Chapter 23

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Kris was tired. He just wanted to sit back, relax, and just let the end of the day come quickly.

End of his first day in prison, he reminded himself, looking down and letting his paws pull off his striped uniform. Looking around, seeing the other prisoners come in after their second exercise session, he felt the whole weight of everything crash into him again. Only, it was like being hit by a wave at the beach. He was steady on his feet and, though it pushed him back, he held firm and was standing up again afterwards. That was what it was going to be, stay strong, stay smart, he was going to get through this.

They were going to get through this too. They were going to get him out.

"Hey, new kit." He turned, seeing one of the guards walking over. "Need to get you on the chore list."

Kris nodded, walking over and looking at the timetable that was provided. "You're a medium," he mumbled, pausing to think. "So, I'll put you in group C. That means you've got today off, but tomorrow you've got the laundry hauling. Got it?"

Kris nodded, before watching him walk off.

A shadow grew behind him, and he turned to see Timofey, standing there. The massive bear was panting, a pile of fresh clothes in his paws as he pointed towards the showers. "Walk with me, I have yours" he said, Kris quickly deciding that he had no choice. "How was first day?"

"Interesting…"

"You learn lots?"

"I guess so," Kris said, before recounting everything. From the wake up and his first meeting with Timofey, to the morning exercises and talk with the capybara, to the lessons and interaction with the sable antelope, to outburst from the bison and all the way forward to the here and now.

Timofey smiled. "Good to hear that bison got zapped."

"I'd… prefer if it had never come to that."

The bear snorted. "Prey supremacist scum deserved everything he got. I not like that guard, I not dislike either. But wishing she got darted… Rugat'sya!"

Kris nodded along, slowly. Turning a corner, they entered the changing room. Most mammals were peeling off their clothes and chucking them into the bins, walking around fully naked. Their talking, the sound of the showers and the roar of a walk through fur drier masking their conversation.

"He is member of herd, so was antelope. But there is difference," Timofey explained, as he put down his new clothes, transferring over his ID card, and passed a smaller pair to the bench in front of Kris.

"Thanks."

"One joins as he hates preds, other joins as he wants friends."

"Couldn't the antelope have joined another group?" Kris asked. Card swapped, he found his zip and began undoing it. "Say the founders, or the nerds?"

"The founders," he began, thinking as he effortlessly shed his clothes. "Maybe. But even though they don't ask for it in you, they like Jesus. He is put off for some."

"Like Muslambs?"

"Sort of. They are, how you put it, interfaith? But Jesus sort of overshadows rest, putting him down. Some mammals just don't like founders. But many not allowed to join, like Armando… -Capybara you met."

"I…" Kris began, before clicking his fingers. "They want you to be sorry for what you did."

"Yes, and many are not. I am not. I did what had to be done. He regrets the action, but thinks overall thing is good with loss of his step father."

"But maybe he didn't think that originally. Or is still sorry, and just sees it as a bonus."

"Good point," the bear said, shrugging as he balled up his old clothes and chucked them into a bin. He stood there stark naked, not caring, just like everyone else. "But he is better off in nerds anyway, and hooved mammals rarely join nerds."

"It's dexterity," Kris said, bringing up his paws and wiggling his fingers. "Are they artists there?"

"Artists, ones who like computers, so on. They tend to make and play lots of these games made on power point, you can join in if you want. But the art is why they are the highest of the high."

"Why is that?" Kris asked, tilting his head as he got off all his clothes. Figuring it would just delay the inevitable, he chucked them in the bin, before letting his paws rest over his sheath.

Timofey chuckled. "Patience. You will see! But anyhow, back to story." He waved him on into the shower room. It was just an open hall with many fixed shower heads up at the top and no dividers. Timofey found one first and pulled on the lever, sighing with pleasure as the water hit him. There didn't seem to be any way not to turn it on and not be hit, so Kris just hoped that it was still warm. He pulled and, thankfully, it was, just about. The showers were actually very hard, they needed to be to work on big mammals like the polar bear, and Kris turned it down quite a bit while adjusting the temperature up until it was nice and hot.

"Many mammals do not fall into the founders or the nerds, and sicko's are hated by everyone," he said, squeezing one of the soap dispensers and starting to rub himself down. Kris nodded, pausing as he saw that wolf of theirs wandering around, looking on at the others for an awkwardly long time and them staring back, hard. "That leaves herd for prey, pack for preds. The pack, we tend not to be violent. Only in self defence. The herd, though, after savage cases?" A deep frown appeared on his muzzle. "Pred supremacists soon learn how outnumbered they are. Prey ones have safety in numbers, many numbers who do not believe them… Most, who do not believe them." He paused, trying and failing to pull the temperature lever even further to the left. He growled slightly. Kris, looking on, paused. The suds from there were flowing down past his feet, and they were cold. Right out of the tap, almost freezing, nice to drink on a blazing hot summer's day cold. Timofey saw his look and shrugged. "Bit too hot, for my liking," he said, bursting into a laugh.

Kris looked up at his water, currently pounding down on his head. "Quite nice, for mine," he remarked, getting a slight snigger from the bear as he began soaping himself.

"I have plan to split the herd."

Kris looked up, pausing. "Between the supremacists and non-supremacists?"

He nodded. "But that needs other groups talking to them." There was a pause and a frown. "I fear, even sickos. But! I can't talk to them, as then they will know something is up." He looked around, then looked down. "Also, I am not so good with words. You are. They have seen you helping out with the screamer too. I need you as a diplomat, talking to them as my messenger, getting them on board. The plan is that their prey members, come a signal date, begin talking to the herd members all at once. Draw off the non supremacists and then…" He grabbed a waiting bar of soap and squeezed it hard until it shattered, the two halves flying out."The herd is broken."

Kris looked away, thinking it through, wondering how this could go right or go wrong. He'd only been here a day, and he was potentially about to be used. But, not going along with it could strip him of a major ally… Though… Though with his own drawing skills, it wasn't like he couldn't join the nerds if the pack threw him out. Or for that matter the founders, though… How would they react to his cover story?

Then again, maybe Timofey's idea was good? It wasn't based on violence or anything, and it was actively trying to stop it. Just… Was it all thought through? He pondered it for a while, before his mouth twitched. "That sorts out our block? What about all the others."

"Maybe they not split, maybe they do. But we only bump into them in classes and at lunch. Not often enough for it to count, or for it to really backfire. Though, if it does spread, I suppose a nice bonus."

"If you think so," Kris said, only to freeze as he felt a heavy shoulder on his paw.

"You know what I think?" he asked.

Kris knew karate. He also knew that the largest land predator in the world currently had him in his grip, in a prison shower. This was, in no simple terms, a game over if a fight started. Which meant he had to try and stop a fight starting as hard as he could. "No," he said, maintaining a calm facade. He still flinched ever so slightly as the paw lifted, to his surprise.

Timofey harrumphed a bit. "Well, first that you are scared, though I did not want that. Sorry."

"No worries," he said, relaxing.

"Second, or rather the first, I…" he shook his head and shrugged. "I forget that it is your first day, I just see potential. I like potential. So I rush you, forgetting that you are scared and worried but taking it well."

"T-thanks."

Timofey nodded. "Get to know the other groups, the nerds and the founders. Wait around a bit, see how things go. Then decide."

"You're okay with waiting?" Kris asked.

Timofey let out a hearty laugh. "Kristofferson. Whole point of this place is to make you wait. I am used to it."

The silver fox couldn't disagree. He nodded on it, only to pause as he saw Matt walking in, covering himself and looking around. He leapt into a running shower just across from them, where one of the soap bars had landed.

He looked down at it, his head tilting, and, slowly, the heads of the mammals all around him began to turn.

Kris looked around, beginning to tremble, and his ears pulled back as his feet got into position. He glanced up at Timofey, the bear looking down and…

His face was blank.

Kris turned, spotting Matt begin to bend down, seemingly unknowing, and he began to move forward when an iron grip fixed itself onto one of his arms.

He looked up, shocked to see Timofey shaking his head.

"Let go," he ordered, readying a fist to smash into his. The bear raised an eyebrow, Matt leant down and grabbed the soap, his tail raised high…

-A mammal somewhere gave a long wolf whistle, the pup bolting upright as everyone began to burst into laughter. If anything, he just looked confused, seemingly not knowing why all the other mammals were currently doing the same thing, wolf whistling, gyrating, blowing kisses, shouting out 'hubba hubba' or things to that effect or, in most cases, just laughing.

Laughing hysterically.

Kris felt himself relax, just as the bear relaxed, chuckling. "I like you, fox."

He frowned. "That…"

"We do not do that thing here," he said, laughing. "Maybe I should be insulted you think we do, but I like your fight, for the pup." He leant forward and turned off the water, shaking himself down. Kris flinched back from the barrage of cold water. "But no, that does not happen… Nobody is dumb enough to try it except that sicko wolf, one time." He paused, spotting the kangaroo hopping in. "Luka! Take this shower."

"Get lost, I don't like freezing my tail off."

The bear rolled his eyes, pulling it back on and fixing it to a warm temperature, jumping out of the way before it hit him. "There you go. Now, tell new fox what you did to sicko wolf when he went full sicko."

"Fine," he said, hopping over and testing the water before getting in. He looked down. "Was it you or the screamer who dropped the soap?"

"Matt, the Pup…"

"The sicko wolf actually tried to do the thing one time. I was near by…" He waved over to a part of the room, Kris noting that all the tiles there were cracked, hard. Something big had smashed into him. The silverfox looked back at Luka, the kangaroo giving the air a quick one-two punch before balancing back on a leg and his tail, the other kicking out and stomping the wall, hard. He smiled and shrugged. "Yeah. That. He asked for it. I served him right. It was awesome."

Kris nodded, before finishing off, drying himself, getting himself changed and heading back to his cell. They were told that they were going in at mid-time to dinner, and soon enough (after Kris had whistled through the rather simple homework tasks and picked out a few books from the small library) they were off. The meat course this time was fish fingers and chips, something appreciated by all the predators. They chowed down before returning.

Coming in, it was time for the 'cell block activity'. Terrance was there, getting out a projector and a screen, earning a bunch of whoops and cheers from the crowd. "Okay, okay, no popcorn I'm afraid," he said, paws up. "One day we'll get it in a vending machine. In fact, I bet you all that it'll be the day after you get out."

There was a ripple of laughter through the crowd, even Kris managing to smile a bit.

"Okay, okay, I picked a few for tonight. We could just have one of the Star Paws films, though I'll only let you pick one or four. And after that the next nine nights are booked out. Or…"

"-Silence of the lambs!" someone shouted, bringing a bunch of whoops and cheers.

"We've got some younger kits in here, remember."

"Yeah, but they're all psychos!" another mammal joked, bringing a ripple of laughter.

"I'm afraid we don't have it anyway," the giant otter said, rolling with it. "We have Clawshank."

He was hit with a range of responses, varying from 'heck yeah' to 'show us something we don't know.'

Terrance offered them a racing film and a comedy one, before flashing his final option up. "Okay, anyone for 'the fox and the hound'?" he asked, flashing up a DVD cover, showing a cartoon wolf and fox in cowboy gear, looking out longingly at a mountain. A bunch of the crowd laughed, while a variety began calling out 'gay' in funny voices. Kris looked back at them. Having seen it once years before, he had to say that 'gay' was certainly an interpretation of it.

"-Hey!" someone shouted, standing up. It was a snow leopard from the pack, a tough silent mammal who was pretty much a mystery to him. "I've seen that," he said, his voice holding over the crowd. "And it will make you cry."

There was a long pause, everyone looking around, as Terrance held it up. "Yea or nay boys?"

The yea's won it, and everyone settled down as he put it on. Kris joined them, only to be broken off by a tap from his side. He looked over to see Terrance, the otter waving him out. "Not in trouble," he said.

Kris followed him over into a quieter area, sitting down across from the massive mustelid. "How you coping, kit?"

"Okay, I think," he said.

"Making friends?" he asked.

Kris held back, not sure how to act. After all, how much of what he might tell could be construed as telling on others?

"I saw you with Timofey," he said, Kris blinking. "Don't worry, he's a good mammal… Just a shame he was born part of a crime family, and all the horrid nonsense that comes with it. I… I'd trust him, there are some here who go around trying to cause fights, but he's one of the ones always trying to put them out."

"That's good to hear," Kris said, feeling relieved.

Terrance nodded. "Listen to me. You good?"

"I'm good."

"Well tell me if you ever aren't," he said, "there's no shame in that."

"Thanks," Kris said. "I… I'm trying to keep my head up, I know if I act strong I can get through this, and I need to act strong for my friends and family outside. But it's good to know that other mammals have my back."

Terrance smiled. "Good to hear that you're holding on in there," he said, before pulling something out of his pocket. "Officer Fulton was able to get this and asked that I give it to you," he said.

Kris looked at the piece of paper and smiled. He still remembered what was written on it, so it being given was a moot point, but it felt good to be reminded of what he still had. "Thanks," he said.

Terrance nodded. "You're welcome. Now let's get back to the movie."

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Catano wondered whether Dominic would pause or flinch or err when asked how he knew about Kris' connection with Nick and Judy.

Instead, he came straight out with it. "Because she came home early from a trip out with friends on Sunday, all worried and nervous. Then, the next day when it happened, she mentioned that she met them there. She was worried that they'd personally come after her sooner or later." There was a slight pause as he leant forward. "I don't know whether to be impressed with her intellect or disappointed with reality."

"I'm sorry this happened," Catano said. She'd pressed him hoping for the ace in the hole, but instead the explanation seemed to be an innocent one. One born of worry. She felt a bit guilty, deciding that now was the time to try and make him at ease. "It's unfortunate for everyone that it occurred, but I'm sure you understand why we'd want to talk to you too."

"Oh sure," he said. "I do."

"Listen," she said, calmly. "I know you're angry…"

"Angry?" he asked. "I'm terrified. Terrified for my daughter. I had to leave my old career, almost all my old friends, cashing in some favours with the few I kept in order to get a new job where no-one knew who I was. I changed my name, my family changed their name, all so my daughter could have a normal life. A life where no-one will hurt her for what her favourite aunt, her one-time hero who'd she'd talked about in school and wanted to grow up to be like, had done. I mean, it's still bad for her. Do you know what it's like seeing your little girl live in fear? To see how she feels she has to apologise for the species she was born as, how she was born as part of the 'bad guys' and is somehow at fault, how she's come to believe that her kind has it easier than others, meaning her struggles don't matter so much and that she must pay some kind of penance for her 'privilege'. You know, whatever nasty ideology took over and destroyed the sister that I loved, it was based around some mammals being lesser, inherently evil or just inferior to others and deserving punishment for that… I wonder what Dawn would think if I told her that the species that she put into the target sights was her own and the only mammal she converted was her beloved niece. What do you think?"

Catano looked on, her head dropping down. Either that was some excellent acting or… Well, it hurt her, she felt for Maisy. "It's wrong, period, she shouldn't have to feel anything like that."

"Well, she does," he said. "And you haven't helped, have you?"

"No," she admitted, now beginning to feel a bit rotten herself.

"So, any other reason why you're blaming a sheep over the fox who was caught purple pawed?"

"There's evidence that it wasn't him, along with character witnesses that make it seem incredibly unlikely," she said, truthfully.

He didn't look impressed. "Well, most nasty crimes against someone tend to be done by someone close to him. Does he have any enemies, mammals who don't like him, relatives who he's wronged?"

She paused, thinking back to his cousin. There was certainly bad blood in the past, but from what had been said it seemed to have passed. He'd also got through his interrogation without slipping up. "We've already looked at a range of suspects."

"And cleared them? Do they have all their alibis in order?"

"I…" she began. It was very unlikely to be Ash, but he was still a potential suspect, however remote she felt it was. "No, but there's no tying evidence and an awful lot against it being them. We're keeping all avenues of this investigation open, and as part of that broadening our search to the next most logical suspects."

"Yes, the next most logical," he muttered. "Tell me, are you always going against the most logical suspect, or the most emotionally cathartic?"

She frowned a little at the slight on her integrity. "The next most logical."

"Promise me," he said, and for once she saw some worry, some hope, some desperation in her eyes.

"I promise I'll go after the most logical," she said.

There was a long pause after as she tried to think about what to say next. No trip ups, no unwanted aggression, he'd known about Nick and Judy but had a perfectly reasonable explanation… One other thing struck her. If he'd gone so far to get a new life for his daughter, why would he throw it away for such a petty revenge? Not even against Nick and Judy, but against their friend. She filed him being involved as incredibly unlikely but not cleared, same as the cousin. His wife… Now there might have been a real wildcard, either completely out of touch or doing it by herself. She looked over at the pictures on the wall. Alicia was spending plenty of time with Dawn, many of them showing the two ewes having a great time together. The same could be said for Dawn and Maisy. Incredibly close.

"I think I'm done here," she said. "Though I have a few questions for your daughter."

Dominic looked at her, hard, before raising a hoof. "If she chooses not to use her right to remain silent," he spoke, making sure she knew.

She nodded, and they stood up. She could ask Maisy if she was okay, if she could recount what had happened first. She could then tell her that she'd be willing to protect if she did what other mammals told her to do on threat of force, maybe opening her up if she was directed to do something. Then, ask her about the meet up with the boys on Sunday, not mentioning Nick and Judy but letting her tell the whole story and checking it against her father's. Finally, she could ask her if she knew about anyone who'd throw in a threatening call about Ash. Seeing how she'd react to that, and then exploring, might tell her a lot. Reveal to her directing parents that she'd messed it up, have her carry on without noticing the issue, who knew…? She suddenly felt bad, doing all this, especially if the girl was innocent. She'd been through so much already. But this was police work, and she had to explore all avenues.

Not admissible in court against her, given the lack of an attorney present, but enough to justify a further investigation, and maybe even get some release papers for a silver fox signed.

She paused as she turned to find only Alicia Calrama standing there, her arms crossed. "My daughter doesn't want to answer any questions."

"Right then," Dominic spoke. "You can be on your way then."

Catano chewed on her lip. "Can I hear that from her?"

"Why?" she asked, marching forward. "Do you think we're forcing her not to speak?"

"I just…"

"-Not a no, then," Dominic said, crossing his hooves. "Get out of our house."

"I just…"

"Get. Out." he spoke, angrily. "I still have my recorder on, it's backed up to the cloud, and believe me, if I have to rename and relocate again as the price for dragging you through the courts to show the police what happens when they harass my family, that may well be a price worth paying."

The cheetah pulled back, only for her ears to swivel as she heard a new voice, calling out but unseen. "I don't want to talk, okay!" Maisy cried.

"There, happy now?" her mother asked.

Catano nodded. "Yes. Sorry for disturbing you."

She turned and walked out, pausing as Dominic shouted out. "Nice work keeping your promise." He then slammed the door shut, making her ears flinch back before she sulked down a bit. Yeah… Nice job indeed… After all, most logically, they were a scared family hurt beyond belief and trying to put their life back together again, trying to look after their daughter.

Could she really say that going after them was the most logical thing?

Maybe there were still plenty of chances that something was up with them, but there might be in other places too. Most logically it was someone close to that kit or the kit himself. Most logically, she should go back to basics.

And, as she glanced at the door, most logically she'd have never considered them if it wasn't for who they were…

-No, she told herself. That was silly. Who they were was the whole reason, the whole motive. But still…

Thinking back to the discussions earlier, did she have something against sheep? Was she ovinophobic without realising it, just a diluted shade of the same nastiness that Gruinard Gal was? Was she trying to show and make excuses for why it wasn't the foxes, because she didn't like the idea of sounding like an antivulpinite?

She breathed in and out. The world was black and white, but it was greying in front of her and she didn't like it. Whatever the case though, Dominic may have already thought she'd broken that promise, but she was going to make sure that she followed it through.

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Haida and Retsuko cowered under the angry gaze of Director Ton, the heavy sweaty pig scowling at each of them. "Do you know why I'm berating you in the privacy of this room, rather than out in the open where everyone can hear you?"

The pair glanced at each other, before Haida looked forward, a finger raised up. "If this is about whoever filled in between the dot and the rest of the 'i' on Anai's nametag, that wasn't…"

"-Of course it's not about that," he yelled. He grumbled, turning away and massaging his brow with a hoof. "You don't think that I know that no-one who knew him would do that? It's probably some cocky intern from the trading department who was walking through one day and had an idea." The pig bristled. "Though I'd do that meeting in here anyway to stop any risk of relapsing. Speaking of relapsing, that's one of the reasons you're here!"

"Oh," Haida said, glancing down. "With Kabae I…"

"-We'll get to that," the pig grumbled. "First off, Calendar Girl, why were you off gossiping to your friends in marketing?"

"It was just a little catch up, then I was invited for lunch. I used my lunch break," she justified.

Ton didn't look that impressed. "Busy talking about your new TV career, huh?"

"Well, yeah…"

"I suppose you learnt how useless pixels were last time, so couldn't be bothered."

"We didn't really get a choice," she said meekly.

Haida nodded. "And I think the format is a little wrong for that."

"Shame, I preferred your face when it was all blurred up," he snorted. "Do you know what our company handbook says about your private behaviour?"

"I'm…" the red panda mumbled.

"Don't do anything stupid?" Haida suggested.

"Well if that was the rule, I'd be the only one left in this office! No, it says 'no behaviour that could cast the company in a bad light."

"And was this… that?" Haida asked.

Director Ton's eyes narrowed. "You tell me."

The pair gulped, glancing at each other.

"Well," Haida said, mumbling.

"Ummmm…" Retsuko pondered, twiddling her fingers.

"I…."

"Not that…"

"I mean we didn't act…"

"I don't think so…"

"-Yes, exactly what she said," Haida rushed out, Retsuko briefly glaring at him.

Ton looked at them hard. "Neither would I, but with how you've been acting after, I was wondering how long it would be until you might cross that line." He glared at the red panda, his height and mass dwarfing her. "You, gossipping to friends and stuff about it." He then glared at Haida, the fact that he was a predator with the eighth strongest bite strength in the animal kingdom and had a stomach that would digest whole bone fragments not really mattering that much anymore. Then again, hyenas were immune to rabies and would shrug off anthrax with a mild fever at worst, but Haida had still been hospitalised with pneumonia after getting caught in the rain. "And you, you've tended to not be much of an issue. But then you go around, talking, upsetting other workers. Tell me, what exactly have you got out of this?"

The two looked down, shamefully. "Well, not what we hoped for…" Retsuko almost whispered, angrily.

"Huh, what was that?"

Her anger began to grow, and she repeated the words, each one enunciated separately and served with a slice of anger. "I said: Not! What! We! Hoped! For!"

"Well what was that, huh!?" Ton exploded. "Everyone bowing down at your feet, telling you how good you were?"

"-Someone to help us!" she almost shouted. "To help the innocent kit who's currently suffering!"

…

The room was quiet, Retsuko reeling in after her outlash and Ton a silent, scary, unreadable facade. Haida glanced at them and spoke. "If you've seen it, you'll know that the DA railroaded that kit! Listen, we're working with his parents and friends. We all know that this guy was a Smellwether sympathiser, but the mayor can't chuck him out as there's not enough proof. He'll sue for unfair dismissal, he'll get back in again, yadda yadda. So, we had a plan to get him tipsy and make him confess, using discrete drinks disposal techniques and all that to help out. The trouble is, we needed someone to drink with him, and in terms of prey friends all we had was a bunny and a hare. So, we thought we'd asked around. Retsuko, a gorilla friend; me, Kabae… -As I thought she'd want to stop that kit going through what she went through." He looked down and sighed. "I didn't realise the whole idea would upset her that much, I just thought that she's a hippo, he's a hippo… -You know… I'm sorry, though, to her."

Very slowly, Ton looked over at Retsuko. "This true?" he asked.

She nodded.

"Who were you asking?"

"Director Gori."

"I can see that."

"She's on antibiotics, though…"

"Yeah," Haida replied, "not much luck."

The pig nodded, before standing up, towering over them. Hoof in hoof, he cracked his knuckles and snorted. "Well, I think I have one last question," he said, growling slightly as he did so. "I didn't want to have to ask this, and I can't say how disappointed I really am in you, which given your already low expectations is far worse than you think."

The pair gulped, holding each other's paws.

"So," he asked. "Why didn't you ask me first?"

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AN: Thanks to Danou for giving some suggestions for the dialogue back there.