Published: 25 Jan 2024

From The Previous Chapter:

Mr. Ken then told Charles that he did talk to Mr. Shartz about his flying his quadcopter at his park tomorrow. The teen’s dad told him that he needed to check with Mr. Shartz, so he could verify the radio frequency the copter uses, so there won’t be any interference with anything there at the park. Charles got a big smile on his face and then thanked his dad for asking for him.

It had been a very long day for the traveler’s and Mr. Ken told the boys not to stay up watching the television. He told everyone they would meet in the lobby at nine in the morning, go out for breakfast, then head out to the park for another day of fun.

The boys were up in the rooms by 9:30, whereas the adults were enjoying a few adult drinks in the hotel’s bar before they headed up to their hotel rooms. When they arrived, the boys were in bed and fast asleep. Then they too, were soon in bed and asleep, as well.

Sometime around two o’clock Sunday morning, Chief, The Cove’s resident pet, who was staying with Dan Fischer in the front guest en suite, alerted to something going on outside on the estate. She got up, nudged the curtain and shade aside and looked out the window, and then she gave a low and gruff, “Woof”.

Dan, who was a light sleeper, heard Chief and immediately got out of bed. The man looked out the same window and asked, “What is it Chief?”

Chief continued to look out the window and then growled. But before long, she barked a very loud, “Woof, woof!”, and then hurriedly ran out of the bedroom.

Dan watched as Chief raced out the bedroom, so he picked up his cell phone and called the Main Gate. When they answered he told them, “This is Lieutenant Fischer. Chief just barked at something out on the estate and ran out of the house. I’ll be coming out of the Foyer Door and I’ll have my gun, so please DON’T shoot me!”

Dan quickly dressed in his pants and shoes and put on his jacket that had SHERIFF on the back and a Sheriff’s Star on the front and he hurried down the stairs to the Foyer Door and opened it. He immediately called out, “Chief, come back here! Chief … Chief, come over here!”

Dan could see that four of the five-armed security guards had their flashlights out and had started searching where the resident dog was barking. The fifth one was still manning the Main Gate. Dan then remembered there were flood lights at the top of the house. So, he hurried to where Ken had shown him where he could turn them on and he did.

As soon as the lights came on, they gave their light as far out as the soccer field and gave the security guards some additional light over their shoulders, as they approached the Pavilion and the new garage storage building that Chief was concentrating on. It also, unfortunately, outlined them as they worked their way up towards the estate wall.

They all could hear Chief barking and then she must have attacked someone, as her growling was throatier as if she had someone’s leg, or at least their pants leg in her mouth. Then there was a gun shot. The men could all hear the dog give out a yelp and a cry and they could hear the resident pet yelping, as she scampered away from the area.

Dan was now scared for Chief and he called out to her to come to where he was. He called out to the resident pet to come to him a few times, but he knew he needed to call the shooting in to his office.

“This is Lieutenant Fischer. I am staying at Three Finger Cove and there were gun shots just fired. Send whomever is in the area and tell them that I am on the scene and there are armed security guards on the estate. I repeat … I am on the scene and there are ARMED security on the estate!”

The intruders who were behind the storage garage had made a huge mistake by not recognizing that the large estate had a watch dog. It was that ‘watch dog’, i.e., Chief, who came barking at them that alerted Dan, who in turn alerted the security guards. The men were trapped with at least five armed men out there, four of which they could see outlined from the high above house flood lights.

Dan again called out, “Chief, come back here! Chief!” And, then there was another shot. It was then that Chief came to Dan at the Foyer Door. The lieutenant was so happy to see her. He then quickly checked the dog for any wounds and, not seeing any visible wounds, he hugged her and told her to stay there.

The house sitter rushed over and got in one of the golf carts and drove out of the Parking Coral, then across the soccer field and up towards the Pavilion. As he did that there was an exchange of gun fire. Dan could see where the muzzle flashes were coming from, and now he wished he had put on his bulletproof vest.

Dan could hear the Sheriff Deputies coming from off in the distance and knew everyone would need more light. He also knew that two of the security guards were on the lake side of the lower Pavilion wall and he assumed that the other two were hunkered down inside one of The Cove Skate Park bowls, because he knew there wasn’t any other cover for them, other than the concrete benches on the top of the Cove Skate Park deck.

Once there, Dan knew they needed more light. So, he decided to use the lower Pavilion wall, on the Cove Skate Park side, to sneak up to the storage room where he knew where the switches for the Cove Skate Park lights and the Pavilion lights were.

Lt. Fischer made it to the Pavilion without being seen, but to get to the room where the light switches were located, he had to get to the storage garage side of the Pavilion building and when he did that, he knew he could be exposed to the intruder’s gunfire.

Lucky for him that side of the Pavilion wall was still quite dark, and he was able to get into the storage room and throw the light switches to “ON”. Upon doing that, the lights immediately illuminated the entire Cove Skate Park as well as the tables and benches under the Pavilion. But again, the added light highlighted where the security guards were.

With the additional light, though, a security guard saw a dark clothed figure at the front corner on the lake side of the storage garage and yelled out, “Drop your weapon and put your hands up!” That figure decided to shoot instead, and the security guard and his partner both returned fire.

Dan, still in the storage room, counted at least five rounds from the intruder, alongside the storage garage, and a collective dozen from the two security guards. When the shooting stopped, Dan waited a little longer and then he took a chance and rushed out of the storage room and made his way back to behind the main Pavilion building, which was along the grill and sink wall.

Dan’s sudden movement startled the intruders on the Cove Skate Park side of the storage garage and caused them to shoot at him. Luckily for Dan they missed, but the shooters did hit the lockers and the Pavilion wall.

The intruders firing from that side of the storage garage caused the security guards, who were hunkered down in one of the skate bowls, to fire in their direction. There was now firing coming from both side corners of the storage garage. It was during that exchange of fire, that the security guards watched one of the intruders, located by the corner of the storage garage, go down, as if he had been hit.

The two remaining invaders, recognizing any further movement towards the house would be futile, talked about trying to get back to the ladder they used to get down inside the estate and climbing back over the wall to get to their getaway car. But they knew there were landscaping lights on the estate wall that would outline them if they did that.

The two security guards on the lower lake side of the Pavilion wall worked their way up to the Pavilion and joined Dan. It was then that three Sheriff Deputy cars arrived, lights flashing and siren’s blaring.

The security guard at the Main Gate heard them coming and had the Main Gate open for them. Two of the patrol cars drove into the estate and were directed by the security guard which way to go.

Both deputies, in turning left and going down the new drive way towards the Pavilion received gun shots to their windshields, which caused them to veer right and left. They both immediately called for backup after getting out of their vehicles to take cover.

The third patrol car didn’t drive into the estate. Instead, it drove into the new parking lot and let its headlights shine along the estate wall. The Deputy immediately noticed a ladder against the wall and that there was also someone waiting in a vehicle.

Then hearing the shots, the third Deputy quickly got out of his patrol car and worked his way down on the street side to the waiting car and detained the person who was inside. The deputy then called for additional backup, as he heard more shooting on the other side of the estate wall.

The intruders then heard from the PA on the patrol car, “You are surrounded. Throw down your weapons and put your hands up!”

But the men weren’t ready to give up yet and they fired from both back corners of the storage garage to try to keep the security guards and sheriff deputies back. The invaders then discussed their options and knew that with the arrival of the Sheriff Deputies they were highly outnumbered. The two men then decided to cut their losses and they chose to try to get to the area of the estate wall, and the ladder, where they entered from.

The two men shot as they ran to the wall, which indicated to the security guards, and Dan, that the remaining trespassers were trying to escape the same way they got onto the estate.

The two security guards hiding in the skate bowl, seeing that, came out of their hiding place and made their way to their side of the storage garage and worked their way up towards the wall. The two Sheriff’s Deputies quickly followed.

One of the trespassers did get onto the ladder and when he climbed up, he found that there was a Sheriff’s Deputy waiting for him on the other side. He climbed back down and went to his partner and told him what he found.

With the arrival of the extra manpower, and the knowledge that there was a Sheriff’s Deputy on the other side of the wall, and their hearing more sirens coming that way, they knew that they were basically surrounded. The two men decided to call out that they were giving up, and they decided to throw their guns out and away from the storage garage.

The men yelled out that they were unarmed and that they were walking out to the skate park. The two men then started to walk away from the estate wall with their hands up in the air. The Sheriff Deputies cautiously approached them, and with the security guards covering them, the Deputies placed their handcuffs on the intruders. The security guards then called for an ambulance for the injured man.

With the men now apprehended, Lieutenant Fischer made his way over to the intruders. He immediately knew who they were. The primary one was Rafael Ruiz, the man who was considered as the one who gun whipped Phillip’s mom, and who was also arrested at The Cove back during the Easter Egg Roll.

The other man was one of his henchmen, who was also arrested with him at the same time. Dan didn’t recognize the man who had been shot, but was undoubtedly another one of Ruiz’s henchmen. It was when the third Deputy came inside the estate with a fourth man that Dan saw that he too was the third man arrested at the Easter Egg Roll, along with Rafael Ruiz.

By then, the TV news had heard about the gun fight and had sent their helicopter and a news van to cover what was happening at The Cove, and they were now set up there. Even though it was now three o’clock in the morning, the TV news reporters had begun broadcasting with what they knew.

But since the Sheriff’s Deputies were all inside The Cove, they couldn’t talk to them, and their attempt to talk to the security guards about what happened was futile. The reporters did catch the ambulance exiting the estate and added that to their newscast.

And since the shooting occurred where it did, Sheriff Barnes had been notified, and he arrived just as the ambulance was leaving with the injured man. The news reporters caught his arrival, but again, they didn’t get to talk to him, as he went directly inside the estate.

Lieutenant Fischer briefed the Sheriff as to why he got there so fast. The Sheriff then had the detectives and the on-scene commander take over the investigation. He asked them to brief him later on about who the perpetrators were and what they can get out of them, which hopefully would be why they were there that Sunday morning.

The Sheriff and Dan then walked away and the Sheriff commented, in a jovial way, that it must be nice to have a friend who lets him live in that life of luxury. Dan told the Sheriff that it is, but that he didn’t sign up for the middle of the night gun fights, though. The two men laughed.

Dan then told the Sheriff what he knew about Rafael Ruiz and his involvement with Phillip and his mother, and how the man had tried to get to the boy back during the Easter Egg Roll, and that this might have been another try. The Sheriff told the lieutenant to tell the detectives his take on what happened. The two then went their separate ways.

It was going on four-thirty when Dan went to lay down and to try to get some sleep. He had Chief with him and he hugged the resident pet and thanked her for letting him know that those bad men were on the estate. Chief gave the man her idea of a smile and then gave him a bunch of doggie kisses. The two then laid down to sleep.

Knowing his friend was an hour in time ahead of where he was, Dan set his alarm clock for seven. The man tried to sleep, but knowing he needed to call his friend Ken and tell him what happened before he hears it on the news, his mind wouldn’t let him fall into a deep sleep.

At seven a.m. CDT, Dan Fischer’s alarm clock went off. Dan groggily woke up, used the bathroom attached to his bedroom, and then he sat down on the bed and called Mr. Ken. Chief was right there beside him.

“Dan,” started out a smiling Mr. Ken, “what do I owe the honor of this early morning call? Did Chief have her puppies already?” jokingly teased Ken Thomas.

“Ahh, no, Ken, but, well, I do have something I ahh … I do need to tell you about before you ahh … before you hear about it from somewhere else. Are you sitting down?” said a serious Mr. Dan.

“Dan, this sounds serious and now you’re scaring me. Tell me what happened and don’t sugar coat it!” insisted Ken.

Dan thought about what his friends said, so without sugar coating it, Dan said, “Early this morning … there was a shootout at the estate,” and left it at that.

“Dan … there has got to be a lot more to it. So, please … tell me the whole story!” encouraged Mr. Ken.

“Ken, I gave you the meat of what happened, now I’ll tell you a bit more. You are sitting down, I hope? Anyway … three men … they climbed over the estate wall … over behind where the new storage garage is. Chief … she alerted me about them and woke me up. Then … well, then she went after them.

“Ken … I notified the Main Gate and told them about the breach, and four of the security men headed in the direction Chief had gone. Ken … the men … Chief had gotten to them and they shot at her, but luckily … she wasn’t hit. But that shot caused a shootout to happen between the security guards and the intruders, and eventually the sheriff’s deputies, who came when I called.” Dan then left it at that.

Mr. Ken wanted more, so Dan began telling his friend what had transpired at his estate beginning that Sunday morning at about 2 a.m. He told him everything again from the time Chief made her low and gruff “Woof”; all the way up to the time Sheriff Barnes came to the estate. Ken Thomas was astonished that Rafael Ruiz was still after Phillip, and probably for not being there to give him back his gun.

At breakfast that next morning, Charles asked his dad who called him so early that morning. The teen’s dad told him a ‘white’ lie that it was Mr. Dan asking him how the trip was going so far. Dad Ken then told Charles to go back eating his breakfast, so he’ll be ready to ride the coasters later.

The rest of the boys told their ‘dad’ that they all got a good night’s sleep, and just like the last time, even after all that sleep, they still felt tired. Mr. Wayne reminded them they’d all gotten up real early yesterday and then they had a three-hour plus flight, which messed with their circadian rhythm, and then they ran all around the amusement park and it all had an effect on them. The Estate Master added that it would take another day or two until their bodies adjusted.

Ms. Judy, who was sitting next to her friend Ken, told him that she was glad the boys had mentioned it, as she was also feeling a bit wiped out, and that now, she understood why. Ken told her she’ll sleep really good tonight after being at the park all day.

Mr. Ken asked the boys if they were going to break up into the same groups as they had yesterday. It was Collin who spoke up and said he wanted to ride with his other ‘brothers’ today and asked Mr. Wayne if he would change places with him, so he could join up with Mr. Dennis, Ms. Judy and his other ‘brothers’.

It was then that Mr. Ken’s cell phone rang. When the man answered it, he found that Chris Dominions, his Estate Manager, was calling him. Chris wanted to tell him what was being reported on the local news stations that happened at the estate early that morning.

Mr. Ken excused himself from the table, and walked away, so the boys couldn’t hear anything about what he and Mr. Chris were going to talk about. The man thanked Chris for calling and told him that Dan had called him already and filled him in, with a first-hand report, since he was there.

Mr. Chris told his employer that the news crews were stationed at The Cove wanting a comment from him. The Estate Manager added that the security guards have told them that he was away for the next ten days visiting his amusement parks, but the reporters have remained outside the gate. The Estate Manager warned him that with that little piece of information the news reporters will probably chase him down, so he needed to be ready to answer their questions.

Mr. Ken thanked Chris for telling him about the reporters knowing he was away visiting his amusement parks, and that he’ll have to tell them that he knows just as much as they do, since he wasn’t there when it all happened. Chris then reminded his boss that Dan was scheduled to fly out Wednesday and change places with Ms. Judy, in the middle of their visiting Discovery Kingdom.

While Mr. Ken was on his cell phone, the rest of the older boys were sort of shocked that Collin wanted to leave them and ride with Matthew, Mark and Phillip instead of them. Robert quickly spoke with Ryan, Charles, Billy and Eric to see if they wanted to stay separate, or join up with their ‘brothers’. They decided to go in a large group.

The Covers arrived at Fantasy Fun Park just before noon and Mr. Ken asked everyone to be back at the operations building by seven o’clock. But Charles spoke up and asked his dad if they could stay longer, so he could get aerial shots of the park with the lights on. But the teen’s dad told his son that they all needed a good dinner.

Robert quickly spoke up and told his dad that it was the adults who wanted a big dinner, but they didn’t care if they had a big steak and all the trimmings. The teen continued and added that all they wanted was a good burger and some fries and a cold drink.

Collin quickly told his Big Bro that the adults could take his limo back at seven, and he and his ‘brothers’ would take the other two vans back at eight, after Charles gets some good video with all the lights on the rides. The young man said they would then stop and get something to eat before arriving back at the hotel.

Mr. Ken stood there and then looked at the three other adults trying to gauge their take on what was proposed. Ms. Judy was the first to speak and said she agreed with Collin, adding that the boys want to ride longer and they are with two responsible young men, Collin and Ryan, so why not.

Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis concurred and suggested the boys needed to show they were responsible, and now that they were getting older, this was a good test. ‘Dad’ Ken told Charles, and the rest of the boys, to plan to leave by eight.

The boys were all happy about the decision and then headed over to the FFF Booth to get their Fastest Passes. The three adults stayed back with Mr. Ken and Mr. Shartz, as Ms. Judy asked to see what was ‘behind the curtain’. Both Wayne and Dennis said they’d never seen what was behind the scenes either, and that it would be nice to see what’s back there. Mr. Shartz said he’d find someone to give them the ‘behind the scenes’ tour.

Before the ‘behind the scenes’ tour began, though, Mr. Ken pulled the three adults aside and told them what had transpired at The Cove that early morning. The man told them that Dan gave him a first-hand account, as to what and how it happened, since he was actually there.

Their host then told them that the call at breakfast was Mr. Chris calling to tell him the same thing, but also added that the news crews were outside The Cove wanting a comment from him. Mr. Ken mentioned to the three chaperones that he now has to be on the lookout for news reporters and be ready to answer their questions.

After hearing what her host had to say, Ms. Judy said she couldn’t believe that the man, Rafael Ruiz, could be so vindictive. Wayne asked his employer if he was going to tell the boys. Mr. Ken said he wasn’t going to until they were on their way home, or until they hear about it on the news, or they see him answering reporter’s questions. The three other adults agreed with him that it was probably the best course of action.

After Charles got his Fastest Pass, he told his ‘brothers’ to go ahead of him, as he wanted to fly his quadcopter and get some good video of the park, while the sun was shining. He told them he can find them on his video screen, and then once he has some good shots he’ll come and find them. The large group of boys left the teenager there at the FFF Booth.

The large group let Phillip decide which rides he wanted to go on, so they went on the tamer ones to begin with like the Galleon, Scrambler, Octopus, Tilt-A-Whirl, and of course the train. That’s because Matthew asked to do that one, again.

After the train, the group headed over to the Bumper Cars. The Covers used their Fastest Passes and when it was their turn the seven of them took up about a third of the cars that sat on the metal floor. When the power was turned on, the younger boys headed for the older boys and tried to bump into them as many times as they could during the time they had.

Robert and Eric, though, went after Collin and Ryan more than their other ‘brothers’ did. But it really didn’t matter who went after whom, as the entire group had fun out on the floor, bumping into one another and getting bumped in return.

After the ride was over, Collin demanded a rematch later in the day. Robert and Eric promised him they’d take him up on that request. They all had a good laugh.

Surfer Wave and the Super Flyer were next and Phillip enjoyed them both. The older boys then asked to go on the Tomahawk, since they were in the area. Phillip had ridden it yesterday and was a bit hesitant to ride it, but Collin told him he could sit between him and Ryan and he’ll be OK.

Phillip thought about it for a few moments and, as he did, he told himself that he needed to do this and enjoy himself, as he’ll never get to do something like this ever again. The young Cover then told Collin he was ready.

The big group went over to activate their passes, but the ride operator knew who they were from yesterday and told them to wait and that he would put them all on the next ride. Two minutes later the group of eight Covers, Charles had joined the group by then, to the chagrin of the people already in line, loaded onto the Tomahawk.

As the Covers found their seats on the ride, they could hear the ride operator tell the people in line that they all had Fastest Passes. The individuals next in line were then allowed to fill in the remaining open seats. Then, before long, the ride began.

Coming off the ride, Phillip told everyone that this time it was better than yesterday, because this time he knew what to expect. All the boys laughed. Then the young Cover said, “Where to next?”

As the group walked along, they came up to a ride that Phillip passed up on yesterday, the Faster Up ‘N’ Down, which, in reality, is a tower that the rider is shot up and then allowed to free-fall back down.

The boys wanted to ride it and they went up the Exit to activate their Fastest Passes. But, again, Phillip, looking at the height of the ride, hesitated to go with them. Collin went back down the Exit to talk to his youngest ‘brother’. The young man told Phillip that after going upside down this should be a ‘piece of cake’, as you are strapped in the seat as you go up and then come back down.

Phillip said that he was afraid of how fast they got shot up the tower. Collin told him that was the fun part of the ride, and that when you get to free-fall back down you felt weightless and after riding the Tomahawk, this ride was tame. Phillip decided he’d ride, but he wanted to sit next to Collin.

The ride operator knew who the group was and had told them to wait for the next ride. So, when the current riders walked off the ride the twelve Covers, as the adults had now joined the boys, took up three of the four 4-person seats on the tower.

Once everyone was seated and belted in and the over the shoulder harness was in place, the ride operator got the OK from the ride attendants and he set the pressures and before the Covers knew it the seats were shot up the 150-foot tower.

Phillip didn’t know what to think as he found himself racing straight up the tower faster than he ever felt before. The seat assembly bounced a few times, then it rose to the top. From the top of the ride, Phillip got a good view of that section of the park. Then, before he knew it, there was a hissing of air and then the seat assembly free-fell back down toward the ground, where they also slightly bounced up and down a few times before settling to a stop.

“Why didn’t I ride this yesterday?” Phillip said out loud, to no one in particular, as he hit himself on the side of the head. “Boy was I stupid for not riding this!” His ‘brothers’ laughed at him.

As they walked along, Collin asked Phillip if he rode the Comet yesterday. The youngster said he saw how high it was and, as he watched the ride, he heard the people screaming when they went up and down the hills, but then when they came off the ride they were laughing and wanting to ride it again, and he didn’t understand why.

Collin told his younger ‘brother’ that yesterday he was probably afraid of the height of the ride, but now, after riding the Tomahawk and the Faster Up ‘N’ Down tower that was 150 feet high, the Comet should be easy for him.

Collin explained to Phillip that the hills are like when the Tomahawk goes over the top and when the Comet goes down it is like when the tower dropped and he felt a little weightless. Collin also told Phillip that the Comet train has lots of seats and each one gives you a different ride.

Phillip told Collin that he couldn’t understand how the same ride can give you different rides. Mr. Ken’s first foster son told Phillip that he needs to ride it a few times, in different seats, to find out for himself. But Collin told the boy that his first ride needed to be in the middle, to get a general feel for the ride.

Phillip asked Collin if he would ride with him, to the chagrin of Robert who also wanted to ride with his big ‘brother’. Collin smiled and said, “What are we waiting for?” The two laughed and hurried over to the roller coaster.

The other Covers were already at the Comet and had already activated their Fastest Passes and would be on the next ride, when the ‘johnny come lately’ Covers showed up to activate their passes.

When the next train came in and the ride attendants emptied it, they didn’t open the turnstiles, as they told those in line that they had Fastest Pass people who they would load first. As the Covers loaded, Collin and Phillip stayed back because they hadn’t activated theirs when their ‘brothers’ did.

But the ride operator knew who Collin was, from yesterday, so he motioned them both over. Collin had Phillip take the first seats of the third car, which would essentially put them in the middle of the train. The ride operator then let the people in line fill in the remaining seats.

When the operator released the brake, the coaster train slowly rolled down the slight slope to the lift chain and when it caught it startled Phillip. Collin grabbed the boy’s hand and told him to relax and enjoy the scenery, as they rode to the top of the first hill. He also told Phillip to hold onto the grab bar while they rode the train to the end.

Phillip was scared, but excited at the same time. Eventually he saw the front of the train go over the top of the hill and before he could ask Collin about it their part followed. It was then he felt the bottom fall out like he was falling down as if he was on the Faster Up ‘N’ Down, but before he knew it, he felt like he was on the Tomahawk as he went over the top of the next hill.

Phillip thought of the coaster hills exactly like that, at first, but by the time the train turned around to head back to the station, he was just enjoying the ride as it was supposed to be, and he found himself looking at Collin and laughing.

When the two Covers entered the station, Phillip found himself whooping and hollering just as the other people did and now, he understood. He asked Collin if they could ride it again, but in a different seat. The two Covers exited and then they activated their Fastest Passes again, so they could ride once more.

The other Cover boys were surprised that Phillip wanted to ride the Comet again, so they followed right behind him, and Collin and went and activated their Fastest Passes again.

The ride operator made them wait two trains, and with Collin and Phillip first in line, they took the first seats in the second car. Charles, Robert, Billy, Eric, Ryan and Mark laughed at Phillip telling him that he could have the first seat first car, but that he lost out. The remaining seats were filled with people who were waiting in line

Phillip didn’t understand what was so good about that seat, so Collin told him to compare the seat they are in now against what he experienced on their last ride. Phillip said he couldn’t wait and just then the brake was released and the coaster train was headed to the chain.

This time Phillip focused on the ride and he smiled and laughed the whole time as the coaster train went down the first big hill and then up and down the remaining hills. When the Cover boy returned to the station, he told Collin that he did recognize something between the two different seats. He said that the ride was different, as it felt faster being up front and that it was somewhat smoother.

Collin told his younger ‘brother’ that in the first seat he would feel the tight hug of the train on the track along with the rush of it going down the hill, with the wind in his face and hair. The older Cover continued and explained that in the last seat he would feel it as being loose and sometimes giving him more air time than you felt in the two seats, he already sat in.

Matthew heard what Collin was telling Phillip and then added, “Yea, and in the front seat you can get a free meal, too.” And then the pre-teen laughed.

Phillip didn’t understand what Matthew meant and so he asked him about it. But it was Robert who answered by telling his younger ‘brother’ that, “You get all these great tasting bugs in your teeth and they do have a wonderful flavor.’ The teenager then began to mimic picking the bugs from his teeth.

“Ewwwww, I don’t know if I ever want to ride the front seat,” exclaimed Phillip.

“Oh, he was just teasing you,” all the boys heard from behind them. It was ‘dad’ Ken. “The front seat is the best ride ever!” added ‘dad’ Ken. “What say you and me ride that front seat, Phillip?”

Phillip looked to Collin to see what he should do. Collin told him that if he doesn’t do it, his other ‘brothers’ will jump at the chance. Phillip smiled and showed his ‘dad’ his Fastest Pass and then asked him if he had his. ‘Dad’ Ken said he doesn’t need one, as he owns the park, and then laughed.

Joseph Shartz was out in the park with Mr. Ken, and they just happened to stop by the Comet when the boys had come off it. He heard what Mr. Thomas said about riding the Comet and remembered from last year the problem between the ride operator and the attendants and the owner of the park. He hurried up the Exit to head off any fireworks like what happened last year.

While Mr. Ken and Phillip were deciding to ride together, Eric was trying to get his mom to ride with him. Mr. Wayne and Mr. Dennis were all for riding the Comet again, before they left tomorrow, and so they were both looking for someone to ride with them.

In the meantime, Charles saw that this would be a great time to get some awesome quadcopter shots, so he pulled it out of his backpack and set it up. He was going to video his dad, and his ‘brothers’, riding the Comet. It was just then that the lights came on, for the ride, and he knew then that this would be a fantastic video.

As the twelve walked up the Exit, Charles got the copter flying and hovering high above the first 110-foot hill. Mr. Shartz told the operator and attendants to let this group load onto the next train, without question, and then to fill the open seats, before doing their safety checks and then to dispatch it.

Mr. Ken and Phillip sat in the first seat, first car, while the rest sat in the remaining first car seats and then whole second car seats to the chagrin of the people waiting in line, who then filled in the remaining empty seats.

When everything was ready, the ride operator dispatched the coaster train and Phillip watched as the coaster car traveled to the lift chain and then they rose up the first hill. Phillip was fascinated with the whole thing, but before long the car went over the top of the hill.

The thing that Phillip noticed was that they didn’t immediately rush down the hill, but that they kind of sat there until the rest of the coaster train came over the top. It was then that the young Cover felt like there was a push from behind and away he and Mr. Ken went down the 110-foot hill and then quickly up the next before he knew it.

The coaster continued to the back of the run and made the turn and headed back to the station. Phillip was thoroughly enjoying the rush he was experiencing from being in the front seat and the smooth ride it was giving him. ‘Dad’ Ken could hear his ‘boys’ laughter during the entire ride knowing he was having fun.

Charles followed the coaster with his quadcopter from the front, side and rear. The teen was trying his best to capture the entire ride of his ‘family’ and all he could do was hope the final product would come out worthwhile.

At the end of the ride, Phillip again whooped and hollered along with the rest of the riders. He then hugged his ‘dad’ and thanked him for doing that with him. Robert then came up to him and asked him if he liked the extra dinner he just had.

Phillip was perplexed at the question and then he remembered what Matthew said earlier, so he showed his older ‘brother’ his teeth to show he didn’t have any bugs in them. Then the two laughed.

It was after the coaster was dispatched, that Mr. Shartz told his ride operator and the two attendants that they had better remember who that man and those boys were, as they will be back in the future. The parks operations manager also recommended to them that they tell any of their friends who work there the same thing. When the employees asked him why, Mr. Shartz told them that the man in the white polo shirt owned the park, and that was his family.

The boys then bugged their ‘dad’ to ride the new Wild Mouse coaster, Mouser, with them. The park’s owner said he should, so he knows what he paid for. So, the entire group headed over to the new ride for that year, Mouser.

Phillip looked at the ride, as he walked up to it, and he wasn’t sure if he wanted to ride it or not. Collin saw the hesitation in his younger ‘brother’, and he went up to him and told him that he’s been on the Faster Up ‘N’ Down and the Comet and this is a mix of the two.

Collin then said, “Come on. I’ll ride with you!”

So, when the group activated their Fastest Pass, Collin and Phillip got into the coaster car together and when it began its rise up the steep hill, Phillip got anxious about now riding the Mouser.

Collin calmed him down. That was until the car looked like it was going off the end on the first turn at the top and Phillip screamed before the coaster car turned and went toward another end where Phillip screamed again. Collin told the boy that the wheel carriage under them was designed to give the rider that thrill and that no car has ever gone off the end.

By then the coaster car had begun going into its steep down hills and tight turns and then going back up only to do it all over again. It did that about four times before going over some bunny hills and then going into the station.

After riding the Mouser and liking what he had bought, Mr. Ken told the boys that he and the rest of the adults were headed back to the hotel and they would be stopping for a good dinner along the way. He then asked the boys if any of them wanted to go with them. Not getting any takers, the owner of the park told Collin not to stay past eight o’clock, because they all had to pack when they got back to the hotel.

After Mr. Ken and the rest of the adults left to get back to the hotel, and have dinner and get an early start on packing, Collin called everyone together and told them what his Big Bro told him.

Knowing it was well past seven, Charles began flying his quadcopter above as much of the well-lit park as he could, while his ‘brothers’ began riding the rides.

The one ride that they hadn’t ridden yet today was the steel coaster, called the Looper. This steel coaster was a two-seat across train which had a steep hill, a few inversions and some twists and turns, and the Covers headed in that direction.

As the group walked to the steel coaster, Phillip asked a lot of questions about it. He’d seen the coaster as he passed it yesterday, while he walked around the park, but now he was making up his mind as to whether or not he was going to ride it. Now he wanted to know how high it was. How fast it was, and was it as smooth as the Comet?

Phillip’s ‘brothers’ inwardly laughed at him, but Mark knew what his newest ‘brother’ was going through, as he was at that same juncture last year when he first started riding roller coasters.

“Phillip”, began Mark, “last year, Mr. Dan helped me get over riding the roller coasters, just as Collin did for you at the Comet. Just let Collin ride with you again and he’ll explain everything to you as you go along. Trust him!” finished Mark.

Phillip talked with Collin about the Looper and the young man told his youngest ‘brother’ that it was, again, just like the Tomahawk and the tower of the Faster Up ‘N’ Down with a little bit of the Comet thrown in.

Phillip didn’t believe him and said, “Now you’re just teasing me.”

“No, I’m not,” replied Collin. “The Looper … it will go over the top like the Tomahawk. It will then go down fast, like the tower and the ride will be smooth just like it was when you rode the first seat, first car on the Comet. You’ll see when we ride it together. Come on let’s ride!”

When the Covers arrived at the Looper, they walked up the Exit to activate their Fastest Passes. The ride attendants saw them coming and knowing who they were, from yesterday, decided to hold the next train for them.

Collin asked Phillip where he wanted to sit. The youngster said he wanted to sit in the middle. Collin asked him why and all the boy would say was that was where he sat on the Comet for his first ride there. Collin couldn’t argue with that logic, so the two sat in about the middle of the coaster train.

The Covers attached their lap belts and then pulled down the over-the-shoulder harness until it was snug. The ride attendants came and did a safety check before the ride operator released the brake and sent the train to the lift chain.

Phillip got excited as the train began its roll to the lift hill. He felt the coaster catch the lift chain and then be towed up the hill and, as it was, he looked around the park. He liked seeing the park all lit up with all the different colored lights. Then he noticed he was going higher than he did on the Comet. He turned to ask Collin how high the coaster was and all he heard was a hundred and fifty feet.

It was right then, when Collin told Phillip how high the coaster was, that the train went over the top and it raced down the hill, right into the inversion and directly into a zero-g roll. Then a few bunny hills that led into a turn-around helix which then went into a corkscrew roll and a right twist, then a left twist and then another zero-g roll before a bunny hill that led into the station.

When Phillip got off the ride, he told Collin that he loved that ride and asked if he could do it one more time. Collin looked at the time and said they had to hurry, so they ran over to activate their Fastest Passes.

The ride attendant knew that the person wasn’t allowed to do what the Covers were trying to do, but he knew that these people were the owner’s sons, and he told them to just get on the next ride.

The rest of the Covers had already gone down the Exit, when they realized that neither Collin or Phillip was with them. It was then they saw the two of them on the coaster going up the hill. Now they all wished they had stayed on the station’s platform.

Phillip chose a seat closer to the front that second time and he smiled throughout the entire ride. He loved the smoothness of the ride and that there were different aspects of the ride and not the same things over and over like there was in the Tomahawk, always going over the top in one direction, or the other.

“Thanks for telling us you were going to ride again, Collin,” a smiling Robert complained to his older ‘brother’. Collin then bopped him and told the group they needed to hurry to the vans and get back to the hotel, but first they needed to get something to eat.

The boys stopped at the first fast-food burger restaurant the drivers came to and they all got something to eat. It was well after 9 p.m. when the group returned to the hotel. They thanked the drivers and told them they’d see them in the morning.

Collin told his ‘brothers’ to head up to their rooms and pack. He reminded them to leave something out to wear tomorrow, and if they had questions to call his room and he’d come down and help them.

Mr. Ken and the other adults were in the hotel tavern having a few adult drinks when the boys came back from the amusement park. They saw them come in and hurry up to their rooms.

Mr. Ken decided he’d go up and remind them they were to meet down in the lobby by eight o’clock, so they could load the limos and head over to the airport. He would tell them that their flight was scheduled to leave by 9:30 and they had a 90-minute, or so, flight to their next destination.

The other adults decided to finish their drinks and then head up to their rooms to help the boys pack, and then talk to them about how they liked staying when the lights came on.

All of the travelers got their things packed, with what they wanted to wear tomorrow set aside. They talked with the adult they were staying with about how they enjoyed seeing the park all lit up and riding the rides, too.

Charles told his dad that he took lots of video and he was going to charge the batteries overnight. He added that he hoped the videos he took come out, especially the one he took of him and his ‘brothers’ riding the Comet.

Phillip told his ‘dad’ how he rode the Looper, twice, with Collin and that he loved how smooth it was. The young boy said he hoped that their next park had roller coaster just like that one. All ‘dad’ Ken did was smile and wish the boys a good night’s sleep.

The saga of Three Finger Cove continues. Let Chowhound know you are reading his story: Chowhnd at Gmail dot Com

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