17:23.720 --> 00:17:25.599 your little mystery of why he stood you up this 00:17:25.599 --> 00:17:28.960 morning. Lily responds, I met him only a couple 00:17:28.960 --> 00:17:31.119 of times over in the science department labs 00:17:31.119 --> 00:17:34.960 during the first semester this year. We did not 00:17:34.960 --> 00:17:37.799 talk much, but I do know that he is also from 00:17:37.799 --> 00:17:41.900 China. He is or was working as an assistant to 00:17:41.900 --> 00:17:44.619 one of the professors at the college, and he 00:17:44.619 --> 00:17:47.680 graduated several years ago. We exchanged contact 00:17:47.680 --> 00:17:50.119 information and briefly talked about where we 00:17:50.119 --> 00:17:52.940 were from in China. Besides that little bit, 00:17:53.140 --> 00:17:56.019 we really did not interact with each other or 00:17:56.019 --> 00:17:58.759 in the same circle of friends. At this point 00:17:58.759 --> 00:18:01.019 in the conversation, Sierra is standing right 00:18:01.019 --> 00:18:03.900 over Ava and Lily's table, looking down at them 00:18:03.900 --> 00:18:07.420 with a half smile. I have an idea for a fun lunch 00:18:07.420 --> 00:18:10.460 break activity. Since Ethan's making me work 00:18:10.460 --> 00:18:13.380 a longer shift today, he's allowing me to take 00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:16.059 a 90 -minute lunch break, which starts in five 00:18:16.059 --> 00:18:19.180 minutes. Anyway, why don't we go over to the 00:18:19.180 --> 00:18:21.579 science lab and see if Professor Sharpton is 00:18:21.579 --> 00:18:24.099 still in and just ask him if he's seen Chen around. 00:18:24.769 --> 00:18:27.569 Professor Sharpton won't mind if we show up and 00:18:27.569 --> 00:18:30.470 ask him, especially if I bring him a pastrami 00:18:30.470 --> 00:18:34.029 sandwich. He comes in here two to three times 00:18:34.029 --> 00:18:37.109 a week for lunch and has his own tab. I guess 00:18:37.109 --> 00:18:39.390 Ethan and him have an agreement or something. 00:18:39.930 --> 00:18:43.009 Actually, many of the professors from the college 00:18:43.009 --> 00:18:45.750 have that agreement with Ethan. No wonder why 00:18:45.750 --> 00:18:48.630 they all love this place. Lily, how about it? 00:18:48.650 --> 00:18:51.490 Sierra asks Lily. Sure, are both of you going 00:18:51.490 --> 00:18:54.509 to come with me? Lily asks Ava and Sierra. Ava 00:18:54.509 --> 00:18:56.630 responds, yeah, I need to stretch my legs anyway. 00:18:56.769 --> 00:18:58.849 I've been sitting here all morning working on 00:18:58.849 --> 00:19:01.049 this story for the B, and it's not really going 00:19:01.049 --> 00:19:03.150 anywhere right now. So yeah, let's go. I can 00:19:03.150 --> 00:19:05.650 drive. My car is parked right out in front already. 00:19:06.009 --> 00:19:08.930 Sierra watches as the clock turns to noon and 00:19:08.930 --> 00:19:11.569 then informs Ethan that she'll be back around 00:19:11.569 --> 00:19:15.450 1 .30pm after her long lunch break is over. Sierra 00:19:15.450 --> 00:19:18.289 appreciated that Ethan was totally fine with 00:19:18.289 --> 00:19:20.630 her taking her long break over the peak lunch 00:19:20.630 --> 00:19:24.089 time of the cafe. Ethan always schedules more 00:19:24.089 --> 00:19:27.109 staff to work during the summer season. Sierra's 00:19:27.109 --> 00:19:29.589 position would be covered by two other part -time 00:19:29.589 --> 00:19:32.309 staff who just clocked in. Ethan was happy if 00:19:32.309 --> 00:19:34.859 his customers and employees were happy. He did 00:19:34.859 --> 00:19:36.859 as much as he could to make sure that his VIP 00:19:36.859 --> 00:19:39.940 employees were well taken care of. Sarah, being 00:19:39.940 --> 00:19:43.039 one of those VIP employees, he didn't know that 00:19:43.039 --> 00:19:45.380 she often did the work of two people, which meant 00:19:45.380 --> 00:19:47.640 she was saving him money every shift she worked. 00:19:48.079 --> 00:19:51.339 And the customers loved her. It would be a sad 00:19:51.339 --> 00:19:53.619 day when she moves on from the cafe to a different 00:19:53.619 --> 00:19:56.660 job. He knew she was wanting to start her teaching 00:19:56.660 --> 00:19:58.779 career and figured that she would probably be 00:19:58.779 --> 00:20:01.890 leaving this job after the summer was over. Before 00:20:01.890 --> 00:20:04.470 Sierra was able to leave the cafe, Ethan had 00:20:04.470 --> 00:20:06.789 a quick question in her favor to ask her. You 00:20:06.789 --> 00:20:09.730 see, Ethan still had Silicon Valley blood flowing 00:20:09.730 --> 00:20:12.470 through his veins and was always working on side 00:20:12.470 --> 00:20:14.890 technology projects. Ethan hands Sierra what 00:20:14.890 --> 00:20:17.650 looks like a small paperclip. He asks, I'm working 00:20:17.650 --> 00:20:19.670 on the small tracking device system and I finished 00:20:19.670 --> 00:20:21.970 the small transmitter part last night late, but 00:20:21.970 --> 00:20:23.750 I haven't been able to test it out yet today. 00:20:24.390 --> 00:20:26.650 Anyway, could you put it in your pocket and take 00:20:26.650 --> 00:20:29.700 with you? I want to check it and see if the tracking 00:20:29.700 --> 00:20:31.960 software I wrote last week will work with this 00:20:31.960 --> 00:20:34.539 small transmitter I built. Basically, I need 00:20:34.539 --> 00:20:37.180 you to give it a field test for me. That's all. 00:20:37.579 --> 00:20:40.180 Sierra was half listening to Ethan's explanation, 00:20:40.500 --> 00:20:43.099 took the small paper clip and put it in her pocket 00:20:43.099 --> 00:20:46.380 and said, Sure, no problem, Ethan. Thank you, 00:20:46.440 --> 00:20:49.279 Ethan said as the three ladies left the cafe. 00:20:50.539 --> 00:20:52.900 A few minutes later, Ava found herself parking 00:20:52.900 --> 00:20:55.059 the car in front of the four -story science building 00:20:55.059 --> 00:20:58.380 at the college. Lily, Sierra, and Ava enter the 00:20:58.380 --> 00:21:00.400 building and make their way to the front reception 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:03.500 desk area and notice that no one is around. Makes 00:21:03.500 --> 00:21:05.720 sense, since the semester is pretty much done. 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:08.279 They decide to go check out the labs and see 00:21:08.279 --> 00:21:10.240 if anyone there is working. They walk over to 00:21:10.240 --> 00:21:12.900 the lab elevator, which is secured by keycard 00:21:12.900 --> 00:21:15.740 entry only. Lily's student ID allows her to gain 00:21:15.740 --> 00:21:18.660 access to the basement lab area, which consists 00:21:18.660 --> 00:21:21.480 of many different lab rooms, which are also secured 00:21:21.480 --> 00:21:24.720 by keycard entry only. The labs are in the basement 00:21:24.720 --> 00:21:27.279 of the building, which helps keep the different 00:21:27.279 --> 00:21:29.759 experiments, equipment, and chemicals away from 00:21:29.759 --> 00:21:32.019 the upper floor offices and classrooms. Lily 00:21:32.019 --> 00:21:34.900 notices that only one of the lab rooms is open, 00:21:35.019 --> 00:21:37.920 and that Professor Shepton is in there helping 00:21:37.920 --> 00:21:40.579 supervise several students who had begun working 00:21:40.579 --> 00:21:44.019 on their summer projects. However, Lily didn't 00:21:44.019 --> 00:21:46.740 recognize any of the students' interns. They 00:21:46.740 --> 00:21:49.859 looked to be an upperclassman or post -graduates. 00:21:50.180 --> 00:21:52.900 Either way, Lily didn't think much about it. 00:21:53.160 --> 00:21:55.759 nor did she mention it to Ava or Ciara at that 00:21:55.759 --> 00:21:58.730 time. After having a brief conversation with 00:21:58.730 --> 00:22:01.650 Professor Sharpton, the trial found out from 00:22:01.650 --> 00:22:04.869 Professor Sharpton that Chen actually works as 00:22:04.869 --> 00:22:07.470 an assistant to Professor James Harthorne in 00:22:07.470 --> 00:22:09.630 the history department, which is one building 00:22:09.630 --> 00:22:12.529 over. Professor Sharpton also revealed that even 00:22:12.529 --> 00:22:15.390 though Chen doesn't technically work as an assistant 00:22:15.390 --> 00:22:17.829 to any of the professors in the science department, 00:22:18.230 --> 00:22:21.130 Chen still had the freedom to use the labs when 00:22:21.130 --> 00:22:23.950 projects overlap between the two different departments, 00:22:24.309 --> 00:22:27.400 which they do a lot. The trio also noticed that 00:22:27.400 --> 00:22:30.279 Chen's name was on one of the lockers in the 00:22:30.279 --> 00:22:33.079 hallway outside the lab room. As the trio was 00:22:33.079 --> 00:22:35.299 leaving the science building, Sierra notices 00:22:35.299 --> 00:22:38.799 that Ava has a big smile on her face. What's 00:22:38.799 --> 00:22:42.539 with the big smile, Ava? Sierra asks. Ava quickly 00:22:42.539 --> 00:22:44.940 responds, I love doing this kind of stuff, you 00:22:44.940 --> 00:22:47.400 know, trying to solve a quote -unquote mystery. 00:22:47.700 --> 00:22:50.200 Besides, this is so much more interesting than 00:22:50.200 --> 00:22:52.220 my half -written article I was working on back 00:22:52.220 --> 00:22:55.450 at the cafe. Lily asks, Do you have time to go 00:22:55.450 --> 00:22:58.009 with me to the history building? We can just 00:22:58.009 --> 00:23:00.170 walk there from here since it's close. I'm a 00:23:00.170 --> 00:23:02.710 bit nervous since I don't really know anyone 00:23:02.710 --> 00:23:05.930 from that department. Sure, Ava replies. No problem. 00:23:05.990 --> 00:23:08.630 I have like an hour before I have to go back 00:23:08.630 --> 00:23:10.930 to work, Sierra says. The three walk over to 00:23:10.930 --> 00:23:12.849 the history building and enter through the front. 00:23:12.910 --> 00:23:15.329 They should search the main floor directory and 00:23:15.329 --> 00:23:17.789 find that Professor James' office is on the third 00:23:17.789 --> 00:23:19.890 floor. They walk to the elevator and push the 00:23:19.890 --> 00:23:22.069 up button and wait. The elevator dings and the 00:23:22.069 --> 00:23:24.119 door opens. There stands Professor James. Professor 00:23:24.119 --> 00:23:29.059 Hawthorne looks up as the doors are opening and 00:23:29.059 --> 00:23:31.779 there stands three people, two of them he somewhat 00:23:31.779 --> 00:23:34.920 recognizes, Lily and Sierra, having been former 00:23:34.920 --> 00:23:37.539 students of his from a previous year. But he 00:23:37.539 --> 00:23:40.059 didn't recognize Ava, but he could tell that 00:23:40.059 --> 00:23:42.619 they were all together. May I help you? Prof. 00:23:42.759 --> 00:23:45.299 Hawthorne asked. These weeks suffered since she 00:23:45.299 --> 00:23:48.660 could tell he recognized her. She had taken one 00:23:48.660 --> 00:23:51.140 of his archaeology classes the previous year. 00:23:51.579 --> 00:23:53.700 and really enjoyed the way the class connected 00:23:53.700 --> 00:23:56.480 well with some of her forensic science classes. 00:23:56.759 --> 00:24:00.039 Lady spoke up and said, Professor Sharpton said 00:24:00.039 --> 00:24:02.539 that you have an assistant working for you by 00:24:02.539 --> 00:24:05.359 the name of Chen. If he's here, could we talk 00:24:05.359 --> 00:24:08.619 with him? We tried to text him and call him, 00:24:08.700 --> 00:24:11.539 but I didn't get any replies. Hmm, funny you 00:24:11.539 --> 00:24:14.079 asked, said Prof Hawthorne. He's supposed to 00:24:14.079 --> 00:24:16.299 be here today, but he never showed up this morning, 00:24:16.420 --> 00:24:19.140 which is not like him. If you know Chen, you 00:24:19.140 --> 00:24:21.680 know he's very punctual and responsible. the 00:24:21.680 --> 00:24:24.319 reason why so many of his professors wanted him 00:24:24.319 --> 00:24:27.140 as their research assistant this year. So I was 00:24:27.140 --> 00:24:29.579 pretty lucky to get him. I tried calling him 00:24:29.579 --> 00:24:32.019 earlier today as well and did not get a reply, 00:24:32.240 --> 00:24:34.980 which is not like him either. He's pretty good 00:24:34.980 --> 00:24:37.000 about returning calls, especially when it's related 00:24:37.000 --> 00:24:39.259 to his responsibilities here in this department. 00:24:39.460 --> 00:24:41.700 However, before he left work yesterday, I do 00:24:41.700 --> 00:24:44.140 recall him telling me that he was going to come 00:24:44.140 --> 00:24:46.319 back later in the evening. He said he'd come 00:24:46.319 --> 00:24:49.670 back around 8 p .m., I think. He wanted to use 00:24:49.670 --> 00:24:51.829 one of the science labs in the other buildings 00:24:51.829 --> 00:24:55.190 for about an hour or so. 3D steps forward and 00:24:55.190 --> 00:24:57.809 shows Professor Hawthorne the text message she 00:24:57.809 --> 00:25:00.910 received on Chen last evening. She had received 00:25:00.910 --> 00:25:04.910 the message around 9 .15pm. Professor Hawthorne 00:25:04.910 --> 00:25:06.930 pulls out his phone and tries to call Chen again. 00:25:07.170 --> 00:25:09.690 It rings for a while and goes into voicemail. 00:25:09.890 --> 00:25:12.509 Chen, Prof. Hawthorne here. If you get this message, 00:25:12.609 --> 00:25:15.319 call me back when you get a chance. Thanks. Professor 00:25:15.319 --> 00:25:17.559 Hawthorne knew that Chen was working on something 00:25:17.559 --> 00:25:20.079 special in the lab, something Chen had even talked 00:25:20.079 --> 00:25:22.539 to him about recently. He also knew that Professor 00:25:22.539 --> 00:25:25.400 Sharpton, the science department chair, had approved 00:25:25.400 --> 00:25:28.160 Chen's side project, so long as it did not interrupt 00:25:28.160 --> 00:25:30.299 Chen's other responsibilities at work. Professor 00:25:30.299 --> 00:25:32.839 Hawthorne asked Lily, So you don't know what 00:25:32.839 --> 00:25:35.700 Chen was going to give you for safekeeping? No, 00:25:35.700 --> 00:25:38.220 and I'm not sure why either, Lily responded. 00:25:38.859 --> 00:25:41.619 Meanwhile, Ava is taking notes on her phone as 00:25:41.619 --> 00:25:44.119 the conversation continues between Professor 00:25:44.119 --> 00:25:47.019 Hawthorne and Lily. Ava is thinking to herself 00:25:47.019 --> 00:25:50.680 quietly about the series of articles she's needing 00:25:50.680 --> 00:25:53.420 to write this summer for the beat, and is again 00:25:53.420 --> 00:25:56.000 quietly hoping this situation could turn into 00:25:56.000 --> 00:25:59.500 maybe a larger story. Sierra chimes in and says, 00:25:59.700 --> 00:26:02.519 Hey guys, I got to get back to work soon. You 00:26:02.519 --> 00:26:04.660 can stay and chat if you want, but I have to 00:26:04.660 --> 00:26:07.240 head back. I'm sure Ethan is swamped and needs 00:26:07.240 --> 00:26:10.880 me back at the cafe. Lily and Ava decide to head 00:26:10.880 --> 00:26:13.500 back to the cafe with Sierra as the conversation 00:26:13.500 --> 00:26:16.440 with Professor James Hawthorne was ending anyway. 00:26:16.900 --> 00:26:19.359 As the trio were leaving, Professor Hawthorne 00:26:19.359 --> 00:26:21.559 said, I was going to head over to Ethan's to 00:26:21.559 --> 00:26:23.559 grab a bite to eat, so maybe I'll see you over 00:26:23.559 --> 00:26:26.380 there. As the trio left, Professor Hawthorne 00:26:26.380 --> 00:26:29.380 heads back up to his office. The entire conversation 00:26:29.380 --> 00:26:32.119 about Chen sparked a memory of an interaction 00:26:32.119 --> 00:26:35.690 he had with Chen the week before. He hadn't thought 00:26:35.690 --> 00:26:38.230 much about it until now, especially after seeing 00:26:38.230 --> 00:26:41.349 the text message Chen had sent to Lily. Now back 00:26:41.349 --> 00:26:43.690 in his office, Professor Hawthorne grabs an old 00:26:43.690 --> 00:26:46.329 book from his shelf, opens it up to one of the 00:26:46.329 --> 00:26:48.910 inner pages, which was hiding a folded up piece 00:26:48.910 --> 00:26:51.109 of paper Chen had given him the week before. 00:26:51.910 --> 00:26:54.430 Professor Hawthorne would often hide papers and 00:26:54.430 --> 00:26:57.339 notes in his old books. This was done more as 00:26:57.339 --> 00:27:00.119 a habit from his old days doing field work on 00:27:00.119 --> 00:27:02.980 dig sites. As he took notes at dig sites, he 00:27:02.980 --> 00:27:05.279 would slip those notes into a book for safekeeping. 00:27:05.759 --> 00:27:08.019 Let's face it, you can't carry a filing cabinet 00:27:08.019 --> 00:27:10.500 with you into the field, and back in those days, 00:27:10.559 --> 00:27:12.740 they were not taking laptops out to the field 00:27:12.740 --> 00:27:15.160 either. On this piece of paper was written some 00:27:15.160 --> 00:27:17.740 sort of formula, along with several Chinese characters 00:27:17.740 --> 00:27:20.319 that Professor Hawthorne had not been able to 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:22.839 translate yet. He had tried to use his language 00:27:22.839 --> 00:27:25.559 translation app, even looked in some old books, 00:27:25.930 --> 00:27:28.069 but could not find a way to translate the characters. 00:27:28.289 --> 00:27:30.809 Next, he calls Professor Sharpton to inquire 00:27:30.809 --> 00:27:33.869 about Chen. The conversation was short and a 00:27:33.869 --> 00:27:36.809 little awkward. After hanging up, Professor Hawthorne 00:27:36.809 --> 00:27:38.950 noticed that Professor Sharpton seemed a little 00:27:38.950 --> 00:27:41.910 abrupt and not himself on that call. After the 00:27:41.910 --> 00:27:44.369 brief call with Professor Sharpton, and as he 00:27:44.369 --> 00:27:46.450 was getting ready to leave his office, Professor 00:27:46.450 --> 00:27:49.369 Hawthorne knew he had seen those Chinese characters 00:27:49.369 --> 00:27:53.349 somewhere before. Ah, he thought to himself. 00:27:53.920 --> 00:27:56.680 He remembers where he's seen them before, goes 00:27:56.680 --> 00:27:59.700 to the filing cabinets, and retrieves a manila 00:27:59.700 --> 00:28:02.799 folder from the back. Inside of the folder was 00:28:02.799 --> 00:28:06.420 an old manuscript from the 1930s. The manuscript 00:28:06.420 --> 00:28:08.599 had never been published at that time because 00:28:08.599 --> 00:28:12.079 it was deemed not credible. But there were several 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:14.519 things in the manuscript that Hawthorne was still 00:28:14.519 --> 00:28:17.240 curious about, and he's pretty sure some of those 00:28:17.240 --> 00:28:20.250 Chinese characters are in the manuscript. The 00:28:20.250 --> 00:28:22.609 local library had allowed him to borrow the manuscript 00:28:22.609 --> 00:28:24.609 several years ago when he was doing research 00:28:24.609 --> 00:28:27.529 for one of his old books. However, he forgot 00:28:27.529 --> 00:28:29.930 to return it and the library never called him 00:28:29.930 --> 00:28:32.890 about getting it back. So there it sat, in his 00:28:32.890 --> 00:28:41.529 office in the back of a filing cabinet. As Professor 00:28:41.529 --> 00:28:43.730 Hawthorne makes his way over to Ethan's Cafe 00:28:43.730 --> 00:28:46.519 for a late lunch. He's got two things on his 00:28:46.519 --> 00:28:49.200 mind, a delicious pastrami sandwich and the items 00:28:49.200 --> 00:28:52.059 in his briefcase. The folded up note from Chen 00:28:52.059 --> 00:29:02.690 and the old manuscript. Part 3. The Map Sierra, 00:29:02.890 --> 00:29:05.890 Ava, and Lily are back in the cafe. Sierra has 00:29:05.890 --> 00:29:08.490 clocked back in and is busy again behind the 00:29:08.490 --> 00:29:11.329 counter taking customer orders, cleaning tables, 00:29:11.549 --> 00:29:14.430 and doing dishes. She catches Ethan out of the 00:29:14.430 --> 00:29:17.130 corner of her eye, waving her over to his laptop 00:29:17.130 --> 00:29:19.549 that's sitting on one of the counters behind 00:29:19.549 --> 00:29:22.650 the main bar area. Hey, check this out. Ethan 00:29:22.650 --> 00:29:24.690 tells Sierra as he points to his laptop screen 00:29:24.690 --> 00:29:26.630 and shows her a map of the squiggly lines on 00:29:26.630 --> 00:29:29.170 it. Oh, can I have that thing back that I gave 00:29:29.170 --> 00:29:30.910 you before you left for your lunch break? He 00:29:30.910 --> 00:29:34.000 asked. He then goes on and thanks her for testing 00:29:34.000 --> 00:29:36.880 out his newest tech device, a small tracker that 00:29:36.880 --> 00:29:39.400 looks like a paperclip. This small device is 00:29:39.400 --> 00:29:41.700 a medium power, medium range transmitter that 00:29:41.700 --> 00:29:44.440 transmits a simple ping every 30 seconds. Ethan 00:29:44.440 --> 00:29:46.960 kept the power and range just under the US regulations 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:48.740 so that the device would not have to be licensed. 00:29:49.619 --> 00:29:52.059 Basically, Ethan wants to sell the device to 00:29:52.059 --> 00:29:54.279 his old company in the hopes that the stock price 00:29:54.279 --> 00:29:57.019 will increase, which in turn will increase his 00:29:57.019 --> 00:29:59.680 personal nest egg. Plus, it's just a really cool 00:29:59.680 --> 00:30:03.720 device. Sierra looks intrigued and a little skeptical 00:30:03.720 --> 00:30:07.259 as she says, Wow, that's pretty cool. So you 00:30:07.259 --> 00:30:09.779 can basically track anywhere that device goes 00:30:09.779 --> 00:30:13.359 within a certain range? It goes on. Yeah, and 00:30:13.359 --> 00:30:15.960 that other cool thing about it is that its range 00:30:15.960 --> 00:30:18.140 is quite large in comparison to all the other 00:30:18.140 --> 00:30:20.339 products on the market. It's small and powerful. 00:30:20.599 --> 00:30:23.220 I've made several prototypes and I'm just now 00:30:23.220 --> 00:30:25.960 testing them with the software I wrote. The mapping 00:30:25.960 --> 00:30:28.420 software I created then shows the location of 00:30:28.420 --> 00:30:31.500 that device in real time. So that's what you 00:30:31.500 --> 00:30:34.059 are looking at, where you went the last hour 00:30:34.059 --> 00:30:36.539 and a half during your lunch break. It looks 00:30:36.539 --> 00:30:38.200 like you went to the college campus and spent 00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:41.000 some time in two different buildings. Sierra 00:30:41.000 --> 00:30:43.619 is standing there with a straight face. She's 00:30:43.619 --> 00:30:45.779 not really wanting to hear all the technical 00:30:45.779 --> 00:30:49.900 details about the device, nor is she super thrilled. 00:30:50.400 --> 00:30:53.119 that she was unknowingly testing a tracking device 00:30:53.119 --> 00:30:56.480 for one of Ethan's side projects. Don't get her 00:30:56.480 --> 00:30:59.339 wrong. She likes it and thinks it's cool, but 00:30:59.339 --> 00:31:01.299 she's also thinking about all the other tasks 00:31:01.299 --> 00:31:03.619 she has to finish during her shift before she 00:31:03.619 --> 00:31:06.880 can clock out and go home. Meanwhile, Ava and 00:31:06.880 --> 00:31:08.859 Lily are back sitting together again in the cafe. 00:31:09.559 --> 00:31:11.599 Since most of the double tables are occupied 00:31:11.599 --> 00:31:13.599 already, they're sitting up at the bar counter 00:31:13.599 --> 00:31:16.240 opposite, where Ethan and Sierra are having their 00:31:16.240 --> 00:31:19.160 conversation behind the bar. Lily is asking Ava 00:31:19.160 --> 00:31:21.579 a lot of questions about some of Ava's past articles 00:31:21.579 --> 00:31:24.799 she's written for the Bee. Professor Hawthorne 00:31:24.799 --> 00:31:27.039 enters the cafe and heads right to the counter 00:31:27.039 --> 00:31:29.740 to place his order. I'll take my usual, thank 00:31:29.740 --> 00:31:32.380 you, as he tells one of the other cafe employees 00:31:32.380 --> 00:31:36.019 who's working the register. He notices an open 00:31:36.019 --> 00:31:38.200 seat at the bar counter and goes to sit down. 00:31:38.380 --> 00:31:40.640 Right then, he realizes it's next to Ava and 00:31:40.640 --> 00:31:43.700 Lily. Oh, we meet again, he says, as the two 00:31:43.700 --> 00:31:46.200 girls turn around to see who the person is that's 00:31:46.200 --> 00:31:48.569 going to sit next to them. Do you mind if I sit 00:31:48.569 --> 00:31:51.349 here? he asked. I usually sit up at the bar when 00:31:51.349 --> 00:31:53.750 I come in for lunch since I'm typically in a 00:31:53.750 --> 00:31:57.410 hurry and I'm by myself. No problem, Lily replied. 00:31:58.089 --> 00:32:00.930 Ava notices right away that Professor Hawthorne 00:32:00.930 --> 00:32:03.230 had brought his briefcase and had it sitting 00:32:03.230 --> 00:32:06.430 up on the counter where he got situated. She 00:32:06.430 --> 00:32:08.430 watched as he struggled to find a place to set 00:32:08.430 --> 00:32:11.170 the briefcase down. Professor Hawthorne opened 00:32:11.170 --> 00:32:13.369 up the briefcase and pulled out the old manila 00:32:13.369 --> 00:32:15.750 folder and a folded up piece of paper and set 00:32:15.750 --> 00:32:18.289 them on the counter in front of himself. He then 00:32:18.289 --> 00:32:20.549 shut the briefcase and set it down on the floor 00:32:20.549 --> 00:32:23.509 next to his bar stool. Since bar stools stand 00:32:23.509 --> 00:32:26.809 higher than regular table chairs, he had an awkward 00:32:26.809 --> 00:32:29.490 time sitting back up straight after setting the 00:32:29.490 --> 00:32:32.289 briefcase down on the floor. Ava watched all 00:32:32.289 --> 00:32:34.490 this happening and then saw Professor Hawthorne 00:32:34.490 --> 00:32:37.109 accidentally knock the manila folder off the 00:32:37.109 --> 00:32:39.900 counter as he was sitting back up. The folder 00:32:39.900 --> 00:32:42.759 and the old manuscript that was inside fell on 00:32:42.759 --> 00:32:44.980 the opposite side of the counter behind the bar. 00:32:46.140 --> 00:32:48.599 Professor Hawthorne said under his breath, but 00:32:48.599 --> 00:32:51.000 loud enough so Lily and Ava could hear him. Oh 00:32:51.000 --> 00:32:53.279 man, well look at that. I guess you can't take 00:32:53.279 --> 00:32:56.160 me anywhere. Lily quickly offered to help pick 00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:58.779 up the papers that had fallen out of the folder, 00:32:58.839 --> 00:33:01.359 but felt a little timid since they had fallen 00:33:01.359 --> 00:33:04.140 behind the bar. Ava quickly scanned the cafe 00:33:04.140 --> 00:33:06.700 looking for a staff member, of which they were 00:33:06.700 --> 00:33:08.940 all busy doing something else in another part 00:33:08.940 --> 00:33:11.579 of the shop. Ethan had gone to the back room 00:33:11.579 --> 00:33:13.839 to take a phone call a minute earlier, and Sierra 00:33:13.839 --> 00:33:16.440 was busy taking several customer orders up at 00:33:16.440 --> 00:33:19.160 the cash register. Ava quickly reacted and said, 00:33:19.259 --> 00:33:21.160 I'll grab them for you since Sierra won't have 00:33:21.160 --> 00:33:22.859 a problem with me sneaking behind the counter 00:33:22.859 --> 00:33:26.019 for a second. Ava went around the back of the 00:33:26.019 --> 00:33:28.420 bar counter and started picking up all the papers 00:33:28.420 --> 00:33:31.180 that had fallen. She noticed that all the papers 00:33:31.180 --> 00:33:34.000 looked quite old and worn, she thought to herself. 00:33:34.480 --> 00:33:38.140 This looks interesting. I wonder what Professor 00:33:38.140 --> 00:33:41.279 Hawthorne is up to. After she had gathered all 00:33:41.279 --> 00:33:43.480 the papers off the floor, she noticed several 00:33:43.480 --> 00:33:46.099 paper clips sitting on the counter next to the 00:33:46.099 --> 00:33:48.720 laptop. She picked up one of the paper clips 00:33:48.720 --> 00:33:51.119 and attached all the pages together, and then 00:33:51.119 --> 00:33:52.880 walked around the counter and handed the stack 00:33:52.880 --> 00:33:55.160 of paper to Professor Hawthorne. There you go, 00:33:55.240 --> 00:33:58.099 she says. Thank you so much, Professor Hawthorne 00:33:58.099 --> 00:34:00.700 tells Ava. As he's waiting for his lunch, he 00:34:00.700 --> 00:34:03.759 asks Ava and Lily, how do you all know each other? 00:34:04.140 --> 00:34:07.059 Ava responds first. Sierra and I grew up together 00:34:07.059 --> 00:34:08.920 in Coloma, but we went to different colleges. 00:34:09.340 --> 00:34:11.760 I'm back here visiting right now for work. The 00:34:11.760 --> 00:34:13.780 bee has me doing a series of articles on the 00:34:13.780 --> 00:34:16.320 Gold Rush Festival this summer. Oh, I see, says 00:34:16.320 --> 00:34:19.159 Professor Hawthorne. Lily chimes in and says, 00:34:19.360 --> 00:34:22.280 I come to Ethan's a lot, especially during the 00:34:22.280 --> 00:34:24.699 school year. to study and hang out with my friends. 00:34:25.159 --> 00:34:28.219 Sierra was always so kind in allowing us to sit 00:34:28.219 --> 00:34:30.880 at the big table and study. Of course, we needed 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:33.460 to buy drinks or food. Oh, by the way, I really 00:34:33.460 --> 00:34:35.880 enjoyed taking forensic archaeology from you 00:34:35.880 --> 00:34:38.460 last year. It was super helpful to learn about 00:34:38.460 --> 00:34:41.739 how archaeology can assist criminal investigations. 00:34:42.340 --> 00:34:44.880 Professor Hawthorne responds to Lily, Ah, thank 00:34:44.880 --> 00:34:46.880 you. That's actually one of my favorite classes 00:34:46.880 --> 00:34:49.599 to teach because it's practical. more skills 00:34:49.599 --> 00:34:52.320 -based, and less academic than most classes that 00:34:52.320 --> 00:34:55.480 I teach. Professor Hawthorne goes on, Coloma 00:34:55.480 --> 00:34:57.940 is a small town and it's a close -knit community. 00:34:58.179 --> 00:35:00.440 Everybody knows everybody and you got to be okay 00:35:00.440 --> 00:35:03.380 with everybody knowing your business. For sure, 00:35:03.500 --> 00:35:06.059 Ava replies. That's one of the reasons I wanted 00:35:06.059 --> 00:35:08.179 to go to university away from home, actually. 00:35:08.659 --> 00:35:11.360 Well, that and Cal State has a great journalism 00:35:11.360 --> 00:35:14.519 program. By this time, Sierra was done with some 00:35:14.519 --> 00:35:17.440 of the rush orders. Grabbed Professor Hawthorne's 00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:19.800 order and walked back over to where they were 00:35:19.800 --> 00:35:22.300 all sitting up at the bar. She handed Professor 00:35:22.300 --> 00:35:25.500 Hawthorne his sandwich and iced tea and interrupted 00:35:25.500 --> 00:35:28.480 and said, So, have you found out what happened 00:35:28.480 --> 00:35:31.480 to this guy Chen yet? Professor Hawthorne was 00:35:31.480 --> 00:35:33.739 just about to take a big bite out of his sandwich 00:35:33.739 --> 00:35:36.679 when he heard Sierra's question. He put the sandwich 00:35:36.679 --> 00:35:38.860 back down on the plate and pointed to the manuscript 00:35:38.860 --> 00:35:41.159 papers and the note sitting next to his plate 00:35:41.159 --> 00:35:44.210 on the counter. He said, no, but I did bring 00:35:44.210 --> 00:35:47.449 a note Chen left me last week and an old manuscript 00:35:47.449 --> 00:35:50.329 to study over lunch. There may be an interesting 00:35:50.329 --> 00:35:52.829 connection between the two. Li Li was looking 00:35:52.829 --> 00:35:55.710 over toward Professor Hawthorne as he opened 00:35:55.710 --> 00:35:58.449 the folded piece of paper which had what looked 00:35:58.449 --> 00:36:01.130 like some sort of formula, along with several 00:36:01.130 --> 00:36:04.090 Chinese characters scribbled on it. Li Li blurts 00:36:04.090 --> 00:36:07.389 out, Those are Chinese characters. Did Chen write 00:36:07.389 --> 00:36:10.170 these? As Professor Hawthorne begins answering 00:36:10.170 --> 00:36:12.550 her questions, she noticed that the characters 00:36:12.550 --> 00:36:15.610 are not the typical and modern Chinese characters 00:36:15.610 --> 00:36:18.869 she is used to seeing. Professor Hawthorne continues, 00:36:19.269 --> 00:36:21.510 Chen gave me this note as he was leaving work 00:36:21.510 --> 00:36:24.110 on Friday and didn't say much about it. He just 00:36:24.110 --> 00:36:26.530 said that he wanted me to have a copy of something 00:36:26.530 --> 00:36:29.190 that he was working on and if I could just hold 00:36:29.190 --> 00:36:31.690 it for him for the time being. I didn't think 00:36:31.690 --> 00:36:34.170 much about the note at the time. I glanced at 00:36:34.170 --> 00:36:36.329 it briefly, noticed there was some weird formula 00:36:36.329 --> 00:36:38.710 written along with some series of Chinese characters. 00:36:39.010 --> 00:36:41.489 I tried my new image -to -language translation 00:36:41.489 --> 00:36:44.309 app to my phone to see if I could read the characters, 00:36:44.429 --> 00:36:47.590 but no luck. Translation app did not recognize 00:36:47.590 --> 00:36:49.630 the characters, so I folded it up and put it 00:36:49.630 --> 00:36:52.030 in a safe place in case Chen came back for it 00:36:52.030 --> 00:36:54.829 sometime. Ava, who was sitting on the stool between 00:36:54.829 --> 00:36:57.429 Professor Hawthorne and Lily, asked Professor 00:36:57.429 --> 00:36:59.829 Hawthorne if she could take a photo of it. and 00:36:59.829 --> 00:37:01.650 send it to one of her colleagues at the Bee, 00:37:01.769 --> 00:37:04.250 who's an amazing researcher. I'll just send a 00:37:04.250 --> 00:37:06.989 photo of two or three of these characters, but 00:37:06.989 --> 00:37:08.809 not all of them, and I'll see if my buddy Ted 00:37:08.809 --> 00:37:11.090 can do his magic for us. He owes me a favor anyway, 00:37:11.349 --> 00:37:14.730 Ava says. She quickly snaps a photo of the several 00:37:14.730 --> 00:37:17.789 Chinese characters and sends Ted the photos along 00:37:17.789 --> 00:37:20.269 with a short message that reads, What type of 00:37:20.269 --> 00:37:23.690 Chinese characters are these? You know you owe 00:37:23.690 --> 00:37:26.570 me, followed by three smiling face emojis. As 00:37:26.570 --> 00:37:29.110 Ava is taking photos and sending Ted the text, 00:37:29.230 --> 00:37:31.630 Professor Hawthorne takes another bite of his 00:37:31.630 --> 00:37:33.449 sandwich, puts it down on the plate, and then 00:37:33.449 --> 00:37:35.369 starts thumbing through the manuscript papers 00:37:35.369 --> 00:37:37.750 that are paper clipped together. The manuscript 00:37:37.750 --> 00:37:40.949 is about 120 pages in length, makes some interesting 00:37:40.949 --> 00:37:43.929 claims about the gold from this area, and also 00:37:43.929 --> 00:37:46.170 includes detailed illustrations of different 00:37:46.170 --> 00:37:49.130 locations surrounding Sutter's Mill, the surrounding 00:37:49.130 --> 00:37:52.289 mountains, and some back horse trails. Sierra 00:37:52.289 --> 00:37:55.210 glances over towards their direction and notices 00:37:55.210 --> 00:37:57.690 they are all talking and looking very serious. 00:37:57.949 --> 00:38:00.829 She decides to pause for a moment on her way 00:38:00.829 --> 00:38:03.389 out to the cafe's sitting area to clean up a 00:38:03.389 --> 00:38:06.269 few tables. As she walks up to where the three 00:38:06.269 --> 00:38:09.250 are sitting, she asks lightheartedly, Did you 00:38:09.250 --> 00:38:11.829 solve the mystery yet? Ava pipes out, Nope, not 00:38:11.829 --> 00:38:14.730 yet. I'm actually trying to figure out this weird 00:38:14.730 --> 00:38:17.489 clue from Chen's note. These Chinese characters 00:38:17.489 --> 00:38:22.230 I'm not familiar with, Li says. Hmm, interesting, 00:38:22.690 --> 00:38:26.389 Sierra replies. She then says, Chen has nice 00:38:26.389 --> 00:38:28.849 handwriting, though. Right at that moment, and 00:38:28.849 --> 00:38:31.050 as Professor Hawthorne started taking another 00:38:31.050 --> 00:38:34.070 bite of his sandwich, he pauses as he finds what 00:38:34.070 --> 00:38:37.070 he's looking for on the manuscript. There, on 00:38:37.070 --> 00:38:39.929 page 87, are some of the same Chinese characters 00:38:39.929 --> 00:38:42.570 written on the margins. Some of the characters 00:38:42.570 --> 00:38:45.190 look similar to the characters in Chen's note. 00:38:45.639 --> 00:38:47.900 Professor Hawthorne thinks to himself, there's 00:38:47.900 --> 00:38:51.039 no way this can be a coincidence. Eva, who's 00:38:51.039 --> 00:38:53.079 sitting right next to Professor Hawthorne, looks 00:38:53.079 --> 00:38:55.320 down at the manuscript and blurts out and asks, 00:38:55.500 --> 00:38:58.599 Whoa, are those the same characters that are 00:38:58.599 --> 00:39:01.219 on Chen's note? Yes, it appears that way, and 00:39:01.219 --> 00:39:03.860 I have a hard time believing that this is just 00:39:03.860 --> 00:39:07.369 a coincidence, replied Professor Hawthorne. Lydia 00:39:07.369 --> 00:39:10.929 and Sierra are also looking over at page 87 of 00:39:10.929 --> 00:39:13.610 the manuscript that's open on the counter. Lydia 00:39:13.610 --> 00:39:17.369 asks, what's page 87 about? Sierra repeats the 00:39:17.369 --> 00:39:21.449 question. Yeah, what's on page 87? At that moment, 00:39:21.630 --> 00:39:23.449 Ethan comes out of the back room and notices 00:39:23.449 --> 00:39:25.630 the three girls and Professor Hawthorne's all 00:39:25.630 --> 00:39:28.090 staring down at something. He stops and says, 00:39:28.329 --> 00:39:30.690 looks like a serious meeting here. Is your sandwich 00:39:30.690 --> 00:39:33.070 okay, Professor? Yeah, Ethan, it's great, as 00:39:33.070 --> 00:39:35.829 usual. Thank you. Just then, Ava's phone dings 00:39:35.829 --> 00:39:38.369 with a message from Ted. She says, hey guys, 00:39:38.650 --> 00:39:41.309 Ted just texted me back and he thinks those characters 00:39:41.309 --> 00:39:43.190 look like they might be part of an old code, 00:39:43.269 --> 00:39:46.769 but an old code that isn't used anymore. His 00:39:46.769 --> 00:39:48.769 text also said that he found a really old article 00:39:48.769 --> 00:39:51.869 in the Bee's internal online archives that references 00:39:51.869 --> 00:39:54.469 an old Chinese telegraphic codebook that was 00:39:54.469 --> 00:39:57.010 used in the late 1800s for the purpose of encoding 00:39:57.010 --> 00:39:59.469 and translating Chinese characters to Morse code 00:39:59.469 --> 00:40:02.829 used for a telegraph machine. no sooner did ava 00:40:02.829 --> 00:40:05.210 get those words out professor hawthorne stood 00:40:05.210 --> 00:40:08.650 up and said ted's exactly right This manuscript, 00:40:08.829 --> 00:40:11.750 even though it may have some inaccuracies, does 00:40:11.750 --> 00:40:14.530 contain plenty of other helpful information about 00:40:14.530 --> 00:40:17.130 this place, including that many of the workers 00:40:17.130 --> 00:40:19.309 who helped complete the railroad line through 00:40:19.309 --> 00:40:21.690 this country after the gold rush were immigrants 00:40:21.690 --> 00:40:24.469 from mainland China. Professor Hawthorne turns 00:40:24.469 --> 00:40:27.309 to another page in the manuscript, which describes 00:40:27.309 --> 00:40:30.170 the difficulty many of the railroad workers had 00:40:30.170 --> 00:40:33.230 being so far from home, not knowing the local 00:40:33.230 --> 00:40:36.000 language. no way to communicate with other family 00:40:36.000 --> 00:40:46.900 members, and so forth. He goes on, Meanwhile, 00:40:53.280 --> 00:40:55.659 and during this entire conversation, Ethan has 00:40:55.659 --> 00:40:57.400 his back turned to the group and is tapping on 00:40:57.400 --> 00:41:00.079 his keyboard, almost appearing as if he wasn't 00:41:00.079 --> 00:41:02.670 even listening. However, he picks up his laptop 00:41:02.670 --> 00:41:05.110 and turns it around towards the group. As he 00:41:05.110 --> 00:41:07.250 even points to his laptop screen, he says, Look 00:41:07.250 --> 00:41:10.010 what I found online. Here's the entire Chinese 00:41:10.010 --> 00:41:13.369 telegraphic codebook from the late 1800s. Looks 00:41:13.369 --> 00:41:15.530 like it's obsolete. Or at least, that's what 00:41:15.530 --> 00:41:18.349 Wikipedia says now. Well, maybe you could at 00:41:18.349 --> 00:41:20.530 least translate those characters now so Sierra 00:41:20.530 --> 00:41:22.690 can get back to work. He says this with a half 00:41:22.690 --> 00:41:25.449 -grin. The team translates the Chinese characters 00:41:25.449 --> 00:41:28.739 from Chen's note first. It's a grouping of two 00:41:28.739 --> 00:41:32.019 sets of numbers alongside two English letters. 00:41:32.500 --> 00:41:42.139 N, 38, 51, 21, and W, 120, 26, 55. I know exactly 00:41:42.139 --> 00:41:45.239 what these are, said Professor Hawthorne to the 00:41:45.239 --> 00:41:47.900 group. These are coordinates, latitude and longitude, 00:41:48.079 --> 00:41:51.119 degrees, minutes, and seconds. Ethan, can you 00:41:51.119 --> 00:41:53.760 look up these and see where this is, asked Professor 00:41:53.760 --> 00:41:56.139 Hawthorne. Ethan quickly types in the coordinates 00:41:56.139 --> 00:41:59.139 online. The coordinates point to a place named 00:41:59.139 --> 00:42:02.159 Silver Creek by Junction Reservoir off the old 00:42:02.159 --> 00:42:04.800 El Dorado National Forest Road, Ethan replies. 00:42:05.219 --> 00:42:07.960 It's southwest of the larger Union Valley Reservoir. 00:42:08.460 --> 00:42:10.599 Ethan looks up at the others with a half smile. 00:42:10.940 --> 00:42:13.539 So, is this some sort of secret message then? 00:42:13.840 --> 00:42:18.099 Lee responds, So, what do we do now? What about 00:42:18.099 --> 00:42:20.380 the characters from the manuscript? Could you 00:42:20.380 --> 00:42:23.139 look those up as well? Ava asks Ethan. Ethan 00:42:23.139 --> 00:42:25.360 translates the characters from the manuscript. 00:42:26.130 --> 00:42:32.449 N38, 55, 28, and W120, 24, 12. He enters in the 00:42:32.449 --> 00:42:34.929 two sets of coordinates and then says, The other 00:42:34.929 --> 00:42:36.889 set of characters translate to the coordinates 00:42:36.889 --> 00:42:39.449 as well. Those coordinates point to Rob's Peak, 00:42:39.670 --> 00:42:42.929 a 6 ,600 -foot mountain just north of the Union 00:42:42.929 --> 00:42:45.780 Valley Reservoir. Professor Hawthorne pulls out 00:42:45.780 --> 00:42:48.059 his phone again and tries to call Chen. He's 00:42:48.059 --> 00:42:50.159 wondering to himself if there is some connection 00:42:50.159 --> 00:42:52.320 between what the author of the manuscript is 00:42:52.320 --> 00:42:55.079 communicating so many years ago and now to what 00:42:55.079 --> 00:42:58.260 Chen is trying to communicate, or found. Ava 00:42:58.260 --> 00:43:00.960 is taking notes as she secretly hopes this is 00:43:00.960 --> 00:43:03.340 something bigger than just a missing person case. 00:43:03.659 --> 00:43:06.480 Her editor at the B would love it, and maybe 00:43:06.480 --> 00:43:09.099 even give her a promotion. She's cautious not 00:43:09.099 --> 00:43:11.090 to get ahead of herself, though. By the way, 00:43:11.110 --> 00:43:13.670 we aren't even sure if this even is a missing 00:43:13.670 --> 00:43:16.130 person case since Chen hasn't technically been 00:43:16.130 --> 00:43:24.070 missing for 24 hours yet. Sierra is studying 00:43:24.070 --> 00:43:27.070 the code table that Ethan still has open on his 00:43:27.070 --> 00:43:30.550 laptop screen, wondering how and why Chen decided 00:43:30.550 --> 00:43:33.670 to use a coded message, sort of like making a 00:43:33.670 --> 00:43:36.349 map but without using the typical topographical 00:43:36.349 --> 00:43:47.730 symbols. Part 4. Histories and Legends. It was 00:43:47.730 --> 00:43:50.070 late afternoon when the gang began making more 00:43:50.070 --> 00:43:52.610 progress on the situation. Now they're armed 00:43:52.610 --> 00:43:55.969 with a historical manuscript, Chen's note, and 00:43:55.969 --> 00:43:58.250 two different coordinates directing them to two 00:43:58.250 --> 00:44:01.710 different locations, kind of like a map. Professor 00:44:01.710 --> 00:44:04.389 Hawthorne examines the coordinates on the manuscript 00:44:04.389 --> 00:44:12.750 again. N38, 55, 28, and W120, 24, 12. He reads 00:44:12.750 --> 00:44:15.750 out loud, and that's Rob's Peak, a little bit 00:44:15.750 --> 00:44:18.969 north of the Union Valley Reservoir. What about 00:44:18.969 --> 00:44:22.329 it, Professor? Lady asks. I know that area well. 00:44:22.530 --> 00:44:25.010 I've been there several times on past projects. 00:44:25.110 --> 00:44:27.889 It's a fascinating place, Professor Hawthorne 00:44:27.889 --> 00:44:29.889 recounts as he looks through the cafe windows. 00:44:30.190 --> 00:44:32.590 You know what, he says, I'm going to take the 00:44:32.590 --> 00:44:34.710 day off tomorrow and go there to see what's up. 00:44:34.909 --> 00:44:37.409 Ethan looks up from his laptop. That sounds like 00:44:37.409 --> 00:44:39.980 fun, Professor. Actually, now that I'm thinking, 00:44:40.280 --> 00:44:42.139 Rob's Peak is a decently high mountain, right? 00:44:42.739 --> 00:44:45.400 I'm working on another small piece of tech. It's 00:44:45.400 --> 00:44:47.320 sort of like a mini -drone, and I've been wanting 00:44:47.320 --> 00:44:49.900 to test it at a higher altitude. It looks like 00:44:49.900 --> 00:44:52.159 Rob's Peak would be a great place to try it out. 00:44:52.340 --> 00:44:54.500 Okay, that sounds cool. Why haven't we talked 00:44:54.500 --> 00:44:56.980 about this stuff before, Ethan? I had no idea 00:44:56.980 --> 00:44:59.659 you were such a tech and gadget guy. You should 00:44:59.659 --> 00:45:01.579 come with me then and I could use the company, 00:45:01.840 --> 00:45:04.559 Professor Hawthorne smiles. I'll show you around 00:45:04.559 --> 00:45:07.900 the mountain. Perfect. Let's see, tomorrow. Yep. 00:45:08.110 --> 00:45:10.429 I can take the day off as well. You can work 00:45:10.429 --> 00:45:13.010 both the afternoon and evening shifts, right, 00:45:13.110 --> 00:45:16.489 Sierra? You already are working a double shift 00:45:16.489 --> 00:45:19.050 today, though. Ethan turns in Sierra's direction. 00:45:19.269 --> 00:45:21.469 Are you up for that tomorrow? You'll be doing 00:45:21.469 --> 00:45:25.409 me a big favor. Sierra smiles a little. Sure, 00:45:25.429 --> 00:45:28.809 Ethan. I got you. Thank you, Sierra, Ethan says. 00:45:29.130 --> 00:45:32.130 The cafe's in good hands. Professor Hawthorne 00:45:32.130 --> 00:45:34.070 finishes the last bite of his sandwich before 00:45:34.070 --> 00:45:36.789 asking, Lily and Ava, do you want to come with 00:45:36.789 --> 00:45:40.179 the guys tomorrow? Hiking is not really my thing 00:45:40.179 --> 00:45:42.920 to do. I do want to help out, though. Let me 00:45:42.920 --> 00:45:46.059 think. Oh, Lily exclaims, her brown eyes growing 00:45:46.059 --> 00:45:49.000 white. We have Chen's note, right? And he has 00:45:49.000 --> 00:45:51.079 some of the symbols and formula written out. 00:45:51.420 --> 00:45:54.500 I've got an idea. I could spend some time in 00:45:54.500 --> 00:45:57.119 the college science lab tomorrow and see what 00:45:57.119 --> 00:45:59.739 I can find out about the formula on that note. 00:45:59.820 --> 00:46:02.340 She stabs a quick photo of the note with her 00:46:02.340 --> 00:46:04.820 phone. That's perfect. I bet we'll get to the 00:46:04.820 --> 00:46:07.000 bottom of all this soon, Ava smiles, though part 00:46:07.000 --> 00:46:09.900 of her wish is it wouldn't end just yet. After 00:46:09.900 --> 00:46:12.019 all, the bigger the story, the better her peace 00:46:12.019 --> 00:46:14.860 for the bee will be. Sierra tilts her head before 00:46:14.860 --> 00:46:17.360 voicing aloud a thought that just crossed her 00:46:17.360 --> 00:46:20.739 mind. Lily, you have access to the lab and all 00:46:20.739 --> 00:46:24.099 that, right? I do, Lily chirps. I have my student 00:46:24.099 --> 00:46:27.000 ID. This gives me access to the science labs 00:46:27.000 --> 00:46:30.219 we visited earlier. Awesome. Concrete evidence 00:46:30.219 --> 00:46:33.260 from research is always a plus. Ava takes a quick 00:46:33.260 --> 00:46:35.599 look at her work calendar before replying to 00:46:35.599 --> 00:46:38.019 Professor Hawthorne's question, saying, I don't 00:46:38.019 --> 00:46:40.019 think I'll be able to go either. I do love the 00:46:40.019 --> 00:46:42.320 outdoors, and especially the idea of an adventure. 00:46:42.699 --> 00:46:44.980 I've really got to make some progress on the 00:46:44.980 --> 00:46:47.420 PSAP turret for the B. Deadline's coming up soon, 00:46:47.460 --> 00:46:49.780 unfortunately. Professor and Ethan, you two have 00:46:49.780 --> 00:46:51.739 fun. All right, it's settled then, Professor 00:46:51.739 --> 00:46:54.639 Hawthorne says. Ethan, you take all your tech 00:46:54.639 --> 00:46:57.099 equipment you want to test out, and I'll take 00:46:57.099 --> 00:46:59.039 the manuscript, the note, and my notebook to 00:46:59.039 --> 00:47:00.900 see if there's something else I may have missed. 00:47:01.139 --> 00:47:03.880 Ava frowns a little, glancing at the manuscript 00:47:03.880 --> 00:47:06.900 on the table before asking Professor Hawthorne. 00:47:07.239 --> 00:47:09.480 You know the way there, though, right, Professor? 00:47:09.960 --> 00:47:12.219 Yep, I'm going to take the manuscript with me 00:47:12.219 --> 00:47:15.340 just in case. There may be other clues I'm missing 00:47:15.340 --> 00:47:18.019 now that it seems things are connected in some 00:47:18.019 --> 00:47:21.219 way. Plus, I'm finding I forget things easily 00:47:21.219 --> 00:47:23.960 these days. Professor Hawthorne chuckles a little 00:47:23.960 --> 00:47:26.920 bit. Meanwhile, Lily takes a quick glance at 00:47:26.920 --> 00:47:29.820 her watch, her heartbeat racing as she says, 00:47:30.260 --> 00:47:32.880 Oh no, I almost forgot. I have an interview for 00:47:32.880 --> 00:47:35.300 a summer internship that starts in 20 minutes. 00:47:35.579 --> 00:47:38.099 I better go. She looks around frantically for 00:47:38.099 --> 00:47:40.800 her backpack and sees it against the chair that 00:47:40.800 --> 00:47:43.639 Ethan is sitting on. Ethan, could you pass me 00:47:43.639 --> 00:47:46.989 my bag? She asks. checking her watch a second 00:47:46.989 --> 00:47:50.449 time. Sure, Eden says. As Eden picks up the backpack 00:47:50.449 --> 00:47:52.789 and passes it to Lily, he drops in one of the 00:47:52.789 --> 00:47:54.909 small tracking devices, the thing that looks 00:47:54.909 --> 00:47:56.769 like a paper clip, into one of the small side 00:47:56.769 --> 00:47:58.829 pockets of her backpack. He thinks to himself, 00:47:59.329 --> 00:48:02.030 I need to test these things some more since I'd 00:48:02.030 --> 00:48:04.449 like to get more than a few hours of data, plus 00:48:04.449 --> 00:48:07.130 I need to know how long the batteries last. However, 00:48:07.230 --> 00:48:09.730 for some reason, he doesn't tell Lily. He figures 00:48:09.730 --> 00:48:12.010 she'll just retrieve the device sometime in the 00:48:12.010 --> 00:48:13.550 next few days when she comes back to the cafe. 00:48:14.159 --> 00:48:16.460 Thank you. Keep me updated with what you find 00:48:16.460 --> 00:48:19.199 out, Lili says, her words carrying out the door 00:48:19.199 --> 00:48:22.019 before the king gets to wish her luck on her 00:48:22.019 --> 00:48:24.079 interview and the research at the college tomorrow. 00:48:24.559 --> 00:48:26.719 All right, Professor Hawthorne turns to the rest 00:48:26.719 --> 00:48:29.079 of the group. I better get going as well. I've 00:48:29.079 --> 00:48:30.960 got some more work to finish at the college, 00:48:31.119 --> 00:48:34.039 and my wife and I have dinner plans with some 00:48:34.039 --> 00:48:36.119 old friends who are in town this week. Ethan, 00:48:36.199 --> 00:48:38.139 I'll see you at eight in the morning. How about 00:48:38.139 --> 00:48:40.739 we meet here at the cafe? Sounds good, Professor, 00:48:41.159 --> 00:48:43.840 Ethan replies. Great. Have a great evening and 00:48:43.840 --> 00:48:45.980 thanks for the sandwich again, Ethan. Great as 00:48:45.980 --> 00:48:48.920 always. Professor smiles as he gathers his briefcase, 00:48:48.920 --> 00:48:51.039 the manuscript, and the note before leaving the 00:48:51.039 --> 00:48:53.739 cafe. Eva also has plans to grab dinner with 00:48:53.739 --> 00:48:56.239 her grandmother, so she bids goodbye to Sierra 00:48:56.239 --> 00:48:58.440 and Ethan before driving away from Ethan's cafe. 00:49:09.639 --> 00:49:12.119 Punctual and on time the next morning, Ethan 00:49:12.119 --> 00:49:13.880 is standing outside the front of his already 00:49:13.880 --> 00:49:16.280 busy cafe with a small backpack containing some 00:49:16.280 --> 00:49:19.039 tech gear, a bottle of water, and some sunscreen. 00:49:19.659 --> 00:49:21.920 He's dressed for a day in the hot sun as he waits 00:49:21.920 --> 00:49:25.320 for Professor Hawthorne to arrive. As Prof. Hawthorne 00:49:25.320 --> 00:49:27.980 pulls up to the cafe in his old Ford Bronco, 00:49:28.059 --> 00:49:30.440 he yells out the window, Hey Ethan, good morning, 00:49:30.500 --> 00:49:33.239 and hop in. Professor Hawthorne smiles as Ethan 00:49:33.239 --> 00:49:35.780 gets into the Bronco and gets situated in the 00:49:35.780 --> 00:49:39.159 front passenger seat. Are we ready to get rolling? 00:49:39.380 --> 00:49:41.880 Professor Hawthorne says. Sure am. Let's go. 00:49:42.559 --> 00:49:45.119 Ethan says before a thought pops into his mind. 00:49:45.300 --> 00:49:47.880 Hey professor, you know a lot about the history 00:49:47.880 --> 00:49:50.559 here, right? Are there any cool stories you could 00:49:50.559 --> 00:49:52.679 share along the way? The professor thought about 00:49:52.679 --> 00:49:54.860 plugging one of his books and almost said, Yeah, 00:49:55.000 --> 00:49:57.380 I do know a lot of history about that place. 00:49:57.519 --> 00:49:59.380 You could too if you would have read one of my 00:49:59.380 --> 00:50:02.179 books. But he didn't say that. He didn't want 00:50:02.179 --> 00:50:04.420 Ethan to think he was being sarcastic. And he 00:50:04.420 --> 00:50:06.440 didn't want to sound like a jerk. So instead, 00:50:06.619 --> 00:50:09.179 Professor Hawthorne said, Yes, there is a lot 00:50:09.179 --> 00:50:11.260 of history around that area and the reservoir 00:50:11.260 --> 00:50:14.039 as well. Professor Hawthorne continues as they 00:50:14.039 --> 00:50:16.719 travel out of town toward the mountains. You 00:50:16.719 --> 00:50:19.320 see, Rob's Peak especially was the site of several 00:50:19.320 --> 00:50:22.219 popular mines back during the gold rush days. 00:50:22.900 --> 00:50:25.320 Legend has it that much of the gold that was 00:50:25.320 --> 00:50:27.599 found in the small streams and creeks around 00:50:27.599 --> 00:50:30.820 Rob's Peak actually originated from the mountain. 00:50:31.400 --> 00:50:34.079 There's evidence that suggests the gold, especially 00:50:34.079 --> 00:50:36.460 the small pieces and small flakes, would get 00:50:36.460 --> 00:50:39.329 deposited. in the small waterways during the 00:50:39.329 --> 00:50:42.630 spring snowmelt from the mountain. So many of 00:50:42.630 --> 00:50:44.630 the people who came here looking for gold only 00:50:44.630 --> 00:50:46.869 looked in the streams and creeks around that 00:50:46.869 --> 00:50:50.690 area. Very few prospectors went up on the mountain 00:50:50.690 --> 00:50:53.809 looking for gold, and fewer yet dug the small 00:50:53.809 --> 00:50:55.570 mines that are still on the mountain to this 00:50:55.570 --> 00:50:58.710 day. Most of the people back then wanted to get 00:50:58.710 --> 00:51:01.530 rich quick, plus they didn't have the right tools, 00:51:01.570 --> 00:51:04.389 equipment, money. or the time to dig a proper 00:51:04.389 --> 00:51:07.369 mine into the mountain, except for a couple families 00:51:07.369 --> 00:51:10.389 from Virginia, who traveled all the way out here 00:51:10.389 --> 00:51:14.170 together in the spring of 1849. You see, this 00:51:14.170 --> 00:51:16.349 is why we called the people who came to this 00:51:16.349 --> 00:51:20.190 area during that year the 49ers. They came by 00:51:20.190 --> 00:51:23.010 ship, on horseback, and by covered wagons from 00:51:23.010 --> 00:51:26.750 all over. Gold prospectors came from North America, 00:51:26.889 --> 00:51:30.039 Latin America, Asia, Europe, and Australia. It's 00:51:30.039 --> 00:51:32.579 estimated that this area saw an increase in population 00:51:32.579 --> 00:51:35.920 of more than 300 ,000 people in just one year. 00:51:36.059 --> 00:51:39.460 A year later in 1850, California entered the 00:51:39.460 --> 00:51:42.119 Union, joining the United States, establishing 00:51:42.119 --> 00:51:45.159 itself with a state constitution and government. 00:51:45.519 --> 00:51:47.219 I guess I should have been paying more attention 00:51:47.219 --> 00:51:49.800 in history class. I don't remember learning any 00:51:49.800 --> 00:51:52.360 of this. So what happened to the family from 00:51:52.360 --> 00:51:54.840 Virginia that you mentioned? Well, it's a miracle 00:51:54.840 --> 00:51:57.809 they made it. I'm not sure how they did it since 00:51:57.809 --> 00:52:00.150 everything west of what we now call the Missouri 00:52:00.150 --> 00:52:03.909 River was, at that time, unorganized and ungoverned 00:52:03.909 --> 00:52:07.130 territory. It was literally the Wild West. It 00:52:07.130 --> 00:52:10.210 was rugged and dangerous. These families had 00:52:10.210 --> 00:52:12.409 to navigate their way around and through mountain 00:52:12.409 --> 00:52:15.869 ranges, through plateau grasslands, make numerous 00:52:15.869 --> 00:52:19.130 river crossings, put up with unpredictable weather 00:52:19.130 --> 00:52:22.030 patterns, all the while crossing through hostile 00:52:22.030 --> 00:52:24.750 and non -hostile Native American tribal lands. 00:52:25.369 --> 00:52:28.730 And in the spring of 1849, they settled down 00:52:28.730 --> 00:52:31.710 at the base of Robb's Peak with the main goal 00:52:31.710 --> 00:52:34.210 of digging several mining shafts into the mountain. 00:52:34.750 --> 00:52:37.489 The other interesting fact I forgot to mention 00:52:37.489 --> 00:52:40.329 in the cafe was that many of the prospectors 00:52:40.329 --> 00:52:43.650 were recent immigrants to the United States and 00:52:43.650 --> 00:52:45.969 that these immigrants were not treated very well 00:52:45.969 --> 00:52:49.070 by the non -immigrant population. And some of 00:52:49.070 --> 00:52:51.480 these immigrants were Chinese. In fact, this 00:52:51.480 --> 00:52:54.480 manuscript I have documents some of the activities 00:52:54.480 --> 00:52:57.280 that went on in some of the mining camps and 00:52:57.280 --> 00:53:00.099 settlements. Since the information that was written 00:53:00.099 --> 00:53:02.659 in the manuscript could not be verified by anybody 00:53:02.659 --> 00:53:05.880 else besides the author, it was deemed not credible 00:53:05.880 --> 00:53:09.300 and was never officially published. Oh wow, I 00:53:09.300 --> 00:53:12.199 guess I should resell your history books. So 00:53:12.199 --> 00:53:14.380 the mines that are on the mountains were dug 00:53:14.380 --> 00:53:18.059 by the families from Virginia? Yes, Rob's Peak 00:53:18.059 --> 00:53:20.559 is named after one of the families, Charles Rob. 00:53:20.659 --> 00:53:22.960 I can't find a lot of information about them, 00:53:23.000 --> 00:53:25.760 but I do know they were from Virginia. There 00:53:25.760 --> 00:53:27.579 was a lot of happening in the southern states 00:53:27.579 --> 00:53:30.280 at that time in history, and it wasn't all good. 00:53:31.119 --> 00:53:33.539 Slavery was rampant, and there was talk of some 00:53:33.539 --> 00:53:36.679 of the states breaking off from the Union. Virginia 00:53:36.679 --> 00:53:40.840 eventually did in 1861. It seceded from the United 00:53:40.840 --> 00:53:43.820 States and joined the Confederacy. and Richmond 00:53:43.820 --> 00:53:47.480 became the capital of the Confederacy. This is 00:53:47.480 --> 00:53:50.239 the same year the Civil War broke out, a very 00:53:50.239 --> 00:53:52.039 dark time in the history of the United States 00:53:52.039 --> 00:53:55.639 of America, to say the least. Wow, thanks for 00:53:55.639 --> 00:53:58.719 the history lesson, Professor. I feel I have 00:53:58.719 --> 00:54:00.579 a better understanding about where we are going 00:54:00.579 --> 00:54:03.420 today and the history of the place. By this time, 00:54:03.440 --> 00:54:05.460 Professor Hawthorne and Ethan were almost 45 00:54:05.460 --> 00:54:07.960 minutes into their one -hour drive from Coloma 00:54:07.960 --> 00:54:10.420 to Robb's Peak. You see, there were two main 00:54:10.420 --> 00:54:13.860 routes to the top of Robb's Peak. One went south 00:54:13.860 --> 00:54:16.699 and one went north. The northern route was about 00:54:16.699 --> 00:54:19.519 20 minutes faster, which the professor opted 00:54:19.519 --> 00:54:22.440 to take. Ethan glanced at the GPS and noticed 00:54:22.440 --> 00:54:23.960 that they would be arriving at the destination 00:54:23.960 --> 00:54:35.420 around 9 .15 a .m. Meanwhile, moving away from 00:54:35.420 --> 00:54:37.519 the boys and their little adventure for a bit, 00:54:37.780 --> 00:54:40.260 Lydia arrives at the college around 9 o 'clock. 00:54:40.909 --> 00:54:43.369 Her interview had gone well yesterday, but she 00:54:43.369 --> 00:54:45.909 was unsure if it was good enough to land her 00:54:45.909 --> 00:54:49.070 an internship. I'll find out soon enough, she 00:54:49.070 --> 00:54:52.070 thought to herself. At the college, she sees 00:54:52.070 --> 00:54:54.269 a few friends who stayed back for the summer 00:54:54.269 --> 00:54:56.989 to do more independent research, so she waves 00:54:56.989 --> 00:55:00.349 hi to them. Then she makes her way over to the 00:55:00.349 --> 00:55:03.110 science building, heads down in the basement 00:55:03.110 --> 00:55:07.210 labs, and uses her ID to swipe in. as she sets 00:55:07.210 --> 00:55:09.909 her backpack against the lab desk. She's thinking 00:55:09.909 --> 00:55:12.989 about how she can test out Chen's formula. She 00:55:12.989 --> 00:55:15.590 opens her phone to look at the formula and turns 00:55:15.590 --> 00:55:18.809 on some music and starts getting to work. It's 00:55:18.809 --> 00:55:21.369 not until around noon before she takes a quick 00:55:21.369 --> 00:55:25.010 lunch break at one of the cafes on Compass. Half 00:55:25.010 --> 00:55:28.090 -wishing Ethan's cafe was just a little bit closer. 00:55:28.679 --> 00:55:31.940 The distance versus her hunger versus her motivation 00:55:31.940 --> 00:55:35.780 to face that hot sun. She thinks, shaking her 00:55:35.780 --> 00:55:38.360 head a little, maybe next time. After a quick 00:55:38.360 --> 00:55:41.300 lunch at the Canvas Cafe, she returns to the 00:55:41.300 --> 00:55:43.739 lab only to find Professor Sharpton standing 00:55:43.739 --> 00:55:46.739 at the door. She seems to be deep in thought. 00:55:46.980 --> 00:55:49.739 Oh, hey, Professor Sharpton, Lee says, smiling 00:55:49.739 --> 00:55:53.179 at the professor. The professor takes a step 00:55:53.179 --> 00:55:56.269 back. Not having expected company, Professor 00:55:56.269 --> 00:55:59.889 Shepton returns her greetings as he smiles at 00:55:59.889 --> 00:56:02.650 Lily, curiously asking what she's working on 00:56:02.650 --> 00:56:05.590 over the summer break. Lily is delighted at Professor 00:56:05.590 --> 00:56:08.349 Shepton's interest, and she invites him inside 00:56:08.349 --> 00:56:11.360 to show him what she's been working on. Lily 00:56:11.360 --> 00:56:13.900 thinks to herself, maybe Professor Sharpton could 00:56:13.900 --> 00:56:16.639 help her out since the formula Shane wrote on 00:56:16.639 --> 00:56:19.219 a note to Professor Harthorn calls for some element 00:56:19.219 --> 00:56:21.739 that the lab seems not to have in inventory. 00:56:21.980 --> 00:56:25.559 Some substance or mineral Lily did not recognize. 00:56:29.960 --> 00:56:32.420 Meanwhile, Ava is working on her piece for the 00:56:32.420 --> 00:56:35.079 beat at her grandma's mother's house, getting 00:56:35.079 --> 00:56:37.219 a little frustrated because the words that naturally 00:56:37.219 --> 00:56:39.420 spilled from her fingers seem to be stuck today. 00:56:39.769 --> 00:56:42.309 Pursing her lips, she decides to take her laptop 00:56:42.309 --> 00:56:45.269 to Ethan's Cafe to work instead. It'll be nice 00:56:45.269 --> 00:56:47.150 to see Sierra again, and the change of scenery 00:56:47.150 --> 00:56:52.750 usually does the trick. Sierra feels a smile 00:56:52.750 --> 00:56:55.550 grow on her face when she sees Ava walk into 00:56:55.550 --> 00:56:58.909 the doors of Ethan's Cafe. She says a quick hello 00:56:58.909 --> 00:57:01.489 to her before taking another customer's order. 00:57:01.809 --> 00:57:04.849 The cafe is busy as usual, since it's only the 00:57:04.849 --> 00:57:07.449 third day of the town's annual Gold Rush Festival. 00:57:07.929 --> 00:57:11.010 However, the lunch rush hour was ending and most 00:57:11.010 --> 00:57:13.010 of the customers were getting done and leaving. 00:57:13.289 --> 00:57:15.590 Ava is at her usual table by the front window, 00:57:15.730 --> 00:57:17.710 setting up her laptop as she waits for Sierra 00:57:17.710 --> 00:57:20.610 or another server to take her order. Being in 00:57:20.610 --> 00:57:22.889 the cafe again makes her think back to yesterday's 00:57:22.889 --> 00:57:25.570 events. It was a pretty exciting afternoon. Then 00:57:25.570 --> 00:57:27.989 she wonders about what Ethan and Professor Hawthorne 00:57:27.989 --> 00:57:34.829 are up to. By this time, the professor and Ethan 00:57:34.829 --> 00:57:37.090 had been at Rob's Peak for almost three hours 00:57:37.090 --> 00:57:40.269 now. Rob's Peak isn't like it used to be back 00:57:40.269 --> 00:57:42.630 in the old days, rugged, remote, and dangerous. 00:57:43.349 --> 00:57:45.809 It's now quite developed with roads leading directly 00:57:45.809 --> 00:57:48.210 up to the peak of the mountain, one from the 00:57:48.210 --> 00:57:51.010 south and one from the north. At the top of the 00:57:51.010 --> 00:57:53.010 mountain, there's a small gravel parking lot 00:57:53.010 --> 00:57:56.110 flanked by a wooded picnic area and a small canteen. 00:57:56.630 --> 00:57:59.389 The canteen is more like a small general store 00:57:59.389 --> 00:58:02.329 with snack -type foods and drinks. And when the 00:58:02.329 --> 00:58:04.610 kitchens open, they make a mean grilled hamburger 00:58:04.610 --> 00:58:07.739 with a side of potato wedges. The canteen offers 00:58:07.739 --> 00:58:11.039 hikers, campers, backpackers, and day trippers 00:58:11.039 --> 00:58:14.980 a nice place to rest and grab some food. For 00:58:14.980 --> 00:58:16.820 about the first hour when they arrived, the professor 00:58:16.820 --> 00:58:19.960 studied the manuscript and some old typographical 00:58:19.960 --> 00:58:22.920 maps while talking with the owners of the canteen. 00:58:23.480 --> 00:58:26.099 Ethan stayed outside in the parking area where 00:58:26.099 --> 00:58:28.440 he assembled and practiced flying the mini drone 00:58:28.440 --> 00:58:32.840 he had built and brought along. He was also excited 00:58:32.840 --> 00:58:35.239 to discover that the drone worked just fine in 00:58:35.239 --> 00:58:37.900 the higher altitude. They spent the second hour 00:58:37.900 --> 00:58:40.440 hiking down to the first gold mine site on the 00:58:40.440 --> 00:58:43.099 north side of the mountain. This mine site was 00:58:43.099 --> 00:58:45.559 the most popular with the tourists as it was 00:58:45.559 --> 00:58:48.639 easily accessible and the entrance of the mine 00:58:48.639 --> 00:58:51.900 was not sealed shut. This meant that if you were 00:58:51.900 --> 00:58:54.940 brave enough, you could walk about 100 or so 00:58:54.940 --> 00:58:57.719 yards into the mine before being met by a vertical 00:58:57.719 --> 00:59:00.739 shaft that went straight down into what looked 00:59:00.739 --> 00:59:04.150 like a black hole into the mountain. The vertical 00:59:04.150 --> 00:59:06.630 shaft was closed though with bars and padlocks. 00:59:06.909 --> 00:59:09.150 This part of the mine had been closed to the 00:59:09.150 --> 00:59:11.869 public for years since it was a hazard to curious 00:59:11.869 --> 00:59:14.429 tourists and novice explorers. The professor 00:59:14.429 --> 00:59:16.730 turned on his flashlight and walked into the 00:59:16.730 --> 00:59:19.590 mine all the way to where the shaft was located. 00:59:21.630 --> 00:59:23.769 Meanwhile, Ethan stayed outside the entrance 00:59:23.769 --> 00:59:26.070 and flew his drone around the area taking aerial 00:59:26.070 --> 00:59:29.460 video and photos of the surrounding. Ethan was 00:59:29.460 --> 00:59:31.380 thrilled that his new device was working like 00:59:31.380 --> 00:59:34.400 a charm. He wanted to give it one more test before 00:59:34.400 --> 00:59:36.960 bringing it back down and turning it off. He 00:59:36.960 --> 00:59:39.440 decided to test his flying skills by maneuvering 00:59:39.440 --> 00:59:42.539 the drone via his phone into the mine and all 00:59:42.539 --> 00:59:44.920 the way back to the area that the professor had 00:59:44.920 --> 00:59:48.360 walked to. He also wanted to test the night vision 00:59:48.360 --> 00:59:50.579 ability of the camera that he had installed. 00:59:50.860 --> 00:59:53.280 The drone hummed down the narrow, horizontal 00:59:53.280 --> 00:59:55.980 mine shaft towards the professor. Sure enough, 00:59:56.440 --> 00:59:58.059 Ethan could see the professor standing by the 00:59:58.059 --> 01:00:00.019 locked -up vertical shaft gate in camera view. 01:00:00.960 --> 01:00:03.380 Ethan watched on his phone in camera view as 01:00:03.380 --> 01:00:05.360 the professor turned around and waved at the 01:00:05.360 --> 01:00:07.619 drone and gestured that he was going to be walking 01:00:07.619 --> 01:00:10.280 back out. Ethan then maneuvered the drone to 01:00:10.280 --> 01:00:13.260 turn 180 degrees and fly back out of the mine 01:00:13.260 --> 01:00:15.780 shaft while the professor followed. As Professor 01:00:15.780 --> 01:00:18.800 Hawthorne exited the mine, Ethan said, Ah, hey 01:00:18.800 --> 01:00:20.420 professor, you're going to want to see this, 01:00:20.539 --> 01:00:22.849 as he pointed to his tablet which he had... which 01:00:22.849 --> 01:00:24.949 said the footage his drone had captured while 01:00:24.949 --> 01:00:36.869 inside the mineshaft. Meanwhile, in back in Coloma 01:00:36.869 --> 01:00:40.349 at Ethan's cafe, Sierra notices Ava has come 01:00:40.349 --> 01:00:43.309 back to the cafe for a light lunch. Hey Ava, 01:00:43.389 --> 01:00:45.849 didn't know you were coming in today. Sierra 01:00:45.849 --> 01:00:48.969 stops by Ava's table. Happy to see you though, 01:00:49.130 --> 01:00:52.329 you want your usual? Yep, thank you, girly, Ava 01:00:52.329 --> 01:00:56.070 smiled. Of course, of course. All right, Sierra 01:00:56.070 --> 01:00:58.510 remembers. And how's that piece for the beat 01:00:58.510 --> 01:01:01.510 going? Ugh, Ava says, it's not where I want it 01:01:01.510 --> 01:01:03.989 to be. I'm having writer's block today. It's 01:01:03.989 --> 01:01:08.210 really frustrating. Oh, I'm sorry to hear. Hope 01:01:08.210 --> 01:01:10.829 that goes away soon. Maybe the sandwich might 01:01:10.829 --> 01:01:14.190 help. Sierra looks at Ava. I hope so too, Ava 01:01:14.190 --> 01:01:16.710 tells Sierra before she goes to put in Ava's 01:01:16.710 --> 01:01:19.639 order. After Sierra leaves, Ava thinks about 01:01:19.639 --> 01:01:21.760 the reason she hasn't been working as much this 01:01:21.760 --> 01:01:24.440 morning. She stumbles upon a thought and suddenly 01:01:24.440 --> 01:01:27.980 she knows why. She's got a theory, to say the 01:01:27.980 --> 01:01:30.760 least, and she waits eagerly for Sierra's shift 01:01:30.760 --> 01:01:33.440 to end. She tells Sierra this as Sierra brings 01:01:33.440 --> 01:01:36.639 Ava her sandwich. Alright girl, Sierra says, 01:01:36.840 --> 01:01:40.820 I'm done with my shift. Spill, what's up? Okay, 01:01:40.920 --> 01:01:44.400 Ava says, putting her journalism hat on. I think 01:01:44.400 --> 01:01:48.190 the professor is sketchy. Sierra's eyes widen. 01:01:48.429 --> 01:01:52.570 You mean Professor Hawthorne? Yeah, Ava says. 01:01:53.329 --> 01:01:56.150 Wait, why though? He's helping us out. I know, 01:01:56.150 --> 01:01:58.289 but think about it. Yesterday when I asked him 01:01:58.289 --> 01:02:00.210 about needing the map, he was almost defensive 01:02:00.210 --> 01:02:02.449 about it, remember? Why would he need the manuscript 01:02:02.449 --> 01:02:05.250 with him? Wouldn't that get all dirtied on the 01:02:05.250 --> 01:02:08.250 hike? He could have just taken a photo. Ava looks 01:02:08.250 --> 01:02:12.909 at Sierra, eyebrows raised. Maybe you have a 01:02:12.909 --> 01:02:16.619 point, Sierra reflects. Right, Ava nods. And 01:02:16.619 --> 01:02:19.900 also, if he had knocked his briefcase yesterday, 01:02:19.940 --> 01:02:22.400 would he even be showing us the manuscript that 01:02:22.400 --> 01:02:24.579 matched Chen's note? Why was he even carrying 01:02:24.579 --> 01:02:27.260 Chen's note? Why did he even have the manuscript 01:02:27.260 --> 01:02:29.860 in the first place? Why were they in his briefcase? 01:02:29.880 --> 01:02:31.400 What was he going to do with them? And think 01:02:31.400 --> 01:02:33.900 about it. He's also pretty close to Chen, right? 01:02:34.280 --> 01:02:37.079 So what if he has something to do with Chen's 01:02:37.079 --> 01:02:41.489 disappearance? No way, Sierra explains upon realization. 01:02:42.110 --> 01:02:45.190 Yeah, no way, Ava echoes. What are we going to 01:02:45.190 --> 01:02:48.570 do? Who are we going to tell? No, no, no, Ava 01:02:48.570 --> 01:02:50.750 rushes. Girl, we can't tell anyone. If we tell 01:02:50.750 --> 01:02:53.170 anyone, that could tip off Professor Hawthorne 01:02:53.170 --> 01:02:55.349 and we'll lose the manuscript. Besides, it's 01:02:55.349 --> 01:02:58.989 just a theory. Oh no, you're right. Sierra looks 01:02:58.989 --> 01:03:02.869 at Ava. What do we do then? Ava thinks for a 01:03:02.869 --> 01:03:05.289 bit, lips pursed, before she shakes Sierra's 01:03:05.289 --> 01:03:07.489 hand. I know, she says. Are you free tonight? 01:03:07.949 --> 01:03:11.789 Yeah, I think so. Why? Sierra asks. Remember 01:03:11.789 --> 01:03:13.909 how there were two coordinates that go to two 01:03:13.909 --> 01:03:17.110 locations? I say we go explore the other location 01:03:17.110 --> 01:03:19.429 tonight and see what we find out. Luckily, I 01:03:19.429 --> 01:03:21.389 took a photo of Chen's note the other day. I 01:03:21.389 --> 01:03:24.070 knew it would come in handy. Sierra thinks about 01:03:24.070 --> 01:03:27.630 it for a bit and agrees. And, not telling anyone 01:03:27.630 --> 01:03:30.670 right, she double checks. You got it, not a soul. 01:03:31.010 --> 01:03:33.469 Ava says, tracing two fingers from one corner 01:03:33.469 --> 01:03:35.409 of her mouth to the other, zipping her lips, 01:03:35.489 --> 01:03:38.260 making a motion and throwing the key away. Sierra's 01:03:38.260 --> 01:03:41.360 eyes immediately brightened. This was their secret 01:03:41.360 --> 01:03:43.739 code back in high school. She laughs a little 01:03:43.739 --> 01:03:46.360 before following suit. All right, I'll see you 01:03:46.360 --> 01:03:49.760 then, Ava says. 7 p .m., your place? Sierra nods. 01:03:49.760 --> 01:03:52.260 I'll see you then. Ava smiles as though shooting 01:03:52.260 --> 01:03:54.199 down her spine. She's always loved mysteries 01:03:54.199 --> 01:03:56.320 and adventures, especially nighttime adventures. 01:03:56.699 --> 01:03:58.960 One way or another, she's going to get to the 01:03:58.960 --> 01:04:07.570 bottom of this. Meanwhile, back in the lab at 01:04:07.570 --> 01:04:10.250 the college, Lee spent working on trying to figure 01:04:10.250 --> 01:04:12.369 out the formula that Chin had written down on 01:04:12.369 --> 01:04:14.889 a note he had given to Professor Hawthorne the 01:04:14.889 --> 01:04:17.849 week before. Professor Sharpton was in the lab, 01:04:17.989 --> 01:04:20.469 along with several other students working on 01:04:20.469 --> 01:04:23.289 their own projects. Lee was waiting for Professor 01:04:23.289 --> 01:04:26.010 Sharpton to be free as she really needed some 01:04:26.010 --> 01:04:28.570 help with one part of the formula she didn't 01:04:28.570 --> 01:04:31.849 understand. However, Professor Sharpton had been 01:04:31.849 --> 01:04:34.090 in the back office talking on the phone for over 01:04:34.090 --> 01:04:37.380 20 minutes. Professor Sharpton walks out of the 01:04:37.380 --> 01:04:40.239 back office and straight over to Lily and asks, 01:04:40.460 --> 01:04:42.639 Okay Lily, let me see what you're working on. 01:04:42.739 --> 01:04:45.739 Maybe I can help. After Professor Sharpton says 01:04:45.739 --> 01:04:47.619 this, he looks up at the door to the lab and 01:04:47.619 --> 01:04:49.579 nods his head toward the person standing outside 01:04:49.579 --> 01:05:02.119 the lab. Part 5. Secret Society We find Ethan 01:05:02.119 --> 01:05:04.480 and the professor on Rob's Peak as they have 01:05:04.480 --> 01:05:07.219 discovered something on the video from the drone 01:05:07.219 --> 01:05:09.840 Ethan had flown into the first mine location 01:05:09.840 --> 01:05:13.119 they were exploring together. They are both looking 01:05:13.119 --> 01:05:16.059 down at the drone footage on the tablet Ethan 01:05:16.059 --> 01:05:19.579 is holding. Ethan blurs it out. Professor, is 01:05:19.579 --> 01:05:22.280 that what I think it is? Yes, it looks like it, 01:05:22.360 --> 01:05:25.219 the professor responds. The drone's high -definition 01:05:25.219 --> 01:05:27.900 camera had captured something etched into one 01:05:27.900 --> 01:05:31.340 of the side walls in the mine shaft. right to 01:05:31.340 --> 01:05:34.960 the left of the sealed off vertical shaft. This 01:05:34.960 --> 01:05:36.960 was the same place the professor was standing 01:05:36.960 --> 01:05:39.179 for a few moments before the drone caught up 01:05:39.179 --> 01:05:41.739 with him. Professor Hawthorne says as he looks 01:05:41.739 --> 01:05:44.239 up at Ethan, I couldn't see that symbol etched 01:05:44.239 --> 01:05:46.780 in the rock wall when I was there. It looks to 01:05:46.780 --> 01:05:49.900 be quite an old etching, not very deep into the 01:05:49.900 --> 01:05:52.199 rock and very faint and small in appearance. 01:05:52.599 --> 01:05:55.420 It looks really old and it also looks similar 01:05:55.420 --> 01:05:58.360 in the style to the Chinese symbols on both the 01:05:58.360 --> 01:06:02.500 note and the manuscript. Ethan replies, it looks 01:06:02.500 --> 01:06:04.519 like the same style of Chinese character that's 01:06:04.519 --> 01:06:07.480 on the note from Eat Chen and in that old manuscript 01:06:07.480 --> 01:06:10.400 you have. The professor nods his head in agreement 01:06:10.400 --> 01:06:14.260 as he says, yes it does, Ethan. Speaking out 01:06:14.260 --> 01:06:16.579 loud, the professor says, the camera on that 01:06:16.579 --> 01:06:19.300 drone must be super sensitive to be able to capture 01:06:19.300 --> 01:06:23.019 those small details. If we had cell service out 01:06:23.019 --> 01:06:25.619 here, we could look up the meaning of that symbol. 01:06:25.760 --> 01:06:28.460 I bet it comes from the same cipher chart as 01:06:28.460 --> 01:06:31.869 the other symbols. Professor Hawthorne asks Ethan 01:06:31.869 --> 01:06:34.050 to save the image to his device and suggests 01:06:34.050 --> 01:06:36.489 they make their way to the second and third mine 01:06:36.489 --> 01:06:39.429 sites before the day gets away from them. The 01:06:39.429 --> 01:06:41.869 professor looks at Ethan and says, Alright buddy, 01:06:41.989 --> 01:06:44.869 hope you are ready for some rugged trails. The 01:06:44.869 --> 01:06:47.230 paths to the second and third mines are not easily 01:06:47.230 --> 01:06:50.670 accessible. As the professor turns around and 01:06:50.670 --> 01:06:53.469 gestures to Ethan to follow him, he says, But 01:06:53.469 --> 01:06:56.730 hey, it's part of our adventure today. Ethan 01:06:56.730 --> 01:06:59.349 takes a deep breath and thinks to himself, Great. 01:06:59.900 --> 01:07:02.159 Don't think I signed up for this type of adventure 01:07:02.159 --> 01:07:06.900 today though. The two move further into the rugged 01:07:06.900 --> 01:07:08.840 mountain terrain towards a second mine which 01:07:08.840 --> 01:07:10.420 is on the west side of the mountain and at a 01:07:10.420 --> 01:07:13.460 slightly lower elevation from their current location. 01:07:18.760 --> 01:07:21.360 About 20 minutes later the two reach a clearing 01:07:21.360 --> 01:07:23.639 on the west side of the mountain and take a quick 01:07:23.639 --> 01:07:26.239 break to catch their breath, eat a snack and 01:07:26.239 --> 01:07:29.340 drink some water. The professor looks over at 01:07:29.340 --> 01:07:31.739 Ethan who is finding a place to sit down and 01:07:31.739 --> 01:07:34.440 says, The elevation can get you if you're not 01:07:34.440 --> 01:07:36.980 used to it. We need to stay hydrated as well. 01:07:37.539 --> 01:07:40.199 The professor notices Ethan digging around in 01:07:40.199 --> 01:07:42.800 his backpack for his trail mix as he continues. 01:07:43.079 --> 01:07:45.639 The second mine is just over that small ledge 01:07:45.639 --> 01:07:48.300 beyond the clump of trees. We are almost there. 01:07:48.500 --> 01:07:51.659 Maybe another 5 -10 minutes max. Once we get 01:07:51.659 --> 01:07:53.719 there, I'll check it out again and see if the 01:07:53.719 --> 01:07:56.449 front metal gate is open. The entrance of the 01:07:56.449 --> 01:07:59.190 mine is usually closed up and locked up. I'm 01:07:59.190 --> 01:08:01.329 not sure I'll have access to it like the first 01:08:01.329 --> 01:08:04.570 mine. I guess we'll see when we get there. Ethan 01:08:04.570 --> 01:08:06.750 is snacking on some trail mix he made at the 01:08:06.750 --> 01:08:09.170 cafe while listening to the professor talk about 01:08:09.170 --> 01:08:12.389 the plan for the second mine shaft. If it's alright 01:08:12.389 --> 01:08:14.489 with you, professor, I'll just stay outside the 01:08:14.489 --> 01:08:16.970 mine and test my drone again. I want to gather 01:08:16.970 --> 01:08:19.090 some data at this altitude and get some more 01:08:19.090 --> 01:08:21.869 footage of this side of the mountain. Sounds 01:08:21.869 --> 01:08:24.170 good. Okay, let's get going. The professor says 01:08:24.170 --> 01:08:26.229 as he turns and starts walking in that direction. 01:08:29.369 --> 01:08:31.590 As Ethan is standing up and starting to walk, 01:08:31.729 --> 01:08:34.069 he hears a ding from his phone. He thinks to 01:08:34.069 --> 01:08:36.850 himself, oh, cell service must reach the side 01:08:36.850 --> 01:08:38.869 of the mountain from the valley below. Good. 01:08:39.109 --> 01:08:41.409 I can check to see what the symbol stands for 01:08:41.409 --> 01:08:43.409 from that old Chinese telegraphic code sheet 01:08:43.409 --> 01:08:46.310 I found online. And I can check out my cafe to 01:08:46.310 --> 01:08:48.369 see how things are going. Hopefully sales are 01:08:48.369 --> 01:08:50.930 up. After a few minutes, the two reach the second 01:08:50.930 --> 01:08:53.470 mine site. Professor Hawthorne steps up to the 01:08:53.470 --> 01:08:55.409 entrance of the mine, something that can't be 01:08:55.409 --> 01:08:58.710 seen from the rough trail because of the overgrown 01:08:58.710 --> 01:09:02.090 underbrush. As he pushes his way through the 01:09:02.090 --> 01:09:04.289 underbrush, the professor turns his head and 01:09:04.289 --> 01:09:07.189 shouts back to Ethan, who is following him. Yep, 01:09:07.210 --> 01:09:09.670 just like I thought. Looks like the gate is shut 01:09:09.670 --> 01:09:13.090 and padlocked. Oh wait, the padlock is either 01:09:13.090 --> 01:09:16.449 broken or it's been cut. Hmm, that's interesting. 01:09:17.399 --> 01:09:19.720 Ethan looks up as he brushes some dirt and thorns 01:09:19.720 --> 01:09:22.220 off his pants and says, that doesn't seem normal. 01:09:22.479 --> 01:09:24.600 Maybe some tourists got a little carried away. 01:09:25.039 --> 01:09:27.600 Yeah, definitely is not normal. Not many people 01:09:27.600 --> 01:09:29.739 know about this site, especially the tourists. 01:09:30.039 --> 01:09:32.279 And not many people want to hike all this way 01:09:32.279 --> 01:09:35.340 anyway. Well, I'm going to go walk into the mine 01:09:35.340 --> 01:09:37.340 a little ways with my flashlight and see what 01:09:37.340 --> 01:09:40.180 I can see. You wait out here as I'll only be 01:09:40.180 --> 01:09:42.819 a few minutes. If my memory serves me right, 01:09:42.939 --> 01:09:45.579 this mine is not very deep, so I won't be but 01:09:45.579 --> 01:09:49.079 a few minutes. As the professor removes the broken 01:09:49.079 --> 01:09:51.699 padlock, opens the metal gate, and enters the 01:09:51.699 --> 01:09:54.260 mine, Ethan gets on his tablet and checks if 01:09:54.260 --> 01:09:56.840 there's cell coverage. He discovers there is 01:09:56.840 --> 01:09:59.420 weak coverage, but just enough to retrieve the 01:09:59.420 --> 01:10:01.479 image of the telegraphic code chart he saved 01:10:01.479 --> 01:10:04.779 to his cloud storage device. As he pulls up the 01:10:04.779 --> 01:10:07.539 code chart, he notices that the symbol he and 01:10:07.539 --> 01:10:09.380 the professor found in the first mine translate 01:10:09.380 --> 01:10:12.460 as a minus symbol. Ethan makes a mental note 01:10:12.460 --> 01:10:14.439 of it and then sees the notification pop up on 01:10:14.439 --> 01:10:17.229 his tablet. The notification is from his custom 01:10:17.229 --> 01:10:19.130 tracking software that is connected to the tracking 01:10:19.130 --> 01:10:22.449 devices that he was testing earlier. Interesting. 01:10:22.789 --> 01:10:25.250 Ethan thinks to himself as he pulls up the tracking 01:10:25.250 --> 01:10:29.090 software app on his tablet. Because the coverage 01:10:29.090 --> 01:10:31.670 is so terrible at this location, the high -resolution 01:10:31.670 --> 01:10:34.609 map he's using in the software is loading very 01:10:34.609 --> 01:10:37.729 slowly. He taps his fingers on the tablet as 01:10:37.729 --> 01:10:40.829 he patiently waits. Come on, come on, Ethan says 01:10:40.829 --> 01:10:43.390 softly as he watches the map slowly load on his 01:10:43.390 --> 01:10:46.340 screen. Meanwhile, Professor Hawthorne makes 01:10:46.340 --> 01:10:48.779 his way down the narrow mine shaft of the second 01:10:48.779 --> 01:10:51.640 mine site, turning on his flashlight as the passageway 01:10:51.640 --> 01:10:54.619 gets darker and darker. As the professor is looking 01:10:54.619 --> 01:10:57.680 down at the ground, so as not to stumble on any 01:10:57.680 --> 01:11:00.619 loose rocks or other debris, he notices footprints 01:11:00.619 --> 01:11:04.460 in some of the soft dirt areas of the path. He 01:11:04.460 --> 01:11:07.359 makes a mental note of it and keeps moving. The 01:11:07.359 --> 01:11:09.920 professor comes to a Y intersection in the mine 01:11:09.920 --> 01:11:12.949 shaft. There's an option to veer left. On the 01:11:12.949 --> 01:11:15.770 path or veer right on the path? Both of these 01:11:15.770 --> 01:11:18.050 paths lead deeper into the mountain and the professor 01:11:18.050 --> 01:11:20.810 is not equipped to go any further. So he decides 01:11:20.810 --> 01:11:22.890 to turn around and head back out of the mine. 01:11:23.409 --> 01:11:26.449 As he is turning, he flashes his flashlight on 01:11:26.449 --> 01:11:29.510 the rock walls and right away notices the same 01:11:29.510 --> 01:11:32.069 symbol etched into the wall that Ethan had discovered 01:11:32.069 --> 01:11:34.869 with his drone in the first mine they explored. 01:11:35.479 --> 01:11:37.659 The professor pulls out his phone and takes a 01:11:37.659 --> 01:11:40.220 photo of it before walking back out of the mine 01:11:40.220 --> 01:11:43.600 and back out the gate and broken padlock. As 01:11:43.600 --> 01:11:45.840 the professor exits the mine, he yells out to 01:11:45.840 --> 01:11:48.020 Ethan, who's standing a little distance away. 01:11:48.220 --> 01:11:50.760 Hey, Ethan, I found another one of those symbols 01:11:50.760 --> 01:11:53.939 sketched into the rock. It looks like the same 01:11:53.939 --> 01:11:57.079 symbol we found at the first mine. The professor 01:11:57.079 --> 01:11:59.520 walks over to Ethan and shows him the photo he 01:11:59.520 --> 01:12:02.539 took of the symbol and asks, So what do you think? 01:12:02.800 --> 01:12:06.729 It's the same symbol, right? Ethan replies, yeah, 01:12:06.829 --> 01:12:09.449 that's the same symbol. While you were in there, 01:12:09.550 --> 01:12:12.050 I was able to get a weak cell signal. I pulled 01:12:12.050 --> 01:12:14.149 the telegraphic coding chart to see if that symbol 01:12:14.149 --> 01:12:16.670 was listed, and sure enough, the symbol appears 01:12:16.670 --> 01:12:19.489 to translate to the minus sign. So what was the 01:12:19.489 --> 01:12:21.210 first minus? The second minus has the symbol 01:12:21.210 --> 01:12:23.270 carved into the wall of the shaft, and they are 01:12:23.270 --> 01:12:25.829 both close in proximity to the entrance of the 01:12:25.829 --> 01:12:29.229 mine. Ethan could tell the professor was snaking 01:12:29.229 --> 01:12:31.770 by the expression the professor had on his face 01:12:31.770 --> 01:12:35.210 while Ethan was talking. So Ethan asks, What 01:12:35.210 --> 01:12:38.029 is it? What are you thinking about? I think that 01:12:38.029 --> 01:12:41.890 symbol actually translates to negative. Even 01:12:41.890 --> 01:12:44.710 though the telegraphic code chart has it listed 01:12:44.710 --> 01:12:48.149 as the minus sign, I believe it's like a marker 01:12:48.149 --> 01:12:50.909 or message and it means negative, you know, the 01:12:50.909 --> 01:12:53.689 opposite of positive. I think it's a sign that 01:12:53.689 --> 01:12:55.989 communicates to anyone who comes into the mind 01:12:55.989 --> 01:12:59.350 that this mind produced negative results. The 01:12:59.350 --> 01:13:02.420 professor goes on as Ethan listens. So my assumption 01:13:02.420 --> 01:13:04.779 is that there was no gold found in this mine 01:13:04.779 --> 01:13:08.380 similar to the first one. By this time in Ethan 01:13:08.380 --> 01:13:11.000 and the professor's conversation, Ethan noticed 01:13:11.000 --> 01:13:13.800 that the map had bloated on his tablet. Ethan 01:13:13.800 --> 01:13:16.819 said, it gets even more weird. Check this out. 01:13:17.020 --> 01:13:19.859 Ethan went on to explain to the professor that 01:13:19.859 --> 01:13:22.199 he slipped one of his small paperclip tracking 01:13:22.199 --> 01:13:24.500 devices in Lily's backpack as she left the cafe 01:13:24.500 --> 01:13:28.270 yesterday. He goes on, according to the software 01:13:28.270 --> 01:13:30.850 I built for my small tracking devices, it works 01:13:30.850 --> 01:13:33.649 up here as well. The tracking software is showing 01:13:33.649 --> 01:13:36.189 that Lily's backpack is located at the reservoir. 01:13:37.449 --> 01:13:40.130 Ethan finishes the last part of his statement 01:13:40.130 --> 01:13:43.489 as somewhat of a question. Although, this other 01:13:43.489 --> 01:13:46.270 dot on the map here is us. This is the device 01:13:46.270 --> 01:13:47.909 that's on the old manuscript you brought with 01:13:47.909 --> 01:13:50.649 us. Ethan says this very excitedly as he is very 01:13:50.649 --> 01:13:52.710 pleased in the range and power the small tracking 01:13:52.710 --> 01:13:55.119 devices contain. The professor looks up from 01:13:55.119 --> 01:13:57.960 his phone after finding he has weak cell service 01:13:57.960 --> 01:14:00.399 and says, okay, well, maybe the trio decided 01:14:00.399 --> 01:14:02.619 to go check out the second set of coordinates. 01:14:03.000 --> 01:14:05.319 They did take a photo of Chen's note yesterday 01:14:05.319 --> 01:14:08.359 before leaving the cafe. I mean, if Ava is a 01:14:08.359 --> 01:14:10.539 journalist at the Sacramento Bee, then she's 01:14:10.539 --> 01:14:13.779 probably doing some investigating herself. The 01:14:13.779 --> 01:14:17.020 professor continues, it's getting late, so let's 01:14:17.020 --> 01:14:19.619 go check out that third mine site. I don't want 01:14:19.619 --> 01:14:22.079 to be hiking out here in the dark. He points 01:14:22.079 --> 01:14:24.180 toward the direction they need to go and says, 01:14:24.319 --> 01:14:26.579 It's actually not far from here, maybe about 01:14:26.579 --> 01:14:29.020 a ten minute hike. Mines two and three are much 01:14:29.020 --> 01:14:32.460 closer in proximity together than mine one. Ethan 01:14:32.460 --> 01:14:35.199 grabs his gear and follows the professor as they 01:14:35.199 --> 01:14:38.359 head south toward the third mine site. As they 01:14:38.359 --> 01:14:41.340 are walking, Ethan asks the professor, So professor, 01:14:41.699 --> 01:14:44.479 what do you think this all means? The professor 01:14:44.479 --> 01:14:46.960 stops for a moment, takes off one of his hiking 01:14:46.960 --> 01:14:49.220 shoes, and as he is shaking out several small 01:14:49.220 --> 01:14:52.680 pebbles from his shoe, he says, I'm not sure 01:14:52.680 --> 01:14:55.979 yet what this all means. I mean, all of it seems 01:14:55.979 --> 01:14:58.640 to be connected in some way. At least the evidence 01:14:58.640 --> 01:15:01.060 seems to be revealing that to us. In these types 01:15:01.060 --> 01:15:03.020 of moments, I try to stick to my archaeological 01:15:03.020 --> 01:15:05.739 principle, which is to allow the evidence to 01:15:05.739 --> 01:15:08.239 point us to the truth, and hopefully it will 01:15:08.239 --> 01:15:10.539 help us solve whatever mystery we've stumbled 01:15:10.539 --> 01:15:13.079 upon, especially with the disappearance of Chen. 01:15:13.789 --> 01:15:15.930 Oh, that reminds me, when we get back to town, 01:15:15.970 --> 01:15:18.229 I need to stop in at the county sheriff's office 01:15:18.229 --> 01:15:20.609 and file a missing persons report about Chen 01:15:20.609 --> 01:15:23.829 and notify them about the broken padlock and 01:15:23.829 --> 01:15:26.029 the footprints I discovered at the second mine 01:15:26.029 --> 01:15:29.109 site. Several minutes later, the professor and 01:15:29.109 --> 01:15:31.750 Ethan arrive at the third mine site. This site 01:15:31.750 --> 01:15:34.149 is different from the other two in that the entrance 01:15:34.149 --> 01:15:36.510 is larger in size and the mine's house seems 01:15:36.510 --> 01:15:38.710 to be wider and taller than the previous two. 01:15:38.930 --> 01:15:41.189 Ethan looks over to the professor and says, since 01:15:41.189 --> 01:15:44.000 there's no gate and padlock on this Mine, why 01:15:44.000 --> 01:15:45.600 don't you let me fly the drone into the shaft 01:15:45.600 --> 01:15:47.859 and see how far it goes? That should save you 01:15:47.859 --> 01:15:50.260 from having to walk in there again. We can just 01:15:50.260 --> 01:15:51.960 sit outside the entrance of the mine and study 01:15:51.960 --> 01:15:54.600 the drone footage. The professor responds, yeah, 01:15:54.640 --> 01:15:57.579 good idea. My feet hurt anyways. Plus, the drone 01:15:57.579 --> 01:16:00.000 can cover more ground and faster. The professor 01:16:00.000 --> 01:16:02.539 glances up and watches as the drone whizzes over 01:16:02.539 --> 01:16:04.560 his head toward the entrance of the mine and 01:16:04.560 --> 01:16:07.239 then watches as it disappears into the black 01:16:07.239 --> 01:16:10.479 hole in the mountain. Several minutes later, 01:16:10.560 --> 01:16:13.590 he hears Ethan yell out, Hey professor, I found 01:16:13.590 --> 01:16:16.189 something. Check this out. Ethan sends his drone 01:16:16.189 --> 01:16:18.270 into the mine shaft about 100 yards, similar 01:16:18.270 --> 01:16:20.210 in distance of what he had done for the first 01:16:20.210 --> 01:16:22.590 mine shaft. Ethan switches back and forth between 01:16:22.590 --> 01:16:24.970 regular, infrared, and black light mode on his 01:16:24.970 --> 01:16:27.550 camera. He's trying to capture as many features 01:16:27.550 --> 01:16:30.310 as possible. Ethan bursts out, and there it is, 01:16:30.329 --> 01:16:32.470 another simple edge into the rock, and it also 01:16:32.470 --> 01:16:34.529 appears there are about three different directions 01:16:34.529 --> 01:16:37.250 the shaft leads. They all slope down towards 01:16:37.250 --> 01:16:39.630 the center of the mountain. Ethan could not send 01:16:39.630 --> 01:16:59.720 his drone down any of - The professor asked Ethan, 01:16:59.939 --> 01:17:02.600 so is the symbol the camera captured the same 01:17:02.600 --> 01:17:04.960 as what we saw in the first and second mines? 01:17:05.439 --> 01:17:09.239 No, it's different, Ethan answers. Ethan pulls 01:17:09.239 --> 01:17:11.539 up the color chart again and finds a symbol in 01:17:11.539 --> 01:17:14.340 the color chart. Look at this. The symbol from 01:17:14.340 --> 01:17:16.199 the third mine translates to the plus symbol. 01:17:16.539 --> 01:17:19.819 The professor interrupts and says, yes and no, 01:17:19.840 --> 01:17:22.340 Ethan. Yes, it's a plus symbol, but it translates 01:17:22.340 --> 01:17:25.659 to positive. That's what that means. The first 01:17:25.659 --> 01:17:28.000 and second mine sites indicate a negative and 01:17:28.000 --> 01:17:31.180 the third mine site indicates a positive. This 01:17:31.180 --> 01:17:33.579 kind of makes sense then. I'm thinking out loud 01:17:33.579 --> 01:17:35.779 here as I'm making some assumptions from our 01:17:35.779 --> 01:17:38.829 findings. But it's quite possible that the reason 01:17:38.829 --> 01:17:41.170 there are only three mines on this mountain is 01:17:41.170 --> 01:17:44.569 because the third mine was dug was the mine that 01:17:44.569 --> 01:17:47.569 ended up producing all the gold. So why dig more 01:17:47.569 --> 01:17:50.310 mines if you don't have to? I mean, back then 01:17:50.310 --> 01:17:53.430 and at that time, remember this is back in 1849, 01:17:53.550 --> 01:17:57.350 digging a mine was hard and laborious work. If 01:17:57.350 --> 01:17:59.890 they struck gold veins in the rock in this third 01:17:59.890 --> 01:18:02.470 mine, then why dig a fourth or fifth or sixth 01:18:02.470 --> 01:18:05.449 if you didn't have to, right? Right, that makes 01:18:05.449 --> 01:18:08.850 sense, Eden replies. Professor, there's something 01:18:08.850 --> 01:18:10.350 else in the video that you might want to look 01:18:10.350 --> 01:18:13.350 at. I switched back and forth between several 01:18:13.350 --> 01:18:16.369 camera features, regular, infrared, and blacklight 01:18:16.369 --> 01:18:19.210 mode. Well, when the camera was on the blacklight 01:18:19.210 --> 01:18:21.149 mode, it picked up some features in the rock 01:18:21.149 --> 01:18:24.850 at the entrance to the first inner shaft. I didn't 01:18:24.850 --> 01:18:27.890 fly the drone into any of the three inner shafts, 01:18:27.890 --> 01:18:29.489 but at the entrance, there seemed to be some 01:18:29.489 --> 01:18:31.750 features or element in the rock that stands out. 01:18:32.170 --> 01:18:35.130 It doesn't appear to be rock. As the professor 01:18:35.130 --> 01:18:37.310 is looking at the video of what Ethan is talking 01:18:37.310 --> 01:18:40.090 about, he reaches into his side pants pocket 01:18:40.090 --> 01:18:42.109 and pulls out a pocket knife and tells Ethan, 01:18:42.270 --> 01:18:45.170 Wait here and I'll be right back. I need to scrape 01:18:45.170 --> 01:18:47.310 off a sample of whatever substance is in that 01:18:47.310 --> 01:18:50.729 rock. I've not seen that before. The professor 01:18:50.729 --> 01:18:53.050 walks into the mine with a small empty snack 01:18:53.050 --> 01:18:56.029 baggie he got from Ethan's backpack, his pocket 01:18:56.029 --> 01:18:58.899 knife, and his flashlight. About seven minutes 01:18:58.899 --> 01:19:01.859 later, the professor emerges from the mine entrance, 01:19:02.180 --> 01:19:04.880 the sun already starting to go down, holds up 01:19:04.880 --> 01:19:07.319 the baggie, which contains small shards of what 01:19:07.319 --> 01:19:10.340 look like an off -white substance, and says, 01:19:10.859 --> 01:19:13.000 Ethan, we have an interesting discovery here 01:19:13.000 --> 01:19:15.579 that I have not seen before on any of my past 01:19:15.579 --> 01:19:19.100 digs. It kind of looks like salt. I scraped some 01:19:19.100 --> 01:19:21.800 samples from the rock wall, the best I could 01:19:21.800 --> 01:19:24.119 do with my pocket knife, but it should be enough 01:19:24.119 --> 01:19:26.520 to get it tested at the lab and see what it is. 01:19:26.939 --> 01:19:34.979 It's getting dark and we need to hike back. Ethan 01:19:34.979 --> 01:19:37.100 and Professor Hawthorne seem to have discovered 01:19:37.100 --> 01:19:41.340 something interesting. Meanwhile, at 7 p .m., 01:19:41.340 --> 01:19:43.399 Ava meets Sierra at her house and is ready for 01:19:43.399 --> 01:19:46.100 their own adventure. Sierra greets Ava with a 01:19:46.100 --> 01:19:48.560 smile before they drive to the reservoir where 01:19:48.560 --> 01:19:51.699 the coordinates had pointed to. Sierra is driving 01:19:51.699 --> 01:19:54.859 and Ava sits shotgun. blasting pop music all 01:19:54.859 --> 01:19:58.619 while helping Sierra navigate. A little over 01:19:58.619 --> 01:20:01.739 an hour, three playlists, and 23 sounds later, 01:20:01.840 --> 01:20:06.199 they reach the reservoir. That's interesting, 01:20:06.659 --> 01:20:09.680 Sierra says, pointing to the cars parked as they 01:20:09.680 --> 01:20:12.359 pull up to the reservoir spill dam, which is 01:20:12.359 --> 01:20:14.899 situated on the southwest side of the reservoir. 01:20:15.119 --> 01:20:18.140 It's pretty late. Wouldn't tourists have left 01:20:18.140 --> 01:20:21.800 already? Ava frowns a little. You're right, Sierra. 01:20:22.100 --> 01:20:25.739 Hmm, I wonder why... They don't think too much 01:20:25.739 --> 01:20:28.539 of it. Parking Sierra's car a distant away from 01:20:28.539 --> 01:20:31.399 the group of other cars parked near the walkway 01:20:31.399 --> 01:20:34.279 that goes over the dam. After they get out of 01:20:34.279 --> 01:20:36.539 the car and approach the walkway over the dam, 01:20:36.640 --> 01:20:40.819 they walk past a group of cars. Ava notices that 01:20:40.819 --> 01:20:43.340 several cars had governmental license plates. 01:20:43.720 --> 01:20:46.180 This made her very curious and she pointed this 01:20:46.180 --> 01:20:48.659 out to Sierra as they walked past the cars. Out 01:20:48.659 --> 01:20:51.300 of instinct. Ava snaps a few photos of the license 01:20:51.300 --> 01:20:53.659 plates, thinking to herself, you never know, 01:20:53.739 --> 01:20:56.500 these photos could be helpful. When Ava points 01:20:56.500 --> 01:20:59.560 out the license plates to Sierra, Sierra's eyes 01:20:59.560 --> 01:21:02.800 widen. You're right, Ava. Ava responds, just 01:21:02.800 --> 01:21:05.600 to be safe, I took a few photos. They could come 01:21:05.600 --> 01:21:07.539 in handy, or they could be used as evidence, 01:21:07.699 --> 01:21:09.619 or they could just be part of our insurance policy 01:21:09.619 --> 01:21:12.439 if something were to happen. Sierra shoots Ava 01:21:12.439 --> 01:21:15.140 a weird and worried look. Good call, I guess. 01:21:15.319 --> 01:21:19.369 I mean, I hope we are not in danger? Sierra nods 01:21:19.369 --> 01:21:22.010 before pointing to the walkway on top of the 01:21:22.010 --> 01:21:24.670 dam. Let's go explore that part. Oh yeah, we 01:21:24.670 --> 01:21:27.069 should. Ava says as they start walking in that 01:21:27.069 --> 01:21:29.829 direction, she continues, Remember coming here 01:21:29.829 --> 01:21:31.630 in high school and just hanging out with our 01:21:31.630 --> 01:21:34.069 friends. Those were good times, remember? Yep. 01:21:34.329 --> 01:21:37.250 Best hangout spot, Sierra smiles, closing her 01:21:37.250 --> 01:21:40.090 eyes as she thinks back to the good old high 01:21:40.090 --> 01:21:42.630 school days. With that, Ava and Sierra make their 01:21:42.630 --> 01:21:45.170 way up to the walkway over the dam, chatting 01:21:45.170 --> 01:21:47.640 about old classmates and teachers. On either 01:21:47.640 --> 01:21:50.140 side of the dam, there were small concrete buildings 01:21:50.140 --> 01:21:52.920 with small half windows. These buildings have 01:21:52.920 --> 01:21:55.380 a steel door, usually locked, and the building 01:21:55.380 --> 01:21:58.880 house controls switches and a small office area 01:21:58.880 --> 01:22:01.300 that is used for operations and maintenance of 01:22:01.300 --> 01:22:04.539 the dam. This reservoir provides water to the 01:22:04.539 --> 01:22:06.779 valleys surrounding this area and the dam controls 01:22:06.779 --> 01:22:08.579 the flow of the water at different times of the 01:22:08.579 --> 01:22:12.119 year. Suddenly, Ava spots a light coming from 01:22:12.119 --> 01:22:14.279 one of the small half windows of the closest 01:22:14.279 --> 01:22:16.750 maintenance building to the parking lot. It's 01:22:16.750 --> 01:22:19.289 not terribly bright, but Ava thinks it's unusual 01:22:19.289 --> 01:22:22.010 for it to be on at this time of the night. She's 01:22:22.010 --> 01:22:24.569 never seen workers here at this time in the past. 01:22:24.770 --> 01:22:27.630 Ava stops abruptly as they're walking. Sierra 01:22:27.630 --> 01:22:30.529 notices this and follows Ava's line of sight. 01:22:30.670 --> 01:22:33.329 She could also swear she heard something, so 01:22:33.329 --> 01:22:37.189 she asks Ava, Did you hear that? Hear what? Ava 01:22:37.189 --> 01:22:40.729 asks. You can't? Sierra says, repeating the words 01:22:40.729 --> 01:22:44.710 she hears in a hushed tone. Here, listen. I don't 01:22:44.710 --> 01:22:47.510 think so. That's even more risky. Even not. Yeah, 01:22:47.609 --> 01:22:50.250 yeah, I can, but not so clearly. Let's get closer. 01:22:50.729 --> 01:22:53.270 With that, the two girls inch closer towards 01:22:53.270 --> 01:22:55.529 the half window, which is open, though they're 01:22:55.529 --> 01:22:57.630 careful not to make too much noise in case someone 01:22:57.630 --> 01:22:59.810 heard them. They listened for a few more minutes, 01:22:59.989 --> 01:23:02.670 but the voices had become fainter and fainter 01:23:02.670 --> 01:23:05.970 until even Sierra herself couldn't hear anything. 01:23:06.729 --> 01:23:10.569 Hmm. Sierra mutters underneath her breath, wishing 01:23:10.569 --> 01:23:13.130 there was a way for them to be able to eavesdrop. 01:23:13.769 --> 01:23:16.310 Glancing around, Sierra spots a small wooden 01:23:16.310 --> 01:23:19.430 picnic table. She nods to Ava to help her and 01:23:19.430 --> 01:23:21.770 they both quickly pick the small table up and 01:23:21.770 --> 01:23:25.310 move it close to the window. The window sat higher 01:23:25.310 --> 01:23:27.529 on the side of the building and the two girls 01:23:27.529 --> 01:23:30.149 could not see into it without having something 01:23:30.149 --> 01:23:33.210 to stand on. The two girls climb on top of the 01:23:33.210 --> 01:23:35.550 picnic table and try to peek in through the window 01:23:35.550 --> 01:23:38.590 opening. They see four or five people gathered 01:23:38.590 --> 01:23:41.869 around the table, maybe three men and two women. 01:23:42.250 --> 01:23:44.569 They couldn't see very clearly because the window 01:23:44.569 --> 01:23:47.130 was dirty and cloudy and wasn't open the entire 01:23:47.130 --> 01:23:50.590 way, but they could hear their voices very clearly 01:23:50.590 --> 01:23:53.289 now. Ava quickly takes out her phone and opens 01:23:53.289 --> 01:23:56.069 a voice recording app. She and Sierra are standing 01:23:56.069 --> 01:23:58.189 there together at the open window, listening 01:23:58.189 --> 01:24:00.949 to the conversation happening inside. This is 01:24:00.949 --> 01:24:04.630 about to get interesting. Sierra sees Ava's recording 01:24:04.630 --> 01:24:07.590 app open and gives her a thumbs up. Together, 01:24:07.689 --> 01:24:09.789 they hear and record the following conversation. 01:24:10.750 --> 01:24:13.350 Don't do that. That's not smart. We might get 01:24:13.350 --> 01:24:16.449 caught, the first man says as he sits in a way 01:24:16.449 --> 01:24:18.829 at the table so his face is turned towards the 01:24:18.829 --> 01:24:22.970 open window. Right, that's true. Or, you know, 01:24:23.010 --> 01:24:25.770 we could just do away with them. Make them disappear. 01:24:25.949 --> 01:24:28.310 Make it look like an accident. A second voice 01:24:28.310 --> 01:24:31.289 brings out, deeper this time. The first man responds, 01:24:31.630 --> 01:24:34.710 What? You mean... Then he gestures, making a 01:24:34.710 --> 01:24:37.609 horizontal cut across his neck with his finger. 01:24:38.329 --> 01:24:41.050 What do you think I meant? The second voice says. 01:24:41.720 --> 01:24:45.020 Or we could deport them? The boy and the girl? 01:24:45.100 --> 01:24:47.760 They're not citizens, are they? Get their visas 01:24:47.760 --> 01:24:50.659 revoked and then threaten their families. A third 01:24:50.659 --> 01:24:53.039 voice says, and she sounds more collected and 01:24:53.039 --> 01:24:56.100 measured. That's smart, but there's no guarantee 01:24:56.100 --> 01:24:58.979 they won't slip up after some time. We can't 01:24:58.979 --> 01:25:01.760 have that. The first voice or the second voice? 01:25:02.079 --> 01:25:05.359 Sierra's not too sure. How could anyone find 01:25:05.359 --> 01:25:07.920 out? And what if someone else finds out? What 01:25:07.920 --> 01:25:10.180 are we going to do then? This is the first voice. 01:25:10.319 --> 01:25:13.149 Sierra's sure. His voice went up several octaves 01:25:13.149 --> 01:25:17.590 higher. Stop. Stop panicking, you fools. I'll 01:25:17.590 --> 01:25:19.229 tell you what to do with the foreign boy and 01:25:19.229 --> 01:25:22.649 girl. Sierra's eyebrows angled, and she exchanged 01:25:22.649 --> 01:25:26.069 puzzled glances with Ava. She could have sworn 01:25:26.069 --> 01:25:28.529 she heard that voice before. It was a little 01:25:28.529 --> 01:25:31.189 too familiar. Sierra could tell that both her 01:25:31.189 --> 01:25:33.390 and Ava were thinking the same thing at that 01:25:33.390 --> 01:25:36.250 moment, which was, could they be talking about 01:25:36.250 --> 01:25:39.350 Chen? And who is the girl they are talking about? 01:25:39.770 --> 01:25:42.689 At that moment, The corner of the small picnic 01:25:42.689 --> 01:25:45.770 table snaps off with a loud crack from the weight 01:25:45.770 --> 01:25:48.189 of the two girls standing on it. Neither Sierra 01:25:48.189 --> 01:25:51.449 nor Ava knew that the side of the tabletop was 01:25:51.449 --> 01:25:54.210 partially rotten when they decided to stand on 01:25:54.210 --> 01:26:05.829 it. Ava and Sierra quickly pick themselves up 01:26:05.829 --> 01:26:08.010 off the ground and run to the backside of the 01:26:08.010 --> 01:26:10.149 small building which faces the spillway side 01:26:10.149 --> 01:26:13.609 of the dam. There is a short five -foot drop 01:26:13.609 --> 01:26:16.050 off to the narrow ledge which runs along the 01:26:16.050 --> 01:26:19.039 entire length of the top of the dam. Below this 01:26:19.039 --> 01:26:21.979 narrow ledge is a 60 -foot drop -off almost straight 01:26:21.979 --> 01:26:24.319 down to the bottom of the spillway. Without thinking, 01:26:24.539 --> 01:26:27.079 they quickly and carefully climbed down onto 01:26:27.079 --> 01:26:29.619 the narrow ledge. They did this to hide from 01:26:29.619 --> 01:26:31.659 whoever was coming out of the building to see 01:26:31.659 --> 01:26:34.079 what the noise was. The girls have to be careful 01:26:34.079 --> 01:26:37.119 not to slip. If they did, they would fall straight 01:26:37.119 --> 01:26:39.659 down to their death. Thankfully, the wind is 01:26:39.659 --> 01:26:42.199 light and the ledge is dry. They pressed their 01:26:42.199 --> 01:26:45.979 bodies firmly against a side concrete. Ava breathes 01:26:45.979 --> 01:26:48.560 heavily, catching her breath. her feet are firmly 01:26:48.560 --> 01:26:50.520 planted on the ground and she looks at sierra 01:26:50.520 --> 01:26:53.659 look at sierra she thinks herself don't look 01:26:53.659 --> 01:26:56.670 down don't look down don't look suddenly Ava 01:26:56.670 --> 01:26:58.710 hears the sound of the people in the meeting 01:26:58.710 --> 01:27:01.310 scurrying as they walk around above them and 01:27:01.310 --> 01:27:03.369 around the building, searching for the source 01:27:03.369 --> 01:27:06.189 of the noise. Sierra presses her fingers to her 01:27:06.189 --> 01:27:09.350 lips, signaling to Ava to be quiet. She also 01:27:09.350 --> 01:27:11.909 hopes Ava knows that they have to be super still 01:27:11.909 --> 01:27:14.789 and careful not to fall as their backs and hands 01:27:14.789 --> 01:27:17.369 are pressed up against the exposed side of the 01:27:17.369 --> 01:27:20.710 spillway. Sierra grabs Ava's hands and squeezes 01:27:20.710 --> 01:27:23.850 it, almost as if saying, we can do this together, 01:27:24.050 --> 01:27:27.239 just hold on and don't move. As Ava and Syrah 01:27:27.239 --> 01:27:30.140 stand there in silence and not moving, for what 01:27:30.140 --> 01:27:32.859 seems like forever, they suddenly hear some voices 01:27:32.859 --> 01:27:36.159 from up above, not further away, maybe from the 01:27:36.159 --> 01:27:38.720 small parking lot. The individuals in the meeting 01:27:38.720 --> 01:27:41.239 sound like they're all getting into their cars, 01:27:41.359 --> 01:27:43.439 starting their engines and driving away. Ava 01:27:43.439 --> 01:27:45.859 looks at Syrah next to her and mouths the word, 01:27:45.960 --> 01:27:48.960 my car. Meanwhile, Professor Hawthorne and Ethan 01:27:48.960 --> 01:27:52.060 had wrapped up their time on Rob's Peak by exploring 01:27:52.060 --> 01:27:55.689 all three old gold mine sites. They had been 01:27:55.689 --> 01:27:57.949 on the mountain longer than intended as it was 01:27:57.949 --> 01:28:00.909 now getting dark. However, the day wasn't a total 01:28:00.909 --> 01:28:03.090 bust as the professor had made an interesting 01:28:03.090 --> 01:28:07.130 discovery in the third mine. So he thinks. After 01:28:07.130 --> 01:28:09.250 making their way back where the professor had 01:28:09.250 --> 01:28:11.789 parked his Bronco, they decided to take the south 01:28:11.789 --> 01:28:14.390 road back to town, even though it will take an 01:28:14.390 --> 01:28:17.329 extra 30 minutes. The south route back to town 01:28:17.329 --> 01:28:19.770 runs right by the reservoir where Ethan's tracking 01:28:19.770 --> 01:28:23.029 device shows Lily to be, and where Ava and Sierra 01:28:23.029 --> 01:28:25.680 most likely are as well. Professor Hawthorne 01:28:25.680 --> 01:28:28.439 tells Ethan, if your tracking device shows that 01:28:28.439 --> 01:28:30.680 Lily is still at the reservoir by the time we 01:28:30.680 --> 01:28:33.619 get there, let's stop and meet them. Maybe we 01:28:33.619 --> 01:28:36.000 can regroup and catch up on what's been happening. 01:28:36.560 --> 01:28:38.880 While driving back, Ethan keeps an eye on his 01:28:38.880 --> 01:28:41.039 device screen, which shows him that the device 01:28:41.039 --> 01:28:43.479 he put in Lily's backpack is still located at 01:28:43.479 --> 01:28:46.720 the reservoir. Ethan also notices that the vehicle 01:28:46.720 --> 01:28:48.439 behind them has been following them since they 01:28:48.439 --> 01:28:51.420 left the mountain. Ethan thinks to himself, could 01:28:51.420 --> 01:28:54.569 this vehicle be following us? Ethan's not sure 01:28:54.569 --> 01:28:56.850 if Professor Hawthorne notices the car but decides 01:28:56.850 --> 01:28:59.289 to keep it to himself, especially when the professor 01:28:59.289 --> 01:29:01.250 turns into the reservoir access road and the 01:29:01.250 --> 01:29:03.989 car behind them continues straight. The car does 01:29:03.989 --> 01:29:06.229 not follow the professor and Ethan onto the reservoir 01:29:06.229 --> 01:29:09.369 access road which leads to a parking lot by the 01:29:09.369 --> 01:29:13.149 dam. However, Ethan turns around and looks out 01:29:13.149 --> 01:29:15.170 the backside window as they turn onto the access 01:29:15.170 --> 01:29:17.210 road to get a look at the car behind them as 01:29:17.210 --> 01:29:19.970 it passes by. Ethan notices that it is black 01:29:19.970 --> 01:29:22.739 and dark blue and has a Different style license 01:29:22.739 --> 01:29:25.579 plate than a standard California tag. Finally, 01:29:25.779 --> 01:29:28.020 Professor Hawthorne and Ethan reached the reservoir 01:29:28.020 --> 01:29:31.180 parking area by the dam and spillway. According 01:29:31.180 --> 01:29:33.979 to Ethan's calculations and his tracking software, 01:29:34.119 --> 01:29:37.060 this was the area Lily was to be. The professor 01:29:37.060 --> 01:29:39.500 steers his Bronco into the small parking area 01:29:39.500 --> 01:29:41.779 and parks it near the small building next to 01:29:41.779 --> 01:29:45.420 the dam and spillway. Meanwhile, Sierra tilts 01:29:45.420 --> 01:29:48.289 her head. Eyes silently questioning Ava whether 01:29:48.289 --> 01:29:50.569 they were ready to try and climb out of this 01:29:50.569 --> 01:29:53.869 position somehow. But first, they needed to figure 01:29:53.869 --> 01:29:56.329 out if the people were gone. Ava gives her a 01:29:56.329 --> 01:29:59.350 thumbs up, nodding. Okay, phew, that was close. 01:29:59.829 --> 01:30:02.449 We can talk now. I think they're gone. Let's... 01:30:02.449 --> 01:30:07.829 Ava is cut off by the whir of a car engine that 01:30:07.829 --> 01:30:10.489 seemed to just enter the parking lot. Sierra 01:30:10.489 --> 01:30:13.699 feels chills down her spine. Oh no! She thought 01:30:13.699 --> 01:30:16.300 they were safe with the people being gone. One 01:30:16.300 --> 01:30:18.859 of the cars must have come back. Sierra takes 01:30:18.859 --> 01:30:21.479 a deep breath before succumbing to the silence 01:30:21.479 --> 01:30:25.520 again. They must be quiet. Ava and Sierra hold 01:30:25.520 --> 01:30:27.539 their breath as they hear footsteps approaching, 01:30:27.880 --> 01:30:30.880 crushing the gravel in the parking lot louder 01:30:30.880 --> 01:30:33.460 and louder. They do not hear voices at first, 01:30:33.659 --> 01:30:36.579 but as the mysterious people get closer, they're 01:30:36.579 --> 01:30:39.060 able to make out what they were saying. Something 01:30:39.060 --> 01:30:41.579 about mines and gold? Something about drones? 01:30:42.640 --> 01:30:45.819 Ava's eyebrows scrunched. Who are these people? 01:30:45.880 --> 01:30:49.399 The voices sound familiar. Sierra, as it turns 01:30:49.399 --> 01:30:52.000 out, has been trying to do the same thing, figuring 01:30:52.000 --> 01:30:55.319 out who the people were. Suddenly, Sierra whispers 01:30:55.319 --> 01:30:58.840 to Ava, I think that's Ethan and the professor. 01:30:59.300 --> 01:31:01.600 I think you're right. Ava whispers back with 01:31:01.600 --> 01:31:04.279 a smile. Taking a chance, Sierra shouts out, 01:31:04.359 --> 01:31:07.600 Ethan? Professor? We're stuck over here, on the 01:31:07.600 --> 01:31:10.220 ledge over the spillway. We can't get up ourselves. 01:31:10.539 --> 01:31:13.920 Can't you help us get up? Ethan asks the professor 01:31:13.920 --> 01:31:16.399 if he hears them. Do you hear that, professor? 01:31:16.800 --> 01:31:19.180 Ethan says to the professor. The voices sound 01:31:19.180 --> 01:31:22.020 familiar. In fact, it sounds like Sierra. Professor 01:31:22.020 --> 01:31:24.800 Hawthorne looks over at Ethan and says, I do 01:31:24.800 --> 01:31:26.659 hear that, but I can't tell where it's coming 01:31:26.659 --> 01:31:29.640 from. Follow me, Ethan says. It's coming from 01:31:29.640 --> 01:31:32.300 that building. Ethan walks towards the small 01:31:32.300 --> 01:31:34.180 building, which sits next to the den with the 01:31:34.180 --> 01:31:36.960 professor. They both notice a broken picnic table 01:31:36.960 --> 01:31:38.819 along one of the sides of the building and then 01:31:38.819 --> 01:31:42.279 hear Sierra's voice once again calling out. Hey 01:31:42.279 --> 01:31:45.840 guys, we are down here, on the ledge, Sierra 01:31:45.840 --> 01:31:48.500 says again with confidence as she is sure she 01:31:48.500 --> 01:31:51.359 recognizes Ethan's voice since she works for 01:31:51.359 --> 01:31:54.460 him every day in the cafe. Ethan cautiously moves 01:31:54.460 --> 01:31:57.000 around the backside of the building which overlooks 01:31:57.000 --> 01:31:58.939 the spillway and includes a drop -off that goes 01:31:58.939 --> 01:32:02.119 straight down almost 60 feet. Ethan looks down 01:32:02.119 --> 01:32:05.159 and sees both girls looking up at him. Professor, 01:32:05.399 --> 01:32:08.060 they're here, Ethan says to the professor as 01:32:08.060 --> 01:32:09.960 the professor rounds the corner of the building 01:32:09.960 --> 01:32:12.529 to where Ethan is standing. Professor Hawthorne 01:32:12.529 --> 01:32:15.029 immediately freezes as he is looking down at 01:32:15.029 --> 01:32:17.689 both Sierra and Ava who are standing pressed 01:32:17.689 --> 01:32:20.670 against the ledge wall with a 60 -foot drop beneath 01:32:20.670 --> 01:32:24.010 them. The following questions enter the professor's 01:32:24.010 --> 01:32:27.130 mind. How did they get themselves into this position? 01:32:27.449 --> 01:32:29.989 And more importantly, why did they climb down 01:32:29.989 --> 01:32:33.250 there? That seems like a very foolhardy thing 01:32:33.250 --> 01:32:36.310 to do. How are they going to get out if we didn't 01:32:36.310 --> 01:32:39.350 show up? And most importantly, how are they going 01:32:39.350 --> 01:32:42.380 to get out safely? Well, we found two of them. 01:32:42.619 --> 01:32:45.300 Ethan whispers to Professor Hawthorne not wanting 01:32:45.300 --> 01:32:47.800 Sierra and Ava to hear him. The professor nods 01:32:47.800 --> 01:32:49.899 back and says, we need to help them up before 01:32:49.899 --> 01:32:52.199 they slip and fall. This is a very dangerous 01:32:52.199 --> 01:32:54.960 situation and I don't want it to end up tragically. 01:32:55.199 --> 01:32:58.020 The professor goes on, we must not panic. I mean, 01:32:58.079 --> 01:33:00.720 I must not panic. We can't have them falling. 01:33:00.960 --> 01:33:03.100 The professor looks down at Sierra and Ava and 01:33:03.100 --> 01:33:05.579 says, can you turn around on the ledge slowly 01:33:05.579 --> 01:33:08.449 and reach your hands up to Ethan and I? We will 01:33:08.449 --> 01:33:11.609 grab your hands and pull you up one by one. Make 01:33:11.609 --> 01:33:13.810 sure you hold on to our hands really firmly, 01:33:13.949 --> 01:33:16.829 okay? Get a strong grip and we'll do the rest. 01:33:17.109 --> 01:33:19.409 Professor Hawthorne instructs the girls and Ethan, 01:33:19.550 --> 01:33:23.069 making sure his voice is level and calm, or at 01:33:23.069 --> 01:33:25.810 least calm enough. Do you want me to go first, 01:33:25.869 --> 01:33:30.090 Ava? Sierra asks before she remembers. Oh, you're 01:33:30.090 --> 01:33:32.710 scared of heights, aren't you? What's best for 01:33:32.710 --> 01:33:35.369 you? If you go first or if I do, I'm good with 01:33:35.369 --> 01:33:38.760 anything. Uh, Ava hesitates, internally telling 01:33:38.760 --> 01:33:41.359 herself to absolutely not look down. I'm too 01:33:41.359 --> 01:33:44.239 scared to move right now. Uh, is it okay, can 01:33:44.239 --> 01:33:47.939 you go first? Sure, of course. Sierra shoots 01:33:47.939 --> 01:33:51.119 Ava a reassuring smile, before making sure she's 01:33:51.119 --> 01:33:54.020 pressed against the ledge. Sierra slowly and 01:33:54.020 --> 01:33:56.460 carefully turns herself around so she is now 01:33:56.460 --> 01:33:59.079 facing the wall, pressed up against it firmly 01:33:59.079 --> 01:34:02.000 with both her arms raised up. With her hands 01:34:02.000 --> 01:34:04.220 and part of her arms reaching slightly above 01:34:04.220 --> 01:34:06.939 the edge of the ledge, she is thinking that safety 01:34:06.939 --> 01:34:10.239 is only seconds away. She looks up at the professor 01:34:10.239 --> 01:34:12.500 and Ethan who are standing right above her and 01:34:12.500 --> 01:34:16.140 says, I'm ready. Pull me up. Ava watches as two 01:34:16.140 --> 01:34:19.659 pairs of arms hoist Sierra up. Sierra looks confident, 01:34:19.800 --> 01:34:21.779 gripping onto the arms and holding on tight. 01:34:21.880 --> 01:34:24.840 Ava feels her heart in her throat. A blink of 01:34:24.840 --> 01:34:26.819 an eye later, Sierra is out of sight, safely 01:34:26.819 --> 01:34:29.720 off the ledge and topside. Her heart beats even 01:34:29.720 --> 01:34:32.420 more furiously. Your turn, Ava. Are you ready? 01:34:32.659 --> 01:34:35.880 Ethan shouts out. No. Ava screams inside her 01:34:35.880 --> 01:34:39.640 head. Instead, she croaks a smile. Okay. She 01:34:39.640 --> 01:34:41.680 hears her rapid breathing and in a distance, 01:34:41.819 --> 01:34:43.720 she hears Sarah shouting words of encouragement. 01:34:43.880 --> 01:34:47.100 She follows what she saw Sarah do earlier. Turn 01:34:47.100 --> 01:34:49.439 around slowly and cautiously. Raise her arms 01:34:49.439 --> 01:34:53.159 and hands up high. Ready? All right. The professor 01:34:53.159 --> 01:34:56.250 says, hold on tight. Ava swallows, channeling 01:34:56.250 --> 01:34:58.270 all her remaining strength to hold on. She lets 01:34:58.270 --> 01:35:00.510 out a scream as she feels her feet being lifted 01:35:00.510 --> 01:35:02.909 off of the ground. Her feet dangle in the air 01:35:02.909 --> 01:35:05.489 now, and in the realization, she panics. Ah, 01:35:05.750 --> 01:35:08.989 she screams, and in the haze, as all logic and 01:35:08.989 --> 01:35:11.390 reason slip into pure fright, faintly registers 01:35:11.390 --> 01:35:13.970 her sweaty palms slipping away from the grip, 01:35:14.109 --> 01:35:17.670 slowly, slowly, slowly, slipping away until Ava 01:35:17.670 --> 01:35:20.390 slides back down on the ledge, her feet barely 01:35:20.390 --> 01:35:23.680 catching again. Whew, that was too close for 01:35:23.680 --> 01:35:26.300 comfort. Let's try that again, Ava. Only this 01:35:26.300 --> 01:35:28.859 time, dry the palms of your hands off on your 01:35:28.859 --> 01:35:31.420 pants first. We got you, the professor says. 01:35:31.739 --> 01:35:34.539 Sierra can only imagine what was going on on 01:35:34.539 --> 01:35:36.880 the other side of the ledge. Remembering how 01:35:36.880 --> 01:35:39.420 scared Ava can be with heights, she remembers 01:35:39.420 --> 01:35:41.920 the technique their friends used when Ava panicked. 01:35:42.460 --> 01:35:45.720 Ava, stop! Sierra yells out. She hopes this would 01:35:45.720 --> 01:35:49.420 snap Ava out of her panic. Calm down. Listen 01:35:49.420 --> 01:35:54.039 to me, okay? Breathe in. One, two, three. Breathe 01:35:54.039 --> 01:35:58.560 out. One, two, three. Okay, good. Stay with me, 01:35:58.680 --> 01:36:01.739 Ava. Ava breathes in and out, focusing on following 01:36:01.739 --> 01:36:03.800 what Sierra tells her to do. She ignores the 01:36:03.800 --> 01:36:06.220 sensation of being in air, rising up and up in 01:36:06.220 --> 01:36:08.960 the possibility of what could have happened. 01:36:09.100 --> 01:36:10.899 No, don't think about that. She scolds herself. 01:36:11.340 --> 01:36:14.000 Instead, focusing on Sierra's clear voice, instructing 01:36:14.000 --> 01:36:16.859 her to breathe in and out. Breathe in and out. 01:36:16.920 --> 01:36:19.640 Breathe in and... You can open your eyes now, 01:36:19.739 --> 01:36:23.159 Ava, Sierra says. Good job. We're alive. Ava 01:36:23.159 --> 01:36:25.800 takes a deep breath and opens her eyes to see 01:36:25.800 --> 01:36:28.340 her standing in front of Sierra. She can tell 01:36:28.340 --> 01:36:30.920 that her feet are firmly planted on the ground 01:36:30.920 --> 01:36:33.600 once again. She tackles Sierra into a hug, thanking 01:36:33.600 --> 01:36:36.939 her for her calm voice and encouragement. She 01:36:36.939 --> 01:36:39.399 also thanks Ethan and the professor for their 01:36:39.399 --> 01:36:42.220 steady hands and for showing up when they did. 01:36:42.460 --> 01:36:44.699 Professor Hawthorne says, I'm really, really 01:36:44.699 --> 01:36:47.300 glad Ethan and I found you out here tonight and 01:36:47.300 --> 01:36:49.520 that everything went well. Otherwise, I don't 01:36:49.520 --> 01:36:51.199 know if I would have been able to live with, 01:36:51.449 --> 01:36:54.909 What thankfully didn't happen. Ethan agrees and 01:36:54.909 --> 01:36:56.869 is standing there in silence as he's coming down 01:36:56.869 --> 01:36:59.149 from the adrenaline rush that's still pumping 01:36:59.149 --> 01:37:01.970 through his veins. All right, he glances back 01:37:01.970 --> 01:37:04.409 again to check that Sierra and Ava are safe and 01:37:04.409 --> 01:37:07.210 says, Is Lily on the ledge as well? I didn't 01:37:07.210 --> 01:37:11.409 see her. Sierra's eyes grow wide. What do you 01:37:11.409 --> 01:37:15.130 mean, Professor? Lily's not with us. Ava's a 01:37:15.130 --> 01:37:17.770 little shaken from earlier, but manages to ask, 01:37:18.029 --> 01:37:21.579 Wait, why did you think Lily was with us? Professor 01:37:21.579 --> 01:37:25.260 Holden looks at Ethan as if expectantly. A few 01:37:25.260 --> 01:37:27.739 seconds later, Ethan feels the gaze of Sierra 01:37:27.739 --> 01:37:31.739 and Ava on him too. Uh, he says, I can explain. 01:37:32.359 --> 01:37:34.840 In a few words, he explains how the day before, 01:37:34.899 --> 01:37:37.039 he had slipped one of the small paperclip tracking 01:37:37.039 --> 01:37:39.000 devices into Lily's bag without thinking much 01:37:39.000 --> 01:37:41.560 about it. He only wanted to test out the range 01:37:41.560 --> 01:37:43.659 of the device, since they'd agreed that Lily 01:37:43.659 --> 01:37:46.100 would go to the college and Ethan and the professor 01:37:46.100 --> 01:37:49.060 would go to Rob's peak. He then went on to tell 01:37:49.060 --> 01:37:51.479 them how later on, He received a notification 01:37:51.479 --> 01:37:53.939 from the tracking device once he had gotten service 01:37:53.939 --> 01:37:56.979 on the mountain. The notification from his tracking 01:37:56.979 --> 01:37:59.720 software showed Lily's location to be here at 01:37:59.720 --> 01:38:02.479 the reservoir. Ethan then said that he told the 01:38:02.479 --> 01:38:05.180 professor about it and that they both then assumed 01:38:05.180 --> 01:38:07.199 that Lily must be with Ava and Sierra at the 01:38:07.199 --> 01:38:11.479 same place. Together, Sierra and Ava, oh, in 01:38:11.479 --> 01:38:14.340 understanding. Before Sierra asked, so where 01:38:14.340 --> 01:38:16.939 is Lily then? Does your software show she's here 01:38:16.939 --> 01:38:19.560 somewhere? Ethan pulls out his phone and opens 01:38:19.560 --> 01:38:22.000 up his tracking software, and a map of the area 01:38:22.000 --> 01:38:24.880 around the reservoir appears. The map shows a 01:38:24.880 --> 01:38:28.279 blinking red dot, showing Lily's location. Ethan 01:38:28.279 --> 01:38:30.079 then says while pointing to the map on the device 01:38:30.079 --> 01:38:33.439 screen, According to the tracking device, Lily 01:38:33.439 --> 01:38:36.340 is here, a little to our right. They all glance 01:38:36.340 --> 01:38:38.880 up, to the right, following Ethan's line of sight. 01:38:39.000 --> 01:38:41.579 The small utility building that the people had 01:38:41.579 --> 01:38:44.310 been in earlier stood there. Ava, feeling much 01:38:44.310 --> 01:38:46.569 better now, rushes to the metal doors to entrance 01:38:46.569 --> 01:38:49.689 to the small building. The others follow. Alright, 01:38:49.829 --> 01:38:52.770 we should be safe to go in, Ava says. That said, 01:38:52.970 --> 01:38:55.710 Ava pushes the metal doors as they slowly creak 01:38:55.710 --> 01:39:07.550 to open. Together, the group moves into the small 01:39:07.550 --> 01:39:09.970 space, which is now only dimly lit by the moonlight 01:39:09.970 --> 01:39:11.829 coming in through the small side of the half 01:39:11.829 --> 01:39:14.340 window. They quickly scan the room while calling 01:39:14.340 --> 01:39:16.939 out Lily's name. Lily, where are you? Are you 01:39:16.939 --> 01:39:19.779 in here? Ava says with some hesitancy as she 01:39:19.779 --> 01:39:22.899 looks around. Ava recognizes the meeting table 01:39:22.899 --> 01:39:25.039 and the chairs that had been used up earlier 01:39:25.039 --> 01:39:27.479 by the secret group who was meeting in the first 01:39:27.479 --> 01:39:30.800 place. She also spots the chair that the mysterious 01:39:30.800 --> 01:39:33.000 person sat in, the one whose face they couldn't 01:39:33.000 --> 01:39:35.159 see because of the angle of the window. With 01:39:35.159 --> 01:39:38.810 every growing second, Sierra's worry grows. Where 01:39:38.810 --> 01:39:41.029 could Lily possibly be, she thinks to herself. 01:39:41.369 --> 01:39:44.090 The room is small, no other doors or spaces to 01:39:44.090 --> 01:39:46.529 hide, just a square room with some utility panels 01:39:46.529 --> 01:39:49.890 on the wall and the table and chairs. Lily was 01:39:49.890 --> 01:39:53.149 obviously not in the small room. Sierra thinks 01:39:53.149 --> 01:39:56.170 to herself, this doesn't make any sense. Maybe 01:39:56.170 --> 01:39:58.369 the tracking device is not working properly, 01:39:58.510 --> 01:40:01.210 or maybe Lily is there around the building somewhere 01:40:01.210 --> 01:40:03.989 and can't hear them. What if she's unconscious? 01:40:04.550 --> 01:40:08.109 Or worse, what if she is... Sierra's thoughts 01:40:08.109 --> 01:40:10.890 spiral down and she knows it. This often happens 01:40:10.890 --> 01:40:14.010 when she's worried or anxious. There's got to 01:40:14.010 --> 01:40:16.229 be a switch that turns on the light, she thinks. 01:40:16.649 --> 01:40:19.689 Now where can that be, she whispers to herself. 01:40:20.250 --> 01:40:23.510 She fumbles against the wall until her hand finds 01:40:23.510 --> 01:40:26.590 the switch. The light flickers on thanks to the 01:40:26.590 --> 01:40:29.170 one fluorescent light bulb hanging from the ceiling 01:40:29.170 --> 01:40:32.670 above the table. Now, scan the roof for anything 01:40:32.670 --> 01:40:35.689 that could tell you where Lily is. She sees it. 01:40:35.789 --> 01:40:38.170 Lily's backpack. She sees the backpack sitting 01:40:38.170 --> 01:40:40.529 on the floor in the back corner of the room and 01:40:40.529 --> 01:40:44.090 quickly walks over to it and picks it up. Lily's 01:40:44.090 --> 01:40:47.569 backpack, Ethan exclaims. Ethan walks over to 01:40:47.569 --> 01:40:49.890 Sierra, who is holding the backpack, and reaches 01:40:49.890 --> 01:40:53.029 into the side pocket and says, Here it is. This 01:40:53.029 --> 01:40:55.289 is the tracking device I put in yesterday. It 01:40:55.289 --> 01:40:59.050 works just fine. Where's Lily, though? Sierra's 01:40:59.050 --> 01:41:01.289 voice shakes a little as she looks up at the 01:41:01.289 --> 01:41:04.310 others who are standing there. Ava is still squinting 01:41:04.310 --> 01:41:06.289 from the bright fluorescent lights as she says, 01:41:06.810 --> 01:41:10.649 Lily's not here, but her backpack is here. Ava 01:41:10.649 --> 01:41:12.890 frowns, her mind immediately piecing together 01:41:12.890 --> 01:41:16.029 the puzzle. Oh no, the people who are meeting 01:41:16.029 --> 01:41:18.970 in here have her. Oh, the Chen. We heard them 01:41:18.970 --> 01:41:21.770 talking about it and recorded it. Hold on, what 01:41:21.770 --> 01:41:24.590 people from before? Professor Hawthorne takes 01:41:24.590 --> 01:41:27.850 a step back. Ava explains how they saw the government 01:41:27.850 --> 01:41:30.609 issued cars and they heard voices eavesdropping 01:41:30.609 --> 01:41:33.430 on a secret meeting between several people. The 01:41:33.430 --> 01:41:35.529 picnic table, the loud noise from the broken 01:41:35.529 --> 01:41:38.010 picnic table. The people coming out to investigate 01:41:38.010 --> 01:41:40.850 and why she and Sierra had to be rescued from 01:41:40.850 --> 01:41:44.069 the ledge. Oh, wow, the professor says. I was 01:41:44.069 --> 01:41:46.310 going to ask you both how you ended up on that 01:41:46.310 --> 01:41:49.050 steep ledge but got caught up worrying about 01:41:49.050 --> 01:41:51.989 Lily and if she had fallen. And now everything 01:41:51.989 --> 01:41:54.890 has just happened so fast. It's starting to make 01:41:54.890 --> 01:41:57.449 some sense now. Do you remember what they were 01:41:57.449 --> 01:42:00.449 saying? Were you able to see who they were? Ethan 01:42:00.449 --> 01:42:02.689 asks. He had been quiet for a while, thinking 01:42:02.689 --> 01:42:05.220 about... The day's events, I'm wondering how 01:42:05.220 --> 01:42:08.300 compared to today, yesterday had been so uneventful. 01:42:08.760 --> 01:42:11.979 Ava nods. She then glances over at Sierra. Sierra 01:42:11.979 --> 01:42:14.579 could not stop pacing back and forth in her worry 01:42:14.579 --> 01:42:16.920 for Lily. Ava touches Sierra's shoulder, saying, 01:42:17.060 --> 01:42:19.159 Sierra, I know you're worried, we all are, but 01:42:19.159 --> 01:42:21.680 right now freaking out isn't going to help. How 01:42:21.680 --> 01:42:23.800 about we play the recordings we took and then 01:42:23.800 --> 01:42:26.199 maybe the conversation will tell us where they 01:42:26.199 --> 01:42:28.199 could have taken Lily and possibly Chen too. 01:42:29.079 --> 01:42:31.840 Sierra nods and sits down on one of the chairs 01:42:31.840 --> 01:42:34.579 at the table. The others do the same. All right, 01:42:34.640 --> 01:42:37.180 Ava says, pulling up the recording app and suddenly 01:42:37.180 --> 01:42:39.880 feeling a shot of gratitude for having thoughts 01:42:39.880 --> 01:42:42.500 to record the conversation before pressing play. 01:42:42.659 --> 01:42:45.079 Here we go. This is what we heard. Professor 01:42:45.079 --> 01:42:47.420 Hawthorne looks down at the table as he listens 01:42:47.420 --> 01:42:50.340 intently to the recording. He then looks up and 01:42:50.340 --> 01:42:53.279 freezes when he hears a very familiar voice and 01:42:53.279 --> 01:42:56.479 blurts out, no way. Ava pauses the recording, 01:42:56.720 --> 01:42:59.500 asking, what? That's Professor Sharpton from 01:42:59.500 --> 01:43:01.899 the science department at the college. where 01:43:01.899 --> 01:43:05.119 at least that sounds just like him. In fact, 01:43:05.140 --> 01:43:08.020 I'm sure it's his voice. I'd put money on it, 01:43:08.079 --> 01:43:10.880 Professor Hawthorne explains. Sierra exchanges 01:43:10.880 --> 01:43:14.319 glances with Ava, before both of them respond, 01:43:14.699 --> 01:43:18.880 Oh, that's why. No wonder they thought that voice 01:43:18.880 --> 01:43:21.279 sounded familiar when they heard it. They had 01:43:21.279 --> 01:43:23.800 run into Professor Sharpton two days ago while 01:43:23.800 --> 01:43:26.449 looking for Chen at the college. Both Sierra 01:43:26.449 --> 01:43:29.250 and Ava now realize this is the man who was sitting 01:43:29.250 --> 01:43:31.609 in the chair below the window and whose face 01:43:31.609 --> 01:43:34.550 they were not able to see. This was Professor 01:43:34.550 --> 01:43:37.350 Sharpton. Professor Hawthorne could not believe 01:43:37.350 --> 01:43:40.670 his ears. Quite literally, dumbfounded, he says, 01:43:40.890 --> 01:43:45.329 What? There's no way. He's one of my oldest friends 01:43:45.329 --> 01:43:47.850 at the college. He's the chair of the science 01:43:47.850 --> 01:43:50.550 department. We've worked together for years. 01:43:51.069 --> 01:43:55.069 This is impossible. This has got to be a mistake. 01:43:55.689 --> 01:43:58.350 I just can't believe it. Professor Hawthorne 01:43:58.350 --> 01:44:01.069 explains, his voice getting louder and louder 01:44:01.069 --> 01:44:04.409 into a shout. Professor, Ava says, turning to 01:44:04.409 --> 01:44:08.750 face him. I understand your disbelief, but why 01:44:08.750 --> 01:44:11.329 are you defending him? What do you mean by that, 01:44:11.329 --> 01:44:14.970 Ava? Professor Hawthorne asks. Why do you refuse 01:44:14.970 --> 01:44:16.930 to believe he's involved in this? It's clearly 01:44:16.930 --> 01:44:18.710 his voice. It's almost like you're trying to 01:44:18.710 --> 01:44:20.909 defend him, Ava rushes, feeling the adrenaline 01:44:20.909 --> 01:44:23.350 the way she usually does when she's on the brink 01:44:23.350 --> 01:44:26.020 of another discovery. What else are you hiding, 01:44:26.100 --> 01:44:29.539 Professor? What? Where is this coming from? What 01:44:29.539 --> 01:44:31.739 would I have to hide, Professor Hawthorne says, 01:44:31.960 --> 01:44:34.239 overwhelmed with the thought of one of his closest 01:44:34.239 --> 01:44:36.479 work colleagues being mixed up with something 01:44:36.479 --> 01:44:40.720 like this, lying, kidnapping, and who knows what 01:44:40.720 --> 01:44:45.020 else. Ava, calm down a little, Sierra says, before 01:44:45.020 --> 01:44:47.880 turning to the Professor, gently explaining what 01:44:47.880 --> 01:44:50.939 Ava was getting at. Yesterday at the cafe, you 01:44:50.939 --> 01:44:53.319 brought the manuscript with you, and you could 01:44:53.319 --> 01:44:56.060 have just easily given the manuscript to Lily. 01:44:56.260 --> 01:44:58.680 He knew the way to Rob's Peak, so you didn't 01:44:58.680 --> 01:45:01.199 really need the map. We were thinking about why 01:45:01.199 --> 01:45:03.279 you wanted to take the manuscript with you there. 01:45:03.720 --> 01:45:06.239 Right, and if your bag hadn't fallen on the ground 01:45:06.239 --> 01:45:08.439 with its contents spilling out, would you have 01:45:08.439 --> 01:45:11.380 shown us the manuscript? Besides, why did you 01:45:11.380 --> 01:45:13.119 have the manuscript with you in the first place? 01:45:13.159 --> 01:45:16.449 Ava asks one question after another. Ava and 01:45:16.449 --> 01:45:19.250 Sierra, you can't possibly be suggesting that 01:45:19.250 --> 01:45:21.529 Professor Hawthorne is a part of whatever this 01:45:21.529 --> 01:45:25.329 is, are you? Ethan asks. Silas fills the room. 01:45:25.590 --> 01:45:28.449 They were all looking at each other. Here, I 01:45:28.449 --> 01:45:30.590 can vouch for him. If he didn't want us to know 01:45:30.590 --> 01:45:32.310 that it was Sharptent who was speaking on the 01:45:32.310 --> 01:45:34.170 recording, he wouldn't have mentioned the name 01:45:34.170 --> 01:45:37.109 in the first place, right? Besides, on our way 01:45:37.109 --> 01:45:39.550 here, he was calling the sheriff to report Chen's 01:45:39.550 --> 01:45:42.109 disappearance. If he was involved in Chen's and 01:45:42.109 --> 01:45:44.310 now Lily's disappearance, he wouldn't have done 01:45:44.310 --> 01:45:47.890 that, would he? Oh, Ava says quietly before turning 01:45:47.890 --> 01:45:50.630 to the professor. Professor, I'm really sorry 01:45:50.630 --> 01:45:53.670 for accusing you of being involved in that. I 01:45:53.670 --> 01:45:56.010 know that when I get heated, I tend to jump to 01:45:56.010 --> 01:45:58.470 conclusions, even though my job is all about 01:45:58.470 --> 01:46:01.949 finding evidence before making any claims. Though, 01:46:02.090 --> 01:46:04.989 it's always been in my nature to be skeptical 01:46:04.989 --> 01:46:07.789 of everything, and just about everyone, too. 01:46:07.989 --> 01:46:10.430 Still, though, I'm working on it. Sorry again, 01:46:10.550 --> 01:46:13.279 professor. That's okay, Ava. I can understand 01:46:13.279 --> 01:46:15.760 from your perspective, the professor says before 01:46:15.760 --> 01:46:19.039 realizing something. Hold on. Is that why you 01:46:19.039 --> 01:46:21.340 and Sierra didn't tell us you were exploring 01:46:21.340 --> 01:46:23.920 the reservoir today? Because you were suspicious 01:46:23.920 --> 01:46:27.720 of me? Ava exchanges glances with Sierra before 01:46:27.720 --> 01:46:31.119 admitting yes to the professor's question. That 01:46:31.119 --> 01:46:34.500 was the reason why Ava responds. Hmm, I see. 01:46:34.699 --> 01:46:37.750 And that makes sense, I suppose. Hopefully I've 01:46:37.750 --> 01:46:40.090 earned your trust by now, and I haven't forgotten 01:46:40.090 --> 01:46:43.270 that you do work for the B and assume you are 01:46:43.270 --> 01:46:45.989 working on a story as we speak, the professor 01:46:45.989 --> 01:46:49.130 responds. Ava quickly changes the subject and 01:46:49.130 --> 01:46:52.729 asks, Ethan mentioned you called the sheriff's 01:46:52.729 --> 01:46:55.630 office to report Trin's disappearance. How did 01:46:55.630 --> 01:46:58.090 that go? The professor responds, well, to be 01:46:58.090 --> 01:47:00.630 honest, he didn't seem to be troubled by it, 01:47:00.649 --> 01:47:04.000 almost like it was no big deal. By contrast, 01:47:04.180 --> 01:47:06.560 our town had a missing persons case last fall 01:47:06.560 --> 01:47:08.619 when a woman went missing for about a week or 01:47:08.619 --> 01:47:11.359 so. The sheriff's department was all over it 01:47:11.359 --> 01:47:14.340 within 24 hours, followed up by a daily news 01:47:14.340 --> 01:47:16.279 briefings as they coordinated with the mayor's 01:47:16.279 --> 01:47:19.539 office. The woman was finally located safe and 01:47:19.539 --> 01:47:21.920 sound at one of her family's homes outside the 01:47:21.920 --> 01:47:24.979 county. It turns out it was all a big misunderstanding. 01:47:25.640 --> 01:47:27.960 So to answer your question, the sheriff's response 01:47:27.960 --> 01:47:31.460 was not what I expected. Maybe he's just being 01:47:31.460 --> 01:47:33.560 a little cautious so as not to repeat another 01:47:33.560 --> 01:47:37.119 media blitz without proof. He listened and jotted 01:47:37.119 --> 01:47:39.539 down the information I gave to him about Chen 01:47:39.539 --> 01:47:42.500 and then thanked me. Said he would look into 01:47:42.500 --> 01:47:46.119 it. That was it. Honestly, I'm not even surprised, 01:47:46.500 --> 01:47:49.220 Sierra says. I'm only worried this means that 01:47:49.220 --> 01:47:52.359 Chen, whoever he is, isn't getting the help he 01:47:52.359 --> 01:47:55.619 needs. And now what about Lily? According to 01:47:55.619 --> 01:47:57.840 what we heard from this group meeting here, they 01:47:57.840 --> 01:48:01.560 both have been taken. Sierra continues, Professor, 01:48:01.859 --> 01:48:04.220 should we call the sheriff back and ask if we 01:48:04.220 --> 01:48:06.560 can come see him and bring the recording this 01:48:06.560 --> 01:48:09.520 evening? We need to report Lily's disappearance 01:48:09.520 --> 01:48:12.619 now as well in the evidence what we heard and 01:48:12.619 --> 01:48:15.800 saw. It all points to something larger, something 01:48:15.800 --> 01:48:18.859 that doesn't really make sense. Ava and I took 01:48:18.859 --> 01:48:20.960 several photos of the group's license plates 01:48:20.960 --> 01:48:23.779 earlier. We could give the sheriff all of our 01:48:23.779 --> 01:48:26.020 findings and let them handle it from here on 01:48:26.020 --> 01:48:28.619 out. Ava could tell Professor Hawthorne was thinking 01:48:28.619 --> 01:48:31.239 as he did not respond to Sierra's question right 01:48:31.239 --> 01:48:33.720 away, so she offered another option that may 01:48:33.720 --> 01:48:36.659 allow them to gather more proof information without 01:48:36.659 --> 01:48:40.199 tipping anyone else off. Ava had very much gone 01:48:40.199 --> 01:48:43.119 into her investigation zone and was secretly 01:48:43.119 --> 01:48:45.800 wanting this unfolding mystery to be big. She 01:48:45.800 --> 01:48:48.390 was concerned for the two missing people. but 01:48:48.390 --> 01:48:51.050 she did not know them personally, so much of 01:48:51.050 --> 01:48:53.850 her motivation was taken or was driven by the 01:48:53.850 --> 01:48:55.970 need to solve this mystery and write a great 01:48:55.970 --> 01:48:58.569 set of articles for the Bee. Ava speaks up before 01:48:58.569 --> 01:49:00.869 Professor Hawthorne could respond to Sierra's 01:49:00.869 --> 01:49:03.609 question, or we could wait until tomorrow to 01:49:03.609 --> 01:49:05.710 contact the sheriff. This would give me time 01:49:05.710 --> 01:49:08.229 to have my colleague at the Bee look up the license 01:49:08.229 --> 01:49:10.729 plates we took photos of tonight. It seems the 01:49:10.729 --> 01:49:12.590 people meeting here tonight assumed there would 01:49:12.590 --> 01:49:15.220 be no other people here. Otherwise, they would 01:49:15.220 --> 01:49:17.680 have probably chosen a different location and 01:49:17.680 --> 01:49:19.960 not have driven their own cars. What do we know 01:49:19.960 --> 01:49:23.380 so far? Sierra interjects, Chen and Lily are 01:49:23.380 --> 01:49:26.159 missing, presumed kidnapped by this group or 01:49:26.159 --> 01:49:28.939 someone associated with this group. And Professor 01:49:28.939 --> 01:49:31.460 Sharpton was in the meeting tonight and did not 01:49:31.460 --> 01:49:34.920 sound very happy. Ethan then chimes in, Lily 01:49:34.920 --> 01:49:36.899 was going to the science lab at the college earlier 01:49:36.899 --> 01:49:38.859 today to work on the formula Chen had written 01:49:38.859 --> 01:49:41.630 on his notes of Professor Hawthorne. The same 01:49:41.630 --> 01:49:44.770 lab that Professor Sharpton oversees. And there 01:49:44.770 --> 01:49:46.850 are two sets of coordinates that lead to two 01:49:46.850 --> 01:49:48.590 different locations that seem to be connected 01:49:48.590 --> 01:49:52.550 somehow. The reservoir and Rob's Peak. And the 01:49:52.550 --> 01:49:55.170 coordinates were coded using the old Chinese 01:49:55.170 --> 01:49:58.029 telegraphic code system. We seem to be missing 01:49:58.029 --> 01:50:00.289 something. Something that connects these things 01:50:00.289 --> 01:50:03.020 together. The professor had been looking up at 01:50:03.020 --> 01:50:05.479 the half window as he was listening to the group's 01:50:05.479 --> 01:50:08.000 conversation, still thinking and contemplating 01:50:08.000 --> 01:50:10.859 on what to do regarding Chen and now Lily's disappearance. 01:50:11.399 --> 01:50:14.279 He is still very upset at what he had heard on 01:50:14.279 --> 01:50:16.800 the recording, and especially knowing that the 01:50:16.800 --> 01:50:20.579 voice he recognized was Professor Sharpton. It 01:50:20.579 --> 01:50:23.739 sounded sinister and dark, a tone in the voice 01:50:23.739 --> 01:50:26.140 of Professor Sharpton that Hawthorne had never 01:50:26.140 --> 01:50:29.140 heard before. Professor Hawthorne looks back 01:50:29.140 --> 01:50:32.460 down at the group and interjects, Ethan, you 01:50:32.460 --> 01:50:35.079 forgot that we discovered something in mine site 01:50:35.079 --> 01:50:38.220 number three today on Rob's Peak. Something that 01:50:38.220 --> 01:50:41.140 I had never seen before around here, a substance 01:50:41.140 --> 01:50:44.619 in the rock face. And the padlock was cut, which 01:50:44.619 --> 01:50:47.300 gave us access to enter the mine, which is usually 01:50:47.300 --> 01:50:50.479 not the case. I also noticed other footprints 01:50:50.479 --> 01:50:53.979 in the dirt, and they seemed fairly recent. Maybe 01:50:53.979 --> 01:50:57.399 just a coincidence? I think not. We should consider 01:50:57.399 --> 01:51:00.899 that all this is connected somehow. As the professor 01:51:00.899 --> 01:51:02.899 is still talking, he pulls out the manuscript 01:51:02.899 --> 01:51:05.460 and spreads some of its pages onto the table 01:51:05.460 --> 01:51:09.859 in front of the group. As the professor is thumbing 01:51:09.859 --> 01:51:12.020 through different pages of the manuscript, Ethan 01:51:12.020 --> 01:51:14.159 looks around with a slight smirk on his face 01:51:14.159 --> 01:51:17.159 and says, Guys, it's kind of weird how we're 01:51:17.159 --> 01:51:19.140 having our own secret meeting in the same room 01:51:19.140 --> 01:51:21.699 the other group had their secret meeting a minute 01:51:21.699 --> 01:51:24.500 ago. So weird. It's like the bad guys meeting 01:51:24.500 --> 01:51:27.479 and the good guys meeting. Ava glances at Ethan 01:51:27.479 --> 01:51:30.680 with a smile and says, yep, definitely going 01:51:30.680 --> 01:51:33.779 to use that in my story. Ava then asks the professor, 01:51:34.119 --> 01:51:36.479 what are we looking for in these manuscripts 01:51:36.479 --> 01:51:39.699 pages? Before answering Ava's question, the professor 01:51:39.699 --> 01:51:42.439 says, I think they closed the reservoir's access 01:51:42.439 --> 01:51:45.399 road gate at midnight, so we need to hurry as 01:51:45.399 --> 01:51:48.460 it's already almost 1130. The professor sends 01:51:48.460 --> 01:51:51.000 a quick text message to his wife, letting her 01:51:51.000 --> 01:51:53.079 know he is still out and will be coming home 01:51:53.079 --> 01:51:56.020 soon. Not wanting to alarm her of what the group 01:51:56.020 --> 01:51:58.600 had discovered, he leaves out all the details 01:51:58.600 --> 01:52:01.579 and why he will be later than what he had told 01:52:01.579 --> 01:52:04.159 her earlier. The professor then looks up at the 01:52:04.159 --> 01:52:06.520 group and says, OK, the manuscript is not that 01:52:06.520 --> 01:52:09.479 long, about 120 pages or so. If we divide up 01:52:09.479 --> 01:52:12.319 the pages, it'll go a lot faster. And if I remove 01:52:12.319 --> 01:52:14.779 the pages that contain irrelevant lists of materials 01:52:14.779 --> 01:52:17.539 and supplies, the local shops carried at that 01:52:17.539 --> 01:52:20.539 time and the drawn maps of the three mines on 01:52:20.539 --> 01:52:23.430 Rob's Peak. then we are down to about 80 pages 01:52:23.430 --> 01:52:26.510 total. So let's divide up the remaining 80 pages, 01:52:26.550 --> 01:52:29.770 20 pages or so, give or take, for each person 01:52:29.770 --> 01:52:32.949 and go from there. The professor continues, scan 01:52:32.949 --> 01:52:35.869 each page as quickly as possible. We are looking 01:52:35.869 --> 01:52:38.090 for anything that seems out of the ordinary, 01:52:38.390 --> 01:52:41.270 information that may seem important to what we 01:52:41.270 --> 01:52:44.649 already know, like formulas, mentions of minerals 01:52:44.649 --> 01:52:48.829 or substances, gold, or names and or places we 01:52:48.829 --> 01:52:51.840 don't already know about. I looked at this manuscript 01:52:51.840 --> 01:52:54.479 several years ago, but I didn't study it thoroughly 01:52:54.479 --> 01:52:56.720 enough at that time to remember every detail. 01:52:57.180 --> 01:52:59.520 So, with the knowledge we already have, it's 01:52:59.520 --> 01:53:01.899 important we look for more clues in these pages. 01:53:02.300 --> 01:53:04.760 There's a reason this was never published, and 01:53:04.760 --> 01:53:08.460 maybe we can discover why. The group gets to 01:53:08.460 --> 01:53:11.220 work. A short while later, Sierra speaks up. 01:53:11.340 --> 01:53:14.239 I think I found something interesting. At least 01:53:14.239 --> 01:53:16.739 as interesting to me as I've not heard of this 01:53:16.739 --> 01:53:20.029 before, and I grew up in Coloma. Sierra puts 01:53:20.029 --> 01:53:22.250 the page on the table and points to the paragraph 01:53:22.250 --> 01:53:25.189 in the middle of the page and says, This paragraph 01:53:25.189 --> 01:53:28.770 has mention of a network of tunnels in and around 01:53:28.770 --> 01:53:31.350 Sutter's Mill. It also states that these tunnels 01:53:31.350 --> 01:53:34.170 were used to store significant amounts of gold 01:53:34.170 --> 01:53:36.329 that was discovered during the height of the 01:53:36.329 --> 01:53:41.069 gold rush in 1849. Sierra continues, This information 01:53:41.069 --> 01:53:44.189 is contained in only two sentences on this page, 01:53:44.270 --> 01:53:47.659 and the ink is quite faded. I mean, at least 01:53:47.659 --> 01:53:50.260 I think that is what the sentences say. Someone 01:53:50.260 --> 01:53:52.319 else can check the writing and see if that is 01:53:52.319 --> 01:53:55.140 what is actually written there. Ava grabs the 01:53:55.140 --> 01:53:57.140 page and looks at the paragraphs Sierra is pointing 01:53:57.140 --> 01:54:01.579 to and says, Yep, that's what it says. Hmm, this 01:54:01.579 --> 01:54:04.479 just got even more interesting. Kidnappings, 01:54:04.479 --> 01:54:07.260 a secret group, and now a network of tunnels. 01:54:07.939 --> 01:54:10.579 I grew up in Coloma as well and I've never heard 01:54:10.579 --> 01:54:13.460 of this network of tunnels. Very interesting 01:54:13.460 --> 01:54:15.659 to say the least, Professor Hawthorne responds. 01:54:16.300 --> 01:54:19.000 If this is true, which I have no reason to believe 01:54:19.000 --> 01:54:22.119 otherwise, my guess is that someone does not 01:54:22.119 --> 01:54:24.939 want these tunnels to be discovered. I've never 01:54:24.939 --> 01:54:27.699 heard of these tunnels either, nor have I heard 01:54:27.699 --> 01:54:29.819 of anyone at the college having knowledge of 01:54:29.819 --> 01:54:32.899 these tunnels. Eton speaks up. I may have found 01:54:32.899 --> 01:54:34.840 a connection to the Chinese symbols that were 01:54:34.840 --> 01:54:36.960 used on Chen's note on the margin of one of the 01:54:36.960 --> 01:54:39.699 pages on the manuscript etched into the walls 01:54:39.699 --> 01:54:43.079 of the mine. Really? The professor asks. Ethan 01:54:43.079 --> 01:54:45.760 goes on. This page mentions that there were two 01:54:45.760 --> 01:54:47.960 brothers from China who came to America around 01:54:47.960 --> 01:54:52.279 1847, maybe to work on a railroad or to be daily 01:54:52.279 --> 01:54:55.979 birds of some sort. Ethan continues. The next 01:54:55.979 --> 01:54:57.659 paragraph reveals that the two brothers from 01:54:57.659 --> 01:54:59.819 China found work under the supervision of a man 01:54:59.819 --> 01:55:03.220 called James W. Marshall. Mr. Marshall, so it 01:55:03.220 --> 01:55:05.600 seems, was tasked with building a sawmill near 01:55:05.600 --> 01:55:08.720 a riverfront on the property of a man named Johan 01:55:08.720 --> 01:55:13.199 A. Sutter. Ethan stops for a moment and looks 01:55:13.199 --> 01:55:16.319 up at the group, and then continues. My assumption 01:55:16.319 --> 01:55:18.939 is that the river mentioned is the American River 01:55:18.939 --> 01:55:22.840 as we know it, which runs right through the heart 01:55:22.840 --> 01:55:26.220 of Colombo, and the Solomon Mansion is Sutter's 01:55:26.220 --> 01:55:30.640 Mill, where the first gold was discovered. Okay, 01:55:30.779 --> 01:55:32.779 this is starting to make a lot more sense, the 01:55:32.779 --> 01:55:35.520 professor says. This information is not known 01:55:35.520 --> 01:55:37.619 to any of the historians who have studied and 01:55:37.619 --> 01:55:40.020 published books about the Great Gold Rush. It's 01:55:40.020 --> 01:55:42.520 not my expertise, but I have read some of those 01:55:42.520 --> 01:55:45.239 books. The Two Brothers from China, A Network 01:55:45.239 --> 01:55:47.619 of Tunnels, only one of the three mine sites 01:55:47.619 --> 01:55:49.859 that seem to produce gold. The Golded Chinese 01:55:49.859 --> 01:55:52.680 Characters, but how does this connect to the 01:55:52.680 --> 01:55:55.840 reservoir then? Also, I found a substance in 01:55:55.840 --> 01:55:58.479 one of the shafts of the third mine that I couldn't 01:55:58.479 --> 01:56:01.739 identify. I collected a small sample. I need 01:56:01.739 --> 01:56:04.100 to get it tested. Ava jumps in with something 01:56:04.100 --> 01:56:07.439 she found. This page I have must come after one 01:56:07.439 --> 01:56:11.000 of Ethan's pages, as it also mentions some information 01:56:11.000 --> 01:56:13.359 about the two Chinese brothers. This paragraph 01:56:13.359 --> 01:56:15.800 says that the two brothers, after they found 01:56:15.800 --> 01:56:18.500 gold flakes discovered at their sawmill building 01:56:18.500 --> 01:56:21.239 site, the two brothers built a small cabin on 01:56:21.239 --> 01:56:23.840 Rob's Peak overlooking the valleys below. It 01:56:23.840 --> 01:56:26.460 goes on and says that between the work contracts, 01:56:26.659 --> 01:56:29.199 the two brothers would spend a lot of time on 01:56:29.199 --> 01:56:32.329 Rob's Peak. Maybe they were hoping to strike 01:56:32.329 --> 01:56:34.050 a bridge as well so they wouldn't have to keep 01:56:34.050 --> 01:56:36.649 working for someone else, Ethan says. The professor 01:56:36.649 --> 01:56:39.409 then interjects, and at that time, back then, 01:56:39.590 --> 01:56:42.250 this reservoir did not exist. The place where 01:56:42.250 --> 01:56:45.050 we are now sitting was part of the valley region. 01:56:45.470 --> 01:56:48.149 This dam, the spillway, and this reservoir lake 01:56:48.149 --> 01:56:51.130 was not here. This all came about after the gold 01:56:51.130 --> 01:56:53.689 rush. However, during the gold rush, these valleys 01:56:53.689 --> 01:56:56.409 were full of makeshift campsites, worker camps, 01:56:56.649 --> 01:56:59.449 mining camps, which held all sorts of logistical 01:56:59.449 --> 01:57:01.829 materials and supplies that the gold rushers 01:57:01.829 --> 01:57:04.350 needed and used while looking for gold. And many 01:57:04.350 --> 01:57:06.569 of these camps were supported and run by the 01:57:06.569 --> 01:57:09.029 foreigners. Many of the workers in these camps 01:57:09.029 --> 01:57:11.350 came here after working on the railroad crews, 01:57:11.630 --> 01:57:15.010 many of which were from China, and they weren't 01:57:15.010 --> 01:57:17.689 treated well, as some of the other pages in this 01:57:17.689 --> 01:57:20.069 manuscript describe. Professor Hawthorne looks 01:57:20.069 --> 01:57:22.779 at his watch and says, We need to pack up and 01:57:22.779 --> 01:57:24.859 leave as it's almost midnight. The gate will 01:57:24.859 --> 01:57:26.779 be locked and we won't be able to drive out of 01:57:26.779 --> 01:57:29.439 here. Ava looks around the room and asks, What 01:57:29.439 --> 01:57:32.220 next? What's our plan? I mean, we've got some 01:57:32.220 --> 01:57:34.760 valuable new information. Two people missing 01:57:34.760 --> 01:57:38.039 and we also may be in danger now. The professor 01:57:38.039 --> 01:57:40.319 looks directly at Ava, then Sierra, and then 01:57:40.319 --> 01:57:43.680 Ethan and says, As of now and with this new information, 01:57:43.979 --> 01:57:45.739 I am not going to tell the sheriff yet about 01:57:45.739 --> 01:57:47.979 Lily's disappearance. My previous interaction 01:57:47.979 --> 01:57:50.460 with the sheriff about Chen being missing is 01:57:50.460 --> 01:57:53.659 not sitting right with me. So for Chen and Lily's 01:57:53.659 --> 01:57:55.880 sake, and for our own sake, don't tell anyone 01:57:55.880 --> 01:57:58.510 what we've talked about tonight. Let's meet at 01:57:58.510 --> 01:58:01.029 Ethan's cafe right when it opens tomorrow morning. 01:58:01.149 --> 01:58:03.770 Ethan, can we meet by the back door in the alley 01:58:03.770 --> 01:58:06.430 and then meet in your office? Add a view of the 01:58:06.430 --> 01:58:08.750 customers in the cafe? We need to be discreet 01:58:08.750 --> 01:58:11.350 and plan our next moves carefully, as I feel 01:58:11.350 --> 01:58:14.189 Chen and Lily's lives might depend on it. Sure, 01:58:14.289 --> 01:58:17.270 Ethan replies. Come about 15 minutes before opening 01:58:17.270 --> 01:58:21.510 time at 6 .45am, and I can let you through the 01:58:21.510 --> 01:58:24.079 back door. Knock three times in a row like this. 01:58:24.279 --> 01:58:25.859 Ethan then demonstrates how they should knock 01:58:25.859 --> 01:58:27.479 on the back door by knocking on the table they 01:58:27.479 --> 01:58:30.739 are sitting around. Sierra looks around and says 01:58:30.739 --> 01:58:34.640 quietly and a little nervously, Cool, we have 01:58:34.640 --> 01:58:37.439 a secret knock now. She then clears her throat 01:58:37.439 --> 01:58:40.079 and adds, I'll take Lily's backpack with me. 01:58:40.239 --> 01:58:42.960 As the group gets up from the table, turns out 01:58:42.960 --> 01:58:45.600 the light, exits the small room and closes the 01:58:45.600 --> 01:58:48.399 metal door. Ava is quietly thinking to herself 01:58:48.399 --> 01:58:51.199 of how she can contact Ted tonight and ask for 01:58:51.199 --> 01:58:53.760 another favor. It's a big favor and it's really 01:58:53.760 --> 01:58:56.539 late. This favor will involve Ted having to use 01:58:56.539 --> 01:58:59.319 his contact at the San Francisco FBI office. 01:58:59.699 --> 01:59:01.479 Ava really wants to know who the other people 01:59:01.479 --> 01:59:03.739 were at the bad guy meeting which took place 01:59:03.739 --> 01:59:06.060 earlier that evening. After all, she has photos 01:59:06.060 --> 01:59:08.439 of some of their license plates and a recording 01:59:08.439 --> 01:59:11.979 of their voices. However, little does Ava know 01:59:11.979 --> 01:59:15.000 that the bad guy is also a photo of her license 01:59:15.000 --> 01:59:27.149 plate. Back at her grandmother's house and quietly 01:59:27.149 --> 01:59:29.390 enters the front door just as the living room 01:59:29.390 --> 01:59:32.149 clock chimes once indicating that it was one 01:59:32.149 --> 01:59:34.909 o 'clock in the morning already. Ava's mind was 01:59:34.909 --> 01:59:37.390 still wandering, searching and thinking about 01:59:37.390 --> 01:59:39.569 all the small coincidences and the connections 01:59:39.569 --> 01:59:42.170 her, Sierra, Eason, and Professor Hawthorne had 01:59:42.170 --> 01:59:43.970 just discussed at the reservoir less than an 01:59:43.970 --> 01:59:46.630 hour ago. The ride back to the town with Sierra 01:59:46.630 --> 01:59:49.500 was awkwardly quiet. probably because she and 01:59:49.500 --> 01:59:52.420 Sierra was trying to still process what had just 01:59:52.420 --> 01:59:55.699 happened. Ava also started noticing that her 01:59:55.699 --> 01:59:57.960 upper arms and wrists were quite sore from being 01:59:57.960 --> 02:00:00.699 pulled up off the ledge over the spillway. The 02:00:00.699 --> 02:00:03.539 adrenaline had subsided now, and the trauma of 02:00:03.539 --> 02:00:05.939 the last two hours of events had finally set 02:00:05.939 --> 02:00:08.920 in. Wide awake still, she wonders if she should 02:00:08.920 --> 02:00:11.779 call Ted, her trusted colleague at the Bee who's 02:00:11.779 --> 02:00:13.880 helped her out in the past with quick research 02:00:13.880 --> 02:00:16.100 and answers she's needed for other stories she 02:00:16.100 --> 02:00:19.850 has written. Ted is single and somewhat antisocial. 02:00:20.369 --> 02:00:23.810 Plus, Ava knows that Ted is often up late at 02:00:23.810 --> 02:00:26.430 night working anyway. She takes a chance and 02:00:26.430 --> 02:00:29.430 sends him a quick text message that reads, I 02:00:29.430 --> 02:00:31.609 need some help on something big. Can't wait till 02:00:31.609 --> 02:00:34.010 morning. Call me if you're still up. Ethan gets 02:00:34.010 --> 02:00:36.810 to his job a little before 6 .30am, still quite 02:00:36.810 --> 02:00:38.569 tired from all the activity and excitement from 02:00:38.569 --> 02:00:41.350 the day before. He thinks to himself while unlocking 02:00:41.350 --> 02:00:44.250 the back door to his cafe. Was it literally just 02:00:44.250 --> 02:00:47.189 one big dream or did it really happen? He already 02:00:47.189 --> 02:00:49.350 knows the answers to the question. Yesterday 02:00:49.350 --> 02:00:51.670 was not a normal day for a guy like Ethan, but 02:00:51.670 --> 02:00:53.890 he feels a sense of pride knowing that the tech 02:00:53.890 --> 02:00:56.390 projects he had been developing all seemed to 02:00:56.390 --> 02:00:58.869 work quite well. The tracking device, the integrated 02:00:58.869 --> 02:01:01.529 software, and the mini -drone. He enters the 02:01:01.529 --> 02:01:03.350 shop through the back door and turns the lights 02:01:03.350 --> 02:01:05.430 on in his office, knowing that the others would 02:01:05.430 --> 02:01:06.710 be showing up through the back door in about 02:01:06.710 --> 02:01:09.489 15 minutes. The morning bakery crew was already 02:01:09.489 --> 02:01:12.539 in the shop. kitchen, preparing and plating all 02:01:12.539 --> 02:01:14.699 the evening's fresh baked bread and pastries 02:01:14.699 --> 02:01:16.880 for the day. Ethan loved this time of the day 02:01:16.880 --> 02:01:19.380 as it was calm before the busyness of the day. 02:01:19.720 --> 02:01:23.399 As he glanced from the back room for the cafe 02:01:23.399 --> 02:01:25.539 seating area at the front windows, he noticed 02:01:25.539 --> 02:01:27.260 that there were already customers starting to 02:01:27.260 --> 02:01:30.119 line up to get into the cafe first. As Sierra 02:01:30.119 --> 02:01:32.439 made her way to the cafe that early morning, 02:01:32.600 --> 02:01:35.079 she would often walk down Main Street and enter 02:01:35.079 --> 02:01:37.520 through the front doors about 15 minutes before 02:01:37.520 --> 02:01:40.409 her shift would start. However, on this day, 02:01:40.510 --> 02:01:43.729 Sierra walked past the front of the cafe, past 02:01:43.729 --> 02:01:46.810 a dozen or so customers who were waiting outside, 02:01:47.029 --> 02:01:49.369 and turned the corner to the alley and made her 02:01:49.369 --> 02:01:52.550 way to the back door of the cafe as Ethan had 02:01:52.550 --> 02:01:55.829 instructed the night before. As Sierra turns 02:01:55.829 --> 02:01:58.710 the corner to the alley, she notices that Professor 02:01:58.710 --> 02:02:01.449 Hawthorne and Ava are already standing by the 02:02:01.449 --> 02:02:04.489 back door of the cafe talking quietly. Professor 02:02:04.489 --> 02:02:06.850 Hawthorne looks down at his watch and he notices 02:02:06.850 --> 02:02:09.770 Sierra walking toward both him and Ava in the 02:02:09.770 --> 02:02:12.109 alley and says, Alright, let's knock on the door 02:02:12.109 --> 02:02:14.670 and get inside before anyone else sees us out 02:02:14.670 --> 02:02:17.310 here altogether. Ava knocks to Sierra as if to 02:02:17.310 --> 02:02:19.770 say hello without actually saying hello and then 02:02:19.770 --> 02:02:21.890 turns around and knocks three times on the back 02:02:21.890 --> 02:02:25.630 door of the cafe as Ethan had instructed. Ethan 02:02:25.630 --> 02:02:28.409 hears knocking on the black door, rushes over 02:02:28.409 --> 02:02:31.270 and opens the door. He's greeted by the professor, 02:02:31.550 --> 02:02:34.710 Sierra, and Ava as he gestures to them to hurry 02:02:34.710 --> 02:02:37.010 inside and go straight to his office, which is 02:02:37.010 --> 02:02:39.029 situated just off the main kitchen in the back 02:02:39.029 --> 02:02:41.270 of the cafe. He looks at the three as they enter 02:02:41.270 --> 02:02:43.829 the back of the cafe and says, Make yourself 02:02:43.829 --> 02:02:46.189 at home. I've got a check on the front area and 02:02:46.189 --> 02:02:47.850 make sure my staff are ready to open and then 02:02:47.850 --> 02:02:50.850 I'll be right back. At this time, it was almost 02:02:50.850 --> 02:02:53.729 7am in the morning, opening time, and the crowds 02:02:53.729 --> 02:02:56.210 from the town's annual Gold Rush Days festivities 02:02:56.210 --> 02:02:58.550 were already up and mingling around the downtown 02:02:58.550 --> 02:03:01.770 area. The line in front of Ethan's cafe had gotten 02:03:01.770 --> 02:03:04.489 longer as well. After entering Ethan's office 02:03:04.489 --> 02:03:07.250 and getting situated, Ava looks at Sarah and 02:03:07.250 --> 02:03:09.550 Professor Hawthorne and says, Guys, I've got 02:03:09.550 --> 02:03:11.590 some news to share but I'll wait until Ethan 02:03:11.590 --> 02:03:14.329 gets in here. At that moment, Ethan pops his 02:03:14.329 --> 02:03:17.109 head in the office and says, Guys, one of my 02:03:17.109 --> 02:03:19.470 morning front cafe staff members hasn't shown 02:03:19.470 --> 02:03:22.229 up yet so I have to go cover for her until she 02:03:22.229 --> 02:03:24.989 gets here. You can get started about me, just 02:03:24.989 --> 02:03:27.619 fill me in later. Ethan turns around and walks 02:03:27.619 --> 02:03:29.960 out of the room and says under his breath, man, 02:03:30.220 --> 02:03:33.279 the joys of owning your own business. Ava jumps 02:03:33.279 --> 02:03:36.119 right in as soon as Ethan leaves. I couldn't 02:03:36.119 --> 02:03:38.720 sleep last night when I got home, so I texted 02:03:38.720 --> 02:03:40.720 my colleague at the B and asked for another big 02:03:40.720 --> 02:03:43.359 favor. Thankfully, he was still awake. Anyway, 02:03:43.539 --> 02:03:46.140 he reluctantly said yes after I persuaded him 02:03:46.140 --> 02:03:48.859 that he could be included as a collaborator on 02:03:48.859 --> 02:03:51.640 one of my articles. He got in touch with his 02:03:51.640 --> 02:03:53.920 confidential contact at the FBI in the middle 02:03:53.920 --> 02:03:56.310 of the night. who ran a tag check on the two 02:03:56.310 --> 02:03:59.189 licenses plates in my photo. Long story short, 02:03:59.350 --> 02:04:01.250 one of the cars from last night is registered 02:04:01.250 --> 02:04:03.829 to the office of the mayor of Coloma, Anthony 02:04:03.829 --> 02:04:06.329 Ruiz. Ava could tell by the look on Professor 02:04:06.329 --> 02:04:08.510 Hawthorne's face that he was as stunned as she 02:04:08.510 --> 02:04:10.250 had been last night when she had found out the 02:04:10.250 --> 02:04:12.729 news. Neither the professor nor Sarah said a 02:04:12.729 --> 02:04:15.529 word. They both just had a look of disbelief 02:04:15.529 --> 02:04:19.090 on their faces. Ava goes on. Guys, this gets 02:04:19.090 --> 02:04:22.310 even deeper. The second car in the photo is registered 02:04:22.310 --> 02:04:25.300 to the office of... None other than California 02:04:25.300 --> 02:04:29.140 State Representative Deborah Stewart Brown. You 02:04:29.140 --> 02:04:32.300 could hear a pin drop in the room. Sierra quickly 02:04:32.300 --> 02:04:34.979 looks at both the professor and Ava and then 02:04:34.979 --> 02:04:38.720 says quietly, So we now know the identities of 02:04:38.720 --> 02:04:40.880 three of the five people who were in that meeting 02:04:40.880 --> 02:04:43.659 last night. A prominent professor from the college, 02:04:43.840 --> 02:04:47.359 the town mayor, and a state representative. Whoa, 02:04:47.500 --> 02:04:50.920 then who were the other two? This is a big deal, 02:04:50.979 --> 02:04:53.899 right? Sierra says as she looks at both Professor 02:04:53.899 --> 02:04:56.500 Hawthorne and Ava. Professor Hawthorne speaks 02:04:56.500 --> 02:05:00.020 up now and says, Ava, how confident are you with 02:05:00.020 --> 02:05:03.680 that source at the FBI? Ava responds, he's a 02:05:03.680 --> 02:05:05.979 solid source. Another reporter had to be used 02:05:05.979 --> 02:05:08.000 the same source to help support the story we 02:05:08.000 --> 02:05:10.539 broke about next -gen pharmaceuticals and the 02:05:10.539 --> 02:05:13.760 rampant fraud that company was practicing. Yeah, 02:05:13.800 --> 02:05:16.659 he's solid, Ava finishes. And there's nothing 02:05:16.659 --> 02:05:19.140 to affirm the gain or lose by feeding my colleague 02:05:19.140 --> 02:05:23.020 Ted into this info. He just ran the tags, a standard 02:05:23.020 --> 02:05:25.119 procedure they do all the time from their office. 02:05:25.380 --> 02:05:27.859 The only added bonus for us is that he did it 02:05:27.859 --> 02:05:30.340 in the middle of the night. Professor Hawthorne 02:05:30.340 --> 02:05:33.460 then says, wow, my good buddy Sharpton, the mayor, 02:05:33.600 --> 02:05:36.119 and the state rep Brown are all mixed up in this 02:05:36.119 --> 02:05:38.699 thing. I mean, they seem to be involved with 02:05:38.699 --> 02:05:41.380 kidnapping two people, first Jen and now Lily. 02:05:41.920 --> 02:05:44.300 He continues, thinking out loud here, so if Lily 02:05:44.300 --> 02:05:46.859 went to the college lab yesterday before she 02:05:46.859 --> 02:05:49.840 disappeared, then what was she working? Ava responds 02:05:49.840 --> 02:05:51.819 before the professor could finish the sentence. 02:05:52.140 --> 02:05:54.560 I remember her saying that she was going to test 02:05:54.560 --> 02:05:58.039 out the formula, or at least try the formula 02:05:58.039 --> 02:06:00.159 that Shin had written on the note he gave to 02:06:00.159 --> 02:06:02.800 you a while back. The same note where he also 02:06:02.800 --> 02:06:05.600 included the coordinates of the reservoir. Sierra 02:06:05.600 --> 02:06:08.520 interjects, what if she discovered something 02:06:08.520 --> 02:06:12.319 about that formula? And... If Professor Sharpton 02:06:12.319 --> 02:06:15.159 was there at the same time, it's possible she 02:06:15.159 --> 02:06:17.800 was taken from the lab at that time. Professor 02:06:17.800 --> 02:06:21.000 Hawthorne responds, At some point, I think we'll 02:06:21.000 --> 02:06:23.699 need to contact the FBI and report to them about 02:06:23.699 --> 02:06:26.800 Chen and Lily and give them our leads. This could 02:06:26.800 --> 02:06:29.340 be much deeper than what we think, and I don't 02:06:29.340 --> 02:06:32.359 want either one of you or Ethan to be endangered. 02:06:33.279 --> 02:06:36.500 Avalon says, I hear you, but I'd like to take 02:06:36.500 --> 02:06:38.960 a field trip first before we get to the FBI involved. 02:06:39.800 --> 02:06:42.039 The only reason I say this is because I think 02:06:42.039 --> 02:06:44.420 we need some more evidence in order for them 02:06:44.420 --> 02:06:47.039 to secure warrants to search places or arrest 02:06:47.039 --> 02:06:49.600 people. Basically, all we have right now is a 02:06:49.600 --> 02:06:51.920 recording, a blurry photo of two license plates, 02:06:52.300 --> 02:06:55.119 an unpublished old manuscript, a handwritten 02:06:55.119 --> 02:06:57.579 note, and the knowledge that two people we know 02:06:57.579 --> 02:07:00.840 are presumably missing may be taken against their 02:07:00.840 --> 02:07:03.739 will. The FBI could say to us, for all we know, 02:07:03.939 --> 02:07:06.079 the two missing people could have just run off 02:07:06.079 --> 02:07:09.180 with each other. We need more evidence or a better 02:07:09.180 --> 02:07:11.659 lead in order to commit resources and secure 02:07:11.659 --> 02:07:14.520 words. Looking right at Ava, the professor says, 02:07:14.699 --> 02:07:16.880 I know what you're thinking and we can pull it 02:07:16.880 --> 02:07:19.619 off pretty easily. You're wanting to go find 02:07:19.619 --> 02:07:21.840 the underground tunnels at the site of Sutter's 02:07:21.840 --> 02:07:25.199 Mill, aren't you? Ava nods her head and then 02:07:25.199 --> 02:07:28.539 asks, how will that be easy though? Professor 02:07:28.539 --> 02:07:31.220 Hawthorne looks at both Ava and Sierra and says, 02:07:31.420 --> 02:07:33.720 because I'm friends with old man John Sutter. 02:07:34.239 --> 02:07:37.140 the persons whose name is on that deed of land, 02:07:37.340 --> 02:07:41.020 the land that's now a historical site and a tourist 02:07:41.020 --> 02:07:43.939 attraction. Old Man Sutter doesn't live there, 02:07:44.020 --> 02:07:46.340 but I could call him and get his permission to 02:07:46.340 --> 02:07:49.279 poke around all over that property. He loves 02:07:49.279 --> 02:07:52.039 my previous archaeological work, and we've had 02:07:52.039 --> 02:07:54.359 many conversations about it when he's in town. 02:07:54.479 --> 02:07:57.199 You see, even though Old Man John Sutter, a distant 02:07:57.199 --> 02:08:00.220 relative of the original owner of the land at 02:08:00.220 --> 02:08:02.560 Sutter's Mill, his name is on the land deed. 02:08:02.909 --> 02:08:05.090 He doesn't take care or manage the property. 02:08:05.149 --> 02:08:07.210 He's actually paid by the state of California 02:08:07.210 --> 02:08:09.729 to not manage it. Instead, the state manages 02:08:09.729 --> 02:08:12.390 it because it was designated many, many years 02:08:12.390 --> 02:08:15.409 ago as a historical state landmark. Therefore, 02:08:15.630 --> 02:08:17.710 the state of California has the authority and 02:08:17.710 --> 02:08:20.109 money to manage and take care of the property 02:08:20.109 --> 02:08:23.270 and its surroundings. It's also common knowledge 02:08:23.270 --> 02:08:25.970 that the state built an exact replica of the 02:08:25.970 --> 02:08:29.130 famous sawmill for tourism purposes because the 02:08:29.130 --> 02:08:31.350 original sawmill rotted and crumbled decades 02:08:31.350 --> 02:08:34.289 ago. Old man John Sutter lives a few counties 02:08:34.289 --> 02:08:37.210 over and doesn't come by here much anymore. I 02:08:37.210 --> 02:08:39.750 think he's in his late 80s or early 90s right 02:08:39.750 --> 02:08:42.229 now. I'll give him a call in a minute and get 02:08:42.229 --> 02:08:44.550 permission to go to his property before it opens 02:08:44.550 --> 02:08:47.130 to the public and do some surveying. I'll say 02:08:47.130 --> 02:08:49.869 we are doing some research for some of my classes 02:08:49.869 --> 02:08:52.289 for next semester. A few minutes later, as the 02:08:52.289 --> 02:08:54.649 professor is talking to old man Sutter on the 02:08:54.649 --> 02:08:57.210 phone, the professor looks over at Ava and Sierra 02:08:57.210 --> 02:08:59.529 and gives them a thumbs up. Professor then says, 02:08:59.670 --> 02:09:03.600 yep, it's that easy. And continues. The property 02:09:03.600 --> 02:09:07.279 opens to the public at 10 or 10 .30 this morning, 02:09:07.319 --> 02:09:09.720 so we should head over there now. I'll drive 02:09:09.720 --> 02:09:12.199 since there will be much less suspicion than 02:09:12.199 --> 02:09:14.260 having a stranger's car parked on the property 02:09:14.260 --> 02:09:17.119 like yours, Ava. Ava looks at Sierra and then 02:09:17.119 --> 02:09:19.699 the professor and says, All right, we're doing 02:09:19.699 --> 02:09:22.039 this. Sierra, you have the entire day off, right? 02:09:22.359 --> 02:09:25.979 Yeah, I do. Sierra answers. But what about Ethan? 02:09:26.180 --> 02:09:29.340 I mean, I can go up front in the cafe and tell 02:09:29.340 --> 02:09:32.100 him what our plan is. Not sure he can leave the 02:09:32.100 --> 02:09:35.460 cafe today again. Sierra leaves the office to 02:09:35.460 --> 02:09:38.239 go tell Ethan. She returns a few minutes late 02:09:38.239 --> 02:09:41.699 and reports, Guys, the cafe is slammed right 02:09:41.699 --> 02:09:44.880 now. So many customers. Ethan said to go without 02:09:44.880 --> 02:09:48.060 him. He also said we should each take one of 02:09:48.060 --> 02:09:50.439 his small tracking devices, which are in the 02:09:50.439 --> 02:09:53.859 top drawer of his desk behind you, Ava. I'll 02:09:53.859 --> 02:09:56.220 also bring Lily's backpack with me. Professor 02:09:56.220 --> 02:09:59.039 Hawthorne responds as he points to his old worn 02:09:59.039 --> 02:10:02.399 messenger bag he never leaves home without. The 02:10:02.399 --> 02:10:04.640 manuscript pages I have are clipped together 02:10:04.640 --> 02:10:07.560 with one of Ethan's devices already. Good idea, 02:10:07.619 --> 02:10:10.399 Ethan, Ava says under her breath as she opens 02:10:10.399 --> 02:10:12.880 the top drawer of her desk and grabs one of the 02:10:12.880 --> 02:10:15.420 remaining paperclip tracking devices from the 02:10:15.420 --> 02:10:17.939 front part of the top drawer. She continues. 02:10:18.420 --> 02:10:21.340 Sierra, here's one for you too. Let's just put 02:10:21.340 --> 02:10:24.659 them in our front pants pockets. Ethan has the 02:10:24.659 --> 02:10:27.439 ability to follow all three of us now. Just in 02:10:27.439 --> 02:10:29.560 case something were to go happen to any of us, 02:10:29.619 --> 02:10:32.659 Ethan's back here and can help be supported if 02:10:32.659 --> 02:10:35.600 needed. My Bronco is parked a block away down 02:10:35.600 --> 02:10:38.060 the street on the left. Meet me there in 10 minutes 02:10:38.060 --> 02:10:40.479 and I'll drive us over to Old Man Sutter's property. 02:10:40.859 --> 02:10:43.659 Ava, I hope you are ready to take notes for your 02:10:43.659 --> 02:10:47.000 articles. Professor says as he exits the cafe 02:10:47.000 --> 02:10:49.880 office and then leaves the cafe out the back 02:10:49.880 --> 02:10:53.060 door into the alley. Sierra and Ava follow a 02:10:53.060 --> 02:10:55.899 few minutes later after Sierra fetches both of 02:10:55.899 --> 02:11:04.640 them a coffee and bagel for the road. Meanwhile, 02:11:04.979 --> 02:11:07.579 Lady finds herself sitting on a small flimsy 02:11:07.579 --> 02:11:09.960 mattress cushion she used as a bed the night 02:11:09.960 --> 02:11:13.409 before. She's staring at a rocky dirt wall while 02:11:13.409 --> 02:11:16.670 a small single light bulb hangs from a wire from 02:11:16.670 --> 02:11:19.770 the wall behind her, and dimly lights up the 02:11:19.770 --> 02:11:23.029 small space she's being held in. She notices 02:11:23.029 --> 02:11:26.670 a metal gate to her right and left that leads 02:11:26.670 --> 02:11:30.029 to long corridors, or passageways that then lead 02:11:30.029 --> 02:11:33.510 somewhere else. She has a pounding headache that 02:11:33.510 --> 02:11:36.289 seems to be getting better, but it still lingers. 02:11:36.710 --> 02:11:40.159 Lily has no idea what time it is. or where she's 02:11:40.159 --> 02:11:43.300 at. All she knows is that she seems to be trapped. 02:11:43.720 --> 02:11:46.520 The last thing she remembers about yesterday 02:11:46.520 --> 02:11:49.600 is being in the science lab at the college and 02:11:49.600 --> 02:11:52.920 then everything suddenly going dark. Then she 02:11:52.920 --> 02:11:56.380 woke up in this small musty space or room a few 02:11:56.380 --> 02:11:59.399 hours ago. She says to herself, it seems to be 02:11:59.399 --> 02:12:02.600 morning because my body clock wakes me up religiously 02:12:02.600 --> 02:12:05.979 around 7 .30 every morning. We're sometimes close 02:12:05.979 --> 02:12:08.939 to that. All of the sudden, she hears footsteps 02:12:08.939 --> 02:12:12.199 approaching and then hears a familiar voice say, 02:12:12.640 --> 02:12:18.119 Lily, I didn't expect you to get mixed up with 02:12:18.119 --> 02:12:22.060 this. First Chen, and now you. Come on, man, 02:12:22.159 --> 02:12:24.539 you both should have left this alone. You've 02:12:24.539 --> 02:12:27.560 put me in a very difficult situation. And now 02:12:27.560 --> 02:12:30.579 other people, who are not as understanding and 02:12:30.579 --> 02:12:33.739 as kind as I am, are contemplating on what they 02:12:33.739 --> 02:12:36.880 should do with you both. Professor Sharpton continues 02:12:36.880 --> 02:12:39.800 as Lily looks up at him. It would be in your 02:12:39.800 --> 02:12:42.399 best interest to tell me everything you know 02:12:42.399 --> 02:12:44.899 and tell me if your friends also know the same 02:12:44.899 --> 02:12:48.380 information. Lily responds with a faint voice. 02:12:48.979 --> 02:12:52.340 Um, what information are you talking about? My 02:12:52.340 --> 02:12:55.619 friends and I were just looking for Chen. Sharpton 02:12:55.619 --> 02:12:59.359 snaps back. The formula, Lily, the formula. Where 02:12:59.359 --> 02:13:01.880 did you get that formula from? That's what I 02:13:01.880 --> 02:13:04.689 am talking about. Professor Sharpton lifts up 02:13:04.689 --> 02:13:07.390 Lily's cell phone and shows it to her, then points 02:13:07.390 --> 02:13:10.090 to a photo of Chen's note. The note that Chen 02:13:10.090 --> 02:13:12.289 had written and gave to Professor Hawthorne the 02:13:12.289 --> 02:13:15.390 week before. Lily, you see this photo and the 02:13:15.390 --> 02:13:18.069 formula written on this note? Some very important 02:13:18.069 --> 02:13:20.750 people are not happy about this note. So, for 02:13:20.750 --> 02:13:23.630 your own sake, tell me what you know. He then 02:13:23.630 --> 02:13:26.149 follows that up with another question. Is it 02:13:26.149 --> 02:13:28.630 just you and the other two girls that are involved? 02:13:28.930 --> 02:13:33.000 What do they know? He finishes by saying, Tell 02:13:33.000 --> 02:13:36.319 me everything, and this might end well for you. 02:13:37.260 --> 02:13:40.000 Realizing that this is not some terrible misunderstanding, 02:13:40.800 --> 02:13:43.819 Lady pauses for a moment before answering Sharpton. 02:13:44.239 --> 02:13:47.380 She then responds, The two girls who were with 02:13:47.380 --> 02:13:49.760 me the other day at the lab don't know anything. 02:13:50.220 --> 02:13:53.079 They were having lunch with me and wanted to 02:13:53.079 --> 02:13:55.880 ride along when I told them I wanted to see if 02:13:55.880 --> 02:13:59.359 Chen was at the lab. Then, when we didn't find 02:13:59.359 --> 02:14:02.579 him there, We went and asked Professor Hearthorn, 02:14:02.680 --> 02:14:05.699 like you suggested, and he wasn't there either. 02:14:06.460 --> 02:14:08.560 Sharpton looks at Lily with a stern expression. 02:14:08.939 --> 02:14:11.359 I hope for your sake you are telling the truth. 02:14:11.579 --> 02:14:14.119 He turns around and walks back out the same dark 02:14:14.119 --> 02:14:16.399 corridor he came from and closes the metal gate 02:14:16.399 --> 02:14:19.640 behind him. Lily peers down the long corridor 02:14:19.640 --> 02:14:21.880 through the metal gate that Sharpton had just 02:14:21.880 --> 02:14:25.279 closed and notices that there was another person 02:14:25.279 --> 02:14:28.699 standing further down the passageway. She watches 02:14:28.699 --> 02:14:32.039 as Sharpton stops and talks briefly with that 02:14:32.039 --> 02:14:34.800 other person. The mystery person is standing 02:14:34.800 --> 02:14:37.979 in a shadow so she can't make out clearly who 02:14:37.979 --> 02:14:41.500 it is. However, she does notice that the person 02:14:41.500 --> 02:14:44.399 is much larger than Sharpton. She then watches 02:14:44.399 --> 02:14:47.680 as Sharpton walks off and disappears around a 02:14:47.680 --> 02:14:55.689 corner further down the corridor. All right, 02:14:55.810 --> 02:14:57.949 Professor Hawthorne says as he turns off the 02:14:57.949 --> 02:15:00.810 ignition, we're here. The three of them get out 02:15:00.810 --> 02:15:02.909 of the Bronco and pause for a bit to take in 02:15:02.909 --> 02:15:07.529 the surroundings. The road they drove up on follows 02:15:07.529 --> 02:15:09.970 the American River through the valley. It's a 02:15:09.970 --> 02:15:12.550 beautiful drive as it sits in a valley along 02:15:12.550 --> 02:15:14.810 the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. 02:15:15.590 --> 02:15:17.810 Alongside the road on this particular section 02:15:17.810 --> 02:15:20.210 is a small pull -off area where tourists can 02:15:20.210 --> 02:15:23.449 stop, Park their cars before trekking over the 02:15:23.449 --> 02:15:26.170 American River by way of a narrow wooden pedestrian 02:15:26.170 --> 02:15:28.909 bridge. Three will have to walk over the bridge 02:15:28.909 --> 02:15:31.409 in order to gain access to the original site 02:15:31.409 --> 02:15:34.670 of Sutter's Mill. Professor Hawthorne looks around 02:15:34.670 --> 02:15:37.029 and points toward the pedestrian bridge several 02:15:37.029 --> 02:15:39.649 meters away and says, We'll need to cross that 02:15:39.649 --> 02:15:42.229 bridge as the original location of Sutter's Mill 02:15:42.229 --> 02:15:44.989 sits opposite us on the other side of the river. 02:15:45.569 --> 02:15:47.989 However, the original mill is not there anymore. 02:15:48.479 --> 02:15:50.939 The State Parks Commission built a replica which 02:15:50.939 --> 02:15:53.680 sits on the same site as the original mill did. 02:15:53.819 --> 02:15:57.220 At least that's what the sign says. Hawthorne's 02:15:57.220 --> 02:15:59.960 familiar with this area as he's been here before 02:15:59.960 --> 02:16:03.199 several times, mainly as a tourist, to visit 02:16:03.199 --> 02:16:05.279 the original site of Sutter's Mill, where the 02:16:05.279 --> 02:16:08.699 first gold was found. the place where the historic 02:16:08.699 --> 02:16:12.239 California Gold Rush all started. As the three 02:16:12.239 --> 02:16:14.359 are walking to the site, Hawthorne continues 02:16:14.359 --> 02:16:17.279 explaining other details about Old Man Sutter's 02:16:17.279 --> 02:16:22.479 property to Ava and Sierra. He continues, a small 02:16:22.479 --> 02:16:25.140 front portion of the property has been designated 02:16:25.140 --> 02:16:27.720 as a National Historic Landmark and is taken 02:16:27.720 --> 02:16:30.279 care of by the California State Park Association. 02:16:30.979 --> 02:16:33.739 Tourists are allowed to access about half acre 02:16:33.739 --> 02:16:35.899 of the front part of the property, which butts 02:16:35.899 --> 02:16:38.690 up against the river. This half acre is open 02:16:38.690 --> 02:16:41.989 to the public from, I think, 10, 10 .30 a .m. 02:16:41.989 --> 02:16:45.129 to 5 p .m. daily. I think the state park rangers 02:16:45.129 --> 02:16:47.469 take care to open and close the gate at the bridge 02:16:47.469 --> 02:16:50.129 every day. Professor Hawthorne continues talking 02:16:50.129 --> 02:16:52.750 as they reach the other side of the river and 02:16:52.750 --> 02:16:55.469 continue trekking along a small trail along the 02:16:55.469 --> 02:16:58.170 bank of the river that leads to the replica sawmill 02:16:58.170 --> 02:17:00.879 site. I bet there have been some tourists out 02:17:00.879 --> 02:17:03.659 here this week because the annual Gold Rush Festival 02:17:03.659 --> 02:17:06.399 happening in town, the professor mumbles. Ava 02:17:06.399 --> 02:17:08.780 sees the mill structure ahead and says, Oh yeah, 02:17:08.920 --> 02:17:11.639 I remember coming here a long time ago with my 02:17:11.639 --> 02:17:14.059 grandparents when I was a kid. I don't remember 02:17:14.059 --> 02:17:17.319 much else, but I think my grandma still has some 02:17:17.319 --> 02:17:19.459 photos of me standing up on the mill overlooking 02:17:19.459 --> 02:17:21.500 the river below. I don't think I've ever been 02:17:21.500 --> 02:17:24.920 here before. I mean, I've seen signs on the road 02:17:24.920 --> 02:17:27.079 to this place, but we never stopped to check 02:17:27.079 --> 02:17:29.600 it out. It's kind of interesting that when you 02:17:29.600 --> 02:17:32.379 grow up in a place that tourists come to, you 02:17:32.379 --> 02:17:34.739 don't really go see the sights yourself. Professor 02:17:34.739 --> 02:17:38.000 Hawthorne continues, So true, Sierra. I've noticed 02:17:38.000 --> 02:17:40.180 that with some of the places I've lived. Okay, 02:17:40.340 --> 02:17:43.319 we're here. Let's climb the stairs to the mill 02:17:43.319 --> 02:17:45.719 platform, and that will give us a view over the 02:17:45.719 --> 02:17:48.540 back fence at some of the property. The three 02:17:48.540 --> 02:17:51.479 climb the stairs that go up about 12 feet off 02:17:51.479 --> 02:17:53.940 the ground to an open raised and covered platform. 02:17:54.709 --> 02:17:57.129 From this vantage point, the three can look out 02:17:57.129 --> 02:17:59.829 over the back part of the half acre and see a 02:17:59.829 --> 02:18:02.069 little over the back fence that separates the 02:18:02.069 --> 02:18:05.190 half acre public access area from the other 30 02:18:05.190 --> 02:18:07.920 plus acres. which is private property and not 02:18:07.920 --> 02:18:10.600 open to the public. The remaining 30 -some acres 02:18:10.600 --> 02:18:13.399 is all fenced in and extends up the side of the 02:18:13.399 --> 02:18:15.600 mountain. The slope of the property is not steep 02:18:15.600 --> 02:18:18.639 but gradual. There are a lot more rocks, boulders, 02:18:18.639 --> 02:18:20.979 and trees on the restricted area of the property. 02:18:21.120 --> 02:18:23.559 The property is somewhat a rectangular shape 02:18:23.559 --> 02:18:27.079 as it extends up the mountain and the last five 02:18:27.079 --> 02:18:29.559 plus acres can be quite steep. The professor 02:18:29.559 --> 02:18:32.000 points toward the back right corner fence area 02:18:32.000 --> 02:18:34.840 of the half acre lot and says, Old Man Sutter 02:18:34.840 --> 02:18:37.860 said there's a small locked gate back there we 02:18:37.860 --> 02:18:40.819 can access in order to get onto the back 30 acres. 02:18:41.000 --> 02:18:43.559 He gave me the padlock code. If I were to take 02:18:43.559 --> 02:18:46.100 a guess, and if that tunnel system is actually 02:18:46.100 --> 02:18:48.700 here, it would be on the private property, probably 02:18:48.700 --> 02:18:51.440 hidden from sight and maybe obscured a bit by 02:18:51.440 --> 02:18:54.139 natural surroundings. If you were to hide something, 02:18:54.420 --> 02:18:57.780 whatever it is, Ava says after a moment, her 02:18:57.780 --> 02:19:00.600 shrewd eyes sweeping across the landscape, it 02:19:00.600 --> 02:19:03.659 would be this place. historical site, and tourist 02:19:03.659 --> 02:19:05.860 attraction and all. They're smart. They might 02:19:05.860 --> 02:19:08.020 have done bad things, but they're smart. I'll 02:19:08.020 --> 02:19:11.159 give them that. Sarah nods, a look of worry on 02:19:11.159 --> 02:19:14.879 her face. You're right. The only thing is, that's 02:19:14.879 --> 02:19:17.979 bad for us. The smarter they are, the more dangerous 02:19:17.979 --> 02:19:21.360 I feel we can get into. Ava swallows, thinking 02:19:21.360 --> 02:19:24.899 to herself. And the bigger the story will be 02:19:24.899 --> 02:19:27.280 for the bee. She keeps quiet, however, before 02:19:27.280 --> 02:19:30.180 speaking up. Okay, professor, should we go and 02:19:30.180 --> 02:19:33.090 try to access the property? Yes, we didn't come 02:19:33.090 --> 02:19:35.430 all this way just to look at it from up here. 02:19:35.569 --> 02:19:37.969 I mean, this is quite unsettling and we need 02:19:37.969 --> 02:19:40.290 to find some more answers and evidence so we 02:19:40.290 --> 02:19:42.790 can get the FBI involved. The professor says 02:19:42.790 --> 02:19:45.549 as he climbs back down off the replica mill platform. 02:19:45.850 --> 02:19:48.350 Besides, we didn't come here as tourists. Sierra 02:19:48.350 --> 02:19:50.969 and Ava follow Professor Hawthorne as they make 02:19:50.969 --> 02:19:53.610 their way to the back of the half acre and finds 02:19:53.610 --> 02:19:56.149 the small metal fence gate at the right corner 02:19:56.149 --> 02:19:58.770 of the fence as described by Old Man Sutter. 02:19:59.340 --> 02:20:01.319 She looks around and realizes that they were 02:20:01.319 --> 02:20:04.399 the only people on the property and says, we're 02:20:04.399 --> 02:20:06.920 really lucky to be the only ones here right now. 02:20:07.319 --> 02:20:10.280 Otherwise, tourists would definitely have questions 02:20:10.280 --> 02:20:14.440 for us. Yeah, for sure, Eva says before glancing 02:20:14.440 --> 02:20:17.440 down at her watch. All right, it's a little past 02:20:17.440 --> 02:20:20.139 10, so we should hurry up as there may be some 02:20:20.139 --> 02:20:23.180 more showing up soon. Professor Hawthorne nods, 02:20:23.180 --> 02:20:25.399 unlocks the padlock with the code that old man 02:20:25.399 --> 02:20:28.360 Sutter gave him and opens the squeaky fence door. 02:20:30.540 --> 02:20:32.940 After all three of them make their way through 02:20:32.940 --> 02:20:35.500 the fence door, exiting the public access area 02:20:35.500 --> 02:20:38.200 and entering the private property, the professor 02:20:38.200 --> 02:20:40.860 secures the fence door shut and locks the padlock. 02:20:41.040 --> 02:20:43.500 Don't be alarmed, but I need to shut the fence 02:20:43.500 --> 02:20:46.059 door and lock the padlock. We don't need any 02:20:46.059 --> 02:20:48.680 curious tourists accidentally wandering back 02:20:48.680 --> 02:20:51.360 here where they don't belong. They begin hiking 02:20:51.360 --> 02:20:53.819 around and exploring areas of the back property, 02:20:53.959 --> 02:20:57.360 areas that are not flat. rock formations and 02:20:57.360 --> 02:21:00.120 other natural formations that may hide an entrance 02:21:00.120 --> 02:21:03.040 to a tunnel system. They continue doing this 02:21:03.040 --> 02:21:05.459 as they trek upwards towards higher elevation. 02:21:05.780 --> 02:21:08.879 After about 30 minutes of hiking around and exploring, 02:21:09.180 --> 02:21:12.760 slowly and methodically, their efforts seem fruitless. 02:21:12.920 --> 02:21:16.000 Suddenly, Sierra spots a large rock formation 02:21:16.000 --> 02:21:18.879 jutting out of the side of the mountain, some 02:21:18.879 --> 02:21:22.959 25 or so meters up ahead of the tree. The large 02:21:22.959 --> 02:21:25.719 rocks were partially covered by underbrush and 02:21:25.719 --> 02:21:28.879 obscured by several large pine trees. The rock 02:21:28.879 --> 02:21:31.639 formation included two large boulders which rested 02:21:31.639 --> 02:21:34.440 next to each other with a small space left between 02:21:34.440 --> 02:21:36.979 them. It looked like a shallow cave at first 02:21:36.979 --> 02:21:39.979 glance from the distance she was at. She yells 02:21:39.979 --> 02:21:42.340 out to the professor and Ava, I see something 02:21:42.340 --> 02:21:44.920 that looks to be an entrance to either a shallow 02:21:44.920 --> 02:21:48.069 cave or something else. She starts walking towards 02:21:48.069 --> 02:21:51.250 it and notices Ava and the professor moving to 02:21:51.250 --> 02:21:53.670 where she was at and then following her. After 02:21:53.670 --> 02:21:56.290 several minutes, they reach the large rock formation. 02:21:56.989 --> 02:21:59.770 Sierra peers through the space between the boulders 02:21:59.770 --> 02:22:02.530 at the shallow cave and sees nothing, just the 02:22:02.530 --> 02:22:05.030 back of the cave which was just some muddy dirt. 02:22:05.450 --> 02:22:08.110 Ava and the professor walk around to the back 02:22:08.110 --> 02:22:10.350 of the rock formation where the rocks seem to 02:22:10.350 --> 02:22:13.620 go into the side of the mountain. Ava is out 02:22:13.620 --> 02:22:15.940 front and notices right away that there are no 02:22:15.940 --> 02:22:18.659 trees or underbrush growing around this area. 02:22:18.840 --> 02:22:22.479 Maybe this is on purpose for some reason, she 02:22:22.479 --> 02:22:26.000 thinks herself. Ava looks back at Professor Hawthorne, 02:22:26.079 --> 02:22:29.079 who is right behind her, and says, Hmm, there 02:22:29.079 --> 02:22:31.700 doesn't seem to be any sort of entrance around 02:22:31.700 --> 02:22:34.860 here, but it does look a little suspicious as 02:22:34.860 --> 02:22:37.420 if the underbrush and trees were cut down on 02:22:37.420 --> 02:22:41.729 purpose and recently. I agree, Professor Hawthorne 02:22:41.729 --> 02:22:44.889 says, now walking past Ava as Sierra is now standing 02:22:44.889 --> 02:22:47.829 there as well. The professor continues and says, 02:22:47.969 --> 02:22:51.389 I wonder how they would have... Professor Hawthorne 02:22:51.389 --> 02:22:55.510 stops mid -sentence. Sierra watches in slow motion 02:22:55.510 --> 02:22:58.149 as his left foot trips over something, making 02:22:58.149 --> 02:23:01.030 a metal clanging noise. He then loses his balance 02:23:01.030 --> 02:23:04.229 and starts to fall forward. Sierra and Ava, both 02:23:04.229 --> 02:23:06.809 standing close to him, reach out and grab his 02:23:06.809 --> 02:23:09.129 arm and backpack, steadying the professor on 02:23:09.129 --> 02:23:11.569 the ground before he falls. Oh, I'm alright, 02:23:11.770 --> 02:23:13.969 thank you. You've returned the favor from the 02:23:13.969 --> 02:23:16.229 other night at the reservoir, thank you. The 02:23:16.229 --> 02:23:18.569 professor says as he bends down and rubs his 02:23:18.569 --> 02:23:22.110 shin he just bruised. I think we just literally 02:23:22.110 --> 02:23:25.229 stumbled upon a metal door or entrance. That 02:23:25.229 --> 02:23:27.989 said, he walks over to the spot where he tripped. 02:23:28.319 --> 02:23:30.920 carefully this time, to reveal that amidst the 02:23:30.920 --> 02:23:33.879 grass and cut underbrush stood a metal lever. 02:23:34.159 --> 02:23:36.840 It was U -shaped and it clearly did not belong. 02:23:37.579 --> 02:23:40.100 Ava and Sierra now stand next to the professor 02:23:40.100 --> 02:23:43.079 as he carefully pulls the lever and slowly a 02:23:43.079 --> 02:23:45.500 metal door comes into view. As it turns out, 02:23:45.500 --> 02:23:47.860 the grass and underbrush had concealed the door 02:23:47.860 --> 02:23:49.840 which seemed to lead directly into the mountain 02:23:49.840 --> 02:23:53.520 when open. Sierra is amazed at the sight of a 02:23:53.520 --> 02:23:56.559 door on the side of the mountain. Once the professor 02:23:56.559 --> 02:23:59.360 pulls the heavy door open and the sunlight glimmers 02:23:59.360 --> 02:24:02.340 in a bit, Sierra and Ava are able to see the 02:24:02.340 --> 02:24:05.079 faint outlines of what look like to be wooden 02:24:05.079 --> 02:24:08.059 stairs that lead downward. The stairs were narrow 02:24:08.059 --> 02:24:10.899 and the wood used for the stairs look quite old 02:24:10.899 --> 02:24:14.239 and worn. She is suddenly overcome with fear. 02:24:14.540 --> 02:24:17.500 All right, look at that, Ava says, light shining 02:24:17.500 --> 02:24:22.600 in her eyes. Are you ready to explore? Ava. Sierra 02:24:22.600 --> 02:24:25.540 starts, and she puts a hand on her now fiercely 02:24:25.540 --> 02:24:28.500 beating heart. I don't know if we should go in 02:24:28.500 --> 02:24:31.120 there. Professor Hawthorne nods, peering down 02:24:31.120 --> 02:24:33.680 at the darkness below. Ava, I think Sierra is 02:24:33.680 --> 02:24:36.340 right. I don't know if we should. We need to 02:24:36.340 --> 02:24:38.719 move ahead cautiously and be smart about our 02:24:38.719 --> 02:24:41.819 next decisions. However, this may or may not 02:24:41.819 --> 02:24:44.399 be the evidence we need in order for a warrant 02:24:44.399 --> 02:24:46.819 to be issued. On the other hand, we need to remember 02:24:46.819 --> 02:24:49.079 that Chen and Lily are still missing, and those 02:24:49.079 --> 02:24:52.180 people are still out there. We have no idea what 02:24:52.180 --> 02:24:55.139 is down in this tunnel. Besides, these are the 02:24:55.139 --> 02:24:58.120 people who took Lily and Chen. I don't know how 02:24:58.120 --> 02:25:00.979 safe it is. Professor Hawthorne thinks about 02:25:00.979 --> 02:25:03.459 his family and the girls' families. I really 02:25:03.459 --> 02:25:05.559 don't want anything to happen to either one of 02:25:05.559 --> 02:25:08.879 you, or myself. Ava bites her teeth, thinking 02:25:08.879 --> 02:25:11.459 less about the danger and more about the excitement 02:25:11.459 --> 02:25:13.940 and her bangings and the article for the beat. 02:25:14.059 --> 02:25:17.520 I mean, she heaves a sigh. I know where you two 02:25:17.520 --> 02:25:20.100 are coming from, and it's definitely dangerous, 02:25:20.280 --> 02:25:24.379 but the only thing is this wouldn't be enough 02:25:24.379 --> 02:25:27.520 evidence. The most we can do without going down 02:25:27.520 --> 02:25:30.299 is, what, take some photos? That's probably not 02:25:30.299 --> 02:25:33.479 going to be enough. Besides, the FBI could easily 02:25:33.479 --> 02:25:36.819 dismiss this as some old storeroom or, I don't 02:25:36.819 --> 02:25:39.459 know, a door to some weird cellar in the forest 02:25:39.459 --> 02:25:42.700 on an old guy's property. Ava, you do have a 02:25:42.700 --> 02:25:46.170 point. But let's not deny this could happen if 02:25:46.170 --> 02:25:49.030 we proceed. Think about it. We're going down 02:25:49.030 --> 02:25:51.709 into an underground tunnel without knowing where 02:25:51.709 --> 02:25:54.409 it leads. We may run into someone from that bad 02:25:54.409 --> 02:25:56.969 guy meeting you observed the other night. Then, 02:25:56.969 --> 02:26:00.229 then what? The professor asked. That's true, 02:26:00.350 --> 02:26:03.590 that's true. But you know who might also be down 02:26:03.590 --> 02:26:07.969 there? Lily. And possibly Chen. You're right, 02:26:07.989 --> 02:26:11.049 it's dangerous. But Lily and Chen, they're also 02:26:11.049 --> 02:26:13.920 in danger. Every minute we wait or hesitate, 02:26:14.200 --> 02:26:17.819 they may be closer to a terrible ending, Ava 02:26:17.819 --> 02:26:21.520 says. That's true, Sierra says, before thinking 02:26:21.520 --> 02:26:24.719 of something. And honestly, I'll want to have 02:26:24.719 --> 02:26:26.979 known that I tried helping the best I possibly 02:26:26.979 --> 02:26:30.360 could. And doing the best isn't standing in front 02:26:30.360 --> 02:26:32.719 of the tunnels where she's kept and choosing 02:26:32.719 --> 02:26:36.819 to go home. I'm a little scared, but I'll be 02:26:36.819 --> 02:26:39.850 okay. I'm in if you are. Professor Hawthorne 02:26:39.850 --> 02:26:43.170 sighs, torn between his curiosity and the responsibility 02:26:43.170 --> 02:26:46.010 he feels for these two girls with him. All right, 02:26:46.030 --> 02:26:48.670 let's do this very cautiously, the professor 02:26:48.670 --> 02:26:51.829 says, ignoring the unsettling feeling he feels 02:26:51.829 --> 02:26:54.430 in his gut. With that said, the professor pulls 02:26:54.430 --> 02:26:57.510 the door open again slowly, and all three peer 02:26:57.510 --> 02:27:01.950 down into the dark entrance of the tunnel. As 02:27:01.950 --> 02:27:04.530 the professor holds the door open, Ava and Sierra 02:27:04.530 --> 02:27:07.610 turn on their phone flashlights and one by one 02:27:07.610 --> 02:27:10.270 they carefully climb down the narrow staircase 02:27:10.270 --> 02:27:13.590 some eight rungs down toward the dirt ground. 02:27:13.889 --> 02:27:16.870 Ava first, then looking up to give Sierra the 02:27:16.870 --> 02:27:20.250 thumbs up sign. Sierra follows and then reaching 02:27:20.250 --> 02:27:22.610 to the bottom looks up at the professor who is 02:27:22.610 --> 02:27:25.110 still holding the door open and gives him the 02:27:25.110 --> 02:27:28.079 thumbs up. The professor climbs down the stairs 02:27:28.079 --> 02:27:30.620 and carefully closes the door above him which 02:27:30.620 --> 02:27:33.940 makes a metal latching sound. With that, they 02:27:33.940 --> 02:27:37.739 transcend into the darkness. Save for two faint 02:27:37.739 --> 02:27:40.340 rays of light from their phones that might not 02:27:40.340 --> 02:27:42.700 be enough to save them. The light from the phone 02:27:42.700 --> 02:27:45.500 is enough to see just a few meters in front of 02:27:45.500 --> 02:27:47.680 them. And when Ava tilts her phone downwards, 02:27:48.020 --> 02:27:50.979 they notice freshly made footprints under their 02:27:50.979 --> 02:28:00.280 feet leading into the dark, dark tunnel. Unbeknownst 02:28:00.280 --> 02:28:03.159 to Ava, Sierra, Professor Hawthorne, or Lily 02:28:03.159 --> 02:28:05.979 herself, the underground room that Lily is locked 02:28:05.979 --> 02:28:09.620 in is not far from where the others were. Lily, 02:28:09.719 --> 02:28:11.819 after being questioned by Professor Sharpton 02:28:11.819 --> 02:28:15.000 and then watching him leave her small room, she 02:28:15.000 --> 02:28:17.159 takes a moment to study her surroundings better. 02:28:17.559 --> 02:28:20.200 To the right, through the metal closed gate, 02:28:20.340 --> 02:28:22.479 down the corridor that Professor Sharpton left 02:28:22.479 --> 02:28:25.399 from, is the silhouette of the larger man she 02:28:25.399 --> 02:28:28.979 saw. Still standing there, She assumes this person 02:28:28.979 --> 02:28:32.020 is a guard or something. Looking forward and 02:28:32.020 --> 02:28:33.940 toward the opposite wall that she is sitting 02:28:33.940 --> 02:28:37.479 against, she notices what looks like a dirty 02:28:37.479 --> 02:28:40.379 piece of clothing. She gets up and grabs it. 02:28:40.579 --> 02:28:44.000 It's a sweatshirt, she thinks to herself. It's 02:28:44.000 --> 02:28:46.579 a college sweatshirt and the initials on the 02:28:46.579 --> 02:28:52.520 inside tag spell C -H -E -N. This is Chen's sweatshirt. 02:28:52.620 --> 02:28:55.379 He must either still be here somewhere or maybe 02:28:55.379 --> 02:28:58.209 they moved him. As she is thinking this, she 02:28:58.209 --> 02:29:00.729 looks to her left toward the other corridor that 02:29:00.729 --> 02:29:03.409 blocks off with the metal gate. She looks closer 02:29:03.409 --> 02:29:06.129 and notices that the metal latch and lock on 02:29:06.129 --> 02:29:09.129 that gate is not properly fastened. She lets 02:29:09.129 --> 02:29:22.399 out a soft gasp. Time seems to be crawling along 02:29:22.399 --> 02:29:25.479 for Lily. It's been about 30 or so minutes since 02:29:25.479 --> 02:29:27.879 Professor Sharpton had interrogated her about 02:29:27.879 --> 02:29:30.420 the note, the formula and her friends, and then 02:29:30.420 --> 02:29:34.059 left abruptly. She's pretty confident. It's mid 02:29:34.059 --> 02:29:37.120 to late morning and that she had spent the night 02:29:37.120 --> 02:29:39.719 in this small dirty space, which seemed to be 02:29:39.719 --> 02:29:42.909 underground. Still sitting on the small flimsy 02:29:42.909 --> 02:29:46.250 cushion, Lily squints as she tries to look more 02:29:46.250 --> 02:29:49.590 closely at the lodge and gate that seems not 02:29:49.590 --> 02:29:52.610 to be secured properly. With Chin's sweatshirt 02:29:52.610 --> 02:29:56.049 in hand, she turns her head and looks back at 02:29:56.049 --> 02:29:58.350 the large man who's standing halfway down the 02:29:58.350 --> 02:30:01.469 other corridor. She assumes this large man is 02:30:01.469 --> 02:30:04.010 guarding her as he's been standing there the 02:30:04.010 --> 02:30:06.549 entire time she's been awake. All of a sudden, 02:30:06.649 --> 02:30:09.049 she notices the man stepping out of the shadow 02:30:09.049 --> 02:30:11.969 slightly. turns and looks in the opposite direction 02:30:11.969 --> 02:30:14.930 from her. He's looking down the corridor toward 02:30:14.930 --> 02:30:17.250 the corner that Professor Sharpton had disappeared 02:30:17.250 --> 02:30:19.770 around earlier. He's standing more at tension 02:30:19.770 --> 02:30:22.750 with his arms at his waist, as if he hears something 02:30:22.750 --> 02:30:30.770 coming from the other direction. Meanwhile, Ava, 02:30:30.870 --> 02:30:33.329 Sierra, and the professor find themselves inside 02:30:33.329 --> 02:30:36.110 the entrance of the main tunnel entrance. which 02:30:36.110 --> 02:30:39.629 is located on Old Man Sutter's property. Ava's 02:30:39.629 --> 02:30:42.190 phone flashlight reveals what looks to be fresh 02:30:42.190 --> 02:30:44.250 footprints in the dirt right in front of her. 02:30:44.530 --> 02:30:47.450 In a hushed tone, he points at the footprints 02:30:47.450 --> 02:30:51.069 and says, Look here. Someone's been here. And 02:30:51.069 --> 02:30:55.149 recently, too. Hmm, you're right, Ava, the professor 02:30:55.149 --> 02:30:58.250 says, nodding his head and thinking. All right, 02:30:58.270 --> 02:31:01.069 let's move forward slowly and together in a single 02:31:01.069 --> 02:31:04.719 line, hoping we don't run into anyone. The professor 02:31:04.719 --> 02:31:07.040 moves around Ava and Sierra and starts walking 02:31:07.040 --> 02:31:10.920 forward deeper into the dark corridor. He stops 02:31:10.920 --> 02:31:13.219 for a moment, turns around and points to the 02:31:13.219 --> 02:31:16.799 walls and whispers, This tunnel was made a long 02:31:16.799 --> 02:31:19.700 time ago. Thankfully it's large enough we can 02:31:19.700 --> 02:31:23.420 walk upright. We are standing in history. You 02:31:23.420 --> 02:31:26.420 see these old chisel marks in the rock? These 02:31:26.420 --> 02:31:28.659 are some of the same types of marks Ethan and 02:31:28.659 --> 02:31:31.000 I observed in the mines on Rob's Peak yesterday. 02:31:31.610 --> 02:31:34.090 This tunnel system was built old school style, 02:31:34.309 --> 02:31:37.750 with pickaxes and hard labor. He turns back around 02:31:37.750 --> 02:31:40.930 and continues walking forward slowly. Sierra 02:31:40.930 --> 02:31:43.870 and Ava quietly follow the professor down the 02:31:43.870 --> 02:31:47.030 narrow tunnel, walking in a single line. The 02:31:47.030 --> 02:31:50.129 three kept walking forward, another 10 -15 meters 02:31:50.129 --> 02:31:53.290 before the tunnel starts to gradually widen and 02:31:53.290 --> 02:31:56.309 then ending in a small rectangular room. Sierra 02:31:56.309 --> 02:31:58.690 stops and looks around while standing very close 02:31:58.690 --> 02:32:01.229 to Ava's side. The professor turns around and 02:32:01.229 --> 02:32:03.649 whispers again to the girls, this must be used 02:32:03.649 --> 02:32:06.090 as some sort of ventilation shaft or room for 02:32:06.090 --> 02:32:08.950 the other parts of the tunnels. They all notice 02:32:08.950 --> 02:32:11.569 that the air inside the small chamber was fresher 02:32:11.569 --> 02:32:14.270 than the air in the passageways, and it smelled 02:32:14.270 --> 02:32:17.409 better, not as damp and musty. Squinting her 02:32:17.409 --> 02:32:20.370 eyes as she shines her phone's flashlight around 02:32:20.370 --> 02:32:23.049 the chamber, she realizes the problem and then 02:32:23.049 --> 02:32:27.049 says softly, Oh, there's two ways out of this 02:32:27.049 --> 02:32:29.739 chamber now. There's one forward, and then there's 02:32:29.739 --> 02:32:32.760 one on our right. Which way should we go now, 02:32:32.899 --> 02:32:36.159 straight or right? Sarah looks at the professor 02:32:36.159 --> 02:32:39.200 and then looks at Ava. Ava has her head down 02:32:39.200 --> 02:32:41.159 and is sketching the layout of the tunnel in 02:32:41.159 --> 02:32:43.180 her small notebook she just pulled out of her 02:32:43.180 --> 02:32:45.840 bag. She's shining her phone light on the notebook 02:32:45.840 --> 02:32:48.440 page so she can see what she's drawing. She stops 02:32:48.440 --> 02:32:51.440 for a moment and says, Thought I'd draw a map 02:32:51.440 --> 02:32:53.579 of this place. Might help us out in the future. 02:32:54.299 --> 02:32:56.459 Responding to Sierra's question first, she answers 02:32:56.459 --> 02:32:59.159 with another question as she looks at the professor 02:32:59.159 --> 02:33:03.239 and points her phone light at him. Hmm, should 02:33:03.239 --> 02:33:05.739 we split up or stay together, she continues. 02:33:06.139 --> 02:33:08.520 The footprints we've been observing lead down 02:33:08.520 --> 02:33:11.420 to the path going straight, but there doesn't 02:33:11.420 --> 02:33:13.479 seem to be any footprints that go right down 02:33:13.479 --> 02:33:15.959 the other way. Yep, I see that too, Ava, the 02:33:15.959 --> 02:33:18.600 professor says. The professor hesitates for a 02:33:18.600 --> 02:33:21.059 moment and then asks Ava if he could see her 02:33:21.059 --> 02:33:24.500 drawing. The professor peers down at the sketch 02:33:24.500 --> 02:33:27.620 that Ava was drawing and continues, That's pretty 02:33:27.620 --> 02:33:29.879 accurate, Ava. It would be great if you could 02:33:29.879 --> 02:33:32.139 continue doing that as we make our way through 02:33:32.139 --> 02:33:35.219 the tunnel. The professor then stops for a moment, 02:33:35.319 --> 02:33:38.040 reaches into his bag, and pulls out the old manuscript 02:33:38.040 --> 02:33:40.520 he's been carrying around with him. He flips 02:33:40.520 --> 02:33:42.659 through the pages and finally stops on a page 02:33:42.659 --> 02:33:45.139 that's filled with sketches and symbols and says, 02:33:45.629 --> 02:33:48.370 Seeing your sketch, Ava, it reminded me of this 02:33:48.370 --> 02:33:50.510 part of the manuscript we were studying at the 02:33:50.510 --> 02:33:54.469 reservoir yesterday night. Hmm, here it is. The 02:33:54.469 --> 02:33:56.870 professor points to the faded ink on the page 02:33:56.870 --> 02:34:00.170 that appears to show some sort of schematic drawing 02:34:00.170 --> 02:34:03.610 and says, Ava, shine your light right here. You 02:34:03.610 --> 02:34:06.110 see this drawing right here on this page? This 02:34:06.110 --> 02:34:08.670 drawing in the manuscript looks like a schematic 02:34:08.670 --> 02:34:11.790 of something. It could be the layout map of this 02:34:11.790 --> 02:34:14.489 tunnel system we are in right now. Ava shifts 02:34:14.489 --> 02:34:16.629 her light from the manuscript page up towards 02:34:16.629 --> 02:34:19.149 the professor's face and says, Sure looks that 02:34:19.149 --> 02:34:22.190 way. This manuscript is proving to be super accurate. 02:34:22.469 --> 02:34:25.370 It keeps corroborating with all our discoverings. 02:34:25.549 --> 02:34:27.649 It's no wonder this thing was never published. 02:34:28.110 --> 02:34:31.290 It holds all kinds of information. Ava then turns 02:34:31.290 --> 02:34:33.649 her light around to face Sierra, who is still 02:34:33.649 --> 02:34:35.729 standing really close to Ava's side and asks, 02:34:36.190 --> 02:34:39.190 You still doing okay? Sierra cocks her head slightly 02:34:39.190 --> 02:34:42.489 and says, Yep. I'm hanging in there just trying 02:34:42.489 --> 02:34:44.909 not to panic a little and trying not to think 02:34:44.909 --> 02:34:47.149 about all the bad things that could happen to 02:34:47.149 --> 02:34:50.629 us. Yeah, Ava says, then giving Sierra her notebook 02:34:50.629 --> 02:34:53.870 and pencil, saying, Here, this will help keep 02:34:53.870 --> 02:34:56.270 your mind off of things. You sketch the path 02:34:56.270 --> 02:34:58.950 out as we make our way through the tunnel. You're 02:34:58.950 --> 02:35:01.909 a better artist than me anyway. The professor 02:35:01.909 --> 02:35:04.069 was standing there in the darkness as Ava had 02:35:04.069 --> 02:35:06.799 shifted her phone light toward Sierra. As the 02:35:06.799 --> 02:35:08.920 girls were talking, the professor peered down 02:35:08.920 --> 02:35:11.479 the path that led straight and noticed a faint, 02:35:11.600 --> 02:35:13.920 faint flicker of a light some distance ahead. 02:35:14.639 --> 02:35:17.500 Professor Hawthorne scratches his head and contemplates 02:35:17.500 --> 02:35:20.899 what to do next and then says, Alright, I got 02:35:20.899 --> 02:35:24.399 an idea. Let's divide and conquer. He says this 02:35:24.399 --> 02:35:27.059 as he clicks on his small keychain flashlight. 02:35:27.620 --> 02:35:30.000 His flashlight is about half the strength of 02:35:30.000 --> 02:35:32.500 Ava and Sierra's phone lights and has less battery 02:35:32.500 --> 02:35:35.260 time. He does not want to let Ava and Sierra 02:35:35.260 --> 02:35:38.540 know that he saw a very faint light in the path 02:35:38.540 --> 02:35:41.500 that led straight, so he continues. I'll continue 02:35:41.500 --> 02:35:43.500 straight on this path, and you girls take the 02:35:43.500 --> 02:35:45.700 path that goes right. Are you okay with that? 02:35:45.819 --> 02:35:48.579 He asks both girls as he looks straight at them. 02:35:48.920 --> 02:35:51.680 I'm good with that if you are, Ava. Sierra turns 02:35:51.680 --> 02:35:54.799 to look at Ava. I'll continue sketching this 02:35:54.799 --> 02:35:56.959 part of the tunnel since this part of the map 02:35:56.959 --> 02:35:59.500 in the manuscript is very faint and hard to see. 02:35:59.879 --> 02:36:02.819 Yep, let's do it, Ava says. She offers up an 02:36:02.819 --> 02:36:05.739 idea well before they part ways. Let's say we 02:36:05.739 --> 02:36:09.200 meet back here in 15 minutes, and if we find 02:36:09.200 --> 02:36:11.340 ourselves getting confused or lost, we can just 02:36:11.340 --> 02:36:13.620 always backtrack our steps back to this spot. 02:36:13.819 --> 02:36:16.139 They all nod in agreement, and with that, Ava 02:36:16.139 --> 02:36:18.760 says to Professor Hawthorne, good luck and be 02:36:18.760 --> 02:36:21.040 safe. The professor walks slowly forward down 02:36:21.040 --> 02:36:23.200 the straight path that leads toward the faint 02:36:23.200 --> 02:36:26.379 light he noticed earlier. He looks back as Ava 02:36:26.379 --> 02:36:34.840 and Sierra disappear down the other path. Meanwhile, 02:36:35.059 --> 02:36:37.500 Lily gets up from where she was sitting and walks 02:36:37.500 --> 02:36:40.159 slowly to the gate that was locked, peers through 02:36:40.159 --> 02:36:43.020 it, and notices that the guard who was standing 02:36:43.020 --> 02:36:45.920 there had walked around the corner and was nowhere 02:36:45.920 --> 02:36:49.360 to be seen. She waits for a moment, wanting to 02:36:49.360 --> 02:36:52.260 make sure he wasn't coming right back. She then 02:36:52.260 --> 02:36:54.840 makes a quick decision, turns around and quickly 02:36:54.840 --> 02:36:57.700 walks to the other gate, the one that is not 02:36:57.700 --> 02:37:01.079 lodged properly, and pries it open with both 02:37:01.079 --> 02:37:03.959 hands. It took all her strength to reach the 02:37:03.959 --> 02:37:06.319 launch. Move it upward and then push the gate 02:37:06.319 --> 02:37:10.420 open. She couldn't believe it. She was staring 02:37:10.420 --> 02:37:13.319 into the darkness. Down another tunnel that led 02:37:13.319 --> 02:37:15.379 out the other side of the small room she was 02:37:15.379 --> 02:37:18.180 in. But it was the way to freedom she was hoping 02:37:18.180 --> 02:37:21.479 for. She bravely starts walking forward while 02:37:21.479 --> 02:37:24.040 holding Chen's sweatshirt, not realizing how 02:37:24.040 --> 02:37:26.520 important that sweatshirt will be in the days 02:37:26.520 --> 02:37:29.420 to come. Slowly but surely. taking one step after 02:37:29.420 --> 02:37:33.059 another as she says to herself, You got this. 02:37:33.319 --> 02:37:42.700 You got this. Sierra and Ava, with two rays of 02:37:42.700 --> 02:37:45.440 light from their phones, continued walking down 02:37:45.440 --> 02:37:48.120 a side passageway they took after leaving the 02:37:48.120 --> 02:37:50.379 small ventilation room where they parted ways 02:37:50.379 --> 02:37:53.479 with Professor Hawthorne. This passageway started 02:37:53.479 --> 02:37:56.340 getting narrow again, then curving slightly toward 02:37:56.340 --> 02:37:59.360 a sharp corner that turned left. To keep her 02:37:59.360 --> 02:38:02.219 mind off the fear she was facing, and by now 02:38:02.219 --> 02:38:05.120 it was mostly claustrophobia, this was something 02:38:05.120 --> 02:38:08.159 that her and Ava shared, a fear of opposite things. 02:38:08.620 --> 02:38:11.579 Ava's fear of heights was revealed at the reservoir 02:38:11.579 --> 02:38:14.459 and now Sierra's fear of small spaces is being 02:38:14.459 --> 02:38:17.860 revealed. Sierra whispers ahead to Ava who's 02:38:17.860 --> 02:38:20.579 leading the way down the tunnel slowly and cautiously. 02:38:21.000 --> 02:38:24.209 Man. i can't wait to get out of here they both 02:38:24.209 --> 02:38:26.969 come to the corner and then walk slowly making 02:38:26.969 --> 02:38:29.969 the turn left and peer down another's passageway 02:38:29.969 --> 02:38:33.690 all the while and to help her keep her mind off 02:38:33.690 --> 02:38:36.489 the small passageway sierra continues to sketch 02:38:36.489 --> 02:38:39.069 out the pathways they are taking making sure 02:38:39.069 --> 02:38:41.530 her drawing and number of steps they are taking 02:38:41.530 --> 02:38:45.709 are recorded with accuracy down this new passageway 02:38:45.709 --> 02:38:49.250 they walk another 10 to 12 meters before noticing 02:38:49.250 --> 02:38:52.110 that the tunnel starts to get wider revealing 02:38:52.110 --> 02:38:55.450 some light ahead. They move slowly forward and 02:38:55.450 --> 02:38:57.870 then all of a sudden they enter a large rectangular 02:38:57.870 --> 02:39:01.569 room which is dimly lit by one small light bulb 02:39:01.569 --> 02:39:04.610 hanging from one of the old wooden support beams 02:39:04.610 --> 02:39:08.370 above their heads. This room is larger in size 02:39:08.370 --> 02:39:11.450 and the air seems better as well. Maybe another 02:39:11.450 --> 02:39:14.069 ventilation room or maybe something different, 02:39:14.309 --> 02:39:17.409 Sira thinks to herself as she is sketching in 02:39:17.409 --> 02:39:20.399 the notebook. Sierra and Ava turn off their phone 02:39:20.399 --> 02:39:23.639 lights to save battery. Sierra briefly checks 02:39:23.639 --> 02:39:26.940 to see if she has cell reception. No luck. And 02:39:26.940 --> 02:39:29.680 then turns and shows Ava as they both shrug their 02:39:29.680 --> 02:39:32.520 shoulders while looking around the room. Look 02:39:32.520 --> 02:39:34.719 at that, Ava exclaims, pointing around the room. 02:39:34.879 --> 02:39:37.719 There's shelves, documents, and what's that large 02:39:37.719 --> 02:39:40.799 paper chart on the wall? Wow, I bet a lot of 02:39:40.799 --> 02:39:43.360 this stuff will make great evidence. Okay, okay, 02:39:43.399 --> 02:39:45.459 Sierra. How about you take the left side of the 02:39:45.459 --> 02:39:47.360 room, I'll take the right, and then we'll gather 02:39:47.360 --> 02:39:50.180 anything that looks important. Oh, I'll also 02:39:50.180 --> 02:39:52.819 take a photo of the chair on the wall. Ava continues 02:39:52.819 --> 02:39:56.239 as she watches Sierra pull Lily's backpack off 02:39:56.239 --> 02:39:58.780 and sit it onto the ground. Okay, let's fill 02:39:58.780 --> 02:40:01.459 that backpack as much as possible, and if we 02:40:01.459 --> 02:40:04.200 run out of room, grab photos of the other stuff 02:40:04.200 --> 02:40:07.200 we can't carry. On it, Sierra says, hurrying 02:40:07.200 --> 02:40:09.510 to the other side of the room. This side of the 02:40:09.510 --> 02:40:12.309 room contained an old wooden table that was covered 02:40:12.309 --> 02:40:15.450 with old papers and yellow documents. Sierra 02:40:15.450 --> 02:40:18.270 noticed that the scatter of documents on the 02:40:18.270 --> 02:40:21.250 table looked to be various maps, letters, and 02:40:21.250 --> 02:40:24.270 an old accounting ledger book. Bingo, Sierra 02:40:24.270 --> 02:40:26.729 says as she holds up the ledger book and turns 02:40:26.729 --> 02:40:29.649 to show Ava. She blurts out in a regular voice. 02:40:30.079 --> 02:40:32.540 This gotta be important. This ledger book is 02:40:32.540 --> 02:40:35.620 full of names, dates, weights, and money amounts. 02:40:36.020 --> 02:40:38.040 Ava turns around and looks at the ledger book 02:40:38.040 --> 02:40:40.920 Asira is holding up and says, Wow, okay, that 02:40:40.920 --> 02:40:43.760 might be the ticket. Make sure you secure that 02:40:43.760 --> 02:40:46.620 in the backpack along with as many of those old 02:40:46.620 --> 02:40:49.459 papers as possible. Ava gets back to work snapping 02:40:49.459 --> 02:40:52.399 photos of them. Old tools and such that are being 02:40:52.399 --> 02:40:55.540 held in small wooden crates that seem to be quite 02:40:55.540 --> 02:40:57.780 old. Nothing you would find in a hardware store 02:40:57.780 --> 02:41:00.870 these days. The tools and other materials, much 02:41:00.870 --> 02:41:02.729 of the wooden parts of the tools were either 02:41:02.729 --> 02:41:06.270 rotten or coming apart, looked to be items that 02:41:06.270 --> 02:41:09.350 were used in a mine. They were all old and worn 02:41:09.350 --> 02:41:12.350 out, Eva thinks to herself. Maybe these are some 02:41:12.350 --> 02:41:14.629 of the old tools from the early cold rush days. 02:41:14.829 --> 02:41:17.430 She then spots some engravings on some of the 02:41:17.430 --> 02:41:20.030 handles of the tools. The engravings look to 02:41:20.030 --> 02:41:23.270 be Chinese characters. She stops for a moment. 02:41:23.610 --> 02:41:26.510 carefully focusing her camera phone as to not 02:41:26.510 --> 02:41:29.209 take blurry photos and systematically taking 02:41:29.209 --> 02:41:32.590 photos of more than a dozen tools which had engraved 02:41:32.590 --> 02:41:34.590 characters on them. She turns around and looks 02:41:34.590 --> 02:41:37.110 at Sierra who's folding and packing papers and 02:41:37.110 --> 02:41:39.329 maps into the backpack and says, This is the 02:41:39.329 --> 02:41:42.170 goal of mine, Sierra. Pun intended. Get as much 02:41:42.170 --> 02:41:44.829 as you can. Sierra, after packing the backpack, 02:41:45.010 --> 02:41:49.139 turns her phone light full on and says, The passageway 02:41:49.139 --> 02:41:51.799 opposite the way we came in seems to lead to 02:41:51.799 --> 02:41:54.200 another room like this. Let's go check it out 02:41:54.200 --> 02:41:56.299 as well. I don't think there's anyone down there. 02:41:56.520 --> 02:41:59.340 Eva looks up at Syrah as she snaps one last photo, 02:41:59.459 --> 02:42:02.239 cracking half a smile as she says, You're getting 02:42:02.239 --> 02:42:04.219 the hang of this, girl. Yeah, let's go check 02:42:04.219 --> 02:42:07.139 it out. The girls exit the room and walk through 02:42:07.139 --> 02:42:09.219 a short passageway and then enter the second 02:42:09.219 --> 02:42:12.000 room. This room was slightly smaller. However, 02:42:12.260 --> 02:42:14.219 it did have a single light bulb in the center 02:42:14.219 --> 02:42:16.159 of the room hanging from one of the horizontal 02:42:16.159 --> 02:42:19.010 ceiling support beams. similar to the other rooms 02:42:19.010 --> 02:42:20.809 it just came from. There were two ways out of 02:42:20.809 --> 02:42:22.950 the second room. You could either go back to 02:42:22.950 --> 02:42:25.889 the way you came from or take another passageway 02:42:25.889 --> 02:42:27.709 that exited from the right side of the room. 02:42:28.329 --> 02:42:31.530 Ava notices that Sierra is looking down and sketching 02:42:31.530 --> 02:42:33.850 again in the notebook and says, thanks for mapping 02:42:33.850 --> 02:42:35.909 out the design of the tunnel system. It'll be 02:42:35.909 --> 02:42:38.129 so helpful when we turn all this stuff into the 02:42:38.129 --> 02:42:40.569 FBI. Ava looks over towards the left side of 02:42:40.569 --> 02:42:43.190 the room, opposite of the exit passageway they 02:42:43.190 --> 02:42:45.610 haven't explored yet. and notices several old 02:42:45.610 --> 02:42:48.709 wooden shelves with what looks to be a series 02:42:48.709 --> 02:42:51.430 of old glass jars filled with different things 02:42:51.430 --> 02:42:54.270 and all covered in dust. They all had lids on 02:42:54.270 --> 02:42:57.209 and old worn -out labels on the lids. She glanced 02:42:57.209 --> 02:42:59.489 at Sierra and says, I hope you have a little 02:42:59.489 --> 02:43:07.549 more room in that backpack. Professor Hawthorne 02:43:07.549 --> 02:43:09.750 finally makes his way to the source of the light 02:43:09.750 --> 02:43:12.780 he saw earlier. The room is much larger than 02:43:12.780 --> 02:43:14.840 the ventilation chamber he and the girls had 02:43:14.840 --> 02:43:18.360 parted ways from a short time ago. He steps just 02:43:18.360 --> 02:43:20.739 inside the room with the dark passageway he just 02:43:20.739 --> 02:43:23.780 came from directly behind him. As the professor 02:43:23.780 --> 02:43:27.040 clicks off his keychain light with squinted eyes, 02:43:27.139 --> 02:43:29.899 he looks up and scans the room quickly in an 02:43:29.899 --> 02:43:32.459 effort to get a feel of the size of the space, 02:43:32.579 --> 02:43:36.219 which is poorly lit and mostly empty. He sweeps 02:43:36.219 --> 02:43:38.540 his eyes from left to right, the right side of 02:43:38.540 --> 02:43:40.899 the room being more lit than the left. As he 02:43:40.899 --> 02:43:43.399 peers through the dimly lit and dusty air toward 02:43:43.399 --> 02:43:45.979 the dark left corner of the room, he immediately 02:43:45.979 --> 02:43:50.459 freezes and stops breathing. There stood a large 02:43:50.459 --> 02:43:53.620 figure of a man standing concealed by a shadow 02:43:53.620 --> 02:43:56.239 in the left corner of the room. The professor 02:43:56.239 --> 02:43:59.079 recognizes the man's pants and shoes immediately. 02:43:59.479 --> 02:44:02.340 Then, in a split second, the professor, who's 02:44:02.340 --> 02:44:05.420 visibly startled, notices the large man move 02:44:05.420 --> 02:44:08.159 out from the shadow with a gun drawn and pointed 02:44:08.159 --> 02:44:10.520 directly toward him. Without thinking the professor 02:44:10.520 --> 02:44:13.319 takes one quick step to the right while at the 02:44:13.319 --> 02:44:17.760 same time a piercing loud bang goes off. The 02:44:17.760 --> 02:44:20.260 sound of the gun going off in the small room 02:44:20.260 --> 02:44:23.260 immediately produces a loud and painful ringing 02:44:23.260 --> 02:44:25.879 noise in the professor's ears. The professor 02:44:25.879 --> 02:44:29.399 was hit by shattering rock and dirt on his left 02:44:29.399 --> 02:44:32.200 side from where the bullet hit the wall right 02:44:32.200 --> 02:44:35.180 next to his body. The professor turns around 02:44:35.180 --> 02:44:38.260 immediately and runs back down the dark passageway. 02:44:38.809 --> 02:44:41.069 the same direction he came from, knowing that 02:44:41.069 --> 02:44:43.610 this way led directly back to the main entry 02:44:43.610 --> 02:44:45.870 door he and the girls had entered the tunnels 02:44:45.870 --> 02:44:48.709 from. While running back down the passageway 02:44:48.709 --> 02:44:51.149 toward the entry door, the professor clicks on 02:44:51.149 --> 02:44:53.629 his keychain light. He enters a small ventilation 02:44:53.629 --> 02:44:57.190 chamber first. This was the same place the girls 02:44:57.190 --> 02:45:00.030 parted ways with him. He hesitates a moment and 02:45:00.030 --> 02:45:02.170 then he hears the large man coming down the same 02:45:02.170 --> 02:45:11.159 passageway toward him. Meanwhile, Sierra and 02:45:11.159 --> 02:45:13.739 Ava were grabbing small glass jars from off the 02:45:13.739 --> 02:45:16.579 old wooden shelves and carefully placing them 02:45:16.579 --> 02:45:19.700 into the backpack Sierra had. The jars were heavy 02:45:19.700 --> 02:45:21.780 for their size and contained what looked to be 02:45:21.780 --> 02:45:24.879 small gold nuggets and fragments of gold pieces. 02:45:25.299 --> 02:45:28.479 Ava noticed an old cloth covering some items 02:45:28.479 --> 02:45:31.260 on the bottom shelves. She bent down, grabbed 02:45:31.260 --> 02:45:33.299 a corner of the cloth, and pulled it to the side. 02:45:33.659 --> 02:45:36.440 Whoa, she blurted out. While looking at Sarah, 02:45:36.600 --> 02:45:38.959 who was trying to pack the backpack so they could 02:45:38.959 --> 02:45:41.780 leave, Ava could not believe her eyes. There, 02:45:41.920 --> 02:45:44.379 under the old cloth, stood several identical 02:45:44.379 --> 02:45:48.000 gold bars. Without thinking, Ava picked one up 02:45:48.000 --> 02:45:50.440 and immediately felt the weight of it. These 02:45:50.440 --> 02:45:53.399 are real, Sarah, she says to Sarah as they both 02:45:53.399 --> 02:45:55.540 stand there in silence, staring at the shiny 02:45:55.540 --> 02:45:58.360 gold bar Ava is holding, while looking down at 02:45:58.360 --> 02:46:00.979 the gold bar. Eva notices that it is stamped 02:46:00.979 --> 02:46:04.239 with the words, U .S. Treasury Department. All 02:46:04.239 --> 02:46:06.819 of a sudden, the silence is broken with a loud 02:46:06.819 --> 02:46:10.479 crack, followed by echoes of boom, boom, boom, 02:46:10.600 --> 02:46:14.780 boom. Immediately, Eva and Sierra's joy and laughs 02:46:14.780 --> 02:46:17.770 just moments ago turned into fear. By instinct, 02:46:17.870 --> 02:46:19.709 they both bent down and put their hands over 02:46:19.709 --> 02:46:22.190 their ears. Ava dropped the heavy gold bar she 02:46:22.190 --> 02:46:24.309 was holding, and Sierra dropped one of the glass 02:46:24.309 --> 02:46:26.850 jars she was holding, the glass breaking and 02:46:26.850 --> 02:46:29.770 spilling its contents into the dirt floor. Neither 02:46:29.770 --> 02:46:31.450 one of them could tell where this sound had come 02:46:31.450 --> 02:46:34.290 from, but they knew it came from within the tunnel 02:46:34.290 --> 02:46:37.610 system. Ava looks directly at Sierra as they 02:46:37.610 --> 02:46:40.329 were kneeling down and says quietly, That sounds 02:46:40.329 --> 02:46:43.649 like a gunshot. We need to leave right now. The 02:46:43.649 --> 02:46:45.670 sound came from the same direction we came from. 02:46:46.110 --> 02:46:48.790 What about the professor? Sierra responds with 02:46:48.790 --> 02:46:51.590 a concerned and shocked look on her face. Ava 02:46:51.590 --> 02:46:53.870 responds back, we can't go back the way we just 02:46:53.870 --> 02:46:56.469 came. We can only hope that the professor is 02:46:56.469 --> 02:46:58.690 able to retrace his steps and leave the way we 02:46:58.690 --> 02:47:01.250 all came in. We need to get this backpack, the 02:47:01.250 --> 02:47:03.370 stuff we collected out of here. It's the only 02:47:03.370 --> 02:47:05.790 way we can prove what was going on in here. They 02:47:05.790 --> 02:47:08.329 both stand up and grab what they can. Sierra 02:47:08.329 --> 02:47:11.049 grabs the heavy backpack and zips it shut while 02:47:11.049 --> 02:47:13.370 she is looking down at the broken jar she dropped. 02:47:13.530 --> 02:47:16.270 The contents are on the dirt by her feet. Sierra 02:47:16.270 --> 02:47:18.909 notices that it looks similar to the rocky powder 02:47:18.909 --> 02:47:22.049 substance that Professor Hawthorne had collected 02:47:22.049 --> 02:47:25.159 from one of the mines on Rob's Peak. Knowing 02:47:25.159 --> 02:47:27.700 this, she quickly looks back over at the wooden 02:47:27.700 --> 02:47:30.780 shelf and grabs one more small jar with what 02:47:30.780 --> 02:47:33.540 looks like to have the same substance inside 02:47:33.540 --> 02:47:37.420 and then looks back over at Ava and says, I want 02:47:37.420 --> 02:47:40.020 to leave now. They may be coming for us now. 02:47:40.319 --> 02:47:42.840 Ava stands back up with the heavy gold bar in 02:47:42.840 --> 02:47:45.540 hand and says, let's get out of here. Her voice 02:47:45.540 --> 02:47:49.190 is trembling. Like, right now. The two take the 02:47:49.190 --> 02:47:51.549 only other exit out of the room that doesn't 02:47:51.549 --> 02:47:54.409 lead back the way they came into the room. This 02:47:54.409 --> 02:47:56.870 passageway exits out the right side of the room. 02:47:56.969 --> 02:47:59.370 The girls with their phone lights in hand, the 02:47:59.370 --> 02:48:02.270 heavy backpack and gold bar run down the passageway 02:48:02.270 --> 02:48:05.049 a few meters and into another room that's about 02:48:05.049 --> 02:48:07.409 the same size as the last one they just came 02:48:07.409 --> 02:48:10.430 from. This room has a large wooden pallet filled 02:48:10.430 --> 02:48:13.250 with what looks like blocks stacked up, one on 02:48:13.250 --> 02:48:15.989 top of each other, covered with a canvas tarp. 02:48:16.350 --> 02:48:18.549 The girls run past it and look at each other. 02:48:18.670 --> 02:48:21.110 There's no time to investigate what's under the 02:48:21.110 --> 02:48:24.510 tarp. Sierra hesitates for a moment as she notices 02:48:24.510 --> 02:48:26.889 that there are two ways out of this new room. 02:48:27.110 --> 02:48:29.889 She looks at Ava and stops dead in her tracks 02:48:29.889 --> 02:48:33.670 and says, Which way should we go? She looks right 02:48:33.670 --> 02:48:36.809 and then left. Ava, should we go right or left 02:48:36.809 --> 02:48:39.750 from here? Neither one of the girls knew at that 02:48:39.750 --> 02:48:42.309 moment that the left passageway would take them 02:48:42.309 --> 02:48:45.360 back to the place that Lily was being held. Without 02:48:45.360 --> 02:48:48.500 thinking, Ava shouts out, let's go, hurry, let's 02:48:48.500 --> 02:48:51.860 go right. Ava runs past Zira, grabbing her arm 02:48:51.860 --> 02:48:53.899 as they both take the right passageway out of 02:48:53.899 --> 02:48:56.159 the new room they just discovered. Less than 02:48:56.159 --> 02:48:58.440 a minute later, Ava sees what looks like the 02:48:58.440 --> 02:49:00.780 outside light shining down onto the dirt floor 02:49:00.780 --> 02:49:03.940 a few meters ahead. She looks back at Zira, who's 02:49:03.940 --> 02:49:05.559 right behind her and still holding her hand, 02:49:05.600 --> 02:49:08.379 and yells out, it's an exit outside, we can get 02:49:08.379 --> 02:49:10.430 out of the tunnel this way. As they reach the 02:49:10.430 --> 02:49:12.469 beaming light that is shining through what looks 02:49:12.469 --> 02:49:15.090 like an old wooden plank door above them, they 02:49:15.090 --> 02:49:17.309 need to crouch down slightly as the tunnel height 02:49:17.309 --> 02:49:19.590 gradually gets smaller the closer they get to 02:49:19.590 --> 02:49:22.170 the exit. They climb the wooden stairs, only 02:49:22.170 --> 02:49:25.129 four rungs high, and then both push up on the 02:49:25.129 --> 02:49:27.989 wooden door and watch as it swings open to the 02:49:27.989 --> 02:49:30.889 outside wooden area. As Sierra and Ava emerge 02:49:30.889 --> 02:49:34.030 from the tunnel, out a different area from where 02:49:34.030 --> 02:49:36.690 they had first entered, they are met with the 02:49:36.690 --> 02:49:39.579 daylight which feels incredibly safe. but also 02:49:39.579 --> 02:49:42.500 overpowering. They both squint their eyes, needing 02:49:42.500 --> 02:49:44.819 a few seconds to get used to the bright daylight 02:49:44.819 --> 02:49:48.059 that meets them. As Sierra is rubbing her eyes 02:49:48.059 --> 02:49:51.040 and looking around to see where they are at on 02:49:51.040 --> 02:49:53.940 the property, she sees Lily just standing there, 02:49:54.000 --> 02:49:57.200 a few meters away, next to a tree and staring 02:49:57.200 --> 02:50:06.000 right back at her and Ava. Professor Hawthorne 02:50:06.000 --> 02:50:08.799 briefly stops and looks down the dark passageway 02:50:08.799 --> 02:50:12.399 the girls had gone and only sees darkness. He 02:50:12.399 --> 02:50:14.559 then continues toward the entrance metal door. 02:50:15.020 --> 02:50:17.420 He reaches the wooden steps and climbs quickly 02:50:17.420 --> 02:50:19.819 knowing that the man who just shot at him has 02:50:19.819 --> 02:50:23.000 got to be getting close. The professor fumbles 02:50:23.000 --> 02:50:25.239 around with the metal door latch. After a few 02:50:25.239 --> 02:50:27.659 seconds, which felt like minutes to Hawthorne, 02:50:27.739 --> 02:50:30.100 he's finally able to slide the latch and unlock 02:50:30.100 --> 02:50:33.059 the door. He then pries the door open slowly 02:50:33.059 --> 02:50:35.879 and pushes it outward. Professor Hawthorne is 02:50:35.879 --> 02:50:38.440 immediately met with the bright daylight and 02:50:38.440 --> 02:50:40.979 is blinded for a few seconds as he tries to get 02:50:40.979 --> 02:50:44.180 his bearings. Hawthorne, realizing that the man 02:50:44.180 --> 02:50:46.379 chasing him would probably be close to reaching 02:50:46.379 --> 02:50:49.079 the door in a few seconds, decides to let it 02:50:49.079 --> 02:50:51.760 slam shut hoping the inside latch gets stuck 02:50:51.760 --> 02:50:55.000 like it did for him. The professor quickly looks 02:50:55.000 --> 02:50:57.959 around and sees a large heavy rock just off the 02:50:57.959 --> 02:51:00.819 right side corner of the door. He moves over 02:51:00.819 --> 02:51:03.600 the large rock and starts pushing it towards 02:51:03.600 --> 02:51:06.920 and onto the top of the door. Hawthorne thinks 02:51:06.920 --> 02:51:09.159 to himself, I hope this slows that guy down. 02:51:09.340 --> 02:51:11.620 After pushing the large rock on top of the door, 02:51:11.680 --> 02:51:13.940 he quickly starts running in the direction where 02:51:13.940 --> 02:51:17.000 he knows the property line is located. Out of 02:51:17.000 --> 02:51:19.219 breath and still quite startled, the professor 02:51:19.219 --> 02:51:22.399 finally reaches the property line fence. The 02:51:22.399 --> 02:51:25.180 fence is not as high on this part of the property, 02:51:25.319 --> 02:51:28.290 possibly eight feet. The professor without hesitation 02:51:28.290 --> 02:51:30.770 climbs the fence to the top and then swings his 02:51:30.770 --> 02:51:33.069 body up and over the top of the fence hoping 02:51:33.069 --> 02:51:36.209 that ground on the other side is not too hard. 02:51:36.389 --> 02:51:38.950 As he drags his body over the top of the fence 02:51:38.950 --> 02:51:42.430 he snags the right side of his shirt and rips 02:51:42.430 --> 02:51:45.389 a large hole in his shirt. At the same time he 02:51:45.389 --> 02:51:48.729 sustains a large gash right under his ribs which 02:51:48.729 --> 02:51:51.690 started bleeding. Ouch! The professor shouts 02:51:51.690 --> 02:51:54.010 as he continues over the fence and falls to the 02:51:54.010 --> 02:51:56.930 ground on the other side. The professor was lucky 02:51:56.930 --> 02:51:59.850 as he landed on the ground and there was a series 02:51:59.850 --> 02:52:02.790 of rocks and thorny underbrush just to his left 02:52:02.790 --> 02:52:05.450 that he missed when he hit the ground. Professor 02:52:05.450 --> 02:52:07.670 Hawthorne picks himself up and starts jogging 02:52:07.670 --> 02:52:09.729 down the mountain following the fence line toward 02:52:09.729 --> 02:52:12.670 the river. He is outside Old Man Sutter's property 02:52:12.670 --> 02:52:15.209 which is just on the other side of the fence. 02:52:15.530 --> 02:52:18.549 He thinks to himself as he continues to make 02:52:18.549 --> 02:52:20.790 his way down the mountain toward the river, I 02:52:20.790 --> 02:52:23.170 hope Ava and Sierra are not still in those tunnels. 02:52:23.739 --> 02:52:26.139 If so, at least I've flushed out the bad guy. 02:52:26.260 --> 02:52:34.819 I'd rather him be chasing me than them. Lily 02:52:34.819 --> 02:52:38.780 yells out, Sierra, Ava, oh my, where did you 02:52:38.780 --> 02:52:41.600 just come from? Were you in the tunnels? What 02:52:41.600 --> 02:52:44.819 just happened? What's going on? Sierra responds 02:52:44.819 --> 02:52:47.639 as she races over toward Lily and gives her a 02:52:47.639 --> 02:52:51.819 big hug. Lily! Are you hurt? Are you okay? I'm 02:52:51.819 --> 02:52:54.940 so glad we found each other. Ava joins them and 02:52:54.940 --> 02:52:57.840 says, We need to get out of here, so let's move. 02:52:58.299 --> 02:53:00.780 As the three begin to walk quickly down in the 02:53:00.780 --> 02:53:03.399 direction they think the river is, Ava tells 02:53:03.399 --> 02:53:05.520 Sierra to call Ethan to tell him they found Lily 02:53:05.520 --> 02:53:08.040 and to ask him to check his tracking software 02:53:08.040 --> 02:53:12.520 to see where Professor Hawthorne is. On it, Sierra 02:53:12.520 --> 02:53:15.600 responds as she dials Ethan, trying not to trip 02:53:15.600 --> 02:53:18.120 on the uneven ground. She's holding her phone 02:53:18.120 --> 02:53:20.799 to her ear with one hand while securing the heavy 02:53:20.799 --> 02:53:23.459 backpack with her other hand. Yet, she feels 02:53:23.459 --> 02:53:25.840 a great sense of relief to have found Lily and 02:53:25.840 --> 02:53:28.600 to be out of the tunnels. Ethan's phone rings 02:53:28.600 --> 02:53:31.059 twice before he could reach it to answer. He 02:53:31.059 --> 02:53:33.760 sees that it's Sierra and says, Hello? Where 02:53:33.760 --> 02:53:36.559 are you guys? What's going on? Sierra blurts 02:53:36.559 --> 02:53:39.079 back without saying hello. Ethan, we found Lily. 02:53:39.260 --> 02:53:42.520 She's safe and with Ava and I right now. We don't 02:53:42.520 --> 02:53:44.780 know where Professor Hawthorne is. Can you check 02:53:44.780 --> 02:53:46.959 your tracking software to see if he is close 02:53:46.959 --> 02:53:51.780 to us? Ethan responds, Sure, one moment. Ethan 02:53:51.780 --> 02:53:53.639 hurries to his office and grabs his tablet from 02:53:53.639 --> 02:53:56.079 his desk and opens his application. While the 02:53:56.079 --> 02:53:58.659 application is loading, he asks Sierra, Where 02:53:58.659 --> 02:54:00.420 are you guys? It sounds like you're outside. 02:54:00.860 --> 02:54:04.120 Are you out of breath or something? Sierra answers 02:54:04.120 --> 02:54:06.860 back, We'll tell you when we see you, but first 02:54:06.860 --> 02:54:09.819 we need to know where the professor is. Ethan 02:54:09.819 --> 02:54:11.639 looks down at the application as it finishes 02:54:11.639 --> 02:54:14.850 loading and then says, Okay. I've got three dots 02:54:14.850 --> 02:54:16.709 on the map and they're all actively moving in 02:54:16.709 --> 02:54:19.170 the same direction. I assume that the two that 02:54:19.170 --> 02:54:22.110 are close together are you and Ava, and maybe 02:54:22.110 --> 02:54:25.270 the third one is the professor. The third dot 02:54:25.270 --> 02:54:28.209 on my map is about 50 to 60 meters away from 02:54:28.209 --> 02:54:31.049 you, up the mountain. It looks like he's to the 02:54:31.049 --> 02:54:33.909 right of where you are right now. Ethan then 02:54:33.909 --> 02:54:36.200 instructs Sierra. If you turn right slightly 02:54:36.200 --> 02:54:38.379 and then keep going, you'll run right into each 02:54:38.379 --> 02:54:40.459 other as it appears he's moving faster than you 02:54:40.459 --> 02:54:42.659 are right now. You'll need to hurry so you don't 02:54:42.659 --> 02:54:45.899 miss each other. Sierra responds back. Will do. 02:54:46.319 --> 02:54:48.899 Thanks a ton. I'll call you back once we are 02:54:48.899 --> 02:54:51.700 on the road heading back to town. Sierra then 02:54:51.700 --> 02:54:54.360 hangs up abruptly. Sierra tells the girls to 02:54:54.360 --> 02:54:56.760 verge right toward the property fence they can 02:54:56.760 --> 02:54:59.950 now see and to pick up the pace. The fence is 02:54:59.950 --> 02:55:02.610 still only 8 feet tall at this point, but it 02:55:02.610 --> 02:55:05.309 gradually gets taller to around 12 feet as they 02:55:05.309 --> 02:55:08.430 get closer to the public access half -acre section 02:55:08.430 --> 02:55:11.370 of the property. Ava reaches the fence first 02:55:11.370 --> 02:55:14.010 and accidentally drops the heavy gold bar to 02:55:14.010 --> 02:55:16.389 the ground as she grabs her knees to catch her 02:55:16.389 --> 02:55:18.530 breath. Sierra and Lily are right behind her 02:55:18.530 --> 02:55:21.649 and do the same. Ava says, Let's stop here and 02:55:21.649 --> 02:55:23.950 wait a moment. Maybe we can intercept the professor 02:55:23.950 --> 02:55:26.729 as he's coming down this way. Lily looks down 02:55:26.729 --> 02:55:30.370 at the gold bar and says, Is that gold? Yeah, 02:55:30.389 --> 02:55:32.610 we found it in the tunnels along with a bunch 02:55:32.610 --> 02:55:34.770 of other stuff we put in your backpack that Sierra's 02:55:34.770 --> 02:55:38.030 wearing. Ava answers, This thing is heavy and 02:55:38.030 --> 02:55:40.750 it also contains a lot of important looking stuff 02:55:40.750 --> 02:55:43.049 from the tunnels. We need to get it to the authorities 02:55:43.049 --> 02:55:46.270 as evidence. Sierra responds as she pulls the 02:55:46.270 --> 02:55:48.809 backpack off her back and sets it to the ground. 02:55:49.049 --> 02:55:51.930 Lily says with a surprised look on her face, 02:55:52.409 --> 02:55:55.649 Wait, you have my backpack? Where did you find 02:55:55.649 --> 02:55:59.010 that? Was that in the tunnels? It's a long story, 02:55:59.110 --> 02:56:02.469 and we can fill it in, in a bit. But basically, 02:56:02.530 --> 02:56:04.809 we found it at the reservoir last night, Sarah 02:56:04.809 --> 02:56:07.889 says with pride. Ava moves up against a fence 02:56:07.889 --> 02:56:10.030 and tries to peer through the small gaps between 02:56:10.030 --> 02:56:12.229 the wood and the chain link and says, I hear 02:56:12.229 --> 02:56:14.549 someone coming towards us. Sounds like they're 02:56:14.549 --> 02:56:17.729 running. I bet this could be the professor. Ava 02:56:17.729 --> 02:56:20.010 looks back at Sarah and Lily and puts her finger 02:56:20.010 --> 02:56:23.729 to her lips and says, shh. A few seconds later, 02:56:24.090 --> 02:56:26.569 She gets a glimpse of the professor as he pushes 02:56:26.569 --> 02:56:29.389 through with some light underbrush. He's jogging 02:56:29.389 --> 02:56:32.489 down towards her right along the fence. She waits 02:56:32.489 --> 02:56:35.209 for a moment, and just as she gets close to where 02:56:35.209 --> 02:56:37.350 she's standing, she yells through the fence at 02:56:37.350 --> 02:56:40.389 him. Professor! Professor Hawthorne! It's Ava! 02:56:40.889 --> 02:56:42.729 We're standing on the other side of the fence. 02:56:43.090 --> 02:56:45.750 As soon as she yells this out, she sees the professor 02:56:45.750 --> 02:56:48.569 stop for a moment and peer directly towards her. 02:56:48.950 --> 02:56:51.270 She can tell he sees her face peering through 02:56:51.270 --> 02:56:53.170 the narrow gap between the wood and the chain 02:56:53.170 --> 02:56:56.219 link. Oh, thank goodness, the professor yells 02:56:56.219 --> 02:56:59.479 out. Where's Sierra? Is she with you? Ava responds 02:56:59.479 --> 02:57:01.920 back and says, Yeah, we're all here, all three 02:57:01.920 --> 02:57:04.520 of us. And Lily's here with us as well. She's 02:57:04.520 --> 02:57:07.020 okay. We can explain as soon as we get back to 02:57:07.020 --> 02:57:09.639 your car. The professor says, That's wonderful. 02:57:09.760 --> 02:57:12.520 Okay, listen carefully. We need to leave right 02:57:12.520 --> 02:57:15.239 now. I'm not sure if the guy who shot at me is 02:57:15.239 --> 02:57:17.760 still pursuing me or not. Here, write this down 02:57:17.760 --> 02:57:20.020 really quick. Here's the padlock code to the 02:57:20.020 --> 02:57:22.120 fence door we used to get into the property. 02:57:22.750 --> 02:57:25.430 I'll meet you at the Bronco. Keep moving no matter 02:57:25.430 --> 02:57:27.889 what and don't stop until you are back at my 02:57:27.889 --> 02:57:30.430 Bronco waiting. Ignore the tourists who may be 02:57:30.430 --> 02:57:32.610 at the mill. Just keep going and don't talk to 02:57:32.610 --> 02:57:35.430 anyone. With that, he started jogging down the 02:57:35.430 --> 02:57:37.489 mountain along the fence line toward the river. 02:57:37.850 --> 02:57:41.149 Ava, Sierra, and Lily do the same. After about 02:57:41.149 --> 02:57:43.389 five minutes, they finally reach the fence that 02:57:43.389 --> 02:57:46.530 separates the public access, half acre from the 02:57:46.530 --> 02:57:49.549 top 30 acres. They race over to the left corner 02:57:49.549 --> 02:57:52.170 of the fence boundary, enter the padlock code, 02:57:52.670 --> 02:57:54.950 open the old metal fence gate, and immediately 02:57:54.950 --> 02:57:56.889 find themselves in the public section of the 02:57:56.889 --> 02:57:59.690 property. There stood several families with their 02:57:59.690 --> 02:58:02.110 little kids, walking around and taking photos 02:58:02.110 --> 02:58:04.569 of the old historic mill, the river, and its 02:58:04.569 --> 02:58:07.510 surroundings. The three girls hurried past the 02:58:07.510 --> 02:58:10.090 tourists, who were busy snapping photos and videos 02:58:10.090 --> 02:58:12.870 of the place, making their way down over the 02:58:12.870 --> 02:58:15.649 river and using the bridge to run over to the 02:58:15.649 --> 02:58:18.850 professor's bronco. There are several other vehicles 02:58:18.850 --> 02:58:21.110 parked there as well, probably the tourists. 02:58:21.680 --> 02:58:24.000 Sierra and the other girls are leaning up against 02:58:24.000 --> 02:58:26.520 the bronco, trying to catch their breath and 02:58:26.520 --> 02:58:28.780 hoping the professor gets there soon. Looking 02:58:28.780 --> 02:58:31.280 up and back toward the bridge they had just crossed, 02:58:31.459 --> 02:58:33.879 she sees the professor emerging from the river 02:58:33.879 --> 02:58:36.700 and now walking towards them. She shouts to Ava 02:58:36.700 --> 02:58:39.399 and Lily, There he is! The professor! It looks 02:58:39.399 --> 02:58:42.139 like he's hurt! And he's soaking wet! He had 02:58:42.139 --> 02:58:44.760 to wade, or swim, across the river because he 02:58:44.760 --> 02:58:47.600 didn't have access to the bridge. Ava, Syrah, 02:58:47.719 --> 02:58:50.079 and Lily watch as Professor Hawthorne approaches 02:58:50.079 --> 02:58:53.020 them at the Bronco. She says, whoa, you're hurt, 02:58:53.120 --> 02:58:56.520 Professor. Ava and the girls notice a large rip 02:58:56.520 --> 02:58:59.260 in the side of his shirt and says, oh no, it 02:58:59.260 --> 02:59:01.780 looks like you're bleeding. And where did you 02:59:01.780 --> 02:59:03.540 get those scratches on the side of your face 02:59:03.540 --> 02:59:06.700 and your arm? The professor responds as he stands 02:59:06.700 --> 02:59:09.139 there dripping wet and out of breath. I was able 02:59:09.139 --> 02:59:11.159 to stop the bleeding, but I will need stitches 02:59:11.159 --> 02:59:13.639 once we get back to town. He says this while 02:59:13.639 --> 02:59:16.500 pointing to the gash over his ribs. He then touches 02:59:16.500 --> 02:59:19.040 the left side of his cheek and explains, These 02:59:19.040 --> 02:59:21.239 scratches must be from the bullet ricocheting 02:59:21.239 --> 02:59:23.520 off the rock and dirt wall in the tunnel. The 02:59:23.520 --> 02:59:25.659 professor hesitates for a moment and then says, 02:59:25.840 --> 02:59:28.540 We need to leave. We can talk in the car on the 02:59:28.540 --> 02:59:31.399 way back. After saying this, the professor unlocks 02:59:31.399 --> 02:59:33.440 the car, jumps in the driver's side and turns 02:59:33.440 --> 02:59:36.379 on the ignition. He looks at the girls as they 02:59:36.379 --> 02:59:38.719 are getting into the car and says, We need to 02:59:38.719 --> 02:59:40.840 make a plan on our way back to town. It's time 02:59:40.840 --> 02:59:43.739 to get the FBI involved. It looks like we have 02:59:43.739 --> 02:59:46.399 enough evidence to back up our eyewitness testimony 02:59:46.399 --> 02:59:49.319 for them to issue arrest warrants now. Just as 02:59:49.319 --> 02:59:51.420 he finishes saying this, he pulls out of the 02:59:51.420 --> 02:59:53.940 parking space, does a three -point turn on the 02:59:53.940 --> 02:59:56.040 main road, and then heads directly back towards 02:59:56.040 --> 02:59:58.840 the direction of town. It's about a 30 -minute 02:59:58.840 --> 03:00:01.500 drive back. Once on the road, the professor looks 03:00:01.500 --> 03:00:03.819 in the rearview mirror back at Sierra and Lily, 03:00:04.000 --> 03:00:06.879 who are sitting in the back seat, and says, Lily, 03:00:07.040 --> 03:00:09.520 it's good to have you back. We were so worried 03:00:09.520 --> 03:00:12.719 about you. Are you hurt? Lily smiles and says, 03:00:12.920 --> 03:00:15.940 It's good to be back. They didn't hurt me. She 03:00:15.940 --> 03:00:18.879 continues, Professor Sharpton came and saw me 03:00:18.879 --> 03:00:21.120 this morning, several hours before I escaped. 03:00:21.559 --> 03:00:24.120 He basically said that something bad was going 03:00:24.120 --> 03:00:26.559 to happen to me if I didn't tell him everything 03:00:26.559 --> 03:00:30.120 I knew. He was asking about Ava and Sierra and 03:00:30.120 --> 03:00:32.479 the formula Chen had written on that note to 03:00:32.479 --> 03:00:35.379 you. Ava, who is sitting in the front seat next 03:00:35.379 --> 03:00:37.920 to the professor, then interjects, Sierra and 03:00:37.920 --> 03:00:40.139 I have found a trove of evidence in the other 03:00:40.139 --> 03:00:43.100 part of the tunnels. She then uncovers the gold 03:00:43.100 --> 03:00:45.020 bar she's holding and shows it to the professor. 03:00:45.280 --> 03:00:48.819 As Ava was just done speaking, Sierra adds, we 03:00:48.819 --> 03:00:51.780 took a bunch of other stuff, maps, letters, a 03:00:51.780 --> 03:00:54.100 ledger book, and some small jars filled with 03:00:54.100 --> 03:00:56.360 what looks like gold and some other substances 03:00:56.360 --> 03:00:59.620 that look familiar to what you found at the mine. 03:01:00.250 --> 03:01:02.389 The professor, not wanting to take his eyes off 03:01:02.389 --> 03:01:04.549 the road as he drives through the winding roads 03:01:04.549 --> 03:01:06.870 in the valley, nods his head and gives the girls 03:01:06.870 --> 03:01:09.850 a big thumbs up. He then says, okay Ava, call 03:01:09.850 --> 03:01:12.110 your buddy at the B and let's get the ball rolling 03:01:12.110 --> 03:01:15.469 with both the media and the FBI. He continues, 03:01:15.709 --> 03:01:18.290 we need to bypass the county sheriff's office 03:01:18.290 --> 03:01:20.870 as the guy in the tunnel who shot at me is one 03:01:20.870 --> 03:01:23.690 of the deputies. Thankfully he missed, otherwise 03:01:23.690 --> 03:01:26.389 I wouldn't be here right now. Ava immediately 03:01:26.389 --> 03:01:29.129 calls Ted. Her colleague at the beat and puts 03:01:29.129 --> 03:01:31.270 it on speakerphone so everyone in the vehicle 03:01:31.270 --> 03:01:33.969 could hear. She waits a bit. Four rings. Then 03:01:33.969 --> 03:01:36.850 finally, Ted answers. Before Ted could get one 03:01:36.850 --> 03:01:39.209 word out, Ava blurts out, Ted, are you ready 03:01:39.209 --> 03:01:41.409 to help me break what might be our biggest story 03:01:41.409 --> 03:01:44.469 of our careers? For a moment, there was no response 03:01:44.469 --> 03:01:48.790 from Ted. Just silence. Then everyone in the 03:01:48.790 --> 03:01:51.889 car heard this faint and unsure, yes, I suppose. 03:01:52.870 --> 03:01:55.739 Ava jumps right in. into everything that just 03:01:55.739 --> 03:01:58.600 happened at old man Sutter's property and told 03:01:58.600 --> 03:02:01.600 Ted they had physical evidence at hand. The professor 03:02:01.600 --> 03:02:04.739 had been shot at and Lily had escaped. However, 03:02:05.040 --> 03:02:07.799 Ava did not tell Ted exactly what kind of physical 03:02:07.799 --> 03:02:10.559 evidence her and Sierra had found. She knows 03:02:10.559 --> 03:02:12.459 well enough to keep the leverage of the events 03:02:12.459 --> 03:02:14.979 in the favor of the four people in the Bronco 03:02:14.979 --> 03:02:17.979 as long as possible. As a journalist, she knows 03:02:17.979 --> 03:02:20.719 to keep the knowledge circle as small as possible 03:02:20.719 --> 03:02:23.639 for as long as possible, even if they speak to 03:02:23.639 --> 03:02:26.159 the FBI. She thinks to herself as she looks down 03:02:26.159 --> 03:02:28.979 at the gold bar weighing heavy on her lap with 03:02:28.979 --> 03:02:31.920 an inscription stamp on the top that reads, U 03:02:31.920 --> 03:02:34.540 .S. Treasury Department. And she thinks, keep 03:02:34.540 --> 03:02:37.280 the leverage in her favor as long as possible, 03:02:37.420 --> 03:02:40.620 especially if the feds get involved. We don't 03:02:40.620 --> 03:02:43.159 want to show our hand too early. We've all been 03:02:43.159 --> 03:02:45.600 through too much to have this just flipped under 03:02:45.600 --> 03:02:49.010 the carpet by the feds. Ava then asks Ted. How 03:02:49.010 --> 03:02:51.149 reliable was your source and a friend at the 03:02:51.149 --> 03:02:53.850 FBI? The one that ran the tax free last night 03:02:53.850 --> 03:02:56.670 in the middle of the night? Ted's response back 03:02:56.670 --> 03:02:59.229 was exactly what she hoped. Ted vouched for him 03:02:59.229 --> 03:03:01.649 and then suggested that he be put on the call 03:03:01.649 --> 03:03:04.270 as well. Sierra hears this and says from the 03:03:04.270 --> 03:03:07.370 backseat, thank goodness we can finally get the 03:03:07.370 --> 03:03:10.030 FBI involved. The professor looks over at Ava 03:03:10.030 --> 03:03:12.649 and gives a quick nod of approval as if to say, 03:03:12.709 --> 03:03:16.540 yeah, it's time to involve the feds. For the 03:03:16.540 --> 03:03:18.680 next 20 minutes, the four and the Bronco share 03:03:18.680 --> 03:03:21.399 a three -way call between Ted from the Sacramento 03:03:21.399 --> 03:03:24.659 Bee and Agent Seth Carson from the San Francisco 03:03:24.659 --> 03:03:28.059 FBI office. The professor and Ava do most of 03:03:28.059 --> 03:03:30.139 the talking and share the sequence of events 03:03:30.139 --> 03:03:33.139 that have occurred over the past few days. They 03:03:33.139 --> 03:03:35.819 also inform Agent Carson they possess a trove 03:03:35.819 --> 03:03:37.680 of physical evidence to back their eyewitness 03:03:37.680 --> 03:03:41.260 stories. The professor is confident the FBI will 03:03:41.260 --> 03:03:45.129 now get involved, and quickly. As the call ends 03:03:45.129 --> 03:03:47.709 and as they enter Coloma, the professor says, 03:03:47.930 --> 03:03:51.069 Did you hear that, everyone? Agent Carson suggested 03:03:51.069 --> 03:03:53.809 we all go home and stay there until he and his 03:03:53.809 --> 03:03:56.030 partner arrive. He couldn't guarantee that they 03:03:56.030 --> 03:03:58.590 would be able to come tonight. They have a two 03:03:58.590 --> 03:04:01.149 and a half hour drive, so they may wait until 03:04:01.149 --> 03:04:04.329 tomorrow morning. He's got Ava's number in mind, 03:04:04.389 --> 03:04:06.629 so when he calls back to confirm when they are 03:04:06.629 --> 03:04:09.750 coming, we'll let you know. Sierra interjects, 03:04:09.750 --> 03:04:12.629 I don't feel comfortable going home right now. 03:04:12.969 --> 03:04:15.629 I think Lily and I will go to the cafe and wait 03:04:15.629 --> 03:04:19.329 in Ethan's office. Lily follows with, Yes, I 03:04:19.329 --> 03:04:21.549 do not want to go back to my apartment right 03:04:21.549 --> 03:04:24.350 now. I'm sure they will find out soon enough 03:04:24.350 --> 03:04:27.190 that I escaped and want to come looking for me. 03:04:27.469 --> 03:04:31.030 The professor responds, Okay, it's settled. Let's 03:04:31.030 --> 03:04:33.530 go back to the cafe and debrief there with Ethan. 03:04:33.930 --> 03:04:36.389 It's a public enough space and we can meet and 03:04:36.389 --> 03:04:39.420 wait in his office. I'll call Doc Rivers from 03:04:39.420 --> 03:04:41.920 Ethan's and see if I can pop over right after 03:04:41.920 --> 03:04:45.239 his office closes. I need him to clean and stitch 03:04:45.239 --> 03:04:49.020 this cut on my side. His office sits almost directly 03:04:49.020 --> 03:04:52.159 across the street from Ethan's. Eva then says, 03:04:52.420 --> 03:04:55.760 I don't want to change the plan, but I really 03:04:55.760 --> 03:04:57.700 need to stop and check in on my grandma first. 03:04:57.920 --> 03:05:00.219 If you could drop me off there first, I can then 03:05:00.219 --> 03:05:02.319 meet you all back at Ethan's cafe a bit later. 03:05:03.829 --> 03:05:06.229 Several minutes later, the professor pulls into 03:05:06.229 --> 03:05:08.930 Ava's grandmother's driveway and puts the Bronco 03:05:08.930 --> 03:05:12.329 in park. Ava looks at the professor first, then 03:05:12.329 --> 03:05:15.229 back at Zira and Lily and says, Okay, I'll see 03:05:15.229 --> 03:05:17.989 you real soon. Here, keep this gold bar with 03:05:17.989 --> 03:05:20.049 all the other evidence. I don't need my grandma 03:05:20.049 --> 03:05:22.170 seeing me walk in the door with that in hand. 03:05:22.729 --> 03:05:25.229 She puts the gold bar down on the passenger side 03:05:25.229 --> 03:05:28.049 floorboards, exits the Bronco, and walks through 03:05:28.049 --> 03:05:30.690 the front door of the old colonial -style house. 03:05:31.100 --> 03:05:33.100 She looks over her shoulder and then waves at 03:05:33.100 --> 03:05:35.319 her friends as she watches the professor's bronco 03:05:35.319 --> 03:05:37.879 back out of the long driveway and then drive 03:05:37.879 --> 03:05:46.799 down the road out of sight. Ava then enters the 03:05:46.799 --> 03:05:49.159 front door of her grandmother's house and calls 03:05:49.159 --> 03:05:52.579 out, Grandma, I'm back. Are you here? Are you 03:05:52.579 --> 03:05:56.100 doing okay? Grandma Turner responds, Hey, sweetie, 03:05:56.239 --> 03:05:59.549 I'm in the kitchen. Ava enters the kitchen and 03:05:59.549 --> 03:06:01.649 finds her grandma sitting at the small kitchen 03:06:01.649 --> 03:06:05.010 looking up at her with a smile. Ava immediately 03:06:05.010 --> 03:06:08.250 notices that her grandma is not alone. She has 03:06:08.250 --> 03:06:10.889 company. There's a man sitting across from her 03:06:10.889 --> 03:06:13.809 grandma and he has his back to Ava. He sits there 03:06:13.809 --> 03:06:16.790 still and poised. The man slowly turns around 03:06:16.790 --> 03:06:19.530 and looks at Ava as grandma starts to introduce 03:06:19.530 --> 03:06:22.569 him. Ava, this is Professor Sharpton from the 03:06:22.569 --> 03:06:24.889 college. He said he needed to stop over and talk 03:06:24.889 --> 03:06:26.549 to you about a project that one of your friends 03:06:26.549 --> 03:06:28.610 was working on. And since you weren't here, I 03:06:28.610 --> 03:06:30.149 told him he could just wait since I knew you'd 03:06:30.149 --> 03:06:32.170 be back soon. Remember, you said you'd help me 03:06:32.170 --> 03:06:34.110 with the garden today. We need to prepare the 03:06:34.110 --> 03:06:36.090 flower bundle so I can take them to the farmer's 03:06:36.090 --> 03:06:39.610 market this weekend, Grandma Turner says. Professor 03:06:39.610 --> 03:06:42.110 Sharpton looks directly into Ava's eyes with 03:06:42.110 --> 03:06:45.309 a straight face and says, Hello Ava, remember 03:06:45.309 --> 03:06:47.739 me? We met the other day at the college and I 03:06:47.739 --> 03:06:49.559 have some concerns about your friend's project 03:06:49.559 --> 03:06:52.459 that she's working on. I'd hate for her to get 03:06:52.459 --> 03:06:54.299 mixed up in something she doesn't understand. 03:06:55.139 --> 03:06:59.059 Maybe we can go talk to her together? Eva, trying 03:06:59.059 --> 03:07:01.600 to keep her composure and not wanting to involve 03:07:01.600 --> 03:07:05.020 her grandma in this mess, responds, Uh, sure, 03:07:05.159 --> 03:07:07.559 I think that's a good idea. I didn't see your 03:07:07.559 --> 03:07:10.920 car out front. Professor Sharpton responds, It 03:07:10.920 --> 03:07:13.159 was a nice evening, so I decided to walk. I don't 03:07:13.159 --> 03:07:15.620 live far from here. Plus, Your grandmother has 03:07:15.620 --> 03:07:18.479 been an excellent host. He holds up a cookie 03:07:18.479 --> 03:07:21.020 he's been eating and says, These cookies are 03:07:21.020 --> 03:07:24.180 to die for. By now, Grandma Turner was having 03:07:24.180 --> 03:07:26.139 an unsettled feeling in her stomach about the 03:07:26.139 --> 03:07:28.780 situation. She observed Ava's body language and 03:07:28.780 --> 03:07:31.040 facial expressions and knew something was off. 03:07:31.319 --> 03:07:34.159 Something wasn't right. Ava had never attended 03:07:34.159 --> 03:07:36.159 the local college and hadn't lived in Coloma 03:07:36.159 --> 03:07:39.079 for some five -plus years now. So how would she 03:07:39.079 --> 03:07:41.299 know who this man is, the man who's sitting at 03:07:41.299 --> 03:07:44.309 her kitchen table right now? Ava tries to keep 03:07:44.309 --> 03:07:46.229 a straight face as she feels herself getting 03:07:46.229 --> 03:07:50.409 angry and scared all at the same time. Professor 03:07:50.409 --> 03:07:52.770 Sharpton is sitting at her grandma's kitchen 03:07:52.770 --> 03:07:56.790 table with a smug expression on his face. She's 03:07:56.790 --> 03:07:59.870 also wondering how the professor found her. At 03:07:59.870 --> 03:08:02.770 this point, Ava is unaware that the guard, the 03:08:02.770 --> 03:08:06.370 off -duty sheriff's deputy who had shot at and 03:08:06.370 --> 03:08:08.770 chased Professor Hawthorne, the same guy who 03:08:08.770 --> 03:08:11.690 was guarding Lily, called Sharpton. As soon as 03:08:11.690 --> 03:08:14.629 he discovered, Lydia escaped. In the time it 03:08:14.629 --> 03:08:17.170 took Hawthorne to drive them all back to town 03:08:17.170 --> 03:08:19.690 from Oldman Sitter's property, the guard had 03:08:19.690 --> 03:08:21.930 notified Sharpton and informed him about the 03:08:21.930 --> 03:08:25.670 situation. Ava shoots a snappy comment back at 03:08:25.670 --> 03:08:29.870 Sharpton. Yeah, these cookies are to die for, 03:08:30.010 --> 03:08:33.290 she continues. If you like these, you really 03:08:33.290 --> 03:08:35.850 should try our homemade brownies. You'll never 03:08:35.850 --> 03:08:39.549 be the same again. She then excuses herself and 03:08:39.549 --> 03:08:42.489 says, if you could excuse me for a moment, I 03:08:42.489 --> 03:08:44.489 need to clean up in the bathroom before I can 03:08:44.489 --> 03:08:47.190 join your little tea party. I had a long morning 03:08:47.190 --> 03:08:50.530 hike, which proved to be quite rewarding. She 03:08:50.530 --> 03:08:53.750 then adds, grandma, I noticed a package outside 03:08:53.750 --> 03:08:56.430 your front door when I came in. It looks like 03:08:56.430 --> 03:08:59.750 it might be for your neighbor, Frank. It appears 03:08:59.750 --> 03:09:02.590 the post office delivered it to the wrong address 03:09:02.590 --> 03:09:06.530 again. You really should go get it and take it 03:09:06.530 --> 03:09:10.030 over to him while I freshen up. As Ava is saying 03:09:10.030 --> 03:09:12.829 this, she points to Sharpton with her eyes and 03:09:12.829 --> 03:09:15.909 then looks up at Grandma Turner. Ava then retreats 03:09:15.909 --> 03:09:18.030 down the hall, which is directly behind her, 03:09:18.170 --> 03:09:20.809 opens and closes the bathroom door to make it 03:09:20.809 --> 03:09:23.909 sound as if she went into the bathroom. Ava then 03:09:23.909 --> 03:09:26.690 quickly and quietly exits the back of the house 03:09:26.690 --> 03:09:29.489 through the back screen door, making sure not 03:09:29.489 --> 03:09:32.069 to let the door slam as she closes it gently. 03:09:32.840 --> 03:09:35.379 As she runs across the backyard, through the 03:09:35.379 --> 03:09:37.719 neighbor's yard, and then onto the next street 03:09:37.719 --> 03:09:40.979 over, she's hoping and praying Grandma got her 03:09:40.979 --> 03:09:43.479 hint and was able to leave out the front door 03:09:43.479 --> 03:09:55.799 and go to the neighbor's. Ava has always been 03:09:55.799 --> 03:09:58.340 a fan of adventure, doesn't mind tension, and 03:09:58.340 --> 03:10:01.590 even enjoys a healthy amount of danger. However, 03:10:01.790 --> 03:10:04.190 the last two days have proven to be a little 03:10:04.190 --> 03:10:07.010 bit too much. She finds herself still catching 03:10:07.010 --> 03:10:09.870 her breath, having just sprinted across her grandma's 03:10:09.870 --> 03:10:11.829 backyard through the neighbor's property and 03:10:11.829 --> 03:10:15.450 onto the back street. After having put some distance 03:10:15.450 --> 03:10:17.889 between her and Sharpton, who was sitting at 03:10:17.889 --> 03:10:20.909 her grandma's kitchen's table, she's now bending 03:10:20.909 --> 03:10:23.469 over and inhaling sharply and trying to calm 03:10:23.469 --> 03:10:26.649 down. She pulls up her phone and calls Sierra 03:10:26.649 --> 03:10:30.090 to warn them. And knowing... Hawthorne and the 03:10:30.090 --> 03:10:32.170 other girls sure they can't be that far away 03:10:32.170 --> 03:10:34.750 yet since Ava's entire interaction with Professor 03:10:34.750 --> 03:10:38.190 Sharpton was only about five minutes or so. She's 03:10:38.190 --> 03:10:40.510 also wanting them to come back and pick her up. 03:10:40.790 --> 03:10:43.629 She notices that her heartbeat is beating twice 03:10:43.629 --> 03:10:47.969 as fast as it normally does. Sierra feels her 03:10:47.969 --> 03:10:50.909 phone buzzing in her side pants pocket, pulls 03:10:50.909 --> 03:10:53.290 it out and looks at it. She's puzzled when she 03:10:53.290 --> 03:10:56.469 realizes it's Ava calling her. I mean, she did 03:10:56.469 --> 03:10:59.670 just drop off a few minutes ago. I wonder what 03:10:59.670 --> 03:11:03.110 she could want? Sierra thinks to herself. As 03:11:03.110 --> 03:11:05.469 soon as Sierra hits the green accept button and 03:11:05.469 --> 03:11:07.930 puts it on speakerphone so Hawthorne and Lily 03:11:07.930 --> 03:11:10.950 can hear, they all hear Ava's frantic and out 03:11:10.950 --> 03:11:14.489 of breath voice. Ava sounded terrified, her voice 03:11:14.489 --> 03:11:17.770 dripping with fear. Ava takes a deep breath. 03:11:26.860 --> 03:11:30.420 The professor shoots a look over at Sierra, who 03:11:30.420 --> 03:11:32.559 is now sitting up front in the passenger seat 03:11:32.559 --> 03:11:35.120 with Lily still in the back seat. His eyes grow 03:11:35.120 --> 03:11:38.299 wide as he contemplates what to do. Keep her 03:11:38.299 --> 03:11:40.479 on the line, he instructs Sierra. Don't hang 03:11:40.479 --> 03:11:42.920 up. We're coming right now. We're only a few 03:11:42.920 --> 03:11:45.750 minutes away. A dozen questions raised through 03:11:45.750 --> 03:11:49.110 the Hawthorne's mind. Sharpton is at Ava's grandmother's 03:11:49.110 --> 03:11:51.409 house? How did he know she was on to something? 03:11:51.790 --> 03:11:54.870 What else does he know? Is Sierra's family in 03:11:54.870 --> 03:11:58.190 danger? Is my wife in danger? What about Ava's 03:11:58.190 --> 03:12:01.129 grandmother? What did Lily tell Sharpton about 03:12:01.129 --> 03:12:04.110 us? These were all questions he could not answer. 03:12:04.510 --> 03:12:07.049 As soon as the road widened a bit, Hawthorne 03:12:07.049 --> 03:12:10.049 did a quick U -turn. That quick movement to turn 03:12:10.049 --> 03:12:12.250 the steering wheel reminded him of the large 03:12:12.250 --> 03:12:17.110 gas in his side. Ah, he quietly said as he straightened 03:12:17.110 --> 03:12:19.770 the Bronco back on the road, headed in the same 03:12:19.770 --> 03:12:22.370 direction they just came from. Lily, who was 03:12:22.370 --> 03:12:25.190 sitting in the backseat, sits there frozen. She 03:12:25.190 --> 03:12:27.969 had just experienced her own trauma a short time 03:12:27.969 --> 03:12:30.629 ago and never ever wants to hear Professor Sharpton's 03:12:30.629 --> 03:12:33.409 name again. She taps her foot anxiously on the 03:12:33.409 --> 03:12:35.920 backseat floor. Several minutes later, Hawthorne 03:12:35.920 --> 03:12:38.020 pulls into Grandma Turner's neighborhood, making 03:12:38.020 --> 03:12:40.639 sure not to drive down her street. Instead, he 03:12:40.639 --> 03:12:43.139 drives past it and then makes a turn onto 11th 03:12:43.139 --> 03:12:45.459 Street. Professor Hawthorne then says out loud, 03:12:45.620 --> 03:12:48.700 so Ava can hear him on speakerphone, Ava, we 03:12:48.700 --> 03:12:51.059 are on 11th Street. Direct me to where you are 03:12:51.059 --> 03:12:54.219 at. Ava whispers back in her phone, I see you 03:12:54.219 --> 03:12:56.500 guys coming towards me. I'm hiding behind a trash 03:12:56.500 --> 03:12:59.180 can beside the red house on your left. As soon 03:12:59.180 --> 03:13:00.760 as you pull up, I'll jump in and then we can 03:13:00.760 --> 03:13:02.760 go. Professor Hawthorne pulls up to the place 03:13:02.760 --> 03:13:05.219 Ava had directed them and looks over at the side 03:13:05.219 --> 03:13:08.200 of the red house and says, Here she comes. Lily, 03:13:08.319 --> 03:13:10.520 open the door for her and move over so she can 03:13:10.520 --> 03:13:13.360 hop in. Lily opens the side door and then moves 03:13:13.360 --> 03:13:16.559 over in the seat to make room for Ava. Lily sees 03:13:16.559 --> 03:13:18.879 Ava and moving quickly toward them and says, 03:13:19.059 --> 03:13:22.020 Get in quick, Ava. Phew, that was close. Thank 03:13:22.020 --> 03:13:24.680 you so much, guys. Ava says, having finally caught 03:13:24.680 --> 03:13:27.739 her breath, let's get to the cafe. Sierra, Lily, 03:13:27.879 --> 03:13:30.389 and the professor nod in agreement as - Professor 03:13:30.389 --> 03:13:33.389 Hawthorne drives off again. As the Bronco pulls 03:13:33.389 --> 03:13:35.450 out of the neighborhood, Ava feels her phone 03:13:35.450 --> 03:13:38.190 vibrate. She answers it and almost starts crying 03:13:38.190 --> 03:13:40.850 when she hears her grandma's voice. Grandma Turner 03:13:40.850 --> 03:13:44.270 says, Oh, there you are. Are you okay, Ava? I 03:13:44.270 --> 03:13:46.010 figured out your coded message and went over 03:13:46.010 --> 03:13:47.989 to Frank's house when you excused yourself to 03:13:47.989 --> 03:13:50.149 go to the bathroom. I left that Sharpton guy 03:13:50.149 --> 03:13:52.790 just sitting at my kitchen table. I don't understand 03:13:52.790 --> 03:13:56.350 what's going on. And where are you? Grandma Turner 03:13:56.350 --> 03:13:58.329 was quite stressed and worried at this point. 03:13:58.750 --> 03:14:01.670 Yes, I'm safe and okay. Ava responds and tries 03:14:01.670 --> 03:14:03.670 to reassure her grandmother that she's safe. 03:14:03.950 --> 03:14:06.469 I can explain later, but you will just need to 03:14:06.469 --> 03:14:08.309 trust me right now. Don't go back to your house 03:14:08.309 --> 03:14:09.850 until I call you back and tell you it's safe. 03:14:10.129 --> 03:14:12.409 See you at Frank's for now. I'm heading to the 03:14:12.409 --> 03:14:14.709 cafe to meet with the others. I'm so sorry I 03:14:14.709 --> 03:14:17.149 got you caught up in all this, Ava says. Her 03:14:17.149 --> 03:14:19.709 grandma has to be safe to have been able to have 03:14:19.709 --> 03:14:22.610 made this phone call, right? Oh honey, don't 03:14:22.610 --> 03:14:24.930 worry about me. I understood your cues back at 03:14:24.930 --> 03:14:27.530 the house. I'm safe and sound at Frank's place. 03:14:27.809 --> 03:14:30.309 Him, his wife, and their two big dogs are keeping 03:14:30.309 --> 03:14:33.690 me company, Grandma Turner says. Hearing her 03:14:33.690 --> 03:14:36.149 words in confirmation, Ava signs with relief. 03:14:36.969 --> 03:14:39.649 Okay, that's good. I'm so sorry for putting you 03:14:39.649 --> 03:14:42.969 in danger, Gran. Ava feels a growing anger towards 03:14:42.969 --> 03:14:44.989 Sharpton for having tried to use her grandmother 03:14:44.989 --> 03:14:48.420 as bait and possibly leverage. Ava - Doesn't 03:14:48.420 --> 03:14:50.760 mind putting herself at risk, but when a family 03:14:50.760 --> 03:14:53.520 member is put to danger, the fear she felt before 03:14:53.520 --> 03:14:56.280 becomes anger and motivation to move forward 03:14:56.280 --> 03:15:00.040 and to end the story. Absolutely, and no one 03:15:00.040 --> 03:15:02.760 gets to make my family feel unsafe. I'm really 03:15:02.760 --> 03:15:05.000 sorry for not having seen through that professor's 03:15:05.000 --> 03:15:07.700 lies. He seemed like such a nice man, and yet, 03:15:07.899 --> 03:15:10.479 there seems something off about him, and now 03:15:10.479 --> 03:15:13.329 I know why. Grandma Turner says before voicing 03:15:13.329 --> 03:15:15.209 out the thoughts she had had since Sharpton had 03:15:15.209 --> 03:15:17.350 stepped foot into her house, worries spilling 03:15:17.350 --> 03:15:19.450 over as she continues to ask more questions of 03:15:19.450 --> 03:15:22.690 Ava. How do you know that man? How does he know 03:15:22.690 --> 03:15:25.809 where I live? Are you in danger, Ava? Are you 03:15:25.809 --> 03:15:28.170 in danger? I don't know, Ava thinks herself. 03:15:28.430 --> 03:15:30.989 I don't know. Not wanting to further risk her 03:15:30.989 --> 03:15:33.110 grandma or make her more worried, Ava responds 03:15:33.110 --> 03:15:35.989 and says, Gran, I'll be okay. And once we get 03:15:35.989 --> 03:15:37.909 to the bottom of this, I can come tell you the 03:15:37.909 --> 03:15:40.299 whole story, okay? She breathes again, reassuring 03:15:40.299 --> 03:15:42.559 her grandmother that everything is going to be 03:15:42.559 --> 03:15:45.280 okay. Grandma Turner feels a little more relaxed 03:15:45.280 --> 03:15:47.799 now, thinking that Ava will be safe. Just before 03:15:47.799 --> 03:15:50.559 hanging up, Grandma Turner tells Ava, Oh, I almost 03:15:50.559 --> 03:15:52.819 forgot to tell you. I told Frank to watch out 03:15:52.819 --> 03:15:54.780 the front window, and he said he saw that man 03:15:54.780 --> 03:15:57.120 walking away from my house, go across the street, 03:15:57.260 --> 03:16:00.120 get in a parked car, and then drive off. Ava's 03:16:00.120 --> 03:16:02.540 eyes widen before telling her grandma to stay 03:16:02.540 --> 03:16:05.059 put in Frank's house, telling her to be safe 03:16:05.059 --> 03:16:07.659 and to take care of herself. Ava hangs up the 03:16:07.659 --> 03:16:09.819 call and immediately informs Professor Hawthorne, 03:16:09.879 --> 03:16:12.420 Sarah, and Lily that her grandma is safe at her 03:16:12.420 --> 03:16:14.319 neighbor's house and that Sharpton has left. 03:16:14.860 --> 03:16:18.059 Ava then says out loud, I wonder where Sharpton's 03:16:18.059 --> 03:16:28.000 going now. Meanwhile, back at the cafe, Ethan 03:16:28.000 --> 03:16:30.040 sees off another large group of customers who 03:16:30.040 --> 03:16:32.299 stayed for a late lunch. He walks with them to 03:16:32.299 --> 03:16:34.700 the front door, thanks them, and then tells them 03:16:34.700 --> 03:16:36.139 that they are always welcome back when they're 03:16:36.139 --> 03:16:39.459 in town. It was almost half past two in the afternoon 03:16:39.459 --> 03:16:41.659 already, far later than the time the last group 03:16:41.659 --> 03:16:44.260 of customers from the day before had left. At 03:16:44.260 --> 03:16:45.719 least, that's what his staff had reported to 03:16:45.719 --> 03:16:48.620 him. Lunch was especially busy today, with all 03:16:48.620 --> 03:16:50.340 the people in town for the Gold Ridge Festival, 03:16:50.540 --> 03:16:52.700 and with the freaking right around the corner. 03:16:53.200 --> 03:16:55.399 Ethan's happy about the sales in the cafe, and 03:16:55.399 --> 03:16:57.219 hopes this summer is even bigger than last summer. 03:16:57.790 --> 03:17:00.010 He strolls back to the kitchen, almost forgetting 03:17:00.010 --> 03:17:01.729 the other saga that's happening with his friends. 03:17:03.110 --> 03:17:05.549 Just then, he hears a knock on the back cafe 03:17:05.549 --> 03:17:09.389 door. It was a secret knock Ava, Sierra, and 03:17:09.389 --> 03:17:11.409 Professor Hawthorne had used earlier that morning, 03:17:11.569 --> 03:17:14.430 even thanks to himself. It must be them again. 03:17:15.450 --> 03:17:17.370 He hurries to the back door before any other 03:17:17.370 --> 03:17:19.750 staff could get there, unlocks it, and opens 03:17:19.750 --> 03:17:23.059 it. Come in, come in, quickly, he says. Ethan 03:17:23.059 --> 03:17:25.280 watches as Sierra, Lily, Ava, and then Professor 03:17:25.280 --> 03:17:27.239 Hawthorne all enter the back of the cafe and 03:17:27.239 --> 03:17:29.420 retreat to Ethan's office again. After closing 03:17:29.420 --> 03:17:31.440 and locking the back door, Ethan meets them in 03:17:31.440 --> 03:17:33.799 the office and asks, I bet you guys are starving. 03:17:34.000 --> 03:17:36.600 Especially you, Lily. I can have my staff make 03:17:36.600 --> 03:17:39.079 you all something. Just let me know. Hey Ethan, 03:17:39.299 --> 03:17:42.159 thanks for the welcome back. Lily smiles, suddenly 03:17:42.159 --> 03:17:45.159 feeling like she was finally safe. I'll definitely 03:17:45.159 --> 03:17:47.979 take your famous sandwich with amanda fries and 03:17:47.979 --> 03:17:51.209 something to drink. I haven't eaten in... Lily 03:17:51.209 --> 03:17:54.569 hesitates, trying to remember back, before realizing, 03:17:54.829 --> 03:17:57.530 I don't even know the last time I ate. Maybe 03:17:57.530 --> 03:18:00.129 yesterday morning? Ethan, can I get something 03:18:00.129 --> 03:18:02.729 too? We haven't had lunch, Ava says, before looking 03:18:02.729 --> 03:18:04.930 around to find Sierra and the professor nodding, 03:18:04.950 --> 03:18:07.229 then adding, and something for Sierra and the 03:18:07.229 --> 03:18:09.370 professor too. Whatever you're making Lily eat, 03:18:09.409 --> 03:18:12.889 if you can make for them. Sure, no problem, Ethan 03:18:12.889 --> 03:18:15.469 said. Give me a second to get these orders from 03:18:15.469 --> 03:18:18.200 my kitchen staff, then when they're ready - I'll 03:18:18.200 --> 03:18:19.940 have them deliver to you in here so you can eat 03:18:19.940 --> 03:18:22.340 and talk. In the meantime, you should get Lily 03:18:22.340 --> 03:18:23.899 caught up on what happened yesterday after she 03:18:23.899 --> 03:18:27.120 was taken. Thank you so much, Ethan, Lily says 03:18:27.120 --> 03:18:29.979 as she pulls out one of the chairs, takes a deep 03:18:29.979 --> 03:18:33.219 breath, and then sits down. Wow, the past two 03:18:33.219 --> 03:18:36.479 days have been crazy. As Lily says this, she 03:18:36.479 --> 03:18:38.620 points to the gold bar now sitting on Ethan's 03:18:38.620 --> 03:18:41.440 desk, and then points to her backpack which is 03:18:41.440 --> 03:18:44.940 resting on the floor next to Sierra. And where 03:18:44.940 --> 03:18:47.780 did you find my backpack? And what's inside of 03:18:47.780 --> 03:18:50.440 it? Professor Hawthorne smiles and then takes 03:18:50.440 --> 03:18:52.559 a seat across from Millie and gives her a brief 03:18:52.559 --> 03:18:55.379 recap of what he and Ethan's field trip to Rob's 03:18:55.379 --> 03:18:58.379 Peak, the characters they discovered in the mines, 03:18:58.440 --> 03:19:00.340 and the substance they had found in the mine 03:19:00.340 --> 03:19:02.879 number three. After finishing the story about 03:19:02.879 --> 03:19:05.459 Rob's Peak, he then scratches his head and says 03:19:05.459 --> 03:19:07.760 out loud, Hmm, what else happened yesterday? 03:19:08.000 --> 03:19:11.180 I mean, it feels like forever ago. A lot, Ava 03:19:11.180 --> 03:19:13.690 responds. Sierra and I had our own little adventure 03:19:13.690 --> 03:19:15.649 at the reservoir after Sierra got off work and 03:19:15.649 --> 03:19:18.049 late into the night. Hold on, I'll write all 03:19:18.049 --> 03:19:21.030 this down since it's fresh in our minds. We'll 03:19:21.030 --> 03:19:23.010 need to record the sequence of events with as 03:19:23.010 --> 03:19:25.170 much detail as possible. It'll be helpful for 03:19:25.170 --> 03:19:28.010 when the FBI gets here. Ava says all of this 03:19:28.010 --> 03:19:30.010 while thinking in the back of her mind that the 03:19:30.010 --> 03:19:32.350 document she creates will also help her write 03:19:32.350 --> 03:19:34.909 her series of articles for the B1 in its time. 03:19:35.290 --> 03:19:37.469 However, she doesn't say this part aloud as she 03:19:37.469 --> 03:19:39.549 does not want to come across as self -serving. 03:19:39.809 --> 03:19:42.379 Ava looks over it. At Sierra, who was sitting 03:19:42.379 --> 03:19:45.219 next to Lily. Hey, Sierra, why don't you catch 03:19:45.219 --> 03:19:47.299 Lily up about what happened at the reservoir 03:19:47.299 --> 03:19:50.639 and how we found her backpack? And maybe even 03:19:50.639 --> 03:19:53.319 the scary ledge part. This way, I'll type while 03:19:53.319 --> 03:19:57.260 you talk. Of course. Sierra responds before telling 03:19:57.260 --> 03:20:00.219 Lily about being suspicious of Professor Hawthorne, 03:20:00.299 --> 03:20:02.719 which became the reason the two girls went without 03:20:02.719 --> 03:20:05.639 telling him or Ethan, and how Ethan's tracker, 03:20:05.799 --> 03:20:08.000 which she put in Lily's backpack for a test, 03:20:08.159 --> 03:20:10.520 was what allowed the Professor and Ethan to stop 03:20:10.520 --> 03:20:12.680 at the reservoir on their way back from Rod's 03:20:12.680 --> 03:20:15.360 Peak because they thought Lily was there, but 03:20:15.360 --> 03:20:18.360 instead finding Sierra and Ava trapped on the 03:20:18.360 --> 03:20:20.559 spillway ledge and holding on for their dear 03:20:20.559 --> 03:20:23.639 lives. She then tells Lily about the meeting. 03:20:24.239 --> 03:20:27.219 Her and Ava overheard the bad guys taking blurry 03:20:27.219 --> 03:20:30.739 photos, having an audio recording, and then discovering 03:20:30.739 --> 03:20:33.500 that one of the bad guys was Professor Sharpton. 03:20:34.020 --> 03:20:36.840 Sierra then tells Lily that they found her backpack 03:20:36.840 --> 03:20:39.620 in the room the bad guys were having their meeting 03:20:39.620 --> 03:20:42.120 and that she thinks they forgot to take it with 03:20:42.120 --> 03:20:44.760 them because they left in a hurry after hearing 03:20:44.760 --> 03:20:48.360 the breaking picnic table. Yup, Ava interjects. 03:20:48.360 --> 03:20:50.239 Lily, we were still worried when we found out 03:20:50.239 --> 03:20:52.420 you were gone. We were all over the place trying 03:20:52.420 --> 03:20:54.639 to find where you were. Sierra was especially 03:20:54.639 --> 03:20:57.940 worried. She's the sweetest. Aww, Lily says. 03:20:58.200 --> 03:21:01.280 She is the sweetest. Thank you all for worrying 03:21:01.280 --> 03:21:03.819 about me and then finding me in the woods and 03:21:03.819 --> 03:21:06.420 then driving me back. What happened after the 03:21:06.420 --> 03:21:09.440 reservoir then? We were really overwhelmed by 03:21:09.440 --> 03:21:11.680 all the facts and new knowledge that presented 03:21:11.680 --> 03:21:14.840 itself that night. The most pressing and heaviest 03:21:14.840 --> 03:21:18.239 part was that we realized whatever this is, it 03:21:18.239 --> 03:21:21.010 was a lot bigger than any of us. It's not just 03:21:21.010 --> 03:21:23.629 about a kidnapping or two or a simple misunderstanding. 03:21:24.329 --> 03:21:26.969 There are some important people, public figures, 03:21:27.090 --> 03:21:29.809 and prominent community members involved. And 03:21:29.809 --> 03:21:32.209 I think this has been going on for a long time. 03:21:32.690 --> 03:21:35.450 And they've used the tunnels on Old Man Sutter's 03:21:35.450 --> 03:21:37.950 property to keep all their secrets from the public. 03:21:38.430 --> 03:21:41.030 I mean, if the secrets of El Dorado County came 03:21:41.030 --> 03:21:44.510 out, as I think they will now, this county, this 03:21:44.510 --> 03:21:46.489 state, and potentially in the entire country 03:21:46.489 --> 03:21:49.649 will not be the same again. U .S. history books 03:21:49.649 --> 03:21:52.350 may have to be rewritten. We have in our possession, 03:21:52.530 --> 03:21:55.489 in this office in fact, what appears to be a 03:21:55.489 --> 03:21:57.989 trove of damning evidence that dates back to 03:21:57.989 --> 03:22:02.069 the mid -1800s. Just then, Ethan returns with 03:22:02.069 --> 03:22:04.270 trays full of sandwiches, fries, and drinks. 03:22:04.850 --> 03:22:07.309 All right. I hope I didn't miss too much. What 03:22:07.309 --> 03:22:09.969 went down today? Wow, these look great. Thanks 03:22:09.969 --> 03:22:12.190 so much, Ethan, the professor says as he grabs 03:22:12.190 --> 03:22:14.750 a sandwich and a soda from the tray. You're just 03:22:14.750 --> 03:22:17.770 in time, too. Lily knows about Rob's peak and 03:22:17.770 --> 03:22:20.350 the reservoir. The professor continues as the 03:22:20.350 --> 03:22:22.770 others are getting their food and getting situated 03:22:22.770 --> 03:22:25.790 in the office. Also, really early in the morning, 03:22:25.889 --> 03:22:28.450 Ava came through with her contact at the B who 03:22:28.450 --> 03:22:31.329 had connections with the FBI. We now know the 03:22:31.329 --> 03:22:34.430 identities of two of the other people in the 03:22:34.430 --> 03:22:36.909 meeting at the reservoir besides Professor Sharpton. 03:22:37.190 --> 03:22:40.719 Let's see. Mayor Ruiz and California State Rep. 03:22:40.780 --> 03:22:43.440 Brown. We are unsure about the other two identities, 03:22:43.659 --> 03:22:45.659 but my guess is that they are quite prominent 03:22:45.659 --> 03:22:49.180 in our community or state. Lily's eyes widen 03:22:49.180 --> 03:22:52.940 as she says, Wow, that's crazy. And then she 03:22:52.940 --> 03:22:55.959 asks, So how did you end up at the same place 03:22:55.959 --> 03:22:59.239 I was being held, the tunnels? It's actually 03:22:59.239 --> 03:23:01.760 pretty simple. We went on a hunch and followed 03:23:01.760 --> 03:23:04.120 some more clues from the manuscript, the professor 03:23:04.120 --> 03:23:07.590 answered. However, we had no idea what we were 03:23:07.590 --> 03:23:09.870 getting into to say the least. I mean, look at 03:23:09.870 --> 03:23:11.670 me, my clothes are still wet and I still need 03:23:11.670 --> 03:23:14.350 to go see the doctor about this cut. And I've 03:23:14.350 --> 03:23:17.110 never been shot at before. The professor pauses, 03:23:17.290 --> 03:23:20.290 sits back in his chair. Ethan then interjects. 03:23:20.430 --> 03:23:23.190 The professor's right. Lily, we met here this 03:23:23.190 --> 03:23:24.870 morning and talked about the plan for today. 03:23:25.229 --> 03:23:27.049 I couldn't go since I was caught up with the 03:23:27.049 --> 03:23:28.870 cafe because one of the morning staff members 03:23:28.870 --> 03:23:32.569 didn't show up. Ethan goes on and asks, Lily, 03:23:32.729 --> 03:23:35.739 how did you escape? Ava stops taking notes for 03:23:35.739 --> 03:23:37.840 a minute and looks up to repeat the question. 03:23:38.139 --> 03:23:40.520 Yeah, Lily, how did you escape? We haven't heard 03:23:40.520 --> 03:23:42.940 that part yet. Having just taken another bite 03:23:42.940 --> 03:23:45.760 of food, Lily waits a moment and then gives them 03:23:45.760 --> 03:23:48.000 all a play -by -play account of what happened 03:23:48.000 --> 03:23:50.920 in the tunnel and how she was able to push the 03:23:50.920 --> 03:23:53.500 gate open, find her way through the dark maze, 03:23:53.680 --> 03:23:56.280 and then out to freedom. She explains to them 03:23:56.280 --> 03:23:58.879 about the guard being distracted by what may 03:23:58.879 --> 03:24:01.299 have been the noise of the other three entering 03:24:01.299 --> 03:24:04.530 the tunnel. about her being scared but brave, 03:24:04.729 --> 03:24:07.530 her thought process discovering Chen's sweatshirt 03:24:07.530 --> 03:24:09.909 and then wondering what they have done with him. 03:24:10.090 --> 03:24:12.649 You're so right, Lily, Ava interrupts. There's 03:24:12.649 --> 03:24:14.930 still a missing person out here, she continues. 03:24:15.030 --> 03:24:17.649 I mean, I assume Chen was held in that very room 03:24:17.649 --> 03:24:19.809 you were, but before they brought you there. 03:24:20.090 --> 03:24:23.950 So where did they move him to? Lily points to 03:24:23.950 --> 03:24:26.770 the dirty sweatshirt hanging over the back of 03:24:26.770 --> 03:24:29.770 one of the chairs and says, his name is written 03:24:29.770 --> 03:24:33.020 on the inside tag. Lily continues talking. I 03:24:33.020 --> 03:24:35.219 really need his help with the formula that he 03:24:35.219 --> 03:24:38.479 wrote. I think that is why they took him. I think 03:24:38.479 --> 03:24:40.899 that formula is the key to why we are all in 03:24:40.899 --> 03:24:44.420 this situation. She goes on. I mean, I don't 03:24:44.420 --> 03:24:46.639 remember much about being taken yesterday morning, 03:24:46.780 --> 03:24:50.079 but I do remember that I was in the science lab 03:24:50.079 --> 03:24:53.159 at the college and the formula called for a substance 03:24:53.159 --> 03:24:57.180 that the lab did not have. So, I asked Professor 03:24:57.180 --> 03:25:00.299 Sharpton, who was there monitoring the lab. If 03:25:00.299 --> 03:25:02.860 he could help me, as soon as he saw what I was 03:25:02.860 --> 03:25:05.020 working on, all these bad things just started 03:25:05.020 --> 03:25:08.319 happening to all of us. Sierra lets out a sigh 03:25:08.319 --> 03:25:11.600 and adds, I don't know Chen very well. I know 03:25:11.600 --> 03:25:14.600 him just as a customer here at the cafe, but 03:25:14.600 --> 03:25:17.340 I do hope he can be found. I hope he is safe 03:25:17.340 --> 03:25:20.719 and hasn't been harmed yet. Hawthorne interrupts, 03:25:20.719 --> 03:25:23.360 I hear you, Sierra. He was one of my best students 03:25:23.360 --> 03:25:26.319 and a great TA. I think he stumbled upon something 03:25:26.319 --> 03:25:28.719 he was not supposed to, tried it, discovered 03:25:28.719 --> 03:25:31.500 it, worked, and then that's what triggered all 03:25:31.500 --> 03:25:34.819 these things. The professor continues, So Lily, 03:25:35.040 --> 03:25:37.399 you mentioned a mystery element the science lab 03:25:37.399 --> 03:25:40.239 at the college did not have, an element the formula 03:25:40.239 --> 03:25:44.379 calls for? Yes, Lady answers. Lily proceeds to 03:25:44.379 --> 03:25:46.879 grab a piece of paper from Ethan's desk and starts 03:25:46.879 --> 03:25:49.700 scribbling down a formula and then says, See 03:25:49.700 --> 03:25:52.489 this symbol right here. This is the element I 03:25:52.489 --> 03:25:55.590 need in order for this formula to work. I also 03:25:55.590 --> 03:25:58.229 memorized the formula yesterday morning as I 03:25:58.229 --> 03:26:00.709 was tired of having to go back and forth between 03:26:00.709 --> 03:26:03.430 my phone and the lab tools. The professor jumps 03:26:03.430 --> 03:26:06.049 in just as Lily is done speaking and says, I 03:26:06.049 --> 03:26:07.870 don't want to get ahead of myself, but I think 03:26:07.870 --> 03:26:10.090 Ethan and I found the missing element you need 03:26:10.090 --> 03:26:13.370 for the formula. I mean, I'm not 100 % sure, 03:26:13.549 --> 03:26:16.590 but the substance we found in mine number three 03:26:16.590 --> 03:26:19.389 on Rob's Peak, which was labeled positive by 03:26:19.389 --> 03:26:22.860 the miners. contained some sort of element in 03:26:22.860 --> 03:26:26.020 the walls of one of the shafts. I scraped off 03:26:26.020 --> 03:26:28.159 some samples, which I left here in the office 03:26:28.159 --> 03:26:30.879 this morning. Oh, there's the sample, over there, 03:26:30.940 --> 03:26:33.299 that's on the shelf by the door. The professor 03:26:33.299 --> 03:26:36.620 gets up and grabs the baggie off the shelf, looks 03:26:36.620 --> 03:26:39.459 down at it, and continues. I've been around a 03:26:39.459 --> 03:26:41.399 lot of different rocks and dirt in my lifetime, 03:26:41.600 --> 03:26:44.280 and this sample here, well, it's unique and rare. 03:26:44.760 --> 03:26:47.930 Wow, Lily responds. The two things I was missing 03:26:47.930 --> 03:26:50.149 in the lab yesterday to make this formula work 03:26:50.149 --> 03:26:53.850 was, number one, extreme heat. More heat than 03:26:53.850 --> 03:26:56.829 the small Bunsen burner the lab has on hand. 03:26:57.149 --> 03:26:59.590 And that substance you are now holding, Professor, 03:26:59.850 --> 03:27:02.969 we need to find a way to test this. That's the 03:27:02.969 --> 03:27:05.450 only way we will be able to know why these people 03:27:05.450 --> 03:27:09.069 want to keep it a secret. Sarah, half listening 03:27:09.069 --> 03:27:12.469 as she finishes her salty fries, says, Lily, 03:27:12.670 --> 03:27:15.709 did I just hear you say you need extreme heat? 03:27:16.329 --> 03:27:19.530 One of my artisan friends has a kiln at her house, 03:27:19.590 --> 03:27:22.549 and according to her, she has to fire her porcelain 03:27:22.549 --> 03:27:25.129 pieces at a much higher temperature than her 03:27:25.129 --> 03:27:29.010 clay pieces. Maybe her kiln would work. If so, 03:27:29.190 --> 03:27:32.590 then don't we have what we need? Lily answers, 03:27:32.909 --> 03:27:36.350 yeah, I think that would work. Okay guys, let's 03:27:36.350 --> 03:27:38.530 not get ahead of ourselves just yet. Now that 03:27:38.530 --> 03:27:41.010 we have our sequence of events all figured out, 03:27:41.420 --> 03:27:43.620 Let's lay out all the evidence Ava and Sierra 03:27:43.620 --> 03:27:45.979 pulled from the rooms in the tunnels and see 03:27:45.979 --> 03:27:48.620 if we can put more of the pieces together. He 03:27:48.620 --> 03:27:51.319 continues, We haven't received a call back from 03:27:51.319 --> 03:27:53.879 Agent Carson yet, so we're not sure when he's 03:27:53.879 --> 03:27:56.200 going to show up, and I don't think it's safe 03:27:56.200 --> 03:27:59.200 yet for us to be out and about, especially while 03:27:59.200 --> 03:28:02.420 it's still light out. Also, Lily, there's probably 03:28:02.420 --> 03:28:04.959 a few other items you would need to get from 03:28:04.959 --> 03:28:08.260 the science lab that the formula calls for that 03:28:08.260 --> 03:28:10.889 you don't really have on you right now. Ethan 03:28:10.889 --> 03:28:13.530 jumps in and says, I'll bring up the big elephant 03:28:13.530 --> 03:28:15.629 in the room. I mean, there's a U .S. Treasury 03:28:15.629 --> 03:28:17.469 gold bar sitting on my desk and with the look 03:28:17.469 --> 03:28:20.950 of it, it's probably over 25 pounds. And also, 03:28:20.989 --> 03:28:23.370 what's with all the old dusty stuff in Lily's 03:28:23.370 --> 03:28:25.950 backpack? Actually, Ethan, if that gold bar is 03:28:25.950 --> 03:28:29.290 what I think it is, then it's 27 .4 pounds or 03:28:29.290 --> 03:28:32.370 12 .4 kilos. That's the international standard 03:28:32.370 --> 03:28:35.110 for traded gold bullion between central banks. 03:28:35.739 --> 03:28:38.299 I wrote about it in one of my books. It's also 03:28:38.299 --> 03:28:40.620 got the U .S. Treasury Department stamped on 03:28:40.620 --> 03:28:43.639 it, which means it either was minted by the Treasury 03:28:43.639 --> 03:28:46.420 Department or was minted and is heading to the 03:28:46.420 --> 03:28:49.440 Treasury Department. Either way, the thing sitting 03:28:49.440 --> 03:28:52.879 on your desk is worth about three quarters of 03:28:52.879 --> 03:28:55.920 a million U .S. dollars. Everyone in Ethan's 03:28:55.920 --> 03:28:58.479 small office immediately stopped eating, looked 03:28:58.479 --> 03:29:00.659 up at the professor, and then around the room 03:29:00.659 --> 03:29:02.600 with faces that said, you've got to be kidding 03:29:02.600 --> 03:29:05.489 me. Ava breaks the silence with a question to 03:29:05.489 --> 03:29:08.489 Sierra and says, Sierra, do you remember that 03:29:08.489 --> 03:29:10.750 large pallet that was covered with the tarp in 03:29:10.750 --> 03:29:15.090 the tunnel room? Yeah. Sierra answers, knowing 03:29:15.090 --> 03:29:17.270 where Ava is going with this question. Well, 03:29:17.409 --> 03:29:20.549 there's probably hundreds more. Maybe upwards 03:29:20.549 --> 03:29:23.709 of a thousand of those gold bars down in one 03:29:23.709 --> 03:29:25.909 of the tunnel rooms Sierra and I were in. They 03:29:25.909 --> 03:29:29.360 were covered with an old cloth tarp. We didn't 03:29:29.360 --> 03:29:31.500 get to look, but the shape and the size of the 03:29:31.500 --> 03:29:34.420 objects under the tarp match description of being 03:29:34.420 --> 03:29:37.579 a lot of those gold bars all stacked on top of 03:29:37.579 --> 03:29:40.500 each other. Ava is smiling as she's saying this. 03:29:41.700 --> 03:29:45.459 Okay, but let's get back to the backpack. I'm 03:29:45.459 --> 03:29:47.479 not going back down those tunnels again right 03:29:47.479 --> 03:29:50.879 now, Sierra says. Yeah, I would not go down those 03:29:50.879 --> 03:29:53.959 tunnels either, but back to the backpack. Come 03:29:53.959 --> 03:29:57.559 on guys, there could be close to $750 million 03:29:57.559 --> 03:30:01.959 in gold sitting down that tunnel. Ava pauses 03:30:01.959 --> 03:30:04.459 for a moment, thinking about it, and then continues. 03:30:04.959 --> 03:30:08.200 Sierra and I found a lot of other odds and ends 03:30:08.200 --> 03:30:10.979 in one of the other rooms. We filled Lily's backpack 03:30:10.979 --> 03:30:13.260 with what we could carry, but there was a lot 03:30:13.260 --> 03:30:15.520 more of this stuff down there than what we could 03:30:15.520 --> 03:30:18.520 carry out. My hope is that we can study this 03:30:18.520 --> 03:30:21.219 together and it'll help us piece the other parts 03:30:21.219 --> 03:30:23.850 of this puzzle together. We'll need to be efficient 03:30:23.850 --> 03:30:25.649 about looking at all the stuff in the backpack 03:30:25.649 --> 03:30:28.350 and making note of each item, though. Once we 03:30:28.350 --> 03:30:30.790 hand it over to the FBI, we probably won't ever 03:30:30.790 --> 03:30:33.629 see it again, and it's our only leverage we have 03:30:33.629 --> 03:30:36.889 at this point. Sierra and Lily open the backpack 03:30:36.889 --> 03:30:39.430 and start laying out all the items from the backpack 03:30:39.430 --> 03:30:41.930 onto the small table sitting against the wall 03:30:41.930 --> 03:30:45.569 in Ethan's already small office. Sierra then 03:30:45.569 --> 03:30:48.530 says, I'll just pick up an item, pass it around, 03:30:48.649 --> 03:30:51.510 and see if we notice anything about it. Ava then 03:30:51.510 --> 03:30:54.149 instructs. Once you're done looking at it, place 03:30:54.149 --> 03:30:56.610 it over by the door on the floor. I'll take a 03:30:56.610 --> 03:30:58.610 photo of it and then I can make a note of it. 03:30:58.889 --> 03:31:01.610 This is exciting. I'm actually doing things we 03:31:01.610 --> 03:31:04.409 learned about in forensics classes this past 03:31:04.409 --> 03:31:07.370 year. I can't believe it. This is so surreal. 03:31:08.430 --> 03:31:10.889 The professor and Ethan watch as the girls lay 03:31:10.889 --> 03:31:13.370 out and organize the items that were jammed into 03:31:13.370 --> 03:31:16.190 the backpack. Professor Hawthorne, noticing the 03:31:16.190 --> 03:31:19.209 pain more now from his cut on his side, then 03:31:19.209 --> 03:31:22.059 says, I'm going to need to sneak over to Doc 03:31:22.059 --> 03:31:24.299 Rivers' office across the street as soon as he 03:31:24.299 --> 03:31:26.840 closes. He's going to need to clean and stitch 03:31:26.840 --> 03:31:29.319 this cut. Let's get started and see how far I 03:31:29.319 --> 03:31:33.079 get. Sierra passes around old newspaper clippings, 03:31:33.079 --> 03:31:35.979 mostly intact from old and local small newspapers 03:31:35.979 --> 03:31:39.799 from the early and late 1930s. Some were quite 03:31:39.799 --> 03:31:42.920 hard to read and were too torn or faded. However, 03:31:43.100 --> 03:31:46.139 the group found several references in the clippings 03:31:46.139 --> 03:31:48.979 about several families in the local family that 03:31:48.979 --> 03:31:51.420 were relatives of the family who had traveled 03:31:51.420 --> 03:31:54.600 from Virginia in search for gold. One of the 03:31:54.600 --> 03:31:57.940 interviews that the paper had conducted was with 03:31:57.940 --> 03:32:01.239 a very old man who told some outlandish stories 03:32:01.239 --> 03:32:04.600 about what his relatives had done. Ava then says, 03:32:06.139 --> 03:32:08.079 He reads a few of the clippings and then says, 03:32:08.260 --> 03:32:11.440 the man being interviewed alleges that the two 03:32:11.440 --> 03:32:13.780 Chinese brothers who owned the cabin up on Rob's 03:32:13.780 --> 03:32:16.180 Peak were robbed and murdered because of something 03:32:16.180 --> 03:32:18.739 they had discovered in one of the mines. Oh, 03:32:18.819 --> 03:32:21.440 he also says that the two brothers made gold. 03:32:21.920 --> 03:32:24.620 Weird. The article then talks about large amounts 03:32:24.620 --> 03:32:28.280 of cargo being wagon -trained across the U .S. 03:32:28.280 --> 03:32:31.899 back to Virginia, especially between 1851 to 03:32:31.899 --> 03:32:35.670 1861. Then it continued after the Civil War by 03:32:35.670 --> 03:32:38.469 railroad train to Virginia and Washington, D 03:32:38.469 --> 03:32:41.270 .C. The professor then adds, this old map here 03:32:41.270 --> 03:32:44.010 confirms the location of some of the cabins on 03:32:44.010 --> 03:32:46.290 Robb's Peak along with the worker camps that 03:32:46.290 --> 03:32:48.489 used to be in the valley of what we now know 03:32:48.489 --> 03:32:51.569 as the reservoir. You see, there used to be a 03:32:51.569 --> 03:32:54.049 dozen or more worker camps along the reservoir 03:32:54.049 --> 03:32:57.690 valley. Ethan interrupts everyone and says, well, 03:32:57.790 --> 03:32:59.809 this seems like a classic cover -up of some sorts. 03:33:00.250 --> 03:33:03.239 Steal from the little guys. Destroy the evidence 03:33:03.239 --> 03:33:06.059 and get rid of all the witnesses and then cover 03:33:06.059 --> 03:33:08.379 up what you did. The room went silent for a moment 03:33:08.379 --> 03:33:10.780 and then the professor followed that up with, 03:33:10.959 --> 03:33:13.559 Okay, let's go with this theory and assume that's 03:33:13.559 --> 03:33:15.920 what the evidence is showing us. He continues, 03:33:16.639 --> 03:33:19.159 Bear with me as I play out this theory. Okay, 03:33:19.280 --> 03:33:21.840 the two brothers from China come to the new America 03:33:21.840 --> 03:33:24.000 looking for work and a better life. They bring 03:33:24.000 --> 03:33:26.860 over some ancient alchemist formula, discover 03:33:26.860 --> 03:33:29.280 that it works after they find the one element 03:33:29.280 --> 03:33:31.780 they're missing in Mindsight number three. This 03:33:31.780 --> 03:33:34.040 Mindsight also included an inscription of the 03:33:34.040 --> 03:33:36.500 Chinese character that translates as positive, 03:33:36.639 --> 03:33:38.959 as Ethan and I discovered. The two families from 03:33:38.959 --> 03:33:41.180 Virginia, who were part of the ruling and political 03:33:41.180 --> 03:33:44.559 class back east at that time, sent several family 03:33:44.559 --> 03:33:46.559 members here at the beginning of the gold rush 03:33:46.559 --> 03:33:50.139 in 1849. I'm assuming they were either wanting 03:33:50.139 --> 03:33:52.659 to get rich themselves or were needing the gold 03:33:52.659 --> 03:33:54.780 they were going to find for something else. I 03:33:54.780 --> 03:33:57.340 mean, why would they come all this way? They 03:33:57.340 --> 03:33:59.579 were already wealthy and well -to -do back in 03:33:59.579 --> 03:34:02.340 Virginia, unless the professor stopped for a 03:34:02.340 --> 03:34:04.440 moment. They needed the gold for the South because 03:34:04.440 --> 03:34:06.379 at the time, the Southern states were wanting 03:34:06.379 --> 03:34:08.799 to secede from the Union, the Northern states. 03:34:08.940 --> 03:34:11.020 They wanted to find gold and send it back to 03:34:11.020 --> 03:34:12.739 Richmond, Virginia, which was the capital of 03:34:12.739 --> 03:34:15.409 the South. Eva says all of this as she slowly 03:34:15.409 --> 03:34:17.670 gets up out of her chair and takes a couple steps 03:34:17.670 --> 03:34:19.850 over to the table that's holding all the stuff 03:34:19.850 --> 03:34:22.129 in the backpack. She then picks up one of the 03:34:22.129 --> 03:34:24.930 dirty, old, sealed glass jars, tries to pry the 03:34:24.930 --> 03:34:27.930 lid off. No luck. So then she drops it onto the 03:34:27.930 --> 03:34:31.209 floor. Glass breaks and shatters, revealing all 03:34:31.209 --> 03:34:34.649 the contents inside. Yup, Ethan says. I think 03:34:34.649 --> 03:34:37.250 my theory's gonna be proved correct, if I'm not 03:34:37.250 --> 03:34:39.840 mistaken. These look like real gold nuggets. 03:34:40.159 --> 03:34:42.459 The room is silent for a moment as all of them 03:34:42.459 --> 03:34:44.479 look down at the numerous gold nuggets laying 03:34:44.479 --> 03:34:46.620 around the broken glass pieces. The professor 03:34:46.620 --> 03:34:50.180 then says, If this is true, if that formula has 03:34:50.180 --> 03:34:53.540 the capacity to make gold, then that's a pretty 03:34:53.540 --> 03:34:56.280 big secret that needs to be kept quiet. I'll 03:34:56.280 --> 03:34:58.440 bet that some of that gold made here back in 03:34:58.440 --> 03:35:00.579 those days was used to help fund the Confederate 03:35:00.579 --> 03:35:03.319 Army during the Civil War. Those two families 03:35:03.319 --> 03:35:05.739 from Virginia not only had ties to the political 03:35:05.739 --> 03:35:09.079 class in Virginia, but also had ties to the military. 03:35:09.420 --> 03:35:12.120 Sierra then asked another question to the group. 03:35:12.280 --> 03:35:14.639 When Ava and I were down in the tunnel room, 03:35:14.760 --> 03:35:18.760 we found old, I mean really old, mining tools 03:35:18.760 --> 03:35:21.540 that had Chinese characters etched into some 03:35:21.540 --> 03:35:23.979 of the wooden handles and on some of the metal 03:35:23.979 --> 03:35:28.389 parts. What could that mean? Ava took... photos 03:35:28.389 --> 03:35:31.430 of some of them. Lily then asks, Ava, let me 03:35:31.430 --> 03:35:33.950 see those pictures. I may be able to tell what 03:35:33.950 --> 03:35:36.750 the characters represent. Lily looks at several 03:35:36.750 --> 03:35:40.030 of the images and then blurs out. Those characters 03:35:40.030 --> 03:35:42.790 are family names. Those tools have the names 03:35:42.790 --> 03:35:45.889 of families on them. My guess is that those tools 03:35:45.889 --> 03:35:49.229 belong to certain worker families. Ava then says, 03:35:49.450 --> 03:35:52.090 here's another article from, I guess the same 03:35:52.090 --> 03:35:54.729 time period as the other ones we read. And it 03:35:54.729 --> 03:35:57.129 talks about the gold rush days as well. And then 03:35:57.129 --> 03:36:00.610 it talks about the several large fires that ripped 03:36:00.610 --> 03:36:02.829 through all the worker camps, killing many of 03:36:02.829 --> 03:36:05.750 them. And then some of the workers and their 03:36:05.750 --> 03:36:07.969 family members just disappearing, never to be 03:36:07.969 --> 03:36:11.969 seen again. I told you, Ethan replies. A classic 03:36:11.969 --> 03:36:15.090 cover -up. Wow, it sure looks that way. This 03:36:15.090 --> 03:36:18.659 is huge. Wait, okay, so the two families and 03:36:18.659 --> 03:36:21.780 their paid cronies just basically wiped out over 03:36:21.780 --> 03:36:25.340 a dozen worker camps and murdered countless prospectors 03:36:25.340 --> 03:36:27.500 and their family members? And they took that 03:36:27.500 --> 03:36:29.680 formula and made gold and then sent it back to 03:36:29.680 --> 03:36:32.079 the East to fund the Confederate war effort against 03:36:32.079 --> 03:36:35.440 the Union? Eva's creative mind is spinning all 03:36:35.440 --> 03:36:37.739 over the place as she continues to type out all 03:36:37.739 --> 03:36:40.780 the details the group is talking about. As they 03:36:40.780 --> 03:36:42.879 are picking up the glass and looking at the small 03:36:42.879 --> 03:36:45.639 gold nuggets they had been on the floor, Sierra 03:36:45.639 --> 03:36:48.079 sees the ledger book sitting on the table under 03:36:48.079 --> 03:36:53.500 a few other newspaper clippings and old letters. 03:36:53.700 --> 03:36:57.340 She grabs it and then opens it and says, I forgot 03:36:57.340 --> 03:37:00.260 I grabbed this, but this ledger booklet may also 03:37:00.260 --> 03:37:03.620 be important. It contains dates, names, weights, 03:37:03.819 --> 03:37:07.049 and money amounts. This ledger has names and 03:37:07.049 --> 03:37:10.129 dates that range from the 1850s through the early 03:37:10.129 --> 03:37:14.030 1900s. There are two names that show up a lot 03:37:14.030 --> 03:37:18.569 here, Stewart and Johnson. Professor, do either 03:37:18.569 --> 03:37:21.370 of those names ring a bell? Professor Hawthorne 03:37:21.370 --> 03:37:23.649 thinks for a moment and then says, California 03:37:23.649 --> 03:37:27.629 State Rep. Deborah Stewart Brown. He pauses for 03:37:27.629 --> 03:37:30.590 a moment and continues, She kept her maiden name, 03:37:30.709 --> 03:37:33.219 Stewart. When she was campaigning many years 03:37:33.219 --> 03:37:36.059 ago, I remember her making a big deal about why 03:37:36.059 --> 03:37:38.399 she kept her maiden name when she got married. 03:37:38.879 --> 03:37:42.040 She said something about how her family helped 03:37:42.040 --> 03:37:44.500 build the state of California and how she always 03:37:44.500 --> 03:37:47.159 wanted voters to remember that when they heard 03:37:47.159 --> 03:37:49.920 her name. The professor stops for a moment, cracks 03:37:49.920 --> 03:37:53.379 a half smile, and then says, Hmm, the irony here. 03:37:53.600 --> 03:37:57.059 This ledger book records hundreds of payout amounts 03:37:57.059 --> 03:38:00.790 to the Stewart family over 50 plus years. And 03:38:00.790 --> 03:38:04.250 I'm guessing these are all bribes. Wow, this 03:38:04.250 --> 03:38:06.629 is huge, especially if this is still happening 03:38:06.629 --> 03:38:09.569 today. I mean, think about it. State Rep. Stuart 03:38:09.569 --> 03:38:12.870 Brown helped pass legislation years ago to create 03:38:12.870 --> 03:38:15.250 the dam and the reservoir. Here's an article 03:38:15.250 --> 03:38:17.770 from that pile about how her bill passed and 03:38:17.770 --> 03:38:21.190 then became law. The article praises her as being 03:38:21.190 --> 03:38:23.850 a conservationist, along with her efforts to 03:38:23.850 --> 03:38:26.370 protect and preserve the natural beauty and water 03:38:26.370 --> 03:38:29.209 resources of this area. She also controls the 03:38:29.209 --> 03:38:31.569 budgets of certain parks and rec areas in El 03:38:31.569 --> 03:38:34.170 Dorado County. The ledger that you found in the 03:38:34.170 --> 03:38:36.969 tunnel incriminates just about every one of her 03:38:36.969 --> 03:38:40.670 ancestors. Fast forward to today, my guess is 03:38:40.670 --> 03:38:42.850 that this secret group is still using their power 03:38:42.850 --> 03:38:46.090 and wealth to bribe corrupt politicians and prominent 03:38:46.090 --> 03:38:48.870 city and county officials like the mayor, Professor 03:38:48.870 --> 03:38:52.229 Sharpton, maybe even the sheriff's office. I 03:38:52.229 --> 03:38:54.129 mean, the man who shot at me in the tunnel still 03:38:54.129 --> 03:38:57.520 had his deputy's uniform on. Ava knows they've 03:38:57.520 --> 03:38:59.379 hit the jackpot and can't wait to get started 03:38:59.379 --> 03:39:02.239 structuring her series of articles. Ava picks 03:39:02.239 --> 03:39:04.280 up her phone and calls her editor at the bee 03:39:04.280 --> 03:39:06.920 and asks for more resources. She informs the 03:39:06.920 --> 03:39:09.040 editor that she's working on a series of articles 03:39:09.040 --> 03:39:12.229 that will hit the national news. Probably the 03:39:12.229 --> 03:39:14.590 international news circuits, too. She requests 03:39:14.590 --> 03:39:17.409 the help of Ted along with a larger budget so 03:39:17.409 --> 03:39:19.790 she can set up a working office in Coloma for 03:39:19.790 --> 03:39:21.989 the next few months. The investigation and coming 03:39:21.989 --> 03:39:24.090 warrants and arrests will take months to follow 03:39:24.090 --> 03:39:26.090 and report on, and she wants to be on the front 03:39:26.090 --> 03:39:28.629 lines. She doesn't want the story to fall into 03:39:28.629 --> 03:39:32.090 the hands of any other reporter, especially since 03:39:32.090 --> 03:39:34.829 she and her friends have risked so much to get 03:39:34.829 --> 03:39:37.520 the information they're now looking at. As all 03:39:37.520 --> 03:39:40.159 of this has been happening, Lady has been going 03:39:40.159 --> 03:39:42.459 over the formula and this new element in her 03:39:42.459 --> 03:39:45.379 head. She's also been looking at some of the 03:39:45.379 --> 03:39:47.620 other old papers found which include chemical 03:39:47.620 --> 03:39:51.180 symbols, numbers, and temperatures. She's pretty 03:39:51.180 --> 03:39:53.760 sure the formula Chen had will work with the 03:39:53.760 --> 03:39:56.219 right heat, and this new element the professor 03:39:56.219 --> 03:39:59.420 had a sample of. She picks up another cell jar 03:39:59.420 --> 03:40:02.200 that is sitting on the table and then notices 03:40:02.200 --> 03:40:04.700 that the contents look similar to the element 03:40:04.700 --> 03:40:08.079 the professor found in mine site number 3. She 03:40:08.079 --> 03:40:10.979 then says, I've got enough information and substances 03:40:10.979 --> 03:40:14.600 here to recreate the experiment. It looks like 03:40:14.600 --> 03:40:17.340 this other jar contains the same substance the 03:40:17.340 --> 03:40:20.680 professor and Ethan found in the mine site. She 03:40:20.680 --> 03:40:23.709 continues and says out loud, I think this formula, 03:40:23.930 --> 03:40:27.270 if mixed properly, can convert a base metal like 03:40:27.270 --> 03:40:32.549 lead, zinc, or tin into gold. And depending on 03:40:32.549 --> 03:40:35.809 what base metal is used, the gold produced could 03:40:35.809 --> 03:40:40.590 be graded between 18 to 24 karat gold, the latter 03:40:40.590 --> 03:40:45.469 being 99 .9 % pure gold. If I had to guess, that 03:40:45.469 --> 03:40:48.629 gold bar there looks to be close to 24 karat 03:40:48.629 --> 03:40:51.760 gold. Professor Hawthorne then says, The FBI 03:40:51.760 --> 03:40:53.879 will need to investigate the connection between 03:40:53.879 --> 03:40:56.059 all of this and the U .S. Treasury Department. 03:40:56.280 --> 03:40:59.059 I hope the corruption does not go up that far 03:40:59.059 --> 03:41:02.000 in our federal government. Ava chimes in. You 03:41:02.000 --> 03:41:04.559 never know, Professor. Money makes people do 03:41:04.559 --> 03:41:08.139 weird and unforeseen things, she continues. Our 03:41:08.139 --> 03:41:10.799 little secret bad guy group is being paid, and 03:41:10.799 --> 03:41:12.520 it's paying other people to keep their little 03:41:12.520 --> 03:41:15.840 secret. So now that we know how all the history 03:41:15.840 --> 03:41:18.399 stuff is connected, We still need to find out 03:41:18.399 --> 03:41:20.760 how Chen came about getting this formula and 03:41:20.760 --> 03:41:23.799 where he's been taken. The conversation among 03:41:23.799 --> 03:41:26.959 the group is like popcorn. The evidence and details 03:41:26.959 --> 03:41:30.280 help them connect just about all the dots. Ethan 03:41:30.280 --> 03:41:33.319 then says, I looked up the name Johnston online 03:41:33.319 --> 03:41:36.639 around that time period in history, specifically 03:41:36.639 --> 03:41:40.020 during the 1850s and 1860s, and, well, according 03:41:40.020 --> 03:41:41.979 to what I found, there was a family with the 03:41:41.979 --> 03:41:44.399 same name that played an important part in the 03:41:44.399 --> 03:41:46.159 political structure of the South at that time. 03:41:46.729 --> 03:41:48.989 If I had to bet, these people are probably related. 03:41:49.530 --> 03:41:52.229 Ava then interjects, I think I found an identity 03:41:52.229 --> 03:41:54.510 of one of the other persons in that secret meeting 03:41:54.510 --> 03:41:57.750 at the reservoir. I'm not 100 % sure, but there's 03:41:57.750 --> 03:41:59.690 been a recently published magazine that includes 03:41:59.690 --> 03:42:02.729 a long and flowery article on the newly elected 03:42:02.729 --> 03:42:05.129 Coloma City Council member, Margaret Deason. 03:42:05.510 --> 03:42:09.370 Sierra then responds, if she's potentially the 03:42:09.370 --> 03:42:12.229 fourth person in that room, then who was the 03:42:12.229 --> 03:42:16.159 fifth? We know it was a man. Was this man large? 03:42:16.319 --> 03:42:18.520 The professor asked with the hopes it was the 03:42:18.520 --> 03:42:21.799 guard he encountered in the tunnel. No, he wasn't 03:42:21.799 --> 03:42:24.340 very large. I would say he was average build, 03:42:24.479 --> 03:42:27.319 Sierra answers. The professor looks down at his 03:42:27.319 --> 03:42:29.620 watch, feeling quite tired and achy, and says, 03:42:29.799 --> 03:42:32.020 I need to head over to Doc Rivers' clinic across 03:42:32.020 --> 03:42:34.899 the street. The clinic just closed and I need 03:42:34.899 --> 03:42:36.840 to catch the doc before he leaves for the evening. 03:42:37.319 --> 03:42:39.579 I also need to check in with my wife and let 03:42:39.579 --> 03:42:42.510 her know what's going on. There's no hiding these 03:42:42.510 --> 03:42:45.069 scratches on my face or my ripped and dirty shirt. 03:42:45.530 --> 03:42:48.090 By this time, the group had looked at and documented 03:42:48.090 --> 03:42:50.690 all the things Ava and Sierra had taken from 03:42:50.690 --> 03:42:53.370 the tunnels. The professor stood up and looked 03:42:53.370 --> 03:42:56.250 around at all the others. Ava was still typing 03:42:56.250 --> 03:42:58.989 some of her own thoughts and ideas out. Sierra 03:42:58.989 --> 03:43:01.250 was still snapping photos of some of the last 03:43:01.250 --> 03:43:04.110 bits of items from the backpack. Ethan was studying 03:43:04.110 --> 03:43:06.309 some of the letters that were recovered and Lily 03:43:06.309 --> 03:43:08.370 was inspecting the gold nuggets she had picked 03:43:08.370 --> 03:43:11.149 up off the floor. Before the professor could 03:43:11.149 --> 03:43:13.590 walk out of the office, Ava's phone rings and 03:43:13.590 --> 03:43:17.209 startles them. Almost at the same time, the professor's 03:43:17.209 --> 03:43:20.209 phone rings. The professor answers and then says 03:43:20.209 --> 03:43:23.069 to the group, It's the FBI. It's Agent Carson. 03:43:23.670 --> 03:43:25.989 The professor stands there nodding his head and 03:43:25.989 --> 03:43:29.950 then replies, No, we're all together. It wasn't 03:43:29.950 --> 03:43:32.649 safe for us to go back to our own houses. He 03:43:32.649 --> 03:43:36.229 continues, Okay, yes, we're currently in town 03:43:36.229 --> 03:43:39.659 and hiding out in the back of Ethan's cafe. Yes, 03:43:39.659 --> 03:43:43.219 we have the things we took from the tunnel. No, 03:43:43.239 --> 03:43:45.600 we haven't interacted with anyone or shown anyone 03:43:45.600 --> 03:43:48.760 those things. The professor listens a bit longer 03:43:48.760 --> 03:43:50.840 and then hangs up the phone and says to the others 03:43:50.840 --> 03:43:53.059 who are looking back and forth at Ava and the 03:43:53.059 --> 03:43:55.840 professor who are both on calls at the same time. 03:43:56.620 --> 03:43:59.280 Agent Carson is on his way here as we speak, 03:43:59.420 --> 03:44:02.100 and he's being accompanied by the special agent 03:44:02.100 --> 03:44:05.280 in charge of the San Francisco FBI field office 03:44:05.280 --> 03:44:08.889 and by a forensic officer. I think he said his 03:44:08.889 --> 03:44:11.829 name was Williamson or something. This is a pretty 03:44:11.829 --> 03:44:14.909 big deal if the lead field office agent and the 03:44:14.909 --> 03:44:17.250 forensic officer will be here within the hour. 03:44:17.670 --> 03:44:20.770 Ava then jumps into the conversation. I just 03:44:20.770 --> 03:44:22.870 got off the phone with Ted and he and the editor 03:44:22.870 --> 03:44:25.510 will be here tomorrow mid -morning. This is a 03:44:25.510 --> 03:44:28.010 big deal if the B's editor is coming here personally. 03:44:28.530 --> 03:44:30.850 She says this as she's trying to hold back her 03:44:30.850 --> 03:44:33.309 excitement at what will probably be a career 03:44:33.309 --> 03:44:35.979 -changing event for her, and in a good way. The 03:44:35.979 --> 03:44:37.879 professor then says that he's standing in the 03:44:37.879 --> 03:44:39.940 doorway getting ready to leave for the clinic. 03:44:40.200 --> 03:44:42.940 Okay, okay, we know this is a big deal, so let's 03:44:42.940 --> 03:44:46.079 not slip up right now. Let's keep all this evidence 03:44:46.079 --> 03:44:49.159 here in this room. The FBI is going to want all 03:44:49.159 --> 03:44:51.600 this stuff intact when they arrive, and I'm assuming 03:44:51.600 --> 03:44:53.799 they'll tag it, bag it, and take it with them. 03:44:53.920 --> 03:44:56.360 The professor turns around and then adds as he 03:44:56.360 --> 03:44:59.280 exits the office, I'll be back shortly, so stay 03:44:59.280 --> 03:45:02.059 put. He exits the cafe and into the alley, closing 03:45:02.059 --> 03:45:04.889 the back cafe door behind him. He takes a few 03:45:04.889 --> 03:45:07.629 steps and then his phone rings again. He answers. 03:45:08.149 --> 03:45:10.549 Hey honey, I was just going to call you and ask 03:45:10.549 --> 03:45:12.569 if you could come meet me at Doc Rivers Clinic 03:45:12.569 --> 03:45:16.750 on Main Street. I had a small mishap today. No, 03:45:16.750 --> 03:45:19.690 no, I'm okay. Nothing serious. I'll tell you 03:45:19.690 --> 03:45:23.049 when I see you. It's a long story. Yeah, sorry. 03:45:23.229 --> 03:45:25.129 I must have been in a place with no cell phone 03:45:25.129 --> 03:45:27.690 service. No, I didn't get your text message either. 03:45:28.430 --> 03:45:31.090 As Hawthorne talks with his wife, he observes 03:45:31.090 --> 03:45:33.250 many of the downtown shops starting to close 03:45:33.250 --> 03:45:35.450 early because of the annual Gold Rush Festival 03:45:35.450 --> 03:45:37.889 parade, which will be happening that evening. 03:45:38.090 --> 03:45:40.270 The parade starts several blocks down and several 03:45:40.270 --> 03:45:42.750 streets over and comes directly down Main Street 03:45:42.750 --> 03:45:45.250 in front of Ethan's Cafe and all the other shops 03:45:45.250 --> 03:45:47.649 located there. The parade attracts a mixture 03:45:47.649 --> 03:45:50.090 of local town residents and tourists as they 03:45:50.090 --> 03:45:52.850 all cram into the downtown area to enjoy a family 03:45:52.850 --> 03:45:56.010 fun summertime event. The parade often includes 03:45:56.010 --> 03:45:58.329 festive and decorated floats that are usually 03:45:58.329 --> 03:46:00.989 pulled by pickup trucks and tractors, two or 03:46:00.989 --> 03:46:03.370 three county high school marching bands, local 03:46:03.370 --> 03:46:07.129 clubs, and the ever so popular El Dorado College's 03:46:07.129 --> 03:46:10.450 award -winning drumline members. The parade is 03:46:10.450 --> 03:46:12.750 a colorful and fun event that brings so many 03:46:12.750 --> 03:46:15.520 people together from all over the place. The 03:46:15.520 --> 03:46:18.120 evening then concludes with a controlled fireworks 03:46:18.120 --> 03:46:20.819 display, which the county park's office approved 03:46:20.819 --> 03:46:22.979 since there was plenty of rain and snow melt 03:46:22.979 --> 03:46:25.319 during the spring season. No worries of forest 03:46:25.319 --> 03:46:27.379 fires this year. Professor Hawthorne's phone 03:46:27.379 --> 03:46:29.860 is about to die because of the water damage it 03:46:29.860 --> 03:46:32.420 sustained during his swim across the river earlier 03:46:32.420 --> 03:46:35.420 that day. So he says to his wife quickly, My 03:46:35.420 --> 03:46:37.500 phone is acting weird and it may cut off, so 03:46:37.500 --> 03:46:40.260 really quick, can you bring me a fresh shirt 03:46:40.260 --> 03:46:43.299 as well? yes i'm walking over to the clinic right 03:46:43.299 --> 03:46:46.739 now i will see you in a few minutes no okay really 03:46:46.739 --> 03:46:49.239 quick the professor stopped walking and just 03:46:49.239 --> 03:46:51.579 stands here on the sidewalk now next to ethan's 03:46:51.579 --> 03:46:53.440 cafe and directly across the street from the 03:46:53.440 --> 03:46:55.379 clinic professor hawthorne then says abruptly 03:46:55.379 --> 03:47:00.020 wait what bill sharpton called you today really 03:47:00.020 --> 03:47:04.440 no no no you didn't do anything wrong okay okay 03:47:04.440 --> 03:47:07.549 just get here as soon as you can I'll be at the 03:47:07.549 --> 03:47:09.750 clinic, so just knock on the front glass window 03:47:09.750 --> 03:47:12.190 and someone will come out and let you in. Hawthorne 03:47:12.190 --> 03:47:14.290 then walks across Main Street toward the clinic. 03:47:19.809 --> 03:47:23.030 One other person emerges from the alley but stays 03:47:23.030 --> 03:47:26.409 close to the building's side wall. This person 03:47:26.409 --> 03:47:28.829 had been hiding near the fire escape staircase 03:47:28.829 --> 03:47:33.030 on another business' back door. The stranger 03:47:33.030 --> 03:47:35.590 peers across the street and watches as the professor 03:47:35.590 --> 03:47:38.360 greeted, by the doctor at the front door of the 03:47:38.360 --> 03:47:52.690 clinic and then is let inside. Sierra, Ava, Lily 03:47:52.690 --> 03:47:55.309 are patiently waiting in Ethan's small office 03:47:55.309 --> 03:47:58.430 in the back of the cafe as Ethan helps his staff 03:47:58.430 --> 03:48:01.069 close up the kitchen, bar, and seating area. 03:48:01.329 --> 03:48:04.290 The cafe, along with most of the businesses on 03:48:04.290 --> 03:48:06.969 Main Street, are closing early. The annual Gold 03:48:06.969 --> 03:48:09.930 Rush Festival parade brings a ton of people to 03:48:09.930 --> 03:48:12.510 the downtown area. In fact, there are a lot of 03:48:12.510 --> 03:48:14.870 people already stinging out their turf by setting 03:48:14.870 --> 03:48:17.809 up their lawn chair mats along the parade route 03:48:17.809 --> 03:48:20.329 to hopefully get a front row seat at the parade. 03:48:20.719 --> 03:48:22.959 and all its participants walk and drive past. 03:48:23.219 --> 03:48:26.500 Sierra turns and looks at Ava and says, I forgot 03:48:26.500 --> 03:48:29.840 the parade was tonight. Oh man, there's going 03:48:29.840 --> 03:48:32.719 to be so many people down and around here tonight. 03:48:32.979 --> 03:48:36.280 Ava responds, Well, for now, we're just going 03:48:36.280 --> 03:48:38.760 to hang out until Agent Carson shows up. But 03:48:38.760 --> 03:48:40.520 if for some reason we have to leave the cafe, 03:48:40.840 --> 03:48:42.879 we could blend in with the crowds pretty easily 03:48:42.879 --> 03:48:46.600 if we had to. Lady then asks, So what do we do 03:48:46.600 --> 03:48:49.540 when Agent Carson arrives? Ava, I think you should 03:48:49.540 --> 03:48:52.180 do the talking first if Professor Hawthorne isn't 03:48:52.180 --> 03:48:54.940 back yet. I mean, you have experience with this 03:48:54.940 --> 03:48:57.159 type of thing, right? Ava laughed slightly and 03:48:57.159 --> 03:48:59.840 then responds. Experience with the FBI? Nah. 03:49:00.420 --> 03:49:02.860 Experience with trying to piece together a story 03:49:02.860 --> 03:49:05.920 and communicate the facts? Yeah. Lily, thanks 03:49:05.920 --> 03:49:08.139 for your confidence in me. I've only been at 03:49:08.139 --> 03:49:10.559 this job for a little over a year now. I do have 03:49:10.559 --> 03:49:12.579 to say, though, I learned more in my first six 03:49:12.579 --> 03:49:14.600 months in this job than I did in all four years 03:49:14.600 --> 03:49:16.799 at university. Just follow my lead if Hawthorne 03:49:16.799 --> 03:49:18.840 isn't back by the time Agent Carson shows up. 03:49:18.959 --> 03:49:20.860 Ethan popped his head into the office and says, 03:49:21.100 --> 03:49:24.159 I'm busy helping close the cafe, so I'll be up 03:49:24.159 --> 03:49:25.979 front and in the kitchen if you need me for anything. 03:49:26.360 --> 03:49:29.540 No sooner did Ethan leave the office area when 03:49:29.540 --> 03:49:32.000 all three of the girls heard three distinct knocks 03:49:32.000 --> 03:49:36.030 on the back door. Sarah particularly heard it 03:49:36.030 --> 03:49:38.350 the clearest as she was sitting closest to the 03:49:38.350 --> 03:49:41.209 entry of the office, which is only several feet 03:49:41.209 --> 03:49:44.149 away from the back door of the cafe. Sarah turns 03:49:44.149 --> 03:49:47.389 and says, that must be Professor Hawthorne. Wow, 03:49:47.590 --> 03:49:50.950 that was fast. Sarah gets up from her chair and 03:49:50.950 --> 03:49:54.190 goes to the back door and opens it and freezes. 03:49:55.030 --> 03:49:57.389 Ava is still sitting in the office and observing 03:49:57.389 --> 03:49:59.770 Sarah as Ava has direct line of sight to the 03:49:59.770 --> 03:50:02.040 back door. sierra is standing right in her view 03:50:02.040 --> 03:50:04.079 but notices that sierra is just standing there 03:50:04.079 --> 03:50:07.340 staring and not moving Ava gets up from her chair 03:50:07.340 --> 03:50:09.280 and says, Sierra, what's going on? Is that Professor 03:50:09.280 --> 03:50:11.719 Hawthorne? By this time, Lily was now paying 03:50:11.719 --> 03:50:14.360 attention to and looking forward the back door 03:50:14.360 --> 03:50:16.760 where Sierra was standing very still. Sierra 03:50:16.760 --> 03:50:19.479 stood there with a very surprised and confused 03:50:19.479 --> 03:50:22.600 look on her face. There stood a man who looked 03:50:22.600 --> 03:50:25.319 similar to Chen, just standing there looking 03:50:25.319 --> 03:50:28.040 back at her. In the split seconds it took for 03:50:28.040 --> 03:50:30.559 her to open the back door, the following thoughts 03:50:30.559 --> 03:50:33.430 went through her head. Is this Chen? I mean, 03:50:33.510 --> 03:50:36.809 I only seen him in the cafe a few times, but 03:50:36.809 --> 03:50:39.790 this person looks similar to him. But something's 03:50:39.790 --> 03:50:44.149 different. Is it his eyes? His nose? Pardon speaks. 03:50:44.629 --> 03:50:46.989 Your secret knock is not really a secret anymore. 03:50:47.270 --> 03:50:49.690 But don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I 03:50:49.690 --> 03:50:52.149 need to come in off the streets if possible, 03:50:52.290 --> 03:50:54.209 and I have some information you're definitely 03:50:54.209 --> 03:50:57.129 going to want to hear. By this time, Ava was 03:50:57.129 --> 03:50:59.409 standing right behind Syrah and was looking over 03:50:59.409 --> 03:51:01.569 her shoulder directly at the stranger who was 03:51:01.569 --> 03:51:03.829 looking back at both of them. Ava then says, 03:51:04.049 --> 03:51:06.229 Tell us who you are, what you know, and maybe, 03:51:06.309 --> 03:51:08.370 just maybe, we'll let you in. Paul responds, 03:51:08.829 --> 03:51:11.270 I'm in as much trouble as you are. But we have 03:51:11.270 --> 03:51:14.469 some mutual enemies and I need to not be seen 03:51:14.469 --> 03:51:16.950 in public right now. And I've got nowhere to 03:51:16.950 --> 03:51:19.350 go. And besides, it wasn't too difficult for 03:51:19.350 --> 03:51:22.010 me to figure out where you were hiding out. Paul 03:51:22.010 --> 03:51:24.690 continues, Now let me in before we are all seen 03:51:24.690 --> 03:51:27.299 here indeed. the alley. Paul notices that neither 03:51:27.299 --> 03:51:30.040 girl is moving from their door blocking positions 03:51:30.040 --> 03:51:33.819 so he then says okay to prove my point let me 03:51:33.819 --> 03:51:36.559 guess someone named Lily is also here with you 03:51:36.559 --> 03:51:39.120 and you're still looking for someone named Chen. 03:51:39.479 --> 03:51:42.600 Lily's ear perked up in a split second she was 03:51:42.600 --> 03:51:44.780 over at the door with the other two girls looking 03:51:44.780 --> 03:51:47.459 at this stranger who seems to know who she is 03:51:47.459 --> 03:51:50.760 and who Chen is. Lily blurs out you know Chen? 03:51:50.979 --> 03:51:54.629 Paul responds you must be Lily and yes. I know 03:51:54.629 --> 03:51:57.489 Shen. He's actually my younger brother. My name 03:51:57.489 --> 03:51:59.989 is Paul, by the way, and I live and work here 03:51:59.989 --> 03:52:03.790 in San Jose. All three girls' faces looked shocked 03:52:03.790 --> 03:52:06.430 and confused. None of them had known Shen had 03:52:06.430 --> 03:52:09.370 an older brother, but none of them had really 03:52:09.370 --> 03:52:12.629 known Shen well. Anyway, the girls moved out 03:52:12.629 --> 03:52:14.790 of the doorway and let Paul in the back door 03:52:14.790 --> 03:52:17.090 and then closed the door behind him. At this 03:52:17.090 --> 03:52:19.350 point, Ipin had just run to the corner from the 03:52:19.350 --> 03:52:21.190 kitchen and was standing in the small hallway 03:52:21.190 --> 03:52:24.200 as well. Ethan, surprised by finding a new stranger 03:52:24.200 --> 03:52:27.559 in the back of his cafe, says, Uh, what's going 03:52:27.559 --> 03:52:30.620 on here and who is this? Ava responds first. 03:52:31.000 --> 03:52:33.799 Ethan, this is Chen's brother, Pa. He's from 03:52:33.799 --> 03:52:37.190 San Jose. From the next 15 to 20 minutes, Ava 03:52:37.190 --> 03:52:39.270 and the others listen to Paul tell him about 03:52:39.270 --> 03:52:41.530 the situation that Chen had gotten mixed up in. 03:52:41.889 --> 03:52:44.409 Ava sits and takes notes as she and the others 03:52:44.409 --> 03:52:46.829 listen intently to Paul as he explains how his 03:52:46.829 --> 03:52:49.129 family back in China has a century and a half 03:52:49.129 --> 03:52:51.850 old peace agreement with certain prominent families 03:52:51.850 --> 03:52:53.950 in the United States. The peace agreement between 03:52:53.950 --> 03:52:56.790 the wealthy and influential family in China and 03:52:56.790 --> 03:52:58.989 the two wealthy and influential families in the 03:52:58.989 --> 03:53:01.620 United States was established after two families 03:53:01.620 --> 03:53:04.620 from Virginia had come to California and had 03:53:04.620 --> 03:53:07.659 stolen a long -kept secret Paul and Chen's ancestors 03:53:07.659 --> 03:53:10.420 had been keeping. Lily with a surprised look 03:53:10.420 --> 03:53:13.639 on her face interrupts and says, So you're telling 03:53:13.639 --> 03:53:16.819 me you are part of the Lei family clan in China? 03:53:17.120 --> 03:53:20.700 Paul responds, Yes, that's correct. Wow, I'm 03:53:20.700 --> 03:53:23.200 from mainland China and everybody knows about 03:53:23.200 --> 03:53:26.139 your family. Impressive, Lily says. Please go 03:53:26.139 --> 03:53:29.139 on, Eva says. Ava continues to take notes as 03:53:29.139 --> 03:53:31.079 she listens to what happened back in history, 03:53:31.260 --> 03:53:33.719 events that occurred, the tragedies, the crimes, 03:53:33.719 --> 03:53:35.899 and corruption that both Paul and Chen's family 03:53:35.899 --> 03:53:38.299 and the American families have committed in order 03:53:38.299 --> 03:53:40.540 to keep their secrets a secret. When it comes 03:53:40.540 --> 03:53:42.739 down to it, the two American families had stolen 03:53:42.739 --> 03:53:45.319 the gold -making formula from the two Chinese 03:53:45.319 --> 03:53:47.399 brothers during the height of the gold rush in 03:53:47.399 --> 03:53:51.180 1850 and covered up all their crimes by bribing 03:53:51.180 --> 03:53:53.379 and paying people off to look the other way. 03:53:53.659 --> 03:53:55.479 These two American families and their ancestors 03:53:55.479 --> 03:53:58.180 have used a formula throughout history to make 03:53:58.180 --> 03:54:00.639 gold and buy influence among some of the most 03:54:00.639 --> 03:54:02.920 prominent political and military leaders in the 03:54:02.920 --> 03:54:05.600 United States. He also explained that his family 03:54:05.600 --> 03:54:07.760 and his ancestors back in China have done the 03:54:07.760 --> 03:54:11.680 same. Sierra then asked, So you are saying that 03:54:11.680 --> 03:54:14.120 both your family and the two American families 03:54:14.120 --> 03:54:16.920 have kept this secret for more than a century? 03:54:17.500 --> 03:54:20.540 But they have also used this formula to make 03:54:20.540 --> 03:54:23.860 gold, enrich themselves, and buy off people in 03:54:23.860 --> 03:54:27.489 order to keep this secret a secret? Yep. That's 03:54:27.489 --> 03:54:30.409 the gist of it, Paul answers and then adds. However, 03:54:30.690 --> 03:54:33.250 my family and my ancestors have kept this secret 03:54:33.250 --> 03:54:36.170 for over 8 ,000 years. You see, when the two 03:54:36.170 --> 03:54:38.489 brothers, my ancestors, came to America looking 03:54:38.489 --> 03:54:41.229 for work back during the gold rush, well, yes, 03:54:41.389 --> 03:54:43.370 they were looking for work, but they were also 03:54:43.370 --> 03:54:46.090 looking for that one element in the formula they 03:54:46.090 --> 03:54:48.969 needed in order for it to work. Well, that element 03:54:48.969 --> 03:54:51.930 was quite rare in China, so they were sent here 03:54:51.930 --> 03:54:54.790 to find it. And when the word came that there 03:54:54.790 --> 03:54:58.159 was some gold found here, place back in 1849. 03:54:58.579 --> 03:55:00.840 They came here in search of the rocky element 03:55:00.840 --> 03:55:04.319 that usually is found in the same places as gold. 03:55:04.500 --> 03:55:07.329 I can't explain why, but all I know is that The 03:55:07.329 --> 03:55:10.729 two brothers found that element on Rob's peak, 03:55:10.850 --> 03:55:13.549 tried the formula with a clump of lead, and the 03:55:13.549 --> 03:55:16.069 formula worked for them. The two American families 03:55:16.069 --> 03:55:18.489 found out that the two brothers had discovered, 03:55:18.670 --> 03:55:21.409 stole the formula, and then exterminated the 03:55:21.409 --> 03:55:24.229 workers' camps and everyone that knew about it. 03:55:24.370 --> 03:55:27.850 And I suppose you found the evidence by the looks 03:55:27.850 --> 03:55:30.590 of stuff sitting on that desk. So taking notes 03:55:30.590 --> 03:55:32.909 and without hesitation, Ava looks up and says, 03:55:33.090 --> 03:55:35.989 Please go on, this sounds so crazy that it may 03:55:35.989 --> 03:55:39.219 just be true. It's true. Shen and I are not like 03:55:39.219 --> 03:55:41.959 the rest of my family. We are different and we 03:55:41.959 --> 03:55:44.659 don't want to keep trying to cover up this secret. 03:55:44.860 --> 03:55:47.479 Well, this formula either needs to be destroyed 03:55:47.479 --> 03:55:50.899 so no one has it or it should be shared with 03:55:50.899 --> 03:55:53.620 the world. Paul responds and continues. We do 03:55:53.620 --> 03:55:55.739 not want anyone to get hurt because of this thing 03:55:55.739 --> 03:55:59.020 anymore. Too many people already have and it's 03:55:59.020 --> 03:56:02.000 time it stops. Intrigued by the entire conversation 03:56:02.000 --> 03:56:04.340 and especially the technology and science behind 03:56:04.340 --> 03:56:07.219 such a formula, Ethan then says, If this formula 03:56:07.219 --> 03:56:09.299 was released to the public, gold markets would 03:56:09.299 --> 03:56:11.319 crash and gold would become virtually worthless. 03:56:11.700 --> 03:56:13.719 Its value would tank and potentially be worth 03:56:13.719 --> 03:56:16.799 less than copper. Paul responds, Theoretically, 03:56:16.959 --> 03:56:20.739 yes. That could happen if this formula was published 03:56:20.739 --> 03:56:24.139 and released to the public. Sierra then asks, 03:56:24.780 --> 03:56:28.700 So, was the gold rush real? Did people actually 03:56:28.700 --> 03:56:31.780 find gold or did they just make it using this 03:56:31.780 --> 03:56:35.459 formula? Paul answers and says, Did people come 03:56:35.459 --> 03:56:37.940 here looking for gold and did they find gold? 03:56:38.159 --> 03:56:41.260 Yes, but was that gold actually from the earth? 03:56:41.420 --> 03:56:44.299 Was it natural gold? Was it here before they 03:56:44.299 --> 03:56:47.819 arrived? No, at least the vast majority of it. 03:56:47.940 --> 03:56:50.729 Paul continues, Some of the small amounts that 03:56:50.729 --> 03:56:54.670 were discovered in the early 1849 were real, 03:56:54.770 --> 03:56:57.909 but the majority of the other gold found here 03:56:57.909 --> 03:57:01.129 was actually byproduct of the formula being used. 03:57:01.309 --> 03:57:04.170 You see, the formula needs extreme heat to convert 03:57:04.170 --> 03:57:08.209 larger amounts of another base metal to a larger 03:57:08.209 --> 03:57:11.129 amount of gold. If you lack that extreme heat, 03:57:11.190 --> 03:57:13.610 then the formula will only produce small flecks 03:57:13.610 --> 03:57:16.770 and specks of gold. So, my guess is that... Those 03:57:16.770 --> 03:57:18.950 small flecks and specks of gold washed up in 03:57:18.950 --> 03:57:21.729 the river and other places where they were trying 03:57:21.729 --> 03:57:25.909 to use that formula. Lady asks, so a pottery 03:57:25.909 --> 03:57:28.790 kiln could potentially provide the extreme heat 03:57:28.790 --> 03:57:32.170 needed for the formula to work? Probably, Paul 03:57:32.170 --> 03:57:37.370 answers. Sierra then adds, so my pottery friends 03:57:37.370 --> 03:57:41.530 could potentially become gold dealers and break 03:57:41.530 --> 03:57:45.459 the stereotype of starving artists. Sierra pauses 03:57:45.459 --> 03:57:48.739 for a minute and then says, That's pretty cool. 03:57:49.260 --> 03:57:51.420 At the moment, there were three more knocks on 03:57:51.420 --> 03:57:54.940 the back cafe door. Ava jumped up from her seat 03:57:54.940 --> 03:57:57.579 and walked to the back door and said, I bet that's 03:57:57.579 --> 03:58:01.020 Professor Hawthorne. Man, is he going to be surprised 03:58:01.020 --> 03:58:03.500 when he gets in here. Professor Hawthorne moves 03:58:03.500 --> 03:58:05.840 out of the way as the back door swings open into 03:58:05.840 --> 03:58:08.260 the alley and sees Ava standing there with a 03:58:08.260 --> 03:58:11.479 grin on her face. He asks, Why so happy? Did 03:58:11.479 --> 03:58:14.569 something happen when I was gone? Professor Hawthorne 03:58:14.569 --> 03:58:17.590 says this as he watches his wife drive off down 03:58:17.590 --> 03:58:20.309 the street. He instructed her to go to her friend's 03:58:20.309 --> 03:58:23.389 house for the evening as precaution. Ava responds, 03:58:23.809 --> 03:58:26.049 well, you'll find out for yourself when you get 03:58:26.049 --> 03:58:28.909 in here. Ava walks back into Ethan's office, 03:58:28.969 --> 03:58:31.329 which is pretty much a standing room only right 03:58:31.329 --> 03:58:33.709 now, since there are so many of them hiding out 03:58:33.709 --> 03:58:36.110 here. She watches as the professor enters the 03:58:36.110 --> 03:58:38.569 office and then sees Paul, the stranger they 03:58:38.569 --> 03:58:41.510 knew nothing about just 30 minutes ago. standing 03:58:41.510 --> 03:58:43.290 there conversing with the others like they were 03:58:43.290 --> 03:58:46.190 best friends. Hawthorne stops for a moment as 03:58:46.190 --> 03:58:49.370 he enters a small office and says, Wait, wait, 03:58:49.569 --> 03:58:52.989 wait a minute. You've got to be related to Chen 03:58:52.989 --> 03:58:55.729 or something. You look just like him, but maybe 03:58:55.729 --> 03:58:59.229 a little older. Pa replies, You're correct, but 03:58:59.229 --> 03:59:02.469 I'm his older brother by almost five years. Pa 03:59:02.469 --> 03:59:04.729 then hesitates for a moment and looks around 03:59:04.729 --> 03:59:08.020 the room at everyone and says, I overheard a 03:59:08.020 --> 03:59:10.799 couple of you talking about your incident at 03:59:10.799 --> 03:59:13.659 the reservoir a moment ago. Well, I was one of 03:59:13.659 --> 03:59:16.239 the persons in that meeting, and just to be clear, 03:59:16.340 --> 03:59:18.719 even though I was in that meeting doesn't mean 03:59:18.719 --> 03:59:21.659 I agree with the people who were there. I was 03:59:21.659 --> 03:59:24.340 just representing myself and my brother's best 03:59:24.340 --> 03:59:28.219 interest. That's all. Neither he nor I have anything 03:59:28.219 --> 03:59:30.540 to do with what the other people in that meeting 03:59:30.540 --> 03:59:33.579 may or may not do. I had no idea that they had 03:59:33.579 --> 03:59:36.389 kidnapped Lily earlier that day. Paul continues, 03:59:36.670 --> 03:59:39.110 have you ever heard that saying, keep your friends 03:59:39.110 --> 03:59:42.129 close and your enemies even closer? Well, that 03:59:42.129 --> 03:59:44.870 was what I was doing. Shen and I want nothing 03:59:44.870 --> 03:59:47.889 to do with what those people are doing or planning. 03:59:48.229 --> 03:59:51.909 However, and unfortunately, Shen tipped our hand 03:59:51.909 --> 03:59:54.530 by playing around with that formula last week 03:59:54.530 --> 03:59:57.309 in the lab when Professor Sharpton was there. 03:59:57.409 --> 04:00:00.209 That then started a domino effect of events to 04:00:00.209 --> 04:00:04.979 what brings us here now. Sierra then adds, Oh, 04:00:05.100 --> 04:00:07.879 that makes sense now. We were wondering who that 04:00:07.879 --> 04:00:11.079 fifth person was in the room. It was kind of 04:00:11.079 --> 04:00:13.340 dark and blurry and we couldn't see who you were 04:00:13.340 --> 04:00:17.200 clearly. Lady then asks, If Chen is hiding and 04:00:17.200 --> 04:00:20.299 hasn't been taken, then why did I find Chen's 04:00:20.299 --> 04:00:22.260 sweatshirt in one of the rooms in the tunnel 04:00:22.260 --> 04:00:25.159 where I was being held? Paul replies, I took 04:00:25.159 --> 04:00:27.760 him there to hide for a day and then moved him 04:00:27.760 --> 04:00:30.799 to a safer place once. I knew we could move without 04:00:30.799 --> 04:00:34.059 being detected. Several of those in that meeting, 04:00:34.430 --> 04:00:37.209 The other night, I assumed one of the other members 04:00:37.209 --> 04:00:40.590 had kidnapped Shin, but in reality, none of them 04:00:40.590 --> 04:00:43.729 knew the truth. Professor Hawthorne adds, well, 04:00:43.870 --> 04:00:46.250 that is good to know. We are no longer dealing 04:00:46.250 --> 04:00:48.729 with a missing person then. This should make 04:00:48.729 --> 04:00:51.770 it easier for the FBI to move quickly and decisively 04:00:51.770 --> 04:00:54.389 when they get here. Hawthorne hadn't really thought 04:00:54.389 --> 04:00:56.889 about what he had just said in front of Paul, 04:00:57.049 --> 04:00:59.569 but then suddenly realized it when he saw Paul's 04:00:59.569 --> 04:01:03.309 expression. Oh, Paul, looks like no one has told 04:01:03.309 --> 04:01:06.059 you yet. But the FBI will be here any minute. 04:01:06.399 --> 04:01:09.040 So this is good timing that you have found us. 04:01:09.100 --> 04:01:10.920 I assume you won't run before they get here. 04:01:11.020 --> 04:01:13.219 The professor says as he looks directly at Paul 04:01:13.219 --> 04:01:16.000 and the back door of the cafe, which is closed 04:01:16.000 --> 04:01:19.239 and locked. No, I'm not going to run. I've already 04:01:19.239 --> 04:01:22.040 thought through my options and I want to strike 04:01:22.040 --> 04:01:25.440 a deal, if possible. What kind of deal? The professor 04:01:25.440 --> 04:01:28.639 asks Paul, point blank, as if to demand an immediate 04:01:28.639 --> 04:01:31.680 answer. You do realize you may be implicated 04:01:31.680 --> 04:01:34.620 in crimes if the others involved give their statements 04:01:34.620 --> 04:01:37.819 to the FBI? At that moment, Ava's phone rings. 04:01:38.920 --> 04:01:41.340 She looks down and notices that the caller ID 04:01:41.340 --> 04:01:44.520 says, unknown caller. She pauses a minute before 04:01:44.520 --> 04:01:47.260 answering. Hello, this is Ava Turner with the 04:01:47.260 --> 04:01:51.379 Sacramento Bee. Oh, hello Agent Karsten. Yep, 04:01:51.420 --> 04:01:53.520 we're all here together and are waiting at Ethan's 04:01:53.520 --> 04:01:57.059 Cafe on Main Street. No, Professor Hawthorne 04:01:57.059 --> 04:02:00.760 is with us as well. No, I think he was having 04:02:00.760 --> 04:02:04.319 problems with his phone. Yeah, I don't plan on 04:02:04.319 --> 04:02:07.239 publishing anything yet. However, my editor and 04:02:07.239 --> 04:02:08.959 another reporter will be here tomorrow morning. 04:02:09.379 --> 04:02:12.260 And I guess you're not going to want to sit on 04:02:12.260 --> 04:02:17.659 the story for more than a day. Okay. Okay, we 04:02:17.659 --> 04:02:19.100 can let you in the front door when you arrive. 04:02:20.059 --> 04:02:22.600 Eva says this last part as she looks at Ethan 04:02:22.600 --> 04:02:25.559 and nods her head as if to say to Ethan. Right, 04:02:25.620 --> 04:02:28.260 Ethan? We can let them in the front door? Ava 04:02:28.260 --> 04:02:30.219 then hangs up the call and says to the others 04:02:30.219 --> 04:02:33.440 in the room, Agent Carson and Special Agent Williamson 04:02:33.440 --> 04:02:35.920 are parking right now and will be coming in to 04:02:35.920 --> 04:02:38.940 the front door. Hope that's okay, Ethan. As Ava 04:02:38.940 --> 04:02:42.180 says this, she catches eyes with Sierra and they 04:02:42.180 --> 04:02:44.159 both look at the gold bar still sitting on the 04:02:44.159 --> 04:02:46.860 shelf in the office. They both know what each 04:02:46.860 --> 04:02:50.700 other is thinking. Ethan responds, yeah, no problem. 04:02:50.940 --> 04:02:52.780 I'll go up front and wait for them to arrive. 04:02:53.469 --> 04:02:56.250 The shop is closed now anyways, except for the 04:02:56.250 --> 04:02:58.049 people outside on the street sitting and waiting 04:02:58.049 --> 04:03:00.290 for the parade to start. It couldn't have been 04:03:00.290 --> 04:03:02.629 five minutes as Professor Hawthorne watches from 04:03:02.629 --> 04:03:05.690 the back hallway by Ethan's office as Ethan opens 04:03:05.690 --> 04:03:08.430 the front cafe door and greets the three FBI 04:03:08.430 --> 04:03:11.930 agents. The agents identify themselves, show 04:03:11.930 --> 04:03:15.129 their badges, and then enter the cafe. Hawthorne 04:03:15.129 --> 04:03:17.450 watches as Ethan then locks the front door and 04:03:17.450 --> 04:03:19.610 walks the agents back toward where he is standing. 04:03:20.250 --> 04:03:22.409 Professor Hawthorne extends his hand and says, 04:03:22.530 --> 04:03:25.729 Hello, my name is James Hawthorne. Agent Carson 04:03:25.729 --> 04:03:28.610 spoke with me earlier today. Agent Carson shakes 04:03:28.610 --> 04:03:31.569 Hawthorne's hand and then introduces his superior 04:03:31.569 --> 04:03:34.530 special agent in charge, Derek Williamson, and 04:03:34.530 --> 04:03:37.469 their forensic officer, Ruby Neal, and then says, 04:03:37.670 --> 04:03:40.209 So is everyone in here? Yes, they are right back 04:03:40.209 --> 04:03:42.610 here in the office. Hawthorne responds as he 04:03:42.610 --> 04:03:44.950 walks them back to the office and then introduces 04:03:44.950 --> 04:03:47.409 the agents to the others who were standing and 04:03:47.409 --> 04:03:50.360 sitting in the small cramped office. Agent Carson 04:03:50.360 --> 04:03:53.639 then says, all the evidence you said you have 04:03:53.639 --> 04:03:56.120 is sitting in here by the looks of it. Agent 04:03:56.120 --> 04:03:59.180 Carson continues, Special Agent Williamson has 04:03:59.180 --> 04:04:01.420 asked me to take the lead on this investigation. 04:04:02.090 --> 04:04:04.290 So if you don't mind, I'd like for all of us 04:04:04.290 --> 04:04:06.629 to go in front of the seating area of the cafe 04:04:06.629 --> 04:04:09.610 so Ruby can start analyzing and logging the evidence 04:04:09.610 --> 04:04:12.629 in this room. She's also going to have to fingerprint 04:04:12.629 --> 04:04:14.829 all of you since it appears you have touched 04:04:14.829 --> 04:04:17.329 and handled most of these pieces. We need to 04:04:17.329 --> 04:04:19.450 do this so we can rule you out of the suspects. 04:04:19.750 --> 04:04:22.530 Then, if she finds any other fingerprints on 04:04:22.530 --> 04:04:24.950 the pieces that don't belong to any of you, well, 04:04:25.129 --> 04:04:27.709 that will give us cause to follow up with that 04:04:27.709 --> 04:04:30.790 person or persons. That is if we have the fingerprints 04:04:30.790 --> 04:04:33.180 in our - system already. The professor leads 04:04:33.180 --> 04:04:35.780 the way as they all one by one, first Professor 04:04:35.780 --> 04:04:38.659 Hawthorne, then Sierra, then Lily, then Paul, 04:04:38.780 --> 04:04:41.159 and then Ava make their way to the front of the 04:04:41.159 --> 04:04:44.319 cafe area and sit down at some of the empty tables 04:04:44.319 --> 04:04:46.979 and chairs. Ethan hangs back for a bit to make 04:04:46.979 --> 04:04:49.780 sure Ruby, the forensics officer, has what she 04:04:49.780 --> 04:04:52.600 needs and as she begins looking over the documents 04:04:52.600 --> 04:04:55.000 and other materials in the office. She had brought 04:04:55.000 --> 04:04:57.479 two black medium -sized suitcases in the cafe 04:04:57.479 --> 04:05:00.280 with her. assuming this is how she would collect, 04:05:00.440 --> 04:05:02.799 pack, and then carry out the evidence. Ethan 04:05:02.799 --> 04:05:05.340 feels a little put out and frustrated when Ruby 04:05:05.340 --> 04:05:07.219 tells him he's not allowed back into his office 04:05:07.219 --> 04:05:09.579 until she says so. He watches as she puts up 04:05:09.579 --> 04:05:11.760 yellow tape across the doorway. She does this 04:05:11.760 --> 04:05:13.579 not to block anyone from actually going back 04:05:13.579 --> 04:05:16.420 into the office, but rather, it's more of a subliminal 04:05:16.420 --> 04:05:19.180 message to everyone that says, stay out. From 04:05:19.180 --> 04:05:21.540 outside the office door, Ethan watches as Ruby 04:05:21.540 --> 04:05:23.920 starts rummaging through everything, even some 04:05:23.920 --> 04:05:26.860 of his personal items, on and in his desk, moving 04:05:26.860 --> 04:05:29.100 and displacing things. He takes a deep breath, 04:05:29.280 --> 04:05:32.280 rolls his eyes, and then says, Oh well, that 04:05:32.280 --> 04:05:35.639 figures. He then turns around and walks up front 04:05:35.639 --> 04:05:38.219 and sits down with the others in the cafe. agent 04:05:38.219 --> 04:05:41.360 carson along with special agent williamson listen 04:05:41.360 --> 04:05:44.200 and take notes as they record voluntary testimony 04:05:44.200 --> 04:05:47.139 from everyone there a guy named paul goes last 04:05:47.139 --> 04:05:49.899 and offers to turn state evidence in exchange 04:05:49.899 --> 04:05:52.799 for witness protection for both him and his brother 04:05:52.799 --> 04:05:55.780 who he says is hiding out of fear for his life 04:05:55.780 --> 04:05:58.879 after getting everyone's testimony agent carson 04:05:58.879 --> 04:06:01.840 says to paul you'll be taken into custody for 04:06:01.840 --> 04:06:04.459 your own safety and if what you tell us checks 04:06:04.459 --> 04:06:07.690 out and you offer your unwavering help along 04:06:07.690 --> 04:06:10.770 the way in this investigation, then yes, there 04:06:10.770 --> 04:06:13.350 is a possibility to get a deal like this. Agent 04:06:13.350 --> 04:06:15.670 Carson gets up from his chair and then says, 04:06:15.790 --> 04:06:18.590 I need to check in with Ruby, and then make a 04:06:18.590 --> 04:06:20.760 phone call. Hang tight for about 10 minutes. 04:06:21.020 --> 04:06:23.579 Agent Carson then walks back to the office to 04:06:23.579 --> 04:06:26.040 talk to Ruby as Special Agent Williamson stays 04:06:26.040 --> 04:06:29.260 with everyone else. As they wait for Agent Carson, 04:06:29.559 --> 04:06:31.459 Sierra and Lily peer through the front window 04:06:31.459 --> 04:06:34.100 of the cafe out toward the street. And all the 04:06:34.100 --> 04:06:37.100 people who have now lined up on both sidewalks 04:06:37.100 --> 04:06:39.219 were waiting for the parade to come marching, 04:06:39.260 --> 04:06:41.600 dancing, and riding down Main Street in front 04:06:41.600 --> 04:06:44.190 of the cafe. They all can hear the faint sounds 04:06:44.190 --> 04:06:47.209 of what sounds like one or two marching bands 04:06:47.209 --> 04:06:50.790 from a few blocks away. Sierra then looks at 04:06:50.790 --> 04:06:53.930 the others and says, The parade has started. 04:06:54.129 --> 04:06:56.770 Can you hear that? She watches as the others 04:06:56.770 --> 04:06:59.549 look toward the front door and windows from inside 04:06:59.549 --> 04:07:02.129 the cafe. They all sit there in awkward silence 04:07:02.129 --> 04:07:04.409 for a few minutes, not really knowing what to 04:07:04.409 --> 04:07:07.530 say. A few minutes later, Agent Carson emerges 04:07:07.530 --> 04:07:10.069 from the back of the cafe having already made 04:07:10.069 --> 04:07:12.090 his phone call, and having talked with Ruby, 04:07:12.290 --> 04:07:14.670 he then says to the group, Alright, I have good 04:07:14.670 --> 04:07:17.530 news. The judge has authorized a search warrant 04:07:17.530 --> 04:07:20.010 based on this evidence and your testimony. And 04:07:20.010 --> 04:07:22.430 with this back of the DA, we have issued two 04:07:22.430 --> 04:07:24.809 arrest warrants at this time. It's still early, 04:07:24.870 --> 04:07:27.670 so don't be frustrated. We will probably be issuing 04:07:27.670 --> 04:07:30.229 more arrest warrants in the coming days, if this 04:07:30.229 --> 04:07:32.860 all turns out to be true. Ava's been unusually 04:07:32.860 --> 04:07:35.620 quiet for some time, but finally speaks and asks, 04:07:36.100 --> 04:07:39.040 Agent Carson, we're happy to work with you and 04:07:39.040 --> 04:07:41.760 the FBI, but I know that the B is not going to 04:07:41.760 --> 04:07:43.639 sit in on this story for too long. This is way 04:07:43.639 --> 04:07:45.600 too big and the public is going to want to know 04:07:45.600 --> 04:07:48.100 about this. Well, at least most of it. Ava says 04:07:48.100 --> 04:07:50.340 this because right before the feds showed up, 04:07:50.420 --> 04:07:52.600 the six of them who were in the office together, 04:07:52.940 --> 04:07:55.719 Professor Hawthorne, Ava, Lily, Sarah, Eason, 04:07:55.799 --> 04:07:59.159 and Paul had all made an agreement. were packed 04:07:59.159 --> 04:08:01.559 that they would not voluntarily offer up the 04:08:01.559 --> 04:08:05.159 formula in its current form. In fact, if the 04:08:05.159 --> 04:08:07.379 FBI asked them about it, they would say that 04:08:07.379 --> 04:08:09.659 the formula that Lilly had tried in the lab was 04:08:09.659 --> 04:08:12.520 not correct and it didn't work anyway. It's all 04:08:12.520 --> 04:08:14.799 true. The formula didn't work for Lilly in the 04:08:14.799 --> 04:08:17.420 lab. This is one of the secrets of El Dorado 04:08:17.420 --> 04:08:19.639 County that can't and shouldn't be released to 04:08:19.639 --> 04:08:22.579 the public. History has proven it offers more 04:08:22.579 --> 04:08:25.819 harm than good. Agent Carson continues, Special 04:08:25.819 --> 04:08:28.680 Agent Williamson and I are prepared to make two 04:08:28.680 --> 04:08:31.739 arrests this evening. We have two more FBI agents 04:08:31.739 --> 04:08:34.280 en route and they will be here in about 10 to 04:08:34.280 --> 04:08:37.020 15 minutes. I'm going to need you all to put 04:08:37.020 --> 04:08:39.680 your phones on this table in front of Special 04:08:39.680 --> 04:08:42.540 Agent Williamson while you wait. We do this as 04:08:42.540 --> 04:08:45.280 a precaution. Then Agent Carson looks at Professor 04:08:45.280 --> 04:08:48.299 Hawthorne and says, Professor, I'm going to need 04:08:48.299 --> 04:08:50.500 your help this evening. The professor listens 04:08:50.500 --> 04:08:53.559 as Agent Carson proposes a plan to lure Bill 04:08:53.559 --> 04:08:56.059 Sharpton out in the open in order for Carson 04:08:56.059 --> 04:08:58.639 and Williamson to make the arrest without incident. 04:08:59.440 --> 04:09:01.719 Hawthorne is quiet as he contemplates the plan 04:09:01.719 --> 04:09:05.100 and strategy Carson has described. After a minute 04:09:05.100 --> 04:09:08.100 or so, Hawthorne says, Okay, just to be clear, 04:09:08.200 --> 04:09:10.879 and to make sure I heard you right, you'd like 04:09:10.879 --> 04:09:13.600 for me to call Bill and ask him to meet me somewhere? 04:09:13.819 --> 04:09:16.270 Somewhere that would not cause suspicion? You 04:09:16.270 --> 04:09:18.389 want me to tell him that I found out some things 04:09:18.389 --> 04:09:21.030 about him that I don't think are true? And as 04:09:21.030 --> 04:09:23.770 a friend and longtime work colleague, that we'll 04:09:23.770 --> 04:09:25.750 need to work it out amongst ourselves so that 04:09:25.750 --> 04:09:27.649 both parties can benefit from the agreement? 04:09:27.930 --> 04:09:30.389 Then, when he shows up to meet me, you'll arrest 04:09:30.389 --> 04:09:33.670 him there on the spot? No questions asked? Agent 04:09:33.670 --> 04:09:36.430 Carson responds, yep, that's correct. We'll need 04:09:36.430 --> 04:09:39.569 you to go there and wait until he shows up. Of 04:09:39.569 --> 04:09:42.090 course, we'll be there as soon as he shows himself. 04:09:42.590 --> 04:09:44.450 After talking over several different meeting 04:09:44.450 --> 04:09:47.110 locations with Agent Carson, Professor Hawthorne 04:09:47.110 --> 04:09:49.770 calls Bill Sharpton from his phone, which was 04:09:49.770 --> 04:09:51.850 still acting weird because of the water damage 04:09:51.850 --> 04:09:54.930 from earlier. Hawthorne listens to it ring several 04:09:54.930 --> 04:09:57.989 times and then hears Sharpton answer. Hawthorne 04:09:57.989 --> 04:10:01.709 says, Bill, this is James. We need to talk, but 04:10:01.709 --> 04:10:03.889 not over the phone. There are some things we 04:10:03.889 --> 04:10:06.090 need to iron out so that all parties can come 04:10:06.090 --> 04:10:09.389 out of this with a win, if you know what I mean. 04:10:10.709 --> 04:10:14.809 Well... I know, but what happened earlier today 04:10:14.809 --> 04:10:17.090 sure didn't seem like just a small misunderstanding. 04:10:18.450 --> 04:10:20.809 Scratches on my face and stitches in my side 04:10:20.809 --> 04:10:25.149 would seem to tell a different story. Yes, I 04:10:25.149 --> 04:10:28.409 want that too. I think we can come to an agreement 04:10:28.409 --> 04:10:31.489 then. Meet me at 8pm near where they shoot off 04:10:31.489 --> 04:10:33.809 the end of the evening fireworks. You know, the 04:10:33.809 --> 04:10:36.989 South Lawn at the college. No, it's just me. 04:10:37.530 --> 04:10:40.229 No one else needs to get involved in this. No, 04:10:40.450 --> 04:10:43.909 no. That reporter from the B doesn't have enough 04:10:43.909 --> 04:10:49.770 for a real story. Yeah. Yes. I'll be there. 8 04:10:49.770 --> 04:10:52.590 p .m. sharp. You have a chance to make this right 04:10:52.590 --> 04:10:55.430 for me if you get what I mean. Professor Hawthorne 04:10:55.430 --> 04:10:57.829 then hangs up, looks at Agent Carson and says, 04:10:58.030 --> 04:11:01.350 It's on. 8 p .m. on the south lawn of the college. 04:11:04.780 --> 04:11:07.399 By this time, the parade was in full swing and 04:11:07.399 --> 04:11:09.540 the noise and excitement was happening right 04:11:09.540 --> 04:11:11.579 outside the sidewalks and street in front of 04:11:11.579 --> 04:11:14.819 the cafe. Ava noticed Sierra and Lily, looking 04:11:14.819 --> 04:11:16.940 quite bored, sitting close to one of the front 04:11:16.940 --> 04:11:18.760 windows, peering through the blinds and trying 04:11:18.760 --> 04:11:21.180 to get a look at the festivities and excitement 04:11:21.180 --> 04:11:23.920 that was happening outside. Ava looks at Sierra 04:11:23.920 --> 04:11:27.239 and says, This time last year, that was us out 04:11:27.239 --> 04:11:29.379 there having fun and enjoying life without care 04:11:29.379 --> 04:11:33.450 in the world. Sierra replies, I'm glad you came 04:11:33.450 --> 04:11:36.229 home again this summer for the festival. I mean, 04:11:36.250 --> 04:11:38.649 we're going to remember this for a very long 04:11:38.649 --> 04:11:42.350 time. Just as Sierra finished saying this, they 04:11:42.350 --> 04:11:45.290 all heard a hard knock on the front glass window 04:11:45.290 --> 04:11:50.069 door. Ethan gets up and notices that Special 04:11:50.069 --> 04:11:53.680 Agent Williamson is right behind him. Ethan peers 04:11:53.680 --> 04:11:55.920 through the glass door at what looks to be two 04:11:55.920 --> 04:11:58.000 more agents standing outside staring back at 04:11:58.000 --> 04:12:00.780 him. He hears Williamson instruct him to open 04:12:00.780 --> 04:12:04.280 the door and let him in. Ethan complies and then 04:12:04.280 --> 04:12:08.100 goes and sits back down. Ethan then hears Special 04:12:08.100 --> 04:12:10.299 Agent Williamson say something to the effect 04:12:10.299 --> 04:12:13.579 that the agents need to use Ethan's shop as their 04:12:13.579 --> 04:12:16.399 basic operations for the evening. After hearing 04:12:16.399 --> 04:12:18.579 this, Ethan looks over at Steera and Ava and 04:12:18.579 --> 04:12:21.000 says, Well, nothing like the Feds to take over 04:12:21.000 --> 04:12:23.549 my shop. Ethan pauses for a moment and then responds 04:12:23.549 --> 04:12:25.889 to Special Agent Williamson and says, I guess 04:12:25.889 --> 04:12:27.969 I'm okay with that. My morning staff arrives 04:12:27.969 --> 04:12:30.610 at 6 .30am tomorrow morning, so you'll need to 04:12:30.610 --> 04:12:33.870 be out by then. Ethan then sighs, looks back 04:12:33.870 --> 04:12:36.370 at Ava and Sierra and says, looks like I'll be 04:12:36.370 --> 04:12:39.030 spending the night here tonight. Sierra replies, 04:12:39.549 --> 04:12:42.549 Ethan, I work a full shift tomorrow, don't worry. 04:12:42.750 --> 04:12:45.069 I can help clean up and get this place ready 04:12:45.069 --> 04:12:48.290 again before tomorrow. I can stay as late as 04:12:48.290 --> 04:12:51.590 needed. Ava watches as now four agents, along 04:12:51.590 --> 04:12:54.069 with their laptops and a printer, are all spread 04:12:54.069 --> 04:12:56.909 out in the cafe talking and working. She's always 04:12:56.909 --> 04:12:59.770 wondered how the bureau operates and they seem 04:12:59.770 --> 04:13:02.610 to be quite efficient. She notices that one of 04:13:02.610 --> 04:13:05.309 the agents is taking Paul's testimony and then 04:13:05.309 --> 04:13:08.350 sees Paul making a written statement. Ava assumes 04:13:08.350 --> 04:13:10.989 this is related to his involvement and also wanting 04:13:10.989 --> 04:13:13.270 immunity and witness protection for both himself 04:13:13.270 --> 04:13:15.709 and his brother, Chen. After some time, Professor 04:13:15.709 --> 04:13:18.610 Hawthorne noticed that it was now past 7 p .m. 04:13:18.610 --> 04:13:20.969 and was wondering how long Agent Carson and the 04:13:20.969 --> 04:13:23.350 other agent would need to set up the sting operation 04:13:23.350 --> 04:13:26.569 for Bill Sharpton. Hawthorne approaches Agent 04:13:26.569 --> 04:13:28.889 Carson, who is typing on his laptop, and says, 04:13:29.069 --> 04:13:31.709 We may want to leave soon since it'll take us 04:13:31.709 --> 04:13:33.850 about 10 minutes to drive over to the college, 04:13:33.889 --> 04:13:36.129 and I'm not sure how long you guys need to get 04:13:36.129 --> 04:13:39.389 set up. Agent Carson looks up and responds, Yep, 04:13:39.469 --> 04:13:42.360 give us two more minutes. We are coordinating 04:13:42.360 --> 04:13:44.680 a few other things at the moment, and we'll be 04:13:44.680 --> 04:13:47.020 ready to go. Two minutes turned into five minutes, 04:13:47.139 --> 04:13:49.100 but eventually the three of them, Hawthorne, 04:13:49.180 --> 04:13:51.659 Agent Carson, and one of the other new agents, 04:13:51.799 --> 04:13:54.459 who hadn't introduced himself yet, departed out 04:13:54.459 --> 04:13:56.979 the back cafe door into the alley and then made 04:13:56.979 --> 04:13:59.739 their way to their vehicles. Professor Hawthorne 04:13:59.739 --> 04:14:02.520 was instructed to drive his own car to the meetup, 04:14:02.579 --> 04:14:04.959 and the agents would follow some distance behind 04:14:04.959 --> 04:14:07.879 and then look for a different parking space once 04:14:07.879 --> 04:14:10.000 they were close to the south lawn of the college. 04:14:16.360 --> 04:14:19.299 A few minutes after Hawthorne, Agent Carson, 04:14:19.440 --> 04:14:21.540 and the other agent left for their sting operation, 04:14:22.319 --> 04:14:24.959 Ava, Sierra, Lily, Ethan, and Paul were sitting 04:14:24.959 --> 04:14:27.979 in the cafe. Paul, however, was not sitting close 04:14:27.979 --> 04:14:29.940 to the others and was being watched by Special 04:14:29.940 --> 04:14:33.079 Agent Williamson. Ava had noticed that Williamson 04:14:33.079 --> 04:14:35.860 had been on and off the phone for the latter 04:14:35.860 --> 04:14:38.319 part of the evening. She assumed he was trying 04:14:38.319 --> 04:14:40.540 to work out a deal for Paul and Chen in exchange 04:14:40.540 --> 04:14:42.739 for Paul's testimony against the others from 04:14:42.739 --> 04:14:45.469 the secret group. All of a sudden, Ava, who's 04:14:45.469 --> 04:14:47.530 sitting close to Sierra and Lily, and by the 04:14:47.530 --> 04:14:50.350 front glass door, hears loud banging from the 04:14:50.350 --> 04:14:54.889 outside of the front door. By this time, the 04:14:54.889 --> 04:14:56.750 parade outside was starting to come to a close. 04:14:57.049 --> 04:14:59.690 The El Dorado drumline members, who were usually 04:14:59.690 --> 04:15:02.149 at the star ending finale show of the parade, 04:15:02.309 --> 04:15:04.590 were just setting up on the main street to give 04:15:04.590 --> 04:15:07.270 the spectators a show. The college's drumline 04:15:07.270 --> 04:15:11.149 consisted of around 24 members with snares, tenors, 04:15:11.250 --> 04:15:14.399 basses, and cymbals. They always put on a spectacular 04:15:14.399 --> 04:15:16.760 performance, especially during the Animal Gold 04:15:16.760 --> 04:15:18.920 Rush Festival Parade. They were about to begin. 04:15:19.299 --> 04:15:21.500 Upon hearing the loud banging sound on the front 04:15:21.500 --> 04:15:23.639 door of the cafe, Ethan immediately rushed to 04:15:23.639 --> 04:15:25.159 the front door and peered through the glass to 04:15:25.159 --> 04:15:27.500 see a large man staring back at him with a smile 04:15:27.500 --> 04:15:30.979 and holding up his serious badge. That's odd, 04:15:31.239 --> 04:15:33.420 Ethan thinks to himself as the man was not in 04:15:33.420 --> 04:15:36.420 uniform. Ethan, without hesitation, opens the 04:15:36.420 --> 04:15:38.579 door and is immediately pushed aside by the large 04:15:38.579 --> 04:15:41.430 man who takes a few steps into the cafe. The 04:15:41.430 --> 04:15:43.450 man then informs Ethan that someone in the community 04:15:43.450 --> 04:15:45.569 called the sheriff's office as they had noticed 04:15:45.569 --> 04:15:47.989 people had entered the cafe after it was closed, 04:15:48.129 --> 04:15:50.450 and that since he was already close to his location, 04:15:50.850 --> 04:15:53.790 he came to check it out. At the moment, the drumline 04:15:53.790 --> 04:16:03.409 outside on Main Street begins. There's almost 04:16:03.409 --> 04:16:06.010 simultaneous things happening at the same time. 04:16:07.010 --> 04:16:09.610 The large man pushing his way into the cafe. 04:16:10.540 --> 04:16:12.739 The noise of the drumline outside the front door 04:16:12.739 --> 04:16:14.879 on the street startling everyone in the cafe. 04:16:15.200 --> 04:16:17.920 Even Special Agent Williamson and the other agent 04:16:17.920 --> 04:16:20.020 who were sitting on their laptops were visibly 04:16:20.020 --> 04:16:23.579 startled. Ava watches as both agents jump up 04:16:23.579 --> 04:16:25.520 to their feet and look in the direction of the 04:16:25.520 --> 04:16:27.920 large man who is now standing there looking right 04:16:27.920 --> 04:16:31.159 back at them. She can tell the large man recognizes 04:16:31.159 --> 04:16:33.600 these two guys were feds by the way they were 04:16:33.600 --> 04:16:36.629 dressed. The lady then bursts out. That's him. 04:16:36.729 --> 04:16:38.709 That's him. That's the guy from the tunnel who 04:16:38.709 --> 04:16:41.610 was guarding me after I was taken. Sierra grabs 04:16:41.610 --> 04:16:44.290 Lily's arm and pulls her back toward the corner 04:16:44.290 --> 04:16:47.149 of the cafe sitting area and then looks towards 04:16:47.149 --> 04:16:50.450 the FBI agents who are now moving towards the 04:16:50.450 --> 04:16:53.790 large man. Sierra notices that one of the agents 04:16:53.790 --> 04:16:56.469 had grabbed a paper from the printer and was 04:16:56.469 --> 04:16:59.430 holding it up and studying it, as if to check 04:16:59.430 --> 04:17:02.010 if the photo on the printed document matched 04:17:02.010 --> 04:17:04.409 the man who was now standing in the cafe looking 04:17:04.409 --> 04:17:07.819 back at them. Ava, who's close to the door, watches 04:17:07.819 --> 04:17:10.260 as both Special Agent Williamson and the other 04:17:10.260 --> 04:17:13.180 agents start moving toward the man, who has now 04:17:13.180 --> 04:17:16.120 figured out he's about to be arrested. The large 04:17:16.120 --> 04:17:19.299 man looks down at Ava and then back at the agents 04:17:19.299 --> 04:17:21.920 coming close to him and turns around and runs 04:17:21.920 --> 04:17:24.639 out of the cafe into the sidewalk with both agents 04:17:24.639 --> 04:17:27.860 following him. Ava steps out onto the sidewalk 04:17:27.860 --> 04:17:30.059 as she watches both agents running after the 04:17:30.059 --> 04:17:32.860 suspect. The large man stands out in the crowd 04:17:32.860 --> 04:17:35.680 and is also pushing and shoving spectators as 04:17:35.680 --> 04:17:38.260 he passes them. The sound of the drumline cancels 04:17:38.260 --> 04:17:40.860 out most of the other noises around Ava, including 04:17:40.860 --> 04:17:44.799 the agent's calls for the suspect to stop. Ava, 04:17:44.899 --> 04:17:46.940 still watching the foot chase, starts walking 04:17:46.940 --> 04:17:49.299 in the same direction, following the agents who 04:17:49.299 --> 04:17:51.840 are now over a block away. She can still hear 04:17:51.840 --> 04:17:54.180 the large man's head and shoulders bopping up 04:17:54.180 --> 04:17:56.399 and down from a distance as he is still running 04:17:56.399 --> 04:17:59.020 through the crowds on the sidewalk. All of a 04:17:59.020 --> 04:18:01.399 sudden, she sees him disappear out of sight. 04:18:01.739 --> 04:18:05.379 It looks like he went down, maybe falling. Still 04:18:05.379 --> 04:18:08.079 walking, she continues in that direction as the 04:18:08.079 --> 04:18:10.979 crowd around where the large man fell disperses. 04:18:11.600 --> 04:18:14.540 As she approaches, she sees both agents on top 04:18:14.540 --> 04:18:17.280 of the man, one holding him down and the other 04:18:17.280 --> 04:18:22.540 handcuffing him. It's on both men to keep him 04:18:22.540 --> 04:18:25.700 pinned down and then handcuff him. Ava then hears 04:18:25.700 --> 04:18:28.739 a familiar voice come from her right side. Ava, 04:18:28.799 --> 04:18:31.360 is that you? Grandma Turner says with some excitement 04:18:31.360 --> 04:18:34.379 in her voice. Ava is stunned to see her grandma 04:18:34.379 --> 04:18:36.540 standing there. She's standing next to Frank 04:18:36.540 --> 04:18:38.899 and his wife. Gran, Ava responds, are you okay? 04:18:38.959 --> 04:18:41.799 What happened? Well, we were just sitting here, 04:18:41.879 --> 04:18:44.219 Frank, Ethel, and I, enjoying the parade and 04:18:44.219 --> 04:18:46.440 the drums when we noticed this large guy here 04:18:46.440 --> 04:18:48.739 coming right towards us on the sidewalk, pushing 04:18:48.739 --> 04:18:51.600 and shoving people. Then I saw these guys chasing 04:18:51.600 --> 04:18:53.659 him and thought, they're the feds, and I bet 04:18:53.659 --> 04:18:56.000 they're chasing a bad guy. So we got up from 04:18:56.000 --> 04:18:57.920 our lawn chairs to get out of the way and I waited 04:18:57.920 --> 04:19:01.100 till that big guy there? Grandma Turner points 04:19:01.100 --> 04:19:03.139 to the large man who is now sitting there in 04:19:03.139 --> 04:19:05.139 handcuffs with both agents standing over him 04:19:05.139 --> 04:19:07.479 and then continues, I kicked out the chair I 04:19:07.479 --> 04:19:09.319 was sitting on right as he ran in front of me 04:19:09.319 --> 04:19:12.059 and, well, he tripped on it and fell down. I 04:19:12.059 --> 04:19:13.819 wasn't really thinking, I just kind of did it. 04:19:14.299 --> 04:19:17.000 Ava shakes her head and mumbles, Wow, Gran, good 04:19:17.000 --> 04:19:21.340 job. I don't really know what to say except for 04:19:21.340 --> 04:19:23.459 thanks for being in the right place at the right 04:19:23.459 --> 04:19:25.959 time. If you're deciding to come down to the 04:19:25.959 --> 04:19:29.959 parade, I've got to go and I'll call you in a 04:19:29.959 --> 04:19:31.979 bit. Please stay with Frank and Ethel for now. 04:19:32.299 --> 04:19:34.600 Ava says this and then turns around and walks 04:19:34.600 --> 04:19:37.459 back in the direction of the cafe while the agents 04:19:37.459 --> 04:19:47.040 were escorting the large man in cuffs. Professor 04:19:47.040 --> 04:19:49.780 Hawthorne parks his Bronco in a public area close 04:19:49.780 --> 04:19:52.059 to the south lawn of the college and notices 04:19:52.059 --> 04:19:55.260 that the fireworks teams, have roped off a section 04:19:55.260 --> 04:19:57.860 of the lawn to keep the spectators, who have 04:19:57.860 --> 04:20:00.280 already started to come for the fireworks show, 04:20:00.440 --> 04:20:03.079 away from where the fireworks would be lit and 04:20:03.079 --> 04:20:06.920 shot from. The time is close to 8 p .m. and Hawthorne 04:20:06.920 --> 04:20:09.260 knows Sharpton will not be late. He never is. 04:20:09.780 --> 04:20:12.959 So the professor quickly finds Agent Carson and 04:20:12.959 --> 04:20:15.319 the other agent who have set up out of sight 04:20:15.319 --> 04:20:18.299 of the main lawn area and asks for any last -minute 04:20:18.299 --> 04:20:21.719 instructions. Mr. Hawthorne, please put this 04:20:21.719 --> 04:20:23.959 wire under your shirt and clip it close to your 04:20:23.959 --> 04:20:26.700 chin on your chest. Agent Carson hands Professor 04:20:26.700 --> 04:20:29.879 Hawthorne a small microphone and wire and then 04:20:29.879 --> 04:20:32.639 shows him how to attach it so it is hidden. You're 04:20:32.639 --> 04:20:35.200 going to be wired so we can hear and record your 04:20:35.200 --> 04:20:37.840 conversation with Bill Sharpton. We'll move in 04:20:37.840 --> 04:20:40.059 as soon as we get what we need. Don't worry, 04:20:40.200 --> 04:20:42.700 you won't have to carry on much of a conversation. 04:20:43.450 --> 04:20:45.870 as the other evidence Ruby has logged in and 04:20:45.870 --> 04:20:48.049 collected should be more than enough for our 04:20:48.049 --> 04:20:51.010 case against him. Agent Carson's phone rings. 04:20:51.229 --> 04:20:54.270 He nods his head a few times and says, that's 04:20:54.270 --> 04:20:57.270 great news. One more to go. He hangs up and then 04:20:57.270 --> 04:21:00.170 tells Hawthorne that the other suspect is in 04:21:00.170 --> 04:21:02.950 custody and is currently being transferred out 04:21:02.950 --> 04:21:05.270 of the county. All right, Professor, one more 04:21:05.270 --> 04:21:07.629 to go. Just do what we talked about and you'll 04:21:07.629 --> 04:21:15.629 be fine. Hawthorne goes over and stands by the 04:21:15.629 --> 04:21:17.790 large sculpture that sits almost directly in 04:21:17.790 --> 04:21:19.969 the middle of the south lawn and waits. He looks 04:21:19.969 --> 04:21:22.989 down at his watch, almost 8pm, and then looks 04:21:22.989 --> 04:21:25.290 over in the direction of an old maintenance building 04:21:25.290 --> 04:21:28.309 some 20 meters away where Agent Carson and his 04:21:28.309 --> 04:21:31.010 partner are stationed and waiting. Hawthorne 04:21:31.010 --> 04:21:34.049 hears a familiar voice behind him. Bill Sharpton 04:21:34.049 --> 04:21:36.549 walks up from behind Hawthorne and says, Good 04:21:36.549 --> 04:21:39.110 evening, Jim. Sharpton calls Professor Hawthorne 04:21:39.110 --> 04:21:41.399 by his informal name most of the time. especially 04:21:41.399 --> 04:21:43.479 when they are not at the college or in a formal 04:21:43.479 --> 04:21:46.540 setting. Sharpton continues as he sees Hawthorne 04:21:46.540 --> 04:21:48.260 turn around and look him squarely in the eyes 04:21:48.260 --> 04:21:50.840 and then says, Okay, let's figure this out tonight, 04:21:51.000 --> 04:21:53.659 right here and right now. And just to be clear, 04:21:53.680 --> 04:21:56.340 Jim, I'm doing you a big favor, probably because 04:21:56.340 --> 04:21:58.459 we have history together. And let's face it, 04:21:58.520 --> 04:22:02.260 I like you. So, with that said, name your price. 04:22:03.000 --> 04:22:05.979 Retirement is not far off, and well, I can help 04:22:05.979 --> 04:22:08.760 with that in a big way, so... How much do you 04:22:08.760 --> 04:22:11.520 want to keep quiet and to stay quiet? Hawthorne 04:22:11.520 --> 04:22:14.299 hesitates a moment and then responds back, I 04:22:14.299 --> 04:22:16.639 also need some guarantees from you and whoever 04:22:16.639 --> 04:22:19.299 else is involved that the girls will be left 04:22:19.299 --> 04:22:22.180 alone, that no harm will come to them so long 04:22:22.180 --> 04:22:24.600 as they keep silent as well. Sharpton responds, 04:22:25.280 --> 04:22:27.799 Okay, fair enough. I can make that happen so 04:22:27.799 --> 04:22:29.600 long as they are quiet and then just move on 04:22:29.600 --> 04:22:32.180 with their lives. So, what else? By this time 04:22:32.180 --> 04:22:34.280 in the evening, there were many people in and 04:22:34.280 --> 04:22:36.479 around the South Lawn area who are now waiting 04:22:36.479 --> 04:22:38.840 for the fireworks display, which begins around 04:22:38.840 --> 04:22:41.639 dusk. Hawthorne notices that the fireworks will 04:22:41.639 --> 04:22:44.780 be starting soon, so he then asks, I don't know, 04:22:44.799 --> 04:22:48.100 Bill. How much is my silence worth to you? And 04:22:48.100 --> 04:22:50.379 for me to look the other way? Sharpton knows 04:22:50.379 --> 04:22:52.020 that Hawthorne just started the negotiations 04:22:52.020 --> 04:22:55.299 with that statement. So, Sharpton throws out 04:22:55.299 --> 04:22:57.040 a very low number to see if Hawthorne bites. 04:22:57.319 --> 04:23:01.520 So, he says, how does 250 grand sound? Hawthorne 04:23:01.520 --> 04:23:03.520 looks at Sharpton in the face and then says, 04:23:03.780 --> 04:23:06.139 Really, Bill? I always knew you to be a cheap 04:23:06.139 --> 04:23:08.879 guy. At that moment, Professor Hawthorne sees 04:23:08.879 --> 04:23:11.940 both Agent Carson and his partner grab Sharpton 04:23:11.940 --> 04:23:16.620 from behind, hold him, and then cuff him. Because 04:23:16.620 --> 04:23:18.260 they were standing in the middle of the lawn 04:23:18.260 --> 04:23:20.920 near the large sculpture, there were many people 04:23:20.920 --> 04:23:23.600 who noticed the commotion. Some even started 04:23:23.600 --> 04:23:26.239 recording it with their phones. As Bill Sharpton 04:23:26.239 --> 04:23:28.600 is being manhandled by the two FBI agents who 04:23:28.600 --> 04:23:30.020 have now started to move him in the direction 04:23:30.020 --> 04:23:32.600 of their parked car, he looks back at Hawthorne 04:23:32.600 --> 04:23:36.200 and says, What? Really? Come on, Jim. So, this 04:23:36.200 --> 04:23:39.979 is how it's going to be? And those are the last 04:23:39.979 --> 04:23:42.600 words Bill Sharpton ever spoke to James Hawthorne. 04:23:50.360 --> 04:23:53.120 A few days later, we find Ava sitting on her 04:23:53.120 --> 04:23:56.299 own couch back in Sacramento. It's early in the 04:23:56.299 --> 04:23:58.360 evening and she's got her feet up and just trying 04:23:58.360 --> 04:24:01.459 to relax with some mindless TV. She glances over 04:24:01.459 --> 04:24:03.979 toward the corner of the room and smiles at what's 04:24:03.979 --> 04:24:05.899 stacked up against the wall and covered with 04:24:05.899 --> 04:24:08.639 her favorite blanket. The previous few days had 04:24:08.639 --> 04:24:11.280 been so busy, from documenting and writing a 04:24:11.280 --> 04:24:13.620 series of articles for the Bee and interviews 04:24:13.620 --> 04:24:17.260 with the FBI and other news outlets, to reflecting 04:24:17.260 --> 04:24:19.479 and wrapping up the adventure with Sierra, Lily, 04:24:19.739 --> 04:24:22.569 Ethan, and the professor. She's had countless 04:24:22.569 --> 04:24:24.750 meetings with the Bee's editor -in -chief and 04:24:24.750 --> 04:24:27.309 Ted about the series of articles the Bee has 04:24:27.309 --> 04:24:30.110 already started to release, of course, with the 04:24:30.110 --> 04:24:33.129 FBI's approval. The Bee has been careful not 04:24:33.129 --> 04:24:35.469 to publish any evidence or facts that may harm 04:24:35.469 --> 04:24:37.850 the ongoing investigation that the FBI is still 04:24:37.850 --> 04:24:40.930 working on. Ava has also spent a good part of 04:24:40.930 --> 04:24:43.209 an hour explaining everything to Grandma Turner, 04:24:43.469 --> 04:24:45.489 who took everything better than she thought. 04:24:46.450 --> 04:24:49.090 Grandma Turner seemed to be quite excited about 04:24:49.090 --> 04:24:52.129 the entire situation. Well, now after the effect, 04:24:52.610 --> 04:24:55.530 Grandma Turner felt a small sense of pride for 04:24:55.530 --> 04:24:58.129 having helped the two FBI agents apprehend one 04:24:58.129 --> 04:25:01.530 of their first suspects. Needless to say, Ava's 04:25:01.530 --> 04:25:03.930 beyond tired and leans against a pillow, eating 04:25:03.930 --> 04:25:06.809 her favorite ice cream flavor. Ava grabs her 04:25:06.809 --> 04:25:08.969 remote and clicks the TV on and notices that 04:25:08.969 --> 04:25:11.450 one of her favorite shows had just ended. She 04:25:11.450 --> 04:25:13.370 looks at the clock and notices that it's 9 p 04:25:13.370 --> 04:25:15.930 .m., so she switches channels to one of the local 04:25:15.930 --> 04:25:19.500 news network stations to watch the news. She 04:25:19.500 --> 04:25:22.200 watches as one of the local news stations blasts 04:25:22.200 --> 04:25:26.940 a graphic across the screen which reads, Breaking 04:25:26.940 --> 04:25:30.700 news! City and state officials arrested for bribery, 04:25:30.799 --> 04:25:33.620 corruption, and other crimes that span several 04:25:33.620 --> 04:25:36.780 decades. She knew more arrests were going to 04:25:36.780 --> 04:25:39.180 be made soon, but she and the editor didn't know 04:25:39.180 --> 04:25:41.639 when that was going to happen. She thanks herself 04:25:41.639 --> 04:25:44.959 as she settles back onto the couch. Okay, I guess 04:25:44.959 --> 04:25:47.299 the cat's out of the bag now. She looks down 04:25:47.299 --> 04:25:49.459 at her almost empty cup of ice cream when all 04:25:49.459 --> 04:25:51.579 of a sudden, she hears one of the local news 04:25:51.579 --> 04:25:55.079 anchors says, Ava Turner from her very own Sacramento 04:25:55.079 --> 04:25:58.000 Bee, along with several Coloma residents, helped 04:25:58.000 --> 04:26:00.420 crack the corruption and expose the crimes and 04:26:00.420 --> 04:26:03.840 lies. Upon hearing her name and seeing her photo 04:26:03.840 --> 04:26:06.879 on the TV, she drops both her ice cream and remote. 04:26:07.500 --> 04:26:11.020 Out of shock, she says out loud, no way. I guess 04:26:11.020 --> 04:26:13.610 the editor... was given the green light to publish 04:26:13.610 --> 04:26:16.010 the first article. She gets online and pulls 04:26:16.010 --> 04:26:19.010 up the Bee's website. Her first article had just 04:26:19.010 --> 04:26:21.969 been posted. She watches as the news anchor talks 04:26:21.969 --> 04:26:24.389 about and quotes part of her first article. The 04:26:24.389 --> 04:26:26.809 anchor turns it over to a reporter. The news 04:26:26.809 --> 04:26:28.909 reporter continues to discuss the details of 04:26:28.909 --> 04:26:31.290 the arrests as the TV station shows footage of 04:26:31.290 --> 04:26:34.229 the FBI making arrests in the past hour. The 04:26:34.229 --> 04:26:37.190 mayor of Oklahoma, a city council member, and 04:26:37.190 --> 04:26:39.989 the last and the most prominent state representative, 04:26:40.309 --> 04:26:42.989 Stuart Brown. At the moment, her phone rings. 04:26:43.950 --> 04:26:49.510 It's Ted, and he answers. Hello? Um, yeah, yes, 04:26:49.709 --> 04:26:53.450 sure. I'll be okay. I guess I didn't know when 04:26:53.450 --> 04:26:55.989 the articles were going to be released. Makes 04:26:55.989 --> 04:26:58.790 sense. Okay, so my articles will be published 04:26:58.790 --> 04:27:00.690 over the next few days, one after the other? 04:27:02.090 --> 04:27:05.750 Okay, sounds good. Oh, hey, before you hang up, 04:27:05.850 --> 04:27:08.450 thanks for your help, Eva says, before hanging 04:27:08.450 --> 04:27:11.520 up the phone. Even though Ava was there from 04:27:11.520 --> 04:27:13.440 the start and knew of their involvement before 04:27:13.440 --> 04:27:16.260 anyone else did, it was that much more real when 04:27:16.260 --> 04:27:18.479 seeing it on the news. Letting the sound of the 04:27:18.479 --> 04:27:21.100 TV fade into the background, Ava closes her eyes 04:27:21.100 --> 04:27:22.940 and says she thinks back to the events that have 04:27:22.940 --> 04:27:26.020 occurred in the past few days, some of the craziest 04:27:26.020 --> 04:27:29.059 days in her life and short career. She couldn't 04:27:29.059 --> 04:27:31.360 have imagined how different her month and summer 04:27:31.360 --> 04:27:33.219 would have been if she had not returned to El 04:27:33.219 --> 04:27:36.120 Dorado County. Just then, her phone rings again. 04:27:37.350 --> 04:27:40.430 Ava is startled but not surprised. I mean, her 04:27:40.430 --> 04:27:43.270 face and name was just plastered all over the 04:27:43.270 --> 04:27:45.809 news for the last 10 minutes. She picks up her 04:27:45.809 --> 04:27:48.649 phone to see an unknown number. She taps accept 04:27:48.649 --> 04:27:50.729 and introduces herself. She sits up straight 04:27:50.729 --> 04:27:52.770 again on the couch as she listens to the other 04:27:52.770 --> 04:27:55.670 person on the line say, Ava, this is Ben Michelson 04:27:55.670 --> 04:27:58.409 from Reuters. She holds her excitement back as 04:27:58.409 --> 04:28:01.129 she listens and responds. Nice to meet you, Ben. 04:28:01.510 --> 04:28:06.690 No, you're the first call. Okay. I'll discuss 04:28:06.690 --> 04:28:09.950 that with my editor. Okay, yes, email me the 04:28:09.950 --> 04:28:13.629 details. Thanks. She continues to chat with the 04:28:13.629 --> 04:28:15.889 reporter from Reuters before hanging up. She 04:28:15.889 --> 04:28:17.989 finally slouches back down on the couch, looks 04:28:17.989 --> 04:28:20.690 down at her empty ice cream cup, smiles, and 04:28:20.690 --> 04:28:23.709 says to herself, Well, I guess my little life 04:28:23.709 --> 04:28:33.219 is about to change in some really big ways. It's 04:28:33.219 --> 04:28:35.459 mid -August and Professor Hawthorne has yet to 04:28:35.459 --> 04:28:38.200 prepare for the upcoming fall semester which 04:28:38.200 --> 04:28:40.479 starts just after the U .S. Labor Day holiday. 04:28:40.799 --> 04:28:43.059 He's tried to keep a low profile for the last 04:28:43.059 --> 04:28:45.659 two months, mainly keeping to himself at home, 04:28:45.799 --> 04:28:48.260 taking some time off with his wife and writing. 04:28:48.680 --> 04:28:50.899 He's only done a few news interviews about his 04:28:50.899 --> 04:28:53.360 part in helping uncover the truth about the gold 04:28:53.360 --> 04:28:55.899 rush and the rampant network of corruption that 04:28:55.899 --> 04:28:58.319 existed among some of the more prominent members. 04:28:58.520 --> 04:29:01.100 Many of his interviews were also structured so 04:29:01.100 --> 04:29:04.139 he could provide historical context so the viewers 04:29:04.139 --> 04:29:06.760 or listeners would understand how large and long 04:29:06.760 --> 04:29:09.739 the corruption secrets and crimes went on. Professor 04:29:09.739 --> 04:29:12.100 is at home, relaxed, sitting at his desk, looking 04:29:12.100 --> 04:29:14.760 out the back window. Just sitting there and thinking. 04:29:15.209 --> 04:29:17.569 His laptop is open and the cursor is blinking 04:29:17.569 --> 04:29:19.969 in the middle of the blank page. Hawthorne hears 04:29:19.969 --> 04:29:22.229 someone enter the room behind him, so he turns 04:29:22.229 --> 04:29:24.690 his head and says, Hey there. His wife had just 04:29:24.690 --> 04:29:26.729 entered the room. She was smiling and walking 04:29:26.729 --> 04:29:29.909 toward him. The professor asks, How was lunch 04:29:29.909 --> 04:29:32.370 with your friends at Ethan's? It was great. It's 04:29:32.370 --> 04:29:34.069 always nice to catch up with them when I can. 04:29:34.229 --> 04:29:36.750 Ethan was there and sends his greetings. Mrs. 04:29:36.850 --> 04:29:38.850 Hawthorne is now standing next to the professor 04:29:38.850 --> 04:29:41.489 and looking down at the blank screen on his laptop 04:29:41.489 --> 04:29:45.139 with the bouncing cursor and then says, Oh. Two 04:29:45.139 --> 04:29:47.059 packages were just delivered as I was pulling 04:29:47.059 --> 04:29:49.920 into the driveway. They're rather heavy for their 04:29:49.920 --> 04:29:53.059 size. I set them on the floor behind you. They're 04:29:53.059 --> 04:29:56.340 addressed to you, she then says. Did you come 04:29:56.340 --> 04:29:58.739 up with a title yet? Professor Hawthorne was 04:29:58.739 --> 04:30:01.200 inspired by the recent events to write yet another 04:30:01.200 --> 04:30:03.840 book, and he had just finished the first draft 04:30:03.840 --> 04:30:07.020 in record time. Several publishers had sent in 04:30:07.020 --> 04:30:09.239 high bids wanting to help distribute and publish 04:30:09.239 --> 04:30:12.219 it for him. The draft read like a story out of 04:30:12.219 --> 04:30:15.079 a fiction novel, but it wasn't fiction. It was 04:30:15.079 --> 04:30:18.020 all true. All of it. Hawthorne's intention was 04:30:18.020 --> 04:30:20.280 not only to tell the story of what happened to 04:30:20.280 --> 04:30:23.540 the five of them, himself, Ava, Sierra, Lily, 04:30:23.680 --> 04:30:26.379 and Ethan, but also he wanted to make sure the 04:30:26.379 --> 04:30:28.600 old manuscript was referenced and the history 04:30:28.600 --> 04:30:31.420 and events that preceded everything were revealed, 04:30:31.559 --> 04:30:34.540 while all but one of them. He was still committed 04:30:34.540 --> 04:30:37.760 to keeping one secret a secret. That was the 04:30:37.760 --> 04:30:40.440 formula. Hawthorne looks up at his wife and says, 04:30:40.579 --> 04:30:43.100 I got it. He smiles and then looks back down 04:30:43.100 --> 04:30:45.319 at his laptop and the blinking cursor on the 04:30:45.319 --> 04:30:48.680 blank white page and types, The Secrets of El 04:30:48.680 --> 04:30:51.979 Dorado. There it is. That's the title, he says. 04:30:52.379 --> 04:30:55.200 Mrs. Hawthorne watches as James types out the 04:30:55.200 --> 04:30:58.659 title and then adds, Yep, I like it. I think 04:30:58.659 --> 04:31:01.319 the others are going to like it too. The professor 04:31:01.319 --> 04:31:03.719 swivels in his chair, gets up, walks over, and 04:31:03.719 --> 04:31:06.000 then bends down to inspect the two boxes that 04:31:06.000 --> 04:31:08.840 were delivered. He slices open the tape and then 04:31:08.840 --> 04:31:11.760 opens one of the boxes. Inside the box, surrounded 04:31:11.760 --> 04:31:14.760 by packing popcorn and tightly wrapped in brown 04:31:14.760 --> 04:31:17.979 butcher paper, was a polished and bright, solid 04:31:17.979 --> 04:31:21.540 gold bar with no markings. Without a word, the 04:31:21.540 --> 04:31:23.739 professor looks up at his wife with a half -smile 04:31:23.739 --> 04:31:26.040 and then pulls a small card out from inside the 04:31:26.040 --> 04:31:28.680 box and it reads out loud, Thanks for the adventure. 04:31:29.000 --> 04:31:53.500 What's next? Signed, A and S. The Secrets of 04:31:53.500 --> 04:31:57.120 El Dorado Epilogue, one year later. As for Ava 04:31:57.120 --> 04:31:59.479 Turner, after publishing her series of articles 04:31:59.479 --> 04:32:02.020 and making numerous appearances on talk shows 04:32:02.020 --> 04:32:04.899 and other news networks, she was promoted to 04:32:04.899 --> 04:32:07.200 be one of the executive editors for The Bee. 04:32:07.659 --> 04:32:10.280 She's more passionate about seeking the truth 04:32:10.280 --> 04:32:12.959 and uplifting marginalized voices more than ever, 04:32:13.040 --> 04:32:16.200 and she volunteers at an organization that teaches 04:32:16.200 --> 04:32:18.559 journalism to low -income students every week. 04:32:19.120 --> 04:32:21.620 She also has dinner with Grandma Turner every 04:32:21.620 --> 04:32:24.280 now and then, and of course, visits Ethan's cafe. 04:32:24.940 --> 04:32:27.860 With Ava and Sierra's little side venture after 04:32:27.860 --> 04:32:30.760 the first initial arrests were made, over a year 04:32:30.760 --> 04:32:33.959 ago, Sierra paid off her college debt and bought 04:32:33.959 --> 04:32:37.079 a house just outside of Coloma. She's dedicated 04:32:37.079 --> 04:32:40.299 to pursuing her passion of art, design, and education 04:32:40.299 --> 04:32:43.139 as she recently landed a high -profile teaching 04:32:43.139 --> 04:32:46.299 position at a local private school. She no longer 04:32:46.299 --> 04:32:48.700 works full -time at Ethan's, but does help out 04:32:48.700 --> 04:32:50.659 on the weekends from time to time when Ethan 04:32:50.659 --> 04:32:53.620 calls and asks. She's not ready to give up her 04:32:53.620 --> 04:32:57.139 employee discount just yet. Besides, she loves 04:32:57.139 --> 04:33:00.000 seeing and talking with her old customers. Lily 04:33:00.000 --> 04:33:02.379 Han is on her way to earning her undergraduate 04:33:02.379 --> 04:33:05.840 degree at the college, debt and worry -free with 04:33:05.840 --> 04:33:08.599 the gifts she too received in the mail. Between 04:33:08.599 --> 04:33:11.540 classes, Lily loves to pop into Professor Hawthorne's 04:33:11.540 --> 04:33:13.779 office and talk about their adventures and the 04:33:13.779 --> 04:33:16.580 new things he has been working on. Because of 04:33:16.580 --> 04:33:18.919 her help with the investigation, she was awarded 04:33:18.919 --> 04:33:21.240 a permanent green card with permission to live 04:33:21.240 --> 04:33:23.299 and work in the U .S. for as long as she wanted. 04:33:23.860 --> 04:33:26.619 She still loves to study at Ethan's Cafe and, 04:33:26.740 --> 04:33:29.520 sometimes, she gets lucky and runs into both 04:33:29.520 --> 04:33:32.680 Sierra and Ava there. Ethan Brooks is still loving 04:33:32.680 --> 04:33:35.750 his cafe as it remains a local favorite. He's 04:33:35.750 --> 04:33:38.490 added several new sandwich options, but the famous 04:33:38.490 --> 04:33:41.590 pastrami stack is still the favorite. Ethan sold 04:33:41.590 --> 04:33:44.450 his tracking device and technology and software 04:33:44.450 --> 04:33:47.270 to the FBI and then bought the 30 -plus acres 04:33:47.270 --> 04:33:49.909 of old man Sutter's property, hoping to build 04:33:49.909 --> 04:33:53.069 a small cabin for himself. He continues to tour 04:33:53.069 --> 04:33:55.330 around with tech and loves the hobby, even though 04:33:55.330 --> 04:33:58.090 he still receives numerous job offers from firms 04:33:58.090 --> 04:34:00.569 in Silicon Valley. Some of his newest inventions 04:34:00.569 --> 04:34:02.909 and prototypes are for the food and beverage 04:34:02.909 --> 04:34:05.720 industry. and involved the integration of menus, 04:34:05.900 --> 04:34:09.419 tables, and AI. He's already had two investors 04:34:09.419 --> 04:34:12.459 from the Valley show interest. And finally, Professor 04:34:12.459 --> 04:34:14.759 James Hawthorne went on to publish his book, 04:34:14.799 --> 04:34:17.680 instantly becoming a big hit. More and more readers 04:34:17.680 --> 04:34:20.200 became intrigued by the history of El Dorado 04:34:20.200 --> 04:34:22.939 County and the gold rush and the events that 04:34:22.939 --> 04:34:25.319 took down one of the longest crime and corruption 04:34:25.319 --> 04:34:28.139 sprees in U .S. history. There were also several 04:34:28.139 --> 04:34:30.659 online chat groups about Hawthorne, with one 04:34:30.659 --> 04:34:33.840 even being called Hawthorne's History. which 04:34:33.840 --> 04:34:36.259 typically consists of discussions of his past 04:34:36.259 --> 04:34:39.259 work, some of his latest findings, and past lectures 04:34:39.259 --> 04:34:42.400 from the college. He became somewhat of a celebrity 04:34:42.400 --> 04:34:46.020 in academia with no plans to retire. Just yet. 04:35:01.560 --> 04:35:04.790 Thank you for listening. The Secrets of El Dorado 04:35:04.790 --> 04:35:07.490 is available in book form as a downloadable PDF 04:35:07.490 --> 04:35:11.069 from our website or in paperback version on Amazon 04:35:11.069 --> 04:35:14.569 .com. Just visit studentsincorporated .com to 04:35:14.569 --> 04:35:15.150 find out more.