Hidden Mickey Adventures 1 Read online

  Table of Contents

  Cover

  Synopsis

  Inside Cover

  Copyright

  Dedication

  Disclaimer

  Acknowledgements

  Dear Readers

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Next book in the series

  Other Hidden Mickey Books

  Hidden Mickey Merchandise

  Hidden Mickey Fan Club

  About the Author

  HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 1

  Peter and the Wolf

  The first book in this Action-Adventure Mystery series about Walt Disney and Disneyland, written for ALL AGES (9 and up).

  From the author of the acclaimed HIDDEN MICKEY series.

  WHAT'S MORE EXCITING THAN A DAY AT DISNEYLAND?

  Ditching their family, Peter Brentwood and his younger brother stumble upon a letter from the Master Storyteller himself, Walt Disney. Following a clue in the letter they are immediately caught up in what they thought was an innocently fun treasure hunt.

  SOMEONE ELSE DISCOVERS THEIR HUNT FOR HIDDEN TREASURE.

  The quest takes a serious turn when someone in a trusted position begins tracking their every move, hungering for the treasure for himself.

  WILL LONG-HELD SECRETS BE FORCIBLY REVEALED?

  Secrets Peter’s parents have closely guarded could rip their family apart if compromised. At stake is something they hold very dear: Walt's Legacy.

  WATCH AS THIS YOUNGER GENERATION OF TREASURE HUNTERS GRAPPLE WITH AN IMPOSING AND FEARSOME MENACE.

  Wolf, their friend and protector steps in, but is it too little, too late? Uncover secrets of Disneyland and the Disney Studios in Burbank, California, as we watch the drama unfold.

  YOU WILL NEVER LOOK AT DISNEYLAND THE SAME AGAIN!

  HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES 1

  PETER and the WOLF

  FIRST NOVEL IN THE HIDDEN MICKEY ADVENTURES SERIES

  FIRST eBOOK EDITION, VOLUME 1, JULY 1, 2012

  COPYRIGHT © 2012 NANCY RODRIGUE

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data on File

  www.HIDDENMICKEYBOOK.com

  Flesch-Kincaid Grade 4.9 - Flesch Reading Ease 81.2

  1st EDITION eBOOK JULY, 2012 - ISBN 13: 978-09833975-7-1

  1st EDITION PAPERBACK SEPT, 2012 - ISBN 13: 978-09833975-6-4

  1st EDITION HARDBACK JULY, 2015 - ISBN 13: 978-19383191-8-1

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  NO PART OF THIS BOOK BE USED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER, ELECTRONIC, MECHANICAL,

  PHOTOCOPYING, RECORDING, OR OTHERWISE WITHOUT THE PRIOR WRITTEN PERMISSION OF THE PUBLISHER

  Double R Books Publishing

  740 N. H Street, Suite # 170

  Lompoc, California, 93436

  www.DOUBLERBOOKS.com

  COVER CONCEPT BY NANCY RODRIGUE

  www.NANCY.RODRIGUE.org

  COVER ARCHITECTURE PENCILS BY JEREMY BARTIC

  www.JEREMYBARTIC.DAPORTFOLIO.com

  COVER KIDS & COLOR BY CHRISNA RIBEIRO

  www.JUHANI.DEVIANTART.com

  COVER COPYRIGHT © 2012 & 2015 BY DOUBLE R BOOKS

  www.DOUBLERBOOKS.com

  EPUBLISHED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

  Dedication

  To my husband Russ

  for his untiring help and encouragement

  every step of the way.

  To Kyla and Silas

  for their unquenchable thirst for

  fun and adventure..

  Nancy Temple Rodrigue

  Disclaimer

  Walt Disney Company Trademarks: Hidden Mickey Adventures 1: Peter and the Wolf is in no way authorized by, endorsed by or affiliated with the Walt Disney Company, Inc., Disneyland Park, or WED. Disneyland Park is a registered trademark of the Walt Disney Company. Other trademarks include but are not limited to Adventureland, Animatronics, Astro Jets, Big Thunder Railroad, Casey Jr. Circus Train, Dumbo, Fantasmic!, Fantasyland, Frontierland, Golden Horseshoe Review, Haunted Mansion, Imagineers, Jungle Cruise, Magic Kingdom, Main Street USA, Mark Twain, Mine Train thru Nature’s Wonderland, Mister Toad’s Wild Ride, New Orleans Square, Rainbow Ridge, Skyway, Sleeping Beauty, Sleeping Beauty’s Castle, Space Mountain, Storybook Land Canal Boats, Sword in the Stone, Tinker Bell, Tomorrowland, and Tom Sawyer Island. All references to such trademarked properties are used in accordance with the Fair Use Doctrine and are not meant to imply this book is a Disney product for advertising or other commercial purposes.

  While some of the events and persons contained herein are historical facts and figures, other persons named and the events described are purely fictional and a product of the Author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual people is purely coincidental. The actions depicted within the book are a result of fiction and imagination and are not to be attempted, reproduced or duplicated by the readers of this book.

  The Publisher and Author assume no responsibility or liability for damages resulting, or alleged to result, directly or indirectly from the use of the information contained herein.

  Acknowledgements

  My sincere thanks for assistance in

  research received from

  the following men:

  Jim Korkis: author of The Vault of Walt

  James Keeline: http://stratemeyer.org

  Michael Rodriguez: Adventures by Disney

  Steve Cook: Office of Tony Baxter

  Thanks and Acknowledgements also go to

  our proofreaders and editors:

  ALYSSA COLODNY, Proofreader

  KARLA GALLAGHER, English B.A, Editor

  KIMBERLEE KEELINE, English Ph.D., Editor

  www.KEELINE.com

  Dear Readers,

  I’d like to welcome you to Hidden Mickey Adventures, my new action-adventure mystery series written for the Young Adult as well as the Adult reader (age 9 and up)

  In Hidden Mickey Adventures 1: Peter and the Wolf, you will find the same level of excitement that you have come to expect in my Hidden Mickey novels while encountering a few new twists and turns as the journey continues.

  You will become reacquainted with some old friends from my first series of novels: Hidden Mickey: Sometimes Dead Men Do Tell Tales!; Hidden Mickey 2: It All Started…; Hidden Mickey 3: Wolf! The Legend of Tom Sawyer’s Island; and Hidden Mickey 4: Wolf! Happily Ever After? Plus, you will be making some new friends along the way.

  In the opening chapter of this novel, you will find our Next Generation of clue-followers playing some of the games found in my quest book in this series: Hidden Mickey Adventures: in Disneyland. After hearing from so many of you that had fun solving the quest I put into the first Hidden Mickey novel, I saw that it was time for a book that was entirely made up of games and quests that could be enjoyed when you visit Disneyland. Walt Disney World readers also have a quest book: Hidden Mickey Adventures: in WDW Magic Kingdom.

  So, settle back and enjoy the first adventure of Lance and Kimberly Brentwood’s son Peter as he discovers his own hidden treasure from Walt Disney. And, it wouldn’t be complete without assistance from our favorite security guard, Wolf!

  Enjoy the adventure,

  Nancy Temple Rodrigue

  July 13, 1955

  “It all started with a moose.”

  Walt Disney chuckled quietly as he stood under the flickering lanterns
that lined the dock of the Mark Twain Riverboat. He was surrounded by celebrities from nearby Hollywood, local politicians, and as many friends as he could fit onto the three pristine decks waiting patiently next to the dock. In the back of the ship, the huge paddlewheel slowly churned the greenish water as if eager to begin her first voyage.

  This was a special day for Walt and Lillian. It was their thirtieth wedding anniversary and only a few days before his new Park, Disneyland, would be opened to the public. Special invitations had gone out to all these people who surrounded Walt and he was happy and relaxed—perhaps for the first time in the year it had taken to build his dream.

  His wide smile faded a little as he looked up at the docking station. The smell of fresh paint hung in the warm summer air all around him. Walt’s eyes narrowed as the words he had just mumbled to himself played over in his mind and remnants of a strange vision he had had about fifteen years ago came back to him. Had it been a vision? A dream? He looked off into the distance, pondering. What he had seen in that strange experience had—to some extent—come true. He had seen a beautiful princess castle and a turning carrousel. He had even seen this ship.

  Walt’s heartbeat sped up a little. He had seen something else way back in the jungle of Columbia in 1940. This dock, this beautiful entrance to the Rivers of America had been on fire. It had been deliberately set, he recalled. But, why? he tried to remember. Why would someone do that to him? It had been so long ago….

  His fragment of a memory faded as his wife came to take his arm. Walt’s face immediately went into a warm smile as he patted her arm and led his eager guests onto the deck of the Mark Twain for the first time. It was a proud day for him.

  “Welcome to the Golden Horseshoe, so glad that you could come.” Slue-Foot Sue began her song a couple of hours later, arms out in welcome as she danced across the wooden stage. The three-piece band watching her from the level of the audience kept up with her lead. Servers, dressed as colorful can-can dancers, waited on the star-studded audience as the anniversary party continued.

  On the second floor of the white and gold saloon, almost as tall as the brilliant red velvet curtain backing the stage, sat Walt in his favorite box seat. Curved out over the stage, there were two of these railed box seats on each of the two floors. Walt preferred this box on the upper right side of the stage. Once the Park opened, he knew he would be able to sneak in up there without being seen, settle back and watch the show he enjoyed so much.

  As Slue-Foot Sue was joined onstage by the Traveling Salesman, Walt leaned back on the rear legs of his spindle-legged wooden chair, happiness radiating from his face. He had done it! His Park for the whole family to enjoy together was a reality. The world would be watching in just two days when he would host Disneyland’s grand opening on live television. What could possibly go wrong?

  His quick mind ran over steps that had led up to this moment, all the hard work, all the sacrifices. His wonderful creation of Mickey had finally put him on the map. There was the Mouse, and then there was the Moose. Walt chuckled again as he thought about the eight-minute-long cartoon short he had done only five years ago titled Morris the Midget Moose. The moral of the story had been that two heads were better than one. Walt truly knew the value of that lesson. His brother Roy had been with him every step of this journey. Walt couldn’t have done it without his brother. “It all started with a moose.”

  The Traveling Salesman was near the end of his routine and fired a blank-filled pistol into the air. His mind still on his musings, the sudden explosion startled Walt. His precarious perch on the back legs of the already-wobbly chair gave way and he felt himself fall backward. Arms up to protect the back of his head, it was the rounded top of the chair that crashed into the wall just below the elaborate railing that separated the red flocked wallpaper from the white panels of the curved back wall.

  Getting slowly to his feet, Walt gave an absentminded wave to placate the anxious voice from below who asked if he was all right. He stared with disgust at the gaping hole he had just inadvertently created. “Great.” Hand on his chin, he slowly shook his head back and forth. “We open in two days and I already broke something.”

  As his fingers traced the jagged opening that he knew could be fixed with a fresh piece of paneling in mere minutes, Walt’s mind again veered toward the vision that was always somewhere there, just within reach, hovering like a shadowy specter. The fire that destroyed the Mark Twain dock had been deliberate. Walt gave a sharp intake of breath as he remembered something else. Someone had been trying to destroy what he had built. That was why the fire had been set. But, his mind argued, that vision, that dream, had supposedly shown things that would occur many years into the future. Yes, but it still could happen, couldn’t it? Wasn’t that the message he had been given? That everything that would happen was up to him?

  “I need to protect Disneyland.” Walt’s whisper was unheard by anyone else as the show continued below him. Always aware of what was going on around him, Walt knew the Golden Horseshoe Review was near the end of the performance. He was going to have to make a speech and then there would be an anniversary cake to cut with his wife, followed by dancing on the stage.

  Doing what he did best, Walt came to an instant decision. “This will be protected.” His eyes momentarily narrowed with determination as he made the promise. Righting his fallen chair, he put a smile back on his face and went to the edge of the box seat. Making a gun out of his thumb and forefinger, he fired back at the Traveling Salesman, which, as he knew it would, brought a laugh from the watching audience.

  Yes, he would protect all that he had built. He would do everything in his power to see to it that no one could destroy what he had so carefully planned and built. With that important decision now made, he recognized that there were steps that needed to be taken and plans that needed to be made. And he knew just the man to do it.

  Wolf.

  Current Day

  “Hey, where is everyone?” Lance Brentwood looked around as he entered his house high in the Fullerton Hills. “I risk life and limb at work every day and no one comes to greet me to see if I survived?”

  “Dad, you’re a security guard at Disneyland. I don’t think you’re going to be in a hail of bullets any time soon.” His thirteen-year old son Peter’s comment bordered somewhere between dry and sarcastic as he came thudding down the stairs on his way to the kitchen.

  With a secret smile on his face, Lance watched his son disappear down the hallway. Peter might be right on that count, but there were some things the boy didn’t know about his dad. And his mom, too, Lance paused, thinking about it for a minute as his wife Kimberly came down the stairs in a more orderly fashion to greet her husband.

  “How was your day?” The blond beauty gave him a warm kiss hello. “I don’t see any new scars or injuries, so I’m guessing it was good?”

  Lance gave a good-natured snort as he allowed himself to be led into the kitchen. “How come no one believes I could possibly be in any danger at work?”

  There was an instant, united chorus of three male voices. “Because you work at Disneyland, Dad.”

  Hands on his hips, Lance watched what his three sons were doing and slowly shook his head in disbelief. Peter had joined his brother Michael, age nine, and Andrew, age seven, as they clustered around the oak island in the middle of the huge kitchen. They were all randomly choosing from the after-school snacks that had been laid out for them. “They’re eating again. How can they possibly be eating again? How come they’re always hungry?”

  Kimberly gave him an amused laugh. “Because they are your sons.”

  “Hmm.” He couldn’t come up with any other reply to that as he looked over their heads at what was left of the food. There wasn’t much. “You have any more of that cake?”

  “That’s enough.” Kimberly shooed all of them away from the island. “You’ll spoil your dinners.”

  “Aw,” four male voices chimed together.

  As the boys started to
go their separate ways, their dad called them back. “Just a minute, guys. I saw something in the bookstore today I though you might like.”

  Hearing the word bookstore, only Michael continued to look interested. “What did you get me?”

  “How do you know it’s just for you?” Indifferent, Peter paused in the doorway just long enough to push a few of his brother’s buttons.

  “Because you only read under the threat of death….”

  “All right, all right.” Lance stepped in and held up a restraining hand. “That’s enough, Peter.”

  “Me? He started it.”

  “No, I didn’t! Mom!” Michael turned to his mother for back up. “Did I?”

  “Hey, I just put out the snacks.” Wise from years of experience, Kimberly wasn’t about to get in the middle of that again. “What’d you get, Lance?” Her eyes told him to get on with it.

  Lance held up three copies of a thin blue book. “This just came out today. I thought you all would like to try it. It’s called Hidden Mickey Adventures in Disneyland and it’s a book of games and quests you can play inside the Park. It looks like fun.”

  At the mention of Disneyland and games, the mood changed and the three books were eagerly snatched out of his hands. “There’s even some Junior Quests that Andrew can do, too.”

  Kimberly looked over Michael’s shoulder as he thumbed through the book. She gave Lance a secret smile. “This reminds me of something we used to do at Disneyland.”