Nick was driving to where he knew Wesealton would be, city in chaos or not. In the truck with him was Judy in the passenger seat back in her duty uniform, and Jameson sitting in the back still kitted out in his tactical gear. Nick himself had changed, now wearing navy blue cargo pants and a navy blue shirt courtesy of James. When he came out of the bathroom after changing he remarked now all he needed was a badge on a necklace to complete the look.

"Well Slick…there will be a time for that later. If you still want to be my partner, that is." Judy had responded to him then before handing him back his filled out ZPD application. Nick hadn't gotten to respond to the fact she kept it because James had barged in telling them to hurry up. So that was a later thing.

For now Nick simply focused on the road. James had given him the best route to get to where Duke would be based on the state of the city. Unfortunately, the best route was the long way. A 20 minute drive to Duke's spot now taking 45 minutes.

While this trio chased down the Weaselton lead the rest of Jameson's team were tracking outside imports of Nighthowlers to see if anything turned up. Bogo and his mammals were combing through CCTV footage overlooking floral shops that carried Nighthowlers trying to find if there were any common links. Bogo's team were also doing their part at ZBI headquarters so they had less risk of their activity being spotted and throwing the terrorists into a panic. Because panicking terrorists are extra dangerous terrorists.

"So Judy?" James suddenly called from the backseat. Judy turned to face James with a curious expression and replied, "yeah?"

"Okay so let me ask you a hypothetical…if Bogo and the ZPD still weren't backing you, and I wasn't around. BUT, you were still on the same track with this shifty guy (he gestures at Nick). How would you handle getting Duke to talk?" James asked.

Judy shrugged at that and replied, "well I could have asked Mr. Big to CONVINCE him. The threat of icing would probably have loosened his tongue."

James blinked twice and said, "that would have been HIGHLY illegal."

Nick nodded along with Jameson and said, "yeah I think his methods are a bit better…and actually admissible in the court of law."

"But less fun." Judy quickly replied.

Nick and Jameson let out a snort simultaneously before all three of them burst out laughing.

*15 minutes later*

"Come on, I got all the hits! I even got movies that even out yet! Perfect quality guaranteed! Come browse my goods! Quarantine is inevitable! Might as well have some entertainment!"

Nick, Judy, and James turned the corner to see Duke Weaselton peddling bootlegs to a crowd of no one. The only crowd being a crowd of prey protesters about a quarter mile down the street camped outside a, "mostly predator apartment complex. We need to stop this, now." Nick remarked with disgust.

Nick then plastered a nonchalant smirk on his face and called out, "if it isn't the Duke of Bootleg!" As he approached Weaselton, Judy immediately walking up with Nick.

Duke whirled to face the duo placing a toothpick in his maw. "Well well if it isn't Nick Wilde! Ya look like an off duty cop, new hustle?"

Duke then addressed Judy. "And if it isn't flopsie the copsie! What running the con with Wilde? Dreams not panning out?"

Judy crossed her arms and replied, "oh they're panning out more than fine Wesselton. And no hustles from Nick, he's just my backup."

Wesealton narrowed his eyes at the mispronunciation of his name and said, "Its Weaselton! And backup? That's cute princess. He'd sooner con you for a 20. Now coulda buzz off you're driving off my customers."

Nick promptly looked from side to side and quipped, "what customers? Oh, and he's here as backup too." Nick then jerked a thumb behind him and Weaselton leaned to the side to see who Nick was talking about, and gulping once he did see.

"Hello Duke. Officer Hopps here has a question for you, and you're going to answer it." Jameson announced as he took his place directly behind Nick and Judy.

Trying to act tough, Duke stood up straight and crossed his arms. "And if I don't?"

"Then right here and now your CI status will be revoked and I will arrest you on EVERY pending charge we made go away. Including the federal ones that haven't expired in being filed. To sum it up, the maximum sentence would be about 35 years." James explained with an eerily calm face.

Duke's eyes proceeded to widen and he immediately turned to Judy. "Ask your question Officer Hopps! Quickly before he does it anyways!"

Judy had to resist grinning and Nick had to hold back his snickers as Judy asked, "why were you stealing Nighthowlers Wesselton?"

Duke opened his mouth to correct Judy but a throat clear from James had him skip that part. "That's what you're so curious about? Why else would I steal em but for money. Guy offered me a decent stack of cash to steal all the bulbs I could, so I did. Decent arrangement till you caught me."

Nick crossed his arms at that and said, "Duke, you really need to start asking questions."

"Why? they're just flowers." Duke responded.

Judy shook her head at that and said, "they are so much more than just flowers. Who did you sell the flowers to? And don't try and skip details."

Duke looked at the trio confused, "seriously? Why do you care about flowers so much? I sold em to a ram named Doug, didn't give me a last name and I didn't ask. We had a drop spot underground, downtown intersection of Madison and Grove. Old railway entrance, it's chained up but there's a whole mammals our size can squeeze through. Down the stairs and to the right there's an abandoned subway tram a little ways down. I met him there."

*2 hours later*

Jameson, Judy and Nick were in a giant armored truck, one of two, heading towards the drop spot Duke used. Inside the vehicle was all of Jameson's mammals decked out in tactical gear and wearing full body suits. The second truck following contained Bogo's team dressed the same but blue. Jameson spoke to everyone in both vehicles on a secured comm channel giving the final briefing. "Alright mammals! Our target is a derelict subway tram located underground at Madison and Grove! This location was used as a drop spot for stolen Nighthowlers for a white ram named Doug! It is currently unknown if the tram is still active in terms of a drop spot or otherwise but we will approach it like it is!

Nighthowlers or traces of Nighthowlers may be on scene so everyone make sure your respirators are on and not a scrap of your fur is exposed! I do NOT want to have to knock out one of my teammates or you fine mammals of the ZPD because ya didn't listen and went nuts!

We will secure the scene and if we find traces of/or Nighthowlers ZPD you will back out as you are not hazmat certified! ZBI's Biohazard Team will arrive on sight and secure it afterwards! This will be a closed circuit no chatter is to come out from the ground once we go in! Anyone asks, this is a joint training exercise!

We will insert from two points! ZPD will insert from a large mammals access hatch three blocks down the railway and approach from the front. ZBI will go in the route Weaselton took and approach from the rear! Also on the off chance the tram is operational we have rail boots that will be placed as entry is made!

If there are mammals present on or around the tram they are to be dispatched immediately with tranqs, no questions asked! Do not give them a chance to do anything as the mammal may be a domestic terrorist! Lethals are to stay holstered even if met with lethal force, who knows what is in that tram so I am not going to risk blowing it and us up! We are five Mike's out so take this time to prepare yourself! Captain Wilde, out!"

Brief now over James looked at Judy and Nick who were seated across from him. "Alright now for you two. You can't come in."

"What!?" Judy yelled as she looked at Jameson like he was crazy. Nick, who was now wearing an identical ZPD vest as Judy, minus the equipment, put a paw on Judy's shoulder and said, "Take a breath Carrots and think. This is a full blown raid on a potential domestic terrorist hideout. I'm not law enforcement and I'm sure as hell not hazmat and biohazard certified, and you're only ONE of those things. Every single mammal here is SWAT certified minus you and me and we are in a situation entirely different from Cliffside. Us going in would be a HUGE liability. Am I right James?"

James nodded several times. "Nick is correct Judy on all fronts. If you were SWAT certified I'd let you on the raid, but you're not. So you will stay here with Nick. Once the subway tram is secured and the situation assessed only then will I allow you and Nick to come down and see what we found. Not before. Okay?"

Judy crossed her arms and pouted but reluctantly agreed. "Fine. It makes sense. Someone does have to babysit Nick afterall."

"Hey! Not fair Carrots!"

*6 minutes later, Jameson*

Jameson and his team had just finished creeping down the stairs leading into the old railway and were paused at what would be the station. Signaling his entire team to crouch James keyed his mic and whispered "ZPD team, status."

"ZPD team in position, 10 meters in front of subway tram. Note, we see movement inside. I say again movement inside. Site is still active."

"Copy. Site is still active." James responded before signaling his team to move forward. ZBI FETRU stood from their crouch and moved forward, shield mammals taking the front of the pack as they rounded the corner. FETRU moved swiftly up to the subway tram weapons up just waiting for the tram door to come flying open.

Fortunately for FETRU and the ZPD as they approached the tram they went unnoticed. Jameson signaled for the mammals carrying the rail blockers to place them down and they did so silently. With one on each side if the tram was functional it wasn't moving, and given the fact that the tram had power movement wouldn't have been much of a stretch.

Blockers now in places James made a camera signal with his paws and Spotters moved forward in a low crawl. Once Spotters reached Jameson's side she reached onto her back and pulled off a pole camera, lifting it up to the open window. She and James then looked at the feed seeing what awaited them inside.

The site was indeed active, and not as a drop spot, but as a growth room. There were Nighthowlers growing in rows all along the tram and a chemistry station. On the walls it looked like plans and next to the chemistry set was a table with a weapons case on top. At that table was a ram in a hazmat suit loading some type of collapsible rifle into said case.

James turned and with paw signals relayed what was in the room and he got a thumbs up from every mammal present. He then signaled for FETRU to stack up for entry and signaled Spotters to boost him up to the window, James was going to drop them and then FETU would breach securing them.

As Spotters boosted him up suddenly the ram's phone rang. "Ya got Doug here!" The ram now identified as Doug responded, answering their phone. James quickly had Spotters lower him so he wouldn't be spotted and they listened intently to the one sided conversation.

"Okay so ya want more targets to get hit? How many? 12? Same location? Okay where? At the protest outside of Precinct One? That's gonna be hard to pull off even with me, Jesse, and Wolter all doing it. It's really risky. Of course I can do it but the potential to be caught is high. You want me to hit Officers too? It might work that way if I start with them. I get it you want to push predators out of the ZPD, crippling them. You then want us to hit all the precincts? Today? We won't be able to dart that many officers. What do you mean why? Our only source of Nighthowlers is this subway tram that's why. This high volume of hits is depleting my plants faster than I can replace them. Okay. Uh-huh. You want me to use the rest of this supply? You bought a Nighthowler farm? Okay. Well then once Jesse and Wolter get back we'll head out, so keep your eyes on the news. Doug out."

The amount of evidence that they had just gathered was astronomical. Jameson immediately signaled Spotters to lift him to the window and once there James took aim. "Hey thanks for telling us the plan!"

Doug whirled to face the noise, finding a tactical fox outside the window leveling a weapon at him. Doug then felt two darts hit his neck before he could react, his eyes rolling back into his head as he crashed to the ground unconscious. Jameson lowered his tranq rifle and then yelled "breach and secure!"

*20 minutes later*

Nick had been taking a siesta and Judy was nervously pacing a hole in the floor of the armored truck when the back doors to the vehicle finally opened revealing Jameson. Judy quit her pacing and opened her mouth to excitedly ask what James had found but Jameson made a shush motion with his paw. Nick hadn't stirred and Jameson didn't want him to miss out on the briefing afterall.

Climbing in the truck James walked over to where Nick was dozing and with a smirk yanked Nick out of his seat by his left foot. "Agh! What the! James!" Nick spluttered out at being so rudely awoken.

James just chuckled and replied, "I didn't have time do it the gentle way, I'm still on the clock. Come on out here, it's big you two."

James then promptly hopped out the truck leaving the door open a crack. Nick let out a sigh from his spot on the floor when he registered covered snickers coming from his right. Looking that way he saw Judy standing just a little ways away, paws covering her mouth as she tried to cover her laughter. "Oh sure, laugh at the fox on the floor." Nick snarked as he started picking himself up.

Judy then took her paws away from her mouth and started laughing openly at Nick's expense. It took her about a minute to calm down and while wiping away a tear of joy she said, "I'm sorry Slick, that was just too funny! He was so calm about doing it!"

Nick stood dusting himself off, remarking, "yeah that was his favorite way to wake me up as kits. Still is, apparently. Now come on Toot-toot let's see what he's got for us."

Nick then hopped out of the truck narrowly missing a kick in the rear for the Toot-toot nickname. Nick however didn't miss the elbow Judy planted into his side. As Nick held his side Judy strolled past him giving him a satisfied smirk over her shoulder and a tail flick. The flick causing Nick to watch her retreating and bobbing tail a little too much.

"Slick you coming are not!?" Judy called without turning around causing Nick to snap out of his stupor. Nick started jogging to catch up to her while thinking, "I need to start seriously thinking about the whole inter thing once this is over."

Catching up to Judy and then matching her stride they approached Jameson and Chief Bogo standing near the entrance to the abandoned railway. Bogo noticed their approach and greeted Nick and Judy, "Hopps. Wilde. Once again you prove me wrong. This is…big. Your lead Hopps just stopped a major attack on the entirety of the ZPD."

Judy and Nick shared a look before Judy looked up at Bogo and said with a concerned tone, "what do you mean Chief?"

Jameson answered for Bogo. "What he means is your lead just led to the seizure of the terrorists' entire Nighthowler supply. This wasn't just a drop spot Judy. This was a grow operation of Nighthowlers and where the hits and attacks were planned out. We caught Doug inside on the phone with a shot caller, or thee shot caller getting orders to attack Precinct one and every precinct after. Doug also identified two more shooters named Jesse and Wolter. Last names and species unknown. We got Doug's phone and we are gonna get it all, everything inside will be ours in a matter of hours. We've also seized a modified rifle to shoot pellets, Nighthowler pellets. That's how they were making predators go savage. You freaking did it Judy."

Nick looked at Judy, his tail swishing with joy and a smile on his face. "Way to go Carrots! Now all that's left is to kick down doors and arrest the bad guys!"

Judy was just standing there in shock as she processed things so Bogo took this opportunity to be a party pooper. "Not exactly Wilde. We don't know if the other two shooters have pellet rifles of their own and Nighthowler pellets to use. Their may be more attacks still. Captain Wilde also failed to mention that the terrorists apparently acquired a Nighthowler farm. We also don't know how many more mammals are apart of this, more could be made shooters. This isn't over until it's over."

That snapped Judy out of her stupor. "Then what's next Chief?"