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Chapter Twenty-one: The Last Mile

"Breathe! Breathe!" a dull voice echoed in the darkness.

Dawn felt a sudden pressure on her chest, before feeling a rush of air enter her lungs. The tingle of the air sent a jolt through her. Her eyes flying open in shock before her brain registered the burning sensation in her chest. Pushing the grey blurry shape looming over her out of the way, the ewe shot straight up emitting several horrible hacking coughs. She could feel the stinging as water sprayed out of her throat, the impulse to retch now fighting it out with the desperate need to inhale.

"Dawn! You're alright!" The voice cried.

As the last of the water made its way out of her lungs, the fog of unconscious began to lift from her mind. She didn't know where she was, all she could make out was a sea of blurry greens and blues. Placing her shaky hooves to her face, the ewe began to feel around for her glasses.

"What's wrong?"

Dawn turned to stare at the grey blur that was sitting next to her. Now awake and alert, the voice was instantly recognizable.

"Judy?" Dawn let out another cough.

"Yes Dawn, it's me." Judy's voice was low.

For a moment the ewe was confused by the rabbit's presence. Why was Judy there? It only took her a moment for the rest of the memories to come flooding back to the ewe. Getting into the squad car, the bright lights, the spinning, going over the falls, Vernon. Dawn froze at the thought of the wolf.

"Vernon." She mumbled.

"VERNON!" She jumped to her feet, only to feel the rabbit wrap her arms around her and pull her back low to the ground.

"Shh!" Judy hissed.

"Where's Vernon!?" Dawn pleaded.

"I don't know." The rabbit whispered. "I can't find Nick either." Judy's voice was stern.

"Oh gods." Dawn immediately thought the worst. She could feel the tears welling to the surface as the thought of the Vernon. A new burning, wrenching pain in her chest overshadowing the previous one as she thought of the wolf meeting his demise.

"Shh!" The rabbit responded. "I don't think were alone down here Dawn. We have to keep quiet!" Judy whispered.

Dawn did her best to stifle her tears. But the most she could do was keep it down to a low whimper. This was her ultimate punishment she began to reason. She had found a mammal she truly loved, the one she would want to be with for the rest of her life only to lose him because of her past sins. She had been wrong about the freezer; it was this that was truly the perfect end cap to the Bellwether legacy. The ewe had been spared so that she could suffer the rest of her days without the mammal she loved, without ever telling him how she felt.

"We have to sneak out of here, okay?" Judy said quietly.

"B-But I can't s-see." Dawn sniffled.

"It's okay, grab my paw..." Judy replied.

Dawn saw a paw outstretch from the blurry blob of a rabbit, and grabbed it with a trembling hoof. Judy lifted her until they were both in a crouched position.

"W-what about N-Nick and V-"

"I'm sure they're okay." Judy mumbled. "Nick will lead him out of here and we'll find each other, I'm sure of it." Judy's words were firm, but the ewe could hear her voice falter slightly. It was clear even Judy wasn't entirely sure of the fate of the mammals.

Dawn reluctantly followed as she felt Judy tug her along, the world still a swirling blur of colors as they moved. Dawn silently cursed never having invested in contact lenses. The rabbit was slowly creeping along, trying to make her steps as quiet as possible. After a few feet, the blur that was Judy stopped the ewe, pressing the two of them against a nearby tree.

"What!?" Dawn hissed.

The rabbit was silent for a moment, Dawn could see what appeared to be her head disappear around the trunk edge.

"I don't see them along the bank." Judy muttered.

"Who, Vernon or-?"

"Neither Nick, Vernon, or the perps." Judy replied. " I can still see the edge of the cruiser sticking out of the river bottom."

"Are they in there?" Dawn whispered, her voice trembling.

Judy turned back to Dawn, getting her face close enough for Dawn to be able to make out the basic expressions of worry.

"I was thrown out of the car on the way down." Judy sighed. "When I swam back into it Nick was gone."

"What about Vernon?" Dawn asked, tapping her hooves together nervously.

"He was balled around you in the back seat." Judy sounded uneasy. "You were both out cold, and I could only take you one at a time."

"Y-you don't mean." Dawn felt a fresh rise of hot tears well up to the surface.

"No, no shh!" The rabbit placed a finger to Dawn's lips.

"Once I had you on the bank I went back for him, but he was gone." The rabbit seemed to nod briskly. "They both have to be alive Dawn."

The tears continued to stream, but Dawn felt a great deal of weight lift off of her. She smiled weakly, stifling a choking sob.

"Vernon's alive?" She whispered.

"Yeah, but I'm just worried that we aren't the only one looking for them..." Judy's head dipped. "Or that they've already been found."

"BELLWETHER!" With the sudden shout, the rabbits arm slammed the ewe back against the tree hard. She nearly let out a painful gasp only to find Judy's paw covering her mouth. The rabbit was also tight against the tree trunk, trying to keep the pair from being seen by the unknown assailant.

"WE KNOW YOU'RE OUT THERE BELLWETHER!" The voice bellowed. "AND THE RABBIT!"

Dawn looked at Judy in terror. She could see the rabbit's eyes were open wide, and could feel Judy's heartbeat thumping hard through her arm that was so tightly clasped against her.

"What do we do?" Dawn whispered.

"Stay quiet." Judy said. "We need to keep him talking, that way we can figure out where he is and head far away from there. Got it?" The rabbit's face was in Dawn's again, eyes searching for an affirmation.

"B-but" Dawn uttered.

"DAWN BELLWETHER!" The voice cried out again.

"Trust me, we need to wait for back-up." Judy's tone was sharp and serious. "We can't confront them without help. I'm sure Vernon and Nick are hiding too."

Dawn nodded reluctantly.

"DAWWWNIE BELLWETHER!" The voice was chiding now. "DAWNIE, DAWNIE, DAWN BELLWETHER!" It continued.

Dawn could feel her own heart beating hard and fast. The voice almost sounded like it was coming from all sides, and she was filled with the deep desire to turn tail and run for the hills. She wondered if this was what the prey mammals of old felt like when the were being stalked by an apex predator. Unable to move, brain paralyzed with a myriad of conflicting thoughts.

"FINE!" The voice bellowed "I CAN SEE YOU DON'T WANT TO COME ALONG THE EASY WAY."

"SO HOW BOUT WE RAISE THE STAKES A BIT DAWNIE!" The voice let out a chuckle. "I"M SURE YOUR LITTLE RABBIT FRIEND WILL WANT TO HEAR THIS ONE TOO!"

Dawn glanced at Judy. From what she could see the rabbit's face was still stern and serious, but the thumping felt through her arm continued to rise in tempo.

"SEE WE GOT YOUR LITTLE PETS HERE!" The voice called out.

Dawn felt her stomach turn, inadvertently grabbing Judy's arm tightly in response. Staring directly into the rabbits eyes, the ewe shook as she tried to speak.

"T-they, Th-hey, T-T-they." Dawn stuttered.

"I heard him." Judy remained cool.

"BOTH OF 'EM LOOK LIKE HELL, OF COURSE MOST PREDS LOOK LIKE TRASH TO ME."

Dawn's eyes were pleading, begging Judy to do something. The rabbit cursed under her breath.

"YOU'RE BLUFFING!" Judy suddenly spat, shocking the ewe.

The jungle fell silent, save for the thundering sound of the nearby falls. Dawn clutched Judy's arm tighter as she prayed the rabbit's intuition was right. After what seemed like an eternity, she managed to make out the sound of a scuffle before they received an answer.

"SAY SOMETHIN' BOY!" The voice hissed.

There was another brief silence, before the sound of a harsh crack echoed through the wood.

"I SAID TALK!"

"DAWN!"

The ewe froze. It was Vernon's voice, there was no doubt about it. She tried to speak, but her heart had risen into her throat.

"I-I'M SORRY I-"

"THAT'S ENOUGH OUT OF YOU." The voice snarled.

There was another slight scuffling noise.

"AND JUST SO OFFICER BUN-BUN DOESN'T FEEL LEFT OUT...SAY SOMETHING SHIFTY!" The voice roared.

"CARROTS, WE'RE FINE! DON'T DO ANYTHI-"

Another crack whipped across the moist jungle air. But Dawn had barely registered it, as it had been deafened by Judy's own heartbeat. She felt the rabbit's entire body tense as soon as she had heard the fox.

"YOU AREN'T IN THE POSITION TO BE ISSUING ORDERS RED!" The voice spat.

The scene fell silent again, save for another brief scuffle.

"NOW I'M SURE YOU ARE BOTH TRYING TO WAIT OUT THE ZPD..." The voice continued. "BUT I'M AFRAID WE CAN'T ALLOW THEM TO SPOIL OUR LITTLE PARTY, SO YOU GALS DON'T HAVE A LOT OF TIME TO MAKE A CALL HERE."

"WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING!?" Judy yelled, her voice faltering slightly.

"OH NO, NO, I CAN'T TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE PLANNING FOR LATER!" The voice teased. "BUT I CAN TELL YOU WHAT WE'RE PLANNING RIGHT NOW!"

A sudden dull shot echoed across the jungle, causing the ewe to jump. It had sounded like gunfire, but not quite right. It was a lighter, more wispy sound.

"IF YOU GALS DON'T COME OUT, WE'LL SHOOT UP THESE FELLAS WITH SOME GOOD OLD FASHIONED NIGHT HOWLER!" The voice bellowed.

"Sweet cheese and crackers!" The rabbit hissed under her breath. Dawn felt as if she were going to faint. Her knees buckled and she slid down the tree trunk only to have the rabbit yank her back up.

"WE FIGURE WE'LL LET 'EM GO AT IT FOR A WHILE. SEE WHO WINS!" The voice continued to mock.

"SEE THE BOYS THINK THE BIG GUY OVER HERE RIP THAT FOX TO BITS REAL EASY, BUT I THINK THE RED LOOKS PRETTY SCRAPPY! I THINK HE'S GOT A REAL SHOT!" The voice let out a cackle.

Dawn looked at Judy with tears in her eyes. They had to do something, anything to save them.

"J-Judy..." Dawn whimpered.

"YOU BASTARDS!" The rabbit spat. "YOU WOULDN'T DARE!" Her voice was filled with bile.

Dawn desperately clutched at Judy, trying to stop her from further agitating the rams.

"NOW MISS HOPPS, YOU KNOW WE WOULD. YOU SAW WHAT HAPPENED AT THOSE BUG BURGAS. FAR AS I'M CONCERNED TWO MORE PREDS OFF THE STREET IS PRACTICALLY COMMUNITY SERVICE!" The voice let out another cackle.

"JUDY!" Dawn yelped. "PLEASE!"

She could hear the rabbit let out a sigh, her ears drooping as she leaned her head against the tree and stared up at the sky.

"Damn..." She whispered.

Dawn felt the rabbit tug her forward, bringing them both out into the open. Judy raised Dawn's hoof into the air, and Dawn proceeded to raise her other arm in surrender. She couldn't fully make out the rams, but she could see the large blur that made up their group.

"There, now was that so hard?" The ram laughed.

"Warden Wooligan?" Judy hissed. "What, are all of Zootopia's wardens in on this?"

"Not necessarily wardens, but we are working with a lot of mammal's in high places." Wooligan responded.

Dawn could see blurry forms approach the pair, and soon she felt her hooves being clasped behind her back by force. The ram began to push her toward Wooligan's group. Dawn turned to look at Judy, who was being pushed along side her. Her ears were sagging as the trudged along.

"DAWN! I"

Wooligan seemed to move quickly, and with a crack the shape on the ground slumped over as the ram made contact with it. The yelp of pain was instantly recognizable as Vernon's. Dawn struggled against her restraints and gritted her teeth at the sound of his pain.

"DON'T HURT HIM!" She yelped.

Wooligan's form became clear as it marched up to her. He reached up and clasped her muzzle with his hoof, squeezing it harshly.

"Wow Dawn, were you rehabilitated or brainwashed?" The warden cackled. "Sympathy for a lowly mutt. Maybe you aren't salvageable." Wooligan sneered.

"Just don't..." She wept. "Take me instead." She began to sob. "L-let them go and t-take me. That's w-who you want."

The ram released her face harshly, pushing her away as he broke his grasp.

"Get them in the truck." He sneered.

Dawn struggled as the ram began to drag her away. She could see the other shapes moving as well, Woolgian's form in particular picking up the grey mass she had identified as Vernon.

"LET THEM GO! LET THEM G-" She felt her body jerk backward as the ram threw her into a dark container, knocking the air out of her as she hit the floor of the truck bed. As she lay trying to catch her breath, she could hear others being pushed into the same dark space around her.

"THE ZPD WILL BE LOOKING FOR U-!"

The room went black as Dawn heard the doors slam shut.

"DAWN!?"

The voice of Vernon rang out in the dark chamber, spurring the lamb to her feet. She desperately pawed at the dark around her.

"VERNON!" She cried. "VERNON, WHERE ARE YOU!? I CAN'T SEE!"

Suddenly the wolf came into full view, along with Judy and Nick who were busy pounding on the sealed off doors behind the wolf. Dawn quickly felt her face to confirm that her glasses were back, however her left lens featured a massive spider crack that traveled across the frame.

"I found them when I was trying to find you. I came to in the backseat and you were gone." The wolf whimpered.

It was dark, but now that Dawn had her glasses she could see enough. Looking up she could see the extent of Wooligan's handy work marked by the swollen black eye the wolf was now sporting, but he was still here, still alive. Dawn smiled broadly through her tears.

"OH PUPPY!" Dawn couldn't stop herself from jumping into the wolf's arms, clasping herself tightly around his midsection. She felt the wolf's own paws wrap around her, squeezing almost unbearably tight. As the wolf continued to squeeze, she gently brought a hoof up to the wolf's eye.

"That Dagmuncher." She growled, gently caressing his swollen brow. "I'm so sorry he did that to you." The ewe cooed.

"Ain't my first one..." The wolf muttered. "Although between your slap earlier and that ram's punches I'm starting to learn just how hard hooves are. Felt like getting belted with a mallet." He chuckled through tears of his own.

Dawn felt a sudden jerk travel through the pair as the vehicle started to move. As it eased into a steady motion, the cops seemed to give up on rapping against the door. Nick placed his paw over his face, looking up at the ceiling as he groaned.

"Well, now we know how Doug escaped OutbackIsland." Nick leaned against the doors, slowly sliding down to the floor.

"Yeah, Wooligan the willing hostage with the keys to the castle. Who knows how long he's had free reign over at the prison." Judy sighed.

Vernon sat down on the floor of the cab, gingerly lowering the ewe next to him.

"They leave any of your gear Judes?" Nick turned to the rabbit.

"Stripped it all, took my belt with them." The rabbit joined the group on the floor, letting out a defeated sigh.

"Damn." Nick growled. "I figured as much."

"So Red." Vernon coughed awkwardly. "Do you guys know what they are planning? Or are you as lost as we are?" Vernon glanced at Dawn, to which the ewe shrugged in response.

The foxed stretched one of his legs and let out a groan.

"Welp Puppy, it's like this." The fox scratched his chin. "We told you about Stoat shipping in Night Howler right?"

Dawn nodded briskly.

"Well this was about two years ago when it started up." The fox sighed. "From what I found out about Stoat, he was a farmer in Howlingrad. At the time I didn't think about it, but when Night Howler came into the picture it all made sense."

"Y'see Stoat was also a notorious counterfeiter, and someone in Zootopia touched base with him with interest in his services. They offered to pay him real money in exchange for his crop and a supply of false cash. Real Zbucks are worth way more over there."

"These crops he was growing, you m-mean to say-" Dawn stuttered, unable to finish the sentence. Nick nodded slowly.

"Yep, Night Howler." The fox rubbed near his bruised eye. "Now that I know two prison wardens were involved, it stands to wager that they swapped the Zbucks that were received from City Hall and the Zootopian taxpayers for prison purposes with the fakes. That explains why we couldn't find a source, we weren't looking high enough."

"They covered their tracks pretty well." Judy added. "They used a fake company name called AD Labs, and only communicated through Stoat. Doug's men were also the only ones to handle the shipments. As far as we can tell even the ship crews didn't know what they were carrying in."

"We're not sure where they've been storing it. But now with the knowledge that Doug has had free reign on OutbackIsland, it could be there. At the very least based on Stoats demise I can wager he had a working lab there." Nick grumbled.

"But where Dawn fits in at this point I'm at a loss." The fox shrugged. "I only know a ram was the one who burned down her apartment, thanks to Carrots." The fox nodded to his partner.

"It's Doug." Dawn piped up. "We-um..." She ewe looked down, her past relationship with Doug filling her with embarrassment. "We were intimate in college." She mumbled.

She felt Vernon's arm gently curl around her shoulder. Gazing up at the wolf, he hadn't even looked at her. The action seemingly involuntary in response to her confession.

"From what Mouflon said, the fire, the Bug Burga attack, even Don was all some sort of maligned attempt to get me to join him." The ewe shuddered.

"The fire I get." The fox muttered. " A scare tactic to make you think the city is out to get you. Who else would you turn to?" Nick chuckled weakly. "But more than one Bug Burga was attacked. Why even waste time hitting the other three if it was just to get to you."

"Vernon!" Judy suddenly interjected. "They wanted to get the wolf right?" Judy asked the ewe.

"Yes!" Dawn stated. "Mouflon said something about removing my emotional supports!" Dawn leaned over to hug the wolf lightly. She felt Vernon tousle the poof of wool in response. " It's one of the reasons why they killed Don too."

"What was the other reason?" Nick asked.

"The ram said Don was hiding where Dawn was living from him, even when they were torturing him he refused to tell." Vernon replied.

"Of course!" Judy hopped up. slamming her fist into her palm. "That's why they had to go after you two at work. They couldn't get you at home!"

"That still doesn't explain why they attacked the other locations, or why they are targeting predator and prey. Not to mention they've been trying to kill Dawn since the Bug Burga attack." Nick shook his head.

"Mouflon said he was going against Doug's orders. That Dawn was too much trouble, and was compromising everything they were planning." Vernon said.

"I guess we should be thankful that Wooligan is following orders, at least so far." Nick chuckled.

"Maybe they were trying to cover up directly targeting Dawn." Judy mused. "If they had successfully killed or captured her, the city would have been quick to blame her for everything." Judy was pacing back and forth. "If they had brought Dawn alive, Doug would have been able to use the city's response as more fuel for the fire."

"Okay but that still leaves us with one burning question Carrots." The fox glanced over at the pacing rabbit.

"What are they planning to do with all that Night Howler?" Judy shot back. The fox simply nodded.

Judy paced for a few more moments, her speed decreasing rapidly before finally coming to a stop. Her ears drooped as she turned back to the group.

"I-" She stuttered. "I don't know." The rabbit turned to face the sealed van doors again. "But whatever it is, it's going to be bad for the whole city."

An uncomfortable silence fell over the group, each of the mammals heads had drooped in response to Judy's dire revelation.

"I suppose..." Vernon muttered. "We'll find out when we get there..." Dawn could see the worry in the wolfs eyes as he glanced at her. She simply leaned into his side in response, trying not to think of the looming danger that awaited them.

The group remained quiet for some time after that, leaving only the droning of tires to fill the vacuum left by the now silent mammals. Nick had tilted his head back toward the ceiling of the car, staring blankly at the dim slit of fading light at the top of the sealed doors. He felt so stupid, so damn stupid for not calling in picking up the duo as soon as they got them in the squad car. He knew it would cost the ZPD precious time in locating the mammals, time he was starting to fear they might not have. But the worst thing was getting caught off guard by those rams.

"I'm sorry Judes..." The fox broke the silence.

"Nick?" Judy responded. The fox continued to stare at the roof.

"I got us caught." He sighed. "When I found Vernon instead of hiding we went looking for you two right away." The fox wrapped his arms around his legs, pulling them into himself.

"I should have known-"

Nick felt a soft punch hit him in the arm. He quickly turned to find Judy flashing him a half smile.

"Oh stop that." Judy chided. Nick rolled his eyes.

"It was a rookie mistake Carrots. I-" He looked back down at his lap. "I let emotion get in the way of the job." He gave a soft chuckle. "Funny huh?"

"Pfft..." Judy laughed. "It's not like I haven't done the same for you Nick Wilde. That's what partners do."

Judy placed a paw on Nick's own, bringing the foxes attention back to the small rabbit. "That's what friends do." She smiled.

Nick returned the smile before turning back to face the rest of the group. He could see that Dawn was still leaning against Vernon, his paw wrapped around her. She was shivering slightly, and the wolf was rubbing her arm to keep her warm. Nick glanced up at the large wolf.

"Hey, Vernon." Nick asked.

"Yeah?" The wolf muttered.

"I uh-" The fox gave an awkward cough. "I'm not trying to offend you or anything. But I have to know." The fox glanced back down at the small ewe.

"What is with you two?" Nick watched the wolf's face scrunch up in confusion. Nick placed his arms up defensively.

"I mean, how did you both end up friends? Really?" The fox eyed him curiously.

Nick saw the wolf let out a heavy sigh, glancing back at the sheep before smiling.

"We were friends when we were kids." He replied.

"You're kidding!" Judy interjected.

"I-It's true." Dawn shuddered. Clearly still feeling the growing chill in the air. "We only knew each other for a little while though..."

The ewe looked down, another chill seeming to travel through her. "B-but my Dad broke it up. Said it wasn't natural."

Nick looked over at Judy. The rabbit was now leaning toward the wolf and lamb, seemingly just as curious as the fox was about the nature of their relationship.

"And what, you two just ran into each other again?" The rabbit queried.

"I just happened to be working at the Bug Burga she got hired on. I didn't even recognize her at first. But after we figured it out it just kinda picked right back up you know?" The wolf replied. "It's like we didn't miss a day."

"Hah." Nick laughed. "It was kinda like that for me and Carrots over there." The fox pointed a claw at his partner. "I mean granted we didn't know each other as kits, but hanging around Judes was just like hanging with an old friend..." The fox smiled. "I mean, when she wasn't blackmailing me."

He watched the rabbits ears perk up, and she turned to give him an annoyed glance.

"It wasn't blackmail!" the rabbit sputtered. She turned to the wolf and ewe, giving them a pleading gesture. "He was a criminal!"

Vernon raised his paws defensively. "Woah, okay." The wolf looked down at the ewe in confusion. "Should I even ask?"

The lamb just shook her head. "Trust me, it's complicated."

Nick couldn't help but let out a laugh in response.

"Hoo boy, yeah it was a real mess. But It was worth it in the end." His grin faltered as the words left his lips. The end, was this really it for them? The car had fallen silent again, and the fox found himself gripping his arms as he began to feel the chill.

"Anyone else getting colder?" Nick asked, clenching his teeth.

"Y-yeah" The ewe replied. "I t-thought it was j-just because my cl-lothes were still drying but it's definitely getting c-colder."

Nick felt Judy lean into him, snuggling up against him aggressively.

"Where are they taking us!?" The rabbit huffed.

Nick draped a paw around the rabbit, taking a page from Vernon and rubbing her arm. "Well let's see, biting cold?" The fox mused. "I'd guess Tundratown."

"As for the why, who knows?" Nick shrugged his shoulders.

The car gave a sudden jerk before coming to a stop, causing the fox to bang his head on the nearby door. He let out a hiss as he rubbed the back of his head.

"OH V-VERNON!" Nick could hear the lamb cry. Turning his attention back to the pair, he could see Dawn was now grasping at the wolf in desperation. The little ewe trembled as she buried herself in the wolf's side. Vernon simply rubbed her back in response.

"We'll be alright Dawn!" The wolf cooed. " We'll make it out of here somehow..." The wolf stared at Nick, a pleading desperation in his eyes. "I promise."

Suddenly Nick felt himself being jerked by the collar, dragged out into the cold evening air. He could hear Dawn screaming as he was restrained and forcibly stood up. It was Tundratown alright, he could see it now. The ice flows of the nearby bay told him it was far north, where even the normally winter suited mammals became scarce.

"GET MOVING FOX!" The voice from behind him shouted, giving Nick a hard shove to the back of the head. The fox stumbled forward, nearly falling to the ground. However, the ram holding his paws kept him from fully falling over. Looking ahead of him he could see the looming structure against the fading sun of the frozen District. It was a factory, long abandoned and left to be buried in the endless snowstorms of Tundratown. It's sign nearly illegible, eaten away by the biting winds.

"Woolery Wine Bottling Plant." The fox muttered. He thought back to the shards of glass found at Dawns apartment fire, and felt a small laugh escape his throat. "Maybe we could have traced the bottle after all." He chuckled. " Making a Molotov with a bottle from a wine company that's been shut down for decades kind of narrows down the suspects hey fellas?' Nick's continued to laugh, almost mockingly now. " How lazy can you boys be? It's like you wanted to get caught!"

Nick winced as a hard whap came down against his scalp.

"SHUT IT SMART MOUTH!" the ram behind him sneered.

With another shove Nick was moving again, shuffling through the snow toward the dilapidated and ice encrusted doors. As they approached, two other rams darted ahead of the group, opening the doors for the oncoming prisoners. As Nick passed through the gate he was bathed in a deep blue iridescent light. It was almost painfully bright, but as the fox's eyes rapidly adjusted it became easy to trace the source. As the fox looked up he could see several large and transparent glass vats, all churning with what he could only assume was night howler. It was clear that the bottling plant was chosen for more than just the distant location.

"Sweet cheese and crackers..." The fox heard from somewhere behind him.

The fox felt the ram give him another strong push, sending him deeper into the factory. He watched even more vats pass him by, the eerie blue-ish glow sending a shiver down his spine. Nick wagered it must have been fairly easy to refurbish the vats into night howler storage containers, and probably allowed whoever was in charge to keep construction costs and suspicion to a minimum. With a few minor adjustments, the large vats could easily contain highly pressurized liquid. But as for the method of delivery, Nick was puzzled. Surely they couldn't use the amount of pellets this much night howler could produce. As the group continued their trudge across the factory, Nick could see a variety of large gas tankers parked in the loading area, plastered with the business logos of several large gas companies from across the Districts.

"Oh gods." He heard Carrots pipe up again. "Nick! They're gonna detonate these trucks all over Zootopia!"

Nick heard Judy yelp under the sound of a particularly loud whack.

"SHUT IT FLOPPY!" Another ram snarled.

Nick bared his teeth and growled, trying to glare at the ram behind him.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size!" Nick snarled.

"Ironic coming from a predator." The ram growled back. "Now KEEP MOVING!"

Nick fell to his knees under the force of the rams push, before being yanked back up by the ram. With another push he was headed forward again. Ahead he could see a separated observation room, it's outer doors and windows seemingly reinforced. Across from that appeared to be a platform with a small control panel. On the other side of the platform sat one of the gas trucks, parked underneath a large crane like injector. It seemed to be modified from the original bottle filling nozzle that must have existed before the plant was taken over. The rubber nozzle was ribbed, seemingly allowing it to expand and contract. As the fox's gaze lingered on the strange platform, the ram behind him pushed his head forward, forcing him to face the observation room again. By now, the rams had opened the reinforced door, and his captor was guiding him inside.

Once inside, Nick was thrust into the nearest chair. The ram held him down as he began to tie his paws behind the back of the seat. Now facing the oncoming group he could finally see the others again. Judy's face was twisted in a silent hatred for the rams around her. He watched her until she was pushed behind him, out of the fox's line of sight.

Next came Vernon, who had simply fallen silent. The wolf looked defeated, unsure of what was going to happen. When he caught Nick's gaze, the wolf seemed to try to feign a look of resolve. But it was clear to Nick it was all an act.

Vernon was seated next to him, to rams doing their best to restrain the large canid. He could hear him let out a sigh as he faced the floor.

Finally Dawn entered, Wooligan restraining her. The wolf next to him suddenly came back to life as Dawn's whimpers began to fill the room.

"Don't you dare hurt her!" The wolf snarled.

Wooligan simply chuckled, leading the lamb out of Nick's line of sight. From what he could tell, she was being tied to the chair behind the large wolf.

"Pfft...that's the last thing we intend on doing mutt." The voice grumbled. "You three on the other hoof..." Wooligan lingered.

"Well, when Doug and the boss get here, they'll decide." Wooligan chuckled.

Nick watched as one of the rams dumped Judy and his belts on a nearby table, his fox spray spilling out of its holster as it hit the desk hard. Nick grumbled under his breath. Out of all the weapons on those belts the duo had, that was probably the only thing that still worked after their little unscheduled dip. All he had to do is figure out a way to get it, and what he could do with it from there.

"In the meantime, my boys here will be keeping an eye on you, making sure you don't wiggle out of those ropes anytime soon." Wooligan began to walk toward the exit door.

"What are you going to do Wooligan!? What is this all for!?" Nick heard Judy yell, her voice laced with pure hatred.

The ram turned back, giving the group an evil smirk. "You'll find out soon enough."

And with that, the ram left the chamber, slamming the door behind him.