Chapter 5
Incidents at Zootopia School for the Deaf
The clock chimed 5 times to announce that it was 5 o'clock now. The sound interrupted the interview progress in the conference room. They had just about to finish with the latest interview of the young rabbit named Julie Luckyfoot.
Nick looked at the clock, turned back to Julie and asked, "Is there anything else that you want to add before we finish up?"
Julie pondered a bit, and said, "Yes, I heard something but I am not sure if it's true or not. One of the guys started to limb a little this morning. He seems to be fine before but I am not sure if it's from rugby practice yesterday or something else."
"Is that so?" Judy asked, "Does this guy have short or bobbed tail?"
"I don't know," Julie answered. "All I know is someone got hurt yesterday. I did not see the rugby practice or see this guy limping at dinner last night. Just a gossip that I heard."
"Well," Nick interjected. "It's a good start. Glad that you mentioned that because no one mentioned about rugby practice until now. I will talk with the coach soon and get some answer. Any more to tell us before we close up?"
"I guess that's all," Julie answered. "Great," Judy said as Nick closed the folder. "Thanks for coming and have a great evening!" Julie signed "Yes" as she got up from the chair.
Everyone left the conference room. Ms. Redtail returned Julie back to her dorm while Nick, Judy, and Kate left the building to their cars in the parking lot. "Your turn to drive, Carrots," Nick said as they got close to their car.
"Shall we go back to the station or what?" Nick asked as he put on his seatbelt on the passenger seat.
"Yes," Judy said as she started the car, "But I'm starving so we gonna eat first and then we go to the station. We will need some more guys with the interviews as there are much more to question so let's ask Bogo if we can spare some to come with us tomorrow."
"Sounds great."
They got out the school's parking lot and they found the restaurant that they have been wanting to eat for ages. They ate there for about an hour before. They had a nice chat. Judy was glad that they were on talking term.
"Nick," Judy pondered, "I have a bad feeling about this case. There is something funny about it."
"You think so, Carrots?" Nick asked as he took a bite of his chicken fried chicken. "Like what?"
"Of all those kids that we have interviewed so far seems to be innocent but I could be wrong," Judy pondered as she ate a big salad, "However, they could be hiding or something. Maybe something big."
"Oh! I get it," Nick said, "The Blacktip family owns a big retail company. Is that what you are thinking? You think there is something big going on? Like Mr. Big kind of thing?"
"Yes," Judy said. "Something like that. Maybe someone is jealous of her family, not her relationship with any guys?"
"Well, I sure hope it's just the old love triangle case instead of something big cuz if it is, it'll be big news like our savage case last year."
"I hope so too," Judy agreed, "but still, that funny bad feeling I got…"
"Hope you are wrong about this," Nick smiled as he finished his tea. Judy nodded in agreement. "I sure hope that I'm wrong."
"All right. The night's young. We can finish up some works at the station and we can get up early and get all the answer that will, hopefully, prove that your bad feeling to be moot."
They finished the supper, paid the check and resume the drive toward the station.
The drive was eventful until some black car hit them from behind. "What's wrong with this guy? Don't they know that this is police car? That'll give them more trouble than they ask for!" Judy resorted as Nick turned on the siren. Despite the siren, the car hit them again harder and there was gunfire from them.
"I think they know we are police! Whoever they are, we better call for back up." Nick said as he looked back but the bullet hit the back window and he ducked just in time as a bullet flew overhead. Nick grabbed the CB speaker. "Car 54 to the station! This is urgent!" Nick said to the speaker. The black car hit them again. Clawhauser's voice came through CB, "This is Chewhauser. What's happening, Wilde?"
"We are under attack!" Nick yelled at the CB. Clawhauser's voice asked, "Where are you, Officer Wilde?" Nick looked for street signs, got a glimpse of it. "We are on Westheimer Road and I think we just passed the intersection of Julliard Road! Looks like we are heading to the river!"
"Got it," Clawhauser's voice said as they got hit again, forcing them off the road but Judy managed to avoid the trees and got back on the road. The black car was now on the side of the car on Nick's side. The driver wore a black ski mask, hiding the ears, preventing them from identify their species. Nick took a closer look at the passenger who also wore ski mask but he noticed that the person was signing. They shot again, hitting the CB radio, ending the communication with the police station. Nick groaned and threw out the CB speaker out the window toward the driver but hit the side of the window instead.
"Carrots!" Nick exclaimed, "One of the passengers is signing!"
"What?!" Judy said as the car hit them sideway, this time, forcing her to refocus on the road. Someone shot them from the back seat again, breaking windows but missed the duo as Judy sped up. Another gunfire and one of the bullets hit one of Judy's ears. "Carrots! Your ear is bleeding!"
"AAAAggggghhhh!" Judy yelled and swerved the car toward the black car, "I know! Get the gun and shoot them back, ya dumb fox!" Nick got out the gun from the glove compartment and shot them back, missing them.
"Shoot the tires!" Judy yelled as there was another gunfire from them while hitting them back.
"That's what I am trying to do! Do you expect them to stand still for us, eh?" Nick shout back, then looked ahead in alarm. "Look out! The river up ahead! We gonna stay on the bridge there or we'll fall off!"
"Got it!" Judy retorted, "You worry about that car, and I'll worry about that bridge!"
The black car hit them again and one of the shooters shot Nick's arm. "Argh!" Nick yelled, "No more Mr. Nice Fox!" and pointed the gun on the tire and shot them successfully but at that moment they also successfully shot their tires and both cars fell off the riverbank, missing the bridge.
"AAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHH!" Nick and Judy yelled as the car plunged into the water below. SPLASH! The car was sinking fast. Nick scrambled for the emergency belt cutter, found it and cut the seatbelt of both him and Judy's. Nick pushed the door out while Judy did the same on her side and swam against the flow to the bank to avoid falling into the waterfall. They gasped for air for a moment. They got on the riverbank successfully and lay down for a short moment. Then, Nick stood up to look for the black car and the animals. He sighed, sat down next to Judy.
"Looks like they went over the fall," Nick said as Judy tore a sleeve from her shirt to cover her bloodied left ear. Judy looked at Nick, exclaimed, "Nick! Your arm!"
He looked at his right arm, groaned, took his shirt off and wrapped it around the arm to stop bleeding with Judy's help. At that moment, the sound of siren came over the bridge. Judy used the flashlight from her hip to get their attention.
"Well, that answered one thing, Carrots," Nick said as the sounds of sirens got closer. "And, that is?" Judy asked.
"That your bad feeling is right and there is a connection between those guys and the attack on Lizzie Blacktip."
Judy groaned as several police cars stopped nearby. "I hate it when my bad feeling is right."
Bogo got to the duo first with the other officers.
"What happened?" Bogo demanded. Nick answered first.
"It appears that the deaf school case is bigger than we thought." Nick stood up. "Because I saw one of the attackers in the car used sign language."
"Can you repeat that signs to Manor so she can translate it for us?" Bogo asked.
"No, it happened too fast so I couldn't catch the signs clearly," Nick answered. "Sorry."
"That's all right," Bogo said as the ambulances arrived and Bogo ordered Nick and Judy to go to the hospital. He also told them not to worry about paperwork yet as he can wait until the next day.
"Oh, before you go," Bogo added, "Did either of you get the license of that car?"
"Not fully," Nick answered. "Judy was driving and focused on the road when that car hit us from behind and it happened so fast that I only got a glimpse part of it. The first three letter is GDR and it was black Dodge late modal. That's the best I can get."
"Well, we got part of the license and a black Dodge so that's a good start," Bogo said. "Now, off you two go! Get some rest tonight."
"Yes, sir," Nick and Judy chimed at the same time as they got inside the ambulance to take them to the hospital.
"I'm pooped," Judy said as she plopped down on the gurney as Nick sat next to her while the EMS applied the fresh bandage on his arm while the ambulance drove on.
"Me too and you know what I'm thinking, Carrots?"
"Yes, we may need to ask Mr. Big for help in this case as he might know who is behind the attacks," Judy answered.
"Right you are, Carrots." Nick smile.