6

After a week of no leads to finding the Eraser, everyone in Bogo's team were getting frustrated. It didn't last very long though.

"The Eraser has been sighted!" shouted Officer McHorn. "She's been sighted!" Judy and Nick perked up and went over to McHorn.

"Where?" Judy exclaimed. "Where has she been sighted?"

"In Tundra Town," he replied. "Around the shopping centre."

"Let's get a move on!" Bogo bellowed. Judy and Nick started to follow along with the rest of the officers, but Bogo stopped them.

"Oh, no. Not you two."

"What?!" Nick exclaimed.

"Why?!" Judy blurted.

"Because, Hopps, you are her victim, and she may go after you," he explained. "And, Wilde, I don't want you going out there because I don't want you trying any one-man-shows and trying to catch her yourself. Are we clear?" He looked at both of them.

"Yes, sir," they said in unison. The chief gave them one last look before going after the other officers. Judy glared at the floor while Nick punched a wall.

"Stuck here," he growled. "While they go have all the fun." Judy turned to him.

"But the chief makes a fair point," she argued. "As long as we stay here, we won't jeopardise the mission."

"What, you're okay with just sitting here?!" he shouted. "Carrots, that panther nearly killed you!"

"I know," she retorted, "but if I went out there, she would probably finish me off! Do you really want that to happen after a month of having me back?!" Nick pulled back, shocked. He hadn't thought of that. He hadn't thought of that at all.

"Like Bogo said, you can't go out there because he's afraid you'll try to capture her yourself," Judy added. "What happens if she kills you?"

Nick gazed at her. "Better me than you," he muttered. Judy shook her head.

"No, Nick," she replied, "then I'll be the one who will suffer. You know very well that bunnies are emotional. Losing my best friend may lead to me losing myself. Please, Nick. I need you." She stared at him with her big, violet eyes pleadingly. Nick hesitated then sighed.

"Alright," he said. "You win." She smiled then hugged him.

"Thank you." He smiled, too, and hugged her back.

"Hey, guys!" Clawhauser came running in with a laptop in hand. "The chase for the Eraser is being filmed live!" He stopped, breathing heavily, and turned the laptop toward them so that they could see. It was true; the ZPD cars were blaring their sirens and lights, chasing after a slender, tan car. The newscaster at the scene was narrating what was happening.

"Chief Bogo and his team are chasing after the infamous Eraser through Tundra Town," she clarified. "Could this be the moment we've all been waiting for? Could they finally capture the criminal who has evaded capture for almost six years?"

Judy quietly rooted for Chief Bogo and the officers. Nick was, too, but was letting the others know by whispering go, go. A couple of the cars broke off from the rest and headed down another road.

"They're gonna trap her in!" Judy yelled in glee. Sure enough, within a few minutes, the cars that had broken off were headed toward the tan car. That car then swerved to avoid a head-on collision and turned around, only to swerve again as the rest of the chasing cars surrounded it. The tan car came to a complete stop, as did the police cars. The officers came out of the cars, pointing guns at the automobile, shouting.

A black figure came out of the vehicle with their paws up. The camera zoomed in on the figure as they turned around. Judy took in a breath when she saw the scar down the left eye. It was the Eraser alright. They watched as she was cuffed and muzzled on the roof of her car. Finally caught after all these years. Judy couldn't help smiling. She jumped up and let out a cheer. She grabbed on to Nick, squeezing him into a hug, practically choking him. Nick let out a gagging sound to let her know of that.

She released him and gave him a sheepish smile. "Come on," she gestured. "Let's go greet them."

Fifteen minutes later, Bogo came in to the station, pushing the Eraser in front of him. Judy and Nick were joined by other officers, who all applauded the capture of the criminal. The panther spotted Judy among the crowd. She grinned.

"Hello, bunny," she said in her silky voice. "Miss me?" Nick pushed Judy behind him, glaring at the predator. She only smirked and allowed Chief Bogo to haul her off to the prison.

"Not on your life," Judy whispered. Once out of sight, the two of them headed back to their designated desks. Later on, Judy took a look in the updated Eraser file. Besides the dubbed name, a new name filled in the blank spaces:

Shiera Cardins

"Shiera Cardins," Judy repeated in a soft voice. Certainly sounds like a criminal name. Even in her mug shots she looked rather menacing. Judy frowned. Something bothered her about Cardins' arrest. It just seemed so…easy. Why, after six years of evading capture, would she suddenly just get caught? And where was the leopard? She set the file on her desk, leaned back in her chair and thought. Catching her looked way too easy.

She got up and went to Nick's desk. "Hey, Nick?"

"Yeah, what's up, Carrots?" Nick glanced up from what he was doing.

"Do you have the feeling that the Eraser's capture was just so easy?" she questioned. He frowned.

"No?" he responded. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," she leaned against his desk, crossing her arms, "a criminal who has been doing harm and escaping the law for nearly six years suddenly gets cornered by the police. And with ease, too." She sighed. "Not to mention that her leopard partner wasn't arrested with her." Judy looked over at him. "Does that not seem strange?"

"Now that you mentioned it," he mused, "yeah. It does seem strange."

"She doesn't seem like the kind who would just let herself get arrested," Judy continued. She got up off of Nick's desk and started pacing. "She's intelligent. She knows her way around. So why would she…" Judy trailed off. An odd thought occurred to her. She stopped and turned to Nick.

"Unless she wanted to get caught," Judy blurted.

"What?!" Nick exclaimed. "You really think the Eraser wanted to get arrested?"

"It's just a theory," she shrugged. "Which we will have to prove." She headed toward Bogo's office. "Let's ask her."

"Whoa, whoa." Nick scrambled out of his seat and caught up to her. "What do you mean 'we'?"

"I mean me and you. Unless you're too scared to talk to her." She smirked at him.

"Wh- me? Scared?" He laughed. "Are you not? I mean, this panther is the one who kidnapped you and did goodness-knows-what things to you."

"True," Judy replied, "but I'm not going to let her get to me." She stepped in front of Bogo's office and knocked. A gruff voice signalled them inside. She opened the door and marched inside. Nick, still not sure if this is a good idea, quickly followed her in.

"Sir," she started, "we'd like to talk to Shiera Cardins." Chief Bogo gave her a bewildered look.

"Have you lost your mind, Officer Hopps?" he cried out. "This criminal is the one who nearly killed you!"

"I am fully aware of that, Chief. However, her arrest seems off."

"Off? What do you mean?"

She sighs. "How is it possible for a criminal who has been evading the law to suddenly be cornered and arrested?" Bogo stared at her, so she continued. "Not to mention that her leopard comrade wasn't with her when she was caught." Bogo frowned.

"What are you saying, Hopps?" he inquired.

"What I'm saying is didn't her capture seem too easy? She has to be up to something." The chief let out a deep hum in thought.

"Alright, I'll bite." He leaned forward. "Why do you think her capture was so easy?"

"I- er, we," she gestured to herself and to Nick, "believe that she wanted to get arrested." Bogo stared at her in disbelief.

"Wanted to- why would a criminal want to be arrested?"

"We don't know," Judy admitted. "That's why Nick and I want to talk to her."

Chief Bogo furrowed his eyebrows, rubbing his chin with his cloven hands. Finally, he said, "Alright. Shiera Cardins' cell number is 803." Judy smiled.

"Thanks, Chief." He muttered something as she and Nick headed to the cell block.

"I'm still not sure if this is a good idea, Carrots," Nick remarked.

"Relax, Nick," Judy replied. "She's behind bars, so she can't get me. I'll be fine, I promise." Nick made an uncertain face.

"I don't know, Judy. Something tells me that, even though she is behind bars, she can still get to you."

"You worry too much."

"Yeah, and for good measures." She ignored that last comment and headed straight to cell 803. The panther was standing there with her back to them, as though staring out the small window above her head.

"Nice of you to come visit me, little bunny," Shiera said before the two officers could say anything. She turned around to look at Judy. "And I see you brought your fox friend. An odd choice for a bodyguard, don't you think?" She smiled.

"What are you playing at, Shiera?" Judy demanded. "What is your game?" Shiera raised an eyebrow.

"My game?" she repeated. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I find it quite suspicious for a criminal who has been escaping the law for nearly six years to suddenly be caught by the police in a car chase."

"We have our slip-ups, dearie," the panther purred. Judy shook her head.

"No," she said, "I think you wanted to get caught." The bunny officer looked the criminal in the eye, refusing to be intimidated by her. Shiera chuckled.

"You're more clever than you look, bunny," she praised. "Did you figure this out all by yourself, or did your friend help you?"

"What are you planning, Eraser?" Nick piped up, stepping forward. Shiera glances over at him with an amused look.

"That is for me to know," she looks back at Judy, "and for you to find out."

/WHAT IS SHE PLANNING? Stay tuned for the next chapter!