Part 7

"That was a neat trick you pulled at the water fall…but I am going to get the last laugh," said the sheep with a grin. Nick and Judy watched as he paced back in front of them. The sheep eyed them both, his wicked toothy grin shone brightly in the light.

"I tell you, this job just keeps getting more and more difficult. First it was 'get rid of the fox' then it was 'kill the fox' now its 'bring the fox in alive'. I swear they change their mind more than an indecisive child at an ice-cream parlor! I could have backed out and had someone else get the job done but let's be honest they wouldn't have done a good job. So instead I suffer this job myself out of some odd sense of responsibility. When I'm done here I think I should reevaluate my occupation because this amount of emotional investment can't be too healthy. It doesn't matter now…I have you now and soon this train wreck will end" The sheep said.

As Nick and Judy watched him talk they began to notice some things about him. The sheep had large dark rings around his eyes, as if he had been awake since they last saw him. His wool around his face wasn't combed and stood up wildly. Lastly his clothing, a simple black suit, was terribly wrinkled. All together what they saw before them was a ghastly visage of a man who looked as if he was on the brink of insanity. Their attention was taken when the sound of a door was head from behind the sheep.

"That's enough Agent Wooly, you're going to bore them to death with your insufferable ranting" said a female voice.

The sheep named Wooly turned his head around. From the back of the room a figure emerged form the shadows. There stepping into the light dressed in a navy blue designer suit was Mayor Swinton. She walked slowly into the light, with each step her eyes moved up and down Nick and Judy, studying them. Her gaze however was much more focused on Nick. A coy smile played on her lips as she stopped next to Wooly, hands on her hips. Wooly snapped to attention, performing a salute.

"So after all this time you have finally captured them?"

"Yes ma'am"

"A ragamuffin fox and the rabbit he kidnapped?" Swinton said as she gestured to Nick and Judy who both looked worse for wear.

"I did my best ma'am,"

"Your best was taking too long and letting them run amok in my city? Shame Wooly, it seems that you've gotten soft in your old age…"

"Ma'am I…,"

"I don't want to HEAR and of your excuses Wooly. It's because of you I have the city counsel on my ass about THIS savage fox. If you had taken any longer then they would have started to question me and you know what happens when people start to think for themselves don't you?"

"Yes ma'am…,"

Swinton pointed to Nick.

"Get changed and take him out of my sight"

"With pleasure madam," Wooly said with glee. He walked out of the range of the light and from the darkness came the sound of a suitcase being opened. After several minutes Wooly returned but standing in his place was not a sheep but a boar. Nick did a double take; this was the boar from earlier. The disguise was perfect, near seamless. Wooly had his hooves on his face, moving the mask around until it was positioned properly. As he looked down at Nick he gave him a smile.

"Remember me?"

With a quick motion, Wooly punched Nick in the muzzle knocking him out. Judy screamed and struggled at her bonds as Wooly untied Nick and handcuffed him. She thrashed her body side to side and call out to Nick in a vain hope that he would wake up. Helpless, she watched as the sheep tossed Nick over his shoulder and casually walked out of the room. Just before he could leave, Swinton whistled at him.

"Remember not to rough him up too much Wooly, he still has to be ready for tomorrow."

"Don't worry ma'am you'll have your fox in one whole piece, ready and waiting for you."

"He better be or it'll be on your head. Send the boys in when you leave."

As Wooly left the room, Swinton walked to the opposite wall and flicked the light switch on. The entirety of the room became illuminated and Judy could see that she was inside what looked to be a basement. As she looked around, two large bulls in suits came in and stood next to Swinton.

"Untie her and bring her with me."

Swinton pulled out her phone and started to text while Judy was unbound from the chair. Afraid, she sat still as the large hands of the bulls removed the strong coils of rope from her wrists and ankles. She rubbed the soreness out of her wrists as the two bulls stood her up and led her out of the room with Swinton leading. They exited into a hallway and went up a long flight of stairs. From the top of the stairs they entered another hallway, this one though was filled with a variety of service workers in janitors jumpsuits. The group moved from one end of the hall to the other and turned the corner. There they were greeted with the sight of several elevators. Swinton hit a button on the wall and the group entered the elevator.

Like a bullet, they shot up. Judy was sandwiched in-between the guards and Swinton, who causally typed away at her phone. Looking around nervously, she noticed that the elevator they were in was too ornate to be a service elevator. One section of the elevator was a glass window, which showed a grimy cement wall. Seconds later they came to ground level and the window showed a large open area of the building they were in. In large golden letters on the wall said the words CITY HALL were displayed. As Judy looked, she could see on the ground floor of the building were a multitude of office workers and visitors going about their daily life. Abruptly the elevator stopped and she was pushed out by one of the bodyguards.

Wordlessly, they walked down the hallway, which overlooked city hall. They took a left and then a right and then a left again and entered the first door they came across. Swinton took out a keycard from her coat pocket and opened up the door. As they stepped inside Judy gasped at the sight that met her. The large room they entered was filled from floor to ceiling with hundreds of television screens. Each one of them showed something different. Some showed busy streets and others showed the insides of stores. Some even showed video that looked like it was taken from someone glasses. The room wasn't just filled with television screens though. In the corner of the room held what looked to be the sound stage she held broadcasts from.

"Marvelous isn't it?" Swinton asked.

Judy looked at her in surprise. Swinton hadn't so much as glanced at Judy the entire time they walked.

"W…what?"

"From here, I can see everything. Every movement that is made, every crime, every purchase; nothing is hidden from me." Swinton said as she walked over to a nearby computer terminal and started to type.

"Not even the savage fox could hide from us" Swinton said as she hit the keyboard with a swish of her hand. The television screens flickered and videos of Nick popped up on screen. Everything from the last couple of days was shown. Nick leaving his house and going to the doctor, Nick entering the clinic entrance to Wilde Times, Nick being kidnapped in front of his house; nothing was left out.

"At first I couldn't have cared less about him but after seeing what he does for work I knew I had to get him off the streets."

Judy looked at her with confusion.

"What could Nick have done to deserve all of this? We've been hunted and shot at for the past two weeks, for what?!"

Swinton looked at Judy with a grin.

"My dear I thought you would never ask."

Once again Swinton typed on the keyboard and brought up another video. This one took over every single screen on the wall. It was a video that looked as if it was taken from a hidden camera. The person who took it was standing outside of Nick's clinic and showed the person entering Wilde Times. Judy's jaw dropped as she saw the smiling visage of Nick greeted people. The person filming stood in line as people rushed to have their collar taken off. They had their collar removed and they were allowed entrance into the park. The footage then showed the person filming walking into the middle of the park, making sure to show off the the person turned to a voice which had started speaking and revealed Nick managing several employees. Judy was shocked to see that Nick was walking around without a collar on.

"My dear bunny, do you have any idea what this means? It means revolution! Without their collars on, predators become savage. What do you think happened in Happytown? If I weren't for my intervention the whole event would have turned our city to ruin. Something like this, in the heart of the city would mean disaster! First, it's all fun and games but then what happens when they don't want it to just be for a few hours? What if they wanted to go about their lives without their collars at all? For the good of the people, I won't allow it! " Swinton said as she watched Judy struggle to process this new information.

"Nick…wouldn't want that. He just…he wanted…"

"Oh don't tell me…he never told you did he?"

"…No," Judy said as she averted her eyes. All this time she thought that Nick was just someone in the wrong place in the wrong time but this changed things. He was not only breaking the law but was actively encouraging others to break the law as well. Judy felt a ball of emotions rise up and settle in her throat; she was torn. She liked Nick and felt sorry for him but this was more criminal than anything she could have expected. She couldn't stand it, she had to think up of some way to defend him; something to make her feel as if she wasn't wrong about him. Swinton mean while pulled out a compact and adjusted her makeup.

"Let me tell you dear, predators are dangerous. You simply cannot trust them. They will lie to you, they will steal from you, and if you aren't careful they will try to kill you. They might try to seem innocent but trust me when I say that they aren't. They can't hide what they truly are: heartless killers pretending to be normal. It's worse enough that they are that way by nature but add on top of that their predisposition to become savage at a moments notice and you can see why they must be controlled. Just as that fox must be controlled. It is because of him that the predator populace has now become more likely than ever to catch savagery," Swinton said, her eyes occasionally darting up to look at Judy.

"That's not true! Nick isn't like that at all. Yeah, he's done some bad things but that isn't because he's a fox! "

"Oh, but look, I am still just a pig. Doesn't mean that I too am not bound by my species attributes. Those predators are biologically programmed to kill, my dear. Certainly you have heard about the events in Happytown? I had to quarantine a whole section just to protect the people from the spread of savagery. Look at how the riot was started by those predators trying to defend that savage cougar. It was obvious that they were starting to catch the first signs by how readily they rushed to him!"

"How did you know it was savagery that caused the riot in Happytown? I heard the protesters had a lot to do with how the riots started!"

"My poor sweet bunny, don't you know anything about savagery? It is a sickness of the mind as well as body. First they get killing stuck in their head and before you know it they are gnawing on your neighbor. Those predators must have liked seeing the attack and wanted to help kill was well. As for those protesters, they were using their right to free speech and they acted in the best interest of the city by trying to apprehend the savage. Are you suggesting that I should have punished the brave civilians that did the public a service?"

"There were police there weren't there? Shouldn't the trained professionals deal with dangers to society, not vigilantes?"

"The police were ineffective before my reforms. With so many predators on the force, they were unable to act on species which they had grown accustomed to. Now they are able to work alongside their prey brethren against the violent predators who threaten their families," Swinton said as she finished with her makeup. She then snapped her fingers at one of the guards. He came over beside her and gave her a file that he took from one of the shelves. Swinton opened it and inside held documents about Judy.

"Judy Hopps is it? Graduated several years ago from the police academy, worked for a year in Bunny Burrow County and then transferred to Bombay Penitentiary. It says here that you were assigned to office work against your wishes, is that correct?" Swinton asked.

"How did you-"

"I am the mayor dear, information is valuable to me and I spend a good amount of time collecting it. I am correct though am I?"

"Yes…you are." Judy said. She disliked spying and was disgusted that Swinton had entered her private life.

"Well dear, how would you like it if I were to get you a lucrative position here in the city?"

"You could do that? I have no qualifications there is no way they would accept me."

"They won't say a single thing if they don't want to have to deal with me. You just have to do me a little favor first and everything will work out." Swinton said as she returned the television screens back to the multitude of video footage of the city.

Judy narrowed her eyes at Swinton. She didn't like where this was going. She might not like that Nick had not told her about his past and she might not like the fact that he had broken the law but that didn't mean she trusted Swinton; no matter how much she might smile and act friendly.

"What kind of favor?" Judy asked.

"My dear, the citizens are scared; for the past two weeks the people have heard on the news that a savage fox was running wild in the streets. At first it seemed manageable but then they hear that he kidnapped you. What were they to think? They waited on baited breath to see if you would turn up dead or not. We need to sate their fear with some hope! Picture it, big announcement from Animalia Stadium. You, the brave policewoman who was kidnapped, have overpowered your kidnapper and brought him in to face justice. It will be a sensation! There will be mass media coverage of the event, all for the purpose of keeping the morale of the people high. I would feel so touched by the event that I would see it fit to reward you a medal for your service to the city. All you need to do is accept it, give a little speech, and wave good-bye as you go to your new job. So what do you say Mrs. Hopps?" Swinton said as she sat down at a nearby desk with legs crossed and her arms folded.

Judy thought this over for several moments. Her whole life all she ever wanted was to be a police officer, one who wasn't afraid to get her paws dirty helping others. Currently her whole career was just being shuffled around an office, stopping her from being of use to anyone. This was her moment to finally attain a position that would allow her to prove that rabbits could be cops as well.. Out of the corner of her eye she could see a black and white video feed playing on a screen on the wall. It was grainy and low quality but she could make out several figures. The video depicted several large animals crowding around a smaller one. They were kicking at it and punching it for a while until they got tired. Then, one of them took the smaller creature by the neck and threw it into a cage in the corner of the room. Judy could just barely make out the figure but the lump in her throat told her it was Nick.

"What do you say dear?"

"I'll…I'll do it."

"Splendid!" Swinton said as she gave her a wicked grin.