Nick walked into his apartment. A relatively small apartment with two bedrooms each with its own bathroom. A living room and moderately sized kitchen. The neighborhood wasn't the best but it wasn't the slums he lived in as a kid. Being a Major, he made enough to afford the place without having to find a roommate to split the rent. As he walked in he sat his dark maroon beret on the kitchen counter and walked straight to his bedroom. Took off his fatigues and plopped down on the bed. Living off base meant that he often slept in his office at the battalion HQ. Which is where he'd been the sleeping the last two weeks. With the day that the tanks would be leaving to make their monthly drive by soon approaching, Nick knew they had to get someone behind enemy lines soon or they would have to wait an entire month before the next window. If there was a next window that is. For all they knew Canisia could be planning an attack tomorrow. Which is why he'd stayed on base with Fin and Van. Instead of being given the go ahead to go behind enemy lines, High Command gave them the task of counter attacking. If the howlers attacked tomorrow Nick and his entire division would parachute into the end of the valley and cut off the enemy advance before they could reach Foxton. Stalling them long enough for the VAF to pound them back under their umbrella of anti-air craft missiles. The problem was they wouldn't be in the enemies or their own territory. They would essentially be jumping behind enemy lines between two potential enemies. No one knew how the bunnies would react. While their army was relatively small and their equipment very much outdated, they had a very large mass of able bodied citizens to pull from.
As Nick lay on his bed and his mind slowly began to settle, he focused on the sound of the fan slowly spinning above his head. He began to think back to when he first came to Vulpesia. He thought back to his old home in the slums of Zootopia. It didn't look very nice on the outside but the inside was clean and maintained. Nick never knew his father but he had his mother who was always there for him. After the incident with the Junior Ranger Scouts, his mother packed their belongings and they began traveling to what they hoped would be a better home.
Nick's vision slowly began to blur as his eyelids worked their way shut. He found himself waking up on a train. He raised his head to find his mother sitting beside him. She looked down and smiled but didn't speak. The train came to a stop and his mother stood with her hand out to him. He took her hand and she lead him off the train and to a bus stop. They boarded a bus and rode for what seemed like an eternity before getting off. But in his mind, it was merely seconds. Standing at the bus stop they had just exited, Nick looked around at his new surroundings. He saw a sign that read 'Bunnyburrow'. After several buses passed another bus appeared. When he and his mother tried to board the bus, the door was suddenly shut in front of them and the bus sped off. Looking up at his mother, confused at what had just happened, Nick asked why the bus left them. His mother only smiled and started walking. The next thing he knew he was walking in the rain down a muddy road. He was very tired and hungry, thinking there would be no end to his misery. When from behind them a pair of lights pulled up, stopping beside them. It was a blue farm truck with a pink bunny head painted on the door. Underneath the words 'Hopps Family Farm' in big round letters. A voice came from the truck.
"Need a lift?"
Nick looked up at his mother, who simply nodded in reply. The door was opened and the two climbed inside. Inside was a brown bunny who seemed kind of friendly but also like he was afraid of something. He talked a lot as they drove, eventually stopping at a large farm house.
"Why don't you come inside and dry off. Then I'll take you the rest of the way."
They went inside the house, Nick had never seen so many bunnies before in his life. They were all looking at him funny. Never looking at him straight on just from the corner of their eyes as they passed by. None stopped to speak to him. This made him feel very uncomfortable, but he was happy to finally be out of the rain. He started to feel like he could relax when out of nowhere a loud voice sounded. One that made Nick's blood run cold.
"Foxes are red because the devil made'em!"
Nick looked towards the source of the voice to find an old bunny with large glasses and a cane walking towards him. The sight of this bunny made him cringe with fear. He franticly looked around to find his mother, but she was nowhere to be seen. Nick tried to run and hide but found he was trapped in a corner with no way out. No way around the threat in front of him. The crazed bunny raising its cane revealing the sharp point of a spear, jabbing at him stabbing him in the-
With a large gasp for air Nick sat straight up on the bed. His chest hurting as if the nightmare had been real and he half expected to find a puncture would. As his senses began to come back under control he realized his phone was ringing. Taking a deep breath, he answered in a calm voice.
"This is Wilde."
"Get to the VJFH now." Came the unmistakable deep voice on the line before hanging up.
He glanced at the time. It was nearly midnight. "Why would I need to go…crap!" reality came upon him almost instantly. They must have tried the op or worse, the howlers have already attacked. Nick wouldn't know until he got there. He threw his fatigues back on and raced out the door.
At the VJFH.
Nick walked into the door to find Fin waiting for him in the lobby.
"This way." Was all he said as he nodded towards a hallway. They walked for several minutes before they came to a door with an electronic lock and two guards standing outside. Upon seeing the two, the guards unlocked the door and allowed them to enter. They were now standing in a hallway with a glass wall. Van was standing there apparently waiting for the two. Not saying a word, he motioned a finger in front of his lips. On the other side of the glass was a room full of computers and big screens displaying thermal imagery. Nick could make out two figures which appeared to be a wolf and a coyote standing next to a small building close to the road. And what looked like a gate which could be lifted and lowered by hand.
They stood there for several minutes watching the main screen which never moved off the two at what appeared to be a guard shack. The image zooming in and out a couple of times and appeared to slowly be rotating just to rotate back the other way again. "A drone." Nick realized. They were watching one of the entrance points to Canisia from Burrowland. Then, almost as if on cue, a small truck pulled up to the shack. The wolf and coyote came out and started talking to the driver. It was a rabbit. They had him get out of the truck as they began searching it. After a quick walk around the wolf went and lifted the gate and the rabbit hopped, literally, back into the truck and drove off. The drone now followed the truck for several minutes before it was finally out of view. They were in, the entire room consisting of no more than 6 people not including the three behind the glass wall, gave a sigh of relief.
"Now we wait." Nick looked over at who had spoken. It was Van, his voice tired and gruff, he was leaning against the back wall with his eyes closed.
3 Days ago
She'd been on the plane for 6 hours. While she did get first class seats it was never comfortable to have to stay in one place for so long with nothing to do. As the plane finally taxied up to the terminal for her exit, she sat quietly while everyone stood to collect their baggage and make their way off the plane. Relieved when the passenger next to her, a somewhat drunken Bengal fox that had tried to put the moves on her since she sat down, left to exit the plane. Once everyone had cleared the hall she stood up and smoothed her business coat and dress and made her way to the terminal. Grabbing her luggage, she made it to the lobby of the Tri-Burrow international airport. Traveling down the escalator she quickly spotted her contact. A silver hare with black strips on his face and ears. Wearing a business suite and waiting patiently for her to approach.
"Jack Savage I presume?" she said in a gleeful voice.
"And you must be Skye. A pleasure to make you acquaintance." After shaking paws Jack taking special attention to remember the features of the female arctic fox standing before him. He then motioned towards the exit. "Our ride is waiting. If you'll follow me please."
They quickly exited the lobby and made their way to the parking lot where a black sedan with blacked out windows was waiting for them. After loading her luggage and taking her seat, she settled in for what she thought would be a quiet ride.
"I didn't get your last name." Jack asked without looking at her. Instead keeping his eyes out his windows as though he was looking for something.
"I'm afraid I don't have one. For security reasons."
"Understandable, and quite clever I might add."
"Is everything ready?"
"We have the suite you requested ready. Everything made to the specifications your government gave us. I think you'll find our bunny tailors work quite impressive." A small grin growing on his face. Many people thought of rabbits and hares as nothing more than just carrot farmers. He enjoyed showing the world that they were capable of so much more.
"I certainly hope so I'll have to wear it for several days without being able to change." The thought of being soaked in sweat for several days at a time made her cringe. But it was part of the job.
The rest of the ride was quiet before they pulled up to a building with a big sign on the front showing a well dress rabbit holding a business card that read "Thumpers dry cleaning".
They walked inside and were met by a middle-aged bunny with fur so silver it was almost blue.
"How can I help you?" he asked the new comers. There was no one else in the room anyway.
"I'd like to buy a suite please." Jack speaking to the other bunny in a flat monotoned voice.
"Are you looking for anything particular?"
"Something that is a bit feral please."
The silver rabbit then walked over to wall and pressed a hidden button. The wall moved to the side and Jack and Skye quickly entered while the door closed behind them.
Once behind the door they were greeted by a security guards at a desk. After checking their credentials, they were sent on their way. They walked into a room with a single table. On top of the table was a box with the words Top Secret stamped across the top and tied shut.
"I'll leave you to try it on. When you're ready just let me know and we'll have it adjusted if needed and if not, we'll head to the safe house where you'll spend the night." Jack then walked out of the room closing the door behind him. He sat in a chair that had been waiting for him.
Inside the room, Skye opened the box and found the specialized suite she would need to help her cross the border into Canisia. A special material laced with order less chemicals to disguise her scent from the powerful noses that guarded the checkpoints. As she slipped it on and pulled the zipper up she began to stretch and flex every possible position she could think of. "These bunny tailors really are impressive." Once satisfied with the suites constructions she placed it into her own nearly empty luggage bag. She went to the door and opened it to find Jack sitting in the chair next to the door.
When the door opened Jack turned his head to see Skye standing in the door way, her own luggage back in her hand.
"I hope you found everything satisfactory?" he asked.
"Quite." Was her only reply.
"Very well let's get to the safe house. We'll both need plenty of rest for the days ahead."
Present day
Driving down the bumpy road Jack was beginning to feel the hours without sleep starting to catch up to him. He had only slept a couple of hours the night before when they stopped at a safe house half way to the border to allow Skye to get out of the hidden compartment and stretch for a while before climbing back in. Taking a drink of his carrot flavored energy drink just as the lights of the border crossing were coming into view. He'd come through this crossing twice before in the last week to become familiar with the guards and the lay out. Now dressed in jeans and a flannel shirt, the truckers hat completed the look. He reached behind the seat and tapped the back wall twice.
Hearing two distinct knocks on the wall Skye knew Jack was telling her the crossing was close. She took the opportunity to spray as much scent hider as she could in the cramped box she was in. The box being hidden behind the cab of the truck and under the bed with a toolbox on the left and ride side to make it look as though nothing else was there. She had been stuck here for two days. She couldn't even move her tale once the lid was closed. The short reprieve that she had when Jack stopped half way and let her out was nothing less than a miracle for her.
The old tired brakes on the truck squealed the vehicle to a stop. She could hear voices outside but couldn't tell what they were saying. Then she heard the truck door open and her heart skipped a beat.
Jack stepped out of the truck and casually walked a few feet away before turning to watch the wolf and coyote inspect his vehicle. He had seen them the last two times he came through this check point. As they started inspecting the vehicle he started chatting with them. Nothing very intuitive, just asking how the night was going. Had they watched the rabbit rugby game he suggested last time he came through. Anything to distract them from what they were doing. They only half way checked the vehicle as they rounded the corner. Coming back the other side and opening the gate before letting him pass. Jack purposely hopped back into the truck and gave his best hick town grin to the two and he drove off.
Skye was surprised by how quickly the truck door closed again as the motor started and they were off again. She held her breath for several moments until she heard two knocks on the wall. Signally that they had moved out of site of the guard house. She started to breathe again. Feeling only the slightest bit relieved knowing the hard part was only about to start.