Hello my friends, I'd like to present to you chapter six. I finally got it out and what better time then on my spring break, hopefully it'll entertain you!
I growled quietly to myself as the news on the TV played out, a picture of Nick wilde in the bottom left corner while the ZNN tiger rattled off facts about him. I scratched my still healing right arm and hissed slightly as I scratched near one of the bandages. There's definitely a man-hunt for him if his face his on the news… oh wait, animal hunt. No humies in this world.
I jumped slightly as the bunny named andrew screamed once again. I growled and turned off the TV as the kid started to cry again.
"I'm gonna kill this kid" I said sharply as I stood up and walked to a small hatch in the corner of the living room. I place my paw on the door and a green light blinked before popping open slightly, I really need to soundproof this damn room.
"Kid, how many times do you have to shock yourself to tears to realise you can't escape" I yelled into the dark hole that I'm keeping him in. I could see him clearly due to my natural night vision and I heard his muffled response, but due to the ballgag in his mouth I got at an adult store, I didn't understand it or care to.
"If you shock yourself one more goddamn time, we're gonna start our little session a little sooner… understand?" I asked sharply.
He nodded his head quickly, a few more years sliding down his face. I sighed and closed the hatch, the sooner I get rid of this kid the better. I placed my paw back onto the hatch and the light blinked red, locking shut. I stood up slowly and I looked back at the hallway leading to my secret room, I hissed slightly again as a wave of pain spread from my side to my arm.
"I can't do anything with the way my arm is now" I said with a disappointing groan.
"But I can still do something... even if it isn't shooting that damn bunny and fox" I said with a small growl.
_Nick_
I jumped and looked behind me suspiciously as a the sound of a can being kicked echoed behind me. I looked back at the ticket dispenser that was still buffering. Another sound of a can being kicked behind me made me turn around and look around. I didn't see anything in the shadows made by the setting sun, even with my night vision.
"Your reserved ticket to Bunny Burrow, have a nice day" it stated loudly before printing out the ticket, slowly at that.
I turned around to the ticket dispenser and growled as the ticket slowly came out. Another echo of a can made me jump and I almost ran, but the recent conversation with finnick kept me planted there.
_flashback_
"Fin? where are you?" I asked quietly into the new disposable phone I got, my cash funds are starting to run low so I won't be able to get many more of these.
"So you finally got a hold of the situation... about damn time Nick!" Finnick yelled angrily through the phone.
"Yeah yeah Fin, so where are you" I asked impatiently, nervously looking out the window of one of the last few safe house's I have.
"I'm near Bunny Burrow Nick, when's the latest you can get here?" FInnick asked as his voice got serious.
"Tomorrow night by the latest, they're watching the train and bus stations like a hawk" I said with a sigh as I paced back and forth.
"Well, contact me when you're leaving, I'll meet you near the Hopps farm, it's one of the biggest farms and right on the edge of town" Finnick said as something fell in the background.
"Yeah that's fine, secondary?" I asked just in case the cops decided to show up there
"Hmm, how about the county fair? It'll be up and running this week" Finnick asked.
"I don't know Fin, that's a lot of bunnies" I cautioned.
"That's all I got Nick; and besides, you don't got much of a choice" Fin said with a slight growl.
I sighed and tightened my grip around my phone, goddammit, why can't things be simple.
"Alright buddy, I'll see you there… and if don't contact you in two days… well"
_End Flashback_
The unbelievably slow ticket dispenser let out a few more weird sounds before spitting out the damn ticket, the words Bunny Burrow sticking out like a sore thumb. I ripped it out of the machine like I was some greedy kid and bolted back across the street and into the same alleyway I came here by.
I wouldn't normally do this but there was a sewer entrance not that far from here and that I discovered a few years back, no one seemed to know it existed after I dug around for it, not even in public records. It was hidden under a long forgotten and rusted dumpster that I could easily move out of the way, but it blended in perfectly so it was the perfect little hiding spot.
I slowed to a stop at the mouth of a dead end alleyway, it looked like a place where everyone dumped their trash; well, more like illegal trash. I maneuvered around a few piles of broken glass and needles and towards the dumpster in the back. I stopped just short of the dumpster and looked behind me, scanning the smallest shadows to the the rooftops, and thankfully, I didn't see anyone.
I quickly placed my hands on the dumpster and pushed it aside, revealing the dark iron manhole cover. I glanced back behind me again then leaned down and with a huff, I pulled the cover off. I recoiled slightly as the familiar smell hit me in the face, but I braved it and stepped into it. I carefully stepped down the makeshift ladder of rusted metal bars and easily pulled the dumpster back over the hole, and as I descended further in, I pulled the heavy manhole cover back over the hole.
_Judy_
I huffed in irritation as I stood in front of some cafe in the upper class part of Zootopia, Jack called me earlier and told me to meet him here, but the outlandishly fancy building in front of me makes me suspicious. The building although small and humble, had the appearance of a five star restaurant, they even had a snow leopard who seemed his only job was to hold open the front door.
"This guy better not be turning this into a date" I said in distaste.
"Well that's not what this bunny is going to do Miss Hopps" someone said behind me.
I jumped slightly and quickly turned around to see Jack Savage standing there with an even nicer looking suit. I laughed nervously for a second before regaining my composure. He shook his head with a slight smile before moving his hands from behind his back, holding a tablet in each of his hands. I looked up at him with slight confusion before grabbing one of the tablets.
"Now Miss Hopps, I don't intend to mislead you but this is a formal get together" Jack said as he crossed his paws back behind his back.
"Yes Mr. Savage, it's just the very exquisite cafe threw me off" I said in slight embarrassment.
"It's quite alright miss hopps, shall we" he said mentioning to the front door a few feet away.
I smiled and quickly nodded my head. He nodded back and took lead, the snow leopard opening the glass door as we walked into the very fancy cafe. We stopped at the front counter which was on the right and as i looked to the left my eyes widened in slight wonder at the sight of the almost priceless look of everything, the floors, the tables, the paintings, the golden light, the walls even.
"it's gorgeous in here" I said absentmindedly as I examined everything. hand
"It is" Jack said in amusement.
"Please follow me" said a very regal looking fox in tuxedo as he walked out from behind the counter..
He held two glasses in one hand and a full wine bottle in his other hand, all of which looking ridiculously expensive. I followed after Jack and the fox as we walked to the back of the restaurant to one of the corner booths. The fox stepped aside as we reached our table and he graciously mentioned for us to take our seats. I smiled appreciatively at the fox before sliding into my seat and Jack on the other side.
"Refreshments" the fox asked before placing the glasses on the table.
"Leave the bottle Francis" Jack said with a smile.
"Certainly Mr. Savage" he said respectively, his eyes briefly connecting with mine before he walked away back towards the counter.
I watched him as he walked away and my eyes slowly drifting towards his tail before I quickly looked away with a slight blush. I gently place the tablet on the table to the left of me and looked to see Jack's smiling face.
I swear it's the only thing he knows how to do.
"Miss Hopps. I'd like to apologize for not meeting at the appointed time this morning, the chief and mayor put up a fight when we worked out the details of your involvement in this investigation" he said with a slight chuckle.
He reached for the wine bottle and two glasses, quickly pouring two glasses for each of us.
"Oh it's alright Mr. Savage, I understand that things right now can be a little hectic" I said as I reached for my glass and taking a slight sip of it.
"Yes it can be, but like I said earlier today, me and you will be the head investigators of this case" Jack said seriously, his smile disappearing.
"But why me? there's certainly better qualified investigators in the department?" I asked, still confused on why he chose me.
"Because I know potential when I see it, if your top mark scores are anything to go by, and if this all works out, maybe even offer you a position in the ZBI, but let's get back to business" he said quickly before pulling the tablet in front of him.
I opened mouth to continue the conversation but I quickly closed it and pulled my own tablet in front of me, I'll ask him after.
"So Miss Hopps, what do you know of the investigation so far" Jack asked as he tapped away at his tablet.
"Well it's not much, four swat officers killed and eight others injured in the downtown rainforest district. The drone seemed to be the one to fire the killing blows due to the calibers of weapon on it being the same… biggest event involving death since the Lavern massacre" I said quietly.
"Yes... that's correct" Jack said solemnly.
I looked down at my tablet and turned it on, quickly noticing a filing system with everything related to the case organized and ready to go.
"Well considering your recent encounter with the raccoon shooter, we've been able to narrow down his target to sahara square. We've been searching for Nick Wilde for the last few days, but have come up short" Jack said with a sigh.
I watched as a map appeared on the screen of sahara square, red X's in some area's and green squares in others. I looked closely at the screen and noticed that most of the X's were on house's, apartments, and a few private warehouses. While the green squares were on docks, airports, train stations, and the airport.
"The green squares are all places that are secure and under watch, the X's are place's we still have to search and secured" Jack explained.
"Is there anything the lady would like" said the sudden voice of the fox, Francis I think was his name.
I jumped slightly and looked at the fox who still looked dapper as ever. He raised his eyebrows for answer and I nervously smiled back, his blue eyes staring into mine. I moved my mouth to say something but nothing came out.
"She'll take a grilled rotisserie salad, dressing?" Jack said from his seat.
I quickly glanced at Jack then back at francis "I-I-I'll take French" I said with a quick nod.
He smirked back at me "Right away" he said formally before sending me a wink, making my ears heat up. He began to walk away and I watched as his tail swayed slightly behind him.
"Ah-hem" Jack said bluntly.
I quickly looked back at Jack who wasn't smiling like he usually was, my ears now burning for an entirely different reason.
"Now Miss Hopps, I wouldn't mind the ogling of our waiter but as it were we are on the clock, and will not tolerate distractions of that kind. If you want to come after work and have a look, you're more than welcomed to, hell I'd might join ya, but that's your time, and this is work" he stated warningly, his eyes narrowed seriously as they stared into mine.
I stared at him for a few more seconds before I felt my ears fall to my back, the embarrassed feeling only growing. I nodded slightly before looking down at the tablet, come on Judy, get a grip.
"... but just don't let me see you" he said in a whisper.
I glanced up at him and chuckled, he was leaning over the table slightly with a smile gracing his face again as he covered his mouth with his paw. I shook my head slightly and looked back down at the tablet.
"So Judy, is there anything on this map that seems suspiciously unmarked" Jack asked as all the X's and squares blinked, a few of the X's in housing sections turning into green squares.
I closely looked at the map for anything that would seem to need to be checked, zooming in and swiping around, but mostly everything was a subject of interest and would eventually be searched. I hummed in thought and swiped down a street, a blib of something catching my eye.
"What is that?" I said curiously as I quickly swiped back to the blip.
"What?" Jack asked.
My eyes widened slightly in realisation, the circle of a pothole in the middle of the road making my mid jump in slight excitement.
"Are the precincts or ZBI searching the sewers" I asked quickly as I started typing in criteria for more of those X's.
"Yes a few are, but they're so expensive and could take a month to fully searched, and even if we did search, he could possibly move back to one of the checked area's" Jack said with slight confusion.
"No I mean the old Zootopian sewer system, it's only a dozen square miles compared to the one now, and there are several old entrances in the Sahara square and the rainforest district" Judy said excitedly as around 21 different red X's appeared on the map, all of them in the Sahara and rainforest districts.
"Old swear system? The mayor nor the assistant mayor told me or the ZBI about this… there's gonna be hell to pay" Jack said with slight anger before pulling out his phone.
I looked up at Jack with a smile on my face and he nodded back with a smile of his own before putting his attention into his call. I nodded to myself and leaned against the comfy seat, the sound of mayor lionheart on the other side. I looked back at the map when suddenly my phone started buzzing. I inwardly groaned and grabbed it from my pocket, Jack seemed pretty into his conversation and I quickly answered it.
"Hello" I said chipperly into the phone, half expecting it to be my parents.
"Ha ha ha ha… " a low and slow laugh came from the phone, and it almost sounded familia…
I froze.
"Hello my little bunny cop, I think I got a call for ya, you know a little bun named Andrew… Right?" the smooth but gravelly voice asked with a sadistic undertone.
My eyes widened in fear and I slowly looked down at the table, Andrew was a sweet kid and was at my last birthday before moving out to Zootopia too, he was talking about how he landed a job as an account for some wealth person in tundra town. How in god's name did he get mixed up in this.
"J-Judy… " said a weak and terrified voice through the speaker.
"Andrew!" I yelled into the receiver.
I pressed the phone to my ear as Andrew said something else, but it sounded muffled.
"Now Judy, if ya want to see this little ol' brat again, I would suggest you find my damn fox. I don't care if you go and tell that new partner on the beanstalk, but when you find my fox… I want him, or, this little ol' bun may… get hurt" the voice threatened as wines started coming from the other side.
A sudden high pitched scream blared out the speakers, the sound of an electric shock coming from the other side too. A small whine left my throat and the laugh of the sadistic animal echoed out of the speakers after Andrew stopped screaming.
"Well time does fly my cute little bunny and I think my guest is a little tuckered out… find him Judy, or you may not find your nephew" the voice threatened one final time, the click of the phone call ending echoing through my head.
I kept my eyes on the table, horrible, terrible thoughts running through my head. How did he get Andrew? What is he doing to him? How did he get caught up in this? … is it my fault?
"JUDY" Jack yelled, breaking me from my thoughts.
I slowly looked up at him and he looked at me with a serious yet comforting expression. A few tears escaped my eyes and Jack slowly reached across the table and softly grasped my hand, his other hand already typing in a number most likely.
"We'll find him Judy"
I hope you liked it, and to those of you who made it this far, what do think of my story? Is it good? Bad? In the middle? Don't be afraid to review because it should help me improve, even if negative.
And to all of you out there, have a wonderful day!