Firewatch Ch 21

Maps are more complicated and difficult to read on paper than on a phone.

“Do we know where these mines are?” Alice asks. She and Cheryl stand over the table, now covered in maps of the area. “When we’re talking about mines with shafts, isn’t that usually coal? I didn’t know there was coal mining in Oregon.”

“I don’t know about that.” Cheryl hesitates. She watches Wilde closely, but Wilde’s attention is on the maps. “I only know what I’ve heard.”

Alice taps the mpa. “Yeah. This is Barney. You mind if I write on this?”

“Go ahead.”

Wilde circles an area. “The campsite’s in here somewhere, and this is us. Right around here. Any farms with cows close to any of this?”

“I doubt it. More coffee?”

“No, thanks.”

“Where are you from?” Cheryl asks.

“Florida. You?”

“Portland. Do you live in Florida now?”

“No, I’m in DC. You ever see or hear anything unusual out here?”

Cheryl grins. “Agent Wilde, nothing happens out here. Nothing. The only excitement is lightning. Until you lose your mind and imagine a raccoon is talking to you.”

“You don’t chat on the radio with the other lookouts?”

Cheryl glances at the radio on the table in the corner with a snort. “That thing doesn’t even work. If I have to do an advisory, I have to use a sat phone.”

Wilde frowns. “It doesn’t work?”

“No. Look at it. It’s forty years old.”

“Huh.” Before Wilde can go anywhere with that thought, Cheryl touches her arm.

“Hey. The FBI makes you travel a lot, huh?”

“What? Oh. Yeah, but I don’t know if it’s fair to say that they make me.” Wilde shakes her head and goes back to the map. “These days they’d probably like it better if I stayed at the office.”

“Does it ever get lonely?”

“I have a partner.”

“Boy or girl?”

Wilde smiles. “Her name is Flores. She’s very professional.”

“What about back home? Anyone special?”

“Who has time?”

“Traveling all the time. No attachments. Sounds like a party.”

“Doesn’t feel like one.”

“You seem pretty stressed.”

“I’m frustrated. I want answers.” Wilde takes a deep breath and straightens. Staring at the map until her eyes bleed will not get her closer to the truth, but she can’t shake the feeling that there must be something here.

Chery’s hand moves from Wilde’s arm to her narrow back. She rubs gently. “Maybe you need to take a break.”

“You said the radio’s broken?”

“If you need to call someone, you can use my sat phone.” Cheryl laughs. “One thing I do know is that the cell tower is here.” She touches the map on the far side of Barney. “You know what life would be like up here if I could just stream some TV shows? Hey.” She tugs Wilde’s sleeve.

“Yeah?”

“You look really intense.”

“I’m trying to think.”

Cheryl moves in front of her, a little light in her eyes and a smile on her lips as she looks up at Wilde. “Maybe you should relax first, then think.”