by Dixon, Jeff
“You did far more than play ‘what if?’ didn’t you, Doctor?”
Hawk plowed through his memory trying to figure out who this person was. What he said had a familiar ring to it. It was a phrase that someone had used recently in conversation with Hawk, but in the firestorm of activity over the past few days he could not find anything beyond a flicker of familiarity.
“What if?” Hawk retorted with an edge that he hoped would defuse the intimidation he was feeling.
“Yes, what if?” A patronizing expression crossed the man’s face. “What if Walt were still alive? What if he had seen Disney World completed? What if he were still running the Disney Empire? What if you could sit down and chat with him?”
The words he had just spoken were words that Hawk had heard recently. Hawk knew that for certain. Not wanting to acknowledge he was trying to connect the words, the man, and the moment, he nudged Kiran to give them room to move slightly away.
“However,” the stranger continued, taking back the space the pair had just created, “you just couldn’t stop with those questions. You didn’t just gaze like other people at Walt’s office and wonder what it would be like to sit in there with Walt. You decided to go in and have a look around. You broke in and made yourself at home in Walt’s office. Didn’t you, Dr. Hawkes?”
Instantly Hawk remembered. His name was Jim; he had spoken to Hawk at One Man’s Dream at the Studios as Hawk had been looking through the window into Walt Disney’s office. The conversation and the look on the man’s face now reconnected. He had been nervous and trying not to look too suspicious when Jim engaged him in what he had thought was just a cast member interaction. But Jim knew who he was and on some level why he had been there. Apparently he also knew that Hawk had broken into the display at the attraction.
“You remember me now, Hawkes?”
“Jim, if that’s your name,” Hawk answered. “Why are you here?”
“What I want is simple.” A smile now creased Jim’s face. It was not a pleasant look. “I want you to give me what you found in Walt’s office.”
“I didn’t find anything in Walt’s office.” He wasn’t being untruthful; the search in the office had produced nothing, since he had been looking in the wrong place.
“Come now,” Jim growled. “Let’s not play games. Give it to me and I’ll be on my way.”
Pal Mickey had been found in Walt’s desk. But not the desk that sat in the office display. Perhaps Jim did not know that and was not sure what Hawk had found.
Jim pressed in closer. He grabbed the front of Hawk’s shirt with one hand. His other hand moved down toward Hawk’s hip where Pal Mickey was attached. Apparently he did know about the treasure Hawk had found.
When Jim’s hand reached the high-tech mouse, the preacher drove his forearm across the chest of the other man and with legs churning shoved him backward. Hawk’s move was not intended to be a punch; instead he intended to force Jim away from Kiran and put him onto the ground. The initial move caused Jim to lose balance and rock back on his heels. This was the momentum Hawk had been hoping for. Like a running back driving across the line of scrimmage toward a first down, Hawk’s knees moved up and down like pistons. Jim still held onto Hawk’s shirt, which stabilized him momentarily before he finally yielded and lost his balance. Falling backward off the porch and collapsing onto the asphalt ground, Jim fell with Hawk forcefully following him. Jim hit the pavement. Hawk intensified the impact by allowing his forearm, still planted across Jim’s chest, to become a battering ram. An audible expulsion of air from the fallen man’s lungs left him stunned and unable to move. Something clattered to the ground in the darkness as the men tumbled.
“Run, Kiran!” Hawk rose up and crouched over the downed man.
Kiran leapt off the porch, momentarily paused, stooped looking for something, and then ran toward the Liberty Square Riverboat. Taking a right turn upon reaching it she ran past the Haunted Mansion and toward Fantasyland.
Standing up and seeing where Kiran had gone, Hawk moved to follow. His first step was cut abruptly short as Jim grabbed him on the ankle and pulled sharply on his leg. This time it was Hawk falling toward the unforgiving ground. It rose up to greet him. Stumbling in a vain attempt to keep his balance he only increased his speed as he floundered out of control onto the ground. A paralyzing bolt of pain traveled through his body, reminding him of his tumble in the theme park only a day ago. He felt his body bounce and then finally stop in an aching heap on the path between Frontierland and Fantasyland. He looked in the direction Kiran had taken; he could no longer see her. Hopefully she was now safely hidden. Rolling over to get back to his feet, he was assisted by Jim, now looming above him. Hawk’s legs scrambled, trying to find the footing he needed. Between Jim’s tugging him upward and his finally finding footing, Hawk was able to jump back to his feet.
Twisting his head, Hawk saw Jim draw back his hand to swing. The punch was a wild roundhouse of a blow that the preacher ducked easily beneath. Jim flew off balance as the blow became nothing but a gust of wind swirling over the intended target’s head. Hawk knew instinctively that Jim was not proficient in pugilism since his first attempt was a typical playground punch that rarely worked. Uncoiling from his crouched position Hawk tightened his fist and threw an arrow-straight jab targeting the chin of his adversary. Although he had not been in many fights during his adulthood he remembered enough to know that experienced fighters could strike with power and clout without wasted motion. His fist found Jim’s face with a thick thump, snapping his head back. The combination of the punch and the wildly off balanced roundhouse a heartbeat before sent Jim thundering back toward the ground once again. Landing with a crunch on his side, he moaned in agony, moving his hands to his jaw.
Hawk walked toward him before freezing in the awkwardness of the moment. Dr. Grayson Hawkes would defend himself, fight for a cause, champion a battle for those that couldn’t, and would fight for anything that threatened his faith or those he loved; both Juliette and Farren were missing, and he wanted answers. There was no more fight in Jim because he was not in the habit of fighting. He had proven that with the one punch he had thrown.
“Hold on there!”
Hawk looked up to see two men trotting their way. They were maintenance cast members. He regretted causing this rare sight in the Magic Kingdom, two men fighting on the streets in the middle of the night. Sadly a little bit of the real world had managed to break into the magical setting of the theme park.
Frustrated, Hawk released Jim and painfully eased back into the darkness. Joints and muscles screamed as the adrenaline surging through his system only moments ago had now ebbed and the aftermath released a blast of pain he doggedly tried to ignore. Knowing he needed to put some distance between himself and the scene, he loped beneath the second level of the Columbia Harbor House. The second story formed an overpass above the street that served as the dividing line between Liberty Square and Fantasyland. The sign for the Columbia Harbor House Restaurant featured a U.S. shield with an eagle crying and clutching arrows in its right claw. Hawk knew the sign represented that the country was at war on its own soil. Unraveling this mystery was becoming more like a war with each passing second and with each action that pushed the boundaries of what he knew to be right. There were a number of things he needed to do. His mind formatted the checklist. Getting out of the street, tracking down Kiran, and finding somewhere to rest for a few moments were the ones that topped his priority list.
Emerging from beneath the overpass he entered Fantasyland. Hawk imagined Jim would create whatever fable was necessary to relieve him of any guilt in their fight, and add fallacies creating an additional layer of trouble for him. Seeing the Swiss ski chalet to his left, he settled upon his destination and chugged through the brown wooden A-framed entrance and up the walkway leading to the loading area of the now defunct Skyway to Tomorrowland. The Skyway no longer existed and this loading area was isolated and off the beaten path. The entrance had been converted
to a stroller storage area and was ignored by most people.
Hunkering down in the shadow of safety created by a sidewall, Hawk listened for sounds emanating from the path below. Silence wafted up toward his hiding place. It wouldn’t be long before security heard whatever report Jim concocted that would send them scurrying to find him.
Darkness smothered him as he strained his ears to hear any detectable signs of being followed. Flattened against a wall in the structure, he plotted his next course of action. Kiran was somewhere near but exactly where, he didn’t know. The last clue had been discovered in Ye Olde Christmas Shoppe but Pal Mickey had not offered any more information. He allowed the animated voice to rewind and play again in his mind.
You’re doing terrrrrific! But we have to keep looking because we have more to find. So watch out, don’t pout, and don’t cry. Let me tell you why! Walt’s grandfather has left you a gift. Find it quick, but be careful. I imagine there are a lot of people chasing us by now, and that can be a huge problem. But don’t worry, I once got seven with one blow, I’ll be here to help you, pal.
Since the clue was the gift left by Walt’s grandfather, he needed to figure out what was still missing. Find it quick, but be careful. Hawk could find no hidden meaning in that line. I imagine there are a lot of people chasing us by now, and that can be a huge problem. But don’t worry, I once got seven with one blow, I’ll be here to help you, pal. He was being chased and it was a huge problem. If there was a clue in those lines, it were still hidden. Seven with one blow sounded familiar, but he didn’t know why.
Muffled voices drifted through the air, snapping Hawk’s focus from the clue to his surroundings. Lifting his head over his Skyway barricade allowed him to see two workmen walking down the street. They moved past him along the street without pausing to search in any of the alcoves or darkened corners along the path. If they were looking for him, they were not searching diligently, and their voices soon disappeared into the background noise of the evening. Hawk knew he couldn’t stay where he was. If he didn’t find the next clue, the mystery would remain locked away and his efforts in finding the whereabouts of Juliette would be wasted.
I imagine there are a lot of people chasing us by now, and that can be a huge problem. But don’t worry, I once got seven with one blow, I’ll be here to help you, pal.
The familiar voice of the mouse played again in his imagination as he closed his eyes and thought about each word. Slowly exhaling he allowed his eyes to reopen with new insight rekindled by the possibility of understanding. On aching legs he rose to his feet, peered around the corner to check for any motion, and then moved away from his place of refuge. Crossing the street he moved under the alcove to Peter Pan’s Flight.
“Ha-ha!”
The sound stopped Hawk in his tracks and he whirled around to see if there was anyone around him that might have heard the noise. No movement could be seen and he crept into an opening that offered guests a Fast Pass to ride the attraction. Back pressed against the pass distribution machine he slid down until he rested on the ground. Releasing the stuffed travel guide he gave it a tight squeeze to hear the next clue.
“You’re here too early, pal. It’s not time yet.”
Craning his neck he looked back at the attraction. Peter Pan’s Flight was where he had been when the alert sounded. He was there too early . . . it wasn’t time yet. He didn’t realize he needed to be there at all. Thinking about time gave him pause to glance at his watch. Hawk had no idea what time it actually was. Twisting his wrist so light would fall across the face of his watch, he noticed for the first time that it was cracked. A spiderweb of fine lines danced across the crystal. Slightly changing the angle of the wrist he could see the sweep second hand of the watch lying dormant in the wreckage of the timepiece. This was the second watch in two days he had managed to trash. This time he blamed Jim.
Instinctively the preacher knew Jim still had to be close. His ability to find Hawk and Kiran in Liberty Square had been troubling. If they were discovered there, then Jim was capable of discovering them again. Except Hawk was alone now, and where was Kiran? He had told her to run during the fight but now in the aftermath he was surprised she hadn’t reemerged. He wondered if she’d been caught or had to hide as well. He was isolated and full of questions with few answers, and caught in the most unlikely of all situations . . . hiding in the Magic Kingdom in the middle of the night.
With this latest installment of information he wondered whether he should stay and wait or keep moving forward. Waiting, he concluded, was the worst option since he had no idea what he was waiting for. He would move forward into the streets of Fantasyland. Pausing at the edge of the attraction he looked across the concrete pathway toward Sir Mickey’s. Sir Mickey’s was a souvenir shop located behind Cinderella Castle.
As guests traveled through the interior of the castle they would emerge into Fantasyland. To their right they would see the shop Hawk was looking at now. If they went left they would find Cinderella’s Fountain. The fountain itself was an amazing piece of Imagineering that Farren had once shown Hawk. To the casual observer it was nothing more than a fountain featuring Cinderella dressed in the rags she wore before she was a princess. However, from the perspective of a child, you could look up into the face of the princess and there would be a crown sitting on her head. This optical trick allowed the crown painted on the back wall of the fountain to be seen through the hopeful eyes of children in the place it belonged, on the head of Cinderella. Farren pointed out that seeing beyond what others could see was the difference between just moving through life and really living life. When you really live you can see the impossible and the incredible. It was that kind of detail to storytelling that Grayson Hawkes was hoping would help him now. The first time Farren explained the fountain, Hawk had told him that the story of Cinderella was really about transformation. Cinderella was always a princess, she just didn’t know it. It was only when she believed that she became what she had been created to be. The fountain reminded Hawk that Jesus had said to follow Him with a childlike faith. Only a child could clearly see that Cinderella was a princess at the fountain. Those observations had sparked some serious conversation about spiritual things that crackled with creativity and had drawn both men closer in their friendship.
He was tempted to head in the direction of the fountain when he glanced back toward the gift shop. Sir Mickey’s was a shop in which Imagineers had blended two classic Mickey tales to create the look of the shopping haven: The Brave Little Tailor, created by Walt in the late 1930s, and Mickey and the Beanstalk from the Fun and Fancy Free feature created nearly ten years later. The sign to the shop hung crooked, and upon closer observation the casual viewer could find the reason. The post the sign was hanging on had been surrounded and choked by a vine. This vine had snaked its way around the sign and moved the sign askew.
Hawk remembered from seeing both of those films that in each one Mickey had faced a huge problem. In each of the cartoons the brave mouse had come face-to-face with a giant. In Mickey and the Beanstalk he had faced a giant named Willie after he had traded the family cow for magic beans. The beanstalk had grown out of control and was now meshed into the architecture of this unique little shop. The giant he had faced in The Brave Little Tailor was similar. Mickey ended up facing this huge problem due to a misunderstanding. He had said something that was taken out of context, and then as the story line progressed, everyone assumed he was a giant killer. Sir Mickey’s had blended these two cartoons together and created a themed shopping experience where Mickey still faced his huge problem.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
* * *
Day Seven
Early Morning
THE GUEST ROOM Jonathan had secured in the Contemporary Resort had now become a command center. Al Gann had covered the table with notes he had written as Shep and Jonathan recounted the story that had been unfolding in the life of their friend, Grayson Hawkes. Shortly after midnight, Tim Keaton had arrived. Juliette st
ill had not been found.
“Tim, you say Juliette called you while she was on the way to her car leaving here?” Gann asked, reviewing something he had written down earlier.
“Yes, we were going to meet at the house and then come out here for dinner.” He paused, slumping in his chair. “She said I wouldn’t believe the mystery Hawk had been drawn into. From what I’ve heard here over the past couple of hours, she was right.”
“Al, do you still think Juliette’s disappearance is tied to what Hawk is involved with?” Jonathan asked.
“I’m sure.” Al rested a hand on Tim’s shoulder. “Tim, we haven’t filed a report. I’m here unofficially trying to help some friends. We can make it official and get my department involved.”
“What do you think has happened?” Tim inquired as Jonathan and Shep leaned forward.
“This whole thing is unbelievable. Hawk gets a message from Walt Disney, you are getting chased through resorts, there is some mystery woman who arrives in Hawk’s life just as this starts unfolding, then Juliette ends up missing. The only thing that the department is working on is trying to locate Farren Rales. When he didn’t show up for work, a woman named Nancy Alport—she works with Rales—reported him missing. Apparently Hawk is one of the last people to have had contact with him.”
“You know Hawk doesn’t know where he is or what happened to him!” Shep’s voice rose anxiously.
“Relax,” Al tried to calm him, “I know that. Hawk is my friend too. But I did find out one of our investigators has been trying to get in touch with him.”