Ten
On Monday Nick dragged himself back in to work. Judy had left for Tundratown hours before, after a sleepless night of fruitless searching. They had made their promises to the Corsacs to do what they could to help find Craven, but it rang hollow in a way that left Nick feeling guilty. The truth of it was that there was very little they could do at this point. Nick had contacted Chief Bogo directly and had him make it an official missing mammal case, but neither Nick nor Judy were free to look into it themselves except unofficially outside of work. They were just too busy with their own caseloads during the day.
Some headway had been made on the disappearing rodent case over the weekend, such as it was. Inquiries had been made into other well-known rodent families outside of Little Rodentia, and it turned out that nearly two dozen of these families were also missing. It was the same each time: They'd quit their jobs without notice, pulled their children out of school, and packed up the home without warning or explanation. Gone overnight, just like that.
Stella did manage to find one witness: A bull elk who shared a space with an older vole. Two of the elk's kitchen cabinets had been converted into a suite of rodent-sized rooms. Now all that remained were a couple tiny pieces of furniture and a few cracker-sized paintings of landscapes.
"He got a call from a cousin one day," said the elk. "And the next thing I know he's packing his things. Said Zootopia wouldn't be safe for much longer and that I should get out while I still can."
"He didn't say what it was he was running from?" asked Nick, watching as Stella used a pair of tweezers to go through the vole's tiny closets and drawers. She hadn't found anything more interesting than a couple pairs of ugly socks so far.
"He said I wouldn't believe him even if he told me," said the elk.
"Did he have a habit of telling tall tales?"
"Mmm no, can't say that he did. But you know mice. They can be very skittish creatures. Jimmy would screech my ear off any time I forgot to put the strainer back in the sink. Then again, if I was small enough to fall into an open drain I might be more sensitive about it too."
"Did he had a fear of anything else?"
Apparently Jimmy the vole had a whole host of fears: chairs with wheels, melons of all kinds, bulk-sized honey, cats. "Oh and styrofoam packing pellets. Said he fell into a box of them once and couldn't get out for hours."
Stella sighed and put away her tweezers.
"This has been very helpful," said Nick. "Thank you for your time."
Afterwards, they stopped for an early lunch over at Bug-Burga. They got their food then claimed an outside table over by the fountain, which gave off a nice cool mist without turning the food soggy. The statue in the middle of the fountain had been carved into the form of a hippo in a tutu, mid-swoon in the arms of an crocodile dressed in a cape with a feathered cap. Nick had always thought the pair an odd choice of animals, especially considering the crocodile's expression, which Nick couldn't interpret as anything other than hungry. Had the artist been making a statement? Nick had always found the predator's expression too cartoonishly villainous for his liking, but now he looked at it and wondered. The hippo had her eyes closed, fully trusting this other animal to hold her up. And the crocodile's body language looked supportive. There was nothing grasping or violent about the way he held her. Maybe Nick had been misinterpreting it all these years.
Or maybe he was reading too much into a silly old statue.
"I think we're chasing our tails on this case," said Stella, crumpling up her last burger wrapper. "Whatever is going on, we're not going to figure it out by playing hide and seek with a bunch of mice."
"Well I'm open to suggestions," said Nick.
"Aren't you supposed to be the genius case solver?"
"The genius part of me is away in Tundratown at the moment."
For a second Stella looked like she was considering saying something awkward and consoling to that, but then to Nick's great relief seemed to change her mind and said only, "A pity."
Nick stole a french fry from off her tray. The cat's eyes narrowed. "That's a good way to lose a paw, fox."
"You ate three burgers. You can spare a fry or two."
Her tail lashed the bench. "Try and make it two and we'll see how that works out for you."
Nick laughed. He still missed being with Judy like crazy, but Stella wasn't a bad partner to have around either. He liked her attitude and was grateful that it didn't remind him of anyone else he used to work with. For that alone he was more thankful than he could say. If he were a better partner, he'd try harder to get to know Stella. But every time he thought about reaching out, that space inside his chest would throb and twist and chase away his courage, leaving a sore, empty pocket of nausea there. It wasn't the same overwhelming blackness he had felt inside him before, but it was still too much to handle on top of everything else. So he held back, and if Stella minded that he kept her at a paw's length, she didn't show it.
He realized his mind had drifted and she had asked him a question. "I'm sorry, what was that?"
"I said, have you heard about Ortu?"
"The musk ox? More than I want to, lately. Are you talking about the robbery?"
"They're saying he's found some new backer. A jackal. Apparently Ortu's put out an open challenge for whoever robbed him to come try it again."
"I think," said Nick, choosing his words carefully, "that would be a very stupid challenge to accept."
"Me too. But Chief Bogo is putting officers on it anyway, just in case. I've volunteered to be part of the stake-out team for tonight."
The burger in Nick's stomach wasn't sitting so well all of a sudden. "He really thinks whoever it is will try again?"
Stella shrugged. "Better safe than sorry, right? If we don't go and something happens, then that would be on us. You could probably come too if you want. Should be easy overtime. And we could use another decent pair of night eyes."
"Unfortunately I think I'll be busy tonight," said Nick.
"Big date with Judy?"
"More like a sudden appointment."
"What kind of appointment happens at night?" asked Stella.
"The bothersome kind," said Nick, and before Stella could wonder about it any more he stole another fry. He managed to keep both his paws, but it was a near thing. If he learned one new thing about Stella, it was that she really didn't like sharing food.
Judy had never been to the Palm Hotel and Casino for anything besides work before. She supposed her reasons for coming today were also technically work related, but it was the first time she had been seated at one of the best tables in the hotel's five-star atrium restaurant. Glass ceilings soared upwards, making even the tallest giraffe patrons look small. Enormous solar panels designed to look like palm fronds cast dappled shade over the pristine tabletops. Windows surrounded the room 360 degrees, giving every seat a spectacular view of a Zootopia spread out below. The day was bright and clear, and Judy could make out the silvery shimmer of heat rising up from the Wildlands beyond. It gave the illusion that Zootopia was somehow enclosed in a protective shell, as if nothing existed beyond the city limits. But Judy knew that if you walked to the edge of that shell the illusion would evaporate, and you would find yourself left with an expanse that would make even the impressive breadth of Zootopia feel minuscule by comparison.
An enormous, furry paw grabbed the back of the delicate chair across from her and pulled it out. Judy didn't know how Mayor Lionheart was able to seat himself so gracefully on such undersized furniture, but somehow he managed it. It must be a skill one picked up when running for public office.
"This had better be good, Hopps. I put off an important interview with Manetenance Magazine for this."
His fur did look particularly fluffed and shiny today. Judy tried to think of a sincere compliment to that effect, but before she could, a lioness appeared in an impeccably tailored suit to serve them espresso and danish. Lionheart sipped from the tiny cup as if he used dishes that size all the time at home. Perhaps he did. Perhaps lion-sized cups were beneath such a sophisticated cat like him.
"My assistant said you had some urgent news about the election that you needed to discuss with me."
Judy, who was far too jittery for coffee, took a pastry instead. She ripped off a big, flaky chunk and stuffed it into her mouth, just to give herself a few more precious seconds to think of the right words to say to convince him. She wished suddenly that she had thought this out better before calling. Honestly, she hadn't expected the mayor to agree to meet with her based on one vague message. Obviously she had underestimated his anxiety about the election.
"It's... election-adjacent," she hedged.
"Oh?"
That was not a happy oh. That was a warning oh if she had ever heard one.
"It's about the, um, nice weather they've been having in Tundratown, sir."
One furry eyebrow ticked up an inch, but Lionheart's tone was rigidly jovial as he said, "A brilliant idea, wasn't it? I've heard nothing but gratitude from citizens since I implemented it."
Judy plucked at the crust of her pastry. "I can see why you chose to go in that direction, yes... but with all due respect, sir, I don't believe it's working out so well."
"Nonsense! Everyone loves it. You know the last time Tundratown had such fine weather? Too long ago! That's what they're all telling me. Why, we might make it an annual tradition after this!" The words boomed out across the atrium, spoken as confidently as if he really were thinking of doing such a ridiculous thing.
Judy knew the best thing she could do right now would be to stuff more pastry into her mouth and stay silent, but she had come here for a reason, and it wasn't to stroke the mayor's ego.
"Sir, I know about the situation with the Climate Wall." She spoke quietly. It was an off-hour for the restaurant and the place was mostly empty, but she was still very aware that this was a public place, and any one of the pawful of animals scattered around them could gossip about what they had heard to a media outlet later. "This nice weather was a... a valiant try, but at the rate things are progressing, flooding is going to become a real danger for both the Rainforest District and Tundratown. I've gone over the math with officer Dill several times. The districts won't be able to hold out until after the election. They'll be lucky to last the week. Action needs to be taken to fix the Climate Wall immediately if we're going be able to avoid the worst of the impact."
"That sounds urgent indeed." Mayor Lionheart set his tiny teacup back down onto its tiny saucer and leaned back in his seat, folding his arms across his expansive chest. "You're being bamboozled, officer Hopps. I had my own experts run the numbers too, and they all assure me that the city will be fine until after my reelection."
"But officer Dill says—"
"An unreliable source if there ever was one," said Lionheart. "Still bitter he was fired all those years ago. You know he sent me multiple angry letters telling me I was making a mistake getting rid of him and the others? Some of them were downright threatening. For all I know, he could be the saboteur behind all this."
Alarm shot through Judy. The danish crumbled as she clenched it between her paws. "Officer Dill would never do something like that."
"You've just started working together, Hopps. I'd say you're hardly qualified to be making character judgements. That mess a few months back with all the murders..." His muzzle crinkled. He made a vague, wavy gesture with his paw. "That was someone inside your own precinct, wasn't it? And from the reports, it seems that you were quite close to that monster as well."
"That was different," said Judy. "That was—"
"Hopps, Hopps, please. It's okay to admit you made a mistake. We all have our weaknesses. Myself included. But it's important that we face up to them, otherwise that's when more dangerous things can happen." The concern in his voice was pitch-perfect. Anyone listening would have thought he truly cared about her well-being. But there was no warmth in Lionheart's eyes, and Judy recognized the calculating glint of someone about to launch an offensive play.
"I think I'm going to give Commander Stelmaria a call. Make sure that old goat is investigated properly, and taken off the force in the meantime. Can't have a suspicious individual like that remaining in the ZPD where he can cause more damage. I won't stand for it."
"That's not at all what I—"
"Thank you for bringing this to my attention, Hopps. You've done the city of Zootopia a great service. Just remember to keep focusing on the correct issues, and I see a very successful future for the both of us." As Judy gaped and spluttered, Lionheart rose from his chair. "Now, if you will excuses me, I have an interview to give on proper grooming techniques. Good day, Hopps."
"Mayor Lionheart, wait—"
He didn't wait.
Judy watched his retreat across the atrium. A few times he stopped to shake someone's paw or pose for a picture. Then he was gone.
Unbelievable.
A ferret scurried over to Judy carrying a basket. He shoved something into into paws, squishing what remained of her mutilated pastry before hurrying after the mayor. He'd given her a button. In big black letters it said VOTE LION followed by a light up heart.
The lioness from earlier returned. She also handed Judy something: the bill.
Just one glance at the total made a whole new wave of misery wash over Judy. She held up the flashing button. "Do you take political swag, by any chance?"
Ortu's mansion looked a lot like something Mr. Big might own, if the shrew lacked all taste. Enormous stone statuary of oxen stood sentry in the front entryway, their antlers nearly as tall as the wood pilars that held up the vaulted ceiling. Expensive carpets covered glossy hardwood floors, the fabric thick enough to muffle the heaviest hoofstep and dark enough to hide any bloodstains. Rich velvet curtains draped from every window, each fold perfectly tucked. The walls were a deep cherry red with gold accents. Nick was sure the musk ox had been going for a powerful, regal look, but to Nick the style matched closer to a pleasure den he'd once stumbled upon with Finnick back when they had been younger and still got a thrill out of exploring the city's seedier watering holes. He thought Finnick might still go wandering those places sometimes, but not Nick. He didn't miss it. Not the atmosphere. Not the mammals. Not the risk.
And yet here you are.
Hiding in rafters of some shady ox's entryway, waiting for a fox even dumber than he was to appear and hoping that the two rhinos making hourly checks around the premises wouldn't notice the red and white lump hiding above them.
At least the place wasn't cold like Mr. Big's mansion. Ortu had his own mini island out in the bayous of the Rainforest District. It sat smack in the middle of the lowlands, which meant every other home in the area was empty due to the evacuation orders. The water level had risen so high in the past few days that the raised porch now looked liked a strangely designed dock. Nick could hear the water lapping at the top steps. If it got any worse, Ortu's plush rugs were going to be facing far more damage than a few measly blood stains.
Voices, low and gravelly, came from the staircase. Nick pressed himself deeper into the shadows of his chosen perch. It was awkward and uncomfortable, especially with the bulky rain slicker he was wearing. At least the ceiling's exposed beams were elaborately carved. If nothing else, Nick might be able to pass himself off as one of Ortu's tacky statuary.
The rhinos' heavy tread tromped down the stairs. They did a circuit of the ground floor, once again missing sight of Nick before heading back up the stairs. It was no real surprise they kept missing him. The rhino's might look intimidating, but they had notoriously poor night vision. Just more proof that Ortu was more about looks than practicality.
From the living room came the quiet clicking of a lock's tumblers being forced, followed by a beat of silence and then the whisper of the front door swinging open.
About time.
Light-footed steps picked their way quickly across the carpet, heading for the stairs. Uncurling himself from his hiding place, Nick dropped down in front of the house's second intruder of the evening. "Out for a little late night B&E?"
He gave Robin credit, the other fox didn't blink at finding Nick suddenly standing in front of him. "You too? Quite the coincidence we picked the same house." And then, more seriously, "Do the police outside know you're in here?"
Nick didn't know if he should feel flattered or insulted that Robin didn't consider him part of the police.
"Not yet." He glanced up at the windows. In the distance twinkled lights from the ZPD's patrol boats. They weren't going for subtly with this stake out. Instead, they had very much taken a "we'll be right over here if you cause any trouble" kind of stance.
"Did you come down through the canopy?" asked Nick.
"I certainly didn't bring a boat," said Robin.
"Good. One less thing to worry about as we head back." Nick made as if to shoo Robin out. But of course the fox couldn't do anything as helpful as meekly comply.
Robin squared his shoulders. "You're free to go if you'd like. But I have some business to attend to upstairs first."
Nick let his pleasant facade drop. "No, you don't. I thought you were supposed to be smarter than this, Swift. Ortu has nothing but muscled lug-heads patrolling this house. You won't be walking away with any extra cash. You'll be lucky to walk away at all."
"You're concern is appreciated, Nick, but—"
"This is not concern," Nick denied. "I am not concerned about you. I am furious. Do you realized what this will do to your family when you're caught? Marian and Vixie and Reynard—and Craven. Aren't you supposed to be out looking for him right now? Instead you take the night off to come do this?"
"As I said, your concern is appreciated. But that's not why I'm here this time," said Robin, ignoring Nick's snort at the phrase this time. "You've heard about Ortu's backer, yes? Some jackal the goes by the title The Jackal."
"How creative of him."
"He just appeared from nowhere with all this gold. That's right, not just money, Nick. Gold. And silver, and gems, and every other sparkly thing besides if you believe the word on the street."
"So you're here this time because of a more impressive take."
"Not just impressive. Too good to pass up. As if they knew exactly what would draw the eye of a philanthropist like me."
"Stop calling yourself that," Nick snapped. "We're beyond that charade at this point."
"It's not a charade. At least, not the spirit of it." Robin's gaze was solemn and unwavering. "You need to know that everything I acquire goes to those in need. Good families, Nick. Who deserve it far more than the corrupt and criminal do."
"That is something for the law to decide, not you."
"And when that law fails?"
Nick took a deep breath. "This is not the time to get into an ethical debate. I am not letting you steal anything tonight. End of story. I don't care what it is."
"I'm not here to steal anything."
"You just said—"
"That they baited the line well to get me to come here. Too well."
"So you know it's a trap." Nick looked him up and down. "You still came though."
"For answers, not riches."
"What answers? Do a lot of animals want to kill you? Yes, yes they do. See, I can give you answers too."
"I had Little John do some digging. Apparently, not even Ortu knows who the Jackal is. He just appeared with an offer to help him get revenge that was too good to refuse."
"I'm seeing a pattern with this guy's M.O.."
"The Jackal has no history, no identity. Just a strange scar on his cheek. It's old, but some say it looks like letters."
Nick was grabbing Robin but his shirtfront before he even knew what he was doing. "What letters?"
"We couldn't confirm anything, but I have my suspicions."
"Why you? Why take Craven and arrange for all this? If they wanted to kill you there are easier ways to go about it."
Robing flicked his gaze down to where Nick was still holding a fistful of his shirt. Nick released him and stepped back. Robin smiled. "You see now why I want those answers."
Nick saw. Far more than he wanted to. "Do you even have a plan?"
"Ask nicely and see where it goes from there."
"Brilliant. What about the police?"
"What about them? The last time you had someone from this Natural Order in your custody they chose exile over talking. And that took weeks. Craven doesn't have time for that."
"And if they do just want to kill you? You'll be playing right into their paws."
"It doesn't matter," said Robin, the words fierce even as a whisper. "I will get Marian's brother back."
"Hard to do that if you're dead," Nick pointed out.
The fox's smile turned sharp, a white slash of fangs in the dark. "I'm not that easy to kill."
Nick rubbed his forehead, feeling a headache brewing.
"I'm not asking you to get involved," said Robin. "The Great Turtle knows I owe you too much already. You saved the lives of me and my entire family once, at great personal risk to yourself. Twice, if you count pulling Craven out of that fighting ring. There's no need for you to do such a thing again. Go, wait outside. Or better yet, get to a restaurant or some other place that'll give you an alibi. My crew is at your disposal, anytime, anywhere." He dropped his paw onto Nick's shoulder. "Be well, my friend. With any luck, I'll return with Craven soon."
And before Nick could get out a reply to that, Robin had slipped past him. Nick heard his light tread on the stairs. The fox might be heading into a trap, but at least he wasn't giving them a heads-up that he was on his way.
He's right, thought Nick. I don't owe him my life, especially not twice. I should leave right now. Turn and walk away.
"Be well, my friend."
Nick bit back a growl, turned, and followed after him.
"This is a stupid idea," he hissed as he fell into step with Robin. "I should know. Judy and I have had enough of them."
"Such reassuring words. My confidence feels higher already."
"Shut up."
At the top of the landing, a hallway stretched out in both directions. But only one closed door had a light shining under it.
"Why don't they just put a sign on the door: trap in here," said Nick.
"You can still go back."
"And miss out on getting to tell you I told you so?"
"Spoken like a true friend."
Nick made a face. "Let's get one thing straight here: I'm not doing this for you. I've got my own bone to pick with these guys, and I'm not going to let you steal away the chance to get some answers."
"Of course. Shall we then?"
They approached the door. Robin reached for the knob. Unlocked, he mouthed to Nick.
Of course it was. These animals weren't even bothering with the illusion that this was a real heist. Suddenly the poor security made a lot more sense.
The door swung open with a creak of hinges. It looked to be a study. Bookcases lined the walls. But instead of books there were various objects on display, all expensive looking and many of dubious legality. A few that were downright stomach-turning: a chess set that looked to be made out of ivory, skulls and furs from species long extinct. A full-sized sabertooth tiger snarled down at them from a raised stand over by the window.
In the middle of the room, a folding table had been set up. The two patrol rhinos were seated here. So was a hippo, a moose, and a bear. They appeared to be in the middle of an intense card game. By the moose's frown, he was losing.
At the head of the table facing the door sat the Jackal. He was dressed in a suit, perfectly fitted but several decades out of style. A few of the seams were visibly frayed. He rose with a smile and made a sweeping gesture for them to come closer. "The great Robin Swift. So glad to see you, and so soon! I was afraid we'd have to keep up this farce for at least another night or two. Your punctuality is appreciated. Come in, come in! And I see you've brought a friend."
"For moral support," said Nick. "You know how stressful these types of meetings can be."
The Jackal cackled. The animals around him smirked. Nick didn't know if he should feel relieved or worried that they didn't stop playing their card game.
"You're funny. You got a name, funny fox?"
"That depends. Do you?"
The Jackal made a grand gesture at himself. "I? I am called The Jackal."
"So does that make 'the' your last name or first name?"
The Jackal waggled a claw at him. "Careful, funny fox. Humor like that only stays impressive if you have the power to back it. Now—" He turned his attention back to Robin. "Do I need to explain to you that there is no fortune in treasure hidden here, or are we already clear on that?"
"The only thing I want from you is Craven," said Robin.
"That's good!" said the Jackal. "As it happens, I'm here to take you to him."
"And where is he exactly?"
"With the Natural Order, of course. He's just been recruited. You got a copy of the contract, didn't you?"
Robin's paws fisted a moment before he relaxed them again. "I believe we received something of the kind, yes."
"And what is the Natural Order?" asked Nick. "We've been hearing some interesting things."
"Words on the wind," murmured the Jackal, rubbing his cheek. There was indeed some sort of scar there, half-hidden by his fur. "The Natural Order is… freedom."
"Since when do you need a contract for freedom?"
"It's symbolic. A pledge to be true to oneself. From now on, my actions shall be limited only by the limits of my own abilities. It is our most important belief."
"Sounds to me like a poor justification for animals to do whatever they want."
"And what's wrong with that? If you have the power to do something, what gives anyone else the right to tell you no? Take Ortu over there, for example."
He pointed to a furry, horned form hunched over in the corner. Nick had overlooked the figure earlier, taking it as just another macabre display. But it was Ortu. The musk ox had been posed similar to the sabertooth, his jaw forced down in a semblance of a snarl, but his lifeless eyes were blown wide with fear. His shaggy coat was crusted with dried blood. Nick couldn't say what had killed him, but there was no question that he was dead.
Nick swallowed down the bile that wanted to rise. Next to him, Robin whispered something that sounded like, "The Great Turtle have mercy."
The Jackal grinned at their visible horror. He bounded over to the dead ox, patting the animal's shoulder in a friendly manner. "See, this fellow here thought he could dictate what I did with you once you got here. Wanted you killed right off, apparently." He shrugged and made his way back towards Robin and Nick, who both tensed. "Of course, it was his right to try it. Just as it was then my right to, well…" The Jackal nodded at Robin, something mean and knowing entering his smile. "This fox here understands."
"Me?" spluttered Robin. "I don't know what you're—"
"You use your power and influence to do as you like, taking from others and ignoring the law as it suits you, because you can."
"I—" For once Robin seemed to be missing his silver tongue. "I may play fast and loose with the law sometimes, but it was only ever in the service of others. Never in violence."
The Jackal shrugged. "What you do with your power is your choice. Just as it is my choice to put these lazy fellows playing cards here to work if you decide against coming with me tonight." He looked at Nick. "Funny fox here is not invited. Sorry."
"Why Robin?" said Nick. "Who's he to you?"
"To me? He's nobody," said the Jackal. "A lot of fuss over nothing if you ask me. But I was told to bring him, and so that's what I will do."
"Who told you to bring him?"
The punch came out of nowhere. Nick didn't even feel the pain of it. One second he was standing, the next he was on the floor, Robin hovering over him worriedly. "Are you okay?"
Nick's mouth was full of blood where his teeth had cut the inside of his cheek, but none of his canines felt loose, thankfully. He spat a wad of blood onto the rug as Robin helped him up.
"Jokes and questions, jokes and questions," sing-songed the Jackal. "I am growing tired of you, funny fox. Either show me why I should answer you or hold your tongue."
Nick pulled Robin close, dropping his voice as he said, "You cannot go with this animal."
Robin's smile was wane. "I don't see where I have much of a choice."
"The ZPD is right outside. All we have to do is make it out of this house and we can—"
"And then what happens to Craven?" Robin shook his head. "I told you, I'm not leaving without him."
"You don't even know for sure they have him," Nick argued. "For all we know this is a bluff and Craven is holed up in the back room of some bar working off a spectacular underage bender."
"That contract—"
"Could be forged. Or maybe Craven signed it weeks ago. Who knows? It's not evidence worth betting your life on."
"But if I don't do it, then it's Craven's life I'll be betting on."
"Time is ticking, foxes," said the Jackal.
With a curse, the moose threw down one last hand. The others chuckled and rose, starting to pack things up. Nick hauled Robin closer. Panic made his voice come out harsh. "Don't do this. We'll think of another way."
"This is the way, my friend, as much as we may not like it. And I know I said you didn't owe me anything but... if I don't return... I ask that you make my excuses to Marian for me."
"Damn it, Swift—"
Robin pulled free from his grasp. He stepped towards the Jackal. "I will go with you."
The Jackal laughed, a high-pitched yipping that sounded so much like Tibor's old giggle that Nick's lungs constricted and he heard a ringing start up inside his head. He was going to lose Robin. Just like Tibor. The Jackal was going to take him and kill him along with Craven, or maybe they would both reappear six months from now, brainwashed and wreaking havoc until someone brought them down, and either way it would be Nick who would have to stand in front of Marian and all the kits and tell them… tell them… he had let it happen.
"You okay there, funny fox?" asked the Jackal, giving him a mocking poke in the shoulder. "Seems like you finally ran out of air with all that joke making."
This couldn't be happening. Nick was not going to let these rotten beasts steal away another mammal he cared about. Not again.
He lurched drunkenly towards the window. No one tried to stop him. The Jackal gave another yipping laugh that made Nick's stomach flip. "Uh oh, I think he's about to lose his supper."
Nick shoved open the window. From this height, he had a clear view of the ZPD's boats docked just off the property line. He turned and looked over at Robin. "I'm sorry."
Then he pulled the flare gun out from his rain slicker and fired off a shot into the sky.
The scarlet firework popped and sizzled, making the mansion glow with a bloody luminescence. The sound of high-speed boat engines was immediate.
The Jackal cursed. "He's signaled the cops! Hoof it, now!"
"What have you done?" said Robin, right before one of the rhinos snatched him up and fled the room along with the others.
Only the Jackal didn't run. Baring his teeth, he lunged for Nick.
With nowhere else to go, Nick hauled himself out the window and onto the slopped roof. His injured cheek chose that moment to finally start hurting, the jostling sending pain spiderwebbing up the side of his head. The world pitched sideways and he came down hard on his knees. Nick dug in his claws, catching himself before he could roll off the side of the roof and into the murky water below. He scrambled up the steep incline. The tiles were soggy under his feet, and Nick had the crazy thought that Ortu should file a complaint against the construction company for choosing materials so poorly suited to the rainy environment. Then he remembered that Ortu was dead. The Jackal had killed him, and he was going to kill Nick too if he caught up to him.
The Jackal was halfway out the window when the floodlights found them. The police boats were pulling up to the front porch. Someone shouted something from over the loudspeaker, but Nick wasn't too preoccupied watching the Jackal to make out the words. His gaze met the Jackals, and Nick knew he was weighing the desire to murder him over the possibility of escape.
Escape won out.
"You've made a very bad choice today, funny fox," said the Jackal.
"Show me why I should care," said Nick.
The Jackal snarled and ducked back inside.
Below, the Jackal's group of lug-heads had made it onto the front porch, but gave up quickly when they saw the amount of police boats surrounding them. There was nowhere they could go to escape. The small boat they had used to get there had already been untied and pushed out into the bayou by Nick when he had first arrived. It had felt like overkill at the time. Now he was relieved he had done it.
In the end, they were all taken into custody, even Robin. The Jackal had been smart enough to at least make a break for the back door, but even a streamlined suit was hard to swim in, and the ZPD caught up to him in minutes. They had to fish him out with a wire net, clawing and snapping. Nick watched it all from his place on the roof. He was still there when furensics arrived to take care of Ortu. Nick listened to them take pictures and samples before removing the body, but eventually that too was taken care of and the room fell quiet. And still, Nick sat there.
Someone leaned out the window and shouted at him, "Hey, you planning on staying out here all night?"
Stella.
Nick shrugged. "Not like Ortu's gonna mind anymore."
"Oh, you're in one of those moods." She climbed up onto the sill, somehow curling her body in that boneless way only cats could do to make herself more comfortable. "Bogo said to tell you that you were an idiot for breaking protocol and the he should write you up for going in alone tonight. But still, you helped us catch seven criminals, so he said it in that grumpy way that you know means he's really grateful even as he's cursing you with his eyes."
Seven criminals. Robin was one of those criminals now. Would they connect him to the previous robbery? They'd have to, right? And if they connected him to that one, who knew how many others they might charge him for. Nick might have saved Robin's life only to send him behind bars for the next two decades.
And if they somehow linked Robin's illegal activities to him and Judy? They were friends, after all. Or at least, they had been before tonight. Would Nick getting him arrested be enough to counter the damage of that? There didn't even need to be any evidence. All it would take was a couple gossipy articles to sound the death knell on both of their careers. And then what would Judy have? No job, no friends, no parental support. Just a broken reputation and a useless fox for a mate.
Nick buried his face in his paws. When he had warned Judy that things would get hard, he hadn't expected it to happen all at once, and because of his actions.
"Wilde." Stella sounded worried now. "What's wrong?"
I think I may have ruined everything.
The words stuck in his throat like fish bones, and yet they weren't the worst of them. More were lodged deeper, past the point where he'd ever be able to choke them up: I think I may have killed someone.
If the Natural Order had Craven, would they bother to keep him alive if Robin was locked up in jail? They didn't seem the type of group to catch and release.
"What have you done?" The look on Robin's face when he had said that. Not angry, but as if Nick had run him through when he hadn't been looking and he couldn't quite comprehend the pain of it yet.
Our only chance to find Craven and I ruined it.
It had been the perfect lead. The only lead that had been willing to take Robin straight to Craven and all the answers they needed. It had certainly been better than Nick's dead-end with the rhino.
"Nick. Talk to me."
He pulled out his his phone. The tracker app had lost the rhino's signal for good sometime yesterday, though as far as Nick could tell he had stopped moving days before that. For all Nick knew, his only other lead was on death's door, waiting for the end.
Or maybe, he thought, a painful kind of hope suddenly igniting in his chest, waiting for a miracle?
The rhino hadn't been willing to talk before. Nick hadn't wanted him to talk. But that plan hadn't worked out the way he'd hoped, and now he was desperate for any shred of a hint that the rhino could give him. They say imminent death could make a mammal reassess their priorities. Who knew if rhino wouldn't be more agreeable after a few bottles of water and a promise of food, shelter, whatever he wanted. Nick would build him his own solar-powered yurt if that's what it took to get him to talk. And then he could fix this. He could save Craven and counteract any negative blowback that Robin's arrest caused to Judy.
"I've got to go," said Nick.
He shoved past Stella into the house. The cat followed, looking more confused than ever. "Go where? You were playing the emo gargoyle not two seconds ago."
"Tell the Chief I won't be in tomorrow."
Stella crossed her arms. "Okay... and what excuse am I giving for this?"
"It doesn't matter. Tell him I'm sick."
"I'll tell him you've lost your tiny fox mind. That shouldn't be hard for him to believe at all."
Nick was already at the stairs. "Sounds good—you're the best—bye!"
"At least tell me what this is about!"
But Nick was gone. Stella threw up her paws. "Foxes."
Judy called Nick several times after her horrible meeting with Lionheart, but every time it went straight to voicemail.
"It's me again. If you could call me back when you have a moment… It's about the Climate Wall situation. I spoke about it with Lionheart. He took it like you would expect. I have a few other ideas of what we could do, but I'd really like to talk to you about them first. Call me, ok? Anytime is fine."
She knew Nick was dealing with a lot. No doubt he was busy with the missing mice case after having had the weekend off. She could just imagine what sewer he was having to slosh his way through now. But she could have really used his advice. Even just a sympathetic ear. There wasn't really anyone left that she could talk to about it. Fru Fru was gone, and Marian was inconsolable with Craven missing. She was briefly tempted to call her parents. They wouldn't have answers but they had always tried their best to listen. But after the awkward way they had said goodbye… she just couldn't make herself do it. Not yet.
So she spent the rest of the evening alone driving around the city, hoping to spot Craven, until her eyes grew too heavy to continue safely and she was forced to head home for the night.
She didn't think she would sleep well, but the next thing she knew it was morning and her alarm was telling her it was time to face the day again.
What she needed to face wasn't anything good. Nick still hadn't called her back, and she arrived at Tundratown's precinct office to find officer Dill packing his things. The others were there too. Officers Fang and Claw were openly crying as they help him fill a box. Officer Dill didn't blame her, which only made Judy feel worse. "It's not your fault. I agreed to help you. And you were trying to do the right thing. There's no need to feel sorry about that."
Commander Stelmaria was also adamant that they were both blameless. "I don't want any of you to worry. I'll make that daft cat see straight if I have to swat him upside the head myself. This is only temporary, and I'll see that you're compensated in the meantime, officer Dill."
"Thank you, Commander."
Still, seeing Dill turn in his badge and walk away put everyone in a low mood for the rest of the day.
When evening came and Nick still hadn't called her, Judy started to grow worried. When he still didn't answer his phone she called Clawhauser, only to be informed that Nick had called out sick.
"Sick with what?" asked Judy.
"Stella said it was fox issue."
"What does that mean?"
The cheetah didn't know.
Judy hurried to Nick's apartment, but no one answered and when she let herself in she found the place empty. No plates were in the sink and his bed hadn't be slept in. Judy felt a moment of real fear before reminding herself that Nick had called out himself. There were no signs of foul play and no reason to suspect an abduction. No one was after them (and how sad was it that that was sometimes a possibility?). He'd just… taken the day off. And gone… somewhere. And apparently decided not to call and explain any of it.
It hurt. And it hurt more when she called him again and again it went to voicemail. So not only did he not warn her he would be taking off, but he was avoiding her calls too.
Just like Fru Fru.
Well. If everyone was just going to make decisions without caring about her feelings, then Judy had no choice but to do the same, didn't she?
Making up her mind, she dialed a different number.
"Harper? It's Judy Hopps. I have a news story for you."
Nick traveled the rest of the night and all through the day. He'd managed to wheedle Finnick into procuring him a motorcycle that was more or less fox-sized and a couple extra containers of gas with minimal questions asked, which was good, because Nick hadn't been in the right headspace to explain himself adequately.
Looking back, that probably should have been a warning sign, but then Nick hadn't been in the state of mind to listen to internal warnings either.
"Do I want to know why you need this now? At three in the morning?" Finnick had asked him, to which Nick had replied, "Sometimes a fox just needs a little spur-of-the-moment road trip, you know?" And his friend had sighed and shook his head and called him an idiot, which was fair. Nick hadn't been so far gone he couldn't recognized that what he was doing was very stupid. It just hadn't felt important in that moment.
So he'd popped his phone in the holder between the handlebars to follow along with the gps, and he had set out.
His phone lost service as the sky was lightening, but by that point his destination was a straight shot anyway, so he didn't need it. The dark ripple in the landscape that Nick had wondered about for so long turned out to be a ravine, not a river or a forest. It zig-zagged more or less in a straight line across the dusty landscape. Here and there were some patches of real grass and trees, but nothing that could be called a survivable habitat.
On the other side of the ravine, way in the distance, was the dark shadow of what might had been a proper forest. But there was no way to cross the ravine to get to it without climbing all the way to the bottom and then back up the other side. In any case, the rhino had stuck to this side as far as Nick had been able to tell, so that's what he did too.
He took a break twice, Once to refill the gas tank and once to sip from his precious store of water. He had strapped several travel packs to the back of the bike filled with bottles of water, meal ready food, and a first aid kit. He'd thought about bringing money too, but what good would that do the rhino out here? If cash was what he wanted, Nick could work out some sort of deal with him then.
The sun was setting when he spotted the pond. At first he thought it was a mirage. But as he got closer and the sky continued to dim, the image coalesced into a solid body of water. Grass sprouted in tough patches around its edges and a few brave trees had sprung up, drooping themselves over the water as if to shield it from the sun. It couldn't have been more than a mile across in any direction. The ravine was still there too, its jagged edge jutting towards the pond as if it wanted to drag the water down into its depths.
Was this where the rhino had stopped?
Nick pulled the motorcycle over and turned it off. After listening to the growl of the engine for so many hours, it was hard to hear anything else. But slowly his ears started picking up the quieter sounds. The whistle of the wind over the water and the sway of the tree branches. Sounds of peace. Sounds of emptiness.
The rhino wasn't here.
Nick got off the bike and approached the shoreline. The water was clear. He could see stones and algae and little fish darting by in shimmery groups. The grass here was wilted and darker than in Zootopia, but Nick couldn't tell if that was proof that someone had been sitting there or if it was just how grass looked in the Wildlands.
He followed the pond around to the cliff edge. He could faintly hear water trickling farther below, but when he looked over the side it was too dark to make out anything. The sun was too low in the sky for the light to illuminate more than a foot or so down. It looked to steep for a rhino to scale without the aid of climbing equipment, but who knew what one might do with nothing else to lose?
Nick had things to lose. It was starting to dawn on him that he'd been foolish to come out here like this. Judy would be getting worried. He shouldn't have left without telling her. He was going to have to do a lot of groveling when he got back. Stella too. He owed her an apology. He shouldn't have left like that; she deserved better in a partner, even a partner as lousy as him. And Marian. With Robin in jail, she would need someone else who knew as much about the Natural Order to be there for her and the kits.
"You freaked out." It made him feel better to say the words aloud. "You freaked out and made a dumb decision. You'll be sleeping alone a month for this." But still, that was okay. Everything was going to be okay. He'd go back, beg forgiveness from Judy, and then they'd figure out a real plan, together. They'd find a way to fix this mess. They always did.
Nick couldn't make himself entirely believe it, but it was enough to calm the panic that had dogged him all the way out to this empty bit of wasteland.
He stepped away from the cliff edge. He would take a break and then head back. He was exhausted, but he didn't want to spend another night out here. And he certainly didn't want to sleep here, exposed to the elements and whatever else might be lurking in that distant tree line, which was looking more ominous the darker it got.
It was as he was walking back to the motorcycle that he spotted it—a red glowing in the grass, farther along the edge of the pond.
He picked his way over to it. Somehow Nick knew, even before he reached it, what it would be.
The tracker glowed up at him, dented and covered in dirt and other dark substances. It was also still attached to the ear it had been pierced to.
Nick crouched there, staring, until he couldn't stand it and gingerly picked the tracker up. The ear hung there, ragged. It had not been a clean cut, however the rhino had done it.
"Son of a—" muttered Nick, which was when the shadow fell over him, along with the rock that came down right on his head.