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Part 3
"Tank," Hal rasping to him on his cell phone, "you got to see this."
He snapped his phone closed, "This better be good. Lula hates it if I'm late for a date," running up to the fifth floor from four and into the Control Room.
The entire evening shift was standing around a monitor, laughing, holding their sides, crying, and trying to catch a breath.
"What?"
"Look," Hal was red faced from laughing. He backed up the tape for the big man.
Tank stood towering over the 'Gumby' forms of the hysterical men staring at the screen playing.
It was 9:35:15 the tape indicated. It showed a dusky street with some light provided from the street light on the corner. It was Stephanie's street he recognized immediately. Ranger hadn't come back to Rangeman, so he must have gotten his ass in the right gear. Out for his evening walk was Lorenzo with his poufed out little white poodle. He was in his usual white satin slippers, a cigarette in his hand, and swaggering in his old man plaid shorts. Tonight, the poodle had pink bows in its ears and a glow-in-the-dark cape. He watched it take its usual tinkle at the STOP sign. Proceeding down the sidewalk, they stopped while the white thing was sniffing. It was just beginning to squat at the edge of Stephanie's grass when this voice comes out of the dark, "I hope you are taking that with you!"
Lorenzo is looking all around him as is the poodle in mid-poop.
"Who's there?" A quake in the dog owner's voice.
"The Night Watchman," the ominous voice hisses.
They could make out the silhouette of a skip's worst nightmare. Looming there was Ranger's outline in the dark, hand on one hip, legs locked in his intimidating stance, and staring through a pair of night vision goggles.
"AUGH! Dont kill us! We're innocent!" Lorenzo jumps when he makes out a shadowy figure with glaring, glowing eyes focused on him and his precious dog. He gets his slippered foot caught in the leash falling down in the grass. The white puff ball 'Yips' and yanks on the lead. It's running back down the street the way it came with high pitched whimpers never getting to finish his job.
"Shoo, Beast!" waving the shaking slipper he had a death grip on to ward off the creature. The neighbor couldn't get it back on because of his trembling legs, "Fluffette! Fluffette, come back! Daddy didn't wipe!" stumbling after the poodle with the satin feathered shoe in one hand and waving a tissue in the other.
"Ranger, what are you doing?" Stephanie calls out from the entry.
"Nothing, Babe." He turns around to her, the camera catches him chuckling, "Just checking out the neighborhood."
"Now?"
"Of course, it's night time. That's when the crazies come out."
Tank was holding his side busting a gut, "He needs help big time."
THE NEXT MORNING:
Stephanie's doorbell rang and she answered it while Ranger is playing with their son before leaving for Rangeman. "Lorenzo! Is something wrong?"
The man appeared like he hadn't slept all night. His eyes were dazed, his grey hair wild, and he was glancing around nervously with a shaking Fluffette in his arms.
"I couldn't sleep at all last night. It was horrid!" His eyes were twitching as he spoke. "I want to warn you and all the neighbors. There was a full moon, I saw it. Fluffette and I were walking last night when a monster thing scared the crap out us. Pardon, my French, but it did! It's eyes glowed, splintered fangs, and I think it was foaming at the mouth."
"Really?" Stephanie was trying to be serious but that was an excellent description of her Cuban Bad Ass Werewolf who showed up in bed last night. She had the marks to prove it.
"Please, be careful. I'm thinking we may need to organize a neighborhood watch until it's caught. Be careful and lock all your doors," going down the driveway to the next house to warn them. The man and dog were frazzled. "I don't need this right now! We got to catch this animal now! There cannot be a crisis next week like this. My schedule is already full. This will push me into my nervous breakdown even sooner!" waving a hand as he talked to himself disappearing at the next property.
She couldn't control her laughter. Stephanie thought she got a whiff of garlic lingering in the air.
"Babe, what's wrong?"
She was trying to shake a finger at Ranger but she was laughing too hard, "That poor man wants to get a neighborhood watch together to find a Cuban Werewolf."
Smirking at her and a squirming Brody, "Babe, they don't exist, but I could lend my expertise to the watch party."
"Don't you dare! And quit scaring the neighbors!"
"Me, Babe?"
