"See you later, man." Darir waves to me. He's taking personal time at his home in Savannah Central. His sons wife just had a baby, and he wants to see his grandson.
"I'll be back at the compound in a year. Unless you get assigned here, I'll see you there."
I start to walk out the door, but he snaps his cloven hooves. "Now I remember what I was gonna ask you. What does Darcy think of your reassignment? You two were always close. I'd half expected you two to start dating."
I shift my suitcase to my other hand. "We exchanged some words before I left. She's not happy about it. But it's not her life, is it?"
I continue out the door before he asks anymore questions. I'm supposed to meet with the head of police, Chief Bogo, in three hours. For now, I have to go get briefed on the specifics of my assignment, dump my stuff at the HQ, and meet my new handler. A busy day in the life of Jack Savage.
I hail the limo waiting for me, and allow the driver to open my door. Life with the ZSS might be dangerous, but it has its perks.
It starts to rain, and I stare out the window, thinking on what Darir said about Darcy and I. I don't know what my feelings are for her. Or what hers are for me. I respect her, and admire her. She's physically attractive, and has the brains to match. She's my best friend, and I know she's got my back.
But we're on a team. We're field agents. Partners. When we go on missions together, I can't be worrying about her safety.
My train of thought is thankfully interrupted by the driver, a black panther with a name tag that reads Manchaes.(Anyone know the right way to spell it?)
"Mr. Savage, we're arriving at your hotel."
"Thank you. Here you are." I hand him a fifty with an image of Eleanor Obmoj, one of the five founders of Zootopia, as a tip. He takes it gratefully.
I stand on the curb for a moment, letting the rain mix with my fur. Then, with a sigh, I go to my briefing. My year of peace is just beginning.