Chapter 5, A Very Sick Jackal: Aiden parked outside a luxury adobe home. The home is stunning. It's made out of clay and the door and window frame appeared to be made out of gold. There's a fancy-looking black iron gate at the side of the house. Behind the gate is a glimpse of what appeared to be a pool. Aiden and I got out of the car. Aiden knocked on the door to the house. A male black-backed jackal and a female golden jackal answered.

"Are you Deborah's dad by any chance?" I asked.

"I am. What did she do?" He asked.

"She didn't do anything, sir. We're looking for her." Aiden said.

"Oh really? She's missing? I didn't know that. Because she never tells me anything! When she was at the hospital she didn't call! She stopped talking to me because I said she got a gut. It's not like I called her fat. I just said she eats too much food and needed to do sit-ups. But she'll talk to me whenever she wants money. Even though she received thousands from her dead mother and blew it all without giving me any. Stupid jackal I say. Just like her mother. Her biological one."

This jackal had such a wonderful personality. It's amazing and outstanding. He's an all-around-stand-up dad. I sure couldn't understand why Deborah doesn't talk to him. I just can't wrap my head around it. He deserves a world's best dad mug. I saw Aiden's paw tighten into a fist from my peripheral vision.

"So you didn't receive some strange text message from her phone number? Right?" I asked.

"I just told you I haven't heard from her you stupid horse. Ever since they hired a bunny, it looks like the ZPD will hire anyone nowadays. Seeing that they've hired one of the dumbest mammals and a hyena. At least correctional officers still have standards. If I ever see a rabbit, horse, or hyena at work then I'll know that the whole law enforcement field is screwed. Hopefully, I'll retire before that happens."

If that golden jackal wasn't beside him and I weren't afraid to lose my job I would knock him out. Aiden was trying so hard not to tear him apart.

"You'll have to excuse him. He likes to run his mouth. But no. We have not heard from Deborah. I wished she had told me she was in the hospital so I could have been there for her at that time." Said the golden jackal. I had a pretty clear idea of the situation. A scumbag father and an enabling stepmother. What's important though is that my theory is correct. The kidnapper knew Deborah too well. He didn't message her dad because he knew he didn't care about her. No doubt it had to have been her ex who did it.

"Alright. Thank you both for your time." I said.

"Please find Deborah. I love her like she's my daughter. Her father loves her too." Said the golden jackal. I lashed my tail. It took a lot to refrain from saying something rude. Rude wasn't close to being the appropriate word to describe what I wanted to say.

"We will ma'am," I said. We went back inside the car.

"Why did you need to talk to her dad?" Asked Aiden.

"Think about it. The kidnapper knows Deborah. He sent her boss a message. He turned in her schoolwork for her. But he didn't message her dad. In that video, the kidnapper appeared to be a fox, and from Vickie's and Nessa's statements it has to be Thomas that kidnapped her." I said.

"We need a way to find where he took her," Aiden said.

"Jazz, that rabbit cop we met, said to go to city hall and ask for a Jacqueline Jackrabbit," I said.

"The city cameras! Of course!" Aiden started the car and drove to city hall.

A female jackrabbit with gray fur, a blonde ponytail and pink eyes wearing a pink blouse and matching dress skirt was carrying stacks of files.

"Need help, miss?" Aiden asked as we walked up to her.

"Oh no. I'm okay. This is everyday work for a file clerk. Thank you though officer." The rabbit smiled.

"We're sorry to bother you, but we're looking for a Jacqueline Jackrabbit," I said.

"You're talking to her." The rabbit replied.

"Jazz sent us. We need city camera footage from two weeks prior." I said.

"I can get that for you. I need to put these in the security room anyway." Jacqueline said heading to the room. There was a lioness leaning against the hallway wall. She was wearing a green halter top, baggy black jeans with a silver chain, and black fishnet gloves. What caught my eye was the friendship bracelet on her wrist. It was green and white and had the same pattern as Deborah's and Nessa's. That could not have been a coincidence. Jacqueline takes us inside the room and places the files on a desk.

"Two weeks you said? Let's see…" She typed something on the computer.

"So you know Jazz?" I asked.

"He's my cousin. I go to Zootopia University for law."

"You should have been sib-"

"Oh. I know." Jacqeline said, cutting Aiden off. "He said his roommates always joked about it while they were in training." She laughed a little.

"Why law?" I asked.

"After Jazz became a cop. I wanted to try to be an attorney. My relatives said I'll be too cute and too small to be a believable lawyer. I want to prove them wrong." Jacqueline explained.

"And you will," Aiden said.

Jacqueline smiled at that.

"You kinda give Elle Woodchuck vibes," I said.

"I absolutely love that musical! I loved the movie even more." She clicked on something and then continued to type. "Sadly though I have to do most of my work online. My ex-boyfriend is in this gang that's supposed to protect predators but I don't want any part of it. What they do is wrong." She explained.

"Does this gang happen to vandalize ZU police cars and harass the campus police and students?" Asked Aiden.

"Yes! They also shot a campus police officer." She said, Aiden and I were stunned.

"Exactly," Jacqueline said, seeing our expressions. "That's why I don't want any part of it. I'm not going back to that school until I know for sure those members are gone."

"Noble cause, terrible approach?" Aiden said.

"Yes. I even told him that this approach is just like Dawn's but in reverse. He got mad at me and said that not everyone in the gang is a predator and the campus police officer got shot because he tased a student that was a predator." Jacqueline replied.

"Why did the ZU officer tase him?" I asked.

"From what my cousin told me he said that the student pulled out a knife on him so the officer didn't have much of a choice. I told Antonio this; he didn't want to hear it and accused me of defending campus police because my cousin is one. That dumbass." She said.

"Antonio is the name of your ex?" Aiden asked.

"Yep, his name is Antonio Frontera. He's a coyote." She placed her hand on the mouse. Good thing Antonio isn't a donkey. Donkeys absolutely despise the word ass.

"I did think about going back home to Bunnyburrow so I could really be away from him and the gang. But I like this job. Also when you're a rabbit and you get a taste of your own space. You never want to go back home. I don't think I can handle living with my two hundred ninety-nine siblings again." Jacqueline continued.

I guessed Jacqueline made three hundred. It must be hard being a rabbit. One time my mother let her sister and her son stay with us. Every day I wanted to cave my bratty cousin's head in. He broke my stuff, called me names, and always got me in trouble because I was older than him. He grew up to be a deadbeat dad who lives with his deadbeat dad. Imagine my shock.

I couldn't imagine living with over a hundred family members. Especially if they were as shitty as my cousin. I do have over a hundred relatives on my mom's side. Because her family functioned like a horse herd. Apparently, my grandfather didn't know what a condom was and all the mares he slept with were too dumb to know about birth control, and those mares also got pregnant by other stallions. Maybe that's why my mother is so fucked up.

"I'm in! What was it that you wanted to look at?" Jacqueline asked.

"We're looking for a jackal who has been kidnapped," I said.

"My brother takes this route to sell laced preserves. Which I warned him not to do and I have no idea what he laces them with. He goes through this tunnel." She showed the maintenance tunnel. "If our parents came back from the dead. They would die again if they knew what John was doing with the family business." She added.

"This is maintenance tunnel 6B," I said.

"Surveillance can't show you, but there's a hidden passage. If you make a turn away from Cliffside Asylum there's a tunnel that takes you underground. Supposedly it can take you to any of the districts without being noticed by surveillance. I don't know for sure because I have never been there." Jacqueline explained. I could see how that could be useful for dealers.

"It does. My dad used to sell fake IDs and other illegal things. He used that tunnel to go back and forth between districts." Aiden said.

"What's scary is that you know that information," I said.

"Dad spilled a lot whenever he was drunk," Aiden replied. Jacqueline paused the video when a black van left the maintenance tunnel.

"Zoom in on the license plate," I said. Jacqueline zoomed in. I compared the license plate number I wrote in my notebook. It was a match.

"It's the van we're looking for. But if they took the hidden passageway, how would we know which district to look into?" I said.

"Simple," Jacqueline said. She set the cameras on the tunnel exits for each district. The van exits the tunnel to the Rainforest District.

"The Rainforest District," Aiden said.

"Well let's hurry. Thanks for the help, Jacqueline." I said.

"Anytime officers!" She said as she left.

Aiden and I got back in the car.

"Just curious Buck. Do you like anyone?" He asked as he started driving the car. I thought about a dappled palomino I knew in high school. She was a senior and I was a freshman. I still remember her name. Dotty. I secretly called her "Spotty Dotty". She was a teaching assistant for my class. I had given her my phone number and we sometimes texted each other. I bought her a pink ceramic container with white polka dots. Inside the container were sugar cubes. When I heard there was a prom coming up I thought she was going to take me. She went with an appaloosa that was in her class. She told me I was too young to be her date. You could say that was a buck in the face. I don't remember how long I cried in my room. My mother was cruel about it too.

"She's a mare! You're still a colt! Why would she want anything to do with you!? Did you really think she would want to be your girlfriend!? You must have lost your common sense!" My mother yelled. She wasn't wrong. But she didn't have to be so mean. I haven't really liked anyone else since then. Except for my ex-fiance of course. But I couldn't tell Aiden that.

"There was a horse named Dotty. I've been over her though. I was a freshman and she was a senior. It was never going to happen." I said. It's true. I haven't thought about Dotty since she graduated high school. She's probably married and has a family of her own by now.

"Oh. Age gap." He said.

"Why ask?" I asked.

"You never talked about having a crush on someone." He said.

"You never talked to me about Deborah," I replied.

"That's different." He said.

"How so?" I asked.

"Nevermind." We went through the tunnel and Aiden took the exit for the Rainforest District. He slowed to a stop and got out of the car. I got out after wondering what he was up to.

"These are fresh van tracks." He said looking at the tracks in the mud.

"Do you think they belong to that black van?" I asked.

"Only one way to find out," Aiden replied. We followed the tracks in the mud.

"How did you know these were van tracks?" I asked.

"My dad's business demolishes old vehicles. I saw many different types of tires, cars, and car parts." Aiden replied.

"Why did your dad deal?" I asked.

"To fund the start-up of his business. No one would hire him because he's a hyena. So he turned to crime for money. That's what he said when he was drunk." Aiden replied.

"What did he say when he wasn't drunk?" I asked.

"He'd say, "Isn't it obvious stupid?" Aiden replied. The tracks stopped at a swamp. In the middle of the swamp stood a shack.

"They're hiding something in there. The trouble is, how are we going to cross?" I said.

"Seeing how fresh these tracks are, it's possible that they come by here a lot. Maybe it's safe to swim through it." Aiden said. Yeah. Maybe. I carefully went into the water. The level was right at my waist. The water felt so weird, it was cold, thick, and muddy; and the algae felt slick and slimy. I felt like I was going to need a bath after we find this jackal. Aiden follows behind me. I knocked on the door when I pulled myself onto the porch.

"ZPD," I said. There was a faint voice. Aiden and I nodded to each other. We cautiously entered. On the floor lay a female black-backed jackal wearing the clothes I saw on campus camera footage. Her hair is in twin tails. One side is black and the other silver. Her lavender eyes appear sunken and you could see her collarbone protruding. She looked very unhealthy.

"Deborah!?" Aiden asked, helping her up.

"What did they do to you!?" I asked.

"He kidnapped me…He thinks they're after me…" She said too weak to answer. Aiden lifts her up. "You'll be okay Deborah." He said.

I picked up Deborah's bag. "We need to take her to the hospital before they find us here," I said. It was so eerie how you could hear the jackal breathe. Aiden looked like he was trying not to panic. I was the first to get back into the murky water. Aiden handed Deborah to me and got in next. I could feel Deborah's bones as I held her.

"You can go start the car. I'll place her in the backseat." I said. Aiden nodded and went in front of me. Deborah muttered something but I couldn't understand what she was saying. I think she was trying to tell me who kidnapped her.

"Don't talk. You can tell us when you recover." I said. Deborah stayed quiet after that. Aiden opened the back door for both of us. I laid Deborah down and placed her bag on the floor. Aiden practically hopped into the driver's seat.

"Are you sure you're able to drive? You're very apprehensive right now." I asked.

"It's the only way we can get her to the hospital on time. I don't want to risk waiting for an ambulance." He said.

"You don't want to put us all in the hospital either," I said.

"I know, I'm fine, I promise." He starts the car heading to the hospital.

I looked at Deborah through the mirror who was sleeping. I wonder what could possibly go in a mammal's mind to want to kidnap and starve another mammal? Then one question crossed my mind. How are we going to find Thomas? We know he's a male red fox with different eye colors. But he could be using color contacts to cover them and let's be realistic. There are a lot of male red foxes in Zootopia. We also know that he's in a gang that hates campus police, but we don't know where this gang's hideout could be. I looked at Deborah's bag on the floor. I wanted to ask Deborah if I could look through it, but she was too sick to answer.

"I'm sorry Deborah. But I need to see if I can find anything that can point to your kidnapper's whereabouts." I opened the partition slide and took her bag. Deborah made a small noise. There was a phone charger and enough clothes packed for a weekend stay. I thought about her plants and what Nessa said. Deborah might have been planning to stay in a hotel in Rainforest District and study carnivorous plants for the weekend. I picked up a green spiral notebook. Written on it were the words "Carnivorous Plant Biology." This was going to be for notes obviously. None of these were going to help me find the criminal, however.

Then I saw a pink phone case that had yellow butterflies and flowers on it. Bingo. I found her cell phone. I pressed on the side of the phone. It was out of power. At least I had something that may be able to point to where Thomas might be. Or at least recover his phone number when it does get charged. I zipped her bag back up and placed it back on the floor. I closed the partition slide.

Aiden parked outside the emergency room and we both helped Deborah inside. A spotted palomino ran up to us. She was wearing a white lab coat and a magenta dress. Her long blonde mane was in a braid and had a flower clip that matched her dress. I could not believe the sight. Was it really her?

"What happened?" Her bright blue eyes showed panic.

"We do not know. We just know she was kidnapped." I answered. The mare nodded and placed her on an available bed. "You two can wait in the waiting room if you like." She paged a couple of nurses as she rushed her to a room. I watched the mare until she disappeared with the staff, which wasn't that long. I looked over at Aiden who was trembling at this point.

"Want me to get you a coffee?" I asked.

"Add one pack of cream." He said. I nodded and went to pay for two black coffees at a kiosk. I added one pack of cream in Aiden's; while I left my coffee black and added a couple of sugar cubes. I met Aiden in the waiting room. He was sitting down while rocking his foot. I handed him the coffee. He took a sip after he thanked me. He started to rock his foot a little more slowly.

"How long have you had a crush on her?" I asked.

"For a while. A couple of months maybe." He said.

"And you never told me?"

"I didn't think anything would happen. With me being a hyena and all."

"Aiden," I said.

"I mean it. When I was little, the teachers would fail my assignments on purpose because they said that "I wasn't trying hard enough." If someone had goofed off in class I got blamed for it. As I got older I was always treated as the class clown even if I never said or did anything funny. Do you know what the other students asked me when my brother died? They asked if my family laughed at his funeral. Then when my mother became permanently institutionalized after my brother died the students joked about her going to a fun house. With any other mammal, they probably would have called it a crazy house. But with me, they called it a fun house. When you're a hyena other mammals believe that you think everything is funny. I was worried that Deborah would think that I would laugh at her if she had opened up to me about something."

I put my coffee down and hugged Aiden. Aiden hugged me back tightly. I could feel him quivering and my neck began to feel a little wet. I rubbed his back. Aiden let me go after a few minutes and wiped his face. I wanted to ask him if he was okay, but it was quite obvious that he wasn't. He sat back down again and took another drink from his coffee. I sat next to him.

"My dad didn't want me to be a cop. He said to either help him with his demolition business or be a comedian because a hyena would never get a case. But I thought if a bunny could be a cop, why can't a hyena? He was right though."

"That's not true Aiden."

"Yes, it is. I was never put on a case because the chief thought a hyena couldn't be trusted with one."

"And you just proved him wrong."

"Because of you."

"I told you that wasn't the reason why I asked you to be on this case with me. It was, but not really the main reason."

Aiden breathed out some air and then took another drink.

"Aiden…why did you get sick when you found out your brother was dead?" I asked.

"I was scared. I thought my parents were going to pressure me into being more like him. Or take their grief out on me and blame me for his death. I thought I was going to be alone without anyone caring about me. Other than Katey of course."

"Is that why it bothered you so much when you thought Deborah might be dead? The thought of having to go through losing someone you cared about again?" I asked. Aiden answered with a small nod. I rubbed his shoulder.

"I'm okay now Buck. Really." He said.

"What would your brother have said had you been able to tell him you wanted to be a cop?"

He made a small "hmph" sound having a very faint smile. "He would have told me in Zootopia anyone can be anything."

Something that sounded like horse hooves came closer to us. I turned and saw the palomino that took Deborah. There was no question about it. It had to be her. Aiden and I quickly got up.

"How is she?" He asked.

"She's stable. I think she wants to see you. She's been asking for a hyena named Aiden." She said.

"What room is she in?" He asked.

"One fifteen."

Aiden nodded thanking her before heading there. On the doctor's badge was the name "Gallopps." I thought about Deborah's medicine bottles.

"Anything I can help you with, officer?" Asked the doctor. I snapped out of my thoughts.

"Oh um no. I uh. A-actually there is something. Are you her primary doctor by any chance?"

"I am."

"Has she talked to you about anyone? Perhaps, someone, she felt threatened by?"

"Whatever she talks to me about is confidential. But I can say that she hasn't."

I still had her phone. Cyber forensics could probably pull up Thomas's contact information. If not, I could ask Deborah herself when she was fully well. If she still remembers his number that is.

"Is there anything else you want to ask?" The palomino asked.

"Does your name happen to be Dotty?" I asked.

Her blue eyes widened for a brief moment.

"It is. Do I know you?"

"It's me. Buck." I smiled shyly.

"Buck?" She asked, then it looked like it hit her after a bit of thought. "Buck! It's been a long time. It's great to see you." She smiled.

"It's nice to see you too." I smiled back.

"How have you been?" She asked.

"I guess as okay as someone who found a missing mammal who has been kidnapped," I answered.

"Oh right…well you can ask Deborah when she recovers. I hope you do catch whoever did it."

"My partner and I will make sure we will."

"How long have you been a cop?" She asked.

"I graduated a few months back," I answered.

She smiled. "It suits you. You sure make a handsome cop."

I cleared my throat to keep myself from blushing.

"How long have you been a doctor?" I asked.

"I'm still an intern. Eight years of medical school is not easy, and I still have another four years to go." She said, she giggled a bit. She had that same cute little laugh.

I laughed a little at that. "I'm sure you can do it. You really are bright."

Dotty smiled warmly at me as she did back in school.

"Although I did see you being more of a pediatric nurse," I added.

"Still sweet as you were back then I see. Actually, I was going to be a nurse. But my parents said, "Why not aim higher?" So I did." She smiled.

"So you're a pediatric doctor? Or at least still in school to be one?"

"I am. But occasionally I work with older patients like Deborah. What to do when you're short staffed right?"

I was about to ask something until she looked at her pager.

"I got to run. Hopefully, I'll see you again. Wait, actually no. I hope I don't; because if I do see you, that would mean you got really sick or injured." She smiled and waved goodbye.

"Wait, Dotty." I grabbed her wrist before she left.

"Yes? What's wrong Buck?" She asked.

"Could it be possible to start over? There was something when we first met. I liked you and I knew you felt the same way. But I wasn't old enough for you then, now I am." I wanted to say.

"Buck. Are you okay?" Dotty looked worried.

"I…I…there is something that is bothering me. While I was looking for her I found some weight loss supplements and laxatives in her dorm. I wasn't sure if those were prescribed to her." I said. Dotty had that same worried look.

"That is concerning. I'll tell my husband about it. He is her psychiatrist. Thank you for telling me this." She left. Good thing I didn't tell her what I was thinking.

"You'll be okay." Someone said from behind. I quickly turned around and saw Aiden.

"It's fine. Honestly, I'd be quite surprised if she wasn't married." I said.

He smiled and placed his paw on my shoulder.

"How is she?" I asked.

He smiled. "She wants me to take her on a date when they discharge her."

I smiled back. "That's great to hear. Let's get to the chief and tell him that she's found." I gave him the phone. "That's her phone. It needs to be taken to cyber forensics." I added.