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Zootopia by night 3

Taking out a tarnished old brass key the little Fox, shoved it into his mouth and then swallowed hard. The small Fox hurried along the dark old hallway, quickly trying every door he came across. Fear and panic was written all over his pointed vulpine muzzle, things had gotten out of hand far far out of hand. He'd not signed up for this at all, and he'd damn well better get paid a whole hell of a lot more than than normal. _ 'Dammit he was just and informant, he was never supposed to be this close to things.' _ This time it was necessary of course, he could only learn so much from over heard conversations. He'd learned something was going on, he'd heard the time and place. And he'd figured out how to get into the long disused building, what he'd saw still made the fur on the back of his neck stand up. The little Fox's keen ears perked up, he could sense danger closing in around him. Instantly he turned and raced down the dusty dark hallways, the doors he passed along the hallway forgotten for the moment. Getting away from the sense of impending doom he felt all that mattered to the small red Fox at that moment.

If only he could get back to the door, the image of the old gray painted steel door flashed through his head. To get out of this nightmare, he had to get back to it... to escape. The sounds of paw steps coming closer, made the little vulpine run faster down the twisting turning hallways of the old building. All around him was dust and darkness from years of disuse and neglect. The back stairway was cluttered and falling through, but the light Fox was able to slither down it carefully. His spirits rising as he was able to get back onto the floor he needed, he was close so very close now. Soon he'd be out of this nightmare... soon he'd be back on the streets of the city and safe.

The little Fox sprinted across a big open room, ducking into a shadowy hallway. Just as a huge shadow loomed up in the dim light that lit the corridor, it was just a bit farther. The Fox chewed his lower lip in fear and anxiety, and then a sudden wave of relief washed over him as he saw the battered old steel door. His head lifting up as he raced past the looming shadow, the fleeing Fox just caught the blur of movement out of the corner of his eye. And then something huge and hard collided with the back of his neck, there was a loud sickening sounding 'Crack'. And the small Fox's body was lifted off his foot paws, sent hurling across the room it collided with a wall and flopped to the floor like a lifeless ragdoll.

Stalking across the small room, the massive shadow leaned over and picked up the Fox's lifeless body. Shaking it roughly for a moment before, quickly going through the Fox's pockets. However there was nothing there, the larger fur snorted angrily. Before thinking of something else the Fox had he could use... with a nasty snicker the huge fur carried his prize away... He'd make money even on this, if only a fair amount. Some preds like eating other preds that was all, and the money would make up for this little chase.

***

The old Zebra in a wore gray suit pushed open the swinging doors, stepping into the Morgue. If the smell of decay and harsh chemicals bothered him it didn't show on his battered muzzle. Seeing Nick and Judy he trotted over to the table, on the slab was the small form of a Fox. The medical examiner a tired looking Raccoon by the name of Quinby stood across the table from them. "Hi ya Doc." The medical examiner nodded to the Zebra as he strolled up to the table. "Hello Nick... whats this about?" Palmer started to ask and then saw the Fox on the tables muzzle and grunted.

"You know this guy Palmer?" Nick Wilde asked, gesturing needlessly to the body of the dead Fox on the slab. Beside him Judy was looking shocked and grimfaced, this was the first time she had ever been this close to a obviously murdered fur.

Palmer winced and a slight look of saddness slid over his long equine muzzle, before it then fell off the otherside. "Yeah his name is Bernard Fox he's... he was one of my informants, I had him asked qustions about our missing furrless ape." The Zebra confessed, his muzzle going back to a unreadable emotionless mask as he spoke.

"I guess that explains why he had your number in his wallet." Nick grunted looking very sober, this case was proving to be darker than ever he'd expected.

"Yes... I have been expecting to hear from him." Palmer admitted, as he watched Nick reach over and lift a shiny stainless steel pan. Laying inside of it was an old tarnish brass key, Nick pushed the pan into the Zebra's big three fingered hands,

"You ever see that key before?" Nick asked, the old Zebra looked hard at it for a long moment before he answered.

"No... but it looks kind of official... a lot of the older city own buiding used these kind of keys." Palmer grunted, handing the pan back to Nick who sat it down beside the body. "I take it he had it on him when you found him."

"No he had it in him... he'd swallowed it." Doc Quinby explained from across the medical table, the Raccoon was examining a gaping wound in the Fox's crotch.

"That kind of makes sense Bernard use to be a smuggler, he use to swallow small thing and then regurgitate them later." Palmer explained, as he rubbed his soft equine chin thoughtfully. "If something was important and he wanted to hide it..." Palmer looked over at Nick and the wild eyed Judy who was getting exposed to a lot of nasty things in one day. "That key's important Nick... I don't know how yet. But Bernard wouldn't have swallowed it if it weren't important."

"Yeah I guess so." The handsome red Fox agreed, as he glanced down at the dead Vulpine on the slab.

"So how did he die Doc? Bleed out from having his junk cut off like that?" Palmer ask his voice calm and showing only the barest hint of emotion, giving Judy the impression the Zebra was a terrible old mammal.

"No..." The Raccoon asked standing up from his examination of the gaping wounds where the Fox's sexual organs should have hung. "This was done post mortem... he was kill by having his neck broken. Well smashed to be more exact, it looks like it was hit by something very hard and heavy... a sledge hammer perhaps." Doctor Quinby held of a X-ray negitive, showing the bones of the Fox's shattered neck.

"Thanx Doc." Palmer grunted, turning back to Nick who was examining the old brass key more carefully. "Find the lock that key fits Nick. I'm going to go looking into where Bernard here spent his last few hours. Oh and don't forget you've got a meeting later to night with Charn." The old Zebra reminded as he turned, slowly strolling out of the room leaving Nick, Judy and Doctor Quinby alone.

"Alright... well any ideas carrots?" Nick asked, as Doc Quinby walked off to his office without saying another word. The pretty young Rabbit picked up the tarished old key, looking at it closely for a long moment turning it over and over in her paws.

"Well there are some numbers on this. If Palmer's right and this is a key to a old municipal building the numbers may tell us which one." Judy pointed out, as Nick made a disgusted face he hated the idea of looking through dusty old city records. That was just not his idea of exciting police work, smiling Nick looked over at Judy fondly.

"Why don't you do that carrots... I've got a Tiger to brace in his den." Nick chuckled, even as he saw the look of fear and worry in judy's big purple eyes. "Don't worry carrots I'll be careful." The handsome young Fox assured, with a faint smile as he strolled away.

***

The cold rain made the light from the clubs neon drip and run down the outside of the old buildings around it. Nick pulled his coat up a little tighter around his neck, as he hurried across the dark street. Feeling the eye's on him as he strolled into the clubs entrance, a couple of huge predators watched him walking by. Nick was dressed to the nines in his best black suit, strolling in out of the rain he took his hat off. And the cute little Cheetah boy who checked his coat and hat gave him a bored smile and a pouty come hither look. But the Fox ignored it he was here on business not pleasure after all, besides he had a bunny for that kinda thing. Still he did like to know who was available, it was the horny Fox in him. Pausing he got the cheetah boys number, there was something to be said for variety.

Walking into the restaurant proper, Nick spoke to the maître d' for a moment before being directed to follow a waiter. The slight red Fox followed a handsome Jaguar waiter across the bar room to a corner booth, a big handsome Tiger was already sitting there. "This gentlefur wishes to speak with you sir." The Jaguar informed the Tiger, who looked up from his meal with a curious glance. Reaching a huge paw across the table, Nick took it and shook it slowly. "Thank you Andre... why don't you bring my guest a plate of tonights special." Charn ordered before dismissing the Jaguar with a wave of his huge paw, and returned his attention to the Fox. "Please have a seat Mr. Wilde. Now what is it I can do for you?" Nick leaned back in his seat spreading his paws, and smiling up at the big Tiger. The air tick with the scents of the Tiger's meal, roasted organ meats making Nick salivate involuntarily.

"I'm looking for... shall we say a particular taste sensation." Nick answered slowly licking his lip's, watching as a smile slowly spread across the big stripped felines handsome muzzle.

"Thats not already on my menu?" Charn purred, sliding a menu across the tabletop to the Fox who smiled as he push it aside.

"I hear there has been a furrless Ape... harvested." Nick found himself licking his lip's again and again, as the Jaguar waiter hurried up to the table. Setting a plate in front of the slight red Fox, arranged on the plate was the unmistakeable huge ovals of some equine. And a huge chunk that could only be the flare of a stallion's cock, the scent of that cooked meat waffled up to Nicks nostrils. The big Tiger smiled leeringly, as he watched the small Fox inhale the scent of that fresh meat.

"Smells good huh. Go on have a bite... I think you'll truly enjoy it." The smirking Tiger speared a bit of meat off his own plate, and shoved it into his mouth chewing slowly. "The tip is the sweetest part." Charn purred, as he watched Nick pick up his fork and lift that big blunt cock head, taking a bite... chewing it slowly a look of delight spread over his pointed vulpine muzzle. Before Nick shoved the whole thing into his mouth chewing more quickly as he devoured some Horse's cock head.

"While I won't deny this is very good." Nick moaned softly in between bites, as Charn sat back in his seat baring his deadly white teeth in a knowing grin. "Horse is a fairly common pleasure."

"It's Zebra actually." Charn chuckled, Nick felt a sudden wave nausea and feelings of guilt as he thought about his friend Palmer. Carefully he studied the Tigers muzzle, did he knew the two of them were working together? The big felines muzzle was open and friendly, at last Nick decided it was just a coincidence.

"Ammmm ok." The Fox grunted as he finished off the smaller of the two orbs on his plate, and speared the larger one with his fork. "Like I said I was really hoping to try the rare furrless Ape." Charn gripped the edge of the table with his huge stripped paws, as a look of annoyance slid across his handsome muzzle. Huge needle sharp claws cutting into the wooden table top, clearly this was something of a sore point for the big predator.

"Like you I have heard about this furrless Ape... he was harvested by a certain independent contractor. Sadly I do not have a deal with this individual, in fact he is operating in my territory without so much as a May I." The big Tiger frowned for a moment longer, before regaining his self composure and smiling at Nick again. "However if you truly desire a taste of Human... I advise you to go to Tobias Lionheart. He'll buy meat from anyone... I'm sure he'll have what your looking for... This time." The way he said it, left little doubt the Tiger was planning to find himself a bit of furrless Ape in the future. Nick popped the last bite of Zebra into his mouth and chewed it up before swallowing.

"Thank you for the information... and the meal." Nick grunted standing up, the big Tiger stood up as well taking his paw again. The smile on the Tigers muzzle widened, as he looked down at the small Fox.

"The information was free... but pay the casher for the meal on your way out." The big stripped feline grunted, as he turned and strolled off towards the back of the club. Nick was a bit surprised to discover just how inexpensive his meal had been, and the food had been very good... if unsettling. Nick had never realized how much better real meat was than the plant based faux stuff he like most preds normally ate.

"Please come again sir." The casher said happily, Nick was kind of surprised when the casher had turned out to be a deer.

"I'll do that..." The handsome Fox answered brightly, he was uncover after all... and the food had been very good. His next stop was in the tundra district, but it didn't go any better the Snow Leopard claimed to not have what he was looking for either. This was proving to be a very hard case to crack, the Tiger had been friendly if a little menacing. The Snow Leopard while looked harmless enough, gave off the air of a very dangerous mobster. As cold as ice and as calculating as a cash register, the seriousness of his investigate hitting home for the Fox. These were very dangerous furs he was dealing with, no matter how friendly some of them might seem. Riley the big Crocodile was gregarious and seemingly easy going, he offered Nick a big beer and some Dolphin penis filet's spiced and cooked over open flames. But once again the Fox was directed to the big Lion, Riley it seemed was just as pissed off as Charn had been. And Nick got the feeling that those are furrless apes, were going to be getting even rarer in the future.

***

Back from his meeting with the three top meat market dealers, Nick was feeling much more sure of himself. The Croc and Snow Leopard had no more information than the Tiger had. "From what I can learn... it looks like it wasn't any of the big three players." Nick explained slowly, as he sat back in one of Palmers old office chair. "It seems like its a new small time dealer, we might be able to use that to our advantage. He's bound to have stepped on a few toes, made some enemies who wouldn't mind seeing him out of the way. The trouble is I'm pretty sure Tobias Lionheart knows who I am and that I work for the ZPD." Nick finished, he'd been introduced to the Mayors brother at a couple of city functions, as had Judy.

"That is true..." Palmer snorted in his gruff old cop manner, even as he waved his big three fingered hand dismissively. "But a lot of predators have just as much bias... as us prey animals. He's a pred, a well connected pred who deals in legal meat pretty much in the open like his grandfather did before him. I bet he'll be perfectly willing to believe, that a cop who's a pred is willing to buy and eat that meat. The only question he'll have, is where you a lowly police officer can get the money to buy it." The big Zebra flashing Nick and Judy a big square toothed grin, he'd been around long enough to know about such things.

"Well thats easy enough." Nick smirked, as he sat up in the old office chair making it creak loudly. "I've figured out a number of scams, I could be running as a police officer to make loads of cash." Seeing the look on Judy's pretty muzzle, Nick clapped a paw on her knee. "Don't worry carrots... I'd never work any of these scams. I'm an honest police officer, just like my pardner." This brought a bright smile to the pretty bunny's soft muzzle, and she assured him she knew that very well. The look that past between them telling Palmer, much more than they intended.

"Tobias Lionheart can be found most nights at _ 'The Pride' _ bar and grill, its a down town institution thats been there since his grandfather started the place around the turn of the century." The old Zebra explained, as he pour a couple of fingers of cheap bourbon into his coffee cup. "I figure since you've talked to the other, you shouldn't have much trouble with him. He's much less scary than Charn or Reily, of course the fact he knows your a cop might make him wary of you." Nick nodded, knowing the old Zebra was absolutely right... he was about most things the Fox had came to understand.

"I'll go have a few word with him tomorrow night." Nick agreed with a soft smile, it had been a long stressful night already.

"Have you two had any luck with that key?" Palmer asked, making Judy bounce up in her chair she had almost forgot about her other news while listening to Nick's story.

"Well you were right." She told them enthusiastically, explaining that she had checked the records. "The first three numbers on the key show that it is to a city own building, that was built about sixy years ago. I've not been able to track down which one it is as yet, most of the building that old are derelict. So I'll have to look through record storage tomarrow, down in the basement of city hall."

"Excellent work Judy." The old Zebra congratulated flashing her his big square toothed grin, which the small Rabbit happily returned. "Theres a lot more to good police work than fast chases, and dangerous characters." Palmer snorted clearly at Nick, the Fox just snickered and winked at them both.

"Which is why we make such a good team... What I lack Judy makes up for... and what Judy lacks... well I can't think of anything she lacks." The Fox laughed, even as Palmer favored him with a sly look.

"Sneaking... conniving... rule breaking..." The big Zebra teased, as Nick blushed and did his best to look shocked and disbelieving.

"Wha... Who me?"