Chapter 17

The sound of the explosion shook every animal at the press conference room at ZPD.

"Where did that explosion come from?" someone said from the audiences of both journalists and other animals.

Chief Bogo, getting annoyed, barked, "ENOUGH! I must leave for a moment. Someone will be with you shortly!"

Bogo left the podium and strode to the back room where Nick and Judy are gluing to the TV as they wait for Bogo's order.

"All right, folks," Bogo said, "As you have just apparently heard, there was an explosion. Hold on while I get something from our helicopter squad on its location."

A young deer officer walked to the chief, handed him a paper and, whispered something to him, then he whispered back, and the deer nodded and left him. Bogo sighed as he scanned the paper.

"All right," Bogo resumed, "The helicopter squad reported that there was an explosion at Rodentia Metro Station in front of Rodentia. Well, of course, we need to send officers Wilde and Hopps over there right away to deal with the situation since we have no one smaller than you two outside of our Rodentia squad whose ZPD substation building is reported to be heavily damaged due to its close location to the metro station. We don't know if anyone survives in that substation.

Judy gasped, turned to Nick. "Fru Fru! I hope she's all right! Her house is close to that station!"

"I'm sure she'll be fine as her place is inside the wall from that station, but we will check to be sure once we get there, Carrots," Nick answered, turned to Chief Bogo. "Can we 'draft' Finnick to help with this situation as he's smaller than us?"

"All right, Wilde," Bogo said, "and since we still haven't heard from our Rodentia substation, you are in charge there unless you found Captain Browntail unharmed and alert. The firetrucks and ambulances are on the way there now. So you better get there now. Go with officer Deerebrook on his chopper, so you'll get there faster." He thumbed at where the young deer officer went.

"Finnick!" Nick yelled, and the little fennec fox turned from watching TV with the crowd, scowled, "What, Nick?"

"Come with us to Rodentia!" Nick answered, as Judy and he walked toward the door on the side. "We need you to help us there!"

"Rodentia?" Finnick asked, "Y'all need me because of my small size?"

"Yep," Nick replied as the trio rushed to the stairway to the roof where Deerebrook's helicopter is waiting. "Bogo said that we haven't heard from the substation and we are not sure if anyone survives there."

"All right," Finnick growled, "But this had better be the last time I help the fuzz today!"

"No promises," Judy replied before Nick could say anything as the trio got inside the chopper and put on their safety belts. "It won't be like that war you two were in, all right?" Finnick grunted. Nick looked in shock at Judy and then at his fennec fox friend.

"War?" Nick acclaimed, "Did you tell her about the war?"

"Yep."

"When?"

"When we were in the vent at that school while you were tied up by those Naxi," Finnick smiled, "We overheard your comment about the bugs to those Naxi so..." Nick sighed. Judy turned to her partner, "I won't tell a soul, Nicky." Finnick giggled at the nickname. Nick shook himself, said in disgust, "Ack!" Judy laughed.

The chopper flew for a short moment and landed on the clearing not far from Rodentia. Nick, Judy, and Finnick got off the helicopter. Nick gave Deerebrooke a thumb up as they strode to the crime scene between the ZPD's Rodentia substation and the front main gate. There was a crater the size of a hippo. The gate was badly damaged, and the substation was reduced into rubbles. Some first responders were clearing the debris for survivors. They saw one of an injured police officer who was a rat on the stretcher pushing by one of the EMTs Guinea Pig. Judy stopped the EMTs and sat down next to the injured officer.

"Hello, officer," Judy said, "Do you know where Captain Browntail is?"

"H-hello," the rat said with efforts, "I-I'm Officer Blandtail and I h-haven't seen C-Captain Brown-Browntail yet. I-I was in different room f-from him when this h-happened."

"All right, calm down, Blandtail," Judy said as she got up and let them go to the ambulance. Nick and Finnick looked at her with concerns.

Nick yelled, "Have anyone seen Captain Browntail around?"

One of the survivors, a mouse in a dirty dress, came up to Nick. He sat down.

"What is it, ma'am?" Nick asked.

"Officer," the mouse said, "I am Kathy Dormouse, and I'm the secretary for Captain Browntail. I was in the break room when this happened, and everything collapsed, and I barely got out of that rubble and I afraid that he's still under that rubble and… and…"

Nick understood and said, "Okay, thank you for that and do you know anyone who is in charge here at the moment?"

"W-well, I am not entirely sure, but for now, it seems that you are in charge, sir."

Nick sighed and thanked her. He stood up, turn to his partner.

"Seems that Captain Browntail is under that rubble and might not survive, so it appears that we are in charge at the moment. So we need to get this mess blow over and see if there is any we can assist with," Nick turned to Finnick, "Finnick, would you mind if you go check if Fru Fru is okay and all that?"

"Of course," Finnick said and went over the gate to go around carefully.

"Why would they attack Rodentia?" Judy said.

"Well, from what I heard about the Naxi," Nick said, "They considered the rodents as 'inferior' due to their small size, and many are known to eat them as well. Don't you remember the Great War and the Holocaust in school, Carrots?"

"Oh – oh, yeah," Judy stammered.

Nick noticed the black limo coming toward them, nudged Judy. She turned to see the limo. They recognized the limo from their first case together – Mr. Big's ride.

"Of course," Nick and Judy said at the same time. The limo stopped in front of the duo, Judy stood close to the plate license, commented, "I still remember that damn license number cuz I repeated it to your 'fast' friend, Flash, Nick." Nick shuffled his quiet snicker, and Judy hit his stomach. "Oof!" Nick cried out, as Judy walked pass him toward the doors. The polar bear, Ralph, got out, went to the back door, opened it and brought the shrew with thick eyebrows down to Judy's eye level.

"Hello, my dear Judy," Mr. Big said, "Any news about my Fru Fru and her baby, Judy?"

"Finnick is looking for her as we speak," Judy answered, "We should hear from him any moment."

"Your ears. Did the Naxi did that to your ears?"

"More or less, I'm okay now."

"Good," Mr. Big smiled, turned to Nick, "I see that you have managed to get out of the Naxi's grasp with Judy's and our help."

"Yes," Nick said, "I appreciate it and –"

They got interrupted by the arrival of the fennec fox, carrying something, no – someone, on his paws.

"Nick, I got Fru –" Fennick began, stopped abruptly upon seeing the polar bears and Mr. Big. "Oh, Mr. Big!"

He walked passed Nick toward Mr. Big, handed Fru Fru and her baby to him. "Fru Fru and Judy had a fright, but they are alright. Fru Fru only got a small scratch by some debris."

Fru Fru carried her baby and leaped over from Finnick's paw onto the ground while the bear lay down Mr. Big to the ground. He got off the chair and walked to his daughter and hugged her and the baby.

"I'm so glad that you two are all right," Mr. Big said with a big grin. "What of your husband?"

"He wasn't home as he was working at his company in Tundratown. I already texted him that I'm all right and he replied that he was relieved that the family is all right."

"Excellent. Excellent."

Judy turned toward Fru Fru, "Fennick mentioned that you got a scratch, so do you need anything from the medic?"

"Thank you for asking," Fru Fru smiled as she handed her baby, Judy, to her father. "I haven't had a chance to check myself as I got out of the mess without any significant harms. Judy is unharmed, thankfully."

Judy took Fru Fru over to the nearest ambulance, and one of the guinea pig EMTs checked Fru Fru and gave her little cleaning up with antibiotics and put a band-aid on her forehead. "She's good to go," the EMT said.

Mr. Big returned the baby to Fru Fru when the ladies returned. He turned to Nick and Finnick, "I want to discuss something with you so come on in my car." He turned to Judy, "You are welcome to join us unless you wish to stay with Fru Fru?"

Mr. Big motioned one of his polar bear to come and pick him up while Judy turned to Fru Fru, "Do you want me to stay with you for a moment?"

"You go right ahead," Fru Fru smile as she jingled her baby, "I'll be fine for a bit."

Judy nodded and joined the others in the car.

"Glad you could join us, Judy," Mr. Big, "As things are not going as we had hoped with those cats. I think we may have something that will help you put an end to this nonsense. From what I saw on the news, they are based at that deaf school, correct?"

"Yes, that's as far as we know," Nick agreed, "However we need to find their original hiding place. Those soldiers are gonna be training someplace big not far from here. There are many while I was held captive. From what I see on their clothes and their vehicles, I would guess that they train in the forest somewhere – probably about an hour or so from here. Bunnyhollow is south of here with so many farms and not much trees, so that's out. East is vast desert so, it gotta be somewhere either in the north on the other side of the mountains or in the west on the other side of the bay from the Rainforest District."

"Um… my thought as well, "Mr. Big agreed. "Can you make an arrangement with your chief and whoever in charge of the military so we can make coordinated attacks on all both fronts. Since we don't know the exact location in the north or west, it will spread out your army and police, but we have some loyal supporters that can assist you in this matter. What do you say?"

"Well," Finnick spoke before Nick could, "I could get my army buddies to help y'all out with this. So, give me a moment to get things done and meet with y'all." Nick groaned as Mr. Big nodded in agreement.

"Okay, Nick," Mr. Big said, "You get in touch with that army guy in charge of the army group surrounding the school. I'll go with Judy to meet with Bogo and make some arrangement."

"Before we go," Judy said before anyone opens the car door, "What about Fru Fru and Judy? They could stay with my mom for a bit, is that all right with you?"

"Sounds good but I thought she lives on the farm about two hours from here," Mr. Big wondered.

"No, she's in town to pick up one of the deaf children as her parents are out of town. She'll be staying at my place for a bit."

"All right, go ahead and get her to safety with your mother."

"Great!" Judy said gleefully.

Judy got out of the car, and the foxes went over to the place that used to be the ZPD substation to make some arrangement so the foxes could join Mr. Big. Judy went to Fru Fru and informed her that she could go to her place and gave her the address and direction to her place.

After few moment, Mr. Big, the foxes, and Judy returned to the limo and headed their way to the ZPD headquarter.