Yikes. This chapter took way too long to publish. My sincerest apologies to you all.
-Cerberusx: The Razorbacks are a unique threat, make no mistake about it. As for why Nick didn't mention them to Bogo, the answer is simply that he had more pressing issues to address. A roughing up doesn't matter so much when your career is on the chopping block or when your partner has suddenly gone missing. However, your idea to tell Gazelle about it seems like the obvious solution, and Nick knows this too. Appreciate the suggestions!
-imjustagurl: Like opening pandora's box—with a baseball bat! Thankfully, our fox is crafty, and plenty chaotic in his own right. We'll see how that lends to tracking Judy down. Thanks for the review and revisions!
-Guest: Hello again! I'm happy you enjoyed the insanity of the last chapter and the highs and lows that came with it. Yeah, those Razorbacks really have it out for Nick. I've seen several readers speculating as to their intentions, but so far, we don't know much about them except that they're right pricks. We'll be seeing more of them in the future. Ah, and Judy is gone. Without her, Nick's list of allies grows thin. Looks like he's going to have to get creative to find her… Always a treat to see you back here. Thank you for the review.
-SKdaGamer: Welcome! Thank you for the kind words. It's always wonderful to hear when readers enjoy the story and the unconventional pairing central to it. I'm happy that Gazelle, her dynamic with Nick, and her backstory felt captivating and authentic to you. I have yet to delve into Gazelle's transition from her grunge roots to the popstar we know from the film, but that's coming. Oh, and if it's any consolation, I think you'll get your wish about grunge Gazelle later on ;). Thanks again, I hope to see you here in the future!
-zaeva: lol, Judy does have a knack for insubordination, doesn't she? She isn't aiming to interfere with Nickzelle, don't worry.
-moons of jupiter: Long time no see! Wow, that is some high praise. Thank you so much for that. I'll admit, when I first watched Zootopia, I really didn't care that much for Gazelle either. In fact, most people seem pretty indifferent towards her, which is understandable for a character with so little screentime. But in a fandom where Nick and Judy tend to receive most of the attention, I was eager to toss things up a bit. I'm glad to hear both the story and pairing feel fresh to you. Thank you again, and don't be a stranger!
*Special thanks to imjustagurl and iguana1500 for beta reading this chapter*
As always, please enjoy, and I'll see you on the next one! -Wilde
Chapter XVI
~Just Like Old Times~
The evening sun brought a warming sky over Sahara Square. In the light, the rocks and the dunes and every building glowed a fierce, ruby-red. A gentle breeze whispered through the palm trees above. And in the streets beneath them, the mammals of Zootopia fluttered, chittering about weekend plans, social affairs, and the newest celebrity gossip.
A long caravan of camels galloped down Agave Street in the direction of the Palm Hotel. Some kangaroos wearing cocktail dresses leapt around them and into a nightclub across the way. Behind them, a coyote couple held paws and shared sweet nothings over an ice cream cone.
None of them paid any mind to the beat-up van at the curb, except to glance at the strange mural painted on its driver's side. Inside there was silence. Nothing but the noise of the engine crooning, and a defeated voice which droned on speakerphone,
["…There are some things that came up. Things we need to talk about face to face. It's important. So I hope I'll find you at the station tomorrow. Have a good evening, Nick. Wherever you are."]
Before beginning once more,
["Hey Nick, it's Judy. I uh… I'm sorry for buzzing you so late. This is the first working phone I've had all day…"]
In the driver's seat, a seemingly fed-up Finnick twisted around.
"Will you turn that danged thing off already?" he said sharply. "You've played it round about fifteen times. One more ain't gonna get you any closer to finding her, Slick."
Nick murmured and slipped his phone away. He huddled in the dark of the loading bay, his body squished between an old mattress and several bins of unused pawpsicle sticks. "Have you seen anything yet?" he asked.
"No. Nothing." Finnick faced forward again. From his post atop a stack of dictionaries, the tiny fox could just barely see over the dashboard. "I can't believe you've got me shuttling you around again," he griped. "On a Friday evening, too. You of all mammals should know better than to yank a hustler away during peak business hours."
Nick snorted. "Like you'd ever refuse to pull off another hustle." He poked his head through the seats. "It's like old times. You. Me. Our trusty steed," he pounded the roof with his fist. "And the whole world at our fingertips."
"Old times," Finnick snorted. It was difficult for him to conceal his pleasure with anger. "Now scurry back before someone sees you. I ain't tryina have no ruckus like the one you caused at the Thaw."
Nick did no such thing. "It'll be dark soon, Finn. Just keep your eyes peeled and don't make a scene." Then he clambered into the passenger seat.
"God damn fool. You really are a piece of work," the fennec growled.
The night was coming fast now. From far and beyond a cicada's song carried through the air, and a closing call to the few remaining vendors in Agave Street Station. Under a violet sky they began to cart away, worn paws and tired faces among them all.
"So… When're you gonna tell me where y'all slunk off to?" Finnick asked at last.
Nick's ears raised at the inquiry, but his face stayed level. "Wouldn't you like to know."
"I sure as hell ain't asking for no details," the tiny fox said. "Y'all put a bomb under the mainstream media and lit the fuse. Shouldn't knock a fox just for noticing."
"It wasn't something we set out to do," Nick said dismissively. "Now focus on the gate, would you? I expect the Podunk parade should be starting any minute." He nodded towards the marketplace.
Finnick refused to be drawn in. "I done you two solids in a row now, Slick. When you keep me in the dark, it makes me feel like I'm being used." The fennec's whole face creased up at once. "And I hate being used."
Nick fixed a stern gaze into him. "It's not like that," he said. "You know it's not like that."
"Cuz you'd be damned if you was," Finnick scowled. His giant, corn husk shaped ears dipped down to his elbows, and he watched the moths swirling under the streetlamps for a time. Nick knew those words weren't meant to harm. Finnick's outbursts were always flash powder. Never dynamite. A learned response to a world that had often tried to crush him.
"Finn," Nick sighed, "I've been nothing but straight with you. But right now I don't know what I'm allowed to say. Gazelle's built for this sort of thing. I'm not." He rubbed his brow and shook his head. "Trust me, I wouldn't be bunkered up in this hunk a'junk if I was."
"Whatever… See if I care about it." Finnick let out a long breath, and at least some of the anger seemed to leave him. "Nick and Gazelle…" he scoffed. "It don't make no sense anyway." Then the fennec brought his eyes back to the gate, and a brief pause existed between them.
"…Was it good?"
Nick's jaw twitched. He looked at his companion questioningly. "Was what good?"
The tiny fox didn't answer. Just folded his arms and smiled larger than a Cheshire cat. Nick knew immediately what the fennec was asking, and he rolled his eyes to show for it. "You're crazy," he huffed, but not before splaying a palm across his blushing face. "Watch the gate and shut up now."
Finnick was reassured. "Sly bastard," he laughed.
Outside the night was cool and dewy. A faint murk gathered in the low-lying areas, tranquil, if not for a slow procession of rabbits marching into it. Nick moved to the glass and cupped his eyes. He could see the tips of their ears peeking through like attentive little beacons. "There!" he yelped and rustled into the loading bay.
"Where?" Finnick stood upright on his bookstack. "Nick, I can't see shit out there!"
"Leaving the station!" Nick exclaimed. "Sweet mercy, you couldn't find sand in a sandstorm, Finn."
"Well if I knew you was gonna make me play 'Where's Wooldo', I would've left your sorry ass curbside," the fennec muttered. He opened the glovebox and removed a crumpled felt outfit.
Nick contorted his body against the small porthole window, such that he could observe the bunnies approaching in secrecy. They wore overalls and flannels, and a few of the kits wore tees. The majority huddled together in a tight, fluffy ball, as fish might school to ward off attackers.
"Yeah, it's definitely them," Nick said. "You almost ready up there, Toot-Toot?"
In the cabin, Finnick was already halfway into his elephant costume. He hissed back, "You owe me for this, scumbag," then wrested the large headpiece over his ears.
"That's the spirit," Nick snickered. "Just remember, the girl's got speckled ears. Look for speckled ears."
The tiny elephant trumpeted disapprovingly, as if to say, "I know damn well what she looks like." He promptly kicked the door open and plodded into the street. Nick watched him go.
Through the fog he slipped into the elongated shadow of a nearby streetlamp. He kept still, only venturing quick glances to ensure that the group was still closing on him. Then, when he was certain of their course, Finnick waddled into the light, craned back his head, and hammered on his horn so loud the entire district could hear. And he wailed and wailed, and plopped himself down where he stood so that the dumbstruck bunnies couldn't simply pass, nor think to ignore the little lost elephant before them.
Nick smirked. It was a performance enviable to a Hollywool star. But was it enough to snare a do-gooder like the one he'd hustled so long ago?
The rabbit clan quickly broke into nervous bickers, and they jostled amongst each other like a drove of agitated cattle. Finnick kept squalling, and the pitiful sound of his toot-toots drew many faces to the doors and windows around him.
"What the heck is wrong with you guys?" a voice from within them cried.
The herd whirled on itself. It was a doe, with speckled ears and scathing hazel eyes. She handed off the child in her arms and pushed into the light.
"Shame on all of you," she said. "Can't you see he needs help?"
Finnick sniveled and offered up his arms. And young Daisy Treble, following right in the footsteps of her idol, took the bait.
"Poor thing…" She brought him into her embrace. "What're you doing out alone at this late hour? Shouldn't you be with your parents?"
The little elephant trumpeted sadly. He pointed off and away in the direction of the van.
"Daisy," murmured a wary-eyed buck, "Maybe we should uhm… Just call someone instead?"
The doe wheeled on her older brother. "And then what?" she snapped. "I'm not leaving a child stranded on the roadside, Peter. What kind of ZPA cadet would be so callous?"
More squabbling arose within the group. "We can't take him with us," one said. "No, no. That won't do. We'd be asking for problems, surely." Followed by another, "And we can't stay, it's getting late. Everyone knows the urban jungle is most dangerous after sundown!"
Daisy searched the faces of her siblings for help. They gave her none.
"I can't believe you guys!" she ranted. "Deerbrooke county on a Tuesday afternoon is more dangerous than most anything you'd find here at night. Seems you're all too jumpy to give the mammals in this city a chance!"
"Come on, Daisy. That's not true."
"Isn't it?" Daisy's eyes lashed to the bunny opposite her. "Don't think I didn't notice how you reacted to that fox officer yesterday, Lola. And the rest of you, too."
Some of their soughs fell away at the accusation. Finnick was giving everything he had to keep from cackling beneath his costume.
"Gracious me, he's not our problem, Daisy!" one of them crowed. "Havent'cha ever heard the saying, leave and let live?"
"It's live and let live, blockhead. And you'd be wise to make the distinction." The doe knew better than to pluck courage from her hidebound siblings. She tossed a palm through the air to shoo them away. "Get a move on then, since you're so desperate to bail out. I'll catch up to you guys later."
The herd stared at her as if she'd willingly signed her own death warrant. A bunny with round glasses and a brown nose chimed, "Dad's not gonna be happy if you wander off, Sis. 'Keep to the fluffle, reap no trouble.' That's the Treble creed."
"In that case, you'd best keep your mouth sealed, Sally-May," Daisy shot back. "Go. All of you. Walk on."
A reluctant shuffle went through the group, but none dared dissent. For Daisy's word was law. Soon they were rolling forward, with eyes strained to avoid any further distractions on their journey. "It is getting late, Daisy…" Peter cautioned meekly. "Just… Please don't be too long." Then he vanished into the gloom with the rest of them.
Nick probably would've danced a little jig if not for the boxes at his elbows. He kept his face pressed to the glass and simpered, "That's it. Reel her in now, Finn…"
"I'll bet your folks are worried sick right about now," Daisy cooed, nestling the fennec close. "But don't worry your precious heart about it. I'll make sure we get you home safe and sound. Deal?"
The little elephant nodded and reached towards the van again. Daisy followed after his line with a gentle spring in her step.
"You know," she mused, "I have a baby brother who sorta' reminds me of you. Little Benjamin. Kiddo's knee high to a grasshopper and dancy as a dust devil. I'm sure the two of you would get along swell."
Finnick had to literally bite his tongue to keep from ripping that suggestion. In the van, Nick shimmied towards the loading bay doors. He quietly unlatched them.
Suddenly, the bunny stopped. Her mottled ears sprung to attention, as if propping up an invisible lightbulb. "Come to think of it," she hummed, "There's a police station not three blocks from here. Maybe we go there, and I'll bet the nice officers will let you see their police cars. Sounds fun?"
Finnick cast his headpiece off at once. "I ain't interested in no cop cars, girl! See the inside of this van before I give us a real reason to go downtown!"
Daisy's paws jerked back at the sound of that very adult growl. Finnick hit the pavement with a thud, and she cried hoarsely, "What the hell?!"
Nick raced forth and yanked Daisy into the van. She screamed in terror when the doors shut behind them. "Daisy, relax!" the red fox pleaded. "It's Nick. Don't worry, you're safe." He squeezed her by the shoulders so that she could see him clearly.
"Huh?" the doe blinked through the darkness. "Officer Wilde?"
Nick nodded profusely. "Bingo! You remember me from the market yesterday, don't you? Handsome fella, left a big tip at your family booth?"
The bunny gulped. "U-uh… Yeah… I remember…" Her whole head tweaked about, searching the blackness for danger. After a few moments, when she realized the fox had spoken truth to her, she asked him lowly, "Am I under arrest?"
"Under arrest?" Nick let out a breathy chuckle. "Of course not! Why would you be—"
PAP!
The fox recoiled, and the contents of several 'redwood' crates went twirling through the air. He couldn't believe she'd just slapped him.
"I thought I was being kidnapped, you—you psycho!" Daisy hissed. She towered over him. Her fists quaked with justified anger.
"Okay, yeah!" Nick flung his paws up, fearing yet another assault to top off his day. "And I'm really sorry about that! But I promise, it's not without good reason. Just hear me out, please."
"Why?" she asked tersely.
"Because I need your help," Nick fished into his shirt pocket and produced the ZPD bracelet she had gifted him the day earlier. "I need to find someone important."
The doe's expression flattened. She swept over the familiar wristband with a leery gaze, as if that item too might leap out and try to grab her. Her eyes softened when she made the connection. "…Officer Hopps?" she ventured, solemnly.
Nick nodded. "She's missing, Daisy. And I'm worried she could be in trouble." He moved to his feet slowly. "I think I know where she went, but… I can't go after her alone."
"I don't understand," she murmured. "Why would you be alone?"
Nick's left paw slid along his jaw and around to his nape. He rubbed the fur there anxiously. "Carrots—" he paused, "Judy… She's been following some concerning leads lately. Leads that, for some reason, the majority of the ZPD has turned a blind eye to."
"Nick," Daisy's voice was at once large and demanding. "Tell me the truth. What's going on?"
The fox drew a deep breath through his nostrils and settled against the mattress. The ancient springs crinkled beneath him. "A few nights back," he said thoughtfully, "some cistern trucks were stolen in the Rainforest District. Big silvery ones, the kind that transport heavy chemicals, y'know." He checked to make sure the bunny was following. "Well, Judy was looking into that. I told her to drop it, mainly because we had our own disaster to deal with at the Palm. But Judy being Judy, she kept right on digging. Traced their location to a clinic in the Rainforest, and we caught the perps," he snapped his fingers, "dead to rights. Lied right to our muzzles, and we recorded every word."
The fox was animated now, and he spoke with his paws. Daisy studied him and the movement of his tail with folded arms.
"Problem was, Judy never had any authorization for that investigation. And the attempts she made to take it through the proper channels—" he pushed his knuckles together. "Brick walls."
Then his zeal was gone. He stopped, and the silence crept back into the van and invaded it. "I wasn't there when she needed me," Nick said regretfully. "Now Judy's disappeared, and I don't know who to trust." His emerald eyes flitted back to the bunny across from him. "She suspected there was something bigger at play. Some kind of coverup, maybe."
Daisy's intrigue was piqued. "You mean like…" She leaned in, and her voice dropped below a whisper. "Like Night howlers?"
Suddenly the loading bay doors flew open, and Finnick came puffing in. A startled Daisy nearly leapt out of her boots. The tiny fox pushed right past her. He threw his costume against the dash and began punching the steering wheel just as hard as he could.
"If Judy's intel is solid," Nick continued, not missing a beat, "then we can't rule it out."
"Sweet cheese and crackers…" Daisy shielded her mouth with an outspread palm. "But I'm not a police officer, Nick. I mean, I'm technically not even a cadet until July!"
"Precisely," Nick insisted. "You're a good apple, Ms. Treble. And I have every reason to believe you'll make a wonderful officer in due time. But right now, you're off the chessboard. Invisible to all players both good and bad. I'd like to keep it that way."
The doe's eyebrows flashed with excitement. "So I'd be doing like… Undercover work?"
"Undercover, undercover work," the fox said, his voice stiffening. "Let me be clear, though. None of what I'm doing is by the book. You need to understand that you can still say no. And then rest easy knowing I won't mention a word about our meeting to anyone. You're young, and you have a lot to lose."
Daisy interrupted him. "Are you kidding? This is like, the opportunity of a lifetime!" She grinned from ear to ear, and her eyes were full of wonder. "Saving Judy Hopps? With Gazelle's boyfriend? I'm so in. Just promise me I won't have to wear one of those." She pointed to the little costume crumpled over the dash.
"Oh, piss off, lady." Finnick punched his keys into the ignition.
The doe snorted and went back to Nick. "Alright, Officer Wilde," she squared her shoulders and shifted onto one hip. "What's your plan?"
-9:00PM—Rainforest District-
The night was not calm in the heart of the rainforest. A great storm screamed into the treetops and shook the branches violently. Raindrops snapped through them like large, glassy bullets. And in the landscape below, all was curtained in darkness.
A purple bolt zipped across the sky. Thunder ripped the air. For a fraction of an instant, Nick's binoculars gleamed in the light. He stood right where Finnick had left them. At that familiar intersection of Shady Place & Moss, not one hundred feet away from the clinic doors.
A voice broke through the tempest. Nick dropped his binoculars and glanced at the bunny next to him. "Say again?" he asked.
Daisy cupped her mouth and shouted louder, "Is that the place?" She gestured to the crumbling building in front of them. "Cuz it doesn't seem like anyone's home."
"Those crooks are in there," Nick said flatly. "And Judy with them if we're lucky." He wiped the rain out of his eyes and went for a duffle bag slung across his shoulder. He set it down and unzipped the flap. "Let's run through everything again. What's your name?"
Daisy perked right up, like an earnest student called upon by their instructor. "Lydia Cotton. I'm a second year student studying agriculture at the University of Zootopia."
"Presenting with?"
"Nausea, fatigue, and the most dreadful neck pain since Marie…" her face contorted with thought.
"Antlerette," Nick finished. "Don't stress too much remembering that last part." He rummaged into the bag and brought out two nylon kits. "What're you gonna do when the receptionist tries to blow you off?"
"Play the world's smallest violin," she said. "I'm a single mother, estranged from my family, putting myself through school, et cetera, et cetera."
"Very good. Just remember, you're not actually trying to book an appointment with these jokers. If they fold and ask you to come in, hold your ground. Keep them distracted in the lobby until I'm in the clear, then get the hell out."
Another bolt cracked the sky like a fracture through icy water. The two mammals on the ground ducked instinctively for cover.
"What if they don't take the bait?" Daisy shouted. Her long ears flopped in the wind.
"I think they will," Nick said. "These fellas aren't too bright. But in any case, you'll be kitted up for the contingency." From the nylon bags he removed two objects. "Transmitter," he held up what seemed to be a single earbud. "And receiver." Then a flat, rectangular device. He offered them to the doe.
"Woah. Are these like, wires?" She took them and inspected them with awe.
"Yeah, just without the namesake. I snagged 'em from the ZPD on my way out." The fox took a receiver for his own and tore off the adhesive cover. "Apply it like so," he said, fastening the device on the inside of his shirt. "And we'll be able to communicate in complete secrecy." Then he thumbed the earbud deep in his ear so that it couldn't easily be seen.
"Freaking cool…" Daisy followed his example. She looked a child whose dream had been realized that very instant. "Like this?" she asked when she was finished.
Nick nodded. "You've got it. Just make sure to activate the receiver when you're ready to talk." He dove back into the bag. "I've told Finn to circle back for us in one hour. If everything goes smoothly, we'll meet him at this spot. If not, we'll fall back to the tram station."
"Tram station, copy that." Daisy's eyes swept back to the clinic. She searched the windows high and low. An oppressive gloom from within stared back at her. "I noticed this place has only one entrance."
"Astute observation, Ms. Treble."
The bunny looked puzzled. "Which means you're sneaking in how, exactly?"
Nick threw back his head and laughed. "Oh come on now, Daisy. Wouldn't you know I've got all that figured out by now?" It was hardly the truth. He thrusted a dart gun towards her before she could notice. "For you."
Daisy blinked at the weapon before her. She took the pistol cautiously by the grip and weighed it in her paws. It was made of sleek polymer, painted yellow and white with a bright red trigger. An enormous hypodermic needle glistened atop it in the rain. "It's uh… Heavier than I thought," she murmured.
"You've got one round. Use it wisely and only if you have to." Nick armed himself similarly, then tucked the bag away among the verdure. "Last thing." He pointed to his ear. "Feel that little button on your transmitter?"
Daisy threaded an index finger against the device. There was, indeed, a tiny button on it. "Yeah. Yeah, I feel it."
Nick's words were slow and purposeful. "That," he said, "is our nuclear option. Think twice about pressing it unless you want every police unit north of Savanna Central to descend on us."
Daisy's finger jolted off that button as if she'd touched a hot stove. "Oh," she gulped. "O-okay. I understand." She carefully slipped the dart gun into her waistband and went to writhing her paws.
"You'll do fine, Daisy," Nick reassured, grinning softly. "Just stay calm and be yourself. If things do hit the fan, don't bother with anything other than your own safety."
The future cadet bobbed her head. She stole a deep breath and tried to match his smile. "It shouldn't be a problem. I won't let you down, Officer Wilde."
"I'll be counting on it." The fox winked and straightened up. "Wait for my signal," he said. "I'll be in touch shortly." Then he turned and sloshed into the street.
Keeping a wide berth from the clinic front, Nick peeled into an alley where the brick walls rose to a height he could not see. Trash bins and downspouts lined the margins, while an old lamp at the end cast a weary, yellowish glow.
"Yeah… Old habits die hard." Nick rolled up his sleeves. He inspected the area for emergency exits, ladders, and vents—what he knew as points of ingress. He examined the walls brick by brick for faults, but everything felt solid. Even the gutters could not be scaled, as the rain slipped his fingers. Minutes ticked by without progress, and his frustration showed.
A piercing blast rolled from the horizon to the farthest edge of the sky. The light at the end of the alley suddenly flickered out, and the Rainforest fell deathly silent.
"Are you lost, Officer?"
Nick whipped around and extended his pistol, two fingers idled on the trigger. "Who's hiding there?!" he gasped. "Come out and make yourself known!"
A subdued laugh swept through the alley. "You sound afraid… Some may think you're up to something you shouldn't."
Nick's fur bristled. He trained his gun between a pair of dumpsters from which that icy voice crept. In the shadow there, an immense wolf bowed against the wall. He sat peaceably, bearing a thicket of teeth across a long, smiling muzzle. For clothes, he wore a tarp-like hood over his pale, white fur. A linen blindfold occluded what the fox imagined to be sunken, unseeing eyes.
Nick shook himself free for speech. "That's none of your business, friend."
"Indeed." The wolf maintained his grin. He waggled an open tin towards the fox. "Spare a coin?"
Nick cocked his head sideways, incredulous. "No, I… Don't have my wallet on me." He began to lower his weapon, then raised it again just as quickly. "Your eyes are covered. How could you tell I was a police officer?"
Another, deeper chuckle reverberated out of the wolf. He slid the empty tin into his cloak. "I've met more than a few of you in my time. One needn't have eyes to notice the… Little patterns." Then his lips pulled back, as if his own cryptic talk amused him.
"Uh huh…" Nick raised an eyebrow. He couldn't dart the lupine for his inane rambling. But neither could he leave his innocence up to chance. Not with so much already at stake. "Why're you sulking out here anyway?" he demanded. "You've nowhere better to be during a thunderstorm?"
"I have my business, same as you."
"So you do," Nick glowered. "What I'm asking is, should your presence here concern me?"
The wolf leaned forward slowly, deliberately. Despite being blindfolded, his toothy maw looked to track the fox's every move. "That would depend," his voice curled, "on the nature of your concern."
Something about how the wolf lingered on each word made Nick feel very small. An unfamiliar chill spread out of his bones and into his skin. "I don't know who you are," he panted. "I don't know your game… You can't fault an officer for being cautious."
"Certainly not," The wolf replied. He lowered his hood and palmed over his sharp, berg-shaped ears. "You wouldn't be the first to seek my intentions. But my game is the same as yours. I take no sides, and yet, I always play fairly."
When he stood, the night seemed to converge around him. His movement had a gravity to it that commanded dread and admiration. He stepped out from his place in the darkness and the fox didn't dare stop him. "Time is a precious thing. I won't waste yours any longer."
At that moment, Nick's gaze swelled. Behind where the wolf had been seated, a metal vent lay disjointed with the wall. A single entrance into the unknown.
"Best of luck finding…" the lupine paused. "Well, whatever it is you're after." Then he pawed sightlessly to the end of the alley. His claws clicked along the brickwork as he passed.
Nick watched him intently. His mind was halfway sheared between uttering a thank you, and keeping quiet, lest he encourage the wolf to riddle on. Eventually though, he shoved his gun away. "Hold on," he huffed.
The wolf stopped. His ears, like eyes, swiveled to face the fox.
"I… Here. It's all I've got." From his pocket, Nick tossed a pair of coins in the wolf's direction, and the lupine plucked them, both of them, out of the air. He swirled them together under his ear, as if listening to their secrets.
"Two quarters." The wolf sounded pleased. "A right fare." He plunged them into his cloak and drew his hood over his features.
Pure nonsense. Nick didn't care to decipher it. "Now take a hike, will you?" He stooped into the gap where the lupine was settled. The ground there felt glacially cold. "And uh…" he scratched his whiskers nervously. "Maybe try somewhere warm while you're at it. And dry."
No acknowledgment came from the wolf. Only three words, which carried through the alley like whispers on the wind. "Happy hunting, Zorro."
At that name, Nick's head snapped against the dumpster so hard he nearly knocked himself out. "Ah! Damn!" He flew to his feet, his body staggered but rigid as an ironing board. His eyes raked the darkness before him, and his chest heaved with fear. "Hey, stop!" he gasped. "Who the hell are you?!"
But the wolf had vanished. Nick stood alone. Slowly, the light at the end of the alley blinked on. The sound of rain and thunder reclaimed the night once more.
Nick flailed into his shirt. He flipped on his receiver and bleated, "Wilde to Daisy. Come in, over."
A slight shuffle came from the other side, followed by an excited squeal. "Reading you loud and clear, Nick! Are you ready to move in?"
"Daisy, I've been recognized by an unknown party. Lupine, male, white coat. I may be compromised, over." He raced back to the vent.
"C-compromised?" the bunny's fervor drained. "Wait, what does that mean? Are you saying we should call it off?"
"No!" Nick hissed, with fingers strained to tear the aluminum cover from its hinges. "We proceed as planned, and quickly. If this guy's a bad actor, Judy could be in even more danger than before." He jerked the cover away, and then tossed it behind him.
"Okay, okay, yeah…" Daisy murmured, rallying herself. "I'm crossing the street now."
"Keep your head on a swivel. I'm entering the vent system. Wilde, out."
Nick steeled his nerves and ducked into the abyss on his hands and knees. The air duct was a narrow tunnel, barely wide enough for his body to squeeze through. It ascended in a tight, winding corkscrew for what felt like miles.
In the darkness, each moment was consumed by the wolf and the name he'd uttered. The fox's name, which belonged to Gazelle and Gazelle alone. It begged many questions: Did the lupine share a history with the singer? Had he been eavesdropping on their affairs? Was it simple coincidence? Most importantly, did he mean to do them harm?
"Zorro…" Nick panted. "Zorro..." Over and over, repeating the word as if the answers were literally on the tip of his tongue.
At last, a hook at the top of the air duct brought the passage to a T-shaped intersection. The left tunnel bore a grate through which a dim light flowed. The right descended deeper into the structure.
"Nick… Nick, come in." Daisy's voice crackled in his ear.
Nick swallowed his unease. He steadied his voice and replied, "Send your traffic, Daisy."
"S-something is wrong…" her voice was terrifically small. "I'm inside the building now, but…" she stopped, as if grasping for the correct description of whatever she was seeing.
"What? Daisy, what is it?"
It was all Nick could get out. He slapped a palm over his mouth just as several footsteps banged through the vent, doubtless, racing towards the entrance.
"The clinic," Daisy murmured, unaware. "it's gone."