Ghandi said: "Better to be violent if there's violence in our hearts than to put on the cloak of non-violence to cover impotence."
Ghandi also said: "I object to violence because when it appears to do good the good is only temporary; the evil it does is permanent."
The morning promised a nice day and Judy was a little early on her way to the precinct to make a short visit at the ZCB, the Zootropia Central Bank. She wore a jeans and a blouse with a thin blazer, but her police badge was visible attached to her belt. Before entering the bank, she had a look around, then pushed against the revolving door made of glass. Immediately a breeze of dry conditioned air was blowing through her fur and she twitched her nose. After letting her look wander she picked one of the four opened counters and smiled friendly to the clerk behind it. He was a badger with black fur and dressed in a business suit.
"Hello, Mister …" Judy took a closer look at the nametag of the badger, "Craftie! My name is Judy Hopps, and I want to open a savings account."
The badger smiled slightly and nodded. "Of course, Miss Hopps. Do you want to open it in your own name?"
"It is a gift for my godchild, she will be the beneficiary on her 16th birthday. Until then I want to pay into the account monthly. That's possible, isn't it?"
"Of course, Miss Hopps! Could you please fill out these form papers?" he handed her a standard form to open a new account, then proceeded to enter a few things into his PC. "What is your full name and occupation?"
"My name is Judy Hopps, I'm working for …" Judy was suddenly interrupted by the shouting of five masked mammals that had entered the bank, shooting with automatic weapons into the ceiling.
"Everybody be silent and lay on the floor! Put your phones out of your pocket and lay it visibly beside you! Anybody who tries to be a hero is shot!"
The leader of the group barked a few further commands to his companions, who immediately spread around the big entrance hall, two jumping over the corners and threatening the clerks with their weapons. Most of the other mammals were already kneeling or laying down, all others were rummaging in their pockets for their phones. That is except Judy; she hesitated for a moment but decided that she could do nothing useful right now. The moment she got on her knees, her eyes met the ones of the leader who was the only one speaking of the group. She sustained her look just a short moment too long, when the leader – a dire wolf she noticed – made a step in her direction.
"Hey, are you deaf little bunny?" he barked and Judy winced; she recognized that voice and gasped.
"You?!" it was more of a statement than a question, but the dire wolf didn't hesitate for a moment. He pointed the gun on her…
It loudly popped two times. Judy was already kneeling on one knee when the bullets hit her. She grasped with her paw to her abdomen and her fur and blouse was wet with the viscous red fluid. Disbelieving she lifted her paw and gazed on it. Her still standing leg was trembling and finally buckled. A third pop and she was thrown back. Judy felt inanimately to the floor and a red puddle grew fast under her. Her police badge still on her belt, the blood was running over its emblem.
24 hours before
"It's difficult enough to find something convenient for you, don't ask me what to give to little Judy!" Nick sighed to Judy while entering the precinct. "What about a coupon for one-time-false-parking."
Judy rolled her eyes and pushed her elbow into Nicks' side. They were invited to a little party for her godchild, but Judy had absolutely no idea what she should get as a present. As they entered the bullpen for their morning report from Chief Bogo, most of their colleagues were already there, chatting along. Judy and Nick shared a big seat together and Judy began:
"It's really difficult to find a present for such a young mouse, especially her grandfather is fending for her." She didn't want to name Mister Big's family name while in the precinct.
"Yeah, that's probably right. We can't even bake something for them, at least I have no idea how to make such small cakes." Nick considered the idea only for a short moment.
"Maybe…" Judy was interrupted by the turn up of the cape buffalo.
"Morning. Beside our routine schedule we have a support request by the special operations group. Depending on the required Skillset I have choose four. The officers I'm naming in the following are expected in conference room three: Grizzoli, Hopps, Wolford and Wilde. Team lead is Marki, you are reporting directly to him."
The four mentioned were getting off their seats and left the room, while Bogo scheduled the others to their patrol routes. Grizzoli, an athletic polar bear, went ahead and lead the small group to the named conference room. Detective Marki, a dire wolf with an ash grey fur, was already waiting for them together with a few other officers studying plans and photographs distributed on a big table.
"Ah, there you are!" Marki greeted them and gestured towards the remaining empty seats. "Okay, we are now complete, so let's begin!" He switched off the light and a video projector was showing the ZPD logo on a screen. It changed to a photo of an old depot when Marki pressed a button on his remote. "Yesterday, the ZPD taskforce against international crime stormed after several weeks of investigations this abandoned depot in the Meadowlands. It was used as a hide-out by a smuggler gang, led by Vlad Below." The screen now showed the photo of a pit bull terrier with brown fur and a hideous scar across his left face. Some of the colleagues in the room nodded recognizing. "Four gang members were shot during a gunfight, but we could arrest someone, identified as Petre Varujan by now." The screen showed the photo of a weasel with bandages on his shoulder and chest. "He is wounded and guarded in Tundratown's local hospital as it was the nearest. There are a few records in his file, most of them for burglary. Petre is a talented break-in expert, having no problems with any type of lock or alarm system. Hopps, Wilde: You two are going to interrogate him. We need more information regarding the next coup Vlad had planned. Creep into his head!"
"Yes, sir!" Judy and Nick spoke as once. The screen changed and was now showing a few photos in series of maps, floor plans, masks and weaponry. Marki continued:
"We also found enough equipment for an attack. Copies of the maps and plans are laying in front of you. The floor plans could be identified as those of the Zootopian Central Bank. It looks as if they were planning a bank hold-up. The taskforce doesn't think, that they are after the money inside the bank. This particular branch of the bank is rather small and usually has low money in reserve. There would be better targets for them." The screen changed to a photo inside the bank, showing a vault with dozens of safe deposit boxes. "It is rather believed, that they have it in for the safe deposit boxes. It's also a better fit in Vlad's profile." The screen changed to a map of the Meadowlands. "As Vlad Below couldn't be determined, he is still on the run. Wolford, Grizzoli: You are each leading a strike force, scouring for Below in the Meadowlands. We have all transitions to Tundratown and Sahara Square secured and under tightened observation and believe he is still hiding somewhere near his old hide-out. A helicopter is waiting for you two to bring you directly to your teams already on standby."
"Yes, sir!" The polar bear and the wolf answered promptly.
"The rest of us is working on those other maps and floor plans and try to get more information to work with for you all. Any questions?" the dire wolf looked around the room, then when no one was going to ask something he switched on the light and the video projector off. "Everyone reporting to me at 13 o'clock. Dismissed!"
All police officers get up their seats, some of them staying in the room and discussing the plans, Wolford, Grizzoli, Nick and Judy left the room. While the first two turned to the left hallway to get to the roof top, Judy guided Nick to the car pool to get a police rover.
"Why do you think they picked us?" Nick was sitting on the passenger seat – as always – and Judy was just closing her door.
"You heard Marki, we should 'creep into his head', that is create a psychological profile. Vlad's gang is usually smuggling, so they are not engaging a break-in expert to get into some safe deposit boxes without cause. We need to make him talk about more details, like when they wanted to do the bank hold-up or for what they are zeroing in."
"Yeah, I know all this, too, carrots." Nick smiled with a wink. "But that only explains your presence as you are taking courses. And it also seems as if you are Marki's protégé. But I am betwixt and between."
"Don't understate your talent, Officer Wilde." Judy laughed and navigated through the streets. "You are a great interrogator. Also you are my partner, who else should support me otherwise?"
"Ah, okay. You being a bitchy little bunny might have to do with it… ouch!" Nick snickered while he was rubbing his arm where Judy beat him.
"Or maybe no one is willing to work with a smartass like you beside me." Judy countered and Nick smiled.
"You like me being a smartass, just admit it."
"In your dreams!" she grinned slyly.
It took them half an hour to arrive at the Tundratown City Hospital.
"What is your approach, carrots?" Nick looked to Judy after they asked at the reception where they could find Varujan. They were standing in a waiting room near the sickroom and took a last look in Petre's dossier.
"He always tried to negotiate a deal the last times he was arrested." Judy pointed to some notes. "But he was on his own back then; shopping someone like Vlad to us is another caliber. We should try to ease and assure him, that we can protect him."
Nick nodded slowly. "That may work. Do you want to lead the interrogation?"
"No, I think you should do it; then I can fully concentrate on his heartbeat to give you hints if you are on the right path."
"Alright, then let's go."
They showed their badges to the officer guarding the room, then entered slowly. The weasel was the only patient in the room, the other two beds were left empty. Petre's right arm was secured to the bed with handcuffs. He had an intravenous drip and his chest and left shoulder was bandaged. When the two entered the room, the weasel rolled his eyes.
"Even more pigs just for me? Hell, I'm not Al Capawne!" his dirty laugh was receipted by a quick twitching of Judy's ears. She walked over to his right side while Nick stayed on the other side. So he could talk with Petre and simultaneously have a look at Judy.
"Don't be so modest, Mister Varujan." Nick spoke to him and his voice was really calm. "You are, as far as I heard, an expert on your field of activity. One of the best, when not even the best safe-cracker in Zootopia!"
"Ha! Mister Varujan! You're really funny." The weasel answered and Judy nodded a bit.
"I'm not funny, but impressed. The manufacturer makes it harder each year to crack into their products every year, but it always seems as if you know their safes even better than they do. That is a real talent."
"You bet it is!" Petre was very satisfied with himself at the moment, exactly what Nick had planned.
"How comes that a clever boy like you is arrested with such scumbags like Vlad's gang?"
"They pay really well, you know." The weasel winked slyly.
"Do they pay enough, that you are going to jail for them?"
"What do you mean, fox?"
"We talked half an hour ago with your friend … what was his name, Hopps?" Nick looked to Judy as if he was expecting an answer, then waved away the thought with an impatient gesture. "Never mind, I'm speaking of this African wild dog… he said that you have hired Vlad and his men to help you with this bank job at the Central." Nick signify a laugh, but immediately was serious again.
"What?!" Petre was gazing to Nick, then nearly shouted. "I have hired Brock and those other idiots? They are totally nuts!"
Nick picked up the name immediately. "At least we could offer Brock a deal if he will give testimony against you. He even gave us the address of the hide-out where Vlad is currently hiding. So when he is even ratting on his boss, why should we disbelieve him on you hiring them?"
"That's a lie! They came to me; I should open those three safe deposit boxes for them! I should get 250 thousand Zollars after the job! Not vice versa!"
"But why should we believe you and not him? At least he gave us some information to work with." Nick made a thoughtful face and raised his eyebrows. "Hm, but if you could confirm the address of Vlad, independently of Brock, we could offer you the same deal as him, you know?"
Judy was already shaking her head slightly when the weasel answered: "I have no idea where this mangy pooch Is hiding."
"You give me rather too little to work with you, Mister Varujan." Nick made a sad face, as if he would really like to help this poor bastard. Judy was consistently impressed by his talent.
"This isn't my problem, fox!" Petre's snorted but Nick shook his head, still sad.
"I think it is. As evidence is currently to us, we have two dead accomplices, one being remorseful, and one – that is you, my friend – being the big boss, going to jail for a very long time. I really would consider this your problem…" Nick shrugged and indicated to turn around and leave the room.
Petre Varujan laughed again, seeming very gleeful. "You still don't have the constituent, do you?"
"The constituent? One beside you? Or beside Vlad, if I may believe your testimony."
"Oh yeah!" Petre snickered. "He's an insider, but if you want to know his name I want a guarantee of the public prosecutor's office for an exemption from punishment! And witness protection!"
They couldn't get any more useful information from the weasel and after a while Judy and Nick drove back to the precinct.
"At least we have the name of one of the dead bodies. What a bummer that he cannot reveal Vlads hide-out as you pretended. Nice idea, by the way." Judy smiled to Nick.
"Don't forget the insider Petre has mentioned. If he really exists, it must be one of the clerks working in the bank. It would also explain, why a gang of smugglers is hired for a bank hold-up."
"Right, if you plan to open and steal the content of the most valuable safe depot boxes, you need someone to sell the stolen goods, too. But why a safe cracker? If they have an insider in the bank, he can open those boxes for them, couldn't he?"
Nick shook his head slowly. "It's not so easy, carrots. I could take a look at those locks during the meeting this morning. Those safe deposit boxes are flameproof GSA Class 6 containers. They are military norm and secured with a two-way security-key. Even our friend Petre Varujan would need heavy machinery and quite a few hours of time to get into this baby. But if they have one part of the key from the bank to deactivate some additional security mechanisms, and have also an insider who knows which safe deposit boxes are worth the work, you can crack those containers within half an hour. Providing that you are able to deactivate the alarm code of the heat and shock sensors in the vault."
Judy was impressed by Nicks detailed knowledge of those security systems, but also somewhat skeptical. "Is there something about your past I don't know about, yet?"
Nick laughed and shook slowly his head. "There is quite a lot you don't know about me, carrots, but I'm not some kind of Hudson Hawk." He winked. "You learn about security systems in computer forensics. And this beauty used by the bank evoked a few of those details from the lessons."
Judy parked the rover on the parking lot and they entered the precinct quickly because of a drizzling rain coming down now. They went to the second floor, to their own double cubicle work-space.
"Okay, do you want to take a look at all clerks working in that specific branch of the Central Bank? Maybe someone is sticking out. I'm writing the interrogation report in the while. We need it to get those documents from the public prosecutor's office." Nick offered and logged on at his PC."
"You are voluntary doing the paper work?" Judy's nose was twitching.
"Just wanted to do a favor for you, but if you insist…" Nick leaned back and gestured to his keyboard. Judy smiled and waved aside.
"It's okay, I'm not complaining!" she laughed. "I will do the background-checks for the employees then."
Nick spoke with Marki and got his okay for Petre's exemption from punishment. "We want Vlad and this Insider, Petre is just a small fish." The subsequent paperwork to prepare everything for the senior prosecutor to sign was some bureaucratic hell, but Judy helped him with some forms and finally all documents were ready and signed. They would go back to the hospital to complete the deal with the weasel, but first they had to go to the meeting with the rest of the team. It was quarter to one already, and Nick's stomach was rumoring. Of course Judy heard it, but she only flashed him with a glance, saying with her look: 'I know you are hungry, but I cannot change it right now. So don't jangle my nerves with your pleading looks.' Nick sighed and they walked to the conference room.
They arrived together with Grizzoli and Wolford, both in SWAT outfit, looking tired. One harrumph of Marki and everyone was quiet at once, looking to the front.
"Okay, we've got some news. At first we could identify two of the gang members that were shot. One is Marthy Davich, and the other one Brock Haxall, both Alsatian dogs, former military sergeants. Regarding Vlad Below, Wolford report."
"We scanned most of the north area of the Meadowlands, but it's a deep and thick forest. Until now not a hint for Below." Wolford reported quickly, Marki nodded and said: "Grizzoli?"
"My team is currently following some leads that Vlad Below is trying to slap through to the Rainforest district. I ordered an additional team there to secure the passages. Also we had contact with informants, saying that Vlad is trying to get another team to still complete his job. After everything we heard he might me not the boss, but he should be paid for this bank job."
"That is the same information, we got in the meantime, too. Hopps?"
"We interrogated Petre Varujan. He could not give us information about Vlad, but he gave us the name of the second dead suspect, Brock Haxall. Also we got the information, that Vlad and his gang is paid for this bank hold-up and that the constituent is an insider within the bank." She took the remote from Marki and a photo of the safe deposit boxes inside the bank vault became visible on the screen. "Nick, would you continue with the details?"
"Sure thing. Those safe deposit boxes are flameproof GSA Class 6 containers; military norm and secured with a two-way security-key." The screen changed and showed now a detail photo of the electronic lock. "If you have the bank key to deactivate the additional security mechanisms, you still need some heavy machinery to open this. But instead of hours you can overcome the last two layers with the right tools in maybe five to ten minutes." The screen switched to another view of the vault, showing several sensors and light barriers. "The really tricky part is that you are in need of someone who knows which safe deposit boxes are worth the work. There are no recordings from the bank, but I checked their security system and found some unusual access to the security cameras. Normally they are automatically switched off the moment a safe deposit box is opened and switch back on when all containers are closed again. But someone has activated the camera system manually and could spy what containers are worth a break-in. But there is a last security mechanisms left: Even when someone is in the vault, the heat and shock sensors are still online, just much less sensitive. They don't alarm during someone working in there normally, but bringing heavy machinery like a plasma cutting machine or some heavy drills, they would still make a silent alarm. Their insider seems to know all this, and he also hacked those security cameras. As this is only possible from inside the building, our insider is still working inside this branch of the Central Bank."
"Very good work, Wilde and Hopps. Our technical forensic team could identify in the meantime the other plans we wound in the storage. They are confirming our theory of a master mind inside the bank. We also suspect, that he didn't want to make an appearance as an accomplice. He provides all necessary information, shuts off the alarm system during the bank hold-up as if he was forced to do so, and the next day he can walk back into work as if nothing happens." Marki switched off the video projector again and turned to Judy and Nick.
"You two are going back to the hospital and give Petre Varujan those documents he requested. Even when he is now not arrested for this crime, he isn't our main target. We will get him due to another crime, I'm sure. But now we need the name of the insider!"
Judy and Nick nodded, "Yes, sir!"
"All others are concentrating on Vlad Below! Wolford, take Tac-Team four as support and ask the rangers office, if they can assist …." Marki was giving more orders to all others, but Nick and Judy were already too far away. They walked back to the car and drove off to the hospital in Tundratown.
"I am really impressed, Nick." Judy smiled at him. "You did a really good presentation earlier, including some slides for the screen. That made it really demonstrative, you know?" Nick could hear that Judy was somewhat proud of him. And her being happy made him even happier.
"Just a few photos I added in Sway, suitable to what I tried to explain."
"It worked!"
"Yep, another small star in our personal files." Nick winked at Judy, then he made a thoughtful face. "Dou you think it's too early to apply for the Detective Tests?"
Judy raised surprised her eyebrows. "I didn't even know, that you are thinking about it. Don't get me wrong, Nick, but you don't seem like a careerist to me."
Nick smiled softly. "I'm not. That is, until I met you."
"Me?"
"All those extra courses in profiling, forensics, and so on… I would bet that you are reaching for another star on your uniform, aren't you, carrots?" he winked.
"I just love to learn new things! But yes, I want to get my Detective badge someday."
"See, and when you got it I better got it, too. Or we have both to search for another partner."
Judy considered this for a moment than sighed. "You are right. It was selfish from me to always be on the go for more."
"Hey, never mind! I'm totally willing to keep up with you."
"Are you?" Judy grinned. "Well, you can try at least." She winked.
"Either this, or I have to go for plan B." Nick slyly winked back.
"What plan B?" Judy asked skeptical, but Nick just smiled and stay quiet. "Hey, sly fox. What is plan B?"
"Oh, Plan B stands for… ah, never mind, we are there!" he laughed and avoid being hit by Judy on his arm by getting out of the rover really quick.
"Dumb fox!" Judy muttered, but Nick got behind her, leaned forward and kissed her between her ears. Judy sighed and looked up smiling.
"Lovely bunny." Nick whispered and winked to her. Then both walked to the entrance of the hospital. They didn't have to ask for the way this time and went directly to the sickroom of Pedre. The same officer as a few hours ago was still sitting on a chair in front of the room. Both, Nick and Judy, showed their police badge and opened the door; but freeze immediately on the door sill.
"Who visited the arrested weasel?" Nick asked abruptly the officer, who winced and take a look at his notebook.
"You two were the only visitors today, that is beside the doctors and nurses of course."
Judy hopped in the meantime quickly to the bed, but the blue face and the blood occurring eyes made it clear that they were too late. The rabbit tried to take the pulse, and Nick looked inquiring to her. Then she shook her head. The officer, an older zebra, was now standing in the door frame beside Nick and his face was so pale that his black striped were hardly visible. Judy grabbed her mobile while Nick shoved the zebra out of the room and back on his chair.
"Officer Hopps for Dispatch!" Judy's angry voice was speaking with the mobile, but was clearly heard outside the room.
"Dispatch here."
"We've got a one-eight-seven in the Tundratown Central Hospital, room 0329, Petre Varujan. Over."
"A one-eight-seven in Tundratwon Central Hospital, room 0329. Roger that."
"Also give immediate notice to Detective Marki and send a forensics team. Over."
"Sending a forensic team, Dispatch over and out."
Judy was supervising the forensic team while Nick had an eye on Officer Leron, the zebra that was guarding the suspect. After a quick interrogation it was obvious, that Officer Leron indeed never left his post, but he didn't pay attention to any nurses or doctors entering the room. Nick met the security chief of the hospital and got all recordings of this day burned on a disc. Marki was out in the Meadowlands, where Wolfords team found an abandoned cabin that was recently being used, presumably by Vlad. Instead of Marki Chief Bogo showed up at the hospital in person. The tongue-lashing he gave Judy after her first arrest over a year ago was a lullaby compared to what Officer Leron was now getting. Nick and Judy couldn't do anything useful at the hospital right now, so they decided to drove back to the precinct.
When Marki, Wolford and Grizzoli returned to the precinct in the evening they looked frustrated. They lost the trace to Vlad in the woods. Nick handed Marki the forensic report of the video disc; they could identify the alleged killer in the hospital: It was a pig in a lab coat and with medical gloves. But he always averted to look in the direction of the cameras. Judy handed Marki another report, this one from forensic medicine: Petre was strangled with his own pillow between two o'clock and three o'clock. The dire wolf threw the reports onto the table, snorting with rage.
"Any good news?" Marki muttered to the rest of the team, but nobody raised his voice. Marki let himself fall onto a chair. "It was a long night and a long day, maybe we should call it a day and continue tomorrow."
Judy raised her paw hesitatingly. "I have an idea, sir…"
They were laying together on the couch, listening to some quiet country-rock music. Judy tried to encourage Nick and stroked his chest. "Hey… come on, Nick, don't punish me with silence."
The fox sighed and looked to his small and fragile ball of fur with these long ears.
"I don't want to punish you, Judy." Nick using her real name in a serious moment was always giving Judy some heart-pain. "But sometimes you and your ideas are terrifying!"
"It is our best chance to arrest the informant, Nick."
"I don't care about this informant!" he blurted and now the angst in his eyes were clearly visible for Judy. "Did you saw the weapons they found in the hide-out? We don't know when Vlad will have new men and attack the bank, and I bet they will have enough firepower to sieve every mammal in this bank!"
"I'm just going in for a few minutes and check if our suspect is present. The SWAT team will be just around the corner."
"You have nothing more than a psychological profile! At least take a pistol, or a shocker, with you!"
"Someone could get injured, Nick…"
"Yes, you!" Judy sighed again.
"I will go in, identify our suspect, give a sign and then SWAT can take over. It will be over in less than ten minutes, it would be really lucky if Vlad will to rob the bank in exactly this moment."
Nick was sure, he wouldn't change Judy's mind. Trying it beyond this point would only show her that he is not trusting her – but that wasn't the problem. He would entrust her his own life without hesitation anytime. But Nick wasn't part of the SWAT team tomorrow morning, he even wasn't undercover in the bank as support. He had to sit in the technical field van, observing the street and the security system within the bank. His bad luck was his accurate knowledge of the used alarm system.
"Let's don't talk about the case this evening; tonight." He tried to speak calm and gave Judy a kiss.
The rabbit smiled and snuggled against Nicks' chest, leaning her head against his and nibbled on his neck. Nick leant his head a bit to the other side and offered her his neck, caressing with his paw over her tail and shoving his paw under her shirt.
The morning promised a nice day and Judy met early with Marki near the Zootopia Central Bank. Before entering the bank, she had a look around; the SWAT team was one block away and could intervention in under two minutes, the surveillance van with Nick was parked two blocks away. No not habitual animals were on the streets, so she pushed against the revolving door made of glass. Immediately a breeze of dry conditioned air was blowing through her fur and she twitched her nose. After letting her look wander she picked one of the four opened counters. Their suspect was a badger named Ken Craftie. He had a lot of different jobs in the past, and even after being at the bank for nearly five years he wasn't advanced like all of his colleagues. He lived alone and his finances were a mess, he really needed money to keep his small condominium. He was a learned electrical engineer and had all the abilities that were necessary for the inside-role.
Judy smiled friendly to the clerk, trying to be inconspicuous. Just a small reason why she was here, then she could leave again.
"Hello, Mister …" Judy took a closer look at the nametag of the badger, "Craftie! My name is Judy Hopps, and I want to open a savings account."
The badger smiled slightly and nodded. "Of course, Miss Hopps. Do you want to open it in your own name?"
"It is a gift for my godchild, she will be the beneficiary on her 16th birthday. Until then I want to pay into the account monthly. That's possible, isn't it?"
"Of course, Miss Hopps! Could you please fill out these form papers?" he handed her a standard form to open a new account, then proceeded to enter a few things into his PC. "What is your full name and occupation?"
"My name is Judy Hopps, I'm working for …" Judy was suddenly interrupted by the shouting of five masked mammals that had entered the bank, shooting with automatic weapons into the ceiling.
"Everybody be silent and lay on the floor! …."
"Anybody else want to have a chat?" the dire wolf bawled and a doe in the corner started to sob quietly. The clerk named Craftie turned around angrily:
"What are you doing here? We agreed for Saturday, not Thursday; and you agreed that nobody would be harmed!"
"Shut up and switch off the alarm, or you're next Ken!" the leader barked and waved around with his gun. The badger walked quickly to the bank manager, a puzzled looking panda.
"Give me the key!" Craftie snubbed and the panda slowly grabbed a small, golden key from his pocket. The badger grabbed it and opened a wooden panel behind the directors' desk. Behind the panel was a control cabinet, secured by a bulletproof glass. He put the key in the lock, opened the glass door and switched off some particular alarm systems. A few lights turned from green to yellow and Craftie gave the dire wolf a thumb up.
Two of the masked animals walked with Craftie and the scared panda to the vault. The bank director opened it with his code, and behind were dozens of safe deposit boxes.
"The keycard!" Ken Craftie yelled to the panda who was looking like a deer in headlights. One masked polar bear beat the panda into his back with his double-barreled gun and the badger searched the pockets of the panda on his own.
"Got it…" he took the key-card and turned to the polar bear. "Who is the electronic expert you talked about?" The second masked mammal, a grey wolf, made a step forward, put his rifle aside and took some electronic devices from his backpack. Craftie gave him the key-card.
"What containers?" the wolf had a rough and low voice, but sounding dangerous nevertheless. The badger took a small note out of his pocket and gave it to him.
"These are the numbers."
"Four boxes? We agreed on three!"
"We agreed on Saturday, too!" Craftie replied with a sly grin.
"We had to accelerate everything, the police pigs were close on our heels. On Saturday I will already be in Jamaica!"
"I don't mind." The badger said and then the polar bear asked:
"How long does it take?"
"Give me 15 minutes…" the wolf replied. The bear and the badger were escorting the panda back to the others in the main hall, where the other two masked mammals were keeping the other visitors and employees at bay.
After nearly twenty minutes the dire wolf barked: "What's taking so long?" But just a moment later the masked wolf came back with a large sports bag in each hand. Both masked polar bears walked to the wolf and took a sports bag each.
"OK, let's go!" the dire wolf barked but in the same moment three ZPD officers in SWAT uniform entered the bank, pointing with their weapons to the masked animals:
"ZPD, everybody weapons down and hands up!"
The dire wolf immediately opened fire but was shot by one of the officers. The two polar bears decided for hand-to-hand-combat, attacking two of the officers. The wolf tried to run to the back-door but another SWAT team was coming from there. A short gun battle later he laid shoot along on the floor. Now even more police officers were entering the bank, securing each of the bank robbers.
After about ten minutes of fast-paced tumble, Nick finally entered the main hall of the bank. All employees were taken to the precinct to get their testimonies, but Ken Craftie escaped. The fox squatted beside the still inanimate body of Judy that laid in a puddle of red blood.
"Blood and dead, again? I start to recognize a pattern, carrots…" he smirked and Judy blinked with a grin on her face.
"Play-acting was always my second carrier choice, you know?" she sat up and looked down on her ruined shirt. "These exploding blood pads have totally ruined this shirt; there are even holes like from real bullets!"
Nick laughed and handed Judy his paw. Then Marki, who had put down his mask, shouted to all present animals.
"Okay, that was a great show, thank you to all ZPD officers for playing visitors. We have escorted all bank employees to the precinct for interrogations. Don't forget that nobody of them knows that everything was only posed by us. Surveillance is tracing our suspect Ken Craftie, the tracking device we put in his pockets is working. We will keep him under surveillance to see if he has any partners. De-briefing at 11 o'clock. Dismissed!"
During the de-briefing it was revealed, that the target safe deposit boxes were leased by letterbox companies and contained gold coins and federal savings bond, both untraceable and worth over one and a half million zollars. The interrogations of the bank employees provided no new intelligence and all of them were set free in the meanwhile.
It was nearly six in the afternoon; Marki, Nick and Judy were sitting in the surveillance van with another technician. A small strike force, led by Wolford, was observing Ken Craftie for the last ten hours. They followed him to the Meadowlands and he was now waiting quite a while for someone at the abandoned storehouse.
"Surveillance for Tac-Team Alpha, a black limousine is approaching your site." Marki said in his radio, and the whispered voice of Wolford replied with a short 'Roger'. His team justified a directional microphone and camera, and the technician in the van adjusted video and audio for a good recording. The black limousine came to a halt beside the nervous badger, and out of it got a panda.
"Zoom in!" Judy directed the technician and then said with a smirk. "Of course, the bank director."
"Are you crazy?" the panda was yelling at the badger. "We agreed that no one will get hurt, and your friends are killing a cop?"
Craftie snapped: "This wasn't planned! I am as shocked as you are!"
"But you were not supposed to get his money and back to work the next day! Your pile of idiots is all arrested or dead, and we won't see any dime after all!"
Marki smiled pleased. "Do we have everything on record?" The technician nodded and Marki took his radio again. "Surveillance for Tac-Team Alpha, green light for raid."
Wolford answered at once: "Roger, green light for raid. Team Alpha: Go!"
On the screen Judy, Nick and Marki witnessed how their tactical team surrounded the two suspects and finally arrested them; then all three went off the van and walked over to their team.
"Good work, team alpha!" Marki exclaimed. Both, Craftie and the bank director, looked puzzled to Judy.
"Surprised to be arrested by a shot rabbit?" she winked and Nick put his arm around her shoulders.
"It's called a hustle." He added and snickered.