The Key To the Kingdom (44 page)

Hawk looked from Sandy to Kiran, who was staring directly into his eyes, pleading for him not to believe what Sandy was saying. For a brief moment Hawk didn’t want to tear his eyes away from hers. He wanted to believe and trust her, she was his friend, but still . . . he listened as Sandy continued.

“Did it ever dawn on you that she was being too helpful? When did she show up in your life, Hawkes . . . after Farren Rales disappeared?”

At the mention of Farren’s name, Hawk broke his gaze away from Kiran and whirled toward Sandy.

“You know where Farren is?” Hawk questioned.

“No.” Sandy rocked back in his chair. “But I know Kiran wants to know just as badly as you do. She wants to figure out the little puzzle you’re working on so she can find the prize for herself. As long as she kept batting her eyes and holding your hand, you kept her around for the adventure.”

“It’s not true,” Kiran desperately whispered from Jim’s grasp.

“He did it again!” Cambridge roared. “He loosened his grip on her neck so she could talk! Unbelievable!” One side of his mouth curled upward ever so slightly. It might have been a smile. “Continue, I’m enthralled.”

“I don’t know where Farren is.” Sandy’s chest puffed out. “She doesn’t know where he is either, but she wishes she did—don’t you, sweetheart? Ol’ Jim here has been watching you for a long time, Hawkes. He has been following you, keeping track of where you go and who you talk with. He especially has been interested in the time you were spending with Farren Rales. Once Farren was gone, you were in their sights and they had to get their hooks in you. With Farren missing you were the only one who would be able to learn the secret.”

“What is this secret?” Cambridge slowly asked.

“Ah, now that’s the problem, Reggie. Only Farren knew it, and Hawkes here is the only one who has a chance at figuring it out.” Sandy scowled. “I told you, Hawkes, Kiran is bad news. She played you, and you fell for it.”

The room fell silent as Sandy’s words hung in the air. All in the room had their eyes fixed on Hawk. He stepped back, deflated, like he had been punched in the pit of his stomach. Kiran somehow effortlessly slipped out of Jim’s grasp, shoving him backward, and raced across the room to Hawk. She stopped in front of him and stared into his face quizzically. Reaching out she took both of his hands in hers.

“He is a liar, Hawk,” she began. “Look at me, look in my eyes, think about all we’ve been through over the past few days, the things we’ve talked about, the time we’ve spent together.” She smiled her gorgeous smile. “I have no idea why he’s saying these things . . . but you have to believe me.”

“Oh, please!” Sandy muttered.

“Quiet,” Cambridge threatened Sandy.

“You trust me, don’t you Hawk?” Kiran pleaded.

Hawk studied her, trying to look behind her eyes into her soul. The look on her face peacefully pleaded with him to trust and believe her. He tightened his grip on her hands and she responded in kind. He turned his head back to Sandy, who rolled his eyes again. Hawk inhaled deeply and swung his gaze to Cambridge. Reginald’s slight smile was now gone.

“No.” Hawk exhaled. “I want to, but it just doesn’t make sense. You show up for the Keys to the Kingdom tour after I sign up to take the tour at the last minute. You just happen to eat lunch with me that day. You accept my invitation to come to church and you ask me out on a date. Later you just happen to be leading a private tour and catch me after hours hiding out in Walt’s office. But you don’t turn me in; instead you help me, and after finding something unexplainable, you tell me to let it go and forget about it.”

“Exactly, if I were some monster trying to find some treasure, why would I tell you to let it go?”

“That’s what I was thinking too, but then you showed up when I got attacked in the Magic Kingdom and my Pal Mickey was stolen. You showed up there, but you didn’t show up for our date.”

Sandy scoffed. “She probably hired the guy to steal it from you. After all, she knew the minute you hit the park. She was tracking you by fingerprint at the admission gate!

“I’m not telling you again.” Cambridge’s voice blasted like a cannon toward Sandy, causing him to shrink back in his chair.

“That isn’t the way it happened.” Kiran tightened her grip on Hawk’s hands.

“You snuck me into Animal Kingdom, you showed up unexpectedly when I was in the Magic Kingdom; you helped me get past every obstacle I was facing.”

“Listen to yourself, you wouldn’t have gotten this far without me.” Tears formed in the corners of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks.

“When we tied Jim up and left him in the Character Zoo, there is no way anyone would have known he was there. I called my friend at the sheriff’s department, and Juliette called Tim; who did you call, Kiran?” Hawk paused then remembered. “You tried awfully hard to keep me out of the Character Zoo to begin with. Did you know Juliette was there?”

“I can’t believe you are saying this.” Her tears flowed freely now.

“Hawkes, let me ask you something.” Sandy spoke again despite Cambridge’s threat. “Do you have Farren Rales’s phone number?”

“Of course.”

“Then how about giving it a call. Farren’s phone was in his office. We found it after he disappeared, but unexplainably the next day his phone was gone too. Go on, Hawkes, try the number,” Sandy urged.

Hawk wrestled his hand from Kiran’s circulation-stopping grip and found his phone in his pocket. He rifled through his electronic phone book and found Farren’s name. He hit the green call button. Silence filled the room as he pulled it to his ear to listen. After a slight delay “When You Wish Upon A Star” played across the room. The song was Farren’s ringtone. The sound was coming from Kiran’s pocket. Hawk reached down and shoved his hand into her pocket, freeing the phone he found there. It was Farren’s phone receiving the incoming call from his own.

“When I was fighting with Jim in Liberty Square, something fell on the ground. You picked it up. Jim had Farren’s phone and you knew it.”

Kiran opened her mouth slightly, then released her grip on Hawk’s other hand and tossed him away. Looking toward Sandy, the conductor, Cambridge, and then back to Hawk, she spun on her heels and ran for the exit. Jim had already silently slipped out of the room during the exchange. Hawk stood there numbly with a cell phone in each hand watching her run away.

Reginald Cambridge again picked up his radio and placed it to his mouth. Expressionlessly he looked at the remaining people in the room and motioned for everyone to stay in place.

“This is Cambridge,” he spoke evenly. “You should see two of our suspects trying to get out of the building. Kiran Roberts and Jim Masters. Stop them, take them to lockup. I will be there momentarily.” He looked up at the rest of the group. “They won’t get far. We have people waiting for them at every exit to this place both above and below ground. It will only take a moment to get them.”

The conductor walked over to Hawk and gently removed each cell phone from his hand and placed them on the table beside them. He motioned for Hawk to have a seat. The preacher quietly sat down and the kindly conductor motioned for Sandy and Cambridge to come and join them.

“What I am about to tell you will be hard to believe.” The conductor paused and studying Hawk’s face concluded, “or maybe not. Sandy, myself, and a few others are a part of a select group of Disney cast members who are very loyal to the dreams, imagination, and values that this company was built upon. Those ideas were the same ones that Walt and Roy believed in when they started the company. Farren Rales has chosen you to hold something that is very important, something that we do not understand. Farren Rales has chosen us to help protect you and keep you safe. You are the keeper of the key to the kingdom.”

“What key?” Cambridge asked.

“The key to the kingdom,” the conductor continued. “As I said, we have no idea what the key is for, what you have found, or what you have been doing. Our task is simple. We were to watch over you, watch out for you, and help protect you if we could. What you know and what you are trying to find is something that we are not entrusted with. We believe in what Disney stands for, what it means to people, what the brand means across the globe . . . and you, Dr. Hawkes, have been chosen to hold the key to all of that.”

“Kiran and Jim are a part of a group that wanted to possess the key for their own personal gain and power,” Sandy said. “They figured out the key was not enough. What you have discovered, the knowledge you now have, is necessary for the key to work. That is why Kiran decided to stay so close to you. They realized they would need more than the stuffed Pal Mickey to find the answer. They needed you.”

“I’m so sorry, Dr. Hawkes.” The conductor again spoke kindly to the preacher. “I know finding out you were being used must be painful.”

“So what happens now?” Hawk looked to the conductor and Sandy. “What do I do now?”

“Whatever you were doing before!” Sandy blurted incredulously.

“What he means,” the conductor helped, “is that our job is to help protect you. It became apparent that Kiran and Jim were getting too close. We have no idea what you have found or what you are trying to do.”

“Do either of you know the whereabouts of Farren Rales?” Cambridge addressed the conductor and Sandy.

“No,” they replied in unison.

“I must admit I am intrigued and fascinated by this entire scenario. Farren Rales, as the last of Walt Disney’s personal Imagineers, makes him a very precious and valued part of this company. The fact that he is missing and there is reason to suspect foul play leaves me with very few options.” He paused and drummed his fingers on the table. “We are going to have to talk; I need to know what has been going on.”

“Of course,” the conductor replied, “we will be happy to help, but we don’t really know what is going on.”

“Let me determine that,” Cambridge said as he turned his face toward Hawk. “As for you, Dr. Grayson Hawkes, I have grown weary of you turning my theme parks upside down. I want it to stop and I want you out right now.”

“But—”

“Let me finish,” Cambridge continued briskly. “I have a friend who has called me on your behalf, Al Gann. He has filled me in on some of the things that you have been managing to do right under my nose.” He cleared his throat. “I also have found out, much to my surprise, that you are suddenly listed as a cast member of this company, a cast member with access unrestricted to every area, even places that I cannot go. I don’t completely understand this, but I do want answers and I want it resolved.”

Suddenly Reginald Cambridge pushed away from the table and got to his feet. He motioned for Sandy and the conductor to accompany him as they headed toward the doors to step back onto Main Street USA, leaving Hawk seated at the table alone. As the trio exited the restaurant, Cambridge closed the door behind them and turned back toward Hawk.

“Dr. Hawkes, I do not like that which I do not understand.” He narrowed his eyes. “However, I do understand from Gann that you have an appointment with him early this afternoon. I suggest you finish your business in my theme park and keep that appointment. Then I suggest you and I sit down to help me understand the things that are not yet clear to me.”

“I would be happy to do that, Mr. Cambridge,” Hawk said. “And thank you for your help.”

Cambridge nodded to the pastor and turned to leave. Hesitating, he turned back to Hawk.

“I hope you find what you are looking for, Dr. Hawkes,” Cambridge said stoically.

“Thanks, and call me Hawk . . . please.”

“Very well . . . Hawk,” he again turned to leave. “And if you don’t mind, you can call me Reg. All my friends do. I have a feeling we are about to become friends.” Reginald Cambridge shot Hawk one last glance and flashed a very pleasant grin, which immediately disappeared as he stepped through the door and back onto Main Street USA.

C
HAPTER
F
ORTY
-F
IVE

Day Seven Late Morning