Chapter 29:
.
Shooting out onto the balcony, past the columns holding up the massive palm fronds that adorned the top of the tower, past the large swimming pool and the sun loungers, Nick and Judy grabbed the railings and vaulted over, leaping off into the void. Having studied the building before, they knew that they were above the roof of the rotating restaurant, although they never thought they would use that information. Nick landed onto the green plastic roof first, bouncing off of it on his first landing before he started to tumble down towards the edge. The slippery plastic had nothing to find purchase on, made even worse by the fact that it was slowly spinning, the centrifugal force combining with gravity as it tried to pull him off to his death. Nick, however, had an ace up his sleeve as he extended his claws, letting them dig in and hold him still, just a few meters from the edge. There was a panicked wail, and Nick quickly undug one paw and used it to catch Judy, holding her still as they carried on around.
"Well this is an interesting turn in events," Nick quipped, as he looked down and smiled, relieved that Judy still had the case.
"Not the time, Slick," she wheezed out between her deep breaths, before she gulped and spoke out more confidently, "I've also got the recording and the briefcase… not that she spilled anything…"
"I know!" Nick complained, "I thought all villains monologued! I mean how else are the good guys supposed to win or know what the evil plan is?"
"We're not in an action film Nick…"
"We're three hundred meters up on the roof of a revolving restaurant with evidence of a political conspiracy in our paws…" Nick said, a cocky grin on his face before he gestured down to the cable car just below them, departing from the docking station and slowly making its way down. "Now let's hijack that cable car and get out of here!"
Before she could react, Nick retracted his claws and both he and Judy slid down, flying into the air screaming before landing hard on the cables. Clinging desperately to both Judy and the wires as he rolled upside down, swinging precariously beneath them; Nick loosened his grip and let himself slide down the grease lines towards the car, picking up speed and finally letting go when they were above it. The two mammals fell for the final time, landing hard on the exposed section of deck at the back of the empty cabin with a thud. Turning to Judy, Nick helped her up and looked on concerned, ready to ask her how she was until she gave him a firm thumb up, along with a proud grin plastered on her face, congratulating the pair for their daring escape. Finally out of mortal peril, Nick let himself relax a bit (which was so much nicer now that he wasn't forced to do it in order to avoid a shock), before peering over the edge and at the district below.
Music, pouring out of hundreds of nightclubs and music performances, was rising up to meet them as they descended serenely towards the buzzing township. All the resident mammals who'd spent the mid-day sun sleeping or relaxing were coming out in droves for both work and partying, with the famous Saharan nightlife in full swing. All lit up, like thousands of multi-coloured jewels scattered against a black velvet cloth, the town would be full of seething crowds into which they could disappear. Then they would find the car, drive over to Honey's and unpack the evidence. Simples…
"Uh, Nick?"
"Yes Carrots", Nick warmly said, his head rising up to look at her, before spotting her concerned gaze staring back up at the Palm hotel. Looking up, Nick gulped as he saw the three Razorbacks rapidly descending the wires, grinding down beneath a bunch of metal coat hangers as if they were on a zip line, a stream of bright sparks and a screaming grinding sound following them. His face dropped, eyes staring out in disbelief as he nervously chuckled, turning back to Judy.
"Here I was thinking things would be easy…"
"Well whose fault is that!" Judy replied, as she grabbed his hand and raced towards the front of the cabin, hauling a helpless Nick with her.
.
Rapidly approaching the cable car, all three Razorback members let go of their hangers and landed hard on the back deck in formation, their weapons immediately drawn and trained in front of them. Glancing left and right, scanning and sniffing intently as they advanced into the cabin proper, they slowly made their way down the corridor until they halted, weapons pointed in unison at the Fox standing in front of them.
"You just ruined a very nice evening for me, and someone I quite like," Wurst almost growled, the furious Boar taking the lead while the two other members stood behind him, ready and waiting.
"I apologise," Nick nonchalantly shrugged, "Mr Woolly did not deserve to be dragged into this."
"Shut your trap, Fox!"
"I thought we had this conversation before, my name's Nick Wi…"
"ENOUGH!" the enraged Boar screamed, as he put down his tranquiliser gun and brought out a small box with a red button in it. "You know what this is?" he said in his most intimidating, menacing, cruel and smug voice.
"It's a box with a big red button on it!" Nick exclaimed, acting genuinely excited before his wide mouth began shaking as he chuckled. Leaning back onto the rail, Nick maintained his wide smile as he casually opened his paw out, as if he was making a business offer. "I've always wanted one of those."
Wurst huffed slightly, before glancing back at his two partners and smiling. "This is going to be fun!" He slammed down the button, his mouth opened in a wide, toothy, maniacal grin, which immediately fell into a look a sheer perplexion when nothing happened. "Wha…" he muttered, rapidly pressing the button several times, each futile attempt at trying to summon the debilitating shock failing one after the other.
Smiling, Nick brought his paw up to his collar and clicked the mood light several times, the device quickly unlocking and coming off. "Remember this thing?" he cockily asked, as he refastened the device around his neck.
While his two underlings looked on in shock, their leader, the battle scared grey boar, snorted before screaming out. "Tranquilisers!" In less than a second, all three members of the elite squad had tranquiliser guns out and aimed at Nick, ready to knock him out.
"I shall strike down on you," he growled, "with great…."
There was a sudden POP! Frank Hunter look on with wide, startled eyes, before he collapsed backwards onto the floor, a tranquiliser dart stuck in the side of his chest. Pulling their weapons off Nick, the two remaining members of the team swung them around to where the shot seemed to have come from, before Judy leapt out from beneath the seats and lunged straight for them.
Shooting towards one, Judy felt two darts skim past her, before her feet collided hard against the snout of the teams 'quiet man'. Peter Roni wasn't quiet this time, screaming in pain as he was thrown back into the seats, before roaring in anger as he lunged forwards, his fists smashing at Judy in a furious attempt to knock the rabbit out. She dodged them all, rolling and kicking away so that they always glanced just past her and dented the floor or walls, rather than being the knock outs that they could be had she been less than a second slower. His pace and persistence were remorseless, the Razorback racing around in pursuit as Judy began scurrying beneath the seats, which were suddenly being torn clean off their mountings and thrown away, reducing her cover more and more with every second. Panic began flashing across Judy's mind, she'd actually attacked the Razorbacks! The greatest TUSK squad in the history of Zootopia! Sure, the first strike had been easy, but that had been in an ambush. How could Judy hope to win in a one on one! Concern, genuine concern laced with fear, began coursing through Judy's mind, and her rapidly twitching nose and wide eyes showed it all. How could she win in hand to hand combat against this opponent? And then it hit her, she wouldn't. Glancing to her left, Judy saw what she was looking for and began making her way over, edging ever closer while continually shifting her body to avoid the flurry of punches and kicks heading her way. First crawling on her back, then squatting, then crawling face down, Judy grabbed the small item she'd been seeking and turned to face her opponent, before kicking hard with her legs and leaping forwards; flying through her assailant's legs while stabbing one with the stray tranquiliser dart in her paw before landing in a roll. Her balance completely lost, Judy tumbled along before stopping, instinctively tensing up. Bracing, her arms crossed to protect her face, she paused before looking over at her adversary. Kneeling down, limbs trembling, he'd pulled the dart out and held it in his hand, staring at it almost quizzically as he tried to register what had happened. But then it slipped through his trotters, dropping to the floor and tumbling away, before he lost his battle with the drugs coursing through his veins and collapsed onto the ground. Judy had won.
"Well done, Officer Hopps!" came a smug shout from behind. Judy turned to face it but recoiled in horror, as she saw Brad Wurst holding Nick firmly in a chokehold. The Fox's arms were pinned painfully behind his back, his neck constricted by a thick arm, his legs desperately trying to do something but merely kicking and scratching the floor pointlessly. His breaths were reduced to pained wheezes as his captor grinned with his victory, and began to boastfully speak to his remaining opponent. "I can't lie… I am impressed, I truly am. Heck, in better circumstances I'd recommend you to join our squad! You've certainly proved yourself, you would make a fine addition… shame that you're helping an escaped convict though. Double shame you're mad. Here you are, first Bunny Officer, and you've betrayed everything your badge ever stood for…"
Judy looked on, breathing deeply as she maintained her firm, unflinching gaze before she spat and on the ground and spoke up, her voice proud and unwaveringly confident. "No… You may be a good person working for the bad. You may be rotten to the core. But if I don't help Nick… that's when I betray what my badge stands for." Judy gave a quick smile and took a step back, before turning and racing off into the back of the cabin, vanishing as she went out onto the deck.
Still holding his arm tightly around Nick, Brad's eyes widened slightly with confusion, before he looked down at his captive and smugly joked. "I thought the betraying stuff was your species' thing…?"
Before he could get a (non-verbal) response a sudden bang rang out, the entire cabin shaking slightly. His brows furrowing, Brad looked up in confusion, before a second bang rang out and the entire cabin surged forward. Thrown forward, the last remaining Razorback landed hard on his captive, his grip momentarily releasing as he tried to regain his balance and composure. But, free from the choking hold, Nick flipped onto his back and kicked up with his arms and legs, raising the Boar above the level of the front decks railings just as the entire car came crashing to a halt in the bottom station. Before he had time to register what was going on, Brad's momentum sent him flying forward, off Nick's feet and skimming over the railing. He smashed feet first into the back wall of the lower station, before crumpling into a bent, moaning heap on the floor.
"You OK Slick?" Judy cried, peering over the roof of the cabin before hopping down and helping him up.
"I'm good," Nick replied, leaning over to grab the briefcase before racing to the door, Judy in tow. Turning back as she left, she looked at the two sleeping officers in the cabin and smiled.
"They look so peaceful," she slyly observed, "If I had time I'd give those pigs some blankets."
As Judy jogged out past him, Nick rolled his eyes at the poor joke before sighing. "You really ham-fisted that one in," he cried, before racing after her.
.
.
.
Running from the sky car station and into the district, the two mammals ducked into a side alley as a squad of police cars raced past, their sirens blaring intently. Carefully peeking out, Judy could already see that the ZPD was out in force, hunting and scanning for the two wanted mammals in every nook and cranny. It would only be a matter of time until they were found out.
"Any ideas on how to get through to the car?" Judy whispered, turning to Nick for some help.
"I've got a better idea," Nick quietly replied, before he turned and began sprinting off, Judy in tow. Turning right, Nick led her into a litter strewn alley before jumping onto a chain link fence that separated pedestrians from a railway line, slowly clambering over with Judy not far behind. As they both reached the top, Judy's ears pricked and she shot out a hand to grab Nick, before gesturing to their right. Sure enough, a massive locomotive, the head of a huge freight train, was rapidly approaching. Looking at each other and nodding, the two slipped off and landed on the gravel ballast, just as the train began to rumble past menacingly. They turned and ran, their muscles burning in order to get them up to speed as car after car overtook them, the trains rear end getting dangerously close with every second that passed. Glancing behind her, Judy dropped behind Nick before leaping onto an open box car with the briefcase, deftly whipped from his paws mid leap. Placing it down before firmly grasping a nearby iron handle, she held out a paw for Nick who latched on and hauled himself in. Tumbling into her, the two rolled across the floor deep in breath, exhausted from their recent experience. But then, as relief at their success as well as their genuine victory against the razorbacks began to surface, their tired pants transformed into chuckles and then cheering, as they whooped and patted each other on the back in celebration.
"What now?" Judy eagerly asked, gentling nudging Nick in the side as she grabbed the briefcase and stood up, peering at the city flying by outside.
Taking a break from his celebrations, Nick paused to think for a bit, his mouth tuckering up into one corner, before he decided on his answer. "If I remember correctly this train shoots straight through Downtown and out through the rainforest district. We just find a place to get off, pop into Honey's and break that thing open."
"What do you think's in there?" Judy curiously asked, while she watched the river separating Sahara square from Savannah central roll past, before the buildings of downtown began shooting by, towering overhead like the cliffs of a great canyon.
"Hopefully something the Wolf will really miss," Nick shrugged, before his eyes slowly began to widen as his nose sniffed the air, and a familiar and menacing voice pierced the air.
"Something I won't miss for long, Laddy!"
Both Nick and Judy turned to each other, panic flooding through their minds, as they began to look around, desperately trying to find the voices owner. Judy hadn't heard him with this accent before, but Nick's mind shot straight back to the night at Wild Times, when Lupus savage had taunted him before ruining his life.
"Lupus you coward!" Nick screamed, grabbing the case and holding it tight against him. "I know your plan!"
"I would quite like to hear it," the tangy Scottish voice taunted, as it filled the room again.
"Turn innocent Preds savage," Judy began, shouting out as she and Nick circled each other in the centre of the car, their backs against each other's as they desperately tried to prevent the Wolf from catching them unawares. "Make the government order a new batch of ultra-strength collars! Get rich from your investments…"
"Oh…" he crooned, mockingly. "So near… yet so far…"
"You're betraying the future of all Preds in this city, even yourself, for money!" Nick screamed out. "You know what these things do… why are you doing this? Does… does the mayor have your family hostage or something. We can help, we can…."
Nick faded off as he heard the Wolf laugh, a deep rolling laugh that filled the entire cabin as its owner bellowed it out. Nick could almost imagine him now, muzzle wide open and back hunched over, slamming his foot down on the roof…. Nick's eyes shot open with the realization and, looking up, he heard the pounding of feet on the cabins roof and saw errant streaks of dust falling down from the supporting beams and to the floor. Sniffing to confirm it, Nick realised that that was where Savage was. His mind suddenly thinking in overdrive, Nick looked down and grabbed Judy's shoulder, shaking it for attention and pointing to the roof. As she nodded with understanding, he knelt down and turned towards an iron grill inset into the cars back. Yanking it off, the sound muffled by the rattling of the trains wheels and the Wolf's omnipresent laughs, the two crawled through. Popping out the other side with the suitcase hanging from his jaw, Nick suddenly paused for thought, looking on as the railway sleepers shot by beneath him at a terrifying pace. Feeling Judy give him a tough nudge from behind, he nervously gulped and pushed through his rising fear, grabbing the side of a service ladder nearby and tentatively lowering his foot in order to rest it onto one of the cars buffer. Following suit, Judy swung herself out while Nick leant over to grab the car in front, only for his eyes to open wide with horror as Judy began to climb the ladder on the car they had just exited rather than follow him.
Keeping her ears down, Judy carefully peeked over the box cars wall, her eyes settling on the silhouette of their enemy. Still chuckling, though Judy couldn't understand what he found so funny, he was circling around the roof, a gun idly twirling in his hand and the wind whipping at his fur and tail while his trench coat billowed about. Frowning as she thought, Judy knew that he was waiting for them to make the first move. He didn't know how to get them, so he was taunting them, trying to goad them out where he could finish them off. It didn't require much thought to realize what that gun fired, and how much trouble they would be in if Nick got hit. Her nose twitching intently, Judy kept on looking with her brooding, half lidded eyes, until they snapped open in shock as she felt her tail being pulled back. Diving back down and turning to face Nick, giving him the best death glare she could muster, she watched him back off with a slight tinge of fear before gesturing down at the coupling that connected the two cars together. Judy glanced down and gave Nick the thumbs up in understanding, before he balanced the case beside him and they leapt to work.
Grabbing the turnscrew in the centre of the linking chain, the two mammals began to heave as they spun the lever around and around, loosening the link and adding slack to the chain, the slowly forming void between the buffers the tell-tale sign of their success. The gap was widening, the chain ever more slack as Nick and Judy worked at the heavy metal component, which had been designed for handling via Rhino's and Hippo's rather than mammals of their size. The grease it was coated in soaked into their fur and slicked up their paw pads, their hands beginning to slip as they unscrewed the coupling to its furthest extent. Looking at each other and nodding, Judy jumped onto the leading cart and reached down to grasp the heavy metal chain, ready to haul it off and leave Mr Savage adrift.
"3,2,1," Nick muttered, before they both pulled back with all their force, their mouths groaning and their muscles burning as they pulled up at the chain, only for it to stay put as the drag of the cars behind kept it tight. Their hands slipping off at the same time, Nick and Judy slammed into the back of the leading cart with a thud, propelled by their aching leg muscles. Huffing from exhaustion, Nick couldn't give a chuckle as he turned to Judy and smiled. "I didn't think this through, did I?"
"No you didn't!" cried a familiar voice from above, and Nick and Judy recoiled in terror as they saw the Wolf standing above them, silhouetted against the night sky and passing trees while his gun was pointed menacingly down at them. Grinning widely, he used the chance to give one last final boast to his victims, before dispatching them. "I've enjoyed this, I really have. But now, I'm sad to say, you two thorns in my side are doomed."
A finger slowly rose up to cock the gun with a loud metallic click, before the smug grin on Savage's mouth faded and his eyes shot open, immediately followed by Judy's feet slamming into his chest, the gun sent flying off into the midst of the rainforest district behind them. Grabbing him by his tame collar, the two mammals flew backwards and tumbled along the roof of the cabin till they skidded to a stop. Pulling his head up, Judy slammed it down hard onto the metal surface, creating an almighty clang and dazing him as the furious Bunny made her next move. Raising her clenched fist up, Judy slammed it into the Wolfs muzzle, her skin stinging as it hit the tough jaw, before she pulled it back and hit again and again, each time fighting through the screaming pain as she worked away. Finally, jumping up and bringing her fist down with all her energy, she gave one final coup de grace, a sickening crack ringing out from his jaw as Judy screamed. Standing up, her face clenched as she shook out her bruised hand and its contorted fingers, trying to wring the agony from it, her gaze looked down again and settled on the Wolf's eyes, which focussed in on her.
"Trying to hurt me, are you?" he jovially asked, smiling as he shrugged before continuing on, "that's cute…" Before she could react, Judy felt Lupus' arm slam into her chest, sending her flying back and tumbling across the roof screaming. Splaying her arms out to stop herself going over the edge, she stood up, trembling from exhaustion as she did so and readying herself into a fighting position, her raised fists in front of her as she prepared to battle once more with the menacing figure looming above her.
"You are a wee little minx, aren't we?" he said as condescendingly as he could. "Too bad it ends here, I'm afraid. I'm one who plays dirty…"
"And so am I," Judy growled back, before lifting her head high and howling at the top of her lungs. "AWOOOOOO!"
Her face unwinding from the strain of her cry, she turned to face the Wolf again before pulling back in shock, her eyes widening with confusion as she saw him chuckle in front of her, completely unfazed by the instinctual call. "Trying to start a howl, I see," he chuckled, "how very cute."
"Never call a Bunny Cute!" came a shout from behind, Lupus turning just in time to see Nick's feet smash into his face, the Fox clinging onto a hanging vine with the briefcase under his elbow. As he was sent tumbling head over heels, Judy leapt up and grabbed hold of Nick, before watching Savage land with a thud in a trailing coal wagon as it, and the rest of the train, raced off into the distant depths of the rainforest district and the great beyond. The two friends looked at each other with giant smiles on their faces as they swung back and forth, before winking at each other and sliding down the vine to the ground.
