Greetings after such a long break!
I am terribly sorry that it took so long. To be honest, for the past few months, I have been going through a major crisis in my life. But I have promised myself that 2019 will be a year of writing for me. Therefore, I plan on having more frequent updates with all my stories.
Most importantly:
GINORMOUS THANKS to TheoreticallyEva for her priceless help with editing and teaching me grammar! Thank you! You are the best friend one can think of. :) Be sure to check her stories! She even got one of them changed into a comic! (by Koraru-san)
From other news, I AM LAUNCHING MY P.A.T.R.E.O.N. My ideal job would be working as a professional writer, but that takes funds. So I have decided to test the waters and see if I could earn a living through my creative work. Also, I won't lie, I am in a bit of a financial pinch, so it is the perfect time for me to test out if this has any future. YOU CAN FIND ME BY MY NICK: "Libious".
IMPORTANT DETAIL: I use the "charge up front" feature, which means that the system charges the fee instantly and then on the first day of every following month. Just saying this, in case anyone (assuming that there will be someone XD) would be surprised if they pledge a donation in the last days of a month.
Worry not, all my writing will remain open for everyone. It's just that my patrons would receive some benefits for their... Let's call it an "investment"?
One more thing! I will post updates on my progress regarding all of my stories. So if you would be wondering how the writing is going, you just need to check my P.a.t.r.e.o.n.
As for the story, manymany thanks for all your reviews! I am overjoyed with every single one of them!
In this chapter I introduce some more mammals and some readers might recognize them. ;)
I have also sewed in some references in this chapter, if you are interested in hunting them. :)
Without further ado...
Please enjoy!
Chapter 41
After her initial reservations about speaking of confidential matters in a public place, which Alyssa just brushed off as nonexistent in this place, Judy briefed her on the topic about which they needed information.
"Hmm, indeed, I am familiar with this." Alyssa remarked.
Both Nick and Judy's ears twitched. "You are?" They said together.
"One of the strangest requests I ever had. Mind you, not the document itself, but the order."
"What was weird about it?" Judy inquired with both paws on the table, inching forward a bit.
Alyssa leaned back on her chair, while swiftly putting one leg over the other. She placed both paws on her knee, looking straight at Nick. Judy instantly thought of this move as unnecessary. She couldn't put her finger on it, but the way the vixen acted around Nick seemed to put her on edge.
Still, Judy couldn't deny that she had some form of respect for the female, who could handle Nick with such ease. That put her into a small but elite group of mammals.
"Do you remember the Furbes Twist?" Alyssa directed the question at Nick.
"Ah… That one." The fox snapped his fingers. "Nicely thought out, but he lacked proper management skills."
She reacted with a sly smile. "Indeed. This request was made with a similar split, like the old mammal tried."
"You mean…"
The vixen nodded. "Six couriers. All with one bit of the puzzle."
It made Nick slap his forehead. "Dammit! That's going to stall us…"
Judy, who'd been listening patiently so far, decided to join in. "Wait… Are you saying that you got six requests for this job?"
Her words made Alyssa look at her with a raised brow. "You catch on quick. Good. I'd hate to see Nick degrade to a lower quality of associates."
Even if this was a praise, it didn't exactly feel that way to the doe officer. "That, or his standards were low before he even met me." She responded with an innocent smile.
Nick's ears fell.
His eyes switched instantly to Alyssa, hoping that this remark from his friend didn't do any irreversible damage.
The vixen was smiling. With a grin full of teeth.
"I believe I'm beginning to like you." She settled more comfortably on her seat. "Make sure to keep a good eye on your foxy friend." She spared Nickd a brief, amused stare. "Those types tend to think about profit first."
Judy's own smile widened, and before Nick could utter a word, the doe responded with quite a merry voice. "Oh, I'm sure he knows it's in his best interest to assist me."
After a momentary silence, Alyssa simply showed more joyful teeth. "Splendid."
Despite interacting with many females in his life, Nick's past dealings instilled a certain discomfort around both very competitive members of the prettier gender and those that seemingly conspired together against him.
And now it felt as if he was in those two scenarios at the same time.
Just by sitting by the table with Alyssa and Judy, the fox sensed that he was both a third wheel and an interesting object for research. And the atmosphere between his companions was switching all the time, which didn't help his mood at all. Therefore, the fox cleared his throat to steer the conversation back on track.
"The couriers?"
"Ah, yes…" The vixen shook her head with a sigh. "Typical of you. All work and no fun." She corrected her posture. "I got six pieces of information that, together, formed the whole task. Someone seemed really set on their anonymity."
"Miss Alyssa," Judy addressed her formally. "I know it was some time ago, but do you remember anything that could help us identify those couriers?"
The vixen shrugged. "I do not." However, before Judy's ears could start dropping, Alyssa continued. "But I already have their names." This statement was accompanied by a smirk on her face. Using one of her claws, the vixen tapped the phone on the table. "I would be a fool to not verify who I am dealing with."
This actually managed to make Nick smile for the first time in a while. "Clever as ever."
The business female's focus immediately switched to him. She even pointed a finger at the fox. "For those names, you will owe me a big favor. I am putting my reputation on the line here." Just after she said that, Alyssa leaned forward and glared at him.
Then she let out words in a staccato of Polish, too fast for Judy to understand. "A jeśli będziesz próbował zgrywać cwaniaczka, to Twoja koleżanka błyskawicznie dowie się o Twoich najbrudniejszych przekrętach." (And if you try to be a smartass, then your colleague will immediately learn of your dirtiest hustles.)
No more words were needed for Nick. "Right…" he croaked with a fake smile.
.
.
Even after the tigers were gone, Volkov stood in the same spot, gazing in the direction in which the felines had headed.
He maintained that position long enough for his bunny companion to approach him with a slightly concerned expression. "Boss?"
Volkov didn't even blink. "Bring me everyone." And that was it. No speeches, no anger or coldness, just the voice that the buck recognized as the wolf's business voice.
"Everyone?"
Only then did the elderly assassin turn, locking his one eye on the bunny. Immediately, the buck had to suppress the natural impulse of his prey body to shiver and cower under Volkov's gaze.
"Everyone."
.
.
"I say, this was a fun meeting." Nick commented after they got out of the place and, as he hoped, out of earshot. They got the names of the couriers, but now he wondered what the price would be for this information.
Judy brought him out of his thoughts, as she chuckled at his words. "Look at you, I almost didn't hear any sarcasm in that statement."
"Har, har…" the fox grumbled. "You have no clue how vicious that vixen can be." He cast a brief glance over his shoulder, as if expecting to be stalked.
"Oh?" Now a smug expression appeared on the doe's face. "Do tell."
Nick took one look at her face, opened his mouth, shut it back, and looked away. "Anyway, we have the information we asked for. In fact, even more than we hoped for."
Judy immediately switched to a serious attitude. "That's true. And I'm afraid it will take a lot of time to check out all the suspects…" the doe pondered. "Unless… I know!" She spun towards her vulpine partner. "We need to split up!"
"Wha-Split up?!" The shock in his voice couldn't properly convey the levels of worry inside his mind. "Fluff, that's not-"
"Nick, we are running out of time." She took a hold of his paws. "Who knows what kind of horrible plan Bellwether is brewing this time?"
The fox tried to protest. "But that's dangero-"
She stopped him by putting a finger on his muzzle and adorned a scolding expression. "Officer Nicholas Wilde! We are members of the ZPD!"
His response got stuck in his throat. How could he phrase that he was worried about her safety without sounding too caring? And he couldn't refute her argument, either, as it was obvious that danger was a daily routine for police officers. Being forced into an indefensible position, the fox had to, reluctantly, give in.
"I don't like it." He muttered. "Some of the mammals on that list aren't the friendliest type out there."
His not-so-gentle warning met a determined bunny. "Then we'll be careful, but we must press on." Her mind was set, yet she was not inconsiderate of his reservations. "Look, if it helps putting your mind at ease, how about you decide how to split the suspects?"
This suggestion really did help him smile. "Deal."
However, before he could start enjoying the feeling of relief, he could feel a finger on his muzzle.
"Of course, I trust that you have confidence in my abilities," she said sweetly, "and wouldn't even think about assigning me some completely harmless delivery boys, while you keep all the potentially dangerous ones to yourself."
Nick swallowed. "Well…"
"Excellent!" She granted him a beautiful smile, accompanied by a glint in her eye. "I'm glad that I can count on you."
He lost.
She had him backed into a corner, and there was nothing he could do about it. Once again, he had to give in and did his best to divide the list fairly. Still, he kept the potentially most dangerous name for himself.
Once the names were assigned, the duo finally split up, both on track to seek out possible information from the couriers. Nick sincerely hoped that Judy would not encounter any obstacles too dangerous for her. She could be the strongest mammal on Earth, but he would still worry about her.
After all, isn't it what love is about?
.
.
"Ah! Finally!" Vivian smiled at the sight of her guests. The elderly wolf returned the smile with equal joy, and one could see that his face visibly lit up. His rabbit companion politely nodded his head in front of the vixen.
"Good morning, Vivian. I hope that we're not late?"
She invited them in with a wave of her paw. "Not at all. Please, come in."
As the two mammals entered the apartment, they noticed a pair of young vixens peeking into the entrance hall from the living room. They were holding small handbags, which Vivian got for them.
Noticing that, Nick's mother approached them with a surprised look. "Girls? Going out somewhere?"
Rose presented a shy smile. "Yes. We have decided to go somewhere, maybe for a cup of tea." The young female's gaze rested on the wolf. She was no fool, and she heard how Vivian was talking about him earlier, while they were preparing breakfast. "That way, you can have some time for yourselves, without us hanging around." She slightly nodded towards Silver.
Vivian's ears fell a little. "Oh, but I was hoping that we could-"
At that point, the young red vixen placed her paw on Vivian's. "It's fine." Her smile changed into a broader one.
The eldest vixen wasn't so certain, and she even looked over her shoulder toward Volkov. He raised a brow, apparently not certain what exactly was expected of him. However, he glanced at Rose's expression and showed a gentle smile of his own.
"Rose and Silver, I presume?" The wolf stepped forward and slightly lowered his head. "I apologize for my late introduction. Alexander Volkov." His paw reached to the inner pocket of his jacket and swiftly returned, holding a rectangular piece of paper. "My card, if you ever need advice from a lawyer. For Vivian's relatives, my services are free." Volkov added that last sentence while sending a wink towards Nick's mother.
She silently waved her paw at him, mouthing a muted scolding.
"We… We're not…" Silver began, but her courage crumbled when the wolf focused his gaze on her. The young vixen's introverted nature took over, and she fell silent.
"Ah, my apologies. " He laughed and did it so openly that even Silver blinked in surprise, while Rose couldn't help but smile. "I swear, jumping to conclusions is much harder to avoid as you get senile, like me."
"Oh, hush!" Vivian huffed, but with obvious playfulness. "What does it say about me if I am inviting over a senile, old mammal?"
"My guess is that either you have lowered your standards or I must have some hidden, good qualities."
"Hah, seems to me, then, that I need to perform a more thorough search, as those qualities are very well hidden."
"Vivian, as much I would love to dwell more on the subject, if the youngsters wish to go out, maybe we shouldn't stand in their way. After all, we would probably bore the poor things to death."
He didn't have to wait long for a reaction. "Oh! Speak for yourself!" Vivian snapped at him, though with a smile.
Using the distraction, Rose and Silver headed towards the coat rack. "We'll be off, then."
Again, Vivian was about to say something, but Volkov took the initiative this time. "If I may," he briefly raised a finger and turned towards the girls, "I could offer the help of my assistant." With those words, he nodded towards the bunny that accompanied him. "He could be your driver for the trip and assist you if you need any support."
The bunny in question gave him a look but didn't say anything.
"Um… But that's not-" Rose began, but Volkov interrupted her with a smile.
"Please, it's the least I could do. Mr Savage," the wolf indicated the buck, "will see to your comfortable trip and safety." Though the females couldn't see it, as Volkov's face was turned towards the bunny, the wolf's eye narrowed for a brief moment at the last word.
He didn't need to spell it out. His companion got the message and barely noticeably nodded his head in return.
Vivian eventually sighed in resignation. "I guess… If it's fine with you, girls." She addressed the young vixens.
Both Rose and Silver showed gentle smiles.
The honesty in their expressions finally made the older vixen smile as well. "All right. Then I hope you will enjoy your day."
The girls nodded politely towards Volkov, a gesture which he mirrored, then headed out, with the bunny guiding them to the wolf's car.
Shortly after the door closed behind them, Vivian let out another sigh and seemed troubled by some invisible burden. This made her guest approach with a concerned expression.
"Is everything okay?"
"Hm? Oh, I'm sorry." She waved a paw dismissively. "I just… I know that they are not technically my family, but…" The vixen showed him an apologetic smile. "They are just two young girls, and my affection for them grows with every day. And now I feel like I'm sending my two daughters on their first field trip."
Hearing her explanation, Volkov simply smiled. "I am sure that they will be fine. They looked like very well-mannered ladies to me. And if it's their safety you are worried about, I can assure you that my companion will make sure that they are not bothered by anyone."
Vivian reached out and gently placed her paw on his arm for a brief moment. "Thank you."
They stood in silence for a second or two after that.
"Ah, but what a terrible host I am. Please, come in. I will get you some tea."
"Thank you." Volkov headed into the living room, with a smile that would not leave his face. When he got there, he chose one of the armchairs as a place to sit down.
"I must say," Vivian's voice reached him from the kitchen, "you seem to place great trust in your employee. That's admirable in our times."
"Oh, he may look cute and harmless," Volkov chuckled, "but if necessary, he could take down even a tiger to achieve set goals."
"Really?" The vixen openly laughed. "Then he sure reminds me of another bunny I know." Vivian walked into the living room with two cups of tea in her paws. "A tiger, you say? Now that's something I'd like to see."
"Well," Volkov smiled in a relaxed manner. "I'm sure something could be arranged."
.
.
Duke Weaselton liked Sahara Square. Despite the troublesome sand, this district offered the warmest climate and the best views. Oh, yes, the best. The weasel was casually strolling around La Joya, the district's most famous beach. There were two reasons for that fame.
One, it was the best spot for sunbathing and entertainment by the sea or in the water itself. Many clubs and bars operating in this place were always full of mammals who were eager to party, no matter the time of day or night.
Two, all the hottest mammals of both genders gathered here. Anyone craving the sight of the sexiest and most beautiful bodies this city had to offer would choose this beach as the goal of their pilgrimage. Due to that, ogling someone publicly wasn't considered rude here, but was rather desired. You could easily judge one's popularity by the number of eyes that followed the mammal.
Now Duke was taking his time with casting glances here and there from behind his sunglasses. But apart from the tasty sights of the girls, his eyes were also searching for the one thing he could resist the least: money.
And now he found his potential target in three ladies in bikinis, sitting around a portable beach table, under a large umbrella. One of them had her purse hanging behind her on the chair, an easy target for a pickpocket like him. Grinning to himself, Duke walked up to them nonchalantly, pretending to look right ahead, but kept the purse in the corner of his eye. Passing behind the girl with the purse, he reached for the intended target.
To his shock, a paw suddenly wrapped itself around his throat, and he was hoisted into the air. The slim mammal let out a muffled squeal when he was yanked over the girl's head and landed on the table on his back. The impact had him squeezing his eyes shut and groaning.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" said a cheerful voice above him, and Duke opened one eye. That allowed him to see the arm of one of the girls move in a blur and come down on the table. There was a crack, along with a quiet slicing sound. The weasel glanced down to see a nasty-looking combat knife embedded in the table right between his legs, the edge cutting open part of his beach trunks. Duke swallowed hard, realizing that he was in deep trouble.
Three faces were looking down at him, curiosity, amusement, and distaste respectively present on them. The girls were certainly beauties, though two of them would fall into an 'exotic' category. They were most definitely feline, though their appearance seemed odd. At first glance, they looked like jaguars, but their ears seemed to be too big for the species and slightly too pointy. However, it was their coloring that looked… different. From what he could see, the girl on his left had bland, sand-colored fur, with the exception of a black patch around her right eye. Also, there was a trail of rosettes that ran down her right cheek, all the way to her right wrist. Surprisingly, the girl on the left looked nearly like a mirror image of the first one. She had almost exactly the same markings in the same places, though on the other side of her body. Duke's depraved mind also noticed that both were wearing the same D-cup Vicuña's Secret swimsuits. In his defense, with how they were leaning over him, it was impossible not to notice that.
The third girl in the group was an arctic vixen, which was a rather rare sight in Sahara Square, but considering her looks and the sexy choice of swimwear, not one male on the entire beach would mind. Her sharp, blue eyes were fixed on the weasel, piercing him with a stare.
In different circumstances, he'd consider himself a lucky guy, but not this time. Having a sharp blade right next to your important equipment was quite a turn-off.
"Who are you?" the arctic vixen questioned.
"Uh… err… Nobody, really, just walkin' around!" he practically squealed.
"What do you want?" the strange girls asked in unison.
"Just-Just to pass through, ladies."
The white-furred girl raised a disbelieving brow. "Really?"
One of the uniquely colored females shifted the position of the knife a bit, almost causing the blade to make contact with his family jewels.
"Hiii!" he let out a high-pitched yelp but didn't dare to move an inch. "All right! All right! I'm a thief! Pickpocketin' purses and all!"
"A thief?" said the girl on the left.
"In that case, we'll have to kill you," stated the vixen in a matter-of-fact tone, to the weasel's horror.
"Do we?" asked the one with the knife.
"Oh, we don't need to be so hasty!" stated her mirror twin.
"Excuse me, I think we really should just kill him," declared the white-furred girl.
"Hang on, he might be sweet…" said one of the felines.
"… Despite the scruffy appearance." The other one smoothly finished the sentence.
"Oh, shut it! Quick, give me the knife, I'll slice him open!" The vixen reached out for the weapon.
"No way!" The girl holding it withdrew her arm, keeping it out of her reach. "What if he bleeds on me?"
"Yeah!" the other one nodded in agreement. "I hate washing blood from my fur! You have your fingers…"
"… just use them."
The vixen huffed and folded her arms. "No way! I just had my claws done!"
"Oh, like Jack is going to notice," the girl on the left mumbled, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah, his focus is somewhere other than on your claws, and you know that," the feline on the right added swiftly.
"Hey, I'm doing it for myself, got it?" the vixen almost growled in response.
"Oh, stop bitching and let's go have some drinks!" the girl from the left side proposed.
"All right, all right, all right! But we'll kill him first, and then we can have some drinks and chocolates," the white-furred girl sighed.
"Yes!"
"Oh, but not chocolates! I'm on a diet!" the knife-holding girl protested, waving the blade in the air.
"All right, all right, not chocolates, but let's kill him anyway!" the vixen groaned.
"Right!" both felines nodded in agreement.
The three beauties glanced down on the table only to see it empty. They raised their heads to see a very distant cloud of sand.
"He buggered off!"
"So he has, he's scarpered!"
At that moment, a phone rang in the purse on the chair.
.
.
"Mister, buy a flower?" A hedgehog girl in a slightly worn-out blue dress asked as loudly as she could to be heard over the din of the busy street traffic. She aimed high, even though she was standing on a wooden crate, raising her head to look at a grey wolf passing by her stand. She set up a table on which she set several vases with water and various flowers. It wasn't anything grand or professional-looking, but they still presented themselves as very colorful and eye-catching.
The wolf in question stopped by the crate and crouched down to be at a more equal level with the flowers and the girl. As he did that, she noticed he was wearing a purple flower in the breast pocket of his jacket.
"Well, well, I see something very pretty here. Did you pick them yourself, mademoiselle?" he asked her with a smile.
"Yes." She nodded, casting down her gaze, a bit overwhelmed by their size difference. It was rare for mammals the size of a wolf or bigger to be seen in this part of the district. Still, she had to admit that it was kind of him to lower himself, as many bigger mammals just ignored how the height difference influenced the smaller animals.
The canine went over the gathered flowers with his gaze, and at one point, his face brightened up. "Ah! Lilies! Parfait! I shall take them all." He tapped the chosen vase with a claw.
The girl nodded and took them out of the water. "Um, would you like a ribbon?"
"Oh, yes, if you would be so kind." He chuckled as he reached for his wallet.
"Fleur, hurry it up, will you?" a male voice called from the side, and the hedgehog turned her head to see a deer in a coat, carrying a bag on a strip over his shoulder.
"Shhh," the wolf replied in a calm voice. "Please don't shout around flowers, Dale."
It made the deer roll his eyes, but then he paused and rubbed his chin in thought. "Or maybe…" His eyes narrowed, and he reached into his bag, taking out a camera. The girl was wrapping the bouquet of lilies while peeking at the deer with the corner of her eye. He started making photographs of the finalization of the sale.
When they were far enough away from the flower 'stall,' the wolf named Fleur reached into the inner pocket of his jacket, and his paw returned holding a hamster. One in an expensive looking suit, like you would expect to see on a banker, with his arms and mouth taped shut.
"See?" The wolf showed him the flowers in his other paw. "We have the right bouquet for your funeral - lilies. They symbolise the innocence that has been restored to the soul of the departed."
The elegant hamster wriggled in Fleur's grasp, trying to squeal through the tape around his mouth. Though the muffled noise was obscured by a ringtone, coming from the wolf's pocket.
.
.
The giraffe scrambled around the corner of a narrow back street, her tall body and long limbs bothersome in such limited space. But there was a light of hope in the form of the exit from the dirty alley into a broader, public street. She took just one more step in that direction, feeling a wave of relief that she could make it, when she felt a sting in her back as if from a mosquito. Her vision suddenly blurred, and her muscles started going limp. She fell to the ground with a thud.
"Ah, ah, naughty girl. No running," said a voice behind her as it got closer. She saw a pair of legs right next to her head and someone crouch down. A gun in a paw appeared in her field of vision - not a tranq one, a real revolver. "See, I've got six little friends here, and they can all run faster than you can. And you got four limbs, plus the head, which means I'll still have one left."
The female tried to speak, to form some kind of a plea for her life, but her tongue was numb. Being left only with the option of crying, the giraffe shed silent tears.
Just as she was abandoning all hope, a phone rang.
The ringtone came from the assailant's pocket.
.
.
Julia Silkpaw didn't like things getting out of paw. Whether in business or private matters. Well, the latter was rather troublesome, due to her dumb husband. But the latter was a completely different bag of snakes. The female wolf stormed into her office on the tenth floor of the building. It was a vacation day, so everyone else had been absent. But she had to come back because of one stupid email. She hurried into her private room, already forming a plan of action. For now she had to focus on fixing the mess-
"Ah, right on time!" said a male voice behind her.
"Told you so," commented another one.
Julia spun around to see two figures sitting in the wide armchairs reserved for her potential guests. One was a hyena with a Mohawk haircut, wearing a black leather jacket. He had a face that discouraged anyone from asking if it was real leather. Besides, the answer would most likely be positive. He was also holding a steel baseball bat on his lap.
The other one turned out to be a red panda in a navy suit with an unbuttoned jacket. The armchair was designed for mammals bigger than him, so he was leisurely laying on his side, while propping his head on a paw. He used the other paw to hold a gun with a silencer.
Both of them were wearing black gloves.
Julia wasn't stupid. Dumb mammals didn't get as high in the business as she did, so she skipped the cheesy questions and focused on logistics. "Who sent you?" she inquired while edging towards her desk, letting her gaze sway from one mammal to the other.
"Hah!" The hyena let out a short, humorous bark, while standing up. "Straight to the point! I like that in a girl. It's a damn shame we have to do a sloppy job here." He patted his free hand with the bat. "I'd prefer to give you a quick one."
"Quick?" Julia asked, as she was getting closer to her desk and to a drawer, where she kept a stun gun.
"A premium ticket to the afterlife." The red panda supplied the answer while swinging his legs off the armchair. "You might want to refrain from reaching for that drawer," the panda suggested while tapping the armchair with his gun. "Though I can respect the initiative."
"Aw, come ooon!" his hyena companion let out a heartfelt groan, accentuating it with a swing of his bat. "Why all the best babes gotta be our targets?" He pointed his weapon at the female. "You. I'd seriously hit on you in other circumstances."
Julia was too confused by this statement to move. However, when the initial shock dispersed, her business instinct tried to capitalize on this new piece of information. The female attempted the best smile she could in this menacing setting.
"Well, we could still work it out, can't we? You were hired to do a job," she addressed both of them, "so why not let me hire you?"
Before either of the masked "guests" could open their mouths, a phone rang in the coat of the red panda.
.
.
Carmine Clawse rubbed his forehead in an attempt to limit his annoyance. He could be a patient mammal when it came to business but wouldn't ever accept someone interfering with his operations. Those who opposed him would usually disappear without a trace, making a good example for others. He had the finances and power to execute his will practically wherever he wanted within Zootopia and the surrounding areas. The enforcers of his law were always dealing with problems swiftly and effectively.
He narrowed his eyes, looking through the window of his office.
Therefore, it irritated him beyond measure that the mammals he sent to deal with the bitch who dared to snatch his goods from him were running late with their report. Not only that, his team from the dock should have already called in picking up the new delivery, yet they were silent. He shot a glance at the phone on the desk.
The jackal reached for the phone to call the team from the vixen's house, but before he was able to do that, several gunshots echoed on the floor below. Those sounds were followed by a scream and then another. The second one was cut short, as if the mammal suddenly lost the ability to make a sound. The noise kept repeating itself in a pattern, gunshots and screams of pain tangled together in a horrifying mixture. Someone gurgled throatily, as if drowning in some liquid.
Carmine instantly yanked open a drawer in his desk, pulling out a glock pistol and checking if it was properly loaded since the last time he used it. The jackal approached the door in a few quick steps, the gun in his paw, ready for use. Violence in his line of business wasn't anything new to him. Still, if someone pulled off a hit on their main base of operations, the situation was serious.
As he cautiously opened the door and peeked into the corridor, he found two of his mammals who were working on the same floor as him. Both were alarmed and carrying guns. Seeing their leader somewhat lessened their tension, though they stayed in a state of high alert.
They all heard a thud at the bottom of the stairs leading to their floor. All guns immediately pointed at that direction.
Silence lasted several seconds, but nothing new occurred. In a way, lack of noise was far more dreadful than sounds of fighting. Silence suggested that whoever attacked them had already taken control. Clawse, while keeping aim at the stairs, raised one paw to instruct his mammals to advance.
Most sane animals would argue with such an order, but the jackal's thugs weren't softies, and violence and combat were their forte. The bear and hyena slowly approached the top of the stairs, their rifles at the ready.
There was nothing there.
Maybe except a corpse at the bottom. It was a wolf, laying face down, with a bloodied back. Possibly, he was trying to escape to the upper floor, but he wasn't fast enough.
Carmine joined his subordinates and clicked his tongue. His mind suggested an alternative to going down, and at the same time, he took out his phone to call for support from the outside. The jackal tapped both thugs with his claw to get their attention and pointed back, issuing a retreat order. To his surprise, the bear shook his massive head.
"Door's blocked," he muttered, understanding his boss' intention to use the back exit.
Clawse cursed under his breath, going through his thoughts, trying to come up with who could launch a precise strike like this one. To make matters worse, nobody was picking up. He called five different groups and got no response from any of them.
We're they also attacked?
He shook his head at the sheer impossibility. To organize a coordinated strike at his operations, on such a scale… Who the hell were they facing? No shouts to surrender, which would be expected from a police raid...
Who the hell was it?!
Still, they couldn't just sit here, doing nothing. For now, the jackal decided to withdraw to his office and check the outside area, maybe even using the window as an evacuation route. However, moments after they entered the room, there was a sound of crashed glass, and a can flew in through the window. All three mammals immediately retreated, instinctively knowing that this couldn't be mere coincidence and someone had been waiting for them. As if on cue, the can started spraying gas.
Clawse and his henchmammals rushed back to the corridor.
Back door blocked, window under observation, and now even gas… It didn't take a genius to figure out the goal of these actions.
Someone was herding them to the main hall downstairs.
The jackal cursed again. If that was how it was going to be… He definitely wouldn't go down without a fight. Signalling the other mammals to move towards the stairs, Clawse took point and carefully descended down the steps. Reaching the bloodied corpse, he flattened himself against one of the walls and nodded to the other two to move out.
Just as the two armed thugs entered the ground floor, followed by their leader, a scene of massacre revealed itself before them. There were bodies everywhere. And all three criminals noticed one thing that they all had in common - they had cuts. Not some small ones from a knife, but the longer type, the kind you could get only with a longer blade. Not to mention… Some of the corpses were in pieces. One was missing a paw, the other had their head sliced off, and some lost an entire arm or tail.
As the trio slowly proceeded forward, they used the heavy metal shelves that divided the huge space into small alleys as a way of shielding their side. Boxes of all sizes were stacked on those shelves, up to fifteen feet high. They moved along one of the hall's walls, slowly heading to one of the exits, surrounded by the stench of death.
Just as they were passing another shelf, Carmine heard a soft thud behind him and spun around instantly. He was a moment late and only managed to see the hyena collapsing to the floor, while a blurred figure disappeared behind the packed shelf.
"Shit!" His voice made the bear turn, too, gun at ready.
The jackal spared a brief glance at the mammal on the ground and knew that he was either dead or dying. With that brief analysis done, he urgently switched his gaze to the spot where the attacker disappeared.
Clawse had no way of knowing if there was one mammal waiting for them or a whole group. But nothing made sense here! A group would rush them, overpowering them with numbers. And a single mammal would never be able to wipe out the entire HQ all by themselves.
What-
A slicing sound made him spin around again, just in time to see the bear collapsing to the side, with the side of his neck cut open and gushing blood. The jackal instantly backed away, keeping the solid wall behind him. Several nerve-wracking moments passed in complete silence, save for Clawse's shallow breathing.
Then, he caught movement above and turned towards a dark figure jumping on him from the closest shelf. Baring his fangs, the jackal fired several times at the attacker. The body hit the ground with a thud and to the horror of the criminal boss. At that moment, he realized his own mistake.
The body belonged to one of his henchmammals, and he was already dead, even before getting shot. This moment of distraction proved to be fatal for the jackal, as a soft thud resounded behind him and the sharp edge of a sword was pressed to his throat.
"H-Hold on a second. Whoever hired you-" The jackal swallowed, his throat briefly touching the blade. "I can pay more!" His eyes tried to see the face of the attacker from the corner of his eye, but it was futile, and he dared not turn his head even a little.
The mammal holding the sword put slightly more pressure on the jackal's throat, forcing the gangster to stand on the balls of his hindpaws and making him sweat even more.
The white-furred paw moved in front of the jackal's face, showing him a piece of paper.
"Dial this number." Clawse received an order spoken with a Russian accent.
With enough self-preservation instinct to not argue or ask idiotic questions, the jackal squinted at the digits scribbled on the paper. He obediently got out his phone and put in the number on the screen, tapping the green icon to connect the call. Several signals later, a male voice answered.
"Good afternoon, Mr. Clawse. I take it that you have met my employee - Vasily."
The jackal had never heard this voice before, and it had no distinguishable accent. Though it sounded like a voice of someone who was used to speaking from a position of authority.
"The reason for his visit is that I would like to terminate our business ." The tone was surprisingly light and friendly, but underlaid with a vibe that suggested that the jackal was as significant to the speaker as dust under an old desk. Hearing it, Clawse swallowed again, as, for reasons unclear to him, he had never before been so terrified by anyone's voice just after hearing a few sentences. "You see," the voice went on, but suddenly changed, "Ah, thank you so much! And to what do I owe a cookie, too? Surely, you must be planning on mesmerizing me with your cooking."
Clawse blinked, and he could've sworn that there was a faint laugh in the background.
"Where were we… Ah,yes! I am terribly sorry, but your business partners have made some moves that got me a bit concerned."
At this point, the beating heart of the jackal almost stopped. He had dealt with violence and threats for almost half of his life. But that last sentence almost made him wet his pants like a little boy.
This voice…
The way the voice spoke, with that unwavering politeness, yet with a skillfully hidden edge beneath it, an edge that promised to be put to use if necessary... Some primal survival instinct suggested that said edge would reach him no matter what. Clawse was ready to swear on anything, to never again 'irritate' that person. He cast a quick glance at the bloodbath on the floor. If this was just his 'concern', then he didn't even dare to think what angering this person would do.
"Now, may I speak to our mutual friend? " This was a question, and yet, it wasn't. It made the jackal blink before his brain caught up with the words. He obediently moved the phone from his ear, though very slowly, and shifted it towards the swordsmammal.
"He- He wants to talk with you," Clawse muttered with dry lips.
An invisible paw plucked the device from him.
"Da?" spoke the Russian sounding voice.
The warm, friendly reply froze the jackal's blood. "Please make sure he understands and head back." The call ended with a click.
A million scenarios flashed through Clawse's mind, his imagination torturing him with images of how the swordsmammal could interpret those words.
The pressure on his throat increased, causing the sharp metal to dig into the gangster's skin. "You understand?"
The jackal nodded as much as the edge at his throat allowed him. A few droplets of the jackal's blood traveled down the blade.
"Say it," the voice from behind commanded.
"I-I understand!" Clawse stuttered, his heart rate bordering on health-threatening levels.
"Good."
The phone appeared before his face, and Clawse understood that he was prompted to take it back. Just as he did that, the pressure was taken away from his throat, and the blade traveled in front of his face and disappeared from his sight.
Right after that, Clawse finally breathed with a bit of ease. His mind was already trying to think on how to cope with such a dangerous opponent. Scheming plans, possible routes-
The jackal heard a silken sound and felt a slight jolt to his torso. As if in a trance, Carmine slowly looked down to see a length of blade, covered in crimson, protruding from his chest. In shock, he wanted to let out some words, but his throat only managed a bloody gurgle.
The blade was pulled back, and Carmine collapsed to his knees. With his waning strength, the jackal was able to half turn and look up.
Before him stood a figure clad in a greyish hoodie with eyes of icy death staring down at him.
With the very last of his life seeping away, Carmine Clawse was the last to die from his organization.
.
.
Nick was, to be fair, in quite the hurry.
After splitting up with Judy to search for the suspects, the fox had one lingering thought in his mind - telling the female he loved that he had lied to her.
The deadline was coming closer, and he still wasn't certain if he was mentally prepared to do it. After all, it was something that could irreversibly damage his relationship with the doe. Still, as much as he dreaded the outcome, he promised Judy the truth…
Therefore, in a time of great moral trouble, Nicholas Wilde did what every grown-up male would do.
He went to consult with his mother.
.
.
As Nick was about to knock on the door to Vivian's apartment, his enhanced hearing picked up a voice coming from inside. A male one. And it sounded…
His heart dropped.
Every fiber of his being started praying that he was wrong, that, for the first time in years, his memory was playing tricks on him. He hurriedly knocked on the door, maybe a bit harder than necessary.
A few moments later, it opened, and he was greeted by the sight of his surprised mother.
"Hey…" he began brilliantly.
"Nicky? I didn't expect you here today. You seem to be dropping by at an increasing rate." She adorned a motherly smile in front of the silent fox. "Do come in! I have a surprise for you!" The vixen grabbed his paw and led him into the apartment.
He followed obediently, with his heart beating madly in his chest. Just as the living room came into his field of vision, one of Nick's worst nightmares appeared right in front him, in the flesh.
"Ah! Good morning, Nicholas." The elderly wolf rose from his seat. "I trust you've been well?"
Nick swallowed behind his mother's back. "Sir…" he managed in a passably polite voice.
Hearing her son's reaction, the vixen turned around with a frown on her face. "I thought you would be happier about meeting Alexander after all these years."
*Why, yes, I am ecstatic to see one of the most dangerous mammals to walk this planet, sipping tea in my mother's apartment.* Nick cursed internally while his brain was busy processing the meaning of the wolf's visit. And he was drawing a blank.
"Mom…" He addressed his parent, putting on the best smile he could muster. "Can I talk with Mr Volkov in the guest room for a moment? Yes, yes, I know, but this is a confidential matter. I may no longer be his employee, but I wish to honor the rules of confidentiality."
Vivian, who was already opening her mouth to comment, simply rolled her eyes with a sigh. "Part of me isn't even that surprised, but go on, don't mind me."
Nick didn't want to treat her this way, but he needed information. He pointed a paw at the doors to the guest room, and Volkov just smiled and headed there. Once they both went in, Nick closed the door behind them, barely stopping himself from slamming them.
The fox immediately went for the main question. "Why are you here... master?" The word at the end was added almost automatically, just as he was taught many years ago. Very thoroughly taught.
"Let's not be so formal, Nicholas. I am not here for business reasons, so if you could cease the hostility..."
"I am not hostile," Nick replied with what he considered a neutral voice.
The wolf let out a sigh. "I'm afraid that your fangs and posture say otherwise."
Nick blinked, surprised by Mr. Pink Plushie's comment. When he checked over himself, he noticed that, indeed, he was unconsciously baring his fangs at the grey mammal. Nick hurriedly shut his mouth, angry at his savage side for making such a display. Knowing the context of the situation, he understood that it was not an aggressive reaction, but a protective one, aimed at the dangerous wolf who got too close to his mother.
"Why are you here?" The fox repeated his question, though now with clenched teeth. In this situation, he didn't fully trust his jaw.
Mr. Pink Plushie gazed at him for a moment before responding. "I will be blunt with you, Nicholas," the wolf folded his paws behind his back, "as such matters should be made clear from the start." He looked Nick straight in the eye, a gaze that the fox recognized as the one the wolf used whenever he was about to declare something serious and of great importance.
"I am in love with your mother."
There are various strange things that one could hear in their life, and hearing the head of an organization of assassins declaring love for one's mother easily made it to top five.
Nick's first reaction was silence, followed by covering his eyes with a paw. "That's… All right, I'd be a complete idiot to not see this coming..." He let out a sigh of defeat, one reserved for mammals who accepted that some things were out of their control.
Mr. Pink Plushie raised his brows. "You're not surprised?"
Nick lowered his paw. "With how you were almost all over each other all those years ago? Hardly. I'm not blind." He raised a finger at the wolf as he was about to speak. "But that doesn't mean I agree with this!" The fox growled at the canine, common sense at scolding a master assassin replaced with protectiveness toward his family.
"Nicholas-"
"I won't allow it!" Nick interrupted him with a raised voice, the concept alone making his savagely enhanced blood boil, interfering with his self-control. "You want to pretend to be an upstanding citizen? She doesn't deserve to live without knowledge about your real-"
Before he could comprehend the hypocrisy of his own words, Nick was cut off by the wolf.
"I will tell her."
Nick froze with a word half-formed in his mouth. It took him two more seconds to speak again. "What?!" he gasped.
"I will tell her everything,," Mr. Pink Plushie replied with patience. "Any questions she will ask, I will do my best to answer, sparing her the disturbing details if possible."
Nick placed his fingertips on his temples and shook his head. "Master, are you insa- She will hate you! She will never forgive you for this!"
The elderly wolf closed his eye and shrugged. "Most likely." He looked at his former employee again. "But I am not going to build our possible relationship on lies, Nicholas. Also..." He took a step forward. "Judging by your reaction, you haven't told her either."
Nick flinched hearing those words. How right and wrong they were at the same time. *And break her heart? She would be crushed, knowing what her own son used to do for a living. You wonder why I haven't told her in all these years?*
The wolf spoke again. "I have made up my mind, Nicholas. It's about time you made yours." Mr. Pink Plushie took a step towards the door.
When Nick saw this, his heart rate jumped up a notch. *Is he- He's not-* The fox leapt forward and blocked the wolf's path. "You can't be serious!" he snarled at the mammal almost twice his size.
Mr. Pink Plushie shook his head. "Nicholas, my boy. It's time for you to stop being a coward. Vivian deserves to hear the truth, whether from my mouth or yours." The wolf took a step forward, boring his gaze into the fox's face. "Or did you plan on keeping her in the dark for the rest of your life?"
Nick gritted his teeth, hell bent on not showing how deeply those words stung him. "I won't let you hurt her!"
The wolf let out a sigh and gazed at the fox with pity. "Nicholas, Nicholas... How naive you still are." He took a step forward. "Truth may be bitter, but it is a far better choice than the cruelty of lies when it comes to relationships. Also," he leaned his head toward the fox, "why are you so insistent on not letting anyone know the truth about you? What are you so afraid of?" Volkov pressured the smaller mammal, locking gazes with him.
This time he scored a point, as Nick's fingers uncurled and he swallowed. It seemed that all the energy the aggressive fox had built so far was now lost, and his body sagged.
"I..." he croaked under the assassin's gaze.
"You think that others will abandon you if they will learn too much about you," the wolf answered for him, making Nick blink.
*That's... true. Those few friends I have now... I don't want them to leave. I don't want Carrots to leave me...* The last thought squeezed his heart with a chilly grasp. What would he do if she'd really leave?
Nick was so focused on his depressing thoughts that he failed to notice when Volkov drew closer. The wolf placed a paw on the younger mammal's shoulder, making him flinch.
"Don't keep your guard up all the time, boy. The mammal who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to such a pass that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect, he ceases to love."
Volkov gave Nick a small smile and supplied it with an inquiring raise of a brow. It was a gesture from 16 years ago, one that Nick had experienced almost daily back then.
The fox's mind turned to autopilot and instantly flipped distant pages in memory to supply the answer for the wolf.
"Brothers Karameowzov," Nick recited from memory, "page 65, line 13, after the second word from the left."
Volkov's smile grew a bit, and he patted Nick on the shoulder. "Very good. Keep that in mind when you'll be searching for that special mammal for yourself - your mate." The master assassin tilted his grey head a bit to the side. "Or perhaps you've already found one?" He asked of the fox, searching his eyes for an answer.
Nick's hustling reactions switched on, and he showed the wolf a lazy smile. "Me? A mate? You're howling at the wrong tree, master."
But Pink Plushie only kept smiling as he trotted towards the door. "You're a tough nut to crack, Nicholas. As usual. However, your mother is a different story."
The temperature of the fox's blood dropped down.
"See," the wolf continued with his back to Nick, "we talked a lot the other day, and I asked how you were doing these days. Eventually, we came to the topic of relationships. You know how older mammals like to gossip about the younger generation. Then I got curious if you had anyone. Your mother, the magnificent female she is, does not offer as much of a challenge in reading her reactions as you do." Volkov turned to the motionless and silent fox. "And even though she refused to talk about this matter, her expressions, her body language said everything about it."
*Bloody hell, mom...*
The wolf's eye narrowed slightly before he carried on. "Which is interesting, because you just denied having anyone. This, again, prompts the question - why?"
Nick struggled internally to remain as expressionless as possible, knowing that his former master was observing him.
"This…" The fox finally spat a word out. "This is my private matter, so-"
"The bunny?" Volkov's question was like a straight punch to the gut. What's more, the wolf knew him too well for Nick to hide his initial shock. The crack in the vulpine's mask was as clear to him as day. "Ahh, seems like we have a winner."
"You- How-" Nick couldn't even utter a proper sentence.
His master tapped his nose with one finger. "Let's just say that some officers try to be too diligent." He folded his arms and leaned back on the closed door. "It would be better, for her own good, if she were to stop sniffing around too much. You know what I mean."
There was a particular part of Nick's mind that snapped after hearing this.
.
.
The door came crashing down when the two mammals fell to the floor with them. Vivian jumped in her seat, a frantic flinch of her arms ripping the newspaper she was reading.
Nick and Volkov rolled on the floor, and the wolf pushed the aggressive fox off him. Nick sprung up to a pouncing stance on all fours, a deep growl rumbling in his throat.
Volkov got to his knees and raised his paws in a gesture of surrender. "Nicholas, I mean no harm." He kept his voice calm to not aggravate the fox any more. Then he noticed Nick's eyes. "Oh, I see now." He nodded. "The Nighthowlers, isn't it?"
"Shut up!" Nick snapped at the wolf, readying himself for an attack. His muscles coiled under his skin and launched the fox at the canine in front of him, arms stretched to reach for the wolf's face with his claws.
However, Nick's savage state of mind regretfully caused him to forget who he was trying to attack. Volkov swiftly snatched both of Nick's wrists in midair. He spun around, turning them into a blurred mixture of grey and orange fur. In a split second Nick found himself on the floor. He was flat on his stomach, Volkov crouching on top of him and holding both of his paws in wrist locks. Even with the pain from the forceful hold, Nick struggled in the wolf's grip.
"What are you doing?!" Vivian's sharp yell made him stop, and he felt the savage side let up a bit. It wasn't that much, but enough for the fox to keep a rein on his boiling blood. Had he not done that, his body would have most likely kept pushing, even if that meant breaking his arms to get free.
The vixen stood right in front of them with a shocked expression, staring at the males with wide eyes.
Volkov cast a glance at Vivian before directing his gaze down at the fox. "What's it gonna be, boy? Me or you?"
The meaning of these words flooded Nick's heart with panic. He struggled again, trying to break free and use his paws to shut the wolf's muzzle. But it was a foolish thought, as his master held him in an expert lock, making full use of his leverage on Nick's arms.
"S-Stop..." the fox croaked.
Vivian's eyes darted from one male to the other. "What-" she rasped before Volkov cut in with a strong voice.
"Vivian. I am sorry, but you deserve to know the truth."
Nick struggled again, but to no avail. "Don't tell her!" he pleaded with his former master, knowing that it was practically pointless.
"I am not just a lawyer, as I have previously told you. For a number of years, I've been working as a hitmammal, a killer for hire, if you will."
"Wha-" The vixen began but stopped abruptly. She shook her head and placed a paw on her forehead. "If this is supposed to some kind of a joke..."
"Seventeen years ago, I met Nick by accident, and it ended with enrolling him for our group, an organization of which I'm the current leader. For a year he worked directly under my supervision."
Nick squeezed his eyes shut, resigning himself to his fate and the inevitable pain and disbelief on his mother's face.
"He wasn't, as we've led you to believe, an office worker. He had a direct impact on many murders committed by our organization. I believe that he kept silent for all these years as he was ashamed of his actions and didn't want to burden you with such knowledge."
Vivian listened to the wolf's words while slowly shaking her head. "No..."
"I'm sorry, but it's the truth, Vivian."
Her eyes focused on her son, asking for an answer, pleading for denial. " Nicky, that's enough of your jokes. I don't know what kind of a game you've pulled Alexander into, but I'm not amused." Her breath became shallower as she spoke. "Nicky?"
The fox did not respond.
"Why?" Vivian's voice was that of someone knowing that their world suddenly crumbled, yet refused to fully believe it. "Why are you not saying anything? I'm still waiting for you to-"
"I'm sorry, mother..." It was the only answer he could muster out of his throat, and his ears hung low in a position that for foxes meant deep shame. His tail lay flat on the floor.
Volkov finally got off the unresisting fox and cautiously approached the vixen. "I am sorry, Vivian. If not for me, your son wouldn't have been dragged into it back then."
The vixen was in clear shock and failed to respond, her eyes fixed on her son. "You... You said that you were going to take care of him..." she muttered more to herself than to him.
Volkov slightly lowered his head. "Yes."
"You told me that he was a 'great help' around the office..."
The wolf closed his eye and lowered his head a bit. "I am sorry."
Even with the fur acting as a thin cushion, the sound of the slap rang loud and clear in the room. Volkov's head jolted to the side from the force of Vivian's strike.
"Get out of my sight..." She ordered with a low voice while looking at the wolf with a blazing glare. The canine assassin brushed the ruffled fur on his cheek with a thumb and turned his head back to the vixen. Nick was worried for a brief moment how he would react, but Volkov just stood in place.
"Vivian-"
"GET OUT!" she screamed, balling her paws into fists, her chest heaving from rapid, angry breaths.