Lips were pursed in anticipation.

A velvety voice began to speak.

"A conspiracy holds its audience captive. They can't seem to escape, the seizure of their minds begging one to investigate further. Which we must do. You can count on me to unravel the theories at DIA. Stay tuned to episode zero of The Denver Chronicles, going live tomorrow at 10 pm Mountain Standard Time."

Charlotte clicked her portable microphone off and stowed it away in her messenger bag. She looked critically at the map of Denver International Airport on the table in front of her. The entirety seemed to morph into a visible swastika, just as she had been told by the online tipsters. There was a pronounced curiosity to it. Why make the runways coinciding to the terminals in such a fashion? Did it really make for a more efficient airport? Or was it hiding something more sinister?

"Would you like another cup of coffee?" A male barista asked her, sporting a friendly grin on his face.

She barely looked up at the intrusion into her thoughts, just enough to hastily smile back.

"I suppose yes...thank you. No room though, I'm all sugared up."

He took her cup and glanced at her map.

"DIA. You're going on a trip?" he carefully asked.

"Not quite. Making a podcast. Conspiracy theory investigating." She replied, drawing a faint yellow line over the terminals and runway.

The barista nodded and walked behind the counter to refill her cup. Charlotte was aware that she looked nutty but didn't much mind. This was the closest cafe to her hotel, and they weren't a big chain like Starbucks, you certainly wouldn't be hassled or rushed to leave. She studied the surrounding landscape on the map. It was an unusually large amount of space. The airport was over 53 square miles in total area, nothing rivaled it in the rest of the US. It was simply stunning.

"Here you go. Black. Say, if you investigate the airport, don't miss the buses that come and go. You'll want to check into those." The barista said, his voice an octave lower than before.

Charlotte looked up; a tad confused. What had he just said?

"Buses?" She asked.

"Yep. . .check into those."

The barista wasted no time hurrying back behind the counter to serve another customer. Charlotte was new to podcasting but not to investigating. She read a heck of a lot into what he just told her. Buses. It brought to mind Area 51, and the secret transporting of personnel right before everyone's eyes. Mostly, the government covering something up was done in a fashion that left half-truths exposed. It only took inquiring minds to shed light on it.

Bet they are doing that here.

She needed to get going if she was to make her tour appointment on time. The contact she had in the administrative section of DIA wasn't that nice and frankly she wasn't sure if he'd be open to her line of questions. No matter, she had data gathering and picture taking to do. That took precedence.

Quickly stuffing the map into her bag, she took her cup and glanced at the counter. The barista was nowhere to be found. Shrugging it off, she exited the coffee shop onto the sidewalk, making her way to her car. The drive wasn't too far, and she was getting excited to see what she'd been researching for months online.

City traffic was thankfully lighter than expected, given the time of day. When she arrived in Denver, it was packed. Not nearly as bad as Los Angeles traffic, but a sprawling epicenter, nonetheless. Finally, she exited the freeway towards the airport. Her breath hitched at what she saw.

"It's ginormous."

The blue statue stood tall, arching in the sunlight. Front legs off the ground, as if raring for a supernatural battle. It stared intently at Charlotte as she drove past. The red eyes shining in the sunlight. The massive mustang sculpture was one of the main draws to Denver International Airport, as each person coming and going had to pass by it. So far, it didn't disappoint.

Charlotte navigated to the parking garage that her contact, Zach, had instructed her to do. The entire tour was fully guided from the moment she'd stepped out of her car door. Other places she'd visited were no different though. Egypt, Mexico, some military bases. Wherever a conspiracy theory was, she found an eager procession waiting to guide her away from their secrets. DIA would likely be no different.

She took a ticket from the automated machine and tucked it into her jacket pocket. Wondering what her contact would look like, she zipped up the entrance ramps until she reached the top level. A medium height man stood by the bank of elevators. She glanced at him through the windshield. He was handsome in a middle-aged way, his hair peppered with grey and his physique moderately well padded. His face was thin though, covered by a nicely groomed beard. They sent someone unassuming, she mused. They thought she was an amateur.

Taking a deep breath, she gathered her bag and turned off the car. This was it. Time for first impressions. The man walked over to her.

"Miss Locke. I'm your tour guide, Zach Haupt." he said, shaking her hand with a mild grip.

Charlotte smiled.

"Please, call me Charlotte."

He extended his arm, gesturing for her to follow him to the elevators.

"You can call me Zach as well, first names are better for this, don't you think?"

He was turning on the charm. Charlotte had also encountered this before. Men who flirted, distracted and glossed over her questions with a demeanor that was geared towards deflection. She knew how to play along.

"Yes, I do Zach. So, you've worked here for about ten years I think you said in your emails?"

She gave him a slightly wide-eyed expression and made sure to touch his forearm as they entered the elevator. He flexed underneath her fingers and appeared slightly ruffled. She was a mid-twenty's attractive woman and kept herself in good shape. Not exactly who he encountered every day. He hesitated to speak as he pushed the floor button. The doors clicked shut.

"Ten years...yes. It's a great place to work. You're a relatively new podcaster, correct?" He finally said.

"Yes. Brand new at it. I always wanted my own podcast though, it's such a neat form of communications." she replied, tossing her hair over her shoulder subtly.

Zach's eyes slid to her newly exposed neck then back up to her light blue eyes. Her charms were working. He now viewed her as just another pretty face, not a serious threat. At least that's what she asserted.

"And your day job is working for a media company in California?" he asked.

She smiled as the elevator doors opened.

"Yes. But I just quit. I worked for Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios."

Zach ushered her into the bland space with his hand, allowing her to exit first. She made sure to keep good eye contact.

"Let's head to my office."

The administrative area was warm.

Warmer than a comfortable setting. Charlotte sat casually in a leather-backed armchair across from Zach's desk. She could feel sweat beginning to form on the skin by her armpits. It was akin to summer in Los Angeles without air conditioning, which threw her off. She needed to play it cool though, and not show her knowledge. Gleaning in depth information often happened in these circumstances and generally the target would have no idea.

"I'm so grateful you are taking the time to give me a tour.... I want to debunk some of the most common conspiracy theories about the airport. Which shouldn't be too hard to do."

Zach clipped a visitors badge to a long lanyard with the words 'Denver International Airport' printed along the length.

"You'll find we have no shortage of conspiracy theories to contend with. All of them bogus of course." he said, handing her the badge.

"Of course." She replied, with a slight laugh. "Can you tell me why the blue mustang sculpture I saw out front is called 'Blucifer' and if it's cursed?"

Charlotte wasn't interested in the famous horse sculpture though. She already knew about its origins and had found no obvious connections to any conspiracy theories.

"I'm glad you asked because that's one site we can't visit, as I'm sure you saw driving in. Only maintenance can access it for work purposes."

"Yes, makes sense."

"It was made by a famous artist, Luis Jimenez. He took over a decade to almost complete it, until a tragic accident occurred, and part of the sculpture broke off and fell on him, severing an artery and ultimately killing him. Then his sons and friends saw it to completion." Zach said. "Locals dubbed it 'Blucifer' because of its red eyes and bright coloring. As well as the tragedy that befell its maker. Which, you can understand the leap."

"Oh, for sure. I get it. People like a good tragedy..." Charlotte said.

Zach stood up from the desk and walked to his office door, causing Charlotte to stand as well. She read his mannerisms to a 't'.

"That one was easy to cross off!"

Zach smiled as he held the door open for her.

"Good." he said. "Say, what did you do at the film studio? I'm a big movie buff..."

She walked past him into the brightly lit hallway, "I was a film researcher."

*Photo courtesy of Google