Chapter 2: Those Aren't Moldy Onions Fox!

The Greatest American Hero never broke the top 30, but was still very popular. It originally aired opposite to NBC's top 15 show, Real People, but does anybody really remember Real People? Let's see a show of hands if you watched that show…put your hand down Mr. Fred Willard, you were a co-host! Then it was moved to Friday nights, opposite Dallas (1982's #2 show) and no Nick didn't shoot JR! The show's last season was on Thursday nights, opposite of Magnum P.I.

So get your big bowl of Lay's Potato Chips, because as their 1981 Ad said "Betcha can't eat just one" and sit back for tonight's chapter of The Greatest Zootopian Hero.

"So what has my favorite wolf been up to?" Judy Hopps asked former police officer Alan Wolford over the phone.

"Look Judy, I've come across something, something big in the Medowlands and I need to get it to the department," he hastily answered. "I need you to help me."

"Alan you know I'm just a meter maid, Bogo won't let me anywhere near real police work," she sighed. "I don't know what I can do for you?"

"Listen Judy, you're one of the few honest cops left in the department who is smart enough to understand what is going to happen," he growled. "I just need you to take the evidence I have and get it to Bogo, don't trust anyone but Chief Bogo!"

"I'll see what I can do," the rabbit replied.

"Meet me at ten tonight on Route 66 in the Canyonlands and come armed, we've got some smugglers to catch," he said in an urgent voice. "We must stop that shipment from getting to them!"

"Who's them?" she asked, but the wolf had hung up.

"So Jude the Dude, you want another shot?" the bartender asked.

"Naw Phil," bring me coffee and plenty of it," she said in a worried voice to the zebra behind the counter. "I think I've gotta steal a cop car."

"Are you crazy Nick!" the small tan colored fennec fox in the bowling shirt and shorts yelled at the larger fox. "How do you even know that Duke is on the up and up?"

"Look Finn, I'm starving and you're starving, we can't pull anymore scams because of the cops. We can't even find honest jobs, we have to do something!" the red fox argued.

"But Nick where we going to get the money for the gas?" Finn asked. "I'm flat broke, do you have any cash?"

"I've got some and Duke said he'd kick in the rest, at least enough to get the gas to get there and back," the red fox sighed.

"But what is this don't pan out?" the smaller fox growled. "What then fox!"

"Then we end up doing what we have to do to survive," Nick replied in a determined voice. "If that means taking from others, then we will."

The weasel arrived on time and he as he climbed into the van, he sniffed and then began fake hacking. "This place sticks!" he grumbled. "Smells like fox musk and dirty socks, you ever clean this rust bucket Finn?"

"If you don't like my van, then walk slimeball!" the fennec fox growled.

Tossing an empty Styrofoam coffee cup out of the window Duke laughed, "You live here in this mess?"

There was a low menacing growl as the little fox dug for his baseball bat, Nick reached over and took it from his paws. "Come on guys, we need to get moving if we're going to make it on time," the fox sighed. "Wastlington, do you have the address?"

"It's Weaselton fox!" the thin mammal yelled. "Yeah I got the address?"

Nick took the slip of paper and peered at the directions. "I think this is near Sandy Ridge, just beyond the Canyonlands," he told the little fox who had climbed into the driver's seat.

"Don't you guys have a GPS on your phones," Duke asked.

"Who can afford a phone anymore?" Finn scoffed. "I don't see you with one either."

The weasel sighed, "So what do we do now?"

"It's called a map," Nick laughed as he picked up a city map from the junk that was lying around inside the van. "So we take Route 66 up through the Canyonlands to Peters Street and from there just start looking for addresses."

"Somehow I have a bad feeling about this," the little fox sighed as he started the van. It backfired a few times, but finally began rolling down the road.

"Hey Finn, what happened to your van's mural?" Nick asked. "It looks like someone took white spray paint over it?"

Finn had taken great pride in the van's mural showing a heroic looking timber wolf barbarian holding a fainting white vixen in his arms.

"I did," Finn growled. "The cops kept harassing me about it. I was told that it's too provocative and was drawing too much attention from the fuzz."

"Too bad," the red fox grumbled. "I liked it."

After they filled the gas tank almost half full, the little fox drove them to the highway and within a few hours they arrived at Peters Street, there was just one business and it was huge nursery supply warehouse. Turning off the lights, Finn drove down to the loading dock where they saw a couple of surly looking rams. "Back it up here," one of the guys yelled and Finn reversed his van to the dock.

Duke slipped out of the van and approached the two rams. "This is the best you could find Wellington?" one of them asked.

"It's Weaselton, why does everyone have a problem with my name?" he huffed. "Let's just load the goods and we will be on our way. I was told we'd get paid half now and the remainder when we make delivery."

"You were told wrong moron," the ram laughed. "Who would trust a weasel and two foxes? No payments until these crates are delivered to the Meadowlands."

Nick dug his paw into a crate and pulled out some flower bulbs. "All this for some moldy old onions?" he asked.

"Get you paws out of there and just do what we tell you!" a ram shouted. "Now get the hell out of here before someone sees you with them!"

"Are they stolen?" Nick asked.

"You're asking too many questions fox!" the ram menacingly said as he stepped closer to Nick.

"It's okay, we're on our way!" Duke said as he began to push Nick back to the van. "Get in the car Wilde before you blow this!"

"You've got to be kidding!" Finn said. "We're smuggling flower bulbs in the middle of the night, what's up with that Duke."

"I have no idea furball," the weasel replied. "Let's just get these crates to this address in the Meadowlands and get paid.

"I still don't like this!" Finn replied as he looked up with concern at Nick. "Something isn't right."

"Just drive Finn," the red fox sighed. "Let's get out of here before the cops show up." Nick watched the two rams get into a black sedan and quickly drive the other direction. He looked back at the weasel who now looked scared.

They were about a mile away and had just turned onto Route 66 when they saw the explosion behind them and the flames pouring out of the building they had just left.

Finn stopped the van as they looked back in surprise at the raging inferno. "What just happened?" the little fox asked.

"Just keep driving Finn and stay within the speed limit," Nick to his friend as he craned his neck to see what was happening. "Drive nice and steady, don't draw any attention."

The little fox just shook his head in agreement, behind him the weasel whimpered.

They were about two miles away, when they saw sirens in front of them, but the patrol cars zoomed right by their van and towards the fire. Soon they left the built up areas and entered into the dark desert of the Canyonlands.

"Dudes, that was too close," Finn muttered. "What the heck do you got us involved with?"

"I was told that it was just a pick up and delivery job!" the weasel whimpered. "They didn't say anything about arson."

"Is there something hidden in those crates besides blubs?" Nick asked as he slipped out of the passenger's seat and crawled back towards the boxes in the rear of the van.

"If you get us killed Duke, I'll BITE YOUR FACE OFF!" the little fox growled.

Suddenly there were red and blue lights approaching from behind as a police cruiser was roaring towards them. Then the van began jerking as it began to lose power. "We're so busted guys!" the red fox whined.