Chief Bogo sat in his office, looking at the note in his hoof. With a heavy sigh, he tossed it onto his desk and leaned back. A worried look crept over Bogo's face, contorting his face into a frown that not many officers saw in their lifetime. "What is his endgame?" asked Bogo to no one in particular as he was alone. The buffalo was not sure if he should allow Nick and Judy continue to investigation at all due to how personal it was becoming for them. But for the sake of the citizens of the city, he had no choice. Either they played his game, or the killer runs free, killing even more mammals. Bogo hated everything about the killer and this whole situation.
He was stuck between a rock and a hard place. Either decision was both right and wrong for both the right and wrong reasons. This was easily one of the toughest things he ever had to deal with. The buffalo leaned forward and placed his head in his hooves as he let out a deep grumble of a sigh.
Knock, knock, knock
Chief Bogo knew who was knocking at his door and leaned back into his seat before calling out, "Come in!"
The door opened to reveal Nick and Judy walking in, both rubbing their eyes and holding coffee. It was obvious to Bogo that they had been sleeping. He didn't blame them as it wasn't easy to stay up for over twenty four hours, constantly being on the move.
"You wanted to see us, Chief?" asked Judy as the two quickly sat on the oversized chair that sat in front of the chief's desk. Nick's attention was fully directed at Bogo, as was Judy's. Bogo quickly noticed this and wasted no time with small talk.
"Yes: you two are still on the case. The specialist is here and is already doing phenomenal work. We've even run some tests on the envelope and the letter inside. The moment the lab boys got it done, they allowed us to make a copy for you two. Here is the letter. Now get back out there and stop this psycho. The specialist said he will have info for us later today," Chief Bogo stated and held his hoof up so he could keep them from speaking. Once he finished, he stood up, grabbed the duplicate of the original letter and handed it to Judy. "Bring this freak down," demanded Bogo as both Nick and Judy stood up in the chair.
"We won't let you down Chief!" stated Judy proudly, and with a mighty display, she saluted the buffalo and took the letter from him. The chief returned the salute and watched as the two left his office in a hurry.
"Good luck, Officers Hopps and Wilde," Bogo said as the door finally closed. He thought they didn't hear him, but Judy, with her splendid hearing, indeed caught those words. A smile crept onto her face as she ran down the hallway with Nick right behind her.
Once they had made their way to the lobby, they were stopped by Clawhauser. "Hey guys! How are you two doing?" he asked with his normal, cheery, demeanor.
"It's been a long day and night, and it looks like it will be another long day again," admitted Judy as she stopped to answer the large cheetah. Nick continued his walk to the front doors without stopping. "Sorry Benji, but we can't talk!" called Judy as she followed Nick to the doors.
"You're fine! Bring this guy in!" called Clawhauser just as they closed the doors. The cheetah's face hardened a bit as he looked down at the paper on his desk. As he slowly read over it, his happy smile fell from his face even further.
"How do you do it, Judy? Not an ounce of worry on your face as you attempt to solve this case. You are one tough mammal!" thought Clawhauser as he read up on the latest reports on the "Butcher of Zootopia" as he had finally been called by the media. It amazed him how quickly the media could turn a simple flame into a blazing inferno. The city was terrified, and it had only been thirty or so hours since the discovery of the first few bodies.
"Hello, can you help me?" called a voice from over his desk. Putting on his cheerful smile, Clawhauser proceeded to help the distraught-looking elk in front of him.
Nick and Judy buckled themselves in, ready to start driving. They decided to read the note from the killer first, though. Once they were settled in, Judy held the paper up and began to read it outloud.
"My, my, my, to think you managed to get this far impresses me. You sure don't fall short of my high expectations. If my calculations and timing are right, it should be noon for you. That's if you are on time. As for the next clue - which you must be so anxious to see - I will be generous and grant you what you desire. While I was doing "research" on you, Nick, I noticed something. You used to be a Junior Ranger Scout. Let's just say I checked up on the old place." Judy finished the note and quickly pulled her phone and looked at the time. It was just a few minutes past eight in the morning.
"Nick! You're a genius! Waiting in that spot for the gondola and not running all over the Rainforest District saved us nearly three hours. Hell, even maybe more! We're ahead now!" screamed Judy with jubilation.
"Thank you, but this is truly odd. He is telling us where to go. I don't like it one bit," commented Nick as he gave a quick flick of his paw onto the paper.
"Yeah, this is different. I think he is getting ahead of himself. He planned all of this for what I can only tell is months, maybe even a year or two. To think he would risk it all with prepared notes, voicing his victory even before he actually won. Something is wrong here!" agreed Judy as she placed the paper into the glove compartment. Nick nodded as he took the wheel once more and began to pull out of the parking lot.
"So where is this place, Nick?" Judy asked after a few moments of silence. The happy-looking streets of Savannah Central gave way to a run down neighborhood. It wasn't anything like the last few places they had visited, but it wasn't a pretty area. Litter was strewn over the streets, paint was peeling off of a lot of buildings, and metal bars covered the windows of most shops. It was obvious to Judy that this section of town was overlooked a bit by the ZPD.
Nick didn't respond immediately, instead staring straight ahead at the road. With a deep sigh and a few deep breathes, he finally answered. "We're heading to Happy Town, where the Junior Ranger Scouts old headquarters is. It's abandoned and in one of the worse parts of the district, so expect a body this time around," Nick said with an unsteady voice. This was not going to be easy; he hadn't been in this building for over twenty years, and this psycho was bringing him back to relive it all in his own sick, twisted way.
"I'm here for you, Nick. I will always be ready to face the challenges of our past and future together with you," stated Judy as she tried to cheer him up.
"Thank you," replied Nick. He tried to say more, but nothing came to mind as he sat there looking at Judy with a dumb expression on his face. Judy smiled at his inability to respond and picked up the radio.
"This is Officer Hopps, we may need a van here within the hour," Judy spoke loudly and clearly so Clawhauser could hear her properly.
"Alright, we will have one on standby for you guys!" responded the large cheetah.
"How long till we arrive, Nick?" asked Judy as she placed the mic back into its spot. She looked over and saw the serious look on his face.
"Not long, maybe twenty minutes or so," Nick was quick to answer. As quickly as he said this, he realized he was being a bit harsh and turned to give a wide smile to his rabbit. "Sorry for being short with you, Carrots. I'm just nervous. It's been years since I've been in this part of town," admitted Nick as he tried to relax a bit.
"It's alright Nick, I understand. This isn't easy for either of us, but we will get through this!" Judy proudly stated as she placed her paw onto his. The touch's effects were immediate as his tight grip on the steering wheel loosened and his body relaxed. Nick couldn't help but feel a warmth run through his body as his icy glare at the road gradually turn to one of love. His view changed from the road to the rabbit sitting next to him and rubbing his paw in an attempt to assure him he wasn't doing all of this alone.
He opened his mouth to say something just as Judy pointed at the road with a grin on her face. "Hey slick, red light ahead," teased Judy as she leaned back into her seat. Nick chuckled as he slowed the car to a stop just before the intersection. Turning her head to look out the window, Judy saw a group of cubs playing on the sidewalk. All of them were wearing baseball gloves and tossing a ball between the four of them. The bunny smiled as she saw an ewe, a couple of bear cubs, and an elk having fun, not a care in the world about how different they were to each other. All that mattered to them was that they were friends and that they could play catch.
"This part of the city is a little dirtier than other parts, but everyone here looks out for each other. They help one another. I guess it's the only reason we still call it Happy Town," Nick let out a sigh as he finished his quick comment.
"What do you mean by 'we?'" Judy asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"I thought I told you or you would have known by now, but this is where I grew up. In fact, my mom's place is only a few block's from here," answered Nick with that grin of his. "I learned from my neighbors and friends to truly 'know everyone.' It's how I got by for so long: I just got to know everyone in some way or another once I started out on the streets. But enough of that, let's see what awaits us in that terrible place." His smile faded only slightly as he turned down another road. Judy nodded in agreement and continued to watch the mammals as the crowds grew more and more scarce. In a sick way, it reminded her of the Nocturnal Theatre's road as they pulled up to a very broken, decaying building.
Nick and Judy unbuckled quickly, preparing their tranq guns once again. Judy was the first to step out of the car and surveyed the area, looking to see if there was anyone around they could question. There wasn't a soul in sight, so Judy gave up after a few moments. The sound of the car door shutting alerted her that Nick had exited the cruiser as well. She turned to see Nick with his gun already in his paw as he smiled at Judy.
"You ready?" was all he asked as he walked past her and up the stairs. He knew what she would say, of course.
"Yes, yes I am!" said Judy, trying to contain herself as they walked up the stairs together.
Before they even reach the top, they saw that the door was already open. The rancid smell of mold wafted from the opening. Nick crunched his nose up in disgust as he pushed the door open. Both he and Judy aimed their guns in every direction as they carefully entered the building. Just seconds after entering, Nick lowered his gun, memories penetrating his mind. He took a deep breath and quickly shook his head to chase the terrible thoughts away. Nick felt something push against his shin, and before he could react, a loud click could be heard from his right.
Without hesitation, he tackled Judy to the ground and wrapped himself around her, shielding her from what would be coming.
"Agh, Nick! Get off!" shouted Judy after a moment of silence.
"I'm sorry Judy, I thought I triggered a tra…" He didn't finish his sentence as a voice boomed from everywhere around them.
"Ahh, you finally made it? Good, good. You are that much closer to meeting me in person." The voice paused for a moment, long enough for Judy to speak up.
"Nick, do you hear that? His voice is robotic, like he's using a voice changer!" grumbled Judy just in time for the deep, metallic voice to continue.
"Let's cut to the chase: I spent so long planning and preparing for our confrontation that I can't wait any longer. The final clue is in this building! I await you at the final place, so feel free to bring the police once you are able to decipher the last clue!" boomed the voice once again before cutting out suddenly
"What?! After all this, he is going to simply give up?!" screamed Nick in anger.
"Who does he think he is! This isn't some sort of fan meet-up. That sick bastard!" Judy agreed in such an angry tone that even Nick reeled back from the bunny.
Neither of them could comprehend what was happening at all. The killer had been so careful, so deliberate in everything he did. The notes, the clues, the bodies - everything had meaning in his eyes, that they were sure of. It was obvious some of the place they had been to were altered hours just before they arrived. Something was not right here, not right at all.
"Call them in, Judy. Call them in while we head downstairs!" growled Nick as he stomped over to a door Judy failed to notice. Judy quickly pulled out her radio and relayed everything as fast as possible just as Nick tore open the door and stomped his way down the stairs. She ran after Nick and just as she reached the door, the smell hit her so hard she was forced to throw up everything in her stomach.
"Oh god! Clawhauser, send some vans; the smell alone indicates multiple bodies!" cried Judy after heaving a for nearly a minute.
"Where are you?" asked Clawhauser through the radio.
Nick didn't wait for Judy as he started heading down the staircase. The smell was vicious, foul, and repugnant, but his anger at being toyed with made his stomach turn to stone. He pulled his flashlight out and proceeded down to the bottom of the stairway. He could hear Judy at the top of the stairs, releasing the contents of her stomach and calling for help. He could hear the buzzing of flies and the dripping of some kind of liquid, too. Before he shone the light over the source of the sounds, he knew what it was. He knew it was going to be bad. But he didn't realize the scale of it.
With his night vision and the light from the "torch" in his paw, he saw it all clear as day. There were four bodies hanging from meat hooks. A gazelle, a ram, a leopard, and finally, a zebra. Their fur was laid out in front of them like a few cheap was obvious to Nick that the bodies were freshly skinned. Nick stared in horror as he took in the sight of skinned mammals. He quickly looked away only to avert his gaze onto one last body, tucked into a corner. This one had no fur next to it, but Nick knew why. They had found the fur last night in the museum.
Nick avoided looking at the bodies as best as he could as he took a few steps towards the scene. From above, he could hear Judy coming down the staircase finally. Seconds later, he could hear her gasping at the sight. Neither could say anything at all as they did their best to not step in any puddles of blood or on the fur rugs on the floor.
"Nick, look!" Judy's voice nearly cracked as she spoke. Nick turned to Judy and saw her pointing at the wall to his left. Both Nick and Judy shone their flashlights onto a desk that had a old TV with a VCR next to it. A large painting of very angry-looking eyes hung on the wall behind the desk. Underneath the eyes were the words "play me." Wasting no time, Nick walked over, turned the TV on, and pressed play on the VCR.
Slowly, the screen lit up and showed a dark room. The camera shook quite a bit. "Finally, I got this thing to work!" The voice was once again deep and robotic. "Now that this thing is working, I have one thing to say. I TOLD YOU NOBODY FUCKING HELPS YOU! I gave specific instructions that no one helps, and you broke my rule! You broke my game and my plans! And for that, it's time one of you payed the price for it!" The voice screamed in anger as the camera shook about violently. The camera stopped moving for a moment, and the voice fell silent.
Without warning, the camera spun around and Nick could only gasp and howl with despair. Sitting in a chair was a vixen with a sack over her head. "That's right! Nicky's mommy will pay the price first, then that damn bunny's brother! But you have a chance to save one of them! Poor Nicky's mommy is in a place you know very well - a place where the insane used to live next to a beautiful waterfall. As for bunny boy, it won't be to hard to catch him. In fact, I'm probably talking to him right now by the time you see this video! Why not give him a call? I saw you guys exchange numbers. I KNOW YOU HAVE IT! So choose who lives and who dies!" And with that, the video suddenly cut off just as Nick dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around him as he swayed back and forth.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, this can't be happening!" Nick pulled out his phone and quickly dialed a series of numbers and put the phone to his ear. The look of fear was painfully clear to Judy as Nick suddenly dropped the phone. "The number is no longer available!" howled Nick as Judy hugged him tightly.
"Nick, it's ok! Please, calm down!" Judy helped Nick get up off the ground and did her best to carry his slack weight up the stairs and back into the main lobby of the building. Just as they sat down on the dusty ground, a group of forensics specialists entered the building. Judy pointed to the open doorway, and they nodded and quickly went to work.
Judy took the moment to pull out her own phone and dial Michael's number once again. After a couple of rings, he picked up. Judy prepared for the worse as she heard some breathing.
"Judy? Oh thank god! I was just about to call you! I'm think I'm being followed!" cried Michael, the sound of cars in the background.
"Michael, where are you?" demanded Judy as she stood up quickly.
"I'm by my apartment. I went to grab some stuff before I went into hiding, but this black van started following me nearly thirty minutes ago. I've been going to heavily populated places and buying stuff at places with cameras just in case they tried anything. I don't know how long I can keep up this charade!" wheezed Michael as Judy listened carefully.
Judy couldn't speak as she looked down at Nick. He was an emotional mess, trying to process the fact that his mother was in danger. The bunny looked back at her phone. Everything was happening so quickly that she couldn't think clearly.
"Judy, I think he saw me on the phone, he turned down an offramp. I… I think I scared him, Judy I'm scared, please help me!" cried Michael over the phone.
Judy looked back at Nick, who merely stared blankly at the far wall. He wouldn't be of any help right now. "This is bad, this is bad!" thought Judy as she was forced to make a decision that could cost someone's life
"Do I rush to Nick's mom's aid and possibly let Michael get taken and killed, or do I rush to his aid and risk her life?" Judy thought as she looked between Nick and the phone. "What do I do?"
((((Author's Notes))))
Nick and Judy are now on the final stretch of this case, but what will it cost them?
How did the killer find out? How did he know? Will everyone make it out alive?
I hope you have been enjoying the story immensely. Please have a wonderful day/night and oh by the way HAPPY NEW YEARS!
