Judy sensed something was wrong when she woke up to see Honey leaning over her, a fat paw frozen in the middle of reaching out to wake the rabbit.

"Whud?" She mumbled groggily.

"Bunny, you need to get your head in gear. I've lost contact with Alyssa and the others."

Judy sat up and rubbed her eyes. She didn't see Nick, but Finnick and Sherry were still napping on a bean bag and the infant cub was squirming in his metallic crib. "What do you mean you lost contact?"

"Exactly what I said on the tin." Honey growled. "The signal crapped out six hours ago and I haven't heard from them since."

"Oh, sweet cheese and crackers. Where's Nick?"

"In the shower. The first one didn't get rid of all the sewer smell."

Judy looked past the badger and saw the shut door. "So now what? We go after them?"

Honey scowled and jerked her thumb at the computer. "Doug Ramses is still watching this place! We can't just go after them!"

Judy frowned at the same computer. It was showing four smaller images of the area surrounding the tree concealing the bunker. "I've been seeing him pop up every now and then on my hidden cameras." Honey said. "Sometimes he goes right up to the tree, sometimes he looks in the windows. For the last hour, nothing."

"Has he entered the apartment yet?" Judy asked.

"Just once. Depending on what was on that PDA, he may know he won't be able to get in through the hatch." Honey paused in thought. "I saw him checking out the pipes and outside faucet before he stopped showing up on the cameras. Must be checking to see if the house was really empty."

"Pipes?"

"For the sink and bathtub upstairs, or it used to. I made some alterations, so now the water comes down here."

"Is that legal?"

"Really, bunny? Really?"

"… Just so long as it's your water."

Honey snorted and returned to the computer. "I don't get it. Ramses's as persistent as you. He should have tried something by now."

"Looks like he must be waiting for us, then. Mind if I watch the cameras for a while?" Judy asked.
"Knock yourself out. I gotta check on the baby."

"You're not going to say no? I am a police officer."

"Who was almost killed by her own people. That's enough to convince me you're not one of them. Use the arrow keys to switch feeds. Touch anything else and I'll touch you down like a football."

Judy jumped onto the chair and propped her head on her arms. The monitors were black and white and flickered every now and them, but they provided clear images. Judy saw the exposed pipes Honey had mentioned, fixed to the wall next to one of the windows. Shoddy construction like that would explain why a predator could afford the place. She saw the front door, closed and locked since she and Nick had arrived. She switched feeds, seeing a small bunch of ferns sitting right next to the tree's trunk. Judy narrowed her eyes, sure there was something fixed to the tree behind the ferns.

"What's that?" Judy tapped the screen. She felt Honey's presence appear beside her. "There's something behind that plant."

"That's a vent, nothing to worry about." Honey said. "When I built the bunker I had six made to make sure I don't run out of air down here."

Judy looked up. It took her a few seconds to find the one of the vents above the bean bags where Finnick and Sherry was still sleeping. "What if someone saw them?"

"No-one who lives in the Rainforest District would be likely to go near enough to check it out. Those ferns are really fake, but it's common knowledge in these parts that this species of ferns are poison. So like I said, there's nothing to worry about."

Judy took a closer look at the screen. "Pteridium aquilinum, right?"

"Teri-what? Sounds like a prehistoric radioactive element."

"Bracken Fern. That's the species, I think." Judy said. "And you're right, they are poison."

"Huh." Honey said, eyebrows raised. "How does a carrot farmer turned rogue cop know that?"

"I am not rogue." Judy said. "It was the one thing my dad worried most about almost as much as predators. Plant husbandry is kind of a big deal in my family, what with some of the vegetables we grow having toxic properties of their own. When I passed the academy, dad gave me a brand-new book on plants in case I got assigned to the Rainforest District. Come to think of it, he would have been happier if I went there instead of City Central."

"Then he doesn't know Zootopia as well as he thinks he does." A voice behind them made them turn. Nick, fur spiky from his trip to the shower, had changed into a tartan grey shirt that Judy found far more appealing that his Pawiian eyesores. "Now what are we going to do about our missing superspies?"

Honey glared at the fox. "You've left the shower on, you idiot."

"No, I didn't."

"I can hear it running."

Judy could hear it, too.

Nick put his paws on his hips. "You've been wearing headphones for too long. I turned the shower off as soon as I was done."

"Then why can I still hear it…" Honey stopped speaking upon walking to the door and opening it. "Running?"

There was a bellowed curse nearby; Finnick was flailing under a thin pillar of water splashing over his face, his cries startling awake the cheetah cub beside him. The little fox fell off the bean bag, blinking and spitting, as the adults looked up.

"What's going on with the vent?" Nick asked, watching as the pouring water formed a puddle in the top of the bean bag. There was a splattering sound to the side. The second vent in the far corner was spilling water, too. Within a minute, every vent in the ceiling was pouring.

"Great. Just great." Nick said. "Psycho-serums, magnetic catapults, and now a burst pipe."

"In a ventilation system?" Judy asked.

Honey rushed over to the computer and started looking through feeds. Judy walked over to join her. Honey was flicking through the feeds rather quickly, but Judy could see that things had changed since she'd last seen then. The faucet had been attached to some kind of hose, and similar tubing had been placed in some of the outdoor vents.

"Shit!" Honey dropped down and yanked the computer's plug from its socket. "Shit, shit! Someone get the baby and turn off all the plugs! I knew he was up to something out there!"

"Wait a second, you're not saying Ramses is behind this!" Finnick yelled.

"Switch it off! Switch it all off!" Honey was shouting.

The water kept pouring, forming a puddle that was expanding by the second.

Honey opened a small door hidden behind her alien sheep poster and reached inside. Judy heard her flick a switch, plunging the room in complete darkness.

Judy blinked, feeling the primal fear that came with the unknown. She heard a thud, and Honey cursing. Nick yelped, and the baby started crying loudly. Then she saw a beam of light shining upon the baby's metal box. Rubbing her shin Honey shone the flashlight on Nick, who judging from his soaked upper half appeared to have blindly walked under one of the vents. The badger looked sheepish as she handed flashlights to the fox and rabbit. "I probably should have grabbed the lights before turning off the power."

The water splashed lightly when Judy took a step. It still wasn't much deeper than a puddle, but it was getting there. The entire floor was now soaked.

"What about Lance?" Sherry had gone over to the baby to try and stop his crying.

"Leave him in the box, for now." Honey said. "This bunker will hours takes to fill, if not days."

"But he's not trying to drown us, is he?" Nick asked. Sherry, ignoring Honey's command, picked up the infant and gently rocked him as he cried. "You think pulling the big switch will be enough?"

"I don't know. The only way to be sure is to remove the face from the meter pan, but that's outside." Honey clambered up the ladder, her upper half disappearing into the tunnel. There was a clanging sound. "Fuck!" Honey dropped down onto the wet floor. "I knew it. He's blocked the hatch!"

Judy's ears pricked. "What's that beeping coming from your pocket?"

Honey plucked a headset from the pocket of her baggy cargo pants and glared at it before holding it to her ear. "It's him."

Judy frowning, thinking of what she'd learned about radios in the academy. "How did he know the channel?"

"Probably something else he learned from Savage's PDA." Honey held the headset from her ear while she said this. "I'll rip out those trilateral teeth of his if I ever see him again!" She held the headset back to her ear. "What do you think you're playing out?"

She felt silent, seething as she listened to the ram. Judy had to strain her ears to hear tidbits of what Ramses was saying.

"… you have two choi… out and receive a painless death by bullet or… switch on this generator and…"

"Do you really think electricity works that way?" Honey asked.

Ramses spoke so softly Judy almost didn't get a word. "… lives of two chil… worth… ing that chance?"

Honey's angry face fell, as did Judy's.

"What does that psycho want?" Finnick asked.

"He wants us." Honey said simply.

"Especially me." Nick said, ears flattening.

"In that case, let's give him what he wants." Judy slipped a dart into her weapon.

Honey sheathed her claws and stepped between Judy and Nick, snarling.

"Not him!" Judy snapped to hide the alarm that came with being confronted by an angry predator. "Someone needs to get that hatch open, get out there and take him down!"

"A cute little bunny against a trained assassin and sniper? Are you stupid?" Finnick yelled.

"I'm valedictorian and don't call me cute!"

Something flew between their heads and bounced off the blank computer screen. "Stop it!" Sherry yelled from the table, cradling the baby. "You're scaring Lancy!"

Nick put a paw on Judy and Finnick's shoulders and gently pushed the two agitated mammals apart. "The young lady is right. And so is Finn, minus the stupid part. That crazy fluffball's not screwing around, Carrots."

"So what do you suggest we do?" Judy asked, glancing down when she felt water lapping around her ankles. "Call for backup?"

"That will either get them killed or get us killed. We can't tru-"

"Ramses isn't stupid." Judy interrupted. "When the ZPD showed up at the Arctic House, he retreated without firing a single bullet at them. There's no reason he won't do the same thing here."

"Except he's been stopped from completing his mission two or three times already." Nick said. "I know his type. At some point they're just gonna say 'screw it' and cross the line. I betcha if someone interferes again he's going to start shooting, ZPD or not. Unless of course they're on the same payroll as his boss."

"Then it'll have to be someone absolutely not on the payroll." Honey splashed over to her safe, unlocked it and pulled out a laptop. She opened it and switched it one. "Forty percent battery, thank God. Someone turn the wifi back on."

Nick plugged the device into the wall, taking care not to get water on the socket. It was a good thing the water was still an inch deep. Honey put the laptop on the table beside the kids and started typing.

"What're you doing?" Nick asked.

"Calling in the mafia." Honey said.
Judy's jaw dropped. Nick seemed to go a little pale. "You're what?" He squeaked.

"I dug up everything I could after Mr. Big's gang tried to threaten Nick." Honey said, still typing. "That includes emails. In a minute, Mr. Big is going to receive an anonymous tip that the Columbian Ocelots are concealing a large shipment of weapons to sell to Koslov in the Rainforest District, Vine and Tujunga."

"Mr. Big!?" Nick dug his claws into his scalp and started pacing. "And you thought Carrots's idea was stupid?"

"They'll send someone whether they believe the tip or not." Honey stopped typing. "Mr. Big has no real grievance with us, and that means he can be reasoned with. Unless you prefer we pin TUSK or Koslov back on our butts."

Nick grimaced. "Point taken. What happens when they get here?"

"If you two are right about Ramses, he'll ghost or start shooting. Either way, we'll use the information I have on Koslov to negotiate with Mr. Big." Honey said.

"Are we going to tell him about the disk?" Nick asked.

Honey paused, and then hovered the cursor over the send button. "When I push this button, we'll have at least twenty minutes before they get here. You might wanna start gearing up."

Judy grabbed Honey's paw. "You sure we can't just call the police?"

Honey wrinkled her nose at her. "I don't know if you've figured it out yet, fluff, but whoever we call is probably being led to a slaughter. Better the bad guys than the blue guys, right?"

"But we can't just-"

Honey got in her face. "You have any better suggestions?!" Judy's small mouth opened, but nothing came out. "That's what I thought." With that, she clicked send.

Judy spent the next twenty minutes suffering from a nauseating hole in her stomach as she checked and gathered her gear, including an addition from Honey's private store; a short, futuristic telescope with excellent range and a night vision mode. It was one of a batch of identical telescopes of various sizes, and this one happened to be the second-smallest.

"Why are you still wearing that thing, Nick?" Finnick asked, hefting a baseball bat. Judy saw Nick fiddling with the black device on his forearm. Mag-Ryder, Honey had called it

"Haven't quite figured out how to get it off, yet." Nick shrugged guiltily.

Honey tucked the Gazelle CD case containing the Data Disk safely into her pocket and checked the camera feed on her laptop once more. She glanced at the floodwater beneath them.

"Everyone get on the table. I don't know how long it'll be before the water reaches the outlets."

Judy, Nick and Finnick joined Honey and the two cubs on the table. Judy found herself squeezed between Nick and Lance's metal box.

"Here they come." Honey muttered. Judy looked at the laptop and saw two black cars coming to a stop outside the tree. Bears, wolves and other predators came out bearing machine guns. Judy stared at the screen. Two bears kicked the door down, and Judy was sure she heard the sound faintly above her. Sherry was sniffling even as she gently rocked baby Lance on her lap. This wasn't Nick and Honey's fault, Judy had to remind herself. On the laptop screen, the bears strode inside barrels first. After a moment, the wolves followed.

There was no sign of Doug Ramses.

Honey switched feeds to show the predators inside the apartment above them. Doug had left the trapdoor wide open, and the bears were already pointing their guns down into it. Judy froze, clutching her gun when she heard the mammals above fiddling with the hatch. There was a metal scraping sound as whatever Doug had used to lock the hatch was removed.

"Let me do the talking." Nick muttered as they all heard the hatch's handle turning.

"While we do all the pants-pissing, got it." Finnick growled.

"Bad language." Sherry said.

"Aw, shaddup!"

"Hey, don't yell at her!" Judy scolded.

"That was the cub? Sorry, kid. I thought that was the bunny."

"Hey!" Yelled the gruff voice of a bear above, silencing everyone in the bunker. "We know you're in there! Come out with your hands up!"

Nick looked down once again at the water, which was two inches away from the outlets. "We'll be happy to do that, once you take care of our little flood problem!"
"What the fuck are you talking about?" The bear asked.

"Someone is trying to kill us by flooding the basement with hosepipes. The water's going to reach the outlets in less than a minute, so we can't get to the ladder." Nick explained calmly. "If you'll be so kind as the remove the hosepipes pumping water into the six vents around the tree, I will be more than happy come out and talk to you."

"… And who is trying to kill you, exactly?' The bear asked.

"Stop the flood before it reaches the outlets, and then we'll talk."

There was a moment's silence, and then Judy heard the bear give orders to the other mammals. She, Nick, Finnick and Honey watched through the laptop as the wolves surrounded the tree, finding the vents hidden behind the fake poison ferns. They moved the leaves aside with the barrels of their guns and removed the pipes. One by one, the streams of water pouring from the ceiling trickled to a stop. Judy looked down to see the water hadn't reached the outlets. She exhaled in relief.

They heard the bear speak again. "Okay, I don't know what that was all about. Get out here and start explaining."

Nick held his breath as he dropped down into the water. When he didn't seize up and scream in agony, he slowly walked over to the ladder with both paws raised and empty.

"Okay, I'm here." He looked up and gulped at what Judy assumed to be at least two machine guns pointing straight down at his face.

"Come on up." The bear said. "Slowly."

Nick glanced at the mammals still on the table, and started to climb. He climbed slowly, as the bear had ordered, his tail dripping water beneath him. The tail was the last thing Judy saw before he disappeared into the apartment. She and the others immediately looked back at the laptop to see Nick standing between the two bears, both of which were aiming their guns at his skull.

"Who else is down there?" The bear demanded harshly. "The Colombian Ocelots? Koslov?"

"Okay, you got me." Nick said. Judy couldn't fathom how he could sound and look so lighthearted. "We made it up so you could bust us outta that deathtrap."

The pause lasted so long Judy thought she was going to hear a gunshot at the end of it. "Why?"

"Why? Didn't I just say…"

"I mean why us? Why not the cops?"

"Because there are some cops who would rather kill us than let us reveal the truth."

"And why would they not want this 'truth' to come out?"

"Because if it did, TAME Collars would cease to exist."

This pause lasted even long than the first.

"Nick, what the hell are you doing?" Honey whispered.

The bear growled. "That does it. Tell us who else is down there. Right. Now."

"Woah, woah, easy!" Nick held his paws in front of him. "I'm not bullshitting, I swear!"

"Who. Else. Is. Down. There." Judy held her breath as the bear pressed the barrel of his gun into Nick's cheek.

"One badger, one bunny, one mini-fox, one cheetah cub and a baby sort-of-cheetah."

"What the hell are kids doing down there?"

"That, sir, is a loooooong story, and one your boss will want to hear with his own two ears."

The bear narrowed his eyes. Before he could respond, the bear behind Nick spoke up. "Come to think of it, the boss will be very interested to know how they got his personal email."

The first bear grumbled. "Fine. Tell your buddies that they have five minutes to come out, unarmed and paws empty, before I toss a grenade down there."

"Oh shit!" Finnick was the first to get off the table and grab the ladder. Honey snatched the telescope from Judy before she could react. "Put all the gear in the safe, hurry!"

"Will it survive the grenade?"

"We can hope."

Judy helped Honey toss everything they had gathered into the safe and shut it tight. Honey left it to Judy to escort Sherry up the ladder while she herself held Lance. The black bear pointed with his gun toward Nick, directing the mammals to gather around him.

"Anyone else down there?"

"Nope, that's everyone." Nick said after looking them over to confirm hit himself.

"If you're lying, it's their funeral." The bear gave a nod to the wolf in the room with them. Without a word the wolf pulled the pin off a grenade and tossed the ovular explosive into the bunker, pulling the hatch shut afterward. He quickly turned the handle and stepped back. Honey cursed under her breath as a muffled explosion followed seconds later, shaking the floorboards and kicking dust into the air.

It was a minute before the wolf was given the order to open the hatch, go down and investigate. Two minutes later, the wolf called up that the bunker was wrecked, but devoid of bodies.

"See? I am perfectly capable of telling the truth." Nick said. "Now will you take us to your leader?"

"Don't get cute, fox. You better hope the boss likes what you have to say." The bear snarled, his large form framed by the light of a streetlamp shining through the window behind him.

"Oh, he will." Honey said, putting herself between Nick and the bear. "Threaten us all you want, but trust me when I say that your boss is the least of our problems-"

The sentence was punctuated by the sharp crack of fracturing glass and a explosion of red flaring out from behind the badger, soaking Nick's tasteful shirt. The badger's body followed the direction of the spatter, tumbling backward as the baby dropped from her arms. Judy was so stunned that she almost didn't lunge forward to grab Lance before he hit the floor.

Nick stared down at his fallen friend, his wide green eyes eventually turning to the stain spreading across the left side of his ribs. He dropped to his knees as the bears roared warnings of a sniper and fired back through the broken window. Sherry screamed and cried at the sight of the blood pooling beneath Honey Ryder. Finnick simply stared in horror, too dumbfounded to even curse.

As for Judy, all she could do was hold the wailing Lance and await the aftermath.