The van punched through the doors in an eruption of glass and metal, screaming mammals diving out of the way. It ploughed through a rank of self-service checkouts and crunched to a halt in a stand of batteries at the end of an aisle. The driver's door was shoved open, and Gabriel Silverson came out, a gun in one paw.

Nick dropped to the floor. "Ben, tell me backup's coming."

"We've got units on the way, but Judy'll likely get to you first."

"She's coming?" He felt the chill again, and shook it off again. "I'll stall him as long as I can."

Nick glanced around. A ringtail was huddled against the shelves a few feet away, shivering. A raccoon lay a fair distance back, shielding their cub. He risked rising just enough for a clear view of Silverson, who was standing in place, eyes scanning. They locked on the fox, and almost in the same instant the gun fired.

Nick hit the ground again, as a bullet skimmed inches over his ears to fracture the tiles in front of the parent and child. Gritting his teeth, an ear tuned to the approaching footsteps of Silverson, he crawled to the pair, whispered into their ears, then carried on round to another aisle, which was thankfully empty.

He rose. "How'd you know it was me, Gabriel?"

"No way I'd ever forget that smirk." The tone was black. "Always knew it would come back to haunt me." Silverson rounded the shelves, fired another shot at the fox diving away. "But not for much longer."

Nick tucked, rolled, surged up, bundled a steenbok to the floor before they could lunge at the fast-approaching Silverson, a bullet just missing them both, kicked a shelf hard enough to jolt multiple coats from their racks onto the panda, and in the seconds the latter needed to struggle free hissed at the steenbok to stay down then took off running.

He didn't go far, stopping in the aisle with the underwear to catch his breath, catching another glimpse of the mouse as he did so. "You have to know more cops are coming, Gabriel. You won't escape."

"Oh, I will. Permanently."

The chill returned, and deepened when movement drew his attention to the wrecked doors, where Judy was stepping inside, expressionless, Slapston's gun in one paw. Impulsively, Nick started in her direction, if only to all but smash into Silverson at the end of the aisle. He skidded, spun, toppled, braced for the shot...but none came.

He cracked his eyes open. "What are you waiting for?"

"Her." The panda almost smiled.

Then a shot did come. A bullet punctured Silverson's ear; screaming, he clutched it and fell to his knees, but kept his gun on Nick. A second later a cold muzzle was pressed between his eyes, held firm in both of Judy's paws, her face hard. Her finger began slowly pulling the trigger.

"Judy!" Nick husked. "Don't. Please. He wants to die. To escape."

Her only response was to lift one of her other digits. The fox stared at it, then his eyes widened. Silverson's gun slipped to the ground with a clatter just as Judy fully depressed her trigger.

Click.

Nick snatched up the panda's weapon before they could, slapped his cuffs on their wrists, then sagged, almost weeping with relief. "One."

"What?" Silverson glared holes through both of them.

"One bullet," Nick explained. "That she'd already fired."

Judy smiled faintly. "It's called a hustle, sweetheart."

Silverson didn't speak another word as they escorted him outside, to be met by Fangmeyer and Wolford. Giving the panda to the tiger and the wolf, Judy and Nick headed back inside.

"How'd you know?" the fox asked. "That he couldn't actually do it?"

"The same way I know that in a game of chicken, he'd blink first. He's a bully." She squeezed his paw. "Sorry I scared you."

"I really thought..." Nick shook his head. "Doesn't matter, now." They reached the underwear aisle, and he indicated the discarded pairs. "If my hunch about the source of the blood is right, you'd be much better equipped to handle this than me."

Judy crouched, to see a tiny brown face peeping from the fabric. She gently laid a paw palm up on the surface. "First time, huh? I can help, and no questions asked until you're good and ready."

A pause, then the underwear began to shuffle closer. Carefully, Judy gathered it up, smiled reassuringly at the mouse still peeking out, then she and Nick headed to a checkout to purchase the garments, then left the store. This time they were met by Bogo.

"I really ought to suspend you, Hopps," he noted. "Theft of evidence, abandoning your assignment. But, the clinic is secure, the patients are safe, and Gabriel Silverson will be going where he belongs..."

"And we've caught the SmallMart thief," Nick interjected.

"So," Bogo continued, "I'll reduce it to a reprimand. Both of you take Patrick to a comfortable place to learn what he knows, then take off all the holiday time you've accrued. As to the thief..."

"Adolescent, sir," Judy volunteered. "Presumably abandoned. No way to know how or why until she's willing to talk, and that will likely take a while. She needs help, not punishment."

"Agreed. See that she gets it. Dismissed."

"You thinking where I'm thinking?" Nick asked, as Bogo left.

"Pretty sure." Judy led the way toward the fox's car. "Know of a place we can get some rodent-sized pads and clothes en route?"

"Pretty sure."

"Good." The bunny buckled herself into the passenger seat, smiling at the mouse, their entire head now visible, a minute paw stretching out to touch hers. "Let's go."