Chapter Seven

One day and a maybe a slight hangover later, Judy found herself in her usual spot next to Nick in the bullpen. Most of the officers had given a little cheer when the two had shown up that morning, clearly happy to see their two smallest officers back in good health, but after that the meeting had gone on like normal. As the assignments were passed out, Judy was unsurprised when Chief Bogo assigned them to a double shift in Tundratown. The chief had texted her about it the day before; it was crucial that they follow the lead they had discovered, so Nick and her would be spending the next 24 hours patrolling the freezing district, looking for any sign of Tice.

Soon, her and Nick were rolling down those very same snowy streets, dutifully keeping a lookout for any sign of their target. Judy couldn't help but compare this to the last time they had patrolled the streets looking for Victor Blackmoore, but today she felt a little more hopeful. At least now they had solid reason to believe they were in the right district, and if they couldn't find him tonight they'd be back at it next shift.

Nick's phone buzzed and he pulled it out to check it.

"Skye says her and Jack are in the district too. They're in an unmarked car, but they'll be ready to respond to anything and they'll be calling us first on any leads."

Judy nodded at that. It was good to know they had reliable back up nearby. Not that they couldn't count on their fellow officers, but she knew the ZIA's training went above theirs, and the agents may even carry some more firepower. She didn't really love the idea of any mammals running around Zootopia armed with guns, but she supposed after her last encounter it would be good to have at least a few on her side.

As the hours rolled on, Judy was determined not to get frustrated, but their search seemed pretty fruitless. They were sticking near bus stops, parks, anywhere public that Tice might be, but Judy was starting to think that was a little counterproductive. If this mammal had as much training as they thought, even if he was out in public, she was sure he'd take precautions not to be recognized. They were going to have to change their strategy.

Judy knocked a few ideas around in her head as Nick eased the cruiser to a stop on a vacant street corner. She closed her eyes and leaned back against her seat. Outside, the air would be freezing, but inside, the late afternoon sun on her face warmed her fur and helped ease her mind a bit. Judy frowned as something blocked the light, and then she jumped as something thumped heavily against her window. She blinked as she looked out her window, shocked to see a blue tracksuit blocking her entire view and a white paw easily the size of her head knocking on the window. She craned her neck to look up and saw a stoic looking polar bear staring back at her from several feet above her cruiser.

"Holy shit! Carrots, lock the doors!" Nick shouted, scrambling to throw the gear back into drive.

"Nick! Stop being an ass! He's probably just looking for directions!" Judy snapped back, shooting him a glare. She rolled down her window and leaned out, putting on her most polite, professional tone.

"Evening, sir! Can I help you?"

The bear leaned down slowly and stared into the cruiser with dark, piercing eyes. First he looked at Judy and then he eyed Nick, his face showing no hint of emotion.

"Officer Hopps. Officer Wilde."

The bear spoke with a thick Sibearian accent, and his breath smelled like cigarettes. Now Judy's heart raced with fear. Maybe Nick had been right, they should've kept their distance from this strange, massive mammal. She frantically thought back to the list of mammals from Black Knight. Was there a polar bear? There was! Or was it a grizzly? Or was it both? Oh god! She thought about the tranq gun on her hip, but she knew it likely wouldn't do any good. If he attacked, she'd be lucky to even get a shot off, and a mammal his size would likely stay conscious long enough to kill her anyways. As the moment dragged on, she considered throwing herself towards Nick, screaming for him to drive, anything to get herself away. Then, the bear spoke again.

"Mr. Big would like a word. Giovanni's Tailor Shop, Seven-thirty. Use the back door."

Without hesitating another moment, The bear stood back up to his full height and lumbered off down the sidewalk. Judy sat frozen for a moment before hurrying to roll up her window. When it finally reached the top, she sat panting for a moment before turning towards her partner.

"Nick-"

"I know Carrots, holy hell."

"How did that bear even find us?"

Nick shrugged, looking bewildered.

"I mean, this is 's neighborhood, through and through. He probably knows everything going on around here."

Judy shook her head at that, trying to calm herself down. She wasn't usually one to get shook up, but that bear had freaked her out something bad.

"So...are we going to go?" Nick asked.

Judy's heart raced all over again at the idea. Not only was Mr. Big sure to have plenty of ridiculously large henchmen around, he was also one of the most powerful crime bosses in the city. He also happened to be the grandfather of Judy's godchild, but that didn't make her feel much better. The details of their relationship had yet to make it back to the Police force, and Judy hoped to keep it that way and getting caught meeting with the shrew, in private, while on duty would certainly raise some eyebrows. Judy was about to tell Nick no, when something he said rang clear in her mind.

"Wait...Big knows everything in Tundratown?" Nick shrugged again.

"I mean, pretty much. He owns half the legal businesses, all the illegal ones, has eyes everywhere, and probably knows every mammal..." Sudden realization dawned on Nick's face. "...and maybe he knows something about Tice!"

Judy nodded determinedly, giving Nick a serious look. It was decided. They had to go to this meeting.


As Judy padded through the quiet shop, her nerves were completely on edge. Her and Nick had parked their cruiser a few blocks away and had wandered down the alley only when they were sure no one was watching, but this place still made Judy thoroughly uncomfortable. The place was mostly deserted, save for a few towering polar bears and a couple smaller mammal workers who scurried around the dusty backroom making an obvious effort to keep their eyes locked on the floor. This was not a place where an honest cop should be.

The polar bear guiding the two officers opened a door out of the back storeroom, leading into a hallway lined with ornate, old fashioned doors, lit by fancy looking lights mounted on the walls. Overall, the place gave an air of wealth and class. The huge bear opened the first door on the right and stuck his head in, speaking quietly. Despite the raspiness of his voice, Judy could hear the reply clear as day.

"Ah, thank you Dimitri, send them in. Giovani, un momento, per favore."

After a second, a ferret with a tiny measuring tape wrapped around his finger exited the room, heading back into the storeroom. The polar bear gestured into the room silently, and Nick and Judy stepped inside slowly. Inside, they saw the tiny mob boss waiting for them. He stood on top of a stool in the middle of a fitting room, wearing slacks and a white dress shirt. On top of the stool with him was an appropriate sized chair, mirror, and coat rack, with an apparently half-tailored suit coat hanging on it. As the two entered, he spread his tiny paws wide in a greeting gesture.

"Judith, Nicky, so good to see you. I apologize for meeting you so underdressed, but I felt it couldn't wait."

Judy stepped forward and allowed the tiny mob boss to give her a kiss on each cheek.

"Long time no see, Salvatore. How's little Judy?"

She took a chance using his first name. He could take it as disrespect, and it grated on her anyways to be so chummy with such a criminal, but she might need him in a good mood to get her information. Apparently her gamble paid off, as he returned her smile.

"She's wonderful, she just started ballet, you'll have to see her sometime."

Judy replied with a drawn out 'Awwww' that was more real then forced, when Nick stepped forward to speak.

"So your mammal told us you wanted to see us...what was all that about?"

Big's face suddenly dropped back into his usual dark, brooding mask at Nick's question. He settled into the chair with a sigh before launching into his explanation.

"Now, before I start, I want you two to know this is a personal call, not a business call. I understand that in your line of work, this kind of thing can come with a price, so I'll say it now, I give this information to the godmother of my first grandchild and my friend as a personal favor, nothing in return." Judy and Nick both gave a solemn nod, appreciating the sentiment. Big continued, looking serious.

"Today, one of my associates overheard a mammal in a bar looking for some information. He knew I had an interest in the subject matter, so he reported it to me. I did in fact find it interesting, and thought you might too, so I brought you here to discuss it."

He paused, and the silence hung in the air. Judy held her breath, waiting for him to continue. It was obvious to her he was speaking about Black Knight, but how did he even know anything about them, let alone that her and Nick were investigating them? She focused again as the shrew continued.

"The questions that he was asking all pertained to the addresses, patrol routes, and any known information about Judy Hopps and Nicholas Wilde."

Judy's heart froze in her chest as her excitement instantly died, replaced by an icy cold fear. Mammals were looking for her? They wanted to know her patrol routes, her address? What the hell?

"Sir," Nick growled, anger creeping Into his voice, "This mammal was...what, hunting us? Who was it?"

Big held up a paw in a placating gesture.

"He was a local nobody, not affiliated with any crew. My associate...persuaded him to come to my home, where I asked him why he was looking for this information, but he only told me rumors, whispers in dark alleys, that certain mammals in certain circles were interested in the information." He gave Judy and Nick what she assumed was supposed to be comforting look.

"Judith, Nicky, I don't believe this is anything to be overly concerned with. If it was, I already would have dealt with it." At that, his face changed into a fierce little snarl, and Judy saw the vicious mammal beneath the mask of proper manners. Just as quickly, he slipped back into his polite mannerisms. "But, as it is, this information worries me. In your line of work, it is dangerous to have your name in the mind of a mammal like the one I spoke to today, and I couldn't sleep tonight without telling you."

"Thank you, Mr. Big." Judy replied. She was still trying to maintain her polite facade, but a decent part of her was actually heartfelt with the thank you. For all that he was, the tiny shrew actually did care about those he considered friends, and Judy appreciated his concern at the least. But now was the time to get what she really came for.

"But...Sir, I have a question for you, if you don't mind."

"Of course, my child."

"Well, me and Nick have been tasked with finding a mammal, a coyote named Tice. We have reason to believe that he's in Tundratown, and we were wondering if you'd ever heard of him?"

Mr. Big's eyebrows raised in surprise and he sat forward a little in his chair, tapping at the armrest as if deciding how to reply. Finally he fixed Judy with a pointed gaze before speaking.

"Well, at least now I can speak on a matter I actually know about. Yes, I have heard that there is a coyote named Tice living in my territory. However, I only know this because I have heard that someone has put a twenty-thousand dollar price on his head."


The lights on the bus were off, and the Tundratown streetlights filtering in were just barely bright enough to find a seat. A lot of drivers liked to do that this late at night, just to help the night shift mammals catch a few more minutes of sleep on the ride to work. Tice wasn't sleeping though. He was just glad that the dark helped to hide his face.

The bus slowed as the driver pulled out of the road towards a stop. As he opened the doors, the overhead lights snapped on and Tice blinked in the sudden brightness, pulling his hood down lower over his face. He kept his head down as he heard some mammals get on, change jingling as they paid their fare. He listened closely as he heard them come down the aisle, talking drunkenly, before taking a seat close to the front, far enough from him to feel comfortable.

He slouched a little lower down into his seat and checked his watch, seeing it was just past eleven. That was perfect. All he had to do was get off at the next stop, grab his stuff from home, get to the Greyhound station and catch the red eye out of this city. He took a deep breath, and wished not for the first time that he had time for a shower. He hadn't risked going home yet, and now he was gonna have to rush to get his ticket out of here so it was just going to have to wait.

Suddenly, his hackles stood on end. His skin crawled as he was suddenly sure he was being watched. The only passengers on the bus were the two drunks and an old raccoon who had been passed out in the front seat since he'd gotten on. But he could still feel it, he was sure someone was staring at him. Then he noticed the bus was silent now, the drunken chatter from the two mammals had stopped. [No, god damn it. Please just be passed out.] He thought to himself. As quick as he could, he snapped his head up and had his fears confirmed as he locked eyes with a drunken possum near the front of the bus. He looked away quickly, but before he could he saw the possum's eyes snap open in recognition before he turned back and began hurriedly whispering to his companion, a nasty looking bobcat.

[Shit! I was so god damn close!] Tice thought as the bus began to slow near his stop. He had been hiding out, living outside and avoiding mammals for days, just to get spotted on a bus just a few blocks from home.

As the door opened and the lights came on, Tice hurried down the aisle practically holding his breath as he waited for one of the drunks say something to him. He felt their eyes follow him as he passed their seats, but they stayed silent. But before he could dart out the bus door, the old raccoon seemed to finally wake up from his nap, stumbling into the aisle ahead of him. Tice hummed with frustration as the raccoon slowly made his way out the door. Just as Tice thought he was clear, a paw tapped him on the back.

"Hey bro, don't I know you from somewhere?"

Tice didn't even turn around, he just hurried out the door into the snow, quickly turning and heading away. He was hoping they wouldn't, but he wasn't surprised when he heard the mammals get off and start crunching through the snow behind him. The same voice called out again.

"Hey, I was talking to you! Come on, I swear I know you dude, what's your name?"

Tice picked up the pace, keeping his head down. He knew he could outrun these two, and was starting to consider just taking off at a dead sprint when he heard the footsteps behind him suddenly pick up the pace.

[Too late,] he had time to think.

"I said, what's your fucking name!" The voice roared right behind him. Tice ducked and the bobcat's haymaker punch sailed over his head. The mammal stumbled, and as he turned to face him Tice threw a hook, smashing the cat in the jaw. He staggered but didn't drop, and after a moment he regained his footing, raising his paws in a sloppy boxing stance.

Tice ran through his options. The cat was apparently tough, but he was also drunk, which meant he would be slow and sloppy. Tice had just decided to end the fight with a swift kick to the knee when the possum decided to enter the fray. The smaller mammal dove at the back his knee, buckling his leg with his tackle. Tice dropped to one knee, grunting in surprise. In the split second that Tice was distracted, the bobcat took his shot. There was no chance for Tice to get his guard up in time, and the full force of the punch smashed him in the nose. Instantly he felt the heat of blood flooding through his nostrils and his vision blurred with tears. This was not how Tice was planning for this fight to go. He knew he was going to have to fight for real now.

Through his tears, He saw the cat's powerful leg cocking back for a kick. Ignoring the possum still clinging to his leg, he dodged again, this time laying himself flat out on the pavement. As the kick sailed over his head, he reached out and grabbed the cat's opposite ankle and yanked. With him so off balance, it was easy for Tice to pull his leg right out from under him and the bobcat crashed heavily to the snowy pavement.

Tice didn't give him even a moment's rest. Scrabbling over the pavement on all fours, still dragging the possum, he moved until he was over the cat and sat up on his knees. He hesitated just long enough to slam a savage elbow into the possum's head. When he was sure the mammal was out, he turned back to the cat.

The feline groaned in pain, and he squinted his eyes shut, one paw on the back of his head. Obviously he hadn't managed to break his fall on the way down, and Tice wasn't planning on giving him any time to recover. He cocked his arm all the way back and drove his fist into the side of his head. And then he did it again, and again. After the first few hits, his opponent at least attempted to block his punches but Tice just yanked his arm away and dropped more punishing blows.

Tice hated this. He knew guys in the military, Hell, even guys in the civilian world who loved this, but to him, fighting was something you did when it was necessary. He never took any pleasure in dealing out pain. But, Tice did need him to stay down long enough for him to long gone by the time he woke up, so he kept swinging.

Finally, he stopped. He kept one paw cocked back, eyeing the bobcat to see if he was still going to put up a fight, but the cat just snored pitifully through his broken nose. Tice slowly pushed himself up to his feet, and rolled the mammal over onto his side. He bent over and checked on the possum too. He was groaning and his eyelids fluttered at Tice's touch, but he wouldn't be going anywhere either. Then, Tice suddenly remembered the third passenger.

He looked up to see the old raccoon peeking around the corner of the bus shelter. An old flip phone was clutched in his shaking paw, and when he locked eyes with Tice, he flinched with fear. Shame flooded Tice at that. He would never hurt this poor old mammal, but how was [he] supposed to know that? He just watched him beat two strangers to a pulp at a bus stop, and now he was standing here, paws and muzzle drenched in blood. Tice grabbed some snow from the ground and rubbed it between his paws and at his face, futilely trying to scrub some off. Finally he settled for scooping up a fistful and holding it to his sore nose.

He hesitated for just a second longer, and looked back at the raccoon. He was still rooted in place, staring at him warily. Tice almost said something, an apology, an explanation, anything. Then, he swallowed the words and turned away. Nothing he could say now was going to change anything. All that mattered now was getting out of this damn city alive.


Judy pounded on the dash in frustration. It had been hours since They met with Mr. Big and they still hadn't found anything. She pulled on one of her ears as she stared out into the snowy streets, but even that was basically useless. It was already dark and almost every mammal out here was bundled up to some degree. She had already blinded a wolf and a hyena with her spotlight when she saw a canine-shaped mammal and got too excited. She turned to Nick, unable to hide her anxiousness.

"So you brought the agents up to speed right?" He nodded before speaking back.

"Yeah, they're working on the same information as us. Not that its really worth a damn anyways."

Judy knew he was right. had practically given them no information, he just knew that mammals were looking for a coyote named Tice who fit McCoy's description. No one knew who was giving out the bounty, but twenty-thousand dollars was enough to stir up all the lowlifes of the city. Somehow, the rumor had gone around that Tice was living in Tundratown, and like Nick said, the shrew knew everything that happened in his district. The only bright spot Judy could see was that Mr. Big had already ordered his goons to be on the lookout for him, but to not harm him. Still, he didn't control every desperate, violent mammal in the district. The clock was now definitely ticking, and Judy was feeling the pressure.

Nick clearly had something different on his mind.

"I still can't get over it...why would they want our patrol routes?"

Judy worked hard to keep from rolling her eyes at him.

"Nick we already talked about this, if we were being targeted then Big would have known. It's probably because someone figured out we were involved in this case and they're to keep track of us, to make sure we don't get too close, something like that. Either way, we can't get into it now, we have to find Tice."

Nick didn't respond in any way, he just kept his grip tight on the wheel and his eyes staring out the windshield, looking nervous. Judy was about to keep scanning the streets when the cruiser's radio crackled to life.

"Any unit, this is officer Rajeshin, we have a 20-10 on Glacier Avenue, requesting additional units, how copy?"

Judy groaned in frustration at the handset. Glacier avenue was barely a five minute drive from where they were. As the closest unit they were obligated to respond, but a 20-10 was code for assault and battery, multiple victims. It was probably some drunken morons brawling and now her and Nick were going to have waste time dealing with that. She tried to keep the edge out of her voice as she keyed up her handset and responded.

"Roger, this is Officer Hopps responding now, ETA five mikes." She dropped the radio back into it's cradle and turned to talk to Nick.

"Okay, So we're gonna deal with this as quick as we can and then it's right back to looking for Tice. I still think we should consider pulling over buses." Nick rolled his eyes.

"Carrots, you hopping into a bus, waving your tranq gun everywhere and yelling about coyotes is not going to help our chances."

"There's more mammals on buses! Statistically it helps our odds!"

The pair continued to argue over search methods until they pulled up behind another ZPD cruiser with its lights flashing next to a bus stop. As they hopped out they saw that this might be more than just a drunk brawl. There were two mammals swaying back and forth as they sat on the bench in the bus shelter. The possum had a nasty looking lump over his right eye, but the bobcat definitely got the worst of it. His face was covered in cuts and swollen bruises. Blood still flowed freely from a broken nose and a split lip, and one eye was practically swollen shut. Wolfard was kneeling in front of the bobcat, shining a flashlight in his face and attempting to staunch at least some of the bleeding. He looked up as Nick and Judy approached and clicked off his light, standing up.

"Oh good, you two are here. Listen, this is a real nasty scene. Apparently some mammal beat the snot out of these two and then ran off. I've got the rookie coordinating with paramedics on the radio, but I've got an eye witness. Any chance you could get a statement while I watch these two?"

"Sure thing." Judy replied before walking down the sidewalk and approaching a nervous old raccoon. "Good evening sir. I heard you saw what happened here, Mister...?"

"Jackson. And yeah, I saw it all." The raccoon stood shuffling from foot to foot, his left paw nervously clutching a cigarette as his right tapped at his leg. There was a certain...look in his eye that Judy recognized from calls to the local psych ward and homeless shelters. Great, Judy thought, our eyewitness is a nut job.

"I'd like for you to tell us anything you remember about what happened." Judy pulled out her notebook and her little carrot pen, ready to take his statement.

"Well, I guess it started on the bus. Those two over there, they got on, drunk as all hell, being idiots. They woke me up from my nap. Tried to ignore them but then they started saying some crazy stuff about this wolf in the back, talking about bounties and shit. Then when we all got off, they just jumped him, so I called the cops while they were going at it."

Judy's pen had frozen in her grip. Did she just hear that right?

"I'm sorry sir, but did you just say a bounty? And are you sure that the wolf wasn't really a coyote?" Nick had apparently been thinking the same thing, as he leaned towards the raccoon, giving him an intense gaze.

"Well shit, if that was a coyote, it wasn't like no damn coyote I've ever seen. Sum'bitch was huge! Took on those mammals like nothing, beat that bobcat's sorry ass half to death and just ran off that way!"

"Thank you sir, I think that's all we need."

Judy snapped her notebook shut and spun towards Nick, speaking in a hushed whisper.

"Nick! This is it, this has to be Tice!"

"I know!" He turned back towards the bus shelter "Come on, we gotta tell Wolfard we're going after him!"

The two approached their senior officer, who looked at them confused.

"Well shit, that was quick. Got everything?"

"Yep, all right here!" Judy ripped the page from her notebook and stuffed it in the wolf's paw. "Look, Wolfard, he said that the suspect took off, so me and Nick are going after him now, we'll radio to you with any updates!" She turned to dash away but the wolf caught her by the shoulder.

"Woah, easy there Hopps!" He spun her around and gave her a quizzical look. "This is me and Rajeshin's call, if anything we should go chase the perp. Why are you running off to do it?"

Judy bit her lip as she tried to find a good answer. He was right, normally backup would handle the scene while the first responders would attempt to apprehend the suspect, but her and Nick had to be the ones to get to Tice.

"Um..." She stuttered, "I guess I'm just really eager tonight?"

Wolfard's eyes only narrowed more at that. Now he looked truly suspicious.

"Okay, bullshit Hopps. You're always eager but you follow procedure. I'm pulling rank here, you two better tell me what this is really about."

Now Judy was truly worried. Outside of ceremonies and the most serious business, the wolf refused to let the other officers call him by rank, but he was a sergeant on the police force. He still worked a beat by choice, just because he felt it was where he belonged. And to top it off, he had been on the force for almost as long as Judy had been alive. If the wolf wanted to pull rank, there wasn't a single thing she could do. She floundered for a response, before looking up to Nick for help. He grimaced before stepping forward and addressing his superior.

"Look, Wolfard...me and Hopps have been working a case for the Chief. We really can't get into details, even though I really wish we could, but believe me, this is something we need to do and the chief would vouch for that."

Wolfard stared intensely at Nick, seeming to pin him in place with his gaze. Judy shifted nervously as she looked on. Even for all their joking around with him, when Wolfard got like this it was hard not to be uncomfortable. He had a cold, hard stare, practiced over a span of 20 years at the ZPD. Judy was used to seeing him turn it on when talking to suspects, but now he was beaming it straight at her partner. She was about to step in to try to save him when suddenly the wolf huffed and his gaze softened just a little before he shook his head.

"I don't know what it is with you two, but you always manage to get yourself into the dumbest shit. Go get your damn perp. But call us if you need back up!" He finished, wagging a finger at the smaller officer.

"Thank you so much!" Judy squealed before darting back to where the fight happened. Nick joined her a moment later, bending over to investigate the bloody, stirred up snow. After a moment he pointed just a few feet away from the main area.

"Look! See that blood drop? And there's another one!" He leaned in closer and carefully traced an outline with his finger. "This looks like a canine paw print, and it's heading the direction that raccoon said. Come on, he went this way!"

Nick stood up and took off at a jog. Judy didn't even question him, she just fell in step behind him. She sometimes forgot that Nick was equally as good at his job as she was, but she always knew not to doubt him.

The two hurried through the snow, and as they jogged Nick whipped out his cellphone. He dialed on the fly and Judy heard him filling in one of the agents on their new info. As he shoved the phone back in his pocket he let Judy know they were only a few minutes away and they would be looking for them.

The trail continued for a few blocks before taking a left for another block and then a right for another few, but soon Judy and Nick spied the last few drops of blood trail their way up the steps of a particularly awful looking apartment building. To Judy, it really resembled a prison block more than an apartment. The grey concrete face rose up for six stories with dirty square windows dotting the side. The front doors were a pitifully cracked set of double glass doors. As she took in the depressing sight, she barely noticed the black SUV pull up across the street.

Skye and Jack hurried across the street and walked up to the two officers.

"Any sign of him?" Jack asked quickly.

"No, but he has to be here, we followed his trail from the scene of the attack and there's no sign he left." Judy explained as quick as she could and Jack just nodded in acknowledgment.

"Follow us. Tranq guns out, stay close but stay behind." Skye's light, friendly air was gone now. She was all business as she padded up the stairs. As she pushed the door open and let Jack in under her arm, she saw that her assumption about the ZIA's standard issue weaponry had been correct. As the two entered the building they both drew handguns from concealed holsters, and she was sure she could see the tell-tale bulge of thick bulletproof vests underneath their heavy coats. Suddenly she felt very vulnerable, wearing her stab-proof breastplate and holding her tranq gun.

As they stepped inside, Judy noted that the place really didn't get better on the interior. The lobby was bare concrete with a wall of tiny mail boxes along the right wall. The left wall was bare, besides a door that was marked with a sign that said 'Maintenance Stairway' and a latch secured with a heavy padlock. Along the back wall was a set of concrete stairs that curled to the floor above. After a moment of squinting through the shadows, Judy clicked on her flashlight. Whatever kind of lights were installed here, they clearly didn't work.

As she clicked her light on, the others followed suit. Jack and Skye both swept through the room with careful precision, Skye stopping to rattle the lock on the maintenance stairway. Jack crouched by the stairs, shining his light on the second step. After a moment he stood.

"I found the blood trail. Alright, here's the deal. He's definitely in here. Me and Skye are going to see if we can track him to his apartment, but if he slips past us somehow, this is the only exit. That means you two," he gestured towards Nick and Judy, "Need to be ready. Tranqs out, safety off. You see anything, shoot first and ask questions later. Good with that?"

Nick and Judy both nodded, Judy gripping her tranq a little tighter now. Jack nodded back at them before jerking his head at Skye. He took off up the stairs and she followed just half a step behind him, holding her gun out ahead of her above Jack's head. Judy watched the two until they turned the first corner and she lost sight as they proceeded up into the higher floors.

Silence settled in as Judy strained to hear any noises. Skye and Jack's footsteps had faded almost immediately and now she swallowed nervously, expecting at any moment to hear gunshots or a cry for help. She kept her flashlight beam and her tranq gun trained on the steps as Nick slowly walked around the room. He shined his light into the dark corners and along the walls, finding a strip of fluorescent lights that had apparently all been smashed or burned out long ago. He sniffed at the air, and Judy could see his eyes scanning the scene. He was clearly as nervous as she was. Then, one of her ears twitched as she heard a faint, rhythmic noise.

"Nick, listen! Do you hear that?" She hissed. He froze in place, head cocked for a moment.

"Yeah...it sounds like footsteps. But...not from the stairs..." he paced around the room slowly, trying to gauge where the sound was coming from. Finally he closed in on the locked maintenance stairwell. Now the sound was louder, it was obviously running footsteps. Judy's grip on her tranq tightened as Nick slightly raised his own, his tail begin to puff up in agitation. He looked over at her and whispered from the corner of his mouth.

"Carrots! It's coming from over-" But before he could finish, the door blew out from it's hinges, the latch broken and falling to the floor. As the door flew open it knocked Nick backwards and sent his light flying. It cast crazy shadows and beams as it bounced away, and Judy briefly caught sight of a large dark shape charging at Nick. She gave out a cry of alarm but before she could even bring her tranq around the mammal was on him. The larger mammal easily bullrushed Nick, driving him across the room. Judy heard three bursts of compressed air but then nothing but clicks. Nick was obviously out of tranqs, and the mammal wasn't going down. Finally the two slammed into the far wall, and the mammal roared into his face.

"Who are you? Who the fuck sent you?"

Finally Judy managed to get her light on the pair, and her stomach instantly flipped. Right in front of her, Tice McCoy had her partner pinned against the wall and was jamming a handgun into his ribs.

"ZPD! Drop your weapon!" She screamed, trying to sound more fierce than she felt. When he heard her, the coyote spun, dragging Nick in front of him and backing towards a corner. His face was locked in a snarl as he blinked into Judy's light, but then his face twisted as his mind processed the situation.

"Wait...Officer Hopps?" He said slowly. Then he looked down at the mammal who he had wrapped in a headlock. "Holy shit, Officer Wilde!" He instantly let go and jumped back as Nick stumbled forward, coughing and rubbing his neck. Tice backed himself up against the opposite wall and Judy kept him squarely in her sights, her paw trembling. She noticed he wasn't actively aiming his weapon now, but it was still held ready in front of him.

"Tice, drop your weapon, now!" She commanded. He looked at her for a second before shaking his head, his eyes wide and wary.

"No, I can't yet! I saw a black SUV parked out front, someone's been hunting me. I don't know why you're here, but they're still here too, you both need to get out of here!"

"Tice, that's the ZIA! They're here with us!" Tice looked shocked and now his eyes started to dart around, as if agents were about to start pouring out of the walls. Nick had recovered somewhat and was now circling back to stand next to Judy. He spoke to Tice in a raspy voice.

"Tice it's true. We know everything, we know you're really Tice McCoy, we know about Black Knight, and we know you're in danger. There's no running from this."

Tice looked positively panicked now. His eyes were wide as could be and his handgun was held in an iron grip. Right then, Judy was absolutely terrified. She knew everyone had said good things about Tice, but now her and Nick had him cornered and he was the one with a real gun. She had to do something before Tice made some kind of drastic decision.

"Tice, we're here to help." As she spoke, she remembered what she had said to Lieutenant Granger. "We are Tice, I swear. The ZIA isn't here to arrest you for murder. We need you, we're going after the rest of Black Knight. We can work something out, but if those agents come downstairs and see you holding us at gun point it could ruin everything. Please, just put the gun down and come with us."

She watched as her words registered with him. He seemed to be struggling with shock, disbelief and fear all at once. But slowly, his expression eased and his gun lowered.

"Okay."

He spoke the word barely above a whisper, his voice full of resignation. Judy saw him click a button on his handgun and the magazine fell out onto the floor as he racked the slide and the chambered round spun out. He dropped the gun and kicked it over towards a large black bag he had dropped by the maintenance stairway door.

Judy approached slowly, staying a few feet away with her tranq still on him. Nick cautiously walked past her, pulling his cuffs off of his belt.

"We still have to cuff you pal. Just standard procedure, okay?" Nick said gently. Tice just nodded stiffly and held out his paws as the cuffs clicked shut around his wrists. Nick backed away and pulled out his phone, dialing a contact.

"Skye? Yeah, we have McCoy in the lobby. He busted through that locked door...He came willingly, we've got him cuffed...okay. Got it."

A minute later, the agents came bounding down the stairs, handguns still in paw. They both eyed the bag and the discarded handgun critically then each took an opposite side of the coyote, holding their weapons low.

"Tice McCoy?" Jack asked gruffly. Tice just nodded again. Jack approached him and checked the cuffs on his wrist, speaking up to him as he did. " , you're going to need to come with us. This isn't an arrest, but you are wanted for questioning. Do you understand?"

"Yes...are you really going after Black Knight?" He gave the hare an anxious look. Jack shot a sidelong glance at Judy and Nick before replying sternly.

"We'll talk more at the office. For now, let's get out of here. Skye, grab that bag."

Once everything was collected, they got ready to file out of the building. Judy and Nick were in the lead with Tice in between and the agents bringing up the rear, still nervously holding their handguns. Judy pushed open the door and stepped out onto the snowy stoop. She was about to head down the steps when she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye. A van had started to come down the street from a parking spot down the block. She didn't remember seeing it parked there before. Something didn't seem right to her, and she hesitated with one foot still in the door. She was ready to turn back and say something to Nick when suddenly the vans screeched to a stop right in front of them, and the side doors flew open.

"Get down!" Nick roared behind her. Her legs flexed to dive for cover, but before she could even react she felt strong paws grab her in the armpits and she was launched backwards. The world tumbled around her and she saw a flash of Nick's red fur before she was flat on her back in the lobby. She tried to get up, but someone landed on top of her, and then suddenly, the world exploded.

She was pretty sure she screamed as an avalanche of sound crashed around her. She grabbed her ears and pulled them down against her head, closing her eyes in pain. Even with her ears down, it still sounded like terrible thunder, or a thousand of the world's biggest firecrackers. She opened her eyes to try to find the source, but found her view obstructed. She was confused for a moment, but then she looked over her head and saw the underside of Nick's muzzle. With a jolt, she realized he had thrown her down and was shielding her. But from what?

Then she saw the shattered glass flying past his head and saw concrete crumbling on the far wall and it hit her. They were being shot at! Keeping her ears flat, she scrambled around underneath Nick, craning her neck to see around him. Relief flooded through her as she saw Tice and Skye taking cover behind the left side of the concrete door frame, with Jack on the right.

What was surely only seconds felt like hours to Judy. The continuous roar seemed like it would never end, but then Judy heard one even louder, longer crash and everything went silent, besides a piercing ringing that wouldn't stop. No one moved for a moment, everyone staying frozen in place. Slowly, Judy realized she could hear something else besides the ringing. She could just barely make out the rise and fall of a ZPD siren. That sent a shot through her and she began trying to push Nick off of her. He tried to keep her down but she scrambled out from under him and stumbled to the door, taking in the awful scene.

The van was now five feet back from where it had been and the entire front had been decimated by a ZPD cruiser. The cruiser was likewise destroyed, but the red and blue lights still spun on top as the siren screamed. The two vehicles were locked together from the force of the impact, and Judy could see the driver of the van starting to stir behind the wheel. She was rooted to the spot, staring at the wreckage. She was so frozen, she almost didn't react when another crack rang out, accompanied by a flash of light inside the van. She stumbled backwards and threw herself behind the doorframe again, but still watched as a mammal came stumbling out of the open side of the van. The badger slipped on the snow, falling to a knee before jumping up and starting to run away. That motivated Judy. Their suspect was getting away! She began to step around the corner when a paw grabbed her from behind.

"Stop! Let us handle this Hopps!" Jack held her wrist tight, his handgun out. Skye stood behind him looking fierce. Judy was about to argue, but as it turned out, neither of them would get the chance to go after him.

"ZPD! Stop where you are!" Judy looked over her shoulder to see the young leopard sprinting around the back of the cruiser. Raj looked a little banged up, but he tore down the sidewalk, stopping just in front of the open van door. He pulled his tranq gun, took a textbook stance and squeezed off two darts down the sidewalk. He lowered his weapon as a triumphant smile spread across his face. He turned towards Judy but as their eyes met, another crack rang out. Judy saw the flash inside the van behind Raj, and then the officer fell forward onto the sidewalk. Judy gasped, and then flinched in pain as Skye's handgun barked just over head. She fired three shots into the van, and after a moment, a puma tumbled of of the van, his gun skittering out of his limp paw.

Judy couldn't move. Her eyes were seeing what was happening, but her brain just couldn't process it. But as Nick pushed past Skye and Jack, it hit her. She stumbled after him, ignoring the agents yelling behind her. She chased after Nick until he slid to his knees next to the leopard. She didn't get as close, she just slumped to her knees at the bottom of the stairs. She could hear Nick saying Raj's name, over and over again but he wasn't saying anything back. Then a blue blur came from the cruiser and shoved Nick out of the way. Now it was Wolfard yelling his partner's name. Nick sprawled in the snow next to Judy where he landed, mouth hanging open in shock. The pair watched as Wolfard scrambled frantically over Raj, checking his pulse, trying to put pressure on the dark hole in the back of his uniform, but it was useless. He was gone before Nick had even gotten to him.

Judy didn't even fight it when someone physically picked her up and turned her around. She blinked dumbly up at Skye, seeing her lips move but not hearing anything. Then the world snapped back into focus as she felt a stinging pain across her cheek. She gasped with shock and then pulled back as the vixen reared back to slap her again.

"Judy! Honey, I'm so sorry for that but you have to listen!" She shouted, grabbing Judy by the shoulders and staring into her eyes. "Judy, the whole ZPD is going to be here any minute. We have to get McCoy and the tranquilized suspect out of here! We're leaving now, it's up to you to handle this scene, just find Bogo when he gets here!" She let go of Judy's shoulders and took a step away. "Good luck." She said, before running down the sidewalk to collect the unconscious badger.

She knew the fox was right. This was her and Nick's situation to handle. She turned back around and felt the tears well behind her eyes. Nick was on his knees with Wolfard. They were both kneeling by Raj's side, and neither seemed to notice when the snow around their knees began to turn red. Wolfard's eyes were dry, but he stared at his partner with such a deep sadness that it broke her heart. She walked around behind the two canines and did her best to wrap her arms around both their necks. The four of them waited silently in the snow as the chorus of sirens in the distance grew louder.


Judy leaned back against the tire of the cruiser. It seemed as though Skye had been right; it looked like the entire ZPD had responded to the call. Wolfard had sent out the 'Officer Down' call from his cruiser and within minutes, every unit in Tundratown and half the ones from other districts were blocking the street, keeping the crowd back, directing ambulances or just standing around. In all the confusion she had slipped off behind a cruiser and just flopped down. She just felt so drained. She dropped her head into her paws and stayed very still, just wishing this all wasn't real.

She didn't bother looking up when she could hear someone walking towards her. She could tell his scent anywhere, musk and something else, like pine. She could never explain it, but always recognize it. Nick eased himself down to sit next to her, letting his head rest against the tire.

"So...I found Bogo. Told him everything that happened, he said he'd handle all this. Came up with a good explanation, something about gang violence and an investigation into a rise in gun violence..." He trailed off when Judy showed no sign of responding.

"Hey," he started up again softly, "Chief said we can just go home. There's nothing else we can do, let's just get out of here."

Judy sat silently for a moment, but slowly she sat up and stared out through the mess of police cars.

"No, we can't leave yet. There's one more thing we have to do."

Nick followed her gaze and saw Wolfard. The wolf was leaning against a building about a block away from the crime scene. He was staring a hole in the pavement with a cigarette burning its way to the filter in his paw. Nick hadn't seen him move since he took that spot nearly an hour ago, and none of the other officers had dared to approach him since he nearly tore the head off a pig from Precinct Three who said 'Sorry about the rookie'.

"Fluff, I'm not so sure if that's the best idea right now." He said pleadingly. Judy just shrugged and looked up at Nick with sad eyes.

"I need to Nick...I just can't help but feel that this is our fault."

Nick swallowed dryly at that. He couldn't shake that feeling as well. Logically, he knew they were all just doing their jobs, but that didn't change the fact that a mammal got involved in their case, came to back them up and ended up dead for it.

"Yeah...maybe we should talk to him."

He stood and offered Judy his paw to help her up. She took it, but when she was on her feet Nick gave her a little squeeze before letting go. As she walked towards the brooding wolf, she kind of wished he hadn't let go at all. They both stopped a few feet away from the wolf and looked at him apprehensively.

"Officer Wolfard?" Judy said quietly. She was a little ashamed to hear a quiver in her voice, but he gave no sign he had even heard her so she tried again.

"Officer Wolfard." She said more firmly this time. Again, for a second the wolf didn't move at all, then slowly he reached back and ground out his cigarette butt on the wall behind himself. He turned back slowly to Judy, and fixed her with an empty gaze.

"You two here to apologize for dragging us into whatever shit-show you're involved in?" He said it so matter-of-factly that It threw Judy for a loop, and she paused long enough for him to continue on his own.

"Save your breath. You're cops, I'm a cop, Raj is...Raj was a cop. Cops die. Besides I don't want your apologies." Now he gave Judy a fierce look. "I want in."

"In...in on what?" She stuttered. She didn't even manage to convince herself, and it certainly didn't work on Wolfard.

"Oh fuck off with that Hopps. You two told me you were working some special shit for the chief. And then I have to come save your asses from some psychos with automatic weapons doing a drive-by. And those two mammals? The rabbit and the fox? I'm not an idiot. No uniforms, bulletproof vests, real guns. I know fucking feds when I see them. And then, one of them blasts one suspect, runs off with the other and drags my assault and battery suspect off in cuffs with them. Oh, and in case anyone forgot, [my fucking partner just got killed!" ]

Judy felt tears stinging her eyes as she stepped back from the irate wolf. He had come off the wall during his rant and was now leaning over her with a snarl on his face. Judy's heart hammered in her chest, but then of course, her fox saved her.

Nick reached out with one paw and put it firmly against Wolfard's chest. He didn't shove him, but Judy could tell he was gently reminding to back off him.

"Wolfard...easy. Back up, please. This ain't the place."

Judy was suddenly aware of the eyes on them. Most of the mammals on the street were busy, but some had been close enough to hear at least the last bit of Wolfard's speech over the commotion. No one was flat out staring, but she could see the glances mammals were sneaking. Wolfard looked Around, his snarl fading and then looked down at Judy. When he saw her it seemed like the wolf actually deflated. He backed down, and leaned back against the wall, hanging his head and resting his forearms against his thighs .

"Shit...I'm sorry Hopps. That was...uncalled for." Judy waited, she sensed he wasn't done. "You know, I was in the passenger seat. I should've been on the sidewalk before him. But of course, that quick little bastard beat me to it." He gave a short, humorless laugh. "This is my fault if it's anyone's."

Judy's heart broke to see her friend in so much pain. She forgot her fear immediately and stepped forward and grasped one of his paws.

"It's okay Wolfard, don't apologize. This isn't your fault at all. And also...You're right...about everything." She looked up at Nick. He thought for a moment and gave her a slight nod. She looked back and the wolf was staring at her intensely.

"I'm right?" He said, sounding confused. Judy gave him a tight lipped nod.

"Look, we can't tell you everything. This is all way bigger than us, but...if you really want in, go to talk to Chief Bogo. Tell him you know those were ZIA agents, say you overheard the name Tice McCoy, or even threaten to go to the media with a different story than whatever he comes up with. But just know, there's going to be more of that, I guarantee." She pointed towards the spot where the shootout had occurred, where Raj had lost his life. The old wolf sat there, bewildered for a moment before appearing to make up his mind.

"I want in. For Raj." He said it with an air of finality and determination that Judy respected. He pushed himself off the wall and strode away purposefully. Judy watched him go as Nick rested a paw on her shoulder.

"Do you think that was a smart choice?" She said.

Nick thought for a moment before answering.

"Dunno, but I think even if it wasn't, it might've been the only one. If we didn't let him in, I think the old salt-dog probably would've just hunted these assholes down on his own." Judy chuckled at that but Nick continued. "Besides, I think you're right. If we're going to see this through, tonight won't be the last time our lives are in danger. I think I'd like to have him watching my back."

Judy thought back to laying on that cold lobby floor as bullets and glass ripped by and vaporized concrete clouded the air. She suppressed a shudder and thought, not for the first time, What the hell did I get myself into?

Authors notes-

So chapter seven is out now. I'm guessing you can all understand now why chapter six was more of a light, fluffy chapter. I won't water down this down too much with boring ass author's notes so message me with any questions. Thank you, enjoy.