Pointed stars were fraught in history, often in lore. Charlotte knew of many origins for these geometric shapes. She tapped her pen on the desktop, deep in thought. The eight-pointed star meant different things in different belief systems. In ancient Babylonian times, it represented Ishtar, the goddess of war and fertility. Judeo-Christians saw it as a new beginning as the eighth day meant a new week had begun. Ancient Egyptians saw it representing gods, and even seen as a star gate, where people could slip through time. This was tied to a specific place though.

The temple.

She remembered the temple in Abydos. It had this star in a few places, etched into the hieroglyphs. Why was it here though, in the Denver International Airport? None of it made sense. Taking out a pack of notecards from her bag, she began to lay them out on the desk, side by side. Thoughts needed to be organized.

Charlotte began from the beginning. She started with the tips received about the blue horse statue and the myths surrounding it. It was creepy, but she didn't have enough evidence that it was haunted or cursed. Besides its owner's untimely death while working on it. 'Rumored' she wrote in red ink at the bottom of the card. More research was needed.

Next was the biggest piece of evidence, in her opinion, for something being hidden. The vast amount of land the airport was built upon. Around 53 square miles, 53. It was unprecedented in aviation to need such a large space. This of course was on the surface. Charlotte scribbled quickly, sketching the top layer on an additional card. Then below she sketched seven plus levels reaching below, like roots to a giant tree. She had no doubts that there was vastly more to the underground than was considered. Proof though, was hard to come by. But she had found old interviews from construction workers who claimed it to be nefarious.

'3-D light blue 8-sided star' she printed neatly onto another card. Then she sketched its likeness. She added 'clue to organization?' at the bottom in red. Something about it was sticking out in her brain. Juxtaposed with the other symbols in plain sight, they were more than just a coincidence. 'Research' she added to the bottom of the card.

The time capsule was next. She had tips pouring in on her podcast page concerning this. 'New World Airport Commission' was a virtual online ghost. There were facts associated to this card though. A man had verified that he was commissioned to make the actual plaque, and she had the bank info for where he was paid from. It had taken her quite a bit of effort to decipher where the money originated, but she'd done it. This was the main driver for the illuminate having hooks into the construction. 'Ongoing' she wrote in red.

A twinge of what felt vaguely electric radiated up her neck. It had a static feel to it and caused her to stop writing. She rubbed the skin just under her hair. A calm settled over her psyche. She knew exactly where she was going with the podcast and the direction she wanted the first episode to take.

I need to extend my stay.

She gingerly stood, stretching her arms over her head. The electric feeling came again, and then vanished. She grabbed her key card and left the room, heading to the elevator. Before the doors could shut, a man stepped inside with her. He didn't look at her but instead focused on his phone. An odd feeling settled in her mind. This was most likely a person following her. From the 'New World Order'.

"Ladies first."

The man spoke as the elevator reached the lobby floor.

"Thank you. ." She replied, stepping out into the airy space.

Having taken no more than three steps, she turned to see where the man was, but he had vanished.

Probably CIA. Or some other government entity.

If a group of people were alerted to her digging, it would make sense for them to follow her every move. And to Charlotte, the current government had to be in on it. If not driving it. Follow the money was her research strategy. It never failed.

"How can we help you?"

A male desk clerk smiled at her. She hadn't seen him before, but this wasn't too curious. It was a large well-known hotel. She was sure they rotated staff frequently.

"I need to extend my stay."

"Certainly. For how long?"

She paused, thinking. How long should be enough?

"Do you have availability for another week?"

The man smiled, his features handsome and unassuming.

"We do, can even keep you in the same room if you like. ."

"Sounds good. Thank you."

She looked behind her as the clerk finalized the details on his computer. The man from the elevator was back, getting a complimentary coffee from a snack bar area. His attention was on a woman sitting nearby. The woman laughed at something he said then her gaze quickly shifted to Charlotte. Something about her appeared familiar. Their eyes locked.

"All done Ms. Locke. I just need to scan your room key again."

"Oh. .yes."

She turned around and slid the key over to the clerk. He handed it back with another smile.

"I hope you enjoy your stay, and whatever business you have in Denver."

"Thank you."

She tucked the key into her pocket and made her way back to the elevators. It was almost time to set up for the podcast. As the metal doors shut, his words echoed in her mind. Whatever business you have in Denver. . .

There were zero doubts in Charlotte's subconscious that she was on the right path now, career wise. Quitting her old job was only beginning to cement in her mind. It was a change that was more than organic. It was predestined.

I'm here to expose this.

Once in her room again, she happily set up the necessary equipment. The laptop was lined up perfectly with the window. She scooted the flowers from Zach into the frame but upon closer inspection, decided to leave them out. As beautiful as they were, the podcast wasn't a fit for such a prop.

Kind of like Zach.

If Zach was a part of The New World Order, or whatever was hidden at the airport, he certainly didn't fit. He was far too. . unassuming? She mulled over the tour guide as she began to set up the microphone. Zach was the first line of contact for people like her. He might have some knowledge of what was going on, but probably not too much. Shadowy people would never tip their full hand. Just enough to condition others. Like the breadcrumbs scattered all over the airport. No, Zach would be a plant. They would stroke his ego, make him feel important, but only trust him with a limited amount of information.

"There. It's ready." She said to the empty room.

Excitement began to blossom. Her very first podcast! She took a few minutes to use the bathroom and brew a quick cup of hotel room coffee. One of the nicest perks of upscale hotels was the mini bar and fancy coffee makers enclosed in each.

Caffeine entered then raced through her veins as she took the first sip. She settled in the desk chair and opened the software for the podcast hosting server. It was nice that the monthly fee included everything. She was about to go live. A few clicks later, she was ready. She took a deep breath and began.

"Hello and welcome to episode zero of The Denver Chronicles. I am your host, Charlotte Locke. If you are just tuning in, you are the first to ever hear what I am about to uncover. Some of this information is not new, nor is it extraordinary shocking. But pieced together, it paints an astounding picture of what is really going on at the Denver International Airport."

She paused and clicked on audio for a group tour that a local news station had done on the 'airport conspiracies'. The sound bite was one of about a dozen that she had on file to give additional background to her podcast.

"As you just heard, Denver has quite embraced its own version of conspiracy theories surrounding the airport. I believe though, as many of you also do, that what is hidden in plain sight becomes accepted as fiction. Nothing more than a fleeting assumption that mustn't be true, couldn't be true. But my friends, this is simply the ultimate deception."

Charlotte cued in audio of a worker who went on the record for a foreign architecture magazine. The man had a similar story to the one she herself had unearthed with a former worker.

"More than 36 million cubic yards of earth was moved from the airport site in total. The estimated size of the entirety of Manhattan in New York City could fit in the space it left. I interviewed one of the workers that was contracted for the expansion project. His identity will remain anonymous for reasons I'm sure you can understand. He verified with other reports that crews were moved every week or so, never working on the same area for very long. It is reported that the space underneath DIA spans over 12 stories deep, possibly much deeper."

She ran audio for how much mass is in Manhattan by a geological surveyor.

"The Denver International Airport extends farther than any other airport on the planet. Rivaled only by King Fahd International Airport in Saudi Arabia. What exactly could be such a possible need for an airport of that sheer magnitude? The estimated cost at the time of this podcast was $2.35 billion. . only the true estimated cost is double that at $4.8 billion dollars."

More sound bites were inserted to collaborate her claims. She knew the listeners would be hooked at this point, just as she was.

"Let me expound on what else I've uncovered so far. ."

She launched into her note cards and emphasized the hidden meanings. Zach was even briefly covered, though she left his name out for her sake as much as his. She was still being watched after all. To include being monitored on here.

"In conclusion, I hope you all begin to understand there is far more to DIA than what meets the eye my listeners. I plan to investigate further, outside of the airport. Tune in for episode 1 in three more days. There will be a coup de grâce to come, for those that wish to hide in the shadows."

Charlotte ended the podcast and closed out the software. She exhaled and wondered if that was too bold, too soon.

If they weren't coming for me yet, they will now.