[AN

Hey guys! New chapter is there. Little action in this one, but it is primordial to the plot, so I really hope I'm getting it right.

Spoiler: time to meet some new guys and start your bet on what will happen next! Don't hesitate to PM me if you think you know where this story is going, I'll be glad to see how your minds respond to my words.

Little help for one of the words I have invented in this chapter: human = humanity, so mammal = mammality. I find it logical, but wasn't sure if it was going to be for everyone. I saw mammalhood in some stories, but I find the meaning to be slightly different and not adapted here.

And as always, enjoy!

PS: for those who are following this story, you will receive quite a few notifications in the days to come. Don't worry about it, I just have decided to modify my previous chapters and re-upload them. No changes on the story of course, mainly editing and improving the readability of the first chapters, as well as adding chapter titles, taking into consideration some of your criticisms and help from the forum.

I apologize in advance for the inconvenience, but I'd rather do that now, while the story isn't too long.

AN]

The lynx was shaking, his ears were twitching, his paws were clasped in front of him, and he was finding the ground strangely appealing. At least, much more appealing than the eyes of his now very pissed boss, who was silently sitting on his chair, his hind paws crossed on the desk. The smoke of his cigar was lazily floating above his head, the tip burning red from times to times with each inhale. The two mammals had kept quiet for what appeared to be an eternity for the frightened feline.

The box wasn't even looking at his employee, his gaze lost to the ceiling as he was thinking hard on how to correct this monumental mistake. This shipment had been the largest he had tried to smuggle so far. Nothing had indicated the cops were on his trail, so he had been a bit more greedy than usual, and was now paying the price. Even with eyes and hears everywhere in the city he had been completely blind to their intentions, and this left him angry and disappointed.

The slight clearing of a throat could be heard, and he focused his mind on his employee once again, though still not looking at him directly. For years he had plotted his revenge against the city, making sure everything would be ready when the time to strike would come. This unexpected turn of events wasn't something he could forgive. The lynx had failed his mission, and he would pay for this.

"Tell me Spots" he began, his voice soft. "How many mammals do you supervise?"

"S-s-s-sixteen, s-sir." The lynx was having difficulties to talk, his throat as dry as the desert outside the building.

"Sixteen. Hmmmm…" the boss stopped for several seconds, like he was processing the answer. "It is quite an impressive amount of workforce, don't you agree?"

"Y-y-yes s-sir. I'm so-sorry for mis-missing the cops' raid sir. My t-team didn't-"

"I don't care about your team, Spots." The comment cut the lynx short, even if the voice was still calm and suave. "This failure is yours, and yours alone."

The lynx audibly gulped and took a step back.

"Pl-please sir. I promise this won't happen again. I-I-I-I'll find what happened. I'll find who in my team missed this raid and-"

"Still don't care, Spots." Once again the boss interrupted him without shouting, his voice easily carrying his authority.

"STRIPES!" This time, the name was shouted, though no anger laced the voice. The mammal was outside the room, and simply needed to hear the call to answer it. Seconds later, someone knocked on the door, and a tall zebra entered the room.

"Yes, sir?"

"Take out the trash."

The lynx jumped backwards, moving his paws in front of him in a pleading manner, apologizing times and times again, and promising his best work. Unfortunately, the words reached deaf ears. The zebra slammed his hoof on the lynx head a couple times, enough to make him blackout. Picking the limp form of the lynx on his shoulder like it was weightless, he exited the room without adding a word.

The boss didn't move from his office until very late in the night.

Nick awoke to the sound of his phone ringing. His ears immediately begged him to silence the horrible disturbance, and he gladly did so with a slam of the paw on the screen. The fact he had pressed the right button was pure luck, but that wasn't registered by the still sleepy fox. Less than half a minute later, the phone rang again. Understanding he would not have a choice, Nick reached for the device with one paw, while wiping at his eyes with the back of the other.

Bringing the phone in front of his face, all traces of sleep vanished on seeing the caller's ID: Chief Buffalo Butt. Sitting straight, his sheets slipping from his naked shoulders and chest, he clicked on the answer button this time.

"Wilde here."

"Wilde! We need you in the bullpen five minutes ago! Understood?" The urgency in the chief's voice froze his blood in his veins. Such a demand was highly out of habit for the buffalo and thus had to be taken very seriously.

"Roger, sir. I can be there in twenty." Nick was already out of bed and reaching for a clean uniform in his closet.

"Make it ten" was all he could hear before a click indicated the end of the call. Anxiety now replaced with fear, the fox didn't bother eating breakfast nor washing himself. Only making sure his uniform was complete and neat, he exited his apartment and jogged all the way to the precinct, afraid the subway might be too crowded.

.

As soon as he entered the lobby, he was greeted by an alarmingly serious Clawhauser. The cheetah wasn't eating, which was the first worrying sign, as usually no matter the time you would enter the precinct you could find him with a bowl of cereals or a box of donuts. The second sign was that he wasn't sitting on his chair, but bouncing on his feet in front of his desk, waiting for his colleagues. Finally, the normally jovial and smiling face was absent, teary red eyes greeting any mammal coming inside.

"Nick, hurry. Nearly everyone's already here and Bogo's fuming like never before!" This sentence alone could be a perfect pickup line for any good horror movie, which made the fox sprint for the bullpen without a glance behind his back.

Inside, the tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. It hovered in the air, slipping past his uniform and fur to stick directly on his skin, lowering his body temperature by several degrees. A shiver coursed through his back to the tip of his now drooping tail. The silence was more deafening than any of Bogo's outburst, and the haunted looks in his colleagues' eyes did nothing to reassure him.

Making his way towards the front row, he jumped on the large chair that had become his spot, and turned to watch at all the mammals present in the room. All were fidgeting with their paws or hooves, eyes down on their desks. Only Wolfard was able to look at him in the eyes, and the fear Nick saw inside made him gulp.

Turning to face the podium, he could only wait, his mind racing to understand what was happening. Yesterday he had been applauded and patted on the back for his excellent job. All his colleagues had been smiling and laughing, enjoying the evening after a successful operation. Today, less than ten hours later, during which most should have been asleep, they all seemed down in the gutter.

The fox remained lost within himself for several minutes, missing the entrance of the last officers. Less than ten seconds later, the door burst open and slammed hard on the wall. Chief Bogo made his way to the podium, the wooden structure bending and creaking under his heavy step. The usual mess the officers did to welcome the buffalo was gone, replaced by dreadful silence.

"Everybody's here?" The question boomed through the room, while all mammals made sure none was missing, the fury in the chief's tone the biggest threat any of them had ever faced. Several seconds later, and it dawned on all of them that there was actually one officer missing.
It had been so obvious they had completely missed it, and it was usually hard to miss a hippo, both when he was present and absent. Turning to the chief, they all saw in his eyes he was aware of their answer, and it only added to the stress twisting their guts.

"Higgins' gone missing, and I will burn down every single building in this damned city to find him. Questions?"

The news struck inside all the officer's heart, and a series of shocked gasps followed. The hippo was one of the most experienced officer and respected by all, for his skills as well as his personality. He wasn't the one training fifty percent of the new recruits for nothing. It was Wolfard who managed to calm enough to ask the first question.

"Sir, how do you know he is missing? He was with us yesterday night, less than ten hours ago, isn't it too early to-"

"His wife called me this morning," Bogo cut through gritted teeth, his anger barely contained. "Said he hadn't come home and wanted to know if something had happened during the raid." He didn't let the words sink inside their brains though.

"Wilde, you are now in charge of the case. This can't be a coincidence if this happens the same night you stumble upon the biggest drug shipment in history. I don't care how you do it or who you contact to do it, but you will find what happened and bring me the heads of the ones behind it. Have I been clear?"

The fox gulped. Never before he had heard such words coming from Bogo. The tone he could understand, and had regularly imagined what it would have been like if he had faced him many years ago, back when he was on the other side of the law - it was even scarier than in his wildest guesses if he was honest. But the words that had been chosen, the violence they carried, it reached deep inside his chest and gripped his already fast-beating heart.

"WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, WILDE! GET OUT OF HERE AND FIND HIM!" The order was shouted and saliva flew in the air under the surge of righteous fury that coursed through the buffalo's body. All officers stood and exited the room, following the red rocket known as Wilde as he signaled them to go to the briefing room with him and burst the door open. No matter what had happened to their friend and fellow officer, all would remember this day as the one Bogo had finally lost his composure for good.

.

Nick's briefing had lasted five minutes at best. It was quite easy to know what to do in such a case: eight officers had been sent back to their respective offices, to call one of the other eight precincts, explain the situation, mail a picture of Higgins, and ask for them to swipe their area of jurisdiction. All the others had ran to the underground parking lot, unlocked their vehicles, and hit the streets. Dividing the city center and its outskirts between them had been the only task, and thus had been carried with utmost efficiency by the fox and his new assistant and right paw, Wolfard.

The wolf had been sent with his colleagues, while Nick had told them he had another way to help them, a way that required him to be alone. A series of chuckles had welcomed the news, every officer understanding immediately the meaning, but still agreeing with him. Until now, his lonely errands had proven too useful for them to keep on protesting like they once did.

This errand brought the red fox to his apartment to dress more casually, then to Tundratown, inside the giant office of a well-known artic shrew. True to his word, Nick revealed all he knew so far. The drug shipment was no surprise for Mr. Big, but the quantity of the product was. If Nick was correct, and he believed he was, there was much more than he had expected, meaning his old rival was more powerful than he had first guessed. This could only mean trouble, and not only for his empire and his family, but for the whole city.

Sadly, he had little information in exchange, more rumors only, but Nick wrote everything the shrew told him. Now wasn't the time to take risks and turn his back on potential leads. After a bit more than an hour of talk and speculations, Nick took his leave, careful not to be seen on his way back. After picking his uniform at home, he reached the precinct nearly two hours after leaving. He was greeted by the timid smile of Clawhauser.

"Hey Ben. Any news?" Ben shook his head slowly, worry written on his chubby face, his eyes red from crying. Higgins and he had been friends for quite some years now, nearly as long as Bogo himself, but while Bogo managed to focus on his rage, Ben wasn't as strong mentally. His fur was ruffled on his head and face, his uniform not as tidy as it should be, and his box of cereals not even half empty yet.

Protocol forbade Nick to go patrol alone, and he had already sent all his colleagues out, so he couldn't hit the streets with the others. The crates had been delivered to forensics during the night, so he doubted they would already have had the time to study anything on them and the drug they contained. He briefly thought to ask Ben to call for the patrols and have one of them pick him up, but advised against it. The strength of the search was the number of cars patrolling the city, not the number of mammals inside each.

His other option was to stay with Clawhauser in the reception lobby. It looked like the cheetah could really use some company right now, but inaction would weigh on the fox's shoulders like a fully loaded truck. He was in charge of the case now, partly responsible for Higgins' disappearance, and chatting idly wasn't really suiting him. Sighing, he opted for the last option he could come up with: asking for advice to a superior officer, one with more experience, one who would know what else they could do.

His mind made, he took the stairs leading to chief Bogo's office. He was about to knock on the heavy door when his ears picked up his boss's voice. The tone was worried, but there was no trace of anger or despair, only something close to sadness. Something in Nick's guts told him to wait and listen, the voice not what he was expecting from his boss after this morning's announcement.

.

Bogo had been sitting at his desk since the end of the morning briefing, elbows on the hard wooden surface, his face resting on his hooves, inhaling and exhaling deeply. His outburst had been louder and more genuine that he had intended, too far from his role as chief to his liking. Still, the worry in the voice of Amelia, Higgins' wife, had been too fresh in is mind and he didn't have the time to put on his usual mask of professional stoicism.

He was there when they first met, while simply patrolling inside a park, usual routine to show the ZPD was always present for the citizens' protection. He had seen the shock on his friend's face on seeing the hippo lady sitting in the grass, reading under the sunlight. He had witnessed his goofy smile when they had walked in front of her and nodded a good morning, and she had flashed a genuine smile back, a little tint of red coloring her cheeks under the officer's gaze.

He had agreed to Higgins' unusual request to go patrol the same park again the following week, understanding he wanted to see her again, and witnessed the joy emanating from him when he returned. A few years later, he was there for their wedding, and another couple years later for the birth of their child.

All those memories had been flooding him all morning. His phone rang, cutting his dark thoughts short. Looking at the device and seeing the unknown caller ID, he sighed and answered anyway, oblivious to the red fox climbing the stairs towards his office.

"Yes?" Something was told in his ear.

"Of course I have told them." The answer took nearly half a minute, enabling the fox to reach the door and raise his fist, ready to knock.

"I don't care what you think. Wilde is under my surveillance, this is not your concern right now." Bogo waited patiently, listening to his interlocutor's answer.

"I don't think you really realize what I'm putting them through, especially Wilde." Another moment of silence, Bogo the only one able to hear the voice through the phone.

"I know what I'm doing, Patricia. I know what's at stake, and I know how to use Wilde. I've put him in charge and officially, in front of all my officers, allowed him to use his old contacts. Everything's going as planned, just focus on your task. I won't let the ZPD take the brunt of the retaliation if things go south because of you." Bogo waited for the answer, and the line went dead. Sighing, he put the device down and resumed doing nothing, except trying to ease his troubled mind.

Wilde's eyes were wide opened, his jaw slightly ajar, his mind racing to understand something of the words he had heard coming from his boss's mouth. Something else, everything, but what first came to him. A single word echoed in his mind still, bouncing inside his brain and refusing to be caught and put back in the far corner of his subconscious.

Thinking twice about his decision to come here in the first place, he decided to go back to his own office and see if he could sort his conflicted thoughts. On the way though, he read the sign that indicated the archives further down the ZPD. It took him less than a minute to change direction and head towards the archives.

It was time to dig in the city's past, find what he could find on Red, and maybe Irina and Bogo while he was at it. This would not only hopefully provide valuable information to his case, but also focus his thoughts and erase his boss's conversation from his mind for the time being.

.

Somewhere, a mammal put the phone down on her desk, and closed her ice-blue eyes, while sighing deeply.

"Of course I worry Bogo, you don't know him like I do." The whisper was a mirror to the buffalo's, addressed to no one but fate or whatever force mammals have grown to believe in. shaking her head, she took the phone again and made a quick call, three seconds top.

"Come right now" was all she said before hanging up.

Three knocks were heard on the door a few minutes later.

"Come in."

A young black panther entered the office, his eyes fixing the wooden desk and not his boss.

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Tell me again, Francis, how did it go yesterday?"

The panther sighed. His boss knew everything had gone smoothly, and didn't need another debrief. This whole ordeal was talking its toll on her already, and he didn't like it. He answered nonetheless, hoping his words would actually calm her a bit.

"All fine, boss. Nobody saw her sneak inside the ZPD parking lot and get in his car. Nobody saw them miss the road exit, and nobody saw them enter the Sparks woods to the south of the city. After taking care of him, she went back home, using a random itinerary to make sure she wasn't followed. There's nothing to worry about."

His boss kept silent for a couple minutes, staring through the window behind her desk. From the top of the thirty-three story building, she had an unrivaled view of the city, a sea of buildings linked by a network of roads, with patches of green here and there. Her eyes were shining as she processed the events she had set in motion and the unavoidable consequences.

Seeing she would not answer, the panther turned his back and left her alone with her thoughts.