Leo was in a sedan, having just finished his visit to Cliffside Asylum that night to check on the savage bear. Although the news pegged the bear as a police, the wolf squad didn't find any identification on her. Leo was restless; A second police officer going savage wouldn't be a mere bad news.
But the fact that Dr. Madge had told him to cut short his visit to the asylum was no less worrisome.
Leo was told that while capturing the latest mammal to go savage, the wolves caught the cops' attention, and in the midst of updating the asylum that they would have to lose the cops first, the communication was cut off. At this, Dr. Madge deduced that the cops had successfully captured the wolves, and in worst case scenario the ZPD might have picked up the information on the asylum, thus she had urged Leo to flee before the cops came knocking.
But he hadn't even reached Tujunga-Bromeliad highway when he noticed siren lights in the distance, as well as some moving lights in the sky, maybe helicopters.
"Sir, please brace."
Leo realized there was an open field to their right and was horrified upon guessing what his driver, a white wolf, meant.
"Wait, no-"
And the sedan began racing on the field before Leo could fully voice his objection.
"Gary, what are you doing?" Leo chided the wolf.
"Protecting you, sir," Gary, the white wolf replied deadpan.
"What? No!" Leo objected, "I see choppers! You can't hide from them in this open field!"
Gary merely reached for his gun, and Leo choked up, fearing what's going to happen.
"If they catch us, sir," Gary replied calmly as helicopter lights started tracking them, "please say nothing."
Leo only uttered a "Why-" before Gary cut him off, "Part of the job, sir."
That statement and the way the wolf eyed the gun filled Leo with dread.
As the spotlight fell on them, Gary threw one last wistful look to Cliffside Asylum. Soon, a few police vans started chasing the sedan, and with nowhere to hide, Gary and Leo were promptly surrounded.
"This is ZPD, come out and disarm now!"
Leo sighed. He was hoping Gary would have just driven straight onto the police convoy when he first saw the siren lights. That way, he could try talking his way out in case the cops find their presence suspicious. Now, Gary would try to fight off the ZPD with just one gun, and once he's handily trounced, the cops would arrest him, at the same time busting the asylum.
Right as Leo reached for the door handle in resignation, Gary leapt to the backseat, opened the door himself, then shoved Leo outside into the spotlight with the gun aimed at the lion's head.
"No offense, fuzz," Gary began shouting to the cops, "You don't let me leave this place, he's a goner."
Leo stayed quiet. Whether it was because of Gary's request for him to shut up or that the wolf was pointing a weapon right at him, he didn't know.
"Deputy Mayor?"
It was clear the cops could tell who Leo was. After some time, a grey wolf officer gave signal to some of the other officers. Some of the officers, with bewildered look, followed the grey wolf's order to make an escape path for the white wolf.
Gary surveyed his surrounding, at the same time opening the front passenger seat with intention to pull Leo in after he got in to the sedan to get away. He accidentally smacked Leo a bit too hard with the door, causing the lion to tumble forward.
"Sorry."
Gary caught Leo by the arms, and the next thing he knew after he whispered his apology, something sank into his neck. He pulled whatever it was groggily, and before he could pinpoint who shot the tranquilizer dart, another one hit his neck, and he gave way to unconsciousness.
The officers then swarmed Leo, with a few hauling Gary into their cruiser. The grey wolf officer with a tranquilizer gun in hand approached Leo.
"Are you all right, sir?" asked the wolf, his name tag read 'Wolford'.
"Um... yes... yes...," Leo spoke in a hushed tone, unsure what to feel about the entire ordeal.
"Drive him back," Wolford promptly ordered a few officers to take Leo away before calling HQ, "Higgins, we have deputy mayor Lionheart here, probably kidnapped by the same wolves from the asylum."
Throughout the journey back to the city, Leo sorted out what just happened. Kidnapped? Him? Well, it did appear that the cops had yet to know that those wolves were under his command. The main question he had right now was thus the reason why Gary did that.
Thomas was standing by at the reception desk with Ben. Considering what Wilde reported just earlier, he wanted to have a direct involvement with the squad tonight.
He happened to pass by Ben when he heard the buffalo saying about sending backup. After Ben called Snarlov, Krumpanski and Andersen to go to Southern Elm Port, Thomas decided to stay with Ben to follow what happened. And then Wilde mentioned about black van and wolves.
Thomas' mind was promptly drowned in the memory of Frank's disappearance.
The hippo wasted no time in calling almost the entire ZPD squad at the western half of the city to stop the wolves. After they did so in longer time than he expected (who were those wolves?), Rhinowitz called in saying that in one wolf's phone he seized, there's a number- or as the rhino said verbatim, only one number- which he thought belonged to a public facility. And Thomas then discovered that number belonged to Cliffside Asylum.
"You there, Higgins?" Rhinowitz radioed in.
"What's up, Rhinowitz?"
"There are seven- no, eight officers heading back to HQ."
That's a lot, isn't?
"Delgato, Fangmeyer, Grizzoli and Andersen will send in the wolf perps."
"Copy that."
"Krumpanski, Snarlov and Howliwell are bringing in Jackson."
Huh?
"If Jackson is injured, shouldn't he be hospi-" Thomas stopped short upon realizing something, "Hold on, aren't you sending too many to escort Jackson to safety?"
"I don't know why, but Jackson just went crazy, biting and clawing like a madmammal."
Thomas flinched. Jackson too?
"Understood. Be safe on your raid."
"Ok."
Thomas could only wait in suspense. He then looked at Ben, and remembered that the buffalo would have heard all those.
"Um, did I hear that right?" Ben's words thick with disbelief.
"...I think so."
"But- but," Ben tried to find words, but gave up, "I see."
"I'll check on him once they're here," was all Thomas could muster.
The officers hauling in the wolves eventually arrived, and there wasn't anything out of the ordinary with the imprisoning. Regardless, Thomas felt uneasy about the wolves' garbs, which made him think they were some kind of mercenary or secret service squad. Fangmeyer handed over the phone Rhinowitz managed to snatch from the wolves to Thomas for safekeeping before they headed to the holding cells at the east wing.
"This is Higgins to Rhinowitz," Thomas tried contacting Rhinowitz.
"Yes?"
"The wolf perps are secured. Should the four join you?"
"No need. There's enough of us, and besides, they will be too late."
"Right," Higgins sighed.
"Are the rest there?" Rhinowitz inquired.
Before Thomas answered, he heard a commotion at the front door. Krumpanski entered first, his arms showing a few bite wounds, and he was dragging something- no, carrying something with Snarlov. That something being a barely conscious Jackson, tied and muzzled.
"Just," Thomas almost yelped, before remembering Rhinowitz, "They just arrived."
"Same here. Sorry to say this, but careful about Jackson."
Thomas nodded, merely guessing that Rhinowitz probably saw him do that.
"Had to tranquilize him," Krumpanski spoke regretfully, "I don't know what happened, only that I heard this wasn't the first time."
Frank and Bjornsdotter. Thomas heaved a heavy sigh.
"Put him at the west wing."
Usually the cells at the east wing were utilized first to hold in perps before they filled in the ones at west, but Jackson was definitely not a perp. He was a wild animal, and it would be better to contain him at a more secluded place. Krumpanski, Snarlow and the just-entering Howliwell nodded at Higgins' command. They hadn't moved far when Jackson started thrashing again, forcing Krumpanski and Snarlov to subdue him. After they were all out of sight, Ben threw a question.
"What... happened to Jackson?"
Thomas put his hoof on Ben's shoulder before answering, "I wish I knew."
The intercom beeped. Thomas wondered if that was Rhinowitz.
"This is Wolford to dispatch."
"Copy, Wolford, what's the matter?"
"Higgins, we have deputy mayor Lionheart here, probably kidnapped by the same wolves from the asylum."
"Wait, Lionheart?"
"Yes. We've neutralized the wolf who got him. He should be on his way back now."
"... Is he okay? As in, is he... uh, okay?"
"Lionheart? Yes, he's fine. A bit shocked, but lucid if that's what you mean to ask."
That doesn't make sense, Thomas thought. Based on previous cases, the wolves seemed to target mammals who had gone berserk. So if Lionheart wasn't acting crazy, why was he taken? Thomas wondered if Lionheart really was a kidnap victim like the others.
"This is Wilde to dispatch."
Thomas raised an eyebrow at that interruption before answering, "Yes, Wilde?"
"Oh, Higgins," the fox seemed tense, "Just wanna report. Rhinowitz told me to get Johnson home. I'm... calling it a night as well."
"Ok, good work, Wilde. Get your rest tonight, we'll manage the rest."
Wilde's report reminded Thomas to Johnson, and he decided to call the lion.
"Johnson?"
"... Higgins?"
"I'm just calling to say that... I give you permission to take a few days off for as long as you see fit to recover."
A silence.
"I'm sorry that it happened again. I'll do my best to find out how to fix it. Take your rest."
"... Thanks."
The lion was absolutely shaken, that much was certain. And who could blame him? The cougar at Bismarck's, Frank himself, now Jackson.
Back to Lionheart. Thomas pondered if he should check the lion, or even any place that lion might have been. For what Wolford said about Lionheart being lucid, he might have lashed out violently somehow at who knows and attracted the wolves' attention. The media would have had a field day if they heard the deputy mayor going crazy.
"Delgato, you done with the locking?" Thomas called Delgato.
"Aye, Higgins."
"I want you and Fangmeyer to head to City Hall now," and Thomas could clearly hear both cats let out a "Huh?", "Deputy Mayor Lionheart was kidnapped by those wolves at the asylum and I would like you to conduct a preliminary check to find clue when and how he got kidnapped. At least we need to find out what's going on with him."
Thomas appreciated the felines' quick response when they reached the lobby in about a minute, and they traded salutes before the two went out.
The quiet minutes spent waiting for news from Rhinowitz made Thomas restless, especially when his mind was clogged with guesses about whatever were going on. He made a quick consideration about sending more squad to Cliffside Asylum, but with the asylum being so far away, not to mention whoever were locked at HQ, he shot down the idea. Too little, too late, like what Rhinowitz mentioned. He spared a glance at Ben, who was no less fidgety.
Then there was a beep.
"Higgins, Rhinowitz here."
"Status report?"
"We managed to nab five wolves, but based on their tracks at least one escaped. There's also one badger medical staff who seemed to be affiliated with the wolves. She's also been secured," then a pause which made Thomas uneasy, "These wolves are unbelievable."
"What about it?"
"I'm currently in the data room. Would you believe that they had tried to destroy all records?"
Thomas tried guessing what Rhinowitz wanted to say as he bade the rhino to continue.
"They shredded all the paper documents and wiped out security cam footage. Some of the computer consoles are fine, but so far I don't see any intact data disks. And the few phones we find inside have been smashed or wiped, so I can't say I can trace their call history," Rhinowitz sighed, a sound between irritation and wonder, "As far as secret operatives go, these guys are astounding."
Unbelievable indeed. Thomas had never heard any criminal being so meticulous in covering their tracks. Not even the Koslovs or the Bismarcks. Or perhaps these wolves were affiliated with them somehow, being the most elite operatives of either?
"Though, strangely," Rhinowitz sounded like he had found something, "I found a note here..."
"Oh, ok, great," Thomas felt a slight relief that gave way to curiosity, "What's strange about it?"
"They pasted it right at the middle of a table. In other words, as though they wanted us to notice."
"I see. What does it say?"
"There are only numbers here."
Thomas furrowed.
"The longest number seems to be a phone number, and the rest might be either coded message or passcodes for something."
"Mind giving me those numbers?"
"Ok," and after a while Thomas received a photo from Rhinowitz. True to what the rhino said, there was a long string of numbers, followed by a list of shorter numbers.
"I got your note."
"Great. So, anyway, we're still scouring the asylum. I'll update you again."
"Good work."
While waiting for Rhinowitz, Thomas decided to test if the long number really was a phone number.
"Hello," came a familiar voice after a long wait, surprising Thomas.
"Wait, McHorn- How did you-"
"Oh, Higgins," McHorn explained, "This phone belongs to the badger doctor we captured."
Strange indeed. Why would the badger or the wolves deliberately put her number for the cops to see?
"Erm, is she still around?"
"Ah, no. She's on the way to HQ now."
"I see. Thanks."
Thomas then made note to interrogate the badger first and foremost. Did she hire the wolves? What was her role? Why did she leave evidence so deliberately like that? And what business did she have with Lionheart?
"Higgins?" Rhinowitz called back.
"I heard you, Rhinowitz."
"We're at some medical examination room here... Though, you know what, there seems to be cells in here too."
"Go on."
"You... probably should have been here... to see it yourself."
"Just tell me for now," Thomas understood that what Rhinowitz saw must be so shocking for the rhino to speak with pauses like that.
"There are mammals locked up here, all violent, crazy... like Jackson... some worse."
Thomas waited as he could hear Rhinowitz slowly counting, stopping at twelve for a while.
"Higgins..."
This is the first time tonight that Thomas could hear shivers in Rhinowitz's voice.
"I see Bjornsdotter here... and Chief."