by Kirk Withrow
Even during the short time that Eric listened, the radio chatter’s tone became increasingly downcast. Soldiers complaining about being deployed to a hot zone were quickly silenced with rallying cries of duty to the nation and threats of court-martial. Although unspoken, the communications carried an implied sense that it would all be over soon. With every new transmission, he felt increasingly unsettled. When he thought he’d heard all he needed to hear and was about to switch the radio off, he heard something that piqued his interest.
“….ssshhhhh…roger, Captain…ssshhh…Operation Fat Lady…
…green…sshhhh…0800….”
Until that moment, the only other time Eric had heard mention of Operation Fat Lady was when Frank had asked him about it. Hearing the phrase, he couldn’t help but think of the man that had saved their lives. He tried not to think about what the older man must’ve endured at the hands and teeth of the zombie horde. More than anything, he hoped Frank had been one of the lucky ones who was now at peace rather than relegated to joining the ranks of the undead. The radio crackled to life once again, pulling Eric back to the present.
“Let’s just MOAB this bitch and go home,” one soldier said, the transmission far more clear than its predecessor. Several laughs and affirmations immediately followed.
MOAB…where have I heard that before?
Still confused, Eric listened intently, hoping to pick up on anything that might reveal what the soldiers were talking about. He heard several different people participating in the communications, each providing additional clues to solving the Fat Lady’s mystery.
“Hell yeah, I love the Fourth of July!” a boisterous soldier barked into the radio. “It’s just a shame Papa’s gotta take us home before the fireworks start.”
“THIS IS OPERATION COMMAND. CEASE RADIO COMMUNICATION ASAP. I REPEAT, CEASE RADIO COMMUNICATION ASAP. YOU ARE NOT AUTHORIZED TO TRANSMIT OPERATIONAL DETAILS VIA THIS UNSECURED LINE,” an authoritative voice said.
The stern transmission had the intended effect, as the channel immediately fell silent. Eric regarded the radio in his hand as though it were a snake poised to bite him. His mind raced as he sorted through the bits and pieces of what he’d heard, trying to fit them together in a way that made sense. All of a sudden, he remembered where he’d heard the term MOAB. His eyes went wide as the radio clattered to the ground.
“Surely they wouldn’t…” Eric muttered, so quietly he wasn’t even certain he’d spoken the words aloud.
Snippets of a news clip from several months ago flashed through his mind. An ISIS stronghold in the mountains of Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan. The grainy, black-and-white footage showing a massive airburst detonation that devastated the landscape and caused significant terrorist casualties.
The ordinance used in the strike was the largest non-nuclear weapon ever deployed against an actual target and had been given the moniker, MOAB—the mother of all bombs. At the time, Eric thought it looked more like something NASA would send to the moon than an explosive to be used against an enemy. Now, as he thought about Fun World, the zombies, and the MOAB, only one thing came to mind: It’s not over until the fat lady sings. Oh my God, the MOAB is the fat lady.
Eric’s mouth went bone dry as all the color drained from his face. His eyes instinctively turned toward the darkened sky, looking for any sign of imminent death from above. Still dozing, Lila stirred on the floor. Although he desperately wanted to share what he’d learned with another person, he didn’t think he could bring himself to drop something so heavy on his little girl. Even amidst her fitful sleep, her face was beautiful and innocent. He couldn’t bear the thought of destroying that by telling her that their situation had been deemed unsalvageable and that the military planned to cut their losses by decimating Fun World and everyone inside.
While the plan’s details remained unclear, he had no doubt that the government would be willing to carpet-bomb the entire park and everyone within a fifty-mile radius if it meant halting the spread of the epidemic. Given that he still knew nothing about the situation outside the park, he wondered if that were even possible. Alone with this terrible information, Eric fought to keep his thoughts and emotions separate. On the one hand, if what he’d discovered about Operation Fat Lady were true, it meant that the outbreak was serious enough that such widespread collateral damage was deemed preferable to a loss of containment. On the other hand, that such drastic measures were even being entertained meant that the consequences of not containing the outbreak would likely be even more horrendous. It also meant that the outbreak was likely localized to Fun World.
Having seen countless people fall victim to the infection, Eric had a basic understanding of how it worked. It was just like every Hollywood movie had portrayed it: you get bitten by one of the infected; you become one of the infected. It was a vicious cycle and it was as simple as that. Neither he nor Lila had been bitten, therefore they were not infected. Quarantine be damned, he wasn’t about to let his healthy little girl be blown to smithereens without fighting like hell to get her to safety.
Eric remembered hearing 0800 at the end of the communication about Operation Fat Lady. Were they referring to 8:00 a.m.? If so, was it the following morning? The day after? The static-filled transmission had been broken, giving him only fragments of information to go on. Regardless, whatever was being planned sounded imminent. Not knowing for sure, the only safe thing to do was assume they were referring to the following morning. Considering how long it had been dark, he estimated it to be around 9:00 p.m. He swallowed hard as he came to the realization that he had less than twelve hours to get his family safely out of Fun World, and out of the blast zone.
Lila groaned as she rolled to her back. Opening her eyes partially, she regarded her father with a confused look and asked, “What time is it? How long have I been asleep?”
Considering what he’d just learned, her mundane question felt like she was pouring salt in his wounds. He’d never been one to wear a wristwatch. What had seemed like a simple fashion choice before now felt like a death sentence. He gently brushed her hair out of her face, and said, “It’s probably around nine o’clock. You haven’t been asleep long.” He struggled to keep his voice calm and his expression pleasant. “But I think we should get moving. We’re close to the service entrance, so I think we might be able to get out of here tonight if we push hard.”
Lila sat bolt upright upon hearing his words. “Seriously? I’m ready,” she said excitedly. She looked to Eric like she couldn’t recall being more ready for anything in her life. Eric had been contemplating sharing what he’d learned while she was asleep, but he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Her enthusiasm made her angelic face glow even brighter. It was so refreshing to see something so beautiful in the middle of such an ugly world that the thought of destroying it seemed criminal.
18
Eric opened the door slightly, listening for any sign that the undead had moved closer while they’d been inside. Hearing nothing, he stepped out onto the tracks. About halfway back to where they’d entered the Vortex was a short, metal staircase that led down to a walkway paralleling the roller coaster’s rails. The waist-high door atop the stairs was locked, so he climbed over before helping Lila to do the same. When they reached the walkway, they crouched down, giving their eyes a few minutes to adjust to the increased darkness. He knew he was working against the clock, but he also knew that it wouldn’t matter if he couldn’t see well enough to get them through the Vortex safely.
As his eyes acclimated to the low-light environment, his gaze followed the metal rails as they wound deeper into the ride’s bowels before disappearing into the nothingness. With no noise to compete with, even the smallest sounds blossomed into something much larger as they reverberated through the steel and concrete interior. Contracting and expanding with the changing temperature, the building’s metal panels creaked and groaned as though an expression of the Vortex’s displeasure at Eric and Lila’s very presence. With Lila right on his
heels, Eric took the first tentative step into the blackness.
“I don’t like this, Daddy. I can’t see anything,” Lila said in a voice that started small and quickly spread out so thinly until all that remained was the vague sense that someone had even spoken. She reached out and grasped his belt loops tightly, something Eric found comforting despite it throwing him slightly off-balance.
Looking over his shoulder, he whispered, “Stay close. I know it’s dark but our eyes will adjust soon.”
With so many dangers lurking in the world, darkness could be unforgiving, even deadly. He, too, was scared, but he could think of no reasonable alternative. The zombie horde outside the building was thick, and they couldn’t afford to wait for the possibility it might disperse. Time was no longer a luxury they had on their side. He did his best not to think about it, instead focusing on putting one foot in front of the other as he kept an ear out for any sign of danger hiding in the gloom.
As Eric took another step forward, he felt a sudden jerk that nearly sent him tumbling over the walkway’s edge. Staggering, he regained his footing as terrified screams filled the air. At that moment, he became acutely aware that he no longer felt the gentle tug of little hands pulling at his waist. Lila! Panic-stricken, he spun around but saw only the faint glow of light reflecting off the metal rails. The silence that had filled the Vortex was now replaced by Lila’s earsplitting shrieks. She sounded so close yet he couldn’t see her anywhere, which made him wonder if someone—or something—had snatched her from behind and was dragging her back the way they’d come. He took several steps in that direction but stopped when he seemed to overshoot the sound. He turned back around, his pipe held out in front of him.
A tiny vibration underfoot snaked its way up his leg, causing him to look down instinctively. Although it was every bit as dark below the rails, a flicker of movement made him drop to his knees to investigate further. When he did, he felt the same tiny vibrations in his hands and knees.
“Lila!” Eric called into the darkness, the word echoing all around him.
“Daddy! Help me!”
Drenched in terror, her shrill reply seemed to come from Eric’s exact location. Confused, he stared into the bottomless abyss and caught sight of another blur of movement just before a violent shudder reverberated through the metal. The scream of pain that followed was so intense he found it difficult to process anything else. When his brain registered the shape’s pink hue a moment later, the realization that it had been Lila’s shoe finally hit him.
Without another thought, Eric leaned forward, reaching blindly into the seemingly infinite void beneath the tracks. He swept his hand back and forth, feeling nothing until a dull object slammed against his hand. Doing his best to follow it despite being unable to see it, he finally managed to close his hand around the thing even as it continued flailing frantically.
With a tenuous grip on her ankle, Eric said, “Lila, hold still.”
She never stopped moving or screaming despite his pleas, making it difficult to maintain his grasp on her ankle. Below before leaning out over edge, he hooked his legs under the walkway’s handrail to keep from falling onto whatever lay hidden in the darkness. Blood pooled in his head, the pressure making his eyes feel as though they might pop out of their sockets as he hung upside down from his chest up. He felt along the underside of the tracks with his free hand until he found was he was looking for.
Caught on the track, Lila’s taut shoestring was stretched nearly to the point of breaking. Had she been any heavier, it probably would’ve already snapped. At the time, teaching her how to properly tie her shoes hadn’t seemed like a lifesaving skill, but now it was the only thing keeping her from plummeting to what would likely be a terrible death. Even with his grip on her free leg, all her weight was suspended from the thin string, making it impossible to work it loose.
“Lila, grab hold of my arm and climb onto my back,” Eric said, his voice strained due to the pressure on his chest. Not knowing how long the shoelace would hold, he squeezed her ankle with everything he could muster. The muscles in his forearm quivered and ached as the lactic acid rose toward a critical mass. He felt her twisting and squirming but worried she hadn’t heard his request until frantic hands began clawing their way up his back a second later. As her weight shifted onto his torso, the burning agony in his arms ebbed considerably. The consolation was short-lived, however, as the addition of Lila’s entire body weight made it virtually impossible for him to breathe. Given that it was nearly pitch-black, he wondered if he would know when he was about to pass out.
The moment Eric felt her shoestring go slack, he let go of her other ankle and set to work trying to free her ensnared foot. He would’ve told her to hold on tightly had he had enough air to do so. After pulling the string in every direction and still failing to free it, he changed tactics. Grabbing the heel of the shoe in one hand and her ankle in the other, he pulled with everything he had. As soon as her foot popped out of the shoe, he felt her weight disappear as she climbed onto the walkway above. Using the last of his legs’ reserves, he pulled himself alongside her. Hearts pounding and breaths coming in ragged waves, father and daughter collapsed onto the narrow walkway, too tired to move an inch.
When he finally caught his breath, Eric asked, “You okay, sweetie?”
Lila whimpered in response to his question. “I was so scared, Daddy. I’m sorry; I promise I’ll be more careful,” she said, her voice wet and nasal. She sniffed in hard before letting out a slow, stuttering breath.
Eric leaned over and wrapped her in a strong embrace. “It’s okay. You have nothing to be sorry about. We’re getting so close. I need you to stay strong for just a little longer. Can you do that?” He felt her head nod as she rested it on his shoulder.
In the silence that followed his question he heard the sound that he’d been dreading from the moment they entered the Deep Space Vortex: hungry moans echoing somewhere in the darkness. Although it was futile to do so, he couldn’t help glancing around to see if he could spot the responsible zombies. He wasn’t surprised when he saw nothing at all. Kissing her on the forehead, he said, “Let’s get moving. I don’t know about you, but I’ve had enough of this place.”
Freeing the shoe was a breeze now that he was back on solid ground. He tossed it to Lila and felt around for the length of pipe he’d been carrying. Despite the fear of what might be lurking in the darkness, they had to keep moving. Being unable to see outside meant he had no reference for time. He had no idea how long they had before escaping Fun World would become a moot point.
Moving cautiously, one hand on the safety rail and the other holding the pipe in front of him, Eric guided Lila deeper into the Vortex. The wraithlike zombie moans faded the farther he went, though with no light, he wasn’t actually sure which direction they were heading. He tried not to think about the possibility that they were heading back the way they’d come. After roughly twenty-five steps, he saw something that gave him hope they were on the right track. Just ahead at the bottom of the shadowy abyss, faint beams of light streamed into what he assumed to be the roller coaster’s loading platform. The idea of descending deeper into the gloom wasn’t appealing but neither was being around to see what happened at 0800. The latter thought gave him all the incentive he needed to brave the darkness.
Several groups of cars lay still on the track as they neared the platform. Although it was still quite dark, the increased light allowed Eric to see more details. The platform was a mess. Trash, clothing, and other debris lay strewn about, indicating that the evacuation hadn’t been an orderly one. While he couldn’t be certain, he thought he saw several crumpled bodies lying on the ground. Fortunately, he saw no bodies moving around. It was quiet aside from a weak, rhythmic thud.
As though his head were on a swivel, Eric scanned the area around him intently, realizing it represented the highest likelihood of encountering zombies. Fortunately, there was nothing aside from the persistent dull thud. Just as he was about to
step back onto the metal walkway alongside the tracks, he caught his foot on something that sent him staggering forward. The unexpected movement caused Lila to let out a brief scream before, realizing her mistake, she clamped her mouth shut.
Eric instinctively looked down to the ground to see what had nearly sent him sprawling to the ground. Perplexed, he saw a dim yellow light bouncing up and down in the darkness. It took him a moment to recognize the hand that moved in conjunction with the strange light. Slower still was the realization that what he was looking at was a wristwatch. He must have activated the backlight when he kicked the thing. If there is still a God out there, maybe he hasn’t completely abandoned me…
No sooner than he’d finished thanking the heavens for his luck, the first ravenous moans started in. Although they were close, he still couldn’t see them. “Get behind me. And get that watch! Look for the light near the ground, and be careful,” Eric said as he readied himself to fight off the zombies that sounded closer with each passing moan. Even though there wasn’t enough light to see them, he quickly realized that he could see the shadow they created as they passed through the meager light filtering in from outside. Every time the light grew darker, he swung his pipe. Every swing was accompanied by a satisfying thud.