Jack almost swallowed his tongue as his horse kicked up her feet to follow suit. He took one quick glance at Harry, whose eyes were so glazed, he thought he was going to pass out. “Smile for Yoko, Harry!”

Harry came back to the land of the living with a squawk that could be heard a mile away.

“Hey, Harry,” Jack said, peering at Harry’s horse, “I think your horse is peeing. And guess what? If that horse’s name is Cleopatra, then next year I’m going to volunteer to be a surrogate mother. And Bert’s going to be Mother of the Year.”

At that moment, Bert, unaware that his cover had been blown, bellowed, “Everybody slow down. We’re going to be making a left turn.” All the horses but Bert’s turned left. “She can’t back up. We have to turn around.”

“And that expert on horse names and gender runs the FBI!” Harry said as he sailed down the street like he was headed to the O.K. Corral, with his six-guns at the ready.

And then they were at the horse barn, the horses snorting in rhythm as the huge doors leading into the barn were rolled open. Snowden’s men burst out through the opening like they were shot from cannons. With scarcely any hesitation, they had the horses tethered and hooked to the sleigh. Sleigh bells jingled joyously.

“Which one is the lead horse?” Bert asked anxiously. “It can’t be Delilah. She just goes straight. I don’t know how she’ll do in a group setting.”

“And you would be?” one of Snowden’s men asked.

“Him! He’s the director of the fucking FBI, and the world’s leading expert on horses,” Harry said, pride ringing in his voice. The stupid look on the man’s face was all the reward Harry needed or wanted.

“I’m going to make sure you get audited, you crazy Asian,” Bert snarled.

“Take your best shot, Mr. Director. Lizzie made sure I’m clean as a whistle. Get your ass in this sleigh. We’re running late.”

“You getting all this, Espinosa?”

“Like I said, in living color.”

It was 11:20 when the sleigh, driven by Bert Navarro, slid to a stop in front of the Post apartment building. Sleigh bells jangled merrily as the occupants of the sleigh climbed out and un-hooked the first four horses, allowing the remaining four to pull the sleigh with Santa, his elves, and Ted Robinson.