Storming the Kingdom (10 page)

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

Five Days Ago
Early Morning

S
ilent black-and-white footage taken outdoors on a bright day filled the screen. “The Cherry Plaza Welcomes Walt Disney” was printed on a banner that blew in the breeze. The distinct image of Walt Disney emerging from a limousine and waving at a crowd of people flickered in front of them. The footage, perhaps an old newsreel, continued as Walt Disney walked inside a building and was greeted by the large crowd of people apparently waiting for his arrival. The image on the screen shifted, and sound began to play.

The new image showed Walt and Roy Disney seated behind a table and a collection of microphones. Between Walt and Roy sat a man behind a sign that read Gov. Haydon Burns. The backdrop was a handmade sign: Florida Welcomes Walt Disney.

“I haven’t seen this in years,” Hawk whispered to them. “This is legendary footage. It’s the press conference from 1965 when Walt Disney and Governor Burns announced to the world the plans to build Disney World. This is the beginning of what they called Project Florida.”

The video continued to play, with the governor speaking and then turning the attention of the crowd to Walt. Over the next few minutes, he talked about the company he had created; about his brother, Roy, and their special partnership; about the story of Disneyland and their recent success at the World’s Fair.

“Why do we need to see this?” Shep scratched the back of his head. “I’ve seen clips from this a number of times.”

“I have too.” Hawk kept his eyes fixed on the screen. “But I’ve never seen the entire press conference before.”

“Shh…” Juliette hushed them.

The press conference continued, and Walt nervously and charmingly did all he could do to keep from giving any specific details about what they were planning as the press asked him questions. The governor began to speak about some of the concessions the State of Florida was going to give Disney, with many of the details yet to be worked out. Hawk tried to glean something new from what he was watching, but if there was a clue here, he wasn’t getting it. This footage, although he had never seen it in its entirety, was well documented, and segments of the event had been shown for years.

As they watched the video, the press conference came to an end. Normally the cameras would be turned off now, but this time, the camera kept running. Walt, Roy, and Governor Burns got up to leave. Burns and Roy moved back from the table, but Walt did not. Hawk leaned in and watched closely.
This
was new footage to him. So often when you saw Walt on camera, he was living up to the image the world expected to see when they saw Walt Disney. Now Walt in this moment, captured on this film, was going off script. He was fascinated by something on the table in front of him. Roy and the Governor had turned to leave and were getting ready to take photographs, but Walt was fiddling with something on a microphone in front of him. He was curious, he was studying it, he reached down and messed with it momentarily. The press conference had ended and there was more to do on this day—but for Walt, in that moment, he was curious about why something was there in front of him.

“This is it,” Hawk said out loud, realizing that this must be what he was supposed to see.

Governor Burns turned back to retrieve Walt and encouraged him to move to the next stop of the event, and Walt said, “Virginia . . .” He then pointed back toward the microphone. “You see…it says the seal of Virginia.”

The screen went to black and the boxes flashed, asking, “Play again,” or “Delete?”

“I never knew there was an extended version of that press conference.” Hawk shook his head. “That was what we were supposed to see…‘and see where you go when Walt’s curiosity persists.’”

“So, Walt gets curious about something on a microphone at the press conference table.” Juliette mentally rewound what they had just seen. “He’s curious about why it is there and then tells the governor what he sees.”

“Right,” Hawk agreed. “And so now we have to go to . . .”

“Virginia?” Shep upturned his palms. “ We have to go to Virginia? I think Virginia is an awfully big place.”

“We’re not going to Virginia,” Jonathan corrected his friend, then hesitated. “Are we?”

“No, but that was the clue…Virginia.” Hawk pushed the delete button on the touch screen, and the video window disappeared. “Walt was curious about something that was connected to Virginia. My guess is that whatever I need to find next has some type of Virginia connection. And it’s someplace I have to go to.”

“Which is…?” Juliette leaned forward slightly.

“I don’t know”—Hawk shrugged—“yet.”

In the restless hours that followed, Hawk tried to unravel where you go when Walt’s curiosity persists and how you go to Virginia without going to Virginia. He had managed to get back to his apartment without being detected by the people protecting him, and the others had headed home without drawing attention to themselves, which in some ways made him very uncomfortable.

The night was restless, sleep constantly interrupted by Hawk’s overactive brain trying to connect the dots and make sense of the madness swirling around him. Occasionally fatigue would overrule his desire to keep thinking, and he would fade into the darkness of fitful slumber. Nightmare glimpses of a shattering window in a limousine, the distressed face of Farren Rales, the screaming of a train whistle, and gunshots erupting through the steam of a locomotive would jerk him back to reality. In the moments before dawn, Hawk finally sank into a deep sleep, only to be awakened by a hand on his shoulder, gently shaking him back into the familiar surroundings of his apartment bathed in the early morning sun beginning to streak though the windows.

“Good morning.” Kate smiled as she leaned over him. “Did you decide you were just too tired to make it into your bedroom?”

Hawk blinked away the cobwebs of sleepiness. Looking around, he realized he had made it only as far as the couch in his living room. This had been the train he had ridden through the night of darkened dreams on.

“Yeah,” he smiled at her. “What time is it?” His voice was still rough with sleepiness.

“About six.” She placed a hand gently on his cheek. “I am so sorry to wake you, but I’m on my way to the airport soon. The network is sending me back to New York.”

“Why?” He slowly sat up, making room for her to sit next to him on the sofa. “Am I no longer a big enough story for you to be covering?”

“Oh, no, you’re huge story. As a matter of fact, they’re sending an entire team down here to follow up on what’s going on. I’m heading back for a series of meetings to reassign our anchors across the country for some developing situations.”

“You lost me.” Hawk could feel his brain kicking into gear.

“It’s the usual stuff,” Kate leaned her head on his shoulder as Hawk put his arm around her. “There’s a huge storm churning toward the Caribbean, there’s a situation in the Middle East, we have a massive wildfire out west, and then of course…there’s someone trying to kill you.” She raised her head and looked into his eyes. “The network thinks I’m a bit too close to the story, and they aren’t convinced I’m going to report everything I know.”

“So they’re bringing you back to New York and then sending you where?”

“Not sure yet.”

“Like I told you before, I would feel better if you were somewhere safer than here.”

“Oh . . .” Kate kissed him and got to her feet. “Don’t think for a minute you’re getting rid of me that easily, Grayson Hawkes. I’ll be back here just as quickly as I can to keep you safe and out of trouble.” Placing her hands on her hips, she said, “Now get up and let’s go for a walk before I have to leave.”

After a quick stop to freshen up from the sleepless night, Hawk emerged in a white button-down shirt and a pressed pair of jeans. He slid his feet into a pair of Mickey Mouse Crocs and the two headed down the stairs of his apartment toward Main Street, U.S.A. At the bottom of the steps, Douglas Hall turned and watched them make their descent.

“I see you were able to wake him up,” Doug said to Kate.

“Yep, he was trying to sleep the day away.” She slid her arm inside of Hawk’s.

“Been a long night for you, hasn’t it, Doug?” Hawk stopped when they reached the bottom of the stairs. “When does the next shift arrive?”

“In about an hour. Until then, it’s my job to keep an eye on you.”

“Well, we’re going for a walk through the park before it opens.” Hawk nodded toward Main Street. “We’ll be fine.”

“I know you will, sir.” Doug cleared his throat. “And I’ll be watching, but you won’t even know I’m near you.”

“OK, do what you need to do.” Hawk smiled. Though he regularly bypassed his own security detail, he appreciated the work being done to help keep him safe. From past experiences, he knew that he never made it easy on those close to him. His curiosity and his inability to do nothing had created a number of complicated situations for him over the past few years.

Walking down Main Street, U.S.A. toward Cinderella Castle arm in arm with Kate, Hawk felt her tighten her grip. He followed her gaze as she looked back over her shoulder. Doug had fallen way back and trailed them down the street, giving them plenty of room to be alone.

“I want you to be safe,” she said softly, “and do what law enforcement tells you to do.”

“I will be fine,” he reassured her.

“No, you tend to track trouble like a kid hunts for Easter eggs. You are going to get hurt if you aren’t careful.”

Hawk thought about telling her about the discoveries he had made yesterday and what they had found last night. But if he did, she might try to figure out a way to stay, and he really did want her to be safe. Staying safe was easier for her right now if she was not in close proximity to him. He sighed. He knew she would be upset that he didn’t tell her, but he would deal with that later; her leaving town, even if for a short time, would help keep her safe.

“I am very aware of how serious this is.”

“OK, now tell me, how are you?” She stopped, turned toward him in front of the
Partners
statue, and gripped his hands.

The smiling Walt Disney and Mickey Mouse were glowing with a hint of brilliant yellow in the Florida morning sun. He stared at her, trying to read what she was really asking. Kate had been the first woman Hawk had allowed to tear down some of the walls he had built around his life and heart. They had not gotten off to the easiest beginning in their relationship. Kate had stormed into his life to do an investigative report. She had surprised him by discovering some of his past and how he had lost his family. But her arrival had also coincided with the mystery that George had created for him. Consumed by curiosity, she redirected her investigative report about Hawk into the Disney mystery. Along the way of their adventure, they had connected emotionally. He trusted her, he loved her…but he still wasn’t always willing to open up and share with her as quickly or as freely as she wanted.

“I’m…surviving.” He knew he’d given her a more honest answer than she had been expecting.

“All things considered, that is probably all you could be doing about now.” She tightened her hands around his. “Farren is gone, George Colmes is gone, and you’ve had three attempts on your life. Surviving at this point is good.”

“I’m not worried about me.” He looked toward the ground. “It’s the people around me I worry about.”

She pulled him in and hugged him. “The people around you love you and know what they’re getting into when they’re close to you.”

As she released the hug, they turned and faced the castle. Standing in silence for a few moments, Hawk pondered what she had just said. She was right. Getting close to him wasn’t easy, and although he tried to keep those around him safe, he was blessed to have some people in his life who loved him unconditionally. It was a gift he tried to be mindful of, but like so many things, he wasn’t as thankful as often as he should be.

“Like I said, I’m surviving and will survive this…” He paused. “
We
will survive this.”

“I know.” Kate slid her hand into Hawk’s and interlocked her fingers with his. “I just want you to be safe, Hawk.”

He closed his hand tightly into hers.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Five Days Ago
Morning

H
awk finished breakfast in his Fire Station apartment after he had told Kate goodbye. His brain was replaying the phrase
see where you go when Walt’s curiosity persists
…and a place,
Virginia
, over and over again. In the past, as he was sent on these quests, some clues fell easily into place and some were far more difficult for him. His mental map was now searching for Virginia here at the Walt Disney World Resort. His thinking abruptly stopped with a knock at the door.

“Come in, it’s open,” Hawk called out.

The knob turned and Shep swung open the door, holding it so someone else could enter. Heather Gilbert walked in carrying an iPad and a stack of papers. As Hawk had fully embraced his role within the company, an entire staff of cast members had been added to handle the many facets of his responsibilities. Heather, in charge of running the office of the Chief Creative Architect, was at the helm of that team.

In his early days of his new job, he had tried to keep the infrastructure around him small. Nancy Alport had handled all the details of his office by herself. But she had betrayed him, set him up, and had worked with a group of people who tried to wrest control of the company from him. Although Hawk had been able to derail their plot, the win had come at great cost. These enemies had proven themselves willing to stop at nothing to take what they wanted. They had used threats, they had used force, they had used deceit, and now they had escalated their efforts and had crossed a line that in the past he had refused to believe they ever would. That was then; this was now. Nancy Alport had managed to disappear, all traces of her life evaporated. She had been a vital member of the plot to unravel Walt’s plan for the future and had worked to accomplish that goal for years. Originally, she had worked alongside Farren Rales, which is where Hawk met her and why he had trusted her as he had.

After she was thwarted, Hawk had made the decision to create an entirely new structure around his office, and Heather was the perfect choice to head that project up. She was a veteran cast member with a great working knowledge of the resort and a solid reputation among her coworkers. She was so organized that Hawk was free to spend very little time dealing with administrative details, which he didn’t enjoy and which bogged him down.

Heather placed the papers and the iPad on the table in front of Hawk and pressed the device’s power button. “I brought you some things that I think you need to look at.”

Shep took a seat on the sofa. “I found her heading into the park this morning and figured she was headed this way. I thought I might as well follow her and come check on you this morning.” He smiled.

“Oh, you did?” Hawk looked back toward Heather, who was now ready to run through her checklist with him.

“You’ll notice I have cleared your schedule almost completely for the next few days.” She pointed toward the printout on the top of the paperwork.

“Thanks.”

“Juliette told me there was nothing else to be added to the calendar until further notice. The only item I didn’t move is the appearance you’re making for Christmas Dreams. I know it’s your favorite charity and didn’t want to cancel it until I talked to you.”

“Leave the Christmas Dreams event on my schedule.”

“Are you certain?”

“Yes. They’re trying to raise funds and I promised to help them. It won’t take me long to make the presentation, and it took forever to get it scheduled. We can’t cancel it.”

“Sir, I’m sure that under the circumstance, people representing Christmas Dreams will understand.” Heather’s tone grew in intensity ever so slightly.

“I said leave it.”

“Very well.” She looked back at her notes. “Juliette also is interfacing with the media who are all still parked in the Epcot parking lot, so none of their inquiries are coming to us at your office.”

“Good, that’s—”

“I have included copies of some of the articles and reactions to your announcement that we’re building a new theme park. But as you can imagine, most of that news has been eclipsed by our current situation.” She slid her paperwork to the side so he could see what she had brought for him. Now referencing her iPad, which showed a massive, swirling cloud formation off the coast of Florida, she continued. “Just so you’re aware, there’s a tropical storm situation that we have begun tracking. Right now we’re fine, but if it shifts, we’re always ready to move into storm-preparedness mode. If the situation changes, I will let you know.”

“Great.” Hawk glanced at the papers she had placed on the table. As always, she was quick, efficient, and to the point. “I’ll look at these.”

“There’s nothing pressing. Do it as you have the time.” Heather checked her electronic notes. “That’s it. Again, I can handle anything that might come up, so you can take the time you need to take care of things. And sir, I am sorry…” She smiled sadly at Hawk.

“I appreciate it, thank you,” Hawk replied.

“I’ll miss Farren. And although I didn’t really know him, George was a legend. Is there anything I can do that would help you during this time of loss?”

“No, but again, I appreciate all you are doing…that is the help I need.”

“You have my sympathies.” And with a nod, she quickly moved through the apartment, out the door, and the sound of her footsteps faded as she headed down the stairs.

“I hear Kate had to leave,” Shep said after waiting until they could no longer hear her in the stairwell.

“She headed back to New York.”

“Did you tell her what we found last night?”

“No.” Hawk glanced out the window toward Main Street, U.S.A. “I wanted to, but figured it would be better to keep her safe and not let her know any more than I needed to just yet.”

Shep cocked his head to the side. “She won’t like it.”

Hawk nodded agreement but said nothing. He absently scanned the people now moving around Town Square. As his gaze moved past the central courtyard, someone caught his eye. A woman was seated next to Roy Disney and Minnie Mouse on their statue called
Sharing the Magic
. She was staring back at Hawk. He knew that through the sheer curtains she couldn’t see him, but still she stared right toward him. Something about her looked very familiar. Dressed as a tourist, wearing a snug-fitting Mickey Mouse T-Shirt, black stretch pants, and tennis shoes…this woman could easily have blended into the crowd. However, something had caused Hawk to notice her. It could have been the fact that she was staring so intently at the window he was looking out. She was attractive, but that was not it either. Her dark hair was pulled into a ponytail and she was wearing a Disney baseball cap.

Then he knew…it was her eyes. Despite the distance between them, it was her green eyes that seemed so familiar. Hawk always seemed to notice green eyes; it was one of the first things he had noticed about Kate when he met her. But these eyes did not belong to Kate, and Hawk’s mind reeled as he realized why they had caught his attention.

“No way.” Hawk abruptly stood, knocking the chair he had been seated in aside, and raced toward the door.

Shep, startled by the sudden motion managed to say, “What…?”

Hawk flung open the door and bolted through it. At the bottom of the stairs, he shoved past the security guard and a stunned Mitch Renner, who had been crossing Town Square toward Fire Station 71.

He heard Mitch cry out, “What’s wrong? Where are you going?” But Hawk did not have time to stop. The woman, once she noticed him, got up and instantly broke into a run headed down Main Street, U.S.A. in the direction of Cinderella Castle. Hawk knew she would be able to disappear in the crowd if he didn’t catch another glimpse of her quickly. Reaching the head of the street, he slowed and looked for any unusual motion as the crowd moved. He didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. He feared she might have ducked into one of the shops lining both sides of the street, but if he guessed and followed in the wrong direction, he would have missed the chance to catch her. Sliding past a small clump of people who had stopped to stare at him after recognizing who he was, he ran through the door of the Emporium, the largest gift shop on Main Street, U.S.A.

Hawk scanned the masses of people moving across the shop and noticed a few people at the end of the shop scurrying to move away from some sort of disturbance. Breaking into a jog in that direction, Hawk caught a glimpse of the dark ponytail bouncing beneath the baseball cap as the woman ran through the store.

I guessed right, Hawk thought as he gave pursuit.

The Emporium covered the entire block of the street and then seamlessly connected to all of the stores contained in the next block as well. For the convenience of their guests, years ago Disney had made the entire side of the street one huge continuous shop. This allowed guests to browse and make their purchases all at one time. It also meant the square footage of the shop was massive, and in the scenario unfolding in front of Hawk, gave someone trying to hide many choices and opportunities. Hawk blasted his way past shoppers, reached the end of the shop, and veered off to his right into one of the areas featuring clothing. Slowing momentarily, he looked to see if he could spot the woman once again. He was vaguely aware of Mitch Renner continuing to call out after him, giving pursuit, along with a security guard. Hawk was too engaged in dodging guests, surveying the surroundings, trying to catch another look at the woman in the ball cap. It was then he saw her again. She had chosen to go left prior to Hawk’s going right, which had allowed her to put additional distance between them because of the layout of the store.

Hawk now ran out the door to his right, back onto Main Street, and right into Shep, who had chased him as well but had bypassed running through the crowded stores.

“What are you doing?” a surprised Shep asked him.

“Follow me.” Hawk motioned as he broke into a sprint and rounded Casey’s Corner, the hotdog restaurant at the end of Main Street. The piano player plunking the keys of the piano in the outdoor dining area quit playing as Hawk and Shep ran past. Once again, he caught a glimpse of the woman running in the black stretch pants as she crossed the bridge that ran in front of Adventureland back toward Liberty Square.

The informal train of people made for an unexpected parade streaming through the Magic Kingdom. Hawk and Shep chasing the woman in the cap. Renner and a security guard chasing Hawk and Shep, along with an additional two cast members from Disney security who had added themselves to the pursuit.

The woman ran into the back entrance of Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe, which Hawk knew was the beginning of the end. Like so many shops in the resort, there were multiple entrances and exits, and the possibility of guessing which direction she was headed in for a second time was not likely. Reaching the Christmas-themed shop, Hawk and Shep ran in and then straight through the exit on the other side, finding themselves in Liberty Square. Surrounded by the Liberty Bell, the Liberty Tree, and the Hall of Presidents, the CCA stopped and scanned the crowd. This time, as he feared, he saw people but not the one he was chasing. She had managed to disappear into the throngs streaming from all directions in Liberty Square.

“What are we doing?” Shep asked, trying to catch his breath.

“Looking,” said Hawk.

“For?”

“A woman.”

“Huh?” panted Shep.

Renner and the security guard at his side emerged from Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe and joined them by the Liberty Bell. Seeing Hawk looking through the crowd, Renner did the same, although he had no idea what or who he was looking for. Reaching out and placing a hand on Hawk’s arm, Renner spoke.

“Hawk, you doing OK here?”

“Fine.”

“What are you doing?”

“I saw someone I thought I recognized.” Hawk kept looking hopelessly over the crowds.

“Who?” Renner motioned for the security guard to step to the other side of Hawk allowing them to flank the preacher turned entertainment mogul.

“I might be wrong, but I thought I saw someone from my past.”

“I’m listening.”

“Her name is Kiran Roberts.”

“I know that name.” Renner’s grip tightened on his arm. “Let’s step back out of the traffic area.”

Hawk sensed Renner moving into higher alert, anxious to get Hawk out of the crowds.

Moving into an alcove behind the shop and behind the Liberty Tree Tavern, the four men stepped safely out of the flow of people. Renner noticed the additional security cast members who had arrived, and with a few whispered words effectively created a safe zone where they stood watch, protecting Hawk, Shep, and Renner from the gazes of passersby and gave them a minimal bit of privacy.

“That name, Kiran Roberts, is a part of your file that I have been studying,” Renner said calmly. “And you say you were chasing her?”

“I’m not sure…I think it was her.” Hawk shrugged. “But I didn’t get a real good look at her.”

“Why do you think it was her?” Renner inquired.

“Her eyes…she has, well…amazing green eyes,” Hawk responded.

“That’s right,” Shep added. “She has some killer green eyes.”