CHAPTER 32

11.00 am, Briefing Room, Precinct One

After picking up Heron and bringing him to the precinct, their next destination would be the briefing room, where it had been reserved for them.

In there, two black panthers were already inside, Captain Matthew Lance from Zootopia Special Force and Star, who were having a little chat, but now they silenced and glanced at the three new arrivals. Their looks slowly changed from friendly into neutral as the three walked in and to the available seats.

All of them waited for the meeting to begin in peace and quiet. However, the atmosphere started to be filled with stress and pressure, coming from Nick, Judy, and especially, Star. Too stressful that even the Captain of ZSF began to feel uneasy and awkward. He had to shuffle slightly away as if he did not want to be caught in the middle of this psychological warfare.

But, for the lion who still dressed in orange prison uniform, he just put a smile on his face, not caring whatever they did as if he was enjoying it. At that, the agitation in the room grew more and more, pressuring the Captain to feel more uncomfortable. Luckily, he was saved by the bell when a cape buffalo in blue burst into the room and slammed the door closed.

Chief Bogo, with both looks of weariness and irritation, handed cream-colored folders to his officers, ZSF Captain, and Heron, which contained handouts about the mission, then continued himself to the podium.

"Alright, listen up everyone," Chief Bogo began the meeting. "I'm gonna make it as quick as possible. We already lost two days, and our human is probably in Aandhi by now."

Then, he gestured to Matthew. "First, Captain Matthew Lance is here to tell you about Aandhi and its current situation there. Also, he'll help us from here as an operator and in case you have to infiltrate, your best bet is his guidance. Later that, I'll explain the preliminary plan for rescuing Ryan."

"Finally," he paused and glanced at the lion before continuing, "Mr. Heron here will inform how he's gonna help us to get to the human. So, be brief or be sorry, you four. Shall we begin?"

Star, Judy, Nick, and Heron, who seated respectively from left to right, nodded in affirmative. The Chief then looked Matthew and said, "Captain, please begins."

Matthew gave him a nod in return before standing up and walking to the podium, taking Chief's place. He cleared his throat once and began his part, "Aandhi, officially the Kingdom of Aandhi, is a country in the middle east of the mainland."

The room went dark as the chief turned off the light. A screen behind the Captain lighted up, showing the partial world map, specifying the diamond-shape country in the middle.

"For basic info, it's the seventh-largest country by area and the second-most populous country," he continued, pointing at the screen. Now, it showed a picture of a side-striped jackal in a white turban, white undertunic, highly decorated over tunic, white pants, and golden sash. "Aandhi is a constitutional monarchy, ruled by Sultan Mullet Wamkulu who in all probability is the cause of this kidnapping."

The display changed to the portray of Aandhi map with a highlight on one particular city. "The capital and most populous city are Jariza, the tourism, political and financial center of this country, located in the center of the country, surrounded by desert. It's where the Sultan resides, and where the mission will be operated."

Matthew added, "Aandhi are generally home to canine species, yet diversified by bears, antelope species, and elephants. Aandhians are very friendly and welcoming, but…" The screen showed a photo of Aandhians protesting on the street. "… right now, they are remonstrating with the current Sultan and corrupted politicians. There is a radical resistant group named 'Mukt Aandhiyan Samooh,' a.k.a MAS or 'Group of Free Wind' in English. They use violence as a protest, against officials and citizens who support the government and Sultan. So, the situation in this country is not very stable, and some severe incidents have happened from time to time by that group. So, be careful when you're there. That's all from me."

Matthew went back to his seat as his part was finished, and shortly, Chief Bogo walked back to the podium and began, "So, your AO is within this city, inside this red border." The screen now changed into a satellite imagery of Jariza with a red circle in the middle. "This will include Shannti Hotel, where will be your temporarily operating base, and the Royal Palace of Aandhi, where Ryan is being held captive. They aren't far. However, due to the situation and heavy population density like the Captain said, the process won't be easy for sure."

Then, the screen went dark and the lights in the room were turned on. "To go along with the situation, you four will go undercover, disguise as a field reporter and team, and get news about the situation in Jariza." Chief Bogo continued, "Your new identities and other necessary things will be ready when you come back from packing your things. Except for you, Heron, we already prepared stuff for you."

His part was finished, and the last part of this meeting would be explained by Heron. "For the rescuing plan, Heron, please come forth," said Chief, glancing over at the lion.

The lion nodded and obliged, strolling to the podium and began, "Well, when we arrive there, we'll take a palace tour to make a story for the news. The tour guide will show us the area around and the allowed area in the palace. So, we play lecturing and gathering the information. And, when the guide leads us to the room outside of the Throne Room, there will be an officer of the Royal Household on standby for complaint. I'll send him a message that Sultan won't turn it down and grant an audience later."

"When we appear before him," Heron continued. "I'll request a private meeting with him, then you three will begin your mission-"

"How can you be so sure that Sultan will believe you and grant you permission?" Nick debated.

"I have a way to do it, so don't you worry, okay…" the lion replied, and there was no response further from Nick. "So, let's continue then. During me and Sultan having a private meeting, you guys just do whatever you want to retake your human. Or else, we won't see him again, which is fine be me." He shrugged nonchalantly and gazed mockingly at Nick, Judy, and Star, only to earn a look of irritation from them.

"Is that all you have to say?" asked Chief Bogo.

"Yep, that's all," Heron replied then walked back to his seat.

"Okay… You four will fly to Aandhi tonight, 10 pm, Furgin Airline flight FAL-102, 14 hours non-stop. Question?"

Everyone remained silence, looking him as if they were ready to begin the mission. Chief Bogo was about to dismiss them, but Star rose her paw to stop him. "Panthera?" he sounded, looking at her.

Star stood up and stated her questions, pointing at Heron, "What'll happen to him after we rescue Ryan? Is he gonna be imprisoned again?"

"No…" Chief sighed. "He'll be a free mammal afterward." At that, he caught disappointed looks from her and the duo. Also, he knew his face showed not too different from them, displeased and exasperated as it opposed to what he believed and his principles. However, the game had been started and could not be backed down. They had to play along with the conditions.

"But, if he does anything unlawful again," the Chief added, "he'll go straight behind bars… Any question?"

This time, as no one had any further doubt, the buffalo let out a short snort and announced, "Dismiss."

9.00 pm, Animalia International Airport

After the meeting, Nick and Judy went back to their apartment as to prepare their luggage, and so did Star, she prepared hers at her home. For Heron, he did not need to go anywhere, all the clothes and a new identity for him had been prepared by ZPD. He just changed into casual attire as a disguise and was escorted to the airport afterward. He would be on standby there under the watchful eye of Delgato and Grizzoli, until Nick, Judy, and Star came.

A moment later, the three arrived at the airport, in the departures zone.

Nick and Judy seemed quite different in appearances, surprising the lion and the two officers. Nick was transformed from a red fox into an arctic fox as his fur was dyed white, and his emerald green iris turned amber by colored contacts. For Judy, her fur color was brown, and her eyes were hazel.

Not only their looks had changed, their names too were changed to Randy and Becky respectively. However, Star was still Star in every aspect, except for her eye color, it was ice gray. Since her fur was black, it was hard to dye into others naturally. But, good news for her, she was not as famous as the police duo. In fact, she was not well-known at all. So, changing eye color was enough for her to disguise.

"What took you so long, guys?" Heron complained as he saw them coming towards him. "You should be ready at least 2 hours before the flight."

"Shut up, Heron," Star hissed, looking at him with a threatening look.

"Hey, I'm not Heron," he stated, pointing at himself. "My name is Aaron, a journalist. Got it memorized, Carla?"

"Shut up…" huffed Star, looking away.

"Heh, that's not funny." Then, he glanced at Delgato then Grizzoli before saying, "They arrived, you know. You can go now. Shoo…"

With a puff of annoyance in response from two officers, they did not need to be told twice and willingly moved away from the lion and back to their cruiser. Now, Heron was in the custody of three undercover agents. The tense atmosphere returned, lying between them. Four of them were standing still, staring at each other to see who was going to make the first move.

And, it seemed the lion was out of patient first, picking up his luggage and making a lead. "What are we waiting for, guys? Let's check in."

…J-Judy *huff… puff…* please mercy me… I'm gonna die…

…I can see it from your face, Judy…

…Yes, it was delicious. So, what are we gonna do next?…

…That won't be a problem…

…RUN!…

Unknown Place, Unknown Time

*Zzz… Zzz… Zzz… PLUNK!*

"Oww…" Ryan moaned in pain after he had felt the gravity pulling him down to the irony ground, seeming that he was muffed too.

Where am I? Why is dark in here? he thought, trying to open his eyes, but he cannot. He felt like he was paralyzed, but not. He still could feel and hear. The texture he felt around his wrists and ankles was rough and stiff. So, he just concluded that he was being tied tightly by ropes. His eyes and mouth were tied with pieces of clothes.

I'm tied up, gagged, and blindfolded… Great… Why the misfortune has to happen to me… Damn, I hate my life now… he complained internally.

Let's see what I can do… Then, he tried to shift and move his body. But, Jeez… too tight! Can't move a bit.

Let's analyze the situation then… the vibrating surface, the sound of revving engine, I'm being transported, he summarized in his mind. The temperature is rather hot, and the air is dry. That means, I'm in the desert, and that means… that dog successfully captured me.

Earlier, 4.00 pm, Joann's Diner, Troop Street

"Hello, Mr. Ryan Young. You come on time," greeted a deep masculine voice.

"Oh!" Ryan softly exclaimed, slightly jumping back in fright. He turned his head to the source of the voice, only to see a jackal in a long black coat who was giving him a creepy smile. Looking at the canine closely, he seemed familiar with it somehow, but there would be a time to think about it later.

"Hello…" Ryan greeted back, with a sheepish smile. "You must be the mysterious mammal who wrote the note to me, right?"

"Yes, of course!" he replied, reaching for the front door and opening it. "Let's get inside and have a talk."

"Wait!" Ryan stopped. "There isn't mammal around here. Why don't we talk about it right away?"

"Mr. Young, our matter is needed to be discussed in private and quiet place," the canine insisted, his paw still holding the door open. "Come on in." He beckoned Ryan to follow him, but the human still did not make a move.

"I'll follow you if you answer me how did you know about my ex?" Ryan demanded.

"I'll tell you everything if we go inside the diner-"

"I won't unless you answer me the question," Ryan interrupted as he grew suspicious of the canine's motive. "Isn't that easy? Just answer one question, and there no one here."

"I-I can't tell you here, sir…"

At that, the human let out a dissatisfied sigh and gave him a look of frustration. "Then, I don't have anything to do with you."

"Then, why did you come here in the first place?!" the jackal barked. "Didn't you come here to seek the way back to your world?!"

"No…" Ryan groaned, his face showing more irritation. "I didn't come here to seek the way back. I just came here to find out how did you know."

"Oh…" the jackal lost his countenance and began stammering.

"How did you know her full name?" Ryan continued shooting his questions rapidly. "How did you know what happened to her? What's the method you use to connect with that world? Wormhole? Dimensional door? Or, what?! And, what's the prove?!"

Ryan stopped for seconds, looking at the mammal before him who now stood in shock, unable to let out a single word. Then, as he felt that he was in control, Ryan shouted at him in demanding, "Answer me!"

"I can't!" The canine began to lose his cool.

"Why?!" Ryan shot back immediately, hoping that the truth would slip out from his mouth.

"Those were lies!" And, the canine snapped, unnoticably slipping out as Ryan hoped.

"Huh, I knew it," Ryan smirked, staring at the canine whose face dropped after he realized what he had done. "Then well met, mysterious mammal." He then waved his hand in the air, turned around, and began walking away, saying, "Goodbye…"

Seeing his target walking away from him, the jackal could only bare his teeth in a grimace and clutch his paws in anger. Again, this canine felt defeated, but he was not going to lose this opportunity. Swearing under his breath, he did not any choice left, besides using a peremptory method.

So, he began running towards the human whose back was to him, jumping up and spinning in a full circle. He delivered a powerful kick to Ryan's side, sending him floating into the alley beside the diner. The human fell onto the floor, grabbing his side, letting out a painful moan.

"Damn…" Ryan muttered, standing up yet stumbling to the wall.

Leaning against the wall, he glared at the canine who now stood blocking the way out and remarked, "You know what? For a smaller dog like yourself, you have a powerful kick."

"I didn't wish to use a force for you to come with us," said the canine, pulling out his long coat, revealing himself in a black suit with a small insignia pinning on the left chest. The golden jackal tucked his necktie properly before continuing, "I didn't wish at all… At least, thank to you that you came here alone."

Ryan pushed him off the wall after gaining his balance, still glaring at the jackal. "Well, I can take care of myself…" he said, picking out his baton and extending it with a sharp swing. "So, you aren't a normal mammal then. Who and what are you? A mercenary or what?"

"Special Service of Aandhi, Captain Nabhan Safar," the jackal stated, picking out a machete and pointing it towards Ryan. "And, I'm here to take you by force."

"Hey! That's not fair," Ryan complained with a look of disbelief, pointing his baton at his opponent's weapon. "You have a machete, and where did you keep it?"

"Shut up!" Nabhan barked. "This is your last chance now. Come with me peacefully or I have to make you…" But, his voice cut off as realized that the human ran away into the alley. "Oh, come on!"

Running deeper into the path and taking left, Ryan then stopped as he found the bricked wall blocking his way. It was a blind alley, and there was no way to go further except to run back from where he had come, and that jackal would be waiting for him. He needed to find another way to escape, and there, the back door of the diner next to a dumpster to his right. He could use that to get out of here. However, as he ran and was reaching out his hand to the door, Nabhan caught up with him and swung down his machete at Ryan's hand.

Fortunately, the human pulled his hand back in time before the cutting with a loud swearing, "Oh shit!"

Ryan quickly jumped back from the door, putting up his fist and baton in a fighting stance as he positioned himself away from Nabhan for some distance. "Look like I have on choice then…" he grinned, daring his opponent to start the attack. "C'mere boy."

Without hesitation, the jackal pointed the edge of his machete at Ryan, ran towards him, and swung down his blade again hoping to injure the human. But, his opponent countered back with an upward swing of the extended baton, making a loud ringing of impacting irons. The sound yet to be over, the blade in the jackal's paw was swung back at Ryan again and again in alternate direction, echoing the alleyway with the clinking noises.

Nabhan began to find out that this human was quite skilled as Ryan himself showed a remarkable dexterity in parry and defense to all the incoming slashes. Then, he needed to change his tactic, not only using his blade to fight but to use his free paw to catch his opponent too.

The next slash, Nabhan walloped his machete at the baton, making Ryan unsteady and halted it with his weapon. After that, he reached out his paw, grabbed Ryan's right wrist, and pulled downward backward, causing the human to lose his balance and fall forward onto the ground.

With his chin stamping the floor, Ryan quickly recovered himself, pushing up and facing the jackal again in fighting stance. But this time, his back was to the exit, and it seemed Nabhan did not realize that he gave the way out yet. Now, the human needed to do something to stall this jackal while he ran away. Thinking about what the weak point of canine would be if he was being attacked by one. From his experience dealing with a fierce dog in his old world, there was one sweet spot for it.

A sly smile drew on his face, Ryan began his turn to attack. He ran towards Nabhan, swung his baton at the jackal continuously. Giving him slashes and feints, Ryan kept on striking at his opponent, until Nabhan managed to stop his attack and got their weapons stuck together. "You're good…" Ryan complimented, hoping the jackal to get distracted as they used their strengths to push at each other's weapons. "I feel like I didn't have a good fight for some time."

Due to the mass of the human body which was larger than him, Nabhan needed to use his both paws to push his blade against Ryan's baton. He had to keep his face straight, not showing any sign of disadvantage.

"Flattering won't help you getting away, hu-" At that, the human quickly jabbed his left fist at Nabhan's nose. "GAH!" Nabhan screamed, dropping his machete for his paws to cover his bloody nose.

"Haha, bon voyage, sucker." Ryan quickly turned after seeing his opponent collapsed and squirmed on the floor. But, unexpected thing happened, before he could run out of this alley, he found a giant stag standing in his way with its hoof holding a stun gun. In his thoughts, who this guy was, how this buck was here without him noticing, or he was too careless about his surroundings. And, his train of thought crashed as a smile on its muzzle slowly broadened, in contrary to Ryan whose victorious grin before instantly disappeared.

Well… Shit… was Ryan's final thought while he was taken off guard.

"Hello… *Bzzzt*" Uthman greeted as he contacted his charged device to Ryan's neck and shocked him until he collapsed unconscious.

Seeing his target compromised, Nabhan quickly got up and walked up to his superior. [Sir, why don't you come here faster?] he softly complained, his paws still covering his nose. [He almost escaped.]

[But, he didn't,] Uthman retorted, picking up Ryan over his shoulder, taking out Ryan's phone from his pocket and tossing it to the jackal. [Dump this and get back to the van.]

[Well… at least, we got him…] Nabhan mumbled, spitting out his blood, then he walked to the dumpster and dropped the phone in it.

Back to Present

"Oh, look who's awake," announced a gruff familiar voice.

Damn… that deer… Even though Ryan could not see, he still remembered that voice. So blunt, confident, and harsh that his tone embedded in Ryan's brain. It was no one else but that stag who made him out like a light by that shocking device.

"Did you have a good sleep?" Uthman's voice got louder with a thrice of hoof-falls as if he was walking to Ryan. "I'm sure you did. You have been sleeping for 20 hours straight!"

"WOT!" Ryan exclaimed loudly through the cloth gag and began to writhe on the floor.

"Hey! Stop squirming." Then, Ryan felt his arms being gripped and his body being soared. "You'll hurt yourself, see… Oh, sorry. I forget that you can't see now." And, Uthman let out a satisfied laugh which earned an irritated groan in return from the tied up human.

After Ryan felt that his captor had enough for chortling his satisfactory, his body was set down in sitting on knees position and heard, "There… Good boy… Just sit here and wait. We'll arrive at the palace soon."

Palace?

"Oh! And, we're here!"

Well, that's quick…

"You're gonna appear before his majesty, so be well behaved."

As he heard heavy stomps getting closer from behind, Ryan gulped once, thinking that something was going happen to him. Then, he felt grasp around his arms, realizing that they were not the same as the deer's grip before. This time, they seemed a lot larger that his both upper arms were clasped wholly. Shortly, his body was dragged backward, risen from the ground, and swayed back and forth in the air for minutes like he was being transported to somewhere else.

Later, everything stopped, no stomping sound, no swaying movement as if he came to an end. He was still floating in the air for seconds then heard a twice knock, echoing aloud. Ryan could image that he was in some kind of large hallway now and was about to transport into some room. He started getting agitated as his brain began to process what would happen to him after entering the room and how bad it could be.

Then, a loud low-pitched creak blared like large doors were opening, and Uthman reminded Ryan again, "Here we go. Don't forget, well behaved."

[Your majesty, I deliver you a gift from the faraway land,] the stag proudly announced, which Ryan could not understand. He could only perceive, "Fàa-prá-bàat, kâa-pá-jâo dâai nam kŏng-kwăn maa jàak din-daen an săen glai maa tà-wăai."

[Alim, Alai, please put him down.] And, Ryan felt the gravity pulling him again and fell onto the ground.

Letting out a muffled grunt of pain, he again felt being picked up by the back of his collar and set in sitting position.

[Please accept my humble present, the human!] Uthman continued as he inserted a knife and ripped the blindfolds.

Ryan could open his eyes again, but it was too bright for him to fully open them. He squinted, waiting for seconds to adjust the brightness. He could see a male side-striped jackal in some kind of Arabian royal costume running towards him with glee. Ryan could assume that he was some kind of royalty.

"Mr. Ryan Young!" Sultan exclaimed happily. "I'm so glad to see you! And, welcome to my country… the Kingdom of…"

'Aandhi'

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