Johnson grabbed Nicks shoulder jolting him out from the memory, "You alright Wilde?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got a lot on my mind right now." Nick admitted.
Johnson nodded understandingly, "My first partner got shot in a shootout at a bank heist. He lived but had to retire because of it."
"I'm sorry." Nick said genuinely, "That must have been hard."
"It was," The lion agreed, "But eventually you both pull through."
Higgins interrupted them surprised, "What are you doing here Wilde? You're not on the raid."
"No I'm riding with Hopps." Nick confirmed pulling on his vest.
"Are you expecting a gunfight on the drive?" Johnson asked concerned.
"I'm hoping for a relaxing drive through the countryside." Nick said sternly fastening his boots on, "But I know better than to ignore my instincts."
"No one outside of this room knows that she's moving." Johnson said reassuringly, "She'll be fine."
"Thank you." Nick said gratefully.
Johnsons paw wrapped around Nick's whole arm, "Hopps is lucky to have you for a partner."
"Thanks," Nick answered tucking his helmet under his arm, "When this is over, tell everyone drinks are on me."
"We'll hold you to it." Johnson promised.
Nick thumbed the scratch on his helmet on his way back. It was a reminder from their last raid together.
Nick and Judy were first out of the van with Officer Sand, followed closely by the larger mammals. They flattened themselves against the wall near the entrance.
"No hostiles in the window." Trunkaby confirmed with an extendable mirror.
"Breach on three." Snarlof ordered.
Snarlof held his shotgun against the door and fired. The special round blew the door lock apart and McHorn charged in through the entrance tearing the door off entirely. His massive riot shield filled the narrow hallway which made him more a moving wall than a TUSK officer. A startled moose tried to grab a shotgun but McHorn flattened him to the ground and kept running right over him. Nick flipped the dazed moose and zip tied his wrists and ankles. Judy cleared the room to the left with Snarlof, Sand and Trunkaby took the room on the right.
"Left clear!"
"Right clear!"
"Suspect down!"
The team reformed in the hall behind McHorn plowed into the door at the end of the hall reducing it to splinters.
"ZPD! On the ground!"
Gunfire erupted from the dim warehouse. The team hunkered down behind McHorn and surged forward. A Hyena tried to flank their left side and ate a beanbag moving 400 feet a second. The Jaguar that jumped up from behind a nearby crate was not so lucky.
"IED!" Nick shouted taking a shot.
The beanbag struck him square in the shoulder causing the Jaguar to drop the Molotov cocktail. Flames and screaming filled the air. They would have felt bad for the poor mammal had they any room left for emotions. As of now they were a machine, a hivemind of interconnected parts all operating under a single goal.
A bull charged the team head on with his horns down. The team held their ground unmoving. McHorn turned his shield to the side and used the charging bull's momentum to throw him to the floor. Three beanbags hit him before he struck the floor. At the far end of the warehouse the delivery door was thrown open by one of the remaining mammals trying to escape. They heard shouting and a burst of gunfire; squad B had locked down the rear exit.
"Building is secure. Detain all subjects." Snarlof ordered.
Nick and Judy grabbed fire extinguishers and began dousing the burning portion of the warehouse. The Jaguar had amazingly managed to roll around long enough to put himself out but was now lying unconscious and severely burned. Judy radioed for a paramedic as Nick reached down to check for a pulse. Judy dropped her radio and grabbed her shotgun franticly. Nick saw her move but was too close. The Jaguar swung his paws up holding a large revolver. Nick was dead and he knew it.
Two shots rang out overlapping each other. Nick fell to the ground clawing at his facemask with Judy firing twice more at the Jaguar. Judy had gotten her shot off first and it had struck the jaguar in the shoulder. The muscle spasms jerked his arm up too high missing Nicks face by a whisker and grazing off his helmet instead. The second round knocked the wind out of the injured mammal with the third knocking him out cold.
Nick managed to pull off his face mask but couldn't see straight.
"NICK!" Judy shrieked dropping to his side.
Nick wanted to tell her he was ok but he couldn't get his mouth to work right. He heard her radio for a second paramedic as his swirling vision faded to black.
Nick woke up in a hospital bed bandaged and in pain. He groaned and tried to change position but stopped when fireworks lit up behind his eyes. Judy was immediately by his side.
"Nick! Can you hear me?"
He flinched at the loud noise, "How much did I drink last night?"
Judy burst into tears, "Don't scare me like that. I thought you were going to die."
Jack put his arm around her comfortingly, Nick fought the pang of jealousy that came every time he saw them hug or kiss. He loved Judy more than anything and it hurt to see her with someone else but he couldn't bear to live without her in his life even if all she could be was a friend. He fought hard against the drugs clouding his mind. He had to careful not to say anything now that she was married, she had made her decision and he wouldn't make her second guess it.
The doctor visited them shortly afterward. He told him that he had bleeding on his brain; which was relatively small and easy to treat but could have been fatal if left untreated. Nick was told he would be fine to go home as long as he took it easy for the next week or two.
"Don't we have a shift tomorrow?" Nick asked dreading desk duty.
"That was today." Judy told him, "You were out for a whole day."
"Oh." Nick said surprised, "we should stop for a drink on the way home, my treat."
Judy scratched her ear nervously.
"That might not be such a good idea." Jack suggested.
"Why not? I won't drink any I promise."
"I can't drink right now." Judy admitted.
"Are you hurt?" Nick asked frightened.
"No, I'm ok." Judy said quickly.
Judy held Jack's paw happily, "I'm pregnant."