I just wanted to say sorry for my absence. My relocation went to hell and my mind has not been in the writing mood. But now I'm back in full swing so I hope you enjoy what I've got for you. Please Read and Review!
"Are you sure that's the right one? We can't just go round whacking innocent men".
Nick grinned at his partner as he threw on his jacket, snatching the scribbled on paper from his desk. "This is the only one that fits the profile and the only one that has had contact with our other….victims".
Hank followed him down the halls. "I suppose that's the best term for crazy animal things….".
Both stopped instantly as they almost ran headlong into the captain. "Nick, Hank, do you have anything new"?
Nick swallowed. "A couple of leads we're trying to confirm. We'll let you know as soon as we've got anything concrete".
Renaught nodded. "Try and wrap this up fast. The media is already talking up a serial killer angle. I'd prefer not to have this on my desk for long".
"Don't worry cap", Hank continued. "We'll get it closed as fast as we can".
The Captain nodded. "Good. As you were".
Nick and Hank nodded and hurried down the stairs as fast as they could without drawing attention to themselves. Once they got outside, Nick dialled a number quickly. He sighed in frustration when it went to voicemail. "Hey J its Nick. We think we found the third one. The address is out in the old harvest district, an apartment lot on Jones St. Hank and I am heading there now. We'll meet you there". He hung up quickly and jumped into the car along with Hank who looked at him.
"She didn't answer huh"? Nick nodded staying silent. "You were hoping she would", Hank continued as he drove. Nick shrugged, staring out the window, his face full of thought. Yeah, he'd wanted her to answer; yes he'd wanted to talk to her…. He sighed inwardly, knowing Hank was still looking at him, a little worried.
"Listen, maybe when this is all over, you and her could sit down, chat a little, and clear the air. It might be good for both of you".
Nick nodded. "Yeah, maybe. Let's just finish this case off".
Hank agreed and they drove the rest of the way through town in silence. As they neared the address, Nick checked his phone, almost anxious for a response. Nothing. As he tucked his phone back into his jacket, Hank slowed to a stop outside a very run-down apartment block. A few people wandered around, one an old man attempting to tend to a weed like garden.
"Excuse me", Nick said as he got out of the car. The old man stared blankly, poised to continue his weeding. "Could you tell us if Mark Ants is here", Nick continued, showing him his badge. The old man stared and his eyes cleared.
"He ain't here. Rarely is". He went back to his weeding, motioning to the building. "Room is on the first floor, number 20. The doors are never locked". He turned away, hobbling off with weeds in hand. Nick and Hank exchanged a glance.
"Friendly guy", Hank muttered heading through the door and up the stairs, Nick following closely, making sure to watch where he stepped.
They quickly got to the apartment and just as the old man had said, the door wasn't locked. The room was sparsely furnished with boxes and bags full of rubbish all over the place. Nick crinkled his nose, trying not to breathe in. "Well this smells familiar", Hank grumbled, looking around. "Pity we can't arrest him for bad hygiene".
Nick choked back laughter. "Pity". He looked back around the room but was distracted by footsteps coming from the hallway. Both of them drew their guns and waited behind the ajar door. Before the newcomer came into view, the footsteps stopped. Nick and Hank held their breaths as the silence stretched out.
"You can put your weapons away. I'm not that dangerous".
The men glanced at each other as J's figure appeared in the doorway, dressed the same as she had been before, her weapons concealed in her clothing. Her gaze was calm as she watched them put their guns away.
"So you did get our message", Hank said glancing at her, noticing the small bruise on her chin from her last encounter with the suspects. "We weren't sure you were coming.
Nick had to swallow a laugh at the look his partner received. Almost pure contempt with a little smile on the side. Maybe she wasn't as cold as he first thought. "From the looks of this place", she continued, motioning around at the filth. "He won't be returning".
Nick was confused. "How can you tell"?
He watched her walk across the room to a small, almost unnoticeable space on the floor, use a knife to scrape at it, removing a brown sticky stuff from the floorboards. "This is a secretion that they leave when they move along. You don't want to know where it comes from".
Both Nick and Hank cringed as their imaginations filled in the blanks. Nick could have sworn he saw a smile flash across her face at their discomfort. He continued looking around for anything that might help them. "Do you know where he could have gone", he asked, getting his gloves on to move a pile of slime covered papers to look underneath. When he didn't find anything, he stood to ask J again but stopped short when he noticed a look of intense concentration on her face. Hank too had stopped to watch the young Grimm as she stood, stock still, her eyes sweeping across the room. After a moment, she closed her eyes and sniffed several times quickly. Her eyes flew open and she strode across to the opposite side of the room, using her knife to dig at an area on the floor at the kitchenette.
"What are you looking for", Hank asked curious.
J didn't answer him as she continued to work for a few more moments before she mumbled 'got it', removed a floorboard, tossing it to the side. She pulled a torch out, checked the opening then turned to the two men. "Can you give me your gloved hand for a moment"?
Nick looked at Hank who threw his hands up, backing away. "Hey man, this is your thing. I'm not sticking my hand down a dark hole in a Wesen lair".
Nick shook his head and crouched next to J, glancing in the hole. It was mostly full of old newspapers but he instantly noticed what he thought was a rock. "Is that what you want"? J nodded so he reached in and pulled it out, almost dropping it when he realised it wasn't solid. "Ugh! What the hell is this", he groaned as he looked at the squishy brown goo in his hand. Hank was now standing with them, his nose crinkled in disgust.
"It's the same stuff I scraped off the floor", J explained, poking it with her knife. "These Wesen always bring a piece of their 'safety zone' to each lair as you called it".
"Of course", Nick interrupted, the dots connecting in his head. "I read this in the books. They cover it in stuff that initially hardens then over time it becomes a gel stuff then on to a glass substance. It becomes like a trophy of their kills".
J nodded. "Because this time has been a failure, it is more likely he will go back to a place of victory for safety".
Hank shook his head. "Dude, that's weird".
J shrugged. "I s'pose….". She stopped, her knife point hovering next to a small piece of black sparkling rock.
Nick used his other gloved hand to remove it from the goo. "It looks like black diamond", he said, holding it up to the light. Hank squinted at it, put on his own gloves and took it quickly from him.
"Nah way man, it's not diamonds. It's a graphite type rock mixed with a kind of quartz stuff". Nick stared at his partner questioningly. Hanks face took on a look of innocence. "What? I watch the discovery channel too".
Nick laughed as he shook the remainder of the goo from his hand. "Alright then Mr Discovery, where would we find that stuff"?
Hank grinned smugly. "At an old mine just outside of town".
