Thirteen
It was still dark outside when Craven shook Nick awake.
"Silos has commanded everyone to prepare their things," he whispered. "I've brought breakfast. We should eat fast and go."
It was really happening then. Silos was making a move on Zootopia. Nick tried to stay positive. Maybe this was a good thing. After all, there would be more ways to escape once they were in the city, more allies to help them, and more possible ways to take the snake down. But Nick couldn't fool himself too much. There would also be more destruction, more animals who would be hurt in the process, and no guarantee that that any plan he devised would succeed. But those were all worries for later.
Breakfast consisted of a bowl of water, a loaf of stale bread, and a single bruised banana that they split between them. Nick was just grateful to have something to eat that he could safely identify.
Afterwards, they struck out, making their way back down the dirt trails to the temple where he had first met Silos. There were more animals gathered then had been in the dining hall yesterday. Nick counted upwards of a hundred bodies. Not large for an army, but possibly large enough to take over an unprepared city.
At least his dizziness was gone. Nick could look up at the temple now without feeling like he was going to fall over or pass out. His head still ached, but the pain felt milder, more stabilized. The sensation of being tainted still lingered, but the nausea had abated. Nick attributed this to the fact that since waking up, his mind kept thrashing away any time a tendril of bad memory started to reach for it, not unlike the way one might react when swimming in the ocean and spotting a slimy clump of seaweed starting to float towards you. It was, he supposed, better than falling apart again like he had yesterday, though each time it happened he suffered an emotional lurch in his gut, and a moment of confusion as if he had gotten turned around with realizing it. Logically, his mind had to tire eventually. The seaweed was going to catch up him sooner or later, and when that happened, he had no idea what kind of state he'd be left in.
"What's with that weird expression?" said Craven.
"Just thinking."
"About what?"
Nick huffed a laugh. "That a therapist is going to make thousands off me after this."
That's right. Craven was relying on him. The whole of Zootopia was relying on him, even if they didn't know it. He couldn't let the bad thoughts tangle him up. He would keep treading water for as long as it took to stop this. And then he'd deal... however he had to deal. As long as Judy was there...
A murmur swept over the crowd as animals turned to look at the temple. They dropped to ground and bowed their heads as a long, undulating figure emerged from the opening at the top. Nick had thought the structure beehive-looking in shape before, but now he realized it was mimicking the body of an enormous, coiled snake. Perched atop it as Silos was, it gave the illusion that he was ten, no, a hundred times bigger than he really was. A giant. A god.
"Well there's nothing natural about that," Nick whispered to Craven. "Am I right?"
But the young fox gave no sign that he had heard him. He didn't drop to the ground like the others, but neither did he take his eyes off the snake. He stood there, transfixed and terrified. Fine tremors wracked his body. Nick took his arm. "Hey. Hey, kit. Look at me."
Craven whimpered.
Nick stepped in front of him, blocking his view of the sight. "Kit. Snap out of it."
Craven blinked. He sucked in a breath and exhaled it as a sob. In a tiny voice he said, "He's going to win, isn't he? He's going to destroy everything."
"That's not going to happen," said Nick. "I won't let it."
"How are you going to stop it?" The question came out harsh and challenging, but Nick heard the desperation behind it. Craven looked down at his paw, where a bloody scab spelled out the letters N.O. "He already got me and you. And he says there are others already in the city who—"
"So what?" snapped Nick. "Those are temporary victories, all of them. The only way he wins is if you give up here. We still got this, kit. Trust me."
Craven's chin trembled. He gave a jerky nod and pulled out of Nick's grasp. Nick let him go, pretending not to notice as the kit wiped discreetly at his eyes.
Silos finished striking his pose and slithered down to join his followers on the ground. His head was held high as he surveyed them. "Today, we leave our humble homes to travel to a false world. But we will not be leaving our beliefs behind. No, we are bringing the truth with us. We are going to free that lost city and teach them that they are still living in the Animal Kingdom, and for true progress to happen the Natural Order must reign!"
This crowd didn't cheer. They roared, howled, yipped and growled. They clawed at the earth and snapped at the throats of those closest to them.
Silos rose up higher, drawing their attention back to him. "They say that in Zootopia, animals can be anything. Now, we will show them what that really means. This time, the change starts with us."
The night was like a slow moving nightmare for Judy. There was no time to process everything Fru Fru had told her. Evacuating every citizen living in Tundratown in merely a pawful of hours was no small feat, and required all her focus and attention. Flood roads had to be closed off and traffic redirected through safer routes. Businesses needed to be contacted for emergency closure, and made to relay the evacuation order to all staff and customers. Mammals who required help moving had to be collected in special transport vehicles, and shelters in other districts needed to be prepped and ready to receive those fleeing the floodwaters.
There was no time for Judy to speak to either of her bosses about while all of this was happening. Chief Bogo was busy giving updates to the news stations and managing the emergency call center, and Commander Stelmaria was out in the deepest reaches of Tundratown with a small crew, personally checking apartment towers and shopping centers for stragglers or those stubborn enough to try and remain behind.
Judy was reunited with her Tundratown team, minus officer Dill, who had been cleared along with Indri to go help Cuscus work on the Climate Wall. Judy's team was sent to oversee the drainage site as those specialized in the field worked on assessing the full extent of the damage. The group consisted of three beavers, two otters, a sea lion, and a walrus who must have been their boss, for he stayed above water barking orders as the others took turns braving the flooded sewers in pairs. And all the while, Judy and her team kept guard against any further attempts at sabotage.
But the only thing that crept up on them over the course of the many dark hours was more and more icy water. At first it only pooled along the gutters, but soon it started filling up the roads and not long after that began spilling across the sidewalks. The current picked up. Occasionally chunks of ice would bump against Judy's frozen toes. One by one, the team took up stations on anything in the area they could find that was elevated. Judy hopped onto a closed up food stand. Officer Eisbaer took up position on a nearby bench. Officers Fang and Clawe each mounted statues of famous reindeer over by a submerged patch of garden and sat astride like they were planning to ride the deer into battle.
Judy tried to concentrate on the situation, the divers, the waterline, the energy of her team, but she kept getting distracted by visions of Nick. Nick, being squeezed to death in the vice grip of a long, muscled body. Nick, clawing at a pair of fang marks in his neck while he convulsed. Nick, being slowly swallowed down an endless throat.
She told herself that even if Fru Fru was right about the Natural Order being led by a snake, it didn't mean the shrew was right about what happened to Nick. Lack of evidence wasn't by itself proof. There was still reason to hope.
So she told herself, over and over again. It chased the doubts away less and less each time.
"You okay over there, Hopps?" Fang asked. "You're looking a bit peaky."
"It's the smell," lied Judy, thumping a foot against the cart she was standing on. "I'm not a big fan of seafood."
"It's because of the warmer temperature," said officer Eisbaer. "It's only going to get worse as the sun comes up."
She was right, but in more ways than just the potency of the rotting fish smell. As dawn began to illuminate the horizon, there was thunderous cracking noise, and the team watched in horrified awe as a huge layer of snow and ice sloughed off the side of one of Tundratown's mountains. For several minutes the vibrations of it rumbled throughout the city. It was too far away for any of the snow to reach them, but the current picked up speed soon after and the water level jumped another foot so that it lapped at the store windows.
"There goes Avalanche Avenue and Sleet Street," said Fang.
The divers finished their inspection just as Judy was starting to feel the heat of morning across the back of her neck. The results weren't good. The damage was more extensive than initially thought. Not only would Tundratown be half underwater in the next few hours thanks to the Climate Wall being on the fritz, but the collapse of the main drainage system mean that the Rainforest District and parts of the lower Downtown area would also be impacted.
Officer Eisbaer radioed all this in to Commander Stelmaria. She waited a minute for a response. Then two. Then three.
"Commander? Do you copy?"
Silence.
Just as they were starting to grow concerned, the walkie crackled and the snow leopard's sharp voice broke over the line. "Copied. I want all officers to return to the Central Police Station ASAP."
"Understood. What about the dive team?"
A pause. "Have them continue to work on things. They should be safe enough where they are for now, but tell them to keep a lookout."
"Has something happened?"
"There's been a development. I'll explain when you get here. A chopper is on its way to pick you up now."
That was enough to burn away the fatigue that had been pressing down on everyone. Judy got a sinking feeling in her stomach. There was no chance that the development Commander Stelmaria was talking about was a positive one.
Fang and Clawe tried to question the pilot on their way back for more details, but the sugar glider didn't know any more than the rest of them.
The roof landing pad was deserted when they arrived. Judy, who was the only one who knew the layout of the building well, led them down to the bullpen, where a pawful of other officers were already gathered. Some were from the district—Judy spotted Francine and McHorn, Delgato, Stella, and Howle among them. But she also saw a few unfamiliar faces from the Rainforest District and Tundratown. Gazes lingered on her as she entered. Some looked pitying, others… less so. They must have heard about Nick.
Stella spotted Judy and waved her over. Fang, Clawe, and Eisbaer followed her.
"What's going on?" Judy asked.
"No idea," said Stella. "I was at one of the shelters myself until a little while ago."
"I was with the Commander in Tundratown when Chief Bogo called her back," said Howle. "But she didn't tell us what it was about. They've been locked up together in his office since. It looks like they're calling all of us back. I don't think it's for anything good."
"It's the Natural Order," said Judy. "It has to be. They've done something."
"You mean something besides flooding half the city?" said Stella. "Can wait to find out how they're trying to top that."
Fang held up a paw. "I'm sorry, but the Natural Order? What is that? It sounds like a bad police procedural."
As succinctly as she could, Judy filled her Tundratown team in on her suspicions about the Order. There had been whispers about the underground fighting ring Nick had busted, but none of them had realized the full extent of it.
"Recently, they took the brother of a friend of mine," said Judy. "And I think… they might be the ones who have Nick."
She should tell them what sort of creature the leader was. But when she opened her mouth to say it, she couldn't get the words out. What if she told them, and they all agreed with Fru Fru that Nick was lost in the belly of some scaly beast? She didn't think she could take it if they did.
"Well." Fang looked at Clawe. "This sucks."
His brother nodded. Judy very much agreed with the sentiment.
Stella and Howle were having some sort of silent conversation together. The wolf tipped his head at Stella, who raised her eyebrows and jerked her chin back at him. When he made an abortive gesture with his paw, she gave a hard swipe at the air and pointed a claw at him. He shook his head and she did it again, following it up with a non-too-gentle punch to his shoulder.
"What's with you two?"
Stella made a go-ahead motion to Howle who glared at her before looking reluctantly at Judy. "Actually, there's something we need to tell you. Before you got here, Delgato found something… about Nick."
"Found what?" The lion hated Nick. It certainly wouldn't be something helpful. "Are you sure he's not just making up rumors?"
"It's not a rumor. I saw it myself before Chief Bogo came and took it away from him. But," the wolf rushed to add, "That doesn't mean it's true either."
"Oh for goodness sake, stop kitty-footing around it!" snapped Stella. "Delgato and a few other officers found a—a contract of sorts nailed to the front door of the police department earlier. Nick's signature was at the bottom of it."
It felt like all the air got sucked from Judy's lungs. "Was it for the Natural Order?"
"We think so," said Stella, shooting the lion a dark glare. "Delgato was passing it around when we got here. Chief Bogo heard about it and took it from him real quick. He told Delgato nothing was confirmed and that he better keep his trap shut for now, but you know He of the Golden Pompadour over there hasn't stopped whispering about it."
"He's not dead." Relief made Judy light-headed, and the room blurred as tears stung Judy's eyes. She didn't care. She let them build and fall, a smile spreading over her face as she looked at her friends. "If Nick signed that contract then that means they recruited him. So he can't be dead!"
"Yeah, but…" Fang looked uneasy. "Didn't you just finish telling us this Natural Order were the bad guys?"
"He hasn't really joined them," said Judy. "He must have found a way in and decided—" What? To just up and go without warning her? That didn't feel right. Nick had done some impulsive things before when he was upset. And yes, he had taken Tibor's betrayal and death hard, but Judy still didn't think that Nick would just run off to play double agent without discussing it with her first. There had to be something else going on that she was missing. But that was okay. It was all okay as long as he was still alive. "Anyway, this is good news."
"Pretty sure some of the other officers feel differently about that," murmured Howle. Unlike Stella, he made sure to keep his voice low. "I've overheard a few of them calling Wilde a turncoat."
Now the strange looks Judy had noticed earlier made sense.
She raised her chin. "Well he isn't."
The wolf held up his paws. "I'm not doubting him. But it does complicate things."
"Just what we need," said Stella. "More complications."
"See, we don't have this sort of intrigue over at the Tundratown precinct," said Fang. "If the bad guys aren't trying to kill you, the elements are. You have to trust in your wits and your teammates if you want to survive both."
"Or at least in your teammates," Eisbaer deadpanned, earning a chuckle from Clawe. They fist-bumped.
"Yuck it up, you two. But my superior intellect has gotten us out of more than one scrape over the years."
"And gotten your head stuck in more than one bulk-sized peanut butter jar too."
Before Fang could think of a comeback to this, Chief Bogo and Commander Stelmaria entered the room. Hush fell immediately.
"I know you're all wondering why we called you back so suddenly," said the water buffalo. "We've got a lot on our plates at the moment. Unfortunately, now we've got another problem to deal with, and this one can't wait."
In the corner was an old flatscreen they used to watch training videos. Bogo went over and turned it on, flipping stations until he found the one he wanted. Gasps and murmuring broke the silence as everyone absorbed what they were seeing.
"Is this live?" Francine asked.
"As of thirty minutes ago it was," said Commander Stelmaria. "Since then the same footage has been playing on a loop. We think the station building was forced to take cover."
The video showed a shot of the street outside one of the ZNN buildings. From the graininess of it, Judy suspected some kind of security camera. But it was clear enough to make out the dozens of animals running through the streets in panic, blocking cars and in some cases banging on the doors to be let in. Those that had been standing at crosswalks and bus stops watched the fleeing animals and started taking off too as they spotted something outside the range of the camera, dropping their bags and purses, pulling out cellphones and ducking into nearby stores to hide.
At first it wasn't clear what was making them run, but then a tiger streaked into view and launched itself in a blur of orange and black at a zebra who had been standing frozen in fear amidst the chaos. The tiger knocked it to the ground just as a hyena also appeared and pounced onto a fleeing pig, those wide jaws fastening onto the swine's throat. And still more prowled down the street, attacking anyone who got too close—or ran too slowly. A hippo zigzagged through the road, smashing into everything it could along the way: cars, news stands, shop fronts, even other animals. An armadillo trying to escape a pursuing bear darted out in front of the hippo at just the wrong moment and the hippo sent it flying like a soccer ball right through the glass window of a flower shop.
And still more animals emerged from the shadows. They started spray-painting on the sidewalk, the buildings, the crumpled roofs of cars. Always the same two letters: N.O.
"We lost contact with this news building, so we're not sure what the area is like now," said Chief Bogo, "but the same thing is happening everywhere, all around the city. They seem to purposely be starting their attacks wherever there are street cameras and spreading out from there. They want us to know what they're doing."
"It's the Natural Order," said Judy.
All eyes turned towards her.
"Their choice in street art would seem to confirm that," said Stelmaria. "Do you know anything else about them?"
"I got a tip from…an anonymous source. They believe the leader to be a snake. They think the Order is here to destroy Zootopia."
"And who is this 'anonymous source' huh?" asked Delgato scornfully. "A two-faced fox perhaps?"
"Nick has nothing to do with these attacks!" snapped Judy.
"You keep telling yourself that, flat-feet."
"Enough," snapped Stelmaria. "Our fight needs to be focused on the enemy, not on each other. Those who cannot work together only weaken the pack. At such a critical time this cannot, will not, be tolerated. Is that understood?"
Judy, Delgato, and everyone else in the room nodded, with a few quiet, "Yes, Commander," coming from the Tundratown officers.
Chief Bogo stepped forward. "If you all are done? Good. Now, we've sent word to the rest of our forces out in the field to return immediately, but so far we are all that have made it back. Which means, at least for now, we must go on the assumption that we are all that remains to stand against these attackers. Because of this, We will need the support of all of you if we are going to quash this Order." Chief Bogo looked around the room, making eye contact with each and every one of them. "You may think it's a lot for us to ask of you. I'm sure you have family and friends out there right now that you're worried about. But this is why you joined the ZPD. To protect them. To protect all of Zootopia. So do your jobs. That's the best way you can see them safe. Is that understood?"
There was a chorus of, "Yes, sir!"
"Good. You have five minutes to call whoever you need to. Warn them. Prepare however you can. Then we move. Every second counts now. Don't make us waste time waiting on you."
While he was speaking, officers were already pulling out phones, texting and dialing with fervor.
Judy called her mother, but the phone rang and rang before connecting to voicemail. Between her parents, Bonnie was usually better about keeping her phone on her than Stu was. Still, when there was no answer after trying twice Judy hung up and called her dad next. When he didn't answer, Judy told herself not to panic. He was always leaving his phone in the house or the barn or dropping it down some random piece of farming equipment. It didn't mean anything.
She tried her sister Honey, and then her other siblings, Aster, Holly, and Snowball. Then she tried her cousins, Copper, Hopper, and Fred. None of them answered. She was just about to try her great gran-rabby when an alarm blared overhead, almost making her drop her phone. Emergency lights flashed, dousing the room in splotches of red and white.
The ZPD was under attack.
"It looks like our five minutes are up," said Stelmaria.
"Okay, you slobbering chew toys, listen up!" shouted Chief Bogo. "We knew this was a possibility already. As long as everyone does their jobs, we can secure this building and take down some of these mangy pests while we're at it. Now gather round."
Judy shot off one last quick text warning her family, then sent one to Marian, Fru Fru, and Finnick while she was at it. The message was short and too the point: Animals attacking Zootopia. Get somewhere safe. It was all she could do for now. Then she dashed over to the others who had formed a semi-circle around Bogo and Stelmaria.
Francine, McHorn, Delgato, Grizzoli, and a few officers from the Rainforest district were teamed up with Chief Bogo to go protect the jail. Fang, Clawe, Eisbaer, and the rest of the Tundratown officers were going with Commander Stelmaria to retrieve supplies from the weapons room and keep it out of enemy paws. That left Judy, Stella, and Howle.
"What about us, sir?" asked Judy.
"Get down to the security room." Chief Bogo handed Judy a walkie. "Once you have it secured, find out how many of these curs there are, where they're located, and anything else that might help us. Stelmaria and I will be listening on station ten."
"Understood."
A quick check to see if the coast was clear, and they set out. Stelmaria's team went left, deeper into the building. Bogo and Judy's team headed right, back towards the main lobby.
It felt like a bad dream. These were the hallways that Judy had walked a thousand times. This building was a place of protection and justice. Of hope. And now they were checking each room they passed as if a monster might be hidden inside. The emergency lights splashed red flickering light over everything, giving the place an exaggerated, nightmarish appearance.
Up ahead, Judy picked up on a quiet shuffling noise coming from behind the closed door to the break room. When she whispered the information to Bogo, the water buffalo had them gather round. Then, with a signal to McHorn, the rhino charged the door. Metal hinges screeched and wood splintered. There was a yelp, and then the rest of them were piling in.
Clawhauser stood on the break room table, a toaster raised high. A dish towel had been tied around his upper arm, the fabric dark with blood, and his left eye was swollen and purpling. "Chief!"
"Clawhauser! What are you doing in here?"
"D-defending the area, sir!"
The other officers traded significant looks. Delgato rolled his eyes. "Just admit you were hiding, Clawhauser. Unless you thought the doughnuts needed protection?" He nodded to the Fresh Doe Bakery box tucked behind the cheetah.
"They're not just doughnuts!" Clawhauser shuffled awkwardly off the table and scooped up the box. He flipped the lid open to show them six, fat, jelly doughnuts. "See?"
There was a moment of silence. Then McHorn asked, "Exactly how hard did they hit you?"
"Clawhauser, I think maybe you're a little confused," said Francine gently. "Why don't you put the box down and have a seat? Let someone check on that eye."
"No, no!" Clawhauser poked one of the doughnuts with his paw. "It's okay, little guys. You're safe now."
Delgato shook his head. "He's lost it."
But then the doughnuts started to wiggle. One by one, a tiny mouse head poked out of each doughnut. They were covered in strawberry jelly, but otherwise appeared unharmed.
"They came to warn us," said Clawhauser. "I was just starting to collect their statements when—" He mimed a punch to his eye. "Then next thing I know, it's chaos! Everywhere I looked there was fighting. There were so many animals I… I didn't know what to do." Clawhauser dropped his gaze. "So I hit the alarm, scooped up these little guys, and made a run for it."
Chief Bogo patted the cheetah's shoulder. "You did good, officer."
"T-thank you, Chief."
Judy's ears perked as the soft sound of fluttering came from the hall. She took a few steps backwards and peeked out. A short way down the hallway opened up into the lobby. A piece of paper drifted over the floor. Judy watched it glide along the tile for a few feet before coming to a rest near the waiting room. She looked back at the desk. Had gravity allowed it to slip over the side, or perhaps a draft from the A/C had hit it? Both were reasonable assumptions. But her instincts prickled, disbelieving.
She took a couple steps farther out into the hall. There was a quiet snap, and Judy pivoted as a palm plant to her right suddenly shook in its pot. Tangled in one of the fronds was a rubber band. At the time moment she spotted this, a shape darted out from behind the desk and rushed towards her. Judy spun back around, tensing to spring away, but the sight of the red and white fur, the thick bushy tail and dark paws caused her brain to stutter: Nick?
The thought only lasted a second before she realized her mistake. This fox was the wrong height, wrong weight, wrong features and clothes and expression. He snarled and luanched himself at her, and Judy collected herself enough to jump aside, but the brief hesitation cost her. Heavy paws caught her around the legs, and she slammed down onto her stomach with a breath-stealing woomph. Cold tile kissed her cheek. Judy kicked and managed to dislodge the fox's hold, but before she could get her feet under her enough to leap away to safety the fox pounced again. Claw dug into her back, pinning her down. There was no question he was out for blood, and yet Judy experienced a moment of numb surprise when razor-sharp fangs pierced her shoulder. He'd actually bit her!
Those canines tore through fur and flesh and muscles, and Judy cried out as pain blossomed, a tearing, burning sensation that intensified the harder his jaws clamped down. Judy thrashed, swiping her claws ineffectually at the air above her, her mind unable to formulate thought beyond trapped! pain! escape! help!
The last came out as a desperate cry. There was the sound of pounding feet, and abruptly the fangs were torn away. Judy gasped and rolled onto her back in time to see Delgato lifting the fox up by the scruff of his neck. The fox was snapping and clawing at the officer's arm like a mad thing, but couldn't break free. The lion roared into the fox's face, a bellow of rage and war, and threw the feral animal away with all his might. The fox flew through the air, still snarling and twisting, before he struck the side of the desk with a dull, wet, cracking sound. He crumpled to the floor, silent and boneless as a rag doll, and Judy and Delgato both watched, tense and waiting, but the fox didn't rise again.
The other officers had spilled out of the break room. When Howle and Stella saw Judy on the floor, they made for her, but Delgato got to her first. He grabbed her by the arm and yanked her up, ignoring her cry of pain as it pulled at the gash in her shoulder.
"Did working in Tundratown all these weeks freeze your muscles? Your brain?" he growled at her. "Why were you just standing there like an idiot?"
"Because I… I thought it was…" But she couldn't finish. Delgato was looking at her with such disgust, and for once he was right to. That moment of stupidity had almost gotten her killed. "I'm sorry."
The lion's lip curled. He shoved her away and stepped back, shaking out his paw. Blood splattered on the floor. His wrist was shredded from where the fox had clawed him. The sight made Judy feel even worse.
Clawhauser hurried over. Six jelly-coated mice were now perched on his shoulder. He tried to wrap Delgato's injury in a dish towel, but the lion snatched it away to do it himself.
Stella and Howle quickly came over and inspected Judy's shoulder. It felt hot and stinging, and when she moved her arm it tugged painfully at the damaged muscle.
"Stitches, definitely," said Stella.
"There's no time for that," said Bogo, his expression dark. "We're behind as it is. Hopps, can you make it?"
"Yes, sir."
Clawhauser held out another towel. Howle took it and helped Judy tie it around her. It helped slow the bleeding, but it hurt like the dickens, as her dad would say.
The thought brought her a different kind of pain. She pulled her phone out just enough to check the screen. Still no reply from her family.
The water buffalo handed Clawhauser a walkie. "I want you to get these mice out of here. Find somewhere safe to wait. We'll let you know when the coast is clear."
"Understood, sir."
After that they split up. Clawhauser carried the mice out the front while Bogo and his team hurried to the jail cells. Judy, Stella, and Howle made their way on alone.
Thankfully, they didn't run into anyone else along the way. At the final corner, they slowed at the sound of voices. Judy, Howle, and Stella took turns peeking around the corner to see. Seven animals, all burly predators, were huddled around the security room door. The door was reinforced metal and locked with an encrypted panel that required a passcode. They had attached some sort of device to the panel. Trying to hack it no doubt.
"Seven to three," breathed Judy, pulling back. "Not great odds."
"I have a taser," whispered Howle. "I took it with me before going to the Wildlands."
"One taser against seven other mammals? I don't think so," said Stella. "You saw how vicious that fox was. If they all fight like that, we don't stand a chance bare-pawed."
"What other options are there?"
"What if we go and help the Commander take the weapons room? Then we could come back with some tranq guns."
"And if they get through the door before we get back? Then what?"
"I've got another idea," said Judy. She looked up at the wolf and tiger. "Come on, follow me."
They backtracked to the stairwell and, after making sure the coast was still clear, made their way up to the roof. The helicopter was still there. The pilot was stretched out with his tiny feet on the dash, reading a book.
"Need another ride already?" He asked when he saw them.
"Not exactly," said Judy. "You wouldn't happen to have any rope on board, would you?"
"Rope?" The sugar glider rubbed his chin as he thought. "I might have something of the sort stashed somewhere. Any particular reason why you need it?"
Howle grabbed a trashcan and shoved it under the door handle. It wouldn't keep anyone from coming onto the roof if they wanted to, but it would at least give them a warning. "We've got an unknown quantity of hostile prowlers currently on the premises," said the wolf. "We need to get to the security room ASAP and figure out what we're dealing with."
The sugar glider blinked. "But this is the roof."
"Rope!" snapped Stella, and the pilot jumped up and disappeared into the back of the helicopter.
Judy was already moving away from the helipad and across the green lawn beyond. She had often took breaks up here. There was a path she had jogged more times than she could count. She could see the bench where she had shared lunches with Nick, and the small thicket beyond where they had shared a few kisses. Now she eyed the bushes for threats before approaching the edge of the roof.
A safety fence jutted out from the cement rock. Below were six flights worth of windows. The security room had one west facing window. If they could reach it, they could make it inside before the Order finished hacking the panel.
Nick would have had something appropriately rude to say about a plan that included climbing down the side of the police station; Stella and Howle accepted it with grim resolve. Oddly, the lack of argument didn't make Judy feel more confident.
Stella climbed up onto the raised edge of the roof and starting using her claws to tear away the safety fence. Howle jogged off and returned a few minutes later with a stone he must have took from the garden area. "For the window," he said. "It will be locked. We don't have time to try and pry it open."
The pilot hurried over to them then, dragging a heavy length of bungie cord behind him. "Will this work?"
"Perfectly. Thank you," said Judy, as Stella took it from him.
"You should come with us," Howle told him. "This roof might not be safe for much longer."
The sugar glider spread his arms, showing off a bit of the thin, furry membrane there. "I've got my own way out of here if I need it. But I'll stick around as long as I can, in case you guys succeed and need a ride after."
"Appreciate it."
Stella tied off one end of the cord and slung the rest over the side. "That's as close as I can get it. We might have to swing a little to reach the right window."
"I'll go first," said Judy. This had been her idea; it was only right that she lead the way. And she was small enough that she should have an easier time scaling the building than either of the others.
Howle passed over the stone, which she pocketed. "Be careful, Hopps."
Taking hold of the cord, Judy climbed up onto the edge of the roof and peeked over. Stella had torn a ragged hole in the safety fence. The cord swayed in the breeze, twenty feet short of the ground. If something went wrong and Judy couldn't get back up, she would have no way of reaching the street safely.
Well, she thought, I just have to make sure not to fail then.
She gave the cord a tug, just as a last check. It held.
Deep breath in, deep breath out. Then she carefully lowered herself over the side.
They always say not to look down when traversing heights, but Judy had to look in order to gauge the distance to the correct window. The street below was still and quiet. She could see signs of where the Natural Order had caused a scene before heading inside the precinct. Cars sat abandoned in the road with their tires slashed. Windshields were cracked and side mirrors were missing. Garbage cans had been overturned. The newspaper stand across the street looked like it had been as a scratching post. Bits of shredded newspaper and magazines were strewn everywhere. Here and there she spotted the slumped forms of a few animals. All still. All quiet.
Like the fox in the lobby.
No, she wouldn't think of that. Focus!
The wind kicked up, and Judy tightened her hold as she was swung sideways like a furry pendulum. She might be able to climb down easier than Howle or Stella, but she didn't have the weight needed to keep herself in place with gusts this strong. All she could do was hold on and ride it out. Her injured shoulder scraped across the rough stone of the building, and Judy gritted her teeth against the pain that radiated down her back in arm.
Eventually, the wind died enough that Judy was able to center herself and continue on. She carefully picked her way down over the slippery surface of a window, keeping the one she needed in sight. She gripped the cord tight as she came up parallel with it. It was still several feet away, out of reach. Planting her feet, Judy began to carefully swing herself back and forth, gaining momentum by slow degrees. Each swing sent her a precious inch closer.
When she thought she was close enough, she reached out for the window frame. Missed. Tried again, and felt stone crumble as her clawtips made purchase only to slip away.
Another gust of wind slammed into her, catching her off guard. Judy yelped, clutching the cord tight as the wind caught her, turning her measured swing into a spinning roll along the building, first one way and then back. Her head clonked against stone. The world spun as her vision was consumed in turns by stone then sky, stone then sky. Above her Howle and Stella were shouting; she didn't have the concentration to spare trying to answer them. She kicked out a foot, trying to stop her spin, and felt one of her toes catch and pop in a way that made it immediately go numb. She smashed cheek-first into the building, felt her grip start to slip and tightened it. She turned her head, and the window was right there.
She made a desperate grab for it. Her paw was sweaty and for a moment Judy feared she would slip. She flung out a leg, hooking her ankle into the nook of the sill, and felt the tug of gravity as she hung there, suspended, the cord in one paw trying to pull her back, and the solid stone of the window in the other. She threw her weight forward, committing, and let herself fall onto the narrow window ledge. Her knees struck metal and for a moment she huddled there, panting, the cord still clenched in her fist. She looked through the window and saw the glowing light of the security feeds. The door was still shut. No one was inside. She had made it first. She had made it.
She pulled out the rock, wound her arm back as much as she dared, and brought it forward. Glass shattered. They had probably heard it out in the hall, but it didn't matter. Judy brushed away as much of the shards as she could then slipped inside, tying off the other end of the cord and giving a thumbs up out the window to Howle and Stella so they would know to make their way down.
On the other side of the door she could hear the Order muttering, along with a few beeps and clicks as they struggled on getting through.
Howle came down next. He ducked though the window and came up ready for a fight, feet planted and fists ready as he faced the door.
"They haven't gotten it yet," said Judy.
Stella slipped through the window on silent paws, her gaze dark on the door. "Can we block it somehow?"
"You and I can work on that," said Howle. "Hopps, you should check the security feeds and update the Commander and Chief."
"Right."
As Howle and Stella began looking for things to block the door with, Judy sprinted over to the security screens. It took her a second to locate the others. Commander Stelmaria and her team were tucked around the corner from the weapons room. Inside, Judy could see several animals picking over things. She unclipped the walkie from her waist. "Hopps here. We've made it to the security room. Commander, there are five animals currently in the weapons room."
"Species?"
"Two sheep, a possum, a wolverine, and a bear. Both sheep will be on your left and look to be holding tranq guns. The possum and wolverine are to the right, unarmed. The bear is in the back. Looks to be holding a stun baton."
"Moving in. Keep an eye out."
"Will do. Chief Bogo?"
"Here, Hopps. What do you see?"
"The jail looks clear. But there are ten mammals one hallway over and they're heading your way. I think you were right, sir. They're attempting a jailbreak."
"We'll see about that."
Across the room, Stella and Howle were still searching for something to block the door. Everything was either bolted down or too light to be helpful.
On screen, Commander Stelmaria and her team had entered the weapons room. Fang and Clawe had slipped up behind the sheep and were wrestling them to the ground. Eisbaer and a few others had managed to circle the possum and wolverine and were slowly closing in. Commander Stelmaria had climbed up on top of the cabinets and was perched above the bear with the baton. Judy watched with bated breath as the leopard pounced—
A cheerful tune sounded from the hallway. Judy, Stella and Howle all froze, gazes shooting to the door as muffled whoops sounded.
They'd successfully hacked the security panel.
Howle and Stella lunged for the door. Howle grabbed the handle just as it started to depress. Stella threw her weight against door. There were curses from the other side, and the thump as bodies shoved back against it. It was a strength contest now.
A shout from the walkie had Judy turning back to the screens. Chief Bogo's team had holed themselves up inside the jail wing, using the doorway as a pinch point to hold the Order off. But they were outnumbered and weaponless. The Order was breaking through.
"Chief!"
"We could use some backup over here, Hopps."
"Hold onto your horns, will you?" said Stelmaria. The leopard had managed to get the drop on the bear. Judy didn't know what she'd done to it, but the animal was splayed out on the floor like a furry starfish, unmoving. Fang and Clawe had manage to wrestle the tranq guns from the sheep, who now slumped against each other, the red feather of a dart sticking out from both their necks. Eisbear and the rest had caught the possum and wolverine and were tying them up with wire they'd found on one of the shelves.
"We'll be over there in three," said the commander. "Everyone, grab a weapon."
Howle grunted as someone on the other side of the door threw themselves against it. Stella hissed. "We could use some backup ourselves here!"
On screen, Judy watched as three more figures sprinted through the front doors of the precinct, too fast for her to make out what kind of animals they were. Whoever they were, they were coming in fast.
"We have three more unidentified mammals inside the building and on the move," said Judy.
At the same time the Commander and Chief said, "Handle them!"
"Yeah, we'll get right on that!" said Stelmaria, snarling as another blow hit the door.
Judy leapt out of her seat and surveyed the room. Chairs, monitors, and other electrical equipment. All of it useless. They needed weapons.
A weapon…
She turned to Howle. "You said you had a taser?"
The wolf jerked his chin down at his coat. "Left pocket."
She reached in and pulled it out. It was small. There was no way they'd able to take down seven mammals with it before being overpowered.
Static exploded from the walkie, and all three of them looked at the screen. The jail was no longer visible. Smoke and dust obscured everything.
"Explosion in the jail!" Someone shouted over the walkie.
"Tundratown team incoming!" said Stelmaria.
The door quaked and shuddered. If it had been made of anything other than metal, they would have already broken through.
A metal door…
She looked at the taser in her paw. Flicking up the safety cap, she pressed down on the power button. The taser jittered in her paw with a small but satisfying zz-tat-tat-tat.
"You got a plan there, Hopps, or what?" grunted Stella.
Judy released the power button and looked up. "I have a plan."
"Thank goodness. Because my shoulder's about to give out."
"On the count of three, release the door," said Judy. Howle and Stella both nodded.
The walkie was nothing but yelling and static now. Whether that was a good thing or not Judy couldn't tell.
She held up a claw.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw movement on the screen. The three animals were still running but Judy couldn't tell where they were headed.
She held up a second claw.
The door handle jerked in Howle's grip. Metal shrieked as multiple animals clawed against the door, fighting to get through.
"Now!" shouted Judy.
Stella and Howle jumped back at the same time that Judy lunged forward. She pressed the taser against the door just as the handle plunged down. There was a choked off noise as the taser went zz-tat-tat-tat. The sound of scraping claws stopped. Judy held the taser there for a few additional seconds before releasing the power button and stepping back. The three of them stood there, waiting. The door hung there, partially open with light from the hallway slicing through. But no one sprang through at them.
"Think we're good?" asked Stella.
Howle grabbed a mouse pad and used it to push the door open. It swung halfway before bumping into something and stopping. The three of them slipped out to look. Seven stunned mammals lay in a pile, their fur fluffed like startled cats. At a glance they all seemed to still be breathing, if a tad bit erratically. However none of them appeared to be in any condition to move any time soon.
Shouting had died on the walkie. Chief Bogo's voice announced, "We've secured the jail. But some of them got away. Looks like they took several inmates with them."
"If someone had stopped them from blowing up a wall, we might have avoided that." This from Commander Stelmaria.
There was some angry muttering from Bogo. Then, "Any word on those new arrivals?"
That was to Judy. She started to retrieve the walkie, but stopped as a voice from down the hallway said, "I believe he's referring to us."
Judy, Howle, and Stella all whirled. A cat—no, maybe a weasel?—was standing there, dressed in a suit and tie. He nodded politely to each of them, as if there wasn't a small pile of twitching bodies on the floor between them. Flanking him was a Bengal tiger and a sun bear, also wearing suits.
"Chief Mahery of the Rainforest District," he introduced himself. "I apologize for being late. I've come to offer you my assistance."
"More pairs of claws is always good," said Stella. "Glad to have you."
Howle cocked his head at them. "I thought you were heading efforts over in the Rainforest District?"
"I left good mammals in charge before I left," Mahery assured him. "Don't you worry."
The wolf waved that aside. "I meant, how did you get here so fast? The attacks only started a short while ago. You would've had to have left the Rainforest District long before that to get here now."
"Ah, well that's a stickier question, isn't it?" said Mahery. He looked over at Judy. He had huge yellow eyes that almost glowed with intensity. It was hard to hold his gaze. "The truth is, I'm actually very late. I've feared this day was coming for a long time now. But I had hoped… ah well. More fool me."
"You knew we would be attacked?" said Stella.
Mahery nodded. "For many years."
"But… how?"
"Because he's part of the Natural Order," said Judy. "Aren't you?"
He smiled at her. It was both a little bit wry and a little bit sad. He gave her a deferential nod. "At your service, officer Hopps."
It felt strange to see Zootopia's skyline from outside the city. Nick was used to be surrounded by buildings. At his most distant, he had surveyed the high rises and skyscrapers from the plateaus of Zootopia's desert, back when he and Finnick would feel like escaping for a weekend. But seeing it from the outside made it feel alien, an unfamiliar city. Nick didn't know this skyline. He certainly didn't recognize the plumes of smoke that rose between buildings, the distant sound of sirens that seemed to be coming from everywhere.
The whole trek he and Craven had stuck to the back of the pack, as far from Silos as they could get. But as they drew close to the city the snake commanded everyone to halt, and the foxes were called to the front.
"It's time to prove your usefulness to the Natural Order," Silos said to Nick.
Nick had been afraid of that. His stomach flip-flopped like a caught fish. "And you want me to do that, how?"
"You will go and find the leader of Zootopia. You will bring him to me. You will know where to find me."
"Is this a 'wanted dead or alive' situation or…?"
"Alive," Silos answered immediately. "I must defeat him in honest combat and prove once and for all who is the rightful ruler of the Animal Kingdom."
It doesn't work that way! Nick wanted to shout it at him. But the snake hadn't listened before and he wouldn't listen now. Instead Nick said, "You seriously think I have the abilities required to bring you the mayor? He's probably on lockdown in the most secure bunker that's ever been invented. Even if I could get close enough to talk to him while there's an attack happening on the city, nothing I say is going to convince that cowardly lion to face you. Even if I could somehow knock him out, that's four hundred pounds of dead weight. Not to mention who knows how many bodyguards I would have to get through."
"Ah, but I have a secret to share that will help you with all that," said Silos. He said it brightly, smiling like a friend who was eager to help ease the burden.
Nick smiled back too, a sharp baring of fangs. "Well I can't wait to hear this."
The snake stretched out his neck until Nick could feel the tickle of that forked tongue against his ear, and it took everything he had not to recoil in revulsion. He held still, letting the words roll over him as the snake whispered his secret to him.
Then Nick did recoil. He covered his ear as if the snake had spit poison into it, and in a way he had. Nick looked Silos dead in his yellow slitted eyes, looking for the joke, the lie, but all Nick saw was cold-blooded sincerity. The snake believed what he was saying, every last word of it.
"You see? There is no one better to accomplish this task for me than you," said Silos.
"I can't." The denial slipped out automatically, but the truth was that Nick could do it. Silos was right; there was no one better suited than Nick to achieve what he wanted. And it would be so easy. Too easy.
Nick thought he might be sick.
"Of course, if you can't, you can't." The snake arched his neck in the semblance of a shrug. He started slithering closer, and Nick waited for the snake to strike at him, but he continued past. Over to Craven. He looped himself loosely around the kit's frozen form. "It would be unfortunate, but the choice is yours. As I told you, freedom is important in the Natural Order. I would never take that away from you."
Craven let out a frightened whimper as those coils tightened around him. Silos rested his chin on top of the fox's head, watching Nick. "So what will it be?"
Nick fisted his paws. He had expected such a move since Craven had first approached him. Of course Silos would have made note of their relationship. Of course he would Nick's feelings for the kit to keep him in line. But Nick hadn't expected such a poisonous secret. Such a perfect trap. Now, it didn't matter what he chose. Either way, he'd lose.
"Ill do it," said Nick.
"Wonderful!" Silos flicked his tongue down at Craven, who flinched. "And you'll stay with us while he's gone, won't you, little fox? As a new member of the Order, we have so much yet to teach you."
"I-I…" The snake was squeezing him too tight, otherwise Nick knew the kit would be trembling. Their eyes met. Nick didn't know if the desperate look Craven gave him was a silent plea for help or an apology, but the kit only said, "Y-yes. Of course I'll s-stay with you."
"So it's settled. You should know, Nicholas. A copy of your contract was delivered to your former place of business this morning. It's a courtesy we like to extend to all our new members."
Nick ground his teeth. "How thoughtful of you. You really shouldn't have."
The snake looked at him, the faux kindness falling away. "You're on our side now. They all know it. For your own sake, you best not forget it."
After everything else, the move was superfluous. But still, you couldn't say the leader of the Natural Order wasn't thorough. Nick nodded to show he understood.
Silos finally seemed satisfied and uncurled himself from around Craven. He made his way over to Luther and looped himself around the silent animals shoulders, using him as a perch to look out at the distant city. The rhino didn't even blink.
"Ah. Look at that," said Silos. "The Order has already begun stage two. How delightful."
Nick looked. To the west, heavy, dark plumes of smoke rose. "What is that?"
"If you want to take down a city, destroying the food supply is a quick and efficient way to buckle it. And it burns so nicely too."
Nick's heart flipped over and started racing. The Natural Order had set the farmlands ablaze.
Bunny Burrow. Judy's family.
Nick was running towards the fire before he could think twice about it. No one tried to stop him.
He spared one look back at Craven. He couldn't read the kit's expression or guess what look might be on his own face. He hoped the kit understood. He hoped he wasn't making another huge mistake. He hoped for a lot of things he didn't believe.
From atop his loyal follower, Silos hissed, fangs flashing in the sunlight as he cried, "Now, we move onwards! To Zootopia!"