Paying a Price.
"Good morning Zootopia. I'm Fabienne Growley and here's your morning news. Yesterday ZPD officials held a private assembly on the Estate of Council of Elders. Little is known what actually occurred inside but sources say a member was dealt with harshly. We could not confirm this independently."
"In other news the Moo-han Virus continues its malicious grip in the Meadowlands. Thankfully fewer families are having the flu-like symptoms and shortness of breath, but the numbers of new cases are still a cause for concern. Medical authorities continue the quarantine status in the region and a new test has been developed by the Infectious Disease department at Zootopia Medical University. The General Public is still encouraged to remain in a self-imposed isolation status and all travel has been restricted to short trip to get groceries or daily necessities."
"Protesters were out in violation of the self-isolation policy. Many remained in the mandated 6-foot spacing and carried signs expressing their displeasure at the continuing policy. Some wore masks that could be interpreted as mocking the recommendations; some drawn to resemble noses of large mammals, other were of a more gruesome theme. Paw-drawn painted chicken pox were noted on some while others drew what only could be describes as zomie marks; walking in the manner the undead would... seemed to be trying to make a point."
"We have a report from our two self-isolated reporters Victoria Harridon and Audrey Drew. Ladies, what do you have for our viewers?"
"Thank you Fabienne. The past few days have been quite stressful, wouldn't you agree, Audrey?"
"Yes, yes it has, Victoria. We have agreed to show selected video of our days living under the same roof. Roll the video, please."
As the video played several scenes showed the pair of vixens doing activities from cooking meals to performing work tasks to holding a question-n-answer session via the Internet. One scene appeared to be made from a paw-held camcorder; it moved through a doorway and showed one of the vixens in a tub full of bubble bath. Obviously said vixen was not happy and moments later a similar video showed the other getting filmed in same tub. The remaining video showed what obviously made a few days later with the vixens being quite grumpy and short-tempered.
"Ummm... I owe you an apology for the bathroom scene, Victoria. Sorry."
"And I owe you one as well, even though the favor was returned. Sorry." The view shifted back to the studio, the snow leopard busy scribbling something on a legal pad.
"Thanks for the report Ladies. I'm certain our viewers will eagerly await your next report." Her head briefly lifted and turned to the moose beside her. "Peter, will you be a dear and take the next news article? Thank you."
Commissioner Ursus detested what happened within his police department. A once trusted technician had turned traitor. This was bad enough, but it nearly cost him two prized members: Zootopia's first fox officer and a world-class electronics technician. He never did understand why she decided to make a career in the ZPD, but he wasn't going to jinx his good luck. The rumor mill had it she was best friends with the Wilde-Hopps, and thus most likely will remain as long as they do.
Yesterday he authorized a Zootopia-wide meeting at the only available place sufficient to allow enough officers to view the public execution. After the deed was done he brought Officer Wilde onto the dais and apologized for the miscommunication regarding the fox officer's young. It was obvious the officer was being a good sport about it, seeing how the guilty party was just beheaded moments ago. Still he sensed not everything was over about the situation. So be it. He had big broad shoulders and that was why he was paid the big bucks. Still... it bothered him. Director Dench and Director Wilde promised him if he let things go, the issue would simmer down enough that some trust would be restored over time. It was important for the bear not to start playing favoritism; he did however inform the fox that he could keep the golden shield, but he had to continue using it under the current agreement. It would be favoritism if it were any other way.
He chuckled after getting a good distance away; the fox obviously wanted and expected the bear to relinquish and give in to making the fox a permanent detective. The bunny, Officer Hopps, obviously was relieved. She knew this would go to her husband's head, thus she would have to deal with it. He thought about her for a moment; she had potential and her service record proved it. He made a mental note to have a formal review of her service thus far; it was one of many different ways the upper chain of command could promote someone outside the formal written test and mandatory time in grade. The fox would undergo one as well; this to determine wither or not Chief Bogo's judgement was sound and therefore promote him officially if warranted.
When the commissioner got back to his office he was not surprised to be met by an attorney. The conversation following was inside his office, obviously for reasons to keep unwanted ears from listening in. Before allowing the attorney to make his case, both had to wait until a couple mammals from the legal department and mammal resources to be present. After both sides heard the case from the other's viewpoint, it was agreed to bring the matter before the Superior Court of Zootopia. It was obvious both sides were convinced theirs had the legal merit.
Judge Aurthur Dent, Judge Edward Matheus, and Judge Judith Proudmore heard the case. The attorney was not happy at the ruling, neither was Bogo. The judges decided that although the chief was within his authority as given by the governor, it would have been proper to have sent it before this court to be adjudicated. They told the attorney they would have ruled the same thus sending the technician to death. His client's actions were detrimental in a time of crisis, and malicious against his fellow officers.
After the attorney was a decent distance away, he pulled a zphone from a jacket pocket and dialed the secret number. The shadowy figure listened and grunted his displeasure, he only received the video from a minion a while ago obviously too late to save the life of the giraffe. But he could use it to harass the ZPD, if nothing more than forcing them to waste time and resources instead of using them in proper functions. He dismissed the attorney after thanking him for this delaying tactic and sent him on his next assignment. Meanwhile he would be late for the meeting his fellow servants of truth scheduled nearby.
Many mammals were on edge these past few weeks. Strange lights and thunder roared through the forest. Rumors had it the priests were doing something unusual, something never associated with them. Things such as trees being torn apart. Why would the Order of Mother Nature allow such things? A rumor said that one of their own was missing; thus if what was happening were related to this then these mammals didn't want to get on the bad side of the priests.
High Priestess Ishanah and High Priest Aaron were standing on a hillside a reasonably safe distance away. They watched to determine for themselves how the newly restored Oracle Council was progressing in their training. By all indications they had a long way to go, considering how much of this part of the forest was laying around them in shattered limbs and branches.
"Priestess Hilda der Fuchs has her paws full" Aaron muttered as another flash indicated another mistake in concentration.
"Patience my friend. Hilda said Paulina is coming along nicely. It is Clare whose concentration is not quite focused" Ishanah said as another flash of light.
"True... my priests are still out searching for their missing companion."
"Perhaps we should accept Colonel Kohle's offer to have a few of his agents go with our priests. His do have better training and experience dealing with these situation."
He thought for a moment. "Ok... but the Dark Priesthood has been acting erratic as of late. They would be easier to deal with if things were normal."
"It obviously is related to our priest that has gone missing. I wouldn't be surprised if he was giving them a run for their money. They obviously have bitten off more than they can handle, we need to step-up our efforts to find him."
Aaron smiled. This was the first time the priestess openly acknowledged she had a soft spot for the badger.
Ishanah smiled. "We should step-up the cleansing ritual; maybe this will help calm her mind."
Aaron nodded. "It will help limit the destruction as well."
Both dunked and covered their ears as another flash of light was closer than should be. They turned around and quickly made their way down the other side of the hill, much to the relief of their aides.
"Let's stop for now. You need to refocus and rest, maybe calm down a bit."
Paulina was guiding her friend towards a spot to sit down. But the smaller mammal was having none of it. Clare glared at her friend and immediately closed her eyes. It was obvious her emotions were on fire this morning and she was still annoyed at this particular spell. Hilda had said it was one of the most challenging one to learn; this one was the basis for a whole new group that had been lost over the millennia. Now it was these that were proving to be difficult to master. Paulina was having difficulty but from her viewpoint the lioness was learning these remarkably quickly.
"It is because I am focused, not allowing my feelings to hinder me. Anger is the most difficult to control and the one most likely to hinder your focus, as you are experiencing." The lioness was gently kneading the badger's shoulders as she spoke in a gentle tone of voice.
Clare thought about this, but only for a millisecond. "I am fine. It's this spell that's troubling me. Its intricacies are... who in their right mind thought to combine these words?"
"It is not our natural tongue, young one."
Clare knew the voice and knew because of it her life grew more frustrating. "High Priestess, why?"
Hilda placed a comforting paw upon the badger's shoulders, its touch near-instantly melted away the frustration that the younger mammal had been feeling. "These spells were created eons ago; as such our language has changed greatly in the time since. Our culture has changed as well. Therefore it is no surprise that we have difficulty understanding how life was back then, we simply have no reference how difficult times truly were. These spells reflect those times; the Oracles then were tasked with keeping all priests regardless of their affiliation in line. As such they had to be the most powerful, and thus why these spells are difficult to master... unless you understand the whys."
"But I'm putting my all into them! They aren't cooperating!"
The elder vixen continued kneading the younger female's shoulders as the high priestess knelt in front of the young badger. "It isn't your concentration that's going wrong, as evidence by all this around you. I did this myself as I was learning; now that you have walked in my paw prints I'll share with you what the Moon taught me."
She motioned for Paulina to join them. Hilda gently pushed the badger onto the rock nearby and assumed the position the two younger one had been standing when practicing the spell. "In your mind you must be thinking on a specific thing, it is in focusing that allows the spell to channel its energy. Your error isn't in the focus; it is allowing emotions to remain active. Anger is the most troublesome; it is quick and reacts immediately. Hence why this spell discharges before your thoughts can command it to the next part of the spell. Clare... you must calm your desire for vengeance, or else the next time you lose control the energy will release close to where you stand. I don't have to explain what will happen if this occurs."
Clare wasn't the only one that visibly shook; Paulina must have realized just how lucky she had been, it was obvious on both female's faces. Hilda chuckled.
"It was I that countered each spell that released dangerously close to you. I will teach you counter-spells, but only after you have mastered this one. Oracles had the lesser-known title of Battle Priests, hence why they were tasked with keeping the other factions in line. They also went out with the hunting parties, protecting them as they searched for prey; or in the case of prey they protected the working parties from predators."
Clare suddenly looked up at the elder fox. "Protecting the hunting party? They participated in killing prey?"
Hilda chuckled. "No. From larger predators or from large mammals they normally didn't hunt. Remember... back then not every mammal was a meat eater or eaten. Some plant eaters simply were too large to be killed, even by a hunting party. Sometimes these were temperamental or ill-tempered, and charged at the slightest disturbance. Hence the need for powerful magic wielders."
Paulina held her protégé close, both now having a better understanding of the ancient times and how this spell worked. Hilda was pleased at this, and motioned for both to make one last attempt to conjure the troublesome orb. She was not disappointed; both younger females waved their paws as two tiny pinpoints of light formed, growing in size until nearly as tall as they were. Both of these dimmed until settling into two softly glowing orbs, floating next to each priestess and keeping a certain distance as each moved a short distance from where she once stood.
"Excellent. These are your orbs of protection, each attuned to your life essence. If you reach out you can feel them giving you strength, but don't rest too long... it will burn you. I'll teach you other spells; each will allow you to manipulate the energy within these orbs. Now you see why these ancient priests were so coveted... and feared. They were also the nemesis of the Dark Priesthood, hence why they were targeted first in the ancient war. But now we must go, dinner is ready and I suspect our neighbors could use some peace and quiet."
Marilyn and Caroline found they indeed could romp anywhere they wanted. Except it really wasn't everywhere. They soon discovered they were within a very large estate, the perimeter marked by very large and very high stone walls. On top were mammals that kept watch not only outside but as the two vixens walked nearby. The air was crisp and cool, which was another thing they strongly disliked about this place. They ran to what they could discern was the four outer walls of this estate, and nowhere was there access to the ocean. The nursemaid must have been lying they told each other. This was the first of many things they would discover that they would not like about the vixen that once was the nicest mammal they knew.
The two young vixens never knew this place; in their short lives knew only their grandmother's farm, their father's apartment, their step-grandparent's farm, and their other grandparent's store. Slowly over recent weeks they were being taken to various homes of Nick's relatives, and each proved enjoyable to the sisters. Obviously the treats and gifts had something to do with this, but they genuinely like the elder foxes. Then there was playing with the many bunnies that came to live with their father. At first these were horrified at what the sisters ate, but over time they grew accustomed to it and relieved that the sisters wouldn't eat them. Now the sisters missed the bunnies dearly.
"Ah... there you two are. Come now, dinner is waiting."
Marilyn and Caroline sighed. They had agreed on a new nickname for the nursemaid: the wicked witch. She may be nice and proper on the outside, but underneath she was greedy and self-serving. Reluctantly they walked behind the vixen and entered the vehicle; a guard closed the door behind them. As it travelled to the main compound the sisters endured the nursemaid telling what their activities would be tomorrow. Whatever the vixen was explaining, to the sisters it was nothing but venom dripping down and threatening to overwhelm them.
The meal itself was quite tasty and both sisters ate enough to stuff themselves to the gills if they had any. A new vixen cleaned their paws and muzzles, this one introduced herself as their new nanny. Abigail would be far too busy running the estate to properly tend to the needs of these young ones, thus she assigned it to one who was properly educated in such matters. This one refused to give her name, insisting only to be addressed as Nanny.
Bedtime was coming too none too soon, and the new nanny tucked the sisters into a bed obviously meant for a full-grown fox. Lights were turned off and the sisters waited until they were sure she was far down the hall. They retrieved a locket and a small flashlight they had hidden under the mattress. Opening it they looked at the two pictures inside, Nick's head on one side and Judy's the other. She may not be their biological mother, but she was certainly *Mom* to them both. Shortly they closed it and hid both back under the mattress, cuddling together under the blankets and eventually falling asleep. Deep inside them they knew the Wilde-Hopps would be looking for them, the sisters understood they worked at someplace where they did this nearly every day. Hopefully wherever this estate was, it was close enough for them to be found before they were full grown.
Ramington Steele and Charlotte were sitting in the meeting room at their office. Judy, Nick, Emma, and Lillian departed from the ZPD after the morning meeting was over and now the Wilde-Hopps were here to discuss the terms for hiring this agency. The other officers came along because they wanted to make sure everything was legit and their friends would not be taken advantage of. Even though Mr. Big had his minions making inquiries about the abducted vixens, Judy wanted to do something herself. It was a reprieve when they received a phone-call about the missing daughter, the caller identifying herself as the college-age mink who simply wanted an interview. Afterwards they discovered she was an aspiring private investigator working under the tutorship of a licensed investigative agency.
The wolf laid out his plan to address the missing vixens, which involved sending out his current group of trainees as well as having a select group of his associates to help. The wealth of knowledge and tactics assembled would have best chance to discover the trail.
"Private investigators, at least we who hold to standards, are more than mammals sneaking around in the dark. We train regularly to know not only the current laws and regulations but new tactics our organization have developed. Rest assured... your young ones will be found."
At that moment a small group of polar bears walked into the office. These didn't need to be introduced, they were well-known to all. Especially the arctic shrew the lead bear deposited upon the table.
"Godmother... why are you doing business with these mammals?"
Judy motioned for Nick to keep his mouth shut. "Mr. Big, sir... I desire their services for more than one reason, but the immediate tasking will be to judge their effectiveness. I want as many mammals out searching for my young as possible. I know you have resources and tactics to get the vixens found. What I desire of this agency is something afterwards. As a member of the Council of Elders, I need another source that is competent to help Nickolas and me in our duties to the council. Finnick may not be available when we need him, or your minions for one reason or another. Should this detective prove competent, I will know his services will be available even if at the last resort."
She waited for the shrew's reply. If he was not convinced, more than she and her consort would be iced.
"Godmother... I am displeased you would do this without first consorting with me. But your reasoning is sound therefore no penalty will be assessed. However the expenses incurred will solely be yours to bear, as I'm sure was your intention."
Mr. Big looked straight into the wolf's eyes. "Know this: I will be watching. If excessive usury is put upon the godmother, I will have your hide. Proper charges are acceptable, as we both are business mammals. Perhaps if you prove as competent as the godmother hopes you are, then I may require your services at some later date."
He kissed Judy's cheek and accepted trading fist-bump with Nick; this was something he started doing with Colonel Kohle and General Rommel a few months ago. Koslov picked him up and both departed the office going on their next stop down the street.
Nick let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. "*Whew* That was a close one."
"Judy" Emma said as her nervous paws rubbed upon one another. "You shouldn't have kept him in the dark. I'm not entirely certain Lillian and I could have pulled you out of his wrath."
Judy hugged the lynx and then the lioness. "Sorry about that. I didn't know he could find me so quickly. But I wasn't lying; I really do need to determine if this detective is as competent as he claims. Juggling duties between the ZPD and the council has gotten tougher in recent months."
Charlotte giggled as Mr. Steele feigned indignant. "Officer Hopps, I'll have you know I'm the best private eye you'll ever meet."
Charlotte was calming him down as Nick was doing likewise with Judy. Meanwhile the front door opened and four females entered and came into the room when it was obvious this was where everyone was. Charlotte motioned them to sit near their mentor and wait to be introduced. Judy and Nick instantly recognized the mink, but waited to be formally introduced.
"These are my apprentices who will be doing most of the legwork on your case, at least within city limits of Zootopia." Mr. Steele said. "This is my senior apprentice Janis Wallow. Her assistants are Mindy Riverbay and Rachel Canny. Our newest member is Kathrin Wintersprite."
Judy let out a sharp gasp. "Are you related to Carl and Kimberly Wintersprite?"
Kathrin nodded her head. "They are my parents."
Apparently the meeting was unofficially put on hold; Judy had quickly opened her zphone and now was showing the vixen many pics of her nieces. Both giggled as some showed the young females in various positions after being caught doing something mischievous. Some were of the two saying their bedtime prayers, some eating at the table with many young bunnies sharing their veggies, and one of the two covered with bubbles as they were taking a bath.
"Do they get to eat meat?" Kathrin asked somewhat sheepishly.
Judy giggled and showed a few pics of the vixens tormenting the bunnies, some of which had become used to these antics and had joined in pretending to eat meat. One that Judy was most proud of was them helping Nick grill something out in the backyard on her parents burrow. A few more were them grilling something with their Wilde grandparents, where she wasn't certain but happy that they were developing proper bonding to all their grandparents, even those with ears longer than should be. Judy sent the whole catalog of pics to Kathrin's zphone after she noticed the vixen's facial expression; obviously she wasn't certain if asking for a few would be inconsiderate or not.
"Ok... this is enough. We should end this meeting and decide if you wish to retain our services." Mr. Steele was sitting calmly, several papers displayed before him. Charlotte was now standing beside him, holding a stack of folders that if their services were retained, needed signatures at various points in each folder. A couple of these would be handed to the Wilde-Hopps as their personal copies.
Emma and Lillian excuse themselves and pulled the two outside so they could have words and express their concerns. A few minutes later everyone returned and the documents were signed. Lillian reminded the wolf of the words Mr. Big spoke, which naturally made the apprentices curious but held their questions until their customers left the building. When everything that needed to be done was completed, the ZPD officers exited and departed in their cruisers. Now the wolf and ewe could bring their charges up to speed.
"Yes, we had an unexpected visitor which our client didn't expect as well" the wolf said nonchalant. Charlotte nodded her agreement. Everyone sat in their usual places in the meeting room while the wolf explained the visit and the scope of duties each of them would be responsible for. While he didn't want Kathrin involved, she was close family after all, he did allow her to be partnered with Rachel, the other fox. Because this would be more dangerous than normal he paired Janis and Mindy, in this manner the two groups could watch each other's backs while performing the assigned tasks.
When the young females finally departed to have dinner at their usual eatery, Charlotte and Ramington watched them leave. These days it was never a sure thing they would return, thus these older mammals wanted one last impression. Both soon returned to get started on their own tasks; the ewe to get the necessary permits and travel itineraries, the wolf to coordinate with his associates and former pupils. This case was obviously more than his assets could handle, and many of his fellow detectives owed him a favor or two. Others he would haggle and barter to get their cooperation. But a select few would jump at the chance to get involved with finding the young of Zootopia's famous fox and bunny.
Finnick couldn't believe that numbskull fox couldn't have the decency to fox-up and ask him directly for help. When Mr., Big asked him to lead the search it was obvious he couldn't refuse, the alternative would be iced. It wasn't that he would have refused, after all he had gotten used to the two vixens playing with his fur. They did prove useful, once they found a tick that had recently embedded itself in the crook of his ear. It was tasty and both searched his body, stopping only when his wife Valarie put her paws upon a part she said was her responsibility to search.
Now he was strategizing with Raymond and Keven; the brothers having good ideas which made sense.
"It is obvious whoever took the youngsters would not be stupid enough to stay in Zootopia" Raymond said as he pointed to where he thought most likely their location. Finnick had to agree it made sense, considering the threats the nursemaid had made in recent months.
"Agreed. It was the work of the nursemaid. This is her last mistake; I'm certain Mr. Big will want to have words with her. First we have to prove this theory and then prepare to recover them. Afterwards he can do with her as he wish."
The remainder of the afternoon was spent finalizing their plan and moving resources. After briefing Mr. Big on who they thought was responsible and getting his permission to leave, they were off. Ziva made sure they had enough provisions and an account number set aside for this mission; obviously they couldn't carry all the food they would need even if it were freeze-dried, therefore meals would have to be paid for which was pre-arranged with a vendor that had previous dealing with the Big family. Fru Fru went with them because she was representing her father in the business and would be the primary negotiator if the vixens were there.
Soon Finnick's team and the bears were in the Outback Isles and making their way around the area. His team split up and fanned out, each making their way as quietly and blending in with the locals as their training enabled. Finnick, Fru Fru, Raymond, Keven, and a security team went directly to the main compound. It was no surprise they were forced to wait at the front gate for an hour. Meanwhile Finnick received a few reports from his team, while most were standard check-in reports one in particular reported a possible sighting.
The group sat there for an hour before an arctic fox arrived and introduced himself as the godmother's adjutant. The todd apologized and stated that the godmother was busy and could not entertain unscheduled visitors today.
"We would like to see the godmother at this moment." Fru Fru flourished her paw which was a signal to Raymond. He pulled a medallion out of his coat's breast pocket and displayed it so the adjutant could clearly see it. The disc had two coats of arms: one side displayed the Outback Isle Mafia on one side, and the Big Family's on the other side. This was primarily made of gold with silver highlights and precious gems, these on both sides of the medallion. The effect clearly wasn't what the small shrew expected.
"One moment, please... I will need to inform her of this development." The todd quickly departed without allowing the shrew to say anything. Finnick expected her to literally fly off the handle as was her usual practice when not given her way. Fru Fru must've noticed his flummox and spoke plainly.
"We are not among my minions, thus such behavior would only weaken my negotiation position. Obviously the nursemaid is settling into her position as supreme ruler, so it behooves me to treat her in a respectful manner until my father arrives. It will be he that reminds her that she is merely a steward and not the actual ruler. We need to have proof our vixens still lives and give it to him. Only as long as they still breathe will my father have a strong position to force her to allow him to see them. Possibly force her to turn them over into his care until they reach the age of maturity. But... none of this is a certainty."
Finnick sighed. "My bet is the nursemaid will resist. Quite possibly attempt to kill your father, maybe us should we actually get an audience with her."
"That will be difficult, as we will do what we can to prevent this" Keven spoke as confidently as he could.
"Once our packages are found I'll have them under watch. Video can be streamed should he need proof." Finnick tapped a few words in his zphone and soon sent the message.
Moments later the todd returned and bid them follow him. The luxurious vehicle the road in moved smoothly and quicker along the road. When they arrived they were ushered into a room decorated in finery that seemed somewhat out of place. Fru Fru made a subtle paw wave that Finnick understood meant she wanted pics taken. He made several with the small camera disguised as a lapel flower. It didn't take long before the nursemaid arrived; Abigail Canny's clothes made it obvious she thought herself more important than these guests believed she should.
"Welcome to the Outback Isles! I was not told you were coming; perhaps you were not taught the intricacies of proper communication with your allies? But since you are young I'll excuse such inexperience." Abigail's' facial features made it plain she held the upper paw.
"Nursemaid, I..." This was all the shew said before she was interrupted.
"I am the ruler here. Address me in the proper manner, or I'll have all of you removed from my territory."
Fru Fru had to quickly motion for everyone to remain silent before returning her gaze back to the vixen. "You are only the steward not the rightful heir. It would behoove you to remember this, or should I inform my father of your arrogance?"
Abigail's face hardened. "It is neither you nor your father that dictates who controls this territory. I have presented my credentials and those that refused to bow the knee have been put to the death. All that remain are dedicated to me. These recognize that I once was the right-paw of the previous godfather, and with the death of the recent godfather this makes me the next rightful ruler."
Fru Fru now had a wolfish grin across her muzzle. "No nursemaid... it is the two vixens born from Josephine Wintersprite. These are the next in line to rule the territory."
Abigail made a flourish with her arm and several guards entered the room. "There is nothing more to be gained from this discussion. I will not acknowledge their birthright. I have established a new dynasty and it will be my young that inherit control of these lands."
"You presume that you will retain total control, nursemaid. You are mistaken" Fru Fru glared at the vixen and the nearby guards. Abigail returned the glade with a scoff.
Another flourish and the group were forcibly removed. The vehicle took them back to the front gate where they were let out and strongly encouraged to leave. Fru Fru ordered her group into the vehicles they arrived in and soon they were off in the distance. Once sufficiently out of eyesight they turned off and parked into the forest far enough where they could camp without attracting unwanted attention. In short time their campsite was set up and communication reestablished with the teams previously deployed. While Finnick was sending and receiving reports from his teams, Fru Fru was doing likewise with her father.
Janis, Mindy, Rachel, and Kathrin walked along the streets of this village. Although they were supposed to stay within the borders of Zootopia, Kathrin had gotten a clue from her parents. Her parents had been talking to Judy and the bunny let slip that Nick was in communication with his former hustler partner who was somewhere in the Outback Isles. Since both Rachel and she had relatives that lived there it was little difficulty arranging for one of their relatives to allow their group to stay for a few days. While meals were provided, the budding private eyes pooled their money together and purchased enough ingredients so Mindy would have something suitable to eat, seeing as the otter prefer seafood to land-based meats.
While here they soon discovered they weren't the only ones searching for the missing vixens. They had come across some of Finnick's teams and quietly eavesdropped as the team asked discrete questions to a storekeeper. With patience they soon learned most of the areas that had been searched already. They caught a lucky break when a young vixen mistook them for talent seekers; not realizing they were feeding her misinformation as long as she talked about her male that was guarding a couple young vixens. Once having a general idea where to find the male, the private eyes departed and made their way to the location.
Janis and Mindy had to stay inside the sedan, since they were not foxes. This left Rachel and Kathrin to be out and about to find the vixens. As luck would have it they found Marilyn and Caroline being escorted in a nearby park. The vixen escorting the two was obviously trained in young mammalian education, most likely was a professional nanny as the clothing seemed more like a uniform than private clothing. After tailing them for the remainder of the afternoon, taking many pics and noting the two youngsters were not overly excited but remained cordial to the older vixen, they returned to their guest house. There they composed what they discovered, included several pics, and sent a zmail to their mentor. Moments later they received a reply from Charlotte confirming receipt and urging them to return promptly to Zootopia.
The females stayed overnight and in the morning bid their hosts goodbye, thanking them for the excellent accommodations and meals. The elder foxes were genuinely curious how these females of mostly different species got along so well. Once it was explained they were all aspiring investigators and by working as a team could they succeed, the elder foxes wished each much success in their chosen career. The drive back to Zootopia was uneventful and soon they reached the front door of the Details-R-Us Detective Agency. Once inside each told of the adventure from their perspective, and handed over the data chip containing all pics taken and their individual written reports.
Afterwards the four females went to the Italian eatery just down the street.
"So our packages were last seen mixed in with acorns, eh?" Fru fru asked. She spoke in code so non-party members would not be alerted. They were in a small café in a nearby village where they had set up their operation. Occasional glances by nearby patrons told her they needed to keep their conversation hush-hush if not cryptic.
"At the national park where apparently bears thrashed them about." Finnick's code words meant they were seen at a village park and were being rough-housed. It was not a surprise Raymond and Keven's ears perked up at these words. Finnick leaned over and showed them the message he received; this cleared the misunderstanding and both brothers were satisfied they were not actually abused by real bears. Mr. Big did not like paying for his associates' medical bills if it could have been avoided.
"This is already being sent to the appropriate authority for remediation." Fru Fru's code words for her father was notified and waiting his instructions. Moments later a soft ping on her zphone announced his reply. After she read the screen she promptly closed the application and motioned everyone to lean closer.
"Postmaster is on his way. We are to continue and see if proper remediation for our packages can be made. If not then we are to await his arrival."
Finnick had been keeping an eye on the group of arctic-species consisting of wolves, foxes, and bears that been giving his group a wary eye over the past few minutes. These patrons were now giving his group their full attention which now was making him uncomfortable. His body language was not lost on those in his group. Fru Fru scrambled onto his shoulder and looked directly at those in the café.
"What we're discussing has no bearing on your evening, good mammals. Be of good cheer and return to your evening" she squeaked. She might as well have been giving them the secret of Colonel Sander's chicken recipe for all the good her words did.
A brawl broke out which apparently must have been a tradition in this area; claws, hooves, gnashing of teeth were everywhere. Finnick wasn't the only one silently cursing her provocation of what obviously was used as an excuse for all this. He was thankful she was hanging onto his clothing although he lost track where she was at this moment. Raymond and Keven were dishing out as much if not more than they received, truth be told where they found the bottles of brandy that now were broken and effectively being used to slice-n-dice most mammals that got too close to them. This fight would have continued if not for the shotgun that announced itself somewhere in the room.
"I don't know who started this but you" the bouncer pointed at Finnick, "will pay for the damages one way or another, from your hide if necessary."
Fru Fru waved the fennick fox to keep silent and then jumped onto the counter. "I assume you already have an amount in mind, or is it a sliding scale?"
The wolf lowered his muzzle until his breath was pushing the shrew's dress up as in a classic Marilyn Monrattie movie. "Guess my amount."
It was a mistake. His eyes became as saucers as his mouth frothed and foamed, followed by his gargling with his own blood until his body slid to the floor. Maybe it was the quickness how it happened that startled the roomful of mammals, or perhaps the question where she hid the sword somewhere on her body. Either way the shrew now wiped her blade on the bar rag and then walked to the edge to look down on the body.
"You would have received full compensation for the damages, good sir. But what's under my dress is not for your eyes, not that you had the stamina to satisfy me."
She scampered over and jumped on Finnick's shoulder, motioning him and their group to get out of the café before the sheriff arrived. Her group didn't wait for an invitation; they were out the door in record time and soon were at their campsite. Their wounds, if any, were taken care of and each told what had happened from their perspective. It was agreed that the locals were looking for an excuse to fight, and their presence was just the excuse for one. Thankfully all was not lost as one of Finnick's teams reported its recent finding.
"Group Four found them walking in a park. They were under the care of a vixen, obviously their caretaker or nanny... whichever you prefer to call them."
"Good. I'll send this to Daddy and he'll decide our next move."
Finnick grinned as he leaned towards the shrew, but not too close considering what had happened earlier. "Like how we are going to show our faces back in town? Or should we move on to the next village?"
She scampered up to his shoulder and tickled his ear. "A Big does not back down from lesser mammals. We'll just be extra careful as we move through town. Change of clothes, keeping towards the shadows when necessary, and have weapons ready. After all, a Big doesn't necessarily put oneself into harm's way without precautions."
They soon turned in for the night, making sure the nightwatch was set and the camper's door locked.
Judy and Nick were sitting in the meeting room listening to Mr. Steele who sat opposite them describing what had been found, Charlotte at his right-paw side. Janis, Mindy, Rachel, and Kathrin sat on the right-paw end of the table. Opposite them on the left-paw side were Officers Emma and Lillian sitting next to the Wilde-Hopps and Mr. Big at the end of the table with Koslov nearby. Judy was impressed the shrew would be here outside his normal meeting places. Nick... he knew the shrew better. For years during his hustler life he had observed the mafia boss at various places few would ever expect.
"Godmother, my teams have identified your cubs are healthy and well taken care of. It is assumed their abductor has had the foresight to know their lives are worth more alive than dead. In this the nursemaid, one known as Abigail Canny has proved she knows this. Either that or she still needs them for her other plans."
Judy's ears flattened and a scowl crossed her face; almost everyone in the room knew what this meant, and those that didn't knew enough to know she was quickly becoming into a foul mood. Nick quickly rapped himself around his bunny and kissed her forehead. While this normally tempered the bunny's reaction, he knew this time she would still blow off some steam.
"Hon, we know what she wants and we know my magnificent body is wholly yours to dismember. But she can have the scraps after you're finished."
This did the trick; Judy slapped his belly and quickly wrapped herself around him, memories of his knot from their morning tryst lingering in her mind. He released his breath; being unaware it was bottled up. Another bunny outrage was avoided and soon she would regain her focus to continue what they were here for in the first place. Mr. Big watched the couple; a memory of his own briefly went through his mind. Without physically moving a muscle thus making his thoughts known to those around him, he shook the memory out his head. The husband deftly controlled his wife while allowing her to subtly express herself.
Ramington Steele quietly reviewed his notes while the fox deftly controlled the emotional bunny. It was a known fact that rabbits needed to express themselves in order to function. While Judy was more rational in her personality, this meant when she did get emotional it was more forceful. He was grateful her husband knew how to control her without quashing her; he suspected it did not always go as planned. It was a relief when the bunny yawned and returned to the waking world quickly and ready to continue the meeting. Ramington smiled; he always was amazed how quickly rabbits recovered from exhaustion, sleep, and sex.
"Ok, now that we have had our reality break let's get back to the topic at paw." He enjoyed the brief blushing from the bunny.
Mr. Big rapped his small walking cane on the table. "Let's watch the pictures my team has sent in... as well as those these fine young mammals brought along them."
The room darkened and the viewscreen unfolded followed shortly as a series of pics appeared. These showed the young vixens in various places, obviously during several times of the day. They were walking in a manner denoting submissiveness and obeying with minimal compliance.
The wolf cleared his throat. "This concludes our part in this operation. Colonel Kohle will take over from here and I'm certain Mr. Big has something up his sleeve. We will monitor things if nothing more than to keep an eye on anything that either of these might miss. This is after all our stock and trade, and we don't needlessly put ourselves in harm's way if we can avoid it."
Soon everyone left but the four trainees, the wolf, and the ewe. These spent the remainder of the next few hours setting up the meeting room so they could watch what was happening during the rescue operation, courtesy of Mr. Big.
Abigail Canny watched the viewscreen. The cameras from many locations were cycled through in rapid succession. The invaders were methodical, innovative, and somehow bypassed her security. Somehow some of her minions had feigned allegiance and now must be working with them. No matter, she would deal with these soon enough. But first she needed to get her guards out there to deal with this matter. But first she needed to get the vixens on the way to the hidden valley where a safe house was currently hidden.
The phone call to the nursemaid's quarters was brief; she left instructions to get them out quickly and where she wanted to meet them. After hanging up she returned her attention to the viewscreen. Things were deteriorating faster than she liked, after consulting with her staff it was obvious that these invaders were more than a simple rescue team. She switched through the cameras and soon it was clear she was seeing not only GSD teams but military special forces. These weren't the ones she was concerned about most... it was those working for the Tundratown boss that was more dangerous.
"All right... continue the defenses and keep me informed. I'm going to retrieve the young ones; get my copter to the designated rendezvous point."
As she walked towards her personal quarters she almost ran into a guard running towards her; he gave her adequate warning that the inner compound had been breached. Cursing she turned around and made a beeline to her personal escape tunnel. She activated her zphone and sent the self-destruct code. Within moments her quarters were engulfed in flames.
Colonel Kohle watched the screen as the live feed showed his agents in action. Team Bravo and Echo wear the spearhead and thus tasked with infiltrating the estate from different sides. Chances for success were increased by this tactic and these were his best. He was annoyed but Chief Vaulter, and Commander McHorn were in the room; these were here to coordinate the rescue efforts with the ZPD and Mr. Big's minions. He wondered just where the Tundratown boss was, but his inquiries were responded as *He is preoccupied on other matters*. The dog suspected he knew exactly what the shrew was doing, since after being involved with him on several recent events he had seen what a mafia boss could do when he decided to use subterfuge and surprise.
Savage sent a message to Walker, directing her to go to the other side of the building. He had been monitoring Team Echo which unfortunately ran into many guards and now the general alarm had been activated. Thankfully Mr. Big had a few of his minions here; they had sabotaged some controls and misdirected some guards responding to the alarm. Now everyone was thankful General Rommel had sent a small detachment of special ops to assist in this rescue. These were creating a distraction that effectively split the responding guards; while killing was their forte they were equally gifted in using lesser methods to accomplish the mission. Savage sent a short message to the SF team leader informing him of his team member's current positions and goals.
Nick had his paws full; Judy simply refused to stay with the group. Now she had ran off into the building and was tracking down the vixen. He knew what she planned to do; the nursemaid made it plain she wanted to kill his wife and claim him for her own. Judy was bound and determined to make the nursemaid pay for not only abducting her cubs but having plans to trespass on her husband's carrot. Nick had a flashback: this brought back memories of those dark days when he was chained and forced to pleasure her former boss; it was not as pleasant as some males thought. Now he was racing through the halls trying to catch up with an angry and determined bunny. The heavy footsteps behind him reassured him that whatever guards he may encounter would be quickly handled.
Finnick was cursing up a storm, thankfully in his own head. Raymond and Keven were chasing after the Wilde-Hopps, he knew they were cursing inside their mind; they had to be, even though outwardly they would say they were doing their tasking. He directed his teams to the other side of the building to create a distraction; hopefully this would draw out most of the guards thus giving the suicidal bunny a slim chance to do whatever it was she was attempting. Nick was not too far behind, thus her chances for success was upped a notch. Add the two bears to the mix and her chances dramatically increased.
The nursemaid heard the soft beeping coming from under her pillow. She nearly beat Marilyn and Caroline to the radio that was carefully hidden under the mattress. She clicked the mic and spoke an alpha-numeric code and waited for the reply. A gruff voice notified her there was a breach in security and to rendezvous at a specific place. She replied in the appropriate response and turned to her charges.
She pulled out her badge and showed it to the youngsters. "I'm Agent Rhonda Walkerson, member of GSD Team Lima. Now that the rescue operation is underway let's get you two out of here and back where you belong."
Naturally the two young vixens didn't believe her until the entrance of Raymond and Keven, once Agent Walkerson showed her ID and they were convinced she was what she claimed. These bears were known to the vixens and now both were being held in the bear's paws. The brothers had lost track of the Wilde-Hopps and were backtracking when they came upon this room. Now these five were tracking the fox-bunny, using Agent Walkerson's knowledge of where Abigail's personal quarters was to guide them. It was obvious this was where Judy would eventually end up, and they needed to get there before the bunny did something that would end her career.
They passed many bodies of guards that had been tranquilized; if she stopped to investigate she could determine which dart came from Judy or Nick. A short beep announced a message waiting. She read it and smiled; her team had intercepted both Judy and Nick and now they were working to conduct a proper search. Unfortunately they also said the former nursemaid was on the run; this was obvious after the nursemaid's room suddenly became engulfed in flames. It was a no-brainer she was attempting to escape and start this operation from a new hiding place. After talking with the brothers she had an idea. She sent a message to her team suggesting they head towards a specific location. She told the brothers where she wanted to go; there was a secret tunnel that led to a hidden valley. This would be a safe place to wait for a rescue copter.
Little did she know who else was waiting at that exact location.
Abigail Canny couldn't believe it. She had everything planned, everything operating as she foresaw. But never in a million years did she think the Tundratown mafia boss would get involved. She had sent an envoy with a personal message reaffirming the agreement he made with her boss, Josephine Wintersprite. Her envoy returned dead, unceremoniously dumped out the back of a helicopter; a written message tied to his front paw. It simply said she should have invited him to reaffirm it soon as she became leader, but since she waited until his forces came to reclaim that which she stole she would be iced.
Abigail knew exactly what this meant. He would kill her if ever she was captured. She knew the hidden passageways under this complex and hurriedly making her way through them. She made the turns masterfully, avoiding the dead ends which would eat up time and allow those hunting her to slowly catch up. She was almost at the final turn, the one leading to a small glen which its opening was cleverly hidden by thick bushes and trees.
She ran into something solid; something that shouldn't be here. A sharp pain announced itself in her throat, and upon reaching up she felt her paw becoming wet. In a nanosecond she smelled blood, her head felt light and her eyes started to become unfocused. She stumbled backwards and fell, landing against a chair. She grasped her throat in a feeble attempt to stem the blood loss, allowing her head to rest upon the table nearby. It was then she heard the voice; one she recognized and instantly wished it wasn't so.
"Ms. Canny... nursemaid... you stole something that didn't belong to you. It was never going to be allowed for you to reign over the Outback Isles. I'm certain you had plans, ones to ensure these young vixens never grew up to assume their rightful places as true rulers over these lands. What you didn't know was this... the ancient pact I made with your former boss, Ms. Josephine Wintersprite, allows me to ensure the proper leadership is stable in these lands. This means I am now their godfather and am responsible to ensure their well-being until they reach the age of maturity. You on the other paw will not live to see their next year."
The world was slowly turning dark and soon the nursemaid, Abigail Canny, slid into the world beyond death.
Koslov signaled to Raymond and Keven, who removed their paws from the young vixen's mouths. They released the sisters who raced to the table, holding their paws over their mouths as tears slowly dropped towards the floor. Slowly they knelt and ran their paws over the face of the dead female. Mr. Big and the bears allowed them to grieve over the body, over she that would have ended their young lives without mercy or regret. Moments later according to tradition he motioned for the bears to get them to their feet. Gently but firmly they did so, ensuring they looked towards the shrew.
"Marilyn... Caroline. Grieve if you must but now is not the time. This vixen would have ended your lives for nothing more than to ensure her rulership over that which rightfully belongs to both of you. She was given every chance to return you, both of you. She chose to ignore my request and that of your parents. Therefore I had to act, and in doing so I acted with extreme prejudice. Koslov stopped her, my blade slit her throat. She died a death undeserving her family's heritage. For your sake and to retain her family's dignity, I will have her body properly prepared and returned to them for burial. Now... let's leave and find your parents. They are here and have been looking for you."
Marilyn and Caroline nearly rushed out of the tunnel, stopped only when Raymond and Keven grasped them and held them up on their shoulders. Together they walked out, Koslov holding the shrew as was his duty. It took them nearly an hour to return to the main compound, and upon arriving was nearly bowled over by an excitable bunny. Tears were shed as Judy held her daughters; obviously this was how she saw them in recent months. Nick grinned and patiently waited until the vixens could coax the bunny to release them, upon which it was Judy's turn to watch the vixens be tightly embraced by their father. Soon the newly restored family gathered with the bears who by now sought comfort in the air conditioned bus that brought them here. The drive back to Zootopia was filled with the excitable vixens telling as much as they could remember that happened since they were abducted.
The next weekend The Wilde-Hopps were visiting the Hopps Farm, Nick's parents and grandparents were here as was the young vixen's maternal grandparents, Carl and Kimberly who brought along a few of their own young. Kathrin was also here; Mr. Steele having given her time off to enjoy reacquainting with her two nieces. Albert and Opal, along with Floyd and Elizabeth, had the older kits still living at home prepared lunch and the picnic area. It was a celebration sure to be remembered for many years.
Empress Whitefang sat on her throne, reading a report her spies had just delivered. She displayed no emotion but what this contained caused her grave concern. Gregor McKeen was killed by the Zootopians, his wife and newborn cubs killed in the same attack. While she didn't know the vulpine, she clearly understood the result of the attack. The Zootopians meant business and the fox failed to anticipate it. An amendment to this report simply stated a minor official in the Outback Isles was assassinated, this placed upon the Zootopians as well.
"So... they truly do understand the use of power" she muttered to no one in particular.
Gregor McKeen, if she understood her husband, held the title of Alpha Ten in the Dark Council. Although not mentioned in this report, her husband once told her of another member now dead, but this one at the paws of the council itself. Alpha Eleven acted foolishly and himself bested by the Zootopians, hence explaining his execution. This meant that two important members were now dead by deed or by effect by the Zootopians. Now they struck again in another land not theirs, this time to another fox that had the misfortune of underestimating them.
"They shall not claim my husband's hide."
She now stormed out of the throne room walking in a manner that spoke volumes, in a manner that her ire would instantly order the death of any mammal that had the misfortune of crossing her path. In her younger years she was an accomplished spy, thus she kept her former gear stowed and ready for use at a moment's notice. An old spy tale once said the only news you could trust was that you gathered yourself. She no longer had a slim and lithe body, having several litters of cubs did this. But her habit of exercise and stretches kept it strong and pliable, ready to go to battle if the situation required it. Just like the game of chess: the queen was the most powerful piece, and in real life she needed to ensure she was equally powerful.
The Zootopians incurred her ire; they had better be prepared.