Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to Zootopia or any respective characters. I'm not brave enough to challenge the mouse so it'll probably stay that way. All OCs, however, are mine. Rated M for violence, language, sex, drugs and suicide.

Chapter Three: The Case

Savannah Central

Judy had never seen a dead body before, being young, inexperienced and coming from a relatively safe upbringing. Nick on the other hand, had seen plenty of carnage in his lifetime. A call about a possible overdose behind a popular nightclub would test the rabbit's mental toughness.

"So, Carrots, you've been on the force for nearly a year, and never saw a body," said Nick as he unbuckled, "is that correct?" "So what if it is, Slick," said Judy nervously, "I can handle myself." "Okay," said Nick, "but you can just say something if it gets to be too much." "How would you know," asked Judy. "Have you forgotten what I told you last night," asked Nick. "You didn't mention anything about dead mammals," said Judy. "I have seen some of the worst things mammals can do to each other," said Nick as they got out and approached the yellow tape, which had a few other police officers and medical staff standing by, "and you're about to do the same."

Judy walked up onto the dirty pavement and saw a brown hare doe lying muzzle up, with a blank expression in her eyes. Her mouth was wide open with blue lips, and her veins bulging in a purplish-blue color, with the entire face and general area soaked in vomit. "Sweet cheese in crackers," muttered Judy, who was now slouching forward, feeling something arise, "I think I'm gonna puke." "Not on the Jane Doe," said Nick, "turn the other direction and let it out."

Judy turned around quickly, slipping and landing on her stomach, blowing some slight chunks. Then she picked herself up with her elbows and let the rest out. "That's about what I expected," said Nick, "you may be a 'master-cop' so to speak, but everyone feels uneasy on their first time." "Have you seen worse than that," asked Judy as she got off the ground and turned back around. "I've seen way messier deaths than this," said Nick, "but that's a story for another time. Now get over here Officer Fluff, we have a smack dealer to find."

Judy got back up, still unsettled by the sight of the body, but this time, ready to think clearly. "How do you know it was heroin?" "See all the puke and the bulging veins," asked Nick. "Unfortunately," said Judy hesitantly, "yes." "Most likely," said Nick, "our victim took a stronger shot than she could handle and choked on her own vomit. I've seen shit like this firsthand, so I know what I'm talking about." "Is this what Bogo meant by 'choking the life out of our city'," asked Judy. "At this particular point in time," said Nick, "we are noticing more deaths. Key word is noticing. Heroin, cocaine, meth, shit black-market booze and a whole bunch of other crap have been killing Zootopians since before we were born. It's only now that racial tensions are deescalating that we are actually doing something." "Are you saying that the ZPD is just letting mammals die in the streets like this," asked Judy, "because I can't quite grasp that concept." Nick reached into the dead hare's pocket and found an index card with a name and a phone number written on it. Raul Salazar.

"What's wrong," asked Judy as she saw Nick freeze. "I know the piece of shit that sold her the brown sugar," said Nick. "Well," said Judy, "then why don't we go after him?" "He'll probably kill us both without a second thought," replied Nick, "hell, he might get us to do it to ourselves, it almost worked last time." "Nick," said Judy, "that was a long time ago. Things are different now. You have so much to live for." "Which is why I both want to nail his punk ass and at the same time, stay the fuck away."

Rainforest District

"I haven't talked to that asshole in thirteen years," said Nick as Judy navigated the twists and turns of the Rainforest District roads, "he was the sick fuck that gave me the gun. He told me that I had one bullet, for either the otter or myself. Well," he continued, with Judy trying to ignore his rant, "he destroyed Nick the gangbanger. How about Nick the cop. Huh, bitch?" "Usually," said Judy, "I'm the one who talks too much."

They pulled up to Salazar's residence, an ornate, modern house perched up against a cliff with big, open windows, several separate cubed structures surrounded by an adobe wall with a big, iron gate towards the front. "What again was his official occupation," asked Judy to herself, "didn't Benji say janitor?" "You clearly don't know criminals," said Nick. "What does that mean," asked Judy. "You see," said Nick as they sat parked in front of the gate, "Salazar has a low paying menial job so he wouldn't have to pay too many taxes. Even criminals have to pay, as you clearly know." "So how'd he get the house," asked Judy, "if he doesn't get any money from drugs." "Please," groaned Nick, "I practically bought this house for him by building him up in that enterprise. All the money from the dope, that's considered to be an 'on the side' acquisition."

The gate opened in front of them, revealing a jaguar that appeared to be about five years older than Nick, wearing a red Pawdidas track-suit, accompanied by a she-wolf and lioness in bikinis. Judy pulled the car into parking behind the gate, then she and Nick got out. "Welcome back, homie," taunted Salazar to Nick, "so my old assistant went soft on me and joined the popo with a bunny, of all creatures. You've gone way downhill." "Nice to see you're still a piece of shit dealer with a nicer house," said Nick, "I've got a dead hare in Central pinned to you, so get in the car before we upgrade to a body bag."

Pop!

A mammal hiding on a balcony let out a shot from a .22 rifle onto Nick and Judy, missing them but striking the she-wolf in the shoulder. "You piece of garbage," shouted Judy as she and Nick drew out their service pistols. They opened fire on the badger with the rifle, with Judy being knocked onto her back as the badger fell over forward and landed on the roof of Salazar's Cattlelac SUV. "Get up carrots," said Nick as he pulled her up, "we've got a scumbag to catch." "That shouldn't have knocked me over," said Judy. "You still don't know how to shoot," said Nick, "do ya?" "Har, har," Judy let out a fake, sarcastic laugh. As the distraught lioness ran up to stop the she-wolf's bleeding, Nick and Judy ran into the bonsai garden just between the living room and garage where Salazar disappeared, hoping to bring him in alive.

They were stopped by a weasel with a revolver, who jumped out at them screaming from behind a bush. Judy pistol whipped the weasel while in mid-air, stopping the assailant cold in his tracks. "I can still fight though," she said to Nick. "Let's just hope that Raul hasn't picked up anything," commented Nick as he made his way through the trees.

They made it to a pool area and saw the jaguar reach into a golf bag. "Don't do it," shouted Judy, "drop the bag now!" "C'mon Raul," said Nick, "we need you alive this time!" "I never was good with authority," said Raul as he ripped out a compact submachine gun from the bag and started blasting rounds from the hip.

Brakabrakabrakabrakabrakabrakabrak!

As Nick and Judy dove behind a bush, Judy asked, "When did a regular drug dealer get stuff like this?" "No telling," said Nick, "this stuff wasn't even that common back in my day. Anyhow, this idiot can't shoot at us forever."

Click!

"God Damnit!"

Judy heard this and she leaped out from behind her cover, capping Salazar in the thigh and forcing him to fall muzzle down into the pool. "Nick," she pleaded, "we have to save him!" "Alright, carrots," said Nick as he and Judy dropped their pistols and ran up to the pool, "but I suck at swimming." "So do I, slick," said Judy as she and the fox dove in to rescue the drowning suspect. They swam down, vision obstructed by the cloud of blood, and each grabbed onto one of the jaguar's arms and pulled the mammal that just tried to kill them to the surface.

Salazar was pulled onto the deck, where he coughed up some of the water while Nick tried to stop the bleeding. "You could have stopped me for good homie," said Salazar, "but you and dumbfluff save me. Why?" "Tell me where you got the machine gun, and the smack," said Nick, "then we'll talk!" "How 'bout I slice up the bunny first," grunted Salazar as he clawed at Judy's face. Judy saw this coming and bent over backwards, narrowly dodging the jaguar's claws. Then she kicked Salazar in the face and said, "Heroin dealing, criminal possession of a weapon and attempted murder of a cop. You're definitely doing hard time now!"

"You scared or somethin', dumb bitch," griped Salazar. "I've been clawed before," said Judy, "so anything you could have possibly done before my partner takes you out wouldn't be much." "You assholes can't scare me," said Salazar, "I was in and out of the joint last night, I'm untouchable to the law." "I don't believe you," said Judy. "Wisen up, pal," said Nick, "you and I both knew back in your meth lab days…" "Our meth lab days," interrupted Salazar. "Shut up," snapped Nick, "anyhow, you knew deep down that some day you'd either be dead or in prison if you stayed in the business." "I'd have it good in prison," said Salazar, "the law isn't nearly as scary as some of the mammals I do business with."

ZPD Precinct One

"Welcome back Mr. Salazar," said Mack as he hovered over the suspect in the interrogation room, "you know, you really need to know when to clean your pool. I've heard of everything from leaves to birdshit, but an MP5K machine pistol? Come on. Nobody with a house that nice uses the pool as a dump." "That gun was planted," said Salazar. "By you," replied Mack, "and you used it to try to blow away two cops."

Creak!

The door cracked open, revealing the bunny and fox duo. "Nick," said Salazar, "welcome back to my life, again." "You know this piece of shit," asked Mack. "Unfortunately," replied Nick, "yes, yes I do. The last time I saw him before today's 'wetwork' was when he gave me a gun with one bullet in the chamber and told me to kill myself." "Why didn't ya do it," said Salazar, "if you so adamantly were against killing the otter?" "That's the thing," said Nick, "I was gonna do it, I even pulled the trigger. I suck at swimming, but being soaking wet today reminds me about that same night. The only reason I'm here today was because the gun was too damn wet to fire."

"That's enough of that boys," said Judy to Nick and Mack, "how about I handle this one?" "I'll give him a good pounding first," said Mack as he rolled up his sleeves, revealing his special forces tattoo from his time in the MDF. "So you're one of them, huh Mack," said Salazar. "One of who," asked Mack, "besides one of the cops who wants to shove a nightstick up your ass." "Don't play that game with me," said Salazar, "you're wearing the same tat as my heroin suppliers. You a mole or something?"

"This is a MDF Special Forces tattoo," said Mack, "they don't give these out to gangbangers." "I never said they were gangbangers," said Salazar, "they got this macho cloak and dagger attitude and some fancy equipment, a lot more than what the typical drug pusher carries." "Can you give us your suppliers," asked Judy. "I like breathing," said Salazar, "so no. These are the kind of mammals that you can't protect me from. And once they off me," he made a finger gun gesture to the side of his head, "they'll come after you if they think you know too much. This case will kill you all."

Author's Note: I apologize for some of the inactivity lately, it's just that I've been busy and experiencing mild writer's block. For the most part, this story is a slow burn retelling of my first Zootopia story Lethal Paw, and is also intended to more closely mirror the film it's based off of (Which you all really should watch, it's that good). Hope you all look forward to hearing more!