Chapter Three
Friends Will Be Friends.
If there was anyone who knew the run down alleys of the broken part of Zootopia, it was Nick. There might actually be someone who knew them a bit more. After what seemed like hours of driving around the old roads searching. Nick managed to spot the telltale signs of his friend. Not that there was anything really to see, at least according to Judy there wasn't.
"Did we have to park so far away, Nick?" Judy whispered as if someone was going to hear her.
"Yep." Nick shoved his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants.
"I don't feel safe about leaving the car alone in this-"
Judy stopped talking as a shifty looking zebra stepped out from behind a building. Oddly, he was wearing a heavy coat, even while the temp was in the eighties. Nick offered the stranger a smile. The stranger coughed into his hooved hand and smiled back, there were as many gaps between his teeth as there were actual teeth.
"Do you know him?"
Nick smirked and leaned close, whispering in her ear. "Nope, just being friendly."
"Aren't you the-"
Nick held up his hand, quieting Judy. He sniffed the air as if he'd picked up the scent of something. Judy watched his ears twist around like satellite dishes. Was it the music, Judy wondered? Thanks to her extremely good rabbit ears, she could hear the music the moment they got out of the car. It was close now, somewhere up ahead to the right. Without a word he started across the street, heading towards a flight of stairs. Judy had to race to keep up with him.
When Nick reached the top of the stairs a fond smile found its way to his muzzle. Down a flight of steps, at the bottom of a grassy hill sat an orange van with one gray door. The decal on the side looked like something from the cover of a Dungeons and Dragons book. Music rumbled from the open side door, the funky hip-hop beat thumped on. Judy couldn't decipher the lyrics, they were in a foreign language. It wasn't until then she could finally smell what Nick had been sniffing. The smell of something cooking over an open fire.
"Finnick?" Judy whispered, grabbing Nick by the wrist.
"Of course."
"Doesn't he hate you?"
"Probably, there's only one way to find out."
Nick started down the stairs, he looked but couldn't see Finnick anywhere. He knew that the sly little fox wouldn't just leave his van in the open unattended. When he reached the slope down, he let inertia carry him down at a quicker pace. Judy followed, not letting any distance get between them.
The van was an older model, rusted out and patched back together, but it was one of Finnick's prize possessions. Nick sighed as looked into the back of the van. All the times he and that little fireball camped out in this van. The memories of a more simpler life. Although, simpler didn't always mean better.
The grill stood a few feet away. A huge soybean steak sizzled on the coals, smelling heavenly with a thick peppery scent. Despite having eaten recently, Nick's stomach still growled hungrily. Judy caught up with him, covering her nose against the smell. It wasn't a surprise that Judy didn't like meat of any kind. Nick didn't agree with her in that aspect. Nick needed protein to survive, but wasn't peckish when it came to a handful of berries.
A deep grumble caused them both to pause and look at each other. It came from around the vehicle's back door. The sound of someone singing to themselves. Nick popped his head around to find Finnick standing a few feet away wearing a pair of black shorts and a white tank top. He was urinating in the bushes nearby. Sunglasses pushed up on his forehead and a large cigar clenched in his teeth, bobbing along as he sang. Judy poked her head around, shutting her eyes immediately. It was fortunate that the music was so loud or Finnick would have heard her gasp.
"Hey Buddy, watering the plants?" Nick called to him.
Finnick snapped around to see who was talking to him, his stream following the motion. "You?"
Judy took another glance before stepping back around the door, her cheeks on fire with a blush. Nick took a few steps forward while Finnick finished, hitching the baggy sports shorts back up onto his hips.
"Nick, you gotta lot of nerve coming here."
"I-"
Finnick didn't let him finish, he stalked over to the taller fox and poked him hard in the chest. "What's it been, fool, year?"
"Six months at best, buddy. Things have been happening, I've been busy."
"Yeah, too busy for your friend?"
"It's not like that."
"Then please explain it to your stupid little partner, or should I say ex- partner. Since you already replaced me to Hop Along over here."
Judy's ears slipped back as she wrung her hands in front of her. "Hey, that's not very nice."
Finnick furrowed his brows and sighed. "I'm sorry I snapped at you, bunny. I'm just angry at this guy here and sometimes my mouth moves faster than my brain."
Finnick took a drag off of his cigar blowing the smoke in Nick's face as he walked past to tend to the steak on the grill. Nick waved the smoke away, giving a few light coughs before turning his attention back to the little fox. Nick felt terrible for not contacting Finnick sooner. They weren't just con-men together, they'd been close friends for almost five years. Finnick knew almost everything about Nick, and vice-versa. Judy took Nick's hand, bringing him back from his thoughts.
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet."
Finnick took the steak off of the grill, putting it on a plastic disposable plate. It succumbed to the weight and heat almost instantly. When it broke it dropped his steak into the dirt below. Finnick looked at the plate then down to his dinner, throwing the remaining part of the plate on the ground along with his tongs. Judy could see the little fox was straining to keep his temper in check.
"This day keeps getting better and better." Finnick's shoulders slumped as he climbed into the back of his van slamming the doors behind him.
Nick knelt down picking up the steak, dropping it almost immediately as it burned his fingers. "Aw man."
"You should try apologizing to him, I mean sincerely."
"I don't think he wants to talk to me right now, Carrots."
"Well, we can't just stand her all night waiting for him to offer us help, we have to do something."
Nick looked up at her and sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Maybe you could try talking to him."
"Me?"
"Yeah, he seems to like you."
Judy rolled her eyes thrusting her hands on her hips, her foot tapping the ground rapidly in frustration. "Fine, but you owe me, fox."
"Thank you, I mean it too."
She held up her hand to shush him. Judy knocked gently at the back door, the thumping of the base blocked out the soft sound. Judy looked at Nick, who made a motion for her to try the door. Judy wrinkled her nose, before opening the door to the van.
"Get out!" Finnick growled not bothering to look over his shoulder. "Before you mess something else up."
"Finnick?"
The small fox turned around, stunned to see that Judy was one climbing into the back of his van. Quickly he moved to turn the music down, before slipping back onto a bean bag chair nestled against the back of the passenger seat. Judy pulled the door shut behind her, kneeling at the back of the van.
They stared at each other for a long beat, giving Judy a chance to take in her surroundings. A plush carpet was spread across the floor. Blankets and pillows stuffed against the wall, a pair of beanbag chairs were pressed against the seats at the front. An open traveler's chest lay against the other wall, bungee corded to the wall. Clothes spilled out of it onto the floor. A light hung overhead, the lampshade casting shapes across the walls. It was unnecessarily warm in the small confines and smelled like cigar smoke, a spicy body spray, and the undertone of sweat and musk. The van wasn't just Finnick's mode of transportation, but his home as well. Judy started to regret invading his privacy.
Finnick nonchalantly started to gather up little slips of paper, stacking them in an old shoe box. He chewed on his cigar with a nervous ferocity., the gray pungent smoke filling the back of the van. Judy lifted her hand to her mouth coughing, trying to clear the smoke from her throat.
"Sorry." Finnick yipped, before putting the cigar out in the ashtray.
"You didn't have to do that. I'm the one invading your space. Do whatever you normally do."
"Okay."
Finnick slipped the cigar behind his ear, folding his hands over his tummy. He pressed something tight against him. Judy noticed it but instead of saying anything they stared at each other. Judy could tell by the darting of his eyes, that he was studying her. The way his lips were drawn tight, told her that he wanted to say something, but wasn't one for small talk. Which was fine with her. He was concerned about his recent outburst, she could see it in his eyes. Neither of them knew each other very much at all, but each held an unspoken respect for one another.
"I'm sorry about Nick."
"You shouldn't be the one in here apologizing."
"But I am, because he's my friend, and I know that he feels terrible about losing contact with you. I'm partial to blame."
"What?"
Judy clutched her thighs, trying to keep her hands from trembling. "I asked Nick to join the force. He was exceedingly helpful in the Emmett Otterton case."
"Yeah, so the dude can't call me to let me know he ain't dead." Finnick used his foot to scoot the shoe box closer.
"He was worried that you might get in trouble, with him being a cop and you being a..."
Finnick's eyebrows started angling downward, the corner of his mouth opening to show his gritted teeth. "...a criminal?"
"I'm sorry." Judy touched her lips with her trembling hand.
"Do I make you nervous?"
"Yes..."
Finnick's eyes went wide. There was a new look on his face, on that Judy couldn't trace. Finnick took a deep breath and sighed out, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. The whole display seemed like a self created ritual to clear away any frusttration.
"You don't have to be nervous. I ain't gonna hurt you." Finnick began, pulling the piece of paper away from his chest looking at it. "Mama's watchin'. She'd be so disappointed in the way I'm behavin'."
"That's-" Judy cocked her head, wanting to come closer to see what he was holding, but her body wouldn't let her move.
"Come on." Finnick beckoned with a wave of his hand.
Judy got on all fours, crawling across the van to join him. Finnick leaned forward on the beanbag chair holding the picture out to her. Judy saw a black and white photo of a Fennec fox wearing a classic looking dress complete with poke-dots on it. She was holding a smaller Fennec in her lap. They were seated at what seemed to be a kitchen table. The female was only slightly bigger than the smaller one. They both seemed so happy in the picture.
"It's my mama..."
"Is that you?"
"Nothin' gets by you, Hop Along."
At first, Judy was offended until she saw the smile on his tiny muzzle. "You seem so happy, how old were you?"
"I was eight when this picture was taken."
"Where's your mother now?"
"Dead...she died a year after this picture was taken." Finnick's ears drooped as he traced his fingers over the picture.
Judy felt a lump in her throat. "I'm sorry, Finnick."
"Don't worry about it, it's all in the past."
Finnick opened the shoe box to put the picture away. Judy saw numerous other pictures piled inside the box. There was a picture on top of Nick and Finnick standing back to back looking like thugs. Sunglasses, baggy pants, tank tops, and easy smiles. They looked like they were enjoying spending their days together.
"That's a nice picture."
"Oh, this. Took this five years ago, that's when I first met, Nick. You see after mama died, I moved around a lot. From foster home to foster home, too small for a predator household. Too violent for a prey household. Never had much of a family, until I met Nick."
"How did you meet?"
"That's a pretty good story." Finnick laughed, tapping the picture with his index finger. "I stopped off at this hole in the wall called, the Fox Den. I was determined to have my first drink on my twenty-first birthday, you see? The fool behind the counter refused to sell to me because I looked underage. Had my ID and everything. I'm about to leave and here comes Nick. Walked right up to the bar and ordered a drink, then he hands it to me."
"What happened?"
"The bartender got mad, threatened to throw us out. Nick said, he bought the drink because he was thirsty, decided that he didn't want it anymore, so he put it on the counter in front of me. If I decided to drink it, it was my business."
"Sounds like Nick. Did you get your drink?" Judy said through a breathy sigh.
"Yup, right upside my head. The bartender sent his goons after us, we both spent my birthday in the emergency room. After that, we just sorta fell in together. I crashed at his apartment more than once, he's slept in my van even more. We were thick as thieves for a long time."
"Until I came along."
"Don't be like that, I like you. I'm glad you straightened Nick out. He's a douche, but he's got a good heart."
"So do you, Finnick, that's why we came to you for help."
"Help, with what?" Finnick picked another picture of him and Nick from the box, holding it out to Judy.
Judy took the photo cocking her head as she looked at it. Finnick and Nick were lounging around eating burgers in front of a fast food joint. Nick had a cheek full of food staring slack-jawed at a tough looking female badger crossing the street. A slight pang of jealousy coursed through her at the sight, she didn't know why but it angered her that he was looking at the no named female.
"Whose this?"
"That's Honey, she was Nick's first love, or whatever." Finnick seemed brisk about the whole subject.
Judy started to ask another question, but Finnick interrupted her. "Officer Hop Along, what do you need help with?"
"Oh, sorry I was thinking about something. Nick and I are looking for a badger by the name of Baron Bouncer."
"No, why would I know that?"
Finnick scrambled to gather up the rest of the photos, tucking them back in the shoe box. Judy could tell by the change in Finnick's demeanor that he knew exactly who Baron Bouncer was. Finnick may be a great con artist, but his poker face left a little to be desired.
"Please help us. Baron Bouncer is making a chemical compound, putting it into darts, and using it on Zootopians."
"That's a pretty big accusation, do you have evidence?"
Judy touched Finnick's shoulder, bringing his face around to look at her. She undid the top two buttons of her blouse pulling it open to reveal the bandage on her chest. At first, Finnick refused to look, mumbling about privacy and respect, but when Judy cleared her throat he couldn't resist his curiosity. His eyes grew wider when he saw the bandage.
"May I?"
Judy nodded, biting her bottom lip. Finnick pulled at the tape that bordered the gauze. The feeling of his fingers probing so close to her unmentionables brought a burning blush to her ears. A voice reminding her to stay cool, this was necessary to gain his trust. They needed his help.
Finnick pulled the bandage away looking at the red smear on the back of it, then to the wound on her chest. There wasn't much to see at first, but when he investigated closer Finnick could see the blackened welt surrounded by a bruise several times the size. It looked like an infected spider bite. Judy knew he'd seen it by the hiss of air he sucked between his teeth.
"Did one of his boys shoot you?"
Judy shook her head, her blush spreading to her cheeks. "He did. Shot me and Nick."
"With the Phraxus."
"The what?"
"One goes numb, two you snooze, three forever dream. Phraxus, is the name of the purple darts." Judy pulled her shirt closed and look down at him, a guilty streak washing over his face. "They shot you and Nick huh? I'm sorry."
"It's alright, Finnick. I'm sure you didn't think he would use it against us."
"No, that's exactly what he's planning on doing."
Judy felt her heart clenched in her chest. "No! You need to tell me everything you know."
"Alright...but first I have some demands I need to have met."