Notes of Class
The group of mammals exited the ZPD headquarters to be greeted by an immaculate antique automobile, dark blue in hue. The lines were clean and the clear coat sparkled in the mid morning sun. It looked better than it had when it rolled out for its first drive in 1935. The Duesenberg Model J four door looked like perfection on wheels, the inviting and stylish lines causing Judy to draw a breath sharply. The long coffin like nose protecting the powerful straight eight engine was perfect, not a scratch or even paw print to be seen. The chrome added contrast to the darker blue, emphasis on the lights and coach work producing sophisticated class and elegance to transform the massive machine from the looks of an antique vehicle to that of a mobile piece of art. Attending the vehicle was an equally well dressed badger, mirror tinted glasses hiding his eye movements. He leaned against the car, not a worry to be had or a place to be in his casual lounge. The sharp turn of his head betrayed his interest in the small group.
"What in all the mobile world is that?" Judy barely breathed, her wonder obvious as her ears focused on the object of her question. She had changed into her casual blue jeans and sky blue shirt, though she had a uniform in her carried duffle bag. She couldn't look away, curiosity filling her amethyst eyes, she had the sensation she knew this car from somewhere…
"Wasn't there something said about bringing less attention to ourselves?" Nick breathed, barely audible by his awestruck partner. Beside his snide comment, Nick was equally curious, his eyes hidden behind his shades, though his tail's tip did twitch. George simply smiled at the level of awe inspiring presence the car could muster, many decades after being built. He removed his shades to caress the car with naked eyes, and the pleasure was palpable in his face, his cool blue eyes sparkling.
The badger removed his own glasses and approached George directly, after the group was halfway to the car. A welcoming smile exposed his teeth a little, the normally dourness of his species seemed to have missed him when splashing the mix of grouchy, as the male appeared warm and open. "This is Mr. Justin Kinford, a friend." By way of introduction, George indicated the fast approaching badger with a slight paw flourish. Justin's smile widened, as George continued the introductions. Addressing the pair, "Officers Hopps and Wilde, this mammal will help you throughout this mission, and help you adjust for your time with us. He knows what is happening, and what Mr. Card expects. Treat him with respect." Paws were exchanged politely, Nick sizing the slightly shorter badger during the shake and nod. "He's also convinced that I can't drive my own car." Delivered with good natured humor and a responding laugh, confirming the good standing between the wolf and happy badger.
"My brother would kill me if I brought this back to him with the smallest scratch after all the time he and his crew put into it. Especially on its first day out." Justin added, though the smile never left his warm brown eyes.
"And they did a wonderful job. More than I imagined it could be." George added, simply admiring the attention getting car. Several other officers and general public were looking, many with puzzled looks. A few snapped pictures, though none got too close. Especially when the slate gray SUV behind it disembarked a large panther and the bulkiest lion Nick had ever seen, both in smart black suits with ties. The panther, tie in blood red, after getting out of the passenger side, headed to the car's right, his expression hard, brooking no nonsense. The lion, tie in muted forest green, stayed with the SUV after exiting, though he looked toward the left, his expression neutral. No one even dreamed about getting any closer after the imposing predators exited the trailing car, but were clearly fascinated. Spying the short gray wolf interacting with Justin, the lion received a polite but silent nod from George, returning to his impromptu look out roll after brief eye contact. With the driver's door open, a small black insignia in pure black was visible just below the door handle. The depiction of a large fang in inky black almost unnoticeably small, the size of an average smartphone.
"I think we should get in. We've attracted enough attention for one day, I think." George motioned toward the Duesenberg, his bearing polite, but firm. No one argued, and the officers in street clothes gathered in the back with George while Justin piloted the imposing car. "Let's get a quick lunch before going to Margery's. I took the liberty of ordering for us while you changed." Addressing the two officers, George settled in the seat beside Judy, with Nick to the passenger outside.
The interior was as perfect as the outside, the deep burgundy seat felt like a cloud, hugging and supporting perfectly. Judy could only imagine her bed in her small apartment being this soft. She sighed a little, stuck between green pawaiian shirted Nick, who adopted a slightly lounging position, and the straight backed black suited George. The seat was big enough for her to pace if she had wanted, so elbow room was not a problem. The car started quietly, and smoothly went into gear, not even a squeak to be heard, even with her gratuitous hearing. Amazed that something so old could be so quiet, she was lulled into a comfortable doze next to her quiet partner. George had pulled his phone, privately texting, clicking and swiping with abandon. Judy was surprised when the car wheeled toward a freeway, but the large car shot forward with an amazing burst of speed.
"Where are we going?" She asked, drawing her lazing partner and the text happy wolf out of their own private worlds. She was curious about the destination, but much more interested in information, the kind only George could give, at least for now. The partners had signed the legal document he had required, somewhat hastily, and Judy was a bit more curious what they had gotten themselves into. True, she was rash when chasing a fleeing suspect, but never this rash about anything else.
"I forget you two don't know my routines. My apologies, Ms. Hopps. And you as well Mr. Wilde…"George started, after replacing his phone in his pocket.
"Oh that's about enough of that." Nick interrupted. "If we are going to be around each other for a month, let's drop the Mr. and Ms. routine George. Call me Nick, and her Carrots, or Flu...oof" After Judy placed her elbow cleanly in his ribs.
"Nick! Don't you dare!" She flared. After a moment's pause, she unconsciously ran a paw down her face, draining her quick fire with it. Looking at the silent gray for a second, she sighed," Sorry George. Oh, is it OK if we call you George? We don't want to be rude and offend Mr. Card with our inexperience or simple bad manners." She delivered that with friendly ire directed at Nick, a slight glare present in her look she gave with the comment, then bringing her face quickly back, the ire melted into one of sweet innocent, instantly bringing the dreaded word cute to any mammal that had been its target. "But I agree with the dumb fox. Please call me Judy." She fixed her most winning smile on George, a mix of unabashed sweetness and enthusiasm.
Confronted with an overload of sticky honey, George's normal easy smile returned to his muzzle. Before he could speak, Justin glancing in the rearview caught Judy's attention after his quick laugh. "Good luck with that one. Mr. Coldart was raised much too proper to address anyone by their simplified first name. It's a quirk of his, but you get used to it. I just thank my lucky stars my mother hadn't named me Sebastian or Constantine, or Bartholomew. Phew." Justin's good natured look was returned with a frosty flash of blue eyes from George.
"Thank you Mr. Kinford, for that interesting morsel of thought. Now watch the damn road." George's chilled tone only making the grin widen on Justin's short muzzle.
"Yes Boss." Came the mocking reply, though he did watch the road a little more intently, taking the next exit and entering a busy intersection, still in the city center.
After maintaining a frosty look at his jovial companion, George turned to the pair, who had watched the exchange with nervous giggles from Judy and a large smirk from Nick, and sighed, trying to find the words to explain. "He isn't wrong." He said finally. "Too proper, like it's a bad thing. For your sanity sake, I will try Judith, but it will be difficult. It will be hard enough not to say Ms. Hopps, so please take it in stride." He offered a small smile, his expression crossed between hope of understanding and, strangely, sadness. "To answer the initial question, we are stopping to pick up lunch and heading to Margery's. We are a little late, and I promised to pick up her favorite lunch of sushi, by way of apology. There is a new sushi bar rumored to be fabulous called Akemi, so that's where we are going."
Almost before finishing, Justin wheeled the car expertly into the small parking lot, late model sedans and SUVs filling it to near capacity. Pulling the long car into a double space, Justin exits and approaches the following slate gray SUV, pointing and getting nods in response. The handful of mammals not in the stores began pointing at the unique car, phones and pics running rampant. An ironic smile attached to George's face, Judy can't help but ask "What?"
The amused look stuck, he answers,"Oh, I just find it funny that everyone wants to climb on top of your exotic sportscar and pose like a model for a picture, but no one will even get close enough to this to touch it. Though they do still photograph it..." Looking out the windows in curiosity, both cops noted he was right, no one would get within ten feet of the car. It probably didn't help that the two large feline predators were out in force around it, but still. "I like to think it's because anyone crazy enough to ride in something like this, something that should be in a museum, they must be either dangerous or foolish. Probably both." He added with a slight chuckle.
"The car isn't dangerous, but the muscle certainly is." Pointedly looking at the bulky lion, Nick turns to George. "Ok George, what's the game? You have our non-disclosure and our oaths. Who are they? Don't think I didn't notice the picture on their SUV. Why is Black Fang Security following us?" Nick's green eyes focused on the small wolf, with suspicion running across his brow and determination lowering his ears and twitching his fluffy tail.
Judy stays quiet, her time with Nick building trust that he knows when something is not perfect, her ears perked and attentive, her eyes widening slightly as she watches the gray.
George regains his easy smile. "It took you longer to ask than I thought, Nicholas."
"Was waiting for your boy to take a break." The harsh look maintained.
"Nick, are you sure? This all seems ok to me…" Judy murmured to Nick, but he interrupted her.
"Carrots, I was a con man for years. I know when a con is running, and this one stinks like a surprised skunk." Nick let a touch of controlled anger in his voice. "Answer this, why would someone as powerful as Mr. Card send for us in an elegant, but flashy antique?"
"Ok Nicholas. Let's be frank then. I'll answer your last question first. This isn't Mr. Card's vehicle. It's mine, belonging to my deceased father, recently restored to perfection by Justin's brother, Michael, who's shop is close to the ZPD. He finished it yesterday, and Justin is my car enthusiast. He has loved this car since first setting eyes on it, more than me. I have sentimental attachment to it, he just loves a well made automobile. He was the one that convinced me to finish it." The sadness in his eyes never diminished, and his tail had wrapped protectively around his body, gray fluff under the arm. Nick's eyes softened, and Judy drew a horrified breath at the obvious pain her partner had caused their host.
"George, I'm so…"Judy began.
"Wait, Judith. It's all right. You both are in a strange position, and a few answers can be useful. My father's been dead for years, I just still miss him." He smiled at the mention of his patriarch. "He loved this car too, but never could afford to polish it up properly. Now, as for the street muscle, as you put it, Nicholas. They are members of Black Fang Security." Nick's expression hadn't changed, Judy's mouth fell open. George continued, "I guess you will find out a little sooner than I had anticipated, but you would have known tonight in any case. We will be working with them directly."
"Aren't they that near private army? Don't they act like they operate outside the law?" Judy asked, the questions stumbling over each other, worry clear in her eyes as her ears dropped to her back. She unconsciously scooted closer to Nick, seeking reassurance.
"Why are they here George?" Nick pressed, not sure if he wanted to know. He'd heard rumors of their ruthlessness. No one, not mafia or military special forces was rumored to be better. They were the underground standard for the best.
"They are here because Mr. Card asked them to be here. Because he wanted you safe." After a moments pause, the fox didn't look convinced. "Because they work for him."
"His own heavily armed miniature army?" Judy breathed to Nick. What the hell had they gotten themselves into?
"Army isn't accurate, Judith. They are a security force, one that is accustomed to guarding high profile people." George replied. "They are your cover, you are two new possible recruits." George's encouraging smile did little to quiet the butterflies in Nick's stomach, Judy looked stunned.
Before the pair could respond to the new information, Justin opened the side door and deposited several boxes of food in Nick's surprised lap. The badger's smile died on his muzzle with one look inside, the tension thick as a lion's mane. With a quick look to George, "What happened?" he asked in a flat, even tone. He shifted from jovial to professional in the blink of an eye, his entire body shifting from casual to bunched muscle, ready to pounce.
Slowly removing his shades, George's blue looked directly into Justin's brown, and gave a slight shake of his head. "Nothing we aren't ready for, Justin. Let's get this beast to Margery's before her sushi gets slimy, you know how she hates that." George's tone lightened from slightly flat at start, to a bit lighter than normal by the end. Placing his shades back on his muzzle, he looked forward, awaiting his directive to be done. An unworried smile slowly returning to his features as he leaned back comfortably.