Foul games
"Alright," Judy sighed with her hands on her hips. She was half dressed for work and Nick was still in bed. "Get up!" she said impatiently. Nick turned around and mumbled,
"I am awake."
"We're going to be late. Or rather, you will be late. I'll leave without you." Nick sat up and rubbed his eyes. Grogginess pulled down on his shoulders. His eyelids struggled to lift themselves. Judy sighed,
"Well, it's a start. But your third leg is doing a better job of rising than you are." She gestured to his erection under the blanket.
"Right," Nick said, giving her a half smile as he lied back. He leaned against the wall on his bed. Judy rolled her eyes and smiled. So easy. All he had to do was make her laugh. He wiggled his hips, making his penis dance under the blanket.
"Come on..." Nick teased. Judy stuck her arm under the blanket and with the softest touch, made him squirm.
"Ooh!" Nick shivered and squirmed. He giggled as she massaged his penis. He tensed, forcing it along because of his late awakening. It wasn't long before the rumbling in his groin caused him to arch back and splash her paw with cum.
"Phew." Nick panted satisfied. He watched as Judy wiggled her paw full of his sperm. Then he recoiled when, with a loud splat, she smeared it on his muzzle.
"Aww!" He hunched his shoulders and shut his eyes trying to bury his head in his body in protest. When she was done, he opened his eyes. Judy always found a way to turn things around on him. He shrugged.
"At least it's mine." Nick licked off what he could reach from his muzzle. Judy did the same with her paw.
"Now get out of bed," she commanded.
"Yes, boss." Nick hopped out of bed. He yawned and shakily walked to the bathroom to freshen up, enjoying the glow of his orgasm.
Nick and Judy arrived at the ZPD ten minutes late. Nick expected to be greeted by Chief Bogo, annoyed by the interruption of their late arrival. But he wasn't in the bullpen.
"It looks like Buffalo butt is late."
"Lucky us," mumbled Judy. The officers began isolated conversations with their neighbors as they waited. When Bogo was heard hurriedly walking to the briefing room, they slowly quieted down.
"Sorry for the delay," Bogo said as he was halfway through the door.
"Now, I'll keep this short. It's just a normal day." He ran through the list of duties for the officers. When he arrived at Nick's name he said,
"Nick, I need you to infiltrate an illegal fight club involving chickens, pigs, and weasels. Our initial probe has reported back to me confirming the location of the suspected activities. You might be familiar with some of the ringleaders. If you can get friendly with them and get inside, you are to report all activity taking place in the suspected fight club."
The Chief paused for a response. Nick only offered him a smile and a nod of understanding.
"You will be riding with officer Oats." Bogo pointed to an otter. He sat near the window next to a giraffe. Oats turned his head to Nick.
"We'll camp out at West Cafe, partner," said Oats.
"You got it," Nick replied.
"Be sure to change your outfits to something more casual. Though your old contacts know you are now a cop, it would be best if both you and Oats dressed looking like civilians. They do not know Oats is an officer," said Bogo.
"Roger."
"Now, Judy will lead the SWAT team that will raid the fight club once Nick has provided us with pictures of the suspected ringleaders in action. We want hard evidence." Bogo thumped his podium.
"Now for officers..." The Chief continued to brief the remaining officers of their duties for the day. Judy waved at Nick as she left with SWAT saying,
"We'll be waiting for you."
"I think I have an idea of who I'm going to get reacquainted with," Nick said. He waved off Judy then turned to his partner, Oats. The otter was standing next to Nick waiting to be acknowledged. Nick crossed his arms confidently and said,
"It shouldn't be too difficult."
Nick and Oats separated momentarily to change into inconspicuous clothing. Along the way, he thought about the possible mammals of interest being investigated. If Bogo wanted him on this case, then it must mean that someone in his past was involved. The only person he could think of was Anthony.
The aardvark was a fan of physical contact sports. And he had a penchant for gambling. Nick got so lost in thought that he walked past his apartment and had to turn around. He shook his head and chided himself. When he finally got dressed, he saw he was going to be late to meet Oats.
"So, the curse of the day is to be late to everything." Nick hurried out of the house. They met up three blocks north of the police station. Oats smiled confidently then asked, "Do you think you know these guys, Nick?"
"If one of them is who I think it is, yes. I might have sold some pawpsicles and buckets of ice to members of the fight club at one time. They used the ice buckets to cool down the swelling from the bruises their fighters earned in the ring." Officer Oats shook his head in disapproval.
"Hey, that was a while ago," Nick said, annoyed. "I haven't had contact with these guys in almost three years. Way before I became a cop. A customer was a customer. I sold to anyone. Didn't mean I was a part of what they did. I had my own thing going on."
"Alright," Oats said, waving off the conversation. It was always an agitation for Nick to have to put up with the biases other cops expressed through their body language. The other officers behaved as if they were all squeaky clean.
It was especially a wonder to Nick why his former hustler friends never shied away from him even though he now wore a cop uniform. It was as if they didn't think he respected his job and still treated him as one of them. Sometimes, he wondered if his antics in uniform when no one was watching, helped support the illusion that he was still a street fox.
In truth, Nick just wasn't sure how to behave as an officer. He barely passed his exams and was accepted with the lowest possible passing grade. He often mimicked his partner's behavior to ensure that he was doing his job right. But when it counted the most, somehow, Nick pulled through when it mattered the most. It helped that he was so good natured and a soft speaker. It was easy for him to de-escalate tense situations with his charm.
Oats and Nick waited at the Cafe for their contact. Nick learned that Officer Oats was the one who first initiated the probe and worked with another partner that discovered the location of the hideout.
A voice called from the cafe doorway,
"Oh, hey! Nick!" A sheep cheerily jogged to the two.
"So," the sheep spoke softly, "you're interested in the fisticuff festivities too?"
"Well, I'll be. Good to see you, Paul." Right away, Nick shook hands with the familiar sheep. Oats looked at Nick with some surprise. He tilted his head slightly enough that Nick caught it. He'll deal with the otter later.
"Yes, I heard some cool stuff about this spot," said Nick.
"Oh, the old swine would be happy to see you too," Paul said. Perfect. The sheep seemed ready to reveal information.
"So you and Swine-face huh?"
"Yep. Hey, we'll be starting tonight at seven. I'll see you there and let them know you're coming."
"You do that, Paul." Nick smiled. Paul shook Nick and Oats hands as he went to order waffles to go.
Oats waited for the sheep to leave the cafe before commenting,
"You handled that so naturally."
"Yeah, I'm pretty slick."
"I almost believed you were in on it myself," he remarked.
"I can blend in with the worst of them if it helps me do my job." Though Nick hid the small twinge of annoyance by the remark behind a smile, his hard tone betrayed his true feelings.
"Sorry, I didn't mean any offense." Nick nodded. Oats was a smart cop and knew how to read through most peoples defenses. His ability to detect when someone was nervous made him a valuable officer in undercover work. If they spent more time together, Oats was sure to ease up on Nick. But the fox was sensitive. And he knew it too. Being with Judy taught him this.
Still, Oats was exceptional in what he did. He could alert his partners if someone was getting too jumpy, helping to guide fellow officers through tense moments when they needed to extract information from nervous criminals with loose lips.
Hoping to ease the awkwardness, Oats spoke, "So, Paul arrived as we hoped and gave us the start time. The rest is on us to get inside and mingle." Nick pulled out his phone, adding,
"And this little computer will be snapping pictures on mute all the while." He grinned. Everything seemed to be going as they had hoped. Maybe just this once, Nick got an easy job.
Foul Games 2 of 3
Oats guided Nick to their destination. They approached a large parking lot with half-closed gates and caution tape placed out front. The lot was masked to look closed off for repairs. Standing next to a tan brick house was Paul. He waved to them from the other end of the lot. The windows were barred and painted over. Standing beside Paul was an aardvark.
The plainclothes officers approached them.
"Great. You are here. We're starting in ten minutes," said Paul with a smile.
"We need to confiscate your phones. There is a no phone policy in this house."
Crap, Nick thought. So much for an easy job. The officers turned in their phones after shutting them off.
"Come on in!" He led them up a small flight of stairs into the house. Their phones were placed in a chest next to the entrance and locked inside. He then introduced them to the silent anteater.
"Nick, Oats, this good fellow here is Anthony. He owns this lot and helps us keep things on the hush-hush."
Good info so far. Now all Nick needed to do was find a way to get some pictures and text the names of the ringleaders to Judy and SWAT.
In the main room were half a dozen weasels and squirrels playing a drinking
game. They stood along a couch and dining table they had set up and were trading shots of a spiced mint drink. The game being played was "weasels versus squirrels". The person that flinched after taking a punch to the arm had to take a shot. They paid no mind to the Nick and the Oats as Paul led them down to the basement. They walked down a narrow wooden spiral staircase. In the center of the basement was a square pit made using wooden boards. The wooden walls stood two feet high and enclosed the structure with only a skinny staircase leading in and out.
"Here is the pit!" Anthony said. All the while, Nick took mental notes of what he was seeing.
"Nice setup you got here, Ant," Nick said
"Don't call me Ant," he replied in jest. Walking through the entrance of the pit was a mean-looking chicken. She had wraps around her feet and tiny rubber nibs over her claws. She strutted around impatiently, waiting for her fight to start.
"Easy, Peppermint," Paul said. We'll be ready in five more minutes.
"Good," she replied aggressively. Nick smirked at the chicken. She looked at Oats and said, "You should get in here little otter. You're just slightly taller than me. I'm sure it would be a fun scrap!"
"Maybe some other time," he chuckled.
"Figures. Newbies never want to have a go with me."
"You're one tough fowl, Peppermint," Anthony said.
"Don't you forget it." She clicked her beak at the anteater playfully.
"Hey, where is Swine-face?" Nick asked.
"Oh, he'll be here later. He's out getting more food actually."
A silent group of potential fighters sat in the room waiting to start: four roosters and chickens, two badgers, even an arctic fox, and cheetah. The cheetah and fox sat beside each other silently on a long orange couch.
"Well?" A rooster began, "Are we ready?" Paul looked at his watch and smiled,
"Alright, it's showtime!"
"Yes!" Peppermint jumped excitedly. Nick dragged his eyes around the room then said, "I'll have a go," and jumped into the pit.
"What?" Peppermint looked at him in surprise. "Hey, no fair. You're three times my size at least! And you need to guard those claws, dirty fox." She crossed her wings in disapproval.
Nick laughed and said, "I'm just kidding you chicken." He jumped out of the pit to the laughter of the group. Not looking to be upstaged by a fox, Peppermint chased after him.
"Oh, you think you're so cute. I'll peck you up and down for that." More laughter exploded as she chased Nick, who seemed more intent on enjoying himself than doing his job. Oats watched as Nick continued to distract the crowd. He almost forgot to leap on the opportunity himself because of the natural spontaneity of Nick's engagement. Oats ran upstairs and shouted out to the weasels and squirrels in the living room,
"Hey! A fox is getting a beat down by a chicken! Come see! Peppermint is going crazy!"
"Oh yeah!" the group of squirrels and weasels cackled and rushed on down, nearly trampling Oats as they ran by.
That worked really well! He thought. Oats sneaked over to the chest in the now empty living room. He could hear crashing and jeers down below. It was getting noisier by the minute. Oats reached into his pants, where he always carried a secret police issued lockpick stitched inside. He began working on the chest.
Downstairs, Nick was guarding himself against Peppermint, who went from an angry chase to playful stomping on his head, still wearing her mitts.
"You'll be my dinner one day chicken! I swear it!" Nick said in an exaggerated villainous tone.
"Alright, you vermin!" Anthony shouted. "Let's have some order I say! Order. We got some good action coming. Peppermint, your opponent is ready. And since it just got more crowded down here, let's give the crowd and the fighters the entertainment we're all here for!"
Nick leaned on Paul, laughing. The sheep looked at him and said,
"Good show already and we haven't even had a real punch thrown yet." Nick yelped suddenly when Peppermint snuck a peck at his ankles from behind then ran to the pit.
"Got ya, you vulpine vagina!"
Peppermint's opponent quickly flew into the ring and tackled her while she remained distracted. Paul put up his list of fighters, stapling a sheet to the wall next to the pit. The winner would have their name checked off, and they would advance to the second set of rounds. The top fighter of the night would receive a monetary prize.
Nick needed to find the location of the illegal tender to be handed out. He needed to get pics of the names of the participants. But in order to do any of this, he needed to retrieve his phone.
Oats stopped fiddling with the lock to take a deep breath. He peeked out the window and noticed a pig entering the lot from across the yard.
"Damn..." He tried the lock again and...
click.
"Yes!" He opened up the chest, quickly grabbed his and Nick's phone, then locked the chest again. He darted for the basement as soon as he heard the front door rattling.
The noise was more focused now. Cheers and groans of surprise indicated the crowd was responding to a fight. Oats turned on the phones in the middle of the staircase, hidden by the wall. He hurried over to Nick.
"Are you enjoying yourself?" Oats asked.
"Oh, right. What are we going to do?"
"I got our phones back," he said, trying to not talk at normal volume, but the noise in the basement was drowning out his voice. He discreetly handed Nick his phone.
"Good job, partner!"
Nick slipped his phone into his shirt and walked around the room. He kept a close eye on the second match as it progressed and looked around at items of interest to snap pics of. He fiddled with his shirt, operating his phone from behind the fabric, keeping it concealed. Through the shirt he took several pictures:
He took one of the lists of fighters, making sure to get a clear picture of the names. He took a silent picture of the pit with fighters in action. He snapped a picture of Anthony and Paul. Nick approached Paul when he noticed Swine-face coming down the stairs.
"Oh, there he is," Nick said, pointing to the stairs. Paul looked in the direction of Nick's finger,
"Hey Swine-face, welcome back!" Paul said.
"Hey. Food is all ready to go. And the funds are in the car waiting for tonight's champ," he said.
"Wonderful" Paul replied. "Hey, guess who showed up?"
"Who?"
"I did! Hey buddy, it's been quite a long while huh?" Nick swiftly made his way over to the surprised pig.
"Heh. Here I was thinking you were too good for us, Nick! Give me hug! Paul told me you were around." They embraced like long lost friends. Swine-face looked at Nick.
"Wow, You look different. What happened to you these few years?"
"Oh, lots pal. Lots." There was a brief silence between them, but it was enough time for Nick to ask,
"Oh hey, I'm curious, what is the prize amount? Can you give me a number? Maybe even let me dish out the reward? I'll make a good show of it." Nick winked. The pig shook his head.
"You always were a clown, Nick." Swine-face laughed. "Why don't we sit together a bit, hmm? Catch up." Nick looked at Oats. The otter nervously watched the second match as it was coming to an end. He glanced at Nick and frowned. Worry dressed his eyes.
"Sure. Can I use the bathroom first?" Nick looked at Oats, they locked eyes briefly.
"Sure, just head on up," the pig said.
Officer Oats approached Swine-face just as the match ended,
"Wow, that was interesting. I've never been here before. But I'm glad I came."
"This one brought Nick over," Paul said, pointing to the otter.
"Yeah, listen, I'm feeling a little ill so I'm thinking of running to the store for a second to get me some water and meds for my stomach."
"Huh, okay otter. But hurry back. There is plenty of more action. And thanks for inviting Nick. It's always good to see him. The kindest guy I know."
"Definitely. Just give me twenty minutes." Oats hurried upstairs after Nick.
Nick waited near the bathroom door. When Oats spotted him, he hurried over and whispered, "Come on, did you get anything?"
"Yes. I'm sending you and Judy the pics now."
"Awesome." Oats smiled. "I want to get out as quickly as possible. We got what we needed. Let's not get in too deep." Oats watched his phone beep with Nick's message.
"Alright, sending Judy the go-ahead for SWAT now," Nick said.
"Perfect, I'll head outside. Or rather, we." Nick paused for a moment. He listened to the loud crowd downstairs and resisted a smile. Oats saw him hesitate and said,
"Oh, Nick you can't be serious."
"Sorry, I'm going to stay for a bit longer."
"This isn't going to look good when SWAT shows up," Oats warned.
"What? I did my job. I want to see what happens next. Maybe I'll have more interesting stuff to send you guys."
Officer Oats sighed and said, "Fine. Just be careful."
"Thanks." Nick jogged back downstairs after glancing at his phone. Judy replied,
"ETA 15 minutes!" Nick stuffed the phone back in his shirt. He sat down next to Swine-face and Anthony.
"So Nick, I wanted to ask have you ever been in a fight like this?" Anthony gestured to the pit. Nick shook his head,
"No, though I don't mind watching. I prefer to fight with my wits."
"Quite like you, Nick," the pig said. "I've never seen you ever act violently toward anyone. But that doesn't make you any less dangerous." Nick looked at the pig suspiciously. "Heh, you're a good liar I mean." He winked at the fox. "You have to be with the way you used to hustle. I bet you could sell war to a pacifist. Or in your case, pacifism to a war-monger." Nick resisted the prickling of his fur. Was Swine-face onto him?
"If the price offered was high enough," Nick forced a smile.
"The slime that oozes off of you is remarkable, Nick."
"I guess," he mumbled and turned his attention to the ring.
The arctic fox stood opposite the cheetah in the fourth round. Their fists were raised. They observed and studied
each other before deciding on a course of action. The crowd of squirrels and weasels made a drumming noise that boomed off the walls of the basement. The cheetah struck first relying on his speed to land a hit. He caught the fox by surprise and threw several punches after feeling encouraged by the success of his first strike. The fox put up a guard and waited out the flurry. When the cheetah expended his energy, the fox charged in, forcing his taller opponent into a defensive stance. Despite his height, the cat was slimmer and lighter. He had no stamina. The fox noticed how quickly the cheetah drained his energy and took advantage by launching slow, heavy blows using his knees. Each heavy hit left the cheetah winded despite being blocked. The cheetah retaliated out of desperation with a headbutt that sent the fox reeling back and left him with a bloody nose.
"This is getting good!" said Swine-face. Nick watched impatiently as he waited for SWAT. Suddenly, there was a loud bang and a flash. Smoke began to fill the room.
They're here! Nick quickly moved to one corner of the room, trying to avoid the crowd. There was only one exit, and that was by going up the spiral stairs. The stairs were now blocked by officer McHorn in SWAT gear. The rhinoceros used his massive size to shrink their exit.
Nick watched from the corner of the basement, behind the pit as the confused audience panicked. All he had to do was wait.
"What gives?" Anthony shouted.
"Cops!" A weasel yelled. The room quieted down as Fangmeyer gave orders.
"Nobody move. One by one, come up with your arms high." The animals were forced to walk past the rhino that continued to obstruct the opening of their exit, forcing them to go one a time. As they trickled through, they were apprehended by officers as they came.
"How?" Swine-face froze, not moving from his seat. He turned to notice Nick was not sitting next to him. The smoke had blocked his view of Nick as the room was shrouded in fog.
"You alright? Nick?" The pig called.
"I'm sorry about this," Nick said softly.
"You? Why?"
"I'm doing my job," Nick said, a hint of guilt in his voice.
"This is what you do now? Lie to your friends?" The pig said.
Anthony looked at Swine-face as the officer waited for them to come up. He shook his head and walked up the stairs, accepting arrest.
"This is an illegal event," said Nick. "No medical team, no license, illegal gambling with state-owned money."
"Now you're all law and order is that it? You are poison, Nick. Everything you say is a lie and you betray everyone around you."
McHorn walked down the stairs. "You deserve to be alone for the rest of your life." Swine-face pointed at Nick.
"Shut up!" McHorn said, as he grabbed the pig and cuffed him. He then turned to Nick, "You should have left with Oats. Good thing he stood with us to make sure you weren't confused with the others. Regardless, the job is done. Let's get out of here."
Nick nodded back but remained silent. As the room was cleared out, he took his time leaving the basement. Judy walked past McHorn and Swine-face when she noticed Nick was still inside.
"Nick?" He had just come up the stairs after hearing her voice. "I'm here, yes." He let out a heavy sigh. Judy hugged him, "Come on, why are you still here?"
"I'm just questioning myself needlessly. I'll get over it." He smiled at her with hurt eyes.
"You did the right thing. Don't let anyone make you feel differently," she said.
"Yeah, but that doesn't make it easy. Especially when you're arresting someone you have a history with." Judy hugged his right arm as they walked side by side.
"Well, the important thing is you made the tough call and did your job. I have a slice of blueberry cheesecake you'll love."
"Comfort food sounds good."