Ch. 22: Blue Veins

Judy hadn't been to the Cliffside Asylum since the Night Howler case. Looking at it as she crossed the bridge it looked like no one else had either. The building was barren, the windows dark and the only sound the rushing waterfall beneath her feet.

But she wouldn't be so stupid as to use the front door; she hurried to the edge of the building where she and Nick had hid from the wolves the first time.

Nick…

Those texts had to have been a set up, Nick wouldn't have any part of this, she had no idea where he was but it wasn't here…he couldn't be.

Judy looked up at the pipe they had used to climb inside all that time ago, she made her way toward it when the sound of the front doors being shoved open stopped her, her ears twitched as she glanced beyond the wall to see three mammals walking out. A maned wolf, a hyena, and a silver fox, Judy recognized the third as Ray Silver from Preyda. She didn't know who the other two were but they sent a shiver down her spine. She stepped farther back as the wolf peered around, like he was looking for something.

The hyena walked over and whispered something to him and the wolf snickered, Judy lifted her ears, trying to catch a snatch of the conversation.

Suddenly a paw fell over her mouth and Judy nearly sent herself over the edge as she started to struggle only to hear a voice whisper in her ear, "Carrots, it's me."

Judy looked up at the fox, sinking against him relief, he was here; he was safe. But her euphoria was short lived…what was he doing here?

Nick glanced toward the three canines warily, they hadn't heard them, and nodded toward the pipe. He released her and crawled back inside, after a moment's hesitation Judy followed after.

Once they were inside the asylum Nick wasted no time in hurrying deeper inside the asylum, Judy followed after, not liking how the fox hadn't even hesitated as he walked through the halls that were eerily quiet.

"Where were you?" Judy demanded as they walked.

Nick's pace slowed and he looked at her over his shoulder, "I uh…I spotted that hyena, the one outside and thought maybe she was the one we were looking for and followed her here, I've been searching the place since. Do you realize how huge this place is?"

Judy stopped, staring at him with dismay, "You're lying to me."

Nick drew to a halt and fully turned to her, his brow furrowed, "No I'm not."

"I know you, Nick," Judy replied. "I know when you're lying."
Nick looked away awkwardly, he looked at war with himself and it made Judy sick. "What aren't you telling me?"

"It's a long story," Nick finally said. "I'll tell you later. What are you even doing here?"
"I saw all those texts on your phone," she replied, "They said to meet here. What's here, Nick?"

"Well, I think-" Nick began but then stopped as he caught Judy's expression. "…Heh, what are you insinuating, Carrots?"

Judy's eyes narrowed, "I'm insinuating that you haven't been fully honest with me."

Nick's brow furrowed, "And you've been snooping through my phone, that's a show of trust."

"I couldn't find you!" Judy nearly screeched, "You were gone and didn't tell anyone where you were! And now I find you in this asylum where a bunch of shady mammals are hiding out that have been texting very suggestive things to you, do you know what this would look like to other mammals, Nick?"

"What does it look like to you," Nick demanded quietly, his eyes dark.

Judy took in a shuddering breath, "You know what it looks like to me? It looks like you're keeping things from me. You've been acting strange for so long now; this case is more personal to you that I know. And you refuse to tell me, you don't trust me, after all we've been through there's still things your hiding from me…" She looked away from Nick's eyes and walked past him, going farther into the asylum, "And I think we should split up and look for clues, maybe by then you'll decide if we're really as close as I thought we were."

.

Nick watched Judy walk off wanting to say something, wanting to say anything, wanting to say everything. But he said nothing. His mouth felt numb and he couldn't get over Judy's words, or the look in her eyes.

It was happening. He was losing her and she didn't even know he had done yet.

Nick forced himself to take a step as Judy walked farther and farther, he needed to chase after her. He needed to tell her sorry. He needed to say he loved her.

And then claws dug into his back.

Before Nick could open his mouth to cry out in pain when something clamped over his mouth, forcing his jaw shut, Nick realized it was a muzzle.

Nick tried to scream and struggle, to call out for Judy, as he was dragged down the hall and around a corner, away from his rabbit and out of sight. It was then Nick saw who his captors were, the Pack.

Ed laughed quietly as she held his paws above his head, Ray sitting on his legs. "Really think we didn't know you and your bunny were there, Red?" the silver fox asked gleefully.

Nick continued to struggle, his face on fire because of the muzzle and his heart panicking with fear. He had been so stupid! Why hadn't he gotten Judy to leave? Why had he let her leave his side?!
Moriarty appeared in the corner of his eye, smiling lazily at the red fox. "I warned you."

He kneeled down before Nick and held his head down, forcing him to stop struggling, "Don't worry, Nick. We know you hate the muzzle; we'll take it off later. Right now it's only a precaution." Moriarty lifted his paw to reveal a needle, a syringe, filled with a familiar blue liquid. Nick couldn't breathe.

"Can't have you biting us now can we?" Moriarty asked gleefully. "See you on the other side."

Nick tried to pull out of their grip, tried to move away from the descending needle, tried to call out for Judy to run, to hide, to save him. But then it was too late.

The needle plunged into his neck and he watched with rising horror as the serum drizzled out of the syringe and into his body, into his veins, his blood. And just like that-he was no longer Nicholas Piberius Wilde.

.

"Nick?" Judy turned around, having sworn she heard something like a scuffle. The fox was no where to be seen and Judy's heart pattered with rising fear. Something was very, very wrong.

"Nick?" she called again, retracing her steps to find the fox, her anger fading into concern. "Ni-"

Something sharp like a bee sting dug into her neck and Judy reached up to pluck out a tranquilizer dart.

"What…" she began but then she fell to her knees as drowsiness hit her like a wrecking ball. She tried to stay up but her body gave out and she fell to the floor. She desperately looked around for the culprit and just managed to catch the shape of an antler before her eyes drifted shut. And just before her consciousness slipped away a voice spoke with all the finality of death:

"Oh, Judy, you should have never turned your back."