Unlocking the Kingdom Read online

  Allie explained the action to Kate Young, whose instructions to the team had been interrupted by this unexpected sight.

  “And now they are tearing out the parking lot exceptionally fast.”

  The white SUV had woven through the parking area, taken a cut-through road, passed a security gate, and taken a right-hand turn that sent the vehicle speeding along a roadway between the theme park and the resort. Pete raised his eyebrows and shoulders simultaneously, gesturing what the other two were thinking.

  “I wonder what that was all about.” Punky scratched his chin and leaned against the railing. “Hmm . . . this week might be more entertaining than I first thought.”

  “They’re gone . . . but it was odd,” Allie continued her narrative for Kate. “They’re heading somewhere in a hurry . . . yes, like an emergency kind of hurry.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  * * *

  THE WHITE SUV BOUNCED OUT of the parking lot and turned sharply onto North World Drive, then raced past Space Mountain, heading toward the far side of the Magic Kingdom. Still accelerating, Cambridge navigated a jagged series of quick turns that put the vehicle on Floridian Way, which would carry them around the back of the theme park. The herky-jerky journey got smoother on this stretch of road that was free of any winding turns.

  “Uncle Reggie, you about flipped us over back there.” From the backseat, a wide-eyed Shep looked at the driver in the rearview mirror.

  “I am an excellent driver,” snorted Cambridge. “Perhaps you should be a silent passenger.”

  Hawk, riding in the shotgun seat, glanced back at Shep and smiled. Although the road had straightened out, Cambridge was still pushing the limits of how fast he could drive and keep them safe. Seeing how quickly things were moving past them out of the window, Hawk turned toward the driver. “What’s the hurry? What’s going on?”

  “It would appear there is another situation at the Pirates of the Caribbean.” Cambridge steered the vehicle to the left around a lazy turn.

  “A situation?” Juliette leaned up so she could see Cambridge’s face.

  “Yes, a situation.” Cambridge gave the steering wheel a hard left turn, causing the passengers to rock awkwardly in their seats.

  “Whoa!” Shep yelped.

  Hawk said nothing but found himself gripping the handle of the door tightly to stabilize himself. They tilted as the vehicle cornered. Cambridge concentrated intently on the road, his jaw set in a rock-solid bite.

  He had been around Cambridge enough to have seen that look of controlled intensity before. Under pressure or a potential crisis, Reginald had an uncanny knack for remaining engaged on the problem at hand. The vehicle began to slow as they made their way down Caribbean Way and approached a security station.

  Cambridge rolled down his window and pointed toward the guard, who recognized the security chief and the passenger in the front seat. Rushing back into the structure, he raised the gate and energetically waved them through. They were approaching the back of the Pirates attraction, where they had been earlier in the day. The SUV screeched to a halt and Reginald had his door open before he turned the engine off.

  Now Hawk followed his lead and yelled as they got out, “What are we heading into Reginald?”

  “We need to get inside quickly!” Cambridge called back.

  “Why?” Hawk fell in behind him as Juliette and Shep did the same.

  “Because we don’t want to miss it.” Cambridge grabbed the door and swung it open.

  “Miss what?”

  “The ghost.” Cambridge’s expression was intense, and his eyes showed no signs of kidding or playing.

  “Did he say a ghost?” Shep looked back over his shoulder to see if Juliette had heard the same thing he had.

  As the group paused at the door, everyone looked at Cambridge, waiting for him to give them more information. Holding the door, Reginald realized they were not going to enter until he said something else. “Yes, they have seen a ghost in the attraction.” He raised his arm to invite them in. “I suggest if we are going to find it, we need to get inside.”

  “This day just keeps getting better and better.” Hawk cracked a smile as he spoke.

  “That’s why you get the big bucks.” Juliette shoved him toward the door. “If there’s a ghost in there, you go in first.”

  For the second time today, Grayson Hawkes made the pupil-blowing transition from daylight into the darkness of the attraction. Unlike the first time, this time there was no chaos or confusion. The attraction was silent, with no soundtrack blaring in the background. The small band navigated the backstage area and made its way into the main loading area of the ride.

  Normally there would be a line of people being sent into short lines to climb aboard the boats. Now there were two empty boats, no guests, and a few cast members milling about. Chuck Conrad made his way over to meet them. Hawk looked across the boat loading area to the observation area that monitored the ride while it was in operation. Bill was there, waving for them to join him.

  Chuck addressed them all. “I am sorry, I know you were still in a meeting.”

  “Tell us what happened,” Reginald said curtly.

  “We had just gotten back, continuing to run the attraction through all the system checks. A cast member up there—” Chuck pointed up to where Bill was still looking at them through the observation window. “—said he saw something on one of the security cameras.”

  “What did he see?” Hawk positioned himself in the queue line.

  “He called it a ghost.” Chuck shrugged. “It was a pale grayish figure, and it moved across the screen and then disappeared.”

  “Did we manage to capture this . . . ghost . . . on a tape that we can review?” Reginald asked skeptically.

  “Bill is reviewing the system now.”

  “Where did this happen?” Hawk folded his arms and leaned back against the railing.

  “Here, actually.” Chuck swept his arm past them.

  “In the load area?” Juliette moved in just a little bit closer to Shep as she asked the question.

  “You know this place is supposed to be haunted.” Shep lowered his voice and closed the distance between him and the rest of the group. “There have been stories about this attraction for years.”

  “Haunted? Seriously?” Reginald rolled his eyes.

  “Seriously.” Shep turned his hands palms up. “Cast members have been telling stories about this attraction forever.”

  “I doubt seriously that it’s haunted.” Hawk straightened up. “Tell me where the ghost was seen.”

  “Right here on Moonlight Bay.”

  They all turned to look.

  Over the years, Moonlight Bay has reflected a ship at sea that guests barely notice as they wait to board the boats in the load area. It is a work of art, a beautiful and massive display, yet often missed in the anticipation of the pirate adventure that awaits each guest at this point.

  “I don’t see anything there now.” Hawk studied it closely. “It just appeared and then disappeared?”

  “The way he described it is that it kind of walked through it.”

  “To where?”

  “Out the door, according to what he said.”

  “A door.” Hawk strode over to the edge of Moonlight Bay. The dark expanse of water rippled at his feet. “What door?”

  “It’s there, just out of your line of sight.” Chuck stepped up next to him and pointed. “It’s a door that has been rarely used. As a matter of fact, it is not used at all anymore. It used to be called . . . well, it isn’t important.”

  “Used to be called what?” Reginald now stood next to them.

  “I would rather not say.” Chuck apologetically nodded toward Hawk. “Out of respect for Hawk.”

  “You know, Chuck, I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Hawk looked at him, puzzled.

  “It was called the Jesus door.” Chuck sighed. “No offense, I know you are also a pastor, sir.”

  “None taken
.”

  Shep leaned out to see if he could see it. “Why the Jesus door?”

  “Because this is Moonlight Bay, to get to the door you have to walk across the water . . . right?” Hawk looked back toward the diorama.

  “Exactly,” Chuck replied.

  “Actually, that is a creative name for it.” Hawk now stepped out gingerly onto the Moonlight Bay set. “Will it hold me?” He was surprised to find that although it looked like water from a distance; it was merely a painted solid floor. Standing on it, he looked like he was standing on the surface of the bay.

  “It should,” Chuck moved to the edge of the diorama. “The door is still there but not used. It takes you to a backstage area.”

  “Fine, I’ll go see if I can find any signs of our ghost.” Hawk paused and turned back to the group. “Go find us something on the footage.”

  “Do you want anyone to go with you?” Shep moved to the edge of the painted water as if to join him.

  “Would you like to come?” Hawk smiled, knowing the answer.

  “Well, actually, no . . . since you’re going ghost hunting and all . . . and you know, I have a sense about these kinds of things.”

  “I’ll see you in a few minutes.” Hawk walked across the bay. He found himself stepping softly across the solid floor as if he expected to sink at any moment. When he spotted the door that was now visible as he navigated across the set, his disorientation abated.

  The Jesus door opened easily after the miracle walk across the water had been accomplished. Hawk faced an overly large step down to the concrete foundation of the attraction. The hallway was extremely narrow and claustrophobically closed in on him as he made his way through the dark hallway.

  The interior of the attraction had not seen the light of the outside world since the day it was opened. Added to the constant darkness was the overwhelming amount of water in the ride. The result was in essence a dark, damp, and musty cave system. Hawk moved down this corridor, and it widened slightly as he rounded a darkened corner. Safety lights dimly illuminated various set pieces and props that had been unceremoniously stashed offstage.

  This labyrinth echoed dully with each step Hawk took. Creeping slowly and cautiously, he thought he heard footsteps in the hallway along with his. Stopping and listening closely, he heard nothing except water dripping somewhere near him. Again he inched forward, allowing his hand to lightly touch the wall to his right to keep him oriented in the dim light. A stairwell descended downward, and Hawk grabbed the handrail. Two legs, slumped on the ground, blocked his path.

  He jumped back with a start, nearly stumbling and taking a seat on the stairs. A pair of wading pants, much like a fisherman might use, had been absently flung over the handrail. He had managed to knock them off when he placed his hand on it. A few feet ahead he spotted another pair in the low light. They looked like limbs jutting out of the blackness. He smiled at his skittishness. Hold it together, you great ghost hunter. He could sense that the bottom of the stairs was near as the stairs got wider and less steep.

  As his descent leveled out, a gray shape swooped out of the darkness toward him.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  * * *

  Huddled in the low light of the control room, the small group anxiously studied the images rapidly passing across the monitor. Reginald and Chuck were seated, operating the video system, scouring the tapes for a glimpse of the ghost that had been reported in the attraction. Shep, Juliette, and Bill stood looking over their shoulders toward the screen. Occasionally, Juliette would look back out the window toward Moonlight Bay for any sign of the ghost or the return of Grayson Hawkes. Growing restless with the waiting, she leaned toward Shep.

  “You said this place is haunted?”

  “That’s what I’ve heard.” Shep whispered, so as not to disturb the men searching for video evidence. “Supposedly a lot of weird things happen here.”

  “He’s right,” Bill said. “When you’ve worked here as long as I have, you get used to the stories. But then every so often, something happens that really shakes you . . . like someone actually seeing a ghost.”

  “That sounds crazy.” Juliette closed her eyes for a moment. “I seriously doubt this attraction is haunted.”

  “That’s what skeptics think,” Bill continued. “If you work here long enough, you start believing it. George and his friends do not like to be messed with.”

  “George?” Shep asked. “Who is George?”

  “One of the ghosts.”

  “George . . .” Juliette shook her head. “The ghost is named George . . .”

  “Seriously!” Bill said. “The story goes that back when they were first building the attraction, there was a welder named George who fell to his death while he was working in the upper portion of the building. From the day Pirates opened, George has haunted the attraction. Most of the cast members at one time or another have had to deal with George and his mischief.”

  “Seriously?” Juliette rolled her eyes.

  Shep’s gaze remained fixed on Bill. “What kind of stuff happens?”

  “Breakdown for no apparent reason, people getting touched, footsteps heard in hallways when no one was there, and even an occasional appearance or someone hearing his voice. In the center of the attraction—you’ve all seen it before—the waterway winds through the city. Most people don’t realize it winds back around, and there’s a huge support pole that provides stability for the roof. It’s decorated to look like a tower. It’s known as George’s Tower.”

  “Named after a ghost?” Juliette was trying to ignore Bill but found the story strangely compelling.

  “Named after or in honor of someone who had an accident.” Bill glanced away from Juliette to Shep, who was a better audience for his story. “The top of this pillar is decorated as a set piece. It looks like a tower with a number of windows in it. It is to the right of the famous well scene. If you look up toward the roof, you’ll see it. Most guests never even notice, because there is so much to see, and it’s designed so that it blends into the background seamlessly.” Bill leaned forward. “Rumor has it this is the very tower George fell from.”

  “No.” Shep’s eyes widened and he blinked nervously.

  “Yes, really. At the bottom of the tower, you can find the initials G.C. carved into the set piece. I’ve been told that when you paint over them and try to cover them up . . . the initials bleed back through the paint.”

  “That is nuts!” Juliette turned away from Bill and looked back toward the video monitor.

  “No, what is really crazy, though, is what happens if you’re riding the ride and look up at the tower and see a light burning at the top of it . . . it means that George is home. If you round the curve through the burning city scene and look up at the tower and the light is still on—usually it’s out—it means that something bad is likely to happen.”

  “Bad?” A bead of sweat ran down Shep’s jaw.

  “The ride is going to shut down, something strange will happen during the day, things like that. The cast members get all freaked out by it. That’s why when the day begins and ends, they say good morning and good night to George. They just don’t want to make him mad.”

  “I’ll bet. Why would they?” Juliette said.

  “Back in the day, when the attraction first opened, occasionally a woman would request to ride a boat alone. She would have to wait a long time, but she always waited. Usually at the end of the day she would go through, and on the security cameras the cast members could see her talking to someone and crying.”

  “Weird,” Shep whispered.

  “Let me guess,” Juliette said. “It was George’s mom, and she was coming in to talk to her son.”

  “Yes, how’d you know? Have you ever seen the door by the jail scene?” Bill looked back and forth at them.

  “Where they’re trying to call the dog?”

  “Yes, there is a door there, and it’s called George’s door.”

  “Does he go in and out of it?” She
p looked at Juliette for a moment and then back to Bill.

  “Yes, if the door is closed, everything goes well . . . but then all of a sudden, the door will just open. When it does, the ride is going to shut down or something weird is going to take place.”

  “It couldn’t be that some cast member accidently left the door open or didn’t make sure it closed completely?” Juliette looked for a reasonable explanation.

  “I’m sure that happens sometimes, but everyone is so alert about keeping George happy, they’re careful. They wouldn’t just leave it open.”

  “Wow, so this place is really haunted.” Shep nodded toward Bill, who nodded back.

  “Please . . .” Juliette waved her hand, dismissing the story.

  “There.” Reginald’s deep voice echoed in the small room.

  “I see it,” Chuck added.

  Now the other three were crowding in to get a look. Cambridge slowly manipulated the controls and played back the footage. The camera had caught a partial view of the Moonlight Bay set. Because the attraction was dark, the footage was not a high definition capture, but instead had that night-vision look that ghost-hunting shows on cable channels often use. The end result was a very spooky, dark, distorted view.

  “Look closely.” Cambridge eased the footage forward.

  Suddenly a gray shape jumped into the frame at the extreme corner. It was clearly the shape of a person. As the next few frames advanced, this shape moved across the bay in the same direction that Hawk had gone as he went out the door. All eyes were riveted to the screen, and then the shape moved out of the shot.

  “And that is all that is there.” Cambridge rewound the footage to view it again.

  “You found the ghost.” Bill sounded impressed.

  “I found something.” Reginald looked back over his shoulder correctively. “There is nothing to indicate that we just saw a ghost. It could easily have been a cast member.”

  “That didn’t look like a cast member to me,” Shep said in a higher-thanusual pitch.