To read the first chapter, click here.
~~~~~~~~~~~
2
“Whoa! I am so sorry, Kyle. Are you all right?” Luke Winkler
apologized as he helped Sean to his feet.
“I’m fine,” Sean answered. “Luke, I would like you to meet my
brother, Robert Markes. Rob, this is Lucas Winkler. He is the Kara’s dad.”
Donny shook Luke’s hand.
“Nice to meet you, sir. We were just on our way to lunch,” Donny
informed.
“Don’t let me keep you waiting. It was nice to meet you, Robert,”
Luke said.
“You too, sir,” agreed the elder private eye. The boys continued
down the hall and down the stairs until they arrived at El Centro. One there,
they walked until the came to Coronado Springs’ food court, the Pepper Market.
The hostess asked the boys if they had been to the Pepper Market before and
they told her they had not. She explained how you pay for things and seated
them. The boys went to the different stations to get their food. Donny went to
the stir-fry restaurant. He ordered some food and the chef asked him if he
wanted salt or pepper on it. He refused. He informed the chef he was allergic
to pepper. The man gave him his food and put a stamp on the pay card. Donny
went back to the table and sat down. He then realized he forgot to get
silverware for himself. He stood up and walked to the silverware table, got
enough silverware for both him and his partner, and went back to the table.
Sean was already back, eating his own food. Donny looked down at his food. It
looked a little darker than usual. He shrugged and got at his food. After he
had been eating for about five minutes, he noticed the inside of his mouth was
swollen and it was hard to breath. He dropped his fork on his plate.
“What’s wrong?” Sean asked. “You are really red.” Donny choked out
a few words.
“Can’t breath… choking… allergic reaction…” Sean quickly whipped
out his cell phone. He caught the attention of the nearest waitress and told
her to find hotel security. Then Sean called nine-one-one on his cell phone,
reaching the medical center that was on Disney property. They sent paramedics
that were on the scene within three minutes. They loaded Donny into the
ambulance and let Sean ride in the front seat as they raced time to the med
center. When they got there, they laid Donny on a bed and injected him with
medicine. They asked Sean to wait in the waiting room. Within forty-five
minutes, they allowed Sean to go back to see how his friend was doing.
“Hey, man. How are you feeling?” Sean asked. Donny first put his
hand on his stomach, then his chest, his arms, and finally his legs.
“I feel normal,” Donny answered. That made Sean laugh. “They’re telling me I’ll be out of here within another half an hour.” By two o’ clock, both boys were walking out of the med center, catching a bus back to the hotel. They arrived back by two-fifteen. They went up to their room, got their swimming suits on and went to the pool to sunbathe and swim. They walked over the bridge to the swimming pool to find that the centerpiece of “The Dig Site”, as the pool area was referred to, was a large Mayan pyramid. Some people were sitting on the steps of the pyramid letting the trickle of water running down the pyramid’s face cool them off. One kid who looked like he was fourteen or fifteen was standing in front of a statue of a Mayan god that sprayed a hard rush of water out its mouth. The kid’s back was bright red due to the power of the water hitting his back for the long amount of time he had been standing there. Every once in awhile, someone would come down the water slide and land with a splash in the pool. Children were playing on the playground kind of behind the pool.
“I feel normal,” Donny answered. That made Sean laugh. “They’re telling me I’ll be out of here within another half an hour.” By two o’ clock, both boys were walking out of the med center, catching a bus back to the hotel. They arrived back by two-fifteen. They went up to their room, got their swimming suits on and went to the pool to sunbathe and swim. They walked over the bridge to the swimming pool to find that the centerpiece of “The Dig Site”, as the pool area was referred to, was a large Mayan pyramid. Some people were sitting on the steps of the pyramid letting the trickle of water running down the pyramid’s face cool them off. One kid who looked like he was fourteen or fifteen was standing in front of a statue of a Mayan god that sprayed a hard rush of water out its mouth. The kid’s back was bright red due to the power of the water hitting his back for the long amount of time he had been standing there. Every once in awhile, someone would come down the water slide and land with a splash in the pool. Children were playing on the playground kind of behind the pool.
Donny and Sean found some chairs and put their stuff down. They
both got into the pool and swam for a while. Sean decided to go down the
waterslide a few times and Donny decided to go sit in his chair and start
working on reading a new book. When six o’ clock rolled around, the boys packed
up their things and went up to their room. They both took showers, changed into
clean clothes and went down to the Mayan Grill, a fancy restaurant in El
Centro. Donny had the sizzler and Sean had chips and cheese. By the time they
were done eating, it was getting close to eight O’ clock. The boys walked
around the hotel’s lake, through the “Dig Site” pool area, and sat in hammocks
on the beach. They found some “Hidden Mickeys”, silhouettes of Mickey Mouse
hidden in random places. They then headed up to their room where Sean got his
camera, spending money, his park ticket, a room key, and a baseball cap that
had the Detroit Tigers logo on it. They may have stunk, but Sean still liked
them.
Sean looked at his watch; it was 8:54. He asked Donny what he was
going to do while Sean was gone.
“I was thinking maybe swimming some more, working on the case, or
watching some television. While you are out, try to learn as much about “Lucas”
as possible without being too nosy.” Donny answered.
“I’ll try. Well, I’ll see you about 1:30, 2:00. Okay?” asked
Donny’s little friend.
“Alright. Have fun and be careful,” warned Donny.
“Don’t worry, man! I will,” answered Sean. Sean walked out the
door carefully making sure no one was barreling down the hallway to knock him
over. He looked back at Donny. Donny closed the door, chuckling to himself.
Sean walked next door and knocked on the Winkler door. Kara
answered the door in a stunning spaghetti strap top and a miniskirt. She had a
denim blue hand bag to go with the outfit. “Ready?” she asked.
“Yup,” Sean answered, smiling at her.
“So, Kyle, tell me about yourself,” Sean’s date asked him. They
had arrived at the desk in the lobby labeled “Guest Services”.
“Two tickets to Magic Kingdom’s E-ride night please,” ordered
Sean. The girl across the counter handed them to Sean and Sean paid for the
tickets. The kids headed out to the bus stop. “Well, I am fifteen years old, I
am from Michigan, theGrand Rapids area, I have one brother, named Robert, and
this is my third time to Disney World in seven years. What’s your story?” asked
Sean.
“What do you mean, my story?” asked Kara timidly. By now, the two
had arrived at the bus stop outside El Centro.
“I mean, tell me about yourself,” the undercover detective
explained.
“Oh. Well, I am almost seventeen, I am from New Jersey, I don’t
have any siblings, my parents are divorced, and this is my first time to Disney
World,” the girl explained.
“You’re parents are divorced? I could have sworn I saw a woman in
your room when I came to pick you up, tonight,” Sean explained.
“Oh, well she isn’t really my mother,” explained the girl timidly.
“Is she a step-mom?” asked Sean.
“Something like that,” Kara said. “So, once we get to the park,
what do we do?”
“Well, on the pamphlet the girl gave me, it says we have to go to
City Hall on Main Street, USA and exchange these tickets for bracelets. Whoever
doesn’t have a bracelet can’t be in the park after it closes,” Sean explained
as they got on the bus to the Magic Kingdom. They found two seats up near the
front of the bus and took them. The bus ride to the park was quiet and lasted
only about seven minutes. When they arrived there, they waited in line for a
short time while Kara got her bag searched then the two entered the park. After
giving the woman at the gate their tickets, she said,
“The park closes in half an hour, kids.”
“We know. We are here for the E-ride night,” answered Sean.
“All right, you can either go to City Hall, the Tomorrowland
Arcade, or Splashdown Photos at the exit of Splash Mountain to pick up your
wristband. If you aren’t wearing the wristband after the park closes, you will
have to leave,” the cast member explained.
“All right, thank you,” Kara said graciously. The two teens made
their way through the crowds of people watching the parade to the Main Street
City Hall. Outside the city hall were tables set up with bracelets in piles.
Sean and Kara showed the woman sitting behind the table their tickets and the
woman gave them one bracelet each. They ducked through the large crowds and
headed over to Adventureland just to get out of the crowds.
"Here," Sean said handing Kara the park guide/map.
"Look at Adventureland and pick an attraction or ride you want to go
do."
"Pirates of the Caribbean looks interesting. Didn't they make
a movie out of that ride?" asked Sean's date.
"Yeah," answered the boy.
"Isn't that beautiful?" Kara asked looking at a
restaurant sitting outside Adventureland named The Crystal Palace.
"Yeah," Sean answered in awe. He looked at his watch. It
read 9:20.
"Alright, ready?" asked Kara.
"Aye, Matie. Lets go see some pirates," said Sean in a
pirate voice.
Kara giggled. "Okay, Captain Cutie. Lets go see some
pirates." They walked through Adventureland listening to the bongo music
in the background. They took their time getting to the pirates ride but when
they got there, they walked right on the ride because no one was in line.
"You guys make a cute couple," commented the ride
operator. She helped the two teens into their boat and sent them on their
adventure.
"Be careful maties, thar be squalls ahead!" warned a
skull and crossbones hanging on the wall near the beginning of the ride. Kara
grabbed Sean's hand. Once they got off the ride, there were very few people in
this area of the park. Sean looked at his watch. 9:32.
"Everyone must be at the SpectroMagic Parade." Sean said
as he looked at his park schedule he got from the park entrance. "Did you
want to go see it?"
"No, that's okay. If it is all right with you, I would like
to get in as many rides as possible before the E-ride night begins,"
answered the girl. She grabbed his hand and they mosied over to the Jungle
Cruise. Again, there were no lines for this ride so they walked right on. They
sat through the ride laughing at all the skipper's jokes, soaking up the
scenery, and enjoying each other's company. Once the ride was done, they ducked
under ropes holding the audience back and crossed the street heading into
Frontierland. They walked through Frontierland and Liberty Square and into
Fantasyland. The two teens quickly got on the Peter Pan's Flight attraction
without waiting a moment. They rode through it, all the while holding hands.
Sean looked down at their hands. The two teens looked at each other and just
smiled.
Donny watched out the window as his friend and his date walked
down the hall. He smiled, put his shoes on, and walked out the door with pen
and notepad in hand. He walked to the lobby and sat down in a big chair. He
opened the note pad and started scribbling things in.
7/15/04
9:01 PM
Today was our first full day on the case. Sean met Rebecca
McGrogen a.k.a. Kara Winkler and went on a date with her tonight to the Magic
Kingdom. Sean and I met Louis McGrogen a.k.a. Lucas Winkler. McGrogen is the
prime suspect. According to Tampa Bay Police, two nights ago, Barry Engler and
his wife Margaretta were at their hotel on the porch when a bullet went through
Barry's throat. He died then tumbled off the porch to the ground stories down.
Margaretta also got shot. She was shot in the back. No word yet if she
survived. Also according to Tampa Bay Police, McGrogen, his daughter, and a
woman from the hotel the Englers were staying at named Carmen Leotta,
disappeared. The police suspect McGrogen kidnaped his daughter and Leotta and
forced them to pose as one, small, happy family. All three have false
identities. Not only is this a murder case but a hostage case as well. The
McGrogens/Winklers are staying in the room next door to us, room 9502. Not much
else to say. More later.
He put the notepad and pen in his breast pocket and watched the
old Mickey Mouse cartoon on the television in front of him. Suddenly, he
noticed a shadow covering him, the chair, and a portion of the ground in front
of the chair. He quickly turned around standing up, ready to defend himself. It
was just Candy, the girl from the check-in/check-out desk coming to say hi to
him.
“Oh, hello Candy!” Donny greeted.
“Oh, hello Candy!” Donny greeted.
“Hi. Robert, is it?” the girl asked.
“No, my name is Donny,” the detective explained.
“How come when you checked in, your ID said ‘Robert?’”
“So, how are you?” he asked, trying to avoid the question.
“Good. You know, I am off work the rest of the evening. Did you want
to go out?” Donny’s crush explained.
Donny answered, “Sure. What were you thinking?”
“One box of popcorn, one Diet Coke, and one Sprite, please,” Sean
ordered as the two teens stood at Aunt Annie’s Galactic Treats and Goodies in
Tommorrowland. The clerk asked for the amount due from the snacks and Sean paid
it. The teens went and sat on a bench and watched the crowds go by. A janitor
pushing a broom came up to the teens.
“May I see your E-ride night bracelets, please?” The kids showed
him their bracelets and the janitor pushed his broom away.
“E-ride night must have just started,” said Sean. Kara glanced at
her Powerpuff Girls watch.
“Not quite. It is only 9:55.” Sean took a small handful of popcorn
and put it in his mouth. He tilted the box toward Kara and she took some as
well. “Well, shall we walk?”
“Sure,” answered Sean. He closed the box of popcorn, took a swig
of his Sprite, and put the cap back on. “Hey, what do you say we catch the last
showing of the Carousel of Progress for the night?” The Carousel of Progress
was only open around holidays and when it was open, it was open for two-week
periods. It had been open for the two weeks surrounding the Fourth of July.
“Okay,” answered the girl. They walked over to the entrance, and
entered the theater once the automatic doors opened. They sat down in seats
near the middle of the auditorium and waited for the show to start while some
other guests wandered in. The doors closed and a voice started talking about
the past and the way technology changed over time. The man that was the
narrator started singing.
"There's a great, big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end
of every day.
There's a great big beautiful tomorrow and tomorrow is just a
dream away.
Man has a dream and that's a start, he follows his dream with mind
and heart.
And when it becomes a reality, it's a dream comes true for you and
me.
There's a great, big beautiful tomorrow, shining at the end of
every day,
There's a great, big beautiful tomorrow.
Just a dream away!"
Once the song was done, Sean heard a noise behind him like a spray
can. He turned around to see a guy with thick glasses, very tan skin, and a
goatee. He turned around to watch the show, when all of a sudden, Sean saw the
man's hand in his peripheral vision reaching around his head. He turned to see
what the man was doing as a cloth came over his nose and mouth. Sean found it
hard to breathe. He tried getting Kara's attention. He looked over at her to
see she was sleeping, out cold. Sean found that he was very sleepy. He closed
his eyes and welcomed the warmth as the chloroform brought him under into an
unconscious state.
"Hello, sir? Are you okay?" Sean opened his eyes. A
woman in her late forties was standing in front of him shaking him awake.
'What is this woman doing in my hotel room?' was Sean’s first
thought. Then he noticed the curtains that hid the stage in front of him. He
shook off the drowsiness and looked over at Kara. "I'm fine. Looks like we
were really tired," Sean answered the woman.
"Alright. Not to be rude but could you wake up your wife and
leave? I kinda need to close this ride down for the night," the woman
asked. Sean thought it was funny how she thought him and Kara were married.
They must look like the perfect couple. The woman walked up onto the stage and
ducked behind the curtains. Sean turned to the pretty girl next to him and
shook her awake.
"Kara," he said as he shook her shoulder. "Kara,
wake up."
"What happened?" Kara asked. "All I remember is a hand coming in front of my face and then falling asleep."What time is it?" she asked as the couple walked out of the building. Sean looked at his watch. The face read 10:37. He informed Kara of the time and they walked across the Tomorrowland courtyard to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority; a slow ride that brought you around Tomorrowland to see all the sights of the land including Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and Mickey's Star Traders. After the ride was done, Kara said she was ready to conquer her fear of roller coasters. The kids walked hand-in-hand to Space Mountain. After waiting about eight minutes, they rode the roller coaster. Kara loved it so much they had to get back in line for it again. After riding Space Mountain four times in a row, Sean said he was ready for something else. He suggested Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. They practically walked right on the ride waiting only about two minutes. Once on, Kara decided to take control of the joystick that spun the car leaving Sean with the laser gun to shoot targets. The next time they rode it, Kara took control of the laser gun and Sean was left with the joystick. Once they were done with Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Sean treated Kara to ice cream. They exited the ice cream parlor and went out to sit on the curb on Main Street. When they were finished they started walking towards Frontierland. Kara took a small makeup mirror out of her handbag and looked at herself. Sean looked in the mirror noticing hands reaching for Kara's hair. He spun around on one foot and grabbed the arm throwing his fist into the attacker's stomach. He heard the air whoosh out of the attacker's lungs and out from between his lips. He looked up at the attacker's face- to see it was Donny. Donny tried smiling through the pain.
"What happened?" Kara asked. "All I remember is a hand coming in front of my face and then falling asleep."What time is it?" she asked as the couple walked out of the building. Sean looked at his watch. The face read 10:37. He informed Kara of the time and they walked across the Tomorrowland courtyard to the Tomorrowland Transit Authority; a slow ride that brought you around Tomorrowland to see all the sights of the land including Space Mountain, Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, and Mickey's Star Traders. After the ride was done, Kara said she was ready to conquer her fear of roller coasters. The kids walked hand-in-hand to Space Mountain. After waiting about eight minutes, they rode the roller coaster. Kara loved it so much they had to get back in line for it again. After riding Space Mountain four times in a row, Sean said he was ready for something else. He suggested Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin. They practically walked right on the ride waiting only about two minutes. Once on, Kara decided to take control of the joystick that spun the car leaving Sean with the laser gun to shoot targets. The next time they rode it, Kara took control of the laser gun and Sean was left with the joystick. Once they were done with Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, Sean treated Kara to ice cream. They exited the ice cream parlor and went out to sit on the curb on Main Street. When they were finished they started walking towards Frontierland. Kara took a small makeup mirror out of her handbag and looked at herself. Sean looked in the mirror noticing hands reaching for Kara's hair. He spun around on one foot and grabbed the arm throwing his fist into the attacker's stomach. He heard the air whoosh out of the attacker's lungs and out from between his lips. He looked up at the attacker's face- to see it was Donny. Donny tried smiling through the pain.
"Hi, brother!" he wheezed.
"Robert, I am so sorry. Are you okay?" Sean asked.
"Robert, I am so sorry. Are you okay?" Sean asked.
"I'm fine," the elder detective said as he sat down on
the nearest park bench. That's when Sean noticed Candy standing there.
"Hey, Candy! What are you guys doing here?" asked the
younger private eye.
"We decided to go on a date, too," Donny explained as he
recovered from the blow to the stomach. "Why are you so jumpy,
anyway?"
"Can I talk to you in private a minute, Robert?" asked
Sean. He turned to the two girls. "We'll be right back. Candy, this is
Kara Winkler. Kara, this is Candy."
"What's up, man?" Sean's role model asked.
"Donny, Kara and I were attacked tonight," Sean
explained.
"Attacked? How so?" Donny asked as he furrowed his brow.
"Chloroform."
"Man, at least you didn't have an allergic reaction.
Lucky bum," Donny teased.
"All I can say is that someone doesn't want us on the case so
we should be careful," Sean warned. The boys went back to where they left
their dates and found they had disappeared.
"We're over here, boys!" Kara and Candy called in
unison. They were in the short line for the Big Thunder Mountain roller coaster
attraction. They walked over to the queue entrance and walked on the ride
within four minutes. They loved the ride but no one wanted to ride it again,
not now.
"What's next on the E-ride list?" asked Candy. Kara
looked at the map and then at the E-ride night flier.
"Looks like the Haunted Mansion is coming up next." They walked their way towards the old mansion taking their time, laughing over jokes that had to do with Disney movies and the parks. Once they arrived at the old mansion, Kara grabbed Sean's hand while Candy did likewise to Donny. The boys looked at each other, smiled, and flashed each other a thumbs up. They entered the old house noticing there were no other guests in line for the attraction. They entered the chamber, viewed the pre-show, and got on the ride. About halfway through the ride when they had arrived at the graveyard scene, the cars stopped. The music stopped. All audio-animatronics stopped.
"Looks like the Haunted Mansion is coming up next." They walked their way towards the old mansion taking their time, laughing over jokes that had to do with Disney movies and the parks. Once they arrived at the old mansion, Kara grabbed Sean's hand while Candy did likewise to Donny. The boys looked at each other, smiled, and flashed each other a thumbs up. They entered the old house noticing there were no other guests in line for the attraction. They entered the chamber, viewed the pre-show, and got on the ride. About halfway through the ride when they had arrived at the graveyard scene, the cars stopped. The music stopped. All audio-animatronics stopped.
"Uhh, was that supposed to happen?" asked Sean.
"Attention, all passengers," came a non-recorded, live
voice over the attraction's intercom. "For some reason, all the ride's
power has shut down except in the control room. We will be sending someone down
momentarily with a flashlight to find you and get you out of there. Please
remain seated in case the ride starts up again.” The teens waited in the dark
for fifteen minutes until they saw a flashlight coming towards them. The Disney
employee approached their cars and pushed a lever down with his foot. The lap
bar rose and the Disney employee gave them instructions.
“Please do not wander off. Stay with the rest of the group. Here
are two flashlights.” The man gave Sean and Donny each a flashlight. “Follow
me, please.” The man led the four through the graveyard scene and through the
hitchhiking ghost hallway. He brought them to the exit queue of the ride and
left them outside. The teens walked out of the attraction area, past the iron
gates that now had a sign hanging on them saying,
“We are sorry, but this
attraction is temporarily
Closed”
The teens walked out into Liberty Square and sat down on a few
benches.
“Sean,” Donny addressed his friend. “What time is it?” Sean looked
at his watch. He pressed the indeglo button on his watch and saw that the face
read 12:03 AM. Sean told Donny the time.
“Stanley was telling me about this awesome show in Frontierland
called the Country Bear Jamboree,” Sean explained.
“Isn’t that the one James was afraid of when he was little?” asked
Donny. James was the boys’ friend back at home.
“Yeah,” Sean answered. “Anyways, that is an E-ride attraction if
anyone wants to go see it.”
“I don’t want to sit around here, all night,” Candy said. “It is a
pretty cool show. I have seen it quite a few times; it makes me laugh every
time.” Everyone else agreed.
“Where is it?” asked Kara.
“Frontierland,” answered Sean.
“Did he just say that?” asked Kara.
“Yes,” everyone said in unison. Everyone laughed. They headed
toward Frontierland in the darkness of the Florida sky. Once they arrived, they
waited until the present show was over to enter the auditorium. When the show
was completed, a few guests filed out. The automatic doors opened and the four
teens along with one or two other couples entered the auditorium. They waited
for five minutes for the show to start. The show was full of laughs, songs,
jokes, and more as a chorus of audio-animatronic bruins and grizzlies sang
classic and unique country songs. When the show was done, the teens walked out
of the theater all singing Big Al’s song, “There was blood on the Sand”. It was
late and everyone was tired so they all decided to go back to the hotel. On the
bus ride home, Sean sat with Kara in the front of the bus and Donny and Candy
sat in back. When they arrived at the Coronado Springs resort, Donny walked
Candy to her car as Sean walked Kara to her room. Sean said good night and
walked next door to his room. He slid the key into the lock and opened the
door. He walked in and closed the door behind him.
Donny walked Candy to her car in the front parking lot and said
good night. He watched as she drove off onto Buena Vista Boulevard and disappear
around a corner. He put his hands in his pockets and walked back to the hotel
room. As he passed El Centro, he saw some mysterious movement around his hotel
room. The lights were on in the room with the curtains drawn. Through the thin
curtain, he could make out Sean sitting on the bed watching television. It was
what was outside the room’s door that attracted his attention. He watched as
the figure outside the room’s door tried getting it open with a room key. Donny
walked up the stairs and quietly down the hallway. He came up behind the figure
and was about to pull the person away from the door when he turned around and
pushed him toward the railing that was twenty feet above the ground. Donny
regained his balance only to catch a fist to his bottom jaw. He fell over the
balcony railing. He would have fallen if he hadn’t grabbed hold of the railing.
The suspect was raising his hand to pry Donny’s fingers off the railing when
Donny yelled for help. His room door opened and Sean rushed out. The suspect turned
around to receive a knuckle sandwich from Sean. The perpetrator fell over the
railing. Sean and Donny looked down to see the suspect dressed all in black
land in a bush.
“Help me up!” Donny yelled. Sean grabbed his hands and helped him over the railing. They looked down to where the attacker landed. The attacker was gone. A bald headed man with bushy white eyebrows and a long, unkept beard was walking on the other side of the courtyard. “Whew! That was a close one! Someone obviously doesn’t want us on this case!”
“Help me up!” Donny yelled. Sean grabbed his hands and helped him over the railing. They looked down to where the attacker landed. The attacker was gone. A bald headed man with bushy white eyebrows and a long, unkept beard was walking on the other side of the courtyard. “Whew! That was a close one! Someone obviously doesn’t want us on this case!”
3
"So, explain this to me again, Donny. What exactly
happened?" asked Carl Kerkstram. Once he had heard about the numerous
attacks that occurred the past day, Carl and Merle rushed to Disney right away
to learn more.
"Well, I turned the corner at El Centro and saw someone
trying to break into our room. Sean was in the room and I wanted to get up to
the room before he had the chance of hurting Sean. I ran up there and was going
to push him away from the door but he must have heard me coming because he
turned around and pushed me towards the railing. I either caught my balance or
I fell against the railing; I don’t really remember what happened at that
point. Anyway, he saw me regain my balance and hit me in the face. That’s when
I lost my balance and fell over the railing. I yelled at Sean for help and he
heard me. He opened the door, punched the guy in the face and helped me up.
After I got back onto the hallway’s floor, we looked down to the bush he landed
in and the guy was gone,” Donny explained as he moved the ice pack around on
his jaw. Donny winced.
“All right, here’s what I’m gonna do,” Carl explained. “My wife’s
brother is the chief of security for the Walt Disney World resort. He should be
sending some of his best secret agents tomorrow morning. For now, try to get
some sleep. We'll make sure we keep hotel security outside your room for the
night for extra protection."
"Are you guys sure you don't need me to stay with you to help
out with the case?" asked Merle.
"No, Uncle Cap. We should be okay," Sean explained. The
detectives and police exchanged good-byes and the boys got ready for bed. Donny
looked at the clock right after the lights had been turned off and noticed the
time was two a.m. It seemed like he had barely closed his eyes when he heard a
knock at his door. He took a quick glance at the clock. The digital numbers
read 10:12 a.m. Donny got out of bed, pulled on a pair of jeans, and looked
over at Sean. He was sound asleep, so Donny decided not to disturb him. He
needed his rest. Donny walked over to the door and looked out the eyehole. He
saw a very enlarged view of two men with their hands in their pockets. One was
wearing a camera around his neck with a plaid button-up and blue jeans on. He
looked like he was forty-five years old. He had graying hair with a still brown
moustache. He had whiskers on his chin that were also brown. His companion was
wearing an Orlando Magic tee shirt and cargo pants. He had what looked to be
prescription sunglasses resting on his nose and an Old Navy cap on his balding
head. He looked to be about twenty-seven years old. Donny opened the door and
stepped out.
"May I help you, gentlemen?" Donny asked. It was warm
and humid out. Obviously there was rain coming. Both men pulled out their
wallets and opened them. They showed Donny their badges. The man with the
camera spoke first.
"I am Jolly Carahou, chief of the Walt Disney World secret
police and undercover agents. This is my partner, Smiley Roberts." All
three exchanged handshakes.
"Won't you come in?" asked Donny hospitably. Donny
closed the door behind the men and looked to see that Sean was rubbing his
eyes.
"Who are these guys?" he asked.
"Jolly Carahou," the camera-man introduced himself.
"Smiley Roberts," the other man did likewise.
"Sean Mitchell," Sean introduced himself.
"And I am Donny Michaels," finished Donny. "Now
that we all know each other, why don’t you gentlemen explain to us the whole
thing about Disney World's secret police and undercover agents?"
"Before we start, would you guys like some coffee?"
asked Sean.
"Sure," both men answered in unison. Sean went to the
sink nook and started the coffee maker.
"Alright, where do I start?" Jolly thought to himself.
"There are a group of people that pose as tourists at the Walt Disney
World resort that are under the company's payroll. We are called foxes. What we do is go through all the different
parks posing as tourists. In doing this, we evaluate the employees and how they
do their job. The employees don’t know that they are being spied on. They do
know, however that there are people out there evaluating them without their
knowledge of who a spy could be. That is one of the reasons why Disney
employees are so nice; they know someone is watching them at all times; if not
by way of spies, then by way of cameras and bugs. Also, we do have security
some obvious and some not so obvious. We also watch for shoplifting."
"Wow, I never knew that!" Sean exclaimed.
"Why did you think Disney World was so safe?" questioned
Smiley.
"Where do you guys want to go today?" asked Jolly.
"How about MGM Studios?" suggested Donny looking at the
park maps he got from the front desk.
"Sounds good to me," the other three agreed.
"Why don't you guys wash up and we can be on our way,"
suggested Jolly. The boys followed his request and they were on their way. They
took a short walk to the nearest bus stop and waited for the next bus to the
movie-based theme park. After the four had been sitting a while, two familiar
characters and one unfamiliar walked their way.
"Hey, Kyle!" waved Kara as she ran up. Sean stood up and
greeted Kara with a hug.
"Hey, Kara! What park are you guys going to, today?"
asked Kara's boyfriend.
"MGM-Studios," Mr. Winkler answered. "I heard it is
chock full of thrills." Donny and Sean exchanged suspicious glances.
"Guys, this is my mother, Emmy Winkler. Mom, this is Kyle and
Robert Markes," introduced Kara.
"Nice to meet you," the three exchanged handshakes.
"These are our uncles Rupert and Seamus. They came to visit
all the way from England!" Sean explained. Again, handshakes were present.
"Nice to meet you," the two agents said in their best
English voice.
"Oh, here comes the bus!" said Kara excitedly. As the Winklers got on the bus, Jolly and Smiley flashed Sean the meanest look the young detective had ever seen. As they got on the bus, Sean noticed a bald man with a long beard and bushy eyebrows giving him a strange look as well. He watched Sean as he walked toward the back of the bus and sat in the seat between Kara and Donny. After Sean sat down, the driver focused his attention out the windshield and pulled away from the bus station.
"Oh, here comes the bus!" said Kara excitedly. As the Winklers got on the bus, Jolly and Smiley flashed Sean the meanest look the young detective had ever seen. As they got on the bus, Sean noticed a bald man with a long beard and bushy eyebrows giving him a strange look as well. He watched Sean as he walked toward the back of the bus and sat in the seat between Kara and Donny. After Sean sat down, the driver focused his attention out the windshield and pulled away from the bus station.
"So, how was the trip here, Seamus?" asked Luke.
"It was long and boring," commented the fake Englishman.
"Is it your first time in America?" Emmy asked.
"No, we came to the boys' dad's funeral," Jolly informed
pretending to be Rupert.
"Oh," Emmy said sadly. Everyone seemed quiet for a few
moments until Kara asked Sean a question all of them wanted to hear.
"So, Kyle. What kinds of rides are at MGM?"
"Let me see," Sean paused to pull out the park map.
"Well, there is a stunt show called Indiana Jones Stunt Show Spectacular,
a free-fall ride called the Twilight Zone Tower of Terror, a roller coaster
called Rock and Roller Coaster, and a virtual reality ride called Star Tours
based on the Star Wars movies. It is a theme park full of thrills."
"Hey! Look!" Kara pointed out the window at a tall
pinkish-colored building. "Is that the Tower of Terror?"
Jolly decided to answer that one. "I would say so. Well
Kyle-"
Suddenly the group heard the squealing of rubber whiles on the
road surface. Donny and Sean's heads snapped forward as they shot a stare out
the windshield of the bus. The highway off the side of the overpass was looming
in front of the bus. The bus connected with the ground and flipped over.
Everything was dead silent.
When Donny woke up, his head felt like one thousand elephants were
standing on and crushing his skull. He looked around him. Everything was fuzzy
for a moment but a few seconds later, everything came into focus. He was in a
hospital room. Almost immediately after he woke up, a young brown-haired nurse
walked in.
"Oh, you're awake! I'll be right back." She excitedly
ran out of the room. That's when Donny noticed a few figures in the corner of
the room. Candy was resting in a comfortable chair and Sean and Kara were
watching television. When they heard the nurse, they all ran to Donny's
bedside.
"Hey, guys!" Donny said softly.
"How are you feeling?" asked Candy.
"I'm feeling okay. What happened?" Donny asked. Hearing
Donny's voice, both Jolly and Smiley came into the room.
"Well, the bus went over the overpass. It landed on its
wheels but then tipped over on its side. You fell out of your seat and fell to
the ground. You hit your head pretty hard. We all grabbed a hold of the
handrail. You've been out for about three days." After Sean was finished
explaining what happened, the nurse and a doctor came in.
"Hello. How are you feeling?" the gray-haired doctor
asked.
"I got a small headache," Donny responded with a
grimace.
"Okay. Hmm, nurse, let’s bring him down to the X-ray room.
We're going to bring you to get an X-ray of your head. If everything checks out
okay, you can go." The nurse pushed in a wheelchair while Sean helped him
out of the bed. Twenty minutes later all eight of them were walking out of the
X-ray room. Donny had his own clothes on.
"Thank you so much, doctor." Donny said shaking hands
with the gray-haired man. Once the nurse and the doctor had left, Sean turned
to Donny.
"Umm, girls, we will meet you at the hotel. We have some
business to take care of," Sean suggested. Donny gave him a look that said
'what are you talking about?'. Sean countered the look with one that said
'trust me!'.
"Okay, we'll be in Kara's hotel room," Candy said. After
the girls left, four men sat down.
"Well buddy, are you feeling better?" asked Sean.
"I'm ready to re-open this case!" said Donny with
enthusiasm. All four laughed.
"That's good. Follow me." Sean suggested. The four
detectives walked up to an elevator and walked in. Sean pushed the floor nine
button. Once the doors opened, Sean led them through a maze of halls until they
came to a room that said
M. Engler
Gunshot Wound
Sean knocked on the door.
A small "Come in!" was heard from inside. Opening the
door, the four detectives peeked in. A frail looking woman was lying in a bed.
Her face lit up when she saw Sean.
"Sean, it is so nice to see you again!" she welcomed the
young man.
"Mrs. Engler, this is my partner and friend, Donny Michaels
and the Disney World security officers Jolly Carahou and Smiley Roberts."
"Nice to meet you," Mrs. Engler said, shaking Donny's
hand. Donny sat at the foot of the hospital bed.
"Mrs. Engler, do you mind if I ask you a few questions?"
"Go right ahead," the older woman responded.
"What exactly were you and Barry doing in Tampa Bay?"
"We were taking a celebration vacation. It was not only our
thirty-fifth wedding anniversary but also the twenty-second anniversary of our
family business."
"What was the family business?"
"You see Barry grew up in a rich family. He bought a couple
hundred shares of stock and sold it all at one time. Not only did he have his
family's money but now hundreds of thousands of dollars from the stock market.
He decided to start up a non-profit organization that made its money totally
off of donations.
"He then gave this money to charities such as the
‘Make-A-Wish Foundation’ and the ‘Rainforest Preservation Foundation’. During
this time, Barry used the profit from donations and bought more stocks; every
five years, he would sell the stocks and give the money to more
charities."
"Do you know of anyone that would have a grudge with
Barry?" questioned Donny.
"Not that I can think of off the top of my head. I do know
that he turned down some charities like the ‘Abortion Charity Organization’ and
the ‘Death Penalty Charity’.
"Alright that should be enough. Thank you for your time. Good
luck on a speedy recovery." Donny motioned the others to follow him out of
the room. They left the hotel and caught a taxi to their hotel. The first place
they went was the boys' room. They called Cap and Carl and gave them the news.
Then they proceeded to the Winkler room. When Sean knocked on the door, Candy
opened. The girls looked as if they were ready to go to MGM.
"Let's try this again," Kara commented. Everyone
laughed. The bus the six tourists rode made it safely to the theme park. As
they were getting off the bus, Jolly made the comment to the bus driver in a
perfect English accent, "Thank you for not driving off the overpass."
Everyone else broke up into laughter. When they entered the park, they all
stopped to absorb the scenery. Suddenly, a woman that was dressed up to look
like Marilyn Monroe (who was obviously a Disney cast member), walked up to
Donny, put her arms around his shoulders, and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Come over and see me sometime," she said in a seductive
voice. Donny blushed; Candy cleared her throat. The group walked away, with
Donny trailing. When at last he caught up to them, the others were already in
line for a ride that was housed by a replica of the Chinese Theater. When their
spot in the line entered the building, they found a hoard of movie memorabilia
in glass cases. They then entered a movie theater that was playing previews of
old movies such as John Wayne and the original Alien. The doors on the right
opened and they walked in. The ride loading closely resembled a movie set. The
six boarded the ride vehicle, all sitting in the same row; the front one.
Nearest to the door sat Jolly, followed by Smiley, Donny, Candy,
Kara, and Sean. The words "Lights! Camera! Action!" were heard in the
background and the vehicle started its journey into the movies.
"Welcome to the Great Movie Ride! I am your tour guide, Jake
and today, I am going to bring you into the movies." Once the ride
started, Kara nestled her head onto Sean's shoulder and Sean rested his head on
hers.
The car passed numerous movie stars such as Gene Kelly, Julie
Andrews, John Wayne, and Judy Garland. The car passed by a speakeasy as it rode
into "Gangster Ally". As the vehicle passed by a saloon, western bank
robbers started a gunfight between them and the sheriff. The leader of the
robbers led Jake into the saloon by gunpoint then took over the ride vehicle.
The saloon suddenly started on fire and the ride vehicle started into a barn in
front of it.
"I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," the robber
said. A few people chuckled at the small joke.
"Welcome to the movie, Alien," came a metallic narrator. "We join Sigourney Weaver in trying to survive. One by one, the crew members of her ship are being picked off."
"Welcome to the movie, Alien," came a metallic narrator. "We join Sigourney Weaver in trying to survive. One by one, the crew members of her ship are being picked off."
Suddenly, an alien popped out of the ceiling and spayed the people
in the front three rows of the ride car. Another one popped out of the wall
doing the same. A few scenes later, the group found themselves in a scene from
"Raiders of the Lost Ark". The robber became a skeleton and the tour
guide came back. Everyone clapped as the ride came to an end.
When the six exited the ride building, Jolly suggested a bathroom
break. Everyone else agreed.
"Candy, I'll meet you outside by the guys," Kara called
from outside of Candy's stall.
"Okay," Candy called. She flushed the toilet and exited
the stall, noticing she was alone in the bathroom. She walked up to the wall
and began washing her hands. She opened her handbag and took out some suntan
lotion and applied it to the raw spot on her nose that was developing. Another
woman came into the bathroom as Candy put the suntan lotion back into her
handbag. The other woman was tall and had dark hair. She had hairy arms and a
slightly hairy upper lip. She looked to be in her lower fifties. She came up behind
Candy, grabbed her arm, and pulled her out of the bathroom. The woman had a
great strength, which Candy found strange.
"If you scream, I will kill you," the woman said in a
deep voice. She pulled a switchblade from a concealed shawl in her dress.
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