Deathtouched – Chapter 36
Nick was a little worried about Judy. After the revelation she sprung on him last night, Judy let Nick look through her findings and Nick had to admit that what she had uncovered looked very promising. Because of that, he had called a few of his old contacts, including Finnick, to begin looking into the street aspect. His worry came from Judy trying to stay awake by drinking coffee, lots and lots of coffee. Now, she was practically vibrating in place as they waited for Chief Bogo in his office.
"This had better be important Hopps, calling me at a god-awful time in the morning wanting to meet first thing." Chief Bogo said in his usual monotone.
"I did it Chief! At least, I think I did it. Nick thinks I did it, and he's having his informants check the information for us. Maybe you could read the file so you can check and see if I did it. Give him the file Nick!" Judy said in a very rapid pace, almost to fast to follow.
Nick placed the file with Judy's findings on Bogo's desk. Judy had wanted to do it, but her paws were shaking so bad that pages would fall out of the file while she held it, making Nick pick the papers up and put them back in order. After the second time it happened, Nick insisted on holding onto the file.
As Bogo began to look through the papers, Judy explained. "I had been looking at the map showing attacks and felt something was missing, and Nick said something about Zoe being here and I remembered how she and I would talk after, you know, having sex and..."
"TMI Hopps." Chief Bogo deadpanned.
"Oh, sorry! Anyway, we would lay next to each other and talk. Since I was wanting to be a police officer, she would tell me how, in her old life, she and her dad would watch cop shows and how there was a special kind of cop called a D'tektive. So, I tried to think like those cops would and found this." Judy said rapidly, panting at finally finishing.
While Judy was trying to catch her breath, Nick added. "We discussed what the motive was behind the attacks. It couldn't be greed, because no ransom was demanded in order to stop the attacks. We concluded that it had to be either anger, hatred, or revenge. Possibly all three."
"Revenge being our personal favorite." Judy interrupted.
"Yeah. So, we thought about that angle. Revenge, but revenge for what? So we went back to the drug being used, the derivative of the Nighthowler drug. We know that the drug being used has some psychotropic characteristics, but it made us think of Bellwether."
Judy picked up the discussion at this point. "I tried to find a correlation between the victims, but couldn't find one, that was a dead end since none of them seemed to have ties to any of the others. Then, I decided to check the visitor logs for Bellwether, as well as her mail. I ran those names through our database and came up with nothing, so I dug a little deeper."
Nick took over again while Judy caught her breath once more as Bogo sat there with his normal poker face, waiting for it all to make some kind of sense. "Judy then dug a little deeper, looking into the mammals' backgrounds. That's when she found out something in the medical records."
Judy was still a little out of breath, but she couldn't stop herself from picking up the narrative at that point. "Violet Beckwith. Maiden name, Bellwether. She had written to Bellwether, but none of her letters gave any indication out of the ordinary until I noticed that some of the sentences in the letter would sometimes end with a comma instead of a period. So, I took the letters and would mark the commas and periods on a separate sheet of paper. That's when I realized that it was in Morse Code! The commas were the dashes, and the periods were, well, the dots."
Judy stopped to catch her breath again when Bogo asked, "Hopps, are you okay?"
"Coffee, too much coffee." Nick answered for her.
He continued. "The messages dealt with the Nighthowler serum, along with post office box numbers and where to find the keys to them. I have my street contacts checking the locations of the keys to see if any are still there."
"Anyway," Judy stated, picking up the narrative once more. "I also checked into Violet's financials and discovered that she owned several buildings here in Zootopia, including an old pharmaceutical manufacturing plant on Dry River Road in Sahara Square!"
Bogo had started showing more and more interest after Judy mentioned finding Violet's maiden name. Now seeming animated, he spoke. "Okay, here's what we're going to do. We need to get maps of the area and the building plans of the plant. Then we'll work on a plan to contain the area and breech the building."
"I'd recommend using the priesthood for the containment forces and not telling the breeching forces the exact building or why it's being breeched in case there's a spy like with Bellwether had." Nick interjected.
Bogo frowned when Nick mentioned a spy. Bellwether had suborned several prey cops into supplying her uniforms and equipment. It was a black mark on his otherwise spotless tenure as Chief. But he had to agree with Nick. "We'll work that into our plans. But first, Hopps, you're on medical leave for the next seven days."
Judy squawked, "But Chief! You need me, I can help. Don't sideline me after all the hard work I've done. Please! I need to be involved."
Bogo wasn't moved. "Those are my orders Hopps. You are operating on nothing but caffeine and willpower. There's no way I'd let you join an operation in this condition. Go home, get some real sleep and some light exercise. Rest up, and then we'll see about having you join the operation."
"But... but..."
"Carrots." Nick said softly, placing his paw on her shoulder, Judy giving him with a pouty look. "Look, we can go to Bunnyburrow and visit our family and spend some time with our kits."
Judy suddenly brightened, grabbed his paw, and started pulling him out the door saying, "Let's go!"
Nick dug his feet in and said, "Tomorrow. Today we're going to eat, relax, and let you get some sleep."
"But..."
"No buts." Nick insisted as he nodded to Bogo and walked a now unresisting Judy out of the office.
Meanwhile, Bogo was sitting, silently watching the byplay between the two mates. He noticed that, when Nick needed to be, he was a serious, experienced officer. And Judy? She had that quality that made him think of himself at that stage of his career.
Nick stopped by Good Eats and got them some food. They were running a special on something new they were introducing to the menu, carrot brulee, so he ordered some for Judy. He also got her a serving of eggplant parmesan and himself a double Buggaburger with extra sauce.
He kept an eye on her after they got home and started eating. Judy inhaled the brulee and had made a good dent in the eggplant parm when she slowly leaned over the table and fell asleep, her muzzle in her plate. He lifted her muzzle and cleaned her up before picking her up and carrying her to the bedroom. He stripped her completely, figuring that a bath could wait until she woke up. He then cleaned up their mess, putting the leftovers into the fridge. Taking out his phone, he placed a call.
"He Stu? Yeah, Judy and I have a week off and would like to come to the Burrow, probably sometime tomorrow."
x~x~x~x
Lisa was beginning to suspect something was going on. She'd sent a sealed packet via messenger to her immediate superior over a week ago and she'd heard nothing since then. When she called him, he said he'd received it, then moved it up the chain of command. Since then, there had been several new soldiers transferred in, and she'd even gotten orders for a new post. The problem was, she had taken over this post a little over four months ago. The shortest period per regulations was one year.
It was time she applied a personal touch. The next morning, she told her second in command, Leftenant Withers, that she needed to head in and talk to Personnel about her orders. The zebra had served with her before and was one of the few mammals that she trusted implicitly. She signed out a set of keys for a jeep and then made the best speed possible to Omnivoria.
Lisa parked the jeep in the car park for Division HQ and then walked through the front doors. Walking down several hallways, turning down different ones, she exited out of a different set of doors. She walked down several blocks before taking a round-a-bout route to her apartment, making sure she wasn't followed. There, she changed into some civilian clothes and left via her living room window and down the fire escape. Walking down several more blocks and turning in random directions, keeping an eye out for someone tailing her, she turned down an alley and through a door that appeared to be boarded up.
Walking down the hall, she passed several doors until she reached the door at the far end of the hall and exited the building. From there, she merged with the normal mammal pedestrian traffic until she came to an unremarkable brownstone, where she used her key to enter, climb to the third floor, and enter an apartment there.
Lisa checked the sparsely furnished apartment, one of a few she had set up for her own, personal, safe houses in the city and, finding it empty, used the phone to call a familiar number.
It rang for several seconds before a familiar voice answered. "Yes?"
Lisa sighed in relief. "Even the darkest night has it's dawn."
There was a pause at the other end of the line before she heard the reply. "Most nocturnal mammals sleep during the day."
Lisa let her shoulders sag in relief. Her code phrase let her contact know that she needed to speak to him about a matter of the utmost urgency and in secret. The reply let her know that he was alone and could meet when needed.
"2 p.m. Arbor Street." She stated, then hung up. Even that was a code phrase. Should someone have overheard their conversation, they would be concentrating on Arbor Street in the Timberland District. Instead, the code phrase was for a restaurant in the Riverlands District.
x~x~x~x
Lisa had never patronized this particular cafe, it having sprung up after her having taken up duties at Fort Tambian. The Coffee Bean was one of those specialty stores that sold different coffees and teas. Taking a sip of the tea she had ordered, she decided that she would have to frequent the place more often, for this tea was exquisite.
A slightly rotund, older male otter sat down across the table from her, but she wasn't startled. While it didn't look like it, she had noticed him coming a full minute before he arrived at her table.
Smiling, Lisa said, "Hello Uncle. You should try some of the tea, it's most superb."
x~x~x~x
Reversing her path back to her safe house, changing back into her uniform, and then heading back into headquarters, Lisa then went to the Personnel Office to politely question her orders. She explained that her orders were against regulations, even stating the passage itself. The clerk, a wombat, checked her orders, then began looking into the issue.
Lisa had been sitting for over an hour before the wombat walked up to her, handing her orders back to her, and told her that her orders were issued by direction of Sir Oliver Smyth, Commander of His Majesties Personnel Directorate.
Lisa thanked the wombat and left Headquarters. Getting back into her jeep, she headed back to the fort and, after speaking with Master Sergeant Bertram, made a production of packing up her office.
x~x~x~x
Judy gradually rose through the different levels of sleep until she was dimly aware of being in bed, and naked. She remembered eating some rather awesome food, but she didn't remember getting up from the table. She felt slightly embarrassed to realize she must have fallen asleep at the table when the caffeine in her system finally stopped working.
Opening one bleary eye, she noticed that it was still daylight outside, so she must not have been asleep for too long. She also realized that Nick was spooning her with one of his arms thrown over her waist. There was a familiar warm hardness pressing against her backside, causing a rapid rise of lust within her. It had been a rather long time since she'd had sex and it made her feel bad that, in her obsession to try and close the case, she'd neglected her fox.
Gently removing his paw, she rose slightly and turned toward him. Nick was still out, his soft snores sending happy tingles through her. Easing him onto his back, she pulled the blanket off and marveled at Nicks nude form. His training had not only toned his body, but now he had some definite muscles that she could appreciate. Pulling the blanket down further, she could see the pink tip of his penis beginning to stick out of his sheath, a small, clear droplet of pre-cum leaking out of the tip, glistening in the pale light from the window.
Time for some breakfast. Judy thought as she peeled Nicks sheath down some to expose more of his shaft and then lowered her muzzle, taking him into her mouth. Nicks familiar taste hit her tongue and she hummed in pleasure. The warmth of him in her mouth, mixed with his taste and the musky scent of him, had her firing on all cylinders. She began bobbing her head up and down, taking more and more of him into mouth until he was hitting the back of her throat.
Nick's cock was rapidly swelling, but Judy didn't care. She was so worked up by now that she was taking him all the way down her throat until her nose was hitting his knot, her tongue massaging his shaft as she did so.
Nick was feeling very good. He had been dreaming about him and his husband and wives all relaxing in their hot tub, when Gabriel had turned to him, pulled his trunks down, and started giving him a blowjob. The blowjob was making him feel really good and just kept getting better.
Nick finally reached the point where he realized that he wasn't dreaming. A warm, wet mouth as engulfing his raging hardon and it was feeling fantastic. Opening his eyes, he saw the grey fur of Judy across his lap, her ears flopping as she bobbed up and down on him.
"Oh gods Carrots, that feels soooo goooood!" He moaned; it had been way too long.
Judy hummed in response, and that was all it took. Nick tensed as his orgasm hit, his paws coming down on the back of her head as he instinctually thrust, forcing his knot into Judy's mouth, causing her to gag as he began to unload weeks' worth of semen into her throat.
Judy's eyes widened when Nicks paws landed on the back of her head and he thrust, forcing his knot into her mouth and the tip of his penis further down her throat than it had ever been. Between her surprise, Nicks strength holding her head in place, and the neglect to her health for the last month, she wasn't able to pull back enough. She was forced to let Nick empty himself into her stomach as tears rolled down her cheeks. It didn't hurt, but her throat was stretched full, and she was gagging.
After several long seconds, Nick finally relaxed and collapsed back onto the bed, his paws falling to the sides. Judy pulled her head back, Nicks knot escaping her mouth with a 'pop' and she let out a sound like 'bwah' and she tried to catch her breath while drool and semen dripped from her mouth onto Nick and the bed.
Judy couldn't be mad at him; she had been depriving both of them for over a month after all. But she still needed release herself. So, she climbed atop the still recovering Nick and eased herself down on his still hard member. The sensation as the tip of his cock separating her soaking wet lower lips made Judy close her eyes and moan rapturously. She started to grunt as he stretched her wider and wider. It had been so long, she felt that she had tightened up and it was feeling like the first time they'd had sex.
Never being one to give up, Judy continued on until she reached his knot before slowly rising back up until he was barely inside her. Taking a deep breath, Judy slammed herself down onto Nick before repeating her action. Nick's paws reached up to grab her hips, helping her ride him. It didn't take long before Judy could feel that amazing sensation beginning to course its way through her. With one last herculean effort, Judy rammed herself down once more, this time knotting herself and she screamed out her orgasm. Her body shook for what seemed forever before she collapsed on top of Nick, breathing heavily.
Nick was aware of everything Judy was doing, he just felt like he didn't have the energy to do anything other than lay there. His orgasm had hit him so hard that he just felt totally enervated. After having Judy ride him for a while though, and feeling how incredibly tight she was, he found the strength to grab her hips and, at least, steady her as she rode him. When she knotted herself, Nick lost it and began cumming inside of her. When she collapsed on top of him, he wrapped his arms around his bunny and, stated for now, fell back asleep.
x~x~x~x
Zoe had been sitting in the cell for almost two weeks now. Her and her friends had found that they could talk amongst themselves as long as they weren't too loud. Thusly, she was able to communicate with Gabriel by simply passing messages down the rows of cells.
Other than meals, the group rarely saw any individuals, even the guards, after Captain Alford had questioned them all. Zoe was actually pleased with their treatment so far, other than not having anything to do. Other than a bed bolted to the floor, the sheets and blanket on them, and a toilet that, unfortunately, allowed anyone passing by to witness them doing their business, there was a small window too high for Zoe to see out of, but did allow for somewhat fresh air to circulate in the cell occasionally.
It was fortunate that they were left alone, because Zoe was having a hard time fighting her libido. They'd refused to give her the flask with the inhibitor in it, afraid that it was some kind of possible weapon. There were several times where, in the wee hours of the morning when most of the other mammals were asleep, she'd have to stuff some of the bed sheet into her mouth and take care of herself.
Later that night, as Zoe lay on her cot and began her nightly relief ritual, wishing that Gabriel and she were sharing a cell, she felt a wave of pleasure, followed by a sense of satisfaction. After she recovered from her unexpectedly rapid orgasm, she realized that she was no longer pent up like she had been for the last several weeks. Exploring the sensation, she realized that she'd been getting bleed over from one of her wives through their bond, who now seems to have finally gotten laid.
Several days later, Zoe and Gabriel were startled to hear shouting, and the sounds of gunfire. Never having heard shots before, all of the mammals from Sanctuary had no idea what the noises were. Zoe heard the sound of running mammals heading in their direction and she prepared to be able to defend herself and her group. A pair of dingos, clad in the same uniform that had become all to familiar to Zoe came into view, turned, and drew their sidearms.
Zoe was on the verge of using her ability to pull souls when several shots rang out and both mammals fell to the ground. Zoe heard Gabriel begin yelling, "ZOE!"
To Zoe's surprise, the lynx and the ocelot from the beginning of her incarceration come into view, their pistols still pointed at the pair of dingos. Both of them glanced nervously at Zoe before quickly turning around and heading back the way they came. Zoe watched as the spirits of the dingo's left their bodies and then faded away.
"ZOE!"
"I'm okay Love."
"What's going on?"
"I don't know. Two dingos were about to shoot me when two guards shot and killed them."
"Well, shit."
About an hour later, two different mammals came and dragged the dingo's away while some others cleaned up the blood-stained floor. None of the mammals would answer Zoe when she tried to find out what was going on.
x~x~x~x
It was several days before Zoe saw another mammal other than the guards that would bring them their meals. Zoe tried getting information about what had happened from them, but the most she would get would be a shake of their head.
Just before lunch on the third day after the shooting, as Zoe was laying on her cot, not having much else to do, she saw a familiar mammal stop in front of her cell door.
"Ambassador, I request that you come with me please." Captain Alford said.
Judy stood up from her cot and replied, "Of course Captain."
Captain Alford unlocked her cell and Zoe walked next to her down the hall and out of the building entirely. Zoe couldn't help relaxing a little, feeling the wind ruffle her fur. While they were walking, evidently heading for the three-story block house that Zoe assumed was the headquarters building itself, Captain Alford addressed her.
"I'd like to apologize for your having to spend so much time in the stockade Madam Ambassador. There was an issue with some spy's and infiltrators from Predburg. I'd sent a packet with all the information I'd gathered up my chain of command. However, instead of getting orders informing me to bring you to the capital, I received orders to another post, which was highly irregular. There had been an unusual number of mammals being transferred in, more than what we're rated for. So, I had to find an alternative means of finding out why."
"So, what happened?" Zoe asked.
"I'll leave that up for the Colonel to explain." Captain Alford said as she opened the front door for her.
Captain Alford led her through the building to a door that read 'Alford', which she opened and gestured for Zoe to enter.
Inside, Zoe saw what looked like military offices from World War II movies she used to watch with her dad in her previous life. A metal desk with some basic, but functional, chairs placed in front of it. A metal fan on the filing cabinet next to the desk would rotate back and forth, circulating the air that came in from a slightly open window. Seated behind the desk was an older sea otter with four pips on his shoulder boards.
The otter stood as Zoe and Captain Alford came in, walking around the desk to greet Zoe as Captain Alford closed the door.
"Ambassador Darkwater-Hopps, I'm Colonel Alford and I wish to convey His Majesty's most heart-felt apologies for your treatment so far. He had only become aware of you and your group a few days ago when my niece here took it upon herself to personally go to Omnivoria and contact me in person. It turned out that there was a highly placed spy in our government. He intercepted Lisa's packet and hid it, then started arranging to have you and your group killed while in our custody."
"I understand Colonel, and I take no offense. I would like to have my group released from the stockade, however. We mean no harm to anyone from Omnivoria." Zoe stated as she took his paw and shook it. Other than a hesitant glance at her eyes, Colonel Alford acted like she was any other mammal. An action that Zoe appreciated.
The colonel seated Zoe in one chair while he took the other one instead of walking back behind the desk. The captain stood at parade rest in front of the door while listening to the exchange.
"That is already being arranged, as well as transportation to the Capital. You and your group are to be housed within the royal palace and are scheduled to meet with the king in three days' time. Now, I know that you've given information to my niece here, but I'd like to hear what you have to say myself if you wouldn't mind."
"Not at all Colonel..." Zoe said before she began her story from the very beginning.
When she'd finished, the otter sat there for a minute trying to gather his thoughts after hearing such a fantastic story.
"Well, there's no doubt about the veracity of your story Madam Ambassador. From examination of your gear, it's obvious that your City State of Zootopia is much more advanced technologically than ours. Just as ours is more advanced than Predburgs."
Zoe interrupted him at this point. "My personal theory is that both groups may have been eating your best minds, resulting in your stunted technological status."
Lisa spoke up at this. "I'd have to agree with her Colonel, our scientific and engineering progress really advanced not many decades after we stopped using prey animals as a food source. Many of our most brilliant inventions were made by prey animals."
"I had asked one of the mammals at the border if you still ate prey mammals, but he said that it was a bit complicated and that he'd leave it up to his superiors to explain it to me."
The colonel sighed, and the replied. "About a hundred years ago, His Majesty's grandfather ruled that we were no longer to eat prey animals indiscriminately. Instead, we would only consume mammals who were convicted of capital crimes such as murder, kidnapping, rape, treason, or sedition. And that includes predators as well as prey."
Zoe was quiet for a little bit, her thoughts trying to find holes in what the colonel had just mentioned. Omnivoria had a different culture, and they seemed to be moving toward a more utopian future such as Zootopia so, even though it still made her ill, she couldn't bewail their system.
"I have to say that, as long as the charges are proven true and aren't fabricated, that your system works for your society and is leaps and bounds above what Predburg follows. I've encountered four of their mercenaries, leopards, which the locals' termed 'Wraiths', on my way here."
"How did you escape?" The colonel asked.
"I didn't, my mate and I killed them."
That statement shocked the two otters. Being members of the Intelligence Directorate, they were aware of what the mercenaries that Predburg used were termed by their slaves. They were also aware of how ruthless said mercenaries were.
"How did you manage that?" Colonel Alford asked.
"My mate used his dart rifle to subdue two of them while I used my abilities to kill the other two."
Uncle and niece looked at each other before focusing back on Zoe, both of them a little nervous at this point.
"You didn't mention abilities when we questioned you." Stated Captain Alford.
"I said I was The Chosen. That comes with some gods given abilities. However, the ability I used to kill two of the leopards came from a different aspect of myself that I recently discovered. In this reality, I am also Thanatos, the Avatar of Death."
"A...And what, pray tell, does that entail?"
Thaddeous was very nervous and wary of this mammal now. If her claims were true instead of just the wild imaginings of a diseased mind, this rabbit was a very dangerous mammal.
"I can read the sins on a mammal's soul and choose whether to take their soul and send it to Lord Hades for judgement, or allow the soul to return to the body, thereby allowing the mammal to continue living. I have also used the ability to aid mammals as well. Back home in Bunnyburrow, my friend's mother, a vixen, had been badly beaten by her husband. So badly, that her soul had retreated deep within herself. She was dying, and the doctors couldn't do anything to prevent her passing. I was able to talk to her soul and bring her back to her body and her son, my friend."
Zoe noticed the worried expressions on the two other mammals' muzzles. "I assure you; my government and I mean you and your citizens no harm. My mission is to make contact and, hopefully, enter into an alliance for the betterment of both of our city-states. This aligns with the mission given to me by the gods as their Chosen."
Thaddeous's mind was going a mile a minute, thinking of the different variables of her statements and their potential outcomes. He would have to warn His Majesty of the potential danger this mammal represented, but she could also be the answer they'd been hoping for to finally win their war with Predburg.
"And that goal is?"
"To bring the kingdoms back to the gods."
"Not to take over?"
Zoe smiled, only barely able to keep back a laugh. "In no way. Our poor mayor is overworked already, trying to run another city-state, especially from such a distance, would be impractical. As for me, I never asked to be The Chosen or the Oracle of Apollo. I've always just wanted to be a wife, mother, and a Priestess of Melinoe. But we don't get to choose our fates."
Thaddeous stared at this strange bunny. His duty to His Majesty was clear, but he needed confirmation first before leaving to brief him. "Two more questions if you don't mind Madam Ambassador. One, what proof can you give that you're this Chosen person. And can you tell if someone is a spy, or if they have harmful intentions toward my city?"
Zoe could understand wanting proof, so she just nodded her head. She thought for a few moments on how to best prove her claim of being The Chosen. For the first time in a long time, she just knew. Holding her paw up in front of her, she caused tiny electrical arcs to play along her paw, letting the tiny bolts jump from finger to finger. "A gift from Lord Zues, king of the gods. With this, I can shock a mammal into unconsciousness or, with a little more power, stop their heart, killing them. On the other paw, I can try to restart a mammal's heart if theirs has stopped."
"Hrrrmm." Thaddeous cleared his throat, trying to cover his shock at this display as well as calm himself down.
"As for my ability to read souls," Zoe continued when it was obvious that the Colonel was only clearing his throat and not making the noise in an effort to interrupt her. "I can only read spiritual sins. For example: If you were a spy for Predburg, I could read your soul and find nothing strange. That would be because you were remaining faithful to your duty to your original city-state. If someone had discovered your secret and you killed them to keep your cover, I wouldn't read that because it would be part of your duty. The same if you killed someone to protect yourself or others. If you murdered someone for gain or say, entertainment, then I could see that sin on your soul."
Thaddeous sighed heavily. This was a lot of information to relay, and there was the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders. But his duty was clear, this was information that His Majesty needed to know just as soon as possible.
"I have to be honest here Madam Ambassador. What you represent terrifies me. Not the part about bringing the gods back to the kingdoms, but the power you represent. I have to put faith in your word that you mean no harm to my people, but faith has been a hard thing to have for the last several hundred years. But if there is the slightest chance that we can finally get this war over with, I'll bring your information to His Majesty. What he does with it is, of course, entirely up to him."
"That's perfectly understandable Colonel. If I may make a personal request?"
"Anything that is within reason Madam Ambassador."
"Could my mate and I have a room to ourselves? We've been apart for several weeks and, as you may know, bunnies like to have lots of physical affection."
"And your mate is...?"
"Gabriel."
"The coyote." Captain Alford interjected.
Thaddeous's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "I think that can be arranged."
"Thank you, Colonel."
He and Zoe shook hands once more before Captain Alford took her outside and started walking her to a different building not far away.
"So, uncle huh?" Zoe asked.
Lisa nodded. "My dad's brother. He and my dad are the only ones left out of their litter; the rest have been killed in various encounters with Predburg forces."
"I'm sorry."
"I appreciate your sympathy." Lisa said as the got to the door of the building before turning to Zoe and looking her right in the eyes. "I pray that everything you have told us is the truth, there's no family in Omnivoria that hasn't lost at least one family member to this war. Even though we've been under a ceasefire for the last seven years, we're still losing people in encounters with 'rogue' forces. Do this, and Omnivoria will hail you as a hero."
Zoe nodded at the otters look of determination. Lisa nodded back, then escorted her into the building. "These are the officer's quarters. One of them has been assigned to you, and I'll make sure your mate is brought to you shortly. The rest of your group has been given a barracks to themselves. Please understand that the guards are for your protection, not because you are considered prisoners."
Zoe looked down the hallway and could tell which room was hers. It was the door that was flanked by two groundhogs. At the door, Zoe turned to the otter and said, "Thank you Captain. I want you to know I appreciate your efforts on behalf of my group and myself."
Lisa smiled. "It was my duty and my honor. After all, it helped expose a highly places spy in our government."
She then opened the door and motioned Zoe inside. "You have a sleeping area as well as a mini kitchen. The door to the left is a closet, and the door in the left corner is your bathroom. The bathroom has been stocked with all products you'd need including fur cleaner."
Zoe's eyes lit up at that bit of information, not having been able to take a shower in several weeks, only having a sink to be able to clean up with. Lisa left, letting Zoe get acquainted with her new quarters. She was gazing lovingly at the bathtub when she heard her door open. Turning, she saw Gabriel and her heart leapt.
Without thinking, she leapt into Gabriels arms and their lips crashed together as Gabriels strong arms held her tight against him, her's wrapping themselves around his neck. The one guard gazed upon this display in surprise and curiosity. He'd been half expecting the coyote to attack the bunny, but not like what he was seeing. Smirking, he closed the door and left the two mammals to get re-acquainted.
A/N: I'm sorry, but I haven't been able to spend as much time writing as I would have liked, but I'm slowly getting there. I had originally planned to finish this story, then start writing a chapter per story on my others. As usual, that won't come to pass. My muse is insisting on doing some of my other stories, so I will heed it's prompting.
Until next time, Speaks with Spirits out.