1 00:00:02,000 --> 00:00:05,400 Speaker 1: I was once in a terrible accident. I was on 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:08,160 my way home from work with the elevators were out 3 00:00:08,160 --> 00:00:11,560 of service. I had to take six flights of stairs 4 00:00:11,599 --> 00:00:16,960 after a twelve hour shift. I wasn't paying attention. I 5 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,120 had a terrible fall, and when I opened my eyes, 6 00:00:21,519 --> 00:00:25,679 I couldn't move. I could barely breathe, and I could 7 00:00:25,719 --> 00:00:27,879 see my hand, which in the corner of my eye. 8 00:00:29,320 --> 00:00:33,600 It took me a moment to realize that hand wasn't mine. 9 00:00:33,799 --> 00:00:37,640 I couldn't feel my fingers. In a couple of seconds, 10 00:00:37,759 --> 00:00:40,960 I'd gone from on my way home to barely alive. 11 00:00:42,479 --> 00:00:46,240 I watched my breath condense against the stone tiles. I 12 00:00:46,280 --> 00:00:50,520 could feel anything but a dull pain radiating down my spine. 13 00:00:51,280 --> 00:00:54,799 The more I thought about it, the more my pulse hammered, 14 00:00:55,159 --> 00:00:58,920 and the more light headed I felt. I was bleeding, 15 00:00:59,600 --> 00:01:01,840 but I could I couldn't see or feel from where. 16 00:01:03,039 --> 00:01:06,159 I couldn't call out for help. It was as if 17 00:01:06,200 --> 00:01:09,680 one of my lungs was lagging. I didn't know where 18 00:01:09,680 --> 00:01:15,920 one breath started and another ended. Luckily, my coworker, Andrew, 19 00:01:16,159 --> 00:01:19,400 was working late. He found me and stayed with me 20 00:01:19,680 --> 00:01:24,480 until the EMTs arrived. From that point on, I barely 21 00:01:24,519 --> 00:01:29,599 remember anything. Apparently I was alone on that floor for 22 00:01:29,680 --> 00:01:35,840 about twenty minutes. I was lucky to be alive. It 23 00:01:35,879 --> 00:01:40,680 wasn't a full unbroken neck, but a severe fracture. I 24 00:01:40,680 --> 00:01:44,599 had to go through countless surgeries. Thank god it happened 25 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,799 in company property and that I was fully insured. Not 26 00:01:48,879 --> 00:01:51,359 only did I get the best possible treatment money could 27 00:01:51,359 --> 00:01:55,159 pay for, but they also authorized any additional payments for 28 00:01:55,200 --> 00:01:59,799 pretty much whatever my doctor would recommend. But despite that, 29 00:02:00,680 --> 00:02:04,920 I was a wreck. Looking back. At the time, I 30 00:02:05,040 --> 00:02:08,840 was barely alive. I was just waiting for life to 31 00:02:08,919 --> 00:02:15,400 come back, but it never did. I improved, but they 32 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:18,240 could tell early on that I was suffering from nerve 33 00:02:18,280 --> 00:02:22,280 root damage. It left me partially paralyzed in my right leg. 34 00:02:23,439 --> 00:02:25,560 There were a couple of other issues that would flare 35 00:02:25,680 --> 00:02:29,759 up from time to time, but nothing life threatening, just 36 00:02:29,960 --> 00:02:32,879 little things like a random pain in my ring finger 37 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,639 or hearing a snapping noise when I yawned. But coming 38 00:02:37,680 --> 00:02:40,240 to the realization that I wasn't going to make a 39 00:02:40,280 --> 00:02:45,199 full recovery, it was devastating. If I like my best 40 00:02:45,319 --> 00:02:48,800 days were behind me, then every reassuring word was like 41 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:53,879 a sarcastic jab. Over time I got back at my feet. 42 00:02:55,039 --> 00:02:57,520 I went from a wheel chair to crutches to a 43 00:02:57,599 --> 00:02:59,759 cane over the course of a year and a half. 44 00:03:00,800 --> 00:03:04,360 But no matter what I used, the pain was always there, 45 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:10,080 that dull, throwing pain radiating throughout my body. And every 46 00:03:10,159 --> 00:03:13,039 now and then I get a shortness of breath when 47 00:03:13,080 --> 00:03:16,080 standing up, bringing me right back to that memory of 48 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:20,280 my face pressing against that door, watching my shallow breaths 49 00:03:20,319 --> 00:03:24,599 condensed on the stone tiles. While I tried to get 50 00:03:24,639 --> 00:03:27,759 back to work and resign myself to a new normality, 51 00:03:28,759 --> 00:03:31,039 there was always that nagging feeling in the back of 52 00:03:31,039 --> 00:03:33,919 my mind that I was living a less a life. 53 00:03:35,120 --> 00:03:38,800 So while I kept up appearances, I was resenting what 54 00:03:38,879 --> 00:03:43,840 I'd become. So during lunch breaks and countless late nights, 55 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,879 I found myself wading through medical articles, expert opinions, and 56 00:03:49,039 --> 00:03:55,240 journals detailing experimental treatments. Nothing was decisive, There were no 57 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,800 secret tricks. It didn't matter if I had one hundred 58 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,800 bucks to spend or one hundred million. This simply was 59 00:04:02,879 --> 00:04:09,400 no way to magically get better. So I looked further. 60 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:16,439 Alternative medicine, obscure YouTube videos, Everything from nutritional supplements to 61 00:04:16,519 --> 00:04:21,199 faith feeling, but it was all noise. Nothing was pointing 62 00:04:21,240 --> 00:04:26,120 me to a solution. After months of obsessive searching and consultation, 63 00:04:27,319 --> 00:04:31,959 all I got was recommendations for pain medication. There was 64 00:04:32,000 --> 00:04:37,680 nothing else. Then came in late September night which set 65 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:41,639 me on a new path. I was browsing the blog 66 00:04:41,639 --> 00:04:44,199 of a woman who'd gone through a similar experience as me, 67 00:04:44,959 --> 00:04:48,160 and she was documenting many struggles she faced along the way. 68 00:04:49,439 --> 00:04:51,720 I spent a couple of hours reading her thoughts and 69 00:04:51,759 --> 00:04:55,360 watching a couple of shorts when I noticed something in 70 00:04:55,399 --> 00:04:59,439 one of the common sections. There were rarely any comments 71 00:04:59,480 --> 00:05:06,000 at all, but this one stood out. It just said S. Broune. 72 00:05:08,879 --> 00:05:12,920 That could mean a thousand things, but to me it 73 00:05:13,079 --> 00:05:17,319 sounded like medication. I'd heard them all. At that point, 74 00:05:17,879 --> 00:05:19,759 I had a whiteboard with the top two hundred and 75 00:05:19,839 --> 00:05:23,319 fifty list of various quack solutions I'd heard, and this 76 00:05:23,439 --> 00:05:28,000 one wasn't on there. While I was skeptical, it was 77 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:32,839 still another lead. There were no responses referencing this, there 78 00:05:32,839 --> 00:05:37,120 were no video replies, and the account had no other comments. 79 00:05:37,959 --> 00:05:40,319 All I had to go off was S. Broune and 80 00:05:40,399 --> 00:05:45,199 the nickname of the poster Yuvia. It's Spanish for rain. 81 00:05:47,480 --> 00:05:49,879 I figured it might be a kind of supplement or 82 00:05:49,920 --> 00:05:55,120 off the book's medication, so I followed the trail. I 83 00:05:55,199 --> 00:05:58,759 searched for all kinds of combinations of rain, broken neck, 84 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:03,040 s Broune, and a bunch of other topics. It took 85 00:06:03,079 --> 00:06:06,759 me days, but one combination of words sent me down 86 00:06:06,759 --> 00:06:11,600 a rabbit hole that pointed me at a lead. It 87 00:06:11,759 --> 00:06:13,959 was one of those sites where you could secretly rate 88 00:06:14,040 --> 00:06:17,959 your workplace. A couple of disgruntled workers had rated an 89 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:22,560 employer of theirs particularly low. There were no mentions of S. Browne, 90 00:06:23,160 --> 00:06:25,879 but I think the algorithm latched onto it for some reason. 91 00:06:27,240 --> 00:06:31,519 They wrote as such, my supervisor has been an absolute 92 00:06:31,519 --> 00:06:36,000 cow since her accident, constant unpaid overtime, threats and accusations. 93 00:06:36,360 --> 00:06:39,160 She's taking it out on everyone. I don't care if 94 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,639 she's in a wheelchair. She's single handedly tanking this department. 95 00:06:44,240 --> 00:06:46,959 Then on the bottom of the review and a dendum 96 00:06:47,079 --> 00:06:51,879 added about two months after the initial posting, edit out 97 00:06:51,879 --> 00:06:54,839 of the wheelchair and stell a cow don't work here. 98 00:06:57,120 --> 00:06:59,319 It didn't take me long to look that company up. 99 00:07:00,240 --> 00:07:08,319 Name immediately popped out Rain Callaway. It was a long shot, 100 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:12,519 but it sounded like this person had overcome a grievous injury. 101 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:17,319 Maybe there was something there. She worked at an investment 102 00:07:17,319 --> 00:07:20,319 company with a local office. I could drop by at 103 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:25,720 lunch and hope for the best. I went to see 104 00:07:25,839 --> 00:07:29,639 Rain the next day. While the lead was tenuous at best, 105 00:07:30,519 --> 00:07:34,160 I felt like I had to try. When I got there, 106 00:07:34,519 --> 00:07:37,319 I saw a couple of people leaving the building, all 107 00:07:37,399 --> 00:07:40,720 dressed in fancy black and white clothing with monocolored ties. 108 00:07:41,800 --> 00:07:44,439 There were a handful of women among them, one of 109 00:07:44,480 --> 00:07:48,000 which was given a bit of a wide berth. She 110 00:07:48,120 --> 00:07:50,720 was in her early fifties and was the only one 111 00:07:50,759 --> 00:07:55,240 with a large scarf going for a hell Mary. I 112 00:07:55,319 --> 00:08:03,279 approached her. Excuse me, I said, are you Rain? She 113 00:08:03,360 --> 00:08:06,920 looked up at me. She had dark blue eyes, the 114 00:08:06,959 --> 00:08:10,519 same color as a sunflower broach on a scarf. She 115 00:08:10,639 --> 00:08:15,600 raised an eyebrow, slowing down. What of it? She asked, 116 00:08:16,079 --> 00:08:19,800 I have a question about a comment you made. She 117 00:08:19,920 --> 00:08:22,920 rolled her eyes and turned her back on me. It 118 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:27,720 said something like es Browne. I continued, I don't know 119 00:08:27,759 --> 00:08:30,439 what it means, but I get the feeling you could 120 00:08:30,439 --> 00:08:37,080 help me. She froze. Her colleagues waited for her, but 121 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,320 she waved them off. She approached me, looking me up 122 00:08:41,360 --> 00:08:45,000 and down with a stiff neck. How bad is it, 123 00:08:45,399 --> 00:08:49,919 she asked, Pretty bad, bad enough to get in trouble 124 00:08:49,960 --> 00:08:54,559 for it. If I can get rid of it, yeah 125 00:08:54,600 --> 00:08:59,720 you can, she nodded, Yeah, you can get rid of it. 126 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:06,639 She invited me out to lunch, asking me a couple 127 00:09:06,639 --> 00:09:11,039 of personal questions. I told her about my accident and 128 00:09:11,120 --> 00:09:15,279 the lingering issues I had. She in turn talked about 129 00:09:15,279 --> 00:09:18,960 getting hit by a car. She had been paralyzed from 130 00:09:18,960 --> 00:09:23,120 the waist down for two years, but obviously she wasn't 131 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:28,440 paralyzed anymore. I looked up from my salad. Rain had 132 00:09:28,440 --> 00:09:32,759 this intense stare, like she was weighing my soul. So 133 00:09:34,039 --> 00:09:39,879 what's the secret, I asked. There's a guy, she explained, 134 00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:45,240 But it's gonna cost you. I got some money put away, 135 00:09:45,759 --> 00:09:49,799 I sighed, Just give me the number. Not that kind 136 00:09:49,840 --> 00:09:53,879 of cost, she said, shaking her head. But we can 137 00:09:53,919 --> 00:10:01,080 figure it out. We exchanged contact information. Left. The pain 138 00:10:01,120 --> 00:10:04,360 in my leg was worse than ever. The prospect of 139 00:10:04,399 --> 00:10:07,679 getting rid of that pain kind of emphasized it. You 140 00:10:07,720 --> 00:10:09,879 can't stop poking at it once you know it's there 141 00:10:11,879 --> 00:10:15,000 at night as I went to bed. I got a 142 00:10:15,039 --> 00:10:21,799 text message, a time and a place, no details. Looking 143 00:10:21,840 --> 00:10:25,320 it up online, it seemed to be a hotel, but 144 00:10:25,559 --> 00:10:30,919 I got no room number, no directions, nothing. The next 145 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:34,960 day I went straight from work to that hotel. I 146 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:38,240 dressed up in a business casual blazer and hoped they 147 00:10:38,279 --> 00:10:42,679 wouldn't stare too long at the cane. Then again, if 148 00:10:42,679 --> 00:10:46,240 these people worked with those who'd been in accidents, chances 149 00:10:46,279 --> 00:10:51,360 were they wouldn't even notice the cane. But why the secrecy. 150 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:55,440 I got to the hotel at about six p m. 151 00:10:56,519 --> 00:11:00,879 A pretty fancy place, at least four stars. There was 152 00:11:00,919 --> 00:11:04,080 a small fountain in the lobby with black marble floor. 153 00:11:05,000 --> 00:11:08,679 It smelled of flowers and chemicals. As soon as I 154 00:11:08,840 --> 00:11:11,559 entered the lobby, there was a man by the elevators 155 00:11:11,720 --> 00:11:17,200 waving me over this way, sir. He pressed the button 156 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,039 for the twelve floor for me, but didn't say anything. 157 00:11:21,120 --> 00:11:22,960 It was as if I was supposed to know what 158 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:27,039 to do already. I stepped into the back of the elevator, 159 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:31,080 trying my best to stay calm. A hundred thoughts ran 160 00:11:31,120 --> 00:11:34,480 through my head as music played. I had no idea 161 00:11:34,559 --> 00:11:38,080 what to expect, but as sure as hell, didn't expect 162 00:11:38,279 --> 00:11:44,879 what I got. The doors opened to a scene straight 163 00:11:45,039 --> 00:11:50,000 out of a movie. Wide open double doors guarded by 164 00:11:50,039 --> 00:11:54,120 burly men with visible gun holsters. I could smell cigar 165 00:11:54,200 --> 00:11:57,559 smoke all the way out in the hallway. There was 166 00:11:57,679 --> 00:12:00,480 music playing from one of the rooms further in, as 167 00:12:00,519 --> 00:12:05,000 these gorgeous, marble schooled people wandered back and forth, serving 168 00:12:05,000 --> 00:12:09,399 our d'erves from silver platters. I got a lot of 169 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,519 curious eyes on me, but they can't. As soon as 170 00:12:12,519 --> 00:12:16,720 they noticed the cane stepping forward, one of the doormen 171 00:12:16,840 --> 00:12:19,679 stopped me. I thought he was going to check my 172 00:12:19,720 --> 00:12:24,960 identification or asked me to leave, but instead his features softened. 173 00:12:26,879 --> 00:12:32,200 You need any help, sir, no Ah, No, I'm good, 174 00:12:32,559 --> 00:12:41,120 I said, thanks. Enjoy your stay. There are about twenty 175 00:12:41,159 --> 00:12:44,519 five guests in total, catered to by a staff of 176 00:12:44,600 --> 00:12:47,559 about a dozen. It was hard to get a good 177 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:50,519 read on the other attendants, both because of the dim 178 00:12:50,639 --> 00:12:54,240 lighting and cigar smoke, but also because a lot of 179 00:12:54,240 --> 00:12:58,399 them seemed busy. Some were stuck looking through their phones 180 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:01,679 while the others were having in conversations with one another, 181 00:13:02,039 --> 00:13:08,039 and the servants you lost their boy Oh. I turned 182 00:13:08,039 --> 00:13:10,720 around to see a man that can only be described 183 00:13:10,879 --> 00:13:15,279 as a living scarecrow, at least six foot seven, pale, 184 00:13:15,679 --> 00:13:19,639 with white hair combed back and jelled, intense blue eyes 185 00:13:19,720 --> 00:13:23,639 hidden behind a pair of sunglasses. I think you're looking 186 00:13:23,679 --> 00:13:27,519 for the men in the inner sanctum, he continued. Just 187 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:35,159 follow the crutches. The crutches can't miss him, and with 188 00:13:35,240 --> 00:13:41,759 that he left, just like he said. There were crutches 189 00:13:41,840 --> 00:13:46,320 covering the western wall, some short, some longs, some old. 190 00:13:47,399 --> 00:13:48,919 There was a wooden one that looked like it was 191 00:13:48,919 --> 00:13:52,279 about to fall apart. There were a couple of display 192 00:13:52,320 --> 00:13:57,399 cases lining the wall, showing off various strange items. The 193 00:13:57,399 --> 00:13:59,799 first one that caught my eye was half a human 194 00:13:59,840 --> 00:14:04,240 skull dipped in silver. There was a plaque next to it, 195 00:14:05,879 --> 00:14:13,799 the Society of Broken Necks. That was it es brown. 196 00:14:14,960 --> 00:14:17,399 It was a shortened code for whatever this group was, 197 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:21,600 and the half school was an icon. But what the 198 00:14:21,639 --> 00:14:25,519 hell had I gotten myself into? Was it a cult? 199 00:14:27,440 --> 00:14:31,080 I was browsing the many strange items displayed, trying to 200 00:14:31,120 --> 00:14:33,480 figure out what kind of people I was dealing with. 201 00:14:34,440 --> 00:14:37,399 For example, there was a film reel for something called 202 00:14:37,759 --> 00:14:41,559 The End of Eternity with a frame certificate of authenticity 203 00:14:41,639 --> 00:14:45,759 from director Roy Hampton. I was reading through the fine 204 00:14:45,759 --> 00:14:52,399 print and someone tapped my shoulder. Rain he got a 205 00:14:52,440 --> 00:14:56,720 copy from the congregation at the twelve Sky Assembly, she said, 206 00:14:57,159 --> 00:15:01,840 insane people, but they got all kinds of stuff. Is 207 00:15:01,879 --> 00:15:06,559 that any good? I haven't seen it, she smiled. I 208 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:11,759 don't think you're meant to, then why have it because 209 00:15:11,840 --> 00:15:17,080 others don't. It was time to meet the man of 210 00:15:17,120 --> 00:15:20,360 the hour. I never got to know his full or 211 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:25,039 real name, but they called him Garland. First time I 212 00:15:25,080 --> 00:15:27,759 saw him, he was sitting in what I can only 213 00:15:27,799 --> 00:15:31,600 describe as a leather throne. He kept his hands in 214 00:15:31,639 --> 00:15:35,919 two bowls of magenta colored sludge, like a porridge. It 215 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:40,919 smelled of chlorine and artificial flowers. Garland was the kind 216 00:15:40,919 --> 00:15:43,399 of person but you can tell how old they are. 217 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:47,159 He had the face and hair of a teenager, but 218 00:15:47,279 --> 00:15:51,000 the grainish beards double suggested he was older than he appeared. 219 00:15:52,240 --> 00:15:54,919 I couldn't get a good look at him, though I 220 00:15:54,919 --> 00:15:57,679 could barely see anything through the dark and the smoke. 221 00:15:59,159 --> 00:16:03,360 Rain went ahead, clearing the way for me approaching him. 222 00:16:03,720 --> 00:16:08,559 She turned to introduce me. I brought you a special friend, 223 00:16:09,159 --> 00:16:13,960 she said, pointing at me. I can see that Garland 224 00:16:13,960 --> 00:16:19,840 smiled nice Cain. He leaned back in his seat, keeping 225 00:16:19,879 --> 00:16:24,080 his hands soaked. He was very deliberate with his movements, 226 00:16:24,720 --> 00:16:29,480 like he explored every single muscle without breaking eye contact. 227 00:16:30,000 --> 00:16:33,279 He nodded at me, I can help you with that. 228 00:16:36,200 --> 00:16:38,559 The rest of that night, I was one of the 229 00:16:38,600 --> 00:16:41,879 in crowd. I literally just had to hold out a 230 00:16:41,919 --> 00:16:46,159 hand to get a drink. Turns out Garland co owned 231 00:16:46,159 --> 00:16:49,679 the place. He was a silent partner to a variety 232 00:16:49,679 --> 00:16:54,679 of hotels, motels, hostels, and event planning services. They were 233 00:16:54,720 --> 00:16:58,159 currently working with a partner up north, aiming to acquire 234 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,799 some cheap new locations in a last in northern Canada. 235 00:17:02,879 --> 00:17:05,000 I didn't like the way he said it, though, and 236 00:17:05,079 --> 00:17:07,519 it kind of sounded like there was someone doing something 237 00:17:07,559 --> 00:17:11,319 they shouldn't. At some point in the middle of the night, 238 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:14,920 I had to sit down with the rain. She was 239 00:17:14,960 --> 00:17:18,000 a bit tipsy, so she took the time to explain 240 00:17:18,039 --> 00:17:24,400 her relation to Garland. I was paralyzed, she said, waist down, 241 00:17:24,720 --> 00:17:31,880 completely paralyzed. And it got better better, she laughed, better 242 00:17:31,920 --> 00:17:35,440 than I've ever been. One session with Garland, and that's 243 00:17:35,480 --> 00:17:43,039 that one session. One session, she smiled as we clinked 244 00:17:43,079 --> 00:17:47,400 our glasses I could do one session. I'd pay a 245 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:52,920 lot for that. I stayed there until early morning, Just 246 00:17:52,960 --> 00:17:56,799 about an hour before the break of dawn. As I 247 00:17:56,839 --> 00:17:59,799 stumbled out, one of the doormen called me a cab 248 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:04,799 and put a card in my wallet, a time and 249 00:18:04,880 --> 00:18:10,799 a place I could barely wait. While I didn't trust 250 00:18:10,799 --> 00:18:14,759 this man, the results spoke for themselves. The thought of 251 00:18:14,839 --> 00:18:18,119 going back to normal ached me even worse than the 252 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:22,000 dull pain in my leg. The day before the meeting, 253 00:18:22,440 --> 00:18:26,160 I was proofreading and addendum to a contract. I'd been 254 00:18:26,200 --> 00:18:28,920 working on that thing all day, and I wasn't even 255 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:33,559 trying to seem interested. It was boilerplate stuff, and I 256 00:18:33,640 --> 00:18:38,559 considered just approving it as is without any clarification. I 257 00:18:38,599 --> 00:18:45,000 could barely pay attention anyway. Still, I soldiered on. I 258 00:18:45,039 --> 00:18:47,200 was on the last page when I got an e 259 00:18:47,200 --> 00:18:52,559 mail from a throwaway account. The initial line read our 260 00:18:52,599 --> 00:18:57,160 dearest broken neck friend. It was Garland and his people, 261 00:18:57,640 --> 00:19:02,000 contacting me ahead of my scheduled appoint and instead of 262 00:19:02,039 --> 00:19:06,920 payment for his services, he asked for some information. It 263 00:19:07,039 --> 00:19:10,440 wasn't anything big, just a copy of the document I 264 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,279 was working on. How he knew what I did for 265 00:19:13,279 --> 00:19:18,200 a living was disconcerting at best. There was no way. 266 00:19:19,519 --> 00:19:21,839 While it wasn't important in the big scale of things, 267 00:19:22,400 --> 00:19:26,960 it was technically a company secret. Still, I couldn't think 268 00:19:27,039 --> 00:19:30,400 of a way. Sharing that document would be inherently bad. 269 00:19:30,960 --> 00:19:35,519 It really was just the technicality. I wasn't thinking of 270 00:19:35,599 --> 00:19:39,519 anything but myself. I guess I wanted to feel normal, 271 00:19:40,039 --> 00:19:44,079 and having that within my grasp was too enticing. I 272 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:47,079 gone too far and seen what kind of people they were. 273 00:19:48,079 --> 00:19:51,279 Say what you will about Garland and his lifestyle. There 274 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:55,920 was something more to it, something mystical. I sent the 275 00:19:55,920 --> 00:20:00,640 document and covered my tracks. Looking back at it, it 276 00:20:00,839 --> 00:20:04,440 was dumb. I know. I'm sure you've done your fair 277 00:20:04,480 --> 00:20:08,200 share of stupid things behind closed doors as well. I 278 00:20:08,240 --> 00:20:10,519 went to see Garland at the hotel the next day. 279 00:20:11,559 --> 00:20:13,680 There was a small room hidden away in the spa, 280 00:20:14,599 --> 00:20:18,519 behind an unmarked door. It was easy enough to spot. 281 00:20:19,480 --> 00:20:24,480 Rain was waiting for me. You ready, she asked, not 282 00:20:24,599 --> 00:20:29,079 looking up from the floor. Yer, I said, what are 283 00:20:29,119 --> 00:20:35,400 you doing here? I'm your sponsor, she explained, I'm responsible. 284 00:20:37,960 --> 00:20:42,319 She nodded at me and tapped on the door. It 285 00:20:42,440 --> 00:20:47,720 swung open. It was a plain, white room with a 286 00:20:47,839 --> 00:20:52,240 single comfortable chair. It had the same chlorine smell that 287 00:20:52,319 --> 00:20:55,480 I'd noticed the last time I met Garland, the stuff 288 00:20:55,480 --> 00:20:58,960 he rubbed on his hands. Rain motioned at me to 289 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:03,839 sit down, so I did. I think I must have 290 00:21:03,920 --> 00:21:08,759 dozed off at some point. Garland was just there. I 291 00:21:08,799 --> 00:21:11,319 hadn't heard him enter the room, and he hadn't been 292 00:21:11,359 --> 00:21:15,759 there when I first arrived, and yet there he was. 293 00:21:17,480 --> 00:21:21,440 Rain welcomed him. Seconds later, A cold pair of hands 294 00:21:21,480 --> 00:21:25,160 brush away my hair, and another gently covered my eyes. 295 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:32,680 Try to relax. Garland said this won't take a minute, 296 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:39,240 and it really didn't. It's hard to explain the sensation. 297 00:21:40,480 --> 00:21:43,160 I felt like sinking into a warm bath after a 298 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:46,400 long day, like I'd had a full night's sleep after 299 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:50,720 a big dinner. My joints relaxed, and all the pain 300 00:21:50,920 --> 00:21:55,640 just melted away. As the pain in my leg evaporated, 301 00:21:56,240 --> 00:22:02,000 I almost cried. There was ap on my shoulder, and 302 00:22:02,279 --> 00:22:08,240 when I opened my eyes it was just me and 303 00:22:08,279 --> 00:22:20,400 I felt fine. The next few days were amazing. I 304 00:22:20,400 --> 00:22:22,799 could literally dance all the way to work if I 305 00:22:22,839 --> 00:22:27,960 wanted to. I slept better, food tasted better, my hair 306 00:22:28,039 --> 00:22:30,759 felt thicker, and my skin got a bit of a sheine. 307 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:37,839 Everything was just better. The only thing I noticed was 308 00:22:37,839 --> 00:22:40,039 that the moss on my leg was still a bit off. 309 00:22:41,039 --> 00:22:43,039 It was as if the damage was still there, but 310 00:22:43,200 --> 00:22:47,839 hidden away. I was so thankful. I would have done 311 00:22:47,960 --> 00:22:52,000 anything if Garland came asking, and it didn't take too 312 00:22:52,039 --> 00:22:57,839 long before he did. Another email dropped, this time asking 313 00:22:57,920 --> 00:23:00,720 for a whole slew of documents on our Nick project. 314 00:23:01,799 --> 00:23:04,839 Secret stuff the kind you can go to jail for 315 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:09,240 talking about. And while I was thankful, I had no 316 00:23:09,359 --> 00:23:16,319 intention of incriminating myself, Garland didn't like that, not one bit. 317 00:23:17,759 --> 00:23:21,599 I got one last message from an automated email address, 318 00:23:22,279 --> 00:23:26,240 I can take it all away. It read you got 319 00:23:26,319 --> 00:23:31,119 ten minutes. I didn't know what to believe, but given 320 00:23:31,160 --> 00:23:34,279 how suddenly I gotn't rid of that pain, it wouldn't 321 00:23:34,319 --> 00:23:37,079 surprise me if it was just as simple to return it. 322 00:23:38,119 --> 00:23:40,240 At that point, I still thought it was some kind 323 00:23:40,279 --> 00:23:44,440 of alternative medicine kind of deal. Maybe that was the scam, 324 00:23:45,039 --> 00:23:49,599 having to go back for refills. Either way, I wasn't 325 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,839 about to let it all go to waste. It was 326 00:23:52,920 --> 00:23:57,559 just words on paper. It couldn't hurt me. Besides, there 327 00:23:57,559 --> 00:24:00,839 were plenty of people at that party who'd probably included 328 00:24:00,920 --> 00:24:04,039 with Garland for a long time, and they seemed fine, 329 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:10,119 so I justified it over and over, trying to make 330 00:24:10,160 --> 00:24:15,880 it seem like a good idea. So yeah, I sent 331 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:22,240 him whatever he wanted. Seconds later, I got invited back 332 00:24:22,440 --> 00:24:26,160 to the hotel. And that's sort of how it went 333 00:24:26,240 --> 00:24:29,960 for some time. Garland would check on me and I'd 334 00:24:30,000 --> 00:24:33,240 send him copies. He'd invite me over to the hotel 335 00:24:33,319 --> 00:24:37,400 for pretty much whatever I wanted. And yeah, I knew 336 00:24:37,400 --> 00:24:42,359 it was bad, but I felt amazing. It was impossible 337 00:24:42,400 --> 00:24:45,039 to feel bad about my choices when everything in my 338 00:24:45,079 --> 00:24:48,319 body was screaming at me that this was the right 339 00:24:48,359 --> 00:24:51,400 thing to do. I got to sit in on all 340 00:24:51,519 --> 00:24:54,359 kinds of meetings between Garland and some of the other 341 00:24:54,440 --> 00:24:58,079 broken necks. They were talking about renting out a hotel 342 00:24:58,160 --> 00:25:01,839 for something they called the Blue Hill Tried meeting. It 343 00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:05,359 sounded like an event just like any other, but something 344 00:25:05,480 --> 00:25:08,160 about the way they talked about it made it sound 345 00:25:08,240 --> 00:25:12,359 shady as hell. There was always someone strange at the door, 346 00:25:12,960 --> 00:25:15,839 people wanting to hire a step minder, a guy who 347 00:25:15,839 --> 00:25:19,039 collected rare organs, a group of people who talked about 348 00:25:19,079 --> 00:25:23,000 getting back room access to a hotel. I'm not sure why, 349 00:25:23,039 --> 00:25:27,480 but it sounded like they were sneaking into rooms. These 350 00:25:27,599 --> 00:25:32,400 were shady people, and I was okay with it. It 351 00:25:32,519 --> 00:25:36,400 was like a drug. I couldn't stop myself. It felt 352 00:25:36,400 --> 00:25:38,880 like my body was in better condition than it had 353 00:25:38,920 --> 00:25:43,319 ever been, and yet I'd slip up every now and then. 354 00:25:44,480 --> 00:25:47,799 My leg wasn't really okay. It just kind of felt 355 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:53,279 like it was. I'd seen this and the other people too. Rain, 356 00:25:53,400 --> 00:25:56,640 for example, as soon as she took a scarf off, 357 00:25:56,960 --> 00:25:59,799 her head would bob back and forth like a muscle's 358 00:26:00,119 --> 00:26:04,200 supporting her. Other people in the society had a variety 359 00:26:04,240 --> 00:26:08,559 of issues, but Garland had helped them forget it. One 360 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:12,000 guy had an inverted knee like an ostrich. There was 361 00:26:12,039 --> 00:26:14,119 a woman who had an arm she could just twist 362 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:18,240 and turn any way she wanted. Hell, even the doorman 363 00:26:18,319 --> 00:26:23,279 seemed to have issues. I think they had actually broken necks. 364 00:26:23,680 --> 00:26:26,319 The thought hit me that some of these people might 365 00:26:26,400 --> 00:26:29,720 actually die if it wasn't for Garland and his treatment. 366 00:26:30,720 --> 00:26:33,519 Maybe they really didn't have a choice but to serve. 367 00:26:35,720 --> 00:26:38,440 I couldn't help but to notice some cracks in the veneer. 368 00:26:39,759 --> 00:26:44,240 It started with Rain. She was having trouble giving Garland 369 00:26:44,319 --> 00:26:47,640 something he demanded once, and he wasn't happy about it. 370 00:26:48,759 --> 00:26:50,960 He invited me over to the side of his throne 371 00:26:51,000 --> 00:26:53,799 in the middle of a society gathering, and raised his 372 00:26:53,880 --> 00:26:57,880 hand out of the bowl, pointing at Rain. His hand 373 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:03,839 seemed to mummify. Seconds later, Rain's head swung back and 374 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:07,480 forth like a bobble head as whatever strength she'd had 375 00:27:07,519 --> 00:27:12,440 in her neck waned. She begged and pleaded, and then 376 00:27:12,480 --> 00:27:15,920 collapsed to the floor. She swore she'd get it done 377 00:27:16,319 --> 00:27:20,440 whatever he wanted. Rain lay in the floor like a 378 00:27:20,480 --> 00:27:24,319 broken doll, barely able to move her eyes and arms. 379 00:27:24,799 --> 00:27:28,759 She had trouble breathing. I wanted to go up and help, 380 00:27:29,640 --> 00:27:33,640 but I couldn't. The entire room was acting like nothing 381 00:27:33,759 --> 00:27:39,359 was happening. When Garland was satisfied with her promises, he 382 00:27:39,519 --> 00:27:43,720 raised his other hand at her. His hand mummified and 383 00:27:43,880 --> 00:27:48,319 Rain's legs started moving again. I offered a help, but 384 00:27:48,559 --> 00:27:52,079 she got up on her own. As she stormed off, 385 00:27:52,799 --> 00:27:57,720 Garland waved me over. You keep doing what you do, 386 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:05,920 he smiled, and that won't be you. This was the 387 00:28:05,960 --> 00:28:11,880 status quo for months. At least once a week I'd 388 00:28:11,880 --> 00:28:15,119 go see Garland. He got me a new car, he 389 00:28:15,200 --> 00:28:19,039 paid for an apartment, and Whenever I'd ran into a problem, 390 00:28:19,359 --> 00:28:24,960 he'd fix it, be it economical, physical, whatever. He had 391 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:29,200 a guy for everything, stocks, in investments, he had a 392 00:28:29,240 --> 00:28:32,960 sure thing private jet to Italy on the ground in 393 00:28:33,079 --> 00:28:37,440 six hours flat, no questions asked. But I saw some 394 00:28:37,559 --> 00:28:42,000 nasty stuff. People losing control of their bodies, falling to 395 00:28:42,079 --> 00:28:46,680 the floor, screaming, entire groups of people begging at Garland's feet. 396 00:28:47,839 --> 00:28:51,039 He'd hand out gifts and punishments like it was nothing, 397 00:28:51,759 --> 00:28:58,000 seemingly at random. But to me, I mean I was 398 00:28:58,039 --> 00:29:06,920 doing okay, no repercussions. I was fine, But that changed. 399 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:12,519 My company was running into issues where competing firms were 400 00:29:12,559 --> 00:29:16,640 beating us to new contracts. We were facing contract breaches 401 00:29:16,839 --> 00:29:20,680 and a loss of revenue. Our stock prices were tanking, 402 00:29:21,160 --> 00:29:25,200 and someone was buying out minor share investors. All of 403 00:29:25,240 --> 00:29:29,839 a sudden, we were getting uncomfortable questions, people being called 404 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:34,200 in for meetings. It was checking our emails. Sure, I'd 405 00:29:34,200 --> 00:29:38,960 cover my tracks, but I was getting nervous. And in 406 00:29:39,000 --> 00:29:46,079 the middle of all this, Garland wanted more. He didn't 407 00:29:46,119 --> 00:29:49,359 care if I got caught or not. He wanted his 408 00:29:50,839 --> 00:29:54,279 and nothing I said would get in the way. But 409 00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:58,559 I literally couldn't get his documents anymore. He was read alert. 410 00:30:00,319 --> 00:30:04,559 I was sweating bullets. I sent back a message telling 411 00:30:04,640 --> 00:30:08,519 him I couldn't get it. I got the same standard 412 00:30:08,519 --> 00:30:13,960 message as always, I can take it all away. You 413 00:30:14,079 --> 00:30:19,880 got ten minutes. I tried to explain I couldn't get 414 00:30:19,880 --> 00:30:22,119 to it. I checked if I could log into an 415 00:30:22,160 --> 00:30:26,160 alternate account and access the folders anonymously, but there was 416 00:30:26,240 --> 00:30:30,880 no way. Passwords were changed, there were new logs procedures 417 00:30:30,920 --> 00:30:37,160 to record our activity. It was over. I couldn't do it. 418 00:30:38,480 --> 00:30:41,319 I just stared at my phone as ten minutes past, 419 00:30:43,359 --> 00:30:48,359 but there was no message. Nothing. I locked at my leg, 420 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:52,240 expecting it to wake with the pain I hadn't felt 421 00:30:52,240 --> 00:30:55,279 for so long come back. What was going to happen 422 00:30:55,319 --> 00:30:59,920 to me? I figured I had two choices. I could 423 00:31:00,079 --> 00:31:03,279 try get to Garlands and plead my case, or hurried 424 00:31:03,319 --> 00:31:07,319 back home and tried to cover my tracks. I was 425 00:31:07,359 --> 00:31:12,319 out in the parking lot in about two minutes. Suddenly 426 00:31:12,920 --> 00:31:17,160 I was getting calls from random numbers, texts from unknown people. 427 00:31:18,119 --> 00:31:21,200 My landlord was texting me something about my lease being invalid. 428 00:31:21,960 --> 00:31:25,720 I couldn't even get my car to start. Garland had 429 00:31:25,799 --> 00:31:30,359 people who could shut it off remotely, and I think 430 00:31:30,400 --> 00:31:34,519 he used it. I got in a cab, feeling my 431 00:31:34,599 --> 00:31:39,079 phone buzz with messages and calls. He was all falling apart. 432 00:31:40,480 --> 00:31:44,079 I'd failed Garland and he was pulling the rug out. 433 00:31:45,519 --> 00:31:48,240 I had some incriminating stuff on my own computer that 434 00:31:48,319 --> 00:31:51,799 I had to clear, but that was it. Just one 435 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:56,039 little car ride and that'd be that. About halfway to 436 00:31:56,119 --> 00:32:00,559 my place, the taxi stopped. He just pulled over by 437 00:32:00,559 --> 00:32:05,039 the side of the highway. The driver leaned back. I'm 438 00:32:05,079 --> 00:32:08,960 on break, he said. Supervisor said, I'm taking a break. 439 00:32:10,200 --> 00:32:13,920 You can't just I gotta get home. I'm on break, 440 00:32:14,400 --> 00:32:20,880 but I got it on break. Didn't matter what I said. 441 00:32:21,440 --> 00:32:27,319 I was stranded. I got out, and the moment my 442 00:32:27,400 --> 00:32:32,519 feet touched the asphalt, he sped off. I was standing 443 00:32:32,559 --> 00:32:35,279 by the side of the highway screaming at him to 444 00:32:35,279 --> 00:32:39,200 come back. He was already dark out, and all I 445 00:32:39,279 --> 00:32:42,599 saw were anonymous cars speeding past that seventy five miles 446 00:32:42,640 --> 00:32:46,920 per hour. I could barely navigate anything on my phone. 447 00:32:47,519 --> 00:32:51,319 I kept getting pop ups. They had evolved from messages 448 00:32:51,359 --> 00:32:56,920 to constant spam. My internet connection was down to Garland 449 00:32:57,160 --> 00:32:59,920 was pulling out all the stops to show his disappe. 450 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:04,599 I managed to get to a diner further down the road. 451 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:08,920 Old timey place meant for about twelve guests at most. 452 00:33:10,240 --> 00:33:13,440 There were a handful of other people there, mostly truckers. 453 00:33:14,359 --> 00:33:16,880 They sort of looked like a refurbished bus with the 454 00:33:17,000 --> 00:33:21,880 kitchen welded on. I hurried inside, asking if I could 455 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:25,079 borrow a phone and call a cab. The two other 456 00:33:25,119 --> 00:33:28,319 guests followed me with their eyes, unsure what to make 457 00:33:28,359 --> 00:33:32,640 of me. The owner didn't seem to mind. She could 458 00:33:32,640 --> 00:33:35,880 tell I was having a rough day. She picked up 459 00:33:35,920 --> 00:33:39,440 a phone and dialed a number. I barely got time 460 00:33:39,519 --> 00:33:44,839 to sit down before I saw her expression change. Someone 461 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:52,160 was calling her. I was probably being tracked. She turned 462 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:54,599 to me, looking through a hole in the kitchen door. 463 00:33:55,519 --> 00:33:57,680 She shook her head and told me she was sorry. 464 00:33:59,079 --> 00:34:02,920 Moments later she was out of the door and the 465 00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:09,960 lights went out. Three men entered the diner. The two 466 00:34:10,000 --> 00:34:15,599 truckers looked at them, then me, and promptly left. It 467 00:34:15,679 --> 00:34:18,840 had barely been a couple of minutes, and sure I 468 00:34:18,960 --> 00:34:22,079 was stronger and healthier than ever, but I couldn't take 469 00:34:22,119 --> 00:34:26,880 on three people. As the front door closed, I heard 470 00:34:26,880 --> 00:34:31,360 the click of a telescope bat on unfolding. For a moment, 471 00:34:32,159 --> 00:34:36,840 it was all quiet. I tried to make my case slowly. 472 00:34:38,280 --> 00:34:42,599 I couldn't get to it. I said, I'm sorry, not 473 00:34:42,840 --> 00:34:47,199 good enough. One of them approached me, holding the bat 474 00:34:47,199 --> 00:34:51,119 in towards me like a pointing stick. It poked against 475 00:34:51,159 --> 00:34:55,039 my chest. I could feel my heart beating through my clothes, 476 00:34:55,360 --> 00:34:59,280 as if trying to push it away. You went back in. 477 00:35:00,039 --> 00:35:04,039 You're gonna have to do better. I'm out, I said, 478 00:35:04,679 --> 00:35:09,880 I can't. I'm out. You sure about that. I don't 479 00:35:09,880 --> 00:35:15,760 want to be a problem. The three men looked at 480 00:35:15,760 --> 00:35:19,679 one another. Getting a better view of them, I could 481 00:35:19,719 --> 00:35:23,880 see these were men deep in Garland's pockets. One had 482 00:35:23,920 --> 00:35:27,440 a neck like a bobble head, similar to rain, Another 483 00:35:27,519 --> 00:35:30,199 had these strange ticks from his arm all the way 484 00:35:30,280 --> 00:35:34,559 up to his eye, some kind of nerve damage. And 485 00:35:34,639 --> 00:35:38,400 the third, the guy with the baton. His eyes were 486 00:35:38,440 --> 00:35:42,079 pale white, like he was supposed to be blind, but 487 00:35:42,159 --> 00:35:47,519 he clearly wasn't. He's gonna ruin your life, the blind 488 00:35:47,559 --> 00:35:53,519 man said, ain't no question about it, he already has. 489 00:35:55,360 --> 00:35:57,880 The three of them gave each other a curious look, 490 00:35:58,679 --> 00:36:03,280 and I saw an opportunity. Their guard was down and 491 00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:06,679 I had a clear shot to the front door. Neither 492 00:36:06,760 --> 00:36:10,039 of them had locked it. I had to go for it. 493 00:36:11,840 --> 00:36:14,760 I burst into a sprint, barely making it past the 494 00:36:14,800 --> 00:36:18,800 first two and pushing aside the third. I flew through 495 00:36:18,840 --> 00:36:22,960 the door, stumbling out into the parking lot gravel. There 496 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:26,239 was a single light post overhead, casting the parking lot 497 00:36:26,360 --> 00:36:31,559 in long shadows. Another twelve or so people waited for 498 00:36:31,679 --> 00:36:36,199 me outside some with crooked legs and backs, one woman 499 00:36:36,360 --> 00:36:39,559 with no lips, a man with an open gunshot wound 500 00:36:39,559 --> 00:36:43,360 to the neck. These weren't the people you'd see at 501 00:36:43,360 --> 00:36:48,079 the parties. These with a secret backbone. I kept Garland 502 00:36:48,079 --> 00:36:52,159 and his group floating. These with the real broken necks, 503 00:36:52,840 --> 00:36:57,199 the people who brought in the money, one more ghoulish 504 00:36:57,239 --> 00:37:00,719 than the next. They circled around me with nie and guns. 505 00:37:01,480 --> 00:37:04,480 One guy was carrying a car battery and cables tossed 506 00:37:04,519 --> 00:37:10,679 over his shoulder. Bad move, said the blind man, Real 507 00:37:10,880 --> 00:37:15,599 bad move. I tried to run for it, but it 508 00:37:15,679 --> 00:37:19,679 was too late. I got grabbed, pushed back, and the 509 00:37:19,760 --> 00:37:24,320 circle tightened. Someone had a bad lung, making their laughs 510 00:37:24,320 --> 00:37:28,000 sound like a stalling engine. A baton strike to the 511 00:37:28,079 --> 00:37:31,159 back of my leg put me on the ground. It 512 00:37:31,199 --> 00:37:34,440 didn't matter what I said or what I promised, they 513 00:37:34,480 --> 00:37:39,159 weren't having it. These were people that without Garland and 514 00:37:39,239 --> 00:37:45,679 his touch, they'd be dead or worse. I was just 515 00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:49,280 the sellout with a bomb leg. They'd done far worse 516 00:37:49,440 --> 00:37:52,840 to far better people, and they were going to do 517 00:37:52,880 --> 00:38:00,400 something far worse than just mess up my leg. Going 518 00:38:00,440 --> 00:38:03,000 to go into detail on the twenty minute abuse. I 519 00:38:03,079 --> 00:38:07,239 lived through the cuts, the beatings, the gasoline water boarding, 520 00:38:08,000 --> 00:38:11,599 all from a crowd of broken bodies, crooked smiles and 521 00:38:11,679 --> 00:38:16,360 heaving laughter. I remember a darkness descending on me as 522 00:38:16,400 --> 00:38:19,320 my head desperately tried to carry blood back to my brain. 523 00:38:20,480 --> 00:38:23,840 I was dipping in and out of consciousness, waning back 524 00:38:23,880 --> 00:38:26,760 and forth between begging for it to end and hoping 525 00:38:26,800 --> 00:38:33,400 I could pull through, that some miracle would show itself. Instead, 526 00:38:35,400 --> 00:38:41,280 I heard Garland as the beating stopped. His voice boiled 527 00:38:41,320 --> 00:38:46,800 its way into my blood stained ear. I could fix you, 528 00:38:46,800 --> 00:38:51,239 you know, he said. If I did, I could put 529 00:38:51,280 --> 00:38:58,159 you right back here. That's a strong incentive. He stepped back. 530 00:38:59,119 --> 00:39:02,239 I heard the crowd and pose itself ready for anything. 531 00:39:03,480 --> 00:39:10,159 But what's the point, he sighed, You're not trustworthy. You're nothing. 532 00:39:12,639 --> 00:39:17,559 He brush some hair aside, and with that he left 533 00:39:18,800 --> 00:39:23,199 and threw all the burning wounds and scathing clothes. I 534 00:39:23,239 --> 00:39:29,960 felt something in my leg, that everlasting, dull, throbbing nerve damage. 535 00:39:31,760 --> 00:39:36,079 True to his word, I was right back to where 536 00:39:36,119 --> 00:39:41,239 I started. One of the truckers who'd been at the 537 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:45,079 diner had called the cops, but they conveniently only showed 538 00:39:45,159 --> 00:39:49,159 up after the beating was over, and from what little 539 00:39:49,199 --> 00:39:52,440 I heard through my swollen ears, they weren't really there 540 00:39:52,480 --> 00:39:55,440 to check on me. They were there from an anonymous 541 00:39:55,480 --> 00:39:58,960 tip pointing me out as an insider in breach of contract. 542 00:40:00,440 --> 00:40:03,960 I was still in the hospital when I got the news. 543 00:40:04,719 --> 00:40:09,639 I lost everything, my job, my apartment, my car, my phone, 544 00:40:09,719 --> 00:40:16,480 my savings, hell, even my freedom. Some one had served 545 00:40:16,480 --> 00:40:21,039 the prosecutor a case on a silver platter. Four years 546 00:40:21,159 --> 00:40:26,559 was the best deal I could get. Nowadays, that life 547 00:40:26,599 --> 00:40:31,039 is behind me, it feels like yesterday, and the scars 548 00:40:31,079 --> 00:40:35,400 are still there. I know I messed up. I know 549 00:40:35,519 --> 00:40:38,480 a lot of this was my own doing, and I 550 00:40:38,559 --> 00:40:42,800 accept that I'm being honest. I thought I could get 551 00:40:42,840 --> 00:40:46,679 away with it. When you're in that cloud, in that 552 00:40:46,800 --> 00:40:52,119 inner circle, it all just feels right not just physically 553 00:40:52,960 --> 00:40:58,440 but socially. I've seen Rain a couple of times. She's 554 00:40:58,519 --> 00:41:02,760 back in a wheel chair. I don't think Garland appreciated 555 00:41:02,800 --> 00:41:06,320 her role as my sponsor, but she's not out of 556 00:41:06,360 --> 00:41:10,280 his good graces yet. She still has a job and 557 00:41:10,320 --> 00:41:14,119 she refuses to talk to me. I think Garland is 558 00:41:14,199 --> 00:41:17,920 keeping her on a short leash, and if she does well, 559 00:41:18,719 --> 00:41:24,599 she might have a way back in. But me, I mean, 560 00:41:25,199 --> 00:41:29,280 I'm out. I don't know what the society does nowadays, 561 00:41:30,639 --> 00:41:34,360 and I'm not sure I want to. I don't want 562 00:41:34,400 --> 00:41:36,800 anything to do with that part of the world anymore. 563 00:41:38,360 --> 00:41:40,800 I guess I should be thankful that they didn't take 564 00:41:40,840 --> 00:41:47,360 me out completely. Maybe I'm worth more as an example.