Stark was looking through his toys again, picking up this or that from the box. Nick watched him with tired eyes.
Still Nick was tied to the table and now the massive pain in his broken legs kept him awake. Unable to loose conscious or fall asleep this was all he could do – well, beside plotting another attempt to break free.
But, Nick was too much of a realist, he knew he does not have any chance to leave this cabin on his own. Not with two broken legs! But if he wouldn't try to flee he would be dead the next day, that was clear. Stark wouldn't stop this time before the Grimm, every Wesen's enemy, would be dead and gone.
Nick moved his head to look at the door, the only way in and out of the cabin. The door was closed now, the bold blocked it again.
If Monroe would know about him and would be somewhere near, maybe he could sniff him out, Nick thought. Just like the Blutbad did with the Mellifer-queen once …
Maybe he should have told Monroe about the trailer and the books, Nick continued. Monroe was able to speak German, he would surely understand what was written in the books. Besides the fact that … Monroe was right now the best friend he had, Nick realized.
But instead of trusting him he decided to step back from this friend.
No, that wasn't only because Aunt Marie had told him not to show the trailer to anyone. This was … this was because Nick simply couldn't put this new friend into any category, he couldn't stand for their friendship without revealing himself as was he was now. And he couldn't do that because he still didn't know what to think about this whole situation.
Stark turned around to him showing a small silvery chain to him. "Whatcha think, Grimm?" He asked. "It's time for getting serious, right?"
Nick licked his lips, looking up into the face of his keeper. "I don't think we were playing games so far", he answered. "And no, no interest in whatever you will offer."
Stark grinned down at him, rattling the chain. "It's the right size to amputate extremities, you know?" He said.
Nick took a deep breath, trying to stare his keeper down but already knowing he was about to lose this fight.
Stark came back to him, kneeling besides him. "You will tell me Griffin's new addrees, will you?" he asked.
„Why should I?" Nick looked at the Wesen closely. "You cannot threaten him. Not with me!"
Stark's grin was growing while he put that chain around Nick's left arm. "Be sure, I can. And you will tell me everything I want to know, that's also sure ..."
Nick took another deep breath, trying once more to prepare himself, while the chain began to straighten around his arm …
Monroe stopped, the nose again high in the air and sniffing.
He still smelled the Grimm in Nick, no question. And this smell was getting stronger, no meaning. But also the stink of the Siegbarste was getting stronger every felt minute. Definetely not good, Monroe decided.
And there was something that made him really worried about his friend: the smell of fresh blood! Usually Monroe wouldn't have think twice about it, but this blood smelled different, associated to the smell of the Grimm. And that was definetely the second not so good news.
It was a while now since he had left the police-men behind. And seriously? He didn't miss them. But, on the other hand, maybe not his wisest decision to leave them behind.
But still he had Hank's and Wu's reaction in mind after he began to sniff the Siegbarste and then Nick. In the best way they would think about him as Nick's completely nuts crazy-friend the clockworker. And there also was the fact that he couldn't call the Blutbad inside himself as long as he was surrounded by Nick's coworkers.
So Monroe finally decided, the best way would be to check out everything before running back (to leave the search-party didn't mean he couldn't find them anymore) and getting the needed help for Nick. He surely wasn't that crazy to try to deal with a Siegbarste on his own!
Monroe trotted through the woods, fully woged into his Wesen and, because he was a Wesen, nearly silently. The trees and bushes all around him seemed to glow now, while he was Blutbad. Something he always loved about his abnormality.
Then the trees stopped and Monroe found himself on a road. Well, road was a too big word for this better path deep in the woods. But it was something, especially after he'd noticed the pickup, parked near a small cabin.
Monroe sniffed again and had to step back. The smell of Siegbarste was simply overwhelming here! And unfortunately also the smell of blood.
Where the hell … ?
Monroe looked the path up and down, finally deciding to use the way to his right and walking up where he could see some lights shimmering through the trees. But after a few steps he stopped.
Wrong way! Both, the smell of Grimm-blood and the stink from the Siegbarste wasn't that strong anymore. Not as strong as they were …
Monroe turned around, looking at the cabin and the pickup again. Wasn't there some light shimmering through the blinds of the cabin?
He walked back to the pickup, again sniffing and looking at the cabin. There was a new lock on the door. Why the hell anyone should put money into something like this? The whole thing looked like it would collapse within the next ten minutes?
The smell was again getting stronger.
Monroe wasn't sure, not completely. Should he go back and call Hank and Wu for help? And what if there was a second Siegbarste around and he was wrong about the blood? What if … ?
The next second someone yelled in pain. It came out of the cabin, was Monroe's first thought. The second … that it was Nick's voice!
With a deep growl Monroe jumped at the door of the cabin, ready for everything …
Hank had left Wu and Deveraux behind to search Monroe. Better to watch the civilian before something bad would happen. Renard would kick his ass if something would happen to the clockworker.
So Hank followed Monroe as good as he could to finally stumble over the bag and the rifle Monroe brought with him. Surely he'd left them behind, the rifle was heavy and big, so it was a miracle that he'd carried it so long.
Hank shook his head and took both with him, just to be sure.
No matter what, he would have some serious conversations after Nick's rescue, this was clear. One time with his partner about Monroe (this guy was nuts!) and one time with Monroe about the right handling of weapons.
Something inside the bag was jingling so Hank stopped again to find himself on a small path. Giving in to his curiousity he opened the bag to find some of the biggest bullets he'd seen in his life inside of it. The jingling sound definetely came from them. And there was a second, separated part of the bag where a cloth was protecting a small bottle with some liquid of orange color.
Hank shook his head again, shouldering the bag he took a look around and followed the path with his eyes in both directions.
Wait a minute, there was a pickup parked in some distance. The flashlight just picked it up.
No Monroe anywhere.
Hank was impressed. He never thought that big and clumsy man could make it this far in the woods without any accident. But it looked like …
There were noises.
Hank listened while he was going into the direction of the pickup.
That sounded like … someone would fight.
What the … ?
Finally the plates of the car came into the flashlights and let Hank freeze for a second.
He knew them! There was a pickup stolen the night Nick was kidnapped! And the description the owner gave to the police just looked like Stark.
Damned!
Hank turned around, again listening to the now louder and nearer sounds to see the entry of a cabin. There was a light from the inside showing some movement. And then there was a painful yelling. And the voice Hank knew too well.
He pulled out his radio and ran up to the cabin. "Here's Griffin, I got him! I found Nick! Need backup!" he said moving up to the cabin.
And then there was this howling that made Hank not only stop but also shiver. It sounded like a very, a really very big and very pissed wolf. And it seemed to also lead him to the cabin.
Hank pushed himself up to the small house and stopped again at the entry.
The door to the cabin was still hanging in one of its angles, the second one was missing. And the inside …
Hank's eyes widened when he noticed Oleg Stark, who was fighting with some... thing hairy, ferocious and wild with a slide affinity to old werewolf-creatures. To fight this creature seemed to consume all of Stark's attention, which was good enough for Hank to see the third person, sitting on the ground. All bloody and sour: Nick!
"Damned, I've found you, partner! I've found you!"
Hank stepped into the cabin and hushed to Nick's side, pulling his pocket-knife out of the pocket after he'd noticed that his partner was tied up to that table.
"Oh my God, Nick! It's good to see you, man", he said, kneeling beside Nick.
My, the young man looked terrible to Hank. Both Nick's legs were swollen, one of his leg-bones was visible through a hole in his jeans. Nick's hands also were swollen and full of brushes.
Nick looked up to him with one eye, the other wasn't visible right now.
"Hank?" the young man asked.
"Yeah, man, it's me." Hank freed his partner and helped him as good as he could. Unfortunately Nick was a little to heavy to carry him but he did his best to drag him out of the cabin.
While he was busy with his partner the fight between Stark and that strange creature continued. But, Hank noticed that after he'd dragged Nick out of the cabin and looked back, Stark was going to win …
"We have to help him!" Nick demanded. "Now!"
Hank helped his partner to sit down near the entry of the cabin. "It's okay, Nick. Backup is coming", he answered.
Nick shook his head. "You don't understand! Stark isn't normal, Hank!"
"Yeah, that's why I called for backup", Hank answered. „Rest, Nick. Help is on its way."
"You DON'T understand! Stark will kill Monroe if we're not helping him!" Nick's voice was clear and cold and angry.
Hank paused. "What?"
That creature should be Monroe? No way!
Nick seemed to notice something, staring up to him. "You have the rifle!" He whispered, a second before something was hitting the wall next to him and made him jump.
"What the hell … ?" Hank didn't get anything anymore, looking down to his partner who was crawling back to the entry. "What are you doing, Nick?" he finally asked.
Nick stopped at the entry, looking back inside the cabin. "What about the rifle?" he yelled.
What?
And then … Nick got an answer from a voice Hank had never heard before: "Bag .. Gift is poison … bullets."
"Nick, are you crazy?" Hank asked.
Nick was moving around, his swollen face a mask of pain. "The bag, we need the bag", he said.
"What are you trying to do?" Hank asked.
"Saving the life of a friend! Now! The bag!" Nick's face was deadly serious.
Again some...one was hitting one of the walls and let Hank look at the cabin.
Well …
"Do it now!" Nick ordered.
Hank shook his head, grabbing the bag from his shoulder. He put the rifle aside, kneeled at Nick's side and opened the bag.
"There are the bullets", Hank said pointing at the main bag.
Nick nodded, lifting his swollen hand he'd tried to point at the bottle with the orange liquid. "That's the poison. Get it!" He ordered.
Hank sighed. "Nick, you ..."
A painful howl came out of the cabin.
"Get the bottle and dump that stuff upon the bullets. Now!" Nick ordered. "Do it, Hank! We are running out of time!"
Hank sighed again but decided to do what his partner wanted him to do. He opened the bottle and wrinkled his nose.
"That stinks!"
"Dump it!"
Hank dropped some of that liquid into the other half of the bag.
"Get the rifle, put those bullets in and shot Stark", Nick ordered.
"We should wait for backup", Hank said.
"We don't! If we will wait Monroe will be death – and we are probably too!" Nick's face stayed this damned serious.
"Alright." Hank loaded the rifle. "You see?"
"Now shot Stark." Nick began to shiver while the noises from inside the cabin suddenly … stopped with a whimper.
"Oh my God!" Hank lifted the rifle when he saw a big and heavy shadow appearing at the entry. "Oleg Stark!"
"Shot him!" Nick yelled.
And Stark noticed them both now, coming straight up to them.
Hank stepped back, lifting the rifle. "Oleg Stark, stop! Now! You are under arrest! Put your ..." The next moment Stark's first crashed into Hank's face. Hank stumbled backwards, and another hit hit his arm. He loosened the rifle before a third hit let him collide with a tree nearby the cabin. Hank's head collided with this tree and let him loose his conscious.
The last thing he heard was a bang when someone shot with the rifle …