"So we're in agreement? After work we go to my place and video call them on my laptop." Judy said confirming with her partner.
"Sounds simple enough." Nick nodded and looked at her with a carefree smile.
Judy found his lack of worry frustrating, but then again she was doing enough worrying for the both of them. They stared at each other for a moment before the gray bunny gave up with sigh. She looked back up at him, this time with a grin on her face.
"I really hate that smile of yours sometimes." She commented.
"You hate it, or you hate that you love it?" Nick's smile grew wider. He knew that if it wasn't for the table between them he would have taken a fist to the shoulder by now.
Before he could continue to tease her, his cellphone vibrated in his pocket. "Excuse me for a minute, fluff."
He took it out of his pocket and looked at the caller ID. What he saw made him raise his eyebrow. Judy noticed this and wanted to ask who it was, but before she could Nick took the call and answered her question.
"Finnick? Haven't heard from you in ages." He said in a rather surprised voice.
The small smile on his quickly faded when he heard the sound of his friends voice. Something was wrong and he was unsuccessfully trying to hide it. Nick knew that this couldn't be discussed over the phone and as that crossed his mind Finnick asked to meet him where he usually parks his van.
"Sure, I'll meet you there after work." Nick hung up the phone and looked at the questioning face of Judy.
"Uhm… I'm gonna have to take a rain check on talking to your parents tonight." He said as he put down the phone.
Judy only grew more curios. "What? Why? What does Finnick want from you?"
"I'm not sure, but it sounded important."
"Can't it wait?"
"I don't think so." Nick shook his head.
Judy was not at all pleased with this sudden change of plans. "No. You can't just go back on our agreement-which we just made- so you can go visit your friend that you haven't seen in who knows how long."
"Judy." Nick's voice was calm and serious, something Judy took note of instantly. "He sounded afraid and seeing him afraid is as rare as seeing a pig fly."
"Pigs can't fly and that phrase is offensive to pigs. " She pointed out.
"Exactly. That means his probably dug himself a grave with how deep he is in whatever his taken part of." Nick explained
Judy leaned back into her seat and thought about it for a moment. If Nick was certain that his friend was in danger than she couldn't hold it against him if wanted to go and help. They could always talk to her parents another time, but Finnick needed help now.
She looked at Nick and nodded her head. "Okay, you can go meet up with him. Just promise me you won't get yourself into any trouble."
"I'll do my best, Carrots." He said with a forced smile.
18:30, Finnick's van
Nick stood outside the van and stared at it for a moment. He contemplated on whether or not he should go in how he usually would or with a more serious attitude. Deciding on the former he knocked on the back door and waited for a response. There was a sound of something moving around inside accompanied by some groaning. The door opened revealing the fennec fox he had come to see.
He looked at Nick for a few seconds with an expressionless face. "Get in."
Nick raised an eyebrow at this and stepped inside. "Not even a hello or how's it going?"
"Just shut up and close the door." Finnick said and dug around in a mini fridge that was just a tad bigger than him.
He removed two beer can from it and gave one to Nick before sitting down on a bean bag chair. "I can only keep the fridge runnin' for so long without draining the vans battery, so they ain't very cold."
"Times are tough. Has been for most of our lives." Nick said and opened the can of beer before taking a sip.
Finnick did the same. "Still is for me. You managed to move out from under the bridge at least." He chuckled.
"Can't be a cop and be a street hustler. By the way are you still doing that?" Nick asked. "I'm not on duty so I won't say anything if you don't."
Finnick drank some more from the can. "The less you know the better." He said in a joking manner.
Nick nodded and took a deep breath. "So why did you want me to meet you all of the sudden?"
Finnick's eyes scanned the floor, but wasn't focusing on anything. "I messed up big time. I messed up so bad that I got a price on my head if I don't deliver."
This caught Nick by surprise and his eyes widened. He put down the beer and tried to register what he had just heard. "H-how? Why? Who?" Was all he could get out.
"Unpaid debt with the wrong mammals." He said simply.
"And what do they want from you?" Nick asked still trying to comprehend what's going on.
"You remember that night we first met? The night your old man died." He started and Nick's ears fell back as he listened. "You were just a kid and you witnessed him take a bullet to the head… right in front of you."
Finnick shifted uncomfortably. "I saw what happened and despite my better judgement I decided to help you get home. I didn't know who you were I just knew you that you were a little kid all alone on the wrong side of town. Never one of us thought a partnership would soon follow."
Finnick's expression grew serious and he looked at Nick. "I ani't no defenseless kid who needs to be watched over." He took a moment. "But just like you I'll be dead without help. I need your help, Nick."
Nick stayed silent for a minute and Finnck finished his drink as he patiently waited for a response. Memories from that Night was flooding back to him, but he quickly shook his head before he was dragged to far back into the past. He shut his eyes and took slow controlled breaths to calm himself.
"Who are you in trouble with." He asked as calmly as he could.
"Yuri Petrov. He wants you died Nick. You and that fuzzy bunny." Finnick informed him.
Nick froze for a moment as he took in what Finnick had just said. He exhaled and pinched the bridge between his eyes. In all honesty it was more stressful than shocking to him since this wasn't the first time someone tried to kill him for pocking his snout into other mammals businesses.
"What does he want you to do? Shoot us?" Nick asked jokingly.
Finnick raised an eyebrow at how Nick was taking the message. "You ain't scared?"
"Buddy I've nearly been iced by Big and held at gun point by a mammal that went psycho. So not as much as you'd think." He took a sip from his drink.
Finnick looked indifferent and nodded in understanding. "Well now you're probably wondering why I'm acting like a pussy."
"Your words not mine." Nick pointed out.
"Yuri doesn't simply want to kill me. He wants to torture me." Finnick pointed at the some papers and pictures next to Nick.
Nick looked at the pile and searched through them till he came across a gruesome picture of a mammal that had his skin entirely removed from his flesh. "Oh that is disgusting." He tried to hold back his most recent meal.
"And they do that to ya while you're still breathing." Finnick told him.
After putting the picture back Nick finished his drink and took a moment to let it sink in. "How long do you have?
"Less than 43 hours." He said simply. "I can't run from 'em, Nick. At some point they'll find me and skin me alive!" He said in anger and drank what remained of his beer.
"Sounds like my first job with Judy. Limited time and high stakes." He chuckled, which Finnick didn't find very amusing. "I should be able to provide protective custody, but that will require you to become an informant. You've dealt with them before and know a little about how they operate. If you give us info we can in return provide protection."
"No! No way that's happening! I'm not gonna work with the ZPD. This is why I came to you personally, Nick!" Finnick shouted. "They'll give me 'protective custody' alright. In a prison cell! I got a record their bound to get a hold of."
Nick sighed. His friend was right. The ZPD would ask questions and with Finnick's history he'd most likely do hard time. A reduced sentence for his cooperation at best. "Fine, I'll think of something. I am still gonna inform Judy. She's my partner and just as in danger as we are."
Finnick wasn't too happy with that idea, but decided that it was reasonable. "Any other terms and conditions?" He asked a bit annoyed.
"Yeah, you're staying at my place tonight. If something go's wrong I don't want to be long distance away." Nick told him.
"What if their watching us? Wont they know I'm working with you and what are you going to defend us with? A fox sized taser?" He asked leaning to his right. "My bat does more damage."
"If their watching us chances are their already suspicious. Also, my taser is very effective even against slightly larger mammals." Nick pointed out.
Finnick simply rolled his eyes and got up. "Whatever, you're the cop. I"ll drive us there."
"You just had alcohol." Nick reminded him.
"Then get comfortable. Cause I ain't leaving my home and if I can't drive my home isn't going anywhere." Finnick folded his arms and gave Nick a displeasing look.
"Alright." Nick shrugged.
Not far from where Finnick's van was a black SUV stood park on the side of the road. In the driver's seat sate the ram that met with Finnick earlier that day and to his left was a snow leopard. She held part of a headphone to her ear and was working with a device in on her lap with her other paw.
"Ya nichegonemogu setim uslyshat'." She said irritated.
"You know I can't speak Russian." The ram complained.
"Yet you work for Yuri." She said sarcastically in a monotone voice. "I said I can't hear a thing with this. It's nothing but static. Are you sure you activated it correctly?"
"Yes I'm sure. We're probably just getting interference from somewhere." He assumed. "Best we can do is keep an eye out and see what happens."
"You don't seem very enthusiastic about that." She noted.
He sighed. "That's because this is a waste of time. We got guns. We should just go over there and take them out now." He argued.
"And you wonder why you don't move up in the chain of command. Even with silencers chances of getting detected are still too high at this time of day. Plus the rabbit isn't with them." She explained much to his annoyance.
"Hey! It's not like I'm at the bottom of the command chain." He retorted and looked out of the doors window.
"Did I offend you? I did not know this was your soft spot." She asked with the slightest grin.
"No!" He faced her. "I don't have a soft spot, figuratively speaking. I'm as hard as my head."
Her grin grew just a little more. "So you're hard headed?"
He grunted in annoyance. "Let's just focus on the job, please."
"Kind too." She added and further annoyed him.
A few hours later it became clear to them that Nick wasn't coming out of there and had probably decided to stay the night. The ram slowly started to drift to sleep as he laid back in his seat. A sudden shove to his shoulder startled him.
"Huh!? I did nothing his lying!" He blurted out and soon realized where he was and what he was doing.
His partner looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "You OK?"
"Yeah, I'm fine. Could maybe use some coffee." He said as he rubbed his tired eyes.
"Just a little longer. We received the go ahead to approach and capture, execute if necessary. Preferably Yuri want's them alive." She informed him.
"Finally some action." He said with delight followed by a yawn.
"Keep the engine on. I'm going in, wait for my signal." Said the snow leopard.
"Alright, and watch out for the little guy Natasha. I hear his pretty good with a baseball bat." Stated the ram.
"I'll keep that in mind, Hendrick." She said sarcastically.
Natasha moved quietly over to Finnick's van and kept an eye out for any possible witnesses. Thankfully, there were hardly any mammals around and those that did walk the streets new better than to interfere or alert the authorities while still in the area. She came up behind the van and looked around again before reaching into her black leather jacket. When she was satisfied that no one was watching her she looked through the window and saw the two sleep foxes. One of whom, unsurprisingly, was sleeping with a baseball bat in his arms.
She thought it was sort of cute, but disregarded that thought as she had a job to do. After removing a lock pick from her jacket she proceeded to unlock the door with it. She did it with ease and slowly opened the door. As she was bigger than them her plan was to simply pick them up and throw them into the back then knock them out to prevent resistance. She turned to face the SUV that Hendrick was in and motioned for him to come over, the street lights helped him to see her in the night.
Just as she turned back she saw an object approach her face with speed and smacked her across the face. "Agh! What the!?" She held her paw against the left side of her face where she was struck.
"I'll hit you again if ya don't get lost now!" Finnick shouted, holding the bat with both paws ready for another swing.
"YA ub'yu tebya za eto (I'll kill you for that)!" She yelled back.
When Finnick heard that his eyes widened and he shut the door in her face. "Nick! We need to get outta here!"
The two jumped into the front seats and Finnick quickly started the engine. Natasha kicked the door open and tried to get inside the small space, but before she could move further in Finnick hit the gas and the van jerked forward, almost hitting the wall at the end of the ally way. She fell onto the pavement. Finnick set the van into reverse and was about to run over the snow leopard. Natasha saw the van approaching her and quickly jumped out of the way. When the van was out of the ally Finnick switched the gear back into first and pulled away as fast as the van could accelerate, a sound similar to that of a gun firing coming out of the exhaust.
Hendrick came up to Natasha in the car. "Get in!"
She got into the passenger seat and the two raced after Nick and Finnick. The SUV was a much more powerful vehicle and quickly caught up to the van. Hendrick pulled out a gun and handed it to her. "I'm guessing capturing them is no longer an option." "We'll see. Either way we can't let them get away."
She said as she looked over at the pistol in Hendrick's paw. "Why are you giving me that sissy weapon?"
Hendrick looked confused, but before he could say something his confusion turned into shock as Natasha pulled out a machine gun from under her seat. "This is what you shoot with. That thing in your paw is just a toy for street gangs." She stated and rolled down her window to take aim.
She didn't have the slightest care if she missed and damaged property and/or shot someone. "Keep the car steady."
Inside the van Nick was frantically busy with his phone trying to call Judy. "Pick up rabbit!"
He finally received an answer from her as she calmly said "Hello."
"Judy! We need help, we're being chased and…" Before he could continue a burst of fire came from behind them and shot the side mirror on Nick's side to pieces. "Ahhh!"
In his sudden surprise Nick dropped the phone to the floor and he barely heard the bunny's frantic voice. Nick! Nick! Was that gun fire!? Nick!?"
Note: Cars, guns and a baseball bat. What more do you want?
Hello everyone! Sorry for the very late upload. Got hit by exams and then my wifi connection died and it took the server providers forever to fix it.
Regardless, I'll try to have the next chapter out within the week so you wont have to wait too long to see what happens. I'm hoping this brought back some action. Please, let me know what you think of the chapter in the reviews and fav and/or follow if you haven't yet.
Have a great day/night!