Chapter 4: The Misunderstanding

After what felt like an eternity, the thunderous sound of footsteps echoed through the silent house. The police force ran up the stairs and into the room, barely fitting through the tiny door frame. Most of the team had to wait outside for orders since they were too large for the bunny sized house. Their first glimpse of the situation was a bloodied fox lying in the room's center. Bogo led in the cavalry, peeking around the corner with his gun. He swung it around a few times, and finding no danger, stepped inside.

"Clear!" He shouted ushering in his force. A few members from the team ran inside and assessed the situation while the others waited in the cramped hallway.
Chief Bogo assessed the situation for himself, ready to send out the team. A bloodied fox lay in the center of the room in a ripped suit. His eyes were shut and its body looked lifeless. Large scratches littered the room, stretching from the floor to ceiling. The size indicated they were made by a larger animal, bigger than the fox. He surveyed the scene and saw a broken mirror on a vanity. The glass shards were scattered across the room and refracted light on the walls. The room had a bright but ominous look to it, making the buffalo feel uncomfortable. A shiver went down his spine causing him to have a brief spasm.

"Everything alright sir?" officer Flanden asked noticing his change in body language.

"I'm fine," Bogo replied, annoyed that he was coming across as troubled.

He picked up his police radio from his belt. The animal needed medical attention immediately. "I need the EMT's in here straight away! SWAT, check the perimeters and look for any suspicious activity. I swear to god if you miss even an inch of this farm you will regret it," he yelled to his officers.

He looked a little closer at the body on the floor. His mouth dropped open as he recognized it. It was no ordinary fox. No no no definitely not any ordinary fox. It was Wilde. The one officer who sometimes, always, drove him crazy.

"We have an officer down! I repeat officer down! WHERE ARE MY EMT'S!" He yelled to dispatch.

Immediately remembering police code, he shouted one last time before the med staff came in, "make sure the civilians are safe and out of danger first before we check on our own. I repeat, protect the civilians first!"

That was always the rule he despised the most. Though in the law, civilians always had to be taken care of first, he had a true connection with his officers. Together they were making to world a better place, and leaving them behind was always the toughest. He gave Nick one more look and ushered the EMT's in. Thought the fox usually made him rip his horns out because of his sarcasm and smart-ass attitude, he felt quite sorry for him.

The officers ran out of the house and into the fields, guns drawn as the medical crew ran in. The team was comprised of slightly smaller animals so they could fit comfortably in the house. They threw on latex gloves to avoid getting his blood on them. They dragged Nick out from the room and gently placed him on a stretcher. The fox's heart and breathing were checked. Much to their surprise, it was fine, not usual for a gun shot victim. They flipped him over to look for the open wound when a pair of green eyes shot open.

"Where is she?"

Nick was alarmed. He stood up, leaving the meds in awe, and sprinted across the room. He peeked around the door frame and spotted Bogo.

"Have you found her yet?" Nick asked with a slight rasp to his voice. He waited impatiently for an answer. His leg was shaking, an old nervous habit.

The chief looked down at the small, bloodied fox in confusion. "Wilde, so you're okay? Where were you shot?" He asked.

Nick cocked his head to the side. "Of course I'm fine, but she isn't," he said. His voice cracked as he thought of Judy. Every time he thought of her, the only image that came to mind was the blood soaked ball gown and scratches across the walls.

"Wilde, who are we talking about?" The chief asked as relayed the info across the walkie talkies.

Nick started panicking. "Judy. She was kidnapped and shot. Wait..." He paused, visibly annoyed and worried. The entire situation was a mess, and he was losing his mind and sanity by the second.

"Are you telling me you don't know where she is?" He raised his voice, "Have you not been looking for her?" He shouted in distress.

"Where are the forensics, who's searching for her? What have you been doing?"

In an unexplained rage, Nick charged Bogo, but was immediately stopped. The buffalo snapped causing two officers to rush in and stop the spooked fox. Nick struggled against the much larger animals, trying to free himself but to no avail. One of the officers, a rhino, pushed him against the door and forced his paws behind his back. Nick stomped his foot on the rhino's ankle in return. The officer dropped him and howled in pain. The fox slid underneath the arms of Bogo as he tried to grab him. He fell down the stairs and ran past Judy's hysterical parents. He ran out the ajar front door and into the yard.

"Carrots!" He called as Bogo quickly approached.

"Judy!" He wailed. "I'm so sorry, I've messed up this time. This is all my fault!" The upset fox yelled. Shame and guilt wracked his mind. He was supposed to always be by her side. He was always supposed to protect her. That's what partners do.

If only I was there for her, if I didn't leave her alone and protected her, this wouldn't have happened, he thought.

Bogo, suddenly hearing Nick's guilty cries, called in the force who immediately surrounded him.

Nick stood in the center of the police ring. They all drew their guns and pointed the barrels right at him. His eyes grew wide as he realized what was happening.

"No, no this is all wrong," he said while falling to the ground. He started inching backwards to the wall of the house. The force followed Nick and cornered him. Summoning the last of his energy in Judy's name, he stood up and looked at his allies who had turned against him. He bent over and ran, trying to slide between the legs of Bogo.

Suddenly, he felt a blow to the back of his knees as he crashed to the ground. A large foot was pressed against his back, holding him firmly down. Nick squirmed in a failed attempt to free himself as his thin arms were pinned to the ground. Another officer wrenched his arms behind his back and cuffed his paws together. Nick wailed in pain as his wrist popped. His face was smashed against the ground causing him to suddenly cease moving.

He flashed back to his childhood when he was muzzled by his own peers. Nick understood how similar his predicament was to his memory and stopped squirming and cooperated. The last thing he wanted besides losing his fiancée on his wedding was to be muzzled.

The fox was forcefully picked up and walked to a police car. An officer held onto his cuffed paws to prevent him from running. Nick hung his head, embarrassed at the situation he was in. Judy's entire family stared him down with loathing eyes. He could tell that wanted him dead. Yet again he was falsely convicted and accused. Even if he was declared innocent, they would never be able to look at him the same just because of this image they'll have in mind.

Why do bad things always takes place in memory before all the good?

Nick was pushed into the back of the cap car as he looked out at the beauty of the farm. It would forever be marked by sin and horror. What a waste, that one tragedy can overpower all the good there is.

In a way, he thought, it's horrifyingly beautiful.

The door slammed and he stared at the bars, forever imprisoned in his own shame and fear.