Author's Note: I've wanted to include the casino from the beginning. There's got to be tons of interesting stories and characters to be found here, and hopefully we'll see a bunch of them over the course of the fic.

Thanks everyone for the follows, favorites, and reviews. I'm so excited to see that everyone's liking it so far. And as for you shippers; I'll start pulling on that thread very soon :]

"Why would anyone want to live here?" Judy demanded, rolling up the window and cranking the A/C. "It's like a million degrees. Oh my god, can you imagine doing a stakeout in this heat? It'd be more like, a steak-out."

Nick peered over his sunglasses. "That sounds like the same thing."

"I mean the other kind of stake. The meat steak."

"You're making me hungry, Carrots. Hungry for days gone by."

Stuck in mid day traffic, the withering heat of Sahara Square beared down in fluid waves, rising up from the pavement and warping the outlines of street signs and honking cars. Those without cars were given some respite as the sunk had already sunk behind the rocky canyons that snaked their way through the western end of the district, not that its residents minded the heat in the first place. They strolled leisurely about, in loose clothing and hats and with ice-cold drinks, browsing the spices and fabrics of the bazaar.

Judy watched them from behind her window. "Have you ever been in there?"

"I've been everywhere."

"What's it like?"

Nick moved over to her seat, squatting behind her and waving his arm like a carnival barker. "Think of it like one big garage sale for handmade stuff. You're not going to find any fancy electronics or cheap plastic toys, oh no. These are the tents of craftsman, Fluff, of blacksmiths and woodworkers and seamstresses."

Judy elbowed him to make some room. "You're quite the salesman, Wilde."

"I've made a pretty penny in there every now and then," said Nick. "But if you're buying, you better know how to haggle. You'll get overcharged if you're not careful. Swindled, even."

"Know a thing or two about swindling?"

Nick smirked. "I got you to like me, right?"

The gridlock began to clear, and Judy inched the squad car just far enough forward to take the next right and two blocks more down a fire lane. From there, traffic was light enough to maneuver back onto the main road and towards the Palm Hotel. The titanic structure could be seen from nearly everywhere in Sahara square, offering a basic sense of direction as it split the skyline in half. Even its entrance stood grandly above the surrounding buildings, gilded and bursting with exotic, colorful flowers. To their right, the oasis shot pillars of water high into the air, dancing to the pounding rhythm of Gazelle's music. They rounded the hotel, towards a security gate, where a little mouse in the attending booth handed them guest ID's and waved them through to employee parking.

"So who are we meeting?" Judy asked as she parked.

Nick flipped through their file. "Sarah Humphrey, Chief of Security. Hah, she's blinking in her ID photo."

Not nearly baroque as the front door, the employee entrance was plain and sterile, with white walls and tiled floors. Every door was armed a deadbolt and electronic lock, and dozens of tiny red lights lined the hallways. Even here there were cameras nestled in every corner, whirring behind one-way tinted glass.

A camel was hurrying down the hallway, dressed in a black pantsuit and jangly bracelets, and she held a clipboard tightly in her hooves. She adjusted a pair of glasses before shaking their hands.

"You must be Officer Hopps and Wilde," she said, her voice chirping. "Thank you much for coming."

"It is our job," Nick reminded her. "Miss Humphrey, is it?"

Sarah pulled a ring from her shirt, dangling on a chain. "Mrs. Humphrey, actually. Keeping a ring on your hoof is a lot harder than you think. If you two will follow me, I'll take you to our security office."

The back halls wound left and right, quickly becoming a maze of locked doors and reinforced glass. At the end of one of them, Sarah swiped her security card, and the light turned from red to green. The door was heavy, as Sarah had planted her feet and grunted as she pushed. The reedy whirring of dozens of computers filled the air, and high definition screens lay sprawled out across two walls. Judy spied the floor of the casino, the hotel lounge, the kitchens, and the amphitheater, all littered with guests and employees, lost in their work or play.

Judy whistled at the display, impressed. "We must be dealing with an experienced thief, if they're able to sneak past all this."

"That's what we're worried about," said Sarah. "Jewelry, petty cash, they've even dug up some copper wiring on the roof! Anything that isn't nailed down might as well be up for grabs, and if this keeps up, so will my job."

"Don't worry, we won't let that happen," Judy said. "Have you noticed anything unusual about the cameras? Is the feed cutting out, or are they being painted over?"

"Nothing that obvious, unfortunately. We have a few that don't swivel, and someone suggested the thief is looping the footage, but when we posted security there, there wasn't anything out of the ordinary."

"What about special, repeat guests? Anyone quiet, keeps to their room? Maybe they don't get along with the other guests?"

Sarah shook her head. "We have dozens of high-profile guests, but they're all quite wealthy to begin with. I find it hard to believe they'd risk stealing."

Judy glanced at Nick. "Would it be alright if we looked around for a little, to get a feel for the layout?"

"If you think it will help. I'll let security know you're coming."

NIck held up a finger. "Actually, do you have any spare clothes?"

"Sir?"

"If your thief is here now, and sees two cops scouting the place, they might take off until things cool down. But a couple extra guests? We'll blend right in."

Judy jabbed Nick's arm. "Oh, great idea! We'll go undercover."

Sarah nervously tapped her clipboard. "It's unconventional, but maybe you have a point. We might have something in both your sizes. I'll show you the way."

She led them to a locker room, where employees put their personal belongings and change of clothes in their assigned locker, distinguished from another by engraved nameplates. On one end they were large enough for giraffes, elephants and rhinos, and on the other were several dozen for small rodents. Several of the lockers without nameplates, and Sarah reached onto her belt for the huge ring of keys. She unlocked the lockers closest to Judy's and Nick's size, and rummaged through them before tossing out some clothes.

"They won't be a perfect fit, but you won't stand out either," said Sarah. "You'll have to hide your guest ID's too, so don't let anyone too close."

"You hear that?" Judy asked, smirking at Nick. "Better dial back that charm."

Nick sighed, over-dramatically. "I'll try, but no promises. It's a blessing and a curse, Fluff."

After changing, they pushed through a pair of double doors out to the lobby of the hotel, and the stark, unpainted walls gave way to lush red carpeting and dazzling chandeliers, fine hardwoods and velvet. A bellhop hurried past them, struggling with half a dozen suitcases for an ornery, elderly armadillo. A giraffe towered behind the lobby's bar, reaching the top shelf liquors for guests willing to endure its cost, and hordes of smartly dressed lemmings marched underfoot, flanked by attendants whose sole responsibility was keeping their path clear of anything large enough to flatten them.

Sarah stepped aside until they had moved on. "We get a lot of corporate retreats. The cleaning staff have to be careful not to throw them in with the laundry, though."

"Has that...happened?" Judy asked.

"Anyway, I've put the word out you two are taking a look around. You'll still get stopped at any restricted areas if you get close, but they'll wave you through once you explain, unless they're not letting anyone in. I go back to the office and keep watch from there. Good luck!"

Nick shoved his hands into his pockets, following one of the elevators with his eyes. It rose higher and higher until it was barely a speck against the endless rows of rooms; even its elephantine passenger seemed tiny that far up.

"Bet there's a good view from the top," he said. "So, should we check the casino first, or the pool?"

"We'll stay here, watch how people come and go." Judy replied.

"At least there's a bar."

"No drinking on the job."

"You're no fun."

They sat down at a pair of plush sofas, across from one another so Judy could watch one entrance while Nick held the other. He ordered juice for the two of them; mixed berry for himself, and carrot juice for Judy.

"Just because I'm a bunny doesn't mean I only like carrots."

Nick sat back and waited. "...But?"

Judy looked away. "...But it just happens to be my favorite, so thank you. You got lucky this time. Do you see anything?"

"Lots of seniors. I think I've seen trees grow faster than some of these old-timers."

"Take this seriously, would you?"

"I am. That's why I'm not watching the guests. I've got my eye on the employees."

Judy set her drink down, her tail swishing in curiosity. "The employees? Why?"

"Think about it, Carrots: this thief of theirs has managed to avoid being caught on camera for how long? The guards haven't seen anything, the guests haven't, all because they're looking in the wrong place. I'll bet you our pilferer is on the payroll. I'm surprised they haven't considered it already, really."

"Nick, that's genius!"

"Oh, I know."

Judy's eyes began darting around the room, ears scanning for any suspicious noises. "Who do you think would have the best chance at getting away with it?"

"Could be the cleaning staff, rummaging through rooms when they're not supposed to. Or maybe they're from the kitchens, taking the stolen items out with the trash."

"Ew. We should tell Sarah about this!"

Nick held up his paw, shaking his head. "I'd hold off on that."

"Why?"

"Because, it could also be someone on the security staff. It's easy to say nothing's showed up on camera when you're the one controlling said cameras."

Judy pursed her lips. "You don't think…"

"I do. I had a hunch the moment we walked in."

Judy wrung her paws together, frowning. "Sarah doesn't act like a criminal. She seems so sweet."

"And you thought I was a loving father the first time we met," said Nick, sighing. "When you live here as long as I have, you learn to give everyone a fair shake when it comes to how little you trust them. I've spent long enough on the other side of the law to know that you're better off mistrusting everyone at first instead of trusting them. If they prove you wrong, well hey it's a pleasant surprise, everyone wins! If they don't, at least you saw it coming."

Judy reached out across the table, holding Nick's paw. "Nick, you don't have to live like that anymore. Not everyone's out to cheat you, or lie to you."

"I know, Fluff, I know. And you have a pretty good read on everyone, so I'm trying to defer to you."

"Are you two enjoying your stay?"

A pronghorn had walked up, elegant and serene. She was immaculately-dressed, draped in a long, flowing dress that brushed against the carpet, and she wore an exotic flower behind her ear.

Judy, taken by surprise, nearly coughed up some of her juice. "Oh, uh hello! Actually, we're not-"

The pronghorn sat beside her, smiling. "I know why you're here, Officer Hopps, but you never know who's listening."

"I like her," Nick said, with a small wave.

"And you must be Officer Wilde. When Sarah told me of your clever idea, I thought I should come down and speak to you directly while I have the chance. I am Callie Sonora. This is my hotel."

Another employe scurried over, whispering something in her ear and showing her something on a tablet. Sonora tapped the screen a few times, nodded in satisfaction, and sent them on their way. "I apologize. My work seems to follow me everywhere I go."

Nick glanced at Judy. "I know the feeling."

"Now, I just wanted to offer any resources you might need in the course of your investigation, anything that may help you sort this out as quickly as possible. The longer it goes on, the less likely my guests are to return. I'm on the brink of being forced to hire extra security just to make everyone feel safe."

Judy could almost feel Nick resisting the urge for an I-told-you-so look. "Of course, ma'am. We won't leave a stone unturned."

"I'm very glad to hear th-"

"Stop! Thief!"

A wolf shoved his way through a group of buffalo, stumbling to the floor and dropping the bag he held under his arms. Poker chips, money, jewelry, and several phones spilled out across the floor, and he began to scoop them back up when he noticed Judy and and Nick staring.

"Nick-"

"I got it." Nick leapt over the table and dove towards the wolf's legs, trying to slap a pair of handcuffs on his legs. The wolf's tail blocked his vision, and he managed to squirm out of Nick's grip. Judy jumped from her own seat, but was slapped out of the air. Nick managed to catch her before she hit the ground, setting her down before they both raced after the thief, as nearly all the security in the lobby scrambled

"Stop in the name of the law!" Judy shouted, sliding under a passing food cart. The wolf pushed past a rhino, tripping him as he tried to step aside. He nearly collapsed onto Judy, but Nick pushed the food cart in front of her, and instead the Rhino rolled off the top of it, sending pastries and fruit platters flying. Nick reached down and pushed Judy back up, helping her get back to full speed.

"Get the car!" she said, before starting back after the thief.

"Tell me if you lose him!" Nick called. He raced along the side of the hotel, back towards the employee parking lot and their cruiser.

"If!" Judy shot back.

The wolf slid across the hood of a truck, rolling down a hill on the lawn. A beaver swerved out of the way before he ran them over with his mower, tapping one of the palm trees, and the wolf dove into the gardens at the top of the hill, disappearing in the maze of shrubs and flowers.

Judy dropped to the ground, her ears poking through the leaves and listening. She caught a twig snapping to her left, and charged forward. She spied the wolf's foot and stomped on it, using it as a springboard to jump between his arms, headbutting the duffle bag and robbing him of his ill-gotten gains. They rolled back down the hill towards the pond, but a small rock kept the bag from falling in.

The wolf bared his claws, snarling. "Outta my way, rabbit."

He swung his arm, but instead of aiming for Judy, he tore down several branches overhead, and as she struggled to get free, he tried to put as much distance between them as possible. Judy wiggled her way out of the branches, snapping one off and carrying it with her. She jumped to the roof of the nearest car, onto another as it passed by, and onto a third, giraffe-sized car. From that height she could spy the wolf crouched low and making his way to the other side of the parking lot. She tested the stick's weight, aimed carefully, and slung it as hard as she could. As the wolf briefly stopped to investigate the noise as it whistled through the air, it struck him squarely on the temple, and he bounced off the side of another car, spinning in place. He stumbled backwards into an empty space, and fell to the pavement just as Nick arrived in the squad car, carefully maneuvering the car on top of him. Nick heard the thump as the wolf tried to sit up, hitting his head on the underside of the car, and offered a thumbs-up to Judy as she hurried over.

"Nice shot," he said hopping out with a pair of handcuffs. He crawled under the car and slapped them on the wolf's wrists, while Judy used her own on his legs, just as he was beginning to come to his senses.

"Hey! What gives?" he demanded, squirming under the car and hitting his head again. Judy and Nick carefully dragged him out by the tail and dumped him against the back wheel.

"I'll go get the bag," said Judy. She jogged back towards the gardens, looking for the hil the bag had rolled down. She spied it resting against the rock and slung it over her shoulder. Some of the money spilled out, and she kneeled down to pick it up, only to discover it was all obviously counterfeit.

"What the…" she dumped out the rest of the bag. All the money was counterfeit, the phones outdated and broken, the poker chips carved from wood.

Nick's voice buzzed through her radio. "What do you think, partner? Should we take the spoils, make a run for the border?"

"Nick, it's all fake."

"What?"

"Everything in the bag. Counterfeit money, fake chips, everything."

She made her way back to the car. Sarah was there, standing at Nick's side and panting. Nick was holding his tranquilizer, lazily pointing it at the wolf just in case he tried anything.

"Officer Hopps!" she called, waving. "I came out here as soon as I heard. Thank you so much for stopping him."

Nick glanced at the wolf, who was snickering on the ground. "Don't thank us just yet."

Judy showed Sarah the contents of the bag, and Sarah rifled through it, as confused as they were. "What on earth? It's junk!"

The wolf laughed again. "I bet you feel pretty stupid right about now." He yelped as Nick 'accidentally' stepped on his tail.

"Why go through all the trouble of stealing something, if you're not actually stealing anything?" Judy put her paws on her hips. "It doesn't make any sense."

"You got nothing on me, rabbit," said the wolf, spitting on the ground. "After all, I didn't take anything."

"Well, don't forget you did assault two police officers," Nick said, taking pleasure as the wolf's smile disappeared as quickly as it had arrived.

Far away, someone screamed. It was Judy who saw the smoke first, spindly black fingers that crawled up the hotel's gleaming trunk. Other mammals had begun to take notice, slowing their cars to see, or pointing with mouths agape. Towards the gate, the posted security began to run to the hotel, shouting into their radios.

The wolf withered as Judy and Nick turned to look at him. "I...I didn't do that, I swear."

Nick opened the car door. "Go. I'll take care of him, and catch up with you."

Sarah pulled out her phone as Judy raced away. "I'm calling the fire department now," she heard her say.

Guests were streaming out of the front entrance as alarms began to sound, panicked mammals herding together. Mothers clutched their children close, who turned their heads trying to make sense of the chaos. As Judy peered through the lobby doors, she didn't see the source of the fire, but saw several employees hurrying out of the security offices, and assumed that's where the fire had started. She hurried back outside, running around the side of the building, where even more staff were pouring out, coughing up smoke and wiping their eyes. As a zebra helped a wheezing armadillo out the door, a backdraft erupted, shooting a wave of debilitating heat out into the crowd. The two might have been scorched if Judy hadn't leapt towards them to push them out of the way, having heard the coming, roaring flame.

"Is everyone alright?" she asked. "Is anyone still inside?"

The armadillo was too out of breath to speak, but she managed to nod and point back inside. Without a moment's hesitation, Judy raced back inside, staying low to the ground to keep the smoke from her eyes and nose, which had begun to fully cloud the hallways. It had been hard enough to find her way when Sarah had guided them; now, she was completely reliant on her senses and what little she might remember. She kept her breathing shallow and calm to minimize the smoke coming into her lungs, and she strained to hear a voice through the growing roar of the fire.

A cry rang out to her right, and she rounded the corner only to find the ceiling beginning to collapse, exposed wiring hanging down like vines. They sparked and added to the flames, crackling like sparklers above her head. By now the roar was deafening, and Judy could only blindly move forward, guessing at where the voice had come from. She coughed and her eyes began to sting.

The door beside her shook; someone was on the other side, bashing their shoulder against it. Judy pressed her ear to the door. "Hello? Is someone in there?"

A terrified voice cried out "Yes, yes! Please, I can't get out!"

Judy's mind raced. She grabbed the doorknob, and jumped up the security panel next to it, bracing her feet against the wall. She leaned back to the door. "Okay, I'm going to pull at the same as you push, as hard as you can. Can you do that for me?"

"O-okay! I'll try!"

"On the count of three: one...two...three!"

Judy pulled with all her strength and felt the frame shake as it was pushed from the other side. But the door didn't budge, and the flames were drawing even closer.

"Oh god…" the voice wailed, shaky with fear.

"Stay with me!" Judy pressed. "We're going to try again. I won't leave you here. Push as hard as you can. Use your foot and kick it if you have to. You're going to get out of here. Are you ready?"

"Hurry!"

Judy gritted her teeth. "On three. One...two...THREE!"

She shouted as every ounce of her strength poured into that door, and the door rocketed open as a camel's foot connected. It swung wildly and tore free of its top hinge, and Judy swept dangerously close to the flames, before the camel pulled the door back.

The camel knelt down in relief, and she pulled Judy closely to her, sobbing. "Oh, thank you, thank you. You saved my life."

"Carrots!"

Judy turned around. Nick had arrived, coughing and covering his eyes with his sleeve as he hurried over to them. "We need to get out of here now," he said. "If we can find it; this place is a maze."

The camel brushed the smoke free with her eyelashes. "I-I can help us get out! I know the way."

Judy nodded. "Okay. Tell us where to go, and we'll keep you safe."

They ran back through the hallways, crouched low and tears streaming down their faces. The camel shouted directions over the roaring inferno, and they took great effort to avoid stepping into the rapidly crumbling walls. An enormous crack rang out, bouncing in their heads.

"We gotta go now," Nick hissed. "This place is about to come down on top of us!"

"We're almost there!" The camel said, pointing to the next corner. "Just down that way!"

They turned, only to find debris blocking the way out. A heavy pipe spurting blistering steam prevented them from coming too close.

"What now?" said Judy, looking around for another route. Nick began taking his shirt off, ripping off his tie, and wrapping both around his paws.

"What are you doing?" Judy asked.

Nick edged closer to the pipe. "Carrots, push against my back. It might be too heavy by myself."

They wiped the sweat from their eyes, and slowly approached the pipe. Nick jerked back in surprise when the steam barely brushed against his foot, but kept forward. He took a deep breath, and pressed his hands against the pipe, planting his feet and pushing. Judy put her back to him, digging her own feet into the floor. The pipe groaned, and slowly began to move out of the way. Nick howled in pain, but with a final heave, the pipe broke off in the roof and crashed to the floor, bringing down the rest of the debris with it. They crawled through and made it outside, falling to their knees as they coughed out what smoke had forced its way into their lungs.

Sarah was standing there, her knees shaking and hoof tightly clutching her phone. "Oh thank god you're alive," she said. "I was so worried."

Minutes later, the fire department arrived, and they slowly pushed back against the flames, managing to save the hotel as a whole. The security offices were completely ruined, as was Sarah's state-of-the-art camera system, but she didn't care, relieved to know that everyone had made it out. Crowds began to gather around the scene, and news vans soon after. Judy gave a brief statement, but it soon became clear the reporters were more interested in painting her as a hero once again than they were finding everything that happened. Sarah, seeing that Judy was no longer interested in answering personal questions, pulled her aside and away from the cameras.

"I guess we'll need that extra security," she said, almost laughing. "I didn't think this day could get worse."

Judy, who had been caring for the other camel until an ambulance had arrived, nodded her head. "Things weren't...ideal, but no one got hurt, and that's what's important."

"Yes, of course. I should look at the brightside. Miss Sonora is grateful for your help, and wanted me to tell you she'll be calling the station to commend yours and Officer Wilde's bravery."

Judy beamed with pride. "That's what we do, ma'am."

As Sarah went to check on her other staff, Nick waved his bandaged paws in Judy's face, grimacing. "You said 'no one got hurt'. What is your definition of 'hurt'? Or do my grevious injuries seem flippant to you?"

"You know what I meant, Nick" Judy said with a smile. "Are you feeling okay?"

Her partner shrugged, squinting when a burst of pain shot up his arm. "I'll be happy when I get my perscription. Maybe I can guilt Bogo into letting me take a few days off. I can kick back, and-"

His cheeks burned red as Judy took one of his paws and softly pressed her lips to the bandages, laughing as he pulled it away in surprise.

"Wh-what are you doing?" he demanded.

"Do they feel any better?" Judy asked. "My mom always told me it helped."

Nick's ears fell flat against his head, and he kicked at the pavement, looking away. "...Yeah, okay, maybe they feel a little better," he murmured.

"Good. Is our perp doing alright?"

"Should be. I left the air running."

Judy motioned for him to follow. "Let's go check on him. He says he didn't have anything to do with this, but I don't buy it just yet."

But when they got back to the squad car, all they found was a broken window and an empty seat. The cuffs lay on the floor of the car, undamaged.

Nick sighed. "At least he didn't take the car."

Author's Note: That's the first chapter entirely within one scene. Don't know how often that'll happen.

These two OC's probably won't be a major part of the story like Olly and Yaguara will, for example. Just in case you were worried there were too many. I named them as such because:

Sarah Humphrey - Sahara desert, and camels have humps, obviously

Callie Sonora - Sonora is the name of another desert, located within 'Callie', California

The chapters will be coming out either sooner or longer the farther I get into this story. Once I have a firm grasp of where it needs to go, it's much easier to work. Thanks for reading!