The Irrational (2023) s02e08 Episode Script
Lost Souls
1
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[SCREAMS]
[GROANING] Ooh.
[KNOCKS]
Alec?
Coach Luka. Sorry, stomach cramps.
What are you doing here?
One of your tennis protégés
needs some behavioral psych pointers?
Nothing like that.
We have a concern about
one of the players I coach.
- We need your help.
- Hi, I'm Dionne Butler.
Shanae Butler's mother.
Oh, I saw her play at the U.S. Open.
- She's amazing.
- She's missing.
And we're worried something terrible
- might have happened to her.
- Please.
Shanae sponsors
a youth tournament in Fairfax.
She didn't show at the
player reception this morning.
Shanae has never been late
for an appearance
in her entire career,
at least not while my husband
was coaching her.
David couldn't get her
above a 50 ranking.
- I coached her to 23.
- You got her injured.
- And now, she's missing.
- OK, let's focus on Shanae.
When was the last time anyone saw her?
She and I talked on the phone yesterday.
Before we came here,
we checked Shanae's house.
Her dog, Wimby, was home alone.
There was no food.
He drank all of his water, like
he'd been left alone overnight.
And then, there's the security cameras.
Look.
My daughter has never taken
a cab in her entire life.
Has anyone contacted the police?
She hasn't been gone long enough,
for them to open a case,
and by the time they do,
we worry it may be too late.
Luka says you're
the smartest person he knows,
and that you've found
missing people before.
Please, help us find my daughter.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
And that right there
is what makes
Shanae Butler a rising star
in the world of tennis today.
Shanae Butler is a world-class athlete
at the top of her game.
What would make her vanish
without telling a soul?
- Theories?
- Mental health break?
Substance abuse.
Uh, romantic getaway
with a secret lover?
It's possible.
None of them explains
why she left her dog alone.
Yes, S-H-A-N-A-E.
Yes, um, I need
to confirm my last charge.
Can you tell me the amount?
What's she doing?
Pretexting.
Pretending to be Shanae
to get info from her bank.
It's a trick private investigators
and hackers use to get sensitive data.
Oh, yes, I did use the app.
What's the name of the company again?
Really? Do you have a phone number?
Thank you. This helps a lot.
Sometimes, the old ways are the best.
The last transaction
was to a Reggie Gordon,
taxi emoji in the description.
- Ta-da.
- Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
In the meantime, it is
homecoming weekend at Hampton,
and I am getting inducted
into the Marching Band
Circle of Honor.
So it's been real, y'all,
but I got to go.
Would you mind staying
for a little while longer?
If Reggie is not our answer,
I may need another dose of ta-da.
Oh, how long? 'Cause I don't
want to miss the Step Show.
Reggie will be here in 10 minutes.
I don't know who that girl is.
Look, do you guys want a ride or not?
Reggie, you picked up Shanae Butler,
and then she disappeared.
That means you were the
last person to see her alive.
You know that doesn't
look good for you, right?
You think I did something to her?
OK, that's crazy.
Then tell us what happened to her.
Otherwise, we'll let the police
draw their own conclusions.
OK, she asked me to take her
up to this parking lot
way up in the National Forest,
nothing but trees.
I left her there alive.
Look, I didn't do anything to her.
You expect us to believe
[VOICE ECHOING] That a woman asked
to be dropped off in
the middle of nowhere, alone?
I mean, that makes no damn sense.
Alec, help me out here.
I can't. I can't.
Alec? Alec!
Alec?
[INDISTINCT PA CHATTER]
Excuse me. I'm here to see Alec Mercer.
Is he out of surgery?
I'm sorry. I can only share
patient information
with immediate family.
Good thing I'm his wife.
Well, that makes two of you.
OK, thank you.
It's complicated, but both
Marisa and I are family.
- You made it.
- I was in Los Angeles.
I came as soon as I heard.
Hey, the surgery went well.
He should be waking up soon.
[GRUNTS]
The surgeon said that you have
trauma-induced appendicitis.
You probably got it from that hit
you took to the stomach
at that K-Pop convention.
He said that's what killed Houdini.
For my next trick
Nah, your next trick is bed rest.
You're stuck here for a few days.
His scar tissue means that the incision
will take extra time to heal.
Oh, you're hurting.
I assume opioids are
out of the question.
I would love some,
but I'd love them too much.
I have lots of practice
dealing with pain.
And you still keep pushing your luck?
You let yourself
get kidnapped by a psycho.
And stood in front of an oncoming train.
All that risky business
finally caught up with you.
Alec let himself get
kidnapped to save me.
He only takes risks
to help other people.
I'm sorry I worried you,
and I made you miss
the first part of homecoming.
Alec, homecoming is just an event.
I can't lose my big brother.
[TENDER MUSIC]
You won't.
Speaking of losing people,
any update on Shanae Butler?
Oh, I can't with you.
We got an alert on her a few hours ago.
The police are looking for her.
The Rangers are combing
the National Forest.
Nothing yet.
The police were able to clear
Shanae's cab driver at least.
Some hikers saw him
drop her off at a trailhead.
They posted a picture on social media.
[PHONE RINGS]
That's my bandmate.
Go, we've got him.
Hey, no, family emergency.
I can't help find Shanae from this bed.
Can you please talk to my doctor,
to see if I can get out of here?
First escape attempt, right on schedule.
Only 40% of missing hikers
are found alive.
Studies show that people
really do walk in circles
when they're lost.
And you hate being in the hospital.
It's very noble of you to want to help,
but shall we discuss the pros and cons?
There's nothing to discuss.
You're not leaving this room.
The people looking for Shanae
won't understand her psychology.
- They might not ever find her.
- I'll do it.
I'll open an FBI inquiry,
work with your staff,
- take point on the search.
- I can help.
I found a missing person
or two in my day.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[SIGHS] But promise me
that you'll keep me updated.
This is not a negotiation.
You will rest, and we will find her.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Marisa, before we plunge into this,
I wanted to apologize.
At the hospital, I overstepped.
It's just, I care for Alec
and want to help.
You love him.
And I'm happy for you both.
But you should know that Alec,
with his scars,
he's always one bad day
away from a crisis,
and Alec in the hospital
is a whole thing.
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
And this time, I wasn't
there when he needed me.
You got back as fast as you could.
You should just know
what you're getting into.
I'm learning.
But I'm part of Alec's life now.
I want to be there for him.
He's certainly always been there for me.
As long as your eyes are open.
How's the professor?
- Recovering. What have you got?
- I'll show you, come on!
Is this the end of Shanae
Butler's remarkable run?
While we still can't rule out foul play,
our main concern right now
is Shanae's mental state.
Two years ago, Shanae
went through a bad slump.
She lost a bunch of matches
she should have easily won.
That's when she switched coaches.
She went from her stepfather,
David, to Luka.
She started winning again,
but then she got injured.
Since then, she's been struggling.
We found some alarming quotes.
That's all on me.
I've just never been
so frustrated.
I'm just really disappointed
in myself.
Heading into the woods
with that mindset could be bad.
People sometimes seek peaceful locations
to do self-harm,
like that Japanese forest
that's infamous for suicides.
[PHONE DINGS]
Looks like the forest
that Shanae went into
is not so peaceful right now.
They're experiencing high wind gusts.
The Forest Service has just
grounded their air assets.
No eyes in the sky, that could make
finding Shanae much more difficult.
She's been in those woods
two nights already.
Her time is running out.
I learned wilderness survival from MI6,
and I once spent two weeks
in the Zagros Mountains
finding a nature photographer
who accidentally crossed into Iran.
I should get out there.
And we can't rule out
an attack or a kidnapping.
- Let's go.
- That's great.
I want to run an experiment
that'll help your search.
I'll get my team on it.
And, listen, thanks for the update.
- You got it.
- I'll talk to you later.
Bye.
[GRUNTS]
No, ah, ah, ah, ah. No. Stay.
Bad Alec.
I forgot what
a terrible patient you are.
I must have blocked it out.
It sounds like dissociative amnesia.
Alec-induced dissociative amnesia.
[LAUGHS]
[KNOCKS]
Professor, you said
you needed to talk with us.
- I do.
- Oh, are you kidding me?
You scheduled a meeting in the hospital?
- Just give us a moment.
- OK.
I'll go grab a bite.
But when I come back,
you'd better be asleep.
Uh [CHUCKLES]
You must be Shanae's stepfather.
David.
So the police said that
that cab dropped Shanae off
- at the National Forest?
- It did.
We're just not sure why she went there.
We don't understand it ourselves.
You may be able to eliminate
some possibilities.
One theory is Shanae might have
been planning to hurt herself.
No, no, that's not our Shanae.
Even if she was frustrated
by her injury?
All Shanae wants is to heal.
I mean, she puts everything
into her recovery.
She spends more time with
Monica than anyone else in her life.
Monica Steele is
Shanae's physiotherapist.
And she can tell you how
dedicated Shanae has been.
My daughter would never hurt herself.
OK, another theory, does Shanae
ever use nature to relieve stress,
- hikes, walking on the beach?
- Not particularly.
Nae's happy place is the tennis court.
She deals with stress
through competition.
Yeah.
I understand that her competitive life
wasn't all that happy,
even before the injury.
She changed coaches.
David did his best coaching Nae.
I mean, he's an ex-pro himself.
And he's the one who first
discovered her potential.
- But, uh
- She hit a plateau.
So I stepped aside,
and we brought in Coach Luka.
Which was a mistake.
I know that's your friend,
but Luka pushed Nae too hard.
And look what happened.
You're blaming Luka for her injury?
It's not just us, Monica too.
She and Luka have been pointing fingers
at each other since it happened.
I mean, you ask me, neither one wants
to take the career hit
of getting Nae hurt.
I want to talk to Monica.
Can you get me her contact info?
Yeah, of course, right away.
Thank you.
I realized, mid-match,
my power game wasn't working,
so I switched to serve
and volley and wore her down.
- Any more insights?
- Yeah, a few.
Shanae's a risk taker
with a super-aggressive
playing style, which might explain
why she'd venture into the woods alone.
She knows when to press and
when to dial it back though.
In interviews, she talks a lot
about adjusting on the fly.
That kind of mental flexibility
is what sets
the world's best athletes apart.
Adaptive thinking
could help keep her alive,
but we still need to find her.
The professor wants us
to run an experiment
on how people act when they're lost.
We'd need an environment
where people can get lost,
but where we can watch them
the whole time.
[CHUCKLES]
[BRIGHT MUSIC]
I know just the place.
♪
I love it. Get on that right away.
- Thanks, Phoebe.
- [PHONE BEEPS]
- [KNOCKS]
- Can I help you?
That's usually my line.
I'm Father Gabe. I volunteer here.
Any interest in spiritual counseling?
I appreciate the offer.
I'm I'm not very religious.
[LAUGHS]
Me neither.
I'll be around if you change your mind.
♪
I hate the woods.
I could tell when we stopped for gear
that you aren't much of a hiker.
And you are.
Though I wasn't expecting you
to go so extra.
When it comes to hiking,
it's best to be prepared.
I'm a city girl.
The only gear that I knew
to bring was a sat phone.
The service up here
can be pretty spotty.
Hey, you can't be here.
Special Agent Clark, FBI.
We're looking for Shanae Butler.
Yeah, we were, too,
but that badge isn't
going to stop a forest fire.
- A fire?
- It just sparked a few valleys over.
Whole area's under an evac order.
So the Forest Service has
called off the search for Shanae?
With these winds, that fire can jump
this way without warning.
We'll take our chances.
We'll alert our supervisors
you're in the area.
Stay safe.
So do the people who saw Shanae
know which path she took?
Unfortunately, no.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You and Shanae both lack
wilderness experience,
so which route would you take?
♪
That way. It's wide.
It's clean and the least naturey.
Brilliant. Shall we?
Let's do it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Your family owns a hedge maze?
Dude, you made us split
the lunch bill yesterday.
I didn't want to insult you.
- Now, I'm even more insulted.
- Guys, focus.
Our first group
of test subjects is waiting.
Let's review the conditions.
We'll tell control groups
to have fun, explore the maze.
I mean, they'll represent
people who aren't lost since
they won't have any goals.
And test groups will be told
that anyone who reaches
the center in under 15 minutes
gets $500,
to simulate the pressure
and panic of getting lost.
Observe and record. Let's go.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
♪
[PARTICIPANTS SHOUTING AND LAUGHING]
♪
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[STRAINED SOBS ECHOING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Marisa?
♪
Yeah, what's up?
Look, there might be something here,
this print in the mud.
♪
That matches the shoe Shanae was wearing
when she left the house.
We're on the right track.
Another one.
Based on the spacing,
she was running toward some goal.
Or away from something or someone.
♪
Damn.
It looks like the trail's
been washed out for a while,
but the map we downloaded
isn't up to date.
Which means Shanae wouldn't
have known about it either.
So where would she have gone from here?
There are a few side trails,
or she may have doubled back.
She probably wouldn't
have doubled back actually.
Our data shows that.
Phoebe was just going over the
results of our maze experiment.
The key takeaway is
that when people get lost,
they often fall prey
to myopic optimization.
They tend to follow
the best looking path
in any given situation,
without backtracking
or taking time to figure out
the bigger picture.
Which means that when
Shanae hit the washout,
she would have tried
to keep moving forward.
So which path most closely
follows the main trail?
Well, there's a parallel track,
but the footing is atrocious.
That probably wouldn't
have stopped Shanae.
She has a lot of self-confidence,
and it's usually justified.
OK, we'll try it.
Hi, sorry for interrupting.
I'm Monica Steele.
You requested a physio eval?
That was a lie.
I actually have some questions
about Shanae Butler.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Playing professional tennis
is like riding a motorcycle.
It's not whether
you're going to get hurt,
it's when and how bad.
So how bad is Shanae's injury, really?
Career ending?
She's never going to play
tennis again, is she?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
Surgery didn't take.
Her rotator cuff will never fully heal.
Her tennis career is over.
Who else knows this?
Just her, me, and her surgeon.
She wasn't ready to go public yet.
Has Shanae been despondent?
Suicidal?
She's been a determined badass as usual.
She decided, just because she can't
keep playing tennis, that
doesn't mean she can't compete.
She found a new sport.
Nae's shoulder
doesn't limit her running.
She's got great speed,
impeccable stamina,
so she's been training
as a marathon runner.
And how's that going?
It's, uh it's a work in progress.
She keeps bonking.
Human body stores about
1,800 calories of glycogen.
Running a mile burns 100 calories.
A marathon is 26.2 miles.
So at 18 miles, the body's
emergency stores are gone.
She can't get past 18 miles,
which sucks because otherwise,
her times are world-class.
So Shanae hits a wall with tennis,
finds another sport,
hits another wall there.
How far will Shanae go
to keep competing?
A Ulysses pact, that's a new one.
It's a deal someone strikes
with themselves
to achieve a goal,
engineering the situation
so they have no choice but to succeed.
Like Ulysses tying himself
to his ship's mast
so he can listen to
the siren's tempting song
without drowning himself
trying to reach them.
Or a dieter getting rid
of all the sweets
- so he can't snack.
- Exactly.
In Shanae's case,
she had Reggie drop her off
26.2 miles, by trail, from her home
in an area with terrible cell reception
and almost no roads.
She wanted to complete a marathon,
so she made running one her only option.
So when she found her path washed out,
she would have had to improvise.
I used a running app
to map her possible routes,
same as she would have.
Is there a path that leads
downhill from where you are?
There is.
It's steep, almost straight
down into a ravine.
That might be it.
OK, we'll try it.
Oh, no.
Oh, no, what?
[TENSE MUSIC]
You were right.
She came this way.
We found her phone.
Looks like she fell.
She could be close.
We're going down there.
Please be careful.
Yeah, OK.
[ROCKS CRUNCHING]
Wait, I see Shanae.
Red jacket in the ravine by the rocks.
- We need to get to her.
- Is she OK?
Looks like she's hurt.
Hey! Shanae?
- You all right?
- Help!
[GUNSHOT]
Gunshot. A hunter?
[GUNSHOT]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Get down.
♪
[GUNSHOT]
Those aren't stray bullets.
Someone's trying to kill her.
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[GUNSHOTS, GUN CLICKING]
[GASPS]
Wait, someone is shooting at Shanae?
She's pulled herself under some rocks.
We got to get her out of here.
I got to go.
Call 911. I'll get Forest Service.
- On it.
- The shooter outranges me.
I can't even see them from here.
Not one hit so far.
I think it's safe to say
that whoever's shooting
isn't a trained sniper.
Not police, not military,
he's probably never been shot at.
I'm going to fire at the shooter.
- [GUNSHOT]
- I doubt I'll hit him.
But it should scare him
into taking cover.
Suppressive fire, good idea.
I'll get Shanae.
I'll whistle when we're safe. Go.
[GUNFIRE]
[GUNSHOT]
[GUNFIRE]
Shanae, my name is Rose.
I'm here to get you home.
My arm, I think it's broken.
Do you know who's shooting at you?
No, I don't know why
anyone would do this.
OK, we'll figure it out.
When it's clear,
we'll make a break for it.
[GUN CLICKS]
[GUNSHOT]
The sat phone, damn it.
- Clear!
- OK, come on, let's go.
I got you.
[WHISTLES]
♪
Still nothing from Marisa or Rose?
Nothing.
Their cell phones
keep going to voicemail.
And Marisa's sat phone isn't pinging
her location anymore, so
She may have run out of power
or it could be broken.
That's the most optimistic explanation.
But the Ulysses pact
took Shanae to the forest,
so our shooter either
followed her or knew her plan.
We can rule out Monica,
because there's no way
that she can get from here to the forest
fast enough to be our shooter.
The guys and I uncovered a few people
Shanae had issues with
a rival player,
a former sponsor, an ex-boyfriend
but none of them are local.
They'd have to hire a hitman
to get to Shanae.
Whoa, look at these.
The same guy turns up in
a lot of Shanae's pictures
from her socials.
[TENSE MUSIC]
This guy's been following her?
Looks like he was on the same
flight as her just last week.
He sat three seats back.
Creepy.
I recognize this man.
Bring up Shanae's security cam footage.
[PHONE CLICKING]
Rewind.
Stop.
Before Shanae gets in Reggie's cab,
this pedestrian is walking by her house.
It's the same man.
We need to find out who he is.
♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Shanae.
- We can rest if you need.
- No, I can keep going.
I have to.
Help!
Someone please help me!
Please, help, someone.
♪
The sun is about to set.
We should set up camp for the night.
He can catch us.
No, if we push on,
we'll get lost in the dark.
Same as the shooter.
He'll have to stop too.
Marisa's right.
Plus, I should set that arm,
try to minimize long-term injury.
At least it's the same arm
as my bad shoulder.
- OK, we can stop.
- Good.
Now, we just have to find a
place of shelter, for the night.
No need.
I brought a tent.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
[KNOCKING]
May I?
Did my sister ask you to come here
and check on me
while she got some sleep?
She did. She worries about you.
You should know, the last time
I visited a church, it blew up.
Put me in a hospital for three years.
Which do you hate more,
churches or hospitals?
- Right now, this place.
- [CHUCKLES]
There are people who need me,
who I've lost communication with,
and I'm stuck in here.
Sometimes, I like to think of sickness
as a visit from a saint.
Saint Illness.
S-T-illness.
[CHUCKLES]
- Stillness.
- [CHUCKLES]
Bruh, that's a long road to the pun.
Mm-hmm.
I'm not very good with stillness.
Hm, well, maybe that's why
God's making you practice.
Hmm.
♪
She's sleeping. She still has a fever.
I think her wound is infected
and the first-aid spray
I brought isn't cutting it.
She needs a doctor as soon as possible.
I can't get a signal out here
with my regular cell phone.
We're too deep in the valley.
We're going to have to move
at first light.
Oh, poor thing.
All this because she tried
to reinvent herself.
Oh, I've been there more than once.
And from the way you've
been looking at Shanae,
the empathy, I suspect you have as well.
It's a long story.
I've got time.
[TENDER MUSIC]
♪
My father died when
I was 16, line of duty.
After, I was a mess.
I felt trapped by my
my mother and our grief
so I rebelled.
There was this boy.
My mom said that he was bad news.
But I was desperate to feel better,
and he was a distraction from my pain,
so I ran away with him.
That doesn't sound like you.
I wasn't me yet.
My mother was right though.
He was bad news.
I got pregnant.
And he left me alone
at 17, no clue what to do.
Marisa, I'm so sorry.
It was rough, but I decided
to go on with the pregnancy.
I found a shelter for girls
in my situation.
The women there really helped.
I tried to eat well and stay active.
There was a path through
the woods behind the house
where I was staying.
I'd walk it a lot.
Then
[TENSE MUSIC]
Six weeks before I was due
Help!
About a mile
Help!
Up the trail, my labor started.
I managed to get myself to a road
and flagged down a car.
- Please, please!
- And?
They called an ambulance.
Did the baby survive?
- He did.
- Oh.
The shelter helped me
find a good home for him,
better life than
a teenage mom could offer.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
He was premature,
so I never even got to hold him.
Then I kept the
adoption records closed
♪
So that I would never be
tempted to look back.
♪
- Your own Ulysses pact.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
- And after?
I went home.
I never told my mother.
She would have wanted
to raise him herself,
and I knew that that
was not right for her,
or me, or my son,
so I never told a soul
except Alec.
He's the only other person who knows.
♪
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that.
Alec calls it my secret origin story.
I promised myself that
I would change my life.
I went back to school.
I studied my ass off.
And then, I decided
I would use my attraction
to danger for good, so I joined the FBI.
And that's why you hate the woods.
Mm, that is why I hate the woods.
You should get some sleep.
I'll take first watch.
No, I I got this.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Marisa, Shanae, wake up.
We've got to go.
I know, fire, winds.
But we got to get people
looking for them again.
What part of being chased
by a madman with a gun
don't you understand?
[KNOCKING]
I'd ask how you're doing,
but the answer seems pretty obvious.
A girl is lost in the woods,
and somebody is trying
to kill her and my friends,
and there's nothing I can do about it.
You can't do anything?
Or already done all you can?
Ah, it's the second one,
which means there's nothing
left to do but hope
or pray, whichever works.
You and I are priests
from two different religions.
Yours is about faith.
Mine is about using knowledge
to make the world a better place.
So I don't want to pray.
I want to be out there helping.
Well, from what I hear,
you're in a hospital
because you ignored your body
until it was almost too late.
Now, everyone knows the line,
"Love thy neighbor as thyself."
But we can't help others
if we don't help ourselves.
I'll leave you to your hope.
Excuse me.
Hmm.
Professor, there's someone
you need to meet.
This is Hank Curty.
If you're here, you're obviously
not the one hunting down Shanae.
So who are you and why
are you following her?
I'm an insurance investigator.
Hank's firm issued
a huge life insurance policy
- for Shanae a few years ago.
- $12 million.
But the value of her policy is based on
her potential future earnings
and requires regular physicals.
And Shanae skipped her last one.
Yeah, you know, it's funny.
I usually look into people who claim
that they are hurt
or sick and faking it,
but this time around, it's the opposite.
Your company thinks
she might be more hurt
than she's letting on?
Well, if her tennis career is over,
that would be grounds
to invalidate her policy.
I mean, jury's still out,
but it's not looking too good for her.
Not to be callous, but what would happen
if she died before
you filed your report?
Policy would pay out.
Her beneficiaries would get the $12 mil.
♪
[PANTING AND COUGHING]
♪
I got you. I got you.
OK.
[WATCH BEEPS]
Oh, 22 miles.
- 4 more miles.
- Well, 4.2.
[CHUCKLES] That's my girl.
OK.
Shanae was never going to
play tennis again.
But you knew that, right?
We weren't supposed to.
But Nae travels a lot,
so her mail still comes to our house.
We got some of her medical paperwork.
David said it didn't look good.
And where is David?
He's looking for Shanae.
He went to the woods
right after we talked with you.
He said he was able
to use her workout app
to get a rough location.
Didn't he tell you?
♪
Dionne, I'm going to ask you
some questions.
You need to be honest
with me and with yourself.
David discovered Shanae,
and he devoted his life to her career.
He must have had a huge
emotional investment in her.
He did. He does.
When he coached Shanae and she won,
I'm guessing he felt elated,
as if he'd won himself.
- Right?
- Of course.
- What happened when she lost?
- He doesn't take losses well.
He'd get upset,
push Shanae to be better.
Is that why she fired him?
We we never said that she fired him.
- Did Luka tell you that?
- He didn't have to.
When David was talking
about changing coaches
being his decision, he made sure
- to look me right in the eye.
- She hit a plateau.
So I stepped aside,
and we brought in Coach Luka.
Now, we think that conveys honesty,
but about 2/3 of people
make deliberate eye contact
when they lie.
So why did Shanae fire him?
You're right.
His temper was a big part of it.
It's been almost two years.
Is David still angry?
Sometimes.
He hasn't been able to find
a new coaching job.
And he stresses a lot
about money, our future.
And he gets $12 million if she dies.
Dionne, the last time
I talked to the people
that were searching for Shanae,
somebody was shooting at her,
and it looks to me like
there's only one person
who has the motive to do that.
Oh, God, we have to stop him.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Hi, it's Rose.
Please leave a message.
[PHONE BEEPS]
Rose, David is the one hunting Shanae.
I got some information on him.
I'm coming to find you.
♪
Alec? Alec!
Hey, help! Somebody help!
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I I I know where we are.
The road to my house, it's not far.
If the shooter is around,
crossing that cleared area
will make us sitting ducks.
Well, maybe he gave up
or died in the fire.
We're not risking your life on maybes.
- [PHONE RUMBLES]
- Oh, your phone.
- You must be back in range.
- Alec.
They're taking me back to surgery.
My wound reopened,
but you need to know
- that David is the shooter.
- David?
As a tennis pro,
David had one fatal flaw.
He fought for every point,
even when he was behind on the set.
He's a narcissist who
can't admit when he's losing.
He's not going to give up
on getting Shanae.
It also means that if you
and Rose give him an opening,
he will charge the net,
even if it means he loses the match.
Uh, OK, Alec has to go now.
Give him hell, Marisa.
Did he just say my stepdad
was going to kill me?
- Not if we can help it.
- OK, new plan.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Freeze, FBI. Put your gun down.
How did you know I'd be up here?
It's the only place
that you could get a shot.
You should know,
that's not Shanae down there.
♪
Shooting her will do you no good.
You've lost, David.
Let's talk about your situation,
- weigh the pros and cons.
- I haven't lost yet.
[GUNSHOT]
Yes, you have. You're under arrest.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
I guess I didn't die.
Not this time.
And Marisa and Rose
saved Shanae, thanks to you.
Mmm.
Rose said that she'll be here
as soon as she can.
So all's well.
Hey, don't you have your
Circle of Honor induction
at Hampton tonight?
It's just a stupid party
with my college friends.
- It's no biggie.
- It's not stupid.
Your band friends are part of your life,
and they want to see you and honor you.
I want that for you, too.
Yeah, but you need me here.
I needed you. Shanae needed you.
And you came through.
You always do.
[TENDER MUSIC]
Go.
I promise, I won't do
anything crazy this time.
Oh, I know you won't,
because I'm going to bribe
all the nurses
with cupcakes to make sure you stay put.
- Mm.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Don't make me laugh.
- I love you.
I love you too. Thank you.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
How's our champion doing?
Well, they say Rose did
a good job setting my arm.
I'll heal.
How's David?
He'll survive in prison.
I can't believe he did that.
I fired him because
he could be a selfish jerk,
but I didn't know he was a psychopath.
Well, he's out of your life now.
I'm just sorry he put you
through so much hell
before we could stop him.
Oh, it wasn't all bad.
I made it a lot further
than 18 miles this time.
[LAUGHS]
We made a pretty good team.
We did.
I appreciate you taking me
into your confidence.
Though I must admit, I'm even
more intimidated by you now.
- [CHUCKLES]
- You're a hard act to follow.
You have nothing to worry about.
I learned too young that
when you have to walk away
from someone you love,
the best thing you can do
is wish them happiness
and not look back.
♪
You should get back to the hospital.
I'll finish up here.
Thank you.
♪
They're transporting Shanae here now.
They say she's going to be OK,
thanks to you and your team.
I am glad to hear it.
How could I not see it?
We all miss warning signs
when we don't want to see them.
That's how I ended up here.
The important thing now
is that you and Shanae
can reinvent your lives together,
and that starts with
you forgiving yourself.
[ANNA GRAVES' "FLY"]
I, I've ♪
Been learning to fly ♪
This whole time ♪
I, I've ♪
Been learning to ride
this life right ♪
Oh, I ♪
You had me worried sick.
I wasn't worried about you at all.
[CHUCKLES]
I was lost in the woods,
which were on fire,
being hunted by a psychotic
narcissist with a rifle.
Mm.
I had faith that you would be fine.
I've been learning ♪
To fly this whole time ♪
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
[SCREAMS]
[GROANING] Ooh.
[KNOCKS]
Alec?
Coach Luka. Sorry, stomach cramps.
What are you doing here?
One of your tennis protégés
needs some behavioral psych pointers?
Nothing like that.
We have a concern about
one of the players I coach.
- We need your help.
- Hi, I'm Dionne Butler.
Shanae Butler's mother.
Oh, I saw her play at the U.S. Open.
- She's amazing.
- She's missing.
And we're worried something terrible
- might have happened to her.
- Please.
Shanae sponsors
a youth tournament in Fairfax.
She didn't show at the
player reception this morning.
Shanae has never been late
for an appearance
in her entire career,
at least not while my husband
was coaching her.
David couldn't get her
above a 50 ranking.
- I coached her to 23.
- You got her injured.
- And now, she's missing.
- OK, let's focus on Shanae.
When was the last time anyone saw her?
She and I talked on the phone yesterday.
Before we came here,
we checked Shanae's house.
Her dog, Wimby, was home alone.
There was no food.
He drank all of his water, like
he'd been left alone overnight.
And then, there's the security cameras.
Look.
My daughter has never taken
a cab in her entire life.
Has anyone contacted the police?
She hasn't been gone long enough,
for them to open a case,
and by the time they do,
we worry it may be too late.
Luka says you're
the smartest person he knows,
and that you've found
missing people before.
Please, help us find my daughter.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
And that right there
is what makes
Shanae Butler a rising star
in the world of tennis today.
Shanae Butler is a world-class athlete
at the top of her game.
What would make her vanish
without telling a soul?
- Theories?
- Mental health break?
Substance abuse.
Uh, romantic getaway
with a secret lover?
It's possible.
None of them explains
why she left her dog alone.
Yes, S-H-A-N-A-E.
Yes, um, I need
to confirm my last charge.
Can you tell me the amount?
What's she doing?
Pretexting.
Pretending to be Shanae
to get info from her bank.
It's a trick private investigators
and hackers use to get sensitive data.
Oh, yes, I did use the app.
What's the name of the company again?
Really? Do you have a phone number?
Thank you. This helps a lot.
Sometimes, the old ways are the best.
The last transaction
was to a Reggie Gordon,
taxi emoji in the description.
- Ta-da.
- Thank you.
Mm-hmm.
In the meantime, it is
homecoming weekend at Hampton,
and I am getting inducted
into the Marching Band
Circle of Honor.
So it's been real, y'all,
but I got to go.
Would you mind staying
for a little while longer?
If Reggie is not our answer,
I may need another dose of ta-da.
Oh, how long? 'Cause I don't
want to miss the Step Show.
Reggie will be here in 10 minutes.
I don't know who that girl is.
Look, do you guys want a ride or not?
Reggie, you picked up Shanae Butler,
and then she disappeared.
That means you were the
last person to see her alive.
You know that doesn't
look good for you, right?
You think I did something to her?
OK, that's crazy.
Then tell us what happened to her.
Otherwise, we'll let the police
draw their own conclusions.
OK, she asked me to take her
up to this parking lot
way up in the National Forest,
nothing but trees.
I left her there alive.
Look, I didn't do anything to her.
You expect us to believe
[VOICE ECHOING] That a woman asked
to be dropped off in
the middle of nowhere, alone?
I mean, that makes no damn sense.
Alec, help me out here.
I can't. I can't.
Alec? Alec!
Alec?
[INDISTINCT PA CHATTER]
Excuse me. I'm here to see Alec Mercer.
Is he out of surgery?
I'm sorry. I can only share
patient information
with immediate family.
Good thing I'm his wife.
Well, that makes two of you.
OK, thank you.
It's complicated, but both
Marisa and I are family.
- You made it.
- I was in Los Angeles.
I came as soon as I heard.
Hey, the surgery went well.
He should be waking up soon.
[GRUNTS]
The surgeon said that you have
trauma-induced appendicitis.
You probably got it from that hit
you took to the stomach
at that K-Pop convention.
He said that's what killed Houdini.
For my next trick
Nah, your next trick is bed rest.
You're stuck here for a few days.
His scar tissue means that the incision
will take extra time to heal.
Oh, you're hurting.
I assume opioids are
out of the question.
I would love some,
but I'd love them too much.
I have lots of practice
dealing with pain.
And you still keep pushing your luck?
You let yourself
get kidnapped by a psycho.
And stood in front of an oncoming train.
All that risky business
finally caught up with you.
Alec let himself get
kidnapped to save me.
He only takes risks
to help other people.
I'm sorry I worried you,
and I made you miss
the first part of homecoming.
Alec, homecoming is just an event.
I can't lose my big brother.
[TENDER MUSIC]
You won't.
Speaking of losing people,
any update on Shanae Butler?
Oh, I can't with you.
We got an alert on her a few hours ago.
The police are looking for her.
The Rangers are combing
the National Forest.
Nothing yet.
The police were able to clear
Shanae's cab driver at least.
Some hikers saw him
drop her off at a trailhead.
They posted a picture on social media.
[PHONE RINGS]
That's my bandmate.
Go, we've got him.
Hey, no, family emergency.
I can't help find Shanae from this bed.
Can you please talk to my doctor,
to see if I can get out of here?
First escape attempt, right on schedule.
Only 40% of missing hikers
are found alive.
Studies show that people
really do walk in circles
when they're lost.
And you hate being in the hospital.
It's very noble of you to want to help,
but shall we discuss the pros and cons?
There's nothing to discuss.
You're not leaving this room.
The people looking for Shanae
won't understand her psychology.
- They might not ever find her.
- I'll do it.
I'll open an FBI inquiry,
work with your staff,
- take point on the search.
- I can help.
I found a missing person
or two in my day.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[SIGHS] But promise me
that you'll keep me updated.
This is not a negotiation.
You will rest, and we will find her.
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Marisa, before we plunge into this,
I wanted to apologize.
At the hospital, I overstepped.
It's just, I care for Alec
and want to help.
You love him.
And I'm happy for you both.
But you should know that Alec,
with his scars,
he's always one bad day
away from a crisis,
and Alec in the hospital
is a whole thing.
[ELEVATOR DINGS]
And this time, I wasn't
there when he needed me.
You got back as fast as you could.
You should just know
what you're getting into.
I'm learning.
But I'm part of Alec's life now.
I want to be there for him.
He's certainly always been there for me.
As long as your eyes are open.
How's the professor?
- Recovering. What have you got?
- I'll show you, come on!
Is this the end of Shanae
Butler's remarkable run?
While we still can't rule out foul play,
our main concern right now
is Shanae's mental state.
Two years ago, Shanae
went through a bad slump.
She lost a bunch of matches
she should have easily won.
That's when she switched coaches.
She went from her stepfather,
David, to Luka.
She started winning again,
but then she got injured.
Since then, she's been struggling.
We found some alarming quotes.
That's all on me.
I've just never been
so frustrated.
I'm just really disappointed
in myself.
Heading into the woods
with that mindset could be bad.
People sometimes seek peaceful locations
to do self-harm,
like that Japanese forest
that's infamous for suicides.
[PHONE DINGS]
Looks like the forest
that Shanae went into
is not so peaceful right now.
They're experiencing high wind gusts.
The Forest Service has just
grounded their air assets.
No eyes in the sky, that could make
finding Shanae much more difficult.
She's been in those woods
two nights already.
Her time is running out.
I learned wilderness survival from MI6,
and I once spent two weeks
in the Zagros Mountains
finding a nature photographer
who accidentally crossed into Iran.
I should get out there.
And we can't rule out
an attack or a kidnapping.
- Let's go.
- That's great.
I want to run an experiment
that'll help your search.
I'll get my team on it.
And, listen, thanks for the update.
- You got it.
- I'll talk to you later.
Bye.
[GRUNTS]
No, ah, ah, ah, ah. No. Stay.
Bad Alec.
I forgot what
a terrible patient you are.
I must have blocked it out.
It sounds like dissociative amnesia.
Alec-induced dissociative amnesia.
[LAUGHS]
[KNOCKS]
Professor, you said
you needed to talk with us.
- I do.
- Oh, are you kidding me?
You scheduled a meeting in the hospital?
- Just give us a moment.
- OK.
I'll go grab a bite.
But when I come back,
you'd better be asleep.
Uh [CHUCKLES]
You must be Shanae's stepfather.
David.
So the police said that
that cab dropped Shanae off
- at the National Forest?
- It did.
We're just not sure why she went there.
We don't understand it ourselves.
You may be able to eliminate
some possibilities.
One theory is Shanae might have
been planning to hurt herself.
No, no, that's not our Shanae.
Even if she was frustrated
by her injury?
All Shanae wants is to heal.
I mean, she puts everything
into her recovery.
She spends more time with
Monica than anyone else in her life.
Monica Steele is
Shanae's physiotherapist.
And she can tell you how
dedicated Shanae has been.
My daughter would never hurt herself.
OK, another theory, does Shanae
ever use nature to relieve stress,
- hikes, walking on the beach?
- Not particularly.
Nae's happy place is the tennis court.
She deals with stress
through competition.
Yeah.
I understand that her competitive life
wasn't all that happy,
even before the injury.
She changed coaches.
David did his best coaching Nae.
I mean, he's an ex-pro himself.
And he's the one who first
discovered her potential.
- But, uh
- She hit a plateau.
So I stepped aside,
and we brought in Coach Luka.
Which was a mistake.
I know that's your friend,
but Luka pushed Nae too hard.
And look what happened.
You're blaming Luka for her injury?
It's not just us, Monica too.
She and Luka have been pointing fingers
at each other since it happened.
I mean, you ask me, neither one wants
to take the career hit
of getting Nae hurt.
I want to talk to Monica.
Can you get me her contact info?
Yeah, of course, right away.
Thank you.
I realized, mid-match,
my power game wasn't working,
so I switched to serve
and volley and wore her down.
- Any more insights?
- Yeah, a few.
Shanae's a risk taker
with a super-aggressive
playing style, which might explain
why she'd venture into the woods alone.
She knows when to press and
when to dial it back though.
In interviews, she talks a lot
about adjusting on the fly.
That kind of mental flexibility
is what sets
the world's best athletes apart.
Adaptive thinking
could help keep her alive,
but we still need to find her.
The professor wants us
to run an experiment
on how people act when they're lost.
We'd need an environment
where people can get lost,
but where we can watch them
the whole time.
[CHUCKLES]
[BRIGHT MUSIC]
I know just the place.
♪
I love it. Get on that right away.
- Thanks, Phoebe.
- [PHONE BEEPS]
- [KNOCKS]
- Can I help you?
That's usually my line.
I'm Father Gabe. I volunteer here.
Any interest in spiritual counseling?
I appreciate the offer.
I'm I'm not very religious.
[LAUGHS]
Me neither.
I'll be around if you change your mind.
♪
I hate the woods.
I could tell when we stopped for gear
that you aren't much of a hiker.
And you are.
Though I wasn't expecting you
to go so extra.
When it comes to hiking,
it's best to be prepared.
I'm a city girl.
The only gear that I knew
to bring was a sat phone.
The service up here
can be pretty spotty.
Hey, you can't be here.
Special Agent Clark, FBI.
We're looking for Shanae Butler.
Yeah, we were, too,
but that badge isn't
going to stop a forest fire.
- A fire?
- It just sparked a few valleys over.
Whole area's under an evac order.
So the Forest Service has
called off the search for Shanae?
With these winds, that fire can jump
this way without warning.
We'll take our chances.
We'll alert our supervisors
you're in the area.
Stay safe.
So do the people who saw Shanae
know which path she took?
Unfortunately, no.
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
You and Shanae both lack
wilderness experience,
so which route would you take?
♪
That way. It's wide.
It's clean and the least naturey.
Brilliant. Shall we?
Let's do it.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Your family owns a hedge maze?
Dude, you made us split
the lunch bill yesterday.
I didn't want to insult you.
- Now, I'm even more insulted.
- Guys, focus.
Our first group
of test subjects is waiting.
Let's review the conditions.
We'll tell control groups
to have fun, explore the maze.
I mean, they'll represent
people who aren't lost since
they won't have any goals.
And test groups will be told
that anyone who reaches
the center in under 15 minutes
gets $500,
to simulate the pressure
and panic of getting lost.
Observe and record. Let's go.
[UPBEAT MUSIC]
♪
[PARTICIPANTS SHOUTING AND LAUGHING]
♪
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
[STRAINED SOBS ECHOING]
[TENSE MUSIC]
Marisa?
♪
Yeah, what's up?
Look, there might be something here,
this print in the mud.
♪
That matches the shoe Shanae was wearing
when she left the house.
We're on the right track.
Another one.
Based on the spacing,
she was running toward some goal.
Or away from something or someone.
♪
Damn.
It looks like the trail's
been washed out for a while,
but the map we downloaded
isn't up to date.
Which means Shanae wouldn't
have known about it either.
So where would she have gone from here?
There are a few side trails,
or she may have doubled back.
She probably wouldn't
have doubled back actually.
Our data shows that.
Phoebe was just going over the
results of our maze experiment.
The key takeaway is
that when people get lost,
they often fall prey
to myopic optimization.
They tend to follow
the best looking path
in any given situation,
without backtracking
or taking time to figure out
the bigger picture.
Which means that when
Shanae hit the washout,
she would have tried
to keep moving forward.
So which path most closely
follows the main trail?
Well, there's a parallel track,
but the footing is atrocious.
That probably wouldn't
have stopped Shanae.
She has a lot of self-confidence,
and it's usually justified.
OK, we'll try it.
Hi, sorry for interrupting.
I'm Monica Steele.
You requested a physio eval?
That was a lie.
I actually have some questions
about Shanae Butler.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Playing professional tennis
is like riding a motorcycle.
It's not whether
you're going to get hurt,
it's when and how bad.
So how bad is Shanae's injury, really?
Career ending?
She's never going to play
tennis again, is she?
[SOMBER MUSIC]
Surgery didn't take.
Her rotator cuff will never fully heal.
Her tennis career is over.
Who else knows this?
Just her, me, and her surgeon.
She wasn't ready to go public yet.
Has Shanae been despondent?
Suicidal?
She's been a determined badass as usual.
She decided, just because she can't
keep playing tennis, that
doesn't mean she can't compete.
She found a new sport.
Nae's shoulder
doesn't limit her running.
She's got great speed,
impeccable stamina,
so she's been training
as a marathon runner.
And how's that going?
It's, uh it's a work in progress.
She keeps bonking.
Human body stores about
1,800 calories of glycogen.
Running a mile burns 100 calories.
A marathon is 26.2 miles.
So at 18 miles, the body's
emergency stores are gone.
She can't get past 18 miles,
which sucks because otherwise,
her times are world-class.
So Shanae hits a wall with tennis,
finds another sport,
hits another wall there.
How far will Shanae go
to keep competing?
A Ulysses pact, that's a new one.
It's a deal someone strikes
with themselves
to achieve a goal,
engineering the situation
so they have no choice but to succeed.
Like Ulysses tying himself
to his ship's mast
so he can listen to
the siren's tempting song
without drowning himself
trying to reach them.
Or a dieter getting rid
of all the sweets
- so he can't snack.
- Exactly.
In Shanae's case,
she had Reggie drop her off
26.2 miles, by trail, from her home
in an area with terrible cell reception
and almost no roads.
She wanted to complete a marathon,
so she made running one her only option.
So when she found her path washed out,
she would have had to improvise.
I used a running app
to map her possible routes,
same as she would have.
Is there a path that leads
downhill from where you are?
There is.
It's steep, almost straight
down into a ravine.
That might be it.
OK, we'll try it.
Oh, no.
Oh, no, what?
[TENSE MUSIC]
You were right.
She came this way.
We found her phone.
Looks like she fell.
She could be close.
We're going down there.
Please be careful.
Yeah, OK.
[ROCKS CRUNCHING]
Wait, I see Shanae.
Red jacket in the ravine by the rocks.
- We need to get to her.
- Is she OK?
Looks like she's hurt.
Hey! Shanae?
- You all right?
- Help!
[GUNSHOT]
Gunshot. A hunter?
[GUNSHOT]
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
Get down.
♪
[GUNSHOT]
Those aren't stray bullets.
Someone's trying to kill her.
♪
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
[GUNSHOTS, GUN CLICKING]
[GASPS]
Wait, someone is shooting at Shanae?
She's pulled herself under some rocks.
We got to get her out of here.
I got to go.
Call 911. I'll get Forest Service.
- On it.
- The shooter outranges me.
I can't even see them from here.
Not one hit so far.
I think it's safe to say
that whoever's shooting
isn't a trained sniper.
Not police, not military,
he's probably never been shot at.
I'm going to fire at the shooter.
- [GUNSHOT]
- I doubt I'll hit him.
But it should scare him
into taking cover.
Suppressive fire, good idea.
I'll get Shanae.
I'll whistle when we're safe. Go.
[GUNFIRE]
[GUNSHOT]
[GUNFIRE]
Shanae, my name is Rose.
I'm here to get you home.
My arm, I think it's broken.
Do you know who's shooting at you?
No, I don't know why
anyone would do this.
OK, we'll figure it out.
When it's clear,
we'll make a break for it.
[GUN CLICKS]
[GUNSHOT]
The sat phone, damn it.
- Clear!
- OK, come on, let's go.
I got you.
[WHISTLES]
♪
Still nothing from Marisa or Rose?
Nothing.
Their cell phones
keep going to voicemail.
And Marisa's sat phone isn't pinging
her location anymore, so
She may have run out of power
or it could be broken.
That's the most optimistic explanation.
But the Ulysses pact
took Shanae to the forest,
so our shooter either
followed her or knew her plan.
We can rule out Monica,
because there's no way
that she can get from here to the forest
fast enough to be our shooter.
The guys and I uncovered a few people
Shanae had issues with
a rival player,
a former sponsor, an ex-boyfriend
but none of them are local.
They'd have to hire a hitman
to get to Shanae.
Whoa, look at these.
The same guy turns up in
a lot of Shanae's pictures
from her socials.
[TENSE MUSIC]
This guy's been following her?
Looks like he was on the same
flight as her just last week.
He sat three seats back.
Creepy.
I recognize this man.
Bring up Shanae's security cam footage.
[PHONE CLICKING]
Rewind.
Stop.
Before Shanae gets in Reggie's cab,
this pedestrian is walking by her house.
It's the same man.
We need to find out who he is.
♪
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
Shanae.
- We can rest if you need.
- No, I can keep going.
I have to.
Help!
Someone please help me!
Please, help, someone.
♪
The sun is about to set.
We should set up camp for the night.
He can catch us.
No, if we push on,
we'll get lost in the dark.
Same as the shooter.
He'll have to stop too.
Marisa's right.
Plus, I should set that arm,
try to minimize long-term injury.
At least it's the same arm
as my bad shoulder.
- OK, we can stop.
- Good.
Now, we just have to find a
place of shelter, for the night.
No need.
I brought a tent.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[SIGHS]
[EXHALES DEEPLY]
[KNOCKING]
May I?
Did my sister ask you to come here
and check on me
while she got some sleep?
She did. She worries about you.
You should know, the last time
I visited a church, it blew up.
Put me in a hospital for three years.
Which do you hate more,
churches or hospitals?
- Right now, this place.
- [CHUCKLES]
There are people who need me,
who I've lost communication with,
and I'm stuck in here.
Sometimes, I like to think of sickness
as a visit from a saint.
Saint Illness.
S-T-illness.
[CHUCKLES]
- Stillness.
- [CHUCKLES]
Bruh, that's a long road to the pun.
Mm-hmm.
I'm not very good with stillness.
Hm, well, maybe that's why
God's making you practice.
Hmm.
♪
She's sleeping. She still has a fever.
I think her wound is infected
and the first-aid spray
I brought isn't cutting it.
She needs a doctor as soon as possible.
I can't get a signal out here
with my regular cell phone.
We're too deep in the valley.
We're going to have to move
at first light.
Oh, poor thing.
All this because she tried
to reinvent herself.
Oh, I've been there more than once.
And from the way you've
been looking at Shanae,
the empathy, I suspect you have as well.
It's a long story.
I've got time.
[TENDER MUSIC]
♪
My father died when
I was 16, line of duty.
After, I was a mess.
I felt trapped by my
my mother and our grief
so I rebelled.
There was this boy.
My mom said that he was bad news.
But I was desperate to feel better,
and he was a distraction from my pain,
so I ran away with him.
That doesn't sound like you.
I wasn't me yet.
My mother was right though.
He was bad news.
I got pregnant.
And he left me alone
at 17, no clue what to do.
Marisa, I'm so sorry.
It was rough, but I decided
to go on with the pregnancy.
I found a shelter for girls
in my situation.
The women there really helped.
I tried to eat well and stay active.
There was a path through
the woods behind the house
where I was staying.
I'd walk it a lot.
Then
[TENSE MUSIC]
Six weeks before I was due
Help!
About a mile
Help!
Up the trail, my labor started.
I managed to get myself to a road
and flagged down a car.
- Please, please!
- And?
They called an ambulance.
Did the baby survive?
- He did.
- Oh.
The shelter helped me
find a good home for him,
better life than
a teenage mom could offer.
[SOMBER MUSIC]
He was premature,
so I never even got to hold him.
Then I kept the
adoption records closed
♪
So that I would never be
tempted to look back.
♪
- Your own Ulysses pact.
- Mm-hmm.
- Yeah.
- And after?
I went home.
I never told my mother.
She would have wanted
to raise him herself,
and I knew that that
was not right for her,
or me, or my son,
so I never told a soul
except Alec.
He's the only other person who knows.
♪
Thank you.
Thank you for sharing that.
Alec calls it my secret origin story.
I promised myself that
I would change my life.
I went back to school.
I studied my ass off.
And then, I decided
I would use my attraction
to danger for good, so I joined the FBI.
And that's why you hate the woods.
Mm, that is why I hate the woods.
You should get some sleep.
I'll take first watch.
No, I I got this.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
Marisa, Shanae, wake up.
We've got to go.
I know, fire, winds.
But we got to get people
looking for them again.
What part of being chased
by a madman with a gun
don't you understand?
[KNOCKING]
I'd ask how you're doing,
but the answer seems pretty obvious.
A girl is lost in the woods,
and somebody is trying
to kill her and my friends,
and there's nothing I can do about it.
You can't do anything?
Or already done all you can?
Ah, it's the second one,
which means there's nothing
left to do but hope
or pray, whichever works.
You and I are priests
from two different religions.
Yours is about faith.
Mine is about using knowledge
to make the world a better place.
So I don't want to pray.
I want to be out there helping.
Well, from what I hear,
you're in a hospital
because you ignored your body
until it was almost too late.
Now, everyone knows the line,
"Love thy neighbor as thyself."
But we can't help others
if we don't help ourselves.
I'll leave you to your hope.
Excuse me.
Hmm.
Professor, there's someone
you need to meet.
This is Hank Curty.
If you're here, you're obviously
not the one hunting down Shanae.
So who are you and why
are you following her?
I'm an insurance investigator.
Hank's firm issued
a huge life insurance policy
- for Shanae a few years ago.
- $12 million.
But the value of her policy is based on
her potential future earnings
and requires regular physicals.
And Shanae skipped her last one.
Yeah, you know, it's funny.
I usually look into people who claim
that they are hurt
or sick and faking it,
but this time around, it's the opposite.
Your company thinks
she might be more hurt
than she's letting on?
Well, if her tennis career is over,
that would be grounds
to invalidate her policy.
I mean, jury's still out,
but it's not looking too good for her.
Not to be callous, but what would happen
if she died before
you filed your report?
Policy would pay out.
Her beneficiaries would get the $12 mil.
♪
[PANTING AND COUGHING]
♪
I got you. I got you.
OK.
[WATCH BEEPS]
Oh, 22 miles.
- 4 more miles.
- Well, 4.2.
[CHUCKLES] That's my girl.
OK.
Shanae was never going to
play tennis again.
But you knew that, right?
We weren't supposed to.
But Nae travels a lot,
so her mail still comes to our house.
We got some of her medical paperwork.
David said it didn't look good.
And where is David?
He's looking for Shanae.
He went to the woods
right after we talked with you.
He said he was able
to use her workout app
to get a rough location.
Didn't he tell you?
♪
Dionne, I'm going to ask you
some questions.
You need to be honest
with me and with yourself.
David discovered Shanae,
and he devoted his life to her career.
He must have had a huge
emotional investment in her.
He did. He does.
When he coached Shanae and she won,
I'm guessing he felt elated,
as if he'd won himself.
- Right?
- Of course.
- What happened when she lost?
- He doesn't take losses well.
He'd get upset,
push Shanae to be better.
Is that why she fired him?
We we never said that she fired him.
- Did Luka tell you that?
- He didn't have to.
When David was talking
about changing coaches
being his decision, he made sure
- to look me right in the eye.
- She hit a plateau.
So I stepped aside,
and we brought in Coach Luka.
Now, we think that conveys honesty,
but about 2/3 of people
make deliberate eye contact
when they lie.
So why did Shanae fire him?
You're right.
His temper was a big part of it.
It's been almost two years.
Is David still angry?
Sometimes.
He hasn't been able to find
a new coaching job.
And he stresses a lot
about money, our future.
And he gets $12 million if she dies.
Dionne, the last time
I talked to the people
that were searching for Shanae,
somebody was shooting at her,
and it looks to me like
there's only one person
who has the motive to do that.
Oh, God, we have to stop him.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Hi, it's Rose.
Please leave a message.
[PHONE BEEPS]
Rose, David is the one hunting Shanae.
I got some information on him.
I'm coming to find you.
♪
Alec? Alec!
Hey, help! Somebody help!
[TENSE MUSIC]
♪
I I I know where we are.
The road to my house, it's not far.
If the shooter is around,
crossing that cleared area
will make us sitting ducks.
Well, maybe he gave up
or died in the fire.
We're not risking your life on maybes.
- [PHONE RUMBLES]
- Oh, your phone.
- You must be back in range.
- Alec.
They're taking me back to surgery.
My wound reopened,
but you need to know
- that David is the shooter.
- David?
As a tennis pro,
David had one fatal flaw.
He fought for every point,
even when he was behind on the set.
He's a narcissist who
can't admit when he's losing.
He's not going to give up
on getting Shanae.
It also means that if you
and Rose give him an opening,
he will charge the net,
even if it means he loses the match.
Uh, OK, Alec has to go now.
Give him hell, Marisa.
Did he just say my stepdad
was going to kill me?
- Not if we can help it.
- OK, new plan.
[SUSPENSEFUL MUSIC]
♪
Freeze, FBI. Put your gun down.
How did you know I'd be up here?
It's the only place
that you could get a shot.
You should know,
that's not Shanae down there.
♪
Shooting her will do you no good.
You've lost, David.
Let's talk about your situation,
- weigh the pros and cons.
- I haven't lost yet.
[GUNSHOT]
Yes, you have. You're under arrest.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
I guess I didn't die.
Not this time.
And Marisa and Rose
saved Shanae, thanks to you.
Mmm.
Rose said that she'll be here
as soon as she can.
So all's well.
Hey, don't you have your
Circle of Honor induction
at Hampton tonight?
It's just a stupid party
with my college friends.
- It's no biggie.
- It's not stupid.
Your band friends are part of your life,
and they want to see you and honor you.
I want that for you, too.
Yeah, but you need me here.
I needed you. Shanae needed you.
And you came through.
You always do.
[TENDER MUSIC]
Go.
I promise, I won't do
anything crazy this time.
Oh, I know you won't,
because I'm going to bribe
all the nurses
with cupcakes to make sure you stay put.
- Mm.
- [CHUCKLES]
- Don't make me laugh.
- I love you.
I love you too. Thank you.
[SOFT DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪
How's our champion doing?
Well, they say Rose did
a good job setting my arm.
I'll heal.
How's David?
He'll survive in prison.
I can't believe he did that.
I fired him because
he could be a selfish jerk,
but I didn't know he was a psychopath.
Well, he's out of your life now.
I'm just sorry he put you
through so much hell
before we could stop him.
Oh, it wasn't all bad.
I made it a lot further
than 18 miles this time.
[LAUGHS]
We made a pretty good team.
We did.
I appreciate you taking me
into your confidence.
Though I must admit, I'm even
more intimidated by you now.
- [CHUCKLES]
- You're a hard act to follow.
You have nothing to worry about.
I learned too young that
when you have to walk away
from someone you love,
the best thing you can do
is wish them happiness
and not look back.
♪
You should get back to the hospital.
I'll finish up here.
Thank you.
♪
They're transporting Shanae here now.
They say she's going to be OK,
thanks to you and your team.
I am glad to hear it.
How could I not see it?
We all miss warning signs
when we don't want to see them.
That's how I ended up here.
The important thing now
is that you and Shanae
can reinvent your lives together,
and that starts with
you forgiving yourself.
[ANNA GRAVES' "FLY"]
I, I've ♪
Been learning to fly ♪
This whole time ♪
I, I've ♪
Been learning to ride
this life right ♪
Oh, I ♪
You had me worried sick.
I wasn't worried about you at all.
[CHUCKLES]
I was lost in the woods,
which were on fire,
being hunted by a psychotic
narcissist with a rifle.
Mm.
I had faith that you would be fine.
I've been learning ♪
To fly this whole time ♪
♪
[DRAMATIC MUSIC]
♪