The drive to Tundratown had been quiet. After thirty minutes sitting in the clean but unremarkable interior of Jack's car, they came to a tiny, nearly unmarked alcove, which led to a set of stairs on the mostly deserted road.
Parking on the snowy, industry surrounded street, Jack stepped out of his car and motioned for Nick to follow. The two trudged up creaky wooden steps to a dented metal door with no apparent handle. Jack placed his hand against it briefly before Nick heard a soft click and witnessed as it swung toward them ever so slightly. The rabbit hastily slipped inside. "Close it behind you."
Nick followed carefully. He had begun to feel uneasy about everything that was happening and his senses were kicking into a heightened level of alertness.
Following Jack, Nick was momentarily stunned.
Inside it was warm and bright. The floors were hardwood, while the ceiling was painted piping and metal beams, almost two stories high. The windowless space was huge but inviting with several couches and throw rugs arranged across the floor. In the corner was an open kitchen - a huge marble counter top dominated area, surrounded by high stools and illuminated by elegant, low hanging Edison lights.
Nick spotted a massive wall mounted television, a well stocked bar, and a spiralling staircase which led up to a loft style bedroom. Still in awe, Nick's attention was finally drawn away from the spectacular apartment when Jack pressed a button by the door and a fireplace across the room sprang to life with a soft whoosh.
"Throw your coat anywhere. Do you like halibut?"
Nick was still too stunned to approach the current conversation with his usual level of snark. "I love it. Haven't had any in awhile. Lost most of my luxuries when I had to pay my back-taxes."
"Well, I've been told I make a passable filet. Hopefully it won't disappoint. Do you feel like a beer or would you prefer wine. I have a nice red and a tolerable white."
Nick laughed, "Well since you sold the white so… very… uh."
His mind had been all awhirl at everything that was happening. So much so, that he had failed to ask even the most basic of questions. "Is this where you live?"
"It is indeed."
"And you are what? Making brunch?"
Jack was just opening the refrigerator when he spoke again, "You are again correct my good Mr. Wilde."
"And you are okay with me drinking alcohol while on duty," Nick checked his watch, "at 10:45 in the morning."
Jack placed a few items on the counter top. "I have some champagne. We could mix it with orange juice and make mimosas if you feel that is a more appropriate refreshment for this early hour. But, if you're referring to police regulations, like your delightful chief mentioned this morning, I'm currently your superior, so I make the rules. And, I feel like a few drinks before lunch is a must."
Nick found himself in the rare situation where he was utterly lost for words. Jack had already pulled out some pans when he motioned to him,
"Come on, take a seat at the counter. Mind if I call you Nick by the way? For what I have planned it will help if we are able to skip past some of the formalities."
Nick let his eyebrows perk slightly, "Fine by me, Stripes. Care to let me in on these plans?"
Instead of answering Jack just smiled and grabbed a beer out of the fridge. Using his teeth he popped the cap off the bottle, shot Nick a wink, and spit it half way across the kitchen into a blue bucket marked 'recycling'. It ticked off the wall before dropping into the intended receptacle. Jack set the cold beer out for Nick and resumed brunch preparations.
Nick's eyebrows went up all the way, "That's a neat trick. You need to show me how you did that."
"Sorry, trade bunny secret. I'd show you, but then I'd have to hug you."
"I see."
"Hmm, so Nick, I was hoping you would allow me to test you a little bit before we start."
"I've never been one for tests really."
"Don't worry, for you, this should be easy. Just tell me what you've been able to gather about me in the short time we've been acquainted. If I'm impressed, I'll not only tell you the plan, but I'll put you in charge of executing it."
"Putting me in charge on day one? I didn't really take you for the trusting type."
"I'm not. Or at least I wasn't. Things are different now though. I made a promise and now I'm just waiting to see how it all pans out. But that's not important. Go ahead, give me your best impression - in your honest estimation, who is Jack Savage?"
Nick took a moment to consider. How much of his hand should he show? He unconsciously took a sip from his beer before remembering that it was still ten in the morning.
"I've never seen someone, with a prosthetic like yours, walk with such a natural gait. You must have spent ages practising to make your stride as smooth as it is. When you showed us your leg this morning, I could see your scars were still red and raised, although fully healed. So, I'm guessing it happened what? Two years ago at the most. It causes you pain, maybe a lot. Willing to bet your leg isn't the extent of the wound either. I noticed as well, the way you hold eye contact with me. When I flash my teeth you become more receptive in your body language. In my experience, when confronted with teeth and claws, just about every prey animal I've ever met - they pull back, even if it's in the tiniest of ways. I don't think it's possible to fully get over that kind of instinct unless of course, you actually like teeth. And at the risk of causing insult, I'm guessing, for you, that is the case. You have a spot on your ring finger where the fur has grown in flat, you eat fish... so here is my rough guess.
You were married. And, strange as it sounds, I'm pretty sure it was to a predator. Taking a shot in the dark I'm going to say... a Siberian tiger, judging by your markings. They look pretty cool by the way, although they make you stick out like a sore thumb. You'll be remembered just about everywhere you go, so I'm guessing you got them after you stopped being a spy, or whatever. Anyway, since you got the tattoos, maybe as a memento? I think your wife likely died, or won't return your phone calls. If I go by my gut though, I would guess she died - around the same time you lost your foot. How's that for a start?"
Jack's face had become very sober. Nick could see that he wore a mask much like his own. He was aiming for a reaction from Jack, just to level the playing field a bit, but now he hoped he hadn't stepped over the line.
"I'm impressed, and you were correct on almost all accounts. I came here to train members of the ZPD, yes, but I had an ulterior motive. I am willing to tell you everything if you are agree to keep the sensitive parts of what I reveal a secret. You aren't required to go along with this mission of mine and you should know that it won't be sanctioned by the ZPD in any way. If you don't help me though, that will be it. Believe it or not, you are my only real hope at success, so the decision of whether this ever moves forward is up to you."
Nick listened passively. He really was quite curious to know what Jack was talking about. He also considered that if the rabbit was about to suggest something illegal, he might have found a way to nip his little 'Jack Savage' problem in the bud.
"So, are you saying you planned on training members of the ZPD in the hopes that someday I would volunteer?"
"That's right. I had expected it to take some time. It was a stroke of blind luck that you were the first."
Nick locked eyes with the strange rabbit for a moment, waiting for him to flinch or back down. he didn't.
"Alright, I can agree to be discrete, this stays between us."
Jack allowed himself a real smile for perhaps the first time since they had met. Something about it actually warmed Nick a bit. It reminded him of something. It made Jack suddenly look younger - more fragile.
"As I said before, you were mostly correct in your assessment but you missed a few key facts. First, my Husband, Marco, was a Siberian tiger-"
"Wait, did you say husband?"
"Yes, and you were correct again when you said that he died at the same time that I lost my leg."
Nick rapidly felt his sour demeanour changing for the better. "So you're gay? Like one hundred percent, not into girls, dead-to-rights, homosexual… for-life gay?"
Jack just looked at Nick for a moment with an odd, slightly put-out expression before saying, "Is that going to be a problem Officer Wilde?"
"Oh my god this is too good! Judy is going to bomb hard! I am so going to mess with her."
"Problem? Are you kidding me? I love that you're gay! And inter-species, with a massive height difference to boot, wow. You guys were pioneers. I support the heck out of that. Seriously, you just made my day! ...uh, and… uh, and Jack I… I'm sorry to hear that you lost your husband. I know something of what it's like to lose the person you love the most."
A range of emotions crossed Jack's face as Nick spoke, and by the end he had softened greatly, his eyes slightly glazed.
"That's… it's nice to finally meet someone who does."
Nick was inwardly shocked to see the barriers of Jack's facade drop for a few seconds. In that time he glimpsed a face he knew all too well. It was the face he'd worn in the days after Judy had rejected him; the face of a broken heart.
Collecting himself, Jack cleared his throat as he went about flipping the fish that was frying in the pan; adding a little salt. "So, back to what I was saying. My husband and I were in the same squad. We were a part of a small and highly skilled group that specialized in anti-terrorism. During one of our operations, the car that Marco was in ran over an IED and was destroyed. A piece of shrapnel from the explosion cut through my vehicle and severed my leg, another shard pierced my abdomen and slid right up next to my spine. I spent almost two years recovering both mentally and physically. The tattoos I wear are, like you said, a way for me to remember him. I also decided to take his last name. Something I was never willing to do when he was alive. We spent so much time just hiding what we were… I was afraid and ashamed of what others would say. It's something I will regret for the rest of my life... I swore though, I will never live like that again."
Jack lapsed into silence, his expression had become grim, his walls again faltering as his eyes became watery; but, he didn't shed tears. Nick sensed a deep well of feeling churning just below the surface of Jack's stoic features. He couldn't help but feel something of a kinship with him. And now that he knew Jack wasn't going to be a rival for Judy's affections, Nick even found himself wanting to befriend this unusual rabbit.
"I'm sure he would have been proud of how far you've come."
Again, Jack smiled sadly, "I hope so. But, there is still something I need to do in order to make things right. You see, the explosive that took out our convoy was designed here in Zootopia. It was military grade and that was how it was able to penetrate our vehicles armour. I've spent every free moment of the last few years trying to figure out who sold the insurgence such advanced weapons, as well as how they got out of the military's hands. The crux of all this is that you, Nick, happen to be acquainted with the two arms dealers who sold the bombs that killed my husband. So, what I need from you is help in getting close to them."
Nick felt an icy shudder travel up his spine. "I- I never dealt in weapons. Way too high profile for me. Guns are rare in Zootopia and if there was even a whisper of them I would have made myself scarce."
"I believe you." Nick was relieved to see no hidden accusation in Jack's eyes as he continued, "The two mammals in question have only recently upped their game. You would have known them before they started seriously selling weapons. Do you remember an Andrey Scaro and Pavel Znarlvitch?"
"Andy and Pasha? Y- yeah, they were a couple of polar bears. Hired muscle who worked for Mr. Big back in the day. From what I remember, someone caught them being a little bit more then friends, and by that I mean grand-mama found them sixty-nining in the wine cellar. After that they were kicked out of the family and excommunicated. I haven't spoken to either of them for nearly a decade."
Jack removed the fish from the pan. After cutting the fillet in two, and placing it alongside a few fresh vegetables, he said, "In the last ten years those two have done well for themselves. They're married now, and kept the last name Znarlvitch. About five years ago they opened a nightclub. You may have heard of it, 'The Jungle'. It caters to a very wide variety of tastes; LGBT as well as interspecies. Recently, they've been using the club as a meeting point for drug and weapons deals."
Nick swallowed the bite of fish he was savouring. He had to admit, it was delicious. "If they sell guns and drugs why isn't this something that could be given over to the ZPD?"
"Unfortunately, I have very little actionable proof. At least none that I can give to the ZPD without opening Pandora's Box. The Znarlvitch's are also seen by many to be community leaders in promoting tolerance and funding gay outreach. No-mammal at the ZPD or city hall is looking to bring these two down. Not yet anyway."
Nick scratched at his muzzle in thought. "If your plan is to take revenge through violence I won't be participating."
Jack shook his head, "No, that goes against a promise that I made. I brought some pretty advanced tech with me from my last career. Give me a minute alone with one of their cell phones or computers and I'll have everything I need. I want them in jail, not dead. More than anything, I want to find out who it was that sold them the explosives. Once I have enough evidence, a friend of mine at the AIA will pass it on to the authorities for me."
Nick sat back as he chewed another mouthful of his meal. Taking a long draw from his beer, he tapped his fork on his plate a few times before finally coming to a decision. "Fine, I'm in. Sounds more fun than professional development training anyway. However, I'm not getting killed for this. If I get the slightest feeling that things are going south then we both walk, no complaints or questions asked."
Jack nodded, and offered his hand. "Deal. This is going to be as low risk as we can make it - no weapons, no wires."
"Hmm," finishing his brunch, Nick nodded. Shaking Jack's hand he pushed his plate away, "So you said you had a plan. Care to explain?"
Jack actually grimaced slightly, "Truth be told it's fairly simple. I'll assume a false identity and accompany you to the club as your date. When you get a chance, you contact our two polar bears. At some point during the ensuing conversation you'll find me an opportunity to get ahold of one of their phones or distract them while I gain access to their private computers. I'm embarrassed to admit that's as much as I have. I wasn't lying when I said I wanted you to take charge of the plan."
Nick finished his beer in one long swig before letting out a resounding belch. "Well, it looks like you really do need my help. And you expect me to be your 'date' huh?"
"Is that going to make you uncomfortable?"
"...No. Hell, I've pulled hustles before where I was dressing in drag for weeks. Went so far once I ended up getting to second base with a sleazy skunk with a shaving fetish."
Jack tried to stifle a snort of laughter but failed, "Okay, I would very much like to hear this story from the beginning."
"Sorry Stripes, I've got my own trade secrets to protect. Anyway, what I was getting at was that firstly, you are going to be my fiancé. It'll play better with our gay, married, marks. I can spin for sympathy a hundred different ways if I decide to reveal your peg leg."
Jack expression soured.
"Is that going to be a problem?"
Jack twisted his lip before shaking himself slightly. "I'll be fine. What else should we do?"
"Well, when we get in there I want you to take on a more submissive role. Be shy, quiet and follow my lead. The point being that the meeker you are, the more likely they'll be to dismiss you, and that's going to be what gets you close enough to steal their data."
"Fine, meek has never been my style but I can play the part. What else?"
"This is likely going to take more than one night. We need to maintain a presence at the club for a few days. Just enjoy ourselves and if at all possible get into the eye line of Andy and Pasha. If they see us a few times, just minding our own business, they'll be more at ease later on. I don't think we should confront them, if at all possible, until day three or four."
Jack was nodding again and looking mollified, "I agree. I felt that we needed to spend the week building a presence for ourselves before making a move. I didn't think you would be willing to put that level of time into this so I didn't mention it."
"Why do you cute bunnies always underestimate me? I'm a professional. Or I used to be anyway. When we make our move, we'll be ready. So, what's the name of this persona of yours?"
"Jake Lapins. I have a full set of identificati-"
"Seriously? Your name is Jack and you go with Jake? How hard would it be to change the name by tonight?"
"Very hard."
"Impossible?"
"No."
"Good. Get yourself all made up and get a new driver's licence. Call yourself… Max or something. Don't go nuts with the fur colour. You need to blend in, be unremarkable. We should both spend the day getting into character. You get your wallet made up, I think I could use some time to think."
Jack sighed, looking none-too-thrilled. He collected the dishes off the counter and put them into the sink. "Do as you wish so long as you're here to pick me up sometime before midnight. Also, you are free to come and go from my apartment whenever you like. Place your hand on the door and it will read your biorhythm. I already added you to the system."
Nick glanced back at him as he gathered his coat. "And how the heck did you get my bio-rhythm… whatever that is."
Jack only smiled as he rolled up his sleeves and began washing the pans he had used for cooking.
With a shake of his head, Nick walked out the door.
Nick enjoyed that afternoon by getting some much needed rest. After he awoke, close to dinner, he started immediately to prepare for that night. His fur needed to look its best; that meant conditioning and intense brushing. He even found some sparkly, shine-paste that he had regrettably used back in his late twenties. Surprisingly, the paste still seemed okay, albeit a bit runnier then it probably should have been.
Out of his closet he grabbed the most flamboyant shirt he could find. Suffice it to say, he could have been center stage at pride with the thing on, and no one would have batted an eye. Next he pulled out an old pair of jeans that he'd worn before attending the academy. Since then, he'd bulked up a fair amount; so, many of his old clothes didn't fit quite right. This meant that the pants were tight, like, really tight. Finally, to complete the ensemble, he dug through his mother's old beading kit and constructed a passably tacky, triple-looped, rainbow bracelet.
At around eleven Nick called a cab which took him back to Jack's apartment. On the way he tried to mentally prepare. He wanted to appear on people's gaydar but only as a blip, not a resounding ping. That meant subtlety. That meant forgoing most gay affectations and being subtle. Thinking on this he didn't realize he had arrived until someone opened the cab door and quietly slid into the seat next to him.
The rabbit, Jack, had every inch of his fur dyed a pitch, shiny black. Even his prosthetic was matching and his leg seemed to be padded with some kind of foam to give it a more life-like look. His eyes were a deep gold; very expensive contacts if Nick judged correctly.
Like nick, he was wearing jeans. But, while Nick's pants were tight, Jacks fit like a second skin. Made with female consumers in mind, they had small rhinestone embellishments along the hips, as well as a cut that was made to accentuate and round out the booty. A part of Nick's subconscious noted that Jack filled them out surprisingly well.
Jack also wore a short, pink, tank-top which showed off the lean corded muscle of his arms and pectorals. In his right ear was a small diamond stud and on his finger a jewelled engagement ring.
The whole thing was way, way too much... and yet, Nick had to admit that it kind of worked.
Jack moved across the seat until he was pressed up next to him. With one hand he palmed him a gold band which Nick deftly slid onto his finger. With the other hand, Jack trailed lightly across Nick's chest, letting his paw roam upwards until he sunk his fingers into the fur around his neck.
"Hey, babe." Jack said it very quietly, and without a hint of his usual accent. He spoke now in a slightly higher register than his natural voice. It was what some would consider a stereotypically gay lilt. Yet, he seemed so practiced at it, that it didn't feel forced.
Jack proceeded to stand on the seat and without hesitation, locked his lips against Nick's. His mouth falling open slightly, he let his tongue flick out and drag across the roof of Nick's mouth before pressing forward again, deepening the kiss.
Nick wasn't prepared for any of this, and so just focused on not freezing up as he scrambled to get a handle on what was happening. Almost immediately he felt a pleasant stirring throughout his entire body which he definitely hadn't anticipated. Outwardly he remained calm, but inwardly his brain was skipping like a broken record.
A few moments later Jack withdrew and slid down next to him. The rabbit let his hand run lightly from the top of Nick's quad down along his inner thigh. Nick had to fight to keep his eyes from bugging out of his head. He didn't trust himself to speak or move.
"Holy shit! He just… I said meek! What happened to blending into the background!?"
Nick was saved by the cab driver who spoke with no small hint of annoyance, "If yous two are gonna just sit there an jerk eachotha' off, fine by me. But I'm chargin' max rate startin' now."
Jack pulled away slightly, removing his hand from where it had been resting next to Nick's crotch.
Fighting not to stammer, Nick managed to say lightly, "Sorry about that, could you take us to, 'The Jungle'... it's a nightclub downtown."
"Yea I know where it is. Be warned, if'in I look back there an someone's got their dick out, I'm kickin' yah both to the curb - understood?"
Nick gave a weak thumbs-up while Jack just smiled and winked. The cab driver grumbled for a moment but put the car into gear. Jack's apartment retreated from sight as they made their way towards the centre of neon lit Zootopia.
Half a minute later, Nick nearly jumped out of his seat when he felt a paw running through his fur just above his belt and below his navel. He carefully grabbed the questing paw, stilling its progress.
Looking down he found it difficult to make out Jack's expression. It wasn't until the light of a streetlamp flickered past that he caught a glimpse of the rabbits sparkling eyes staring up at him, and a wide smile, utterly dripping with coquettish mischief and coy amusement.
Drawing Jack's hand away from his stomach Nick gulped in trepidation.
"What have I gotten myself into?"