Monday
The three penguins lined up in front of their leader. “Mission, sir?” asked Kowalski, saluting.
“Right,” replied his commander. “Years ago, I received a call of help from our cousins the turkeys.”
“The turkeys are our cousins?” repeated Private.
“Yes.”
Private’s face grew worried. “So our cousins are being butchered as we speak?”
Rico’s face, on the other hand, was disturbingly dreamy. Ignoring the look on Rico’s face, Skipper continued. “Like a fool, I turned it down.”
“Isn’t it breaking the penguin code?” asked Kowalski.
Skipper glared at him. “Done here?”
“Affirmative.”
“As I was saying,” said Skipper, looking at them each in turn. “The mission was to help the turkeys from their annual massacre.”
The penguins’ faces grew solemn. “So, we’re going to help them?” ventured Private.
“Affirmative,” replied Skipper. “No American turkey is going to die this year.”
He handed out files to each of them. “This is the plan. You have precisely twenty-four hours to know and memorize everything.”
“Everything?” repeated Rico in his way.
“Everything,” confirmed Skipper.
He walked toward the ladder. “I suggest you get started on it right away.” With that, he was gone.
The penguins looked at each other then at the stack of filed each of them was holding. Sighing, Private carried his files to the table. “We’d better get on it.”
Kowalski followed. “I should invent something that allows you to put things into your brain without memorizing it,” he mumbled, sitting down beside Private.
Rico looked at the files one more time before heading to his bunk.

0600 hours Tuesday.....

Skipper blew the horn. “Up and at ‘em, boys!” he yelled.
One by one, his unit got up and lined up in front of him. He walked over to his rookie. “Private! What’s the name of our intel?”
“Turk, sir!” replied Private.
Skipper nodded and walked over to Kowalski. “Kowalski! What’s his origin?”
“His ancestors were from Turkey!” Kowalski stood rigid. “Like all the turkeys,” he added under his breath.
It was Rico’s turn. “What are we doing, soldier?” Skipper asked.
Rico said something that was incoherent to Kowalski and Private, but apparently, Skipper understood him. “Not bad, soldier.”
He walked in front of his team. “When are we moving out?”
“0630 hours, sir!” they answered.
Skipper was impressed. “Very good. You all know what this means.”
“Snow cones,” whispered Kowalski. “Please say it.”
“Snow cones,” declared Skipper. “Go satisfy your thirst for pleasure.”
“Yay!”
The team went topside to the park. Skipper walked over to the coffee machine and began brewing himself a cup. “Nothing like a cup of coffee in the morning,” he declared.
The hatch opened, and Marlene popped in, almost causing Skipper to spill his coffee. “Marlene! Would you ever learn how to knock?” said Skipper crossly.
The otter apologized. “ Sorry. I was wondering, do you have any spare nails? I’m hanging up more pictures.”
“It’s in the closet,” said Skipper, pointing at their untidy, dangerous storage room.
Marlene peeked in. “Uhh, you know, never mind.”
With that, she hurried out of the HQ. Skipper shrugged and continued sipping his coffee. ‘Mammals,’ he thought. ‘They can never make up their minds.’
Minutes later, his team returned from their little expedition. Skipper saw them. “All right, men. It’s go time. Kowalski! How’s our cover?”
Kowalski switched on the holograph. “Ready, sir,” he reported. “I’ve installed a function that only allows us to switch it off!”
“Rico! Private! How’s our security measure?”
“Good to go, Skipper!” said Private.
“Saddle up, boys, we’re in for a long ride,” said Skipper, climbing into the car.