Zootopia: Secrets And Deception

Chapter 14. Aftershock

Nick was barely awake that night, even though the venom wore off, the painful effects lingered. His eyes were red and dry, not from because of the pain from the dosage of venom, but from thinking selfishly about himself without regard for Judy. "Judy....." was all he thought of for days. Just then a door opened and a sliver of light began to pierce the floor and grew, with each moment. Nick looked up to see Myriam walking towards him, with another tray filled with the same amount of food as last time. Some strawberries, some blueberries, and some bread, but this time the bread had garlic seasoning and spread, and a cup of water. Nick ate gratefully but his body was still in shock, and his jaw hurt to chew anything.

After a few minutes, Myriam left with an empty tray and the door closed behind her, and Nick was beginning to feel better, but he still had this feeling of a presence in there with him. Watching him, and waiting for Myriam to leave before revealing itself. He began to look around the room, and saw a shadow move to his left before it disappeared, and that same sound of a large body being dragged across the floor. Jeremiah. "What do you want, Jeremiah? More venom you wish to give me?" Nick said as he tried to stand.
"No, Nickolas. I came here because I wish to talk to you. That chat we were supposed to have before I dosed you with my.....my venom." Jeremiah said as he began to coil himself, almost like a hose. Nick sensed that there was something wrong with him, almost like he regretted giving him the venom.....as if he was trying to apologize for doing that. "This story I wish to tell you is true, every word and everything that happened is true." Jeremiah said as he rested his head on his coiled body, and brought a chair over for Nick to sit in. "It all started....." The door opened suddenly and the guard came inside, interrupting Jeremiah.
"Sir! Your partner is wanting to have a word with you." He said as he stopped just a few feet inside the room.
"How many times do I have to tell you, do not disturb me when I am busy?" Jeremiah exploded as he turned to face him.
"But sir, he says it's urgent." The guard replied feeling scared. Jeremiah paused for a moment, and lowered his head.
"Very well, I will talk with him." He said, and the guard left the room. Jeremiah then turned to Nick. "I am sorry, Nickolas. But it appears that I am needed elsewhere. I know that you were interested in this story." Jeremiah said and began to slither out of the room, closed the door, and locked it.

Nick was once again left alone in the room with nothing but a light that only shone on him. "I wonder who his partner is." Nick thought to himself, but after a few moments, Nick began to feel weird, like the pain from the venom had left him and grew sleepier. "I knew the water tasted funny." Nick said with a laugh and lowered his head as darkness surrounded him.

That morning, Judy had gotten up early in this search for this box. She felt confident and ready for anything, but even though she didn't want to admit it, she couldn't stop thinking about Nick and if she were to fail. "Nick.....that's who I'm doing this for. I have come this far, I can't and won't fail." She said with confidence, looking at herself in the mirror trying to see any doubt, but her reflection was the only thing looking back. Knowing that she couldn't hide her fear, even from herself. After a few minutes had passed, Judy had finally gotten all of her equipment ready, and the coordinates locked in her GPS before she left.

When the GPS finally went off, Judy parked her car outside a news publisher, called 'The Morning Trumpet', turned off her GPS, and walked up to the glass double doors. It was a fairly large business, and is still important to Zootopia. Once inside, she saw that a large picture hanging on her right was the founder, 'Sir Isaac Wolfsbane.' It was a beautifully decorated painting, he was positioned in a way that made him look powerful and a great leader. His left hand was resting on his cane while his right was in the front pocket of his suit, adding effect to his superiority. There was something about this painting that she thought looked familiar, but decided that the more she stood and gazed upon this painting, the less time she had to find the box, and went up to the next floor up. Looking around in every corner and crevasse she could find, but no symbol for the secret location could be found, and went to the next floor, only to discover the same. She kept searching and searching every floor she went to, until she came to the last one, but still couldn't find anything. "How can this be? I went through every inch of every floor, where could it be?" Judy said with frustration as she began to walk back towards the elevators, and rode one back to the lobby. It was in the afternoon when she looked at her watch on the ground level, and she began to walk towards the glass doors, when she looked at the painting once again. "Why is this so familiar?" Judy asked herself as she walked closer to it. Suddenly, her eyes grew wide and her ears stood straight up. For the ring that was on 'Sir Isaac's right hand, bore the same symbol that was on the map. She started feeling around the frame and found that it was on hinges, and she pulled gently and found that it swung outward, revealing a safe with a code lock on it. "But, what could be the code?" she thought to herself, before the sound of two cars colliding with each other split the air, and made her look outside. She noticed that four street signs had two digit numbers each, and she got an idea. "The location could be the combination?" she said and began to put in the numbers. Almost instantly after putting in the last digit, there was an unlocking sound and the safe door flew open, and revealed a box. THE box. "Yes! I finally found it!" she screamed, making everyone inside look at her. "Sorry." She said softly before racing out to her car and drove home.

Once she had closed and locked her apartment door, she was just bursting with curiosity. She was so tempted to open it and gaze upon whatever may lay inside. "What could be inside?" she thought as she placed it right next to the key, but then remembered what Jeremiah said.
"Bring me the box and key, or you will never see Nickolas alive again. Do you understand, Judy?" His voice was ringing in her ears like an annoying headache, and decided to leave it alone. But Judy couldn't sleep at all that night, her curiosity had taken a hold on her, and wouldn't let go. Just the thought of whatever could be in the box was almost too much for her, and decided to get out of bed and open it. "Just a little peek couldn't hurt." She thought to herself as she grabbed the key and put it in the keyhole, and turned the key. But nothing happened, the box didn't unlock or open. "What am I doing?" she thought to herself and went back to bed to get some sleep for tomorrow. The day she ransoms Nick.

The next morning, Nick had that same feeling that he was either being watched, or something else was in that room with him. He slowly opened his eyes, and carefully raised his head to look around, and noticed Jeremiah was leaning up against the wall a few feet away from him. What was very peculiar about this was that he was holding something that was wrapped up in the end of his tail. As Nick looked closely, he saw that it the pocket watch that he had with him, only this time he was able to see inside of it. What it held inside was two pictures that were both taped together, one was a picture of Myriam, but the other was of another snake.....but female. Jeremiah seemed to be staring at the other snake for the longest time, with a saddened look in his eyes.
"Who is she?" Nick asked softly. The sudden question that severed the silence in the room, made Jeremiah close the watch. "The picture of the snake, who is she?" Nick asked again in the same soft voice.
"She.....she was....." Jeremiah tried answering, but seemed to have some trouble getting the words out. "She was my.....my wife." He said as he placed the watch in the pocket of his suit, which was made specifically for him. The sleeves were sewn shut and the collar fit loosely around his neck.
"I'm sorry.....I.....I didn't mean to prod." Nick said as he turned away apologetically.
"It's quite alright, Nickolas. She was part of the story I wanted to talk to you about, and she was all I had left in this world before....." Jeremiah paused suddenly, making Nick look up at him. "Before she was taken from me.....forever." he finished, and quickly wiped away a single tear from his scarred face, but Nick noticed it and was just about to ask when a clock went off. It was Jeremiahs pocket watch, and pulled it out. "My my, it has already been a week. I better make preparations for the call and set up a time and location for the exchange. Don't you worry, Nickolas. I gave her a promise, if she delivers the box and key you will live. And now I make you a promise. If she delivers the box and key to me, both of you will live out the rest of your lives with no unnecessary interruption's, or death to either of you." Jeremiah said, Nick was skeptical about his promise, even though he could hear the truth in every word. After thinking about it for a few seconds, Nick nodded in agreement.
"Excellent, I will call her and tell her the location of the exchange. In the meantime, Myriam will clean you up and get you ready for this." Jeremiah said as her slithered out of the room, and opened the door letting in Myriam to clean him of the blood stains, and cuts on Nicks' fur. He was worried about Jeremiahs partner would do to Judy or himself, he knew that Jeremiah keeps his word. But would his partner take them out of the equation permanently, or only one?