Here is the 86th installment. Nothing else really to add at this time.

Additional notes live at the end of the chapter, when they exist, so here is the obligatory, on with the show.

Sadly, I do not own and thus can claim no rights to Zootopia or its characters. They belong to Disney.

It continues…. Enjoy.

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Three days later Operation Wild Cards 130pm Zootopia time

Team Code: BogoBurns

Members: Commissioner Adrian Bogo Chief Henry Burnsetter - Canyon Lands

Jeffery Higgins Major Ursula Friedkin Instructor Hector Fallow

Primary Target: Forest District Chief Greg Elkerton

Secondary Target(s): Precinct Captain Andrew Butters and Lieutenant Gary Fedd

Location: Forest District Main Precinct Building

Three cars pulled up to the Forest district main precinct building and stopped directly in front. The lead and trailing car appeared to be personal vehicles until after a closer examination. Both had ZPD plates and were clearly undercover cruisers. The middle car was obvious to any ZPD officer. It was the personal cruiser of the Canyonlands Chief. The sandy tan and brown coloration, as well as the fact it said, Chief, on the side. Distracted by this, no one noticed the two Precinct One and one Meadowland cruiser that slipped by and into the garage. One of the P1 cruisers blocked the exit, and started setting up spike strips to prevent anyone from leaving that way.

The second of the P1 cruisers moved to the mechanics area and quickly locked it down, while the other stopped at the entrance to the precinct, with five officers exiting, three moving into the building while the other two secured the area. The Forest district officers seeing them, and the fact they all had their lethals drawn as soon as they exited the cruiser did not argue with the orders given.

One of the officers chuckled. "Guess the chief is finally going to get what's coming to him."

Sergeant Jason Fangmeyer, a third cousin of Lizz and currently assigned to the Canyon lands, turned to the officer that spoke. "Name?"

Realizing he's spoken out loud the officer, an elk, groaned. "Theodore Elken. Patrol three."

Fangmeyer quickly checked a list and gave a nod. "Officer Elken, welcome to Operation Wild Cards. Pull your lethal and ensure your fellow officers remain where they are, and that they do not take any action to communicate to anyone. That means no cell phones, no radio use, etc… It is is not clear, you are authorized to shoot them if they attempt to flee or communicate to anyone. Got it, officer?"

Elken nodded with a shocked look. "Uh… yes sir."

Elken stood and did as he was directed. Most of the other officers were just as shocked, figuring maybe it was a drill and did what they were told. Two of them however knew better, a ram and a springbok glared at Elken for several long moments. After a quiet conversation between them they both bolted. The report of Fangmeyers weapon caused the ram to face plant on the concrete, hitting him in the middle of his vest's back-plate. The springbok froze.

Fangmeyer motioned for one of the sitting officers to stand. "You. Put both of them in cuffs. For the rest, and a point to our would be escapees. If you hadn't noticed, and exactly as I instructed officer Elken, we are authorized to use lethal force, without warning, even against our fellow officers. This is not a drill. This is quite literally, deadly serious. Whoever he is, is damn lucky he was wearing his vest like he should be."

The ram groaned. "What the hell! You shot me, you worthless pelt!"

The other officer quickly put cuffs on the ram chuckled. "Yeah. The rest of us thought this was a drill and figured to just chill. Get some OT for doing nothing but sitting on our tails. Guess it isn't a drill, and you two know something." Looking up at the springbok. "Ghetty, I suspect the Sergeant back there knew Lanolin here was wearing his vest. Because if not, then you are both even luckier. What the hell are you two involved in that you'd try and run?"

Fangmeyer was listening and checking a list and smiled darkly. "Officers Ghetty and Lanolin. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. What is your name, officer?" Addressing the one putting restraints on Ghetty.

The officer, a wolf, responded without looking up from securing Ghetty. "Patrol one, Ferro, sir. Assigned here three months ago after graduation."

Fangmeyer nodded. "Well, you're not vetted yet, officer. However, I'm willing to give you enough rope to hang yourself with. Put those two in a cruiser, then disable the cruiser so that it cannot be driven. Once you have done that you can sit on them. Do note, that you are no more immune from being shot than anyone else."

Ferro nodded. "Not a problem sir." Ferro pushed the two into the back of a cruiser, and after rolling down the windows, popped the hood and disconnected the starter and alternator. He then took up residence in the front passenger seat, shifted it back and stretched out. Glancing at the two mammals in the back. "Get comfortable guys. Something tells me this is gonna be a long afternoon."

Both Lanolin and Ghetty tried to make a few threats before Fangmeyer got their attention through the open window. "You two really ought to shut up. All of our body cams are still active, including yours. So anything you say, can and will be used against you. You know the drill. And given that I have been read into only a small portion of what you and your chief were up to. I mean… Given what little I already know. It would not break my heart if you were shot, a second time, trying to escape. Just a real shock. Total fluke really, especially after this conversation, that the shot managed to destroy your bodycam. So please, keep making specist threats."

They didn't say anything else, Fangmeyer looked at Ferro in the front seat. "What pack?"

"Wolford, sir. And to answer your question. I couldn't care less. I've seen the pics and videos. Those two are deliriously happy. When I find a mate, I can only hope they make me half as happy."

Fangmeyer nodded with a smile. "Truth."

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Exiting the vehicles in front of the precinct was Commissioner Bogo, Chief Burnsetter, Lieutenant Higgins, as well as Major Friedkin, her mate Senior Instructor Fallow, and half a dozen vetted officers from the Canyonlands and Meadowlands. Several officers moved to wave hello and stopped, seeing that all of them, including the Major and Instructor Fallow were fully armed, and not with tranqs. All freezing, paws going up slowly when those same lethals were pointed at them.

Those officers were quickly rounded up to a spot where they could not bolt by the Major and Instructor Fallow. Three of the five additional officers assisted, and the collected officers were checked against a list. Two of those were then assigned duties to watch three others in the lobby. The rest were released with strict orders to not do anything else but go home and await orders, even if that took several days. What only Commissioner Bogo and Chief Burnsetter knew was that there were dozens of cruisers canvassing the district, as well as the rest of the city looking for other officers, and individuals that were on a list no one should ever wish to be on. If every mammal on that list were successfully captured, it would be nearly three hundred mammals total.

While many of those mammals were like Bobby and had not been associated long enough to have done anything or even know what the group they had joined was actually about. It was simply too large a risk to leave them wandering the streets. So every mammal that had been confirmed associated with the terrorist cells was being arrested, no matter their level. Only after the risk was mitigated, would or could an evaluation of the individual mammals be completed. Those like Bobby would be released with likely follow ups needed. Monitoring or something similar to a modified probation. Mammals like the more than three dozen teenagers that were about to be pulled from their various high-schools would get similar treatment. Sadly, most of those teenagers were from a single, prey only, private school.

Bogo pushed through the front doors of the precinct and walked directly towards the chief's office located behind the front desk. Chief Burnsetter right behind him, while the Major, Instructor, and the two conscripted officers maneuvered the now under arrest officers to a secluded section of the lobby. Higgins taking up position just inside the doors. The desk mammal looked up with a smile that fell as they saw the grim look on the Commissioners muzzle. "Commissioner Bogo, welcome to… the Forest District. Uhm… Chief Burnsetter. Uhm… How can we help you today?"

Bogo grinned, though there was nothing nice about it. "We're here to see Chief Elkerton and his top mammals." His grin got even wider as he noted the hallway now blocked by the three mammals that had entered from the garage.

"Uhm… They are all actually in a meeting in the Chief's office right now. Let me just…"

Bogo put his hoof down to block the phone. "You will do no such thing. You notify the Chief, warn him, alert him or any of his underlings in any way, and if you are lucky enough to survive the IA investigation, you'll live the rest of your career doing parking duty in tundra town."

The Kudo gulped and nodded. "Yes, sir. I understand, sir."

Bogo nodded. "Good." With a quick motion, one of the three officers blocking the hallway moved to check the desk mammal against the list and then take over. The desk mammal, once cleared, was directed to a seat in the reception area with a handful of other officers, near but separate from the now five officers under guard, the two from outside and three more pulled from the squad room along with all those the desk mammals joined. All of them looked properly terrified with what was going on.

With a nod from Bogo, Chief Burnsetter stepped up to the office door of Chief Elkerton and knocked lightly at waist level for Bogo. Grumbling could be heard from inside. Burnsetter had stepped to one side, and crouched next to the door. He held a flash-bang in paw, pin pulled and ready, with a dummy grenade in his other paw and visible as if he were about to lob it into the room.

The door was ripped open with an angry shout. "What?"

Burnsetter chuckled as he held up the dummy grenade and smirked. "Hey Jones!"

The deer looked down, saw the dummy grenade that Burnsetter was holding and quickly slammed the door causing the dummy grenade to bounce off. Of course, while distracting the deer, Jones, with the dummy, Burnsetter had slid the live grenade into the room at floor level. A moment after a shouted "Grenade!" was heard as the deer slammed the door, there was a muffled THWUMP! from inside the room and a light so bright it shone around the door frame.

After a count of three, Burnsetter followed by Bogo and a moose from the meadowlands entered the room. Inside they found five mammals completely dazed. With practiced efficiency, Burnsetter and the moose had the mammals in the room wrenched around, disarmed and cuffed, then passed off to Bogo who unceremoniously tossed them out of the room into a heap against the far wall with the exception of Elkerton who they stood in the center of the room, pushing the desk and everything else to the walls, the moose exiting to take charge of the others.

Elkerton finally cleared his eyes and ears and the first thing he saw was Bogo. Looking at the bull in confusion. "Commissioner?"

Bogo nodded. "Elkerton. You have been a very bad mammal."

Elkerton frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Burnsetter stepped into view. "Well, we could talk about how you have treated your son, my son's mate. I don't know if I will ever fully understand it. The attraction of another male, or another species. I don't get it, but it is also not for me to understand. It is for me, as a father, to support them. Rejecting my pup was never even a consideration. It doesn't matter that I don't understand it, I can see the love they share as clear as the fur on my muzzle as it goes gray. It's just like the love my Anna and I shared. What more could a father hope for their child?

That really is not why we are here though, nor why you are tied up. No. You see… I'm not clear on exactly what you are guilty of, because I haven't actually been read in on it. However, when Bogo suggested I lead the charge to take you into custody. Well… That was something I simply couldn't turn down. You know I hate you, and not because you're prey or any of that dung. I hate you for what you did to my second son. The one I had to adopt and console when his actual father, his sperm donor, rejected him.

I know I don't always get it right, but I'm trying, and I'm attending meetings with others who are going through the same thing. I say things I shouldn't off hand, and then I correct when called out, because I'm trying, and my son is more important than the hate I was taught as a pup. None of that however is again why we're here though. I'm just abusing the opportunity.

So really, Greg. What did you and your top mammals get yourselves involved in? I've never liked you, but I didn't take you as someone corrupt. What could you possibly have done that warrants the authorization of lethal force against all of you? I mean, it's gotta be pretty damn bad."

Bogo chuckled. "Oh, it's a bit worse than run of the mill corruption. Isn't Elkerton? No. Elkerton here is the head of one of those prey supremacist terrorist cells we have been hunting. Arn't you, Greg."

Elkerton glared at Bogo. "You're finished, Adrian. You've killed millions of innocent prey mammals with this. You cannot stop us."

Bogo chuckled. "You mean Raincast? Yeah, WildeHopps should be arresting her, as well as Meadowlaw and Schwinely as we speak. Your explosives were located weeks ago removed and disabled."

Elkerton started chuckling, and quickly devolved into a truly insane laugh. "Sure, but did you find the nuke? There will be no city." Speaking loudly. "Override command Beta Two One One. Zero delay. FIRE!"

Bogo looked left and right slowly, then back to Elkerton and waited a full ten count. "Was that supposed to do something?"

Elkerton looked very confused. "Command confirmation! Code Sigma Two!"

The voice of Nine came from the speaker of the computer. "I'm afraid your pet program was disabled for a very long time, Mister Elkerton. In the digital scheme of things. … The device itself was physically disabled and the problematic components removed months ago. We just were not sure who it belonged to. … The confirmation of the fire sequence command confirms you as the owner. … Commissioner Bogo. … I am Nine. I do not work for anyone, save perhaps WildeHopps. That said, I have contracted with many agencies to do things like track down missing nuclear devices. I am afraid that the feds will be wanting Chief Elkerton first, as he is now a documented nuclear terrorist."

Elkerton stared at the computer in horror, while Bogo flinched. "Oh. That is bad news for you, Elkerton. However, that means, unlike the rest of your crew, you get to sleep through most of this."

Elkerton started to scream. "No! You can…." Bogo however had pulled his tranq and shot Elkerton.

Bogo shook his head, picking up Elkerton and tossing him over his shoulder. "I wonder if WildeHopps knew about the nuke."

Nine spoke from the computer again. "They were aware of a device, though not its nature. Knowing my friends. They likely suspected."

Burnsetter glanced nervously at the computer before following Bogo out of the office. "Given what you have explained about them. Probably. Any idea who that was speaking on the computer?"

Bogo nodded. "That was Nine, exactly as they stated. A creature of the internet and apparently a personal friend of WildeHopps and Wolfeyer. Yes, I've given up on resisting the names. Have you met SavageSkye yet?"

Burnsetter groaned. "Arctic fox and striped hare with the feds? Yeah, I have had to deal with them a few times. Heard they retired from field work. What do you mean a creature of the internet?"

Shrugging, Bogo stopped and looked back into the office. "Species unknown. Age unknown. Etc… I'm pretty sure WildeHopps knows exactly who they, and SlowBurn, are. They are hackers. I believe the term is gray hats. They're not bad, but they're not good either. They ride the middle. They're independants. Like internet bounty hunters or mercenaries. Get paid in crypto or into offshore, untraceable accounts. I've gotten to know both of them, via conversations just like that, as they helped the new IT mammals clean up the mess."

Burnsetter frowned. "Oh, that's just wonderful. Any evidence is compromised then."

Bogo shook his head and turned back towards the lobby. "Not necessarily. When needed, they produce full, verified, and validated recordings. And, in things like today, they're actually authorized to operate as deputized agents. Feds actually use them a lot. From what my contact state, Nine and SlowBurn are gods among the hackers of the world."

Burnsetter frowned deeper. "And WildeHopps actually knows these mammals, personally? Please tell me the insane stories I've heard are made up?"

Bogo chuckled as they moved into the lobby, Elkerton still over his shoulder to see a dozen mammals in cuffs were staged in the precinct lobby for transport. "I really wish I could. As for SavageSkye. Yes and no. They're no longer traveling the world playing super spy. Instead, they are the federal agency liaison to the ZSID. So still plenty of field work, just focused in more normal law enforcement type settings. They're actually going after a ZIA agent that had turned and joined up with these scumbags."

"Huh… Figures. I swear they were an item the last time I had to deal with them."

"Very much so. However, just like a lot of agencies, they couldn't be open, at least not on the clock, which was 24x7 for them."

"Ah! That makes more sense. I'm kinda disappointed that we didn't get more resistance."

Bogo nodded with a frown. "Careful what you wish for. We're a long way from having all of them in custody."

Burnsetter sighed. "You're right. What I need from you is your skill in determining which teams to keep together and which ones to split up when they get into a relationship. Everyone knows about the two, how many do you actually have?"

Bogo dropped the unconscious Elkerton onto a group of cuffed mammals, receiving several shouts of protest that he ignored. "Seven couples, and two thrupples total. The thrupples are separate, as are two of the seven couples. They all work the same shift, but are otherwise kept separate. The remaining five, well… They all are consummate professionals, most of the time, while on duty. Mating season and heats can make it a lot harder to keep their paws to themselves, but even then they have been very discreet. It's an interesting thing. All those I have been able to keep together because it doesn't interfere with them doing their jobs, well… if anything, it makes them better. Like WildeHopps and Wolfeyer. They are all interspecies pairings, and unusual ones.

It's the same or very similar ones that I had to separate. There is this weird, almost sexist, expected rolls issue that comes up with the same and very similar species pairings. No matter what they say and clearly intend consciously, the species gender roles kick in and cause tension that doesn't need to be there and interferes with their work. Whereas with the interspecies couples, and the weirder the comb the better. I mean… A fox and a rabbit? A wolf and a tiger? Those expectations seem to cancel out, allowing their strengths and weaknesses to compliment and counter each other, making them a better team than they would otherwise be.

So if you are asking for advice on how to determine what pairings you can keep together, and which ones you can't. It's not perfect. I have one pair that I had to separate and they were wildly different, but their natural roles as species were nearly identical. So that's what you want to look for, and then of course, just what their performance looks like. How professional they can be. Some don't want to be partners after they pair up, acknowledging that they can't be dispassionate."

Bogo chuckled before continuing. "I mean. Neither Wilde nor Hopps can be dispassionate about the other, but they are able to keep it in check until after, which is the important part."

Burnsetter nodded in thought. "I guess that makes a kind of sense. It's a better guide than I could figure out. That makes me think about my boy and that does match up with how he and his mate interact, divide up chores, and all that. They do a lot more talking than Anna and I ever did. But we were both coyotes, so we understood each other on those terms. So yeah, those vastly different pairings being better together makes sense while I could never see myself patrolling with Anna without one of us wanting to strangle the other by the end of a shift."

Bogo nodded with a faint but genuine smile. "Exactly."

They both turned towards the front doors as they burst open and three sheep officers from the Meadowlands and two deer civilians rushed in, one of the sheep yelling as they did so. Higgin's shifting to block their exit. "Chief Elkerton! We've been…" They all skidded to a stop as they found a good dozen lethal firearms pointed at them.

Bogo stepped up to the lead ram. "Good afternoon, Officer Grazer. So kind of you to join us. I would not move if I were any of you." Chuckling as he stepped back so some of the vetted officers could place the five mammals into custody. "Well, Henry. You wanted some extra fun."

Burnsetter rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Yeah. Gonna be a lot of that, isn't there?"

Bogo nodded. "Very likely." Looking to the remaining officers only under watch, but not under arrest. "I think we should give one or two of these enough rope to hang themselves, or prove themselves. We need to clear out the holding cells so these mammals can be moved there." Pointing to those under arrest and active guard.

Burnsetter nodded with a smile. "Well, I am gonna go ahead and stick my neck out for my nephew. He's gotten everything he's done in the ZPD on his own, even refusing assignment to the Canyonlands so he wouldn't be under me. He's also dating a wolf currently and helped me with understanding my own pup and his mate on a few occasions." Speaking up. "Billy, get your mangy tail over here, boy. Got a job for you."

A clearly younger coyote broke away from the group just sitting around and waiting. "Sir?" Giving a salute as he approached.

Burnsetter smiled. "Commissioner, this is my nephew, Billy Burnsetter. I didn't even know he had joined the ZPD until he got assigned to one of my stations during his rotation. He's done everything on his own and refused my help. He has the integrity we could really use more of."

Bogo nodded. "Where did you graduate in your class, son?"

Smiling. "I was fifth in my class, sir. There was no way I was going to beat that fox, or the cheetah. I don't understand how he was so strong. I chose the Forest as my home district to be closer to my mate. She works in IT and was actually just hired as part of the ZPD's IT revamp."

Bogo grinned. "That can only be one wolf then. You seriously scored yourself Ann Wildefoot?"

Billy nodded with a blush in his ears. "Yes sir. Still not sure what she sees in me."

Bogo laughed at that. "Son. That is a question that every male in existence will always be asking. Just as that fox himself does. There are reasons, and if you get reassigned to P1, you may just get to know him. For now, I'm assigning you with agent Gherret and Officer Bettington from P1." Motioning to nearby mammals over. "You three are going to head down to holding, anyone that is just there to sleep it off, give them a ticket and kick them to the curb out the back door. Petty theft, same. Clear out as much as you can. If it is ticket worthy under the new rules, then ticket them and get them on their way. Or just get them on their way. We need to make room for those there, and many more coming." Indicating those under armed watch.

Billy's ears flicked back. "Aye sir. Can and will do." Looking to the two other mammals and seeing them clearly deferring to him. "Uhm… This way." Leading the way into the station to begin the task assigned.

Bogo and Burnsetter watched them go, Burnsetter smiling. "He's a good boy. Still a bit green, but good instincts."

Bogo nodded again with a wider smile. "He does. Picked up on the fact he was being put in charge real quick. Bettington will give me a report on his performance. If he does well, he may just get himself a slot. The gods know we're going to open up more than a few with all this."

Burnsetter chuckled with pride for his nephew. "He'd be good for it." Turning as another pair of mammals rushed in through the doors only to stop, realizing they were in trouble. "Going to be a long day."

Bogo chuckled as they wanted the next group being escorted over to the holding area, with four more rushing in right on their heels. "It really is."

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A/N

Remember to share the love. Review and Fav. It is the life blood of every writer to know you are enjoying their work. I also want to thank everyone who has Fav'd, followed, and reviewed this little project. I know that isn't much, but to me, it's huge. Even as a writer of original fiction, that you enjoy this means a lot to me as an author. You can check out my original work and link to my Blog, Scribblings, where a lot of it lives by hopping over to dcballard . com ( Direct: ascensionnovel . / scribblings (remove the spaces) because the forwarding is misbehaving.)

If you enjoy this, and you are not also reading my original Log Entries series over on my Blog. Why aren't you? (takes a Nick-esk pose of hurt) Also. I am now posting them on AO3, so you have even less excuse. It's free, ORIGINAL fiction. "An original story told through the log entries of the pilot and captain of an experimental star ship."

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