"Wow." Nick muttered.
"What was that?" Judy asked.
"Wow."
"Mm-hm."
"Wow."
"Go on, say it. The walls look like someone cooked fries on them."
"Not that. I wasn't expecting your place to be so…" Nick paused for effect. "Compact."
"It was all I could afford, give me a break." Judy retorted as she rifled through the single drawer of her stained, rickety desk. Her wide, heart shaped buttocks stuck out as she bent over the drawer, the cheeks so prominent Nick couldn't seem to look way. The sensual thoughts the sight brought up were more congenial than those of Honey lying on a slab, surrounded by gangsters, never to walk again.
"So remind me again why are we stopping here?" Nick asked quickly when the image threatened to come to the forefront.
"I can't go back to Precinct One, not with who knows how many bad cops after us. I'll have to gather whatever gear I can here."
"And what would that be? Fox repellent? Vulpus-go-away? Vulpine Taser?"
"Knock it off!" Judy pulled out what she'd been searching for: a key. She strode past Nick to the wardrobe, the only thing in the room that could be called expensive, at least by the standards of a rookie cop's salary. "And nope. Something with a little more kick than that."
"What, a spring propelled boxing glove?"
"I'm not going to dignify that with an acknowledgement. When I got the news that I'd passed the academy, my parents decided to show their support with a special gift to go with my care package. It was a semi-automatic Clawk 16, with a magazine that could carry about twenty darts. Something to keep in the apartment since we're not allowed to take our police-issued weapons home with us."
"Cool."
"Yeah, I didn't expect my parents to do that. But…" Judy snickered briefly. "All my family and friends that supported me had the same darn idea, and well, take a look." Judy unlocked the wardrobe, open the doors, and Nick's jaw dropped.
Three handguns, all different models. One revolver. Two shotguns, three BB guns and a dart rifle. If the little bunny turned tail, she could theoretically hold up a bank with this stuff. Judy put her paws on her hips, giving Nick a moment to admire her collection.
"It was a pain in my celery getting the permits to keep most of this stuff. If it wasn't for that shooting range four blocks down I wouldn't even know how to use any of this stuff." She reached into the wardrobe, taking out the rifle and one of the guns. She lingered before reaching for one of the BB guns.
"Don't be ridiculous." Nick said.
"I don't want to take anything with live ammunition." Judy said, but she put down the BB gun regardless.
"Not a fan of the ballistic arts are you?"
"I have an aspiration to get through my law enforcement career without actually killing anyone."
"Really? There's a rumor going around that the ZPD has a yearly competition. Whoever has the most Liberum members routed gets a year's supply of donuts."
Judy spun round, shotgun in paw, eyes as hard as amethysts. "Nick. Shut the hell up."
Nick gulped. "Ok. I'll shut up. After I politely ask you to point that peashooter the other way." He smiled nervously. "Please point the peashooter the other way."
Judy's eyes softened just enough to show the hurt Nick had inflicting on her. She lowered the shotgun and added it to the others on the bed.
"Carrots?" Nick said. Judy's ear twitched. "Carrots, I'm sorry if I pushed too far-"
Judy spun round, shotgun back in her paws and aiming at the fox's chest. Nick's paws leapt into the air, almost as high as his heart.
"Nick, put your arms down, move to the right, and turn around."
Nick followed her instructions one by one, until he was facing the window. "You could have just told me to turn around, you didn't have to- you're not arresting me, are you?"
"I thought I heard rodents." Judy passed Nick to examine the windowsill. "Dirt. Tiny traces of dirt. Definitely rodents."
"Probably the same ones who sent the headset." Nick said. "How the hell do they keep finding us?"
"We'll figure that out later." Judy said. She shut the window and returned to the bed covered in weapons. "Okay, this is all the dart weapons. I think a pistol and my rifle will do it. You sure we can trust those guys to sneak us out of the city?"
"They smuggle contraband every day, trust me, they can." Nick said.
"I just wish we could call the ZBI."
"Elba told you Swinton's having them monitored, remember?"
"I know, I know. But I find it hard to believe that a mayor could exert so much influence over a government agency."
"A government agency, a conglomerate, a swill shop, it makes no difference to a Swinton. Her father was friends with Norman Holloway before he became president."
"Her father died of Alzheimer's a few months ago, but you may have a point." Judy said. She looked out the window once more, but this time to look at the limousine waiting for them outside.
"We shouldn't keep them waiting." Judy said. She turned to face Nick, eyes soft with empathy. A streetlamp outside the window illuminated her outline with a soft creamy glow. "You don't have to do this, you know. I can just go and meet up with Bogo and the others. We'll find your friend and put an end to all this, I promise."
Nick shook his head. "We both have a stake in this, Carrots. I'm seeing this through with you to the end."
Renato Manchas, the jaguar who drove the limo, greeted them politely when they stepped out into the street. In the limo itself was a Joey Kicks, a kangaroo on Mr. Big's payroll. Manchas was to drive him to the neighboring town of Deerbrooke, and Nick and Judy were to be smuggled out with them. Nick pinched the coat pocket where the 'Vorpal Blade' was being kept, before climbing into the trunk with the rabbit. Manchas opened the secret compartment used for smuggling, and silently motioned for them to get in before sealing the compartment up again. It was dark and claustrophobic, but not so small as to crush them together. There was also a cool draught, making suffocation unlikely. Nick had to curl into a ring around Judy's crouched ball form. It was times like this that made Nick grateful that the Lord gave him night vision.
"Why is a kangaroo of all mammals working for Mr. Big?" He heard Judy ask. He couldn't see her, but he could feel her against his curved body. It was uncomfortable, but at the same time her presence made his position more tolerable.
"Officially, every prey mammal in the city is above predators on the totem pole, but that pole doesn't count for circumstances. Joey, for instance, was forced to make Mr. Big an unofficial stockholder. He'd racked up a lot of debt, and beggars can't be choosers."
The vehicle rumbled as it started up the street. Nick had to tense and let the disk poke into his body, so he knew it was still there. The deal he'd made with Mr. Big was the only assurance he had that the car wasn't going to suddenly drop into a lake.
"Nick?" Judy asked.
"Yeah?" Nick asked.
"Why do you hate the ZPD so much?"
If Nick had enough space to turn his head and scowl at her, he would. "You really have to ask?"
"Nick, when someone's that angry, it's not bravado, it's personal. There's more to it, isn't there? Beside Wild Times?"
Nick bit the sides of his tongue, steadily increasing the pressure until it became painful. Then he released the breath he'd been holding. "You know about Liberum, don't you?"
"Yeah?"
"Well, ever since they bombed that nuclear power plant and brought down Roarcadia, the Triumvirate have been on a secret witch hunt for any remaining members. When they find a mark, they send in the ZPD and make up any charge they like. Sometimes they get their mammal, most times they get someone totally innocent." The words kept pouring out like cold rainwater. When he was eight, or maybe nine, he had come home to find three squad cars, three, outside his house. His father had been gone, taken away in a fourth car. It had already left by the time Nick had gotten there.
He never got the chance to see him being taken away.
The rest had stayed behind to interrogate his mother and search the house. They'd found nothing, but a wardrobe and two kitchen cupboards had been broken in the search. He could still remember his mother a sobbing mess on the kitchen stool, her shock collar tormenting her to no end, saying the same thing over and over, with little variations. "He had nothing to do with that bomb! He's innocent! He hadn't even been in Roarcadia when the attack happened!"
The trial had come quickly after that. Nick had been forced to stay outside with Honey while his mother stood as a witness, helpless to do anything but say her piece, sit back and watch the inevitable. It wasn't until a day later that Nick discovered that John Wilde really had been a Liberum member, only to leave the group after their leader, Koobus Lupine, had been found guilty of masterminding the bombing.
Other than that, there had been no evidence that John had been involved. None. He'd had a rock solid alibi. But he had been found guilty the moment the ZPD had decided to come to his door.
Nick had seen his father, for the first time in weeks, being led to a waiting van in cuffs, the crowd too thick and loud for John to hear his son calling his name. Nick had kept calling out even as the van drove off, not realizing what had happened until his mother, eyes moist with tears, had got down on one knee and explained the verdict to him.
Present day Nick's claws were digging into his palms. "I never saw him again."
Judy felt stiff as a baseball. "But you said he didn't receive the death penalty."
"He was sent to a maximum-security prison far away, where visitors were forbidden. He died there a few years later."
"Nick, I can't believe they would do that… no, I can believe it. I don't even know if I can trust the ZBI anymore. Cheese and crackers, my insides are a knot."
"Easy on the self-butt kicking there, Carrots. Not all officers are pieces of shit. Sure, most of them don't like my sort very much, but that doesn't stop them from putting their butts on the line on a daily basis. There's Bogo, McHorn, Higgins, the deer who talked that guy down from the bridge a couple weeks back … you."
He felt Judy's warm body expand slightly in her surprise. "Me?"
"Sure, you've got your anti-fox follies, but that didn't stop you from doing the right thing, did it? You probably wouldn't have been on my case if your bosses hadn't put you on it themselves. You're a good cop, Carrots, the best I know. I wish I could have seen that before I took your wallet-"
"You did what?"
Nick was glad Judy was in no position to see his face. "… Nothing. The point is that I don't see anything to forgive you for, not anymore. If anything, you should be forgiving me for getting you into this mess."
There was a slight pressure against his arm that felt like Judy's paw. Great, now she was being touchy-feely. Nick wished he had the space to move his arm. He wasn't used to this kind of affection. "Nick, this isn't your fault either. Swinton and her cronies manipulated both of us. This is all on them."
"But I dragged Benji into my Wild Times plan, without him even realizing it. I'm pretty sure he's officially done with me."
Judy gave a gentle pat. "During my first week on parking duty, I witnessed a robbery committed by a weasel who tried to give the police the slip by passing through Little Rodentia. Without really thinking it through, I went in after him."
"Did he pop?"
"What?"
"Did you pop the weasel?"
Judy's fingers dug in very slightly. "Yes, I popped the weasel, Nick. But when I brought him back to HQ, Bogo was furious. I had abandoned my post, he said. I had incited a scurry, recklessly endangered rodents, etc, etc. For a while, I was as angry as he was. I couldn't understand why he didn't understand that I'd done the right thing. Duke was a career criminal, a bigger threat to the citizens than I was. I'd caused Duke to panic by following him into Rodentia, but still, I'd defied Bogo's prejudiced expectations by making my first arrest all by myself, without any weapons. It wasn't until later that I found out that while I had retrieved forty-two dollars stolen from a till, two cars, a train and fourapartment blocks had been damaged because I'd escalated the situation."
Nick thought of a good quip about the cost of repairing said damage to what were essentially reinforced doll houses, but said nothing.
"Then I went from being angry to feeling lower than dirt." Judy continued, her voice betraying her shame. "What had I been thinking? I could have just gone around the district and caught him at the other end, but no, I had something bigger to prove. For a while, I thought I'd be stuck wearing that stupid vest for the rest of my life."
"So what changed?" Nick asked.
"Honestly, I have no idea." Judy said. "Maybe Bogo saw that I'd learned from my mistakes."
"Or Chief Trunchbull got sick of seeing his latest valedictorian being relegated to printing tickets." Nick suggested.
"I thought so too, but I remember the look on Bogo's face when he told me I was going on patrol. He didn't look like he'd been forced into anything. I honestly believe he decided to give me a second chance."
Nick wanted to say something cynical, but once again the words died in his throat. He sensed what Judy was implying, and he couldn't help but feel a little bit of hope well up in his pandora's box of repressed emotions. "Let me guess. You're saying Benji might give me a second chance, too."
"He still cares about you. I've seen it." Judy said. "Don't give up on your friendship, Nick. I know you'll find a way to make things right."
They fell silent for a while, listening to the rhythm of the limo's engine. Nick's body pressed against the walls of the compartment each time the vehicle turned a corner.
"It's getting colder." Nick said.
"Is it? It's pretty warm in here." Judy said.
"That's because you're the one with the fox-fur quilt."
"Fair point. You're not cold, are you?"
"I'm not freezing, at least. You make a pretty good hot bunny bottle."
Judy giggled, her body shaking against his. "You know the mountain better than I do. Where do you suggest we start looking?"
"Your buddies last came in contact near the lodge. It's the closest spot to the cable car station. We could look there, then check out the asylum. See if Alyssa and the others actually do need our help."
"Even if they don't, at least you'll be out of the city. You can stay in hiding until I find proof that you didn't cause the savage attacks."
Nick's heart sunk a little. "Carrots, not to criticize your optimism but you're forgetting two little things. I started Wild Times and escaped police custody." At this, Judy's assuring smile vanished. Nick felt nauseated himself. "I may be innocent of the savage attacks but I'm still guilty. I'm doing this to help my friends and help you save Zootopia, but no matter how this plays out, I'm kissing my freedom goodbye."
Judy deflated with a sigh. Way to go, Nicky, Nick thought with a sigh of his own.
The limo slowed to a stop at Zootopia Overlook. It was a couple of minutes before Manchas released them from their hiding spot, holding a small flashlight. Judy's big purple eyes shone when the beam fell upon them, locking eyes with Nick's. She smiled at Nick, and Nick realized that he was smiling back. It was weird what several near-death experiences, a cleared misconception, and a heart to heart in a tiny box could do to a relationship.
Joey pointed at a path into the forest. "The cable car station is up that one path, you can't miss it. Mr. Big wishes you luck."
He and Manchas returned inside the limo and drove off without another word.
Judy gave Nick the rifle to hold while she held her little pistol. "You still have the disk?"
Nick pulled it out and opened the CD case, showing her the sapphire blue disk inside. "Uncracked and unscratched. Don't worry, I won't let anything happen to it. So what's my next move, your majesty?"
"My what?"
"You're the White Queen, remember?"
Judy pursed her lips. "I'd prefer if you stick to Carrots."
Nick shrugged. "Whatever floats your boat. What do you want me to do?"
"Your main job is to hold that disk, stay out of trouble, and hide when I tell you to. And maybe put that sly head of yours to good use by figuring out where Cheryl is hiding."
Nick gripped her shoulder. He swallowed in his apprehension. "We're going after her, too?"
"Not unless we have to." Judy said.
Nick sighed in relief. "Damn. Excuse me if I sound like a wuss, but for a second there I thought you were suggesting we do something really stupid."
Judy snickered at his reaction. "Better to be a coward than a fool. Bogo told me that when he reamed me out for the Rodentia incident. Don't worry, I'm not that dumb."
"Could have fooled me."
He yelped when Judy punched his arm. "When this is over, I'll discuss the extent of my dumb bunniness with Internal Affairs. Not with a smart alec with no room to talk."
Nick rubbed his arm, chuckling. "Fair point. Let's go find your boys in blue."
