Author's Note: Thank you to everybody who's read this story so far! It's fun to write and I'm glad people like it. Please review. I love seeing your thoughts on the story!
"Approaching vehicle. Four hundred yards out."
Nick sat in silence as the small convoy moved toward the parked car. It was unknown if Judy intentionally left the vehicle's transponder on or simply forgot about it, but the ZPD knew extactly where she was only minutes after they discovered the car was gone.
Now Nick was part of small team sent to retrieve the car and anyone who might be inside. As the three police vans slowed to a stop about a hundred yards away from the seemingly abandoned vehicle, the Special Weapons and Tactics team leapt from the back doors of the vans and moved into position.
The SWAT officers moved themselves toward the car slowly in two columns, each following an officer carrying a ballistic shield while keeping their assault rifles trained on the car. They got within a few yards of the car before they stopped. Nick disembarked the van and watched from a distance as one of the SWAT officers raised a bullhorn.
"Dawn Bellwether and Judy Hopps, step out of the vehicle with your hands up!" Tense seconds passed as the officers as they waited for a response. After seeing no movement, the officer raised the bullhorn again. "Dawn Bellwether and Judy Hopps, this is ZPD SWAT. Step out of the vehicle now!"
Still there was no movement. The lead SWAT officer motioned for the others to move forward. As a single, well-trained unit, the SWAT team began to advance. As they reached the car, they spread out and surrounded the vehicle. Moving with lightning speed, they moved up to the car and threw the doors open.
"Front seat clear."
"Rear seat clear."
"Trunk clear."
"Vehicle clear. Nobody's here."
Judy's eyes fluttered open. As she regained her senses, her brain was assaulted by a strange mixture of sensations. She felt rested for the first time in days while at the same time her head pounded with a ferocious headache, no doubt caused by the tranquilizer in her system. Her brain started to remember the events leading up to this situation and she bolted upright.
She had been on the side of the road. Bellwether had found the dart gun. A car was pulling up. The last thing she remembered was a sharp sting in her side before waking up here.
Judy took a few seconds to take in her environment when her brain had a sense if recognition. Fear followed. She was in a dark and damp room and was on a small cot with a basically nonexistent mattress.
"Where am I?" Judy asked to no one in particular, already knowing the answer.
"You don't remember?" Judy jumped slightly at the sound of Bellwether's voice. She hadn't noticed the sheep sitting in the darkened corner. "This is where my associates brought you the first day you met them." Judy looked around the room.
"Why am I here? You're free. It's over," Judy said as she slid he feet off the bed and onto the floor.
"Oh, you're looking at the small picture, Judy," Bellwether replied. "Getting out of jail was just a small part of this whole thing."
"What are you getting at?" Judy pried, hoping for some more details on the sheep's plan.
"Oh, that would be too easy!" Bellwether said as she rose from her chair. "What would be the fun in spilling everything now?" The sheep walked toward the large metal door covering the exit. Judy bolted up from the stop to stop her, intent on getting answers.
"Hey, wait..." Judy suddenly felt all control leave her body, followed by extreme pain emanating from her neck. Before Judy knew what was happening, she was lying on the ground, twitching. Bellwether slowly turned around to face Judy, holding up a small remote in her hand.
"Did I forget to mention my little toy?" she said as she released the button. Judy felt the pain drain away and feeling returned to her limbs. She slowly sat up and placed her paw on her throat feeling the outline of a shock collar on her neck.
"You are actually insane," Judy said, trying to catch her breath.
"Oh, Judy, you know it's not smart to insult someone with their finger on the trigger," Bellwether sneered before depressing the button yet again. Judy felt the electric pulses course through her body again. Her limbs locked as the the collar overrode her brain's signals.
Bellwether held the button down for several seconds and watched Judy writhe in pain on the dirty floor. Judy gasped for air as soon as the sheep released the button. She gritted her teeth as her body tried to mediate the burning sensation. She clawed at the collar, trying to find clasp.
"Good luck getting it off, Officer Hopps," Bellwether taunted. "It's permanently sealed." Judy gave up trying to remove the shock collar and pushed herself onto her knees.
"Just promise me," Judy said through her breaths. "Just promise me my family will be safe."
"Oh, Officer Hopps, always so noble," Bellwether replied with a sarcastic tone in her voice. "I have no issue with your family. They'll be fine." With those words, Bellwether left the room, closing the door behind her. Judy saw the faintest glimpse of a concrete staircase leading upward on the other side of the door.
Judy stood and slowly walked back to the cot. Her whole body ached from the electrocution. She sat down on the cot and looked around the room, taking in the small details. The room was essentially a concrete box with a single light source hanging from the ceiling. The only access was a the large door across the room from the bed.
But if the stairs lead up, this is probably the basement. And if this is the basement, it needs a...
Judy's eyes locked on the small drain in the corner of the room.