by Jeff Dixon
Hawk had arranged a reservation just prior to the lunchtime opening and had secured one of the rooms for a private dining experience. His inspiration to dine here had come at the end of his unexpected morning dash down Main Street U.S.A. Stepping inside the lobby and away from the crowds of the theme park, Hawk took a deep breath and watched as Disney security personnel took their positions by the front door. As they did, Hawk saw Juliette and Shep arrive to join him. Waiting for the security detail to let them in and close the door, Hawk motioned for them to follow him.
“Where’s Jonathan?” Hawk asked as they navigated the restaurant.
“Couldn’t make it,” Shep said. “I think Sally is pretty wigged out. He’s staying close to home.”
“Good…” Hawk was well aware how risky what they were doing was. They had been through it before. Sally, Jonathan’s wife, didn’t ever say it directly to him, but he sensed that she wished her husband would not get involved in the dangerous adventures that always seemed to take place around him.
“So you really saw Kiran this morning?” Juliette had been given a recap of the morning by Shep and now wanted to hear it from Hawk.
“You know, I’m not sure.” Hawk stopped and turned toward his friends. “If you would have asked me when I saw her out of the apartment window, I would have told you for certain it was her.” He motioned for them to continue following. “But by the time I had chased her down the street, I wasn’t quite so sure.”
“But whoever it was…” Juliette paused thoughtfully. “Whoever it was didn’t want you to catch her. So there was a reason.”
“That’s what I was thinking,” Shep offered.
The three of them stepped into the Jefferson room. The gleaming white walls almost looked like porcelain as they reflected the faux period lighting coming from the lamps throughout the dining area. The walls were adorned with painted images capturing Jefferson throughout various ages of his life. There were framed documents capturing some of his contributions to the founding of the nation. A fireplace, a grandfather clock, a bust of the forefather, and other decor surrounded the empty tables. Their footsteps echoed on the hardwood floor.
“Thomas Jefferson?” Shep stopped and took in the themed tribute.
“See where you go when Walt’s curiosity persists.” Hawk stated the clue that had brought them to this place.
“Yes!” Juliette snapped her fingers. “On the film, Walt was curious about something on the microphone and he told the governor it was the seal of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson was from Virginia.”
“Yes, from a place called Shadwell,” Hawk added to her line of thinking.
“Shadwell?” Shep placed his hands on his hips. “What kind of Disney trivia caused you to know that?”
“Actually . . .” Hawk laughed. “I paid attention in U.S. history classes in school. I had to do a term paper once on Jefferson. I just remember some of the details.”
“Of course you do.” Shep nodded.
“Jefferson…He was a draftsman of the Declaration of Independence, the nation’s first secretary of state, a vice-president, and the third president. He was the architect of the Louisiana Purchase.” Hawk’s list of facts was running out, so he stopped. “I paid attention to what I was writing.”
“And Jefferson died on the same day as John Adams, on the fourth of July.” Juliette smiled as she contributed to the history. “So he was born, lived, and died in the state he loved…Virginia.”
“And that is why we are here.” Hawk opened up the electronic tablet he had been carrying and walked the room, exploring as it powered up. He went to the fireplace, where the name Jefferson was emblazoned on a red metal plaque above the mantel. Placing his hand on the mantel, he let it slide toward the middle of the heavy beam, where a flower arrangement had been positioned in a blue and white vase. The flower arrangement hung over the lip of the vase. He lifted up the greenery, revealing the word Virginia lettered in blue.
“How did you know that was there?” Shep asked, as he and Juliette moved to join Hawk by the fireplace.
“I didn’t. I was just guessing there had to be some Virginia references in the room.” He looked down at the glowing screen on the pad. “But like Juliette said, he loved Virginia. It was a part of who he was. I knew the Imagineers had to work that into the theme of the room.”
A soft chime emanated from the device, and once again the golden key icon had a red dot indicating there was an update. That, of course, meant he had guessed correctly and there was another clue. He motioned for them to take a seat at the table next to the fireplace and placed the real key on the screen, aligning it with the electronic key as he had done before. They sat in silence as they watched for the update to complete and then as a video window opened on the screen.
Hawk tapped it with his finger and it began to play. The image of Farren Rales appeared, standing inside the room where they were seated. Smiling, he placed an arm on the mantel where Hawk had found the clue that brought them to this moment. On the screen, Farren looked toward the flower vase, then back at the camera as he began to speak.
“Hawk, you are good. Since you are watching this, I know you are on track and you will get this all figured out. You still have no idea what you are looking for, but you understand how serious and important it is that you find it. Walt once said, “A man should never neglect his family for business,” and he lived that way. Of course, he was in the family business and now you are as well. So to figure out the next clue, you are going to have remember something about Walt and his family…ready?
“Walt gave Lillian a gift that is forever remembered on film. Open the gift, put it in place, then take it to Osh. Recapture the magic or the results could be tragic.
“I know, the last part sounds very dramatic . . .” Rales grinned impishly. “But hey, it rhymed so I went with it.” Then his expression grew serious. “However, if you don’t get to the end of this story, the results will be far worse than tragic.”
The screen went dark and again the icon flashed at Hawk, asking him to either replay the video or delete it. Once again, without hesitation, he deleted it. The screen went blank.
“Excuse me.” The voice startled the three of them, and instantly they turned to see a hostess standing in the doorway. Noticing she had startled them and already nervous knowing who these special guests were, she apologetically continued, “I didn’t mean to interrupt. But I was told I would be serving you lunch and the Jefferson room would be yours exclusively until you released it.”
“Yes.” Hawk recovered quickly from the interruption and noticed her name tag. “Maria, this is Shep, Juliette, and I’m Hawk.”
“It’s very nice to meet you, but I know who you are.” Maria smiled. “I didn’t know if I was supposed to tell you when we were getting ready to open the rest of the restaurant or not. Then, when I got here, you were busy talking together and watching something on your little screen there.” She paused and then waved her hand in front of her. “I wasn’t eavesdropping or anything like that. I stepped back and waited until you seemed like you were done. Then I came back in . . .”
“It’s OK.” Hawk motioned Shep and Juliette toward the door with a slight tilt of his head. “We’re done here. You can have this room for our guests again.”
“You mean”—disappointment filled Maria’s voice—“you aren’t staying for lunch?”
“No, I want you to be able to use this room to serve our guests.” Hawk followed his friends, who were already headed toward the main entrance area. “Another time, thanks.”
The three moved back through the Liberty Tree Tavern toward the door where Disney security was waiting for them. Hawk pushed through the doors and whispered to one of them, who waited for the three to step onto the porch of the restaurant where guests were waiting to enter. Some of the crowd applauded as Hawk and friends emerged. Someone yelled, “Glad you are alright.” A guest reached out and patted Hawk on the back. The noise of the crowd continued to get louder as the small
band made its way around the corner to Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe. “You were lucky,” a voice from the crowd called, causing Hawk to turn toward the direction of the noise. Looking back at him was a gathering crowd of smiling faces. Some aimed cameras, trying to get a picture of the CCA of the Disney Company. His eyes explored the crowd for the source of the last comment, but he failed to recognize any particular face. The noise of the crowd got louder as others reacted to the statement. “He doesn’t believe in luck,” a female voice echoed above the increasing volume of the crowd. This statement stopped Hawk in his tracks, and he scanned the crowd with more intensity.
“Hey.” Juliette stepped in next to Hawk and placed a hand on his arm. Her fingers tightened on his forearm, and she gently pulled him forward to get him moving again. “What are you doing? Who are you looking for?”
“We really need to keep moving, Hawk,” one of the security detail said as they stepped toward an unmarked door that would take them down into the Magic Kingdom tunnel system. They would make their exit through the famous Utilidor.
The door clicked shut behind them, one security team member remaining on the other side. The rest of the security team led them down the stairs into the safety of the cavernous underground concrete tunnels that gave cast members access to the entire theme park.
“Did I hear someone say you were lucky?” Juliette confirmed what Hawk had heard.
“That’s what I heard.” Hawk heard the worry in his own voice echo off the concrete surrounding them.
“What else did you hear?” Juliette asked.
“Nothing.”
“Is that why you stopped and looked like you were getting ready to jump into the crowd of people that were following you?” Juliette raised an eyebrow, and he knew she was not buying that he wasn’t reacting to something else.
“Probably just some crackpot.” Shep tried to sound reassuring but failed miserably.
As they turned toward the right to navigate the tunnels, Hawk turned to the security team with them. “I think we’re going to be safe here. I’ll take this back toward my apartment.”
“If you don’t mind, we would like to make sure you get there,” Cayden, the blond security team member, said resolutely.
“Sure, that would be great, Cayden. Thanks.” Hawk motioned around them. “But you can give us a little space down here. We’re safe.”
With a nod, Cayden allowed the three to move ahead of him through the tunnel. The security detailed lagged behind but remained close enough to react to a crisis if needed.
“Do you think Maria back in the Liberty Tree Tavern heard the clue?” Juliette whispered.
“Maybe, but she wouldn’t know what she was listening to,” Hawk whispered back.
“I agree,” Shep added to the whispered voices. “But she seemed very nervous. Call me crazy, but I think we should be wary of anything.”
“OK, Crazy.” Hawk tried to make a joke of what he had just said.
“I hate it when I agree with Crazy.” Juliette smiled toward Shep. “But he’s right. This is way out of control. And speaking of out of control, you should have cancelled your charity appearance tomorrow.”
“No, I shouldn’t.” Hawk forgot to whisper. “It’ll be fine.”
“Not to change the subject, but I think we should worry about some other important things like the clue and like lunch.” Shep leaned in closer as they continued to walk. “I thought we were going to eat, and while we did, you would tell us what the clue meant.”
“We were in the wrong restaurant.” Hawk winked at them.
“You understood the clue?” Juliette’s voice hinted at amazement at how quickly her boss had figured it out.
“No, but I know where to start. If we get to the right restaurant, we can find the right answers.
“That’s great, I’m starving.” Shep clapped his hands together one time in anticipation.
“No.” Hawk placed his arm around Shep’s shoulder. “You get lunch on your own. We’ll visit the other restaurant later tonight. Very late, as a matter of fact.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Four Days Ago
Midnight
The day had been agonizingly slow for Hawk. Each tick of the clock had crawled across his apartment in the Fire Station as he paced around it. He was amped, he knew it, his brain was in overdrive, and he had spent the entire afternoon into the evening sparring with the thoughts running through his head.
On the streets in Liberty Square earlier in the day, he had clearly heard a woman say, “He doesn’t believe in luck.” It had caused him to stop, look, and search the crowd. The voice had spoken the truth. He didn’t believe in luck at all. The reason was spiritual. As a pastor, he had made the choice to live a life of faith driven by a relationship to Jesus. He believed that all of his life was a gift and it did not unfold by accident, chance, or happenstance. Life was a story that unfolded, not by luck, but by divine providence. He understood that many didn’t believe this or live their lives this way, and this explained a great deal of the struggle that many people spent the bulk of their days trying to unravel. It was this trust, this belief that God was in charge, that gave Hawk the confidence to live life, embrace life, and face it as an amazing adventure. Those who knew him well understood that it was an essential part of his makeup.
“He doesn’t believe in luck,” called out to him in Liberty Square, had taken him back to a moment a few years ago when he had that very discussion with Kiran Roberts. They had been trying to figure out a clue that referred to the unlucky lights, which Hawk had surmised referred to the thirteen lanterns hung on the Liberty Tree in Liberty Square. Could that phrase have been a random statement from someone watching them pass by? Or had the voice sounded familiar to him? Might it have been Kiran herself lurking in the crowd? Was she really back? Had he seen and chased her earlier in the day?
Each thought crashed into his forehead like relentless waves riding on the incoming tide. Each increased in velocity, and at one point he thought he was going to have a headache from the endless repetition of the same questions with no answers over and over again. Then he had been notified that the storm Kate had mentioned to him now had a projected path that would bring it toward Florida. Some of the projected paths brought it right up the center of the state and over Orlando, which meant it would be over the resort. He had activated Phase 5 of their emergency preparedness procedures.
It wasn’t uncommon to do this during the never-ending storm season in Florida. This phase began the early preparations to open the WDW Emergency Operations Center if needed. It allowed all the managers to go through their storm checklists, alerted them that there was a possible storm coming and that it was being monitored closely, and gave them a chance to update all the contact numbers they needed for cast and staffing in the unlikely event they had to put together a team of cast members to help guests ride out the storm.
Hurricane Ginger was out there, and they didn’t want her as a guest. But if she decided to pay them a visit, as always they would be ready. It was fitting; he was monitoring one storm while he was battling another.
In the midst of the distractions of Hurricane Ginger and Kiran, who had blown through his life like a hurricane all her own, Hawk was trying to unscramble the clue Farren had given him. The clue, he was convinced, was a reference to the Walt Disney classic film Lady and the Tramp. The scene in question is when Lady is given as a Christmas gift from the husband to his wife. In real life, Walt had given the gift of a dog to his wife, Lillian, in this manner. The clue, Walt gave Lillian a gift that is forever remembered on film, had to be referring to that event. The rest of the clue, Hawk had not yet managed to figure out. Open the gift…put it in place…then take it to Osh were all puzzle pieces that he still hadn’t found a place to put…yet.
He stopped his pacing and glanced out the window at the now-empty street below him. The Magic Kingdom was closed, the night crew was moving in, and he knew where to start the search. He narrowed his gaze toward the build
ing on the opposite side of the Town Square, Tony’s Town Square Restaurant.
Juliette and Shep were supposed to be meeting him, and perhaps Jonathan would be joining them as well. He could see Shep rocking in a rocking chair on the porch across the street, so he decided it was time to go and meet them.
Leaving the apartment, scooping up the electronic tablet, and locking the door behind him, he bounded down the steps toward the street. At the bottom of the staircase, a security team member he didn’t know, along with Douglas Hall, greeted him.
“Good evening, Hawk.” Douglas smiled as he approached down the stairs. “Going out?”
“Not too far.” Hawk shook his hand and then shook the hand of the other security guard as well. Her name tag read Taylor. “Just headed across the street to work on a few things. I should be alright since the park has closed.”
“I’ll stay close if you don’t mind,” Douglas stated.
“Not at all.” Hawk motioned for him to follow. “I don’t want Al Gann or Mitch Renner yelling at you.”
“Exactly.” Douglas fell in step behind Hawk. As they moved, Douglas signaled for Taylor to remain at the bottom of the stairs.
As Hawk made his way across Town Square, he saw Juliette and Jonathan emerge from the tunnel on the far side of Main Street, U.S.A. They all gathered on the front porch and made their way into the empty lobby of Tony’s Town Square Restaurant. Douglas Hall stepped in first, did a quick scan of the area, then exited and took his post outside the front door as the four friends gathered inside. The wall featured a picture of the cartoon owner of the establishment; a smiling Tony was playing the accordion in the drawing just as he had done in the movie. On the flat screen, the animated film was playing as it did every day on a loop for guests to watch as they waited to be seated. The dining establishment was not only themed around the film, it was loaded with drawings, statues, and references to the film that had featured the scene where the dog was given as a gift to the wife, in a hatbox, just as Walt had done for Lillian.
