Zootopia: Secrets And Deception

Chapter 6. Taken

Slowly opening her eyes, Judy saw that she was in a hospital room. She tried moving but felt more pain, and looked down to see bandages all over her arms, legs, and one on her head. She was almost confused and dizzy, but couldn't remember why. Until she thought of where Nick could be, then the crash, gunfire, explosion, and blackness. All the memories came back at once, and brought tears to her eyes, memories of the pain, and confusion from the chaos that erupted in an instant. Just then a nurse walked in. "Oh good, you're awake." She said sweetly. "You took a hard hit, and should get some....." she tried adding, but was interrupted.
"Where's Nick?" Judy asked. The nurse just stood there for a moment.
"I'm sorry, but no one else was checked in at the time when you were brought in." she said while she pressed a small button in her pocket for security.
"Where is Nick? Where is he! I need to find him!" Judy suddenly erupted in panic, it was the thought of Nick being lost and hurt or even worse, that Judy tried leaving the hospital, even though she could barely stand. Security came in and tried restraining her, but she fought back. "I have to find him! I have to.......I have to find Nick!" she screamed as she was strapped down to the bed and injected with a drug to calm her down, and tried fighting it, but it was too strong. "I....I have to.....have to......" she moaned as everything grew dark once more, and fell asleep.

Everything was dark and blurry as Nick began to come to, a sharp ringing in his ear was the only thing he could hear, and tried looking around the room. He was laying on the floor with one arm handcuffed to the wall. It was a cell-like room, with only one door, and no windows. It was cold and smelled, almost like the air was heavy with chemicals. He tried moving, but felt pain and looked to his side, bandages were on his arm, and all over his side. The cut on his head was bandaged as well, but still bled a little. Just then the door opened, and two men came in, each wearing masks and equipped with weapons. They unlocked his cuffs and dragged him out of the room, and into the hall. Nick was too weak to walk, let alone trying to escape or fight back. "Where.....where are you taking me?" Nick asked weakly, but got no response. Then entered another room and was handcuffed again, this time both of his hands were against two different pipes, he was too weak to stand and hung there limply. Then they started walking out of the room. "Wait! Where is Judy?" he demanded, but they simply closed and locked the door behind them. Silence was all Nick could hear for the longest time, and the pain in his side was beginning to rise in pain, but all he could think about was Judy. "Wait, what is that?" he thought to himself. Something was moving in the darkness and disturbing the silence that surrounded him. It was almost as if someone was dragging something heavy across the ground, but it was coming from everywhere, and nowhere. "Hello?" Nick said aloud, but all he heard was his echo. "Who's there? Where is Judy?" he demanded.
"Judy isn't here, Nickolas." The voice startled Nick and looked around the room to see who it was that spoke. Suddenly, all the lights began flickering and went out, except for the one above Nick. There was nothing but darkness all around him, and that same dragging sound. "I'm afraid she won't be joining us tonight, because she has a mission." It spoke again, this time it sounded closer.
"What mission? She doesn't have a mission." Nick said, trying to draw out this mysterious creature.
"She didn't tell you? I thought you two told each other everything?" Nick could almost see who it was speaking to him.
"We do.....we.....we tell each other everything, she.....she wouldn't keep anything from me." Nick said sounding confident, but knew that there was something she wasn't telling him.
"You see, I made her a deal, one that she couldn't refuse or deny." This time, Nick heard it from his left and saw a shadow moving around him from the left side of the room in a half circle, close enough for Nick to see him, but far enough to only see the shadow.
"What was the deal?" Nick demanded angrily, and it stopped moving. Suddenly, within an instant that sent goosebumps up Nicks' spine, the shadow was now on top of him! This figure was enormous in length, and looking at him through his scarred, milky eye.
"Why, the box and key for your life, Nickolas." He said. Nick now knew what she was keeping from him, she only told him about the threat he made, but a deal?
"No.....you're lying! She would never make a deal with criminal scum like you.....Jeremiah." Nick said. Upon hearing this, Jeremiah grinned in the most unsettling way.
"Clever fox, but we both know that she cares so much about you, that loosing you would destroy her completely. But I'm here to strike a bargain with you, Nickolas." He said. Nick looked surprised and confused, why would this.....thing.....want to make a deal with him?
"What kind of bargain?" Nick asked carefully.
"I will let you call Judy, and tell her she has one week to bring me the chest and key, and I in return will spare your life.....for now at least." Jeremiah said. Upon hearing this, Nick felt sick inside.
"And if I don't?" Nick said with a snarky attitude. Jeremiah was hoping he would ask and bore his fangs, showing Nick how sharp they were. "Is that supposed to scare me?" he asked, but didn't get an immediate reply.
"The fangs themselves, no. But the liquid in which they hold inside of them should scare you." Jeremiah said as he began to move to Nicks left. "The liquid is called venom, and it is very dangerous for other animals, toxic even. Once it enters your veins, it feels like your body is on fire, like thousands of needles are puncturing you. Because, the spinal column has the main nervous system and becomes inflamed and irritated." Jeremiah saw that his eyes were widening and fear was coursing through his body. "And finally, you start to bleed through every pore and opening on your body. Because your own body is rejecting the only fluid that runs through your veins and keeping you alive and breathing. You will literally be choking on your own blood. Then, you will die." Jeremiah saw that Nick was nervous and scared of what those fangs hold. The puncturing of the fangs through the flesh and bone, the venom being injected just like when a doctor gives you a shot, but this would be two, puncturing simultaneously. "And Judy, poor sweet Judy. How will she ever cope with your horrible death?" Jeremiah said. This made Nick look up at him from the ground. "Once she sees the pain and destruction I have done to you, I will do the same to her. Except I will only scratch her, so her death will be more painful than yours will ever be. She will die a slow and excruciatingly painful death." Nicks muscles were getting more intense, and his eyes grew angrier with each sentence. "Your death, Nickolas, will be hours. But hers will be days, choking on her own blood and agony. She will regret failing me, but sadly.....none of you will ever be able to redeem yourselves again. Do you understand?" Jeremiah was finished and looked at Nick, who was looking at the ground. Using his tail, he raised his head up so he could look Jeremiah in the eyes. Tears were running down Nicks face, the thought of everything he said about Judy was too much for him, and all he could do was nod slowly. "Excellent. I will make preparations for your one and only phone call." He said as he began slithering away. "In the meantime, won't you hang around?" he added as he laughed unsettlingly, and the door shut behind him. All but one light remained on, and that was the light above Nick, who hung there in the gloomy darkness. The sound of water dripping echoed throughout the room, it wasn't because of a loose pipe, but coming from Nicks eyes. Running down his face and falling on the ground, and there was nothing he could do to wipe them away or hide them.