Chapter 5

As the sun rises, a beam of light slowly travels along the floor, until with pin point accuracy it finds its mark-Judy's eyes. She squirms and raises a hand to block the blinding light. She stretches her neck, while wiping the sleep from her eyes. "Good morning, sleepy head",

Judy looks towards the sound of Nick's voice and sees a smiling Nick standing in the kitchen. He's leaning on the half wall that separates the kitchen from living room, sipping his coffee from a plain blue mug.

Judy slowly rises from the couch, she looks at him trying to get a read on him. She remembers what her friend said the previous night and was concerned. Judy approaches Nick and says, "Good morning, we need to..."

Nick quickly cuts her off "Good morning to you too, coffee?" He holds up a second cup.

"Nick, I do love you, you are the most important mammal in my life."

"Well, that came out of left field."

"We started talking last night..."

"Carrots, always so emotional. I love you, you love me, we're best friends, there is no problem here."

"Nick..." Judy sighs and leans on the half wall in front of Nick. "Do you want to be more than friends?"

Nick laughs nervously, "maybe you forgot, but I'm a fox"

"I didn't forget. And that wasn't the question."

"What we have is great, and I wouldn't want to jeopardize this for anything."

"Nick, I love what we have too, but... do you think we'll have these moments if you meet a nice vixen, or I meet a nice buck... or another equally nice fox". Judy smirks at saying fox to Nick. "But he probably won't treat me as well as you do", She points at Nick.

Nick rubs his head, combing back his ears with his hands. "You see how people look at me? I couldn't bear to see them look at you with all the contempt and suspicion they look at me with."

"I don't care about them,"

"You might."

"But I dont, I only care about how you look at me.

"Bunnies don't date foxes"

"Bunnies don't become police, neither do foxes for that matter, and look at us now."

"I cant give you kits."

"We can adopt."

"What will your parents say?"

Judy imitates her dad, wagging her finger "Judy you are making the biggest mistake of your life". Ending the mimicry she continues "but when they see how happy I am, they will love you too."

Nick smiles "Carrots, you have an answer for everything."

Judy rests her hands on top of Nick's. "My whole life people have told me what I can't do. They were wrong then, you are wrong now." She points at Nick and then points at herself with her thumb

"I'm going to be with the fox I love, will it be easy? No, but nothing worthwhile is ever easy."

Nick caresses Judy's cheek "Do I have a say in this?"

Judy shakes her head and smirks at him "No, no you do not". She leans forward, the beating of her heart quickens. She takes a firm grip of his shirts color, Nick leans forward, Judys reaches her arms around his neck. Their soft velvet lips touch, Judy is surprised by Nick's rough tongue penetrating her mouth. Their tongues caress, as desire burns in judys belly. Nick pins Judy against the half wall, he gently nips at her neck. Judy gasps in surprise, Nick stops, fearing he hurt her he backing away from her breathing heavily.

"Oh no, Judy I'm so sor..." Nick is interrupted by "shut up stupid fox" Judy pounces on him wrapping her legs around his waste, she bites nicks neck. Nick staggers backwards from her weight tripping over a chair. He pulls her down on top of him as he falls. They laugh in their awkward embrace. Nick looks in Judy's bright amethyst eyes, so brilliant they almost appear to glow, "I love you Nickolas P. Wilde". Nick whispers "I love you too" he places his hands on Judys firm hips, her fur is soft under the leathery pads of his palms. Judy pauses, purring under nicks caress. Judys hands run down to nicks belt, Nicks eyes go wide. Judy runs her hands down Nicks chest, across the soft fur of his stomach and begins to frantically unfasten his belt. Her movements are frantic and clumsy, as Judy successfully unfastens his belt, nick pulls off his shirt. Knock, knock, knock!

A commercial cargo van parks one block from nick and judys apartment. The driver is the white faced wolf, with a bandage on his muzzle and sunglasses hiding his swollen eye. He's wearing a green uniform with cableman embroidered upon his chest. He grips the steering wheel, his hazel eyes focused on the 3 squad cars half hazardously parked out front with flashing lights. 8 uniformed officers congregate around a pair of plain clothed officers. Two officers wrap the scene in police tap. He checks his watch 11:30am. He grasps the handle of his red toolbox and steps out of the can. With a grunt he walks toward the police line. "I'm

The cable guy, got a call on the 4th floor" his voice is smooth and monotone. The officer, a female pig gets on her radio "cable guy here, says there is a call on the 4th floor", "let him in, actually Officer Wilde lives up there, can you ask him to come talk to me", "10-4 Detective". The cable guy smiles "everything good,"

The pig Officer turns to look at him "yes, cmon". The cable guy sizes her up, notices she is carrying a revolver, he thinks to himself, 'I'll kill her in the stair case, dump her on the roof, then knock on Wildes door and do them in the apartment ' he nods to himself satisfied with his plan. He hears his escort say "I need to pee, can you take the cable guy to the 4th floor?",

"Sure thing, Oinkerman" a towering behemoth of a rhino slaps the pig Officer on the back. 'Shit' thinks the cable guy.

"What's your name cable guy?"

"Jerry, you?"says the cable guy.

"Officer Mchorne"

They enter the front door and walk up the steps.

Jerry eyes up this rhino, he's big, he would have to jump just to reach this rhinos thick head. Jerry tightens his grip around the handle of his tool case.

"Officer Mchorne!" A wolf with light brown fur, wearing a detectives badge on a chain around his neck. "Detective Kobal." Mchorne says as he nods,

"I'll go talk to Officer Wilde at his place, I don't want to bark orders at a man on his day off"

Jerry thinks, 'not ideal, but I can take this detective, a fox and a little bunny in the apartment at the same time with the opportune moment'

"If you don't mind detective, there is something I'd like to go with you, one of our own died this morning, Nick and Judy knew her"

Jerry frowns.

"Oh, no! Officer Pennington was one of yours?" Kobal asks.

Mchorne nods.

Kobal looks at Jerrys sad expression "did you know Her too?"

"No, I'm just sad to hear a fine officer lost her life keeping us safe". Jerry checks his watch 4:45.

"Never seen anyone wear there watch on the inside of their wrist before"

"I'm just a weirdo I guess..." Jerry looks at the rhino and wolf, searching for a scenario in which he doesn't get gunned down by 12+ cops.

Kobal looks at Jerry lost in thought "Are you ok there, Jerry?" Kobal puts a hand on his shoulder and tries to see Jerry's eyes through the sunglasses.

Jerry pats kobals hand and sighs loudly "I'm just so broken up about Officer Pennington"

"Do you need a hug Jerry". Kobal says with genuine concern.

"Nah, I'm not much of a hugger"

"Ok, well the offer is on the table." Kobal nods and takes his hand from Jerry's shoulder.

The three stand there in silence...

Kobal looks at Mchorne, Mchorne looks at Kobal... they both look at Jerry.

Mchorne says "which apartment are you going to?"

"Oh.. this one." Jerry points down the hall and starts walking. He turns to a door just past Nicks apartment, 'maybe I can get into this apartment and get into Wilde's apartment from the outside window or breach a wall' he thinks as he knocks on the door. He looks back and sees Kobal and Mchorne looking at him oddly. He knocks again before turning and saying "wrong apartment" he turns and knocks on the adjacent door. The door opens, a teenage female arctic fox wearing tight leggings and a zip down hoodie about 3 sizes too small for her answers the door. "We already paid the rent!" she says.

"Um, no, I'm Jerry the cable guy, can I come in, I was sent to service your cable box".

"Oh, ok. come in" she says.

'That was easy' he shrugs and enters the apartment.

Kobal turns to Mchorne, "what a strange fellow". Mchorne nods.

Kobal turns to Nicks apartment door and knocks three times. Kobal listens through the door; "Wait.. maybe they will go away", judy whispers.

Kobal knocks three more times, "I'm out here with Officer Mchorne, we need to talk to you two!" Kobal shouts through the door. Kobal can hear bumping and shuffling through the door, he cocks his head to the side. Mchorne asks, "What do you hear?"

The door opens, nick steps forward leaning on the door frame, "what's up guys?" He's not wearing a belt and his shirt is on inside out.

Kobal pauses looking at Nick and asks "Can we come in?"

"Sure, sure... hey carrots, look who's here, Detective Kobal and Officer Mchorne." Judy is sitting on the couch holding an upside down magazine looking rigid. "Hey guys" she turns towards them and waves robotically.

Kobal and Mchorne enter the studio apartment. Kobal looks around suspiciously seeing a bunny sized rub mark on the wall, 2 chairs out of place in the dining room, a coffee cup on the floor in a puddle of coffee no one seems to have tried to clean up. Kobal sniffs the air, "keep your nose to yourself sir" Nick says to Kobal. "I don't need my nose to know what was happening in here..."

Mchorne looks at Kobal "what was happening in here?"

Kobal shakes his head ignoring the question, gesturing for Mchorne.

"Oh, uhm, something happened to Carla Pennington this morning."

Mchorne's somber tone sets off red flags for Nick and Judy. She climbs off the couch and comes closer, "what happened is she hurt?"

Mchorne says "she was shot and killed this morning by a teenager who stole a few hundred dollars from a convenience store"

"Oh my god..." Tears flow freely from her eyes, she hugs nick, burying her face in his chest. Nick holds her and addresses the two policemen "thank you for telling us Mchorne, Detective Kobal". Nick nods at them both.

Mchorne turns and exits, "I'll see you two at the station"

Nick kisses the top of Judys head before noticing Kobal is still standing there. Kobal shakes his head and sighs, "do you know an old goat on the first floor, apartment 103?"

"Yeah, don't tell me something happened to old man Gat Oatsman?"

"Yes, he's been murdered, looks like two days ago, it's hard to say this, but it looks like someone tortured him. Very sick sadistic stuff, I was here to ask if you saw anything that might help with the investigation?"

Judy wipes the tears from her eyes, "he's the old goat I was trying to help get into the building the morning I was attacked. He was having a hard time getting his key into the front door."

Kobal rubs his face "he was there during the shooting?"

"No before it, I think I would be dead if I didn't leave my car to help him."

"And you said he couldn't get his key into the door?"

"Yeah, he was shaking, I just thought he was old and shaking like my old pap pap did near the end"

"I gotta go, I need to check his medical records, this could all be connected, I'd stake my badge on it"

Kobal pauses in the door way "listen, I won't tell anyone, but fraternizing between partners is a violation, you two will be split up if anyone finds out."

Nick looks up "Mchorne, he's going to tell everyone." Nick and Judy look at each other concerned.

"I don't think Mchorne is super quick on the uptake. So you should be fine"

Kobal steps out of the apartment closing the door behind him. He pauses looking at the apartment Jerry had entered. Something about him felt off, Kobal cautiously approaches the door and knocks. A few moments later a teenage Arctic fox opens the door "we already paid our rent!" She pauses and looks at his badge "we don't talk to cops, I didn't see nothin, I didn't hear nothin, I don't know nothin" a little bit of spit lands on Kobals tie. "Clearly, I was just check...". The door slams in his face.

"Well, what a pleasant young woman" he says sarcastically. He listens carefully, but just hears video games being played. He continues listening trying to name the game, 'sounds like Call of Honor, I use to play that with my daughters'. He reminisces for a moment before putting his hands in his pockets and walking back to his crime scene downstairs.

In the apartment Jerry the cable guy went into. It has a layout very similar to Nicks room, except it has two bedrooms that branch off the living room and the kitchen is divided from the living room by a full wall.

The teenager turns to Jerry "What are you into, Nip, E, K, Burner?",

"Excuse me?"

"Ya know, name your poison?"

"You are a drug dealer?"

3, 8-9 year old arctic fox kits run out a bedroom around the couch, and into the other bedroom two of them chasing the third with wooden spoons.

"Gotta pay these bills somehow, right?"

"Where are your parents?"

"My dad is in jail, my mom is out looking for a job"

"How old are you?" He looks down at her

"14...next month"

"Where is the cable box?"

"It's this way" she leads him to the living room, where a 20" tv sits on a cheap tv stand. He examines the tv, sees a bunch of old game consoles, two generations old.

The teenage arctic fox, sits next to Jerry "My name is Crystal what's yours?"

He answers curtly "Jerry"

"Do you want to have sex with me, Jerry? Ill let you for 100 dollars"

He sighs and looks at her

"You're a prostitution too?"

"Gotta make this paper somehow"

"I'll give you 50 dollars to shut up and sit on the couch so I can do my job". He pulls out a 100, which she snatches from his hand greedily. She smiles at the money and plops down on the couch.

Jerry returns to his task, after thoroughly examining the TV set, he sighs and looks at her, his ears folded back in anger.

She says "What? I'm being quiet"

"This tv doesn't have a cable box!"

"We dont have cable..."

He takes a real deep breath, and rubs his face.

There is a knock at the front door, before Jerry can speak, the teenager is halfway to the door. Jerry opens his red tool box and draws a small pistol with an 8 inch silencer. He positions himself in the living room using the wall separating the kitchen as cover. Jerry kneels quietly, eves-dropping on the teenage arctic foxes conversation with Detective Kobal.

Loud video game explosions and gun shots ring out from the bedroom the 3 kids went into, making it impossible for Jerry to hear the conversation. The only sound he clearly hears is the front door slamming. He peaks out seeing the girl return alone

Jerry quickly puts the pistol back in his red toolbox. He barely puts it away in time before the teenager comes around the corner.

She looks at him perplexed, and asks "what are you doing?"

Deflecting the question he counters "if you don't have cable, why didn't you tell me at the door?"

"I don't know, but it was a good decision, I met you and made 100 dollars". She smiles.

"I gotta go. Here". He hands her two, 100 dollar bills. "I was never here, I could lose my job if they knew I was servicing the wrong customers". He pauses "Buy food for you and your... siblings, *not* drugs"

She fans out the money and smiles at it.

He repeats "Food, not drugs"

She looks up from her 3 crisp bills, "what do you care what I do with my money?"

"Whatever, do what you want."

He stops at the kitchen on his way to the door, the smell of rancid food permeates the air. The sink is full of dishes, thick mold floats on the top whatever occupied a used bowl. He opens the fridge, it's shelves and drawers are crusted over with crud, but are other wise empty. He turns and exits the kitchen. Jerry sighs, shaking his head, "focus" he mutters under his breath.

He hears from behind him "Bye Jerry!" He opens the door and leaves the apartment.

Jerry looks both ways and sees the hall is clear. He walks to Nicks apartment door. Placing his head against the door he listens carefully, hearing the dull hum of a laundry machine, he sets down his red toolbox. Jerry retrieves a lock pick set from his jacket pocket. Placing the pick and tension wench into the locks keyway, he begins picking the lock. After only a brief moment the lock rotates into the unlocked position. He puts away his lock picks, picks up his red tool box and cautiously enters the apartment.

After Kobal left Nick and Judys apartment, the two stood in silence for a moment. Judy wipes her tears "I'm afraid Nick, what is going on? Missing mammals, increasing unemployment and homelessness. Now attacks on police, and brutal murders of old goats?"

Nick shrugs "I don't know, but we will get to the bottom of this"

Judy breaks away from nicks embrace. "We have work tomorrow, I need to wash my uniform."

"I need to do a wash too, I can just toss your stuff in with mine"

"Ok, thanks. I think I'm just going to sit here for a moment". She clumsily lowers herself into a chair, then shifts in the seat to center herself

Nick goes into his bedroom to pickup his uniform, then heads into his bathroom and picks up Judys. Nick lays his uniform out on his bed and goes through all the pockets, finding some change, small bills, his wallet, a few lollipop wrappers and a squished blue berry. He quickly glances at the bedroom door to make sure Judy didn't see. She's always lecturing him about having food in his pockets.

He then checks Judys uniform pockets, he pulls out a carrot with a bite missing, he thinks about rubbing this in Judy's face, but maybe now is not the time. He sticks his hand in the other pocket and pulls out a smooth rectangular box less than half inch wide and 2 inches long. He examines it and as he slides his fingers over the flat surface, one side slides back to reveal a usb male end. "A flash drive?" He says to himself. He flicks the carrot and assorted trash into his bedroom trash can. He picks up the laundry tucking it under one arm, and picks up Judys flash drive. He walks out to his living room closet where his laundry machine is. As he passed Judy he lays the flash drive in-front of her.

She picks it up "what's this?"

"Your flash drive, I found it in your pocket" nick says as he starts the laundry machine, it's hum loud enough to almost drown out their voices.

She holds it up and examines it, "this isn't mine, do you have a laptop!"

"Yeah!". Nick shouts over the sound of the washing machine and quickly walks into his bedroom with Judy following. The sound of the laundry machine is much lower here. Judy starts talking excitedly. "Gat the old goat must have slipped this into my pocket, they whereby trying to kill me, we just got caught in the crossfire..."

Nick interrupts her continuing "And when we chased those two wolves they came behind us and got him anyway! That's why he was having a hard time getting into the front door, he was shaking from fear!"

Nick pulls a laptop out of his night stand, setting it on his bed and turns it on. "Cmon, Cmon, Cmon" Judy Shakes her paws excitedly as the laptop slowly boots up. The desktop is a busty vixen, wearing thin revealing clothing, laying on her belly with a ball gag in her mouth. Judy looks at nick with narrow eyes, "Nick..."

Nick puts up his hands defensively "it's uhhh, Finns laptop, I swear".

Judy shakes her head "males..." and plugs the flash drive into a port on the laptop. Judy runs her little finger tip on the touch pad and double clicks to open the flash drive. It opens up with a prompt for password. "Nick do you know someone that can crack this code"

"I think, I just might" Nick gives Judy a sly smile.

Judy rolls her eyes, "why am I not surprised."

"I'll call him, but you aren't going to like it"

Judy shrugs, "how bad can it be?"

Nick just grins and walks out of the room with his phone, grinning at Judy.

Nick looks up just in time, raising his hand to block as the first blow strikes his defense hard, staggering him. His eyes focus on the white faced wolf, a follow up attack, a jab from the same arm connects with Nick's nose. Blood gushes from his nose, the blow blinding him in his own tears. Nick raises both his hands in a futile defense, as Jerry thrusts his foot straight into Nick's chest, catapulting him into the room with a sickening thud.

Judy scrambles to her feet as Jerry enters the room, and turns to face his new target. Judy grabs a lamp and throws it at Jerry. He easily side steps it and moves to charge her, but she charges first. She throws a kick to his forward knee, but he anticipates and switches up his stance, bringing the forward leg back and back forward in a swift motion. Judy sees an opening and compensates, jumping to punch Jerry in the chin. He steps wide towards Judy's side, dodging the punch and hitting her with a hook to the gut. Grabbing her ears with his other hand before she has time to react to the blow, he slams her on the bed face down. She brings her arms under herself to push up, but is forced down by Jerry putting a boot on her back, and striking her in the back of the head. While Judy is pinned under his boot, He pulls a small pistol with a long silence and fires once. The shots are quiet, but Nick is close. The sound of the spent casing land on the carpet is like thunder in his ears. In a moment of panic and rage, he finds the strength to get to his feet and charge this man that murdered his love. With blind rage he tackles Jerry at the waist, knocking him off the bed and off of Judy, and rolling to the floor. Nick seizes the advantage and mounts Jerry's back, wrapping his arms around the neck, and his legs around the midsection. Jerry, tries to peal Nick's grip, but it's too firm. Nicks grip is tight, cutting off Jerry's airways. Jerry gets his feet planted under him and presses off the ground lifting his and Nick's combined weight. He pulls back the slide of his pistol, chambering another round, and steps back slamming Nick into the wall. Jerry's vision blurring, he tucks the pistol under his armpit into Nick's thigh, but before he can pull the trigger Judy, back on her feet, clubs him with a lamp. The gunshot nick had heart was aimed at the laptop, now with a hole in it.

Jerry, abandoning his shot on Nick's thigh, blocks the lamp with his gun barrel, bending the silencer. He strikes Judy on the color with the grip of the gun, then points the barrel at her head. Nick forgoing his choke to pull Jerry's arm to the outside, making tuffs of fabric and dust spray into the air from the bullet hole in the carpet.

Nick wrestles Jerry's gun arm behind his back and tries to strip the weapon from his grip. Judy gets to her feet and punches Jerry in his muzzle, spinning his head and dazing him. Nick strips the pistol from Jerry's grip, Nick releases his arm and presses the weapon against the back of Jerry's head "stop or I'll shoot!" Jerry blocks Judy's kick, and follows the momentum to dip down to his right, stepping back, now the gun in Nick's hand is over his left shoulder and in front of him. Jerry grabs the barrel, while kicking Judy. Judy blocks it but the force staggers her, giving Jerry the time he needs to strike Nick in the abdomen with an elbow. Nick gags, crumpling forward as the air is knocked out of his lungs. Judy lunges in, aiming for Jerry's eye with a strong jab.

Jerry strikes her across the brow with the silencer before her blow could land, bending the silencer further. Judy is knocked flat on her back. She brings a hand to touch her head, and feels warm blood flowing. It stings her eye, forcing her to keep her right eye closed.

Meanwhile, Jerry flips Nick onto the ground in front of him. Jerry stands up, taking deep breaths, still light headed from Nick's choke. Nick clamors to his feet as Jerry pulls back the slide, chambering another round. Judy stands on wobbly legs, blood dripping from her face. Jerry aims at Judy's chest, and fires. A loud bang rings out as the bullet strikes the inside wall of the silencer, bursting out the side, spraying oil onto the ceiling and floor. The bullet is off its mark, striking the wall harmlessly.

Nick lets out a cartoonish laugh "Ha haha! That's the sound of 20 armed police coming up here to kick your tail."

Jerry charges Nick.

Nick brings his hands up to guard his face and Jerry kicks him in the testicles.

Nick crumpled forward.

Before Nick can fall, Jerry lands a horizontal chop to Nicks throat. Nick gags, falling to his knees, clutching his throat, and gasping for breath.

Judy dives in, kicking Jerry's lead leg. He switches up his stance, depriving Judy of her target. But it was a feint, she pushes off the ground with her powerful legs and lands a two foot kick to Jerry's abdomen, knocking him into the window. The glass cracks, but doesn't break. Judy goes in for a second double foot kick, Jerry side steps, grabbing her leg and spinning her around tossing her into Nick, as he is getting back to his feet choking.

As the two collide and hit the ground a loud crash is heard from the living room. Jerry kicks out the window and jumps on the fire escape.

As he briskly races down the first set of steps, he removes the silencer from his pistol, flicks out the nearly empty magazine, and inserted a fresh one. He glances up at the window he came from as he makes his way down the second flight of stairs. Officers pour out into the fire escape, the first Officer to look down has a bullet pass through their brain "Officer down!". The police officers hug the putter wall of the building, Officer mchorne radios food backup.

Jerry jumps down the last flight of steps.

Another officer peaks down revolver in hand. Jerry makes him pay for his curiosity, another bullet through the brain. 'I could sit down here and take the whole Zpd police department' Jerry thinks to himself.

He jogs down the street, sticking to shadows stripping off his Cable guy uniform. He pulls a thin aerosol canister of odor neutralizer, out of his pants pocket. He sprays his uniform and himself as he casts off pieces of it. He ducks in and out of alleys. The sounds of police sirens fill the air. He pops off the back of the canister and thick black sludge pours into his hand. He works it into his head and face fur. The sludge turns his fur black, and stings his wound. Under his cable guy uniform is a navy blue hoody, and light grey running pants. He dumps his gun in a public trash can, pulls up the hoody, and disappears into a crowd.