"Detective Burkhardt?"
Nick turned at the voice to see a young man looking at him nervously as he walked towards him.
"Yes?" Nick asked. "Who are you?"
"Um, my name is Josh Porter," The man introduced then glanced around the parking lot. "One of the officers said you would be down here and what you looked like. I was hoping to catch you before you left."
"How can I help you?" Nick questioned.
"Well it's my father," Josh said in a rush. "He's dying and started talking about all this crazy stuff and wanted me to drive all the way here. I'm sorry and I shouldn't be bothering you and he kept insisting and I said I would. Since it will probably be the last thing he does-"
"Whoa," Nick cried and held up his hands. "Slow down."
Josh nodded and stood there, playing with his hands.
"Did you want to go up to the station?" Nick offered and Josh looked around. "We can sit down and talk about this?"
"Um, no," Josh answered. "You have to come with me. We are staying at a hotel and Dad wants to talk to you. Just you, he said. I'm sorry. I can understand if you don't want to come but Dad doesn't have long…"
Nick frowned at that and the young man's behaviour which would normally make him suspicious and yet his instincts were pushing on him. Something was telling him to see what the man was talking about. There was also something open and honest about Josh, even if his behaviour was off.
"I'll just text my Captain," Nick told him as he pulled his phone out. "Just wait here."
Josh nodded and folded his arms then unfolded them nervously. Nick could tell he wasn't comfortable with being surrounded by police.
"What's the name of the hotel?" Nick asked.
"Railway on Main," Josh replied, without hesitation. "Room two-two-one. We just got there this morning, we were at another hotel before that but Dad wanted us to move for some reason."
Nick sent that in a text before slipping his phone away in his pocket.
"Did you drive?" Nick asked and Josh nodded. "Come on, I'll follow you in my car."
Nick opened his car and Josh hesitated slightly before slipping in. Nick drove up to the main road and Josh pointed out his car and Nick tensed. He remembered that car from the gas station a few days ago. It had caught his attention then and it did again now. He double parked with his lights on as Josh jumped out and into his car. Nick sent another text to Sean with the rego and details of the car. He flicked his lights back off as Josh pulled out and he fell in behind him. He didn't try to follow him too much as they drove, he knew the location of the hotel.
They pulled up at the hotel and Nick locked his car as he looked Josh's car over. Josh led the way into the hotel.
"How long have you been in Portland?" Nick asked.
"Just over a week," Josh replied. "Dad said you were here and he wanted to meet you at your house but we couldn't get in contact with you. Look, I'm not sure if this is just a waste of time for you and he's been talking about all this stuff and I'm not sure if it's the medication-"
"Room two-two-one?" Nick cut in and Josh nodded.
They stopped at the door and Josh knocked before using the card reader and they stepped into the room. An old man stood there with a cane in his hand and a wary look in his eyes. Nick didn't need to be a Wesen to know what the old man was, he had a presence around him that Nick was starting to learn the meaning of. The presence of a predator even if the old man didn't look much like one as he stood there.
"Nick Burkhardt?" The man demanded and Nick nodded. "Do you have ID?"
Nick pulled out his badge and warrant card and held them up and the man relaxed.
"Oh, thank god." The man whispered. "My name is Rolek Porter and I'm a Grimm."
Josh groaned and rubbed his face as he fell back into a chair. Nick could tell that this was all too much for the young man. Nick slipped his badge away as Rolek eased himself back into his chair.
"You were looking for me?" Nick inquired.
"Yes," Rolek said quickly. "My grandfather gave me a key and told me that I needed to pass it along to a Grimm and Josh isn't a Grimm-"
Rolek started coughing and Nick winced at the dry sound. Josh jumped to his feet and rushed to fill a cup with water.
"You have a key?" Nick asked as Josh came back with the water.
"You know what he's talking about?" Josh uttered in disbelief.
"Yes," Nick answered. "Everything your father is saying is true."
Josh stared at him in disbelief as Rolek drank the water down. He picked up his cane and fiddled with it for a while before holding out a small metal key. Nick took it in his hand and stared at it. It looked very similar to the one that he had.
"I had to get it to you," Rolek announced roughly. "It had to go to a Grimm and you were the only one I could find. I couldn't do what they did…what you do…"
"Thank you," Nick whispered as he looked at the key.
"I think we might have been followed," Rolek confessed before coughing. "I have a trunk as well, Josh?"
Josh quickly rushed into the other room and pulled the trunk out. Nick got up to help him as he slipped the key away into his pocket.
"Who do you think was following you?" Nick questioned as he opened the lid of the trunk and looked in. "Nice collection."
"My great grandfather started it," Rolek stated in pride.
They all started when the door was suddenly smashed in. Nick was moving before his mind caught up on what was happening. He pushed Josh and the man fell back as three Hundjägers stormed into the room and Nick pulled his gun.
"Police!" Nick yelled and the three paused before snarling.
Nick shot the first Wesen as the other two jumped forward and he was spinning out of the way. He didn't have much space to work and hoped that Josh and his father were getting out of the way. A Hundjäger lashed out and Nick ducked then barrelled into his side. He smashed the Wesen into the wall before pulling the trigger of his gun and the man roared. He fired again before turning, just in time to see the third man fall to Rolek's sword through the stomach. Nick quickly looked around as Josh panted with wide eyes as he stared at his father.
"You killed them," Josh uttered in shock.
"Josh," Rolek tried to calm his son down.
"You killed a man," Josh whispered and collapsed in a chair.
Nick ignored them as he placed his gun away and pulled the man's glove off his hand and looked at the tattoo.
"Verrat," Nick reported and looked up at Rolek and saw the understanding reflected there. "They were following you?"
"Yes," Rolek confirmed then coughed. "They are after the key."
"This tattoo is a little different," Nick remarked then looked up sharply when a woman appeared at the door and screamed. "Police!"
Nick held up his badge and the woman stopped. She was smartly dressed and he was sure that she was a duty manager. He slipped his phone out and called Sean.
"Are you okay?" Sean answered.
"We were just attacked by three Verrat," Nick reported. "All three dead, we are fine."
"We?" Sean questioned and Nick could tell that he was already moving before Sean barked. "All cars to Railway on Main hotel, now!"
"We have another Grimm," Nick answered and Sean cursed.
"Not another family member?" Sean drawled.
"Not directly," Nick said as he stood. "The tattoo on this man is different."
"We'll be there soon and will lock it down," Sean answered and hung up.
Nick slipped his phone away and looked at the pale woman in the doorway.
"I want this floor locked down," Nick ordered sharply. "No one up or down, except the young man here. The police should be here soon."
"Yes, sir." The woman said and quickly disappeared.
Nick looked around at the mess and sighed.
"Josh," Nick ordered. "Give me a hand and we'll take the trunk down to my car. Rolek, are you okay to stay up here?"
"Yes, yes." Rolek stated and waved his hand.
Nick and Josh picked up a handle each and made their way out of the room with the trunk. Nick could see that Josh was in shock as he looked around with too large eyes.
"He's not mad?" Josh whispered.
"He's not mad," Nick agreed as they placed the trunk in his car.
They turned at the sound of sirens as the first car arrived. Nick strolled towards Sean's car when it pulled up. The tall man hurried towards him, his strides eating up the distance. Sean's eyes ran over him as Nick slipped close and silently palmed the key off into the man's pocket. Josh stood back as he looked around nervously.
"Room two-two-one," Nick told him as he stepped back. "This is Josh Porter, his father Rolek, is up in the room."
"Coroner is on the way as well as forensics," Sean added as they started walking back towards the hotel. "Do you know if there were any more?"
Suddenly shouting started up and Nick jumped forward in a run. He weaved through people and back towards the hotel room, just in time to see a man running back towards him. Nick pulled up and the man took one look at him and was off again. Nick bolted after him, leaving the others behind. The man in front of him shoved people out of the way as he ran.
"Police!" Nick yelled. "Clear the way!"
People yelped and scattered as the man ran out of the hotel and onto the side street. Police looked over when they saw him.
"Stop!" One officer yelled out and the man snarled and pulled a gun.
Nick tackled him to the ground and they both went down as the gun went scattering across the pavement. The man woged and lashed out with claws. Nick pulled back but that gave the Hundjäger enough room to slip from his grip. The man bolted with Nick on his heels. They dodged people and cars as Nick tried to keep up with the other man as he panted. The man glanced over his shoulder and quickened his pace. Nick met him for speed.
It was pure instinct alone that saved him.
Nick felt a spilt second of warning and quickly pulled up short. Just as the man in front of him ran out into the path of a bus. Nick skidded to a stop and almost collided with the side of the bus as it braked quickly, too late to save the man that had gone under it. Nick saw people thrown from their seats as he lost his footing and hit the ground, hard. He cursed as he pushed himself up just as the bus driver jumped out. The large man looked pale and shaken as he stared back at his bus.
"Police," Nick panted and the man spun around.
"He just ran out," The bus driver squeaked. "I didn't see him until he went under."
"Just be glad it was just him," Nick muttered, feeling his hands shaking.
It could have very easily been him under the bus as well, that split-second of warning had saved his life.
"See that everyone is okay," Nick ordered and the bus driver nodded.
Nick crouched down and looked under the bus and felt his lunch coming back up. He reached out and grabbed the man's hand and uncurled it and cursed again.
"Bloody vermin," Nick swore as he pulled himself out from under the bus.
He looked over as a uniformed officer ran over and Nick pulled his badge.
"Lock it down," Nick ordered.
"Yes, sir." The man said quickly then winced when he noticed the blood on the road.
"I wouldn't look," Nick advised.
"Wasn't planning on it, sir." The man replied.
Nick gave him a nod before heading back to the hotel. The police had it locked down as he showed his shield to get past. When he arrived at the hotel room he groaned. Rolek was sprawled out in his seat with blood down the front of his shirt and Nick cursed. Sean looked over at him and gave him a once over.
"He went under a bus," Nick told him roughly as his eyes caught on Josh. "I had an officer lock it down."
The young man just stood to the side of the room, his eyes locked on his father. His face was pale and Nick could tell that he'd gone into shock, three men and his father were dead before him. Nick stepped over to him and Josh slowly lifted his head to look at him.
"I don't understand," Josh whispered. "I don't understand."
"Take him back to the station," Sean ordered. "He can make a statement there."
"Josh," Nick said softly and the man focused on him. "Come with me."
"Yes, yes." Josh uttered and Nick led the way back down to his car.
xXx
Sean looked around the room in anger, it didn't seem to matter how many Verrat were killed. More just turned up as he crouched down and looked at the tattoo. He'd felt that bolt of fear run through him when Nick had bolted after that man. The sick feeling in his stomach that he couldn't chase after them. He stood back up and slipped his hands into his coat pockets then paused when he felt something in his right pocket and he ran his fingers over the object. He felt the raised bumps and the familiar size with a slight frown.
Nick had slipped him his key, why had he done that? Why did he have it on him? He felt fear run through him and he glanced around at the mess of the room. Did Nick feel safer with the key with him? He wasn't even sure when Nick had slipped it to him. He looked up when Hank arrived at the door and looked around.
"What do we have?" Hank questioned as he stepped up next to him.
"Three Verrat and an unknown male under a bus," Sean replied and led Hank outside the room. "Nick has headed back to the station with a young man, Josh Porter. I believe that the murdered man in the chair in the room was his father and a Grimm."
"Another Grimm?" Hank asked with a frown. "Why so many now?"
"I am unsure," Sean mused.
Sean's phone suddenly rang and he pulled it out.
"Renard," Sean answered.
"They ran us off the road!" A man gasped, quickly. "Nick said to run and call you."
Sean felt coldness flood through him.
"Where?" Sean demanded as he started moving.
"I'm not sure," He assumed it was Josh on the phone. "They smashed into the back of the car and we ran into some parked cars. Nick shoved the phone at me, told me to run and call you."
"Wu!" Sean barked and the man looked up. "Any reported crashes within the last few minutes close to here! Josh, keep moving."
"I don't know what to do!" Josh cried.
"Get to the busiest area that you can find and stay there with this phone," Sean told him before hanging up. "Wu, now!"
"Three vehicle crash at Alexander and third," Wu answered. "Just came in."
"Hank!" Sean barked.
"On it," Hank exclaimed and they quickly settled into his car. "What's happening?"
"Nick was just run off the road," Sean reported and Hank sped off with the siren blaring. "They knew to target him."
Hank pulled up at the accident site and Sean looked it over, feeling cold. Nick's car looked like a write off and the back door had been ripped off. They could tell that the SUV that had hit him was a rental as Hank and Sean stepped out. Sean's eyes took in the claw marks on the driver's side door and the blood on the steering wheel. He could smell that it was Nick's blood and he hadn't gone down without a fight. He looked around before calling Nick's phone. It rang twice before Josh answered.
"Where are you?" Sean questioned.
"Shopping mall," Josh gasped. "In the food court."
Sean looked around and spotted the building.
"Stay there," Sean told him. "We'll be there soon."
Sean hung up the phone as a tow truck arrived.
"Hank," Sean called. "Get Nick's truck and the other car taken to our impound lot. I'm going to collect Josh."
"Yes, sir." Hank answered.
"Get Wu to pull the traffic cam footage as well," Sean called over his shoulder. "They must have had a second car, I want it found."
Sean turned and stormed towards the shopping mall as he pulled his phone to track down Josh. He felt his stomach churning in fear with each step he took and a ticking of a clock in the back of his mind. This all came down to how quickly they could move.
xXx
Nick woke to the feeling of being in a car with a cloth bag over his head. His legs were tied together and his wrists bound behind his back. He could feel something hard behind him and knew it was the trunk from his car. His head pounded and he felt lines of fire across his side. He knew that he'd taken a hit from the side and his head hurt from hitting the steering wheel.
"He's waking up," Someone said from close by.
"Drug him," Someone else stated.
Nick flinched when he felt a pin prick his arm then everything spun away from him. He went limp as the darkness closed in.
xXx
Sean could pick Josh out easily as he slipped his phone away and strolled towards the nervous man. Josh looked at him with large eyes and some relief. He had such an open and honest face as he hurried towards him.
"Tell me what happened," Sean demanded as Josh fell into step with him.
"I'm not sure," Josh exclaimed. "Someone just hit us and Nick drove into those parked cars. He shoved his phone at me and told me to run. There was something wrong with their faces and I think…I think one of them had claws."
Sean glanced at Josh and his pale face.
"Nick distracted them as I ran," Josh uttered. "They just jumped on him…"
Sean felt his stomach clench.
"How many?" Sean questioned.
"Four," Josh answered. "I think. One went to run after me but then just turned back. I'm sorry, I don't know what's going on?"
"We'll keep it that way for now," Sean replied as they walked back out onto the street.
"Captain," Hank called out. "I have the traffic cam and Wu has already put a BOLO out on the car that they used to get away."
Sean went straight to him and Hank pulled out his iPad and played it. Sean winced when Nick's car was hit and took note of the other cars around him.
"Oh, man." Hank uttered as Nick was taken down by four men. "He's got to be hurting."
"Yes," Sean agreed as the four men piled into a SUV with Nick and a trunk.
"Hey, that's my father's trunk!" Josh exclaimed, pointing at the screen.
"Your father was a Grimm?" Sean demanded.
"That's what he told me," Josh answered.
Sean woged but Josh didn't react and he couldn't see himself reflected back, Josh wasn't a Grimm even if his father had been. Sean pulled his nature back as he glanced around before pulling the key from his pocket and looked down at it. It wasn't Nick's key, he showed it to Josh.
"Did your father give this to Nick?" Sean asked before quickly slipping it away.
"Yes," Josh answered.
"Got a hit," Hank reported.
"In the car, Josh." Sean ordered as he got into the passenger side.
Hank started the car up and flicked the siren on and they were off as Hank followed directions from the radio. He flicked the siren off when they got closer.
"SUV pulled into warehouse district," the radio crackled. "Do you want us to follow?"
"No," Sean ordered. "Stay on the entrance. I want back up on stand-by. We have a hostage situation involving an officer."
"Yes, sir."
Hank spotted the unmarked car and went around them and into the warehouse area before pulling up. Sean got out of the car then placed his hand on the back door to stop Josh.
"Stay there," Sean ordered. "Hank give him the keys."
Hank did as he was ordered as he pulled his gun.
"How are we doing this?" Hank asked.
"Take them out," Sean replied easily. "Assumed armed and dangerous."
He lifted his nose and took a sniff but there were too many smells, he focused on the feeling of Nick instead. Of the man he knew so well and was a part of him. He pulled his gun and led the way with Hank behind him. Feeling that slight tug towards Nick. He pulled back when he smelt the first Hundjäger and wrinkled his nose. He crouched down and glanced around the corner to see two men and Nick laid out on the ground.
He pulled back and signalled to Hank and he nodded. Sean stood and in one move, stepped out and shot one man while Hank shot the second one. He heard a growl before a third man threw himself at him and Sean flicked out with his gun. He heard a yelp as he man hit the ground and he shot him dead. They hurried forward and Sean felt his heart clench as he noticed how still Nick lay, bound hand and foot.
"Cover me," Sean ordered and knelt before Nick.
He breathed a sigh of relief when he felt a pulse under his fingers before shaking Nick's shoulder. The man was just limp under his hand and didn't wake.
"Nick!" Sean hissed.
He shook him harder with the same results. He stood back up and looked around.
"How do you want to do this?" Hank questioned.
Sean slipped his phone out and called Nick's phone.
"Yes?" Josh answered.
"Drive the car to us," Sean ordered. "Drive straight then to the right, second warehouse on the left."
"Ah, okay." Josh said and hung up.
"He's getting the hang of this," Hank remarked as his eyes darted around.
"Any more and he'll be getting a pay cheque," Sean drawled as the car pulled into the entrance of the warehouse. "Let's get Nick up. Call in support to lock it down once we are in the car. Report that there is an officer down and that we are taking him to safety."
Hank nodded as he grabbed one of Nick's arms while Sean grabbed the other and they pulled him up. Nick's head hung limply and Sean would have like to have cut through his bindings but they didn't have time. Josh jumped out of the car and pulled the back door open for them. They pushed Nick in and Sean clipped the seat belt in. He ignored the blood and how pale Nick's face looked as he pulled back. Josh jumped into the car on Nick's other side as Hank sat down in the driver's seat. Sean glanced around before seating himself and Hank drove out. If there was anything important in the trunk, the Verrat had it now. Sean pulled out the key and had the feeling that's what the Verrat had been after.
xXx
"Nick," Sean tried again and tapped the side of Nick's face without any luck.
"We're going to have to just take him up like this," Hank told him as he looked in on Nick.
"Yes," Sean agreed. "Good thing that I just signed a contract on a new place."
"Really?" Hank asked in interest. "Where?"
"I haven't told Nick yet," Sean stated as he unbuckled the seatbelt and looked at Josh beside him. "You're coming up with us."
Josh nodded sharply and looked a little lost. Hank and Sean got Nick out of the car and it was easier to get him up with his bindings cut. Josh closed the doors and Hank fumbled the key and locked the car. They hauled Nick to the lift and up.
Phillip Bolin looked up when they arrived and his eyes widened as he stood up at the security desk.
"Please don't tell me that you want photo ID," Hank snapped. "Our hands are full."
"Do you need me to call a medic?" Bolin questioned.
"No," Sean answered. "Just buzz us through."
"Yes, sir." Bolin answered. "If you need anything at all just call down."
Sean nodded and they stumbled towards the lift, Josh looked around in interest. By the time that they got to the apartment. Sean's shoulders were straining and he was sure that Hank was feeling it worse than him.
"What happened?" Trubel yelped and ran towards them as soon as they came through the door.
"Bit of everything really," Hank answered as he tried to lift Nick's arm into a better position.
"Who are you?" Trubel demanded of Josh.
"Um, Josh Porter." Josh answered as he twitched nervously.
Trubel looked him over and Josh mastered up a small smile. Sean and Hank just kept going to Sean's bedroom.
"Trubel, get the blanket," Hank grunted and she jumped forward and pulled it down.
They gently eased Nick down onto his back and Hank rolled his shoulders. Sean cupped Nick's face and felt his forehead. He was concerned with how unresponsive he was, it was unlike the Grimm to be put down for this long. He gently ran his fingers into his hair to look at the cut near his hairline. It didn't look too bad and he could see that it had already scabbed over.
"I'll get you some water and a cloth," Trubel announced and quickly fled the room.
Sean glanced over his shoulder to see Josh hovering in the doorway.
"Did he lose consciousness when he hit the other cars?" Sean asked.
"No," Josh replied. "He did hit his head on the steering wheel."
"What are you thinking, Captain?" Hank questioned.
"Help me get his jacket off," Sean ordered.
Hank stepped forward and they carefully peeled Nick's jacket off before Sean winced when he saw the claw marks. They gently slipped him out of his shirt just as Trubel came back in.
"Hold him there," She ordered.
Trubel quickly knelt on the bed and cleaned the claw marks that started on his back and came around his side. Hank shared a look with Sean as he could see the marks healing as Trubel cleaned them. Josh paced forward a couple of steps with a frown.
"What happened to his arm?" Josh asked and pointed out a red mark.
Sean shifted his hold and looked at the mark, he ran his fingers over the inflamed spot. It looked like a puncture wound but bigger than a syringe but smaller than a blade.
"Do you have a first aid kit?" Trubel asked.
"In the bathroom," Sean replied. "Under the sink."
"I'll get it," Josh cried and quickly disappeared.
He reappeared and placed the large box on the bed and opened it up. Trubel gave them a look before pulling out supplies and wrapping the claw marks. Sean and Hank gently laid Nick back down. Sean placed the back of his hand to Nick's forehead and when he looked up. He met Trubel's eyes watching him.
"You care for him," Trubel stated and Hank snorted.
"What gave that away," Sean intoned, sarcasm dripping from his words.
Trubel blushed and looked away.
"Come on, Josh," Hank said to the young man. "You need to come down to the station to make a statement."
"Bring him back here when you're done," Sean told him. "Josh, you can stay in the other spare room until we work this all out."
"Um, thank you." Josh stuttered and Hank pulled him from the room.
Trubel stood next to the bed and shifted slightly. Sean looked up at her and nodded before moving to pull Nick's shoes off.
"Thank you," Sean offered as he pulled the blanket up.
"Ah, that's okay." Trubel replied. "You pick these things up."
Sean snorted and looked up at her and could see that. She gave him a nervous smile before fleeing the room and Sean chuckled. He pulled his phone out and dialled Rosalee.
"Sean," Rosalee greeted. "How are you?"
"Those herbs that we found," Sean commented. "You said they could be used as a sedative?"
"Um, yes." Rosalee replied. "In the correct amounts."
"I think that Nick's been drugged," Sean told her.
"What! What happened?"
"Well," Sean sighed. "That seems like a long story and I only know half of it. Can you come to my apartment with something that could counter the effects? Or will it wear off?"
"I would give it a chance to wear off," Rosalee countered. "Unless he's reacting badly?"
"He's unresponsive," Sean told her. "He's been out for longer than an hour and he isn't running a temperature."
"In that case, Sean." Rosalee recommended. "I would let him sleep it off but I'll look up my books and if something changes. Let me know."
"Thank you," Sean said and hung up.
He looked down at Nick as he slept and sighed. He ran his hand over Nick's hair, at least the man was safe. But he couldn't shift that cold feeling in his stomach that this wasn't the end.
