Serendipity's Shadow
Rated T
Chapter 8
The cabinets were open, pots and pans scattered the floor, along with broken glassware. Judy ignored the twinge in her heart seeing one of the shattered glass plates. It was the plate that one of her siblings had hand-painted for Judy's birthday. She had a more urgent matter to deal with. Walking over the broken glass and scattered pots and pans. Judy made her way into the living room. The tv was stripped from the wall. The pull-out couch was ripped to shreds. A predator, a large predator, did this damage. Judy was sure of that part.
"ZPD! Officer Judy Hopps!" Judy shouted into the apartment. "Present yourself!"
Are they still in here though? Judy wondered.
There were only two places left to check. The bedroom and the bathroom in the bedroom. Judy ignored the mess that was once her decent apartment. Her ears stayed alert trying to pick up any sound. But it was eerily quiet. The only sound that was heard was Judy's own breathing and light footsteps. Judy breathed in short low breaths to keep her heart from drowning out her ears. She walked down the hall to her opened the bedroom door.
"ZPD! Officer Judy Hopps!" Judy called again. "If you are armed place your weapon on the ground and make yourself known!"
Nothing. Not a reply. Or a single sound from the creaking floorboard.
Judy peered around the door. She investigated her once a clean and organized bedroom. It was a mess to put it lightly. Her bed frame was broken, the mattress ripped and tossed aside, box frame shredded. Tia's luggage was ripped open, and her clothes were tossed haphazardly around the room.
They were looking for something. Judy observed.
Judy's closet was in the same state. Only about two clothing items were still hanged on the rack. The doors were ripped off their hinges hanging at an odd angle. The bathroom door was in the same state. Judy quickly turned her attention to the bathroom. Judy had to resist letting her ears droop down. The only thing that seemed left in tack was the showerhead. The mirror she once adored was smashed against the ground. The toilet seat was ripped off.
Well, what was the point of doing that? Judy groaned internally.
After doing another quick sweep of the house Judy immediately went back to check on Tia.
"You good?" Judy asked seeing the terrified girl.
"No." Tia muttered. "Not really."
Judy could only nod in understanding.
"Is it bad?" Tia asked.
"It…it's not great."
Judy led Tia inside, slowly, allowing the girl to process the scene at her own pace.
"You were right." Tia stated. "This…this isn't great."
"They were looking for something." Judy muttered.
"Or someone."
"Maybe…" Judy pondered. "If they were looking for…you. They were probably mad you weren't here. And they were definitely looking for something. They flipped over anything and everything possible. And the damage done to these items was to send a message along with proof of them being thorough. If I had to guess Miss Tia…it's something you have." Judy stared Tia down.
Tia looked down at her paws. She knew what they were looking for.
"The thumb drive." Tia answered Judy's question.
"Say no more." Judy ordered. "They might be listening."
"What?" Tia asked alarmed quickly crouching down into a fetal position.
"It's fine. No one's here and they didn't rip off the cardboard from the windows so no snipers. But it wouldn't surprise me if our uninvited guest left a bug somewhere."
"So…what now?" Tia asked shaking in her fur.
"I need to make a phone call. But I can't do it here. And we need a new place to hide."
I need to call Chief Bogo. Someone leaked information about Miss Tia's location. But I can't call him here. And out on the streets is no safer than standing still with a target on your back. I need someplace safe. And there is only one place I can think of…
"We need to hail a cab."
"Why?"
"Can't answer that." Judy stated. "Not if we are being listened to."
"…okay."
"I need to change."
"Do I need to change too?"
"I need you to grab what you need for a few days and put it in your bag. I need to change because we are going to go meet someone."
"Who…"
Judy simply looked at her.
"Right. Can't answer. Possible bug." Tia stuttered out quickly.
Tia quickly went to what was supposed to be her haven for a week. She ignored the dread building up in the pit of her stomach. And grabbed some decent clothing that she quickly shoved into her backpack.
Judy will keep me safe. Tia declared. He won't get me. And they won't find where I hid that thumb drive.
Tia worked faster trying to ignore the fear in her heart.
Judy meanwhile grabbed one of the two pieces of clothing still hanging in her closet. With a resigned sigh she grabbed the one dress she thought she'd never wear again. The LBD that she knew would grab his attention.
I don't want to pull this trick on him. But I'm going to need him to listen to me. Especially if I want access to that place again. Judy sighed. At least today's Sunday.
Judy slipped on the tight-fitting LBD. It was at this moment she found the gold chain on her wrist once again. She had placed it on earlier simply because it matched her dress well. But the missing charm weighed heavily on her mind.
"Wear this wherever you go." He had said to her once.
"It's your symbol?" Judy question as she examined the simple bracelet.
"If you wear this, you'll be safe. Or at least anyone with a brain won't actively come after you." He placed the bracelet around her wrist tenderly. "As long as I know your safe, I can sleep just a little easier at night. Because I care about you, Miss Judy Hopps."
Judy cared about him too once upon a time. But now she needed to speak to him from a business perspective. Just like how she originally attended it to be. It was time for her to go to a club, his club. It was time for Judy Hopps to talk with Nick Wilde.
"Are you ready to go Miss Tia?" Judy asked slugging her own bag of clothing over her shoulder.
"As I'll ever be." Tia shrugged helplessly.
They hailed a cab rather quickly throwing their two bags into the trunk. While Judy and Tia sat comfortably side by side in the back seat.
"Shadow's Luck." Judy told the cab driver.
The cab driver appeared shocked for a moment before nodding and pulling out into traffic.
Tia was shocked to hear their location. Again, it was a place that Tia had never been to. Quick Shot has practically condemned the place from ever being mentioned in his presence. No one could touch it either. Apparently, the person who owned the club was someone way above Quick Shot's ranking on the streets. At least that's what Tia figured out.
Wait a minute! Tia thought. Shadow's Luck, Zootopia's shadow, Judy's connections. Am I really in a safe company?
