Chapter 11

Nick and Judy stood still as the SPS terrorists captured the school campus as some terrorists left rank into the surviving and ruined buildings to capture anyone hiding there. Nick looked around at the parents and children behind them. They were terrified by the guns pointing at them. Judy pondered what to do next to defuse the situation without harming the innocents. They know that they are now the hostage to whatever the SPS was planning to do. Judy had noticed that while Nick was talking to the so-called 'Fuhrer' just a moment ago, he had dialed the phone to Bogo behind his back, left it open and put it in his back pocket. She knew that Bogo was hearing everything that was going on and, most likely, preparing something as well as informing the incoming army of what was happening. They were waiting for the SPS's leader's next action as he was barking orders to his men.

After a few tense minutes, the black panther raised his right paw up as he holding the megaphone up with his left paw. "All right," the fuhrer said, "Since the headmaster is not here which we had hoped to eat him for a grand banquet tonight as he's deservedly a prey." The Zootopians gasped at the idea. Judy waved at them to be quiet to prevent provoking the terrorists. Nick turned to Judy and back to the leader, saying nothing.

"We seek a prey replacement for our banquet tonight! Come and take your rightful place as the prey!" the leader barked.

"No!" Nick yelled back bravely, "We, the Animals of Zootopia, do not recognize your claim as 'the Fuhrer' and your planned action is an act of murder which carries the punishment of life sentence for not only you but also your so-called army!"

"Murder?!" the leader laughed, "It is not a murder if it's a prey! We have the right to hunt and eat the prey! You, of all the predators, should know that!"

"I may be a predator but we are civilized and we eat fish and such," Nick resorted, "but not our fellow animals, preys or predators, with similar intelligence levels! Heck, one of my best friends is a prey and my fox friend have married a prey species, and I would protect them from the likes of you!"

"Ah!" the leader smiled, "Now, I remember your face from the news! You are that fox, Mr. Wilde, that helped solve the savage case last year! And that bunny next to you must be your partner, Hopps. I take it that Ms. Hopps is your new 'best friend', eh?"

Nick began to say something but Judy interrupted, "Now that you mentioned the 'news', I have been wondering why your face seems familiar to me until I just remember reading something about your father while I was at the academy as I was doing research for history classes because I chose your father's case as my subject. You are Jason Negrocat. Your father was a Naxi officer, Rudolf Negrocat, who escaped after the war until the police caught him in South Pangeria about 20 or 25 years ago and brought him to trial in Rabitopia. You tried to free your father from prison but you failed and escaped and hide until now! There has been reports that you are leading the SPS group and involved in terrorism acts, including murders of some rabbits here in Zootopia. Am I right?"

Everyone on both sides gasped in surprise at Judy's knowledge about the SPS leader. Nick and Judy knew that Bogo would have heard her through Nick's opened phone. Good, that means that Bogo would relay the answer to who was behind the situation to the army and the governor, as well as recording it for use in court.

"What a bold statement from an inferior bunny!" Negrocat resorted, "Now, I want to take a moment to express my thanks for 'volunteering' to be our rabbit stew for the banquet tonight. My precious father told me it was very delicious and gave me his recipe for it."

Before the terrorists could do anything, Nick, two other canine officers, and a lion EMT quickly ran and surrounded Judy to shield her from harm by the terrorists. The EMT yelled, "This brave bunny has just saved my life from the second explosion just a moment ago and I will not let you or anyone harm her or any of the children!"

"Officer Wilde!" said a familiar voice. Nick turned around, looking for the source. Judy did the same. "Where are you, Chief?" Nick asked.

"Still on your phone in wherever pocket it's in! But pretend to talk to Hopps or whoever next to you," the voice said. Nick and Judy looked at each other and nodded.

"I hope you got something, Chief," Nick answered while looking toward Judy, "You heard that idiot's comment about 'rabbit stew' so we could use a miracle from you guys as we are in a tight spot now."

"We do," Bogo replied, "The Army Huey is on the way now so try to stall him. There will be some smokes between you guys so be prepared and get the kids out of here." The officers and EMTs nodded in agreement with Nick and Judy.

"Got it, Chief," Nick smiled, winked his eye at Judy, "Let's hustle, sweetheart."

"Hey, you Furher doofus!" Nick yelled as Negrocat growled in anger at the insult. "I want to ask you something!"

"Don't you dare call me that, you skanky! And what would that be?" Negrocat asked.

"You called me 'shanky' so I get to call you 'doofus' in return so we're fair!" Nick retorted as Judy groaned with her paw covering her eyes, "Anyway, you mentioned the 'rabbit stew' recipe that your daddy got long ago. Are you aware that by mentioning this, you have provided evidence that your father had committed some serious crimes against animality?"

Negrocat laughed, "My father committed some 'serious crimes against, what that word you just said, 'animality', is that what you are saying?" he laughed again, "We commit no such crimes! Preys are inferior and we do not recognize them as equal at all! We are superior! We are the predators and we have the right to hunt and eat the preys. You preys have no rights to live among us! We will gather the prey and sort them to the slaughterhouse for the predators! You, as a predator species, are welcome to join us unless you rather join them to the slaughterhouse with your so-called 'best friends'!"

Nick growled, "You are wrong! We are both equal and have same intelligence level. We are not your subject to do what you wish to do! We are our own animals! And –" He was interrupted by the sounds of the army helicopters as they dropped the smoke screening grenades between the terrorist and the Zootopians.

Nick and Judy knew that it was time to get every animal out of dangers so they, the canine officers and EMTs rushed to lead the parents, teachers, and children out of the school campus while the second waves of the Hueys fired at the terrorists. Someone yelled, "Break down the fence! We gonna get out now!" Some of the big animals – elephants and rhinos – complied and broke down the fences so the rest can escape. Judy noticed the buses were already on the street on the other side of the fence, waiting for the kids, teachers, and parents to escape. Nick and Judy stayed to make sure every animal got out of the campus. Maria, however, ran to Judy and clung to Judy's midsection.

Judy sighed and looked down to Maria, signed, "You go there now!" and pointed toward the buses. Maria shook her head and clung her midsection harder that made her gasped. Nick heard her, turned to them. He walked to them and knelt next to Maria.

As Nick did not know sign language so he has to gesture to her so she could understand him. He pointed at Maria and mimic walking, pointed at the bus. He pointed at Judy and himself and crossed his arm to symbolize 'safe' but Maria still shook her head and signed, "No, I want to stay with Judy." Maria signed the 'J' on her chest. Nick looked at Judy.

"I think she wants to stay with me as she used the 'J' on the chest as combined 'police' and 'J' signs to stand for my name," Judy answered Nick's unasked question.

Nick looked at Maria, stood, and turned to see the buses at the street and was surprised to see the familiar small fox helping the children getting on the bus. He got an idea, turned to Judy and said, "Of course! Finnick!" Judy was puzzled but he continued, "Finnick mentioned long ago that he took some sign language class in school long ago when I saw him signing a bit to sell some pawsicles to some deaf folks few times. He can help with Maria as he got a soft heart for kids."

"Great idea!" Judy said and signed to Maria, "See that little fox with big ears?" she pointed at Finnick. Maria looked at him and signed "Who he?".

Nick knelt again and gestured to Maria by grasping both his paws together to symbolize 'friend' and pointed at Finnick and then pointed at himself and then at Judy. He pointed at his forehead and gesture signing.

Maria looked at Nick, then at Finnick who was still busy gathering children into one of the buses and then back at Judy, who nodded.

Maria smiled and nodded.

When the last kids and teachers got out, one of the officers, a hippo, informed them that they had managed to get all the kids and teachers out of the surviving buildings and were out of campus toward the waiting buses.

"Great job, officer," Nick said as Maria was still clinging Judy's midsection as she was attempting to explain to go with Finnick. As Judy was unwrapping the deaf rabbit from her midsection, someone shot the hippo and he fell down as Nick turned to see that the smoke has cleared up and saw one of the terrorist holding the rifle at them – likely the one who shot the hippo – and he picked up his gun and shot him back and he fell down. Out of blue, someone grabbed Nick down as Judy unwrapped Maria, yelled at the lion EMT, "Take Maria to Finnick, the fennec fox!" and threw the rabbit toward her who caught her safely and took the crying rabbit out of danger as someone knocked Judy down from behind. Everything went black.