his clothes off, thinking he had mistaken the police department for the Mystic Springs Oasis. But he was wearing his regular clothes beneath the disguise.

Over the next thirty minutes, Bogo listened carefully to everything that Jenkins told him. Shepard, Amber, Garth, Judy and Nick added details here and there.

Bogo held a pencil in his hoof as he listened to Jenkins finish the story with the most recent events. The buffalo frowned and looked sternly at the mole.

"You understand, of course," said Bogo, "that regardless of how we proceed from here on, you will be held accountable for your actions. Nothing excuses you from the crimes you've committed, not the least of which includes assaulting an officer of the law, almost causing his death."

The pencil in Bogo's hoof suddenly snapped in half as he clenched it with ire! The top half flew across the room and landed near the filing cabinet. Everyone was silent. Jenkins swallowed hard when he watched Bogo put down the other half of the pencil on his desk, showing no intention of apologising.

If there was something that Bogo took very seriously, it was the assault of a police officer. He might have been rough and gruff and bull-headed, but he cared for his officers, and the fact that Nick had almost died from the snake poison dart was not something that Bogo was willing to forgive.

"I want it understood that despite your good intentions and efforts to make amends, you are still an accomplice to the criminal activity within Terra Firma Incorporated, and will be judged in a court of justice for your crimes."

"I understand, Chief," said Jenkins. "And I take full responsibility for my actions. I just want my family to be safe. I want to end this crazy rabbit's harebrained scheme…"

Jenkins paused, then looked at Judy.

"No offence," he said shyly.

"None taken," said Judy.

"I just want justice, Chief," said Jenkins.

"Very well," said Bogo. "As long as we're clear on that point."

He took a deep breath and turned to Judy.

"Hopps," said Bogo.

"Sir. We devised a plan," said Judy. "Jenkins will return to Terra Firma and pretend he accomplished his mission. He will ask President Keyes if he can hide him for a while until things cool down in Bunny Burrow. We'll plant a GPS dot on him and learn where they're holding his family. Then we move in for the rescue."

"Slow down, Hopps," said Bogo. "There's this little something called a 'warrant', which is required for a police search."

"This won't be a search, Chief," said Judy. "It will be an extraction."

"Wherever they're holding my family, there will most likely be security guards, armed," said Jenkins.

Bogo sighed.

"Waltzing into a private residence, a possible hostage situation, armed guards…someone tell me when this starts to sound like a good idea."

"We won't be waltzing in," said Judy. "We'll be undercover."

"Undercover?" asked Bogo. "Hopps, this isn't some ninth grader's fan fiction where everything just falls into place and magically the bad guys are defeated and the good guys win. If what Mr Jenkins says is true, there is a family's wellbeing at stake. I don't know about you, but I don't want their deaths on my conscience if things go south."

"Chief Bogo," said Nick.

"What is it, Wilde?" said Bogo frowning.

Bogo and Nick looked at each other. Nick knew that his tongue was Bogo's only weakness. He promised only to use his quick wit and eloquence against the Chief when it was necessary, and this was one of those occasions.

"A week ago, if I remember correctly, you told us that you were behind us one-hundred percent if we were right about our suspicions," said Nick. "Well, we were right about our suspicions. You are a buffalo of word, Chief, and I know that you would do anything for justice to prevail, and for Mr Jenkins to have his family back and away from harm. One simple word, one utterance, can change the fate of many people today, sir. Are you going to make the right choice? Time is never on our side, and especially not on the Jenkins family's side. I cannot even imagine what Mrs Jenkins and those poor girls are going through. All I wish is for Opal, our esteemed counsellor, to be able to give them all comfort and help them through this traumatising event. What about you, Chief?"

Bogo cursed mentally, knowing that Nick had put him on the spot. He was caught. Everyone was looking at him, expectant.

"Alright," said Bogo after a long sigh. "Whatever plan you think will be most effective to extract the Jenkinses…you have our full support."

"Thank you, Chief," said Shepard, walking to Bogo's side and shaking his hoof. "You will not regret your decision. I have seen Hopps and Wilde in action, and I would trust my life into their paws without a second thought."

Bogo nodded.

"Alright," said Judy. "Jenkins, call your boss."

"Huh?" said Jenkins. "What should I tell him?"

"Tell him 'mission accomplished' and that you'll be heading to his office in a while," said Nick. "Tell him you managed to give the Bunny Burrow cops the slip and need to lay low."

"O-Okay…" said Jenkins. "Here goes."

Jenkins took his phone out of his coat pocket and dialled the number.

Everyone was dead silent as President Keyes answered.

"S-Sir," said Jenkins. "Mission accomplished."

"Is it done, Jenkins?" said Keyes's voice.

"Y-Yes, sir. I managed to give the cops the slip. And I even managed to get rid of one of the peskier cops as well."

Nick gave him a wink.

"Good. Better than I expected. You surprise me, Jenkins, I am most impressed. For a moment, I thought you had been detained and would be subjected to interrogation."

"No, sir," said Jenkins.

"Where are you now?"

"I'm…on the train, sir," said Jenkins. "Heading to Zootopia. I stowed onboard."

"Good. As soon as you arrive, come to my office directly."

"Y-Yes, sir."

And Keyes hung up.

"Not bad, sport," said Nick.

"Okay," said Jenkins. "What's next?"

"We get into our disguises, and we head down to Terra Firma HQ, and phase one begins," said Judy.

"Care to fill me in on the details, Hopps?" said Bogo.

"Latrans will bring you up to speed, right, Amber?" said Judy brightly.

"Most certainly," said Amber.

"We have to move," said Judy. "Chief, we'll call you as soon as we find out where the Jenkinses are being held."

Bogo was about to say something, but Shepard interrupted.

"It's been a pleasure, Chief Bogo," said Shepard, shaking the buffalo's hoof for the third time. "I shall be taking my leave now, I have important business to attend to in my hometown and we came in a borrowed vehicle. We shall be in contact."

Shepard said goodbye and walked out of the room. Bogo then realised that everyone had left. Everyone, except Amber. She was sitting daintily in front of his desk, smiling and moving her tail slightly from side to side in the most lady-like manner.

"May I offer you a cup of hot chocolate while I explain our plan, Chief Bogo?" asked Amber in her sweetest, most charming voice.

Bogo sighed and nodded. By the looks of it, this was going to be one of those days.

Jenkins walked into the President's office, acting jittery and nervous as usual.

"Welcome back, Jenkins," said President Keyes without looking up from his magazine.

"S-Sir," said Jenkins. "Everything went more or less as planned."

"Good," said Keyes. "Is he dead?"

"Very much so, sir," said Jenkins. "I hit him square in the neck."

"Not bad," said Keyes, looking up from his magazine. "I didn't think you had it in you, Jenkins. I might have underestimated your talent."

"Thank you, s-sir," said Jenkins.

There was a silence as Keyes poured himself a drink.

"Um…sir, there was a little bit of a…hubbub, in Bunny Burrow," said Jenkins. "I really must lay low for a while…"

"Um-hum," said Keyes distractedly as he turned the page of his magazine.

"Do you think…I could hide for a few days, with my family?" asked Jenkins. "I haven't seen them…in so long."

There was another paused. Then…

"Hmm…yes, I suppose so," said Keyes. "You've earned yourself a little vacation, Jenkins."

Keyes pressed a button on the intercom sitting on his desk.

"Jacques, have Etienne and Morris escort Jenkins to my summer home," said Keyes.

Jenkins stood there, trying his best to hide his excitement. The door opened shortly and two enormous grizzly bear bodyguards walked in.

"I'll call you if I need you again, Jenkins," said Keyes.

"Yes, s-sir," said Jenkins.

The two bears escorted the mole out of the room and into the elevator.

The elevator stopped at the ground floor and opened to a corridor that led to the entrance lobby. The bears and Jenkins stepped out, and suddenly they noticed someone small tapping the walls with an umbrella.

"Confounded modern buildings! Why do y'all have to build them like doggone hay mazes?!"

One of the

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