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It was mid-day at Walt Disney World. Agent Z raced out of Cosmic Ray’s Starlight
Café, the woman in the yellow dress hot on his
heels.
Zach didn’t have time to see what was inside the envelope
he’d just stolen. He had to get away from his pursuer before she caught him
and took the envelope back!
The Starlight Café was directly across from the
Tomorrowland Speedway ride, so Zach headed there first. Zach ignored the shouts
of a nearby park employee and started to climb the fence. He ran across the busy
race track, dodging the small cars and their small passengers.
As he zigged and zagged across the main straightaway, Zach
looked back over his shoulder. The woman in the yellow dress was jumping down
from the fence, in hot pursuit!
Zach finished crossing the track and climbed the far
fence. He landed behind a grove of tall palm trees that hid him from a
busy sidewalk.
Turning left, Zach skirted the edge of the racecourse,
rushing past Donald’s Boat Ride towards the train tracks of the Walt Disney
World Railroad. If he timed it right, he’d be able to jump onto the passing
train—and make a clean getaway!
Zach and the train arrived at the same spot at the same
time. He leapt up and pulled himself into the lead car. Holding onto the rail,
he caught his breath for a moment. Then he waved at the woman in the yellow dress as the train
passed her by!
His pursuer was not so easily beaten. Running up the hill
to the train tracks, she managed to leap onto the rear of the caboose — without
Zach seeing her.
Up ahead, in the lead car, Zach was staring at a map of the
train’s route. He was trying to figure out if he should get off at the Main Street station or ride it all the way around back to Mickey’s Toontown Fair. If he
did that, he could walk from there back to Fantasyland.
Behind him, the woman in the yellow dress was quietly
working her way up through each of the cars. It was only when she reached the
first car that Zach happened to glance behind him — and see her standing in the
doorway!
What do I do now? Zach asked himself.
He scrambled
out of his seat and dashed to the front of the car. The woman rushed up the
aisle after him, coming close enough to grab the back of his shirt.
“I want that envelope, kid!” Zach heard her say.
“No way, lady!” Zach replied.
He made a sudden rush
towards the car’s door. With a little twist, he pulled out of her grasp—and
leapt out the door of the moving train!
Fortunately, the train had just slowed for a curve. Zach
landed, rolling, on a grassy hill. Within seconds he was on his feet and running
away from the train.
As he neared the Carousel of Progress ride at the edge of
Tomorrowland, Zach took a look back. He couldn't believe what he saw. The lady
tourist was jumping off the train, after him!
With the woman in yellow still in hot pursuit, Zach ran
into the Tomorrowland Transit Authority Building. He sprinted past the line for the ExtraTERRORestrial Alien Encounter, then
past the line for the Astro Orbiter. Trying to lose his pursuer in the crowd,
Zach then doubled back to the entrance to Space Mountain.
Isn’t there any way to shake her? Zach
wondered.
Zach started to push his way past the long line of waiting
tourists. As he pushed forward, he saw that the woman was still on his
trail.
Maybe I can shake her off on the roller coaster, Zach
thought
Zach rushed past family after family in the line. He heard their nasty comments and
cries of aggravation. But he he knew his only chance of escape was to lose the
woman in the darkened maze inside Space Mountain.
Once inside the huge Space Mountain complex, Zach rushed
forward. He found an open seat in the first car at the platform—much to the
annoyance of the group of teenagers who were at the front of the line. When they
started to complain, Zach briefly flashed his special full-admittance pass.
“This seat is taken—official business,” Zach said to
the teenagers, with as much authority as he could muster. This held them off for
the few minutes it took for the rest of the seats to fill.
I’ve lost her! Zach thought, catching his breath.
The cars started to pull away from the platform.
Seconds later, however, Zach realized that he had spoken
too soon. He saw a flash of yellow out of the corner of his eye, then turned and
saw the woman tourist. She ran down the platform and leapt towards the train,
tumbling head-first into the last seat on the roller coaster!
The cars thundered ahead into the darkness as Zach
contemplated his next move.
I should be safe during the ride, he thought. I'll
just have to make sure I get off before she does.
The roller coaster started to pick up speed as it rumbled
down the tracks. Zach hung tight as the cars swooped and jerked left and right,
gradually climbing the tracks to the top of Space Mountain.
Occasionally a flashing light would illuminate the cars. Otherwise the coaster
roared along in the dark.
During one of these briefly lit periods Zach looked to the
rear of the coaster. His mouth dropped open when he saw the woman in
yellow. She was climbing up and over the rows of seats, towards him!
Zach was in a seat in the middle of the lead car. The woman
was now just three seats behind him. Taking his cue from his pursuer, Zach
started to climb forward into the next seat, and then to the next after that.
“Sorry… excuse me… pardon me,” he said to the
passengers of each seat as he scrambled towards the very front.
The coaster had traveled about two-thirds of the way up the
mountain. Zach was having trouble advancing as the cars swooped down and then up
again, pushing his stomach up into his throat.
What do I do when I get to the front of the car? he
wondered—but didn’t take the time to answer.
A quick glance backward told Zach that he had a bigger
problem now. The woman in yellow had a gun in her hand—and she was pointing it
directly at his head!
“Get down!”
Zach cried out to the other passengers as he ducked down behind the seat.
He heard the first bullet
whiz by over his head.
The car took a sharp turn, and Zach felt himself jerked hard to the left. Then he carefully eased his eyes over the back of the seat.
Things were going from bad to worse. The woman in yellow
was only two seats behind him now.
Zach could barely hear the screams of the other passengers
over the pounding of his heart. He wasn’t sure if they were screaming because
of the roller coaster ride, or because of the woman with the gun.
It didn’t
matter, really—there was no place left for him to escape!
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