AN: Oop, here's chapter 4. Enjoy!
Grand Pangolin Arms 5:30 AM - The Next Morning
Nick woke with a start, lying on an inflatable mattress. He maw opened wide in a yawn and he instinctively reached over the side for his alarm clock, but grasped nothing but air. He waved his paw around wildly before he slammed it into a wooden frame, flinching as pain shot up his arm. His eyes opened one by one, and he realized he was staring straight at a bed frame. Confused, he sat up, blinking rapidly as he awoke to an unfamiliar setting. It was an apartment, and a small one, for that matter. Already, light was shifting through a window behind him, indicating that it was at least five in the morning. He scratched his head furiously, trying to recall the previous when he caught a small moving mass of gray fur on the bed he slammed his paw into a moment earlier. Then he remembered.
The previous night...
The two raced up the stairs of Judy's apartment, soaked to the bone. Upon exiting the restaurant they had dinner in, they were caught up in a downpour with no umbrellas or cover. Racing to the nearest subway, they decided to go to Judy's place, which was much closer than Nick's residence further down the line. The rain was still pouring as they exited the station, and they had to make a mad dash to her apartments.
"What a night, eh, Carrots?" Nick said, shaking the water out of his fur. He scowled as he made his way after Judy, who had her apartment keys in her hand. She nodded, too tired to say anything, and opened the door to her room. He beckoned Nick to enter.
"C'mon, Nick, let's get you some towels." She replied. She dug into a small drawer, searching for the towels while Nick looked around the residence. The rain pattered loudly on the windows.
"So, this is where you live?" Nick asked. "It's pretty small. Well, for me. I don't know about you."
"It's big enough for me, I guess. There's a communal bathroom and kitchen at the end of the hallway. Oops." Judy replied, interjecting as she pulled out two orange towels from the overstuffed drawer. Nick raised an eyebrow as she offered one to him.
"Orange? Really? You really are a token bunny." Nick teased, taking the towel.
"It's either that or nothing." Judy huffed as she also procured a set of clothes from the drawer, but she paused as she saw Nick's soaking clothing and realized something. "You don't have an extra set of clothes."
Nick paused, looking down at his rain-soaked shirt. "Huh. I haven't thought about that."
"I think you can use the dryer in the bathroom." Judy reasoned.
Soon the two had gotten as dry as possible, Judy in a dry set of pajamas, and Nick in a dry white undershirt and his police pants, warm from the dryer, but still a bit damp as moisture clung to the trousers' thick fabric. As Nick entered the room, he noticed Judy handling a large box.
"What's that?" Nick asked, pointing to the box.
"Inflatable mattress. I knew this would come in handy one day." Judy answered. She struggled to get the uninflated mattress out of the box. Nick walked over to help. With a bit of luck, they managed to wrestle it out.
"Why'd you get such a big mattress?" Nick asked, realizing the dimensions of the whole thing. "Wait, first, how'd you get such a big box up here?" He asked again, realizing once more that the box was nearly the size of the rabbit herself.
"First question, I was afraid that my parents might drop in with a few of my brothers and sisters for a overnight trip. So, I took precautions. As for the second question..." Judy answered, pondering the next question. " I have no clue. But anyway, since you're here, and my bed's pretty small, so..."
"Wait, are you asking me to stay here overnight?" Nick realized. "You're a bit enthusiastic, aren't you, Carrots?" Judy froze, her ears turning red.
"But-I...Look, do you want to go back out in the rain?" She gestured to the window, and they both could hear the din as the rain hit the glass. It was apparent to the both of them that the downpour wasn't going to stop anytime soon.
"I could use an umbrella." Nick reasoned. Judy's ears drooped, muttering a soft "O". Nick immediately felt a pang of guilt in his chest. He sighed and squatted down, putting his paw on her shoulder.
"Although, I am feeling quite tired for tonight." Nick offered. "I wouldn't mind staying here for the night." He smiled, and Judy echoed his expression, a small grin forming on her face. "Let's inflate this mattress up. I'm exhausted."
Nick reached over to the empty box, and froze. "Carrots. Where's the air pump?" Judy scrambled over the uninflated mattress, looking into the empty box.
"Huh. I could've sworn..."
The next morning...
Nick rubbed his eyes as he recalled the events from the night before. He threw off an under sized blanket and yawned again, stretching his arms out as wide as he could. Almost on cue, Judy's alarm went off, and a small gray paw immediately shot out and turned it on. She sat up, eyes settling on Nick's red furred chest, and she let out a sharp squeak. Nick yelped in surprise and Judy immediately put her paws over her mouth as she made sense of the scene in front of her. Nick sighed and put a paw on his heaving chest.
"Carrots, jeez, do you alway wake up with a scream?" Nick panted, still recovering from the shock. "You nearly gave me a heart attack."
"I'm so sorry, I...kinda forgot." Judy pulled her covers aside and hopped off the bed. An orange sunbeam shone through the windows, casting a faint shadow across the room. She picked up her uniform and opened the door. "I'm going to go change now. You should get ready too. We're leaving in 10."
She sped out the door, leaving Nick alone to his devices. Reaching over, he unplugged his phone from the charger and pocketing. He put on his police shirt, smoothing out the creases. It was finally dry, thankfully. He clipped on his belt, checking for his taser, and he finally slipped on his tie, which he didn't untie the previous night. By then, Judy sprang in, fully in uniform.
"Ready for a new day, Wilde?" Judy quipped.
"Not before my coffee." The fox replied. "The day can wait."
Precinct 1, ZPD Headquarters 7:35 AM
"Alright, Officers," Bogo's voice rang through the bullpen. "We've got a full day on our "to-do" list. Our first priority right now is to catch the culprit behind yesterday's attempt." On cue, he pulled out a manila folder.
"Thanks to the efforts of certain officers," he continued, eyes shifting slightly down to rest upon the rabbit and fox officer, silently acknowledging their contribution. "We have an ID on one of the victim. Flynn Cain "Barko" Barkowitz. Two cases of battery, one charge of illegal drug possession, and has accumulated a year and a half of time in the penitentiary. That was around seven years ago, and he was off our radar since then." Bogo pulled out a picture of the canine from the folder.
"Now that we know him, we need the identity of the other. A kudu. And it has come to my attention that we may be dealing with something a bit more sinister than your average drug ring. Captain Alces?" Bogo looked to the moose, who was standing by the side of the podium.
"Thank you, Chief. As you may know, this has been a shocking incident, and as of late, there hasn't been a single attack as severe or extreme as this. This may be why." Wik dangled a small trinket from his hoof, holding up to the room for all to see. The curved iron horn swung back and forth on the chain. "This emblem is of the Red Horn crime syndicate, a single metal horn. For those who unaware, this crime syndicate is notorious for its violent and extreme "methods", to say the least, dealing with drugs, illegal trafficking and arms trade. It went underground nine years ago after a spate of violence, and we had postulated that the group may have disbanded. This is probably the only proof we have of the syndicate still being active." Wik returned the chain into a small plastic bag, pocketing it.
"The other such proof that this is in fact the real Red Horn syndicate, rather than a copy-cat gang is the identity of the other victim. The Red Horn's leadership is usually comprised of Bovidae, such as antelopes and elands, the elites also being made up of mostly Bovidae from overseas, and the "grunts" comprised of run-of-the-mill recruits from various species and background. The identity of this kudu may serve to allow us to start operations in combating this group."
"Thank you, Captain." Bogo stepped up, and the moose stepped aside. "I'll be giving out today's assignments." He quickly handed out the folders, and each group left one by one, until Nick and Judy were the only one left in the room. As soon as the room was empty, Bogo beckoned to both of them. "Office, now."
The two, thoroughly frightened and nervous, followed the buffalo into his office. The three of them took their seats. Examining the countenances of the rabbit and fox, Bogo let out a breath and put his hoofs up.
"Nothing to be alarmed about. I just need some privacy. You're not going to be assigned to this case," Bogo held up a hand to stifle any remarks. "Only for at most a week. There's something else I want you to carry out."
At that point, the door of his office opened, and a formally dressed snow leopard walked in with a briefcase in his hand. He extended his paw in greeting. "Bernard Pinto. Lawyer. Well, retired. I see these are your two trusted officers?" He asked Bogo, who nodded.
"Hopps, Wilde, this is Mr. Pinto. Have a seat. But before we get into the case, I have to ask you, are you two familiar of the Spring Bombing case? No?" Bogo asked the two. Judy spoke up.
"I might have seen something like it on the news. What, five, six, years ago?"
"Almost. Nine years ago. There was multiple fire bombings across the industrial district south of Zootopia. Two deaths, millions of dollars in damage. We were not able to catch the perpetrators, but we suspect mercenaries." Bogo explained. Bernard cut in.
"There was only one witness at one of the biggest scenes. Edward Cavendish, a badger. He was...used. Edward was an engineer, but he had an extensive know-how of chemicals, especially explosive ones. He was blackmailed and forced to make bombs for the groups, and subsequently, they tried to execute him." Bernard shuddered. "Fortunately for him, the bullet passed through his skull without penetrating any vital organs. To make matters worse, he was arrested and tried as soon as possible for his involvement in the case, which I personally defended." He paused.
"Edward is missing. He has been since last morning."
"So it's a missing mammal case." Nick stated. "I'm sorry, no offense, but why are you pulling us off the other case to work on this one? Aren't we more useful on the other case? Right, Carrots?" He looked to Judy, but she had a concentrated look on her face.
"Wait, the mercenary group, that was the Red Horn, right?" Judy asked, frowning. Nick, confused looked back to Bogo, but Bernard was the one who spoke.
"Impressive observational skills, Hopps. I can see why you are one of Bogo's top officers. But, yes. It was the Red Horn. Rumor was that they were bought by a company to deface another, but that hasn't been confirmed either." Bernard explained. "And with the recent bombing..."
It was Judy's turn to look confused. "Wait, so this Edward was the one who was behind the bombing?" Bernard quickly opened his mouth to explain, but was cut off by Bogo.
"Not necessarily, but a possibility, although Mr. Pinto has been pretty adamant that he couldn't have done such a thing. But in any case, we need you to find him. I couldn't send out flyers too. If the Red Horn was looking for him, and if they even suspect a single thing, they wouldn't hesitate to execute him on the spot if they find him." Judy and Nick nodded in understanding, realizing the importance of their assignment.
Bernard looked to the two. "I don't know who else suspects him, whether there's a bounty on his head, or whether he is just being paranoid. But what Bogo says is true. They will not hesitate to kill him on the spot."
Judy nodded with newfound determination. "We will not let you down. We'll find him, don't you worry. Nick?"
"Absolutely. You have my word." Nick agreed. Bogo pointed to the door.
"Clawhauser has the casefile. Good luck." The buffalo said as the duo exited. Bernard sighed and turned back to Bogo, who gave him a long look. "Bernard. Can I get you anything to drink?"
"No, it's fine. Also, thanks. For this. The two really seem up to task." Bernard thanked.
"It seems like you're putting a lot of trust in those two." Bogo inquired. The leopard shook his head.
"I can see it in them. When you're a lawyer as long as I have been, you learn to see it in mammals." Bernard explained. Bogo flashed one of his rare grins.
"Tell me about it."
Rainforest District, Fiscus Drive 9:43 AM
After receiving their casefile, Nick and Judy drove to the residence of Edward Cavendish, a modest looking apartment inside the Rainforest District. Vines and moss covered the facade of the building, fostered by the area's damp climate. As it was situated, the apartment complex was fairly isolated from other buildings. The two climbed the steps of the apartment, wiping their feet off on a placemat in the lobby. An elderly looking tapir sat behind a counter, head deep in the newspaper. She looked up as soon as she heard the pair enter.
"Oh, hello officers. What can I do for you?" She greeted, putting her newspaper down and getting off her seat. Judy pulled herself closer to the counter.
"Officer Hopps, this is my partner, Officer Wilde. We're...looking for someone." Judy said.
"Who might you be looking for?"
"We're looking for Edward Cavendish. Does he live here?" Judy answered. Turning aside, the tapir looked at a clipboard hung on the wall. She pointed her finger at it, mumbling to herself as she scanned through it.
"Ah, old Edward. Yes, he lives here, on the third floor. But I don't think he's home. Haven't seen him in a while." The Tapir affirmed. It was Nick's turn to speak.
"Do you know where he could be?" Nick questioned. The tapir looked thoughtfully, furrowing her eyebrows.
"You could ask around at the bars nearby. He drinks, that I know, but not at any specific bar. You could ask around if they've seen him."
"Can we see his apartment?" Judy asked, and the tapir nodded. She led the two down the hallway and up the lift, and upon exiting, she turned left again at the beginning of the hallway. She stopped in front of a door, fumbling with the keys before finally unlocking the door. The two looked in as the door opened, but did not enter. Nick scanned the room.
"No sign of any struggle. He left on his own accord, it seems. I don't think we'll find anything else here." Nick said and Judy nodded in agreement.
Judy closed the door, and the tapir locked it again. "Wherever he is now, he's certainly not here." She thanked the tapir, and they walked back to the lift. Nick lagged behind, paws in pockets, studying the layout of the apartment when he caught a glimpse of movement from the dimly lit end of the hallway, where a light bulb had busted. A door at the end of the hall was ajar, and Nick could vaguely make out the shape of horns. As quickly as they appeared, they immediately vanished and the door closed with an audible click.
"Nick?" Judy called, and Nick nodded, following the two into the lift. As soon as they were in the lobby, Nick turned to the tapir.
"Who's living down the hallway on that level?" The tapir looked back at the clipboard, scanning the names.
"Oh, that's Mr. Anton Hoffkins. Do you want to talk to him."
Nick ignored the question. "Is he an antelope, by any chance?"
"A pronghorn, I believe." Nick nodded, satisfied with the answer.
The two thanked the tapir, then left the apartment, return to their cruiser. Nick pulled out his phone and started scrolling. As the two got in the police cruiser, Nick turned the phone around to Judy, revealing a map.
"There are three bars down the road. Which one do you want to hit first?" Nick asked, Judy shrugging in return.
"Whichever is closest." Judy answered amidst the sound of thunder. Nick looked out the window and caught a glimpse of the grey clouds between the trees.
"Looks like we better hurry too. It looks like the raining season decided to show up a month early." Nick quipped. "Did you bring an umbrella?"
Judy patted a small bundle by the side of her chair. "Obviously." She said, flashing a smile. "Never hurts to be prepared." Nick raised an eyebrow as he looked over to her side.
"You only brought one." Nick commented. "A small, bunny sized one."
Judy could only say 'oops' as they made their way to the next destination.
An hour later...
The third and last bar was fairly empty, apart from a few occupants. As for the other two, they had no such luck. It was either they hadn't seen their mammal or that they weren't sure whether he was even there. And it seemed like this bar too couldn't provide them any information.
"Uh-I don't...um...know. I'm kinda new here, so I don't think I'd remember anyone who came in here." The bartender stammered. "I just came in last week." The sheep muttered a small 'sorry', but Nick waved it off.
"It's alright." He turned to Judy. "Tough luck for us. But since we're here..."
"Nick! You know we can't drink on duty!" Judy blurted.
Nick put his two paws up in defense. "Woah, I didn't say anything about drink. How about a bite?"
Judy rolled her eyes. "Sure." Nick smiled, ordering a side of fries and a cola. "Want anything?" He asked, to which Judy shook her head, sighing. As soon as Nick got his order did they find a seat in the empty establishment. Judy looked around, only seeing a few mammals sitting here and there. Nick, ignoring everything else, dug in.
"Breakfast was meh. Good thing we found this place, right, Carrots?" Nick said with his mouth full, looking up to Judy and frowning as he saw a dejected look on her face. "What's the matter?"
Judy snapped out of her trance. "Oh, it's nothing. Well, yeah. It's something. I'm just a bit disappointed."
Nick gulped down the fries he had in his mouth and washed it down with the drink. "We'll think of something." Judy grinned slightly. He put down his drink, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Carrots," He said. "There's something else going on." Nick's sudden change in tone intrigued Judy. "At the end of the hallway in that apartment. Well, it could be a coincidence, but, there was a pronghorn living there."
Judy, nodded slowly, and speaking cautiously. "So?"
"He was watching us the whole time we were up there." Nick finished. "You probably couldn't see it, but I could see him in the shadows. I don't know whether he knows why we were there, but I think it's fair to assume that he doesn't want to invite us to a tea party either."
Judy frowned. "This is serious. Mr. Cavendish might have know about it, and that's why he fled. But why would the Red Horn put-" She was interrupted as a small coated figure got up abruptly, shaking his table, and hurried to the door. Nick and Judy both watched him as he left. There was a moment of pause before either of them spoke.
"Y'know, Carrots, it's rather odd to wear an overcoat in the beginning of the summer." Nick said slowly. Judy nodded and flashed a determined smile, acknowledging his deliberate tone. The two got up, running out the door. Nick scanned the area, seeing a small figure running down the street.
"He's really booking it, let's go!" Nick tugged at Judy, who took off in a light. The grey clouds closed in and the sound of thunder echoed throughout the sky. Judy, who was much lighter in build, pulled ahead of Nick, matching the speed of their quarry. Nick was in a good condition for a cop, but still lagged behind her slightly. He unclasped his taser from his belt and held it in a weaver grip, with two thumbs interlocking. The figure pulled around the corner into an alleyway and Judy followed closely behind.
There was a scream.
"Judy!" Nick shouted, immediately increasing his pace. He swung around the corner, taser pointed forward. He gritted his teeth. Judy was in a chokehold, held forward by a badger in his left arm. His shoulders heaved heavily up and down, panting. He had many years behind his eyes, his fur was unkempt and he stood in a slight badger glared at the fox standing in front of him.
"Put. Her. Down." Nick seethed, teeth locked in a scowl. "Edward Cavendish, you're under arrest." The badger merely glared.
"Who paid you?" He snapped.
Nick adjusted his grip on the taser. "I have no idea what you are talking about, put down the-" Judy suddenly yelped as a sharp metal tip dug into her rib, causing Nick to step back. The badger had an arm at her side.
"Give up your act. I would've thought they would give the role of police officers to someone more believable." The badger retorted. "How much did they pay you, I wonder?" He mocked.
"Put down the weapon!" Nick barked. Judy squirmed in the badger's unflinching grip, who repeated the question one more time.
"Who sent you?"
Nick, suddenly realizing, loosed his grip on the taser. "Bernard Pinto." Nick growled, uncertain if that was the answer that could calm the badger. The fire went out behind the badger's eyes.
"Pinto?" Surprised, the badger loosed the chokehold on Judy. "That bastard." He said, slowly letting go of Judy completely. Judy lurched forward, standing beside Nick, who instinctively put a paw on her to prevent her from falling. The badger held up a metal pen in his right paw for the two to see. "I, thus, sincerely apologize. I wasn't sure if they knew I had gone or not. They're not unfamiliar with this type of deception." He tossed the pen away. "I wouldn't have done anything with that anyway. Cavendish. Edward Cavendish." He introduced.
Nick lowered his taser, realizing that the badger hadn't actually intended any harm. "Are you alright, Judy?" Judy put a paw on her neck, rubbing it.
"I'm fine." She turned to Edward, who shrugged apologetically. "Why are you here? I mean, you leave a message, but wind up near your own home?"
Edward shook his head. "They were watching me. Ever since five years ago, they've always been on my tail. If they knew I left, they would've tried nabbing me at the stations." He coughed, hesitating. He raised both his arms up to his chest. Nick and Judy looked at him confused.
"Aren't you going to arrest me? I kinda...did...attack an officer." Judy nodded in realization.
"Oh, um...right...Nick?" She said, looking to the fox. He shrugged.
"Your call." Nick clipped his taser back on his belt, but unclasping a pair of cuffs. "But he did attack you..."
Judy shook her head, turning to the badger. "We're not going to push charges anyway. Put those away, Nick. We're going back to the station."
Nodding, Nick put away the cuffs. Feeling drops on his fur, he looked up into the grey clouds. Thunder rolled and rain started to fall. "Well, just in time." He quipped, only half believing in the sudden stroke of luck they had. If only it was like this every time.
AN: Please favourite and follow if you want more, and feel free to leave a review. Thanks!