by Jeff Dixon
Hawk was torn. He wanted to protect those closest to him, and common sense was telling him that they should stay far away from him during this time. However, he had to stay in touch with them and know they were safe for his own peace of mind. Kate had to be safer in New York than with him in Florida. He was glad she was there. But when she informed him that although she wanted to head toward Central Florida right away she wasn’t going to be able to do that yet, his feeling of security about her melted away. The storm raging toward Florida now had a projected path that would cause it to rip up through the Caribbean and strike South Florida. She was getting on a plane and heading toward Miami, where she would be covering the storm for the network. So she was coming to Florida; she was heading into a storm.
Hawk’s concern knotted in his belly. Hurricanes were dangerous, especially along the coast. He asked her if she had to take the assignment, but he already knew the answer. She was the best at what she did, and hers was one of the most recognized, fair, and trusted voices in the nation when it came to real issues, situations, and news. When Hawk had met Kate, she had a successful investigative network platform as the creator and host of Total Access. Yet anchoring the show had meant she was also anchored to a production schedule that kept her in New York with quick trips to various locations to create reports and then back to the big city. Once they had started dating, she had reworked her position at the network, slid back over into the news division, and used her celebrity journalist status to have more freedom to pick and choose what to cover.
The new position took her away from the weekly grind of producing Total Access and gave her more time to spend with Hawk. But if the news was big and if the crisis was intense enough, Kate Young was in the middle of it. That meant heading into the storm when you should be trying to get away from it. It was her fearlessness that Hawk respected and at the same time wished she didn’t have. Still, as concerned as he was that she was headed toward the anticipated landfall of a hurricane, she might be safer in that storm than the storm that swirled around him.
Kate made him promise to keep her posted and made him promise to be very safe. The first promise he knew he would keep. The second promise he made so they both would feel better, although neither one believed it would be possible. She promised to be at Walt Disney World as soon as she could get away from South Florida. They would talk again after she arrived in Miami.
Hawk’s next call was to Al Gann. He wanted the sheriff to know about Kiran, what she had said, and what he was doing. Al was not pleased, which did not come as a shock to Hawk. Despite Al’s warning, his wishing, and his passionate pleas for Hawk to be cautious, they both knew that was not going to happen. Al said he hoped that adding security around Hawk would help to keep him safer while he did what Al already knew he would do—try to solve the mystery. Reluctantly he asked how he could help. Hawk told him he needed to make sure that Shep, Juliette, and Jonathan were safe and asked if there was any way to get them extra protection. Al felt sure that could be arranged. Hawk also wanted Al to see if he could get some of the extra security that had been protecting Hawk pulled back. Gann immediately told him that would not happen and that he felt safer knowing where Hawk was at all times. Hawk explained that they had no idea where he was now, where he had been, or what he was doing. Avoiding his own security was an extra step that was slowing him down and taking valuable time away from what he needed to do. Their conversation got more heated than Hawk had hoped, but he understood why. Al wanted him to be safe. Gann told him the security needed to stay, just let them tag along as much as possible and work around them if he needed to. But he was not going to make the call to remove them. Period.
Hawk’s third call was to let Shep know about the details of the previous few hours, tell him about Kiran, and ask him to stay close to his cell phone if Hawk needed him. They had done this before; Hawk used Shep for research, and his friend had proven invaluable. Shep agreed and reminded Hawk to be safe. Everyone was reminding him to be safe. If only it were that easy.
Ending the call, he heard voices coming from downstairs; it was his office team arriving for the day. He exited his office and headed down the stairway, where he was greeted by the early arrivers for work. Heather looked up as he stepped into the main office area.
“Good morning.” She looked pleased. “I didn’t expect to see you this morning.”
“Trying to get an early start.”
“Well, since you’re here, there’s something I need you to see.” She passed him her iPad, which had a full-screen image of a satellite radar map. “We’re already operating on Phase Five Preparedness. I need the go-ahead to move to Phase Four.”
Hawk had been so busy running after the clues Farren had left for him that he had been aware of the storm only on the fringes of his thinking, even though Kate had reminded him. The massive, circular mass of clouds was covering up much of the image. He gulped softly as Heather pointed to the storm.
“This is Hurricane Ginger, sir.” Heather slid her finger across the screen. The image shifted and a new one took its place. This time he could see an outline of the southeastern United States overlaid by a number of lines, all different colors, that were projecting the path of the hurricane. He swallowed hard. Over half of the storm tracks had Ginger making landfall near Miami, where Kate would be waiting, and then heading up the center of the state. The storm would be on top of them.
“Move to Phase Four,” Hawk instructed. He realized he was putting a series of events in motion designed to protect their guests and to make the vacation capital of the world ready for the approaching storm. Phase Four of Emergency Preparedness would active the Emergency Operations Center at WDW. Staff would be called in, and each theme park, each area of the resort, would begin briefing personnel and putting plans into place to prepare for the storm. As they made things ready, they would watch weather reports and watch the clock. Each hour as the storm moved their way, additional caution would be exercised.
If the storm continued on its current path, they would automatically activate Phase Three. The Executive Policy Team of the company would intensify cleanup and tie down every area of the resort. Selected ride-out crews would be given one shift off to secure their personal property. Then this cast would return to ride out the storm in the resort. The WDW Emergency Operations Center would remain open and fully staffed until the storm passed. Florida battled hurricane season for months each year. Rarely did the theme parks have to move to Phase Two, which meant the storm was imminent. But if you were going to face a storm in Central Florida, Walt Disney World was the safest place to be.
“Probability?” Hawk asked.
“Strong.” She paled with gloom. “Our forecasters say it’s going to hit us.”
“You know what to do.” Hawk nodded. “Let’s keep everyone safe.” He moved toward the door of his office. “Call me if you need me.”
“Are you still sequestered in your apartment in the Magic Kingdom?”
“No, I have some things I have to do.” He waved at other staff now arriving. “You can reach me if you need me.”
As Hawk grabbed the handle on the door, Juliette was entering on the other side of it. Surprised to see him, she halted in the doorway.
“Hi,” she said as they faced each other.
“Good morning.” He placed a hand on her shoulder and turned her around. “We’re just leaving, come with me.”
“I was coming in to make arrangements to move all the media out of the Epcot parking lot. Hurricane Ginger looks like she’s headed our way,” Juliette said as they entered the elevator.
“I’ve heard. Kate is on her way to meet her in Miami.”
“Oh, no, that’s awful…and dangerous,” Juliette offered.
“I know, but it may be safer than being here.”
“Disney World is the best place to ride out a storm,” she corrected him.
“That’s not the storm I’m talking about.”
“Oh.” Juliette made the mental jump with
him. “You may be right.”
“Kiran has officially emerged.” Hawk lifted his chin, feigning conviction. “I’m more worried about Hurricane Kiran than Hurricane Ginger right now.”
CHAPTER TWENTY - EIGHT
Three Days Ago
Morning
The trip from the Bay Lake Towers to Disney’s Wilderness Lodge was a short one. The guest resorts sit side by side, although most guests never know it because of the ingenious way Walt Disney World is designed. Riding in Juliette’s car, Hawk talked as she drove, catching her up on the activities of the previous night. Taking a left, she approached the security stand at the entrance of the Wilderness Lodge, where a cast member saw her identification badge and waved her through the gate toward the parking area. Disney’s Wilderness Lodge is a Disney Deluxe Resort hotel. Inspired by the Great American Northwest National Park lodges at the turn of the twentieth century, this architecturally inspiring resort is a work of craftsmanship and artistry. For Hawk, the beauty and workmanship of this themed resort was always breathtaking. It also had a fantastic backstory, created by the Imag-ineers, which explained the entire resort with depth and detail that most people would never take the time to explore. The Silver Creek Springs, bubbling up in the lobby, transform into Silver Creek, which flows from the lobby to the outside and empties into the Silver Creek Springs Pool, always crowded with guests.
“Why are we here?” Juliette asked as she parked her car in an area reserved for resort staff.
“This is the next clue,” Hawk informed her as they got out and headed toward the lobby.
She nodded and followed him through the doorway. They were instantly transported, at least in environment, to the American Northwest. Massive totem poles, a huge fireplace, and a plush, rustic seating area surrounded them as they strode through the common area. Taking a right past the gift shop, they exited through a set of glass doors and took the gently sloping sidewalk away from the main building. Hawk informed Juliette they were going to the Villas at Disney’s Wilderness Lodge, an official Disney Vacation Club property opened some six years after the main lodge was completed.
Early morning found the sidewalk crawling with guests moving to catch buses to their resort destinations of the day. Hawk kept a brisk pace, Juliette followed closely, and if anyone noticed or recognized them, there was no indication. The concrete path ended, replaced by a wooden planked walkway. Their footsteps echoed as they moved toward the entrance of the Villas. The automatic doors slid open, and then as they closed behind them, the noise and motion of outside melted away into the rich surroundings of the rustic resort.
“Notice how quiet it got?” Hawk smiled.
“Yes, it’s amazing the difference walking through those doors made.”
“That’s one of the things I like best about this place. More than any of our other resorts, it’s like entering another world, and there’s always a hushed kind of calm here.”
“Every so often, a hushed calm is kind of nice,” Juliette offered.
“No kidding.” He exhaled loudly.
Hawk slowed as they stepped into the octagonal five-story atrium lobby, a tribute to the railroad industry’s roundhouse, which moved rolling stock in train cars from one line to the other. The Villas at Wilderness Lodge was created to be a railroad hotel, which historically would have provided lodging as guests traveled into the new frontier. Glancing around the lobby, Hawk pointed toward the furniture. Juliette turned her gaze in the direction of his gesture as he spoke.
“Notice how everything looks like it was made from natural elements. Sticks, wooden poles, carved planks…” He gestured to an example of each. “A lot of the furniture seems to be mismatched. The fabrics, the styles, and the hodgepodge appearance are here on purpose. When settlers made their way west, they left most of their belongings behind back east, and as they started new lives, they had to piece together everything needed to make a home fresh and new. So their furniture didn’t always match. We recreated that here.”
He then pointed to the cozy fireplace in the lobby. It was set back into the wall with room for only two chairs in front of it with some short, one-seat benches carved into the walls on either side. Stepping in front of it, he spoke in a hushed tone.
“Farren said, ‘I want you to go to our favorite inglenook. Sadly, I can’t be there to sit with you and swap stories this time.’” Hawk placed his hand on the back of one of the rocking chairs and gently rocked it back and forth. “This is what he was talking about.”
“An inglenook?” Juliette spoke as quietly as he had.
“They are also called chimney corners. They look different now in modern architecture, but designers still use them today. This is Farren’s favorite.”
Juliette smiled sympathetically as she notice that Hawk had used is instead of was. In all of the turmoil of the last few days, she knew there was a storm of grief headed their way that no one had yet had time to start battling.
“ We would come here and sit in these rockers and stare at the fire. Farren would just start talking. He would tell me stories about Walt, about working at the studios, or about how something was built. He would ask questions about life, about what I was thinking, or sometimes…” Hawk’s eyes grew misty and he wiped them with his hand. “Sometimes we wouldn’t say anything, we would just rock.”
Juliette patted Hawk on the back of his hand where he had placed it on the rocking chair. Waiting for him to take a moment and return from his moment of recollection, she patted his hand a second time to bring him back into the present.
“And what about the rest of the clue?” she asked.
“He said, ‘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.’”
“Do you know what it means?”
“Yes, I think it is here, right behind this wall.” He motioned toward the fireplace. “Behind this wall is the Carolwood Pacific Room.”
“I’ve heard of that.” Juliette frowned. “Why would I have heard of that?”
“Because you’re a fan of Walt Disney.” Hawk motioned for her to follow him. They stepped off to their left past a glass case that featured train memorabilia. Hawk stopped at the entrance to the room and pointed at the sign on the door. As he did, he grinned and shook his head.
“I know we’re in the right space. I have seen this sign, I dunno…maybe a hundred times but never noticed what it said.” He touched the circular metal sign. Colored in green and red, the sign featured the outline of a golden train and was highlighted with golden letters, which read, Carolwood Pacific. He touched the lettering in the center of the sign. It read Fair Weather Route, just like in the clue. “Fair weather route…Farren made that part of the clue pretty easy for me.”
They stepped inside. The room was free of people. Tables at one end, plush leather chairs scattered about the room, a large fireplace with a train designed into the fire screen, and trains everywhere. Model trains, pictures of trains, pictures of Walt Disney with trains, and paintings of trains united the theme and decor of the room.
“The Carolwood Pacific was the name of the train that Walt built. It was a miniature train, but big enough for him and other adults to ride. It was in his backyard… right?” Juliette now remembered.
“Exactly. Walt Disney loved trains so much, he built a one-eighth scale railroad in his backyard on Carolwood Drive in Holmby Hills, California. He called it the Carolwood Pacific Railroad.” Hawk looked at the room around him. “The clue said, ‘Walt spent a lot of time here in Holmby Hills,’ which of course was his home, and this was his hobby.”
Juliette had moved toward the large display located next to the window. She read the plaque explaining what it was. She turned back toward Hawk and pointed toward it. He followed her and stood next to her, still working on a portion of the clue. Encased under Plexiglas were two of the actual cars from Walt Disney’s miniature rail
road.
“Hawk, what did the clue say about cows?”
“’You can’t wait until the cows come home, but you can see where they’ve been and you’ll know where to roam.’ Why?”
“Look at this. This is a gondola car and a…cattle car from Walt’s original train. Cattle car…‘You can’t wait until the cows come home, but you can see where they have been.’” She clapped her hands together. “Cows ride in the cattle car.”
Hawk was already inspecting the car before she finished speaking. Moving along the clear casing that protected the trains, he was trying to look inside the cattle car through the opening of the miniature door and through the slats. Pressed up against the plastic, he strained to see.
“It looks like there’s something inside.” Hawk motioned for Juliette to look.
“It does.”
He began to look for a way to get into the case without destroying the display. Hawk moved around to see the back of it, which ran along the exterior window of the room. Gently tracing his hand along the wooden casing at the bottom of the display, he felt nothing. Returning to the front of the case, he knelt down to inspect it closely—and then saw it. A keyhole. He pulled the kingdom key out of his pocket and placed it in the lock. A click and a turn of the key released the locking mechanism of the large case.
Sizing up the task that loomed in front of him, he said to Juliette, “I’m going to lift this side of the case. I think I can lift it high enough for you to reach inside the cattle car and get out whatever is there.” He placed both hands on the base of the Plexiglas. Ready?”