Poison Plots
With Sunday free, Jack contacted Frank early morning about his disguise. He was told to expect it today and was excited to try it on. He now sat in the sheep's garage just before noon. He put on the legs and torso of his suit and then sat in a worn brown chair positioned in front of a table and mirror. He listened and watched through the mirror as the artist did some final touch-ups to the outfit.
She sprayed the prosthetic and fur and brushed down any odd spots. And with a loud click, the deer closed her can of spray paint. Jack put on the mask and joined together the rim of its neck to the torso piece. The artist adjusted the fur so that it blended and concealed any flaws. Jack sat back in his seat and stared into the mirror, marveling at the work the artists have done.
His eyes blinked unobstructed by the mask. His facial features moved naturally through the tight fitting disguise, unrestricted and comfortable. His ears, though bent to fit and mimic a squirrel, did not pinch or sting with discomfort. The contact lenses he had installed when he sat down added brown pigment over his gray eyes. The prosthetic in his cheeks and the fake bushy tail that hung behind him seemed to fit naturally. The furry suit was painted gray, so as not to create a noticeable contrast between his real fur and the fur of his disguise – should there be any damage in an exposed location.
"I love it," he said.
"Be sure to make use of the scent mask as well," said Frank. Jack turned to Frank with a smile, his fake chubby cheeks curled as if they were his own. "I will," he said.
"And spray your throat with that chemical I gave you to change your voice. It should last about an hour. So if you're going to be out on long trips in that disguise, be sure to use it frequently."
"Yes, I will just play it into the character. A compulsive squirrel with a thing for throat medicine." Frank nodded. Jack turned to the artists as they looked at him. He stood up and moved in his suit.
"That disguise could overheat if you're not careful," said the sheep.
"Right, there is that danger." Jack squeaked with delight. He practiced changing up his posture, attempting to adopt a more squirrely way of walking.
"You guys are the best. Thanks."
The suit was broken into four parts: The head was one, arms and upper torso made up the second piece, and the legs with the adjustable tail made up the rest. Jack moved his tail, feeling the weight of the fake squirrel appendage as he wagged it. It clung tightly to his natural rabbit's tail so whenever it moved, the tail would bounce slightly, to give it the impression of being a real squirrel tail, though it would not move as much as the real thing. The weight was a minor concern although he did feel it tug down on his tail with resistance as he wagged. I suppose nothing could be done about that...
Otherwise, no detail went overlooked. Jack Savage had vanished. He was now...
"Hmm. I'm going to need a name." Jack rested his arms on his hips and nodded in thought as he stood in front of the mirror. He perked up when the sheep spoke,
"Simon Marr. A bartender."
"Perfect!" Jack grinned. With that, I can get close to Big's Bar and Limo service in Tundratown without recognition, he thought. A message blipped on Jack's phone. He picked it up from the table and read "Attached file: Judy Hopps ID and police background, as requested."
"Captain Bogo, pulling through as usual." Jack closed the message planning to read the file later.
He turned to the meerkat, sheep, and deer. "I'm going to take all this off and pack up. I cannot join you for lunch today. I have to head to the ZPD."
"Working on your day off? No wonder you're stressed out," Frank teased. Jack smiled weakly behind his disguise and said, "If things were just a little different, I wouldn't. But the wicked never rest. Nor should we. Be relentless. Always."
Judy held a handcuffed skunk tightly in her paws and marched him into the station.
"Get off of me!" He squirmed under her strong grip as she held his head down with one paw and the other firmly around his cuffed wrists from behind. Francine the elephant stepped up from Judy's left.
"I'll hold him from here, darling." Judy allowed her to take the smaller skunk from her. She watched enthralled at how she easily wrapped one large hand around the back of the skunk's neck and froze him in place.
"Thanks, Francine." Judy smiled proudly and walked around to Francine's left, putting more distance between her and the skunk. Her adrenaline finally eased off. She could feed on the thrill of the catch for hours. She approached the front desk to provide Sergeant Clawhauser, an overweight cheetah, with details of the arrest.
"Sooo," Clawhauser began. He rested his elbows up on the counter to rest his head in upturned paws. "What mischievous behavior do we have this time, hmm?" His friendly high pitched voice droned out with interest as he stared down at Judy. Judy counted the crimes on her paw, tapping for each one,
"Slashing the tires of a neighbor's car and punching a good samaritan who shouted him out. He also swiped at me when I confronted him." She shot a glare his way, her ears dropped behind her head. Clawhauser stared at the skunk with contempt.
"Hmph! Assault, attempted assault of an officer, and destruction of property." He shook his head and tsked. "Angry one."
"She tasered me!" The skunk pointed with his snout at Judy.
"And you probably deserved it, sweetie," Clawhauser said. The skunk only grunted and lowered his head, forcing himself to calm down and avoid receiving a painful neck pinch from the powerful Francine still looming over him as she held him in place.
"Oh my gosh!" Judy stared at Clawhauser in surprise from his outburst. He dropped the booking chart he held in his paws onto the counter and stared past Judy and Francine, prompting them to do the same. Judy watched as a figure dressed in an expensive purple button-shirt and black pants approached.
"Is that Jack?" Clawhauser squealed. Jack glanced at Francine and the skunk then walked straight to Judy.
"Judith Hopps is it?" He approached her with a stern mien. But as he stood next to her, she noticed his expression soften with uncertainty.
"Yes, sir!" Judy beamed, happy to confirm her identity for him. Their last meeting left her with questions that weighed on her thoughts. Perhaps this would be her moment to probe for information.
"Are you busy? I have some important business to discuss with you..." Jack said softly, almost forgetting his voice. Perfect, she thought.
"Sure, um, I just need to see the Chief and I'll be outside." She clasped her paws in front of her. "Wait for me out front?"
"Yes," he nodded. "Please be there. It is urgent."
"I will. I have some questions for you as well," she said excitedly and hurried to the chief's office. She pondered how to ask her questions along the way.
After some minutes, Judy walked out of the police station with a folder tucked under her arm. She darted her sun-pierced eyes left and right, looking for Jack. Once they adjusted, she rested her gaze on a figure leaning against a street lamp. She paused to take in the sight. Jack leaned on the pole with his arms crossed. The bright noon sun absorbed by his dark clothing was reflected only in the light gray of his fur. She watched for a second as he stared into his phone, admiring the view in front of her.
Questions swirled in her mind about their first encounter. Jack met her gaze and weakly smiled. He slowly walked up to her with a confident posture. Or was that just because of his athletic build? Regardless, it was an alluring thing to behold. She shook her head and smiled.
"I'm so used to seeing you in suits on TV or in speeches on stage. You look so different without a red tie," she teased.
"I can't wear those all the time. Honestly, I don't like them so much." He blinked and let his eyes wander over her. At five feet and two inches, he was only two inches taller than Judy.
Their ears wobbled as a soft breeze passed. "Can we perhaps walk while we talk?" asked Jack. "I only want you to hear me."
"Sure but," Judy looked around momentarily then placed her hands on her hips. Tbe questions on Judy's mind were desperate for release. She blinked at Jack and sternly said, "Sir I have some questions." Her hardened tone brought him to attention.
"Alright." In a hushed voice, Judy asked,
"Why were you in Finnick's shop?"
"That's actually one of the things I want to talk to you about. Shall we?" Jack gestured with a thumb to the streets of Savanna.
"Yes, of course." They walked side by side through the streets. For a while, all was quiet except for Judy's police radio buzzing chatter from patrolling officers around the city. After two more blocks, Jack looked around, perhaps to make sure few people were near. He turned to Judy,
"Over the last two months, I have been doing a private investigation into the crimes around Zootopia. There has been an increase in a certain set of crimes that caught my attention." Judy curiously blinked at Jack and blocked out the noise from her radio. "The increase in businesses either suddenly folding under, or its owners going missing or engaging in questionable activities is no coincidence."
"It's Big, isn't it?" Judy cut in. Jack nodded.
"Good job. What makes you say so?"
"The Chief handed me this case file"- Judy handed Jack the folder she carried under her arm - "and it says a witness saw a shrew in the Rainforest District!" she smiled. "A seal said that a cargo container labeled 68-CRD was suspiciously rerouted. And that he saw who I'm guessing was Big, and several others in the docks."
Jack quickly thumbed through the file with dimly lit hope in his eyes. He handed back the file and focused his gaze on Judy as she continued, "And when I spoke to Finnick, he trembled when I mentioned Big's name. He panicked and nearly broke down in tears in front of me." They continued walking further away from the police station. It was now no longer in sight as they turned a corner.
"So, the foxes are not willing participants after all..." Jack mumbled and lowered his head.
"Excuse me?"
"Oh, nothing. There is more going on. I think Big is looking for ways to fund something more serious."
Judy worked to put the connections together in her head. The trial of Finnick, the arms deals, Finnick escaping punishment, and now stolen cargo. But when she hit a wall in her thinking she asked,
"What more do you think there could be, Sir?" Jack slowed his steps just outside of a park by a basketball court. A group of young raccoons played a three-on-three game with pigs.
"Well, the thefts of heavy duty equipment, including elite police grade clothing and weaponry suggests Big is arming his people. But we do not know what for or who his targets are."
"Sweet cheese and crackers..." Judy crossed her arms and lowered her eyes in thought. "How can you be so sure this?" she finally asked. Judy had hoped he would back down on his hunches. She wanted this to be simpler than it sounded.
"I've traveled the world confronting people like Big. I've just never worked a case at home as I'd like. It's all the same formula: Stockpile weapons or other dangerous tools, find a way to fund yourself and then when the time is right, you strike." Judy stared attentively as Jack explained what he knew given his experience. Some of the theories he presented to her were somewhat familiar. She had studied criminal and mob psychology while she trained at the police academy.
They walked into the park to find a bench. An empty one near the court provided them with shade and a cool breeze.
"It gets worse. After reviewing my notes from the crimes, I've come to notice something that disturbs me greatly. And it isn't the crimes themselves."
Judy sat to the left of Jack and rested an arm on the backrest of the rough wooden bench as she faced him. She folded her right leg over her left knee. Her ears carefully listening to every word, eyes watching every uncomfortable body movement as he expressed his anxieties, urgency, dread,
"What is really disturbing is the pattern of not guilty verdicts. It just doesn't make sense that someone so steeped in dirty business could keep squeaking by without something sticking. Finnick should have been convicted without a doubt. Yet he walked free. Police grade equipment doesn't just get lost and pawned off. Time and again Big and his goons end up escaping conviction. The people we trust to do their jobs are turning a blind eye. It has been the same every time. There is deep-rooted corruption going on here." Hairs bristled on Judy's neck as Jack gazed at her. His voice quivered with worry. "The only people I can trust in the ZPD is Chief Bogo," he took a deep shaky breath and added, "and you."
"Well, why me?" Judy asked, flattered, but curious.
"I'm a good judge of character," Jack boasted. "Plus, you're new. You probably haven't had the time to be worn down by failure as other officers have. You haven't been made vulnerable to corruption by years of disappointment. Your body language and the questions you asked me during our first encounter left me with a good impression." She gave Jack a quizzical look at the comment. How he managed to inject pessimism into his compliment was oddly amusing. Jack held up his phone and displayed the screen to Judy. "And I read your file. You're quite the scholarly and athletic officer. Good marks all around. Honest." He smiled and placed the phone in his pants pocket.
She gave Jack a confident smirk then said, "Well, I certainly do try. This is all I want to do. Make Zootopia a better place." Jack leaned forward on the bench, resting his elbows on his knees.
"I miss that..." he mumbled. Judy's ear stood tickled,
"What was that?" she leaned forward and looked at Jack, matching his posture. He shook off his nostalgia.
"Nevermind." During a lull in the conversation, mostly due to Jack dragging out the time, Judy asked,
"Sir, you mumbled something earlier? When I mentioned Finnick?"
"Oh, Gregory, the seal that brought up the case, said there were foxes present during the illegal trade in the Rainforest Docks. I think he said it was a pair. One fennec fox and one red fox. He did say Big was there as well, as you assume your file says."
"How do you know about the seal?" Jack bit his lip and nodded. He sighed and said in a hushed tone, "He's a friend of mine."
"Oh..." Satisfied, Judy turned back her attention to the mention of foxes in the rainforest. "A fennec and red fox, right?"
"Yes," nodded Jack. There was only one pair of a fennec and red fox they could think of. Judy and Jack looked at each other with knowing eyes and together said,
"Nick and Finnick!" Judy almost jumped up from her seat and turned to face him, "Sir, I'll get right on it." She gave him her best look of duty and purpose. Jack momentarily returned the expression, mirroring her intensity subconsciously.
"Judy, I-can we perhaps do lunch? Despite the topic, I've enjoyed this." She perked up and replied,
"I'd be honored to! How about tomorrow?" Jack shook his head.
"No, it would have to be next week. I will be very busy. Both day and night."
"Let's exchange numbers then," Judy said, her belly warmed at the suggestion.
"Sure." He smiled gratefully and held up his phone ready for her contact info. While she fed him the number he said, "Oh if you want to speak to Gregory, go to the Sahara Docks in Sahara Square. He just returned there. Occasionally he bounces around from the two docks in Zootopia. I suggest you avoid Big. Please." He saved the number then called Judy so she could record his directly from her call log.
"Sir, I will be careful. And...I enjoyed this too." Judy said her goodbyes and ventured off to inquire about Big and the stolen cargo. She mulled over her options; confront Big directly, or speak with another mammal that was present at the scene. Feeling the weight of Jack's words and not having any experience with Big who was beginning to swell into a larger problem than she thought he could ever be, she decided on playing it safe and stay street level. Everything trickled down anyway. That left only three choices: Gregory, Finnick or Nick. She decided on a familiar target.
"I guess I'll go and question the red jerk..." With her file in paw, she headed south.
"Alright, Assistant Mayor Bellwether," said Big. "Show me what this savage serum can do."
Big stood by his bears Kevin and Craig. Opposite them stood Bellwether as she stared out the glass wall. They were in a raised viewing room overlooking what used to be an underground car lot. Now it was a test facility owned by three sheep: Doug, Woolter, and Jesse. A wooden table was set next to the glass wall in the room. The wall had a small knob that appeared to hover in mid-air, bolted to the glass. It opened a sliding panel window. On the table, sat an intercom control and speaker. The pavement of the main floor sloped upward and out of the lot. But the gate up the slope was shut. Orange light poured in through the windows but it was overpowered by the white lights of the facility. Big stared through the glass towards a badger that paced nervously about in the testing zone.
"Okay, he is ready." Bellwether picked up a skinny bronze colored gun with a short needle sticking out its barrel. The hammer had been cocked back, ready to release with a kick whatever substance that sat patiently inside it. Big stepped aside, allowing her to reach the window panel. She slid open the glass panel on the wall and reached through it with her pistol in hand. Her hand hung limply out the window as she turned on the intercom,
"Paul it is time to demonstrate how the serum affects mammals."
The badger threw an alert gaze towards the audience as he heard the speakers blaring Bellwether's instructions.
"First, walk up to that stone block in front of you and attempt to lift it as normal. Once you complete this, I will inject you with the serum. And you will attempt to lift the stone again."
Big watched as Paul nodded in understanding and shook out his arms. He walked over to a smooth rectangular stone about the length of a large suitcase. The stone was about a foot in height. The dense earthly object resisted Paul's attempts to lift it. With a few more huffs and applied force, the badger got a better grip in a squat position and lifted the stone, but dropped it back down before he could raise it past his knees.
"Grah!" he stepped back and rubbed his arms and fingers.
Big smoothed his bushy eyebrows and stood closer to the glass. The bears continued to hover close to his sides like protective furred armor. Despite the confined space, Big was proud of his bears. Perfect form as usual boys. He first watched Bellwether's hand as it raised the gun. He then stared at the needle. Finally, he watched the badger as the needle flew through the air and stuck into Paul's neck.
Nice shot, thought Big.
Paul winced from the sting. The thin but syrupy blue substance drained into his veins. He pulled the needle out of his neck and threw it to the side. Paul focused on deep calm breaths.
"How long until it kicks in?" asked Big.
"Just give it a minute."
Bellwether opened up a wall cabinet next to the exit of the room and pulled out a small box. Big heard the rattling of small items rolling inside as she placed it on the table. Inside were more needles. But the color of the liquid inside them was different from the one used to shoot Paul. Big decided to make an educated guess,
"A counter drug?"
"Yes," replied Bellwether. She opened up her gun and inserted a needle with an aqua green substance.
Paul's breathing shortened. His ears began to ring. A high pitched growl caught the attention of his spectators. He briskly walked towards the stone with tense muscles that felt unnaturally warm. He dug his fingers under the object without any flinch of pain as his claws were scraped by the stone. He swiftly lifted it with a grunt and held it up to his chest. He walked with it some steps before holding it above his head with one more forceful push. He snarled in victory with a little bit of drool and held the stone steady. His eyes pierced into the room above.
"Keep in mind that this drug doesn't make strength out of thin air. It merely allows the body to block pain and fuels the bodies natural muscle stimulation. It is common knowledge that adrenaline bursts can cause mammals to perform exceptional feats of strength. Just think what would happen if an elephant was in a fury."
Big smiled and audibly mused, "Oh what a sight it would be to see an elephant lift up a police jeep and throw it down a city block like a beach ball."
"With their natural strength, their rampages can probably do more than toss a jeep," said Bellwether.
With a loud boom, Paul tossed the stone aside and stood up straight. He waited for Bellwether to shoot him with the antidote. The adrenaline tingled and warmed his body. It deafened him to the words of those around him as his head was filled with a ringing noise. But after a few moments of waiting, it began to agitate him. He lost the ability to use words to communicate and this forced him into a panic. As adrenaline overtook him, he thrashed and snarled, desperate for release from the heart-shocking rush. His muscles quivered with ferocious energy. Big watched with curious eyes as Paul scratched at an itch in his head as the tickling pleasure of adrenaline returned. The many sensations of pleasure suddenly ebbed and made way for irritability once more. Then they would return like unsteady waves at a beach. His heart slowed but his body felt uncomfortably hot. Growing ever more impatient for the antidote, Paul ran to the cracked stone on the pavement then picked it up. He aimed it at the audience angrily and launched it up towards the glass.
"Whoa!" Big took a swift step back, bumping into Craig who motioned with his arms to guard his "Father".
The stone flew through the air like an out of control parade float and missed the viewing room window by a few inches. It thudded harmlessly against the wall before crashing back down to solid earth.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" asked Big.
Bellwether aimed her gun and fired at Paul.
Within minutes, Paul was on the ground, sitting and coughing. He had broken some of the claws on his hands and felt only minimal pain. But he would sensitize soon and the agony would settle in bitterly. His nose leaked a mix of snot and blood.
The speakers whined as Bellwether turned it on to say,
"I apologize for making you hold onto that. I wanted to show Big the long-term effects of the drug. You did very well, Paul. Enjoy your compensation. Jesse will escort you out."
Paul wiped his running nose and stood up on shaky legs. He nodded in understanding to Bellwether before turning around to walk up the slope to Jesse. The sheep had been watching from the closed entrance. He approached Paul and escorted him away as Big looked on from the viewing room.
Bellwether folded her hands in front of her and stood facing Big. In a teacher's voice, she began explaining the effects of the drug.
"As you can see, small doses can have a powerful effect that can change over time. It stresses the heart and mind but the result is a mammal capable of wild fury. Sometimes the response is hunger, other times it is just a fight or flight response. But in most cases, the subject would slowly lose control over his or her communication skills and temper. It is still a work in progress."
Big came for a show. And Bellwether delivered. With a swell of steady income flowing from his Bar and Limo service as well as the many hustlers and businesses around Zootopia, Big felt confident that he could purchase the necessary amount for his and Bellwether's main goal. He turned to the sheep with a pleased grin and said,
"So, how fast can you mix up a batch?"