live & let die

04

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A reminder to everyone that this work is under 'T or PG-13' rating as it contains situation that would require some form of 'trigger warning' (like assault, blood, suicide, violence, etc.) which the author (yours truly) wants to reiterate with an imperative sentence: PLEASE READ AT YOUR OWN RISK.

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Both ZMI6 agents had gone straight down to Commander Bogo, Head of Zootopia's Bureau of Investigation, who was a no-nonsense chief and has no interest in small talk or going into details because he could not care less.

The muscular, blue-grey coated buffalo in a standard ZBI uniform glanced up from his desk. "I see he's bought it," he said, looking back down at the array of debriefing files in his hooves. "Thought he would. Now take this Muttler." he handed the binder to the Welsh Springer spaniel and waved them away. "When she's waded through it all, fill her in the gaps, Savage."

As soon as the commander closed the doors on them, Jack proceeded to question his colleague very closely on the possible evidence connecting the mafia leader with the limousine murders and the return of the prey supremacist groups. Yet it certainly seemed futile. For Agent Muttler, or Roxanne as she preferred, had had plenty of details on Mr. Big, but nothing that would throw any new light on Jack's encounter nor the overall status of the case:

The shrew was fifty-seven years old, born in Furrona-Itaila, and immigrated to Zootopia when he was twelve. Because of the initial letters of his fanciful name, Vitorino Ignacio Gorleone, as well as his amicable relationship with huge and bulky predators such as polar bears, he came to be called, even in his youth, 'Big V' or just 'V'. Later this became, 'The Big Boss' or 'Mr. Big', and his real identity lingered only on a hospice register in Furrona and presently, his dossier with the ZBI, ZCIA, and the ZMI6.

The mafia leader had no other vices except for aged wine, rat-pack music, and mini-donuts, which he all consumed in quantities. He didn't smoke or use drugs and his only Achilles' heel aside from his adoptive children appeared to be his chronic heart disease which had, in recent years, imparted a slight impairment to his hearing. No reasonable groundings for him to be linked to anything except for his previous list of crime ventures.

Not for the first time, the jackrabbit felt his spine crawl at his intuition. The evidence pile was not good enough for him. Their mammal was just a part of a much larger ruse. And he was willing to gamble his coveted firearms collection, along with his own dossier, the spaniel was aware - or at the very least have an inkling - about the situation.

"Whatever it is your thinking, I insist you keep it to yourself." Roxanne said, looking grimly at the case folder which contained Jack's new identity, his motive, and course of action in case things go south. She was halfway through the section about Jack's attempted murder when she randomly paused and smiled. And no mammal, not even Mr. Big himself would have liked the expression on 009's face when she told him:

"Our only way to see this through, and expose the devil behind this, is in the details, Jack."

(-from Chapter 4, Live Let Die, Book 3 of The Savage Seas series, by J. L. Hopps.)

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"Attempting to murder your partner, Jack Savage!"

"That's not right officer - Miss Winters is not - but she saved him?!" J. L. Hopps blubbered in frustration.

"Skye," the vixen's name sounded foreign with the tigress officer's accent. "You have the right to remain silent-"

"The hell, should I?!" yelled the arctic fox, trying uselessly to fight off Office Fangmeyer. "And yeah, why would I save Jack's life if I wanted him dead in the first place?!"

The sheep ZPD officer scowled. "That's what we'd like to know," He pulled a mobile phone from his pocket. "We have you on camera, and we have a witness to corroborate the footage." A wave of nausea washed over her as the trio of cops' eyes scanned her up and down.

Skye glanced over the author and the doe's paw was over her muzzle, looking back at her, but now in disbelief, and making her heart sink to her feet.

"I didn't do it, Miss Hopps." The vulpine said shakily with tears brimming in her eyes. "Please, believe me."

The author didn't answer - she just remained still, scrutinizing the vixen like she was some sort of abomination.

Shoving the phone to her face, the sheep cop spat. "Take a look, bitch."

The arctic fox blinked a few times and saw that it was the neighboring building's security camera from across the street. She anxiously watched as the screen revealed her almost dragging Jack's bleeding body, peeking around both corners, and taking him inside the apartment. Unfortunately, this camera had no sound and was angled from the other side - away from the alleyway and the lone streetlamp.

Admittedly, Skye thought the video looked really bad and could understand why the police would be skeptical, but it didn't make sense for her to already be arrested solely from that.

"Uh, I was being nosy." The vulpine helplessly explained, tears escaping down her cheeks. "I heard Jack and a female dwarf mongoose arguing in the alley next to our building. Then she randomly stabbed his side, and I fought her off." Her body trembling as every mammal stared at her, clearly not believing a word she had just said. "After I kicked her, the crazy lady ran off!"

"Or she tried to save herself and asked for help, unlike you." the sheep cop glared at her again, pulling his device back. "I bet you wouldn't have called anyone-"

"Wait what?!"

"You just panicked when Jack called Miss Hopps."

Skye gaped. "That's not true! She called because he left a voice message first!" Her tear-stained face turned to the other officers. "And you can't even see shit from this angle! All of these are pure speculations!"

"Like Officer White has told you, we have a witness." the lion cop shook his head and turned to Officer Fangmeyer, who was at least considering the vixen's innocence from the look she was giving her. "Take her to Precinct 1. Inform her of her rights and place her in a holding cell."

"Wait, officer!" the arctic fox sobbed as the tigress cop pulled her arm to drag her to the door. "Miss Hopps, please." The doe continued to stare with her amethyst eyes wide, not uttering a word. "Jude, you know how I saved him. You have to believe-"

Another officer, a rhinoceros, forcefully grabbed her other arm into the hallway, not allowing the two females to speak with each other even further. All the nurses and medical staff were staring at Skye in disbelief like (J. L. Hopps was) as she was dragged out the premises. It was taking her everything to shove down the panic attack in her belly, but she couldn't break down just yet.

"Stop," Shaking both officers off, she gritted through her teeth. "I'll go willingly, just let go of me." They paused to release her, and she took that moment to take a deep breath.

'Okay, you didn't do shit. You just got to explain things clearly at the precinct.' she thought as she calmed herself down to follow behind Officer Fangmeyer as the other ZPD officer walked closely behind.

"It's going to be fine." Skye whispered to no one in particular, then to herself. "All this is just a big misunderstanding. Jack will explain it later."

They headed out the front entrance and started walking down the stairs when, in a blink of an eye, hundreds of reporters swarmed them and began shouting left and right.

"Is that her?" a voice from the back hollered.

"Stand back," the tigress cop shouted, putting herself between the vulpine and the crowd. "Who called for you mammals?' The officers were ignored.

"Miss Winters!"

"Why did you stab Jack Savage?"

"What's your motive?"

More tears fell down on the vixen's cheeks. "I didn't do it!" she choked out.

"Don't answer them, Skye." Officer Fangmeyer 's accent a little harder to understand over the commotion. The cop's gaze didn't have warmth behind her topaz eyes but at least she didn't look at the fox with absolute contempt like everyone else.

Biting her trembling lip, Skye nodded and hung her head as reporters screamed out her name followed by their baseless, nasty accusations. The two ZPD officers were unfortunately no match against a dozen of them, so the smaller mammal in handcuffs was grabbed and cut up by different paws, claws, and hooves. Eventually, the three mammals made it into the police car and made their way to the station.

Absolutely terrified sapphire eyes looked out into the car window as she noticed another crowd of mammals waiting at the doorstep of Precinct 1. Their faces either full of amusement, disgust, or wrath. The arctic fox kept her head down as her foot robotically took one step in front of the other. Almost an inch closer to the glass doors of the building, she felt a dull thud against the side of her muzzle. Trying to see what caused it, she was met with multiple other objects hitting her body.

"You bitch! How dare you even touch Jack!" some mammal yelled from the crowd. Skye blinked and made eye contact with a female koala wearing the official Savage Seas merchandise shirt, holding a basket of tomatoes. "Screw you, ugly pelt!"

Skye winced from being thrashed with more tomatoes and Karma knows what else, until Officer Fangmeyer stoop in front of her to take most of them with her slightly larger frame.

"You'll be thrown in jail for assaulting an officer if you don't stop," her voice boomed, making the aggressors flinched before dropping all their perishables when they sprinted away.

The tigress cop snorted, and as soon as their trio entered the station, she pulled the vulpine aside and grabbed her chin - wiping off the tomato seeds that were stuck in her fur.

"Thank you," A trembling vixen said, as their eyes met.

With no emotion, she replied. "I'm just getting rid of the bits," She averted her eyes so could brush the ones at the top of the fox's head.

"Uh, I mean, thanks for not looking at me the way everyone else is."

Officer Fangmeyer chose to ignore the comment and finished cleaning her up as best as she can. She then gently ushered her through the room until they reach the holding cells.

Skye's fur began to crawl as she saw a middle-aged male hyena eyeing her up and down like she was a piece of meat from behind the bars. Feeling her tensed up, the ZPD officer glanced towards the cell just in time to witness the mammal licking his lips at her. The vulpine was pulled closer towards the other female's body and watched in awe as the hyena shrank in size then returned to his corner from just a growl.

"Come this way, Winters," said the tigress cop softly, gesturing to an empty cellar. "Do you have a family or other mammal I could contact for you?"

Letting out a sigh of relief as she was released from the handcuffs, the arctic fox nodded. "Uh, I've a friend, who's a detective and has an attorney sister. His surname's Wolford." She gave her ICarrot with her passcode to Officer Fangmeyer so she could call him. On the other side of the room the vixen was left to wait (or curl herself up into a ball) as she did her best to keep her gaze downwards when she felt the hateful glares aimed at her. It's as if even the other convicts present in the hall loathed her entire being.

"Skye," the tigress officer uttered after a few minutes. "Is there anyone else I could reach out to for you?"

"Oh, uh, what do you mean?" Skye asked, a lump forming in her throat as she saw the emotion on the feline's eyes - it was pity. Her body began shaking again as anxiety washed over her. "He didn't answer, did he?"

Avoiding her disappointed gaze, Officer Fangmeyer said with a concern filled tone. "He did, but I think it'd be best if you contact another mammal instead."

"But - did he say anything at least?" the arctic fox frantically ran towards her and gripped the bars a foot from the cop.

The tigress pursed her lips as if trying to find the right words before sighing. "He said his sister will not represent you, and to not contact him again."

Skye's knees buckled like she was about to hit the ground, earning a flinch from the normally impassive ZPD officer. Staring blankly down at the floor she felt her heart shatter to billions of pieces. Her feelings for Detective Byron Wolford were genuine, and she's willing to admit that she's in love with him - it's at the point where if she ever received a call saying the timber wolf had been falsely accused of murder, she'd defend him to the ends of the world.

'I guess he doesn't feel the same.'

The tigress cop crouched to the floor and asked her question again. "Is there any more mammal I could contact, Skye?"

"Yes, officer." croaked the vixen. "My cousin - Nicholas Wilde."

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The characters, miscellaneous, and settings are owned and trademarked by Disney, and in no way, shape, or form do I claim ownership over them nor the world of Zootopia (aside, of course, from my original characters and some fictional places that I added) - though I would never not thank Byron Howard and Richard Moore for giving us these anthropomorphic mammals that we love to hate (I don't know, Jack and Skye are growing on me...particularly in this work) or hate to love (still a Nick and Judy shipper...if you have an issue - there's the door!) because without them, this retelling would not have existed.