Fifteen
Judy wasn't sure what to expect as she made her way to Scarlet's. Devastation, maybe. There were plenty of abandoned cars, broken shop windows, N.O. graffitied everywhere. But mostly it was just… quiet. No one was on the streets. Not even in the areas that looked like they had been spared from the ransacking. Word had spread and citizens had fled into hiding. But they were still out there. Judy could feel the weight of their gazes watching her from the windows of the surrounding buildings and from the dark interiors of looted stores and cars. A few bolder ones even scurried out when they saw her, either because they recognized her or her uniform, which was Tundratown colors but still had a familiar logo patch on the front pocket and the letters ZPD written in reflective blue tape across the back.
Some approached her desperate for answers—what was going on? Where should they go? What were the police doing? Others wanted her to stay and protect them, or they wanted to follow after her and the safety they felt her badge represented. Guilt ate at Judy every time this happened. She hated letting them down. But they couldn't follow and she couldn't stay, and she had no answers to give them besides some empty platitudes that the ZPD was doing its best and for now they needed to go back to where they were hiding and wait for news. It was insufficient; Judy knew it and by the animals' crestfallen faces, they knew it too, but it was all she could do.
What made it worse was knowing she was rushing each interaction. She tried to be present, sympathetic, and reassuring, but with each animal that stopped her she felt time ticking down, and she didn't know how much longer was left or what would happen when that time ran out. She only knew it was a matter of when and not if the Natural Order would enact the next phase of its plan, and she needed to be ready with as much information as she could get in order to stop it.
Which meant ignoring the scared faces that watched her from the shadows and brushing off the pleas of those that ran to her for help. She had to keep moving. That was the only way she could truly help them.
It still felt like a betrayal every time.
She made it five blocks this way. Then, as she was crossing an intersection, she noticed a group of animals gathered under the marquee of RinTin Cinema. A family of weasels cowered before a pack of Order members, who were discussing in gruesome detail how and in what order they should do away with each weasel. By the delight in their voices and the matching grins they wore, terrorizing the family with descriptions of their impending death was just as much fun as outright killing them.
Judy ducked behind the ticket booth and weighed her options. There were six Order members. That was a lot to take on all by herself. She would do it if she had to, but the odds of winning weren't in her favor. And if something happened to her, they might never locate Ciara in time.
Quietly, Judy pulled out her walkie and tried to radio for backup, but the only response she got was static. Out of range. She placed a paw on the tranquilizer gun hooked to her belt. Judy had grabbed the weapon before leaving the station, but she'd taken it with the intention of saving it for an emergency. She didn't relish the idea of using up so much of her ammo only an hour into her mission.
So, no backup, no fighting, no shooting. What choices did that leave her with then?
Judy peeked around the ticket booth, noting the species of each Order member: two wolves, a bear, a stag, and a walrus. Besides the walrus, they were all fast creatures—but she was willing to bet that she was faster. She could lead them on a chase, giving the weasel family time to make their own escape, then she could run away herself. The idea of leaving these thugs free to roam chafed, but it was the wiser course of action. They were playing the long game now. Judy had to be cautious.
Or as cautious as one could be when jumping out to yell at a bunch of Natural Order members, "Hey! Pick on someone your own size!"
The members turned. Unlike Zootopia citizens, it took them a moment to recognize her uniform. But then one of the wolves shouted, "It's a cop!" and they all charged forward, leaving the weasel family forgotten behind them.
Judy took off down the street at a dead sprint. She had a good lead and the adrenaline pumping through her veins lended her extra speed. The walrus fell back after the first few minutes; the rest kept after her. They were noticeably slower than Judy was, but just when she was starting to feel confident her plan would succeed, she realized they had one advantage she hadn't considered: They weren't trying to hide.
Unlike Judy, the members of the Order could draw as much attention as they wanted to. They owned these streets now. Even as the remaining five started to fall back, their shouting drew other Order members from the shadows. They came from every direction, spilling out from both sides of the street and herding Judy onto the road where she was forced to weave around abandoned vehicles, slowing her pace and giving others a chance to launch surprise attacks over car hoods and from behind bumpers and tires.
Dodging the snapping fangs of a lunging wolf, Judy scrambled up onto the roof a car and started to hop from vehicle to vehicle. This gave her more distance but also made her a more visible target, and the Order was still shouting and howling as they called forth more and more of them like an enraged hive of bees zeroing in on its enemy. When Judy chanced a look back she saw over a dozen on her tail.
Not good. This was not good.
Her lungs were starting to burn, her leaps turning clumsier as she fought to regain some distance between herself and her pursuers. She hopped onto the roof of a car just as a rhino came barreling out of the shadows of a Veggie Mice sandwich shop. He slammed into the driver's side, shattering glass and pitching Judy sideways. She made a hasty leap for the hood of a van and landed on the window instead. It was like landing on a slippery patch of ice. Her feet shot out from beneath her and she was sent into an uncontrolled slide over the burning glass. Twisting, she threw out a paw to try and catch herself and managed to grab hold of a wiper blade. The thin piece of plastic bowed outwards with a harsh cracking sound and Judy's stomach swooped as she felt her toes slip over the edge, but by some miracle the wiper held.
She pulled herself up. The fall had cost her precious seconds. Already the pack of Order members were closing in. Judy quickly leapt up onto another vehicle, and then another, and then another. She glanced back and caught sight of a thin, golden-furred figure breaking away from the rest of the back with a surge of speed so incredible their form actually blurred at the edges: a cheetah.
Judy thought she had already been afraid. But the sight of the feline sent a whole new rush of fear-powered adrenaline through her. She hopped down into a truck bed and then up onto the hood of a convertible, scrambling awkwardly over the seats until she was far enough to jump onto the roof of a minivan and then over onto a bus. But even as she picked up the pace she knew she wouldn't be able to outrun the cat. Those powerful legs were going to overtake her in seconds, not minutes.
With nothing else for it, Judy pulled out her tranq gun, spun, and fired off a shot.
The cheetah sprang sideways into a graceful roll before popping back up on their feet and continuing to eat up the distance between them. Judy nearly tripped over a luggage rack in her shock. They'd actually dodged the shot. She hadn't known that was even possible!
The cat leapt up onto an overturned van. They were now less than ten feet away, and though every instinct Judy had was screaming at her to run, she planted her feet and waited, letting the cheetah close that last little bit of distance. There was only one vehicle between them now. All the cat had to do was make one more jump and they'd be on her.
Judy forced herself to hold her position. She watched the cat size up the jump, a piece of cake for an animal as agile as they were, and then they were leaping.
Time slowed.
Judy breathed out.
The moment the cat's back paws pushed off she whipped her gun up again and fired off another shot. Mid-leap, the cheetah had no way of evading. They tried to twist themselves away, but it was too little too late, and the dart struck true. They landed in front of Judy awkwardly, their mid-air acrobatic attempt and the rush of sedatives flooding their system sending them skidding across the roof, claws tearing up the paint. They managed to catch themselves and take one drunken swipe at Judy, but she was already leaping away. Over two dozen other animals were closing in, and still more continued to spill from every nook and cranny of the city streets.
Ahead the road opened up. Judy jumped down off the last vehicle and staggered as her legs buckled. She forced herself into a run. Without the traffic blocking her, she should have been able to increase her speed and regain her lead. But no matter how hard Judy pushed herself, she couldn't make her body listen. Her speed was steadily decreasing, the strength leaving her legs. Every breath sent stabbing pains through her lungs. The shouting behind her was growing closer. Any minute and the stampede would overtake her. She couldn't shoot them all.
A sense of despair rose. Was this really how it would end for her? Torn apart by a pack of slobbering bullies without knowing whether Zootopia ever prevailed? Without making up with her family? Without ever seeing Nick again?
Denial was a snarling animal inside of her, even as she stumbled and went down on her knees. She couldn't breathe. Black spots danced in her front of her eyes. There was a rushing noise in her ears: blood and panic and the raving howls of the beasts that closed in. Oddly, it sounded almost like a car horn blaring.
At the end of the block, a van careened around the corner. Familiar tacky artwork decorated its side. It screeched to a halt in the middle of an intersection several yards ahead and the back door flew open. Fru Fru was perched on the top step, waving frantically at her. "Judy! Get in!"
There was no time for surprise. Judy threw herself forward. At the same time, a moose ran out of an alley ahead of her, saw her uniform, and charged her with a murderous roar.
Fru Fru shouted. Judy didn't have time to pull her gun. Deadly sharp antlers bore down on her, the sound of hooves like thunder in her ears, drowning out the howls from the stampede behind her, and Judy felt something click and release inside her, a disconnecting sensation that left only one thought: I don't think so.
Using every last bit of strength she possessed, Judy reached out and caught hold of the antlers as they came crashing down on top of her. Rolling with the motion of the moose's charge, she used the weight of her own body in combination with the moose's momentum to flip the animal hooves over antlers and send them crashing down hard onto their back.
Judy didn't wait to see if they stayed down. She staggered up and ran—hobbled—the rest of the way to the van. She threw herself in, sprawling onto a ratty shag rug that did little to cushion her from the hard metal beneath. The door slammed. From the driver's seat she heard Finnick growl, "Hang on," and then they were accelerating away, leaving the deadly mob of Order members behind.
Judy didn't remember losing consciousness, but she must have, because when she next became aware of her surroundings the growl of the engine had ceased and they were no longer in motion. A sun shade had been tucked up against the windshield, hiding them from view of any passersby and throwing the interior of the van into gloom. Finnick sat in driver's seat, slouched low with his baseball bat across his lap as he peered out the driver's side window.
"Where are we?" croaked Judy.
"Parking lot outside the stadium," said Finnick. "Don't worry, I lost your mob of fans. We should be safe for now."
"How long was I out?"
"Not long. Half hour maybe."
A half hour?
"I have to go."
Judy started to sit up, then aborted the motion when all her muscles seized as one. Everything hurt. Both of her paws throbbed in time with her heartbeat. So did her injured toe. Though the furry digit had seemed perfectly happy staying numb before, now it felt like someone was repeatedly stabbing her in the foot with a knife. The quick patch job on her back also seemed to have come undone. The gouge felt hot and stinging, and she could feel the warm wetness of blood slowly seeping its way down the fur of her back.
Tiny paws pressed down on her wrist, and it said something that that was enough to hold her in place.
"Don't you even think about it, Judy Hopps!" came the reproachful squeak. "You're going to lay right here and let me finish bandaging you up."
Judy turned her head—the only part of her body that didn't feel like it was actively rebelling against her—to look over at Fru Fru.
The shrew had retrieved a first aid kit from somewhere and was dabbing at Judy's right paw with a strong smelling antiseptic. Even in the low light Judy could see the deep gashes in the pads of her paw. Apparently, moose antlers were a lot sharper than she'd thought.
"What were you thinking, running around outside like that?" demanded Fru Fru.
"Trying to find a bar," answered Judy honestly.
The shrew stopped to gape at her. From the front seat, Finnick snorted and said, "Can't fault that."
"I was following a lead," said Judy. "Why are you two out here?"
"Finnick came by after you left," said the shrew. "And after seeing the news and getting your text, we thought—"
Finnick gave a loud cough.
"I thought," corrected Fru Fru with an eye roll, "that you could use our help. We were trying to find a clear way through to the police station when we saw you running. Oh, Judy. What were you thinking? What if we hadn't been there?"
It was a rhetorical question. They all knew the answer. She would have died. The knowledge sent a cold shiver through Judy.
Finnick continued to stay on lookout while Fru Fru finished seeing to Judy's injuries. She bandaged both paws then inspected her toe, which was now visibly swollen beneath her fur.
"Can you move it?" asked Fru Fru.
Judy gave her toes a painful wiggle. "I think so?"
"It's probably not broken then?" It came out as a question.
Finnick snorted.
"Well I'm not some fancy tailed doctor!" she snapped at him.
"It's okay, Fru Fru," said Judy. "It doesn't matter anyway."
The shrew nibbled her lip as she looked over the furry digit. "I can wrap it to the toe next to it. That might help a little. Normally you should stay off it—" Finnick barked a laugh. She glared at him. "But I know that won't happen so…"
"Wrapping it would help a lot, Fru Fru, thank you," said Judy.
Once that was done they turned to the injury on Judy's back. After getting a good look at it, Fru Fru agreed with Stella's assessment that it needed stitches.
"Don't worry," her tiny friend reassured her. "I might not know much about broken bones but I'm very good at stitching critters up. You could be as bald as a naked mole-rat and you still wouldn't see the scar."
"You're not going to use that, are you?" asked Judy, pointing to a wicked looking needle she'd noticed the shrew had strapped to her hip.
"This isn't for stitching, silly!" said Fru Fru. "It's for fighting."
"Fighting?"
Fru Fru unsheathed it and held it up. It still looked a lot like a needle, or maybe a rapier, with a fancy hilt perfectly sized for a rodent's paw. "It's been in my family for generations. We call it Silver Fang."
"It's nice," Judy allowed.
Finnick was more blunt. "You can really fight off other animals with that?"
"Of course I can."
"Besides rodents, I mean."
Fru Fru made a sharp tsking sound at him. "You of all mammals should know that size doesn't always matter."
The fox look unconvinced.
"Just wait until you see me with it in action. Then you'll be impressed."
Judy didn't say it, but she hoped it never came to that. Though she appreciated what her friend was saying and had made the same argument herself many times before, she still didn't like the thought of Fru Fru having to fend off an enraged tiger or rhino with a weapon the size of a toothpick, no matter how skilled with it she was.
Judy stretched out on her stomach so Fru Fru could stitch her up, not with Silver Fang, but with another needle she'd pulled from the first aid kit along with a sterilized packet of suture thread.
"This is an impressive first aid kit you have here," the shrew commented to Finnick as she poured a bit of rubbing alcohol onto a gauze pad and used it to disinfect the needle.
"I like being prepared."
Fru Fru turned to Judy. "Ready?"
The shrew may have been dexterous with a needle but it still hurt like the dickens. To distract herself, Judy told them everything that had happened since returning to the precinct.
"And that's why I have to get to Scarlet's bar. If I can find Ciara, she may be able to tell us how to stop Silos."
"I don't know," said Fru Fru. "It's a lot of risk for something that's not a sure thing."
"We don't have time to wait for a sure thing," argued Judy.
When the shrew looked at the fox, he shrugged. "It's not the worst idea she's ever had."
Fru Fru threw up her paws. "Fine. We'll go with it. But we should have a contingency plan just in case—"
"Wait, we?" said Judy.
"Well of course we're going with you," said Fru Fru. "You didn't expect us to just send you off alone, did you? You're our friend. And Zootopia is our home." She fiddled with the frayed edge of some leftover thread. "I thought about it a lot after you left, Judy. And the idea of facing that… that snake terrifies me. I honestly don't know if I'm up to that. But I can fight. And I can help you with other things. So that's what I've decided I'm gonna to do. I won't hide anymore."
"But, Fru Fru—"
"No buts!" The shrew waved her needle threateningly. "I've made my decision. So has Finnick." The fox grunted. "We'll see this through to the end. Together."
Love, gratitude, and fear all twisted around Judy's heart, choking her up. She nodded. "If you're sure…"
"One hundred percent," said Fru Fru.
Finnick twirled his bat. "So are we ready to head out now or what?"
"We are," said Judy.
"Wait!" Fru Fru gestured at Judy's outfit. "First, we need to find you a change of clothes. Wearing that ZPD uniform right now is like walking around enemy territory with a giant bullseye on your back. Plus, it's covered in bloodstains. Anyone with a half-decent nose is going to be able to smell you coming from a mile off."
"You have a point," said Judy, plucking at her soiled top. "But I didn't exactly bring a change of clothes with me."
"I might have something that'll fit," said Finnick.
Fru Fru raised an eyebrow. "Exactly how big do you think you are?"
"Not my clothes," snapped the fox. "But Nick has some old things stashed here."
Nick's "old things" turned out to be several pairs of tacky floral shirts and beat up cargo shorts. After checking that the coast was clear, Finnick slipped outside to give Judy privacy while she changed. Judy opted for the darkest shirt she could find: a navy blue button down with green palm trees on it. The sleeves billowed around her arms and came past her elbows. Fru Fru helped her pull it on over her injured shoulder and button it up. The shorts needed to be cuffed so they didn't drag and a makeshift belt made to hold them up at the waist. She wouldn't win any fashion awards, but at least Judy no longer felt like she was wearing a giant sign that said, "INJURED OFFICER HERE." And it was comforting, wearing something that belonged to Nick. When she brought the collar up to her nose and gave it a sniff, she imagined she could even make out the faintest trace of his scent beneath the smell of engine oil and dust.
Finnick rapped on the door. "You done in there yet?"
"All set!" chirped Fru Fru.
The fox clambered back into the driver's seat and pulled down the sun shade, folding it up and tucking it away. "All right. Let's get going."
"Don't try and take the underpass this time," said Fru Fru. "You almost got us stuck in a flood zone that way."
"I didn't hear you telling me not to take it."
"Maybe because I assumed you knew better."
"Or maybe because you didn't know either."
As the two bickered good-naturedly, Judy slipped into the passenger's seat. The road was mostly empty. If they passed any Order members, they stayed out of sight. Finnick kept to the middle of the street as much as possible, away from the sidewalks and buildings. He drove fast, ignoring stop signs and traffic lights. Even with no one else on the road, it made Judy's stomach flip every time they blew through a red-light.
Finnick pointed to where a warm bottle of Roarade Energy Drink sat in one of the cupholders. "Drink that. It'll help."
"Thank you."
"There should be a couple granola bars in the glove box too."
There were. They were slightly smashed, but Judy ate them gratefully. She hadn't realized how weak she'd been feeling until the first jolt of sugar and electrolytes hit her system.
Fru Fru dug around some more in the first aid kit and found a packet of pain pills. They were mild, but would at least take the edge off the Judy's pain. Anything stronger would have made her too drowsy to function anyway. Judy swallowed them down with the last of the Roarade.
A car zipped by them on the road, going fast in the other direction. Judy's gaze shot to the driver, but it was only a possum, not a fox. She wondered where they were going. Fleeing danger? Or maybe they were trying to get to someone. She was far from the only mammal in Zootopia who had been separated from those she cared about. Out there right now were hundreds of others who fighting to protect their loved ones. For that alone, Judy had to succeed.
They made it to Scarlet's with no signs of trouble. Finnick parked the van in a nearby alleyway, keeping it mostly out of sight but within easy distance should they have to make a run for it.
The street outside the bar was deserted. Judy tried the door: Locked. She knocked softly, not wanting to call out for Scarlet in case any Order members were close enough to overhear. She'd learned her lesson about making noise.
If anyone inside heard the knock, they ignored it. Judy listened to see if she could hear sounds of anyone moving around inside, but all was quiet within.
Fru Fru, who sat perched on Judy's shoulder, tugged on her collar and pointed over to the left. "Judy, the window."
Farther down a window had been smashed. Glass glittered on the sidewalk. Judy glanced at the other buildings lining the street, but none of them appeared to have been touched.
She crept a bit closer. Finnick hovered behind her with his bat at the ready. It was dark inside the bar, but lights still glowed from nearby billboards, stoplights, and neighboring businesses, so the power couldn't be out.
"This glass," said Judy, looking down at the shattered pieces. "It shouldn't be here."
"What do you mean?" asked Fru Fru.
"I mean if someone broke in the glass should be on the inside, not out on the sidewalk."
"So, does this mean someone was trying to get out, not in?"
"But then why not just use the door?"
"Maybe someone stopped them?"
"Maybe."
Judy squinted into the dark interior, trying to make out the state of things. Had Ciara done something? Judy had been hoping against hope that the serval would be a willing informant. But the damage to the bar boded ill. It looked abandoned, and not under peaceful circumstances.
"We shouldn't keep standing out here," said Finnick, eyeing the empty street. His stance was casual, but he held his bat up against his shoulder, ready to start swinging at a moment's notice. "Do you want to try and get inside or should we go back to the van?"
"No, we need to check things out," said Judy. "Someone could still be in there."
Finnick looked between the window and the door. "I can pick the lock, but it might take a few minutes." A few minutes was plenty of time to be spotted by an enemy.
"If we're careful with the glass we should be able to get in through the window," said Judy.
Fru Fru tutted. "We'll do neither. I can get through the window and unlock the door for you."
"Are you sure?" asked Judy. "Someone could be inside. It might be a trap."
The shrew patted her weapon confidently. "They'll be in for a sore surprise then."
"I think sore is about all they'll be," muttered Finnick, but Fru Fru was already scurrying down Judy's arm. They watched as she nimbly hop-scotched over the shards of strewn glass, shimmied up the wall, and disappeared over the windowsill.
Judy and Finnick gathered close to the front door, keeping their eyes on the street and their ears on the sounds coming from within the bar.
Just when Judy was starting to get antsy, she heard a lock click. The handle depressed and the door swung inward. Fru Fru jumped down and waved to them from the entryway with a whispered, "Ta-da."
Judy and Finnick stepped inside. Judy held out her paw for Fru Fru to climb back up and together the three of them continued on deeper into the bar.
It looked like there had been a fight. Chairs were overturned and curtains had been torn from the ceiling. Flyers advertising drink specials and upcoming performers lay scattered across the floor, softly fluttering in the draft created by the broken window.
Finnick picked up one of the flyers and, after glancing at it, showed it to Judy. On it was a picture of Ciara at the piano with the accompanying tagline in bold: LIVE MUSICAL PERFORMANCES!
"Is this the cat you're looking for?"
Judy nodded.
"She's very striking," said Fru Fru.
"She could also be very dangerous," said Judy. "We need to be careful."
"There doesn't seem to be much to be careful of," said Finnick. "This place is dead."
Dead. The word lingered there, pressing in on them all like a malevolent presence. Fru Fru shivered. Finnick coughed and let the flyer fall.
They continued to search the building. Judy and Fru Fru checked every sunken seating area while Finnick did a pass through the kitchen. They met back at the bar, none of them having found any signs of anyone.
"Screw it, I'm getting a drink," said Finnick. He climbed up onto the bar to get a better look at the bottles on offer. Fru Fru scurried up to join him.
"Is this really the time?" asked Judy, to which both of her friends immediately responded, "Yes."
While the two debated between Stray Moose vodka or Jack Rabbit whiskey, Judy continued to prowl the space, pondering the state of it.
"It's a little strange, isn't it?" she asked them. "The whole place looks like it's been turned over, but for some reason they left the bar untouched. There's nothing broken or missing… Just a few stools tipped over. Don't you think they should have taken some bottles or broken some glasses?"
"Maybe they knew better than to take their issues out on the alcohol," joked Fru Fru. She and Finnick had maneuvered down an expensive looking bottle of bourbon, and the shrew sipped daintily from a rodent-sized glass. Finnick hadn't bothered with such niceties, instead taking a swallow directly from the bottle.
"It's almost like…" Judy took in the scene. Overturned chairs and some ripped up curtains, yes. A few scattered flyers. But overall, not much in the way of real damage. And then there was the window that had been broken from the inside. The untouched alcohol. As if the animal who had caused the damage had purposely avoided it. As if they knew how much it cost… As if they were the ones who'd have to pay for replacing it…
"It's staged."
"What about the stage?" Fru Fru looked over towards the piano.
"No, I mean this is all fake," said Judy. "Someone purposely messed up the room in order to make it look like something had happened when it didn't."
"But why would they do that?"
"Think about it. The Order is going around the city destroying businesses. But if it looks like the place has already been looted…"
"They'll be more likely to leave it alone!" finished Fru Fru.
"Playing possum," said Finnick.
"Exactly." Judy hurried to the back stairs. Perfect blackness greeted her below. Scarlet's room was down there somewhere. In all the darkness, Judy had overlooked it.
Finnick came up behind her, baseball bat over his shoulder and Fru Fru balanced between his ears.
"Can you make out anything?" Judy whispered.
"There's some kind of fabric hanging next to a door."
Judy felt her way blindly down the steps, Finnick leading. She felt for the fabric and took hold of it. It was silky to the touch and fell away easily when she pulled on it. Light illuminated their faces as security panel was revealed.
"This leads to Scarlet's rooms."
"Do you think she's inside?" asked Fru Fru.
There was only one way to find out.
Judy knocked as loudly as she dared on the door. "Scarlet? Are you in there? It's Judy. Hello? Scarlet?"
Almost immediately came a muffled response from behind the door. "Judy?"
There was a beep and the door flew open. They all winced as light flooded out into the hallway. Strong arms grabbed Judy and hauled her in for a squeezing hug. Pain flared in her shoulder. "Judy! I'm so happy you're safe!"
"Scarlet," managed Judy, "I'm glad you're safe too."
The fox released her and turned to the others. "And you brought friends!"
"Yes, this is Finnick and Fru Fru—"
Scarlet interrupted her. "Come inside first. Then we can make introductions. We're safe in here. Promise."
They shuffled inside, the door closing behind them with a reassuring thunk of reinforced locks. No longer backlit, Judy got her first good look at the fox. What she saw made her gasp. Scarlet's fur was matted and there was blood splattering her clothes. Fru Fru let out a startled squeak. "Are you okay? What happened to you?"
"Oh, this?" Scarlet plucked at her gore-streaked blouse. "Don't worry. It's fake blood. Looks pretty convincing though, eh?"
"Almost as convincing as what you did to your bar," said Judy.
Scarlet grinned. "Pretty good for a rush job, right? Robin was trying to coordinate meetups for everyone after your text to Marian—thank you for giving us the heads-up, by the way."
"I'm sorry I couldn't help more," said Judy.
"Forewarned is forearmed. It was enough. But then the phones and internet went down before I could confirm things with Robin, so I wasn't sure what I should do. I decided to hunker down here until I heard something." The fox tipped her head, taking them in. "Um, not that I'm not glad to see you, but what are you doing here? It's kind of dangerous to be out and about right now, isn't it?"
"I'm looking for Ciara," said Judy. "I was hoping she was here."
"Sorry. No one but me."
Judy's heart sank.
Unaware of the blow she'd just delivered, Scarlet continued on. "There were a few employees around for morning prep, but they all wanted to leave once they heard about the attacks on the news. Ciara wasn't due in until later. Why? What does she have to do with anything?"
Judy quickly explained the serval's connection with the Order.
"What?" exclaimed Scarlet. "You mean I employed a spy for that crazy Order? And I didn't know about it?" Instead of looking scared, the fox looked furious. "I can't believe some cat got one over on me like that! How embarrassing! Gah! I don't know if my pride can take a blow like this."
Finnick held out the bottle of bourbon. Scarlet blinked. "Is that one of mine?"
"Scarlet, please," said Judy. "Do you have any idea where Ciara might be? A home address or, or a favorite hangout?"
The fox shook her head. "Sorry. She was more of an 'unofficial' employee, if you know what I mean. Wouldn't give out any personal details. Being around Robin and Will for so long, well, you learn that everyone has their reasons for things. I thought I was doing a good deed. Oh, Robin's going to skin me alive for this." She snatched the bottle from Finnick and took a swig.
Judy had other worries. How was she going to find Ciara now? That feline was the only lead she had.
The sudden sound of distant shouting had them all turning towards the door. Was that coming from inside the bar? Judy felt herself break out into a cold sweat. Had the Order found them already?
She turned to Scarlet. "Is there a back exit to this place? A tunnel or…"
The fox shook her head, most of her focus still on the door. Her ears were perked forward, her voice distracted as she said, "I had plans to put something in next year but… is that shouting getting louder to you?"
It was. Whoever was doing it was getting closer.
Multiple pairs of heavy feet pounded down the steps. Finnick shifted and raised his bat. Fru Fru grabbed the handle of her sword.
"Don't worry," whispered Scarlet. "They can't break through."
They might not be in danger of an attack, but Judy couldn't stay trapped in this room for however long it would take these guys to give up and leave. She had too many animals relying on her return.
A heavy fist struck the door, making them all jump. "Scarlet! Scarlet, are you in there?"
The voice sounded familiar but Judy couldn't quite place it. She turned to look at the fox, who had frozen next to her at the sound of her name. Her brow furrowed. She cocked her head as she stared at the door questioningly. "Will?"
"Scarlet?" Her name came out sounding like a frayed growl. No wonder Judy hadn't recognized the voice. She'd never heard the lawyer speak like that before. By the bemused look on Scarlet's face, she hadn't either.
"Is that really you, Will?"
Judy heard his sigh of relief even through the reinforced metal. When he spoke a second later, he sounded a little more like his usual stern self. "Of course it's me. Little John is here too. Now open the door."
The fox hurried forward. But then, as she started to reach for the lock, she paused. A strange light glimmered in her eyes. Pulling back, she tapped her chin, pretending to think. "Hmm, I don't know. It's pretty suspicious for you to be visiting me at a time like this. Maybe you're just pretending to be that annoying cat I know."
"This isn't the time to play games, Scarlet. Robin wants us all to meet back at his place. It's the safest spot to wait while we plan our next move."
"And who's idea was it to send the stuffy lawyer out into the middle of an invasion to go pick up the tech support, huh?"
There was a second of silence, and then, "Why does that matter?"
Scarlet crossed her arms and glared at the door. "What does it matter why it matters? Just answer the question."
Silence. Judy traded looks with Finnick and Fru Fru. They appeared just as perplexed as she felt.
Some of Scarlet's postering wilted as time stretched and still no answer came. She let out a weak laugh. "Don't tell me... Robin promised you hazard pay or something for doing this?"
Will's growl sounded deep enough to rattle the door right off it hinges. "Why else would I be here putting up with this? Now. Open. This. Door."
Scarlet's eyes glittered. After a stubborn beat, her jaw firmed and she let them in. Will stood on the threshold. Little John was an oversized shadow in the hallway behind him. The lawyer's normally impeccable suit was torn in several places and he was missing his tie. In his left paw he held a tranq gun.
For a moment, fox and cat glared at each other. Then Will's gaze dropped and he saw the red smears covering Scarlet's front. His breath left him in a hiss and he reached for her. "You're hurt!"
Scarlet batted his paws away and stepped back.
"It's fake," she told him curtly. "Don't think you can earn a bonus for doing some first aid. I don't need it."
Will snapped straight as if she had slapped him.
"Fine," he said stiffly. "We can get moving then." He looked over and only then realized they had an audience. "What—"
"Say, if it isn't Officer Hopps and Co.!" said Little John, noticing them too. Like Will, his clothes also showed signs of having been through some scrapes. Blood crusted a slash across his arm and his right cheek looked slightly swollen compared to the left. But his mood was cheery as he beamed down at them. "What brings you all here?"
"We were hoping to find someone," said Judy. "Someone who might be able to help stop what's happening." For Scarlet's sake, she wouldn't mention it was one of her employees. The fox could clarify that later if she wanted to, or not. "Unfortunately, they're not here, so…"
"Anyone we can help you find?" asked Will.
Scarlet gave an exaggerated, "Ha!" at that. When he cut her a look she batted her eyes at him innocently.
"Scarlet knows what she looks like," said Judy. "If you happen to see her, any information you can get out of her would be appreciated. I'm not sure how you would be able to get the info to me though."
"You mean you're not coming with us?" said Scarlet.
"I have to return to the ZPD." As much as she wanted to, she couldn't waste time—and keep risking her life—searching the city for one serval. And since she couldn't find the feline, the most helpful thing she could do now was to go back to the police station and aid them in whatever alternative plans they could devise.
"Are you sure?" said Scarlet. "Robin's place would be much safer."
"I'm sure, but thank you for the offer." She turned to look at her friends. "But if Fru Fru or Finnick would like to go with you…?"
"No way," said Fru Fru. "We're staying with you."
Judy looked at Finnick. He coughed and readjusted his bat. "Didn't we already decide this? Besides, you'll never make it back without someone driving you."
"Thank you, Finnick."
He grimaced. "Save it. We should go if we're going. Fancy cat lawyer here was shouting loud enough for the whole street to hear."
Will glared at him. Without a word, he turned and stomped out. The rest of them followed. Together they tramped up the stairs and back through the darkened restaurant. Fru Fru went ahead to check that the coast was clear before they slipped back out onto the street.
Scarlet was the last to join them. She closed the door and, after a pause, took a key from her pocket and locked it. She ran a paw over the adobe exterior. "Do you think… I'll ever be able to reopen?"
"You will," said Judy firmly. "We're going to fix this. I might not know how yet, but I know that we will."
Scarlet nodded. But her gaze was sad as she continued to linger there, looking up at the bar's small wood sign.
Will rapped his knuckles against Little John's elbow. When the bear looked down, the cat gave him a pointed look over at Scarlet.
Little John sighed. He went over and put a paw around the fox's shoulders. "Come along now, little hacker princess. It's not safe to loiter around out here."
"Do you need a ride back?" asked Judy.
"Naw," said the bear. "We have our ways. We'll be fine. You scamper along and do what you need to do."
"Be safe out there. All of you."
"You as well," said Will with a formal nod.
"Thank you, I—" She never got to finish the sentence. At that moment, something tore out of the alleyway where their van was parked. Judy only had a moment to register black spots on tan fur before the animal was upon her. Around her there was frantic shouting and motion. She reached for her gun as paws struck her shoulders, knocking her off her feet. She had enough time to feel the bite of fangs against her throat and knew there would be no escape this time. Then her head struck the concrete, pain swallowing her world in blackness, and she knew nothing more at all.