As Johnny showered, he had no idea that the Phantom was busily preparing for a strike that would leave his pigeon helpless and thoroughly embarrassed. But then that was what the Phantom planned. It wouldn't do for his pigeon to know what was going to happen before the act. And so when Johnny turned off the water and reached outside the shower door for his towel, of course it wasn’t there. 
 

Johnny opened the door further and poked his head out, searching for his towel. It wasn’t on the peg or on the floor.  
 

“Now I know that I put it there…” he mumbled, looking again. A careful perusal of the locker area told him that he was alone, and so he scooted quickly over to his locker. Opening the door, he was shocked to find it empty. 
 

“Chet! This has to be him! I’m gonna kill him!” he said under his breath as he swept his hand through the back of his locker, hoping to find some hidden stitch of clothing. Nothing. He opened the lower drawer. Empty as well. 
 

A wild thought occurred to him, and after glancing around, he opened Roy’s locker. His jaw dropped when he discovered that it was empty as well. Forgetting his naked state for the moment, Johnny scampered to every locker, muttering oaths under his breath as he found each one completely empty.  
 

“I am absolutely gonna kill him!” he promised himself as he paused, totally stumped. “Wait a minute!” he said, snapping his fingers. “I’ve got clothes in the Rover!” He happily trotted for the door, pushed it open and peered through. 
 

The bay appeared to be empty. Surely he could scoot along the engine, then make a dash for his Rover. With a final look around, he slipped up next to the shiny vehicle.  
 

Distant voices caused his heart to lodge in his throat. Children’s voices. With barely controlled panic he opened the passenger side door and scrambled up into the seat. He closed the door just as Roy entered the bay with a group of Boy Scouts and two chaperones. 
 

“And this is where the engine and squad park until they’re needed,” Roy was saying. Johnny could hear the kids as they oohhed and aahhed over the impressive vehicles. Lying nearly flat, he hoped that no one could see him. 
 

“Hey!” a boy’s voice suddenly shouted close by. “Aren’t firemen supposed to wear clothes when they put out fires?” 
 

Johnny looked up to see a boy staring at him through the passenger side window. With a gasp he slid over to the driver’s side seat and tried to nonchalantly cross his legs. “Uh, Roy?” he called. “Roy? Could you get your little friend, please?” 
 

Roy came over and looked up at Johnny. “What-Johnny, why are you all wet? And where are your clothes?” 
 

“Ask me later,” Johnny replied through tightly clenched teeth. “Just get these kids out of here!” 
 

Roy shrugged, then gathered the boys and took them into the day room. 
 

Johnny waited until the last kid had left, still asking about the naked fireman. He then opened the door and jumped down between the engine and squad. It was then that he realized that yet another tour had entered the bay. 
 

“What is this, National Firefighters Day?” he grumbled as he jammed himself into the squad. 
 

The student nurses, led by Dixie McCall, walked slowly toward the front of the station. Johnny could hear Dixie explaining the role of the paramedics as she stopped by the side of the squad. Johnny closed his eyes in resignation. 
 

“And somewhere around here we have another paramedic, John Gage, who some of you may have already seen at the hospital,” Dixie was saying. 
 

“Uh, Miss McCall, I think we’ve found him.” 
 

Johnny froze as he locked eyes with a particularly attractive student nurse. It was her sly smile that caused him to return to his senses, and he grabbed the helmet from the seat next to him and quickly set it in his lap. 
 

Dixie appeared in the window. “Well, hello, Johnny! I guess you didn’t know about our little tour today?” She glanced down at the helmet. “Or maybe you did know about it!” With a wink she escorted the student nurses out of the bay. 
 

“Oh man, I’m gonna kill him! I am absolutely gonna kill him!” Johnny opened the door and peered out, half-expecting yet another tour. Seeing no one, he took a deep breath and ran for the back door. 
 

The parking area appeared to be empty. His Rover was parked directly across the lot. He knew that he had clothes in the back. It would be so simple to run to the vehicle, jump in, climb to the back, and grab some clothes. Then he would kill Chet. 
 

The plan began well. His run to the Rover went off without a hitch. However, the Phantom’s hand made itself known when he tried to open the door. 
 

Locked. And then he heard the hoots and whistles. He whirled around to see his fellow firefighters and both tours facing him, the kids feigning shock, the student nurses clapping and shouting encouragement. With his own cry of panic, Johnny huddled over, covering himself the best that he could while trying to hide behind the Rover. 
 

Cap allowed the torture to continue for another minute, then he sent the tours back inside the station. Chet wisely followed them in, and Roy carried a uniform out to his nearly hyperventilating partner. 
 

“Why don’t you get some clothes on?” he chided him with a grin. 
 

Johnny snatched the clothes. “Roy, I swear to you, I’m gonna kill Chet!” 
 

“Well, I have to tell you,” Roy replied dryly. “I never thought of you as the type to follow silly fads.” 
 

Johnny looked up from zipping his pants. “What are you talking about? What fad?” 
 

Roy folded his arms. “You know. Streaking. I never thought I’d actually see a streaker, but I guess I was wrong. Just goes to show that you never really know a person.” With a clap on Johnny’s back and a smile that revealed a wicked sense of humor, Roy sauntered back into the station. 
 

Johnny watched him go, his mouth hanging open. “Chet…and Roy! I’m gonna kill them both!”  

 

“Oh yes they call him the streak!

Fastest thing on two feet!” 

 

To be continued… 
 

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