Storming the Kingdom

by Jeff Dixon

  “Well”—Shep’s face flushed a little—“they do kind of scare me…in a good way, of course.”

  “Of course.” Hawk laughed again. “It could be any of those places you mentioned, actually. But the rest of the clue might help us get started. ‘A world with no Mickey is a terrible sign of what happened here in 1939.’ Let’s focus in on the 1939.”

  “Well, 1939 is the target year used over in Disney Hollywood Studios. Hollywood and Sunset Boulevards are designed to look like Hollywood in the 1930s and ’40s, and certainly 1939 falls into that period. Right in the middle of that period.”

  “Yes,” Hawk said, leaning forward, “1939 is also an important date in the history of the Walt Disney Company. Disney’s Burbank studio was opened on Christmas Eve in 1939. So there are references to that particular year randomly scattered—on purpose, of course—throughout Hollywood Studios.”

  “So we are going to Hollywood Studios?” Shep got up from the table.

  Hawk waved him off. “No, not right now. I promised I would not be doing any more searching for clues while the parks are open.” He motioned toward the door. “I have a very antsy security team waiting at the bottom of the stairs and some very angry members of not only security, but law enforcement as well because I have been giving them the slip and not letting them know where I am.” Hawk yawned deeply and stretched. “They’re supposed to be keeping an eye on me and keeping me safe.”

  “How long has it been since you slept?” Shep asked.

  The question had come from nowhere, and Hawk had to hesitate and think back for a moment. “A while,” he admitted.

  “Over twenty-four hours?”

  “At least.” Hawk was still trying to remember the last time he’d slept. He remembered the nightmare in which he’d heard gunshots. “Like I said, it’s been a while.”

  Shep studied his friend carefully. He reached over to the table and picked up the clue. After rereading it again, he placed it back in front of Hawk.

  “Why don’t you get a few hours of sleep? The parks won’t be closed for a while yet, so you can give the night crew some time to move in and get their initial push of work started. Then we can head to the Studios. I’ll give Jonathan and Juliette a call and see if they want to meet us.” Shep waited to see if Hawk was going to say anything.

  Hawk picked up the note and looked back toward Shep. “I would rather go alone. All of you need to lay low, stay out of sight, and stay safe.”

  “Al Gann has us all protected with officers outside our homes already. When I came here to meet you, my personal guard came with me. He’s waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs with your security team.” Shep smiled. “I think we’ll be OK.”

  Hawk was torn. He wanted the help, wanted his friends close, but was gravely concerned for their well-being. The quicker he could solve the mystery, the better off they all would be. Shep seemed to be reading his thoughts and now moved to the door of the apartment.

  “I’ll meet you at 3:00 a.m. at the Great Movie Ride. I’ll see if anyone else wants to join us. That way, they can decide, and you don’t have to worry about us.” He opened the door and then looked back. “Get some sleep.”

  Shep disappeared through the door and closed it behind him. Hawk sat at the table and looked back through the window. He saw Shep come around the corner of the building below and saw an officer from the sheriff’s department walking beside him. He got up and moved over toward his couch. Slumping back onto the sofa, he suddenly felt extremely tired. He pulled his phone from his pocket and texted Kate. He wanted to make sure she was safe—or as safe as she could be, looking down the path of an approaching hurricane. He needed to check the news for an update on the projected path, get the report, and then check the status of the Emergency Operation Center. There were so many things to do before the storm hit, if indeed it was coming. He wondered if Kate was going to be able to get to the resort to ride out the storm close to him or whether the network would keep her in South Florida. Glancing back toward the table, he saw the wooden puzzle box. He wondered if they could find another company to start producing them; they really were a great keepsake. He was sure they would sell well in the parks. The Haunted Mansion was a mess; how long would it be before they could start repairs? As long as it was crime scene, they couldn’t get in to begin work. A smile crossed his face as he realized his mind was just as much a jumble. All of the things he was trying to think about at once were important, but they had come rolling across his brain in a cluttered mess. Shep was right, he needed to sleep for a few minutes. He would close his eyes and get a quick nap. Then he could think more clearly.

  His eyes shut, and he descended down the valley of restless slumber.

  CHAPTER THIRTY - FOUR

  Two Days Ago

  3:00 A.M.

  Hawk had battled his way through a series of fitful dreams and uncomfortable naps until exhaustion dumped him into a deep sleep. He groggily returned to reality and realized he was going to be late getting to Disney’s Hollywood Studios. After a slow start, he had driven his vintage Mustang into the backstage parking area of the studios, where a surprised security guard lowered the retractable barriers to allow him inside. Hawk had Douglas Hall seated next to him in the front seat. Hall was furious Hawk had been giving him and his team the slip and as a result had nearly gotten killed. Although Hawk had apologized, Hall was still angry, and Hawk understood. However, on the ride over, Hawk had discovered that Hall was a fan of classic cars. The 1965 red car had caught the security officer’s attention, and he had allowed himself to be distracted with car talk as they drove.

  Hawk shared with Douglas that his love for old cars, this old car in particular, had come from his father. Even though Hawk was sketchy with the details of his life, he did reveal that his father had once owned a car exactly like this one. He had memories of riding in it as a child, and those memories of moments spent with his dad were so precious to him, they had motivated him to purchase this car. In some ways, it made him feel more connected to his father, even though he knew it was just a vehicle. Hall shared some memories of his childhood and said his love for vintage cars had been instilled in him from his dad as well.

  Once they had parked and exited the vehicle, Hawk had told Douglas what his plans were and that it would be best if he would wait near the car. After a bit of disagreement and some banter back and forth, Hawk threw Douglas the keys and told him to take the car over and drive it through the back lot if he would like. Hall had countered that he would accept the keys so Hawk would not try to slip away without telling him where he was going. Douglas stated he would not take the car anywhere; he would, however, protect the car. With a wink, he kiddingly told Hawk that the car was more valuable than he was. With this common ground over the Mustang, things were not as tense as they had been. He promised Hawk he would stay close enough to watch him and, at the same time, out of his way so he could do whatever it was he was trying to do.

  Hawk jogged down Sunset Boulevard toward Hollywood Boulevard so he could turn toward the Great Movie Ride. The air was humid, and there was a steady breeze blowing around him. The wind didn’t take the edge off the temperature, making the air especially heavy for this time of the morning. As he rounded the corner, he saw Shep, Jonathan, and Juliette all waiting for him by the front entrance of the attraction.

  “Did you forget we were meeting here?” Shep poked fun at Hawk’s tardiness, knowing as they all did that being late was a pet peeve for their boss.

  “Sorry, I overslept.” Hawk offered a truthful excuse.

  “Good, you needed the rest.” Juliette’s motherly concern could be heard in her voice.

  “What’s the plan?” Jonathan brought them to the moment at hand.

  Hawk knew that Jonathan was here out of concern and loyalty to him. He was sure that Sally had not been happy with Jonathan’s decision to join the group for this early morning excursion. But Jonathan had decided it was worth being there and somehow had convinced her of the same.
Hawk was sure his cut-to-the-chase tone had been born in the events it took him to get there. He appreciated it and shared Sally’s concern, not just for Jonathan but for all of them.

  “Shep and I used the 1939 reference in the clue to get us to the Studios.” Hawk gestured toward their surroundings. “The answer must be in here somewhere.”

  “Or so goes our theory,” Shep added.

  “The clue was ‘A song from the past will reach your ears, it is a tune that touches some of your fears. A world with no Mickey is a terrible sign of what happened here in 1939.’ And then Shep rattled off a list of all the things he was afraid of.”

  “I was trying to help,” Shep countered, evoking smiles from their friends.

  “The two things that really tap into his fears here in the Studios are Rock ’n’ Roller Coaster and the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror. My gut says that we need to check the tower for some references to 1939 and Mickey Mouse.”

  “That sounds like a plan.” Juliette motioned forward and began walking. “Let’s go.”

  The group hurried back toward Sunset Boulevard. Approaching the corner where the information board for guests was located, Hawk noticed that security had taken up positions along the streets around them. They were simply watching the group and would periodically change their patrol positions as the group moved, creating a moving security perimeter.

  “So how bad is the Haunted Mansion messed up?” Jonathan asked.

  “It’s scary how bad it’s messed up,” Hawk grumbled.

  The bad joke was met by groans from his friends.

  “Did you really make it look like you were standing in the doorway so a killer could take a shot at you?” Juliette asked with a bit of edge in her voice.

  “I did.”

  “That just seems like an incredibly bad plan on your part.” She huffed. “Getting reckless doesn’t help figure out this mystery.”

  “But if the plan had worked, we all would be a lot safer.” Hawk found himself defending an idea that even in his own summation had been ill advised. He just didn’t want anyone else calling him on it. At least not yet; there wasn’t enough distance between the event and the present.

  The exchange sent the group into a painful, extended silence. Juliette broke it, to the relief of them all.

  “I’m just glad you weren’t hurt.” Worry replaced the sharpness in her voice.

  “Or killed,” Jonathan added.

  “It was risky.” Hawk knew they were just concerned. He was willing to admit that much to them. “I wish Al could have gotten there in time. It all happened so fast, and there just wasn’t enough time to set the trap and spring it properly.”

  They approached the massive Hollywood Tower Hotel. Inside this building was the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, an attraction that by design takes guests to the height of fright inside a haunted freight elevator and has been thrilling crowds for years. Set in the early days of Hollywood, the legend behind the hotel’s elevators entices visitors into the elegant lobby. Leather furniture, rich woods, and colored tapestries offer an authentic feel to the area. The detail in the attraction is some of the best work ever done by Imagineers. As they entered, they stopped, looked around, and absorbed their surroundings. The lobby was spectacular.

  “You know”—Hawk turned to his friends—“when you’re riding the Tower of Terror, if you place a penny in the palm of your hand as you plummet the thirteen stories, the penny will float in the air a few inches above your hand. Believe it or not, the elevator is falling faster than the speed of gravity.”

  “I thought the ride was a free fall, that you are only moving as fast as gravity can pull you.” Jonathan was thinking as he spoke. “I would think the penny should just stay flat in your hand.”

  “It would work out that way, if you were falling at the speed of gravity—but you are actually being pulled down. The elevator is attached to a set of cables that run to motors above and below you. The elevator cars are then able to be jerked up or pulled down at rapid speeds. And since you’re strapped to the ride and the penny isn’t, it floats.”

  “Told you it was scary.” Shep nodded.

  “My kids love the ride. I can take it or leave it…and since you have told me that, I think I’ll leave it from now on.” Juliette shrugged. “So what are we looking for?”

  “We’re connecting 1939 to Mickey Mouse,” Hawk reminded them.

  “And remember there was a reference to a song in the clue as well,” Jonathan recalled.

  “So a music reference of some kind too.” Juliette affirmed the fact as they started looking.

  “Hey, boss.” Shep got Hawk’s attention. “The connection to 1939 is easy.” He pointed to a yellowed newspaper sitting on the counter. “It’s a copy of the Los Angeles Examiner. Look at the date.” The issue was dated October 31, 1939. “That’s the day that’s frozen in time in this attraction.”

  “I didn’t remember that as the date, but the backstory is that on that night, a family boarded an elevator here in the lobby,” Hawk began.

  “And the elevators in the lobby are now marked out of order.” Juliette walked toward them.

  “While they were on board, a lighting strike took out an entire wing of the hotel and the elevator as well. The family disappeared, the hotel was closed, and it was never to be opened again. That is why it’s trapped in time like this.”

  “Trapped in 1939.” Jonathan waved for them to follow him. He paused for a moment to choose which door to enter through. He went left.

  The group moved through the lobby into the library area. As the moved into the library, they entered another highly detailed room. The Imagineers had spared no detail in decorating with items that were very period specific to create the ambiance that surrounded them.

  “This is where the video of Rod Serling plays on the television.” Juliette pointed to the TV in the corner.

  “Yes, the host of The Twilight Zone sets up the story. The service elevators still work, and the challenge is to discover what happened to the family on that night. That’s the fun of the attraction,” Hawk summarized.

  “I think this is what we are looking for.” Jonathan pointed to a bookshelf in the library that had a dusty old trumpet on sitting on it. “Look at this sheet music.”

  Underneath the trumpet was an old, worn piece of sheet music for the song “What! No Mickey Mouse? What kind of a party is this?” The writer was Irving Caesar.

  “Wow, that is some kind of hidden Mickey.” Juliette stared with the rest of her friends.

  “This is it. The clue wanted a song from the past.” Hawk rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “It touches our fears—either the ride itself or a bigger fear. If there is no Mickey Mouse, then Walt Disney as we know him didn’t exist either.”

  “What are you thinking?” Juliette watched him curiously.

  “You guys remember when we opened the cryo-tube? “ They all nodded. “I had thought that Walt was inside, but instead we found this.” Hawk reached behind his back, pulled up his shirt, and revealed a shoulder holster. It had a pocket in which he had secured the electronic tablet.

  “A tablet holster.” Shep was impressed. “Cool.”

  “Techno geeks,” Jonathan muttered. Then he laughed softly.

  Hawk powered up the tablet to see if there was an update or new message from Farren. As they waited, he spoke. “You remember the first message Farren gave us when we powered up. He said, ‘You have been faithful to protect Walt Disney…you would have to use your judgment and decide how to handle the secret of what was inside the cylinder.’”

  “We remember, why?” Juliette asked.

  “Farren said something I’ve been trying to understand. It was cryptic, strange, and still doesn’t make sense. He said, ‘Beyond the films, beyond the theme parks, beyond the entertainment empire, beyond the legend of Walt Disney is someone much more important…Walt Disney the man. And now, in this moment, it is time for you to protect him.

  “‘Your journey so far was ju
st the start to bring you to this crossroad. You had to be entrusted with the things that Walt created before you could be entrusted with the secrets of Walt himself. I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense to you…yet. But trust me, it will.’ What kind of huge secret does Walt hold?” Hawk paused again. “And Kiran knew a lot more than that, or she acted like she did.”

  Jonathan furrowed his brow. “I’m not following you, Hawk.”

  “I know, I’m sorry, I’m thinking out loud, I guess.” Hawk paced the room. “Kiran said, what I needed to understand was that I was the plan. The plan that Walt and Roy put in place to protect their secrets, their families, and their friends. What I’ve been given is something you can’t find in the family museum, you can’t find in the Archives, Disney historians don’t have enough information to connect the dots—the secrets that Walt was given over his lifetime that he needed to give to someone he could trust when the time was right. That is my job, that is what I have been given, that is what this is all about.”

  “So what does that mean?” Juliette asked.

  “I’m not sure. But most of the clues, and this mystery at its core, have something to do with Walt, his history, his life itself. This is more than just the usual Disney trivia. What if whatever it is…is so big that if we can’t keep it and protect it, all that Walt worked to do might disappear or become meaningless?”

  “Huh?” Shep was confused. But so was Hawk, and he waved his hand in a sweeping gesture around the room.

  “Whatever this is, this time, it isn’t about running the company. It’s bigger than that. It has to be—people are getting killed, and they’re trying to kill us.”

  A soft chime sound alerted them that there was another update. The golden key icon appeared, and the red dot in the corner let them know there was something new. Hawk fished out the kingdom key and aligned it on the icon. The screen blinked, came to life, and a video window opened. Hawk turned the screen at an angle so they could all see it play.

  The image that filled the screen was of the Hollywood Tower Hotel, where they were standing now. Farren Rales stepped into the view of the camera, his smiling face greeting them.