by Jeff Dixon
He was greeted by Rod Serling’s voice. “A warm welcome back to those of you who made it, and a friendly word of warning, something you won’t find in any guidebook. The next time you check in to a deserted hotel on the dark side of Hollywood, make sure you know just what kind of vacancy you’re filling. Or you may find yourself a permanent resident…of The Twilight Zone.”
Hawk made his way back toward the cast member area of the attraction as Shep met him. The dark look on Shep’s face warned Hawk about what he was about to say.
“Boss, I’m sorry…but there is nobody inside the drop shaft.”
“Of course there isn’t. I pulled him down and let him go, and he slid off the side.” Hawk sneered. “I should have gone over the side with him to make sure.”
“You mean you rode the entire attraction on top?” Shep looked up toward the roof. “Drop sequence and all?”
“Yes, and I don’t recommend it.” Hawk began moving toward the doors.
“Do you really float?” Shep was again looking upward aimlessly, trying to imagine what the ride was like on top of the vehicle.
“You do.” Hawk stopped and looked at him. “And it is an amazing feeling right up to the point where you crash and it nearly kills you.”
“I bet.” Shep nodded.
“How many ways are there to get out of here?” Hawk knew it was too late. He knew the assassin would be gone or hiding, but they would let security at least look for him and recover the gun.
“I don’t know.” Shep shrugged.
Juliette entered and met them in the gift shop. Her face grew concerned when she saw them. Focusing on Hawk, she leaned in to look at him closer. “You OK?”
“I’m peachy.”
“You need to see this.” She motioned for them to follow her.
“Actually, we need to get security and the police in here.” Hawk hesitated.
“No, we don’t. The police and security are already here, in force.” She motioned for them to follow.
The walked outside the Tower and through the back cast member area into the parking lot where Hawk had left Douglas Hall and his Mustang. Before they rounded the corner, Hawk could hear a strange crackling sound and voices…a lot of them. Turning the corner and entering the parking area, he saw where the noise was coming from and stopped walking.
What was left of his vintage Mustang was enveloped in flames. Reedy Creek Fire and Rescue was arriving, and law enforcement milled about the area.
“The explosion was your car,” Juliette said apologetically.
“What about Douglass Hall?” Hawk asked.
“What about him?” Juliette looked back toward her boss.
“I left him in the car.” No one had known Hall was in the car waiting for him to return. With the Mustang swallowed in flames, there was no possible way of seeing whether anyone might be trapped inside.
Juliette broke into a run, flagging down the officer closest to her. Instantly, the activity intensified and the fire department moved in to extinguish the fiery death trap that was once Hawk’s car.
CHAPTER THIRTY - SEVEN
Two Days Ago
Morning
Rays of light crawled across the buildings on Sunset Boulevard as Hawk sat on a bench in front of the Hollywood Tower Hotel. He was on the phone with Kate, who was now hunkered down in Miami, awaiting the arrival of Hurricane Ginger. The effects of the storm were already impacting the South Florida city, and the projected path of the storm would be bringing it right up Interstate 4 over the Walt Disney World Resort and the city of Orlando. Emergency preparedness was already underway throughout the resort, anticipating the storm moving through. Safety was always the number one priority. Having a resort full of guests from all over the world experience a hurricane with you is not a problem that most companies have to worry about. Yet when the storm hit, there was no place to evacuate the guests to keep them safer. Orlando is in the center of the state, safest between all coasts, and there is no place better equipped to face a storm than Walt Disney World. Although the storm would be frightening, for most of the guests, it would be merely an inconvenience, as already cast members were preparing ways to entertain children and families as the storm moved through. Once the storm was gone and it was safe, then as quickly as possible, they would reopen the theme parks so guests could continue their vacations.
Though Hawk had hoped Kate would be able to come back to the resort to ride out the storm, the network had decided that it would keep a team right in the midst of the storm to cover it with all the details necessary to feed the hungry twenty-four-hour global news cycle that connected the world these days. He tried as succinctly as he could to catch her up on the events that had been taking place around him, and as he did, he realized that she was actually safer where she was than she’d be if she were close to him. He ended his call as Jonathan moved onto the bench beside him.
“There is no sign of Douglas Hall. The investigators are sure he wasn’t inside the vehicle when it blew up.” Jonathan patted his boss on the back, reassuring him.
“Then where is he?” Hawk squinted against the sunlight as it expanded its early morning show around them.
“That’s a great question.” Jonathan raised an eyebrow. “He came to protect you, remained behind in the car, and then the car is bombed…but he isn’t inside when it happens. And now he’s gone.”
“No one has seen him or heard from him?” Hawk looked toward Jonathan, already expecting to see the shake of the head indicating the answer no.
“He’s gone,” Jonathan took a deep breath and exhaled, shaking his head. “He either left the car for some reason before it was detonated…or he did it himself.”
“What did they use to blow up my car?”
“Explosives.” Jonathan smiled. “How do I know? I’ve never blown anything up before. I’m a worship leader by calling, your friend by choice, and involved in this because of a never-ending train of circumstances.” He patted Hawk on the back again to reaffirm he was not angry or frustrated, just stating the obvious.
“I know.” Hawk returned the smile.
Looking over his shoulder, he could see the dark smoke still rising from the car. They had made the decision to close the park until later in the day. Hawk wanted to open as soon as possible but now had to deal with the painful reality of how to keep guests safe from both the mayhem surrounding him and the storm approaching the Magic Kingdom and the rest of the resort.
Al Gann and Shep Albert exited the gift shop of the Tower of Terror attraction and approached them. Al was dressed in his sheriff’s department–issued uniform and rested his hand on his service revolver as he spoke.
“There was no sign of the assassin, his gun, or anything else out of the ordinary inside the attraction. We swept it twice.” Al hesitated and then sighed. “Hawk, this is a mess. We have to close down this entire area and keep guests away. We still are investigating over in the Magic Kingdom near the Haunted Mansion, so that area is completely shut down. We’re stretched thin because we are also getting ready for a major storm to hit. It would help us if you would give the word to shut down all of the theme parks now…and keep them closed until after the storm has passed.”
“I can’t do that.” Hawk studied his friend. “The weather isn’t that bad…yet.”
“Hawk, the storm you are facing is already here.” Al knelt down to get on eye level with Hawk, who remained seated on the bench. “Look, I know you want your guests to have a great time, but—”
“No.” Hawk cut him off. “Some of the people here have saved a lifetime to take this one vacation. They had no way of knowing that a hurricane would hit and ruin part of their stay. They’re stuck here, and they deserve the best entertainment we can give them.”
“They deserve to be safe and not worried about getting killed.” Al let the words sink in. “You—we—can’t ensure their safety any more than we are able to protect you right now.”
Hawk listened. The silence roared around them. As a p
astor, Hawk had dealt with people from all walks of life who had faced circumstances and made choices that had caused life to spiral out of control around them. He had told them time and time again that if they made wise choices, one choice at a time, eventually they would regain control of wild circumstances and situations and survive their storms. It was advice he believed with all his heart. He was sure as a man who trusted God and lived by faith that it was sound counsel. Each choice helps set the proper direction to get you to your intended or desired destination. Wise and solid choices help set good positive direction for your life. Most people lived by good intentions, and Hawk always reminded them and himself that intention is not the same as direction. Many people have great intention, but very few set great direction. It all came down to your first choice being a choice that would move you forward.
“OK, shut them down.” Hawk felt his shoulders slump. “Shut down the parks.”
“Did I just hear you say we’re shutting down the parks?” Juliette rejoined the group clustered in front of the tower. “All of them?”
“All of them, shut them down, starting now.” Hawk rose to his feet. “And as quickly as you can, get your families here on the property and make sure they’re tucked into one of the resorts.”
“Each of you stay in separate resorts.” Al pointed at the group. As they looked back at him curiously, he added, “You don’t want to put all of your captains in one rowboat when there is a storm at sea.” He waited for them to process what he said. “ We can keep you hidden better and out of sight easier when you aren’t all in one place. Get where you need to be to do what you need to do…just make sure you’re spread out across the property.”
Al excused himself from the four of them and walked back to where the other officials were investigating the explosion.
“So what was the point of all of this?” Juliette gestured toward the thin plume of smoke rising from the wreckage of the Mustang.
“They would have known you weren’t in the car,” Shep added.
“I imagine it was to send a message,” Hawk surmised. “Whoever they are want me to know they are close, they are watching, and eventually they will get me.”
“Let me interrupt.” Jonathan raised his hand as if trying to get permission to speak. “If the assassin was inside trying to kill you, then he wasn’t outside at the same time blowing up your car.”
“So what are you implying?” Juliette had not thought through what Jonathan was saying until that moment.
“He isn’t implying anything.” Hawk crossed his arms. “He’s saying that there is more than one group of people involved in trying to stop me from figuring this mystery out.”
“That can’t be.” Shep scratched his head.
“It’s the only thing that makes sense,” Hawk continued. “You don’t try to send me a message if you’re going to kill me. So while one group wants to kill me, there’s another group that wants to scare me or stop me…and they’re not working together very well.”
Again the group of friends was silent as they began to realize that Hawk and Jonathan were correct.
“Al is right about you guys staying in separate resorts. You have to stay safe. We have things to do. Get moving.”
“I’ll make the arrangements to close the theme parks.” Juliette was already heading toward the main gate. “I assume that’s the rule at least until the storm passes?”
“Yes.” Hawk nodded. “Until the storm passes.”
Jonathan fell in step with Juliette. “I’ll get Sally and the kids ready to head out this way. I’ll let you know when and where we’re settled.”
Shep started to walk away and then paused. He stepped back in front of Hawk and cupped an elbow with one hand as he tapped his lips with the other. “In all of this excitement, I haven’t heard you say…did you find the clue you were looking for?”
“I did.” Hawk widened his eyes with excitement. “I didn’t say anything because I’m trying to keep you all safe. But I think I’m going to need your help.”
“So you’re saying that you want to keep everyone safe…except me.” Shep blinked.
“Sure, you’re the most expendable of the group.” Hawk grinned. He knew Shep would understand he was kidding.
“So what’s the clue?”
“When I was on top of the elevator, there were three words written on top in black letters. They were printed in what I think was Farren’s handwriting.” Hawk tilted his head as he recalled what he had seen. “It’s hard to say because they were oversized letters.”
“What did they spell?” Shep was anxious to hear.
“Three things.” Hawk gestured with a pointed finger to emphasize each item. He did this often when he was preaching. “Raz…Riles…Ben Gunn.”
“Ben Gunn, like in the book?”
“That’s what I thought too. Ben Gunn in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island. He was a marooned pirate, wasn’t he?”
“So this is a clue about Pirates of the Caribbean?”
“Maybe, but I don’t know.” Hawk shrugged. “The other words mean something as well. That’s where I need your help. You keep digging on Ben Gunn and let me tackle Raz and Riles. Get settled in and call me when you know something.”
CHAPTER THIRTY - EIGHT
Two Days Ago
Afternoon
As Walt Disney flew over the undeveloped site in Central Florida, an island caught his eye. It made him smile as he looked through the window of the company jet, and he had the pilot take an extended path around it. The island became his reference point as he made the decision to start the development of the surrounding property that would eventually become the Walt Disney World Resort.
Hawk looked up from his laptop and allowed himself to smile as he sat at the table in his apartment on Main Street, U.S.A. The streets were isolated, a sight rarely seen on a bright and sunny afternoon. As so often happened in Florida during storm season, the day before the onslaught of the storm was bright and warm. The tropical breezes would be magnificent before they finally escalated into blasts of destruction in the storm bands of the hurricane. He was reading articles and cross-referencing the words Raz, Riles, and Walt Disney and had unlocked a treasure trove of information. Combing through it, he had put together a narrative of how those words were connected to Walt and Walt Disney World.
Back in the early 1900s in Central Florida, the island that Walt Disney had seen was owned by a family with the last name Raz. It was known simply as Raz Island. In a bit of unknown and seemingly unimportant Florida history, the state’s first disc jockey, Delmar Nicholson, had purchased the island in the 1930s and renamed it Idle Bay Isle. Eventually locals in Central Florida purchased it and had created a hunting retreat they named Riles Island. Walt had purchased Riles Island in 1965 with over twenty-eight thousand acres surrounding it. This bit of investigation had connected the two clues of Raz and Riles to Walt Disney.
Hawk continued his research, and scouring page after page of information, realized that the island had eventually become what was known as Disney’s Discovery Island. It sat in the middle of Bay Lake and could be seen from Disney’s Wilderness Resort, the Fort Wilderness Campground, and the Contemporary Resort. Disney had added fifty-five thousand cubic yards of soil, over five hundred tons of trees and boulders, and eventually had beefed up the island’s size to nearly twelve acres. It was a beautiful oasis by the time the creative teams at Disney were finished. The island had three elevated lagoons and footpaths that wound about throughout the trees, hills, and streams. It opened as Treasure Island in 1974. Hawk smiled again, as that was what connected the name Ben Gunn to the place. Disney had made a live action feature based on the book in 1950, so this was a themed playground that fit right into the Disney brand of storytelling.
His concentration was broken by the vibration of his cell phone sitting on the table. The vibration made the phone dance slightly, and the caller ID identified Shep as the person trying to reach him. Hawk reached for it, used his fin
ger to slide down the answer bar on the touch screen, and greeted his friend. “Discovery Island, right?”
“I think so.”
Hawk set the phone to speaker mode and returned it to the table so he could keep using his computer.
“According to what I’ve found, years ago, the island was called Raz Island. Later the name was changed to Riles Island. That was the name of it when Walt bought it. It had caught his eye as he was looking for places to build the theme park. After the resort opened, it was named Treasure Island in 1974. How’d I do?”
“Good,” Shep said enthusiastically. “But you’re wrong.”
“What?”
“The great keeper of Disney history and information is wrong.” Shep’s voice wore a smile. “I am actually enjoying this rare moment.”
“What did I miss?” Hawk retraced the notes on his screen.
“You’re correct, almost.” Shep explained, “When Walt Disney World opened in 1971, the island was called Blackbeard’s Island. But remember that was in ’71. The island wasn’t even developed until 1974. After it was developed and officially opened to guests, it was called Treasure Island. It was cool, all the cast members were dressed as pirates, they had oil lamps lighting the trails on the island, and they themed it after the book and the movie. I would have loved to see it.”
“It sounds great.” Hawk asked, “So Treasure Island is the connection to Ben Gunn?”
“Exactly. I was doing some research, and I found something very cool in the Disney Archives.” The sound of tapped keys came through the phone receiver. “I have a brochure for Treasure Island. It includes a number of proposed attractions that were never fully developed, much less completed. There was to be a place called Spy Glass Hill that was a rock formation where you could discover the secrets of the island. Something was going to be called the Blockhouse, but I don’t really understand what the brochure is describing. There was going to be a place called Billy Bone’s Dilemma…but the one we’re interested in, I think, is an area called Ben Gunn’s Cave.”
