Under the Ice 4 (Zootopia Fanfic)

Story by NeonPinkFeline on SoFurry

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#8 of Fanfic

As the story deepens, there is sinister in the background. Murder and terror begin to take hold. The ZPD now face something worse than just an angry wolfess with a chip on her shoulder. Officer Hopps has blurred the line in the past between police work, and vigilantism. Now she has to step on that line again, deciding how far she can walk on it while still keeping herself on the right side of the law. Mr. Big has more at stake than he is letting on, and Jillian herself has to come to grips with her greatest challenge yet, pregnancy.

Zootopia and all its main characters are property of Disney.

Jason and Ana are (C) to MikeArctic.

Jillian and all other characters now owned by the above mentioned are property of myself.


Jillian was sitting in Mr. Big's office. It was almost midnight, and she was scared out of her mind at what was happening to her. She was quietly thinking over what to tell him. He had to know first. Carl was one of his boys, and that meant this was an in family affair. It was no secret what the wolfess and polar bear did in their private time. Everyone in the underworld that knew her knew that she was with Carl. But this... The group of escorts entering the room broke her thoughts, and she stood from the chair slowly. She swallowed hard as she put a paw over her stomach.

She wanted to puke. Her nerves were so balled up it was making her physically ill to her stomach. The only way to handle this was honesty. She knew that well enough, and knew that Carl's boss would no doubt have solutions for this sort of thing set up. She was surprised, however to not see Carl and his brother in the group. Maybe they were off elsewhere? She let the thought go as she knelt down and kissed Mr. Big's ring softly. He smiled at her, and spoke in his usual soft way.

"Jillian, my child what is it that troubles you? You seem most perturbed. Would you care for a drink?" He snapped his claws, and one of the polar bears moved toward a liquor cabinet. The large male was already opening a bottle when she managed to find her words.

"I'm pregnant..." She blurted it out. She put a paw over her lips as she realized what she had said so casually. All the polar bears stopped dead and turned to look at her. There had been hybrids before, but never something like a wolf and bear mix. Would she be able to carry it to term? What if there were other pups? What about her condition? All of them had a different question going through her mind.

But the vole leaned back in his chair and thought quietly as he rubbed a claw under his chin slowly. He looked her over and took a deep breath. He had half expected this to happen, in all truth. Jillian was so fond of Carl, and he had seen her stealing looks at him whenever he was in the same room as her. The rodent cupped his claws together and smiled at last.

"I see. And you come to me, hoping for help. My child, I can help you. We will have a new apartment purchased for you both. One with a proper room for your child. We will have the doctors on staff notified, and set up a meeting with the other families. This is a joyous day for my boys. No one will harm your child, this is a promise I make to you. I will have Carl come right to you when he returns from the business dealings."

The vole chuckled, seeing her face. She was almost in tears, half terrified and half excited. She was shaking, and he knew she was overcome with emotion. Motioning to one of the bears, he clicked his tongue. The bear immediately brought Jillian's chair to her and helped her to sit. The wolfess had come completely unarmed, as per the agreement with Mr. Big. He was like a father to her, and she respected him in ways that she respected few others.

In Sahara Square, however, a different scene was playing out. Carl and his brother were sitting in a booth in a loud nightclub. The pair were looking at a group of three cheetahs across the table from them. It was a business arrangement. The Sahara Square family needed something Mr. Big had. And in exchange a price would be paid. Cash was the oil that lubricates the wheels of their world, and this was going to be a very well greased deal.

"You got the goods?" one cheetah asked just loud enough to be heard. Carl set the suitcase on the table. He turned it just enough to open it a crack and show the cheetahs the contents. It was a large supply of nip. Prepackaged and ready for street sale, the highest grade the city could offer. The three grinned ear to ear. As they set their own case on the table, Carl pushed his case to them. Carl opened the metal case he was given, looking it over and taking out a thick stack of bills. They were clean, stacked, and as best he could tell they were not in sequence. Nodding to his brother he stood. His brother downed his drink and stood as well. They smiled at the felines and moved to leave.

That was when Carl's brother doubled over, clutching at his chest and gasping. Carl dropped the case and turned to his younger sibling. He had never seen him in distress before. The older bear looked back toward the felines, but they were just smiling at him and then glancing at the case. It was a set up, they had never intended to pay. Carl hefted his brother up and slung an arm over his own shoulder.

"Come on Justin, we can make it to the hospital if we hurry. Don't worry. We'll get the bastard cats..." his words were cut off by the deep and threatening growl that left his brother. Carl looked down just in time to see the eyes of his brother dilate, and the foam forming at the corners of his mouth. He heard screams around him as others were falling victim to the same poison. Carl already knew what it was. It was Night Howler. But he had seen no one with a dart gun. He pushed away from his brother, already knowing what was about to happen, but he was too slow.

He tripped over the case, as he tried to turn. Justin was on him instantly, and that massive paw came down. All five meathook sized claws impaled Carl in the throat. Carl was clutching at his neck, trying to hold it closed, but there was no throat to hold. His body was shaking from blood loss already as he tried to push himself away. The last thing he saw before his eyes rolled back in his head was the massive canines of his brother coming down at his face.

An hour later, it was all over. News crews were starting to show up but were blocked by the police line. Onlookers were trying to figure out what had happened. Victims of the attacks were screaming incoherently as they were rushed out of the building. The afflicted were in a daze, their minds and bodies still coping with the shock to their system. The effects were processed and out of the body in an hour, leaving little trace of it. Justin sat in a corner, sobbing as he rocked back and forth. The police were already inside and all around him. He couldn't escape, nor could he stay. He didn't know what to do. He had just slain his brother, and he knew he did it. He remembered, though only in a foggy way.

His paws and face were covered in blood. No less than a dozen prey and predator were afflicted in this one instance. Justin looked at some of the others still in the club with him. He could hear the police yelling to see paws in the air but he couldn't comprehend what they were asking of him. He covered his face, trying to hide himself from it all. He didn't know how long he sat like that, until he heard the officer in front of him telling him to relax. He looked up slowly, seeing a bunny. Officer Hopps, and right beside her was Wilde. Justin swallowed, but tasted blood. He began to sob loudly as he put his paws back on his face.

The only thing that could be done now was to put the wounded in an ambulance, cover the dead, and begin investigating. It was the arrival of James that made things worse. Justin took one look at him and starting trying to run away. He knew what was going to happen when Jillian found out her brother was still in town. James looked down at Carl's covered body. He knew this was going to absolutely ruin any chance of saving his sister.

Rolling himself back to the mobile command center, he knocked on the door. He looked up at Bogo when he opened the door and shook his head softly. Bogo sighed and put a hoof to his eyes. He rubbed softly before putting his glasses on and looking down at a clipboard. After a moment he spoke.

"I will hold the officers off from her while she sees him in the morgue. After that, we will begin actively trying to arrest her. Your record is good James, and even if she did deserve to do what she did, she still assaulted two officers. She gets 48 hours to turn herself in. After that, an APB goes out on her. Am I clear Howl?" The buffalo said in his usual gravelly tone. James nodded and sighed as he leaned back in his chair.

The wolf rolled to a car and waited to be helped inside. Once inside, he pulled out his cell phone. He looked down at it for a solid two minutes before dialing. The ringing was answered after only three times. He hadn't expected that, and he certainly didn't expect his sister's voice filled with fear. But she was an investigator too. She would have a police scanner, and that would have told her that something nasty happened.

"James... Where is my fiance? Tell me he is alright." James bit his lip and then said the only two words he could think of. He told her he was sorry. She instantly exploded and her screaming sobs filled the speaker. The tiger driving the car looked down at the phone for a moment before pulling over. He reached over and put a heavy paw on James' shoulder. James gave him the phone with a nod.

"Miss. This is Officer Bellino. I'm your brother's escort. He is unable to talk further at the moment, but I can try to answer your questions. Is there anything I can tell you?" He listened patiently as the sobbing wolfess screamed obscenities into the phone about his parents and ancestors. He half expected these reactions given whom they were dealing with. What he didn't expect was for her to scream at him that she was pregnant. He looked down at the phone and then at James. James looked up at him, clearly able to hear the screaming even without the speaker phone being on.

James snatched the phone away and yelled at it. "What do you mean you are pregnant?! Is it Carl's? Did he hurt you?!" he yelled frantically, but the tiger snatched it back away. He took a deep breath, and put the phone to his ear. The sobbing was gone, and all he heard was the quiet sounds of her breathing. She muttered something to someone else, and then spoke into the phone. Her tone was dangerous, and her words made his fur stand on end. His tail went rigid as he realized what she meant, but not who it was meant to be about.

"It's open season. The huntress is stalking... be wary little lamb, for I am coming." The line suddenly went dead. He hit redial, but it said the line was disconnected. He looked at James, whom was whiter than usual.

"Drive! Get me to dad! Now!" James suddenly screamed, and the tiger sped off. James snatched up the radio and yelled into it. "All units in Sahara Square near the hotel across from precinct 4, I need any officer to get into the hotel and secure Mr. Howl! Jillian is on the move, and assumed to be heading there now. I repeat, get officers in that hotel now!" Dropping the radio he grabbed Bellino by the arm and gripped hard, "Drive faster!"

The tiger was not going to argue with the wolf and turned on the strobes. Flooring it, he grabbed the hand break and whipped the wheel hard around a corner. Jacking the break he slid around the turn and gunned it. The cruiser whipped through traffic with the speed of a charging rhino, crossing into oncoming traffic at times before screeching around another corner. Finally it slid to a stop in front of the hotel, with no less than six others. Bogo was calling over the radio for a report and demanding that someone tell him what was happening. James threw himself out of the car, and was crawling before Bellino snatched him up.

The pair were up the stairs as fast as the tiger could run, hitting each floor with the speed born of panic. Finally they reached the top floor and burst into the hall. Officers were already swarmed around the room, and Mr. Howl was in the hall being pulled along. James breathed a soft sigh, seeing his father was alright. As they were being taken down to the entrance, Bogo was yelling furiously into the radio that he would have James' tail in a knot for this. Officers around them were a bit confused, and nervous. The night was still young and already one incident had put them on edge. Now there was mention of a wolfess hunting other mammals. They were perturbed, and most were looking around nervously.

James picked up a nearby radio from an officer's belt and spoke to Bogo. "Sir, we just spoke to my sister. She threatened violence, she knows I'm here and she knows my father is here. She said she was hunting. There isn't any whale here in Zootopia, so the only thing she can hunt for, is other mammals."

"James I swear to all that grows under the sun, I will headbutt you into next month if you don't shut your trap and tell me why you have half the Sahara Square officers going to pick up your father!" Bogo was angry, and he was likely going to make an example of James the moment he got there.

James was about to answer back when the impact sprayed blood all over him. Half a second later the sound of the rifle boomed from high up. The cheetah officer fell next to James, a gaping hole in his chest that showed his organs and bones showed just how powerful the gun was. Someone screamed sniper and everyone dove for cover. James pushed his father toward Bellino's squad car, yelling at him to just go.

Bellino grabbed the old wolf and pulled him to the car. Once they were gone, James crawled under another car and took a deep breath. He was unarmed, and had no armor on. Not that it would matter. The cheetah had been wearing a light body vest and that round tore through it like it were paper. Minutes passed, before anyone dared to get up. Bogo called over the radio that he was coming in, and would be bringing assistance from City Center. James relaxed himself, forcing himself to breath slowly.

This was an old game to him. They played the same game back home, hunting whale. They scared the whale, and then waited for it feel like it was safe to come up for air. By then it would be exhausted and completely out of breath. This meant they could get a better shot on it. James canted an ear up, listening to the heavy thuck-thuck sound of helicopter rotor blades filling the air.

As the chopper got overhead, James slowly poked his head out. With a chopper in the air, there was no way that a sniper could get a decent shot off and not be spotted. Other officers began to come out, some with their weapons drawn, while others were more concerned with getting into a better covered position.

As James crawled to the downed officer, he noticed something. The round had torn through his armor, his uniform, and sent bone fragments flying, but had not made it all the way through the body. It was still lodged inside the officer. It was a hardened jacket round with a hollow tip. It was designed to mash out, but not completely. This meant it tore a big whole in it's target, but maintained enough speed to dig in deep. It was a round meant to do a lot of damage to a big creature. He had only seen them used against Orca or perhaps Beluga whales. They were hard to find rounds, even for those that used them regularly.

He knew the officer was dead already, nothing took a hit like that and lived. He waited for another officer to help him get up, and into a chair where he could sort out what he knew. James had borrowed a notepad from another officer and was scribbling notes down as fast as he could. But his paws were shaking and he had to keep scratching out some words to rewrite them better. Bogo approached him slowly, with a very displeased look on his face. The buffalo stood over the paralyzed wolf for a moment before grunting to announce his presence.

"Large caliber, hardened jacket hollow point. Specialty round, not found in Zootopia. I've only ever seen them in our home village. We used them for hunting whale. The shot completely obliterated his light armor sir. That means that it is a high powered rifle, but it was far enough away that it did not exit his body. One shot was fired. Then the sniper retreated. They would have to have been high up enough that seeing us was easy, but being seen was hard. Also the echo was distorted by the winds from around the buildings. We are close to the border wall with Tundra Town. Meaning that they likely fled there to avoid being detected by the approaching chopper." The wolf held up his notebook, detailing possible shooting situations and equations on how the bullet would have traveled and still had lethal force.

Bogo took the notebook and looked it over. Nodding softly he passed it over to an officer working to collect evidence. "You better have a good explanation. You called for officers, and no sooner did they arrive than one of them was murdered in cold blood."

"Sir... My sister said it was open season. She meant something by that. I assumed she meant her family. My father and myself. My sister has always been methodical. She has a reason for everything she does. If she shot him, she meant to hit him on purpose. And she meant to kill him. That was a heart shot, and it was aimed specifically at him. He was here when we arrived, and he was dead very soon after we came back outside with my father. IF she did that, my sister did that for a reason. I suggest we need to look into him. Find out if he had some connection to what happened to Carl."

"Are you accusing one of MY officers of being corrupt?" Bogo's voice flared with indignation. He was furious that something was even suggested. If the wolf wasn't already crippled, he would break his spine.

"Not that sir. I am saying that he might have been involved with a case that led up to this. Maybe he knew the perp at the club and helped get him an easier sentence. Or maybe he missed a piece of paperwork that led to the guy getting back out on the street. Anything, even a tiny thing can mean a lot to my sister. She's just as good as any officer here at digging up facts. And she can likely spot clues where we can't. All I am saying sir is that there is more than just coincidence here!" James panted softly, before wincing and putting a paw on his back. It hurt again, and he needed to relax. Bogo knelt down and put a hoof on the wolf's shoulder.

"She's your family. Believe me, I know how you feel. You want to protect her from herself. I was in your same spot once upon a time. I tried to help someone close to me, and it cost me a lot. They hurt a lot of good people because of me. And in the end I had to put them away for a very long time. You think I want her dead? No, I don't want any mammal to die. But she has to be stopped. So please, let us do our job Detective Howl."

That was the first time anyone had referred to James by his actual rank. James looked at the buffalo and saw a hint of pain and regret there. After a moment he nodded softly and leaned back in his chair. "Thank you. Now, I'll have an officer catch you up with your father. After that we can move you both to a secure location. We will need your help to bring your sister in after all."

As James rode in the car, he looked at the officer driving, and sighed. He wanted to call his sister, to ask her what she was thinking doing this. He wanted to beg her forgiveness for everything, but that would be a waste. Wounded animals had their own sense of justice. The ride was giving him a chance to think at least. The rifle used would similar to the one Jillian had bought years ago, but it bugged him that she got into position and lined up a shot that fast. Professional snipers were not that good, and Jillian was not a professional sniper.

As they drove, he glanced in the mirror and noticed a particular car. A car built for the cold of Tundra Town. It was jacked up, with heavy duty tires. He felt a cold chill run up his back as he swallowed softly. It seemed the officer driving noticed as well, as he took a turn and began to speed up. The car kept behind them, keeping an even pace so that it stayed a little over a car length behind. As the officer reached for the radio, James watched the car.

"This is unit 24. I have James in the car, we were enroute to the safe house when we noticed we have a tail. Please advise." He continued to drive, keeping a winding path to nowhere as he took a deep breath. The radio was silent for a moment before he tried again. "This is unit 24. I have Detective James in the car, and we were enroute to the safe house. We have diverted course because we have a tail. Please advise." Again, his message was met with silence. James began to get nervous. He reached up, grabbing the tactical tranquilizer from the gun rack. He checked the magazine before chambering the first round.

"Pull over so I can talk to my brother," the radio said suddenly. James stared at the radio in fear. The officer glanced at him, before responding slowly as he sped up a little more. The heavy engine was capable of high speed, but the car behind them was just as powerful if the rumbling of it's engine could be heard this far ahead.

"That isn't going to happen. It is a serious crime to interfere with police radio signals." He set the radio down, reaching to his holster and pulling out his own tranq pistol. He held it to James, who made sure it was loaded. Then he took it back and set it in his lap.

"I'm being polite right now. I could have run you both off the road and killed you both. I just want a word with him. After that you can take him to the safe house on Dune Ave. The old apartment building you idiots have used for the last three years." The officer looked at the radio in shock. No one was supposed to know about that place but the few officers that worked it. Even Bogo didn't know exactly where it was, just that it was in Sahara Square.

"Pull over. Let me talk to her. Worst case is that she kills me. I've never known my sister to lie, so if she said she just wants to talk, she just wants to talk. This might be the only chance to talk her down." The officer was not so sure. Someone had just murdered another cop in cold blood. She was ruthless, cunning, and desperate at this point. But he was not without his own wits. Turning on his signal, he pulled into a fairly empty parking lot, and then reached over. He took the rifle from James and waited. Jillian pulled up to the passenger side, and the officer took aim. As James rolled down the window, he saw Jillian doing the same.

She didn't look over, just sat there staring at her windshield like it was going to give her answers. She had this look on her face, half crazed and half terrified. She was still crying, James could see the tears on her face. He wanted to go to her and hug her. He wanted to be a proper brother to her. But he knew that he had hurt her too much. She was cold inside now, and what little of her that was left was closed off to them.

"I'm pregnant... Carl's the... He was the father. So I want to know what happened in the club. I heard over the radio it was Night Howler related. Did someone get a pellet gun into the club or was it something else? Justin is in police custody, so I can't ask him," she said finally. James was dumbstruck. His sister was pregnant. He thought she had said she couldn't get pregnant. But it was the officer that spoke first.

"Tell us why you killed Willhelm first. He was a decent guy, never hurt any mammal. He had never drawn his own pistol in the line of duty. So you tell me why he had to die right now or so help me I'm going to shoot you in the side of the head with this thing." Jillian turned to face them and the officer knew instantly. She was not the one that pulled the trigger.

"I'd never kill someone that valuable to the families or myself. He's been selling us information for almost two years. His brother got sick, and we offered him a deal. We would pay for that expensive treatment in exchange for information. Just a heads up about any raids and where they were happening. He did good, and we let him keep his job. Other than that, he was just another badge," she said softly. The officer slowly lowered his rifle, before bringing it back up.

"So why did he have to die?" He snapped. Jillian shrugged, looking at her steering wheel. James could see how hurt she was, and how much she needed help. After a moment he slowly pushed the barrel down, looking at the other officer.

"She doesn't know because it was not something she would have known about. She's an investigator. She digs up dirt, checks things out. She only gets involved with others when it's personal business. Someone else shot Willhelm. We need to find out who."

"Check Sahara family. They had the most dealings with him. They would know who did it if they didn't do it." She said softly. Closing her eyes, she started her engine again. James watched her roll the window up, before the car backed up and pulled away. The officer looked at James and then slowly put the rifle back on the rack. Putting the car back in gear, he pulled out and headed for the safe house. Arriving he found his radio worked again, as it was instantly lit up with officers asking where they had been and why they hadn't answered their radio. As the officer explained, James sat in the seat wondering just what happened.

Elsewhere, in Tundra Town, Judy and Nick were driving toward Mr. Big's house. It was almost two in the morning now. The club incident had brought in all the officers of the ZPD. The morning news would cause panic, and they had to minimize that panic as much as possible. Nick looked at the big house as they pulled up to the gate. They were met by Kevin and Reymond. The pair were none too pleased to see cops at their door. However, as Judy got out she looked at them in concern.

"We need to see him. The radio is calling for Jillian to be arrested for murdering an officer. Please, we need to see Mr. Big." The bears looked at each other a moment before Kevin pulled out a radio and called to the house. There was a pause before they motioned Hopps and Wilde to follow them. Walking to the house, the group were silent. Judy was scribbling down notes and questions in her book. Nick was watching the bigger mammals around himself, well aware that this far from backup they were history if things went south.

Arriving, they were met at the door by Big himself, with his usual escort. The vole was very upset and made it known as he motioned them to follow inside. They came to a study, and there he motioned the bear near the cabinet to fix the officers a drink. Judy passed on habit, but Nick took it. Taking a sip, he watched the group as Judy laid down what was happening.

"Mr. Big, please help us. Jillian is accused of a murder there is no way she committed. There is simply no way for her to get from her apartment, to Sahara Square that fast. Let alone, get in a position to get a kill shot like that. There has to be something you can tell us." The rabbit was looking at him hopefully, her nose twitching as she licked her dry lips.

"My dear Judy, she was not at her apartment. She was here with us. We were discussing her pregnancy and getting her a new apartment. She was planning to inform Carl when he came back tonight after his visit to the club with his brother. I know she did not fire the shot, because she only left the house half an hour ago." He leaned closer to her and pat her paw softly. "I can provide you the security footage as proof."

Judy let out a sigh of relief, sinking into the chair and bowing her head. She whispered a praising thank you to the vole before looking back up at him with her violet eyes. Reaching to her radio, she called to the station. "ZPD HQ. This is officer Hopps and Wilde. Following a lead on the Jillian Howl case, we came across a location she was visiting in connection to her job as a Private Investigator. They have video footage of her on premises at the time of the shooting. We are bringing that footage into the station momentarily."

Setting her radio down, she looked back at Mr. Big with a soft smile. "Is there anything I can do to repay you?" she asked softly. He sighed softly and put a claw on his face. There was something worrying him.

"Yes. If you can find her, please tell her to come back home. She is not in her right mind. A pregnant woman can make horrible mistakes in her grief. She needs rest and to be protected. If you can give her that message, I would be eternally grateful," he said softly. Judy gasped softly, as Nick sputtered his drink. He was looking at Mr. Big now with a bit of surprise. The fox's tail was bristled in shock, as was Judy's.

As the pair were escorted back to their car, Judy was muttering as she went over her notes and revisions. She needed to be sure she had everything. Nick was looking at the CD in his paws. It was a complete copy of the events in the lounge when Jillian arrived to the point when she left. As they clambered up into their squad car, Nick set the CD in the glove box.

"If she is innocent, we have to get Bogo to pull the pressure off her," he said suddenly. "She's a single mother to be now. Last thing the ZPD needs is to be seen as abusing a wounded and sickly wolfess when she is pregnant."

Judy looked at him, knowing her partner well. She was seeing past that facade to the fact of what he was saying. He was partial to single parents. His own mother raised him alone, and that had hurt the fox. He had no father figure to look up too. And now that Jillian was looking at the same life ahead of her, he was starting to get personal with the case. She looked toward the road as she pulled back out and drove slowly back toward City Center.

Their trip was in silence, just listening to the radio reports. Every so often, they would hear about one of the victims or one of the afflicted being in the hospital or having complications. The death toll was already near thirty. Judy took a deep breath, and slowly let it out. She had to hold on, just hold on until the end of shift. Then she could let it out.

Pulling into the parking lot, she backed into their parking space and exited the cruiser. Nick grabbed the CD, and followed right behind her. As they entered the station, Bogo was waiting for them. He motioned them to follow and moved to the video room. Jason and Ana were already there.

"Hopps, Wilde. You know our newest team. They work Tundra Town and investigate things that are more obscure. They have the Jillian Howl case. If this video is authentic, and proves she was nowhere near there at the time of the incident in question, we can pull back a bit of pressure. But by no means is she off the hook. She has other charges resting on her. However, the DA is willing to work with her if she gives us something to work with," he said as he put the disk into the player.

As the screen lit up, they watched Jillian come in, and Jason reached for the remote. Turning up the volume he leaned in a bit and listed to the conversation. Bogo raised an eyebrow as it was revealed Jillian was pregnant with a hybrid baby with the polar bear. Jason was watching her body movements and Ana was listening to her tones. They were reading her, looking for signs that could tell them things her words could not.

Finally, Jason leaned back and spoke softly, "She's definitely pregnant. But her body language reads like a terrified mammal. She feels like she is being hunted, and something is making her very uneasy. Notice the posture of her tail and ears. She isn't paying attention to anyone in front of her. Her ears are pointed to the sides, but her tail is upright and twitching. She's watching for threats from the sides and back."

"She's also starting to use smaller words. Something has affected her enough that she is unconsciously devoting brain power to searching out threats. It's not just being pregnant. Whoever these people are, she trusts them. Likely some of her associates. Her case file noted she was in with the crime families yes? This wouldn't be Mr. Big's house would it?" Ana asked. Judy only nodded at that.

"That might make more sense. Her fiance Carl was a bouncer for Big. That means that the wolfess is in good paws here. If I didn't know any better, I would say she is having a panic attack, or she ate a little bit of a Night Howler flower." Judy leaned back in her seat, watching the vid play. The time stamp showed her leaving after the message about the night club came in.

"Mr. Big's house is on the far end of Tundra Town. Over two and half miles from the border with Sahara Square. Given that, and the speed at which she left the place, she would likely have had to make it there in about two minutes to still have time to climb the stairs to a shooting position in any high enough building. Then lineup her shot, take it, and then leave. All without being seen by anyone. Add to that..." Jason's words were cut off as his phone began to ring. Answering it he put it on speaker. "This is Jason."

"It's James. Just spoke to my sister. She said Willhelm was an informant for the crime rings. Even supposing that was true, she wouldn't have taken out a valuable resource without cause. No one suspected him, so he was still useful. That means someone else shot him."

As the wolf paused to catch his breath, Bogo grumbled under his own. He didn't like accusations about his officers, especially the ones that had perfectly clean records like the cheetah in question. Letting out a sigh, he held his peace and just listened.

"Also we have confirmation from the crime scene investigation. They found Night Howler essence in no less than fifteen glasses. And another positive for it in the ice machine behind the back bar. The stuff is in the water filter for the bar. Whoever did this, spiked the drinks through the ice and began to poison mammals more directly. But the effects are diluted and pass through the body rapidly. It takes about twenty minutes before it wears off. However..." the wolf paused.

"Go on James. We're listening." Jason said. He picked up on the tone and knew something nasty was coming. Ana did as well and motioned Judy to get her notebook out. The rabbit was the fastest writer in the room, and she began taking notes. Nick leaned closer, wanting to hear it.

"All those afflicted remember what they did. This isn't like a normal savage turning. They were in control just enough to remember and retain that memory. Their bodies acted on instinct alone. Most of the prey that were affected escaped without injury, waking up or coming around blocks away. A few were found stumbling around the streets and picked up by police as intoxicated. Might need to have all the intoxicated mammals from Sahara Square tested to make sure they weren't drugged. The predators are suffering from mental trauma. Some remember trying to fight, resist mauling their friends. Others only remember trying to sniff out something to eat in the garbage bins. The big polar bear is the worst. He keeps raving about murdering his own brother. I assume he means Carl, yes?" Ana nodded and Justin confirmed.

"That's what I was afraid of. Jillian is going to go apeshit when she finds out her fiance was killed by his own brother. I don't think he is in any danger from her. But he might be a danger to himself. I suggest suicide watch and keeping him sedated until further notice. As well, I don't think she is going to go after me or dad. I think she might just go into hiding for a while," James said slowly.

"We should be so lucky..." Bogo said softly. "James, listen to me. You continue to piece together what happened at the nightclub and see if it was aimed at Carl and his brother or not. If it was, we have to act. It was not aimed specifically at them then we have something far worse on our hooves here. We have a terrorist attack on Zootopia and we will need to make a response." James acknowledged and ended the call.

Jason looked to Judy, whom was scribbling notations in her book now. Bogo arched and eyebrow as he moved over and looked down at her notes. She was writing a mile a minute, trying to find connections with their limited information. Bogo had learned not to underestimate her ability to find a connection to something. He was watching as she began to get frantic, her writing becoming near scribbles in shorthand as she was trying to find something, anything.

"Hopps," he finally said after a moment. Nick reached over and nudged her, which got her to look up. She looked right at Bogo and then stood up on the chair. Taking a moment to breathe deeply, she calmed herself as best she could and looked Bogo in the eye. Everyone could tell there was something on her mind and it was not going to be pleasant.

"Sir... this may have been an act of terrorism. An act by a group or even just a couple mammals. It was aimed to cause panic, and it certainly did. Until we have the footage recovered from the remains of the security room at the club, we can't say for certain. Here in a couple hours the morning news will report on the incident and we need to have a press release ready. We need to make a statement, and inform the public. We need to know even the tiniest detail. How did they get into the back of the bar? How did this product come to be? And most importantly, will it happen again?" She said. Bogo rubbed his chin and nodded.

"Indeed. Hopps, you and Wilde go home and get some shut eye. Report back here this evening. After that you will be working with James on the club incident. Jason, Ana... get some shut eye as well. You both need it. Now then, I have to get home to my wife and let her know why I rushed out of the house in my underwear and got dressed on the drive to the scene."

As the group departed, Judy walked beside Nick. His place was on the other end of town, and would he an hour by bus for him to get home. She took his paw in hers and asked if he wanted to crash at her apartment. He looked down to tell her no, but the look on her face made him shut up and just nod. As they moved for the bus stop, Jason and Ana went to their car. Their drive home was in silence as each was lost in their thoughts. It was with that same silence that they headed to their separate beds. They were partners, and roommates. Which made it very easy to share work and notes all the time.

Jason was looking at the ceiling as he lay on the bed. The wind howled outside his window, and he looked over at it. He knew that look on Jillian's face from the video. He had once had that same look on his face ages ago. He had crossed the line into a feral savage once, when he was a cub.

He was seeing that in her now. But what could have caused it. She was not isolated, and certainly pregnancy was common enough today that no mammal went savage from it. The only explanation he could think up was that it was something to do with her condition. Her medication helped keep it at bay, but it also seemed to make her more aggressive. As he was drifting off to sleep, he let it slide form his mind. He needed a few moments of peace.

To Be Continued