Hidden Mickey Adventures 1

by Nancy Temple Rodrigue

  Taking advantage of the moment, he bounded up the stairs, his heart pounding. He knew the yard was filled with security guards—and Wolf—so he knew he had to make it quick. Glancing into the open doors of the many bedrooms, he finally found the one that he thought would be Peter’s. It was the posters on the walls and the lack of toys that made him sure this was the correct room.

  He didn’t dare close the door since none of the doors in the long hallway had been closed. Quickly going to the bed where he knew Peter had stashed the items from the capsules, he thrust his right arm under the mattress. “That bug was worth every penny.” His hand finally came into contact with something solid.

  Pulling the object out, Todd was dismayed it wasn’t one of the keys Peter had said he had found. This looked like it was some kind of exercise equipment. Trying again, Todd shoved the hand grip back and felt around again. This time he felt the edge of something made of paper and his heart rate sped up again. “Finally,” he grumbled.

  Todd stared at the clue that he was sure was written in Walt’s own handwriting. “This has to be worth a fortune.” He greedily stuffed it into his pocket. After another fruitless search under the mattress and a quick look through the desk drawers, it was obvious Peter had found a new hiding place for the animation cel and, more importantly, the keys he especially wanted to find. “What? Doesn’t the brat trust anybody?” As he stood at the edge of the doorway, he peeked down the hallway to make sure it was still empty.

  About ready to steal downstairs, Todd spotted a door he had missed the first time. This door was closed. Unusual, he thought. Why is that one closed? Yet another bathroom maybe?

  When he tried to open the door quietly, with a silent hope it didn’t have squeaky hinges, he was astonished to find it wasn’t a room at all. It was an elevator.

  “Why the heck would they have an elevator? Too lazy to use the stairs?”

  Stepping inside, he closed the door for more privacy while he examined it. “Third floor? For real? Sheesh, must be nice.” After one last grouse, he pushed the number three. Immediately the elevator started to rise. “Well, might as well check it out while I’m here.”

  Once the lift came to a stop, he opened the door and found himself in an obviously little-used part of the house. Stepping out, he glanced around at the stacks of cardboard boxes and cast-off furniture and paintings. “What a bunch of junk.” Todd held back from running a finger through the dust, knowing better than to leave any tell-tale fingerprints behind. But he also knew enough to look for something he might be able to pawn later. Some of the larger boxes were marked Disney Memorabilia.

  His attention was again diverted when he spotted a closed door on the other side of the elevator. Missing it when he focused on all the boxes, he turned back and tried the doorknob, using a handkerchief over his fingers.

  “Now why would they lock a door in the attic?” As he continued to mumble to himself, he took a step back, his hand on his chin as he thought. Carefully examining the wall on each side of the door, his eyes narrowed. “Oh ho, what’s this?”

  Again using the handkerchief, he lifted a small panel that he had just spotted next to the door frame. Expertly covered with the same old-fashioned flocked wallpaper as the rest of the room, it was almost invisible to the casual eye. The small panel hid a numerical keypad. “Curiouser and curiouser.” He again stepped back and used his trained thief’s eye to take stock. “It’s dusty over in that part of the room, but it’s clean on this side of the elevator. The brass doorknob on my mystery door is dust free and obviously well used. The wear and tear of the carpet shows this door is the only path after exiting the elevator, and the carpet is worn, showing years of use. Behind this door must be something of considerable value.” Satisfied with his conclusion, he rubbed his hands together. “And, I’ll never have a better chance to see what it is.”

  Being a successful thief meant he had learned to never just jump into something. Cautious, he first went to the stairway that also came up to this floor, and carefully listened for any sign of life on the second floor below him. When he was finally satisfied that he would not be interrupted, he turned back to the keypad and smiled in anticipation.

  “Peter, you never showed me the Gold Pass thing you said you found at the Studio.” Catie turned to her friend while they relaxed in the shade. They were tired out after playing a marathon game of croquet.

  “Want to see it now? Wow, look at that.” With a shake of his head, he watched Michael carry Dug over to some bushes. “He really needs to let that dog walk now and then.”

  After Michael’s interruption, Catie brought Peter’s attention back to her request. “Do you want to bring it here, or is it okay if I go up to your room?” She would let him decide the boundaries.

  “What? Oh, yeah. I’ll get it. My room’s a mess. Be right back.”

  Once in his room, he felt under his mattress for the Gold Pass and the clue. Confused when he couldn’t find the papers, he then noticed that his hidden hand grip was too near the edge. “Has Michael been in my stuff?” Trying not to get angry, he pushed up the bulky mattress as best he could to find the missing items. “No, he wouldn’t do that. He wasn’t that interested in the quest.”

  With his brother absolved, he had to then wonder who did take the Pass—because it was definitely missing. It worried him because he now knew the value of it and how it would admit him into any Disney Park around the world. Letting the mattress fall back into place with a dusty Whoosh, he puts his hands on his hips and looked around his room with narrowed, suspicious eyes. His desk looked messy, but, then, it always did. However, he knew his pile of school books hadn’t been strewn over the desk like that.

  “Somebody’s been in my room.” Eyes wide, he was just about to go downstairs to get his dad when he noticed the door to the elevator. He had been banned from using it since he was five after he had spent hours playing in it, riding up and down. But that didn’t mean he didn’t notice things. Only members of the family knew about the red flag that popped over the latch to indicate the door was locked and that the elevator was on a different floor. Always left on the second floor, Peter knew someone had recently used the lift. Up or down?

  Peter glanced at the stairs and decided to first go upstairs to check it out. He had been banned from the attic, too, after a rambunctious game of pirates on the antique sofas placed there for safekeeping. Treading softly on the heavily carpeted stairs, his mouth dried out as he neared the landing and his heart starting to beat heavily. Reminding himself that if there was anyone there, it was probably just a nosy guest from the party. Licking his dry lips, he cautiously peeked around the corner when his eyes got level with the floor.

  Seeing no one, he gave a surprised, “Hmm”, and climbed one more step. Always curious about the places he wasn’t allowed, he forgot all about Catie waiting for him and his missing items when he decided to explore a little. “I’m already here,” he reasoned with a half-grin. Hand on the rail, he was about to head for the stack of Disney boxes when he stopped dead in his tracks. The door to the secret room he had never been allowed to enter was slightly ajar. Mouth open in surprise, Peter climbed the last step and just stood there. Not only had he never been inside, he had never actually even seen the door open, let alone his mom or dad going in or out. The room was never even talked about. And now it was open. Whichever parent was in there, he quickly decided he would simply say he heard a noise and wanted to make sure everything was all right. Yeah, that will work, he told himself as he boldly entered the room, excited about whatever he was finally going to get to see.

  Thinking about it later, Peter couldn’t have said what surprised him more—the contents of the secret room or that security guard who had grabbed him at Disneyland was going through the file cabinets in that room.

  Likewise surprised was Todd Raven. When he heard a startled gasp behind him, in one smooth motion, Todd pulled a switchblade out of his pocket and spun around. The blade was pointed at the intruder and ste
ady in his hand.

  “You!” they each said in unison.

  “Don’t!” Todd warned as Peter made a move to leap from the room. “Get in here. Now!” He motioned with the knife and indicated a chair. “Sit down right there and don’t move again.”

  Seeing the knife wasn’t wavering to indicate fear or indecision, Peter reluctantly did as he was told. “How come I never saw you at the party?” Peter tried to sound demanding, not frightened like he truly was.

  “Stupid kid. I made sure you didn’t.” Todd snorted at him. “As I guessed correctly, you did recognize me. Couldn’t have you running to that meddling Wolf, now could I?” Distracted, he aimed the knife at Peter with one hand and pulled something out of the filing cabinet with the other.

  Knowing he wasn’t expected to answer, Peter’s wide, angry eyes went back and forth from the sharp blade in front of him to the holographic map in the center of the room.

  Seeing Peter eye the map, Todd turned back to him as he stuffed some more papers into his pocket. “What is this place? Explain. And while you’re at it, I want that last clue. Tell me where it is in here. Now!” The blade was thrust closer to the boy’s throat without actually touching him.

  Peter tried to swallow, but his mouth was dry. “I…I don’t know what this room is. I’ve never been in here.” His answer focused on this strange, intriguing room after quickly deciding to say nothing about the clue.

  Looking around at all the monitors and terminals, Todd didn’t seem to remember his demand for the last clue. He was still trying to figure out all the complex machinery in the room. “Liar. You have one minute to explain this…this…whatever this room is.”

  “I…don’t…know,” stated Peter. “I’ve never seen this stuff before.”

  Not liking his answer but realizing the boy was probably telling the truth, he grabbed Peter out of the chair. Dragging him by his shirt across the room, Peter was shoved next to a different filing cabinet that Todd wanted to check out before he left. “Do not move and do not try me,” he warned in his sternest voice.

  Nodding mutely, Peter let his eyes take in the monitors that were showing various places obviously within Disneyland. Some of the cameras must have been set in dark rooms somewhere because only vague outlines of items could be seen.

  “What’s going on here?!”

  “Mom! He’s got a knife. Run!”

  “Peter!” Kimberly yelled out when Todd swung around and grabbed the boy’s shoulders, pulling him closer, the knife blade under his chin.

  “Get in here, Kimberly.” The strange man who held her son motioned with the wicked-looking knife.

  At first curious why someone had used the elevator and wondered what they were doing, Kimberly was overcome by surprise at finding anyone in the supposedly locked War Room—and that it was a party guest who held her son hostage. Her mind spinning, Kimberly silently realized her best option right then was to do what she was told.

  “Over there, away from the door.” Todd pointed at the chair he had used for Peter earlier. “Sit while I think. It’s getting way too crowded in here.”

  As Kimberly purposely sank into a different chair at the main control desk, her hand quickly went to a button hidden under the desktop. Her eyes never left the man holding her son as she smoothly brought her hand back to her lap, silently hoping either Lance or Wolf—or both—were wearing their pagers that day. As her wide eyes continued to stare at Peter and the knife aimed at him, she unconsciously rubbed the knife scars on her own arms. She, too, had been held at knifepoint. Glancing at the desktop next to her, there were plenty of heavy items she could use as a weapon, but she was too far away. She’d never make it over to the security guard without being seen. Nor could she take a chance throwing something because Peter was too close to the thief. Frustrated by her helplessness and knowing how scared Peter must be, her ears desperately listened for any sound indicating Wolf or Lance might be outside the door.

  Always prepared for a possible heist and any contingency, Todd pulled a plastic zip tie out of his pants pocket. Next to it had been the listening bug he had forgotten to drop in Peter’s room, a piece of duct tape, and a well-used set of lock picks. Shoving Peter forward, he gave him the zip tie. “Pull her hands behind the chair and fasten them together with this. I’ve got to get out of here and I can’t take both of you with me. She’d be too much to handle. And, if you don’t pull it tight? I’ll start by cutting off one of your fingers.”

  “Sorry, Mom,” Peter whispered miserably as he complied with the demands of his captor.

  “It’ll be all right, honey,” she whispered back to Peter and then turned to the thief. “What are you going to do with him?” Her green eyes flashing, Kimberly used her demand as a distraction. Behind her back, she held her two hands slightly apart so she would have some movement after Peter was through.

  “If you don’t shut up, I’m going to use the duct tape I brought.” The thief’s bravado was only a show as his heart beat so hard he thought it was going to burst. He hadn’t expected to be discovered. This is why I hate breaking and entering, he sourly reminded himself. “I’m going to take the boy somewhere safe and then you and I are going to have a nice, long talk about this room after all your guests are gone.”

  Kimberly’s eyes opened even wider at his words. “No, don’t take him! He’s only a boy. I’ll…I’ll go with you and tell you whatever you want. Just leave him here.”

  “Oh, you’ll tell me all right, but he’s my safety net out of here right now. He may be only a boy, as you say, but he’s involved in some pretty serious stuff that I’ll bet you don’t even know about.” Bringing a piece of paper out of his pocket, Todd held up the Gold Pass for her to see. “Like this, for instance.”

  “Hey, that’s mine.” Angry, Peter tried to grab the Pass.

  Todd raised his arm to cuff him with the hilt of the knife, but held back. “Do that again and she’ll lose an ear.”

  “Where did you get that?” Kimberly immediately recognized what he was holding. Not even realizing that she did it, her eyes went over to one of the filing cabinets.

  “Oh, I didn’t get it there.” Todd saw her glance and knew where to look later. “Your little darling here dug it up at the Studio, didn’t you, Petey? I already got plenty out of that file, but think I need to do a more thorough look-see. We’ll have a lot to talk about later,” he promised as he prodded Peter in the ribs with the tip of the knife. “Out the door and down the stairs. One peep and I push this into your spine. Got it?”

  “Ouch!” Peter had no option but to comply. He nodded silently and gave his mom one last, miserable look. He could see tears run down her cheek and his heart clenched.

  Todd closed the door behind them, hoping the room was soundproof. He had a feeling Kimberly would start to yell her head off as soon as he was down the stairs. Putting the knife out of sight in his pocket, he still held it against the boys back as his other hand tightly gripped Peter’s arm. “No tricks,” he warned when they got to the first floor and headed for the front door. Always planning ahead for any possibility, he had parked a ways down the street so he’d be able to leave in a hurry if he needed to. He now found that it had been a good idea since many of the cars were hemmed in all over the curved driveway and into the street.

  Relaxing with every step they took away from the house, Todd still kept a grip on the boy’s arm. But now he was more hopeful that they wouldn’t be discovered before they could get away. It was doubtful anyone would find Kimberly soon. And, if they did, they would have to get Lance to open the combination. He also doubted it would be done openly given the odd contents of that room. Yes, he figured he had plenty of time and wouldn’t need to call attention to himself by speeding.

  Parked on the other side of the street, facing the wrong direction, Todd was just about to open the passenger door of his car to shove Peter inside. Across the wide street where they had just crossed, Wolf suddenly stepped out from behind a tree. Eyes blazing, the dark secur
ity guard stared at Todd as if willing him to die where he stood.

  “Let the boy go.”

  The words were spoken softly, almost too soft to hear in the distance that separated them. But the force of the words hit Todd directly in the chest. The intensity was as strong as a physical blow.

  “Let the boy go.” Louder now, he took two steps closer to Todd’s car.

  Eyes wide, Todd didn’t see any weapon in Wolf’s hand. As a matter of fact, those fisted hands in question were being held out slightly away from his body as if showing Todd he was unarmed. “I don’t think I’m going to obey your command this time.” The shaken security guard tried to sound smooth and in charge, the knife back out in the open. “I get enough of that at work. Get in the car, boy.”

  “It’s locked.” Peter lied, hoping it would confuse Todd enough to give Wolf an advantage.

  Not expecting any comment from the boy, let alone any hesitation or argument, his mouth fell open. “What?” Peter’s idea worked as Todd appeared to be momentarily baffled.

  Sensing his confusion, Wolf saw his chance and yelled out in Lakota. “Wana, kuta. Kagniya!” Now, drop. Roll! He just hoped the boy remembered his lessons.

  Without a word, Peter dropped like a brick and rolled away from his attacker.

  Suddenly exposed, Todd turned erratically, not knowing exactly what to do.

  Wolf’s hand shot out like a streak of lightning. The rock he had concealed in his fist smashed through the passenger window, missing Todd by less than an inch.

  When Wolf started to move toward him and his hostage was now out of his reach, Todd hurled himself over the hood of his car and jumped into the driver’s seat. The key was jammed into the ignition just as Wolf reached the passenger side. At the same time Wolf reached in through the broken window, Todd started the engine and slammed the car into drive.