A/N: I apologize for the spate of short chapters. The next one will be quite meaty, believe me.
Though he had slept through most of the afternoon, Frank could not deny he was full of anticipation regarding the lead Chief Bogo had found. It was a stark contrast to his usual feelings of shame and helplessness. The Mayor may have knocked him off course, but he was getting back on the trail.
Nothing would ever erase what he had done, but he could at least put a band-aid on the wound, and get a bit of revenge.
He was on the train, sitting a long distance between a giraffe and a rhino in a nearly empty car. Maybe in a few days those prey would see Rudy's apprehension on the news, and something about the predator who made it happen.
For now they had no idea who they were sitting next to.
The train stopped, and the sparse collection of passengers began filing out.
Back in the sunlit Savannah Central streets, he began his way in the direction of the city hall. To think he had once believed the city would put them in collars. Dawn Bellwether was no angel, but shock collars being imposed on every predator was an absurd fever dream. His fear and anger had made him gullible. Though unlike a dream, the consequences of his actions had not faded. That was the cruel and inescapable reality he kept running into.
Trotter's Bagels and Donuts had the same sign as last time.
A rabbit with a suitcase passed him by, reminding him of the event that started this all.
His life had been nearly perfect before all this. He had found his niche in the world, a place to excel and prosper. But he had fallen from the deck of a yacht into a furious, dark, tumultuous sea. He did not know how he would feel when he was finally landed.
And there was the majestic town center, a little patch of well groomed nature surrounded by big, vibrant architecture. The fountain water jumped with joy still, even after all the city had been through.
He walked under the legs of a giraffe and entered the mighty glass doors. There was the same female elephant at the front desk. She was having a conversation with someone over her pager, seemingly a serious matter. It ended just as Francisco got within range.
She looked up at him, and mustered a weak smile. Frank began to worry a little. He spoke first.
"Hi, it's me again. Francisco. I'm here to see Chief Bogo."
"Oh...okay," she said, almost sounding hesitant. She pressed the button. "Chief, Francisco is here to see you."
There was a brief, uncomfortable silence.
"Not today, Francine. Tell him to come back...tomorrow. Around the same time."
She released the button.
"Sorry. The chief's a bit flustered."
"Why's that?" he asked, the worry solidifying in his chest.
Fangmeyer, who had arrived by his side with a styrofoam coffee, spoke. "Bronco Bamma escaped an assassination attempt. And two more predators went savage today."
Francisco's soul sank like a rock in a thick black void.
"Can you believe it?" the elephant said to the tiger. "I hear Bellwether's on the phone with the President right now."