Chapter IX

The panther was waiting. Waiting for his partner to call back or something. It has been three days, and yet the arctic fox still hasn't called in any reports. It honestly made him annoyed. Because of his superior calling, he is being pushed into finishing the task. Wanting to kill the girl as soon as possible he couldn't wait for the fox to report. Yes, he was willing to give him a few days or a week if he was feeling generous, but he can't wait anymore because of that call; he wanted an update ASAP! Looking at his phone, he was waiting for the fox's number to just appear, and he was staring a little too hard. If he waited anymore, then it would have been burnt in a furnace. Just like he assumed, however, the fox called. He accepted it, placing the phone on his ear.

''Finally! I hope you have some noteworthy reports this time! No theory or any of the sort! I want to know if you found the girl's location!'' The panther told the fox sternly.

On the other side, Ark was spying on the two. Ever since he found the shepherd, and the deer together, he's been observing them. He actually wanted to know where the office was located. But trying not to get caught by the shepherd was hard. Every time he tried to follow him, for some reason the officer was on high alert. Even the slightest noise would cause the officer to look in the direction of the noise. He was nearly caught multiple times, once at the train station and the other was on the way to the house. Luckily he wasn't caught. Right now he was sitting in an alleyway staring at a building, more specifically the sixth floor. He knew where they were...

Looking around his surroundings, he needed to make sure that there weren't any mammals present. Seeing that the coast is clear, he addressed the panther. ''Yes, I found them! They're at Savannah Central, and there is a café, called Harvey's Café. Does that place ring you any bell?'' The arctic fox asked. He really wants to leave because he never liked staying outside in the dark; it made him uncomfortable. Since his fur is white as snow, he will be easily spotted.

''Harvey's Café? Yeah, but which one specifically? Give me the details!'' The panther seems really angry. Ark looked around the area again, and have some clues about where this is. He could ask, but Damien wouldn't be too pleased to hear that. He was only following the shepherd, and he hasn't been here before. Since he isn't too familiar with the address of this location, it was very difficult for him to actually give some info without looking at the internet. ''Just give me the address!'' The panther demanded. The arctic fox opened his phone and opened the map app. Luckily, he only needed to use his data, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to access the map. Getting a view of the current address, he took a screenshot and sent it to Damien via message. He heard the panther grunt. ''I haven't been there that often.''

''W-well...Whatever! What else do you need me to do? The officer is quite high on alert. I think he's beginning to realize that someone is following him. He's quite good, actually...'' The arctic fox explained. The panther was quiet for a few seconds before he asked a question.

''Did he see you? I swear if he saw you...''

''N-No...He didn't see me! H-he's just being very perceptive. He nearly caught me twice, but I managed to get away. I don't know what you want me to do, but this officer is very good at detecting a presence!'' The arctic fox explained. He could hear once again that Damien just grunted.

''Good, or not I will not let a single mammal get in my way, and since you described this guy to be good...I want you to do some research on this officer. I might be able to deduce some weakness...''Damien said darkly. It honestly scared Ark. He knew Damien to be smart, and it looks like he's having fun.

''O-okay...But I don't even know his name! All I know that he's a German Shepherd! And you rarely see those species around these parts!'' The arctic fox argued. He always hated when the panther does this. He always thinks it's so easy. Ark can't just search 'German Shepherd Officers'! There might a thousand of them, and he didn't want to go through that. He also doesn't want to hack any files. ''And before you say anything, No! I will not hack into the police system!''

''You have a gift for hacking, and yet you refused to use it when it's needed? You are such a bore!'' The panther complained, but Ark didn't care. He would if it's necessary. ''Well, that's your call. Give me a call if you found out something about that German Shepherd. I hope he doesn't disappoint 'cause I'll be visiting him tomorrow!'' And with that, the call was dropped. The arctic fox sighed because he now has to search up that officer. But finding out his name would be a big help. But does he really want to do this?

The fox stuffed his phone in his pocket as he walked away.

Jake and Amalia arrived home safely, though that the fawn wasn't aware that the shepherd was pretty serious. Jake knew he felt someone watching them ever since he calmed down the fawn at the café. Everywhere he walked he could feel eyes watching him. Call it guts, but to him, it's more than guts. He was always on alert, even the slightest sound would catch his attention. Speaking of sound, he remembered that he heard a clang and went to investigate. He remembered smelling a fox, but he wasn't sure what type of fox it was. He knew the smell of a red fox, but he wasn't too sure; this one was a little different than your ordinary red fox. Instead of investigating further, he dropped it since he didn't want Amalia to wait for too long. When they arrived to the apartment, the shepherd had brought a chair next to the window just to keep an eye outside just to make sure that there wasn't anyone following. This was the fifth time he was checking and didn't calm himself down. He just wanted to make sure; even a mammal like him can have something fly over his head without realizing it.

He was still at the window, and he still hasn't changed his clothes. Amalia was watching a tv show, and couldn't focus because she kept glancing at Jake. Even though she was mostly calm, she couldn't help but feel that Jake was worried about something. He would be at his phone, then for a few minutes, he would watch the window with a worried expression. It was written all over his face, as he has been at the window for an hour since they arrived. She may be a child at thirteen, but ever since her parents were divorced, she forced herself to mature. With her dad having a low budget, and having little too little food, it was hard...but she was still happy. She paid attention to situations around her instead of hanging out with friends, and made sure to do some grocery shopping every once in a while. In short, she was quite different from other kids. This situation is no different; Amalia could just tell. She walked over to the shepherd, who was staring at his phone.

''Hey...Um...Jake?'' The girl said, trying to gain his attention.

The shepherd took his eyes off his phone and looked at her. Changing his expression to a more keen one, he concealed his worries. ''Yeah? What do you need kiddo?'' Jake asked. He took a quick glance and realized the time. ''O-Oh...Are you hungry? I can prepare something for you.'' The shepherd stood up from his chair, walking past the fawn. Amalia frowned because she didn't like that. She followed the shepherd back from the kitchen, and she could see that he was preparing something for her...Was he preparing a salad? Wait...no...It looked like he was pre-heating a pack of something and he was peeling some apples? Is he trying to get her to eat apples? The fawn approached the canine.

''Are you okay?'' The fawn asked. Jake placed the peeled apple on a cutting board as he looked at her.

''What made you say that?''

The fawn twiddled with her fingers as she said ''W-well...I saw that...you were looking really worried, and you were always staring at the window...'' The girl explained. The shepherd sighed, placing aside the peeler. He crossed his arms.

''Well...You're quite perceptive...'' The shepherd admitted, he wasn't sure if he wanted to say this...For all he knows, it might scare the girl, and he didn't want that. ''I guess you can say that...But don't worry about it. I easily get worked up over something.'' The fawn frowned because she didn't believe him. He wanted to change the subject quickly, so Amalia couldn't press him for more questions. But even though she asked, he could easily shut her out. ''Now, how about you wait by the couch? I'll bring over the food. Don't worry about the apples if you don't want to eat them.'' The girl nodded as she left the shepherd. Jake took another apple from the plastic bag, and took the peeler, peeling the apple. He just hoped that there won't be any problem tomorrow...

The Next Day...

The night had passed, and a new day has started. Jake had to head to work, while Amalia slept soundly. Jake on the other hand didn't sleep well for he couldn't help but worry. It could be just his imagination playing with him, but he believed it was more than that...He was not sure though. He didn't like this. He couldn't shake off this feeling of someone following them Because of that, he decided that he needed to bring more than just a tranquilizer. Walking to a drawer, he opened it and saw a taser. He grabbed the taser, and remembered that he bought this when he arrived here. It was something he would only use for safety purposes, but this was a good opportunity to use this. If there is any...

He quickly went over to the window, checking, and the road was empty. Closing the curtains, he glanced at the clock. Jake still has some time before eight...Amalia was in the bathroom doing her daily activities. Jake was trying to calm down, but he was restless; it was impossible for him to be calm. Putting the taser on his belt, he heard a door open. He assumed that the girl was done in the bathroom. Turning to her, she looks ready to go.

''Ready to go?'' He asked just to be sure, and Amalia nodded. ''Okay, let's go. Stay close to me.'' The shepherd grabbed his keys as he went for the door with the fawn following suit. Making sure that his door was shut, he headed for the elevator, murmuring to himself. ''Okay...Be on alert...If my gut feeling isn't playing tricks on me...then I hope my guess is right...I...just need to calm down...'' With the elevator opening, he stepped out with a couple of mammals.

Outside the building, he glances around his surroundings for any suspicious mammals. But none seemed to stick out, or the suspicious one was good at hiding. Better to keep a level head, they keep going. They didn't need to stop by a café since Jake made some roasted potato. He made sure to get up early to make those for her, and Amalia enjoyed it. Of course, she was worried that he wasn't eating and told her not to worry; she even wanted to give him some, but he flat out refused.

Both of them walked down the stairs as the train arrived just in time. The shepherd ran for it with Amalia right behind him. The door closed, but they managed to get on the train in time. They found their seats and sat in silence. Jake observed some of the passengers and none of them stood out to him. Some of them were looking at their phone, some were reading the newspaper, and some of them were tending to their young ones. The shepherd used the time to collect his thoughts. Yes...He could feel that someone was watching them, but it could just be some civilians wondering why a predator like him was with a prey child. He was wearing his uniform, so it wouldn't be that suspicious...But he did remember that he smelled a scent of a fox when he was investigating an alleyway on his way home. He could tell that this fox was there recently...He frowned harder...The thought of it...that maybe this fox was following him...He couldn't prove his own theory. After all, it was only once he smelled it. Jake could be overthinking this. If he really wanted to sniff this fox out, he would need to concentrate really hard for it, and not only that there are many mammal scents he could smell too. There might be some that might overpower the scent since he could tell that some mammals would use perfume and that would make his nose itchy...

Shaking his head, he heard the train door open. He waited for most of the mammals to leave. Once some of the passengers have left, he stood up and left with the girl.

Stepping outside, he could see that this place was populated as ever. He actually wanted to try something; he wanted to try to sniff this fox's scent. ''Wait here, kiddo. I want to try something.'' The girl looked confused but nodded anyway. Taking a deep breath, he closed his eyes as he concentrated on that particular smell.

He gasped in excitement.

He could smell it...The same scent...It was like...this fox was here. Even though the scent was barely there, he could tell it was the same. Yes, most of the mammals' scent were overpowering the fox's, but he could tell that the fox was here. But something was off. Was he a regular fox? It was as if this fox was here at night...He couldn't tell what time this fox was here, but since it was a long time ago, he could guess it was somewhere between eight to twelve but he wasn't sure...Not being able to keep up with all the scents coming in his nose, he stopped smelling all those perfumes...Rubbing his nose, he didn't understand the reason why mammals would use perfumes in the first place...It really made his nose itchy and he felt slightly nauseous...He was never doing that again...

''Are you okay?'' He heard the girl ask. To be honest, he wasn't okay with all that scent overpowering his nose. Most canine noses are sensitive, but he can confirm that a wolf's sense of smell is stronger than a regular dog. The funniest part is wolves rarely use their nose to track down an item or a mammal. He actually remembered asking a wolf colleague, and all they had to say was "I don't use my nose to track anything, I just use them to sniff my way through." Even do wolves are more superior, Jake's kind are the more when it comes to tracking mammals or items.

''Y-yeah...I was just taking a whiff of the air. I didn't expect so many mammals to use cologne...'' The shepherd explained. He didn't like the tingling feeling inside his nose, and hoped it would settle down. ''My nose is just really sensitive.''

''I don't smell anything...'' The fawn said, confused. The shepherd didn't blame her. Amalia hasn't studied the canine's origin, and psychology.

''I don't think you get it, Kiddo. A canine's sense of smell is strong. Anything that is too strong for me would cause me to be nauseous.'' The shepherd explained, he glances at his watch and noticed the time. Only eleven minutes left before role-call starts. ''Oh, Shoot! We're gonna be late. Do you think you can run for it?'' The girl whined. ''Don't complain. Fine, if you don't want to run, we still need to move fast!'' And with that, both Jake and Amalia sped-walked to the precinct. The shepherd hoped that they would get there in time.

Both of them arrived at the precinct just in time. With only two minutes to pass, Jake had no time since He could see the chief closing the door to his office. He was heading down the stairs. He quickly told Clawhauser to look after the girl and dashed off. Because of his worry, he couldn't sleep too well and he blamed himself for that. The shepherd nearly barged in, but he quickly calmed himself as he opened the door. Walking in, he closed the door behind him. Of course, all the officers were ignoring him, and he was glad. He could see that everyone in the bullpen was talking with their partner. Quickly taking his seat, he waited for the chief to come in. Only a few minutes until The Chief entered and every officer was silent. The Chief debriefed them about keeping an eye out while Wolford was on the case. When the meeting was over, he left; Jake couldn't just talk about it to the chief. The shepherd meets with Amalia. She was enjoying having a conversation with the cheetah, most likely having a conversation about Gazelle. Now that he remembered it, he actually had a song called 'Try Everything' and some others. It was made by Gazelle, he just downloaded the music for Amalia since she liked the singer. Deciding to intervene in the conversation since he needed to do his patrol.

''Hey kiddo, Clawhauser. Enjoying your conversation?'' The shepherd asked. He could see that the girl was really happy, she nodded in excitement. ''Heh. I'm glad. Well, we need to leave. C'mon, I'll give you my phone so you can listen to Gazelle.'' The girl nodded once again as she followed the shepherd, saying 'bye' to the cheetah with a wave, and Clawhauser did the same thing. Both of them arrived at the car. Jake opened the door for Amalia as she climbed in the vehicle. The shepherd closed the door, walking to the opposite side. Placing his paw on the door handle, he stopped. He took a quick look around. There was nothing out of the ordinary...But he did take notice of a mammal sitting on a lone bench. He didn't know if this mammal was a threat, but he made sure to take a mental note of them. Quickly opening the door, he entered as he drove off. He made sure to adjust the rear-view mirror, so he could see any vehicle, or any suspicious individual that might be following him. He has never been this paranoid...Normally, he's calm. But because of his gut instinct, he couldn't contain his worries.

The patrols were normal. Jake was keeping the focus on both the road and the back. As he did back then, he gave the fawn his phone to listen to music, or play games. It at least distracts her. He didn't have to tell her twice not to install any miscellaneous apps that might give his phone a virus. Right now since the girl was occupied, she never saw the worried expression on his face. He couldn't calm down! What was going on with him? Ever since he left the building, he couldn't calm down...It was like...He discovered this other side of him...He's worked in a much more difficult and stressful situation than this...He always kept his emotions in check when things were getting serious. This was not difficult, and certainly not stressful. But why can't he calm his nerves? This is the first time he ever felt this! All he knew is that he never had this side of him...It really made him conflicted...He was not used to this. Why is he only worried about Amalia? Just...what is this feeling...?