Chapter 7: The cat's in the bag…

Several Days later…Precinct One

The suspension was tougher on him then on her. Nick didn't like feeling useless though he knew if he tried to force the issue he might make things worse, like a child being forced to take his medicine. He tolerated it for Judy's sake.

His actions had spilled over onto the news, the chief was right, PAC and LAMB jumped on the potential fodder and were using it for their own respective ends. PAC had decried the "assault" as an accusation of police brutality and being in a pro-prey position, there was even an outside fringe accusing Hopps of being the orchestrator of these events from the very beginning. The coincidental aspects of their evidence did give people pause and momentary wonder. And that is all that it takes to create the worst thing imaginable in this kind of situation. Doubt. Even if it's a small remote possibility, creating a sense of doubt is all that it takes to harsh the solidarity that Zootopia was feeling. The unity of everyone focusing on the terrorist was now devolving into a 'he said, she said' of the events of the protests, focus was being lost and fingers were being pointed.

Even LAMB was not above reproach, given the fact they weren't involved they felt it was their place to judge the situation, and judge they did. They accused the predators of the Predator Action Committee as having no respect for the badge, that their desire to buck authority extended far enough that they would be willing to assault police officers on the street. The fact that one of the 'victims' of this 'savage' assault was none other than Judy Hopps, and remarked that it was no coincidence that they 'chose' her. She had always been a bit of a symbol of prey but more over of mammals who are willing to go beyond their expected roles by society.

Judy's opinion of all of this was that both groups were using Nick and her to push their messages. She felt neither a perpetrator nor victim, it was a fight, made by two ignorant predators, whose anger probably wasn't even as a result of them.

'Who knows?' she wondered.

'Maybe they lost their job, or their significant others left them.' She pondered.

'One of a thousand different things that had NOTHING to do with her or Nick.'

'But does the media or even their own group bother to ask?'

'Hell no.' she concluded.

'Because a wolf losing his job, or a badger going through heart break, doesn't make headlines.'

'It's not news worthy, it doesn't get page views or readership or viewers…'

'It's just a sad fact of life.'

'Maybe they did have a problem with a fox and a rabbit.' She thought as an aside.

'It doesn't matter…we lost control of the situation, regardless of anything, that was our fault…No, it's MY fault.' She reminded herself.

The end result ultimately proved the same, and also self-defeating, this had nothing to do with the case or rather didn't further said case other than to inflame an already tense situation, the chief didn't exactly object to when she decided to make herself scarce that morning. Dutifully going over the case file again, and waiting for some kind of break.

When she heard the chirp of her phone's text message almost on cue, she wondered how long Nick probably told himself to wait before finally saying something.

'Everything ok, fluff?' read the message

She tapped out a response, the phone's haptic feedback making soft clatter sounds mimicking that of a keyboard.

'Everything ok, chief is still in meeting, I think he's trying to smooth over roughed fur.' She replied.

She noticed the three dots lingering, as Nick was typing, then they disappeared for a moment, then a response came.

'I'm sorry.'

She wondered what he WAS going to say, she knew that sometimes Nick would type a heady response but then abandon it in favor of something simpler.

'Nothing to apologize for, I know why you did it.'

'I know, but it still sucks, it makes things harder on you.'

'I'm still sorry.'

Judy smiled to herself and felt a warm feeling in her heart. She replied back with the emotes of an eye, a heart and the letter 'U', and sent it to Nick. After a few moments she got a reply back with the same except the number '2' added to the end of it.

'Seriously though, how is the case? Any breaks?' asked Nick.

'Still waiting for Bobby, he said he would have something.' She replied.

'Wasn't that last night?'

'He said he was close? So maybe? *sigh*'

Judy's phone rang with a familiar number "Bobby Catmull", she quickly answered it with excitement.

"Bobby?" she spoke into the phone.

"Hey Judy."

"Please tell me you have something." She pleaded

"I do, it took a bit of some inventive work, but I got a face." He replied back

"Yes!" she exclaimed

"Quickly send it to the email I gave you."

"Already sent, check your inbox."

Judy frantically checked her inbox for Bobby's email, and quickly opened the attachment; it contained several stills from the video showing the image of a feline, a black panther.

"Oh my god." Her face a combination of amazement and horror.

"What?" asked Bobby

"That's Paxton Mobley."

"Who?"

"The leader of PAC. Look I'll explain later. Bobby, you're a lifesaver."

"Anytime Judy."

Judy hung up the phone and texted Nick

'Bobby just called, we got him.'

She got up from her desk and quickly ran towards Bogo's office.

"Chief! Chief!" she shouted as she busted in the door.

"What is it Hopps?"

"We got him, we know who it is."

The buffalo went wide eyed with interest.

Later…Otterdam…PAC Headquarters

The serene and peaceful quiet of Otterdam was shattered when a plethora of ZPD, FIB and MIA vehicles burst onto the scene. After Hopp's photo from her contact was looked at by Chief Bogo, and the head of the task force as valid Intel, the judge at the courthouse signed the warrant and gave the go ahead for the raid.

Within a half hour of that warrant being issued, armor cladded ZPD officers burst onto the scene and conducted the raid, arresting Paxton Mobley as well as taking into custody everyone who was in that office as a person of interest.

Judy finally had a face to face with Paxton in the interrogation room an hour later. The panther was brought in and cuffed to the table, and she came on with a deep scowl on her face.

"You have no idea how many nights I have been wracking my brain as to who you were." She started.

"I just want to know, was this really political or personal?" she asked.

"As I told your arresting officers, I have no idea what you're talking about." the panther replied.

"The jig is up Paxton, we got your face on video." Judy replied throwing down the enhanced photos.

"That…is not me." The panther stated.

"Do you know how many times I hear that?"

"But this time it's the truth." he replied.

"Do you know how many times I hear that too?" she said with slick condescension.

"Well since you seem to have all the answers officer, why don't you run it down. Why am I the guilty one, because I'm a predator?" he surmised.

"Oh no, no, you're not roping me into that." She countered

"But I do have a very good motive, that's based not only on your specism but your own ambitions." She explained.

"I'm amazed I didn't see it before, I guess I was too hung up on all the personal quirks but maybe that's what you were banking on."

"That I would be rattled by the personal threats and hoping that would keep from seeing the more obvious truth."

"And what would that be officer?" Paxton asked.

"Revenge. Plain and simple revenge." She answered back.

"See I remember what you said when we first interviewed you, the Mammal Inclusion Initiative, you said it was a piece of legislation that you helped write, and you didn't much appreciate it when it was used to help prey, when you saw it as something for predators."

"And then that very prey, who was helped by your law, turned around and put Mayor Lionheart in jail."

"And Lionheart was the first predator mayor of Zootopia, which it was a huge achievement given that the city is mostly 90% prey, a predator and a lion no less, convinced prey animals to vote for him."

"And then I have him arrested for his involvement in the savage case."

"That's a lot of reason to hate me, and prey in general."

"Tell me I'm wrong." She concluded, slapping the table with her paw.

There was a silence with the panther as he mulled over his response, after realizing the logic of the thought process, he huffed a chuckle in amusement.

"You're absolutely right Officer Hopps."

"I DO have every reason to hate you. I in fact DO hate you. You are what's wrong Zootopia."

"Your smug self-righteousness and sense of superiority makes me sick to my stomach, the fact that a 'grazer' like you holds so much authority over predators is absolutely unjust."

"That in a so-called civilized society all prey have to do to take away predators political power and ability to self-govern their own lives is lie on their backs and spread their legs."

Judy maintained her scowl, but inside was deeply offended and disgusted by the statement.

"I didn't say it to offend your sensibilities." The panther replied almost as if reading her thoughts.

"I said it because it's a fact, Prey animals ability to breed prodigiously is what gives them the ability to maintain control. In the past, it was required because predators hunted prey, killed them on a regular basis, the 9 to 1 ratio was that way because they needed to be able to reproduce that much just to maintain the population."

"But in today's day in age, there isn't any reason for it, A rabbit such yourself can have hundreds of children and with the advent of the modern age, everyone of those children lives a full life without fear of being killed by a predator or even opportunistic disease."

"So why is it still customary for rabbits to be allowed to breed as they do? Or other prey? And predators, well, we are relegated to the status of second class citizen in our own city. From a pure standpoint of mathematics, predators cannot keep up with that kind of population growth of prey, and when ninety percent of the population controls everything, then what hope do we have?" he explained.

"So that's why you bombed the equality monument." She concluded

"I didn't bomb anything, Officer and neither did my people." He defended.

"We'll find the evidence." She smirked

"Rather, you'll plant the evidence, when you realize there isn't any to find." The panther accused.

"So you deny that you are 'teacher'?" She surmised.

"Yes."

"But your rhetoric sounds just like him."

"Oh I didn't say I disagreed with it."

"So you do agree with it."

"You bet your bunny ass I do. Whoever he is, he's at least fighting back."

"He's killing innocent people." she replied.

"At the equality monument, yes you're right, I disagreed with that part. Random violence doesn't solve anything But Raymond Hopper was a prey supremacist, and I don't shed any tears for him."

"Or do you also forget that a lot of the city officials who were complicit with Dawn Bellwether, are still where they are. They've never been arrested, questioned or even accused."

"Do you even realize that, Officer? That you're working so hard to catch a predator yet at the same time defending a system that knowingly is corrupt and working to marginalize and segregate predators from the rest of society."

"A system, I might add if it had its way, would ban your choice in relationship." Paxton pointed.

Judy's stoic expression seemed to crumble when the panther fired back with that. Her smirk drained away and all of a sudden felt the tables turn.

"Oh yes, I know about you and your fox boyfriend, I think all of Zootopia knows about it now." Paxton lectured.

"Now realize this, if for some reason, prey animals got it into their collective heads to say, ban such relationships, create a law making marriage or even simple association illegal, there wouldn't be a damn thing you could do about it, Unjust as it is, there wouldn't be anything you could do. You'd be out voted, and all of a sudden, your freedom diminishes little by little, the very people whom you defend, suddenly turn on you. How would that feel Judy?"

"My relationship is no one's business but my own."

"Oh…you are so very wrong. You're a public figure now, been in the news, made waves, your life is a matter public opinion, it's been that way since you became a cop, since Mayor Lionheart decided to make you the ZPD's golden child, and moreover since the controversy during the 'savage case'."

"I think that alone cemented you into the hearts and minds of Zootopians everywhere."

"So I take it you're not going to confess?" She inquired already expecting a 'no'.

"I have nothing to confess to, but you know what, go ahead and try and hang it on me. And when it blows up in your face, pun intended, I will not only get the satisfaction of seeing you apologize to me in public, but I will also get the satisfaction that I gave you enough rope to hang yourself with. And I will see you destroyed in the eyes of the public."

"So go ahead…Do your worst." He challenged.

Judy maintained the stare down for a moment longer, gauging him, trying to figure out what he was thinking but more over not wanting to show fear to the likes of him. She grabbed her small stack of photos

"You don't want to tell me, that's fine. But just remember, when I come back I won't nearly be as nice, I gave you a chance to come clean."

Paxton sighed loudly.

"The good cop, bad cop routine? You do realize that requires TWO animals, right?"

"It's not a joke Paxton." She replied.

"I'm not laughing, Hopps. You are so convinced that I'm the bad guy, yet you don't want to see."

"See what?"

Paxton readjusted himself, leaning closer to Hopps and talking lower almost a whisper so as not to have his voice carry.

"When I said what I said about laws against your 'relationship', I wasn't framing that as a hypothetical. You want to really know how close we came to having some kind of dystopic hellish version of Zootopia?"

"Look into Dawn Bellwether, look into what she was up to, what she wanted. I guarantee what you find, will curl those pretty little toes of yours."

"And how do you expect me to find out?"

"Well, Gillian is her family, moreover Dawn helped found LAMB, I'm sure the files are in there somewhere."

"And how am I supposed to get these files?"

"Well, I'm sure you and your fox have ways, the same ways you used on Lionheart and Bellwether." Paxton replied back with a smile.

Judy understood the insinuation completely. She didn't acknowledge it; she just walked out, closing the door behind her.

Outside in the Main Precinct Floor.

Judy had walked towards her desk with the intention of gathering her wits before heading back in to interrogate Paxton again, that nagging feeling at her that her original suspicions, even if they were from a case of preconceived notions may have had merit. But what Paxton suggested, goes well beyond the legal authority that she had, at least not without a warrant, and even then, what does she put before the judge?

'Gee sir, I want to search for supposed files illustrating that our former mayor had even more horrible plans in store based on the account of as of yet suspect in a major terror attack.'

'Yeah, that would go over REAL well' she pondered.

Her perception was jerked back into the outside word when she heard the familiar bellow of a water buffalo.

"Hopps!" called out the chief.

She craned her head upward and saw his hoof pointing to the office.

'What now?' she thought annoyed.

Moments later up in the conference room, it was there again, another transmission, another 'lesson' on the TV. The introduction and theatrics all saying the same thing as before "Fear" The uneasy feeling settling in Judy's stomach as she came to a grim realization, Paxton really wasn't who they were looking for. Chief Bogo, Agent Carter, Kaiden and Kit were watching, their focus all on the television. Her thoughts came to an abrupt stop as she heard that all too familiar voice.

"Hello…Judy."

He was addressing her directly this time, not the city.

"It seems you came very close, you followed the clues, and even did a few things I had not expected."

"Antagonizing the members of PAC. I'm….impressed. I didn't think you had it in you."

A short clip of the fight played out, stopping for effect, like so much drama on television.

"We have rules in our society. Rules, regulations, laws. We follow them because it's expected of us."

"We try to make our lives orderly and neat. And we expect the system to be there for us when we need it."

"The truth is so much more horrendous than we like to realize."

"We place faith in those to protect us, when they are the ones who often take advantage…"

Several pictures of public officials appear on the screen with names, a Ram named Andrew Maddox, Zebra named Paul David and an Antelope named Tamara West dressed in suits, they were publicity photos that one could find on the Zootopia city website but one stood out in particular, a Moose dressed in a black robe of a judge with the name Jeffrey Evans.

"There are many of you who do not know who these individuals are, yet they help guide your life nonetheless."

"Those keenly aware of the injustice these mammals bring comes as no surprise but dearest Judy, you should know that these mammals have earned the apathy and contempt they have brought upon themselves."

"I leave it to you to discover the depths of their crimes."

The image on the TV changed to a live camera feed pointed at the courthouse across the square from the police precinct.

"Justice is blind and fair, and what these mammals have wrought have decayed her house, allowing cruelty, and injustice to reign in her stead."

"What I do….is balances the scales…."

The resounding blast from the courthouse shot glass in all directions; the force of the blast was enough to rattle the windows of the precinct. However the blast itself did not demolish the building but only blew out a single corner of a single floor. Though immediately other areas caught fire, this blast was highly controlled; the tempo of it was not the hammer of the equality monument but the scalpel of a more surgical strike. This fact alone resonated with Judy.

"In truth, there is no justice, except what we make for ourselves."

The room took a collective breath as the "Zootopia welcomes you" logo appeared on the screen, but the room took a sharp turn as 'teacher' resumed speaking.

"Judy…I hope you're learning these lessons well."

"Your final exam is soon. And we will all learn what kind of mammal you are."

"Class is almost out of session, and one more lesson remains."

"So I advise you get your affairs in order, say what you need to say."

"Because not the ZPD, your friends or even your two metal attack dogs can save you…."

Kaiden and Kit glanced at each other, then at Judy perplexed.

"I'll see you soon Judy."

The transmission cut to black, leaving an eerie silence, once again this teacher has somehow managed to cut through the stoicism and strike right at the heart of those he affects. Even Kaiden and Kit, experienced at they are in the arts of war felt a creep up their spines.

Chief Bogo didn't know what to feel, anger, rage, concern, bewilderment, maybe all of the above. He couldn't quantify what he was feeling. The emotion couldn't be labeled and placed in a cubby hole, it was a spectrum of emotion, mainly though, concern for those who have been harmed, for those who are dead but yet he found his thoughts focusing on the rabbit officer under his command.

He picked up the phone and dialed the FDZ and let them know of the bombing, if they hadn't already. More city officials assassinated, entire sections of the Zootopian government were being carved out from under them.

The city needed answers, but moreover, the city needed this to be over. Perhaps the only person in the room who wasn't overwhelmed by some level of fear was the one mammal who perhaps had most reason to be afraid. Judy was angry, a fire burned in her eyes, determination, she needed to see this done, once and for all. She decided then and there that no matter where this leads she would see it done.

Later…That Evening…Nick and Judy's apartment.

After the response and cleanup of the courthouse, Judy arrived home, she didn't even make it a step in the door when Nick hugged her. The russet blur just surrounded her, no words were said, she could hear his breathing, worried, scared, though he wouldn't let on. She returned the hug, tired as she was, sore as she was from moving debris and bodies.

"Nick?"

"Yeah carrots."

"I need to ask you a favor."

Judy broke the hug and led Nick back inside, closing the door, she lead him over to the table and sat down.

"What is it?" he asked

Judy lowered her voice to a whisper not wanting her voice to carry.

"I need to get inside LAMB headquarters."

Nick puzzled quirked an eyebrow, leaning in close to Judy.

"Why would you need to do that?" he spoke softly.

"Because, I'm now convinced that I was right all along. That a prey is responsible for all of this."

"But carrots, didn't we figure out that…"

"No…You and everyone else figured you had it from the beginning, but I didn't stand up for my idea, and I should have."

"The truth is, I wasn't sure but more importantly I didn't want to contradict my friends…or you. Especially if I wasn't sure." She replied looking down

"Carrots…it's ok, if I'm wrong…I'm wrong, I'm not going to hold it against you."

"But that's the thing, I wasn't sure."

"Now you are?"

"Yes, someone at LAMB is responsible."

"You think Bellwether?"

"Maybe, or at least someone who was connected to Dawn."

"Why do you say that?"

Judy placed a folder she had been carrying on the table.

"Look." She offered, pushing the folder in front of Nick.

Nick took the folder, opening it; it had the cases that the city officials at the courthouse were working on. Judy had highlighted several key bullet points. Nick read them but still wasn't putting it together.

"What's the subtext here?"

"There were cases dismissed by these mammals, Evans was the judge presiding over these cases, the District Attorney was either Raymond Hopper or Andrew Maddox, the lawyers assigned for the defense were either Paul David or Tamara West." She explained

"They were all cases where the prey animals who had killed the predator claimed that they were 'savage' and killed in self-defense."

"Now I went through the autopsy results of those cases, the predators didn't show any Nighthowlers in their blood."

"They were murdered…" Nick concluded.

"And they use the 'savage' label as way to cover for it."

"So what's the connection to LAMB?"

"Several of the prey that were acquitted…card carrying members of LAMB."

"Oh my god."

"I thought this was a predator trying to get revenge, when it's a prey trying to cover it up."

"So where do I come in."

"I need to get into LAMB, and I need your 'special' talents."

Nick's head popped back in surprise, his confused expression as he tried to discern exactly Judy's meaning.

"You want to….break in?" he said matter of factly.

"Yes."

Nick took a breath, covering his mouth with his paw.

"Judy, You do realize if we get caught…."

"…I know, our careers are over and we go to jail." She finished.

"Oh I think it's more than that. We get caught they will crucify us. I wouldn't be surprised if we get brought up on espionage charges. We're not just breaking into a place and stealing some stuff, we are 'infiltrating a political organization's headquarters for the express purposes of proving criminal impropriety in the government.'" He clarified; flashing quotes signs with his paws.

"Your point?"

"Scandel…carrots, with a capital 'S'….And I wouldn't be surprised if whoever takes this case tries to make the argument that Bogo puts us up to it."

"He has nothing to do with this."

"Doesn't matter carrots, if there is some serious corruption of the Zootopian justice system. We would just be the latest in a long line of lies." Nick huffed.

"We still need to get in there." She stated.

"So are we going to call anyone on this? Kaiden, Kit, Agent Carter?"

"No…we can't, I don't want them involved in this, they're our friends and I don't want to put them in a situation where they would have to choose between us and their jobs."

Nick got up and paced a bit, his tail twitching nervously. Finally surrendering himself to the moment, he turned to Judy.

"I know just the guys for this." He replied, stroking his chin.