Dust, Nick and Judy all exited the diner with muted belches. They had found a 70s style diner that served soy burgers and milkshakes that were out of this world. All three had eaten their full, the waitress was tipped well. Jokes had been shared, a few stories swapped, and overall, a good time had been had.
It was as though the three were old friends.
But, as was with everything, the sudden outing had to come to a close. Dust paused on the other side of his car and rested his chin on his arms again as Nick and Judy stopped beside their own ride.
"Thanks for that, you two," he said. "All of it. I haven't had a chance to relax like that in ages."
Judy moved her paw in a "pshaw" motion, leaning against Nick's car as the fox lifted his keys and spun them around his finger. "It's no problem. Glad we got to share some stories – you had a very strange time in high school."
Dust offered a small chuckle. "I wasn't messed with, at least. Long coats seemed to have that effect."
"I hate to admit it, but even I would've stayed away," Judy admitted, pausing before adding: "Mostly. Eventually I would've come up to you."
Nick nodded in agreement. "You'd of stood out. I could've approached you for a dozen reasons."
Dust nodded shallowly, slipping on his sunglasses as the sun began to dip below the horizon. "Fair enough you two. But, it's late. We should get going, and get some sleep. I'll see you two around," he finished, waving a little goodbye before climbing into his car. It roared to life as Judy and Nick waved back, reversing out and driving off.
Nick looked down at his rabbit friend, taking a deep breath before turning around and unlocking his door. "Alright, Carrots, time to get you home. We have a big day tomorrow, with whatever the chief throws our way."
Judy let out a groan, climbing into the passenger side. "It just better not be something like parking duty. If he finds a way to make that 'related' to the case, I'll be surprised."
Nick chuckled, starting his engine. "Don't ever doubt ol' Buffalo-Butt. I'm sure he could find a way to make cleaning sound related, if he wanted to."
Old rock music filled the car as they drove in silence. Judy was curled up on the passenger seat, staring out the window. Nick had his window rolled down, left arm hanging out while the right rested on the steering wheel.
Midway through their journey, the default ringing of a phone interrupted one of Nick's favorite songs, making him frown and turn down the volume. Judy withdrew her phone from her pocket and flinched briefly at the bright light that shone in her face. It was from someone not in her contacts list, showing just a number and a paw print as the ID.
She shot him a curious look, which he returned. "Wrong number?" she asked, turning back to the screen as he shrugged. With little other options aside from being rude and just hanging up, she answered and held the phone to one of her massive ears.
"Hello? Yeah. Who is this? Dust? How did you get my number? What? Okay, okay, hold on."
She pulled the phone away and pressed a button, the sound of a dull engine now coming through the speakers.
"Nick, Judy, you both there?" Dust said.
"Yeah, we're here," Nick replied, a sour expression on his face. Why was the fox calling them? How was he calling them?
"Good. Who's driving?"
"Yours truly," Nick said.
"Where are you?" the other reynard asked.
"Uh... Freeway, just about to turn west, why?" Nick replied.
"Hopps, look behind you. Tell me what you guys see."
Judy turned around in her seat, peering through the back window with her phone in paw. "Uh... Other cars. A black van and pickup, a white SUV, another muscle car. Some sports car in the back."
"What are the can and pickup doing?" Dust asked. His tone was stressed, and he spoke quickly.
"Driving. One's coming up beside us, the other is behind. Why?"
Nick suddenly got a nervous feeling in his stomach. Not like his food wasn't sitting well with him, but more that gut feeling that told him when he needed to leave a situation.
"Do you trust me?" he asked. "Because I found out something that's bugging me."
Judy and Nick shared a look, both taking a deep breath. "Go ahead," Nick said, bracing himself for what was to come.
"I need you guys to go on Slot Street. There's an alley towards the east end, where I'm parked. You need to drop off Nick's car in the alley and jump in mine."
"Uh... What?" Judy asked, looking down at her phone in disbelief.
"Listen, four vehicles pulled up to the diner while we were out. All black, all very suspicious. Two followed after me, two on you. And somehow, I don't think Nick's car is the greatest for losing anyone."
"You're taking an awfully big leap here," Nick commented. "What if you're wrong about this?"
"Then what's the worst that can happen? We cruise for an hour and get back to your car. If I'm right, though, we could all be in danger."
"Wait, you said two cars were on you, right? Where are they if you're parked in an alley?" Judy asked.
"Lost them. Part of why I don't think Nick's car can lose your guys, assuming I'm right." Dust sounded calmer now, his engine having died down. "Trust me on this. When have I steered you two wrong so far?"
Judy and Nick gave one another a third look, the fox setting a hard expression before activating a blinker, turning off the freeway. Judy looked behind them, watching as the van and pickup followed after moments later.
Nick was watching out the rear view, and groaned. "Watch them for a few more turns, okay Carrots? If they follow us, there's a problem."
"Alright," she said, turning in her seat slightly to watch them. Nick continued to drive, playing oblivious, but even he could see the two vehicles trailing after them as they neared Slot Street.
"I'm facing north," Dust said, making Judy and Nick jump – they had forgotten to hang up. "I think you'll have about thirty seconds before we're cornered in the alley."
"You have this all timed out, don't you?" Nick said. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you orchastrated this."
"I didn't," Dust said, his tone taking a sharp edge.
"Relax, relax! It was a joke," Nick said. The other fox just grunted almost inaudily before falling silent.
"We're about to pull up," Nick said after a moment.
The only response was the sound of Dust's engine starting, before the call ended.
"They still behind us?" Nick said. He didn't need confirmation – these drivers were sloppy, not even trying to hide that they were tailing them.
"Still behind us," Judy confirmed. She had a slightly worried tone in her voice now. "We're about to pull up in the alley, be ready."
Nick nodded and watched, speeding up a bit before slamming on the brakes and turning into the alley. The van overshot the turn, but the pickup managed to brake just outside the alley and back up, blocking the exit.
Dust's car was right ahead of them, midway into the alley. Nick killed the engine, before he and Judy hopped out and slammed the doors shut, sprinting for the charcoal vehicle. The passenger door was flung open as they threw themselves inside. Judy climbed between the front seats, and into the cramped back as Nick buckled himself up front, closing the door as Dust's engine roared to life and he stepped on the gas.
A quick once-over revealed that the interior of the fox's car was heavily modified. Switches sat at the roof, each one labeled with a roman numeral, and the roof sat lower than it normally should. A slightly larger red one sat above the driver's seat. Handles were visible at the angle where the door closed and, on Dust's side, there was a small, rounded bit of plastic that stuck out. All the switches had a faint green glow to them.
"What is all this?" Nick wondered aloud.
"Modifications," Dust replied. "Don't touch anything."
As the car tore out of the alley in a quick left, the newcoming fox and rabbit nearly being thrown to the side as the tires screeched. A black SUV turned onto the street behind them, and began to speed up as Nick and Judy's van rounded the opposite corner.
Dust raced past the van and turned for the freeway, digging into his pocket for something. He took out his phone and, with one paw, plugged it into the car's speakers.
Nick cast a look in the side mirror, seeing the pickup racing to match their car. The van was behind them, Judy frowning as she turned around in her seat. Dust shifted to the center lane of the road, trying to pass the few cars that were still out at the moment, and the SUV pulled up to their left side.
"Wait, there's only three cars here, you said there were four." Nick stated, taking a count of the vehicles. "Where's the last one?"
As if to answer, Dust tapped the brakes as a sports car with low bearing pulled in front of them, the glossy black paint job matching the other three vehicles.
"There," the other reynard said, nodding ahead. "Hopps, take these," he said, reaching one paw behind him to hand small, bright orange earplugs. "Wilde, you can get a pair, too, if you want."
Confused, the rabbit took them and stuffed them into her ears.
"My music can get loud," Dust said, casting a few brief glances at his phone as they drove. Nick watched in silence, keeping track of things ranging from all the traffic laws Dust was breaking, to the placement of the cars. They had surrounded theirs, and were all traveling at the same speed, but occasionally one would steer too close for comfort while the others moved away.
Dust, of course, would do his best to keep them in the center of the group. They were slowly being herded to the right side of the freeway, and this made Nick uneasy.
"So uh, I really hope you've got a plan," Nick said. "They're kind of herding us along."
"I have a plan," Dust replied. "Wilde, reach beneath your seat and grab one of those metal canister groupings. Hopps, under your seat is a plastic tube – grab that. Pass them to me."
Nick dug around under his seat until he felt his paw come into contact with a trio of small, cold metal canisters, holding it up to inspect it. Each one was small, shaped similarly to a soda bottle, but silver and with worn out black text. They were all bound together with some black plastic. "Is this-"
"CO2 canisters, yes. They used to be put in some paintball and airsoft guns before they were taken off the market." Dust reached over with his free paw and grabbed hold of the canister, reaching over to the lip by his door and pushing in, then to the right. A space was exposed, two openings of different widths. The bottom one was smaller, just the right size for the canisters, and with a set of small springs beneath it.
Dust switched which paw held the canisters and pushed it into the bottom slot, before holding up his right paw for whatever Judy was tasked with retrieving.
"What are these?" The rabbit asked, holding up a small, clear plastic tube filled with metal spheres little bigger than a quarter. Red caps sat on both ends, each with a lip. The fox grabbed it and popped off one lid, placing it into the larger space, openinig facing down, before popping off the other lid and closing the hatch.
"Ball bearings," he said simply. Nick and Judy both gawked at him as he looked in each mirror.
"Listen, Hopps, Wilde. If this all works, I need you to do me a favor, alright? Don't tell anyone about my car."
"No promises," Nick said. "You must have spent a lot of time on her for this."
"You have no idea," the fox replied. "Nick, open my phone and go to the music app. Hit a random song in the playlist labeled 'IND.' And then..." he trailed off, waiting for Nick to do as instructed. His paw paused for a moment as the car was jerked to one side, pulling away from the SUV.
A low, electrical sound made itself barely audible over the engine. It took a moment, but Nick identified it as industrial rock – white noise blasts and electronic sounds would mix in with heavy guitar and bass lines. It seemed surprisingly fitting.
"Then?" Judy asked, a paw on either seat as she pulled herself forward.
"Hold onto your tails!" Dust said, turning up the music so much they could feel the bass. What happened next both scared and impressed the officers.
Dust reached up and flipped a switch once, then back. A moment later, the van screeched and swerved away, the windshield filled with holes and cracks, one tire nearly exploding. The fox driver hit the brakes just long enough to fall behind the three remaining cars, before he stepped back on the gas and sped past the SUV.
"Another set of bearings!" He shouted, shoving the hatch aside and taking out the now-empty plastic tube. Judy reached up and handed him a second tube, and Nick watched him pop off one end, set it inside, then pop off the other end and shut the hatch.
The three cars were trying to form a triangle around them now, the SUV in back, pickup to the left, and sports car to the right. Dust flipped the switch twice again, and this time Nick saw small flashes of silver as the ball bearings were sent flying. The black vehicle turned and managed to avoid two or three, but the turn sent it into the median, where it was left behind the trio.
"Watch out!" Judy shouted, pointing to their right as the pickup tried to ram the muscle car. Dust hit the brakes, nearly sending Nick and Judy into the dashboard, before he stepped on the gas again, angling himself for an exit. The pickup did its best to match pace with them on the outside lane, before turning to ram them again. This time, Dust sped up, just barely missing the vehicle as it was sent into the off-ramp and out of sight.
"Where's the sports car?!" Dust shouted, craning his head around to look.
Nick was doing the same, watching behind them. "Seven o'clock!" he called out, once he caught sight of the low riding vehicle. It was easily keeping pace with them, and was slowly leveling their front bumper with Dust's rear one.
"They're going to pit us!" Judy yelled.
"Seriously?! Gods dammit, alright, hold on!" Dust yelled back. His music was blaring, making all of their blood race more than it normally would in this situation – not by much, though. It didn't help that neither Nick or Judy had been in such an active car chase. Even shutting down Flash's street racer buddies had been a simple task of surrounding a rally once they had found it.
Nick gripped the seat beneath him as he felt their car lurch to one side. Dust slammed a foot down somewhere and shifted gears to neutral. Judy was shrieking in the back seat as she was flung to the side, expressing Nick's terror as they began to spin. Briefly, they could see the black sports car, the dark windshield hiding the expression of whoever was inside, before it was torn away by them spinning more.
Before Nick knew it, they were speeding down the freeway again. It took a minute to process the information.
"What? What?!" He said, wide-eyed as Dust laughed. "I've pulled some car stunts in my time, but I haven't managed to pull that off before! How long have you practiced that?" he asked.
"You want the honest truth?" Dust replied.
Judy drew herself up between the foxes again as Nick pursed his lips. "Knowing you, you'll say... Twice."
"Wrong," Dust said. "Once. And that was it."
Nick reached over to punch his arm, mouth open to call him a liar when the car lurched again. Dust went through the same motions as before, spinning the car around to keep going.
"Hopps, do we have any more ball bearings?" he asked, frowning when she shook her head.
"No, there's nothing. Do you have anything else you could put in that tube?" she responded, head tilted a bit.
"Maybe an empty canister, but that's a risk," Dust said, stepping on the gas more to avoid a third maneuver. "I have an idea, though. Sports cars and sand don't mix!"
As it to prove his point, Dust turned to an exit leading into Sahara Square. They were currently speeding along the outskirts. "Look for a path into the sand," Dust instructed. Nick took a moment, gaining their bearings, before mapping out the path needed in his head. It was simple, really, and it took them to an old race track used by the crime boss in this portion of the city. If they were lucky, it would be empty tonight – the boss and fox weren't exactly on great terms. Worse so than he had been with Mr. Big prior to Judy's intervention. Granted, he wasn't exactly on the shrew's good side, but he wasn't always watching his back in fear of being iced.
"Dust, listen. Coming up on the left side is an unmarked road, if you turn onto it we should hit an old race track!" The fox said, pointing to where he knew the road would lie.
Judy was looking between the foxes in confusion, orange ear plugs standing out against her fur. She probably couldn't hear them unless they shouted, he realized.
"Got it," Dust replied, waiting until the median had a break to fling themselves onto the other end of the street. The sports car was right behind them as he turned onto a brighter, more solid looking patch of sand. Their tires slid a bit, digging through a little under a half inch of sand before hitting dirt.
Dust shifted down and eased up on the gas as he did his best to angle the car along the faintly marked path. Nick threw a glance over his shoudler, breathing a sigh of relief as the sports car began to swerve, and ultimately skidded off the path. It sank down until its bumper met sand, and slowly grew still, tires unable to get a grip and push it along any further.
Dust continued to drive until they reached the sandy race track, clear spots for cars to rest visible all around. He finally sat back, paws falling away from the steering wheel as he let out a sigh, head bowed. He reached over and turned down his radio, before killing the engine.
"Out," he said a minute later. "We need to get out. I need air."
The three flung open the doors and flung themselves outside, feeling the cold night air brush along their faces, cool sand squishing beneath their feet. Dust was kneeling by the front of his car, the lights enveloping him as the other fox and rabbit joined him. They stood and looked around, Judy wrapping her arms around herself and Nick shivering a bit as he put his paws in his pockets.
There was a brief moment of silence, before the rabbit spoke, her voice sharp and determined. "Alright, Dust. We need to talk."
The fox's response was to just look up at them, panting as he stared in a silent curiousity.
"No more holding out on us. You need to come clean, or else we're going to take you to the Precinct right now. What's going on?" Judy now had her arms folded across her chest, staring down at Dust with a cold and even gaze, which he returned. Nick's ears folded back slightly, feeling the air become a little thicker between them.
"I... Can't," Dust said, standing up.
"Can't or won't?" Judy challenged.
"Both?" the reynard replied, giving a shrug. Judy shook her head.
"Not good enough," she said. "You have one minute to get yourself together before I expect an actual answer."
The group sat in silence, Dust staring down at the rabbit as Nick stepped behind her in silent support. As much as he felt it was too hasty of them to question the fox now, he also knew that they couldn't wait much longer. It was probably best to question him sooner, rather than later. Tilting his head with each second, Nick counted down from sixty. Judy's foot began tapping the sand about fifteen seconds in, sending light shockwaves of it through the air.
With five seconds to spare, Dust relaxed his posture and held out one paw. "We'll make a deal. Alright?"
Judy looked at Dust and considered the idea. "Name the conditions, first," Nick said.
"I'll come clean, tomorrow. But not at the Precinct, not where we'll be overheard." Dust said, voice even and his paw still outstretched. Nick took a deep breath before reaching out and shaking it. Judy looked between the foxes, before reaching up for Dust's paw.
Nick stepped back as Judy lunged forward, ears laid back and tail poofing out as the rabbit reached up Dust's arm and took a firm hold. The hoodie-wearing reynard barely had time to widen his eyes before he was being pulled to the ground, the arm which Judy had grabbed being twisted around him and pressed to his back as the rabbit planted her legs around him, effectively pinning him to the ground. His tail twitched in what Nick assumed was amusement, annoyance, or both.
With a grunt, Dust dug his nose from the sandy ground and looked up at her. "I'm taking that as a no from you, Hop Along?"
The fox let out a hiss as Judy pushed his arm up his back. Nick crouched down and locked eyes with the fox, paws being planted on his knees as he let his tone shift to an overly-sweet one, as if talking to a child.
"That was a mistake. I'm the only one who gets to call her nicknames, right Carrots?" He looked up at the rabbit with the last bit, both of them smirking.
"Likewise, Slick."
Nick nodded, before turning his gaze back to Dust. "What she means to say by pinning you down is: Yes, you have a deal. But if you break the deal in any way, you're going to regret it big time. If she can catch me on a good day, she can catch you on one as well. We foxes can be slick, but she might as well be covered in oil."
Dust stared up in silence, waiting for Nick to finish. "You'd better keep your end of the bargain, or you'll probably be ashes by tomorrow night. I promise, that bunny's rage is hotter than the sun."
With that, he rose, and Judy hopped from Dust's back and stood beside her partner again. They crossed their arms and watched with smug expressions as the reynard picked himself up and brushed his pants and coat free of the tan colored specks that now accompanied the vibrant blue stains from earlier that day.
A small staring match ensued, a thick silence settling between the three before Dust snorted and walked back to his car.
"Get in," he ordered, starting the engine. Nick and Judy shared a simple look of exhaustion before the climbed back into the car, Judy in back again as Nick slid in front.
Dust set the music to some orchastral rock band, before carefully steering the car to the road, passing by the dark sports car on their way. He casually rolled down the window and flipped off whoever was inside, before continuing on his way.
Neither officer was still conscious when he turned back onto the freeway.
~ óÓÒò ~
Dust silently shut the bedroom door as he left, looking down the nearly-bare hallway. A faint yet dark teal paint gleamed in the darkness as the air conditioning whirred in the background, sending a shiver down his spine. His home was constantly kept below sixty degrees, just as he liked it. The colder it was, to a point, the better your sleep. It was also more comfortable for him, having always produced more body heat than the usual mammal his size.
He had woken Nick just enough to lead him to the spare bedroom he held, the massive bed fitted for the likes of panthers and wolves. It was covered with a tan quilt and matching pillows, with a white sheet. Nick had, without question, stumbled through the hall and into bed without a word, immediately resuming his snores from before.
Judy was a different story – the bunny couldn't stay still, even in her sleep. After carefully dragging her from the back seat, Dust carried her carefully into the bedroom, setting her beside the sleeping fox and throwing the heavy blanket over them. When he turned around and started to shut the door, the sight of them spread warmth in his chest.
Nick had, briefly, groped around under the blanket until his arm wrapped around Judy and pulled her close. He held her in a protective embrace, his chin touching the top of her head as her ears rested against her back and his chest, paws curled to her chest.
The fox gave a true smile, the first he'd given in a long time, as he walked down the hallway to his own room. He walked inside and, without looking, threw his hoodie into its designated corner and flung himself under the lavender covers, resting his head on the blue plaid pillows. They chilled him through his fur, and he sighed softly, comforted by being back in one of the few places he considered safe.
Tomorrow would be a big day. He needed to get some sleep.