Chapter 22: Snow Angels
Karen is questioned by the police even while Storm is rescued. Don't mess with the Snow Angels!
The police station's interrogation room was mostly barren, just a table bolted to the floor and two chairs also similarly attached, along one wall was a mirror and Karen looked around in panic. "I need to talk to Stone!" she hissed out in despair at the female bobcat in the blue police uniform who was seemingly doing paperwork as she sat on the other side of the table.
"You've already tried to call him," the larger cat said with a patient sigh. "For whatever reason, his phone goes right into his voice mail, which is now full."
"He might be in danger!" Karen wailed out. "He needs to know that someone is after him!"
"We tried contacting him and even tracing his signal, but either his phone has been turned off or the signal is being blocked. When we spoke to your friend the hopper, ahh…" the bobcat hesitated as she was shuffling through the papers.
"His name is Cooper," Karen sighed out in frustration. "He's a wallaby and his name is Cooper."
"Right Cooper, anyways, he said that Stone Kole went with a seven-year-old arctic fox named Anton in an ambulance to a private clinic in Tundratown, but we have no record of such an ambulance being registered. Just why is your boyfriend interested in young foxes?"
Karen's jaw dropped open in surprise. "He is Anton's surf buddy, his mentor and no he is not interested in Anton in the manner you are insinuating!" she growled in anger.
"Well you boyfriend is most unconventional in his other relationships," the bobcat said in an airy manner. "You are not exactly a fox and then he did live with a gay wallaby, this Cooper, so I was just wondering…"
"Stone Kole is not a pervert!" Karen growled as she stood on the table and faced down the larger cat. "He is the most caring fox I have ever met!"
"He's still is a fox," the larger cat replied as if she was unimpressed by the angry smaller cat in front of her. "Also he is now rather rich since he found that pirate treasure during your little trip to Saint Sylvester's. You should know that the police records on that trip are rather incomplete after you two were shot at on Rip Rock's boat and not to mention there is his earlier physical assault of a reporter over in Seaside. I guess you do know about that since you were there? Hey, does Stone Kole have anger issues? I mean has he beaten you or anything, maybe he likes to bite you some? It just seems like you have been out of town for a rather long time for a girl who is going to get married, you weren't trying to avoid him were you?"
"I was working!" Karen hissed back in anger.
"So the guy who attacked you was with the mob," the larger cat continued still unfazed by Karen's anger. "Why would the mob be after your boyfriend?"
"I don't know! His brother Storm was a criminal and just got of jail."
"Right, Storm Kole! You wouldn't happen to know where he is at right now? Surely he has been talking to your boyfriend or at least his mother?"
"Stone is my fiancé and not my boyfriend. As for his brother, I have never met him and I have no idea where he is since he was released from prison. I would think that his mother would be at her apartment or work. Look, are we finished here?"
"No, why don't you just tell me what you know about Nick Wilde, Judy Hopps, and Stone's father?"
"Nick and Judy are friends, they are good cops and that is all I know!" Karen snapped back. "Finnick is a business entrepreneur and my future father-in-law…"
"Entrepreneur?" the bigger cat scoffed. "He is a fox and a street hustler! Why don't you tell me about some of his so-called business ventures?"
"Do I need to call a lawyer?" Karen growled out in frustration.
"No, we're just talking. You're just here for your own protection, that's all."
"I watch cop shows and you're grilling me, trying to trick me to say something which you can use to go after someone I love! So unless you are going to charge me, I am leaving!"
Karen stood up and turned to walk towards the door, but before she could reach the handle, it opened and an imposing figure in a dark blue police uniform stood there. Her eyes opened in surprise as she stared up at the large muscular bull, there were four brass stars on each of his uniform shirt's collars, and he stared down at her with a frown on his snout.
"You are not yet going home!" Chief Bogo commanded. "You are staying here at the station until the results of the autopsy come back, so get comfortable."
Karen's shoulders slumped, as tears ran down her cheeks. "I want to find Stone," she sniffled. "I'm worried about him and I need to know if he is safe."
"We all are worried about him," the large bull softly said. "Now you can wait in the lobby, your father is here and so is your friend Cooper." Chief Bogo looked over at the bobcat and quickly added. "Along with your friend's brother, who he says he is your attorney."
Storm Kole grunted in pain as the jackal in the white sport shirt and black slacks brought his fist across the small fox's muzzle again. "Ya killed Joey, you little bastard!" the jackal snarled as he raised his fist to strike again. "He was in our pack."
The small fennec fox's paws were zip-tied to a pole and he slumped forward from the beating he had already received. He jerked forward as another jackal drove the heel of his foot paw into his stomach, causing him to grunt in pain. Blood from where they had sliced him across his chest dripped down his dress shirt and puddled onto the concrete floor below him.
Reaching over, the first jackal grabbed the fox's loose tie and used it as a collar to yank his head back and then to choke him, Storm tried to gasp for air as his eyesight began to fade. "Cool it, Pete!" One of the other jackals gathered around him called out in a concerned tone. "The boss wants him alive."
"Sure Sammy," the jackal named Pete said as he let go of the tie and Storm gulped in air. He gave a yip when Pete grabbed one of his large ears and viciously twisted it.
"Yeah that's a fennec fox's weak spot!" another of the jackals laughed. "Let's cut his tail off next, you know how these damned foxes love their tails?"
The goon had opened a switchblade and was waving it in front of Storm's face. "We do love our tails," a heavily accented feminine voice answered the jackal's question. "It would be a shame to cut off such a cute tail, so I'm not going to let you do that, da?"
The five jackals spun around to face the two white-furred arctic fox vixens standing at the doorway. They had removed their white jackets and the one who spoke was dressed in a blood-red dress which highlighted her curves and the other in a black sweater and jeans. "Oh dear he has a knife, Mishka!" the vixen in black sarcastically said the other vixen. "That is if you really want to call that little toy a knife?"
"Look bitch, I don't know how you got in here and I don't care," the jackal snapped in anger. "Just get the hell out!"
"If I don't go, just what will you do about it?" the vixen in the red dress named Mishka asked as she calmly put her paws on her hips. "What do you think Natasha, do you think he wants to play?"
"To hell with this!" Pete yelled as he lunged towards the vixen and tried to grab her. She danced back with a twirl and shoved the now off balanced jackal towards Natasha, even as that other vixen was charging forward at him. Natasha slipped past his arms as she grabbed him around his neck with her own arm, while at the same time sweeping his legs from under him even as she dropped towards the ground in a roll. There was a cracking noise as Pete's neck broke and the vixen left the now dying canid on the cold floor while she sprung up to face the others.
"Damn!" Sammy stuttered out in shock, it had happened so fast.
The other jackal with the switchblade gave a surprised yip as he stared in disbelief at his paw still holding the knife; it was now lying on the floor. Then he realized what had happened and screamed in pain as gripped the bloody stub where his paw used to be. As that jackal's blood splattered everywhere, Sammy and the other two goons stumbled back in fear from the vixen who wiped her long red-streaked thin blade on Pete's jacket. "So we are taking the little fox?" she challenged the now cowering males.
Mishka cut the sturdy thick plastic ties which bound Storm to the pole and helped the smaller fox stand. "Do you need me to carry you out of here?" she softly asked.
Despite his nose being battered and bloody, Storm could still pick up her scent. The vixen smelled not only of snow and ice but also death and lust, he found himself looking up into her mesmerizing blue eyes. Finally, he shook his head, as if he was coming from a trance and with a grunt rubbed his wrists were he had been bound and shook his head. "We need to find Jasmine," he mumbled through swollen lips. "We need to…"
"Shhhh, my little fox," the larger vixen replied. "She is safe and awaits us."
"So you must be Big's Snow Angels?" a deep voice challenged the foxes from down the hallway and Storm looked up to see the huge elephant who had captured him earlier. Next to the elephant was a tan furred cougar in a blue suit.
Mishka, shoved Storm behind her as she gave her sister a thin predatory smile. Like Mishka, Natasha now had a long thin-bladed knife in her right paw. "We are leaving with the fox," she slightly growled. "Now please be kind enough to get out of our way."
"Fraid that ain't happening," the cougar snarled. "Your gonna have to get by me and Big Billy first."
"You got it Frank!" the elephant said as he lashed out with his long trunk at the arctic vixen in the red dress. Mishka leaped forward, with her blade held slightly down, and literally raced up the now confused elephant's trunk. Before Big Billy realized he was in danger, she had leaped to the top of his head.
Frank screamed when the large pachyderm thrashed around in panic and fear, slamming into his companion with a bone-jarring crunch. The cougar slipped down the now blood-stained wall, where he had been crushed, only to be stepped upon by the elephant.
Even as the cougar died, Natasha tossed her long knife into the air and it was seized by Mishka, who now clutched a knife in both of her paws. She gripped the blades, preparing for a killing stroke.
"NYET!" Came a firm command and through his now darkening sight, Storm saw a huge polar bear in a black suit standing next to a robed camel.
"Are we done here?" Natasha called over at the cowering jackals, even as she propped up the now collapsed fennec fox.
Mishka carefully leaped off the elephant, still holding her and her fellow assassin's blades at the ready.
"I could have taken her," Big Billy muttered.
"Idiot!" the camel cursed at the elephant before he turned to the bear. "Take the fox, Koslov! Our agreement stands, just make sure he leaves the city!"
"Remember that his brother and father, along with their families are protected," the large bear replied as he picked up and cradled the small fox in his arm.
"Agreed," Abdel sighed. "I will also pay our mutual associates in the Rainforest District for the vixen's kitnapping and the bounty for her recovery. Like the tod, she is free to go."
Not knowing what was going on in the building above her, Honey huddled in the dark wine cellar waiting for the two foxes. When they didn't come, she feared the worse and slipped back down into the tunnel determined to get help.