Hitmammals: Chapter 4: A Desperate Gamble
Written by Eng050599
Nick and Judy made their way out of the arena well ahead of Skye and the unconscious Jack. They didn't take the main entrance however, and instead slipped into an unmarked side passage. Halfway down the corridor, the pair stopped at what appeared to be an utterly blank wall. Nick reached up and placed his thumb on a small discoloration in the paint, and a low chime sounded before the walls parted, revealing a hidden elevator. The hitmammals glanced back the way they had come to ensure they were alone before boarding the elevator and pressing one of the unlabeled buttons on the control panel.
They remained silent until the doors closed, and then Judy looked up at her mate. "Do you think that was enough to set them off?" she asked, stretching her arms above her head after her exertions in the ring.
Nick took a moment to admire her form, a real smile on his muzzle as he considered Judy's words. "Winters was ready to skin you in the cage, so I think that she's primed to say the least. As for Savage, I can only assume that he'll be wanting revenge sooner rather than later...provided he's not eating through a tube for the foreseeable future."
Judy gave a snort of derision at the comment. "Trust me, the worst I did was break his nose and his left zygomatic arch," she said with confidence, having maintained a detailed inventory of the blows she had delivered to the overconfident buck. "He'll be sore as hell, and have black eyes to match his stripes, but he'll be back up to speed within a day."
Nick nodded in agreement; his own estimation of Jack's injuries matched his mates. "Then either that will be enough on its own, or when the Chief chews him out for his new employment, it should be enough for us to move this into the end game."
Judy looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. "You know they'll try to kill us after this, right? They're not going to take the chance that we'll weasel our way out of their custody again."
"That was the goal of all of this, Carrots," Nick said, reaching out to wrap one arm around his mate. "They have no idea how close they've come a couple of times, but we need them off this case, and out of the ZPD if possible."
Judy sighed, and leaned into Nick's one armed embrace. "I know, but the fact that we can't take the chance of killing them makes this a really dangerous game to play."
The two had required some concessions from Mr. Big before agreeing to take up their current roles. One of those had been a blanket promise; they would never be asked to kill any member of the ZPD, other first responders, or their immediate family. The arctic shrew had accepted this condition without reservation, and had honored their request over the years.
It might have seemed twisted after a fashion, but the pair did want to make the world a better place, they just used more permanent methods than the ZPD.
The elevator came to a stop, the doors opening to reveal a spacious penthouse apartment. This place was normally their refuge from the world, but tonight it would be a place for planning. The end game was approaching, and they needed to make sure that all the pieces were in place.
Nick made his way through the living room, and into their office. Multiple monitors were affixed to the wall, showing the live feed from the security cameras peppered throughout the building. Taking a seat at the workstation, he tapped a few keys as the screens cycled through the various feeds. Judy walked up behind her mate, her eyes focused on the images.
They were both hunting for their prey.
"There!" Judy stated, pointing to one of the monitors. Skye was still making her way out of the sub-basement, carrying the inert form of her husband. As the pair watched, Jack twitched in Skye's arms, and his eyes fluttered open. There was no audio from the feed, but they could see the concern on Skye's face as she looked down at her mate, her mouth moving in what were probably words of comfort.
"He doesn't look too bad from here," Nick stated, his eyes flicking towards the on screen clock. "He was probably out for only seven minutes or so."
"I told you I was being careful," Judy said, reaching up to ruffle the fur on her mate's head.
On screen, Jack motioned for Skye to put him down, the buck initially wobbling on his feet. Reaching out to his mate for support, he took several hesitant steps before he smiled up at Skye, who cupped his cheek with her free paw, only to jerk it back when Jack winced in pain. The rabbit gingerly prodded his face, taking stock of his injuries before reaching out and taking his mates paw, placing it on his uninjured cheek, the beginnings of a smile returning to his muzzle.
Judy sighed and shook her head at the pair. "I wish this could work out differently," she said sadly.
Nick nodded his head in reply. "I know. They're basically our doppelgangers but for the whims of fate. The lucky ones who got the jobs we wished we had."
The two assassins watched the ZPD officers make their way out of the casino and enter their car.
"Do you think they'll head straight to the precinct?" Nick asked, switching the camera feed to the supposedly secure city Jam Cam feeds so they could track Jack and Skye's progress through the city.
Judy took note of the pair's direction as they merged onto one of the district's main thoroughfares before replying. "With those two, it's a certainty. Even though we played them for fools, they won't try to sweep it under the rug." Pushing away from her mate, Judy made her way out of the office. Pausing at the door she looked back towards Nick. "Come on, we need to get prepped. They won't waste time once Bogo chews them out. We need to be in position for this to go as planned."
There was a soft chime from the workstation, and Nick raised one digit at his mate, indicating that he would be joining her shortly, before opening the incoming message. A smile spread over his muzzle as the message directed him to the profile page of the MFC's newest fighter, Jack, ZPD, Savage. The PR mammals had done their work perfectly, and the buck was pictured in full dress blues, further implicating his conflict of interest.
Nick pushed away from the terminal, and made his way over to Judy, gently lifting the doe's chin before bending down and giving her a brief kiss. Pulling back, the tod shared a knowing glance at his mate. "Let's end this, Carrots," he said, motioning back to the still displayed profile page. "The press release will be going out soon, and once that happens Bogo will have no choice but to suspend Savage, and probably Winters as well. We've pushed all the right buttons, and this should be the final push to make them fully unhinged."
Judy returned her mate's loving gaze. "Just remember, Slick, we've backed them into a corner. We need to be on our toes if we want to come out of this alive."
"I know you have my back, Carrots, and that's all I ever need," Nick said as he placed his arm around Judy's hip and the pair walked back towards the private elevator. Their plan would require some prep to pull off, but they had years of experience to draw upon. By this time tomorrow, the ZPD officers would either no longer be a concern…or the two hitmammals would be dead.
Either way, they would face their fate as they did everything in this life, together.
Skye once again glanced over at her husband as they made their way back to Savannah Central and the precinct. Although he had repeatedly stated that he was fine, she couldn't help but be worried for her mate. Judy had methodically pummeled the rabbit, and although the damage didn't seem severe, Jack had lost consciousness, which was never a good thing.
"Are you still with me, Love?" she asked, not even trying to keep the worry from her tone.
Jack gave a rough chuckle at the question. "I said I'm fine, Skye. I got roughed up a bit, but it's no worse than what we went through at the academy."
Jack paused and looked over to his mate as she pulled the car to a stop at an intersection. "You know that I'm going to be suspended for this, right?" he said succinctly, knowing full well the consequences for his action. "Bogo's not going to have a choice in the matter, and I was an idiot to get baited like that."
Skye sighed heavily as she looked over at her mate. "We'll get through this, but we can't let those two get away once again." The vixen returned her gaze to the road as her expression hardened. "We need to end this; one way or another."
Jack looked at her askance. "What are you thinking, Love?" he asked hesitantly.
Skye's eyes never left the road, but there was the undertone of a growl in her voice as she spoke. "We need to end this, Jack. No more playing around. We report in to Bogo, and then we hunt those two down." Her voice was firm, and Jack could hear the rage that his mate felt. "No badges, no rules, no compromises. We don't stop until those two are dead."
Skye's words kindled something deep in the rabbit's chest, and his paws clenched into fists as he mentally took in the implications for the two of them. "There's no coming back from this, Love. If we take this road, we might not like what comes out on the other side," he said quietly, wanting his mate to be fully aware of the consequences of this decision.
Skye nodded in reply, "We joined the ZPD to make the world a better place. Those thugs are a threat to the city and every mammal in it. We take them down, and then we tear down Mr. Big's operation brick by brick if we have to."
"That might be a wee bit ambitious, Skye," Jack said with a small laugh. "Let's focus on Hopps and Wilde for now," he said, leaning back into his seat. They were approaching Precinct One, and they would need to move quickly to secure the necessary hardware. "When we head in, I'll sneak into the armory and get us some hardware while you report to Bogo."
Skye nodded her head in understanding. "Just be careful that you're not seen, and only take stuff that's easily hidden." Although she would have preferred to be armed with more substantial firepower, getting even handguns out of the precinct would be enough of a challenge as it was. Fortunately, their targets weren't large mammals, and even a .22 would be up to the task.
"I know," Jack said, having reached the same conclusion as his mate. "I'll just try and grab two pistols with suppressors if possible. I'm small enough that I can get in and out without being seen and I'll stash them in my locker before joining you in getting reamed by the chief."
Skye simply nodded, focusing on the road ahead of them, both the literal one they were traveling on, as well as the new path they had set themselves upon. Part of her mind reached back to a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche that seemed quite apt for their new direction in life.
"If you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you."
They made the rest of the drive in silence, both of them mulling over their upcoming tasks. When Skye pulled into the motor pool, Jack wasted no time in bolting for the station's doors. He would need to move quickly to secure the weapons before his presence was noticed. Fortunately, being the smallest mammal on the force had its advantages. Namely that he could make his way through almost the entire station unseen.
As was normally the case, the armory was staffed by Sargent Scrofa, one of the T.U.S.K. officers stationed at the precinct. Jack was silently grateful that the boar was the one on duty, as he had a tendency to nod off…which fortunately was the case today, as Jack silently crept past his snoring colleague. He didn't waste time, and immediately went to retrieve two handguns for Skye and he to use.
As was standard protocol, they were neatly arranged in racks, complete with matching shoulder holsters, and he selected two of the smallest models they had as well as four magazines each. The odds are they wouldn't need more, and keeping the theft to a minimum would help to conceal it until they were out of the building.
After placing the weapons into a satchel and once again sneaking past Sargent Scrofa, Jack made his way to the locker room. As was normally the case, it was occupied, but with the handguns concealed, he didn't need to worry, and he quietly stashed the weapons into his locker.
He was just closing the door when his ears twitched towards an approaching mammal. Looking to his left, Jack saw Officer Wolford walking towards him. There was concern written on the big wolf's face, as he noticed Jack's injuries.
"You okay, Savage?" he asked while kneeling down and reaching out a paw to check the rabbit's condition.
Jack waved the paw away dismissively. "Yeah, I'm good," he said allowing his frustration to weave its way into his tone. "I just got roughed up a bit, that's all."
The older wolf shook his head in disbelief. "Getting knocked out on live TV is a bit more than getting 'roughed up a bit', Savage. What were you thinking?"
Jack groaned that the news regarding his humiliation were already making the rounds of the station. "How many know?" the buck groaned in resignation.
Wolford gave a snort of laughter and placed a paw on Jack's shoulder. "Everyone, Savage. Everyone." The wolf motioned towards the main lobby with his free paw. "Clawhauser had the fight playing at his desk, and when you showed up? Well, you had a bit of an audience. We were cheering you on, but, that bunny tore you apart."
Jack rolled his eyes, before motioning to the swelling around his left one. "Believe me, I know. Did you know that she and Wilde tried to join the ZPD? She was better at AMCQC than anyone I know except for the actual instructors, and she knew Latrans by name."
Wolford cocked his head to the side in confusion. "It's the first I've heard of it," he said questioningly. "As far as I know, you were the first rabbit to make the cut."
With a sigh of resignation, Jack leaned heavily against his locker. "And the odds are, I'll be the last as well." Straightening himself, he turned to leave the locker room. "No sense putting off the inevitable."
"Good luck, Stripes. We're all still rooting for you two, but Bogo was not impressed to see you on TV again." Wolford's expression suddenly darkened, and the wolf punched a nearby locker in frustration. "That raid and that fight were setups, and we all know it. I don't know how, but those two need to go down."
Jack nodded his head in reply, but knew that his colleague needed to remain oblivious to his plans for the two hitmammals. "We'll find a way to get them, Wolford. It just might have to wait until after my, unfortunately well deserved, suspension."
The grey wolf sighed, and waved a paw dismissively. "Take your lumps, and then get back on the streets. We'll keep your seat in the bullpen warm for you."
"Thanks," was all he said as he left the locker room. He knew the truth was that he would likely never carry a badge again. Even if they were successful, he and Skye were going to kill the two assassins, and there would be repercussions for that. In the case of a miracle, where they were able to duck the murder charges, they would probably need to be able to walk on water before they'd be trusted to carry a shield ever again.
"If we can get those two off the streets for good, it will all be worth it," he thought with determination, as he made his way upstairs to the Chief's office.
"What the hell were you two thinking, Winters?" Bogo yelled at the arctic fox sitting across from his desk. "I sent you out there to find something to book those hitmammals on, and instead your partner decides to take up a new line of work? Now, even I'll admit that even I didn't think he'd consider joining Mr. Big's organization, but apparently I've been wrong about both of you."
Skye's expression never changed from one of stoic resignation as she spoke, "Sir, with all due respect, you ordered us to catch them at something, and we thought we had when it looked like Hopps was going to kill that moose."
She had been filled in on the details by Jack on their drive back to the station, and she couldn't fault her husband for acting when he did. "They've always been three steps ahead of us, and I think we both know why," she continued on, voicing the conclusions that she had reached as a result of their continued failures in capturing the two hitmammals. "Mr. Big has someone, or someones, in the ZPD feeding them intel, probably on a real time basis. It's the only explanation for why they're constantly able to avoid detection."
Bogo snorted in both annoyance and derision at the comment, but was forestalled from any reaction by a knock on his door. Not glancing away from Skye, he bellowed, "SAVAGE! Get your tail in here!"
The door immediately opened, and Bogo winced at the condition of his officer. The rabbit had screwed things up by the numbers, but he was still one of Bogo's mammals, and the chief added on yet another debt to the tally that Mr. Big would be forced to settle one day.
"Take a seat, Savage," The cape buffalo said in his normal gruff fashion, raising a hoof to stop the rabbit from speaking. "I don't want to hear it," was all he said until the rabbit took up his position beside his mate and partner.
"Winters has filled me in on the details of your training session with Hopps, and also about your theory that there's a leak in the ZPD," Bogo said before looking back towards Skye. "Do you think I don't know that, Winters?" Bogo stood and walked over to the particle board adorning the wall of his office, where the known hierarchy of the Big crime enterprise was laid out. "The ZPD has had leaks for as long as I've been on the force. Oh we've managed to catch a few of them every couple of years, but the leaks have persisted."
Suddenly, he balled up one of his hooves and punched the particle board with enough force to shake the furniture throughout the room, as well as leave a sizable hole in the board…and the underlying wall. With a snort of anger he turned back to face his officers.
"The whole reason I put you two on the case was because you were the only ones I could be certain weren't in Big's pocket." He stomped back to his desk and then sighed while cradling his face in one hoof. "Every precinct, every officer, every civilian employee of the ZPD, the mayor's office, even the ZIA, and ZAF are potentially compromised."
He motioned towards Jack's injured face with his free hoof, "As you've had first paw experience with, those two have managed to obtain training that isn't supposed to be available to the public, and yes, before you ask, they both did try to join the ZPD before you two."
Bogo let out a heavy sigh. "I can count on both hooves the officers that I know are clean, and there are maybe another dozen or so that I can probably be certain of," he paused before continuing, releasing his head to look at Jack and Skye. "From your backgrounds I knew that you and your families had no contact with the Big's, and your records since you started have shown this to be true."
Both Jack and Skye's eyes widened at the revelation. They had suspected that things were bad, but this? This was unheard of!
Jack regained his composure first, shaking his head in disbelief. "Sir, how could we be expected to accomplish anything if we're this screwed up?"
Bogo shook his head, "You couldn't, but it was our best chance for doing things by the book." The cape buffalo once again stood up and loomed over his officers. "Unfortunately, that's no longer an option for the two of you.
Jack and Skye's eyes narrowed at the chiefs change of tone at the end of his statement, but they didn't have time to ask for clarification before the chief held out a hoof towards both of them. "I have no choice but to suspend you both pending an internal investigation. Hand over your badges and get out."
The order had been expected, but both mammals still flinched when Bogo said it. They looked to each other and then removed their badges from their pockets and placed them in the Chief's outstretched hoof. The two then hopped off of their chairs and gave Bogo a brief salute before turning to leave.
"Before you go, Savage. Don't forget the satchel in your locker." Bogo's voice was uncharacteristically pleasant when he spoke, "You'll probably need it tonight."
Jack froze mid-step, turning back to face Bogo. The Chief had rotated his monitor so that the buck could see the image, and Jack's eyes widened when he saw the armory clearly displayed. His eyes flicked up to meet those of this boss, and the buck nodded his head stiffly.
"Yes, sir! I will remember to grab that," was all he said before turning back, seeing the shock plainly visible on Skye's face as well. The two quickly made their exit, and Bogo sighed heavily to the empty office. He had crossed a line, but his conscious was clear. He reached out and picked up a photo from the corner of his desk, and once again looked at the cost of letting those two killers prowl his streets.
The photo had come from the autopsy of one Jimmy Stell. A rat who had just happened to be Detective Wolfowitz's informant regarding the warehouse raid, and who coincidentally had died of a heart attack at the age of thirty two shortly after sharing the information. The coroner hadn't found anything incriminating from the autopsy, but the coincidence was simply too much for Bogo to stomach.
Standing up and once again heading over to the particle board, he pinned the photo up amongst the dozens of other suspected victims of the hitmammals over the years.
Looking at their faces, Bogo made the same vow he had after each one had crossed his desk.
"Never again."
He silently hoped that this would finally be the end.
Notes:
Well that escalated quickly. When I was planning out this story, I thought that taking it down a ends justify the means route worked the best from a narrative standpoint. On that note however, I wanted to be clear that there would be consequences on the characters for doing so.
All too common in media, the heroes go off the rails, catch or kill the bad guy, and face no consequences for their actions. Well that's not the case here, and Jack and Skye know full well that they probably won't make it out of this without severe consequences. In their minds however, it's worth the risk in order to protect the citizens of Zootopia, and even Bogo knows it.
There's only one more chapter to go for this part of the What If series. I once again will thank Cimar for letting me play around in his world, and giving me the chance at creating something very different from my usual fare.
As always, if you have questions regarding this story, or Lost Causes and Broken Dreams, feel free to ask. I'm also more than willing to help out any authors or artists who need assistance with technical or scientific topics, so don't hesitate to reach out!
All the best,
eng050599