Chapter 11

Nick jumped out the jet as soon as Officer Jefferson said it was safe. He ran to the small airport terminal. He ran in the door. There was a raccoon at the radio. He was the only one in there. "I need a vehicle! Official business!" Nick yelled as he held up his badge. "It's an emergency!" Nick was very impatient. "Take the service truck. It's over by the hangar. Here's the keys," the raccoon said as he handed Nick the keys. Jefferson jumped in the truck with Nick as Nick slammed on the gas. Nick ran several stoplights and stop signs. He had the beacon on, but the service truck didn't have a siren, but it was so late at night, there was nobody on the road. Nick pulled up to his parents' house. It didn't look like someone had broken in, but Nick could sense an evil presence. "James! Radio the terminal and tell him to relay a message to ZPD. Tell them to send Razorbacks as soon as possible!" Nick said to Jefferson. "Got it!" Jefferson said as he picked up the two way radio in the truck. Nick pulled out his pistol and ran to the house. He knocked on the door. "ZPD! Open up!" Nick yelled. Nick heard a muffled yelp. Nick got so mad he tried to open the door, but it was locked. Nick kicked the door open and pointed his gun inside. "Police officers!" Nick yelled as he entered, gun at the ready. The whole house was dark. He heard nothing. Nick's skin started to crawl. Just then, everything went black.

Judy sat at her desk. Nick had already left, but she had volunteered for the night shift. She sat working, but was very bored. Then Bogo came over. "Hopps. Come with me," Bogo said. "What for, Chief?" asked Judy. "There has been an emergency at Webbers Dens." Judy knew that name from somewhere, but couldn't put her tongue on it. Then it hit her. That was where Nick's parents lived. Judy got up and followed the chief to his cruiser. They got in and drove to the military airfield outside town. Judy saw some National Guard and Razorback SWAT running into a medium troop transport plane. Bogo got out and walked inside. Judy followed. Was there a mass shooting? Why'd they need the National Guard? Bogo sat down and buckled up. Judy sat across from him. "Judy. We've found the gang leader. He apparently has a family of foxes held hostage, as well as Wilde and Jefferson. He has another gang with him." When Judy heard Bogo say foxes, she got worried, when he said Wilde, she started panicking. "Let's go!" Judy yelled. "We're lifting off, now," Bogo said. "Here, put this on," said a Razorback walking down the plane, handing everyone a full set of riot gear. Judy put it on as fast as she could. She couldn't wait for the plane to land. She didn't know if she wanted to be there, or not. The plane landed an hour later. It was the longest hour of Judy's life. When the plane landed, the large back door opened and everyone started running out. Judy and Bogo were last. Bogo ran up to an older mountain lion. He was wearing a sheriff's uniform. "Chief Bogo. We have a few volunteer trucks from some farmers in the area. It's all we could get to transport your men," the sheriff said. "That's fine, Steve," Bogo said. Bogo picked up a megaphone and said, "Everyone load up into these trucks!" The soldiers and SWAT jumped into the trucks. Bogo got into the driver's seat of the lead one, and Judy got in the passenger seat. The smell of leaking gasoline, brake fluid, and dirt reminded her of her own family's truck like this. Judy kept her paws wrapped tightly over the grip of her semi-auto machine gun. She was ready to kill whoever this guy was. If anything happened to her boyfriend, they would pay.

Nick woke up to a splitting headache and a bright light in his eyes. He strained his eyes to look around. "Where am I?" said Nick loudly. Nick was tied up to a chair. Then, a lion walked out from the shadows into Nick's view. "Well, well, well. We meet again, Odysseus Hunt. Or should I call you Nicolas Piberius Wilde?" "What is your name?" Nick yelled. The gang leader laughed and looked at Nick. "I told you, nobody knows my name." Nick did a low growl. The gang leader reached out to touch Nick, but Nick lashed out and bit him on the wrist. Nick felt bone and some snaps, so he knew he did some damage; probably even breaking his wrist. The lion pulled back and roared as he held his wrist. It was dripping blood and looked painful. "Why you little..." the lion said and punched Nick right in the jaw. "I'll show you what happens when you take things away from me!" the lion yelled and punched Nick in the gut. Nick couldn't breathe, and he saw two big bears walk into his vision. One had a gun, and the other just had his fists. The second one started punching Nick. Nick managed to get his left arm free. When the bear reached back to punch really hard, Nick reached up to brace himself, but he wasn't strong enough to stop the punch and it landed on his gut anyway. Nick couldn't breathe, and he was worn out. "What the-? How'd you get out? I'll show you!" The bear yelled. The bear grabbed Nick's arm and leaned down to it. The bear bit down and Nick screamed out in pain. Nick's legs slipped out of the ropes and he kicked the bear in the crotch. The bear released Nick's hand and was bent over. "Idiot! I told you to tie him up the new rope! Not that old rope!" the boss yelled at the bear attacking Nick. "Here boss, I'll teach him a lesson!" said the bear with the gun. He pointed it at Nick. The boss nodded. "Just don't kill him, or I'll kill you." The bear looked over at the boss, then at Nick. He adjusted his aim and pointed the gun at Nick's right arm and shot him in the upper arm. Nick yelled in pain again, then he shot Nick's left thigh. Nick blacked out after he yelled for that one.

The truck Judy was in pulled up first. The National Guard surrounded the house in a few seconds and the Razorbacks were ready to burst inside. Just then, the ambulance and volunteer fire department pulled up. Judy hoped they wouldn't need the ambulance, but she had a sinking feeling that they would need more ambulances. "This is the ZPD and National Guard! We have the place surrounded! Come out with your paws up!" the National Guard captain said into a megaphone. "Go," Bogo said quietly to the Razorback leader. They ran inside and looked around. Some ran upstairs. They came back down fifteen minutes later. "All clear sir!" he said. Judy leaned to Bogo. "When we were here last week, there was a basement," Judy said. Bogo nodded. "Is there a basement?" Bogo said to the Razorback. Another Razorback ran up to the leader and whispered to him. "Yes! A basement was just discovered! We're moving in now!" Judy sat holding her breath. A Razorback ran back outside. "What's wrong?" asked Bogo. "We need three stretchers, fast! We need to get three people to the hospital stat!" Just as he said that, the air evac helicopter landed a few hundred feet away from the house. The Razorback ran to them and started talking and pointing. The paramedics pulled three stretcher out and carried them into the house. Judy wanted to run inside with them, but Bogo grabbed her. "I have to see Nick!" Judy yelled. Soon, a stretcher was wheeled out, with Viki on it. Judy wanted to see if she was ok, but Bogo continued to hold her back. The next one came out holding Jefferson, the special forces pilot for the ZPD. Nearly thirty excruciating minutes later, the third one was wheeled out, with Nick on it. "Nick!" Judy exclaimed. She struggled to get free, but Bogo his much larger and stronger than Judy, so she had no choice. She watched as they put him into the helicopter and lifted off after the door was shut. Judy was crying as she watched the helicopter lift into the air. A Razorback walked up to Bogo and whispered something to him. Bogo slowly nodded. The Razorback ran off and Bogo let go of Judy. She just fell on her knees and sobbed her heart out. Bogo turned around and sat in the truck they came in. Judy sat there for several minutes. She eventually laid down on her side, but nobody messed with her. Bogo had told everyone to leave her be. Judy eventually got up and saw that that truck that she came in, Bogo and a few Razorbacks were all who were still there. Judy got into the truck. Bogo turned it on and drove back to the airport without saying a word. Judy rode the whole way back on the plane without saying anything to anyone, and she was crying softly the whole time.

Nick woke up with a huge headache and he was sore all over. "Oh...," Nick moaned when he tried to roll over, but he couldn't. He opened his eyes to see a hospital room. Nick looked around and saw the monitors, and he lifted his paws to rub his eyes, but when he felt his left hand, he gave a little yelp. His two middle fingers were gone, and his entire hand was in a bandage! "Nurse! Doctor! What's going on?" yelled Nick. The doctor came in. "Ah, Officer Wilde. You finally decided to wake up. You may have noticed a few changes," the doctor said. "You could say that again," Nick said. "You'll be able to go home in a week, but you'll be handicapped for a while. You will need crutches, and you need to have the bandages replaced every day." Nick looked under the covers and saw that almost his entire torso was covered in bandages. Nick's eyes opened wide. The doctor gave a little laugh. "You were in quite a little tussle!" Nick kind of laughed too. "Yup. Pretty big one, I'd say." "You have a visitor," the doctor said. The doctor opened the door and called Judy in. Judy ran inside and jumped onto the bed beside Nick. She hugged him tightly and wouldn't let go. She started sobbing. "Nick! I thought you weren't going to make it!" "Judy, I'm fine! I'm still alive, I survived!" Judy saw Nick's left hand and gave a little gasp. "Oh, Nick, I'm so sorry." "It's ok. I'll adapt." Judy hugged Nick tighter. Nick pushed her away and looked her in the eyes. Then Nick pulled her into a passionate kiss. Judy hugged Nick again and Nick hugged back. Than Nick's back started hurting. "Ow! Ow! Ow! My back!" Judy gasped that she might have hurt Nick. "Oh my gosh! Are you ok?" Judy asked. Nick winced a little. "Yeah. Just a big cut on my back, I guess." The Nurse opened the door. "Ms. Hopps, It's time for you to leave." "I'll be seeing you!" Judy said as she left. Nick waved with his left hand and Judy laughed a little. Nick leaned back with a smile on his face. "I love that rabbit," Nick thought. Nick fell asleep with happy thoughts and happy dreams.

Author's Note: This is the halfway point.