Doug Ramses lowered the police cap a little over his eyes as they searched the area. Alyssa's fingers lightly stroked her throat as she spied on him through the gap between the two slot machines and wondered what those cold, dead, rectangular eyes were searching for.
"He's after me. He must be." Jack growled besides her, hiding behind her snow-colored body. The vixen helped him out by lifting her thick bushy tail. The rabbit was on edge, furious with himself and tense with dread. Alyssa would be too if she suspected that her cover had been blown. "If only I'd discovered his involvement sooner. The report said he was Woolton's cousin. How could I not have realized?"
"He must have been the wolf that invaded Benji's safe house." Alyssa said. "Looks like Swinton found a replacement." Doug remained beside the entrance to the casino, fitting in perfectly with the rest of the law enforcement personnel guarding the collared victims. If she hadn't read the report and seen Doug's photo, Alyssa would have considered him beneath notice. "Quality's not as good as the original if that nose is any indication."
"Don't be fooled." Jack muttered beside her, even as he smiled at her attempt at humor. "He's one of the top assassins in the world."
Alyssa looked at him. "How dangerous are we talking?"
"Let me put it this way. The Clawhauser kid is lucky that Doug had no way of knowing the limo was armored. If he had, he would have used a more explosive method of penetrating the vehicle, and that cheetah wouldn't still be breathing."
Alyssa raised an eyebrow. "Explosive?"
"Four years ago, a senator's private jet was blown up in mid-air by an FIM-92 Stinger. That kind of explosive."
Alyssa swallowed. "Oh bollocks."
Doug saluted his 'superior,' said some words, and strolled out the casino. Alyssa exhaled and felt the tension leave her body. Jack, however, remained as stiff as a tuxedoed mannequin. "I have to go. If he sees me, my cover will be blown for sure."
Alyssa checked to make sure her concealed gun was still on her hip. "You two have history together?"
"Yep, and he's not the type to let business go unfinished."
"Whatever you did must have really pissed him off."
"I foiled an assassination attempt on a key witness and ruined his perfect record. That goes a bit beyond just ticking him off."
"An egomaniacal butcher with the texture of cotton candy. You really know how to pick your enemies, don't you?"
"Very funny. If he's after me, he'll be heading for my room. I have to go after him before he discovers my intel."
"You keep it all in your room?" Alyssa asked.
"I also have a PDA for when I'm in the field." Jack added. "But I can't let him know what we know about Slothfeld." Jack started to move, but Alyssa stopped him.
"Hang on a minute. The ZBI will never let you leave this room."
Jack clenched his jaw for a moment. "You're right. I'll need a distraction." He paused when he spotted something. "Speak of the devil. I think Bisoniing's about to kick off again."
Indeed, the smartly dressed CEO of Zootopia's top supermarket chain was striding up to the officers blocking the exit. Two of the ZBI officers intercepted him, and before they knew it the bison was rowing with them. His collar was beeping, and soon the stress of watching the row was causing the collar of the other victims to beep as well. More officers moved away from the exit in an effort to keep the situation from escalating. That was the window Alyssa and Jack were waiting for.
Jack started to move out from between the slot machines, and Alyssa was about to follow when Jack shot out a paw and stopped her in her tracks. "We can't both sneak past them. You stay here."
He was gone before the vixen could refuse. Alyssa blinked, momentarily stunned at the speed of his departure, and then the window of opportunity was gone. The ZBI officers had persuaded Bisoniing to return to his seat and called several officers back to the exit, and there was no sign of Jack.
Fuming, Alyssa tapped the little headset in her ear. "Honey, what's the word on Captain Bogo?"
"According to the police scanner, he's back at Precinct One."
"And the disk?"
"No sign. But I think I may know where it is. When he was discharged from the hospital, he took with him a box full of the clothes and items on his person when he was admitted. I'd bet my bottom dollar that the disk is in there somewhere."
"So it's at his home?"
"The station, actually."
"Bollocks."
"Cool it, Snowflake, I've got a plan. You just worry about that sheep."
Alyssa stepped out from between the machines, brushing dust from her clothes. "Jack's already on it."
"I've been meaning to talk to you about that." Honey's tone turned edgy. "Is he still there?"
"He snuck out and went after Doug." Merely saying that annoyed the hell out of the vixen.
"And left you hanging, huh?"
"So?"
"What makes you so sure he's not gonna screw you over once you get that disk back?"
Alyssa gripped the side of one of the machines. "Because he's not doing this for the glory."
"We're talking about a token bunny here, Alyssa. He's used to going solo."
"So am I. That doesn't mean I'm a backstabber."
"But you are a fox. What do you think goes through his head when he talks spy business with you? How about 'how can I beat this tricky little viper at her own game?' Or maybe 'I wonder if she's already found a buyer for the Data Disk yet? I should drag her back to HQ and waterboard the answers out of her.'"
Alyssa bared her teeth. "Shut it, Honey! Shut! It!"
A cry drowned out Honey's response. "Savage! She's going savage!" Alyssa didn't realize the voice was directed at her until she saw an antelope wildly pointing in her direction, drawing the attention of at least a dozen other mammals. The vixen cursed and stepped away, lowering her finger so the headset wouldn't be noticed. The antelope, a resident of one of the executive suites judging from her designer pantsuit, kept pointing and loudly accusing with wide eyes.
"Shut your gob, will you? Do I look like I'm going savage?" Alyssa snapped. In hindsight, that may not have been the best reaction.
"Wha-" The antelope stared in shock, and then her face contorted. "How dare you! Don't you know who I am, you little slut?!"
Alyssa briefly mimicked the nuisance's pointy finger. "Karen?"
The antelope spluttered, her brain visibly short-circuiting as she struggled to understand if she was being insulted. Then two other mammals that had been drawn by her shouting stood up and approached, their aura just as hostile.
"Who are you? What is a fox doing here?" The porcupine demanded.
"Isn't it obvious? She's here to make some quick cash by giving that jackrabbit a good time." The other porcupine sneered.
Alyssa considered pulling out her gun, but this wasn't an alleyway in Virginia and these weren't perverted thugs. "Okay, you got me. Thanks to those terrorists I just got screwed out of an entire night's pay, so piss off before I really do go savage."
"Not so fast, missy!" The 'Karen' snapped, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You're one of them, too, aren't you? You're here to keep an eye on us hostages!"
"Oh, good grief." Alyssa muttered irritably, even as she felt a growing unease at where this was going. "I got darted too, you idiot."
"All the better to fool us! But you're not fooling anyone!" 'Karen's' voice was rising and her collar beeped, summoning one of the ZBI officers.
"What is going on here?" The black bull said in a warning tone.
'Karen' was on him in an instant. "This shifty little bitch is one of them! I'm sure of it!"
The bull ignored the rest of her rant and glared down at Alyssa, who backed away and did her best to look innocent. "You're obviously not a guest."
"Actually I'm a guest of one of the guests." Alyssa said.
The bull's grimace deepened. "In any case I'll need to ask you a few questions."
Alyssa gaped. "But-"
Karen cut her off. "Shut up, you! Officer, I recommend that you skip the questions and just arrest her! That's the least you could do to make up for your incompetence!"
The bull slowly turned to give her the stink eye. "Please calm down, ma'am, and let me handle this."
"If you could handle this, you would have caught those bastards by now! I wouldn't trust you to handle your penis!"
Jesus Christ, Alyssa thought, her jaw lowering even further at the antelope's absurdity. She had heard that Karens were the epitome of entitled harpies, but it was still a shock to meet one in the wild.
In any case, the bull now looked like he wanted to shove a tazer up her anus. "Sit down, ma'am."
'Karen' didn't listen to him. "Look at her! She's even wearing boots! What kind of freak wears shoes in Sahara Square?"
"Gazelle wears stilettos." Alyssa dearly wanted to say, but as she watched the scene escalate she noticed that other mammals were starting to kick off, their tempers already pushed to breaking point by their glorified incarceration. Before they knew it another argument was kicking off beside the bar, and Bisoniing was loudly complaining that he was needed at City Hall. The ZPD officers were once again forced to leave their post at the casino exit to deescalate the problem. Alyssa seized her chance when the porcupines turned their full attention to the argument between the raging 'Karen' and the seething bull. A line of slot machines brighter than neon lights stretched all the way to the exit, and the gap between them and the wall was the perfect cover. It was a tight squeeze, and dust was smeared all over her clothes when she reached the exit, but Alyssa had travelled through far worse conditions. There were only two officers left guarding the exit, and with their eyes on the bickering hostages sneaking past them was a peace of cake.
Once in the lobby Alyssa sprinted and slid under the nearest couch before anyone could spot her. There were two officers by the doors, and a dozen more outside holding off the horde of journalists straining to get a glimpse of the collared hostages. One officer was watching the elevators, and another was watching the door to the stairs. Alyssa contemplated waiting under the couch until the coast was clear until she spotted the smoke alarms, almost perfectly camouflaged in the ceiling.
Ever since Jack had used a lighter to identify a tuft of faux fur, Alyssa had taken to carrying her own little metal lighter with the red rose pattern, which she'd kept even though she had quit smoking since joining ZI6. The housekeepers hadn't had a chance to clean under the couch before the raid started, so there was no shortage of things to burn. Alyssa collected a couple of receipts, dead leaves from the assorted plants around the lobby, and a piece of curved broken glass that may have been a wine glass. She gathered her fuel in the bowl-like fragment, set it aflame, and with a flick of her wrist sent it sliding out like a hockey puck.
The make-shift bowl of burning waste came to a stop in a corner of the room, hidden from sight by a large potted plant. Alyssa turned her eyes to the officer guarding the stairs. Wait for it…
Just when she thought it was all for naught, the shrill shrieking of smoke alarms cut through the air. The officers in the lobby sprang into action, racing to the casino to check on the hostages. Alyssa sprang into action herself, pulling herself out from beneath the couch and racing into through the door to the stairs.
She was two floors up when she heard footsteps coming from higher up. Shit! She'd forgotten about the numerous officers searching all the rooms! She opened the nearest door and checked the hallway of the current floor. Clear. She stepped out and closed the door behind her.
By now Alyssa was beginning to think she hadn't thought this all the way through. She had no idea where the elevators were, and there was no telling how many officers were in Jack's suite. Maybe she should call it quits and find a way out of the hotel.
Alyssa heard the click of a door handle turning and saw one of the room doors begin to open. She held her breath and took cover in the nearest hiding spot- the linen room.
She hid behind a pile of white sheets on one of the bottom shelves. She saw the door open, but did not see the mammal who opened it. She made herself as still and small as a stone, and waited. The door closed as whoever was supposedly peeking inside decided to continue on their way. Alyssa exhaled and stepped out from the shelving unit.
"Alyssa, what the hell is happening? Did you trigger that fire alarm?" Jack's voice hissed at her through the headset.
Alyssa wished she could reach through the headset and wallop him. "Yes! Yes, I did, you cotton-tailed arsehole! You left me there with those bastards! I almost got nicked as a suspected terrorist!"
"You were almost what?"
"Nicked! Arrested! I don't care what the states call it! Now I'm probably going to get my face plastered on every telly in the city because you prefer being the lone ranger!" There was a sound that could have been Jack sighing.
"We'll discuss this when there're no cops crawling about. Where are you now?"
"A laundry room on floor-"
Alyssa saw a thin black flash right in front of her face, then felt something close tight around her neck. Her stomach lurched as she grabbed at the cable to free herself, and then Doug Ramses dropped down from the top shelf, the other end of the cable in hoof. He pulled before she could loosen the cable, and then she felt herself lift. The cable squeezed like a curled branding iron in the split second she was airborne, before she felt the tip of her flat boots touch the floor.
"Alone at last." Doug scrutinized the suffering vixen, making sure the cable was just the right height, before tying it to the nearest shelf. Alyssa choked and gagged and tugged at the noose, but there was no getting it off without slackening the cable. The vixen reached for her gun, only for her pounding heart to skip a beat when Doug held it up beside his face. "Don't bother using the knives. The cable's metal. You'd be better off trying your claws."
Alyssa staggered on her tip-toes, contemplating throwing a knife into Doug's chest, but the ram was likely expecting that. "Why are you doing this?" She could only get enough air to muster a whisper, so calling for help was out of the question. Shit, what had she gotten herself into now?
"I thought you'd have figured that out when you saw me in this stupid uniform." Doug shoved a door-stopper under the door. "At least the wolf costume was fun to wear. Kind of like trick or treating with bullets." With the linen room secure, Doug turned to Alyssa and leaned against the shelving unit. "That was British slang I was hearing just now. Who are you working for? ZI6? ZI5? Liberum?"
"Idunnowatyurtakinabut." Alyssa gagged. She momentarily reached up to grab the taught cable above her head, then feel the expertly tied knot at the base of her skull. There was no cutting or untying that.
"I'm sorry, you're going to have to speak slower than that. I imagine it must be hard with that noose on, but the least you can do is make an effort." Doug sat down on one of the shelves, right next to the other end of the cable. "Since we're playing cops and robbers, why don't we have a little interrogation? Just you and me? I ask you questions, you answer them as best as you can. If you don't answer, or you give an obvious lie, I pull on this here cable, like this." He pulled, just like that. Alyssa endured the torturous sensation of having her airway and blood flow completely cut off for what felt an eternity before she felt the ground again.
"Wanker." She growled when she could breathe again, hoping that the insult hid just how scared she really was. Doug ignored her.
"Next time will take longer. Now. Who are you working for?" Doug shook his head suddenly. "No, never mind that. You're British. That's all I need to know. Next question. Why are you here?"
Alyssa swayed on the spot. A headache was starting to form. "Investigating Swinton's new collars." She said. No matter what, she couldn't bring up Slothfeld.
Doug twanged the taught cable beside him. "Why?"
"Matter of… National Security." Alyssa stammered.
"Isn't that always the case?" Doug stroked the cable. Alyssa stared, waiting for the torture. Doug lowered his hoof. "What do you know about the good Doctor Slothfeld?"
"W-who?" Alyssa whispered. Right away she knew the lie wasn't enough. Doug narrowed his eyes.
"Species is in the name. Run-of-the-mill mad doctor. Experimented on the Red Queen and her knight for years."
"No idea what you mean." Alyssa insisted.
Doug very slightly shook his head. "Wrong answer."
He pulled the cable downward by an inch. What little breath Alyssa could muster came out wheezing. Doug watched her fruitless struggle to pry away the noose with angry eyes. "What do you know about Doctor Slothfeld?"
Alyssa's vision started to turn red. "P-please…"
"One more time. What do you know about Doctor Slothfeld?"
Alyssa couldn't answer. The noose was too tight. Her sight was almost completely clouded over when she felt the noose loosen just a bit, then Doug's hoof grab the front of her long red shirt to hold her upright until she was strong enough to stand on her own. Then he released and sat back down on the shelf. "Are you going to start telling the truth, now?"
Alyssa wished she'd stuck a knife in him when she'd had the chance. "I don't know anything important… just that he'd been having problems at his facility."
Doug nodded approvingly. "That's more like it. What problems?"
"Escaped test subjects… they've been causing trouble in the city… they killed Lemming… killed Woolton…" Alyssa blinked when Doug's cold expression suddenly smoldered. "That's it, isn't it? You're after Woolton's killer."
Doug drummed his fingers on the taught cable. "You knew we were related, didn't you? I didn't expect you to have done your homework."
"This isn't about money or kicks this time." Alyssa spoke as she struggled to take the pressure off her trachea and the arteries in her neck. "You've got a score to settle."
Doug smirked. "We've both got scores to settle."
Alyssa stared at him. "Wh-what?"
The ram tilted his head. "Slothfeld captured your mentor and subjected to her to sadistic experiments for two years. You have every reason to shoot him."
Alyssa shook her head to the best of her ability. "No… Cheryl wouldn't want me to do that."
Doug smirked. "Oh my dear naïve little vulpes vulpes. If you knew half the things he'd done to her…"
"Said the flame-eyed Jabberwock as it came whiffling through the tulgey wood."
Alyssa froze, one foot on the floor, when she heard that voice coming through her headset. Cheryl
"Radames?" Doug barked and tapped his ear, looking as shocked as his captive; there was very likely a headset hidden by his hat and wool. "How did you get on this channel?"
"How I got on this channel is the least of your concerns." Cheryl spoke superciliously.
Doug shot up from the shelf, his professional persona now non-existent. "Where are you, you stripey bitch? Where is Valentino?"
"I thought you were sent to find that wayward pair Ben and Nicky. I'm surprised at you. Their whereabouts should have been the first question you asked her."
"I've got your protégée right here, Radames!" Doug grabbed the cable. Alyssa gasped in fear and tried to pull herself up. "Tell me where Valentino and the others are right now, or she dies!"
"I'd need a better reason to respond than what's currently at stake."
Alyssa gasped softly, stunned at what she'd just heard.
"Is that so?" Doug pulled the cable, lifting the vixen clear off the floor. Stars danced in front of her eyes and her pulse thudded in her ears as she struggled frantically. "Hear that? That's the sound of your protégé dying! I can't think of a better reason than that!"
"She is not going to die."
"Really?" Doug snorted. "What makes you so sure?"
"The white knight heard the cry of his twin. He is coming for her."
The crash of the door being kicked open was barely audible over the pounding in Alyssa's ears. Her feet touched the floor once more as Doug let go of the cable and spun round with her stolen gun raised. Jack Savage kicked the weapon from his hoof before it could fire.
"Savage!" Doug roared, shocked and enraged at the sight of his hated enemy.
Jack dropped into a combat stance. "If you can spare the time, I'd like to hear how you survived your fall from grace."
"You nearly broke my neck!" Doug launched himself at the rabbit, and battle was joined.
Alyssa watched, ecstatic and terrified, as Jack threw his full weight into Doug's chest and send them both crashing into another shelf. Linen fell and scattered all over the place like misshapen lumps of raw dough as they doubled their attempts to kill each other with punches, elbows and failed headlocks. "Jack!" Alyssa called as loudly as she could. Jack glanced at her for an instant before dodging a lunge from the baton Doug pulled from his police belt, and first chance he got he kicked her gun in her direction. Alyssa caught it between her feet and grabbed the cable above her head, taking her weight until she could raise the gun into her waiting paw. She pointed the weapon straight up and fired until the cable suddenly dropped her.
She coughed and gasped as she pulled the noose over her head and threw it away. Jack was dodging every one of Doug's attacks, so fierce he couldn't get a chance to pull his gun out. Alyssa aimed her own gun and fired, only to hear the click of an empty chamber. She cursed, ran forward and threw a punch that Doug redirected with his free hoof. Alyssa kicked at the knife in his hoof, sending it skidding across the floor. Doug retaliated by striking her across the face. Jack pulled out his gun and fired. The bullets missed and took chunks out of the wall. Doug grabbed Jack's wrist and twisted, making him drop the gun, and pulled him into a headlock. Alyssa punched him in the face until he let go and kicked her into a shelf. The ram wiped blood from his brow and ran for the exit.
"He's running? Already?" Jack spoke the words as a question instead of a statement.
Alyssa was too winded to pursue right away. "I assume that's not his style."
Jack rubbed his ribs. He frowned and shoved a paw inside his jacket. "Oh hell, no."
"What now?" Alyssa pushed herself off the pile of linen and started toward the broken doorway.
"The PDA. He took my PDA!" Jack shouted.
"Oh bloody hell!" Alyssa groaned. "We can still get Slothfeld if we hurry!"
"You don't understand!" Jack sprinted past her, and she followed him out. She stopped the rabbit inside the hallway and sniffed the air. She caught a whiff of ram blood and pointed to the stairs she'd used before. Jack gave himself a fierce verbal arse-chewing as they descended. "God darn it, I've just put them all in danger!"
"Who's in danger?"
"Honey Ryder and your other friends! I investigated the lot of you back when the mission started! The location of their bunker is in that PDA!"
"What?!" Alyssa nearly shrieked.
They spotted Doug in the lobby making a break for the front entrance at the same time the real cops were escorting the collared guests from the casino and to the comfort and privacy of their own rooms. Two ZBI officers were preventing a fuming Bisoniing from going to a waiting group of black-suited mega fauna. Doug stopped in the middle of the room and looked left to right, looking for a more discreet way out. Alyssa and Jack slowed down and advanced on him, ignoring the ranting and raving of Bisoniing and the nearby 'Karen' who by that point was in cuffs.
"Listen, Jabberwock!" Cheryl called through the headsets Alyssa, Jack and Doug were wearing. "Can you hear the Jubjub bird and the Bandersnatch calling for blood?"
"What are you talking about?" Alyssa yelled, but she could barely hear herself over Bisonniing's roaring.
"THIS IS GETTING BEYOND A FUCKING JOKE!" Bisoniing bellowed, his elbows bent and hoofs clenched as though he was about to start swinging. "ONE WORD FROM ME AND YOU'LL NEVER WORK IN THE BUREAU AGAIN! NOW GET OUT OF MY WAY BEFORE I CALL MY LAWYER!"
"Sir, your collar." The ZBI bull from before said in warning.
"FUCK THE COLLAR!" Bisoniing hollered, even as his yellow collar beeped red. If it beeped again, he would be shocked. Alyssa and Jack continued on toward Doug, not wanting any part of that shitstorm. "I WILL BE BE TREATED LIKE SOME SHARP-TOOTHED SAVAGE! I WILL NOT HAVE IT!"
"Sir!" The bull snapped.
Too late. The collar beeped again, and Bisoniing shouted in pain. "Bastard!"
"Sir?" The bull asked.
"The stupid collar pricked me!" Bisoniing tugged at his collar. The large glowing light, once a bright angry red, was now a vivid blue.
Alyssa stopped, as did Jack. Even Doug remained rooted to the spot, watching as Bisoniing groaned and started to convulse. The officers and hotel guests stopped moving and watched. Even 'Karen' fell silent. Outside the doors and windows, the crowd of reporters saw what was happening and aimed their cameras through the glass.
Cheryl spoke frigidly into Alyssa, Jack and Doug's ears. "See how his collar changes to the color of night?"
Alyssa held a paw over her mouth as the bison collapsed to the floor in his convulsions. The ZBI officers and the black-suited mammals rushed over to him.
"Stay back!" Jack shouted, but they paid no heed.
A growl filled the air, guttural and feral. Then the officers went flying. Mr. Bisoniing got up on all fours, fresh blood staining one of his horns, and turned his wild eyes to the nearest mammals.
Cheryl's tiny voice echoed in Alyssa's stunned perception. "The time has come for the people to wake up from the wonderland the Swintons created."
"Oh my God, he's gone mad!" A rhino cried, his collar beeping red. He tried to run, only to collide with the smaller mammals behind him.
"Mad?! He's gone savage!" A pig shrieked as Bisoniing roared again and prepared to charge.
"Savage?! Prey mammals don't go savage!" 'Karen' screeched. Then she cried out as her collar also beeped and turned blue.
Bisoniing rammed into the crowd before the ZPD officers could fire their darts guns. Alyssa grabbed Jack and ran for it, barely avoiding a glancing blow from the bison's bloodied horn. Screaming. Beeping. Bleeding. Tranq darts flying. Blue lights everywhere. Alyssa too let instinct take over, grabbing a dart gun from a fallen sheep officer to fight back the madness. The last thing she knew before losing herself in the chaos of Palm Hotel was the Red Queen's voice in her headset.
"Life… what is it, but a dream?"
