The TALONS Files: the chronicles of telepathic agent Ryan Dart

An Easy Answer

As they crossed the Michigan Avenue bridge, rapidly striding over the Chicago River, Ryan gawked at the canyon of skyscrapers encompassing the modest span of concrete and steel. To the left, only several blocks down, the river emptied into lake Michigan. To his right, the sun was dipping behind the mammoth buildings of downtown. A constant stream of people and automobiles gave their trek a lively aura.

As he strode, he finally asked Mai the question he was dying to know. He didn't want to sound stupid. Yet, he knew there was no way he was going to figure it out on his own. "I still don't get it, and I haven't been able to pick it up from your thoughts either. How do you know where the card is hidden?"

Mai had a disappointed expression on her face, although her head was in her phone. "Think, Why would the terrorist need to know what Van Gogh looked like?" She now wore a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. She had changed her clothes in the back seat of the four runner, as they had stopped at the vehicle on the way to the museum.

Ryan scanned his mind, as if going through the clues of an impossible cross word puzzle. "Uhhh...not a clue."

Mai sighed exasperatedly, "Do you know nothing about art...or Van Gogh?"

"Wasn't he the crazy guy that cut his ear off?"

"Yes," She brought her eyes from her phone momentarily, "But what is important is that in 1886 Van Gogh went to Paris."

"So we're looking for a painting of the Eifel Tower or the Arc de Triumph?"
Mai screwed up her face, 'Are you serious?'

"OK. That's a no. Then what?"

Her head fell back to her phone. She studied it and tapped it once in a while. "While he was in Paris, he created at least twenty-four self portraits."

Ryan raised his brow, suddenly getting it. "Oh, and there's one at this Museum?"

She nodded emphatically. "Yes. And I know exactly what it looks like."

"Do you know where it is?" Ryan asked.

Mai shook her head, "I'm not sure, but I've been here before, when I was twelve. I remember the painting, there's a couple galleries with a lot of Monet's, Van Gogh's and Renoir's.

"So we get a map."

Mai smiled, "Exactly," She played with her phone then pulled out the credit card.

"What are you doing?" Ryan watched her.

"Getting a fast pass for the Museum. That way we don't have to stand in line for tickets."

"Good thinking."