Zootopia: Animal Trafficking

>>Chapter 10: Unforeseen Threat>>

Ibelix Tech Inc.
09.00 AM -Info Gathering

Ibelix Tech. Inc., the company who made the GPS that Vintage found on the victims. Found by a panda, named Krale Skalā. The building has three floors, it's color is white and modern, giving a futuristic impression to it. They stood in front of it, failed to be impressed by the luxurious exteriors of the office. Judy was the only one to notice a large 10-feet fountain in front of the entrance, while Nick & Finnick just strolled through, munching at their Cheetos.

They entered from the front entrance, and yet welcomed again with luxurious but minimalistic decorations. Nick and Finnick went straight to the paintings, framed across the hallway. Not adoring, judging.

"*dabs* Pshh, fake. Finn, whaddaya think?"
"That hair is too thick to be Bona Lisa."
"*sniff* The oil painting isn't old. Artificial. It smells too new."
"And that one is definitely not made by Weacasso."

(Weasel. Don't judge me.)

"Guys, focus! It is no time to judge paintings, we have a case to solve!"
"Oh, right. I'm sorry." Finnick said with an apologetic tone. Finnick walked away, while Nick approached her, looking generally pissed.

"Why did you do that?!" Nick whispered with a stiff jaw.
"Did what? I should be the one mad at you because you are slowing down the process of the investigation!" Judy whispered back.
"Can't you see?! I'm trying to relieve some stress out of him, carrots, not stalling the investigation."
Judy bowed her head in a bit of shame, "Oh, I'm.. sorry."
Nick sighed and rubbed his temple, "It's okay, but please, next time-- be more open-minded, okay?"
Judy nodded slowly.

All of the sudden, an otter showed up into the view, carrying a small wattPad on her arms. The otter squeaked.

"How can I assist the three of you?"
Nick walked up to the otter in a lab coat, "Detective Nick from ZPD. I believe we have spoke on the phone before?"
Judy nudged his ankle, "You're not a detective!"
"Shushh...."

She fixed her round glasses from sliding to her nose, "Oh yes, I remember. Should we go into the office?"
"Gla--"
"Actually, we're in a bit of a hurry, can we do it here? I only have some questions to ask."
"Sure, sure. I won't mind."
"Is the CEO here somewhere?"
"I'm afraid not, he has been missing days of work."
Judy stepped in the conversation, "Missing? Have you submitted a report?"
"No, I thought it was one of his business trips. He sometimes alert us like that."
"Can we have his address? Perhaps we can do a bit of digging around."
Nick opened his mouth, but failed to speak and shut his muzzle back.
"Most definitely. Let me see my little buddy here..." The otter swipes through her tablet, and--
"Ah! Here it is. It's in Talika St. number 21 A."
Nick bent down and spoke slowly, "Thank you, Miss.."
The otter stepped back a little from embarrassment, "Trisha! I-It's Trisha."
"Miss Trisha. If you have anything else to tell me, or Judy, please call this number." Nick hands her over a card.
"Y-yes, I will."

Nick left the building, followed by Judy and Finnick.
What was that all about? He's already married, Trisha. You can't act like that!

--------

Talika St. - Skalā's Residence
10.00 AM - Seach

"Right, Finnick. You stay here, watch the front door and ring me if someone comes."
"Ay."
"Okay, let's rooolll."

Nick and Judy gets off the van, leaving Finnick on the watch. From far away, Roy watched them as well.

They got to the front of the house, it was modern-looking, much like the office. Even had fountain on the front yard. They went straight for the door, and Judy knocked.

"Excuse us!! We're from ZPD, we want to have a little chat!"
Judy waited, tapping her feet to the mat.

"Carrots, come here."
"What?"
"Look through the window."

Judy climbs Nick's back, and peeked through the window Nick was talking about. The place was torn apart, nothing like the front yard. Pillows and cushions were out of place and its filling was everywhere in the carpet. It was practically snowing in the house's living room.

"Someone got here before us."
"Maybe a business deal gone wrong?"
"Good guess. Let's get in, maybe they miss something."

Nick turned the door knob slowly, and pushed the door (slowly), peeking inside while peering with his Glock. Judy still holds her tranquilizer gun. The house was dark, and they kept it that way, to not alert anyone that might be hiding in the surroundings. They both tip-toed across the house, searching each room for any unwanted threat. Nothing, fortunately.

"Should we start searching?"
"Yea, you do that. Ima go to his bedroom, see if there's anything interesting."
Judy gave him an unpleasant glare.
"No kidding, you just go to the kitchen or something. Maybe you can cut some vegetables."
"Shut up!"

Nick went to the bedroom of the house, greeted by a familiar stench for a procrastinator like he is.
Stink and sweat.
He looked around, the room was as messy as the rest of the house, just with more clothes around. The cabinets were removed from its place, wardrobes emptied and thrown to the carpet, work desk flipped. Nick approaches the wardrobe, and saw a door behind the hangers. Nick was about to open it, when it abruptly opens and a panda jumped towards him, with a cleaver.

What the-

Krale swings his knife to Nick's throat, but Nick managed to get a grip on his hands. They pushes each other's arm, one struggling to kill and one struggling to stay alive.
Krale groaned in anger, "I'VE HAD IT ENOUGH WITH YOU ANIMALS!"
Nick shouted back in panic, "I think you got the wrong damn animal!!"
"LIES!!" Skala starts to apply more force to the cleaver, making Nick squealed in panic.
"Juuuuuuudyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!!!!!"

*thump*

The dart penetrates the thick neck of Skala's, making him collapse in a second. The panda passed out on Nick, he choked under the pressure of his weight.
"He never left?"
Nick pushed the panda aside, still gasping from the adrenaline, "Apparently not! holy heck..."
"He said that he had enough of quote 'animals'. Who is he talking about?"
"I don't know, but it seemed like they terrorizes his life a lot. He has been hiding in that closet since he was missing!" Nick stated.
"Perhaps they were the one who uses his GPS, don't you think?"
"Possible, yes. Now let's wait until he wake up, and we can ask him some questions without getting chopped by--"
Nick threw away the cleaver, "..that piece of shite."

--time skip to drug effect wears off--

The panda starts to grunt in confusion, dazed by the drug. He rubbed his neck, and his eyes sets to the pair. Half-consciously he started to flail his arms, begging for mercy.

"Please, don't. I'm sorry..."
"Hey, we're not with the animals you're blabbering about. We're from ZPD."
"Why the f--- should I believe your words.."
Nick took Judy's badge, and waved it in front of his eyes.
"Z-P-D. Can you read?"
"I-I'm sorry. I thought you were one of them."
"Good. I'm glad we've come to an understanding." Nick threw the badge back at Judy, but ended up hitting her head.
"Now, who are these animals?"
"I don't know, I swear. They came up to me, offering 50K$ to use my GPS service. I took it for a total of 50 microchips. Then they started to ask for more, but I can't hide more than 50 GPS signals under the government radar. They were pissed and started to make threats on me. I was scared, and I hid in the closet for days. I only came out at night to the kitchen and bathroom."
The fact that Krale was in fact, a victim, and avoided any contact with the crooks, gave him a chill. 
"When did your house got torn apart?"
"Yesterday."
"Yesterday?"

Judy pulled Nick's ear and whispered, "They could've planted a bug in this place, to see if Krale gets back to his house which he never left."
"Then they would've heard us talking about them all along?!"
"Yes!"

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

The bullets holes up the front door, made by the silenced pistols. The silencer wasn't as quite as in movies, they still can be heard loud and clear. The door opens, 3 hyenas and 3 wolves starts to swarm the place with bullets.

"What the f---?! Why didn't Finnick rang me?!"

--------

"HALP!!!"