Jack's stare and clapping make me uneasy. I wasn't the only one to bring Finnick in, why is he only looking at me?
"Well done on your training activity, officers," he says this with a smooth, soft spoken voice, but the words hit home hard.
"TRAINING EXERCISE?! Explain right now, Savage." Nick's still carrying the unconscious Finnick, and his voice trembles with rage and betrayal. The other officers behind us mutter, and I feel anger boiling inside of me.
Savage tears his cold blue gaze away from me and looks at the three groups, now merged into one angry unit. He steeples his fingers under his chin. "Yes, training exercise. I was sent to your department to train you to be better, and I gave you a real life situation to see how you would handle it. The criminal, the hostages, were all volunteers and will be reimbursed for their time." Savage says all this in a calm tone, and the urge to punch him wells up for the first time.
I try to speak calmly. "While we were out here PLAYING-"
Savage cuts me off. "Training."
"Fine. TRAINING, there were mammals out on the streets who needed us! How many purses do you think were stolen, and we'll never be able to track down? All the con mammals, thieves, cutpurses and criminals, the city NEEDS us to keep them at bay! You're just wasting our time here." I turn to Bogo and force my voice into respect. He looks as uneasy as the rest of us, and I don't think he knew it was fake.
"Sir. Permission to return to the station?"
"Granted, Hopps." Bogo steadily ignores Savages glare. The reason we all follow Chief, the biggest reason, anyway, is that he's willing to bend the rules, ignore authority in pursuit of the right thing. He's a good mammal.
I turn and stomp over to my cruiser. Behind me, I hear Nick acquiring permission to go back with me, and bring Finnick along. Those two need to talk the minute the fennec wakes up.
Nick gently lays his friend in the backseat, and opens the passenger door.
"Mind if I tag along?" Despite everything, he still has a warm glimmer in his green eyes.
"Of course."
He climbs in, gives me a kiss on the cheek, and buckles.
It's a silent ride. But in my head, it's as loud as a flock of guinea fowl.