Zootopia: ZPD Mysteries: Case #4: The Curse of The Pirate's Eye

Chapter 11: Battle Aboard the Boat

The captain of the Krakens, Scott Shale, marched up and down the collection of hostages aboard Gazelle's yacht, strutting like the arrogant animal he really was. He swung his arm, the one that held his machine gun, like a pendulum of death, back and forth; back and forth as he spewed hatred at his hostages.

Since he had attacked the Alegre about twenty minutes earlier, Shale and his crew, armed to the teeth, had marched all of the yacht's passengers, including Gazelle herself, down into the engine room. There, their wrists and ankles were all tied together with bungee cords, making escape impossible.

It had been particularly hard to tie up Clawhauser, but three of Shale's pirates had managed it. Being an off-duty cop, Clawhauser was treated with extra security, held on the wall opposite the other guests to ensure that he couldn't free them.

Shale now stared right into the eyes of every passenger, of all sizes, and greeted them with an arrogant smirk.

"Now," he said, going over his demands, "since we're all here, and you have kindly allowed my partners to make themselves comfortable, I better tell you what it is I want."

From where she was forced to kneel, Gazelle felt the cold steel floor send shivers up her exposed legs and into the rest of her body. Being one of the taller animals in employ at Real Records, it meant that she had to look down to face the diminutive Kraken captain.

He now looked her square in the eye as he spoke his demands.

"I want any and all money that any of you have stuffed down your suits," he said. "That includes valuables such as those golden bangle things you have on your long, pretty arms."

He finished this last comment off with a cheeky wink in Mafawna's direction.

"This is an outrage!" Mafawna said, struggling to get out from her bonds. Her intake of alcohol hadn't worn off yet, so she still slurred. "You can't threaten me! I am Mafawna, the second-most popular artist in Zootopia! If you hurt me, I'll... I'll..."

Scott swung his gun up and plunked it right at the base of Mafawna's neck, and she quickly shut up, breaking into a sweat.

"Does it look like I care?" Shale growled, a mix of lust and hate in his eyes. "It would be so easy for me to just plunk a piece of lead right through that pretty neck of yours. But until you hand over your jewelry and any money you have, I need you alive."

Mafawna vulgarly insulted Shale's mother, and then shrieked, "You can't kill me! That gun's probably not even loaded. And when I get out of these bungee cords, I'll sue you for holding me hostage."

"But not for flirting with you?" Gazelle muttered under her breath, disturbed by what her rival would do for love.

Then again, it didn't surprise her. Mafawna had had many boyfriends over the months she had applied for benefits at the Symba Foundation. All of whom she had dumped shortly after meeting them.

"My other demand," Shale went on, making sure to keep his gun trained on Mafawna's neck, "is that we take command of this vessel and add it to the dozens of vessels we have claimed. There are bound to be cruise ships or other ships we'll be able to rob, and it's the only way they'll let us get close to them. Make them think we're friends."

He swung his gaze over to Gazelle, who was busy acting quiet and obedient. Her life depended on it.

"I assume you'll let us do so," he said, smirking again. He already knew the answer.