The time of departure came and went. Darkness fell over the hotel, held at bay by the streetlights lining the beach.

Judy kept her gun in her holster, hidden under her green jacket, as she paced the floor of the hotel room. Under that jacket, she was wearing her bulletproof vest over her civilian clothes.

The bomb report had been confirmed as a hoax. The flight had already been rescheduled for 9am tomorrow. There'd been no sign of NEST. So why did she have such a bad feeling?

Nick lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Ben and Bogo were in an adjacent room. Jack and Alyssa were doing a patrol under the guise of an indoor stroll.

She was still upset about what happened in the restaurant. That had to be what this bad feeling was about. She'd been so focused on taking down the bad guys, to prove once again that she wasn't some civilian bunny in distress, that she'd forgotten that none of them had asked to be dragged into this mess. Including her.

Justice would have to wait. Saving themselves and everything they cared about was what was important now. She would not lose sight of that again.

Her ears pricked. A presence at the window. She turned, nose twitching. The glass showed nothing but darkness.

Judy swallowed. She couldn't help but need reassurance. She tapped a tiny button on the headset she was wearing.

"Agent Savage, can you hear me?"

"What's the situation?" Jack replied.

"Nothing's wrong. I think."

"But?"

Judy lowered her voice and turned away from the bed. "But I feel like we're not alone."

"I'll head back straight away."

"No, we're fine. I'm just being paranoid."

She heard the secret knock about a minute later. Nick sat up. Judy huffed and opened the door to let Jack in.

"I said we were fine." She said.

"And I'm sure you thought the same thing at the gas station." Jack said with arms folded.

Judy tensed and glanced at Nick. "Please don't talk about that unless you have to."

Jack glanced at Nick too, and unfolded his arms. "I was on my way back anyway. Skyefall will be back once she's scouted the alley."

"And the others?" Nick asked.

Jack paused. "I am well aware that they should have arrived by now."

"And you still haven't heard from them?"

Jack paused. "I think it's time you got some sleep. I'll check next door."

He went through the side door-

"Wait a minute."

-into the adjoining room. Judy pursed her lips, listening as Jack had muffled words with Bogo, probably discussing how they were going to get to the airport unnoticed.

"Nick?"

"Yes?"

"You don't think NEST would go so far as to fake a bomb threat just to keep us from escaping?"

"Carrots, I was about to bet 10 bucks that they'd done just that."

That bad feeling was beginning to feel like a genuine sickness. Judy tapped another button on the headset.

"Agent Skyefall?"

No-one answered.

Judy bit her lip tightly.

"Skyefall, can you hear me?"

"Yeah, I'm here." Skyefall said.

Judy sighed. "Just checking. Where are you?"
"Just checking the alley behind the hotel, then heading back. Everything ok up there?"

Judy took a deep breath. "Could you maybe come back right now?"

"Why, what's happening?"

"Nothing. I just really want you to come back before anyone else goes awol."

"No. I can't."

"Why not?"

"Because those berks from NEST are here."

For a moment, Judy was too shocked too speak.

"They can't be."

"I see two in the street ahead. They don't know I'm here. Keep it down for a minute, okay, rabbit?"
Judy shut herself up.

Jack returned to the room, followed by a grim Bogo.

"I heard everything." He said briskly. "You remember the plan?"

Judy remembered the plan. Trip the fire alarm to get the other guests out the building. Escape via the back alley. Get to the car in the adjoining street and get the heck out. She remembered and nodded.

Jack strode to his duffel bag. It took less than a minute to assemble his lethal black crossbow.

"Stay here until we give the all clear." He left the room.

Judy watched him go. She took her weapon out for a moment and considered taking the safety off. Her knowledge of gun safety told her not to. She left the safety on put kept the gun in her paws. Bogo had his weapon out, too. A live firearm. Judy watched Nick clench his jaw at the sight.

Alyssa's voice came in again.

"Me again. They're still in the area. Might have to take them out after all."

"How did they even find us?" Bogo asked.

"Well, that's the thing. I got close enough to hear their chatter and… I think they only just realised we're here."

Judy's nose twitched more fiercely. "Then what the sweet cheese and crackers were they doing here in the first-"

The sudden blare of the fire alarm cut her off.

"I don't know." Alyssa was difficult to hear. "Doesn't matter anyway. I'll call back once I've dealt with the buggers."

Dealt with the buggers. Judy swallowed back bile. Something else that bothered her- she and Nick were in league with killers. Jack and Alyssa were good people so far as she could see. Starlight and Gabe, too. That Winters sheep was still an enigma. But they were used to killing. It didn't bother them that they had to slit a few throats to complete their mission. Judy could only hope she didn't end up damaging her moral compass, too.

It didn't take long for Judy to hear the hurried footsteps of the other guests evacuating the building. The mammals in this room stayed put, hoping this was enough to get the guests out of the line of fire. In the meantime, she wondered how Alyssa was 'dealing with the buggers.' There'd been so much death already. If the tranq darts were more effective against NEST body armour, she'd have done more to talk the others out of using lethal force. This wasn't justice.

No. Not justice. Survival. This about survival, officer! Don't forget that!

Before long the hotel was silent. Ben finally entered the room, looking justifiably scared.

"Savage here. I see three NESTs heading to the basement. I think they're planning to cut the power."

"Figures." Judy said.

"Leave them to me. The rest of you wait for Skyefall's signal."

They waited. Judy didn't take her eyes off the door. Her ears remained focused on the window.

Alyssa came in again. "Got them. Meet me in the back alley and we'll-"

She suddenly stopped speaking.

"Skyefall? What's happening?" Bogo demanded.

"Oh god… oh fuck…"

"Skyefall?!"

"Alyssa, what's happening?" They heard Jack snap. When the vixen said nothing more, Jack cursed and the line went dead.

The lights went off at that very moment, casting the room and hallway beyond in darkness.

What had scared Alyssa so badly?

Bogo switched off the safety on his weapon. "We're going. Hopps, watch our backs."

Nick and Ben stayed between them as they stalked out the room. They didn't bother with flashlights. Ben was the only member of the group who couldn't see very well in the dark, but he could see just enough to stay behind Bogo. Judy listened for signs of trouble. For the time being, the building was quiet. She could hear the commotion of the guests outside.

The elevator was too dangerous. They headed for the stairs further down the hallway, past the laundry chute. A trolley of linen stood by the hatch, abandoned during the evacuation. The stairway was marked by a glowing green fire exit sign.

"Agent Savage, can you hear me?" Judy asked.

"Not now." Jack hissed softly. Judy took the hint and fell back into silence.

They were currently on the top floor. They descended to the next floor down. One more set of stairs and they'd exit via the alley. If they could just evade the NEST agents long enough to get outside…

Her ears pricked. They'd caught the tiniest of creaks downstairs.

"Sir." She whispered. Bogo looked at her. She pointed downward toward the stairs and shook her head.

Bogo grimaced. He signalled to go further down the hall, towards another set of stairs.

They set off. Judy walked partially backwards, watching the first stairs for any sign of the mammal she'd heard. What had NEST been looking for?

It happened in an explosion of light and sound. Judy barely heard the clatter of a flashbang being thrown before it detonated. Everything went bright. Her ears rang with a flatline tone. Between the light and the ringing, her head span. She felt the cold hardness of the wall as she lost her balance and fell against it. She staggered. Someone grabbed her. Or did they? A hand brushed her arm but didn't tighten. Suddenly she couldn't feel the wall anymore.

She fell, through flashing spots of light and darkness. Wind roared against the ringing. Then she hit the soft ground.

She lay there, the wind knocked out of her. The spots in her vision shrunk until she could make out the walls of the container she'd fallen into, and the opening of the chute above. The soft ground was linen, piled high enough to break her fall. How did she end up in the chute? It was higher than her, and the hatch had been shut. Had she jumped inside, or was she pushed?

The windows in the room were small and high up near the ceiling. She had to be in the basement.

"Nick?" She called to that dark pit in the ceiling. "Bogo? Benji?" Her ears were still ringing, but she felt her lips form their names.

Of course, they didn't answer. Either that or she couldn't hear them.

Judy looked around. No-one else had fallen through the chute. She was on her own.

Jack was down here, wasn't he?

"Agent Savage?" She spoke into the headset.

"Hopps… where are…. I hea…" Too much static. The signal was too weak down here.

It took some effort to make her way out of the laundry trolley, once she found her tranq gun. The effects of a flashbang lasted longer than they did in the cop movies. At least she could somewhat see and hear herself speak. She was unsteady, but she could walk if she was careful. The ambient light from the windows gave minimal illumination. A convenient toolbox nearby contaminated a screwdriver with a magnetically attached LED light. That would have to do until her night vision was back to normal.

With the screwdriver she carefully shone only the floor right in front of her so she wouldn't trip. With her other paw she held the tranq gun. There was one door leading out the laundry room. It was already open.

She found a NEST agent, a cow, lying dead in the hall outside, a black crossbow bolt in her neck. Jack said that three had gone down below to take out the power. She continued on silently.

She paused at a T-junction and blinked. Her eyes were still besotted with bright spots against the darkness. Judy took a risk and shone the light up the wall, looking for directions. She didn't see any signs. Not even a fire exit sign. Someone wasn't making sure this building was fully up to code. Judy took a chance and turned left.

Jack spoke again, struggling to be heard over the static.

"Hopps… you ca… head… boil… swimming poo…"

"What was that? Agent Savage?"

It was no use. Judy continued on. She passed a pair of restrooms. The door to the garbage room was also adorned with a sign indicating that the engine room was further ahead.

So far sign of Jack or the other two NESTs. She hoped Nick and the others were still alive.

She found the door to the electrical room open wide. In the doorway was a strange weapon, a rifle with a cage-like cone fixed to the muzzle. It was a net gun. The net it had fired lay in a tangled heap on the floor within the room. The net was a steel braid, large and tough enough to ensnare a lion. It must have been meant for Bogo or Ben.

Judy inched further into the electrical room. She shone the light further up and spotted another door beyond the bulky grey distribution boards and electric switchboards, labelled Boiler Room.

Boiler room. That's what Jack had been talking about. She could get to the outdoor swimming pool from there.

But where was he?

Judy crossed the room toward the door. She was mid-way when she froze. She smelled blood.

The electric switchboards were organised like vertical dominoes. Judy shone her little light into the gap between the two nearest blocks and spied a pair of legs. There was too much body armour to identify the species, but it was much too big to be Jack. There was a splatter on blood on the metal panel of the fire alarm control panel.

Two goons down. Jack could be a little scary sometimes.

Judy pressed on to the boiler room. It was big enough that her light couldn't reach the walls. Judy's torch fell upon a maze of pipes, tanks and control panels.

"Hopps?" Jack's voice was clearer here, but not by much.

"Yeah?"

"I can see you… that light off and shut up. There's a NEST in there with you."

Judy gasped and switched the light off.

"Turn right and you'll… to the pump room. I'll deal with him."

Judy thought she could hear his voice past the ringing in her ears. She turned right, almost losing her balance in the process, and felt her way through a gap in the piping. She prayed her light hadn't already given her away. She walked forward until she hit a pair of control panels connected by pipes and cables blocking her way to the pump room door ahead. Her night vision had improved enough for her to see it. She gritted her teeth and started groping for an opening.

"Hopps, stop. He's right by the door."

Judy took cover behind one of the panels. A hulking pig wielding night vision goggles and an assault rifle stalked past the door. She caught the faint smell of sweat and gunpowder.

"Stay down. I can't get a clear shot from here."

Judy set her jaw. You can't but I can.

She raised her tranq gun. Her arms wavered. He was moving slowly, but she was too unsteady to hit a moving target.

She plucked her badge from her police vest and threw it through the piping. It hit the door. The pig froze and turned. Judy fired, hitting him in the neck. He dropped like an armoured bag of bricks.

Judy grinned and twirled her weapon.

"Was that you, Hopps?" Jack's genuine surprise was immensely satisfying.

"Did I just take down a fully armoured NEST goon on my own? Yes, yes I did." Judy switched her light back on, allowing her to finally see a big enough gap higher up between the control panels.

"That's great work, Hopps, but keep your voice down. There's one more thug to deal with."

"You got them both. Congratulations, Agent Savage, you've earned double 0 status."

The explosive sound of creaking pipes made her spin, her torch shining on the yellow eyes of a monster as it screamed in her face.

Judy screamed back, staggering backward as the creature that should not exist gripped the web of piping with clawed hands and strained to pull it apart. Too terrified to understand was she was staring at, Judy fell back against the pipes between the control panels. A wolf. Not a wolf. Pale. Barely had fur. The bright light fell on its eyes again. It roared in rage. Her gun fell from panicked paws. The creature was forcing its way through. Pipes creaked and bent like tendons. Growls blasted from its blood-stained maw. Judy could barely breathe between her own screams. Paws scrabbled at the pipes behind her. There'd been an opening. Where the hell was the opening?!

"NIIIIICK!"

She found the opening. She pulled herself through as the creature broke free and gave chase. She fell to the floor on the other side. The creature slammed into the control panels. Water spurted from wounded pipes. The creature tore at them, straining to get at the officer.

Judy scrambled backward on all fours, screaming again when a small paw grabbed her arm and pulled her up. Jack fired his crossbow at the creature. The bolt sank into its shoulder. That only made it angry. Pipes clattered on the wet floor.

Judy ran the instant she was on her feet. She reached the door first and yanked it open. All she wanted to do was get away. Jack was right behind her, slamming the door shut. Something hit the other side, bulging the metal. Judy didn't notice. She was already running for the exit to the outdoor pool.

She burst out the last door into the cold evening air and kept running. It was a straight shot along the edge of the oval pool to the metal fence. She ran right between the into the garden. Jack caught up to her beside the blue rhododendrons. She tried to lash out in her panic. He grabbed her paw and pinned her arms together. Her head became propped on his hardened shoulder. "Hopps! Judy! It's alright! We got away!"

Judy's hyper-breathing dissolved into tears. Her mind was still trying to process what they had just encountered when she saw Alyssa emerge from the flowers, gun in paw. Jack's ears were already swivelling to Alyssa's approach.

"Guys? What happened?" Alyssa asked. Her voice was calm, but there was a haunted look in her eyes.

"Alyssa… what did you see in the alley?" Jack asked.

Alyssa swallowed and rubbed her covered throat. "You saw it too?"

The confirmation that she hadn't lost her mind gave Judy enough sense to speak. "What the hell was that?"

Alyssa couldn't seem to bring herself to answer the question. Jack did it for her.

"I think that's what got Slothfeld."