Hal rose early Saturday morning and using Samantha's kitchen cooked a huge breakfast for Quentin and himself included pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon..To the boy's amusement he flipped golden brown flapjacks high in the air catching them on a pizza pan as they fell.

They'd made a pact last night allowing Mom to sleep in this morning..The two of them were going fire hydrant painting and Hal wanted to be on the road by 7:30 AM. Today's meeting at the FBI Headquarters was scheduled for 3 PM giving him a partial day off he intended to spend with Quentin..7:30 came and went as dishes were washed, teeth brushed, and a full ten minutes lost in a heated search for the five year old's left shoe which had mysteriously escaped to hide under his bed sometime during the night...They finally rolled out of the condo parking lot using Samantha's personal car at eight o'clock.

Traveling south down the 110 freeway Hal thought it amazing only four days ago the city was strangled in heavy smoke and bedlam. Sunny skies had returned to the Los Angeles basin accompanied by gargantuan cumulous clouds who's characteristics Quentin pointed out ranged from fire breathing dragons to the visage of the current president of the United States.. The storm's scrubbing lineament left the air unusually clear and smog free giving the edges of structures and definition of trees and foliage an unnatural perception. Both Mother Earth and the toils of human kind had worked in harmony bringing a magical reclamation to the region.

Nearing the South Central district of Los Angeles the heavy concrete jungle slowly gave way to sporadic acres of cooperative farmlands now famous for the area..Here the concepts of Darwinism exhibited themselves in stark honesty..The security of living within herds found in gangland life styles. The struggle to eat reduced to a twenty-four hour clock in the eager eyes of day labors huddling at the fringes of convenience store parking lots..The ramshackle roofs of decapitated housing, the mismatched clothing of unwashed children..And yet, mixed among the hopeless, the delusional, the homeless, the sick and elderly, bright reflections of man's unique spirit do show itself here..Like flagships of life's celebration brilliant hues of blue, red, yellow, and green brushed against cracked brick and broken mortar refusing submittal to a life of decay..A poverty stricken mother might be seen in worn torn rags of clothing, however her school age daughter daily boards the public school bus immaculately attired..There is also a tight woven net of local community sharing and support as associated within the ideals of extended families lost to much of the modern urban and suburban culture of coastal Southern California.

Quentin's apparent unlimited capacity for imagination kept Hal entertained and somewhat in the role of defender regarding mankind's current path of evolution concerning such subjects as transportation, space exploration, and the solution to global warming..As the landmark Watt's Towers came into view on their right hand side he listened to a full sermon of the boy's hypothecate explaining the spirals of metal pipe and mesh wire sculptor to be a far more abundant source of function then even Simon Rodia might have conceptualized.

"When the storm came, it was really the angels and the bad things having a war." Quentin said matter of fact.

Hal considered the boy's latest theory with puzzlement.."What angels and what bad things do you mean Quen?"

"The angels come from Heaven and the bad things live in Hell."

"Oh." Hal said.."So your saying every time it rains it means there's a battle between good and evil going on."

Quentin shrugged.."There has to be thunder and lightening."

"You know that in some places like Alaska there are a lot more storms than we have here." The man offered.

The boy seemed to sigh at his ignorance.."Yep..But where the war takes place doesn't matter."

Hal was silent a moment then asked, "Does it scare you, the thunder and lightening?"

"Yes." Quentin answered then continued after a pause. "It would scare me more if it didn't happen though."..He followed pointing at two of the Watt's Towers standing at nearly a hundred feet.."Places like that is where the angels come down...They come down in the lightening."

Hal considered the boy's statement and offered a situation that he thought might make for a more natural reflection on the science of meteorology..."But what about when someone gets struck by lightening, or how it can make forest fires that cause destruction?"

Quentin turned in the car seat speaking to Hal with sobering eyes.."Collateral damage."

At 8:30 Samantha helped herself to a cup of coffee feeling she had sufficiently fulfilled her obligation of respect in light of the gift her two male companions had designed for her. After speaking with Michelle at 10 PM last night she still wanted to wish the couple well before they began their trip to Aspen...Considering their ordeal the previous evening she hesitated calling too early and disturbing what they both surely needed..A good nights sleep. Instead she opened the sliding glass doors at the back of the kitchen fetching warm morning air, and smiled toward it's southern exposure wondering how the fire hydrant painting was going.

Although they had stayed up late visiting with Uncle Jim both Michelle and Nick woke at sunrise anxious to start their trip north..Michelle cooked breakfast while he packed both bikes and at eight o'clock Jim joined them for the meal.

"How far you figure to travel today? He asked.

"We were thinking about stopping over at Boulder City." Michelle advised.

"Hoover Dam?" Jim questioned.

"Yeah," Nick answered, "neither of us has seen it before."

"It's pretty spectacular." His Uncle offered.." Something close to a million and a half cubic yards of concrete..They say enough to pave a two lane highway from San Francisco to New York City."

"What are you going to do this weekend Uncle Jim?" Michelle asked.

"Probably cruise up river to Laughlin."

Nick winked at Michelle.." Jim's got a girl friend lives in Laughlin."

"Oh really?" She chuckled.

"Yeah," he said, "I was going to stay up there, but now that you bums are leaving we can float back here tonight."

"We really like it here Jim." Michelle commented.

He looked up from his breakfast surprised. " You don't have to go!..Really, stay for as long as you like..I am just kidding you know?"

Nick grinned at the man who was as Irish as a leprechaun.."We know Uncle Jim."

"My parents are expecting us," Michelle said,.."and Nick's band is driving up next week for rehearsals in preparation for the Battle of the Bands event in Denver the weekend of the eighteenth."

"Meeting the parents, eh?" Jim grinned at Nick.

"My folks will love him,..they already do!" She offered.

"I am sure they will," he said..."I hope you two stick together." He continued addressing Nick.."She's good lookin' and can cook as well....Now Lauren on the other hand," he said referring to his girlfriend, "over cooks everything."

Michelle chuckled, "Maybe your just getting to old to keep up with her."

"Oh!"..He laughed again speaking to Nick.."And a sense of humor!..He continued shaking a finger.."My advice is you marry her boy before she gets away!"

Nick shook his head blushing just as Michelle's phone rang..She stood up giggling and lean over the back of his chair kissing his left ear.

"Saved by the bell, baby."

He looked up at the stocky round faced man across the table from him as Michelle answered the phone call in the bedroom.."That is assuming she'd have me." He said to Jim.

"Does that mean you've already thought about it?" Jim asked smiling back at him.

"Thought about it the first time I lay eyes on her."

"You know, this place." Jim said slowly.."I always meant for you to have it when I am done with it."

"You never mentioned it."

"Well I am mentioning it now..Hell Nick, it's a great place to raise a family."

"I thought you wanted to retire out here man."

Jim laughed.."This shack?..You got to be kidding!"

"Come on," Nick countered, "you love this place more than I do."

His uncle shrugged, "You guys just put up with me from time to time during the summer that's all I ask."..He stood up from the table changing the subject. "I could use some help launching my boat before you go."

Michelle pressed the talk button on her cell phone. "Hi." She said waiting for a response..."Oh, hi Samantha!"

"Did I call too early?" Samantha questioned.

"No, not at all..We were just finishing up with breakfast, how are you?"

"Good..Hal and Quentin are spending some time together before we go to work later..I just wanted to catch you guys before you took off."

"Yeah, we'll probably be out of here in about an hour." Michelle said.."So, you're going to come up to Denver next week, right?"

"Monday actually." Samantha commented.."We're flying up there to talk with the coordinators of the event..We'll most likely be back and forth all week."

Michelle sounded excited.."We have to get together when your up there, you know that, right?"

"That would be nice."..I wonder if there is any snow yet." Samantha said.

"They had snow in Aspen last week!"..Michelle chuckled.."I can't wait to get Nick on the slopes!"

"I'd love for Quentin to be able to play in the snow." Samantha commented.."He's never seen snow before."

"Oh my God, just bring him with you Samantha!..You can leave him with me and you guys can stay in Aspen instead of flying back and forth to L.A. every day."

"That sounds so wonderful...Quentin has school all week though."

Michelle's voice took on a conspirator's tone.."Oh, please..Lots of parents take their kid's out of school for special occasions...Aspen is so romantic, girlfriend."

"I know." Samantha chuckled.

"Well, you two discuss it anyway..My offer stands..You can bring Quentin with you and stay in Aspen next weekend..It's a long one on account of the Columbus Day Holiday."

"I'll talk to Hal about it Michelle..It sounds great though. "She paused a moment then continued.."About the Battle of the Bands..Really Michelle, if what Nick feels is true, you might consider asking him to cancel for this year."

"I know." She answered.."But I can't ask him to do that..The event could be huge for his band, and his music...I am sure Nick is planning to tell the others of the possible danger..If they decide to go,..I want to be with him no matter what."

Samantha nodded while speaking in the phone.."I understand..I understand just how you feel...Anyway, I promise to get you that helicopter ride sometime next week, ok?"

"That's a double date!" Michelle laughed...Then she spoke again as an idea occurred to her. "You know, if it turns out we're all going to be in Denver that weekend, Quentin could stay with my folks Samantha!"

"Yeah?"

"They'd love it..Hell, they'd spoil him rotten!"

Samantha followed.."Well, we have lot's to think about..Just be careful on that bike trip Michelle."

"Will do, girlfriend..Talk to you soon?"

"Talk to you soon."

By noontime they had painted three fire hydrants including the one on North Stanley Street Hal made note of earlier in the week. At Quentin's insistence, after every new base coat of bright yellow paint had sufficiently dried, eyes and smiley faces were added with touches of gloss black. They stopped a local Jack In The Box using the drive through and as the boy sat in the passenger seat munching on a Big Mac, fries, and strawberry shake they headed for home base.

Hal's mind wandered to last night's phone conversations with the couple in Blythe. He and Samantha had decided to follow up on the source of the incident. She agreed to call the C.H.P. dispatch and he the local Sheriff Department both requesting a report of police activity in the area involving a motorcycle between the hours of 8 and 10 PM..Samantha hadn't called him to confirm her findings, however for his part, he'd drawn a blank..The sub-station in Blythe reported a light evening of activity with only a response involving a traffic accident on the 10 freeway and a Border Patrol requested assist on the west end of town...Figuring his partner would have called back if she turned up anything relevant he allowed his mind to venture toward subsequent levels of suspicion including Mallory and Denason's close proximity to the area in light of their Brawley assignment..He didn't know Mallory well enough to make any quick judgements concerning the man's character, however yellow warning flags popped in his mind yesterday afternoon in response to the man's seemingly scripted list of questions regarding he and Samantha's planned activities..It was well within the aspect of Denason's method of operation to use the junior agent as an instrument of misdirection to gain information for his own desire.

He smiled in response to an involuntary burp and Quentin's shy apology before returning to his milk shake creating familiar gurgling sounds that indicate he was nearly finished with the drink.

He'd been outranked by Denason while assigned to the same company near Kuwait City a month before his Army tour of duty was scheduled to end. Learning early on to stay clear of the man's ego-centric campaigns and frenzied need to bolster his self esteem through the manipulation of junior officers and enlisted men under his command...It had come to a head though ten days later when Hal's unit was assigned to followed Denason's into a outlining village where he'd interrupted the man in the act of beating and attempting to rape a young civilian woman..He'd put a quick finish to the incident placing the business end of his M-16 against the back of Denason's head demanding he leave the premises..After reporting the incident however the ensuing charges where almost immediately dropped indicating that even back then the man had mastered the art of keeping upper brass in his pocket...The episode left no public knowledge of Denason's behavior and from that time forward they'd tolerated one another's presence liken to the circling paths of natural enemies.

In Hal's mind Denason's insistence to be involved with the Mad Muse Case was as transparent as the man himself..His desire to control and center himself in the limelight of a high profile investigation brought with it inherent dangers. His unwanted intervention however was not obsessive in Hal's mind. The investigation was but four days old and filled with complexities he and Samantha must maintain focused on. The aspirations and compulsive behavior of one individual need be treated as minimal as possible in hopes all available resources might be used in positive pursuit toward resolving the case.

A far greater concern than Denason was the emergence of Nick Flannery's described Zoot Suit Man and the confirmed metaphysical aspects of the case as characterized by Soong Chu-Yu. If this individual Nick eyewitnessed was in fact both the instigator of previous events and a creature of the underworld equipped with supernatural powers, how might meager mortals fasten an end to it's reign of terror? His years of collective knowledge and skill intimate to police work seemed scarcely adequate to the task. Without Soong Chu-Yu's extensive background and sensitive abilities cirumventing matters of the occult, he feared he would be completely lost.

He blinked in response to Quentin's hand passing through his plane of vision in attempt to rouse his current state of contemplation..The boy grinned and Hal returned the favor with as much gusto as he could muster.

"Sorry Quen," he managed realizing how deep in thought he'd immersed.

"That's ok," the boy returned..."Just making sure your still here."...Thanks for the Jack In The Box,...old buddy." He smiled with the same shinning eyes as his mother's.

"Anytime young man."

He tried to concentrate on the road but within seconds his mind slipped back studying a new awareness..Something about Nick Flannery had scared the Zoot Suit Man into action..Why would a man like Nick who's entire life was dedicated to the creation of music effect such a desperate act on the part of a paranormal entity? Feeling more dependent than ever on the counsel of his friend Soong Chi-Yu, daunting concern levitate his conscious for the safety of the woman who's child sat next to him.