Surprise! I'm still alive, and the story isn't dead. My apologies to those of you who waited, know that I'll try to churn these chapters out with a bit more haste from now on. As always, feel free to drop a review and follow. Your kind and constructive feedback means the world to me!
Special thanks to A5TRON4UTA for the support and motivation!
Enjoy the chapter, and I'll hopefully see you all on the next one. -Wilde
Chapter II
~The Veiled Request~
Things were back to business as usual the following morning in Savanna Central. The arena in its entirety had been dismantled and carted away overnight, leaving virtually no trace of the previous evening's festivities. Mammals of all species bustled through the now vacant city square in droves, making their way to wherever their busy schedules led them.
For Nick, days like these generally began at the Juice Bar in Zootopia Central Station. Meeting Judy there prior to their shift had become a cherished tradition, as the fox required his usual prescription of hot stuff to get the morning rolling.
He tapped his foot while he stood in line, his ears alert while he waited for his partner to arrive. "Come on, carrots…" he muttered, checking the time on his phone. "Where are you…"
That the rabbit seemed to be running late was an unthinkable scenario—one he would make certain to invoke next time she hounded him for hitting snooze on his alarm clock…
"Next please!"
Front of the line. Putting his musings of revenge on hold, the fox stepped up, a chipper tone in his voice as he called out,
"G'morning Cleo! Always lovely to see ya in this neck of the woods."
Cleo, a giraffe with a teal-green apron, lowered her head to the shop window so she could see him. "Always ready with the puns, you foxes… All alone today, huh?"
"So it seems. Just like old times, eh?" he winked, as if to remind her that in spite of his uniform, he was still very much his traditional, maverick self. "Which I guess means it's finally safe to say… No hard feelings?"
The giraffid's eyes narrowed.
"Yes, hard feelings. Definitely hard feelings."
"After all this time? Come on. You made a request, Finn and I delivered. Blue berries. With a space in the middle. Berries that are blue."
Cleo, unimpressed with the former hustler's manipulation of syntax, fumed, "You delivered JUNIPER BERRIES, and they fell just shy of poisoning my customers."
"Okay… Maybe they weren't precisely what you asked for on paper, but even I know they're harmless."
"We had to remove all our blueberry products just to save face!"
"Really shot myself in the foot there…" Nick grumbled, as if that fact alone was enough to inspire a fleeting moment of remorse. "But please… Let bygones be bygones, and I promise I'll be your most faithful customer for the rest of my days! Judy too! You know how much she loves the Kale 'n' Kiwi Kickers here."
At his partner's mentioning, a full-bodied huff passed through the barista's nostrils.
"Really? Judy is your bargaining chip?"
"My ace of spades, actually," Nick sniggered. "Don't worry though, I already pay for her drinks anyway."
Before Cleo's eyes could finish rolling, the fox thrust his arm across the counter. An olive branch, backed by an imploring set of pearly whites.
"Whaddya say, friend? Water under the bridge?"
She examined his paw with skepticism. As happy as she would've been to throw a smoothie in his face and call it even, the better idea was to hit the fox where it mattered most.
"Mm… Perhaps," she scratched her whiskers, a shrewd grin curling on her muzzle. "With a generous tip, I suppose I could possibly be convinced."
Like bribery, in reverse. Nick groaned and retracted his palm. From his wallet he produced what had to be the most expensive order of coffee ever fathomed, all for two items.
"One Kale 'n' Kiwi Kicker and a black coffee. Keep the change…"
Shoveling that wad of cash into her apron with glee, Cleo clasped her hooves together.
"Coming right up, officer!"
Definitely mocking him. But even Nick had to chuckle at the way her pillar-like neck wagged to and fro. Before he knew it, the drinks were divvied out, and a cheery farewell called out from behind him.
"Give my regards to Judy when you see her!"
Nick padded towards the ZPD headquarters with both beverages in hand. As he approached, he noted several uniformed officers bantering with each other under the rock awnings overhead. One of them, Officer Wolford, could be overheard feverishly recounting his activities from the night before.
"She's got a penchant for cops, I'm telling ya! She even signed my badge!" The wolf nearly howled as he flaunted the emblem to the others around him.
Officer Snarlov, the polar bear in the group, rolled his eyes with skepticism. "Lemme see that thing," he said and swiped the badge for his own. "Pfft. Looks like it's been scribbled on by a cub. You probably wrote this yourself."
"Is that jealousy I'm hearing?" the lupine teased. "Talk to me when the goddess signs YOUR badge, Snarlov."
The bear guffawed. "I could pull more than a signature if I tried, lover boy."
"Keep dreaming you two," Fangmeyer said, his tail lashing with amusement. "Everyone knows Gazelle has a thing for tigers."
Wolford grumbled. "Lucky-ass, exhibitionist, feline backup dancers… Someone call me when they start admitting wolves to their ranks."
"I know I'd pay to see Wolford working it on stage!" Nick interjected as he passed, snickering. The other officers chuckled.
"Very funny, Wilde. Like we haven't noticed the things you do for prey tail." The lupine imitated bunny ears behind his head with his fingers.
The fox just laughed. By now he was accustomed to the other officers ragging him for his close relationship with his partner. "Aw, don't worry yourself, Akela," Nick shot back. "I've got a place in my heart for you too." He winked, then slipped through the doors.
The smell of freshly printed documents hung heavy in the air. Determined voices and footsteps echoed through the open halls. As Nick approached the reception desk, Clawhauser waved to him.
"G'fmornig Nifck!" the cheetah trilled, his mouth brimming over with 'lucky chomps' cereal.
"Heya, Claw," the fox clicked, and with an upward nod. "That performance still has you with bells on too, huh?"
The felid swallowed just as fast as he could. "Oh dear, is it really that obvious?"
"More like an educated guess," Nick simpered, never minding that his friend's entire body was shaking. "You dished out for the backstage passes, if I remember correctly."
Clawhauser nodded vigorously and thrusted his phone towards the fox. "See for yourself!"
Nick smiled and examined the photo before him. It was a selfie of the cheetah, taken with none other than the pop-sensation herself. "Well I'll be darned. You ought to get that framed."
"I'm going to!" Clawhauser squealed, his shoulders bounding as he made a little dance. He took the photo back and studied it again. "Such a heavenly creature, that girl. It's one thing to listen to her songs on the radio or to see her face on every billboard… But to experience Gazelle in person?" he drummed the desktop happily, "My heart leaps to think of it! Words just can't describe her!"
"Now that's high praise," The fox chuckled. "They say her hips don't lie. Does the claim have credence after your little parley?"
"You sly dog, you!" Clawhauser wagged his finger at him. "No, it was nothing like that. Just photos and a conversation. And a hug… Or several…" The felid let out a dreamy sigh, seemingly oblivious that he'd started to hug himself with both arms.
"Maybe Judy and I'll have to tag along next time. She's only the second biggest fan of Gazelle in this city, after all."
"Oh, you two would've loved her," Clawhauser beamed. "I just hope there is a next time… Somehow I doubt we'll ever get the opportunity again."
"Hey, you never know." The fox shrugged. "Speaking of Carrots, you haven't seen her, have you? I've been trying to get ahold of her all morning."
"She's not with you?" Clawhauser scratched his whiskers. "Hmm… she might already be in the bullpen. The 9AM briefing starts in a few minutes."
Nick checked the clock behind the reception desk. "Huh. Should probably be heading over there too." He brought the drinks into his paws. "Put a pin in this conversation, though. I wanna hear all the details of your rendezvous when I get back."
"You can count on it!" the cheetah grinned as he leaned into his office chair. "Good luck in there!"
The briefing room was abuzz as usual, though not with the usual debauchery from its navy blue inhabitants. Rather, everyone had taken up animated discussion of the previous evening's performance. Everyone except Judy, who was still nowhere to be found. Wonderful.
The fox sighed and clambered onto a vacant desk chair. He waited, rapping his claws on the tabletop, and listening to the many conversations happening around him.
Gazelle this. Gazelle that. Gazelle, right, left, and center. Nick wanted to tuck his ears in on themselves. It wasn't that he didn't like the singer. She was, after all, an artist for every mammal—and a highly talented one at that. But the constant worship was something he didn't much understand. He had never had idols in his life. Never had time to venerate anything besides the dollar and the tail between his legs. Was it cynicism? Probably so.
But to ignore those defiant, golden eyes? Nick jerked his head a bit. Maybe… That's what all the fuss was about. He recalled the way Gazelle had looked at him during the performance, almost as if she had spoken to him. A part of him, he hated to admit, longed to hear her words again.
"Atten-hut!"
The fox's thought was interrupted as his attention moved to the doorway. From it, Chief Bogo emerged, clipboard in hand. The chatter in the room ceased at once, giving way to rhythmic thumping as the larger mammals banged their fists on the tables.
"Alright, alright! Shut it!" the bovid growled as he approached the head of the room. "There are two items of importance we need to address on today's record," he huffed and adjusted his glasses. "Firstly, the coffee machine in the officer's lounge has fallen out of order. I've tasked our most capable detectives with identifying the culprit responsible, but in the meantime, you'll have to get your beverages from outside the station."
An audible 'aww' arose from the officers within the room.
"Secondly," he said, raising his voice over the dissent, "Know that I still expect tip-top vigilance and exemplary performance from each and every one of you. Yesterday's performance presented a special occasion for the lot of us, but I will hear no excuses pertaining to it today! Understood?"
"Yes, sir!" everyone replied in unison.
"Very good. Today's assignments—"
Just then, the door in the back of the room flew open, and everyone swiveled their heads towards the noise. It was Judy. She panted hard, files spilling out of her arms as she made her way to her partner's side.
"Good lord, Carrots…" Nick whispered, taking some of the folders from the bunny so that she could climb onto the seat next to him. "Nice of you to bring the entire records department with you to the meeting."
"Later, Nick," she huffed and wiped some sweat from her brow.
Chief Bogo crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing on the tardy lagomorph before him. "Kind of you to grace us with your presence, Officer Hopps."
Judy smiled weakly. "Apologies sir… It won't happen again."
"Do I even want to bother asking why you're late?"
"Well," she straightened, "I came across some suspicious activity via closed circuit television in the Rainforest District. So, I took it upon myself to cross reference evidence in the forensics division with our public database concerning—"
"Hopps," the bovid grunted, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I don't care. Here. On time. From this moment forward. Clear?"
"Yes, sir. Crystal, sir."
Bogo let out a heavy sigh as he returned to the topic at hand. "Today's assignments. Officers McHorn, Andersen, Delgato; narcotics enforcement division. Officers Fangmeyer, Wolford, Snarlov; Special intelligence. Grizzoli, Krumpanski; Youth services…"
He paused for a moment, flipping through some pages of notes before looking up in the direction of Nick and Judy.
"Hopps, Wilde; Security detail. Precinct 17 at the Palm Hotel and Casino."
"The Palm Hotel?" An officer behind them gasped.
"Dude, that's where Gazelle's next venue is!" another chimed in, immediately followed by a flurry of murmurs and whispers.
"No fair!" Wolford whined, standing up in his chair. "Why do I have to pore through records and go on stakeouts with Snarlov when I could be sipping piña coladas with Gazelle!"
"You'll be sipping through straws after I kick your teeth in, Wolford," Snarlov hissed.
"Shut it!" Bogo growled. "The next mammal in this room to express dissatisfaction with their assignment can switch it for parking duty instead!"
The voices in question quickly fell silent, apparently unwilling to test the bovid's threat.
"Sir?" Nick raised a paw. "The Palm Hotel is in Sahara Square. As much as I'd love to cheat Wolfie out of that piña colada, why are we being sent to a venue beyond the boundaries of our own precinct?"
Bogo removed his glasses and scooped the clipboard under his arm. Then he said curtly, "It would seem you've been requested."
Nick and Judy looked at each other, both bearing the same perplexed expression. Requested?
"That concludes our daily briefing," the bovid grunted. "All officers dismissed."
Nick clicked his seatbelt into place as the cruiser rumbled to life. In the driver's seat, Judy revved the engine, and the car rolled free from the ZPD's parking garage. Soon they were weaving their way through the busy streets of downtown Savanna Central.
"Oh, by the way. This is for you," Nick said as he offered the smoothie to his partner.
Judy looked over, her ears perking with delight as she accepted the beverage. "Aww Nick, you shouldn't have!"
"I know. Thank Cleo," he grumbled. "On that same note, where the heck were you? I never thought I'd see you late to work."
"Wellll, technically I was never late," she said, pausing to take a sip from her cup. "I've been at the station since five-thirty."
"Five-thirty?" Nick scoffed. "…Somehow I expected it would be earlier." He shook his head and went for his own drink, adding, "I'm guessing all those folders had something to do with it?"
"Yep!" Judy flipped her turn signal, the car merging onto the ramp towards Sahara Square. "Time logs, maps, and still frames from several hours of surveillance footage. All connected to three cistern trucks stolen from a rainforest supply depot during the concert last night."
"Ah. Stolen trucks," Nick blinked, as if trying to understand the punchline to a poorly told joke.
"Stolen trucks…" he repeated again. "That was… Really anticlimactic! I mean, I appreciate the effort Carrots, but sifting through records past five in the morning? I was expecting something a little more substantial."
"What, because every case needs to be substantial to be looked into?" Judy's eyes rolled. "Luckily for you, there's more. I read into the time logs provided by the Zootopia Transit Authority. You remember Banyan Street Station?"
It took a long moment for Nick to recall the name. When he did, his expression brightened. "Oh, yeah, I remember it. The abandoned subway line Doug used to conceal Bellwether's night howler operation."
"—And also the last recorded position of the trucks via our cameras," Judy said. "From there, they might as well have dropped off the map."
The fox raised an eyebrow, turning slightly to look at her. "Sounds odd when you say it like that."
"Exactly. Banyan Street Station is halfway across the city from the Rainforest district, Nick. Isn't it a bit suspicious for stolen trucks to be disappearing over Doug's old night howler lab?"
"It's definitely strange. I can't think of any other secret tunnels in that area…" Nick scratched his neck. "Of course, the area around Banyan isn't the most peaceable place in the world. Lots of underground trades down there; chops shops, and whatnot. If knew any better, I'd wager your trucks were sold off and stripped for quick cash."
Judy let out a short, quick sigh. Nick's was a sound explanation, but maybe not the one she wanted to hear.
"That's plausible, I know… But I still can't seem to shake the feeling that something fishy is going on here," she murmured.
"Hey, it's just a thought," Nick reassured and took another sip from his beverage. "In any case, I'm sure the boys from the Rainforest District will track 'em down. For now, let's just worry about this weird, security detail, thing."
"Yeah… You're right," Judy relented, rubbing her temple with one of her paws. "Sometimes I can get in over my head."
"Sometimes?" Nick smirked.
The bunny laughed. "Oh shush. By the way, what do you think the chief meant by us being requested for this job?"
"Beats me," Nick replied. "I'm just happy we're not taking on the usual grunt work at the station. Would be pretty cool to shoot craps with Gazelle while we're at it."
"You don't think we'll actually get to meet her, do you?" Judy tilted her head curiously.
The fox laughed. "Not a chance."
The cruiser dropped down as it entered the subterranean network leading out of Savanna Central. Located under the climate wall, splits in the roadway connected Tundratown, Sahara Square, and even Bunnyburrow via tunnels under the bay area. Fluorescent lights flickered overhead, dimming and surging with the ebb and flow of the climate wall's generators.
Soon they emerged, and a flash of blinding light obscured the surrounding area from view. When their eyes adjusted, both officers were greeted with a picturesque landscape of rolling sand dunes, lush vegetation and natural rock architecture. The dry desert heat could be felt washing through the open windows of the vehicle like a wave. In that instant, they passed beneath a sign that read:
"WELCOME TO SWELTERING SAHARA SQUARE!"
In the distance, the crown jewel of Sahara Square glimmered in the afternoon sun. At over 1000 feet tall, the Palm Hotel and Casino dominated the Saharan skyline for miles around. Its' circular base, which housed shops, pools, and restaurants, towered into a trunk comprised of hundreds of individual balcony suites. An uppermost penthouse resided below the golden palms for which the hotel took its' name.
It wasn't long before the cruiser had looped into the hotel's circular drive. Judy parked the vehicle in the cordoned off security zone and exited with Nick. They approached the local law enforcement on standby for the event.
"Good afternoon!" Judy greeted, flashing her badge in the direction of the conversing officers. "I'm Officer Hopps, and this is Officer Wilde. We've been assigned here from precinct 1 to assist with security detail."
One of the officers, a desert coyote, glanced to the lagomorph and her partner. "Oh, right. They mentioned we had some outside help coming in." He crossed his arms, nodding in the direction of a uniformed lioness some distance away. "You'll want to report to commander Raiona, she's the head of security around here."
"Oh, perfect!" Judy replied, cheery as ever. "We appreciate the help!" She took Nick by the wrist and led him in the feline's direction, failing to notice the sorry glint in the coyote's eyes.
The commander was an imposing figure, tall and athletic with fearsome blue eyes. The breathable fabric of her tactical uniform fit closely around her body, emphasizing the curvature of her slim but muscular build. The tip of her left ear was missing, as though it had been sheared off in some horrendous scuffle. She worked feverishly, her tail lashing as she scribbled notes on a diagram spread atop one of the vehicles. Her other paw rested on her hip, with her thumb tucked into the crease of her black service belt.
"Commander Raiona," Judy chirped, prompting the lioness to swivel her head as she approached. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance! We're both eager to be working on this detail with your precinct."
The commander stared over the bunny before her, then the fox beside her. She blinked, looking almost perplexed before huffing a low, tight-lipped, "Noted." Then returned to her task without a second word.
"Aheh…" Judy rubbed her paws. "Well, allow me to introduce myself. I'm—"
"—I know who you are, Lieutenant," Raiona cut her off. "And I don't need you."
The bunny recoiled at once, shaking her head. "E-Excuse me?"
"I said I don't need you," the lioness replied again. "Got enough moving parts to keep track of with this event as is. I don't have time to babysit two cops from Central who have no clue about the way we do things here in Sahara."
Bewildered, Judy glanced to Nick, whose own hackles had raised at the feline's frigid response.
"Chief Bogo said we were specifically requested for this assignment…" the bunny murmured. "You're saying that it wasn't you?"
"Does it sound like it was me?"
The fox folded his arms, his ears now lowered in vague annoyance. "Alright, who's calling the shots here?"
The commander shrugged. "Probably some politically oriented jerk-off trying to score points with Chief Bogo. Whoever it was, they went straight over my head about it."
"What would anyone stand to gain by sending us here?" Judy asked plaintively.
"Like you wouldn't know..." Raiona faced the bunny, her lithe back pressed against the vehicle. "That stunt you pulled with Assistant Mayor Bellwether made you the public face of the ZPD. These functions tend to attract some powerful mammals. Mammals who could stand to gain an endorsement from the ZPD's poster child. I certainly wouldn't put it past any of 'em, given the recent power vacancy since Lionheart dropped the ball."
"I appreciate the sentiment commander…" Judy said, struggling to suppress the resentment growing in her words. "But with all due respect, I'm nobody's poster child. I'm only here to exercise the duties of my assignment."
"As I said before, I don't need you. My precinct is more than capable of securing this event with our own officers."
"Well, there's gotta be something you need help with!" Judy said, tossing her arms up. "This place is enormous!"
The feline scoffed, turning her back to the bunny as she went back to writing. "If you're insistent, the best I can do for you is parking duty. Take it or leave it."
A very poor choice of words. Nick took a big step back.
"P-parking duty?!" Judy fumed, her voice positively trembling with anger. "I'll have YOU know I graduated at the top of my class at the Zootopia Police academy! Do you have any idea what I did—the things I put up with—to claw my way to where I am today?"
As Judy busied herself laying into the feline, who seemed more amused than threatened by the bunny's sudden outburst, Nick's ears began to twitch. Twitching to an incessant ticking noise. He tried in vain to put it out of mind. But with each passing moment, the abnormal ticking began to sound more mechanical… less like ticking, but rather, clicking.
Nick spun around, catching a blur of movement ducking into the vegetation as he did so.
"Hey!" he shouted, lunging into a sprint without thought for hesitation. "Stop right there!"
Drawing his taser from its' holster, the fox dove through the bushes. He was in a new area now, a labyrinth of trailer cars and freight gathered for the event. He could hear Judy yelling after him, and the commander snarling in disapproval. No matter. He weaved through the tangle of mobile units, tracking footsteps just in front of him. Footsteps scampering, diving, leaping just out of reach!
"Zootopia Police!" Nick demanded. "Stop! Stop where you are, or you're getting tased!"
But the fox was closing in fast. He could hear breaths, panicked wheezing. He rounded the corner with speed, and then—
Nothing.
Nick skidded to a stop, heartbeat thrumming in his ears as he scanned the vacant lot around him. He whirled about, incredulous and desperate as he searched the empty spaces between the wheels of each trailer. He couldn't believe it. The perp, whoever it was, seemed to have eluded him.
When there could be no doubt that he was, in fact, alone, Nick holstered his sidearm. He groaned and stood up straight. "Well… Great."
In addition to losing the suspect, it appeared as though he'd gotten himself thoroughly lost as well. The fox rubbed his neck, panting as he leaned against one of the mobile units. The blistering heat of Sahara Square meant that even a short chase was enough to make him sweat.
He unbuttoned the sleeves on his wrists, rolling them up to his forearms before loosening his tie. Then, wearily, he unclipped the radio on his service belt.
"Officer Wilde to Hopps, Code 1. Request your 10-20,"
But before he could heed any answer, the door behind him suddenly swung open. The fox yelped in surprise as he careened into the trailer, landing on his back with a hard thud.
A worried gasp pierced the air, followed quickly by the words, "Ay Dios mío! Are you okay?"
In that instant, Nick's ears shot skyward. This was a voice he recognized.
Slowly, cautiously, the fox turned his gaze upward. His jaw nearly hit the floor when his suspicions were confirmed, and his eyes connected with one very concerned, yet very intrigued Gazelle.