Nick squinted through the scope of the rifle and fired several shots, hitting a target three hundred feet away with ease. "Impressive. You say you took this off a hijacker?"
The other animals nodded and Al spoke up. "A sheep was stopping trucks about twenty miles out of Zootopia." He sprung his claws. "He doesn't need it anymore."
The fox shuddered. "Sheep are the worst. If it was up to Bellwether, I would have been dead a long time ago."
"I'd love to get her." The jaguar looked disgusted. "I had nothing but trouble for months after the Nighthowler scare. Even my girlfriend dumped me. Little mule deer, prettiest animal I'd ever seen...she said she couldn't trust me. Me! We'd been together for two years and all of a sudden she can't trust me because of something she heard on the news."
"I'm sorry," said Nick sincerely.
Frank and Liam patted Al on the back and the jaguar forced a grin. "What the hell. Females! We're better off without them."
The fox said wistfully, "There was a time I wouldn't agree with that. I thought Judy was different. You all remember the press conference, right?"
"I remember being happy I was an okapi and not a predator," said Liam.
"Same here," Frank chimed in. "A rhino is technically a prey animal no matter how big and strong he is."
Nick handed the rifle to Al. "I didn't think I'd ever see Judy after that, then she shows up and asks for my help. I forgive her, we bring down Bellwether, and I get so excited I think maybe, just maybe, I finally found something to believe in." His voice dropped. "I really thought we had something. We got through some pretty tough cases together. Then Finn gets attacked and Judy acts like it's just another case. She knows what he means to me and she didn't care. She just wanted to handle it like a cop, by the book. That's what really made me quit. I just couldn't work with her anymore. I haven't even been back to my apartment because she lives across the hall."
"Where you been staying?" asked Frank as they all headed back to the car.
"Finn's garage." Nick got in the back seat. "There was a lot of damage, so I've been fixing things up for when he gets out of the hospital." He brightened. "I went to see him last night and he's a lot better. He's got some feeling and movement back in his legs and his tail. The doctor said he should make a full recovery."
"Hey, that's great news!" Frank leaned over and clapped the fox on the shoulder.
They arrived in Tundratown and dropped the car off in an unattended parking lot before heading to the roof of a building across the street from a small restaurant. Nick looked down at it with an unreadable expression. "The Ice Crystal Palace?"
"Mr Big's favorite restaurant." Al unzipped the rifle bag and checked the gun.
"I know." Nick took the rifle and peered through the scope, then lowered it. "I've been here a couple of times with him. Best blueberry ice cream in the city." He shivered. "I hope we don't have to wait too long. I never did like the cold."
"Like I said yesterday, the maître d' told me Mr Big had a reservation tonight." Frank blew on his hooves. "If he shows up on time, it shouldn't be too long."
"Looks like he's early." Al pointed down the street, his tail twitching. A big white limousine pulled up in front of the restaurant and Nick leaned on the parapet and aimed the rifle. The polar bear driver got out and opened the back door, touching the brim of his cap as another bear got out with a tiny shrew on his paw.
"Hello, Kevin," murmured Nick. As if the bear had heard him, he paused for a moment and the fox took a deep breath and pulled the trigger. The shrew seemed to explode and the bullet continued on to hit the bear squarely in the chest. The big animal staggered, then fell, and the driver took cover behind the car, pulling out a gun and scanning the street.
Al grabbed the rifle and stuffed it back in the bag. "Let's go."