Daniel Wolford stood alert, ears perked and eyes sharply focused on the darkness around him. The gray wolf raised his taser, ready to catch the criminal if they tried anything. Breathing deeply, he heard a scraping noise to his right. Quickly turning to the noise, he aimed his weapon, but couldn't see anything moving. Taking a few cautious steps forward, the canine sniffed the air before realizing too late that he had been tricked.

A heavy paw knocked his weapon out of his paws and shoved him roughly into the wall. Wolford gasped in pain, and a moment later found himself on the ground, pinned under a massive weight. He struggled to free himself, but his arm was wrenched painfully, and he felt a pair off cuffs bind his wrists together. "You lose again, scrawny," a smug voice said directly next to his ear.

The lights came back on, and Wolford quickly shut his eyes so they could adjust to the sudden brightness. "Yeah, yeah. Uncuff me." His opponent helped the downed wolf to his feet and removed the pawcuffs from his wrists. "Thank you."

The tiger grinned. "Least I could do for the loser."

Wolford growled but didn't respond to the insult. "Next time you don't need to be so rough, Delgato," he grumbled, rubbing his sore shoulder that had hit the wall. "I'm not really a criminal."

"Wolford, are you alright?" Turning at the voice, the two recruits saw the drill instructor, a polar bear, walking toward them.

The gray wolf nodded. "A bit sore, but I'll be fine."

The bear smiled. "Good. Now, tell me what you did wrong," she said.

Wolford's eyes dropped to the floor. "I was relying too much on my vision. When I started using my nose, I could tell where Delgato was, but it was too late by then."

"Correct. Never forget your instincts; you have 'em for a reason." She turned to the tiger. "And you?"
"Uhh… I caught him. What more is there?"

The polar bear caught Delgato with an icy stare. "He's lucky you didn't dislocate his shoulder. Predators like us are already seen as dangerous. We don't need you bullying mammals into agreeing with the sentiment."

Now the tiger averted his eyes. "Yes, ma'am. Won't happen again."

"It better not. Now, both of you head to the cafeteria. Training is done for the day."

The two recruits saluted and followed orders.

"What do you think?"

Wolford looked up from his phone upon realizing he was being addressed. "What?"

Officers Fangmeyer and Lupe snickered at him. "I asked if you wanted to try the new bar after work tonight," Fangmeyer said.

Wolford shook his head at the other two wolves. "I'd love to, guys, but I got a date with Jenna tonight."

Fangmeyer barked out a laugh. "No wonder you weren't paying attention to us, ya lovebird."

Lupe smiled. "It's been four years. Are you ever going to propose?"

"Aww, leave him alone. If he wants to make her wait forever, then that's his choice," Fangmeyer teased.

Wolford rolled his eyes at his friends. "I'm twenty-four, and she's twenty-two. We're not exactly old. There's no hurry."

"I bet she doesn't agree."

Wolford's reply was cut off as Chief Bogo entered the bullpen. "Alright, listen up!" the cape buffalo said loudly. "We've received numerous reports of suspicious activity throughout the Meadowlands and several abandoned buildings here in Downtown. Grizzoli, Higgins, and Delgato, take the Downtown cases, The Pack can look into the Meadowlands." The three wolves' ears perked up at the mention of their collective nickname. The three wolves, being the only ones of their species at precinct one and being near the same age, had developed a strong bond. No one was surprised, given that wolves are pack mammals. The three got up to collect the case file as they heard Officers Hopps and Wilde get assigned to patrol Tundratown. Wolford chuckled inwardly. He wasn't particularly close to the ZPD's newest and smallest recruits, but had had to admit they did a good job with the Nighthowler Case. Still, he was glad they got Tundratown instead of him.

"What does the file say?" Lupe asked Fangmeyer, who was holding the folder.

"Several mammals in the Meadowlands has reported strange noises coming from some abandoned houses in the Projects, mostly at night. No one has seen anything, though, so there are no suspects."

"There are Projects in the Meadowlands?" Wolford asked.

"There are Projects in every district. Part of the legislation that got passed with the Mammal Inclusion Initiative," Lupe replied.

"Says here a deer named Holly Garvey was the first to report something. We can start with her," Fangmeyer continued. The white wolf, being the oldest, usually took the lead on cases. "She doesn't live in the Projects, though, just near them."

Thirty minutes later the trio pulled their cruiser up outside Holly's house. Wolford took it in as he climbed out the back seat. It was well kept, the red paint shining in the sun and the lawn well maintained with a beautiful garden of lilies under the large front window.

"Nice place," Lupe commented. The other two nodded in agreement. Fangmeyer rang the doorbell. A few seconds later the door opened to reveal a buck dressed in soil-covered clothing.

"Yes?" he said as he took in the three wolves. Wolford saw a flash of fear in his eyes, but it went away quickly. "How can I help you officers?"

Fangmeyer cleared his throat. "We're looking for a Miss Holly Garvey. We'd like to ask about the report she filed with the ZPD about the Projects."

The buck nodded. "Yes, of course. Come in." He stepped aside, allowing the trio into the house. "Holly!" he called, "Come down here. The ZPD have questions for you."

"One moment!" a female voice called.

Wolford took the opportunity to look around the house, seeing his friends doing the same. It was furnished quite nicely. The two deer were obviously well off.

"Good morning officers. You have some questions for me?" The three wolves turned at the voice, while the buck went back outside. Wolford saw him head toward the garden through the window.

"Yes," Lupe started. "What time did you notice the suspicious activity you mentioned?"

"It was close to sundown. I was just walking back from a friend's house when I heard crashing and what sounded like arguing coming from inside one of the houses. When I told my friend later, she said the house was supposed to have been abandoned for a few months now."
"Do you know if your friend ever went to check it for herself?"

"She never said anything."

"Do you know the houses address?"

Holly shook her head. "No, but there aren't many empty houses there. It was blue. I can give you my friend's address if you like to talk to her."

Fangmeyer and Wolford, who had both been taking notes during the exchange, looked up. "That might be helpful." Fangmeyer said. "We'll take any help we can get."

As Fangmeyer got the new address from Holly, Lupe and Wolford went back to the cruiser. "What are you thinking?" Wolford inquired, seeing his friend's expression.

"That there's a reason Bogo kept Wilde off this case."

Fangmeyer opened the door as Wolford asked "What do you mean?"

"Nocturnal animals hiding in the Projects? I'd be willing to bet it's foxes."

Fangmeyer shot Lupe a look as he started up the car. "Don't let anyone hear you say that, least of all Wilde and Hopps." Lupe only nodded. "Anyway, we have a few more interviews to do closer to the not-so-abandoned house, so it'll be faster if we split up for them. I'll talk to Holly's friend. Lupe, you go to Mr. James Hill, a raccoon, and Wolford can talk to the Clarks, a couple of ferrets," Fangmeyer laid out the plan for them as he pulled over in front of a house, this one considerably less nice-looking than the Garvey's had been. "Meet back here when you get finished."

The other wolves nodded, climbed out, and set off toward their destinations.