KK02 - Disney at Dawn

by Ridley Pearson

  He looked up to see the monkey slip beneath a train car, the pillowcase in hand. Maybeck hurried to his feet and ran toward the train. The train conductor hung out of the locomotive, shouting at him. Maybeck squatted in time to see the monkey racing across a short distance of grass toward more jungle. There was no way Maybeck was about to crawl under a moving train. He waited it out impatiently. It seemed to move very slowly. Finally, Maybeck took off toward the end of the train and came around it, once again crossing the tracks.

  He found himself next to the Chakranadi Chicken Shop. He came to a halting stop, looked left…right…there! A flash of the white pillowcase was all he caught—just rounding a bend in the path. He took off, heading away from Flights of Wonder. Again, his size and speed overcame the monkey’s efforts.

  The monkey sensed its pursuer and skittered back and forth in a zigzag, chattering loudly. It crossed the path and shot straight up a dangling rope toward a concrete tower. It reached the turret, nearly thirty feet off the ground, and briefly disappeared. The next time Maybeck saw it, the monkey—still carrying the pillowcase—hurried across a set of ropes toward a crumbling Asian temple encased in bamboo scaffolding. This was on an island surrounded by a narrow moat.

  Maybeck stopped at the concrete tower. The end of the rope the monkey had climbed was frayed as if it had been chewed through. He studied the layout, noticing that the rope bridges connected back to the temple, which meant that the monkeys weren’t supposed to be able to get down off the towers. The moat was meant to prevent their escape from the island. But the monkeys had managed to drop a rope that had yet to be spotted. By doing so, they’d given themselves an escape route.

  The monkey disappeared into the red brick temple, dragging the pillowcase behind it, and was gone.

  Maybeck, understanding the importance of acting quickly, rolled up his pant legs, pulled off his shoes, and waded into the murky water. A pair of ducks startled and splashed away to the other side of the temple, squawking and quacking.

  Maybeck felt the cold mud ooze between his toes. Bubbles rose to the surface all around him, giving off an unpleasant odor.

  He faced a wooden door with iron bars over its small, square window. It was the only way into the temple that he could see.

  He arrived there in five giant steps and, sloshing out of the water, reached for the door’s handle.

  23

  WILLA CHECKED PHILBY’S MAP once more: he had marked the location of a feeding station—disguised as a large stump—at the edge of the savannah. Its proximity to a nighttime animal holding pen qualified it as a possible hiding place where Jez could be kept and never discovered. A clock ran off the seconds and minutes in her head—she had several such places to check before the animals were released.

  She pushed though the forest, following the map, and reached the edge of the sprawling savannah: a flat plain of low grasses interspersed with trees and rocks and a few small ponds, all of it surrounded by low rolling hills. It glistened in the first golden rays of dawn.

  There, quite some distance away, she saw a stump, thinking immediately that it couldn’t possibly be Philby’s stump because it looked so real. But the location was right, so she decided to have a look.

  The problem was, there was no way to sneak up toward a stump in the middle of a field without being seen. She had to cross a hundred yards in the open. Not that there was anyone to see her, but another training truck could come by at any minute. She decided rather than run out and look suspicious, she would walk casually—just another day on the job. Hopefully, the ranger uniform would do the rest.

  Then, taking in her surroundings, she happened to look back.

  At first, she thought it was an alligator. Terror gripped her: alligators ate people. It happened all the time in Florida. She’d heard they could run faster than humans, and when you saw one you didn’t want to run because it teased them into chasing you—and if they chased you, they considered you food. So she continued walking, though slightly faster than before. The stump—or fake stump—rose at least three feet off the ground. If she could only reach it in time…

  But then she looked again. It wasn’t an alligator after all, but a giant lizard, maybe six feet long. She’d studied Komodo dragons in school, and this looked pretty much exactly like one. Komodos didn’t eat people, but they were known to bite and do serious harm. She didn’t know the rule about Komodos—did you run or walk? The lizard turned sideways for a second, as if to size her up, and once again she changed her mind: it wasn’t a Komodo; it looked more…prehistoric, with thick scales and…was that possible?…wings, tucked in along its back. It looked more like…

  A dragon. She’d read stories about dragons. Had seen movies. She’d always considered them mythological creatures. But now she was looking at one.

  It had a disgusting, pink tongue that flicked like a snake’s—but about two feet long. The tongue curled as it drew back between the rows of gray, stubby teeth.

  She wanted to think of this as coincidence—the two of them had just happened to cross paths, and it was now following her. Tracking her was more to the point, she thought. But then something even more strange entered her thoughts: what if Jez was indeed locked up in the stump—the food locker—and the dragon was some kind of patrol for the Overtakers? After all, the safari was filled with all sorts of animals, from giraffes to zebras, but a scaly Asian dragon with wings?

  The Overtakers.

  It was the first thing to come to her: if Jez was being kept out here on the savannah, it seemed obvious who would guard her. And if there was a dragon mixed in with all the rest of the animals, could that possibly be a coincidence, since dragons hadn’t existed for the past few million years—if ever?

  So what exactly was the dragon waiting for? It just lingered back there, a dozen yards away, trolling back and forth across the grassy landscape as if sniffing around for food. If he was going to attack her, why not get to it?

  Could a dragon possibly think? Could it be waiting to see if she headed for the stump? She subtly increased both the quickness and the length of her strides. She glanced back to see that the dragon had stayed right with her. It didn’t seem to be moving any faster, either, and yet…there it was.

  Now more convinced than ever that she was its intended target, she looked around and realized that she was all alone out on the savannah. She saw an ostrich in the distance—perhaps they had begun releasing animals already. A herd of Thomson’s gazelles shot across the field, but some nights they were left on the grounds; it didn’t mean much to see them. If, on the other hand, the animals were already being released and introduced to the savannah, then Willa hoped they might distract the dragon from its current obsession with her.

  She moved increasingly closer to the stump, and now, looking back, she saw the dragon following her. If she climbed on top of the stump, she would be out of reach of the dragon. But what about the wings? Could something like that possibly fly?

  She heard the sudden beating of hooves, seconds later mixing with the rumble of a truck engine. A herd of zebras had been released—again to her left—and from somewhere behind her a truck was approaching. If she was going to inspect the stump it had to be now—right now.

  She ran the last few yards, and if she’d harbored any doubts as to the dragon’s intentions, they were answered by its light-footed sprint to keep up with her. There was no turning back now. No changing her mind. The dragon raced toward her, its mouth open, snapping at the air.

  She reached the side of the stump—though shaped like a stump, it was made of metal, with a small door in the side. She worked the snap lock off the hasp and opened the door.

  The dragon charged, seemingly not touching the ground at all. It flicked its long tail back and forth, moving in a snakelike fashion, quickly closing the distance between them.

  Willa dove inside and pulled the door shut behind her. It was incredibly warm inside. Enough light filtered in to allow her to see that Jez was not there. There were sac
ks of food and salt licks. It smelled like a pet store. A coiled hose hung from a hook.

  The dragon smashed into the door, then slammed its powerful tail against the stump. Her ears rang. A rumbling in the ground grew louder. Willa looked out a crack in the access door to see the herd of zebras bearing down on her as it crossed the savannah.

  The dragon took off for a distant tree and climbed it in a creepy, effortless way.

  Willa sagged down to sit, trying to catch her breath.

  And then she saw it: freshly scraped into the fake stump’s rusty metal was a simple message that made absolutely no sense—and yet somehow she knew it had been written by Jez.

  It read: Change Rob.

  She curled up and held her breath, waiting to flee the stump once the storm of zebras had passed.

  24

  MAYBECK STOOD INSIDE a dark enclosure the size of a large closet. It had a concrete floor from which a low brick wall rose to waist level. From there, framed lumber intersected by long bamboo poles rose geometrically overhead, wrapped on the outside with heavy brown vinyl: fake brick. Together, it added up on the outside to what looked like an Asian temple. But inside it smelled bad—really bad—like one of those Porta-Potties at the state fair. It was surprisingly cool inside—a place for the monkeys to escape the heat. There was a white plastic tub with a metal handle sitting by the door. Alongside it was a neatly coiled green hose connected to a spigot.

  The door clapped shut behind him. He turned in time to see the monkey overhead, carrying the pillowcase, climbing effortlessly, up, up, up, pulling himself between the bamboo poles and jeering down at Maybeck.

  Sunlight seeped in through several square openings at the top of the temple. The temple provided shelter for the monkeys, a place to hide from storms and a cool place to sleep. The smell was the problem: the monkeys used the concrete floor as their bathroom. He understood the purpose of the hose, then, and felt tempted to give the concrete a spraying off.

  If the monkey made it to the top window, the pillowcase and its contents would be gone. Maybeck considered climbing, but that was a race he was sure to lose.

  The monkey crossed along the bamboo rafters, and then, to Maybeck’s surprise, began to work its way back down. Maybeck’s eyes slowly adjusted to the dark. And then something moved from the shadows.

  Maleficent.

  She stepped out to where Maybeck could see her, regal in her purple-fringed black cape, her startling green skin glowing with maliciousness.

  “Hello, Terrance.” A voice like grinding stones.

  The monkey handed her the bag. She accepted it with an outstretched arm, never taking her eyes off Maybeck.

  “Do you know what happens to children who play where they don’t belong?”

  He couldn’t get a word out.

  “They get…burned,” she said. A flaming orb appeared in one hand. She cocked her arm back, ready to throw.

  Maybeck dove for the hose, swiveled its nozzle, and shot a ferocious stream of water at the witch.

  The monkey cried out and leaped up into the rafters.

  The water stream knocked the burning ball out of Maleficent’s hand but produced a cloud of steam that immediately filled the small space so thickly he couldn’t see.

  A dark shadow shifted inside the gray cloud of steam: Maleficent moving to cut off his path to the door. He abandoned the hose and sprang for the door. But she was much faster than he’d anticipated. He came face-to-face with the green skin and bloodshot eyes. Her breath was like a dead mouse caught in a trap as she said, “No. I don’t think so.”

  Maybeck didn’t hesitate. He kicked out, punching the door open and admitting a flood of light. Maleficent, still holding the pillowcase, moved to block his exit, just as he’d hoped.

  He sprang up overhead, through the bamboo, and squeezed out the hole at the top. Hand-over-hand, he swung up the taut connecting rope—five yards…ten—as he pulled himself toward the tower.

  Maleficent stepped out into the sunlight but jumped back—the heat of the sun’s rays already too much for her.

  Maybeck reached the tower and found the dangling rope and slid down, burning his hands, reached the ground, and took off running without looking back.

  He understood with absolute clarity what was going on: the bat was a spy—Maleficent’s spy—and she’d dispatched the birds and the monkey to make sure she received the bat’s report.

  The bat had followed Finn since Amanda’s. It knew all about them. And now Maleficent knew, too.

  He shuddered with the thought of that as he broke into the jungle and ran for his life.

  25

  THE MOMENT THE PARK gates opened to the public, Finn, Amanda, and Philby entered through the Cast Member entrance, using the IDs that Wayne had provided. Finn and Philby were determined to mix in with the crowds and reach the rendezvous in time to meet up with the others. Famous as DHIs, their faces were known throughout the Disney kingdoms, a fame that threatened—for they were forbidden from attending except on specially approved days. Getting around without being recognized was not going to be easy. They wore baseball caps to hide their faces, and they kept to themselves as much as possible.

  By the time they reached the benches just inside the large gates north of the Rainforest Cafe, where the Animal Kingdom parade originated, a wet Maybeck and a dirty-faced Willa were waiting. Finn handed out copies of the page from Jez’s diary.

  Quiet at this hour, it was a good place to meet. They gathered around a bench, awaiting Charlene’s grand entrance as DeVine, the ivy-covered chameleon.

  Maybeck told them about being attacked by birds, about losing the bat to a monkey, and about his encounter with Maleficent.

  Willa spoke of her pursuit by a miniature dragon and her discovery in the metal stump of the cryptic message left by Jez.

  “There’s something to be learned from what we both went through,” Willa said, continuing. “We can’t trust any of the animals we see. Maleficent can control them. Whether a flock of birds, or a dragon with wings. We’re no longer in the Animal Kingdom, we’re in Maleficent’s kingdom.”

  “If she went to all this trouble to be here, there’s got to be a good reason.” Finn heard something behind him and glanced over his shoulder into the jungle. He saw nothing. Willa and Maybeck were freaking him out.

  “Maleficent’s weak in the heat. She needs cold to survive. If she’s hanging out here, it’s someplace cold.”

  “But why here?” Finn asked.

  “We need to keep watch on the bat enclosure,” Maybeck proposed.

  “I can go places none of you can,” said a girl’s voice from behind them. Once again Finn looked back into the jungle. Again he saw nothing.

  “Up here,” said the voice.

  He and the others looked up to see a vine-covered leotard, with no face and no arms. It was Charlene, in costume as DeVine, her face painted green and black. The overall effect was disarming: she’d been standing there all along, immediately behind Finn.

  Philby applauded. “Outrageous!” he said.

  “Whoa,” said Maybeck. “You totally blend in.”

  “I can’t believe it!” said an exhilarated Willa. “I’m looking right at you and I almost can’t see you.”

  “I’ll need to leave the area before the real DeVine comes out. But I can go almost anywhere undetected. Even Maleficent isn’t going to see me in this.”

  “Okay, Charlene will watch the bat enclosure,” Finn stated with a feigned authority. He remembered Wayne telling him that he was the group’s chosen leader, though he still wasn’t buying it. But to his surprise, no one argued with him.

  Charlene, blending into her surroundings, waited for some Park guests to pass and then said, “Will someone please hand me the page from the diary?”

  Amanda produced it, stood on the bench, and passed it up to her.

  Charlene studied it. “Monkeys…tigers…a bat…This is enough for now,” she said.

  “It’s possible that everything
on that page is significant,” Finn cautioned.

  Catching Philby dozing off, he punched him in the arm. “And NO falling asleep,” he reminded them.

  “I’m exhausted,” Willa said.

  “We cannot sleep!” Finn repeated. “Wayne warned us about that. We’ve got to believe him.”

  Maybeck indicated a food cart. “Cokes all around!”

  A few minutes later they were all loading up on caffeine. “Maybe Maleficent can’t get Jez out of the park until after it closes,” Amanda said, “or maybe the plan is to run all of you around until you tire out. If she can trap you all in the Sleeping Beauty Syndrome, she eliminates the enemy and is free to rule without challenge.”

  “You think she took Jez to bait us?” Willa asked.

  “None of this means anything,” Maybeck said, “until we find Jez. The challenge is to stay awake long enough to find Jez and crash this cloned server—if it even exists. Then maybe we hunt down Maleficent, if we’re still standing. But until we find Jez, none of it matters.”

  “Listen!” Charlene said from high on the stilts.

  The kids turned their attention toward the jungle.

  “Not to me!” Charlene clarified. “To the music.”

  The kids perked up their ears. It was Ashley Tisdale’s “Kiss the Girl,” coming over the Park’s speaker system.

  “Yeah? So?” asked Willa. “Radio Disney plays that all the time.”

  “I know that,” Charlene said. “But me and my family come as often as possible, and I’ve never heard that song in this Park before.”

  The kids listened some more. “You’re right. It’s always Lion King and stuff like that.”

  “It’s Jez,” Amanda stated.

  “What’s Jez?” Finn asked.

  “‘Kiss the Girl’is Jez’s favorite song,” Amanda said. “She abuses that song on her iPod. If it doesn’t belong in this Park, then it’s her. It’s some kind of message.”