Chapter 6 - A Pink and Purple Dawn
The cold, brisk morning air was still damp from the passing storm, and smelled of fresh tilled soil and flowers in bloom. It was clean, and brought a sense of new life to the city. A young cop collected the air around her, letting it fill her nose and lungs. She stood still in the soft breeze, her eyes closed, holding the scent as long as she could, like she would cherishing a fine meal. The smell of rain always brought back strong memories of her home in Bunnyburrow.
She looked out at the streets still damp from the downpour and saw the gutters were choked with leaves, old newspapers, and other odd assortments of trash and debris that she would rather not know about. "You would think the storm would have washed all that away last night," the rabbit mumbled under her breath.
"What was that, Carrots?" A tall, red fox said as he approached. He was dressed in a clean but rumpled ZPD uniform and carried a large cup of steaming hot coffee in each paw, one of which he held out to his sharply uniformed partner.
Grabbing the large paper cup from his paw, she sipped energetically at it's scalding hot contents. "About time you showed up, Slick." All thoughts of the crisp morning air and filthy streets fled her mind as the essence of rich coffee doused her senses with it's overpowering aroma. She lifted the lid and took a long whiff before climbing up into the warm interior of the waiting police car.
The engine was still running and the radio crackled with the distant chatter of her fellow officers on their regular patrols. She fastened the buckle over her shapely thighs then reached across the seat to tug firmly on her partner's belt. He held up both paws to the ceiling of the car and wiggled his hips just begging her to frisk him. The giggle she made in return could have kept his cup of coffee warm and fresh all day.
Putting the cruiser in gear, the rabbit gingerly pulled out into the almost non-existent morning traffic and slowly drove down the street. Looking out the window, her amethyst eyes discreetly followed the other mammals on the sidewalk as they moved about their daily routines. Her usual chipper morning expression was broken by a thoughtful frown on her muzzle.
"Why so careful this morning?" the fox asked, sipping his coffee and turned to face her. When she didn't respond or look at him he quickly grabbed her tiny arm and cried with a bark, "Who are you? What have you done with my Carrots?"
"Sorry, Nick," she said shaking off his paw. "I have just been thinking. That and enjoying the brisk morning. It's rare that we get to just sit and enjoy the weather."
"What's so great about it?"
"Don't you ever just stop and enjoy the city life for a minute, or an hour?"
"No, not really." he uttered softly into his cup of dark black ink. "It's been a very long time since I could afford to slow down, and I've not really enjoyed the city since I was young, back when it was all fresh and new."
"Same with me." the bunny said sadly as she slowly made a right turn onto a busy thoroughfare.
"What do you mean?"
"It's been over a year since I first came to this city, but with everything that's been going on I never really took the time to take in the sights. Life as a cop has just been so hectic I just never get a chance to slow down."
"I thought that's just how bunnies are," the fox commented, causing the rabbit to turn her head and give him a puzzled look. "You know, so much energy you're always on the go. Just thought it was a bunny thing." he shrugged, putting down his steaming cup and pulled out his cell to check something on Furbook.
"We do slow down sometimes, more often later in life though."
"When, your mid 90's?" said the todd with a slight smirk.
She laughed so hard she almost ran through a red light and yelled at her partner for the trouble he caused. "Nick! You really need to stop doing that when I'm driving." The punch to his shoulder was swift but playful.
"Now that's the Carrots I remember."
His jokes, even the dumb ones, always warmed her heart and made her laugh, but she wasn't going to tell him that anytime soon, especially when he always seemed to tell them at exactly the wrong time.
Several red lights later Nick looked up from his phone with the slightest hint of a broad smile on his muzzle. "So, how did you like the movie last night? I never got a chance to ask since some bunny was gone when I woke up."
"Oh, um..." she stuttered and tried to avert her eyes from his intense glare. The long grey ears almost fell down to cover her blush before she remember she was still driving. With a cough she gripped the wheel more firmly, ears now straight at attention and a fierce look settled on her face that didn't do much to hide the red flush in her cheeks.
"I didn't want to wake you. I know how much you hate getting up before dawn."
His grin broadened, showing a single row of very sharp fangs. "I greatly appreciated that, Fluff. Oh, and I really loved the part where you left my curtains open too. How did you know the sun would hit me directly between the eyes, hmmm?"
Rolling her eyes she ignored his thick sarcasm and continued with her tale. "I wasn't expecting to crash on your couch so I didn't have a spare uniform with me. Plus my clothes were still a bit damp, so I grabbed them and took a quick jog."
"All the way back to your place?"
"Yeah. I usually run at least that far when I go jogging." the rabbit was literally jumping in her seat as she went through the motions of running in place. "Besides it helped keep me warm before our first cup of Joe."
The fox tried to cover his muzzle but ended up making a single loud sputtering gaffaw and slapped his knee.
"What?" Judy asked angrily.
After several stifled giggles he responded, "When have you ever called it a 'Cup of Joe'?"
"Isn't that what all the guys are calling it these days?" she lowered her voice to sound more masculine. "How about a cup of Joe?"
"No, not at all. You're probably about ten years late for that one, Fluff." he said taking a long swig from his own larger cup.
"Fine. Have it your way, but I am not buying you another round today Mr. Fox."
"I think I can live with that, besides you never answered my question."
"Which question was that?" she asked, quickly looking over her left shoulder as she merged onto the freeway.
"About last night's movie. How did you like it?"
"It was real great. I love those old black and white classic's. Maybe it's me, but I find there's something about them that all of today's new fancy technology just can't compare too. And I really liked following that reporter around as she was trying to solve the savage mystery."
"I am glad you liked it. How did you like the end though? I think I must have dozed off about halfway through."
"It was just wonderful. She finally found her man wounded in a cave." she said excitedly.
"Oh? Very nice."
"She managed to nurse him back to health, but it was too late, and he had changed and ended biting her passing on the curse. It was a really romantic end to a great story."
"Um, did we watch the same movie Carrots?"
"Duh, you were there. You saw me. We were both on your couch, in your apartment, watching the same movie, with the same storm raging outside."
"Well I know I fell asleep in the middle but are you sure you didn't too?" he said stroking the fuzz under his chin thoughtfully.
"No." she exclaimed, "I couldn't have. I clearly remember seeing the two wererabbits chasing each other into the sunset."
"And I clearly remember turning off the TV and the movie player. The screen was stuck playing that stupid main menu over and over."
"I… I… The TV was off when I got up, but I don't remember turning it off, or even how I got a blanket either." she looked at him about to ask another question when he lifted his phone to show it to her.
On the screen was his favorite movie review app showing the box cover for Hassenvoles.
"It says here that the movie had a very tragic and unexpected ending that kind of hits you from left field."
"Really? Let me see." she took the phone out of his paw and began scrolling down through the many pages of text.
"That page says she finds her lover already changed into the beast, but he doesn't recognize her and attacked. The fight was pretty long and drawn out. She manages to climb a tree then finds a branch and fights back for several minutes but he does kill the girl in the end. But the messed up part is that some hunter, who happens to be walking by, overheard the fight and came to the girl's rescue. He was too late of course, but he shoots the wererabbit who just falls over dead."
Judy only stared at her partner with one paw over her muzzle and a look of horror on her face. "That's terrible."
"Well, it's not called a tragedy for nothing." he said shaking his head. "Besides who in their right mind wanders around the woods a night with silver bullets in their gun?"
Judy pulls the cruiser off the freeway into a modest section of town consisting mostly of quaint apartment complexes and small parks. They drove around the area for a few hours before the rabbit spoke up.
"I'm so bored" she said after they passed the same corner for what felt like the fifth time.
"Yeah. It's been awfully quiet for being this close to the weekend. Although there really isn't anything big going on in town right now."
She sighed gripping the steering wheel fiercely as they waited at a red light.
"Weren't you just saying we needed to slow down this morning?"
Not taking her eyes off the signal light she mumbled something angrily under her breath and the fox chuckled.
"Just consider it our lucky day and relax."
They drove for about two more blocks when Judy suddenly pulled the cruiser over to the curb and hopped out and pointed across the street at the Snarlbucks storefront. "I am going for more coffee. Do you want me to get you some?"
Nick just sat in the passenger seat playing with a new phone app. "Naw, I'm good. Still got some left. Go knock yourself out."
When she returned with a large cup of something frothy and smothered in caramel, the fox looked up with a gleam in his eye."If you're really so bored I've got an idea for something fun we can do."
"Sure, I'll try anything at this point, Slick. As long as it's legal."
"We won't even have to leave the car." he replied and winked at her.
"It's something Finnick and I used to do awhile back."
"Ok, I'm game," the bunny said cheerfully. "What did you have in mind?"
"Well," the fox began, "since traffic seems to be picking up on this corner, I thought we could watch the all the mammals go by, and keep an eye out for any bad guys."
"Mammal watching." she scoffed with her arms folded across her chest.
"Something like that, but the catch is that we have to guess who they are and what they are doing."
The rabbit hopped up and down in her seat sipping her fresh cup of coffee. "This is going to be interesting."
"Let me go ahead and start then." the todd took one more sip and pointed at bobcat wearing an old brown suit and carried a worn leather briefcase. "Do you see that bobcat over there?" The bobcat was walking up the street heading straight for the coffee shop.
"Yeah, he looks really tired like he just woke up in the morning."
"My guess is that he was actually up all night gambling on the mammal races. And by his expression he didn't win any. Now he will pick up something to eat before heading home. Or maybe he grabs a big coffee before work?"
Judy just looked at him with a stunned expression on her face for several seconds before she asked curiously. "Wait, how do you know all this?"
"I saw him come out of the sports bar down the street." he pointed to a group of dusty brown buildings all crammed together about 3 blocks away. "That bar also serves as a gambling house for the locals who don't want to or can't get to big casinos. They mostly cover races and tuskball events, and there weren't any tuskball games last night."
"Alright Slick." She said as the tired bobcat left the shop with a chocolate chip muffin and a tall cup of coffee. "My turn now."
Sitting in the police cruiser and sipping coffee, they went back and forth trying to guess what each mammal was up to as they passed. Nick's knowledge of the city clearly outshone the rabbit's energy and enthusiasm, but she was determined to learn all of his tricks.
The sun was well on it's way into the heavens when Nick turned to his partner after her last fumbled guess. "You're trying too hard, Fluff. Stop trying to put so much detail into their life story and just go off what you see."
"Ok," Judy took a deep breath and looked down the street at the next approaching mammal. "There, that rabbit looks interesting." She pointed at a tall cream colored rabbit coming around the corner.
"Go for it," he said encouragingly, a slight smirk on his muzzle.
"Hmmm, alright. Well at first glance she looks like your average everyday rabbit." Nick sipped his coffee and let out a soft mumble urging his partner to continue. "Mid thirties, and she looks taller than most bunnies I know, so maybe part hare. Plus the reddish tint is a little off, and is that glitter on her cheeks?"
Judy glanced over at the fox who was too focused checking the Furbook on his phone before she continued analysing the other rabbit. "She is nicely dressed, in a neat, pretty blouse with a traditional skirt. The whole outfit is almost business like. I would say she is from an office nearby or maybe the mall. With the glitter and the way she is walking probably the perfume department."
"Very interesting. The mall you say?"
"Yeah, she definitely looks like a mall rabbit to me. And I will even bet she has a whole house full of kits at home too."
"How much?" The fox immediately put down his phone and turned to the rabbit next to him.
"What?"
"How much are you willing to stake on these assumptions, Carrots?"
She thought for a second and replied with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You can take me to the carnival this weekend."
"Oh, really? Just take you there?" The fly fox shuffled in his seat.
"Yes. Pay for the entrance fee, all the rides, and cover any food we eat while there. All expenses paid sort of thing." She smirked pointing her cute pink nose at him. "Deal?"
Nick turned and watched the cream and honey colored rabbit enter the Snarlbucks across the street. "And you're paying for it all when you lose." He reached out to shake his partner's paw when she nodded. "Deal."
Judy hopped up and down in her seat pumping her arms in the air like she was at a Gazelle concert as she watched their subject stand at the end of the line of mammals waiting to place their morning coffee orders.
"First off, she is what we on the streets refer to as a 'working girl', though a bit more upscale than your average night walker, and a lot more professional. I think you might say she is more of an 'escort', and will often take her clients out on the town first."
The grey rabbit's expression slowly turned from mischievous glee to shock and eventually horror as the red fox continued to describe their subject in all too familiar detail.
"Her name is Cotton, or Cotton Candy to be more specific. And by the way she is walking it's obvious she just got off her latest client."
"Ok, Fox. How do you know all this?" she asked with a light hint of anger.
"Oh, I've bumped into her once or twice…" he said with a shrug of his shoulders.
"Bumped?" Judy exclaimed with Nick oblivious to the jealousy thick in her voice.
"Alright. Finnick and I hustled her a few times recently. And each time she never seemed to recognize either of us. She was always an easy mark, especially right after a 'job'." he made air quotes with his paws when he said the word 'job'.
"Oh." the bunny sighed letting her anger fade for a second.
"Now watch carrots. Ms. Candy is going to order a large latte and a carrot muffin if I'm not mistaken." the fox said, and pointed at the other rabbit as she walked up to the counter.
Several minutes later the older, creamed rabbit sat down near the store window with a large coffee cup and nibbled at her orange muffin.
Judy let out a resigned sigh and prepared to pull the cruiser back into the flow of traffic, "Ok, Mr. Foxy, you win this time. When should I come by though? Saturday or Sunday?"
"Hmm. not to early though. Remember I sleep in on weekends."
"What in the world?" she exclaimed, watching a brief altercation outside the coffee shop. The nicely dressed rabbit had finished her breakfast and was leaving the store when she bumped into a gaudy black ram wearing purple silk and way too much jewelry. At his side were two buff antelope with broad shoulders and bulging biceps. When the ram saw her, he grabbed her smaller arm and dragged her outside and began shouting with one of his hoovess pointed in her face. The rabbit just kept her eyes down trying hard to not meet the gaze of the angry sheep, but he slapped her causing her to glare at him angrily.
"Oh, hell no." Judy cried.
At the sight of the larger mammal taking advantage of a fellow rabbit, Judy reached for her car door, ready to show the foolish ram what it means to mess with one of her kind. However Nick already had a firm grip on her arm, preventing her from leaping out of the car.
The sad look on his muzzle and the shake of his head was all he needed to say. "Carrots, don't. Stay out of it. You will only make things worse, for both of them."
"What the hell are you saying, Nick?" Her fury now turned to the dark red paw holding her arm.
"If you do manage to arrest him, he will just be back out on the street again before the sun sets. And she will end up with more than just a black eye. You will only earn her resentment if you jump in there now." He turned to look out the car window at the exchange going on across the street as the well dressed rabbit pulled a large envelope from her tiny purse and handed it to the gaudy ram. The ram gave her a last shove, pointed an accusing hoof into her muzzle and quickly walked away with the two ripped antelope following him.
The vicious growl that came from the rabbit next to him sent a shiver down his spine and made all the fur on his tail stand on end. He had never heard of a rabbit, or any prey animal, making such a predatory sound, and it actually scared him slightly.
Taking his paw off of Judy's arm he offered her a concession. "If it makes you feel any better we can follow that ram and see what he is up to. He is bound to make a mistake sooner or later."
She only scowled at him as she put the car into gear and slowly pulled into the mid-day traffic.
The gaudily dressed purple ram and his antelope cronies had climbed into an oversized sedan with dark black tinted windows in the back. With an excessive amount of chrome trim, the car really stood out in a crowd, making it easy for the two cops to follow as it headed into the seedier section of town.
"They really aren't making it hard to follow them, Carrots." Nick commented after passing several blocks.
"Almost too obvious if you ask me." The bunny replied with a sigh. "Do you really think we will catch them doing something illegal today?"
"Maybe not today. But I know the type. Flashy clothes, fancy cars, and always bragging about all the trouble they get into. Usually just asking to get arrested."
"So you think he is just taunting us?" Her scowl only deepened.
"If they are actually sober enough to realize where even here. Besides, this beats sitting on the corner watching mammals go by."
"Good point." She said with slightly more cheer in her voice.
After twenty minutes of tailing the ram's sedan through a section of the city know as Happytown the two cops watched as the car pulled over to the curb in front of an old abandoned tailor shop. One of the antelopes climbed out carrying a large brown grocery bag and disappeared down a dark alley. Once the antelope and his groceries were out of sight, the gaudy sedan took off again.
"What in that world was that about?" Judy said with a confused look on her muzzle.
"Carrots." Nick said turning to his partner and shaking her arm. "Carrots. Don't you realize where we are?"
"What?"
"Take a good look at that alley."
"Wait. Isn't that the alley we camped out in all night?" Her eyes widened and she pulled the cruiser behind a large construction dumpster sticking partially into the street. "And that's where the drug lab was supposed to be."
Judy jumped out of the car and quickly crossed the street with her partner hot on her heels. "That antelope is up to something, and I mean to find out what."
"I'm right behind you, Fluff."
The rabbit checked her sidearm and dove into the quiet alley the antelope had entered only moments before, but it was clean and clear, almost too clean. Last night's rainstorm had managed to wash away all the refuse, leaving this back street looking fresh and new. The antelope, and his groceries, were nowhere to be seen.
Taking a quick look around the area she headed to the far end of the alley where it intersected with another wider alley. The new alley had once been a main thoroughfare for trash trucks and deliveries alike. Scattered about were several overturned dumpsters and piles of broken furniture. One broken old couch had some kind of homeless mammal sleeping on it that the rabbit could not easily identify.
At the far end of the alley and partially hidden behind a pile of trash was a black and green vehicle, possibly a small truck or SUV. And standing across from it was the antelope, still carrying his large brown paper bag. He climbed a set of stone steps and knocked on an old metal door.
Judy crouched down behind one of the overturned dumpsters and began taking photos with her cell phone. Her new iCarrot had a high quality camera built in, with an excellent zoom feature, so she was able to make out more of the details than her naked eyes alone.
Minutes passed and the antelope knocked on the door twice more before it opened pushing him slightly off the steps.
Even with the zoom on her camera the rabbit was unable to make out any details from the mammal who had opened the door. All she could see was an arm that eventually reached for the grocery bag. The arm was covered in a brown cloth of fine make and cloaked in a long white material that reminded Judy of something her last doctor wore. At the end of the arm was a cloven hoof with three fingers.
The hoof quickly grabbed for the brown sack, snatching it from the antelope's arms and vanished inside the building once again, leaving the old metal door to slam shut with a heavy thud that woke the homeless mammal from his drunken slumber. The antelope turned his back on the door and waited with an casual expression on his muzzle and his arms crossed.
Within minutes the door opened and once again the finely dressed arm stuck through. In the hoof was held a small plastic bag filled with a dozen or so small white pills.
Judy was about to speak to her partner when she noticed he was no longer crouched behind her. Instead he was trotting up from the other alley smiling like a kitten who had just gotten into the cream. "Where have you been? I just caught them in the middle of a drug deal."
"You will never guess what I just found."
"Oh, and what could be more important than catching these perps?" she asked with a huff.
"That address of that building." The todd replied with a satisfied smirk on his muzzle.
"What about it?"
"It so happens that the address for that building," he pointed at the old metal door, "is 1212 Hammington Drive."
The rabbit looked at her partner perplexed and a little angry as the antelope they were tailing turned a corner into the alley he had just left. "I don't get it."
"The address the wolf gave us for the drug lab was 1221 Hammington. Nick exclaimed watching as the realization slowly dawned on the small rabbits face.
"Cheese and crackers! We need to tell Bogo." The rabbit suddenly launched herself down the alley behind the fox and after the escaping antelope.
The large black-furred buffalo stood behind his desk staring down at the two diminutive officers seated before him. There was something about this pair that always set his teeth on edge. They were both excellent cops for their size, but the combination of the rabbit's excitable can-do attitude and the fox's knife edge wit was a recipe for disaster. Yet they both worked together well and seemed to keep each other in check, most of the time.
"So what is it your trying to show me?" He said gesturing to the images on his phone as his scowl deepened.
Was it his imagination or was the bunny actually holding the fox's paw? Taking off his glasses he rubbed his eyes again before taking another look. "I must be seeing things in my old age." He thought to himself, then he realized the rabbit was saying something to him.
"And we think the wolf, Mr. Longtooth," she coughed slightly when she thought the chief wasn't paying attention. "We think the wolf had the right address, but just transposed the numbers in his drug addled mind."
Chief Bogo lifted his phone to closer inspect the photos of an antelope handing over a large grocery bag and receiving a bag of pills in return. The very same bag now sat on his desk, and the antelope was resting comfortably on a cold metal bench in a holding cell downstairs, refusing to speak to anyone. What he didn't have was the dealer, the owner of this "well dressed arm".
The fox spoke up echoing Bogo's own thoughts. "By the way the dealer is dressed, we think it's the goat we have been looking for. In the photo you can clearly make out the lab coat over his well made suit."
Taking a deep breath to calm his rage before yelling at his newest recruit, he just looked up with a clearly fake smile. "And where is this goat now?"
Standing up straight the rabbit officer returned his smile cheerfully. "Once we apprehended the buyer, Sir, we returned to the building but could not find any sign of the seller or the homeless mammal either. And the door was locked tight."
Taking his own seat behind the desk, the buffalo rubbed the bridge of his nose in thought as the bunny continued.
"We would like permission to continue to stake out the location, Sir."
"No." he said, nearly shouting. Taking another deep breath he continued, "There is no need. You have brought enough evidence to authorize a raid on this lab. So you'll get your warrant this time, but I am sending Wolfard and Delgato as backup."
Both the rabbit and the fox just sat there with a stunned look on their muzzles.
"Was there anything else officers?" he asked in a firm tone.
"No, sir." they replied in unison while standing up together in the chair they had been sharing.
"Then you are dismissed." he said pointing a sharp hoof at the door.
"Yes, Sir." they each saluted and headed out of their boss's office.
He could see it now. The rabbit was clearly holding the fox's paw as they walked out of his door. Out on the streets, in the normal everyday world, he wouldn't think anything of this show of affection, but as officers, and in his precinct, it was just unprofessional.
"Hopps." the buffalo yelled loud enough to be heard across the lobby.
"Yes, Sir." she turned to face him, letting go of her partner, as the fox continued through the door as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.
The Chief gave her a steady glare for several seconds as if trying to decide what to say that wouldn't sound too awkward.
"Try not to blow anything up this time."
"Yes, Sir." She saluted crisply. "I will try, Sir."
Dark clouds covered the noonday sun threatening to drench the two small officers as they crept through the filthy alley. A cool breeze ruffled their fur and whistled through a pile of discarded furniture muffling the sound of their steps. The sound of the wind did nothing to cover the sound of the taller mammals claws as they clacked noisily on the old and broken pavement.
"Nick." the shorter one hissed. "Control your claws, or so help me I will cut them off."
The fox only shrugged at his partner but tried to walk more on his heels to lessen the chance of his claws striking the hard ground.
They eventually came upon a small set of stone steps with a very old and weathered metal door at the top. Most of it's old blue paint had been chipped away and the rusty remains were covered in large dents and deep gouges. The old door had seen a lot of abuse over the years, but it still held firmly to the lock fiercely barring passage to the small ZPD officers.
The small, grey rabbit climbed the steps and tested the doorknob. "It's locked, and I don't think either Wolfard or Delgato could break it down. What do we do know?" She slowly climbed back down with a paw on her chin deep in thought. "Maybe we could call Rhinowitz or Trunkaby?"
"Just keep an eye out and let me handle this." the todd stated smoothly as he slipped a plastic card from his wallet.
Turning away from her partner, she first looked up the alley then down keeping one paw on the tranquilizer strapped to her hip. The intense glare on her muzzle daring any savage mammals nearby to try and jump them. After a few moments there was a click followed by the soft metallic squeak from the door behind her. She jumped at the sudden sound, turning around to spot the fox standing with the door wide open and a cheap smirk on his muzzle.
"Nice job, Slick." she swiftly punched his shoulder and grabbed her paw-held radio. "Hopps, and Wilde to Wolfard and Delgato. We are entering the premises now. Please watch our tails."
"Roger that Hopps." came the voice of the lion over the radio.
Satisfied that their backs were covered Judy drew her weapon and cautiously entered the dark interior with the fox right behind her. Before the door could close again he grabbed a large rock and propped the door open with it, then fiddled with the locking mechanism to ensure they wouldn't get locked inside, and to give their backup an easy way inside in the case of an emergency. He then gave a casual salute to the cruiser parked at the end of the alley and ducked inside following his partner.
When his eyes had adjusted to the dim interior, he spotted the rabbit standing half crouched with her weapon at the ready. She was pointing it behind the large couch in the center of the room checking for any mammals that might be hiding there. The air in the room was full of dust and he tried not to cough, it covered everything and frequently fell from the ceiling. Other than the couch, the only things in the dirty room were a small lamp sitting on an old end table and an ancient tube television with a pair of rabbit ear antennas on top.
The rest of the room was bare. Empty shelves lined the walls and the boarded up store windows let in enough dim light that the fox could see everything clearly.
Once her survey of the central room was complete Judy silently gestured to him pointing to the side door. He silently followed her, his own weapon drawn to cover her. Following the standard procedure they learned at the academy, they both slipped into the next room.
This room was set up like a crudely slapped together kitchen. The counters and sink were covered in thick layers of dust while a clean microwave sat on one end. An old fashioned fridge took up one corner of the room and wasn't even plugged in. Inside were dozens of empty beer cans, and a bottle of mustard.
"This place is empty." she cried putting her tranq gun back in it's holster. "There is nothing here."
"Isn't that the same brand of beer we found in the totally trashed house over by the Meadowlands?" Nick pointed out.
Judy took another look in the fridge. "It might be. I'll have to check my report again." She pulled out her radio and called their back up. "Wolfard, Delgato, it's all clear, you can come join us."
Turning back to her partner in frustration, "I don't get it. If this isn't the lab then what is it?"
"Not sure, Fluff. This place somehow seems very familiar to me." he said carefully checking the floors and even kicking the walls. "I don't see any other exits or trap doors, so I think this is all there is."
"So is this just some kind of hide out? The TV hasn't even been used in a long time, the remote is still covered in dust."
"No. It doesn't have the feel of anything so permanent. I think our dealer waits for his buyers here and then leaves immediately after."
The rabbit took a deep sigh only to choke on a thick cloud of dust. "What do we do now?"
She jumped at the sound of a loud knock on the old metal door where a lion officer stood trying to see into the dim interior. "So did you two find anything interesting?"
"Have a look for yourself." the fox replied with a sly grin across his muzzle.
[A/N] This chapter has been very rough for me to write. There have been a lot of distractions over the last week and I have not been able to get into the right mindset to write about Nick and Judy. Yet as I read back through this final version I am not entirely satisfied with how it turned out. I feel that overall it turned out to have way more dialog than I had planned. This chapter was originally meant to be more of an action sequence where they find the goat in the abandoned building, but as the words flowed onto the page things got changed a lot. Hopefully it will all make sense in the long run, for now just enjoy this little clue.
And now for some replies to the latest comments:
djvanx12: Thanks, I really enjoy writing the fluffy parts to this story.
RapisSammi: Please sit back and enjoy the ride, it should be a long sailing from here.
MasterChief117: It is meant to be a Romantic Mystery Adventure so expect a lot of cliffhangers.
fragolette: Thank you. There should be another one coming out very soon :D
gonekrazy3000: I had originally not intended to write about the next morning but to dive right into the drug bust, so there are several extra pages in this chapter just because you asked.
car213: I hope you found this chapter as good as the last one.