Chapter 13: Breaking Out

There they were finally face to face with the culprit behind all the crimes in Zootopia. The officers sat in their chairs, both their eyes fixed on Goldenfol as if they weren't going to let him off their sights any time soon.

"What is it you want? Why all the crimes in the city's districts?" Judy demanded.

"I would've thought someone like yourself would have found out by now. I mean, with all that's been going on do you think I would have gotten as far as I have without the ZPD being so busy?" Goldenfol gets off his chair and walks over to look out a window, "I plan to own this city, however I can get it. I am a patient raccoon, little by little I'll take control of each of the districts. But in order to do so I needed more money. Can I assume you know where that came from?" He turned his head to the officers and smirked.

Nick thought about it, "So that's why all the bank robberies. You had your henchmen committing the petty crimes drawing away our officers, so the others could have enough time and make off with the money."

Goldenfol delighted at Nick's answer turned the rest of his body and pointed at Nick with both his index fingers, "Exactly! Looks like our fox here is smarter than what he looks. No wonder you were successful in taking that big personal loan those years back. Which reminds me, you wouldn't think your friend Jeremy and his pals would just let it go did you?" Goldenfol snapped his fingers and from another room was Leonard and Jim. In between them Jeremy; still twitching, trying to control himself from the Night Howler effect.

Jeremy tries to smile, "Can I return him favor now boss? I'm so looking forward to seeing him go savage and tear up his little partner there." He said in an antagonizing.

"In a bit Jeremy, I want to know how much information these two have given the ZPD."

Jeremy was impatient, "But I just, Have to do it now boss!"

Mr. Goldenfol hits his desk with a closed fist to show he was serious, "I said in a bit Jeremy! In fact, I will not be interrupted with you battling your savageness, you and your friends will go wait outside and keep an eye out. I highly doubt our friends here are the only ones whom came for a visit."

Jeremy and his two henchmen walk towards the door. But when Jeremy passes near Nick he snaps at him, causing Nick to lean away in his chair, Judy placing her paw on the arm rest in case she needed to pull him away even further.

Outside Robert turned around to see who was arriving in the elevator, which turned out to be Loren.

He was so glad to see her he runs up to her and hugs her, "They've been taken behind that door, I think if we're quick we'll catch them by surprise."

But then Jeremy, Leonard and Jim come out the door as Robert and Loren hid behind the corner.

"Or I guess not." Robert peeked to see Jeremy walking back and forth wall to wall twitching, "I think he's infected by the Night Howler serum."

"What are we going to do? We can't take them on."

"Perhaps we can be of assistance." Gazelle and two of her back up dancers stood behind them.

Loren couldn't believe it was Gazelle, her mouth dropped and covered it with her paws.

"Is she alright?"

"Yeah, she's just excited to see you. She's a fan."

Gazelle giggled, "So what do we got?"

"Our friends have been taken behind that door at the end of this hallway."

"But that's the way to Mr. Goldenfol's penthouse."

"Hence showing he is the guy we're looking for. But Loren and I can't get pass those guards, especially since that little one is infected with the Night Howler serum."

Gazelle couldn't believe it and peeks at the corner seeing the twitching red panda.

Gazelle turned to her dancers whom showed they were prepared to take them on and then to Robert, "Don't worry we'll take care of them. You guys go in their and help your friends."

"Are you sure you won't need any assistance?"

Gazelle laughed, "Don't worry, we know how to handle animals like them. We'll detain them for you as well officer."

Gazelle then led her performers down the hallways towards the three guards. Leonard sees her and taps Jim on his right arm as he was busy on his phone.

"What? Can't you see I'm busy..." Jim looks up and sees what Leonard what bugging him about.

Gazelle and her performers then stood a small distance from them due to Jeremy acting oddly.

"Say, can you three strong animals help us out?"

Jeremy was not please to see any one in front of him, "Buzz off lady! No visitors allowed." He hissed.

Gazelle was not pleased at his response, "Well, someone never learned good manners." She sassed placing her left hoof on her hip.

"Don't think we're not afraid to take of care of-" Gazelle quickly punches Jeremy causing him to fly a small distance and fall to the ground unconscious.

"What an annoying little twerp."

Leonard and Jim couldn't believe what they just saw, "Hey!" They called out and charged at the gazelle.

Her two performers then step up to her side and start to fight off Leonard and Jim. Loren and Robert stood at the end of the hallways amazed at how they were taking down the two guards, until finally they too were defeated. They ran down to the hall astonished they were able to take them down.

"Wow, I must admit I did not expect that." Robert chuckled.

"Well you don't know how dancing moves like ours without knowing a little fighting moves." Gazelle winked at him, "You should hurry and get your friends and arrest Goldenfol. We'll get these three tied up."

Robert nodded and grabs Loren's hand leading her to the door, "You're so amazing." Loren waved at Gazelle breaking her silence as Robert leads her away.

Robert peeks inside to see if any one was near the door. He could hear Mr. Goldenfol a bit muffled due to the distance as he chatted with Nick and Judy. The two silently approached the room where the discussion was coming from. Once there Robert peeked around the corner watching as Mr. Goldenfol was behind the desk and though he couldn't see them, knew Judy and Nick were on the two chairs in front of it.

"But any way, I'm a busy raccoon and a city is waiting to be mine. I'll leave you two in Jeremy's care." He waved his hand downward so Edgar would shout for Jeremy to come back in.

Before he could go get him Robert takes in and let's out a deep breath and reveals himself walking from behind the corner, "Oh, hello, I didn't expect to see any one else here." Edgar was confused seeing Robert coming out of his hiding spot. Nick and Judy lean over to see from the side of their chairs, "Nick, Judy, there you are we've been looking all over for you two."

Mr. Goldenfol looked at Louis and back at Robert, "Who are you? And what are you doing in my penthouse?"

"Oh, officer Lyle, ZPD. I don't expect much of any introductions from you all, so let's get straight to the point; on the floor now. You all are under arrest for your criminal activities and conspiracy."

The three mobsters looked at one another as if they didn't know what Robert was up to and smiled.

Edgar stepped towards Robert, "You should've brought more back up little cat."

Robert chuckled standing in place, "Oh, but we did." He pointed to the windows where there were blue and red lights flashing on the window frames. Louis runs up and looks down to see the hotel was surrounded by the ZPD.

He turns to Mr. Goldenfol, "Sir, we're surround!"

"Oh, I honestly thought Chief Bogo wasn't going to let us get to our officers in time, but glad to see he's on the move now."

Down in the lobby the ZPD began to fill it up. In the ceremonial hall, there was a giraffe actress giving a thank you speech, but stops on account of the noises behind the doors; which also caught the audience's attention. The officers swarm the lobby and begin to take the elevators up. Back on the top floor Gazelle's performers had tied up and placed Leonard and Jim in an empty room.

"Nice work fellas, now all we need is the little guy-" She paused as she saw nothing at the end of the hallway, but torn ropes, "Oh no, where did go?"

Her performers shrugged.

Back in Mr. Goldenfol's office Robert continued speaking, "So you see you should've hired more security detail, because this was easy."

Behind him Jeremy had caught Loren and held her hostage, "Is that so officer." He walked with Loren passed him to be in everyone's sight. Robert couldn't believe he didn't hear the sneaky red panda come into the room.

"Let her go!" He demanded.

"Why don't you make me, but be careful we wouldn't want something to happen to our squirrel now would we?"

Robert stood helplessly not knowing what to do to free Loren. Nick and Judy couldn't do anything as well as they watched the red panda holding their friend as leverage.

Mr. Goldenfol laughed at the circumstances, "Well as I've said, some things just never go as planned now do they?" He leaves his desk and stands close to Edgar, "Now if you don't mind it seems we have a chopper to start off. Louis, Edgar let's go."

"Wait? What about me?!" Jeremy shouted.

"Once I have Zootopia in my pocket I'll have you three buffoons released. Just stall the officers that are surely heading our way."

"And these four?"

Mr. Goldenfol opens a drawer and pulled out a case, inside a pellet gun and Night Howler pellets in a small container, "Do as you wish. As I said they're yours."

Jeremy smile sadistically happy to see the gun. Robert took the opportunity and dashed to a book case throwing a book at Jeremy, causing him to release Loren. She swings her head back hitting Jeremy and using both her legs kicks him away as she propels herself towards Robert. Once he helps her up they run towards the space between Edgar and Louis. Before they could grab them Nick and Judy jump from their chairs onto Edgar, shoving him onto Louis knocking them down. The two officers then dashed to the exit, jumping over Jeremy who was getting up and recuperating from the hit Loren gave him. Before they could open the door Mr. Goldenfol pressed a button hidden underneath his desk, sealing the door. Judy tries her best to get it to open, but there was no use.

"Get up you fools, if those two get to the chopper they'll ruin our only way to escape. Jeremy and I will take care of these two."

Louis and Edgar got up and nodded then went after Robert and Loren.

Nick looked around as Judy still attempted to open the door, "Come on Judy, hurry."

"Feel free to try yourself."

"Leaving so soon are we?" Judy turned around as Goldenfol slowly walks towards them, "But you haven't said fair well to us." Jeremy gets up, looking more messed up than before still trying to get over the Night Howler effect, "Jeremy, get them."

"With pleasure."

Before he could get to them, Nick opens the door to his right and pulls Judy in. She immediately locks the door as Jeremy bangs and scratches the door savagely. They began to ran down the hallway, where to the right was more of the windows and to the left were doors to rooms.

"We got to get away from them and stall them somehow while we wait for the ZPD." Judy said as she ran.

"What about Robert and Loren? We can't just leave them with Louis and Edgar." Nick reminded her.

Judy looked up at the vents ahead, "I got an idea, we'll use the vents to get to the helipad."

"Good idea, quickly now that door isn't going to hold."

Goldenfol had gotten a skeleton key from his desk and ran back to the door still being scratched up by Jeremy.

"Move!" He shoved Jeremy aside fearlessly.

He got the door open and Jeremy charged into the big hallway. He ran on two and four legs at times, trying to catch up the Nick and Judy. Up ahead he saw Nick's tail disappear into the vent shaft above.

He grunted in rage as Goldenfol arrived at the scene, "Ah! They've gone into the vents. Heading up to the helipad no doubt!"

"Then let's go meet them there."

They ran back the hallway with haste.