1200 hours (12:00 P.M. Eastern Standard Time)

Dolphin Habitat Viewing Platform entrance

(Cecil's POV)

"Brick!" I said.

"Yes Cecil?" The dumb lump replied.

"Are you listening to me?" I said.

"Yeah?"

"Repeat what I just said!" I said.

"What!?" He asked.

"Brick! Were you not paying attention!"

"Paying attention to what?"

"This is why I do all the planning," I muttered.

"What did I just say!" I shouted.

"What did you say?" Brick asked.

I face-palmed, "You weren't paying attention were you," I said.

"My Mother was right," I said, "should have stayed a con artist."

"You were an artist," Brick said stupidly.

"An artist at ripping people off," I said.

"But that's illegal," Brick said.

"Well we're criminal bricks!" I said.

"What's a criminal,' Brick said.

"Don't have time for this," I said.

"Now, since you weren't paying attention. Have you seen that scary zookeeper lady," I said.

"I don't like her," Brick said.

"BUT HAVE YOU SEEN HER!?" I said.

I am this close to hitting him with my hat.

"No," Brick said.

"It's like pulling teeth," I muttered.

"But, I barely have any teeth," Brick said.

"Because you never used toothpaste," I said.

"What's Toothpaste?" Brick said showing his bad teeth.

"Now where are those statues?" I said.

"What statues?" Brick said.

"THE STATUES WE CAME TO STEAL!" I said.

"Oh," Brick said pointing to five statues at the entrance of The Dolphin Viewing Pier, "You mean those statues..."

"YES!" I screamed, "I mean good work Brick."

"Thanks Cecil you really are a pal," Brick said.

"Yes your my best friend," I replied sarcastically.

He was too stupid to pick up the sarcasm and just smiled, "Can we grab the statues now?"

"Brick back the truck up to the dock," I said, "I'll get the forklift."

"Sure Cecil," Brick said as he went off to The Delivery Zone.

The forklift I pilfered from The Receiving Warehouse was waiting nearby.

Staff Area

near delivery gate

(Skipper's POV)

We watched as Brick rounds a corner and enters The Staff Parking Lot. He jumps into a delivery truck and starts the engine. A beeping fills the air as the truck backs up to the warehouse dock. Brick has a dumb smile on his face as he jumps out of the truck a walked back towards the delivery gate. Petunia aims the 'new' cross-bow she got from Rico and had loaded a Tranquilizer cross-dart.

Rico went up to the tires with a power drill and removed all the bolts. Rico then took off the wheels and placed the now useless axials onto cinder blocks. Petunia fires a tranq dart (or two) at Brick causing him to fall down unconscious.

Petunia then called 911 and played a prerecorded Speak n' Spell message, "I just saw too thieves stealing golden statues from The Central Park Zoo. Oh no! I just saw one of them in The Staff Parking Lot! Come quickly."

"Now let's distract the other guy while the cops get here," I said.

"I'll tell you when they're coming," Petunia said hiding herself in a tree.

"Move out," I said.

Dolphin Viewing Area entrance

(Cecil's POV)

Since stealing all five of them would raise alarms I decided to take only two of them. Using a hand truck I loaded the two gold statues into a large crate. I gently lower the statues into the packing peanuts and then slide the lid down on them. I grab a nail gun and seal the crate. I then jumped into the forklift and started the engine. I slid the forks into the slots on the bottom of the crate and then lift the crate carefully. I jumped out and further secured the crate to the forks with some straps.

I pull out my walkie, "Alright Brick! Open the back of the truck. I'm coming around with the crate..."

All I got was static, "Brick. Brick? Are you there? BRICK!"

Suddenly a man wearing a trench coat, shades, and a fedora hat emerged from the shadows. The hands looked weird to me.

The man approached and in a weird electronic voice said, "I'm afraid Brick can't talk right now. Ha! Ha! Ha!"

"What did you do," I said, "to my... uh... business partner."

"He's knock out cold," The man said.

"Wait a minute," I said, "Who are you?"

"You worst nightmare!" The Man said before ripping off his coat, hat, and shades to reveal the Penguins standing stacked on top of each other.

The tall one was holding a Speak n Spell while the flat headed one just glared at me. The one with the scar and feather Mohawk was eyeing me with a crazy expression. While the small one was struggling to hold up the weight of his penguin brothers.

"You!" I said.

"Check-mate," The Speak n' Spell said.

"I know you have a translator!" I said, "use it!"

The Mohawk Penguin hacked up a weird device and tossed it to the tall one who activated it.

"Oh come on," He said pointing to The Speak n' Spell, "I became quite the expert with this."

"So I guess you want a verbal lashing then," Flat-head said.

"Oh shut up flat-head," I said.

The Penguins broke their stacks and jumped me. While I was distracting trying to get the attacking Penguins off me their leader did a running start. I turned to see the flat-headed penguins foot flying towards my face. It stuck me in the face and I went down. I sat up only for the penguin to karate chop me so hard my hat flew off.

"And while we have the translator on," the leader said, "you might as well know our names."

"Kowalski," The tall one said.

"Rico," The crazy one said while holding up TNT, "Ka-boom!"

"Private," the short one said.

"Skipper," The flat-headed one said before knocking me out.

(Skipper's POV)

We tied the two criminals to a pole and left the truck and parked the forklift nearby as evidence. The crate was opened so the police could see the two statues inside. We could already see the red white and blue lights from here. Petunia had rejoined us as The Police got closer.

"The cops are on their way," Petunia said.

"Good let's vamoose," I said.

"Aye Skipper," Kowalski said.

"Rico! Signature move!" I said.

Rico hacked up a smoke bomb and we disappeared as The Police came screaming into the staff lot. Cecil and Brick regained consciousness and got the worst wake-up call ever.

"Brick and Cecil," a police captain said, "Why am I not surprised."

"Keep everything where it is until forensics get here," the captain said.

"And somebody untie these two so we can cuff them!"

Meanwhile

Zoo Expansion Habitats

In front of a massive billboard for "When Dinosaurs Ruled the Earth: The Wonders of the Dinosaur age" and "The Central Park Children's Zoo" tarps covered too massive machines. The big long cutting Saw on one of the machines was poking out of the tarp. The two Chinstrap Penguins known as Kara and Stella (otherwise known as The Chinstrap Sisters) stood in front of the machines.

A radio buzzes to live as the unmistakable voice of Dr. Blowhole rang out, "The device is ready is the trap prepared?"

"Officer X just had the worst day possible and is currently doing maintenance on the Carousal," Kara Chinstrap replied.

"And Clemson is waiting in The Lemur Habitat," Stella added.

"Did you receive my presents by the way," Blowhole said.

"Oh yes," Stella replied with a sadistic smile, "Cutting this a big close aren't we?"

"Remember chase them across The Zoo," Blowhole said, "herd them right into X..."

"Then Clemson will grab them once X chases them past The Lemur Habitat," Kara said, "we know we know..."

"Don't worry their be plenty of them left for you to destroy," Stella replied, "But we're still going to rough them up a little."

"I expect nothing less," Blowhole said, "But try not to wreak the machines those were extremely spendy!"

"We won't put a dent in them," Kara replied.

"If The Pen-gu-wins come to me too injured to witness their defeat... I'm putting you two in the firing line of the device!" Blowhole threatened.

"We get it you don't like Penguins," Stella said.

"That's a mild way to put it," Blowhole said as he clicked off.

"I officially hate him," Kara said.

"Yes," Stella said, "But the pay is exceptional."

"True," Kara said.

"Now let's lay the trap," Stella said.

(end of chapter eight)