Page 4 of Shenanigans

Tinkerbell looked up at me like I was nuts and barked.

“No. The dogs won’t bite me or you.”

She barked again.

“Because I won’t let them.”I surveyed the wire enclosure in the middle of the warehouse and grimaced. The floor was covered in blood-soaked sand and was that a finger? My stomach knotted in horror. Holy shit, it was. Did the broken nail have sparkly polish on it? Kind of looked like it, but if I checked, I could mess up the crime scene. The cops got pissy when you did that. Besides, just the thought of picking it up, gave me the heebie-jeebies. I’d get the dogs and chickens to safety, then call the police.

Tinkerbell woofed urgently.

“You’re right, we need to leave, but all of you won’t fit in my van.”Should I call Tom or Dick or Harry for help? They were all animal rights activists, tough as nails and lethal in a fight. I reached for my cellphone.

The hawk screeched.

I linked with him. The pendejo and two of his buddies had pulled up in a van with Lopez Meats on the side. Crap. Feeding time. I scooped up Tinkerbell and put her in the hidden saddle bag pocket of my habit.“Be very quiet.”

Drawing heavily on my psychic abilities, I took control of every critter in the warehouse and unlocked the cages as fast as I could.“Stay. No barking or crowing.”

Silence reigned. Smiling, I stepped into the shadows and waited. The Ringmaster was about to find out what it felt like to fear for your life.

“Who forgot to lock the damned door,” Tomas yelled as he stepped inside the warehouse.

I blinked at his sparkly gold Ringmaster baseball cap. Someone had an ego.

When no one answered him, Tomas growled, “Who?”

“We no have keys, jefe,” A thug answered, carrying a box of meat towards the dogs.

The other thug peered nervously over the top of his box. “Why they so quiet?”

“Who cares? Just feed them,” Tomas ordered.

“No bueno they so quiet.” The thug approached the penned dogs.

“Sic ‘em.”

As one the growling dogs charged out of their cages.

“Dios mio,” The men cried in unison, dropped the boxes and scattered like frightened rabbits with the snapping, snarling dogs in hot pursuit.

Baakkk!Baakkk! Baakkk! Baakkk!The roosters burst out of their coops. Their outstretched claws latched on to the freaked-out thugs’ heads.

I winced. That’s gotta hurt.

“Aiieeeee! Aiieeeee! Aiieeeee! Aiieeeee!” Flapping their arms like crazy chickens, the two thugs ran out the door with several of the barking dogs on their heels.

Boom! Boom! Boom!Tomas fired a big ass .50 caliber Desert Eagle pistol at the dogs. “Die hijo de putas.”

Well, hell.“Run!”I yelled mentally.

The rest of the pit bulls and chickens fled.Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!Bullet holes peppered the metal walls.

A rooster snagged Tomas’s fancy ball cap and flew off with it.

“That fucking puta is responsible for this.” His face a mask of rage, Tomas fired at the chicken fluttering around the rafters.Boom! Boom! Boom!

Pigeon poop and mummified bird parts rained down.

Thank the Lord, Tomas was a piss-poor shot. I eased towards the door.

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