page47 (1/2)

Ahead I spotted a high barbed-wire fence with a gate leading out

Padlocked

Toand aon the Pirates ride I foundcredentials

“Malone, from Human Resources,” I said, as I brushed past Then I stopped, reached back, and grabbed the inside handle

“Where are you going?” he asked me

“To fire someone”

I closed the door

Outside I’d noticed that there was no way to get inside without a key card passing through an electronic reader I could only hope that the guy I’d just bamboozled wouldn’t open it for Oliver and Jansen

I stood inside a lighted, air-conditioned rooa scheh the interior carrying visitors on their way through Disney’s version of the 18th-century Caribbean A whiteboard seenments I , and plotted a route through the building to the nearest exit—which, to ht, seemed outside the park’s fence

Perfect

I heard the door lever behindturned

I rushed to the other exit and left

The corridor beyond was dimly lined with a series of closed metal doors Fro Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for me I was apparently behind the scenes, in the attraction’s et fro the better

I hustled forward

Rus came from the other side of the doors, which sounded like cannon fire, and kept repeating The door I’d entered froun I darted for the next door, yanked it open, and lunged through

More cannon fire thundered

A shot rang out

The bullet pinged off the door as it slaes A short ay led onto a galleon, co louder The source of the explosions beca” on the visitors’ boats passing by on the water below More cannons returned fire, in a mock battle, from a fortress on the other side of the dark, cavernous space, each blast accompanied by a burst of flaeysers upward, creating cannonball breaches Cool air simulated a brisk ocean breeze A robotic captain on the ship led the assault, shouting threats while brandishing a sword More aniures created the illusion of an anxious crew I looked around and could see there was no escape off the galleon I lanced over the side

Only water below

The door behind me opened

I darted right and hid behind a cabin that rose fro across the ay and onto the ship, gun in hand I waited until he was on the deck then pounced, kicking the gun froht arm back, but before he could land a fist I planted my head into his chest We hit the deck hard and rolled toward a row of animatronic creho faced toward the water Electrical cables snaked a path across the deck, out of sight to anyone not on the galleon, and I wondered about the voltage

We rolled, tight in each other’s grasp

I shoved Jansen off me

He sprang to his feet

More cannons fired

I stood

He egged ers “That all you got, Malone?”

He stood near the rail, beside the ship’s captain as ordering the cannons to be fired at will toward the boats below I decided to oblige Jansen and rushed toward hia quarterback

Momentum drove us forward and over the rail

We fell

The cannons extended out froed doard Jansen led the way and his right rib cage sla barrels

Then it “fired”

Which was not all sound effects Real flames erupted from the barrel’s end, probably thanks to propane

Jansen screamed

His body shielded e to rip on Jansen released The water was cold and only chest-deep Jansen ca his arm around my neck from behind in a lock vise A boat passed by a few feet away, loaded with visitors

The pressure increased