It wasn't long before Max and Cy-Croc reached the beach. There was a sign that said, 'Welcome to La Sugarville Beach'. It was a very massive sandy white beach with tall palm trees and shiny wooden deck chairs with tall parasols near them.

Max and Cy-Croc docked the wooden boat on the sand and helped the teenagers out of it.

"What's going on here?"

Everyone turned to see two dogs heading towards them on a big orange quad bike. The driver was African American with long black hair and wearing a police uniform and the other was a tanned blonde wearing a lifeguard's red one-piece swimsuit.

"Who are you two?" the lifeguard demanded, as she got off the quad bike. "And why didn't you alert the lifeguards?"

"That's because we are lifeguards ourselves," Cy-Croc said. "And here's real proof."

She got out of her coat two certificates. "Here are our lifeguard graduating certificates." She handed them over to the lifeguard.

"That's not my –" Max didn't continue because Cy-Croc put her metal finger in her lips.

"Well, it's lucky you came when you did, Budlin Maskton, Awel Caddell," the lifeguard said.

Max turned to Cy-Croc. "Budlin Maskton? Really?" he whispered.

"What? I thought it was a cool name," she whispered.

"No. Not cool at all. In fact, I can't think of a lamer name."

Then another lifeguard appeared. He was a pale-skinned dog with a long blonde hair and wearing blue sunglasses and wearing red lifeguard swim shorts.

"What's happenin', Captain Shell?" he asked the tanned blonde lifeguard.

"What's happening, Screwloose," Captain Shell said, "is that we have two new lifeguards."

"Awesome! Two nice additions to the beach."

"Not two additions, Screwloose. Two replacements."

"Replacing what?"

"More like replacing who and that who is you!"

Screwloose gasped and his sunglasses fell off on their own. "You don't mean –"

"That's right, Screwloose. You're fired!"

"But why?"

"Do I even need to say it? You're always sleeping on the job and you only go into action when I point out there's danger instead of using your own initiative."

"But, Captain Shell, I can only do so much at –"

"And another thing! You're always making excuses, even when someone nearly lost his or her life! Well, I can't take any more of you. Now, hand in your float and beat it!"

Then Screwloose sighed, gave Captain Shell his lifeguard's float and walked away.

Then Captain Shell shook hands with Max and Cy-Croc. "Congratulations on getting your new jobs."

"New jobs?" Max asked.

"Yeah, you both have proved your worth in five minutes than the entire three years I had with that idiot."

"Well, why did you hire him and keep him for three years then if he's so stupid?"

"It's a complicated thing," Captain Shell replied. "Anyway, just make sure you report to this tower before nine o'clock, sharp."

"Aye, aye, Captain," Max and Cy-Croc said together. They even saluted together.

"This is Sergeant Minton," Captain Shell said.

"A pleasure to meet you," Sergeant Minton said, shaking hands with Max and Cy-Croc. "Whether it'll be a pleasure to work with you, that'll be up to you."

"Was it a pleasure to work with Screwloose?" Cy-Croc asked.

"Not even for one single second," she replied, as she started the

Then Captain Shell got back on the quad bike behind the policewoman. "Good luck for keeping up the good work that you did you will repeat for tomorrow," she said to Max and Cy-Croc. Then she and Sergeant Minton drove off.

"PISTOL!"

Max, Cy-Croc and the teenagers turned to see a female cat with brunette hair. Max recognised this lady as another of his former neighbour, Peg. That meant the one that looked like Pistol was definitely Pistol and her mom calling her name also helped to prove it. Just like her daughter, Peg looked different herself since the last time Max saw her. Her hair was longer and was hanging down and she was wearing a black sports bra, purple pants and brown sandals.

"Uh, oh!" cried on the teens. "It's your mom, Pistol!"

"Good luck, Pistol," said another one.

Then all of Pistol's friends ran like the wind and left her with the lifeguards.

"There you are, honey!" Peg cried, as she hugged her. "Where have you been?"

"Well, it was a busy day at summer school so I decided to take a stroll on the beach and –"

"Are you the new lifeguards?" Peg asked Max and Cy-Croc.

"Yes, ma'am," Max said.

"Did you have to rescue her?"

"We found her and her friends on top of those giant, dangerous rocks, ma'am," Cy-Croc replied, pointing at them.

After looking at the dangerous rocks, Peg growled before she turned to Pistol. "PISTOL! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU? NEVER SWIM TO THOSE DANG ROCKS!"

"I'm sorry for trying to live a cool life, Mother," Pistol said sarcastically.

"Don't you dare give me that attitude with me, young lady!" Peg snapped. "You are not to spend time with those losers ever again!"

"But, Mom, they're my only friends!" Pistol snapped back.

"Friends who don't care about your safety are no friends at all!" Peg snapped. "They are a bad influence to you, nothing more!"

"But, Mom, I don't have any other friends, especially not at that lame summer school you sent me to."

"Well, if you paid attention to your classes and put in more efforts at your proper school, you wouldn't even be in that summer school in the first place! Now, collect your gear, put your clothes back on and get in the car!"

Pistol sighed as she headed to Peg's car.

Then Peg smiled as she turned to Max and Cy-Croc. "I just want to say thank you very much for saving my daughter and her 'friends'."

Max smiled. "No problem, ma'am." He was surprised that Peg and Pistol hadn't changed at all since Peg divorced Pete and she and her daughter left to move to Florida.

"It's part of the service," Cy-Croc said.

"Can I invite you to dinner tonight?" Peg asked. "As a way of saving thank you for rescuing Pistol."

"Well, thanks," Max said. "That sounds lovely."

"Well, follow me, then."

"I know her and Pistol, Cy-Croc," Max said, as they followed Peg. "They were my former neighbours."

"Former neighbours, eh?"

"Not just that. Pistol's the sister of my best pal PJ, who's also the closest thing I've ever had to having a brother and, dare I say it, Pistol's the closest thing I've ever had to a sister."

"And are you saying that Peg is the closest thing you've ever had to a mother?"

"Correct."

They arrived at Peg's yellow car in the cark park on the massive promenade, where Pistol, who was now wearing her red tank top, ripped black pants and brown sandals, was already in. They got in to sit in the back seats and Peg got in the driver's seat and then they drove off. Max and Cy-Croc were amazed at how beautiful the La Sugarville promenade was with its beautiful paving, its striking tall palm trees and its beautiful shops, restaurants and cafes among the many other grand skyscrapers.