Chapter 8: The Sherriff

"Wild Bill was a strange character, add to this figure a costume blending the immaculate neatness of the dandy with the extravagant taste and style of a frontiersman, you have Wild Bill, the most famous scout on the Plains"

General George Custer writing about James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok

Unknown Location

Bucky Callahan was frustrated. It had been several days since he sent Seaeyes and Xavier to do his bidding, and there had been no sign of their return. The wolf sat back in his chair, folding his arms, a small growl appearing on his rough features. He wanted his plans to come into fruition, but it seemed like there was an obstacle in his way.

His mind took him back to the bunny with a white buttoned down shirt and blue scarf. Her purpled eyes gleamed, as she held in her paw a revolver, and around her shoulder was her Repeater. Callahan growled to himself, as he remembered how much damage she and her late husband did against his crew. But when he finally put down Wyatt Hopps, Callahan set in motion his plans that would see him dominate the whole western lands of Zootopia.

The wolf unconsciously touched his scar, and slightly winced when his paw came into contact with it. The scar still hurt, thanks to Wyatt's knife. Callahan breathed heavily, remembering how close to death that he had been. When the leader of the bloodhounds reached the peak of his power and influence, he had scores of wolves following him. Unfortunately, it also meant that groups of sheriffs and bounty hunters were after his head, searching for fame and glory. The closest animal that had gotten him was Wyatt, but after fighting in hand to hand combat, a result of lack of ammo on both sides, Wyatt had come out on top. But Callahan pulled a dirty trick by throwing sand in the bunny's eyes and while he was blinded, the wolf escaped.

A knock on the door snapped Callahan out of his thoughts. The brown door opened and a wolf popped his head inside. He shook his head, disappeared behind the door and it closed. Callahan closed his eyes and sighed, his mind racing for plans B, C and D. His original plan would have seen him in ownership of the lands, and nobody would have stopped him

Judy's return had obviously thrown a wrench into it, and Callahan shook his head. Why can't that bunny stay away? He thought to himself. He needed One-Eyed Jack and he needed the grave robber now. By having the jackrabbit on hand, Callahan knew that he would be able to pry information out of him. He had done before and he most certainly can do it again. The wolf sighed to himself and shook his head once more, I should've blown his brains out when I had the chance.

On the table where Callahan was sitting, was the stack of papers revealing the railroad shares for the trans-continental railroad. But he couldn't make a new move because he needed one more document, and it was that document he sent Charlie and a group of wolves after. Callahan looked at an opened pocket watch that was on his desk. Vane should have been here already…

The wolf smiled to himself. Vane was eager, proactive and deadly. The younger wolf reminded the leader of himself, and Callahan could see Vane becoming a leader in his own right. The leader of the Bloodhounds shook his head and smiled dangerously, not today…

Callahan stood up. He was tired of sitting and waiting around. He moved around his table and opened the door, stepping into the hallway that led to the saloon. The wolf marched through the room and saw his own men sitting around the tables, laughing, chatting, playing cards and generally drinking. She-wolves, some wives to the crewmembers walked around and flirted with other wolves. Callahan looked to his right, and on the table of the bar, a wolf had a female wolf on his lap and both were giggling drunkenly. She squealed with delight as he buried his head into her chest.

As soon as Callahan stepped inside the room, the chatter and laughing stopped as each wolf looked nervously at their leader, unsure if he needed something. The leader of the Bloodhounds flicked his paw, and the activities resumed. The wolf walked through the saloon and pushed the swinging saloon doors as he stepped outside. The sun was setting, bringing along with it a cool breeze, a relief from the hot day. Taking his hat off, Callahan relished in the breeze, its fingers curling through the wolf's sweaty brow. Once the breeze died off, Callahan put his hat back on his head and walked towards the church's bell tower.

Up there, at attention was Senga, a wolf that Callahan had assigned to be a lookout. After taking a couple of seconds, Callahan called up, "Anything?"

Senga shook his head. "Nothing, boss. I'm looking for both groups."

"Good wolf," Callahan called out. "Let me know when you see them."

"Right away boss!" Senga responded. With that, Callahan turned around and started to walk back to the saloon. Once he reached the swinging doors, Senga's voice called out. "Boss!"

Callahan stopped himself and stepped off the deck. "You see somebody?"

Senga nodded. "I think it's Vane's crew!" The wolf pointed in the direction. "But boss… it don't look good!"

Callahan sighed. He followed Senga's point and stepped into the street, waiting for the arrival of the group. A few minutes passed, and the wolf heard the noise of hoof beats, as the horses raced towards the ghost town.

Keeping his paws on his revolvers, Callahan kept his face expressionless as the horses came to a stop. After he scanned the scene, Callahan forced himself to contain his fury and frustration as he realized that there were six horses, but only four riders. The lead wolf climbed down off the horse and stood before his leader, not saying a word. The other three did the same, except they stood a bit behind the lead wolf.

Callahan moved his tongue in his mouth, moistening the dry crevices. He shook his head as he slowly walked back and forth. Standing before him was Vierra, Shadowtooth, Blackjack and his number one lupine. "Charile…" Callahan spoke dangerously. "Where's Scorpion and Dagger?"

Callahan's number-one lupine swallowed nervously as he shifted in his place. He had heard what happened to Minho and didn't want to test Callahan's fury. Instead, he decided to give it to his boss straight. "We got in and out of the bank with no problems, boss. But the Sherriff and his deputies musta had been still awake because as soon as we left, we got hit by them. Dagger got shot in the head, comin' out of the bank, and we went out of the back door and rounded about. But when we got to the horses, they started to chase us. Scorpion went down, and I think he's in the hands of the law."

Callahan slowly nodded his head, knowing that there was truth to his number-one lupine's words. The leader shrugged. "Who cares about Scorpion and Dagger?" Callahan growled. "As long as you made it with the last share?"

Vane swallowed nervously. "Actually, we made it out with everything else. Scorpion still has the paper."

Callahan's smile slowly disappeared as he realized that Vane was, once again, telling the truth. The wolf took a deep breath in an attempt to control his fury. As Senga watched from the bell tower, and some of his crew members stepped outside of the saloon to watch what was happening, Callahan lost the fight.

He balled his paw into a fist and drove it into Vane's stomach. As the lupine doubled over with pain, Callahan caught the wolf. Putting his face close to the lupine's ear, Callahan whispered dangerously. "I gave you one job." His voice raised in volume as he snarled and pushed him away. "One job!"

Callahan drew his revolver and trained it at the wolf. As Charlie held his paw up in a feeble attempt of defense, a thought struck the leader. He slowly holstered his revolver and took a step forward. Raising his voice, Callahan spoke, "All four of you take ten more wolves and go after Scorpion. Kill him or bring him back alive, I don't care. As long as you get that paper!" Callahan cursed. Vane nodded, and quickly barked out orders, knowing that if he stood around, he would continue to be at the receiving end of his boss' fury. As Vane climbed up on his horse, Callahan stopped him.

"And Vane?"

"Boss?"

"If you ever run into a bunny and a fox…" Callahan smiled evilly. "Kill the fox, but bring the bunny back. Alive."

"Yes boss." The wolf nodded immediately.

Within ten minutes, fourteen wolves were leaving the ghost town and racing across the plains, heading for Applehill. Callahan sighed as he watched them go. The wolf turned around and walked back to Senga in the bell tower. "Let me know the moment you see Seaeyes and Xavier."

After Senga nodded in response, Callahan walked back into the saloon. Grabbing a bottle out of a passed out wolf's paw, Callahan took a deep draft and shook his head. His plans were in motion, albeit slowly. He took another drink and when he was finished, he threw the bottle against the wall, shattering it, and sending glass down to the floor. Callahan smiled a dangerous smile. He was willing to be patient this time.

/

Tulare

As soon as an animal in the hotel took a look at their table, they gave a loud scream and started to scamper out of the lobby. Other animals, wondering what was happening, looked in the direction of the crazed jackrabbit, did the same. Within a few seconds, the lobby was empty, save for the few that was still there.

John Henry, wondering what the whole chaos was about, decided to investigate. The black furred fox walked out from behind the bar and strode towards the table. As soon as he arrived, he cursed loudly and yelled, "Get that thing out of here! Yore driving my customers away!"

At the sight of the lobby emptying and John Henry's indignity, Judy Hopps groaned and shook her head. "Jack, put the head back in the sack."

One-Eyed Jack giggled. "Hey that rhymed!" With a singsong voice, he repeated, "Jack… Put the head back in the sack…" His voice trailed off as he withered underneath Judy's harsh stare. Finally, the insane rabbit spoke, his voice screeching, "As you wish, marm!" The jackrabbit picked up Seaeyes by the ears and carelessly tossed it back into the empty sack. After he closed it, he looked up and spoke, "Well… did ol' Jack do good or what?"

"Well, you did something.'" A southern drawl was evident in his words, as Nicholas "Doc" Wilde rolled his eyes. "But I have to admit, you ol' rabbit. You did good."

William "Buffalo Bill" Cody nodded in agreement, stroking his beard. "Ought to give us a few days, like Jack says." He looked between the three animals. "What happened with the three of you?"

Judy took the lead of the story about how they all met, with Doc and Jack jumping in once a while to give a missing detail. After she was done, Buffalo Bill spoke, his heavy western accent rumbling, "Well, since Jack said your name in front of the wolves, there's a chance that Callahan does know about you. Do you have a history with him?"

The bunny nodded her head. "He killed my husband."

Buffalo Bill sighed. "Then Callahan knows that you're after him, make no mistake about that. But because of the…" he paused, searching for the right words. "Fortunate timing of Jack, we may be able to get to Applehill without any trouble after all."

Jack screeched happily. He jumped up on the table and started to dance. Ignoring the crazed, half naked jackrabbit, Judy looked sideways at Doc Wilde and spoke, "I'm going to get some sleep. We're gonna have a long couple of days before us."

Doc gave her a wink. "Me too." The fox looked at the sniper and asked, "Anything you wanna add?"

The giant buffalo shook his head. As soon as he did, Judy started to walk away. But as she turned, Jack's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Marm!" He screeched. The insane jackrabbit jumped down off the table and inched closer to the bunny. Dropping his voice, the one-eyed grave robber spoke, "Since yore husband's dead and all… I was thinkin', since we have a connection, I could spend the night in your room?" He giggled and continued, "I did you a favor after all."

Doc laughed out loud, his voice mingling with the deep merriment of Buffalo Bill's as Judy swung her right paw at the jackrabbit. It collided against the side of his face, and the grave robber's eyes rolled up in the back of his head, and he collapsed against the floor in a heap. Doc Wilde shook paws with Buffalo Bill and walked over to John Henry. After giving his friend a hug, and a small amount of cash, as an apology for Jack, he turned around and strode to the unconscious rabbit. Looking down at him, Doc shook his head. "You've gotta watch out for that right hook." As he spoke, he felt a sensation of pain on his nose. When he was done, he stepped over the jackrabbit and started to head towards his room.

The fox closed the door behind him, still smiling. But it disappeared, when he turned around to face the bed. He thought of reading the letter, and he had to force himself to not laugh loudly. Instead, another smile appeared on his face, but this time, it was a dangerous smile. His emerald eyes twinkled with pleasure, as he took off his hat and tossed it on the nightstand next to the bed. The fox sat down on the mattress, pulled out his revolver. As he looked through the chamber and made sure that he had enough bullets, the fox started to whistle with pleasure. Suddenly, the whistle stopped as his mind wandered, taking him back to that one day. With his right paw, the fox unconsciously reached around his left shoulder and touched the spot, feeling the scars that was evident on it. As soon as his paw made contact with it, Nick took a deep breath and shuddered. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his pocket watch. After clicking it open, and reading the inscription, Nick closed it and placed it back in its rightful place. He smiled again, as he stared onto the ceiling, as the golden-eyed wolf appeared in his mind. The fox sighed with quiet joy, as a plan formed that would rid him of Vane once and for all.

Back in the lobby, Buffalo Bill Cody sighed. Opting to leave the jackrabbit alone, the giant buffalo followed Doc. Stepping over the jackrabbit, the buffalo walked into his room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he slung his rifle off his shoulder, and once he held it in his paws, he shuddered with joy. Holding it in his right paw, Buffalo Bill walked towards his bed, and placed it between the furniture and the nightstand. He sighed with tiredness, and sat down. The buffalo folded his paws together, as he replayed the events of the day. He smiled and nodded his head.

I ain't gonna regret this.

/

The Redeye Territory – Between Bull Run and Tulare

The fire cackled in the distance as Judy Hopps slowly started to fall asleep. Next to her, facing the river, Nicholas "Doc" Wilde snored loudly, his cowboy hat in its usual place. On the other side of the fire place, One-Eyed Jack curled up on the sandy ground, his back warming up to the heat. Several yards away from the campsite, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody sat, his back to a smooth boulder that was on the sandy riverbank. He had a perfect vantage of the forests, which was the Redeye territory, and his camp. In his paws, he held his beloved fifty-caliber, bolt action rifle, and his finger hovered over the trigger ever slightly. He was trained for this, being a former soldier.

They had left at the crack of dawn and ridden hard and fast, every beast anxious to arrive to Applehill. There were not a lot of conversing between the four animals as Doc Wilde took the lead, and Buffalo Bill bringing up the rear. As the hot sun reached its zenith point, the animals opted to take one hour break. After he climbed down from his horse, One-Eyed Jack gratefully collapsed on the sandy bank, and promptly fell asleep. Doc Wilde chuckled at the sight of it, and instead picked up a new cigarette out of his box. After realizing that he was out of matches, Buffalo Bill had obliged and the two animals shared smoked and swapped stories.

Judy Hopps sat down on the sand, as she watched the river rush by. Behind her, she could hear all four horses eating and was pleased with the progress that they had with the day. Doc slowly walked up to her and after taking off his hat, he sat down, his finger still curled around the cigarette. After a couple of minutes of silence, he drew out his pocket watch and after looking at the time, spoke "If we can continue on this pace, we could go further than I thought."

The bunny nodded her head silently, and she hesitated, trying to decide whether or not she wanted to broach the subject. Reaching a decision, she finally spoke, "Hey, Doc… you left in a hurry, last night for a bit. You okay?"

Doc Wilde was in the middle of inhaling and he paused, momentarily forgetting to exhale. The burning sensation of the smoke caused him to cough. Deciding that he was done, the vulpine quashed the end of the cigarette in the sands. Looking at his partner, he forced a smile. "Just peachy, darlin'. Like I said, I had a cough comin on and didn't want to draw attention."

"And you're absolutely sure that it had nothing to do with Vane?"

Doc hesitated but for only a second. He immediately answered, his paws spread wide open. "Nothing about Vane."

The bunny slowly nodded her head, electing to believe the gambler. With that nod, she looked back at the river. After a couple of minutes of silence, the bunny laid back onto the sand, enjoying the warm sun, her eyes closed. As soon as she fell asleep, Nick chuckled to himself, amazed that Judy could sleep anywhere. He looked away from the bunny and at the rushing river, but as he did, the pang of guilt in his heart grew larger with every second. The vulpine looked back at the rabbit and opened his mouth, and started to say something.

The pocket watch in his vest pressed against his chest and at the sensation, Nick closed his mouth. He licked his lips and shook his head. This was something he had to do, and he had to do it alone. He didn't want to drag anybody else into it. But you've already dragged them into it… The thought nagged at him. Pushing it out of his mind, the fox walked to Midnight to care for him.

An hour had passed, and after looking at the sun, Buffalo Bill spoke, announcing that it was time to leave. His voice rumbled, waking up Judy and Jack. The bunny nodded her head with agreement, and the animals climbed up into their horses and continued their travel.

It was dark and the moon was glowing when they reached their campsite. Once they arrived, Doc Wilde nodded with satisfaction. They were still in Redeye Territory, but far out of it that they would be less likely to be bothered. Once the animals climbed off their horses, Doc Wilde knew that Judy would not want to be alone with Jack, so he grabbed the jackrabbit and the two of them went into the forests. Within fifteen minutes, both animals emerged, bringing items necessary for a fire. Doc got to work, while Jack loaded up the rest on his horse, knowing that it would save them some foraging time.

Once the fire was going, all four animals grabbed their sacks from their horses to have dinner. Once Judy sat down, she opened her sack and pulled out some fruits. She looked over at Nick and saw that he was buttering some bread. To her left was Buffalo Bill and the giant buffalo had a vegetable that she had never seen before. After Judy inquired about what it was, Buffalo Bill explained that it was a type of vegetation that grew by water, and it was his favorite.

Jack was the last to arrive, and he plopped down on the ground between Doc Wilde and Buffalo Bill. He opened his sack, and as soon as he did, Doc groaned loudly and shook his head. "Jack… you can't eat that."

"What do you mean?" Jack screeched. "A rabbit's gotta eat!"

Judy moved her head and at the sight of Jack's dinner, her stomach rolled and her appetite disappeared. Before the insane rabbit was the wolf's head, and Jack was blinking insanely, and licking his lips. Doc growled dangerously. "Find something else."

Jack pouted as he looked at the fox. "Just a nibble. Give me an ear, at least."

Judy quickly stood up, walked around the fire and grabbed Jack by the ears. She looked at the rabbit and motioned towards the giant buffalo. "I've had it up with you! Get rid of it, or I'll have Bill throw you in!" As Jack scrambled painfully underneath the bunny's powerful grip, he giggled insanely. "I see… you like it rough huh?"

Doc chuckled softly as he shook his head at that response. Judy rolled her eyes, pulled out her revolver and trained it on Jack's stomach. "I have no use for you," she spoke dangerously. "I don't think the fox or Mister Cody has a use for you either." The bunny looked pointedly at both animals, and immediately they both shook their heads.

Judy looked back at the unfortunate rabbit and continued. "I'm going to count to three right now." She cocked the hammer to her revolver and whispered with a low voice. "One…"

"Alright! Alright!" Jack whimpered. "You win! Let go of me poor ears!"

Keeping her revolver trained on the rabbit, Judy gestured towards Seaeyes and looked expectedly at the grave robber. Jack sighed resignedly and picked up the head. He looked at Judy, and nodded. The bunny followed the jackrabbit to the edge of the river and the grave robber turned around until he was looking at the farmer. "Alright… it's going in."

Jack licked his lips longingly as he watched it float down the stream to the unknown. He shook his head, and looked at Judy, attempting to get pity. He was disappointed when he got none. The rabbit sighed and shook his head. "You're no fun, marm!" But as soon as he said it, he beamed. "I still love you and you know you love me too." He winked his good eye insanely and scampered away towards the fire.

Judy sighed and followed the rabbit. She back down in front of the fire, and looked at both the fox and the buffalo. They both immediately became interested in their food, and looking up at the sky. Buffalo Bill grunted. "It's pretty tonight."

Nick immediately nodded his head. "You can see Orion up there."

Judy rolled her eyes. After she folded her dinner, and put it away, the bunny spoke, "Where'd you come from, Bill?"

The Buffalo Bill grunted in response. "I was born in Le Clare. Didn't last there very long and my family traveled north. After my parents passed away, I moved back down here and became a soldier. Spent a couple of years fightin' as a sniper and after I suffered an injury…" As he spoke, he lifted his right side of his shirt, revealing a scar from a bullet. "I was discharged." He sighed sadly. "They told me I wasn't needed anymore. Several months later, I met Annie Oakley and we started the travelin' show."

"What's that?" Judy inquired, interrupting the giant buffalo.

Buffalo Bill shrugged. "Just a show, showin' gunslinging tricks and other acts. It's a way to give some animals a place to stay if they didn't…"

"That's how I met Mister Cody!" Jack screeched. "It was the best several months of my life!"

"Why did you leave?" Doc interjected curiously.

Jack shrugged. "It was time."

Bill rolled his eyes and chuckled. "He didn't want to be the target anymore." He snorted. "I was never going to hit you."

The rabbit screeched. "You could've killed me several times!"

Buffalo Bill chuckled in response at Jack's unease. Several seconds of silence passed, and he finally looked back at Judy and spoke, "It's getting late. You all need some sleep." He looked at the forest and spoke, "Even though we're far out, I still don't trust the Redeyes. I'm going to take first watch and Jack can have the second."

With that statement, put his dinner away, picked up his rifle and started to leave camp. As he did, Judy looked at Doc Wilde, who was wrapping up his meal. She spoke, "What about you?"

Knowing what she meant, Nick smiled. "I was born in a small town in the southeast, named Griffin. When I was seven, I became an apprentice to a dentist." He smiled as his eyes were in a faraway place. "But I was bored. So when I became thirteen, I said goodbye to my parents, came out west and just generally wandered about."

"Thirteen?"

Nick nodded. "It wasn't an easy life."

Judy nodded with agreement. Finally, she pushed "And you ended up in Tulare?"

Doc ignited a cigarette. After taking a drag, the fox looked down at the ground as he considered his next words. "Several times. John Henry was with me in Griffin, and I left first. But when I heard that he had moved to Tulare, I needed to see him. Ended up stayin' in Tulare for several years." He smiled. "Tulare was really the only town where I settled."

Judy sighed, then a thought struck her. "You said you had a daughter. When did you have her?"

Nick's smile was frozen on his face as he realized that his pocket watch was pressed against his chest. Finally, the fox shook his head and spoke, "What about you? You came from the east?"

Judy forced herself not to throw her hands up in the air. Instead she nodded. "I was the only daughter to a banker and a seamstress. My father was wealthy, but my mother came from a modest home. So…. I was born into money, but I… I guess that I got my mama's qualities." She shook her head. "My father was not a kind man. You see, the drink always had a hold on him."

Nick nodded with understanding, the orange glow emitting from the cigarette as the fox took another drag.

"But if it wasn't for my father, I wouldn't have met Wyatt." The bunny smiled at the memory.

Doc raised his eyebrow, and the bunny continued, "He hired Wyatt to be a stagecoach driver to transport some of his… business out of town. When he was done, he returned to the house for his pay. But Father stiffed him and paid him less. Mother wasn't around to support him, and I gave him what he owed and…" she shrugged.

"And?"

Judy smiled. "We started seeing each other. Like I said, Wyatt fancied me with his tales. When Father found out, he disapproved and disowned me. So, I ran off with him."

Nick whistled with admiration. "That's courage. What about your mother?"

Judy shook her head. "She's still with Father. I still write her, but Father disapproves." She shrugged. "I've been thinking…. I need to have a talk with him and explain my actions… although I know that it's not necessary."

Nick smiled, with newfound respect. A few minutes of silence passed between them and Judy realized that she had not heard Jack. She looked around the fire and saw that he was fast asleep. At the sight of the jackrabbit, the bunny realized that she was tired and she looked at Nick. After nodding her head, Judy spoke, "I should get some sleep."
Doc nodded with agreement. Judy laid on her back on the sandy shore, closing her eyes. After a couple of minutes, she rolled over to her side, feigning sleep. Doc looked sideways at the bunny and after he was confident, the fox reached into his pocket and pulled out his watch. As soon as he did, the fox shuddered with anticipation, waiting for the new day to come. He looked up from the watch and looked northward into the distance, where Applehill laid, past the horizon. The fox slowly nodded his head, knowing that the plan that he came up with last night was a good one. It may cost him his life, but he didn't care, as long as his enemy died. The vulpine looked back into the watch, closed it and kissed it one more time. Feigning sleep, Judy saw the whole action, and her ears picked up on the words that the vulpine muttered. "For you, my dear… For you."

As the moon traveled in the night sky, it caused the stars to gleam with life. Buffalo Bill left his vantage point and walked towards the campfire. It had dissolved into a pile of embers, and the buffalo grunted. It was a cold night, and a good fire was needed. He put down his rifle and started to urge it back to life.

As he did, a pair of eyes watched from the forests. After they saw that the fire dissolved into embers, they stood up from their hiding spot, pulled out their revolver and looked behind them. After urging his fellow compatriots to start moving, they stealthily made their way across the plains, towards the unsuspecting campers.

Kneeling down into the sand, and making sure he didn't disturb the slumber of his compatriots, Buffalo Bill brought the fire back to life. As he did, a loud neigh from Midnight caused him to stand up, his rifle in his right paw. Out in the distance, underneath the moonlight, the animal could see a large group of weasels. The leader cursed as he realized that they had been spotted, thanks to the horse. He gave a loud cry, and as he did, the group started to run, firing their revolvers at them, knowing that they were way out of range.

Years of training was at the buffalo's side. As his compatriots woke up with a start, Doc flinging down his hat and drawing his revolvers and Judy with her repeater, Jack screeched with fright and ran around the fire, cowering behind the giant frame of the buffalo. Both Doc and Judy didn't shoot back, knowing that they couldn't hit the charging group. Instead the bunny and the fox smartly waited, in order to conserve ammo. Bill took a deep breath, closed one eye, took aim and fired, the first bullet smashing through the weasel's head. The group stopped suddenly, surprised that their leader was dead at a great distance. Buffalo Bill smiled grimly, calmly ejecting a casing, loaded a new bullet, closed the chamber, brought it up to his eye, and fired again.

The second bullet hit a second weasel and he fell down without a word. Seeing that their comrades died quickly due to the buffalo's onslaught, they all turned around and fled, leaderless back towards the forests. Because they were already halfway across the plains, Buffalo Bill's accuracy took down two more before the group arrived at the trees. Once they disappeared, the giant buffalo breathed heavily, adrenaline rushing through his body. Doc chuckled happily and looked at the buffalo appreciatively. "Good shootin' sir."

Buffalo Bill nodded gratefully. "It's nothing." He responded modestly. Judy rolled her eyes at the buffalo's humbleness and spoke, "Since you, well, kept us alive, I'll take the watch. You go to sleep."

Bill shook his head. "Jack can finish the watch." He glared at the jackrabbit. "As a punishment for not listen' to Judy."

Jack's protest died off underneath the giant buffalo's glare. Judy chuckled as the jackrabbit threw his hands up in the air and muttered to himself, "No one appreciates the fact that I warned them about Callahan… And I didn't have dinner…" He placed both his paws on his head and moaned loudly. "Jack's gonna staaaarve!" he wailed.

Judy rolled her eyes as Jack slinked off to Buffalo Bill's vantage point. After he disappeared into the darkness, Judy returned to her spot. She laid down, and stared up into the stars, shaking her head to herself, grateful for animals such as Doc Wilde and Buffalo Bill Cody.

/

Bull Run

The four animals arrived into Bull Run by mid-morning, with the goal of resupplying and leaving straight away for Applehill. They had ridden long and hard, stopping late to get sleep and leaving at the break of dawn. Once they left the Redeye territory, they all started to relax, and decided not to establish a watch schedule. They maintained this system for several days until they arrived to Bull Run. Once they arrived at the Pink Pony, Judy Hopps noticed that something was vastly different. For one, the whole town was empty. The streets were quiet and the majority of the shops were closed. She looked at Nicholas "Doc" Wilde with an inquisitive look on her face, and Nick responded by shrugging his shoulders. William "Buffalo Bill" Cody climbed off his horse, followed by One-Eyed Jack, and hitched it to the post. "Well…" Buffalo Bill spoke. "This is strange."

Taking charge, Judy spoke, "But it seems like the saloon's open. Buffalo Bill, go and find out what's goin' on. Doc and I'll resupply for the trip north to Applehill."

The giant buffalo nodded wordlessly and grabbed Jack by the shoulder. Within a couple of seconds, they disappeared inside the building. Judy pulled Breeze and navigated her down the street, looking both to her left and right to see which shop was open. Realizing that Doc was behind her, the bunny turned right down the intersection, before the Sherriff's station and continued down. Smiling with victory, Judy saw a general goods store still open. After pointing it out to Nick, both animals hitched their horses.

Taking the lead, Judy pushed the door opened and stepped inside. She called out, "Hello?"

There was no answer, and the bunny shrugged to herself. She looked at Doc and both animals set to work, gathering supplies and food that they needed. Once they brought it to the counter, the bunny called out again, "Hello?"

Within a couple of minutes, footsteps could be heard, and a door behind the counter swung open. Expecting to see a shop owner, Judy was surprised to see a young deer, no more than ten years old. The deer grabbed a stool, which was leaning against the counter and set it in the right place. He climbed up on it and smiled broadly at the two animals.

Breaking the silence, the bunny spoke, "Where are your parents?"

Not breaking eye-contact, the deer responded, "Out."

"Where?"

"They're at a funeral of some sorts." He shrugged. "They don't tell me everything, you know."

"What's your name?" she inquired.

"I'm sorry, marm." The deer responded. "I'm not allowed ta talk to strangers."

Nick chuckled at the response and nodded his head. "That's a good answer. Your parents must be smart animals."

The deer looked at Nick and then back at the bunny. "Especially foxes. Pappy says that they're not good animals."

Nick's smile disappeared and he sighed. He looked at Judy and spoke, "I'll be right outside."

After Doc left, Judy looked back at the deer. "That's not very nice." She scolded. "That fox is the nicest fox I've ever met!"

The child laughed. "You're a bunny and you're hanging out with a fox?" He shook his head and returned his attention to the items on the table.

Judy's mouth shot open, but deciding against it, she waited until the child came up with the total price. When the deer gave it to her, the bunny nodded in agreement and paid for it. She turned, went outside and grabbed Nick. As soon as she did, she saw Buffalo Bill and One-Eyed Jack riding on their horses, heading for the small store. Both the bunny and the fox quickly went back into the store and grabbed their supplies. Within a couple of minutes, Breeze, Midnight and Buffalo Bill's horse was ladened with goods.

Breeze had complained, but after a look from Judy, the horse shut right up. The bunny looked up at Buffalo Bill and spoke, "What's going on here?"

The giant buffalo spoke, his voice rumbling, "Dog in the saloon said that there was a funeral. Seems like a deputy's died."

"Which one?" Judy asked.

"An antelope. His name was Gary."

At the sound of the statement, Nick snorted. "Gary the antelope?" he asked, remembering him. He tried to not smile and put on a sad façade. "How tragic."

While Buffalo Bill was talking, Judy looked sideways at One-Eyed Jack. The jackrabbit was suddenly interested in his saddle. When Buffalo Bill finished his sentence, Judy immediately spoke up, "What happened, Jack?"

Jack hesitated, then blinked his good eye rapidly. "Mebbe Callahan's wolves killed Gary. Mebbe not."

"Did you help them?" Judy's voice became dangerous.

Jack rolled his eye and threw his hands up in the air with exasperation. "How could I, marm? I was in the flippin' cell!"

Judy shook her head. She looked at the fox and spoke, "I think we need to drop by. Give our respects to the antelope…" She stopped herself and continued, "Gary… and say hi to Bogo."

Nick opened his mouth to respond, but Jack immediately cut him off. "Bogo's gone." He screeched. "He's heading to do the same thing we are!"

The fox groaned audibly and spoke, "Bogo's in Applehill with Hickok?"

Jack nodded and responded, "He left several days ago. He musta already be there."

"Great." Doc responded. He looked at Judy and spoke, "Just what we needed."

"I can handle Bogo," Judy said, looking at her partner. "Just… do what you do."

Nick smiled. "What's that?"

"Be yourself."

"That I can do, darlin'" Nick answered, his southern drawl heavier than usual. He took off his hat, brought it forward appreciatively, and placed it back on his head. Judy wheeled Breeze away from the store and looked at Buffalo Bill. "Why don't you take the lead to Applehill? Doc can bring up the rear."

Doc smiled and nodded at the statement. But his smile disappeared as Buffalo Bill Cody started to canter out of the empty town, with Judy and Jack in tow. Nick hesitated for a couple of seconds, and shook his head. He urged Midnight forward, knowing that his plans may have been ruined.

/

Applehill

Applehill teemed with life. Animals of varying species walked among the buildings that lined the road. Women giggled among each other, some holding umbrellas over their heads to protect them from the sun. Well-dressed men kept their paws on their guns, as they watched the strangers ride past them. However, instead of casting suspicious glances at them, they merely nodded their heads and continued their walk. The streets were clean, and the horses stood in front of stores quietly, waiting for their owners and friends. Newspaper boys yelled out, holding out the day paper in their paws, searching for buyers, exclaiming that the bank in the city had been hit. Within a few minutes, Judy Hopps saw a boy jump down from his stool, his paw full of money, and his stack of papers empty. A shopkeeper looked up from his work, sweeping the deck at the riders, nodded his head and called out, "If you're new here, be sure to visit me! I've got everything you need!" The scent of baking caught the bunny's nose as she looked to her left. A baker was putting out several loaves of bread on the windowsill, ready to cool down from the hot stove. The warm sun and a cool breeze blowing through from the mountains to the north mingled with each other, providing the perfect climate.

Judy was taken aback at first, as the city was vastly different than Bull Run. Unlike Bull Run, Applehill actually paid attention and gave respect to strangers. She grunted to herself as a thought ran through her mind, Must be why they were hit.

Reading her mind, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody spoke out of the corner of his mouth, his deep voice rumbling. "They're nice." He sighed and shook his head. "Too nice."

"Must be because of Hickok." Nicholas "Doc" Wilde responded. "He must be holding a tight leash around this here of a town." The fox shook his head and grimaced. "I hate it."

Judy looked sideways at her partner. "You hate it here, but like Tulare? You even preferred Bull Run?"

Nick held up a finger, and spoke, "See, there's the difference between here and Bull Run, darlin'. Bull Run's exciting. Applehill seems… boring." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, marm. But I have to agree with Doc Wilde, here." One-Eyed Jack spoke up from behind them. "They're too…." Jack stopped himself, searching for the right word. "Civilized." He beamed proudly for broadening his vocabulary.

"Have you been here?" Buffalo Bill asked, directing his question to the fox.

Nick shook his head, and he glanced to his right. In the corner, underneath the shade of a patio roof, a married couple kissed each other. Nick grimaced as he echoed Buffalo Bill. "It's too nice."

Judy rolled her eyes and gave a small smile. "Quit complainin' Doc. You didn't make it this far to bail out because of a town?"

Doc returned her smile. "Darlin' it's going to take a lot more than a town to be rid of me." He gave her a wink. "I don't think I'd ever want to leave this lovely partnership anyhow."

"Why not?"

"You're exciting." Then the fox leaned forward and spoke, his voice low. "And pretty." With that, he leaned back and winked again.

Judy could feel her face reddening as she looked away. But as she continued riding, she could feel Doc's emerald eyes on her, causing her heart to dance. Squashing any feeling, the bunny looked at the buffalo and spoke, "Where's the station?"

Buffalo Bill nodded in the direction that they were riding. "This way, then we take a right."

As the four animals rode towards the station, a thought struck the bunny. She pulled Breeze to a stop, and after they noticed that she did, the three animals circled around, and faced her, confusion written on each animal. She wrapped the rains around the horn of her saddle and looked at One-Eyed Jack and spoke, "He's a wanted rabbit."

As soon as she said that, realization struck both Buffalo Bill and Doc Wilde and both animals looked at Jack. The rabbit looked between the three of them and spoke, "What? Why you all lookin' at me?" he asked. The lightbulb went off and Jack cackled loudly. "Oh! We're going to the Sherriff's! Not to mention Bogo's there. He's gonna kill me!" He clapped his hands excitedly, "Now I'm interested in what you're gonna do, sweetie." He blew a kiss at Judy.

"I'm thinkin' we just turn him in and leave him behind." Judy spoke. She raised her paw and spoke, "Who agrees?"

Both Buffalo Bill and Doc Wilde immediately raised their paws. Jack's smile disappeared. "Marm! I… Don't I get a say?"

Judy shook her head and urged Breeze forward. As she did, she called back to the forlorn rabbit, "Don't even think about runnin'. But if you do… there's a bullet with your name on it." She smiled to herself as Jack exaggeratedly gasped. She wouldn't turn in the rabbit, but had threatened him to try to force him to behave. As the bunny continued on her way, Buffalo Bill and Nick shared a look, smiled at each other and started to follow her, leaving Jack alone.

"She's just jokin… yeah… She's joking." The jackrabbit smiled to himself. He started to wheel his horse around, but then stopped himself. He looked back and saw Judy look behind her shoulder, her paw on her revolver. "I'm comin' marm!" He called forward. Jack urged his horse after them.

The closer they got to the station, the faster Nick's heartbeat. With each step that Midnight took, Doc could feel his mouth becoming dry, and sweat starting to roll down his face. But every time Judy looked behind her, Doc forced himself to give him a smile. He rounded the corner with them, and as soon as he did, he felt his pocket watch hit against his chest. Doc exhaled suppressing any sense of nervousness that appeared in the pit of his stomach. The fox reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a cigarette and lit a match. He waved the match, extinguishing the flame, and took a deep drab. After blowing out, the fox closed his eyes, feeling his nerves settle. He did it a few more times, before he was fully satisfied, and threw the cigarette into the dirt, only to be squashed by a passerby a few seconds later.

"That's it." Buffalo Bill spoke, his western accent rumbling and reaching Judy's ears. Judy glanced in the direction that the giant buffalo was looking at, and was surprised to see the condition of the building. Unlike the other buildings in Applehill, which seemed older and rundown, the Sherriff station was new. White paint gleamed underneath the sun as two windows on both sides of the front door, dominated the wall. Four posts lined the deck, providing shade as the porch roof sat on top of it. Above the roof, a sign, painted in bright yellow, simply read as "Sherriff" overlapped the white building. On the front of the deck, a brown wooden railing lined the premises and next to the front door, a wooden bench laid. In front of the wooden railings, two hitching posts could be seen, with troughs in front of them. Two horses was already standing, tied to the left post, so Judy, Doc and One-Eyed Jack took the second post. Buffalo Bill Cody navigated his horse to the right of the first post, and climbed down. He patted his horse, tied it to the hitching post and nodded his head.

Judy followed the buffalo's example. Before she moved away, she looked pointedly at Breeze, her eyebrows arching upwards.

Yeah… I know. No gossipin' Breeze shook her mane. You're no fun.

Judy sighed and stepped away from her horse. She nodded at the animal standing next to Buffalo Bill's horse and spoke, "Bogo's here. I recognize his horse."

Buffalo Bill nodded in Judy's direction. "Aye, and Wild Bill also. That's good."

The four animals stood on the deck underneath the shade, all happy that they finally arrived at the building. Judy stretched and nodded at her companions, then turned to face the door. She reached out and placed her paw on the knob, but as soon as she did, the bunny felt it twist. The farmer let go and the door opened inwardly revealing an animal. At the sight of him, Buffalo Bill laughed loudly with greeting.

A black furred Jack Russell terrier stepped out from the inside of the building that he commanded. As he did, Judy's attention was immediately caught by the dog's mannerism. He stood upright, and had his left paw behind his back while his right paw was holding the cigarette and as he looked between the animals silently, he never broke pose. The black furred dog wore a white buttoned down shirt, tucked into black dress pants. Coiled around his pants was a dark belt. A golden pocket watch chain hung out of his shirt pocket, gleaming underneath the sunlight. On top of his head, a brown cowboy hat matched the dark colors that the dog wore. Over his shirt, Judy noticed that the dog wore a leather holster vest, with two revolvers hanging near his chest. Around his finger was a lit cigarette, in which he brought to his mouth and inhaled. Finally, after he exhaled, he dropped it on the deck and squashed it underneath his boot.

After staring at Buffalo Bill wordlessly, the dog smiled, and took another step. Suddenly, his smile disappeared as he pulled out both of his revolvers and trained them at the giant buffalo. In a flash, Buffalo Bill cocked his rifle and trained it at the dog's head. The three onlookers stepped back nervously, afraid that they were caught in the middle of a potential feud.

Finally, the dog chuckled and spun his revolvers around his fingers. First, he holstered his left revolver, a thirty-six caliber Colt Navy revolver. As soon as it was safely holstered, the dog put his second revolver, a forty-four caliber Smith and Yakinson away, chortling loudly "You've gotten slower, Cody!" his Mid-West accent evident. He stepped forward and allowed himself to be embraced by the giant buffalo. After the two friends let go of each other, Wild Bill looked up at his friend and spoke, "and older!"

Buffalo Bill snorted. "Of course I look older, you ol' dog." His western accent became heavy with his joy. "It's been years since you've seen me. I was probably half my height when we protected that coach comin' from Antelope City to Deer Creek." The buffalo shook his head at the memory. "That was a good time."

The dog rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Until the driver got shot by that bandit."

Buffalo Bill shrugged. "We still got the passengers there safely!"

The terrier smiled. "And the wagon was full of bullet holes." He shook his head. "It's been far too long, friend."

"It has." Remembering that three other animals stood next to the buffalo, the giant animal looked at Wild Bill and gestured towards Judy first. The bunny stepped forward, her paw out, and the dog shook it as the buffalo introduced them. "This is Judy Hopps, Nicholas Wilde… and you may recognize that rabbit from the wanted posters, One-Eyed Jack."

James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok shook each animal's paw, except for Jack's, his bushy mustache twitching underneath his nose. "Pleasure to meet ya." The dog glared at Jack. "We have an empty cell for you. I definitely recognize you, rabbit."

Jack threw his paws in the air. "Can't nobody take pity on an old jackrabbit?" He screeched. Then he looked with begging at the giant buffalo. "I'm helpin' ya! Please spare me!" The dog watched as Buffalo Bill shared a look with the bunny. After the bunny nodded, he spoke, "Fine." The sniper looked at the dog and spoke, "He's good and he's with us."

Wild Bill glared at the jackrabbit and spoke, "If you step out of turn in my town…" He shook his head. "I don't have to explain what's gonna happen to you, do I?"

The dog immediately stepped backwards as the insane jackrabbit fell on all fours and crawled towards him. Jack started kissing the ground where the sherriff stood, mumbling insanely "May you have good fortune for the rest of your life, sir. May all the gods honor you!" He cackled with glee, stood up and walked back to where he stood.

Wild Bill grimaced. He looked at Buffalo Bill and spoke, "What're they doing with you?"

Buffalo Bill sighed. "It's a long story, but they're not here because of me. We're here because of her." He nodded towards Judy.

Wild Bill stroked his mustache with his right paw, and unconsciously moved his left paw behind him, out of habit. His eyes narrowed at the bunny and he spoke, "A woman…" he paused and nodded his head. "And a bunny… Hopps you said?"

After Judy nodded, Wild Bill continued. "I heard about your husband. My apologies. I've never had the fortune to meet him, but he seemed like a great man."

Judy opened her mouth to answer, but the dog continued, shifting his gaze towards the fox standing next to her. Nick was leaning against the post, both of his paws loosely gripping his revolvers. "A bunny and a fox." Wild Bill spoke. His eyes looked the fox up and down. "A southern fox…. And a gambler."

Nick pushed off the post and spoke, "How'd you know that?"

"I've got a knack for these things, young'un."

Buffalo Bill chortled. "Your Sherriff probably told him."

Wild Bill rolled his eyes and glared at his friend. He threw his paws up with exasperation and spoke, "There you go again! Ruining my fun!"

The dog sighed at Buffalo Bill's laughter. He moved to the front of the station and spoke, "Well, if you're not here with Buffalo Bill. What are you doin' here, then?"

"Buffalo Bill told me that you have Charles Vane in custody. One of Callahan's boys?"

The Sherriff nodded. "That's right."

"Well… we're organizing a group to take down Callahan and his crew."

The dog looked up at the buffalo, and the ex-soldier nodded, confirming her words. The Sherriff slowly nodded, while stroking his mustache in thought. "And you need my help?"

"That's right." Judy spoke. "Buffalo Bill here told us you could help."

"Us?" the dog spoke. "How many of you do you have?"

Judy hesitated, afraid to answer. Nick jumped in, a smile on his face, and spoke, "Just the four of us you see. "

Wild Bill Hickok stopped stroking his mustache. "Just the four of you? A sniper, a gambler, a farmer and a grave robber?" The dog chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, marm, but it's going to have to take a lot more than a conversation to convince me to help you."

"Not even if it means taking down Callahan?"

Wild Bill gestured towards the town. "Look at this town, Miss Hopps. If I leave, this town will go down into chaos, and chaos is not what we need." The dog lowered his voice. "I don't want it to become like Bull Run." The Jack Russell Terrier shook his head. "I'm sorry. I cannot help you. I love my town too much to go on a… wild chase."

Judy opened her mouth to answer, but Doc jumped in again. "Are you a gamblin' man, Mister Hickok?"

The dog looked at the fox and slowly nodded. "I've been known to play some cards. Why?"

Nick took a step forward and spoke, "Then let's make a wager… or a deal… However a Sherriff in your position would want to see it. Now, I heard about you, Hickok. You're a cautious, and dangerous dog, but you are definitely not stupid." His southern drawl became heavier as the fox tried to charm the Sherriff. "As a gambler, you know when the odds are against you, and that's what helped you survive. Now, this is the deal… or wager…Let us help you bring Vane to the train station in Springfield. While we're helpin' you, you can see the odds play out. If you like the odds, then help us. If you don't like it, then you can walk, and we won't stop you."

Wild Bill Hickok stroked his mustache again. He looked at Buffalo Bill and the giant buffalo spoke, his deep voice rumbling, "I'd take that wager. I've seen them fight. They're good and smart. Besides, you can't say no to few extra animals, right?"

The dog looked back at the fox and slowly nodded his head. "Alright, Doc." He stuck his hand out and both animals shook it. "Prove yourselves to me, and I'll help you."

With the deal sealed, Wild Bill Hickok looked at all the animals and spoke, "If you'll follow me, Vane's inside." He turned around and stepped inside the station. Buffalo Bill followed his friend with Jack in tow. Judy looked at her partner and nodded her head. "Thank you." She turned and followed the grave robber and Nick sighed to himself. He took his hat off and dusted it against his leg. "We need all the help we can get." With that thought, the fox followed his partner.

Author's Note 1 / 2: You may be wondering where the next chapter for the Silver Clan is. The truth is, I am done with it, but I do not like how it turned out. So I'm going back to the drawing board for it, and changing some scenes or just restarting the whole chapter again. Thank you for your patience!

Author's Note 2/2: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I also hope that Jack didn't turn you away from this story because he is a crazed graverobber that's also a cannibal. This chapter will be the final mention of cannibalism, I promise. Anyways, a review is always appreciated!