Judy burst into the waiting room and immediately spotted Bogo's disheveled older sister interrogating a pig in pale green surgical garb. She raced toward them, hearing the door slam back open as McHorn burst in after her.

"McHorn! Hopps!" Both officers stopped dead beside Chief Trunchbull, sitting alone on a line of plain metal chairs in rumpled plain clothes. Higgins was there too, a pair of pants roughly pulled up beneath his hospital gown. "It's about goddamn time!"

"We didn't hear the news until twenty minutes ago!" McHorn retorted. "How is he?"

"Still in the ER." The elephant paused. "They're a lot more confident in his chances than when they started, but they're making no promises."

Judy wiped her eyes and whispered a small prayer. Bogo couldn't die. He was the toughest mammal she ever knew. "At least there's still a chance."

Kathryn materialized between them, her eyes already streaming. They were reddish brown, like her brother's. "He said they've succeeded in suturing the jugular back together. They're closing his neck up now."

"I want police protection put on him the moment he's out of surgery, got that?" Trunchbull growled.

"Absolutely sir." McHorn spoke, his eyes dry but burning with rage. "Chief Trunchbull, where's the cheetah?"

Trunchbull held up his trunk and turned to Kathryn. "Why don't you go get yourself something to drink, Dr. Bogo? I'm sorry but I can't discuss this with a civilian present."

"I understand." Kathryn wiped her reddish brown eyes and set out to find a vending machine.

Trunchbull watched her go with sympathy. "Higgins, stay here and make sure Mayor Swinton knows where to find me. I expect she'll be paying a visit soon." He beckoned Judy and McHorn into the nearest empty room, half a corridor away from the waiting room. Somewhere far away, Judy heard someone sobbing as she walked, but no-one else appeared to hear it. It didn't sound like Kathryn, thank goodness, but it left Judy with a painful sense of foreboding.

"Where is the cheetah?" McHorn growled again as soon as the door was shut.

Trunchbull wiped his brow. "Back at the station. Commissioner Elba is overseeing his interrogation."

"And?" McHorn asked. Judy was sure she knew how he was feeling. She was growing more and more afraid that her judge of character was not as good as she thought it was.

"When paramedics arrived at the scene, they found Clawhauser kneeling over Captain Bogo..."

"Let me guess, with a bloody knife in his paw. When I get my hands on that flabby little…" McHorn snarled.

"... with a cloth applying direct pressure to the wound." Trunchbull finished.

Judy looked sharply up at McHorn as the threat died in his throat. The rhino looked too embarrassed to speak, so Judy took up the slack. "What has Clawhauser told you so far?"

"He said that a wolf was responsible for killing the officers guarding the safe house." Trunchbull answered with a grimace. "Judging from what Clawhauser has told us, this wolf intended to kill him after questioning him on Wilde's whereabouts. This suggests that he is a hitmammal working for either Big or Koslov."

"He killed six officers armed with machine guns. Sounds more like a world-class assassin if you ask me." McHorn said.

"Anyway, this is where things get murky. The wolf was ambushed by a mammal wearing a black robe and a Ghostface mask, who had clearly also intended to kill Clawhauser. Clawhauser scared them off with a gun he'd picked up from a dead officer before being attacked by Valentino himself."

"And how did all these murderers find him in the first place?" Judy demanded, her anger bubbling like McHorn's had a minute prior.

"That we don't know." Trunchbull admitted. "But one way or another we will find out, and when we do, heads are going to roll, you mark my words."

"You'll have to get in line, sir." McHorn said coldly, his massive hands balling into fists.

Trunchbull ignored him and continued with his report. "Clawhauser said he managed to shut himself in the other penthouse, and soon after heard gunfire. Then he heard Bogo yell and went to find him. Valentino and the other two predators were gone by that point. He found Bogo in the safe house and called an ambulance."

Judy gaped. "He fired a machine gun on them?"

"To scare them off. He swears he never shot to kill." Trunchbull said. "In any case, that's his side of the story and none of our questions so far have made him change it."

"What about the wolf? Did the cheetah give a description?" McHorn asked.

"The wolf was wearing a tan coat. He didn't notice anything unique about his face."

Judy felt her heart jump. The night she'd escorted Nick Wilde from the hospital he had spouting nonsense about a wolf in a tan coat too.

"Hold up, sir." McHorn said. "Clawhauser must have seen Cunninghorn at some point."

Before the elephant could answer someone knocked on the door. McHorn opened the door to reveal the pig surgeon from before. "Pardon me, Chief Trunchbull. I'm sorry to interrupt but there's something I need to tell you."

Judy covered her mouth to suppress a squeak of anguish. McHorn's face turned stony. Trunchbull went stiff. They all knew what the swine was about to say.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Trunchbull spoke softly.

The pig quickly shook his head. "Oh heaven's no. In fact he briefly regained consciousness as we were taking him into surgery. He wanted us to give you some information in case he didn't make it."

Trunchbull glanced at his two subordinates. "Wait outside."

"But sir."

"No buts, McHorn!" Trunchbull snapped. "Wait outside, both of you! That's an order!"

McHorn was fuming as he stormed out, followed closely by Judy. They waited outside for two minutes before Commissioner Elba came striding up the hallway with his steel cane and demanded Trunchbull's whereabouts. Judy directed him towards the room they'd just left, just as two T.U.S.K. razorbacks came striding up the hallway. Elba rounded on them, eyes blazing.

"I thought I ordered you to return to Tundratown!" He raged.

"You did, sir." The bigger razorback acknowledged. "But Mayor Swinton is having a press conference tomorrow concerning today's incident, and she wants confirmation of the cheetah's guilt before then."

Before she knew it Judy was hopping onto the drinking fountain beside then and looking him dead in the eye. "Are you kidding me?! Clawhauser may be a suspect but he's not the only one! None of us knew Cunninghorn had called Bogo back to the safe house tonight, where is he?"

The razorbacks traded uneasy glances. "We don't know."

"Well, find him then! We need to know what happened!" Elba thundered.

Cowed, the razorbacks retreated back down the hall.

Judy glared after them until her phone began to jingle. She picked up the phone, which started blasting her father's voice the instant she pressed the green button.

"Better take that outside, Hopps." Elba spoke, drowning out Stu's frantic shouting. "I don't remember if phones are allowed in here or not."

Judy nodded, ignoring her phone until she was sitting on the edge of one of the plant pots outside the front entrance. It was colder now than it was before she'd entered the place.

"Dad, DAD!" She yelled, somehow stopping the shouting in its tracks. "Dad, slow down! What's wrong?"

There was a pause in which she heard a sound that may have been Stu panting. "Judy, when was the last time you cleaned your ears?"

Judy stared at her phone incredulously and found herself staring at the panicking face of her dad. "Sorry, dad! I didn't realize it was muzzletime!"

"You need to clean your ears more often, sweethea-" Stu stopped and smacked the side of his head, knocking his cap askew. Judy caught a glimpse of her mom behind him. "What am I talking about, what about the news?! Are you alright, Judy?!"

"What news?" Judy asked, even though she likely already knew.

"You don't know?" Bonnie looked relieved as she pushed herself into view beside her husband. "Some gang members were ambushed in a drive by shooting just a block from your apartment. Some of the footage was leaked… it was horrible! You're usually home by this time, we were worried sick!"

"Oh cripes, mom." Judy breathed, her heart sinking at the news of yet another attack. "I'm nowhere near that place, I promise. I'm at the hospital."

Bonnie adopted a look of panic identical to Stu's. "Oh my gosh!"

"Not me!" Judy snapped. "Sorry, I shouldn't yell."

Bonnie stroked her ears in her distress. "Well, if it isn't you, who is it?"

Judy bit her lip and felt her eyes begin to sting with fresh tears. "Captain Bogo."

"Oh my gosh, what happened?!" Stu gasped.

"Dad, you know why I can't tell you."

"Oh, right! Ongoing investigations off the table, I forgot! Sorry, Jude!"

"And we're sorry about your boss, honey." Bonnie spoke with both paws on her heart. "I know how much getting his approval meant to you. Can you at least tell us how he's doing?"

"I don't know, mom." Judy admitted. She'd seen enough of ER to know to never get one's hopes up.

"It's not got anything to do with that shooting near your apartment, has it?!" Stu queried fearfully.

"No, dad."

Stu grimaced. "You know, we haven't seen you since you left the burrow. Have you considered taking a week or two off until this all blows over?"

Bonnie leaned closer to the screen. "Do you think the chief will give you a whole month?"

Judy sighed. Not this again. "Dad, mom, I have a duty to the city. I can't just quit and run home to my parents every time things get rough."

Bonnie shook her head anxiously. Stu had fallen unusually silent. "Judy, there's a gang attack on the news almost every day. We're worried that you may be in over your head."

"For the last time I can handle myself!" Judy replied.

Her growing annoyance evaporated when her father suddenly turned angry. "Don't let this get out, Jude, but it's a flipping warzone over there!"

"Stu, please! You'll wake the kids!" Bonnie tried and failed to shush him.

"So what? They already know what's going on with those darn predators! I want you home before the entire city becomes a bloodbath!"

Judy groaned. "Don't exaggerate, dad!"

"Exaggerate my foot! When you said you wanted to make the world a better place you didn't say you'd go to war for it!"

"I… " Judy's retort died after the first word that passed her lips.

"Don't you dare try and sugarcoat it, Judith Laverne Hopps! Zootopia is at war and I will not have my daughter risking her life on the front line, ZPD or not!" Stu raged.

"I'm not going to be on the front line, dad!" Judy insisted. "T.U.S.K. is handling the problem with the Tundratown mafias, that's what they're trained to do."

Stu paused. "So you're not actually going up against those brutes?"

"No, dad. If I do come across any gang activity, I call it in and let T.U.S.K. do the rest. That's probably the most I'll contribute to this whole kerfuffle." Judy hoped her smile would be enough to ease her parents' fears, but it was a very small hope. "I'm sorry, guys. I shouldn't be getting mad just because you're worried about me. I guess the truth is I'm a little scared too."

"Oh, Judy." Stu breathed and touched the screen, as if hoping he could reach right through the glass and hug her. Judy wished he could. "You don't have to go through this. Come on home, honey."

Judy sniffed. "I can't. My duty is to the city, now. But I'll stay out of the gang war as much as I can, I promise."

Bonnie nudged herself in front of her husband. "So you're still up for a visit in a few weeks? I'll make your favorite casserole."

"Sure, mom." Judy's stomach coincidentally rumbled at that moment.

"That Bogo seemed like a decent mammal when we talked to him last. I hope he pulls through." Stu said. "Oh, and one last thing, as an old worrywart. Do yourself a favor and forget about that fox. If he really did borrow money from the mob, then you're not the only one hunting him."

Judy nodded. She'd seen for herself just how intent Koslov was on catching the fox. "Okay, dad. Love you."

"Love you too, sweetheart."

Judy pocketed her phone, pulled out a tissue, blew her nose, and wondered how well she would be able to keep her promise. She was pocketing the tissue when her radio crackled.

"Hopps, come back inside. You really need to hear this." McHorn sounded angry. By the time Judy returned to the waiting room, she was almost breathless with terror. Had Bogo crashed? Had there been another gang attack? What was the matter now?

The waiting room was empty except for Elba, Trunchbull, McHorn, Higgins and several other officers she couldn't put a name on. Elba was standing apart from the group, looking over them as if he was standing at the podium in the bullpen. Judy stopped in between McHorn and Higgins, wondering what was going on.

"We have just been informed on Captain Bogo's condition." Elba spoke. The cold fury radiating from him made Judy inch closer to Higgin's leg. "He's stable for now, but they won't know if there're any complications until he wakes. But Bogo's condition is the least of our problems. The surgeon that treated him has just told me that Bogo was temporarily regained consciousness and relayed some very troubling information. The witness being kept in the safe house did not attack him. Neither did Valentino or his accomplice. The culprit was Commander Cunninghorn."

The atmosphere was tense with the fury that was now radiating from everyone in the room, Judy included. Cunninghorn and Bogo's enmity was well known throughout the districts, but no-one had actually expected one to turn upon the other. By turning on Bogo, Cunninghorn had turned on the ZPD, and the ZPD would never forgive and forget.

"I've already put an APB out on Cunninghorn. His arrest is just a question of time, but there's more." Elba traded glances with Trunchbull. The elephant looked more ill than angry. "Bogo also told the paramedics this before he lost consciousness again; 'Wolf in coat. Caught him in the safe house. The fox didn't lie.'"

The stunned murmurs reverberating through the group were almost silent to Judy's ears.

The fox didn't lie.

Elba raised his voice over the murmurs. "Quiet, all of you! Until we can acquire more information on this wolf, the hunt for Cunninghorn, Valentino and Ghostface will be top priority. Forensics are already working on the crime scene but we have our own part to play. Except you, Higgins. Now get out there and bring me that damned rhino!"

Judy stayed where she was. She didn't even turn her head to watch the other officers leave, McHorn included.

The fox didn't lie.

He'd told them a wolf have turned him savage. They should have listened to him. She should have listened. And now Bogo was in critical condition. Then there were those officers assigned to guard the safe house.

"Commissioner? Commissioner Elba?" Before she knew it she was striding right up to Elba and Trunchbull.

"Hopps, the Commissioner gave you an order." Trunchbull said sternly.

Elba held up a hoof, cutting the reprimand short. "What is it, Hopps?"

"I wish to focus my efforts on finding Wilde." Judy said. "I think he may be in danger."

Elba frowned. "Go on."

"If what Clawhauser said is true, then that wolf is after Wilde. We have to find that fox before he does." Judy clenched her fists. "We owe it to him to keep him safe."

By now the guilt was washing over her like a riptide, thickening her voice as though it was literally drowning her. "Because if we'd listened to him, Captain Bogo and the offices guarding the safe house might never have been attacked. We let our biases get the better of us and now our fellow officers are dead or dying."

She fell silent after that, fully expecting a scolding or worse. Trunchbull narrowed his eyes, but instead of opening his mouth he hung his head. Elba locked eyes with Judy. "Biases, you say. Are you confessing to misconduct, Hopps?"

Judy nodded grimly. "Yes, sir."

Elba lightly tapped his cane. "I believe that you might have given the benefit of the doubt had Wilde not proven himself a liar. He was the fox who cried wolf, Hopps. I wouldn't have believed him either."

"That isn't the worst of it, sir." Judy spoke. "This wolf reportedly shot Wilde with a serum that made him turn savage. If that is true, then-" She was suddenly silenced with shock when the butt of Elba's cane shot up mere inches from her face.

"Don't say another word!" He growled. "This hospital has ears." Judy nodded wordlessly. Elba turned to Trunchbull. "That goes to you too. We will discuss this in the office where it's private. As for you, Hopps, you have my full permission to continue the search for Wilde, on one condition. You will not do it alone. McHorn will assist you, as will Higgins once he is discharged."

Judy nodded again, exhaling when Elba lowered the cane from her face. "Yes, sir. Permission to begin the search now?"

"Granted. Call McHorn as soon as you can but use a different channel. I don't want just any officer listening in on your progress." Elba said.

Judy set her jaw and saluted him. "Sir, yes, sir."

She turned on her heel and set off, the sick feeling in her stomach lingering but overshadowed by resolve. She stopped at the door and turned her head. "You will let me know how Captain Bogo's doing, won't you?"

Trunchbull nodded with a weak smile. "Of course, Hopps."

Judy thanked him and walked out, her paw going nowhere near her radio.

McHorn could wait, at least until morning. First she needed to speak with her 'friend' from the ZBI.