by Jeff Dixon
As Hawk paced toward the middle of the shop, he once again powered up the electronic tablet. As he reached the middle, the next Mickey statue was the character as he had been in The Band Concert, which was produced in 1935. Traveling through time from 1928 to 1935, Mickey had grown and changed from a black-and-white animated character to a full-color character. The statue was a reminder that The Band Concert was the first full-color cartoon Mickey appeared in. Hawk looked ahead and kept moving toward the far end of the shop, where Mickey Mouse appeared as the sorcerer’s apprentice in Fantasia, a film released in 1940. This Mickey looked much more like the Mickey Mouse of today. Reaching the end of the store meant that Hawk had now traveled through time, and Mickey’s timeline put him in the golden age of Hollywood that permeates the park.
Glancing down at the electronic tablet, Hawk watched as the key icon appeared, and with a soft chime, he was notified there was an update waiting. Setting the tablet down on the display case, he aligned the real kingdom key and placed it on top of the icon. The icon flashed, the screen went dark, and another window opened, indicating there was a new video to play. When Hawk tapped the play button, a new message from Farren began. This time he was standing outside in a heavily wooded area; he was smiling as usual, and with a laugh, he began speaking.
“Hopefully it didn’t take you long to figure this clue out. That is why I said I’d see ya real soon. I wish I could help you more. But the reason we are doing this is because the situation you are in has gotten much worse. There are those that want to destroy what Walt worked so hard to build and protect. You know that, but you don’t really have any idea what that means.
“Hawk, you are a great storyteller. These clues I have been giving you, the places you have been going, the things you have found and will find, are as much about the life and history of Walt Disney as they are about trivia. Anybody can memorize trivia. But the trivia is just trivial if you don’t figure out what it means. There are lessons to be learned and lessons that can change your life forever. Hawk, you have to learn those lessons. They are lessons that Walt wanted me . . .” He hesitated. “Those are lessons Walt wanted us to teach you.”
Hawk immediately thought of not only Farren but George Colmes as well. It was easy for him to forget there was a third Imagineer in the master plan that Walt and Roy Disney had created for him. An Imagineer he had yet to meet. That Imag-ineer must be a member of the us Farren was talking about.
“I want you to go to our favorite inglenook. Sadly, I can’t be there to sit with you and swap stories this time. Keep going and take the fair weather route. Walt spent a lot of time here in Holmby Hills. You can’t wait until the cows come home, but you can see where they’ve been and you’ll know where to roam.” Farren took a deep breath. He reached up and pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. Hawk leaned in closer to the screen. He couldn’t tell if Rales was in pain but thought his eyes looked misty. The look on his face was one of regret. “I wasn’t kidding when I said how much I would like to be helping you. This is the best I can do and the best way I know to do it. Be careful.” He lowered his head as the screen went to black.
As usual, the choice was offered to “play again” or “delete.” Hawk felt the urge to listen again. The sadness on Farren’s face had caused him an unexpected moment in which his own vision had blurred, tearing up at seeing his old friend struggle as he spoke. He knew Farren would have created this and sent Hawk on this journey only if it had to be done. He also was certain that if it were possible, Farren would have told him these things in another way. Clearly now it was not. Sniffing, Hawk pushed the button that deleted the video. The screen returned to the icon of the key, and Hawk powered it down.
Hawk already knew where he was going—or at least, where he was going to start. An inglenook was a corner or nook by a fireplace. Farren had taught him the word. On several occasions after sharing a meal, Farren would want to tell stories about Walt, about the creation of the company, about details of the theme parks. If there was a fireplace nearby in whatever resort they happened to be in, that was the place Farren wanted to go and talk. There were times as he spoke when he would just stare at the fire and let the flames ignite his memories into wonderful stories coming from the warm hearth of the past. Although Hawk had never visited those fireplaces without Rales, he knew where Farren’s favorite one was located. That is where the clue would begin. But first, Hawk would need to make a detour.
His concern and desire to keep his friends safe was very real, but since his phone had been busted earlier, he needed to get another so he could stay in contact. A broken phone was not a new incident for Hawk. Juliette made sure he always had a spare available, since when he didn’t, things always seemed to go badly. She had said it was for his safety and for Kate, Shep, Jonathan, and herself to have peace of mind. It was in his office in the Bay Lake Towers at the Contemporary Resort. Sensing he might be closing in or that the clues might become a bit more difficult, he wanted a way to be in contact with his friends if he got himself into more trouble than usual.
He exited Mickey’s of Hollywood and headed for the parking lot to retrieve his cast member car. Next stop was his office, then it was off to the inglenook. As he neared the exit gate, he slowed as a number of cast members were working near Oscar’s Super Service, the area that contained stroller rentals and a gift shop. The cast members saw him and waved. He returned their greeting and noticed that one woman had not waved. Not only had she not waved, but she had disappeared inside the storage room. It seemed odd to Hawk, since every other cast member had reacted to him except her. She had turned away and had busied herself working.
He stopped and thought about going over to see who it was, then changed his mind. Although she looked familiar, he was always meeting cast members, so what seemed like odd behavior to him might have been nervousness, a desire to impress the boss, or just an action that seemed out of place compared to everyone else. He caught himself momentarily unsure whether to go and investigate further. He shook his head. Hawk told himself he was being a bit paranoid. It was understandable, but these were cast members hard at work. He had walked past them; they had not been following him; it was nothing. He headed out the exit to find his car.
CHAPTER TWENTY - FIVE
Three Days Ago
4:00 A.M.
The elevator doors silently opened, and Hawk emerged onto the security floor of the Bay Lake Towers. Using the pass code, he opened the door to his office, which actually was a repurposed apartment on the top floor of the Disney Vacation Club property. When the plan had been created to convert this area into an office for him, he didn’t realize it was going to be a two-story suite of offices. The lower floor was a reception area. Surrounding the reception area were some small offices that were now used by the staff that had been assembled to help Hawk do his job as the chief creative architect of the company.
Memorabilia filled the plush and impressive downstairs area. The stairs led him up to an area that contained only two very large rooms separated by a hallway. A conference room, where he had most recently met with law enforcement after the assassination attempts, and his executive office. Although he liked his office, which was loaded with amazing Disney collectibles, he rarely spent time there. He was much more at ease working among the people and in the places surrounded by the world that Walt had built. He usually tried to avoid tackling the often mundane office duties until the last possible moment. His friends made fun of him for this; as a man who loved details, he loathed the detail of paperwork.
Cresting the stairs in the dim light of the hallway, he noticed his office door was ajar. Instantly he felt his heartbeat quicken. Each morning, the administrative staff opened the rooms for the work of the day and then locked them down each night. The open door could have been an oversight, but not likely. Gripping the door handle, he gently swung open the door and peered into his office. His desk chair was turned with its back to him. Slowly the chair turned, the person seated in it coming
into focus.
Dark, shoulder-length hair, green eyes, and a smile greeted him as the chair finished its spin and its occupant faced him. The woman seated in the chair swung her legs up and crossed her legs at the ankles, propping her spiked heels up on the corner of his desk.
It was Kiran Roberts.
“Hello, Hawk.” She winked at him. “Did you miss me?”
“Kiran.” Hawk answered curtly and remained stationary in the doorway.
“Come in.” She motioned for him to enter. “And close the door behind you.”
Hawk stood still.
She tilted her head and waited for him to move.
“I think I’ll stay here.” Hawk leaned against the door frame.
“Suit yourself.” She smiled pleasantly at him. “There is nothing to be afraid of.”
“Oh, don’t misunderstand.” Hawk smiled back. “I’m not afraid of you. Just wary…I’ve been burnt once. I’ll stay away from the flame.”
“Ooooh.” She pursed her lips. “You make me sound so bad.”
“No, I really can’t find enough words to describe how bad you are.”
“Hawk, you’re hurting my feelings.” Kiran feigned injury.
“You’ll get over it.” Hawk remained expressionless in the doorway. “Kiran, why are you here?”
“To see you, sweetheart.” She ran a hand through her hair and shook her head, allowing her dark hair to flow over her shoulders. “I’ve missed you. Can’t a woman drop by to say hello to her old boyfriend? I thought you would never get here—I even sent you a note.”
“‘I’m watching and waiting’? You really aren’t much of a writer.” Hawk shook his head and smirked. “Sweetheart and boyfriend…hmmm…you have me confused with someone else. Now tell me why you’re here before I call the sheriff.”
“I’ve got to tell you”—Kiran waved her hand toward him for emphasis—“I like this new-and-improved Grayson Hawkes. You are so much more in control now, you are rough-and-tumble, you are resilient and edgy…if you’d been that way a few years ago, we might still be together.” She smiled broadly as she toyed with him. “But it probably never would have worked. You are a Florida guy. You like theme parks, sunshine, going to the beach, and all of that warm-and-sunny stuff.” Kiran raised an eyebrow flirtatiously. “Now don’t get me wrong, I can rock a bathing suit, but I never really took the time to learn to swim very well. So I prefer to stay away from beaches.”
“Again, I think you’re still confused.” Hawk reluctantly took a step inside the office. “Last time I saw you, you were trying to take the company away from me. You lied, you manipulated, and you were leaving on a dead run with your old friend Jim Masters. Our time together was memorable but not because it was good. I asked once, I’m asking again, I don’t intend to ask you a third time: why are you here?”
Her eyes bore into his. He couldn’t tell what she was looking for exactly, but it felt as if she were trying to read his thoughts. The silence in the room was deafening, and Hawk felt a bead of sweat form along the side of his face. Did she frighten him or did she make him nervous? Neither, he decided. She was invading his world, she was once again creating trouble, and this time she had done so with an aggression that he had never believed she was capable of. She had managed to fool him from the first time they had met. She didn’t frighten him—she made him angry. He inhaled deeply and was about to speak when she nodded her head slightly and with a softer voice spoke to him.
“I’m here to help you.”
He laughed, a nearly silent chuckle that ended with a smile. “The only person you are here to help is you.”
“Aww.” She looked amused. “I think I can help myself by helping you. Happy? I admitted it. Now if you can quit being all tough, I suggest you listen to me.”
“Why?”
“Because I can give you the one thing you want more than anything else.” She leaned back even further in his desk chair and slightly raised an eyebrow.
“OK, I’ll play along.” He shrugged. There was a part of him that knew she was conniving and this was part of the trap. But his world was upside down and he needed to make it right, so he decided to listen. “Tell me, what can you give me that I want more than anything else?”
She removed her feet from his desk, sat straighter in the chair, leaned forward, then folded her hands and placed them in front of her. “Darling, I can give you the third Imagineer.”
CHAPTER TWENTY - SIX
Three Days Ago
Just Before Dawn
Hawk felt his jaw slacken in surprise; she had managed to say the unexpected. He wasn’t sure how she could have known about the third Imagineer, much less be able to offer him. Kiran was gloating. Hawk did his best to look unfazed.
“The third Imagineer?”
“Seriously? Are you going to act like you don’t know what I’m talking about?” Her expression grew more intense. “I know about the kingdom key you were given. I helped you figure out what to do with it…remember? I know you now have Walt Disney’s personal journal loaded with thoughts, plans, and insights that no one else has ever had the chance to read. I also know that you are still missing the last piece of the plan that Walt himself created for you. Now that you’ve managed to get Farren Rales and George Colmes killed…well, you have no way to find the third Imagineer.” She let her words sink in. “I have him and I will keep him…unless…”
“Unless?” Hawk sneered. She somehow knew things she shouldn’t have known. And she had blamed him for the things that had happened to Farren and George.
Kiran’s stare became icy. Her voice took on a more ominous tone. “You know me, Hawk. I am a very driven woman. If you want to see this third Imagineer, then I suggest you not only hear me out but you do what I want you to do. If you decide you don’t want to deal with me, that is your choice. But I can promise you, you will never see your mystery Imagineer, ever!”
“How do I know you really have him? How do I know you’re telling the truth?”
“You don’t,” she answered honestly. “But then again, you have to ask yourself, how do I even know about this third Imagineer? How would I know you still haven’t met him? How would I know that he’s the missing piece of this Disney quest you’ve been on?” She leaned back, confident she now had his attention and was close to getting his cooperation. “So many questions…and you don’t know what to believe. Man, it must be awful to be you right now.”
Hawk was trying to think. Was it possible Kiran knew who the third Imagineer was? In all that was going on, he had not even been thinking about this mystery Imagineer. Maybe Hawk did need him to figure out the puzzle Farren had him working on. Maybe the Imagineer was what he was looking for. The CCA moved to his right and took a seat in one of the chairs opposite the desk. He sat back slowly and thoughtfully.
“What do you want?” Hawk smiled, masking his concern.
“Exactly what you want, really.” She got up from the desk chair and walked around the desk toward where Hawk was seated. “I want to figure out this mystery Farren created for you.” She slid herself back and took a seat on the front of the desk. Crossing her legs, she grasped her hands in front of her knee. “Hawk, I know you didn’t mean to get Farren and George killed.”
“I didn’t get them killed,” Hawk fired back defensively.
“Of course you didn’t, dear.” She hesitated. “There are some members of this group that I am part of that are extremely violent. This whole assassination thing is very messy. I think it is just nasty business.” Kiran leaned closer toward Hawk. “But the consensus of our group is that you have become expendable. You don’t like to play, and you aren’t willing to negotiate and share with others—namely us—very well. So my colleagues believe that they don’t need you to find what we are all looking for. I think they’re wrong, by the way. I think it’s going to be easier to work with you than do it without you. So, I have decided to offer you a deal.”
“Let me get this straight. You don’t like the way yo
ur band of criminals is doing business, so you’re going to go rogue and you want me to help you.”
“I just think I know how to do things better…and I don’t want to see you get hurt.” She looked down at the floor as if trying to decide what to say. Hawk had been tangled up in her web of manipulation before. Every warning alarm in his brain was blaring. She was an expert at acting like she had empathy. He knew better. Then her gaze reconnected with his. “How close are you to figuring this out?”
“Figuring what out?”
Kiran continued to look at Hawk, and once again he felt as if she were trying to work her way into his brain and steal his thoughts. “You really don’t know, do you?”
“Kiran, you keep asking me very open-ended questions. If you want answers, you need to be more specific.”
She slid off the desk and took two steps and now stood directly in front of Hawk. She placed her hands on her hips, and he noticed for the first time that a MagicBand, probably his MagicBand, was fastened around her wrist. She caught him looking at her arm, glanced toward it, and then raised it in front of her.
“You noticed.” She smiled and lowered her arm. “Yes, this is the MagicBand we just took from you. We thought about the electronic tablet you have become so attached to as of late, but we figured you would need that—and since you hid it in Walt’s office, this was easier. You have used it once, but if Farren gave it to you, it will come in handy later. It’s a bit of insurance for me.”
“I thought you were going rogue.” Hawk wondered how she knew about the tablet, the MagicBand, and he wondered again how she could know so much.
