Haley Fox

Episode 1, The Devil's Punchbowl.

Betsy and I are making the trek from downtown Los Angeles to the Antelope Valley.

That's the desert area north of L.A.

where Deputy Ajay disappeared.

The drive's about 60 miles, but it takes an hour and a half to two hours because of the mountainous terrain.

So you actually have to take, we got to go north.

Yeah, we're going to go north, but this is L.A., dude.

We got to go south, 110 south, 5 north, 14.

And then I think there's a 138 thrown in there, but nothing's a straight shot.

I was born and raised in LA County.

Go Dodgers.

But this part of it feels worlds away.

The Antelope Valley, or the AV as it's sometimes called, is a 3,000 square mile stretch of the Mojave.

But this part of the high desert doesn't have the same allure and vibiness as places like Joshua Tree.

Instead, the AV is mostly empty space, dotted with defense plants, bedroom communities, and tumbleweed towns.

Yeah, I mean, power lines and scrub brush.

Our story takes place in and around Pear Blossom, California.

It has a population of 1,500, and it's where the Devil's Punch Bowl's located.

Driving through it, Betsy gets a case of deja vu.

Yeah, I mean, I think the three gas stations in a row tell the story.