1100 hours (11:00 A.M. Eastern Standard Time)

Main Gate

(Kowalski's POV)

The Four of us and Petunia walk towards the front gate. A Sleigh display was positioned near the snow dusted and Christmas light covered Zoo Map. A large full-sized wooden sleigh with iron skis, solid wood construction, and copper trim attached by ropes and harnesses to twelve reindeer statues dominated a wooden platform.

"Commercialism at it's finest," Skipper said.

"Alright," I said, "we might get an idea of any other threat from the high point on the clock tower."

The bell on top of the gate's Clock Tower was chiming out Christmas tunes. The echoes of charity bell ringers at the street corners and carolers singing in the park could be heard in the crisp winter air. Somebody spray painted, "Merry Christmas" on the main gate's brick work. A poster for the Time Square New Year's countdown was haphazardly posted next to the festive graffiti.

"Alright," Skipper said, "Get the grapple hooks we're doing some climbing..."

"Actually?" Parker said hopping out of the sleigh, "I'm afraid I can't allow you to get to the high ground."

"Parker!" I said.

"I knew it!" Skipper said, "I knew Blowhole was involved!"

"You do know that I don't just work for Blowhole right?" Parker said.

"You don't?" I said.

"I'm a mercenary," Parker said, "I go where the pay is good."

"So are you working for now," Skipper said.

"I'm not obliged to disclose the information," Parker said.

"Let's see what my fist says about that," Skipper said making a fist with his flipper.

"Now if you excuse us," I said, "We have some surveillance to do..."

"On top of that Clock Tower!" Private said.

"The Zoo has a Clock tower?" Parker said.

"Yes," Private said.

"You mean that Clock Tower?" Parker said hitting a detonator as he pointed at it.

We all ducked as The Tower explodes sending masonry flying everywhere. The Bell crashed to the ground behind us making one final clang sound. The bell reverberated for a bit and then went quiet as gears and machinery fell all around us.

"What?" Private said.

Skipper tackles Private out of the way as the hour hand smashes into the pavement. The tip of the clock hand got impaled in the pavement at the exact spot Private was standing.

"Duck!" Skipper screamed and we jumped out of the way of one of the hammers that usually strikes the bell.

The other hammer and the ruins of the two bronze monkeys crashed around us causing massive cracks and holes in the pavement. The rotating platform with the bronze lion and zebras intact smashed through the roof of the Zooviner Shop. Oddly none of the humans heard or saw the devastation to a city landmark. A duck landed next to Skipper and quacked. Rico looked at the Duck with a shocked expression and shuddered.

"Hey! I didn't land on your face this time," The duck said.

"Weird," Private said.

Julien's mystical adviser chameleon appeared on Private's shoulder and said, "I know right."

"AH MASIKURA!" Private said.

"I have that effect on people," She replied.

"Great another randomly appearing person," Skipper said.

Suddenly the old squirrel appeared (thunder and lighting and all) in a gust of snowy wind, "IS that a problem?" She asked.

"No," Skipper said.

"What? How?" Petunia said.

"That's my little secret I'm afraid," The squirrel said as she was gone in another flash of lighting.

We all look at Masikura, "Hey don't look at me," She said, "I'm old but I don't know all the old people."

With that she went invisible and disappeared. This was followed by a large explosive fart.

"MAGGIE THE UNWASHED!" Masikura's disembodied voice said.

"Sorry," a voice that reminded me of that Graveyard Eight's demonic-voiced driver said.

"Wait..." I said, "where's Parker?"

"Show yourself Monotreme!" Skipper said.

"We're not scared of your Mr. Duck Bill!" Private said.

"Yeah!" Rico said.

"I demand you show yourself!" Skipper said., "Where are you!"

We heard a shuffling behind us, "I have a cross-bolt with you name on it!" Petunia said raising her crossbow as we all turned.

We heard movement in the bushes and we carefully approached, "Hiding isn't going to help," I said as our possum friend lined up the shaking bush in her cross-hairs.

There was a click as she flipped off the safety and cocked the crossbow, "Where are you hiding platypus!"

"Come out now," I said.

"Where are you?" Skipper demanded, "Stop the games!"

"Sure," Parker's voice said as we all struggled to find the source of the sound.

"Enough," Petunia firing a bolt into each bush.

Rico hacked up his Flamethrower and burned each of the bushes.

"Oh you're freezing," Parker said.

Rico fires his rocket launcher at a nearby trash can, "warmer..." The platypus mocked.

Skipper chainsaws a tree, "cooler," Parker said.

I blast a lamp post with my Plasma Blaster disintegrating it, "Colder..."

Rico lights the Christmas display sleigh on fire destroying it, "Not even close," Parker said.

"PARKER!" Skipper screamed, "Where are you coward!"

Parker tapped Skipper on the shoulder, "Right here."

Parker hits Skipper with his toxic spur before he could react. Skipper falls face first to the ground as Parker turns to face me. Private and Rico jump him only to get punched and then kicked with the toxic spurs. Petunia tried to level the crossbow only for Parker punch it our of her paws. Parker then delivered a roundhouse kick hitting the possum with a toxic spur. The possum, Rico, and Private dropped to ground around a snoring Skipper. I pick up the cross bow and went to hit Parker with butt of the bow. Parker dodged and ripped the cross-bow out of my flippers. Parker broke it by smashing it repeatedly on the side of a metal trashcan cage. Parker dropped the broken crossbow and then tried to slash me with a cross-bolt.

I ducked to avoid the tip and then bowed to dodge Parker's toxic spur kick. Parker tried again only for me to grab his foot and flip him to the ground. Parker broke free and stood up and punched me to the ground. I spun on my side and kicked Parker's webbed feet out from under him. I got up and jumped him before he could fully recover. We rolled across the ground exchanging punches.

Parker kicked me off him sending me smashing through a brick wall. Parker walked up to the penguin shaped hole in the wall. He leaned in to see if I was knocked out. I quickly sat up and head-butted the platypus and followed it with a punch. Parker went down and was instantly knocked out. Parker quickly recovered only to met Skipper's taser. Parker got shocked and was quickly and completely stunned. Parker recovered again only to find himself facing a Plasma Blaster, and arcing taser, a rocket launcher, a metal pipe, and the splinter filled remains of a cross-bow stock.

"You win this round," Parker said, "oh and watch out for a certain pair of mismatched thieves! I heard there's some statues they would be interested in. Five of them in gold."

Parker then throws a smoke grenade to the ground and disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"The new dolphin statues," I said.

"So the two-bit thieves have gold fever?" Skipper said, "There's only one known cure for that!"

"Jail time?" I said.

"No! A massive beatdown," Skipper said.

"Take out the brawn first," Skipper said, "Then we can deal with the brains!"

"I have some options," I said, "if you want to hear them..."

Skipper said, "No time for options! Commence Operation: Go for Gold!"

"But," I said with a sad expression, "you always want options..."

"GO! GO! GO!" Skipper said.

(end of chapter seven)