An Hour Past Midnight

Chapter 23: Promises

Nick heard the words echoing throughout his mind as he began to wake up. He couldn't understand what they meant just yet, or realize any importance they held, but he knew it meant something.

"...I've decided to help you"

Someone... Someone was going to help him? Help him what? Who? The message seemed so simple yet his mind failed to process any meaning from it in his state of dazed confusion. What his mind was able to comprehend, was the searing agony in literally every part of his body. Coming to the conclusion he was indeed still alive, Nick began trying to figure out where exactly he was. His paws were no longer restrained, and his body felt strange beneath the layers of agony- as if somehow it wasn't taking any energy for him to be standing. It took him a rather long moment to realize, that it was because he in fact, wasn't standing at all. Instead, he was actually lying down on an uncomfortably stiff bed. That's when Nick finally began remembering the few key details of what exactly was happening.

That's right, he had been kidnapped.

Franklin... It was Franklin who had wanted to help him. But why? Wasn't he some big lieutenant in Franko's list of drug rings? None of it made much sense at all. He needed to find answers. To figure out where he was and how to get home. To make sure Judy was safe. To learn what exactly Franklin planned on when he mentioned the word 'help'. With that, Nick opened his eyes to begin surveying his new predicament. The first thing he noticed, was that he was actually on the bottom mattress of a bunk bed. He wasn't sure what exactly he had been expecting, but this wasn't quite it. His mind finished awakening as he shifted his head to the left, looking over several more rows of bunk beds beside him. They were almost all noticeably empty.

All except for the one immediately across from him.

The single grey wolf was... asleep? It was hard to tell, him facing the opposite direction and all. The wolf was dressed in a completely white T-shirt, matched with... Nick had to stop himself completely when he looked at the pants this particular mammal had been wearing. It almost sent him into shock, as he found himself dumbfounded at the sight.

Judy would never believe me

He thought before his pondering was cut short by the wolf suddenly shifting on the bed across from him. The wolf turned over to sleep on his back now, facing up, and to Nick's amazement- began snoring.

Who was this guy?

Nick wasn't sure if he should try getting up, or pretend to continue sleeping. On one paw, he might be able to escape wherever it was they had taken him to. At the same time, the lieutenant who appeared to be in charge had promised to 'help' him. Whatever that meant. He also had no idea just how far he was from the city, or if it would even be feasibly to make his way out. On the far end of the rows and rows of bunks to Nick's left, he saw a double set of doors, which appeared to lead outside considering he could just make out a treeline through the slim windows built in the them. He knew he would have to make his decision fast, and spending a second too long could spell out failure for any possible plan. Looking down at his clothes, he realized that his uniform had been replaced at some point. He now wore a red shirt and a pair of unremarkable sweat pants. This shirt felt... Off. As if somehow it was gripping certain parts of his fur and skin underneath the cloth. He pull the shirt up to reveal it was actually a fresh pair of bandages that had been clinging onto him. It was only then he noticed his head was also tightly wrapped with the white gauge. Was this what Franklin had meant when he proposed his 'help'? At least they hadn't executed him, Nick thought. It was obvious they wouldn't try and kill him at the very least, but that didn't mean he could stay here. Judy was still in danger back in the city by herself, still no doubt dealing with whatever Franko was planning as well as a nearly rogue police chief.

...And if something happened to her while he wasn't there...

The inserted idea of something possibly happening to the bunny he loved had him forgetting to make a plan, and quickly- albeit painfully- stepping out of the less than comfortable cot. And in a not very well thought out manner, he shook the (guard?) wolf awake.

"Hey, buddy, where are we?" Well... he had to make progress somehow. Even if this wasn't the brightest way to go about it. The responding jerk awake from the previously asleep mammal had Nick flinch back as the wolf's eyes shot open and propped himself up within a heartbeat. Furthering Nick's surprise, the wolf seemed to ignore his presence and looked past him and around the rows of beds. Nick could only stand there in confusion while the wolf seemed to realize it was in fact Nick who had woken him up.

"bloody 'ell mate, can't you tell I'm tryna get a wink of sleep 'ere?"

"I'm... sorry?" Came Nick's automatic response as his brain decided to leave it up to his autopilot mode. In all fairness, he had absolutely no idea on what he should've done anyway. And it probably could have gone much, much worse. Realizing how stupid his response had been, he decided to try again. "Pal, mind giving me a bit of a run-down on where exactly I am?"

"What part of what I just said did you not understand?" The wolf replied, laying back down in his original position. Perhaps it would be easier for Nick to take this mammal as more of a threat if the wolf wasn't wearing pink cupcake pajama bottoms. "Now shut it, would'ja?"

This is ridiculous.

Nick was about to try and begin arguing with him, but realized there wasn't any possibility for that to turn out in his favor. He sat back down on the cot, questioning what he could try now. Running might not have been viable with the bandages around his chest, constricting his ability to take deep breaths. At least it didn't seem like he broke any bones. Judy would have given him an earful. Come to think about it, he should avoid talking about his attempt to hijack the van when he got back to her. But for now, he had to figure out how to get there to begin with. He sat there on the side of the bunk bed for several minutes lost deep in thought as he considered and dismissed dozens of possible plans and escape tactics. Turns out, he had even less time than he thought when multiple figures showed up at the doors positioned down the numerous rankings of beds. Sure enough, the doors opened a second later to reveal three more wolves dressed in all black outfits, although they lacked the masks Nick had seen so many of them wearing from his brief holdout at the apartment complex to this very moment. They appeared unarmed, too.

It was obvious these few had come for him, as they all immediately began walking over towards him. His natural instinct to run was stuffed down when he saw they didn't seem to be moving with any malicious intent, but rather a casual stroll towards him. If they meant to be intimidating, it wasn't showing very well.

"Ah, and you are?" He spoke first, trying to express that these wolves didn't scare him. Maybe it was just bravado, but it did make him feel just a little bit better.

"Don't worry about my name, and I won't worry about yours. The boss wanted to speak with you when you awoke" The remaining two wolves stayed behind him, making Nick wonder if this meant he was some sort of pack leader. "Are you ready?"

The oddly hospitable question caught him off guard, but so had literally everything else these past few days.

"let's go then" Nick replied as he stood up. The guards took this as their queue and began leading him out the doors they had entered through, and into the outside air. He took a view of what appeared to be some type of compound, with large barbed wire fences surrounding the perimeter. The building he exited was entirely made out of brick, with a neat sign reading: 'BARRACKS' right at the double doors. The night sky was impeded only by the large radio tower beaming into it, dotted with red lights. There were several mammals moving about between buildings dotted across the compound, some seemed to be hurrying in a rush while other's were nonchalantly walking about. Not all of them were wolves, he noticed. There were lions, weasels, a few bears, and some more he couldn't fully make out as he stayed right behind the three guards leading him towards another building in complete silence.

"Listen guys, I appreciate the whole 'not killing me' thing and so on, but is it too much to ask for someone to tell me where we are?"

"Yes"

Well, it was worth a shot. They approached another large building, this one made almost uniformly out of concrete, and entered through a similar double set of doors. Inside, the decorum actually quite... Classy. It reminded him of what he had seen back in Mr. Big's home, the thought of which reminded him of the icy grave he almost fell into with Judy that night. Hey, if he could survive that, this should be a cakewalk. Of course, it wouldn't be a cakewalk. Sitting at an ostentious gold-rimmed table, surrounded more armed wolves who stood around him, was the single elephant who as far as Nick could tell, was the sole reason he hadn't been executed and put on display for all of Zootopia.

Nick would have to thank him later.

"Ah, so he finally awakes. I hope this time you plan on staying that way, Officer Wilde" It was almost humorous that Frankin had been mentioning it, considering even Nick could see the dark bags under the large mammal's eyes. "I have a proposition for you"

"I get the feeling my answer will be yes whether or not I want it to be" Nick replied as he approached the round table and sat down in the chair opposite of his new...friend?

"Oh I think you'll find it quite adequate. You see, I've been working for our mutual friend, Franko, for quite some years now. I've killed many, many mammals in that time and never once even considered remorse. After all, they've just been part of my job. But I feel you could be of use, Officer. That's why I haven't let you fall right into our dear Franko's paws"

Nick stayed silent, unsure of how to respond. What did he mean by 'of use'? And why were those three wolves now standing right behind him? They were so close it was as if they were trying to suck all the oxygen out of the air so he couldn't breath. Simply put, he did not appreciate it.

"Furthermore, I will allow you to leave this place. Your entourage will see you back to the city, from there I suppose you will try and save your wife"

"What did you just say?"

"Yeah, that's about the reaction I had been expecting" The elephant murmured under his breath at seeing the expression of sudden fear and anger all but written across Nick's face. "A little over an hour ago, Debauch had one of your own trick Judy into being lured into a trap. I myself only learned of this a few minutes ago, but I would imagine it's because of her importance to the populace of both the ZPD and the city that put her on his list. With all she did to save the city and all during the nightho-"

"Where is she?!" He suddenly yelled while lurching himself upwards and out of the chair. The armed guards standing beside Franklin shifted uneasily on their paws, while the three beside him stepped back in surprise. "What did you do to her?!"

"I can't promise she isn't in danger, you'll have to hurry if you wish to save her. I'll tell Franko you stole one of my men's sidearms and hijacked a car. From there, it is up to you. Guards! Take our guest back to the city"

"let's g-"

"Tell me where she is!" Nick demanded before considering leaping at the elephant to choke the information out of his oversized throat. Perhaps he should be nicer to someone who had done so much for him, but kindness wasn't on the table when the bunny he belonged too was in morbid danger.

"You'll see for yourself on the trip there, now go! There isn't much time!"

Nick couldn't tell if Franklin just wanted him to leave or if he was genuinely concerned about him saving Judy, but either way, he was right. If Franko already had her this would by no means be easy. But Nick knew he would be able to do it, there wasn't even a doubt in his mind. That was when he realized he had already gotten into a car with the three unmasked wolves. He couldn't even remember going outside, was this the adrenaline? Whatever, Nick had a promise to keep.