Unlocking the Kingdom Read online

  Through heavy breaths, she whispered, “You sure are some tour guide, Grayson Hawkes.”

  The train whistle screamed, as the locomotive chugged around the corner toward Tomorrowland.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO

  * * *

  THE TRAIN MADE ITS LOOP and steamed back to the Train Station in Town Square. This had been the final trip of the night, and the pair waited for everyone else to leave and head down the exit ramp. As guests disembarked, they strained to catch a glimpse of the two who had run alongside the train and jumped aboard, along the shore of the Rivers of America, like a scene out of an old western movie. The gawking lasted only a moment or two, as Hawk and Kate kept their seat and waited for everyone to leave.

  The conductor stepped up and told them it was time to go, then recognized the leader of the company.

  “Hawk, or Mr. Hawk, sir . . . that was quite a way to get on board the train.” The conductor nervously thrust his hand toward him. “Are you OK? Are either one of you hurt?”

  Hawk shook the man’s hand. “I think we’re fine, thanks for asking.”

  “I’ve never seen nothing like that before, been here a lot of years, but that was a first.” The conductor tilted back his hat. “You two sure you’re OK?”

  “We’re good.” Hawk stood to exit. “We’re going into the station for a few minutes to take a look around. You have a great night, and thanks for doing such a good job here.”

  It was the time of night when guests started leaving the park, and a steady stream of people was flowing through the traffic tunnels below the train station. Now that the train was shut down for the night, the station would be empty and locked. Using the key to the kingdom, Hawk unlocked the door and opened it for Kate. She strode past him, and with a quick look from side to side, he checked to see if there was anyone watching them. All appeared quiet on the train exit platform where they had entered through the back door of the train station.

  Kate moved across the station, found a wooden bench, and crumbled onto it. Hawk could see she was tired and still shaken from the encounter on the dock at Beacon Joe’s shack. He handed her the still-wrapped discovery, and she silently began to unwind the wrapping from the figurine. This work of art was of a cowboy with his six-shooter raised up into the air in celebration. Hawk barely gave the priceless long-lost figure a second glance, as he waited for Kate to find and pull off what he knew was the last collectible pin.

  The black box had space for five pins. He had found four, and this would now be the fifth. As Kate pulled it away from the figure and held it between her fingers, Hawk saw it was Pluto. The five pins they had found were of the Fab Five; Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald, and Pluto. The classic anchor characters of the company. All characters that Walt had input into creating, even giving voice to Mickey Mouse in the early years. He now had completed the pin collection as the box was full. The question was, what was he supposed to do with them?

  Using his phone to scan the QR code just as before, they connected to an old-film-style video that featured George riding something with a familiar, yet hard-to-discern, background blazing past him. Hawk studied it and saw support poles going past. Again he thought they were something he had seen before. Then the video went black with an eerie light casting shadows on George Colmes’ face. His voice echoed as he went through some type of tunnel.

  “Walt had a dream . . . a dream about tomorrow . . . a vision you can see . . . a vision as it was meant to be . . . a living blueprint of the future where people can actually live a life they can’t find anyplace else in the world. . . . I can see the vision from here. . . . Go to it. . . . Find that vision. . . . Stick with it.”

  The video flashed, and the screen went to black. George was gone, and Hawk sat thinking about what they had just heard.

  “He was talking about Epcot, wasn’t he?” Kate turned on the bench toward Hawk. “All he was saying sounded like Epcot.”

  “Yes, it did, didn’t it?”

  “But where at Epcot? Last time I checked, it’s a pretty big place.” She slid to the edge of the bench like she was ready to go there immediately.

  Hawk got out the black box and carefully placed the final pin of the collection into place. After he closed the box, he held it up and thought carefully before he spoke.

  “We now have this set of pins and a clue that is about Epcot . . . and that is all we have to go forward with.” Hawk stared past her longer than was comfortable for either of them. “You’re right. Epcot is a big place, and we didn’t get a whole lot of information in that last clue.”

  “You mean to tell me you haven’t figured this one out yet?”

  “No, not yet. And you?” He tried to hide his angst because this clue had not yet clicked into place at all in his head. With a bit of direction, he could move forward, but she was indeed correct. Epcot was an awfully big place.

  “Nope, but I am not the knower of all things Disney. That is you.” Kate reached out and patted his arm. “By the way, thank you for not letting me drown in the Rivers of America back there.”

  “You’re welcome. That was a little intense, wasn’t it?”

  “A little intense?” She laughed. “That’s one way of putting it. Today I’ve seen you being chased up a tree, doing an insane limb-to-limb jump, hiding under a poncho, getting attacked on a dock, and jumping onto a moving train. I can’t wait to see how you figure out this next clue and figure out how to help me tell this story.”

  “You’re right, it has been a very busy day. And I can’t wait to figure those things out either.”

  “So is your life always like this?” Kate eased back and crossed her arms. “Is there always someone trying to catch you, hurt you, take what you have?”

  “Not always, but I guess in my life, just like in a great Disney story, there are heroes and villains. I’m just trying to be one of the good guys, doing what I was asked to do.”

  “By Walt?”

  “And Farren.”

  “Hawk, I think they both would be very proud.” She leaned toward him. “And today you have been very heroic. Thanks.”

  “You’re welcome.” Hawk got to his feet and held out his hand. “Now I need to get you back to your resort safely. I have to call Reginald and make sure they quit hounding you guys about turning over the film footage, and I have something to do yet tonight.”

  “And what would that be?”

  “I’ll tell you tomorrow, but for right now, it’s safer if you don’t know.”

  “So what’s the plan?”

  “I’d like to get my team together in the morning. I have to figure out how to understand this last clue. So, you’ll be at my office in the morning?”

  “Oh, am I a part of your team?”

  “You are now.” Hawk grinned.

  Kate took his hand and got to her feet. “Are you asking me to be on the team, or are you telling me I’m on the team?”

  “Are you always asking questions because you’re curious or to be difficult?”

  He headed toward the doors of the train station, with her next to him.

  CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE

  * * *

  MORNING BROKE SPECTACULARLY over Central Florida. The coolness of the sky was lit by brilliant streaks of Florida sun. Grayson Hawkes had had a very short night. After making sure Kate Young had returned to the Contemporary safely, he had stashed the newly found figurines in the trunk of his car and hidden the collectible pin box where he believed no one would find it. In the early morning hours, he shuffled his way back into the Magic Kingdom to go home. The security team had finished looking over his apartment, and he had managed to kick enough things out the way to find his bed. After a quick shower and change of clothes, he headed to meet Farren and Reginald for breakfast at Downtown Disney.

  As he drove toward the shopping resort, he formulated his strategy for the day. He would have Nancy get in touch with Juliette, Jonathan, and Shep; hopefully, he could get them all together this morning, including Kate. His intention was
to go over the clues and findings with them, to see if they could help him determine where to search next and if they had any idea what George Colmes was trying to get him to find and why. Idling the car at the traffic light, Hawk quickly reviewed, for his own clarity of thought, the events of the past few days, just as he had eighteen months before.

  He had doggedly tried to solve and find each piece of an Imagineers puzzle so he could have the prize, the prize that Walt Disney had wanted him to have. He was continually troubled by the ever-present group trying to stop him. He had always believed that they would create trouble, they would threaten, and they could cause great difficulty for him; but he’d thought there was a line they would never cross. Last night, when the two men met them at the shack and threatened Kate, much in the same way they had threatened Juliette months before, he knew he had once again underestimated his enemies. They were operating with a set of rules he did not yet understand.

  Steering the car into the parking lot, he moved into the far right parking area and pulled to a stop next to an elevated security tower. Here, guards could watch over the parking lots during peak periods. He had asked Reginald to make sure this particular tower was manned even at this early hour. Getting out of his car, he glanced up and saw the cast member sitting inside, behind a tinted window. He wanted the guard to make sure the contents of his trunk stayed safe and that there was added security near him this morning. Later, I’ll need to call Al Gann as well.

  The Earl of Sandwich was a popular restaurant that served breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Downtown Disney. He cut past the front doors of the toy store where Buzz Lightyear greeted guests and saw that Reginald and Farren were waiting on him, seated at an outdoor table on the far right-hand side of the patio area. They had some privacy at that end of the dining area at this time of the morning. Reginald had balked at his selection of where to meet, and Farren loved the idea. Hawk personally just liked the food.

  Farren greeted him with a wave and a smile. “Hawk, welcome. I ordered your sandwich and got you some coffee.”

  “Thank you. Good morning.” Hawk slid out his chair. “Mornin’, Reginald, how are you feeling? Any better yet?”

  “I don’t have time to be sick. But if I weren’t feeling poorly already, I would be sick with worry over your antics in the park.” Reginald took a deep sip of his black coffee. The steam off the liquid curled up around his nose as he drank.

  Hawk took the next few minutes to make sure both Reginald and Farren knew what he had been doing and what he had found. He needed their help, their thoughts, and their input, so he wanted them to have all the information they needed to be successful. That was a leadership concept that always showed up as Hawk led and moved people forward. He wanted them to have what they needed to be successful. He had learned a long time ago the information may not be as much as they want, but it would be as much as they need. That is what he offered to Farren and Reginald.

  When he finished giving them an overview of the day, he took a bite of his breakfast sandwich, giving them time to think about what they had heard. He swallowed, then spoke.

  “Did you know that in 1762, John Montagu, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, was one busy guy? He was the First Sea Lord of the mighty British Navy. And he was a noted explorer, a patron of the arts, and a gambler who liked to take risks.”

  “I am sure there is a reason you are telling us this?” Reginald asked.

  “There is.” Hawk took another bite, chewed, and then swallowed. “The dude was too busy to eat. So he came up with the ingenious idea of putting meat between two slices of bread. From then on, it didn’t matter if you were inspecting the fleet or laying down a royal flush—you could eat great food without too much fuss. Cool, huh?”

  “The reason?” Reginald asked, as he took another sip.

  “I have been running so crazy the last few days that I haven’t had time to eat or think, and I’ve gotten very little sleep. I wanted you guys here to slow me down and help me make sure I’m not missing something.” Hawk nodded at his friends, then added, “And to tell you that the sandwich was named after its inventor, the fourth Earl of Sandwich, in 1762. Just in case you didn’t know.”

  Reginald frowned.

  Farren laughed at Reginald’s irritation and at Hawk’s penchant for sharing trivia, both of which Hawk loved to do in a playful and respectful way. “Well, for not having had too much sleep, you are in rare form.”

  “Yes, that is what I want to talk about . . . your rare form.” Reginald set his cup on the table and tapped his fingers on the surface. “You could have gotten killed yesterday in the very large tree you were jumping around in. Not to mention the two men who attempted to grab you—not once, but twice yesterday.”

  “What was I supposed to do, wait for you to get to feeling better before I went looking?”

  “No, you were supposed to let the sheriff’s department do the looking for you.” Reginald did not change his expression.

  “They would have needed me to figure it out—more obscure clues and Disney trivia references.”

  “But you found everything?” Farren clarified.

  “Up to this point. I don’t really know what else I’m looking for.”

  “Have you secured everything you’ve found?” Farren inquired.

  “Safe and sound at the top of the world.”

  “Go over the last clue again with us.”

  “Walt had a dream . . . a dream about tomorrow . . . a vision you can see . . . a vision as it was meant to be . . . a living blueprint of the future where people can actually live a life they can’t find anyplace else in the world. . . . I can see the vision from here. . . . Go to it. . . . Find that vision. . . . Stick with it.” Hawk repeated the clue exactly as George had said it on the film.

  “That sounds like Epcot. The answer is in Epcot,” Reginald stated.

  “That’s what it sounds like,” Hawk affirmed.

  “But where in Epcot?” Farren stared at his napkin and twirled it on the table as he thought.

  “I have no idea.” Hawk smiled. “I was hoping you might.”

  “Grayson,” Reginald interrupted. “I think we have to take care of these intruders who are trying to take the company for themselves. They have got

  ten awfully close to you, and you have been fortunate to this point.”

  “What do you mean, take care of them?”

  “I think—” Reginald coughed, which turned into another, and both men could see he was visibly in pain. Reginald clutched his chest and waited for the spasm to pass. “I say it is time to give them what they have asked for.”

  “You are not serious, are you?” Farren’s mouth opened slightly.

  “I am serious. I think it is the only way.” Reginald looked across the dining area to see if anyone was paying extra attention to them. “However, giving them what they asked for and then giving them what they want may not be the same thing.”

  “I’m listening.” Hawk leaned in closer.

  “What was the signal they told you to give in the window of the Hall of Presidents?” Reginald looked toward Hawk.

  “One if by land, two if by sea, put out the lights and give us the key. Then I’m supposed to wait in the Hall of Presidents.”

  “I propose that we honor their request. It is time to turn out the lights and tell them to come get the key.” Reginald smiled slightly. “However, when you turn out the lights of Paul Revere, what they won’t know is that we are going to have our own little revolution.”

  Hawk’s eyes widened. “Keep talking.”

  “You will be there waiting for them to show themselves, but we will be there as well. We will apprehend them and be rid of them. Perhaps then you can finish solving your little Imagineer puzzle, and we can get back to normal around here.”

  CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR

  * * *

  THE THREE MEN CONTINUED their conversation around the breakfast table, as Reginald laid out his rough idea to spring a trap on the people who so desperately wa
nted the key. Hawk was to have the lanterns snuffed out, and then, as the park closed, make sure he was waiting in the darkened attraction. Reginald would station himself inside. Out of sight, he would strategically place additional security. Hawk would be the bait, luring the predators into their trap. It was simple in design and made sense to everyone around the table. It should work.

  It was then that Reginald voiced a concern.

  “What is troubling me is the ease with which these people have been able to find you.”

  “Ease?” Hawk leaned back.

  “Yes, they seem to be able to find you as though they know where you are going and what you are doing. They have easy access in the parks, which means either they are insiders, like we have dealt with in the past, or they are not afraid of being caught, which is also troublesome. I fear . . .” Reginald slowed and lowered his voice. “Someone who has gotten close to you might be involved.”

  “What?’ Hawk threw his head back and laughed. “You get in my face about solving this mystery, and you have your own conspiracy theory. Seriously?”

  “Hold on a moment, my friend.” Farren held out his hand toward Hawk to quiet him. “His thought has merit. What are you thinking, Reginald?”

  “It appears to me that someone knows what you are going to do before you do it. Someone understands how you think, how you operate, how you do things . . . your inner circle.”

  “You have lost your mind.” Hawk pushed back from the table, his voice rising more than he intended. “You really think someone close to me is trying to steal the key.”

  “Let’s go through the inner circle, your Warriors of the Kingdom . . .” Reginald leaned in and spoke in hushed tones. “There are the three of us, Juliette, Tim, Jonathan, and Shep.”

  Hawk’s jaw was set in stone as he listened. Farren reached over and gave him a reassuring pat on the back and nodded for him to keep listening.