Chapter 12: Face to Face
Loren arrived to the 58th floor and began to head to the boiler room she told Nick and Judy were being held. She saw the bear leaning on the wall next to the entrance leading to the boiler room.
Loren approached acting naturally, "Hey, Kell, big bear."
He turned to her and surprised to Loren, "Loren, long time since I've seen you. What are you doing here?"
"I heard we had a little rat problem. So the boss told me to get some information from them."
"What? I know I would've been told since I'm keeping an eye out for any one who'll try to free 'em. Heck, if anything I should be the one getting the information." Kell turned and opened the door.
Loren was quick to stop him from going down to the boiler room, "Hey! I was told to get the information, you were told to stand and watch. Unless you wanna talk to the boss about how you left your post and did someone else's job." She intimidated in a playful manner.
Kell returned to his post knowing very well the consequences, "You're right, you should go."
Loren proceeded to the boiler room, once there she slowly opened the door, but before looking inside she turned back to see if Kell was watching. She then entered the room and found the chain dangling from the ceiling with the ropes on the floor.
Loren wondered what was going on, "Where are they? I think they must have been taken to another place." She told herself, "I can't go back and ask Kell, I can't contact Robert or Chief Bogo will send in reinforcements." But she noticed that one of the ropes was torn, "Wait they escaped."
She leaves the room and instead of exiting from where she came from she headed to the stairway door.
Back in Gazelle's dressing room everyone discussed of the accusation.
"It's good to know that you're not involved in this Ms. Gazelle. That only leaves Mr. Goldenfol."
"Mr. Goldenfol? But he's been good to my staff and I since he bought the hotel."
"Even if that is so, there's no telling what he is up to. After all he has been on the ZPD's radar time to time."
Gazelle took Robert's words in to consideration, "If what you say is true, then we'll help you uncover whatever Goldenfol has been up to."
"Truly thank you for your assistance. But be very cautious, we're dealing with some tough mobsters. And the last thing we need is getting Zootopia's super star into any kind of danger. That just wouldn't look good on the ZPD."
Gazelle laughed, "I'm sure we'll be able to handle them. Now you should get going and help your friends. We'll meet back stage if we find something odd or suspicious."
"Thank you again Ms. Gazelle, we'll owe you one." And with that Robert headed out to reunite with Loren and hopefully Nick and Judy.
On the 38th floor Nick and Judy exit the stairway, looking around from the doorway for any security lurking about. They walked as if they were just strolling about, looking straight ahead.
"What do we do now?" Judy whispered to Nick.
"We have to find Robert and Loren, they have to on the first floor." He whispered back.
Down below, an announcer began to let everyone know that the ceremony was about to commence. Judy then walked to the railing looking up and around for security, "Looks like everyone is going downstairs. We have to hurry and reach them. With everyone in the theater we'll be able to get officers in here without-" Judy then spotted Louis exiting one of the elevators up ahead to her right. She grabs Nick by his right wrist and run away. Louis saw them running from the corner of his eye and begins to chase them, "Hey! You two! Stop where you are!" He immediately takes out his walky-talky, "Edgar are you there?"
Edgar Was standing in the boss's office and picks up his walky-talky, "Yes, what is it Louis?"
"Our two "guest" are loose!"
Their employer puts down a pen and gestures Edgar to go assist Louis.
"I'm on my way." Edgar dashed for the door and headed down stairs.
Louis was getting closer to Judy and Nick as they ran, passing a few guest moving out the way. Loren then exits the stairway having heard some of the guests shout. Loren goes to the edge and can't see what is going on and begins to run the opposite direction the three were running from. She then is able to see Nick and Judy running on the floor below her. She then also spots Louis running not far behind them. Judy looks over the rails as they still ran and sees a large den of flowers and other colorful vegetation on the bridge to the elevators below that was coming up to their left.
"Nick, we have to jump." She told him as she panted from running.
Nick shook his head trying to process what Judy just said, "Wait? What?!"
"Down there!" She pointed the den out for him.
Nick was nervous, but knew she was right, it was their only way to get some real distance from Louis. Once they were above it, they slip over the rail and jumped to the den. Luckily with the flowers and soil, they landed without injury. Louis was a few feet from catching them and stops to look over the railing. Judy and Nick brush themselves off and head to the elevators ahead pressing the button many times to get it to them.
Louis heads for a near by stairway door to get to the floor below, taking out his walky-talky again, "They're going to be heading to the first floor." He shouted to it.
Finally the elevator arrives as Judy and Nick do not hesitate to run in the empty lift. Louis appears after exiting the stairway and heads to the couple. Nick anxiously pressed the button to the first floor none stop looking at it and out the door.
"Hurry Nick!"
"I already pressed it carrots, it's not moving." He replied with a closed jaw with only his lips moving.
Louis was straight ahead, looking like he already won the race, ready to detain the duo. But then the doors closed as Louis had his hand reaching out as he hoped to still stop them from leaving. Nick turns around to place his back onto the glass wall, sighing in relief trying to catch his breath. Judy hugs him happy to have gotten away from Louis with him.
"Now that, was close."
Judy giggled at the tired fox, "Yes it was. It was also exciting."
"Wait till Robert hears about it and Loren."
They readied themselves as the numbers above the button began to drop getting closer to one.
But when they arrived, they looked up, their confidence and cheer was whipped out.
In front of them was Edgar, with crossed arms and a smirk clearly stating you thought you had gotten away, "Wow, these elevators run slow don't they? I get that there's so many floors, but you would think in this day and age they would just drop down quicker."
He let's himself in forcefully, shoving the two officers back and away from each other.
He grabs onto their wrist like little children whom had misbehaved, "Now, how about you all come with me? There's someone who's been dying to meet the two brave officers that ruined his casino."
He yanks them and started heading to a gold color pillar that had an elevator built in; the elevator Edgar used to get to the bottom floor faster than the duo. Unfortunately for Judy and Nick, there were no more guest or press to see the leopard taking them against their will. Judy and Nick tried their best to break free, but Edgar was too strong for them. With the hand that held Judy, he lifts her up to press the button to go up using her knuckle to do so. He tosses them in, each falling to the back of the round elevator, Nick then grabs Judy as they watched Edgar go in and makes the elevator head up, turning his back towards the two.
He then takes out his walky-talky to inform Louis, "It's Edgar. I caught them, we're heading to introduce them to the boss." He gave a little laugh at the end.
Loren arrived on the other elevator next to the one Judy and Nick used to get away from Louis. She looked around calling out their names, hoping they would appear to her, but no one came. All she could hear is someone talking and laughter time to time, echoing from the closed theater doors.
She turned to the golden color pillar and saw the numbers increasing, "Oh no, I'm too late."
She raises her wrist with the bracelet to talk to Robert, but hesitates. If Loren presses the button, Chief Bogo will hear their conversation and send in the reinforcements. There's no telling what fate will await once the culprits catch onto them. But she knew if she goes up to confront the mobsters alone, she'll be captured as well.
Loren shook her head and presses the button, "Robert, Nick and Judy are heading to the highest floor. They...they are with Edgar."
"What? Who's Edgar?"
"He's the leopard I told you guys about, there's no doubt he is taking them to the boss."
Chief Bogo's voice then comes from another line, "What is this? Our officers have been caught?! I thought you all had it under control?!"
"We did, or I at least thought we did. Someone had came for them not long before Robert and I reached the room Chief."
"That's it! I'm sending back up right now! We are going to storm the building and retrieve our officers!"
Loren quickly pressed the button to reply, "NO! You can't! I know it sounds and looks bad Chief Bogo, but if you act now there's no telling what will happen to Nick and Judy. Give us a chance to get to them. Please..."
"She is right sir, I happen to be on the highest floor, I may be able to free them when they come up."
They waited for Chief Bogo to reply.
Then there was sigh, "Alright, you still have seven minutes left. Once they are done, I will be storming into the building with my officers understand?"
"Yes chief, thank you!" Loren was grateful, "We won't fail."
"See that you two don't. Now quickly get my officers back."
Outside, Chief Bogo gets out of the van and rubs his eyes in frustration.
One of his officers, a ram approaches, "Sir, what are the orders?"
"We get to our places surrounding the building. In six minutes, we move in."
"Understood sir." The ram signals everyone and the officers begin to surround the Palm Hotel.
The three make it to the top floor, Edgar shoves Nick and Judy out of the elevator, walking out of it normally. The two look at him angrily, but knew there was nothing they could do. They walked down the hallway ahead towards the door at the end of it. They hadn't notice Robert peeking from one of the empty rooms in front of the elevator. He gets out and hides from behind the corner looking at the three as they walk down and into the door. But one of the main elevators dinged as it arrived on the top floor with Louis getting off. Luckily Robert hid again and watches the panther walk by.
On the other side of the door was another penthouse, but it was dark with the lights set to be dim. But the brightest light in the room was the lamp on the polished desk. Edgar gets Nick and Judy to sit as he stood from a distance away. Louis shows up and stand by as well. On the other side of the desk was a large chair with its back facing the officers.
"So, here you are, we finally meet."
Nick and Judy fix there eyes on the chair.
"I guess it's time to meet our mystery crime boss."
The boss laughed a little, "Yes, the dramatic climax to your investigation, right officer?"
"Why don't you show yourself? If you're such a fearsome boss."
"As you wish, not like you'll be free from here on."
The figure obliges Judy and as she had suspected, "Hello officer Hopps. Such a privilege to meet the dumb bunny that had made it difficult for the predators a few months back."
"Goldenfol. As we suspected you had fit the mark."
"Did I? Good, but would've liked to have thrown you all off my trail a while longer. But things never go as planned, now do they?"