Case Number: Classified

Category: Contraband

Lead Investigator: Agent Phantom

Incident Description:

Distribution of psychoactive substances of unknown origin. Cases span across Zootopia, all showing similar symptoms. There appears to be a correlation between the victims. A few possible leads, investigation ongoing.

Investigation Progress:

White. Everywhere he looked was white. White floors, white walls, white linens, and drapes attached to white beds and white windowsills. White doors with metal handles and solid steel bolt locks, all managed by animals in solid white scrubs.

Which was why the hare standing at the glass pane stood out to them, decked out in a suit of solid black, with an even darker overcoat. His azure eyes followed the wildebeest, observing his movements when the orderlies entered the room. His large eyes rounded, and he backed away with a startled sound; something like a groan underlined by a foghorn. It was a better reaction than the last time, at least. Last time, it had taken two full-sized tigers to contain him. They were the only ones strong enough to bring down the bucking beast.

The irony of the situation of course, being that the predatory animals were the ones at risk. Mammals tended to underestimate the danger of an ungulate's hooves, especially in a state of panic. In fact, they were so dangerous that they preferred to use predatory mammals to subdue them, their larger muscle mass more conducive to capture. And, naturally, as if that weren't bad enough, it seemed that predacious animals were most likely to elicit such an alarming reaction in the first place.

What a mess.

"So, we've got another one…" he muttered, grimacing when the lion narrowly avoided a kick to the eye. After watching the wildebeest rear his head and scramble away, he lost interest. It was obvious this situation would be no different than the last.

"Fourth one this week," sounded the voice beside him; low and rumbling like distant thunder. The hulking mass beside him shook his head, turning away and waving a hoof toward him. The hare followed, hopping to keep up with the animal's larger strides. This had been his week for the past few months. In between handling other matters, he often found himself at the asylum, discussing matters with his caribou contact. It was useful having an animal on the inside, someone who could track incoming cases and divulge information the public ought not to know. "It's always the same. Prey animals come in here, kicking and screaming, sometimes fighting. Generally, it's the larger species, like wildebeest and Zebra. Had a bull elephant in here last week, took out my entire team."

"Damn…"

The two made their way down the hallway, past various windows all containing different animals. While larger animals were the more common residents, the species still varied wildly — deer, antelope, hedgehogs, even a pronghorn and kangaroo — but their behavior was all the same. Rabid. Fearful. On occasion, lashing out, particularly when backed into a corner. Which of course, being in a containment room, was most of the time.

It was one of the most disturbing things he had ever seen, seeing mammals that could easily crush him running desperately for their lives from nothing. It was a classic case of collective paranoia. They considered everyone and everything a threat to them, no matter how big or small. And nearly of them were male, all within a similar age range; with the oldest being thirty-five and the youngest twenty-two.

"We just can't make any sense of it," the caribou muttered. He tapped his badge against the scanner, waiting for the beep before pressing the button. A loud noise sounded, echoing down the hall followed by the clunk of a disengaging lock. Opening the door, he waved his visitor through before following him outside. When the door was safely locked behind them, he headed for the elevator. "They keep coming in in droves. Between this and the attacks, I just can't keep up anymore. And with everything that happened out in Furbank…" he scoffed. "Whole world's gone mad."

"Wait, Furbank?" he paused. "What's going on Furbank?"

"Huh. I'm surprised you haven't heard, considering —"

"It's been a while," he said with a tight-lipped smile. "Enlighten me."

"Well, I only heard through the grapevine. My cousin lives out that way, in the next town over. Apparently, there was a big drug bust. Over eleven animals arrested."

"Eleven?"

"Yep. All preds."

"That's not surprising. It's Furbank; they make up most of the area."

"Yeah. Well, from what I heard only two of them were charged with actual possession. The rest were just employees at the establishment."

"Really…? Interesting."

"Yup. My cousin says they got hemmed up by some undercover operative. Must have been damned good to make their way up to the ringleader. And in such a short time too."

"Undercover operative, huh? …And you said nine of them were innocent?"

"No, I said two of them were charged. Nine were just workers there. Claimed they were unaware of what was going on upstairs. I say bull hockey. Probably paid them off. Hyenas are a shady bunch. Wouldn't be surprised if the whole police force out there was crooked too."

"Hmm." The hare said nothing further on the matter, instead shifting the conversation back to the admitted animals. It simply wasn't worth the energy. Backhanded comments like those had become commonplace, prejudice was the norm. All these years, and almost nothing had changed. It seemed the animals of Zootopia were destined to continue repeating the same mistakes. Bigots, the lot of them. "Alright. Well, I'm going to head out. Got a lead to follow."

"Oh, yeah? They had better count their days then. Not sure any perp can escape from you."

"Let's hope so. Keep in touch, I want to get a handle on this before it gets out of control."

The caribou nodded uncertainly. At the facility, they had admitted nearly thirty animals; he would argue that it was already out of control. "Stay safe, friend. It's a jungle out there."

"Heh… you're telling me." With a casual wave, he turned around, paws in his pockets, and made his way back to his sedan. The caribou watched him go, humming in thought.

The agent swung open the door and climbed inside, taking one last look at the building. Then, he huffed and shut it behind him. With the press of a button, the vehicle roared to life, and the animal inside went through his routine checklist via muscle memory. He buckled his seatbelt, popped open the overhead compartment and slid a pair of black sunglasses over his eyes, he turned the air on, and connected his Bluetooth to his dashboard, all before shifting the car into gear.

Within seconds of turning the car around, his speakers blared with a familiar ringtone. He didn't bother to check the caller ID, there was only one person that would be reaching out to him at this time of day. Impeccable timing as always. He tapped the screen on his dash, keeping his eyes on the road as a feminine voice filled the air around him. "This is Snow to Phantom, do you read?"

"Copy. What's the status on the latest specimen?"

"Negative. Status report on your drop-in?"

"Negative."

A few moments of silence followed. Only the sound of the tires on the pavement and the ambient whirring of machinery from the other end of the line. He could hear the sound of paw pads tapping quietly in the background as he navigated his way down the winding path. In the silence, the sound of an electronic system sounded louder than ever through the line; a beep and a hiss, followed by the quiet thump of a closing door. Then, nothing. When she spoke again, her tone was less formal. More familiar. She was alone. "How are they?"

"Not good," he replied, his tone more relaxed.

"Same symptoms as before?"

"Across the board." His fingers drummed against the steering wheel; his foot pressed the brake pulling up to a redlight. "What I don't understand is their behavioral patterns. The drug seems to be having a similar neurological effect to the Howlers, but —"

"It's different," she confirmed. "It's not setting them off as it did the last time, and it seems to be having varying effects. Both species are affected, but it doesn't seem to make them violent, at least, not inherently. Of course, so far, only the predatory species are lashing out."

The light turned green, and he continued on his way down the road, keeping an eye out for other vehicles. He checked the clock on his dash, it was nearing late afternoon. Soon, the street would be flooded with animals. A quick glance at his mapping system for confirmation, the GPS sending him around once more. Damn those one-way city streets.

"Have you gotten any farther in the analysis?" he asked.

"I can't say that I have. So far, the only thing that I can conclude with certainty is that this drug is a neuroactive agent. But it's unique in that enters the bloodstream through absorption rather than injection or inhalation."

"Meaning the user has to consume it for it to take effect."

"Correct. Well, not necessarily," she paused. "Due to an… incident earlier in the week, we're starting to question that hypothesis."

"An incident?" One more turn, and he would reach his destination. Hopefully, there would be no trouble this time. "Why was I not informed?"

"You know I like confirmation before I tell you things. As much as possible anyway."

"Fine. What did you learn?"

"I have reason to believe that it's also possible for the agent to enter via bodily fluids. Or at least, it may in extreme cases. Currently, it is only a theory. I will have to conduct further testing to confirm."

"Bodily fluids? Elaborate… Sexual transmission or a bite?"

"A bite. We have no data confirming the other option… yet."

The smirk was audible in her voice. His fault, he had walked right into that one. Bringing her back on task, he nodded, even though she couldn't see it. "That's still more information than we had before. Good work, Snow."

"Yeah, yeah, no need for flattery," the animal on the other end laughed good-naturedly, a sound he was almost never remiss to hear. Except when it was at his expense. That was never a good thing. Meant she was up to something. More than likely trouble. "That being said… you still owe me that dinner date you promised."

The agent rolled his eyes; he could hear the joking lilt in her tone. Though deep down, he often wondered if she was being more serious than she let on. Their history was turbulent, and one could never fully tell with her species. They were coy, and playful to a fault, especially the females. "I never promised you anything. I mentioned we could take some downtime from the case should the opportunity arise." Finding a spot, he pulled the sedan against the curb and shifted into park. The clock confirmed he had three minutes.

"All the same. Maybe we could try that seafood place downtown. You know I'm always up for some trout."

"You preds and your damn meat fetishes," he muttered. Though harsh on the surface, she could tell he was only messing with her. He was known for his sharp tongue, and he had never shown genuine disdain for her eating habits. Not even distaste.

"As if you don't love me," she purred.

"Feeling confident, are we?"

"Naturally." The sound of a school bell rang from across the street, signaling their arrival. It was time. A quiet chuckle followed by clacking keys echoed quietly through his speakers. She was at her PC. "That them?"

"I have visual on the target," he confirmed.

"Show time then. Let's wrap this up soon, yeah? I'm looking forward to our date."

He zoomed in on his scope, locking onto a young male waltzing from the school building. He was flanked on either side by another pair of students, the same as yesterday. Hopefully, tonight would be his opportunity. Based upon previous reconnaissance, it should be soon. His camera clicked silently, sending the images through the cloud. "Got those?"

"I've received the data. I'll run a search through the database for confirmation."

"Excellent. Thanks." Lowering his phone, he kept a close eye on the trio as they stood around outside of the school building, shooting the breeze. Clearly, they weren't in any hurry. No matter. He had plenty of time. "I'll gather what I can. For now, we'll go with the plan."

"You're not really planning on busting a bunch of kids, are you?"

"Not if I can help it," he replied shortly. "But the oldest one's been showing signs. I want to keep a close eye on all of them."

"Roger that." Paws tapped against the keys, entering commands into her console. Not a moment too soon, either. The students, having grown bored, started making their way down the street. A few more minutes and they would be out of sight completely.

"They're on the move."

"I've got eyes on them," she confirmed. A moment later, his phone dinged, drawing his attention downward. She was streaming the video feed back to him: a birds-eye view from the surveillance cameras. "Looks like they're heading toward the corner store."

"Makes sense. There's a coffee shop on the second floor."

The car was shut off, leaving all completely silent. He waited a few moments for the teenagers to disappear from sight. Opening the car door, he carefully exited the vehicle, tossing his sunglasses back on the seat and sliding his overcoat from his shoulders. Left only in his tailored suit, he started making his way casually down the street, his Bluetooth reconnecting to his earpiece.

"Keep me updated," he said, placing his paws in his pockets.

"Understood."

A few moments of silence fell between them while he walked, his mind wandering for the briefest time. He pondered whether or not to address it, wondering if maybe he should let it go. For the sake of certainty, he decided it against. He'd prefer not to leave any loose ends for this. Better safe than sorry. "And it's not a date by the way."

"I know, I know," she shot back without missing a beat. "Smooth, suave Phantom doesn't want to be tied down. Sometimes I forget the rest of us are beneath you."

"Now, who's flattering?"

Her laughter sounded again, this time sounding entirely genuine. It was one of the reasons he liked Snow. She never took others — or herself for that matter — too seriously. She didn't take things to heart, either. Which was a godsend for someone like him. He didn't have to be as careful with his words. Or his abrasive attitude. Or his honesty. In short, he could speak plainly to and around her.

"Okay, looks like they're going inside. Might be another night of recon."

"Lovely," he sighed. Another time then. If they were lucky, this would be only a pit stop. Strolling down the sidewalk, he made his way toward the corner store, keeping an eye out for any strange activity along the way. "I'll let you know if anything changes."

"We'll be on standby," she answered. "Good luck, Jack."

"Thanks."

The call ended, leaving the hare on his lonesome. He entered the store, looking around between the aisles for his targets. The animals were out of sight. But while he didn't see them, he could hear their raucous voices sounding from the upper floor. 'Found them.' Walking toward the other side, he slowly climbed the stairs. Cresting the top step, he spotted them, sitting around a table near the back of the shop, each enjoying individual drinks, a water, a sports drink, and a latte respectively. And they seemed settled in. He was going to be there a while.

His ears drooped slightly at the realization as he made his way toward the counter. Ordering a large black coffee, he took a seat near the center of the room. His ears lifted once more, taking in the sounds around him. He could hear the din of animal chatter, the teens included, going on about their days. Mundane meetings, rough days, and exams. He could hear the whirring and screeching of the expresso machines, pumping out orders for their guests. He could hear the news anchor droning on about a press conference to be held at the ZPD in the following days. Boring as hell.

Subtly angling his ears toward the group of teens, he pulled out his phone and mindlessly scrolled — or at least appeared to — while he listened carefully to their every word.