Author's Note:
Whew. It's been a while, I know. Real life just has its way of eating up one's time.
I wish everyone well and a safe time, hopefully this installment will alleviate the boredom/stress of the current world situation. I, myself, have been sent to work from home, though it still leaves me little enough time.
I didn't mean to leave a cliff-hanger going for so long.
This is a looong chapter. Not as edited as I would like, but (I hope) good enough.
Enjoy!
Fifteen minutes ago...
Matilda was close to a full-blown panic attack. Jack's earlier hints at unsecure communications made her instantly suspicious of Marcus's discovery. Combined with the day's long string of assassinations, she went into flight mode.
"Bomb!" she yelled while desperately looking for somewhere safe to flee. With so many mammals walking about, however, there was really nowhere to go. "Run for your dammed lives!" she shouted at the crowd now staring disdainfully at her, pushing as many away from the car as she could.
Watching from the other side of the vehicle, Marcus went into overdrive, with the big ram having much better success at pushing others away. The police officer found himself alone by the car, frozen for a brief moment with a look of confusion on his face until the memory of Matilda's ZIA badge returned, triggering his own flight response.
All three moved as fast as they could, shouting and shoving as many others along as possible until the night erupted with the flash of an explosion, tossing mammals in every direction.
8:05 PM
The movie was mildly entertaining, Octavio admitted to himself sitting in the back row of the half-empty theater, even if it was not his usual style. Chia and Windbright, however, were completely engrossed in the animated feature, The Unbelievables. One on each side, his wives cuddled against him, their unspoken body language clearly stating 'mine' to any observing mammal with the threat of bodily harm to any interloper. The wolf stroked their backs affectionately, making them preen silently, their eyes locked on the screen. The others had remained in the cabin, tired from a full day of exploring all the large airliner had to offer.
So very strange, he thought again, this love thing. Taunted as a weakness by many in the Empire, Octavio's opinion on the matter had changed dramatically over the past few days. Sure, it could cause irrational behavior as victims defied all logic for love, but it could also motivate them to great lengths. Octavio found it a source of strength, knowing his wives depended on him while supporting him at the same time. He knew, for example, that he should be apprehensive about his current situation, finally having come to accept the Pack was not the pillar of fidelity he had once believed and even fought for—the arrest warrant at the Zootopia aerodrome had completely disintegrated that notion.
First Chia, then Palila, Windbright, and Abigail. Their love gave him the confidence and determination to face and defy The Pack. His wives would stand by him, whatever ensued, giving support or even their lives if necessary. And he would give his life as well, if need be, to ensure their safety and prosperity. They all shared a common dream: The return of greatness to the Empire. A beacon in this modern world that could serve as an example to others.
The seeds were there; had always been: The Written Traditions spoke of tolerance, equality, and prosperity for all. Baratea was the oldest, continuous surviving nation in Mammaldom. They had simply lost their way.
Octavio was prepared to guide, cajole, or terrorize them back on course. With the help—and love—of his wives.
Windbright noticed his arousal first, cupping her paw over his bulging crotch. Then Chia picked up his scent and began nibbling at his neck, her paw pulling up his waist band to let Windbright's paw slip inside. The wolfess stroked his chest while the snow leopardess stroked his malehood. Chia giggled softly at Windbright's involuntary purring, just a little jealous at her sister wife's ability to display affection in that manner.
"This is the Captain," came an accented voice suddenly over the PA. "I apologize for any interruptions. Would passenger Octavio Belyiklyk please report to the nearest purser? I repeat. Would passenger Octavio Belyiklyk please report to the nearest purser? Thank you."
Octavio's hackles rose, his breathing slowing and his ears flattening. "Something is wrong," he whispered. Chia and Windbright were already sitting straight, all hints of playfulness gone. It was Chia who pinpointed what was bothering them.
"This is a Baratean airship," she whispered back. "They would never address my lord by his proper name, even if he were under arrest."
"We've been hijacked," Windbright concluded.
Twelve minutes ago
Matilda's car was brand new, with a weak spot built on top of the fuel cells to rupture upwards in case of what the engineers called a 'catastrophic containment failure.' This guided the force of the explosion up through the trunk floor, where it lost energy vaporizing the thin sheet metal. Next, the force went up again, through the back seat, this time losing energy consuming the thick, cushioned fabric, then losing even more energy while expanding into the main cabin. Lastly, the safety glass windows turned into powder, consuming more energy while the explosion escaped past them out of the vehicle, as designed—without creating the dreaded, jagged metal fragments known as 'shrapnel'.
There was still the fireball and the much dissipated concussive wave from the explosion, but those didn't cause penetrating wounds. As such, the only immediate fatality was an elderly sow, who died from the fright of it all. Broken bones and burns were plentiful but, all in all, it was minor damage compared to what could have been a major disaster. Nor did the street run across the main open entryways to the station, limiting the number of mammals exposed to the blast.
Matilda found herself face down in the grass, mere inches away from a palm tree in the park across the street. Her ears rang, her fur smelled singed, and there was blood in her mouth to accompany the pain of her bitten tongue. She managed to sit on the second try, regaining her bearings first, then recalled why she was there instead of in her comfortable bed and judged herself in good shape under the circumstances. Her eyes popped wide open.
"Marcus!" she screamed, rising to her feet and running towards the burning wreckage.
8:11 PM
"Get to the cabin, my love," Octavio told Chia. "Discreetly." The wolfess bristled.
"I will not abandon you," she grumbled, very displeased with her husband's request. He stroked her cheek.
"I would be honored to have you at my side," he said. "But if they know I am on board, they know where our cabin is. Palila is there, alone, to protect the others. In her current condition, I would prefer she had some assistance."
"And Windbright?" Chia pouted, conflicted.
"She is combat trained, my love," he reminded her. "She knows how to deal with armed mammals—and the Snow Leopard Corps practices retaking airships." The wolfess deflated at that, knowing it was true.
"I will not let any harm come to our husband," Windbright assured her, fiercely. "We depend on you to keep the others safe."
"We cannot do anything without knowing the family is out of harm's way," Octavio added, nuzzling Chia gently. "They have a greater need for you."
"And this might be nothing more than a rude captain," the snow leopardess said, cajolingly.
"I will be very cross if either of you get hurt," Chia growled, then slinked her way to the stairs and out of the theater.
"I admit to not paying very much attention, my lord," Windbright mumbled when the wolfess was gone. "But I have seen nothing to make me suspect there were hijackers on board."
"Which only means these are not ordinary hijackers, but have a very specific agenda," Octavio surmised. "Professionals."
"A big assumption, my lord," the leopardess said, frowning.
"Perhaps, as you said," Octavio ventured, "it is simply a rude captain." Windbright stifled a laugh.
Perversely, Octavio thought, as opposed to Windbright's, his training had been on how to hijack an airship. His mind ran through likely scenarios.
"We should assume between ten and twenty operatives," he whispered. "More would be obvious, fewer, impractical for a ship this size." Windbright nodded. "We also must assume that I am a target of opportunity, since there are much easier and less risky methods for getting to me."
"Slavers?"
"Only if they wish war," Octavio said, grimly. "This is our national airline. The Empire would be honor-bound to respond to such an affront. It makes no economic sense for slavers to hijack it."
"Robbery?" Windbright said, then shook her head. "No. That makes no sense, either."
"We simply do not have enough information to guess at their motives, nor do they matter," Octavio said, his muzzle twitching. "They ruined my evening," he growled. "Now I shall ruin theirs."
Ten minutes ago
"Marcus!" Matilda called out, stepping around, sometimes over, unconscious mammals on the ground. She stumbled on, inching her way towards where she remembered seeing him last. The flames from the burning car rose hotly but harmlessly upwards, the vehicle fortuitously parked where the night breeze blowing over the train station sucked the smoke and noxious fumes away like a chimney. Of course, the mammals living downwind might not feel so fortuitous, even though the smoke mostly dissipated before reaching any occupied buildings.
Matilda started rolling over soot-covered mammals to look at their faces, growing more desperate with each one she saw. She was in shock, not paying much attention to size or even species. Only the face of her lover ingrained in her mind held any meaning, and she was determined to find a match.
Other mammals emerging from the station were beginning to help, if only to guide those wandering about dazed to a safe distance away from the flaming vehicle. Before long, someone took hold of Matilda's hoof.
"Come on, Miss," said the mammal, almost in a whisper. "Let's get you somewhere safe."
She brushed him off, stooping down to examine yet another face. "I have to find Marcus," she mumbled in return, crying now as this next face didn't belong to her lover, either.
The mammal took hold of her hoof again. Tightly, this time. "Matty?" he said, pulling her up. "Is that you?"
His voice registered at last. She looked up to see an ash and blood covered face, several small cuts on his forehead that looked worse than they were. But it was him.
"Marcus!" she cried, relieved, then wrapped her arms around him, burying her head against his chest.
8:15 PM
Discreet was not something usually associated with an Imperial Princess. Chia was no exception to this. She strode down the passageway as if she owned the airship—which, to be fair, she technically did as Heir Apparent—and there was no mistaking the wolfess as anything but a Royal, regardless how much her demeanor had softened in the past days. She gracefully acknowledged the bows from various crew members and Baratean passengers—something unusual for an Imperial Princess. Most definitely not discreet.
She hid her apprehension with the ease of long practice, never even blinking when one crewmammal's shifting eyes warned her of danger lurking behind the cracked-open doorway of a maintenance compartment. The wolfess simply made her way to the cabin, a warm smile on her face, seemingly without a care in the world.
Mindful of the camera at the end of the hallway, she politely greeted the out-of-place panther standing by the door. The feline not bowing the moment she appeared was all the confirmation she needed that he was not a real member of the flight crew.
"Allow me," he said, skillfully opening the crew lock without Chia catching sight of the key card.
"We aren't in any danger, are we?" Chia inquired with concern.
"There have been reports of violence breaking throughout the Zootopian Commonwealth," was the cool reply. "Since our flight originated in Zootopia, the captain merely wishes to ensure no trouble disturbs our First Class passengers." That this was the only guarded door in the First Class section did not seem to bother the panther.
"That is very considerate of him," Chia said, sweetly. "Thank you for your service." She daintily held out her paw and the panther bowed to kiss it, another incriminating sign of ignorance since she only wore her wedding ring, not the Royal Signet. There wouldn't be a lot of time, but she decided it was not a good idea to be locked in their quarters from the outside.
Especially when the guards did not work for her.
It was easier than she expected. Wait until the panther kissed the ring, then bite down on his face over the eyes, blinding him. It was also bloodier than expected. She kicked him away as she bit down, avoiding the instinctive clawing from the screaming panther, then quickly stepped into the cabin to find the others bound and gagged on the floor.
Rushing over to free Palila first, she almost lost heart when she saw they were bound with thick, plastic tie-bands. She removed the polar bear's gag.
"We have little time," Chia said, hurriedly. "I must find something to cut through these bands."
"My nail clippers are in my grooming kit," Palila told her. "Under the bed."
The wolfess practically dove over her sister wife, reaching under the large bed to drag out the heavy grooming kit. The polar bear's nail clipper was the size of a bolt cutter in Chia's paws and cut through the tough plastic band with ease.
Once free, Palila growled furiously and dashed out of the cabin before Chia could say anything. The screams from the panther in the hallway ended abruptly.
Chia freed Alexandra next, then Abigail. "Where is Fabian?" Chia asked, referring to Octavio's otter assistant. Alexandra shook her head.
"They… k-killed him," she said, sniffling. "He tried… to defend us—he injured one of them… then… they… b-broke his neck."
Chia pulled the bunny into a fierce hug. "He will be avenged," she assured, keeping her own anger in check. "For now, we must find somewhere safe."
8:17 PM
Chief Bogo stepped out of the police cruiser and took in the scene at the train station, a deep anger brewing inside the Cape buffalo. Not from a failure to prevent such a crime; after all, his officers were not trained for this like the ZBI and ZIA were.
No. What angered him was that Zootopians were committing these crimes.
Regardless of any foreign involvement there might be, at the end of the day, Zootopians were killing Zootopians. Not for food, or money, or even personal reasons. They were killing for politics—or, worse: Ideology.
The Chief watched as his bomb disposal crews searched the area for more explosives in case this was a first-responder trap. Several ambulances had also arrived on scene, including an emergency mobile surgical center set up a safe distance away on the pedestrian area in front of the station. Every injured mammal was examined, those judged to be OK allowed to go on their way. Those who were not, were taken to nearby hospitals.
The Fire Department had extinguished the blaze using plenty of foam, as water might have caused anything remaining in the fuel cells to reignite. The Fire Marshall, a Dalmatian named Frederick, noticed Bogo and approached after signing a form on a clipboard held by an assistant.
"Adrienne," he greeted the larger mammal. "Heard about Marcus, I take it?"
"Huh?" the Chief said, confused. "What about him? He's in Bunnyburrow."
The Dalmatian shook his head. "Right over there," he said, pointing to the ram sitting impatiently on a bench near the surgical center. "Did you know he's dating a spook?"
"Well," the Chief replied, chuckling, grateful to find something amusing in this situation. "He's basically one, himself. Let's go see what he thinks about this mess."
8:20 PM
"I was paged," Octavio said, impatiently, to the brown hare purser standing by the main escalator. The smaller mammal reeked of fear, eyes not quite glancing at the security camera in the far corner of the deck as he bowed respectfully.
"My lord," he said with forced calm. "The Captain requests a moment of your time on the Control Deck."
"Does he, now," Octavio growled. "Very well. Take me to him."
"I may not leave my post," the hare apologized, bowing. "Someone will be here shortly to… escort you." That last was said in a warning tone. "Mind the stairs, my lord. They are a little shaky at the bottom, very easy to lose one's step on."
Octavio grinned. "I shall, indeed, be careful," he said under his breath.
Within a few minutes, a tiger wearing the uniform of a flight officer came up the escalator. The rabbit trembled noticeably at the feline's approach, much to the amusement of the tiger.
"I have already eaten," the predator chuckled. Then he looked menacingly at the hare. "Perhaps a snack later on, though." Octavio laughed as the hare squirmed.
"Let us not keep the good Captain waiting," said the wolf. "I would like to return to my wives quickly."
"Of course," the tiger said, politely indicating the downwards escalator. "This way, sir."
Octavio took the lead, followed closely by the tiger. The next lower deck showed no signs of anything amiss, passengers going about the airship with that casual air of a holiday, as usual on long flights. As the two descended, passenger traffic decreased, then ceased altogether, with access to the lowest level, the Control Deck, only possible through a regular staircase blocked by a door labeled "Crew Members Only."
The sound of machinery became louder the deeper they went, their vibrations traveling through the stairs and walls. Octavio's ears folded slightly back in apparent response to the noise, though really so he could better track the tiger behind him.
At last, Octavio could see the spot the purser had mentioned. It would be suitable for his needs.
"I am surprised that Lord Dermont could have such a change of heart over his employees," the wolf said, amusedly, by way of casual conversation. The tiger grunted.
"I am sure he knows what he is doing," he replied. "It is not always easy for the common citizens to understand the higher reasonings of the Nobility."
"He is amazingly cheap," Octavio chuckled mirthlessly, nearly at the bottom now. "Even for a beaver."
Octavio tripped on the loose step, lurching forward. The tiger instinctively reached out to steady the wolf, only to find himself grabbed by the arm and tossed over Octavio's shoulder. The wolf wrapped his arms around the tumbling feline's neck in passing, letting gravity snap the spine with a sickening crunch. He leaned over, looking the tiger in the eyes.
"Lord Dermont went as far as to make it illegal for Borealis Air to hire mammals larger than a fox to work aboard its airships," Octavio informed the dying mammal.
Then the white wolf raised his head and let out a blood-curdling howl, sprinting forward on all fours as he went on the hunt.
8:22 PM
Marcus looked up in surprise at the approaching water buffalo.
"I hope you didn't come just to see me," the ram said, wryly. "You should be home after your afternoon's escapades."
Chief Bogo snorted. "Didn't even know you were here until Freddie pointed you out," he chuckled.
"Sorry for all the hoopla," Marcus apologized. "It never occurred to us we would be targeted, let alone found that easily." Bogo tilted his head, confused.
"Targeted?"
Marcus nodded. "That was Matty's car," he said, nodding towards the burnt out shell covered in foam. "There was something blinking attached to the fuel cells. Luckily, we noticed it."
"Matty?" the Chief asked. "You're dating Matilda Ewing?"
"You have a problem with that?" Matilda called out from the steps of the surgical center. "You must be Chief Bogo." She stepped up to the massive buffalo and held out her hoof. "Pleasure to finally meet you face to face."
Bogo chuckled, shaking the proffered hoof gently. "Likewise," he said. "So, what is this about something blinking attached to the fuel cells?"
8:25 PM
Windbright had been trained once upon a time on how to make her way around an airship's vents. Finding one she could access had not been very difficult, just a matter of going into an empty lavatory. Now she crawled through the ductwork, careful not to make any noise, winding her way to the Engineering section two decks below.
That was a critical compartment for any would-be hijackers to occupy, even more so than the control room. From the Engineering section, a hijacker could operate the entire ship if they had the proper training, regardless of what anyone in the main control room did.
Windbright swore under her breath. Of course, such trained hijackers would know this and try to prevent others from doing what she was trying to do. She barely spotted the motion sensor in time, its telltale ready-light nothing more than a faint brightening of the darkness ahead to her sensitive eyes. The device waited—likely fastened to the top surface of the duct with a suction cup—just around an intersection she needed to cross.
Slowly backing up past the preceding intersection, she crawled her way forward into that side vent. While in the lavatory, Windbright had filled her small purse with liquid soap for just this eventuality, ruining the only expensive personal item she owned in the process. She grinned: She could afford a better one now.
The leopardess brought her tail forward, dipping the tip into the purse and cringing at the feel of the cold, slimy liquid. She used her paw to slick down as much of the fur as possible with the soap, leaving her tail a fraction of its normal width, and hoping it would be good enough.
Carefully backing into the main vent, her tail became a feeler as she approached the intersection guarded by the motion sensor. Now everything depended on how cautious the hijackers were. Her tail felt the corner. Slowly, she inched closer, her tail rising to the top.
The motion sensor would be set to trigger only on something large. Not much smaller than a mouse, else bugs and other pests would constantly set it off. Or so her trainers had told her, but now, outside the classroom, she wondered if they had been overly optimistic.
No time for doubts. Pressing against the top surface, her tail crept along the vent, sweeping slowly, like a gravity-defying serpent in search of prey. There.
Windbright slapped hard with her tail, sending the device tumbling along the vent. If her instructors really knew what they were teaching, the hijackers would believe the device had simply become detached.
Time to put their lessons to the test.
She carefully pulled her tail back and made it to the previous intersection again to turn around—she couldn't depend on only one motion sensor being present. The feline sighed. No gear, no weapons, no backup. At least she, unlike many others she knew, had kept herself in peak physical condition after she received her title, or she wouldn't even fit in the vent.
Of course, another month from now she wouldn't fit, either. Windbright purred. Irregular or not, Octavio had rescued her and her unborn kits from a life of ostracism. The scandal would be felt throughout the Empire, legal or not, but her kits would have an honorable father.
Stop woolgathering, she chided herself, carefully peering ahead. She couldn't see signs of any other sensors, so she pushed on to the main ventral duct.
8:32 PM
"Is that a wolf howl?" asked the black bear, incredulously, to the polar bear in charge.
The control room of the airship was large enough for the bears and their associates, though it was a tight fit for the massive ursines. The real flight crew were bound in one corner, their Captain, a fox with a bloodied face, starting to chuckle.
The polar bear took notice of the Captain. "You find something amusing, pelt?" he growled menacingly.
The fox spat out blood. "You wanted Lord Belyiklyk," he sneered. "I hope you are ready for him."
The black bear guffawed. "Just another wolf," he laughed. "How tough can he be?"
The entire flight crew choked down their own laughter, to the annoyance of the two bears. The other hijackers in the room, two panthers, a badger, and a jackal, were slightly unnerved by the flight crew's reaction.
The polar bear growled at his crew. "You think a wolf can take me?" he snarled. "How long have you known me, and you can still imagine a wolf is more than my lunch?"
The others averted their eyes, shifting about uncomfortably.
"Belyiklyk has a reputation," one of the panthers said, respectfully. "We should be cautious."
"I am always cautious," the polar bear grumbled, warningly. "I got us this far, didn't—?"
"Number One," interrupted the polar bear's walkie-talkie. "Number Three is down. Repeat. Number Three is down. By the stair—" Static followed.
The leader grabbed the communicator from his belt, raising it to his muzzle. Before he could speak, another howl echoed through the control deck.
"That makes two," the bound Captain said with satisfaction, only to be kicked unconscious by the polar bear.
8:32 PM
Chief Bogo grunted as Matilda finished her recap of the explosion.
"I would have to agree our vaunted 'Secure Communications System' is not so secure anymore," he said, worriedly, to the couple. Marcus had taken her hoof in his as she spoke and neither showed any sign of letting go. "Something like today would take months to plan."
"Probably, years," Marcus said. "But they would still need up-to-date information on their specific targets."
"We're dealing with a massive sleeper network, able to coordinate, plan, and collect intelligence without our notice," Matilda went on. "Regardless of how it looks today, we're not that incompetent."
"Unless our comms are totally compromised," agreed the water buffalo. "How does this tie in with Jack's investigation?" The Chief pulled the jammer Judy had given him, currently glowing green, from his pocket.
Matilda shook her head. "Jack didn't give me any specifics other than telling me that particular lead was neutral, at worst," she replied. "Proactively friendly, for the most part. He promised 'a most comprehensive briefing' in the near future."
The Chief grunted. "Lionheart mentioned an Article 14 operation," he said in a hushed voice. "Are things that bad?"
"Yes," Matilda told him. "And the less you know, the better. But the Article 14 was planned before today's bloodbath, and we do not believe it is directly related."
"Are my officers safe?" Bogo asked, pointedly.
"None of us are safe right now," the sheep countered. "ZIA is in shambles, ZBI has been gutted, the ZDF, decapitated and on a hair trigger. We're lucky you and the Mayor survived, unlike a third of the Commonwealth Council, not to mention the continuing fallout from the Packland case. If I were to bet, today's activities are closer related to the recent demonstrations and riots. Maybe some connection to Packland—no. Not maybe. There Is a connection, we just haven't figured out what it is—yet." She pointed a hoof at Bogo's chest. "But we will. Let Jack handle the external ops, with the Article 14; he's good at that. It's up to us to get Zootopia back under control."
Officer Delgato ran up, carrying Bogo's secure phone from the cruiser. "Chief," he called out. "You're gonna need this. Six airships veered off-course after their hijack alarms went off about forty-five minutes ago. Apparently, AeroAdmin's security chief has been missing since this morning, so someone finally decided to call us."
"Oh, just great," the water buffalo huffed.
8:40 PM
A dwarf polar bear, a giant, very pregnant bunny, and an elegant white wolfess spattered with blood. There was only one place Alexandra could think of where they stood a chance of remaining inconspicuous: the Borealis Night Club on the Promenade deck. Mother Chia didn't even try to override her decision, distracted as she was with worry over Father and Mother Windbright.
Assuming the hijackers didn't want an airship full of panicking mammals, they would have to conduct a quiet search for them. That seemed logical: Alexandra had only seen makeshift dart guns and knives on their attackers. They had tranqd Mother Palila from the door, then overpowered the rest. They were all large predators, so it had been relatively easy.
Alexandra never suspected Fabian had such heart, as surprised as their attackers when the diminutive otter launched himself at a mountain lion and bit off an ear before being caught and... killed. The bunny sniffled, angry at the otter's death. She would seek out his family and personally give her condolences and thanks when they reached Aurora. He also had a fiancee; they had planned to wed in the spring...
The group neared the night club entrance in the aft section of the airship, having avoided as many cameras as possible. A raccoon attendant stood by the door to check IDs, though it was still dinner time for most passengers so there was nobody waiting to get in. Catching sight of them, the attendant looked up, eyes going wide in recognition. He lowered his paw to his waist and waved them to stop, then disappeared into the club for a few seconds before coming back out.
"Hurry, your Highnesses," he told them, approaching quickly with his eyes scanning around nervously. "They are looking for you. I have reset the entrance camera, which only takes a minute. There are tables near the back that should give you some concealment." Rushing them to the entrance, he reached into his pocket and pressed a key card into Alexandra's paw. "This will open the rear exit. But, if you do so, the fire alarm will sound."
"Thank you," the bunny said, with relief, for all of them. "We shall remember your assistance."
Though the club was empty, the music inside was still loud. Alexandra and Abigail dropped their ears, wincing along with Chia at the cacophony. Palila was more at ease, the polar bear even tapping her feet in time to the beat.
The raccoon had been right. They found the mentioned tables, behind some support columns near the rear exit. They were obstructed from direct view of the entrance, and the twirling disco lights did not reach that far from the dance floor. Chia's eyes glowed eerily, her night vision already at work.
"This is a good place, Alexandra," she said, squeezing the bunny's paw. "We should have ample time to get out if anyone comes looking for us."
"We might even be able to dance," Abigail said, jokingly.
Palila stared at her sister wife. "You seem in high spirits," the polar bear commented, disbelievingly.
"It is not my first time being left bound and gagged on the floor," Abigail chuckled. "It is the first time I have had help getting untied, though. Thank you, sister Chia; it usually takes me two or three days to free myself."
"Mother Chia," Alexandra asked, shaking her head at her birth mother. "What is going on?"
Chia sighed. "We believe the airship has been hijacked," she told them. "Your father and Windbright will deal with it."
"Deal with it?" Alexandra said, worriedly.
"Yes," Chia reassured the bunny. "Your father is very resourceful—and he has Windbright to help. We simply need to remain safe while he does."
The wolfess concealed her anxiety well enough from the two bunnies, but Palila's nose wasn't fooled.
"Your father's reputation is not mere fancy," the polar bear said confidently, for Alexandra's sake, though looking directly at Chia. "He is a formidable mammal. I am certain he will bring the situation under control."
A vixen approached the table, her slim silhouette visible against the dance lights. She placed soft drinks and snacks on the table.
"Compliments of house," she said, sweetly. "Oh, I almost forgot." She set a heavy bundle wrapped in a thick, cloth napkin on the table. "Utensils," she told them, then walked away.
8:45 PM
"Borealis Air 1362," Matilda read Bogo's notes. "13...62...Oh, damm." Marcus and the Chief stared at her. She frowned.
"That's Octavio Belyiklyk's flight," she told them. Noticing their confusion, she sighed. "He and his family boarded that flight this morning."
"Isn't he…?" The Chief began.
"The one we thought was behind all this mess?" the sheep continued. "Yes. We know he is up to his eyeballs in the WildeHopps case, and the reason for the Article 14."
"You think he is hijacking his flight to cover his tracks?" the water buffalo asked. The sheep shook her head.
"No," she said, rubbing her eyes. "Their tickets were purchased at the last moment, from Octavio's personal account. They only had room on that flight because of a late cancellation."
"Coincidence?" Marcus said, without conviction.
"The hijacking, no," she theorized. "Him—and his new family—being on the flight, yes. There's no need for the drama or the risk."
Chief Bogo grumbled. "Why hijack six airships?"
"Better yet," Marcus said. "We all agree this took a long time to plan, so…"
Matilda grunted. "Why those six airships?" she finished.
"We need the passenger lists," the Chief concluded.
8:46 PM
Pacing around the table, Jack tried dialing Matilda's phone for the tenth time since the news broadcast.
"I'm sure she's fine," Reggie told him, again, though it sounded forced. "We would have heard if something happened to her."
"Unless they can't find her body," Nick pointed out. Judy's ear flicked. "Ouch! Watch the eye!"
"We can try the Chief," Judy said, glaring at her husband. "He might have some useful information."
Jack sighed, coming to a stop. "No," he said, resigned. "Reggie's right. Word will get to us if she's been hurt. We should avoid any unnecessary comm chatter under the circumstances."
"She's fine, Jack," Skye said, gently. "Matilda is tougher than nails; it would take more than a car bomb to ruffle that wool of hers."
"We should get some rest," Kataiahs said, standing up. "It has been a long day and we all have places to go in the morning. I can give you something to help you sleep, Jack, if you need."
Jack shook his head. "I'll be fine," he said, smiling ruefully. "I think it is more about not knowing what is happening than worry." He yawned. "And it has been quite an eventful day."
8:46 PM
The polar bear stared down dispassionately at the dead bodies of his third-in-command and his security chief. Both mammals had broken necks. Not surprising in the case of his security chief, a badger, but troubling in the case of his third-in-command, a large Bengal tiger. The polar bear had sent the tiger specifically because he was markedly larger than the white wolf.
There weren't any signs of a struggle, either. No blood, no ripped clothing, no scuffed paint. Just two dead bodies.
"Number One," came from his walkie-talkie, "Number Eight is down. The Prize is gone."
The polar bear roared in frustration. "What happened?" he growled into the radio.
"We're checking the video now," came the response, then a pause. "The Prize returned, disabled Number Eight, then went inside. The Child Bride came out shortly and finished him off. Then they all went into a service stairwell, and there are only cameras at the top and bottom floors. We don't know on what deck they exited."
"What about the door locks?" the bear demanded, angrily. "What do the security logs show?"
"N-nothing," came the voice, shakily. "They took Number Eight's key card."
The bear squeezed the walkie-talkie, but stopped short of damaging it. "Understood," he growled. "Keep your positions."
Number Eight's key card was one of the main tools they had used in taking over the airship. It was a Master Passkey, with an added hack to make its use undetectable by the airship's security system.
Now it was being used against him.
From somewhere in the deck, a defiant wolf howl echoed through the halls.
8:50 PM
Five predators, Windbright thought to herself. Assuming she hadn't missed anyone, and that the mammals tied in the corner were crew and not decoys.
She had managed to make her way to the Engineering room, after nearly slipping to her death because of her soapy tail. Her paws would be sore for days from catching herself before hitting the bottom of the ventral duct. At least the machinery noise had masked the sound of her near-disaster.
The Engineering room was large but cramped with pipes, conduits, and control panels, preventing larger mammals from entering easily—one reason Octavio had sent her here.
Two foxes, a jaguar, a hyena, and a badger. The jaguar would be her most dangerous opponent if they were unarmed. As it was, they all carried makeshift dart guns not, she hoped, of the lethal variety.
The air ducts were considered auxiliary maintenance corridors to take advantage of the smaller mammals in the aircrew. They provided easy, out of sight access to many otherwise unreachable systems, therefore requiring critical covers to be openable from inside of the ducts.
Critical covers like the one in the Engineering room.
But the hijackers would notice the cover opening unless she could find a way to distract them—not the easiest task to accomplish from the other side of an air vent. Luckily, they had a Plan.
"Awooooooooooooooo," she heard, followed shortly by a loud slam against the main door. She winced, thinking how hard Octavio must have hit to make the door shake like that.
"That's the White Wolf," one of the captives commented, smugly. "He's come for you."
"Let's see him break that door down," retorted the jaguar. "Then I'll start worrying."
"Just another wolf," the hyena said, with a hint of nervousness while picking up a walkie-talkie. "Number One," he said into the device. "Trouble outside Engineering."
"Understood," came the satisfied reply from the device. "Two, Nine, and Fifteen on their way. Whatever happens, you do NOT open that door."
"Copy," said the hyena. He looked at the captives. "Now the Colonel gets another pelt," he sneered, making himself comfortable in the Chief Engineer's seat.
Not exactly the outcome the Plan called for, Windbright thought, swearing under her breath.
8:55 PM
Ow, Octavio thought, picking himself off the floor. The Engineering Room door was designed to hold off a charging elephant.
A faint smile crept over his muzzle; the door had shaken satisfyingly loud. He couldn't realistically expect much more. After all, he had taken quite a beating over the past few days, and he wasn't a young pup anymore.
He didn't think they would open the door. Not yet, anyway, and Windbright would take advantage if they did. She firmly believed that they would, impatient as she was.
Well, he had also been impatient at her age—still was, if he were honest. Case in point: he could stay and wait for the next group of hijackers that were certainly on their way.
Or go hunt for them.
He howled again, returning to the hunt.
8:57 PM
Disabling the cameras on the Control Deck was a necessary evil for hijacking the airship. That allowed the hijackers to move about undetected by the flight crew until they were inside the critical areas.
The hijackers had first taken over the Communications room, which doubled as the Security room, quickly disabling communications between the other compartments.
Next had been the Engineering room, giving them full flight control of the vessel. Last was the Control room, where the senior officers and crew were stationed, coordinating the activity of the entire airship.
Disabling the cameras was a permanent affair, however. They were built and installed in such a way that temporarily disabling them was impossible, with several redundant systems in place to keep them active and tamper free. One reason most scenarios involved an inside mammal who could control the cameras while the airship was hijacked.
Obtaining the device that disabled the cameras had been pivotal to the operation. But having the cameras disabled was now also proving to be troublesome, the brown bear thought. They had no idea where the wolf was, though he had obviously wandered all over the deck, as his scent was everywhere.
The two panthers, spread out behind him, confirmed his suspicion with a nod as the bear gestured that scent-tracking was useless.
They sped up when another howl reached them from the direction of the Engineering room. The bear rounded the corner first, dart gun at the ready, only to find the passageway empty.
Running full bore towards the next intersection, he roared when it, too, proved to be empty. Turning to the panthers, he nearly choked.
"Where's Number Nine!" he bellowed at the remaining one, who turned around instantly to notice his compatriot was missing.
"Find them!" the bear roared.
9:00 PM
The nightclub had filled quickly after they sat down. Within minutes, the dance floor was packed with mammals of all sizes who somehow managed not to trample or be trampled on by others.
Nobody paid much attention to the four princesses sitting in the back although a few oblivious males had approached, to be politely sent on their way. There were many unattached mammals, so the rejected males quickly found interested partners, promptly forgetting about the four nervous females.
The waitress had brought kitchen knives concealed in the cloth napkin, so they were at least armed. For the two bunnies, this was a big comfort, as they lacked the natural weapons Palila and Chia possessed. As all Baratean nobles, the bunnies also had basic training on how to use them, so while they probably couldn't beat an experienced fighter, they were dangerous enough to merit caution.
"I cannot see the door anymore," Palila said with a frown. "There are too many mammals in the way."
"That means we are also harder to see from the door," Abigail commented. "Not a bad trade."
"It is only a matter of time before they realize this is our only logical hiding place," Alexandra warned.
Chia smiled. "They are searching for a group of four frightened females," she giggled. "Let us be sure they do not find them."
9:01 PM
The hijackers inside the Engineering room stared at each other with growing alarm, hearing the bear's angry shouts in the corridor outside.
"What should we do?" asked one of the foxes.
"Not open the door," the jaguar said. "You heard the Colonel. Let the big guys deal with it; they can't fly this ship. We can."
"The White Wolf will be here soon enough," one of the captives said. "Enjoy your lives while they last."
"I heard the White Wolf has a rhinoceros in his Collection," another one of the captives ventured. "Killed him in ten seconds."
"I heard it was five," another one corrected. "Tore his throat right out."
"Quiet down!" bellowed the badger. "Any intelligent mammal knows a wolf can't beat a rhino."
"I have seen the White Wolf," the senior captive, a ferret, retorted. "He is as large as a bear, with fangs as long as knives, and claws the size of sickles. He will tear through that door as soon as he has dealt with your friends."
Listening through the grate, Windbright stifled a laugh at that. It sounded like kits telling stories around the campfire.
One of the captives, a bunny, turned his gaze towards the air vent, having heard her outburst. His eyes went wide for an instant. From the floor, he could see up into the angled vents of the grate, catching sight of the leopardess, though his eyesight wasn't sharp enough to identify her as a snow leopard.
But he knew there was someone behind the grate.
He discreetly pointed an ear at the grate, turning his eyes away to avoid giving away her position.
"Distract them," Windbright whispered, hoping the rabbit alone would hear, then smiled when he nodded. She prepared to make her entrance.
"Feral wolves pick off their prey one by one," the rabbit commented, sagely. "I saw it in a Nature program, once. The White Wolf is no different, you know. He will pick your friends off one at a time unless you can overwhelm him with numbers."
"That's how the Pack has controlled the Empire for so long," another prisoner piped in. "Eliminate troublesome mammals, one at a time, to avoid a mass rebellion."
"He's just a wolf," the hyena said, mostly to reassure himself. "It's all propaganda to keep the masses in line."
"Awooooooooooooooo," sounded another howl.
"You are running out of comrades," the rabbit lamented. "If you do not help the ones who remain, you will be next."
"I said, quiet!" the badger snarled, walking over to the rabbit. "What do you care what happens to us?"
The rabbit shrugged. "I do not," he said, indifferently. "But the crew will likely be punished for allowing your group to hijack the airship. So it is preferable for you to succeed; then, perhaps, we might avoid a trip to the slave block."
"What if he's right?" said one of the foxes. "What if the Colonel's already dead?"
The jaguar sighed, rolling his eyes. He picked up the walkie-talkie. "Number One," he called. "New orders?"
There was a brief silence. "Stay put," responded a different voice than before. "Do not open the door."
"Where's Number One?" demanded the jaguar. "What's going on?"
"Your orders are to stay put," the voice said, annoyed. "Keep that door shut!" Static followed.
"Awooooooooooooooo," came yet another howl.
"I suppose we will be going to the slave block after all," the rabbit said, fatalistically. The jaguar stormed over to him, coming next to the badger.
"Shut your trap!" he shouted, slapping the rabbit across the muzzle. The badger moved to restrain the feline, catching his paw and starting an argument in a language Windbright didn't know.
She decided it was as good an opportunity as she would get; she could pounce on the arguing hijackers from where she was, though it would be a difficult jump. Then the other three hijackers also started arguing amongst themselves, shouting and pointing to the compartment door, settling any doubts she had.
With no one watching the vent, the snow leopardess released the latch and pushed the grate open. The rabbit noticed the motion and bit down with his powerful front teeth on the jaguar's leg, drawing blood. The wounded mammal bellowed in pain, swiping at the rabbit with drawn claws, ripping a large gash across the lagomorph's cheek.
Windbright launched herself from the open vent with her arms, feeling something strain in the process, while the badger struggled to keep the jaguar from slashing the rabbit again. The badger caught a glimpse of the airborne leopardess, turning his head as Windbright crashed into him and the jaguar, pushing them all onto the bound crew members.
She slashed the badger's throat with her front claws while grabbing the jaguar by the neck with her jaws and burying her rear claws into the feline's belly. The badger wasn't fatally wounded, but his paws were busy keeping himself from bleeding out. The jaguar's guts spilled out, another non-fatal wound—if he received medical attention soon.
The prisoners didn't remain still. Even bound, they managed to help, holding down the wounded hijackers and taking the dart hits from the other hijackers who had stopped their argument when the rabbit bit the jaguar. Windbright sighed with relief. The dart guns were makeshift, single-shot weapons.
She roared and launched herself at the hyena, even though she was too far to reach. That scattered the hijackers but they were professionals, not panicking as she would have liked, and used to working together. Their dart guns were already reloaded and the leopardess swatted and nipped wildly at them to keep them from getting off a clean shot. Then something stung her tail and she felt numbness creeping up, though not before she took a good bite out of one of the foxes' arms.
With her hindquarters losing feeling, she caught the hyena on the flank with her teeth, ripping him to the bone and puncturing his lung. As the room went dark around her, she slashed the uninjured fox's face open from ear to muzzle, then collapsed onto the floor.
9:05 PM
Octavio silently closed the door of the utility closet that had concealed him, hiding the dead panther now jammed inside.
He raised his head and howled, then scampered down the hallway to his next hiding spot, a large electrical panel. He barely managed to shut the door before the bear and the remaining panther ran past. The bear was angry, not really paying attention. Even with the sharp smell of the electrical components around him, the ursine should have picked up Octavio's scent.
The panther was scared, following the lead of the bear without much thought.
Perfect.
The hijackers were heading towards the communications room, following the reasonable course of someone trying to retake the airship. Which Octavio was not trying to do—Windbright was retaking the ship.
Octavio was hunting.
He followed his prey, carefully paying attention to scents, sounds, and air currents. The bear and panther were taking turns at the lead, looking around corridors before continuing forward, expecting a trap in front of them. Not a hunter behind them.
Octavio recognized their pattern. These were soldiers, or were at one time, though now they were only mercenaries or bandits. Either way, they were predictable.
Point mammal creeps up to an intersection, quickly peeks around the corner while the one behind gives cover, then covers the side passage while the one behind takes point. About fifteen seconds. More than long enough.
Learning their timing, Octavio caught up to them, hiding around the corners they passed when the two changed positions. It could get bloody this time, as he would have to dispatch both very quickly.
The panther had only begun moving forward when Octavio turned the corner and stealthily closed the distance between them, just as the bear reached the next corridor. The bear slowed down, approaching the intersection with his dart gun at the ready, stopped, then quickly poked his head around the corner.
He was completely out of position to do anything as the wolf reached the panther and broke the feline's neck. The bear saw the panther fall, revealing the White Wolf behind him.
"Awooooooooooooooo!" Octavio howled, feigning right, as if to retreat, then leaping left instead, making the bear miss his one dart shot. Predictable.
Kicking off the wall, the wolf landed and faked a leap at the bear's face, then rolled on the floor as the ursine punched at empty air. Sliding past the bear, Octavio shot him in the neck with the panther's dart gun, carefully kept out of sight until then.
The bear's eyes rolled back into his head as he collapsed to the floor. Octavio stood up, chuckling to himself, then raised his head and howled.
9:15 PM
ZPD headquarters was closest to Savannah Central, so Matilda, Marcus and Chief Bogo decided to make it their Crisis Center. While the bomb on Matilda's car proved the location of ZIA's Zootopia Field Office was no longer a secret, the trio decided it best not to draw any extra attention to it: Just because one foe knew its location didn't mean they all did.
After careful consideration, they also decided that all important information would be conveyed in writing via courier. All fixed cameras and microphones would be removed from operation throughout ZPD, ZIA and ZBI buildings, and all meetings would take place within secured, inside rooms with at least two layers of offices between them and any external doors or windows.
All recordings would be done on portable, non-networked devices using optical media storage, and only battery-powered devices would be allowed within the secured rooms, even including the lights.
While the group waited for the passenger lists of the hijacked airships to be delivered by Bogo's pawpicked officers, late dinner orders were sent out and coffee was made. It would be a long night.
They were officially paranoid.
9:16 PM
Back in the Control Room, the polar bear ironically felt himself losing control of the situation. Half of his team was either dead or missing and that damned wolf's continued howling was driving him crazy.
To make matters worse, now the Engineering Room wasn't responding, but without Number Eight's key card they couldn't get past the security door. The bear had four mammals out looking for the missing females who had taken the key card, with orders to just report their location. He would personally lead the team to recapture them—then let's see if that wolf still likes howling.
The polar bear growled. He had gotten greedy. Belyiklyk was not on his mission parameters but an opportunity like this was hard to pass up: The ransom alone could buy him a private island off Pawaii.
The Emperor's right-paw mammal, the Heir Apparent, the richest bunny in the North, the youngest daughter of the most powerful Polar Bear Clan, and the eldest daughter of the Snow Leopard Clan. It was the opportunity of a lifetime.
Until they all got away.
The bear slammed his paw into the wall, putting a sizable dent into the metal surface and making his two subordinates in the room jump. From the corner of the room, the airship captain chuckled, the fox's left eye swollen shut from the polar bear's earlier kick.
"The White Wolf might let you live if you beg for mercy," he slurred. "He doesn't sound—too angry—yet."
"He sounds hungry," one of the other flight officers mused. "I am glad to be tied up in here."
"You're gonna to die in here," the badger hijacker said, holding up a long knife threateningly, "if you don't keep quiet."
"Better than in a wolf's belly," another crew member mumbled.
"Quiet!" the polar bear roared. "Next one to open his trap ends up in my belly!"
Outside, another wolf howl rang through the corridors.
9:20 PM
Towel wrapped around her head, Judy stood naked in front of the closet, staring at her ZPD uniform hanging inside. From the bed, Nick admired her slim figure with a sly smile on his muzzle.
"It might still fit," he said, sounding doubtful. "You have been hitting the pastries a bit hard."
"Har, har," Judy said, looking over her shoulder. "I'm not the one who had two whole pies this evening."
Nick held up his paw. "Hey," he said, self-righteously. "In case you forgot, I am recovering from a war wound. I need all the energy I can get."
"A war wound?" Judy chuckled. "You wouldn't have passed out if you'd just bandaged it before playing with Dad's water cannon."
"There was a battle raging," Nick retorted, smugly. "One mammal's needs do not outweigh the needs of the many."
Judy turned around, paws on her hips. "And that time in Tundra Town when—"
"That wasn't war," Nick asserted, wagging a finger. "Completely different."
"I see," she said. "So in the interests of 'healing,' I better sleep on the floor tonight—I would hate for you to squander your energy on hedonistic carnal pleasures."
"That would actually be considered physical therapy," Nick said, matter-of-factly while holding up his fingers. "Good cardio workout, promote the flow of endorphins, keep the various muscle groups stretched. An 'energy multiplier' one might say."
"And, we bunnies are good at multiplying," Judy admitted, walking over to kiss him. "Ready for your therapy session?"
9:24 PM
The mountain lion wore an off-duty crew uniform with a cap to cover the bloody bandage over his missing ear. He'd heard the Colonel's orders, but if he found those bitches he wouldn't waste time calling for backup. He would kill them.
He had a strong hunch where they would be. If he was trying to hide, he would try to find somewhere he could remain inconspicuous. Somewhere he could lose himself in the crowd.
Somewhere like a nightclub.
The others looking for the females had strongly disagreed with him about this. They believed the missing hostages would be huddling inside one of the lavatories or empty cabins, so he had left them to do his own search. He didn't believe these females would be cowering in fear. No. These were arrogant ones. They wouldn't sit still and be inconvenienced by anyone. This kind believed they could control everything around them.
He stood before the entrance, looking down at the raccoon who moved aside submissively. The music inside wasn't so loud as to be unpleasant, at least with the crew cap on, and it was dark enough to encourage pairing up without much self-consciousness. A typical nightclub.
He would play it cool. Relax a bit, twirl his way onto the dance floor, not actively look for anyone. Just be an off-duty crew member blowing off steam.
It was a free-for-all under the multicolored disco lights, everyone dancing with everyone. The scents were more intoxicating than the drinks and it took an effort not to be distracted while casually scanning the room. He was an attractive male in very good shape; the females responded accordingly.
Felines, canines, bovines, equines, it didn't matter. Filled with young Zootopians, species mingled freely in here. The mountain lion soon found himself grinding against the rump of a deer, then was pulled away by mare breathing hotly against his neck. She shamelessly cupped his crotch, her hoof surprisingly supple and arousing to him. In return, his paws took hold of her hips then ran firmly up under her tail.
A soft winny and a wink, then she was off to the next male. Spinning right into her place, a lithe canine nestled against him, her rump grinding into his crotch. Her arms were raised, paws clasped over her head, hips swaying to the hypnotic beat of the music. The mountain lion ran his paws up her waist, coming around to cup her breasts. She didn't pull away, instead bringing her arms down over his, then leading him off the dance floor, the motion of her hips becoming more openly suggestive as they reached a relatively secluded corner in the rear of the club.
He had never considered mating with another species before. Sure, he did find the occasional non-feline attractive, but it had never crossed his mind to actually couple with one of them. Until now. The music, the pheromones, the dancing. He had completely forgotten why he was really in the club, with the canine, leaning forward with her face against the wall, occupying all his attention.
He gripped her hips, pulling himself against her greedily. That's when another set of paws wrapped around his waist. Very large paws.
"Hello, handsome," Palila growled into his good ear, digging her claws into his stomach hard enough to break through clothes and skin. "We have not been formally introduced."
The mountain lion tried to break away, only digging the claws deeper into his flesh. Swallowing hard, he stopped struggling. The canine turned around to face him, a mischievous smile on her face. What truly caught his attention was the coldness in the wolfess' eyes, in such contrast to the lovely face.
"Did you really expect a wolfess to give herself to you that easily?" Chia giggled, then stood tippy-toe to whisper into his ear. "Especially after you kill a loyal subject of mine?" She pushed Palila's claws deeper into his flesh, then ran her paws caressingly up his chest. Finding the dart gun concealed inside his vest pocket, she pulled it out and shot him in the groin.
9:25 PM
Windbright came to, the familiar dry mouth from being tranqd cautioning her against opening her eyes or moving. Surprisingly, she wasn't tied up.
"Are you alright, m'lady?" came the voice she recognized as belonging to the senior captive. "We have control of the room again, thanks to you. Where are the other members of your team?"
That question made her smile. "Last I knew," she said, groggily, opening her eyes, "howling in the corridors. How long have I been out?"
"About twenty minutes," the ferret answered. "The dart tip went clean through your tail."
"How is your crew doing?" she asked. "Can they fly the ship?"
"Only Charles was injured," he told her, pointing to the wounded hare. "We bandaged his face. Four others are sleeping off darts, but we can operate the vessel. We have not resumed course to Aurora."
"Have the hijackers tried to get back in?"
"No, m'lady. And we have not replied to their attempts at communication."
"Good. Let them think only comms are down."
"Does the White Wolf have a plan?" the ferret asked, hopefully.
Windbright smiled ferally at the sound of a wolf howl outside. "Hunt," she said.
9:30 PM
That made seven Octavio thought to himself with satisfaction, looking down at the two wolves lying dead at his feet. He was disappointed a wolf would have the disrespect to oppose him. Even in Zootopia, wolves had deferred to him. Perhaps they were simply smarter than these mercenaries.
He had, at least, managed to get these two to reveal the hijackers were a band of Nines ex-military, following the lead of a disgraced polar bear colonel named Quassy. Octavio recalled the name from a failed border incursion into Baratea several years ago. Nines had denied responsibility to the Council of Mammals, surrendering the shackled colonel to the Mammal High Court in order to avoid sanctions.
Had the colonel succeeded in capturing the key mountain passes to the rich mines south of Aurora, the bear would have been a national hero. Nines would have laughed at the idea of sanctions, knowing they would never pass while they controlled the main source of strategic minerals on the continent.
Such was the price of failure.
Or, sometimes, he thought wryly about his own situation, success.
The faint tap of a claw touching the floor was all the warning he had. Leaping high in a backwards flip, the clink of a dart striking the wall told him he had barely escaped capture. Pushing off hard against the ceiling, he felt another dart brushing past his nape, then he hit the floor facing a badger and an open-muzzled fox. He landed off balance, teetering towards the two hijackers, who threw down their weapons and fled down the corridor screaming in terror.
Octavio threw back his head and howled. Only to be caught from behind in the iron grip of a polar bear hug.
"I should have come after you myself from the beginning," the leader of the hijackers growled, squeezing hard enough that Octavio couldn't breathe. "I hear you have mated with that small polar bear sow," the bear sneered, squeezing harder. "I will have to work hard to remove your stench from her. Then, I think I will try mating with a wolfess. And I have the perfect white bitch in mind."
9:45 PM
The communications room door thundered with a powerful knock. The jaguar in charge of the hijackers' communications team looked up in surprise from the main console.
"Is it that damned wolf again?" he said, annoyed. His second, a coyote, went and looked through the peephole.
"It's the Colonel," he said, worriedly. "He looks injured."
"Open the door," the cougar ordered, standing up and grabbing a first aid kit. The coyote turned the lock, then was thrown back by the swinging door.
The chewed-off head of the colonel bounced into the compartment, leaving a bloody trail and coming to a squishy halt face up against the far wall. Chest heaving, covered in blood and gashes, Octavio stood in the doorway, muzzle twitching and salivating. His pupils were feral, fully dilated, and a low growl rumbled menacingly from his throat.
Without hesitation, the hijackers threw themselves down to the floor, covering their heads with their paws to avoid the gaze of the White Wolf.
The bound crew members inside broke out in cheers.
9:58 PM
The vixen waitress approached Chia, who sat humming on one side of the unconscious mountain lion. Palila sat on the other side, propping him up as one would an intoxicated friend.
"Your Highness," said the vixen, urgently. "You are needed in the infirmary, right away."
Chia smiled at the vixen. "Is everything back to normal, then?" she asked, sweetly.
"The Captain is back in charge," the waitress replied with a nod. "But there are several injured, including your husband."
The wolfess let out an exasperated sigh. "I told them to be careful," she said, frowning. "But, I suppose all is well that ends well." She stood up, with the now unsupported mountain lion slumping face forward onto the table with a dull thud. "Shall we go comfort our husband, ladies?"
"What about this one?" Alexandra asked, looking at the mountain lion with open hatred.
"I suppose we could kill him," Chia reasoned, then pouted. "Though your father may have some questions or such for him." She thought for a moment, then grabbed the remaining darts she had taken from the mountain lion and jabbed them into his back. She smiled at the waitress. "If he wakes, you may kill him," she cheerfully told the vixen, then to the others, "Ready? Our lord awaits."
10:03 PM
Chief Bogo's secure phone lit up on the table with an incoming call. Matilda and Marcus stared at the device vibrating urgently against the Chief's oversized coffee mug while the water buffalo pointedly ignored it.
"Well?" Marcus said, finally. "I don't think they would go against orders without a good reason."
The chief harumphed, reluctantly grabbing the phone and putting it on speaker. "This had better be good, Wolfard," he grumbled.
"Yes, Chief," came the reply. "I thought you might want to hear this: Five of the six hijacked airships vanished from radar; the other one has resumed course."
"Vanished?" said the Chief. "What does that mean? Airships don't just disappear."
"There one moment, gone the next," the officer said. "One of the senior controllers said it looked like they broke up in mid air. The supervisor disagreed, though."
"Which flight resumed course?" Matilda asked.
"BA1362," Wolfard told them. "They confirm the hijacking and report their on-board security team handled it with no passenger fatalities. They will take the surviving hijackers to Aurora for the Baratean authorities."
"How many surviving hijackers?" Marcus said. "Did they give any details?"
"No details beyond that, sir," Wolfard said. "Should I wait here for more information?"
"Stay there for now," Chief Bogo said. "See if they can figure out what happened to the other airships."
"Will do, sir," came the reply, then the line went dead.
"Assume they exploded?" Matilda suggested.
"But why not the last one?" Marcus said.
"Failed suicide mission?" Bogo wondered. "Many of the events today appear to have been carried out by suicide squads."
"Or idiots," Matilda added, recalling the Chief's account of his afternoon's experience with the Mayor.
A knock on the door preceded the entrance of Officer Pennington. "I have the passenger lists from the hijacked airships," she announced.
"Set them on the table, Francine," Chief Bogo said. "That should do it for tonight, thank you."
"Yes, sir," the elephant said, placing several folders on the table, then leaving.
"Do we still need these?" Marcus said, opening one of the folders. Chief Bogo picked up another one.
"It never hurts to cover all the bases," he grumbled. Matilda ground her teeth and grabbed a third one.
Author's Note:
That was long… I truly hope you enjoyed it. I cut it off, as otherwise it would be another 10K words, and it has been quite the while since the last update.
What sinister plan is unfolding?
Keep tuned…
I really will try to speed things up.
Everyone, keep safe during these troubling times.
Until next time,
Thanks for reading!