Chapter Fourteen
Nick slowed his pace, coming to a stop at the corner of a large warehouse that had been sitting empty since long before he'd even moved to Portland. Cautiously, he poked his head around the side of the building, sharp gray eyes meticulously sweeping over the source of the address Wu had managed to dig up for him.
The two-story distribution plant sat just as dark and silent as the rest of the buildings in the oldest section of Portland; so old, in fact, that it was almost not even considered part of the city anymore. It was also far enough away that it wasn't often utilized by Portland's less savory characters; too inconvenient to be set up as a home base of sorts. But, if the old citation for loitering Wu had found was to be believed, it was the perfect place for someone to hide.
Or to be hidden.
Ducking back around the corner, Nick pressed his back to the wall and pulled out his phone. He fired off a quick text to Wu, letting him know he had arrived while also starting the one hour time limit he'd had to concede to in order to finagle the address from the sergeant. Wu was not overly thrilled with Nick searching the isolated hideout on his own, and while he had allowed himself to be swayed by Nick's bargain of maintaining contact, Nick had no doubt that Wu was also positioning several cruisers nearby. Wu wouldn't go back on his word; he had promised Nick an hour to search before sending in the cavalry, but he also knew how fast things could sour. Backup would be ready and waiting.
Nick checked that his phone was still switched to silent, then slid it back into his pocket. With one more careful sweep of the area, he headed for the plant.
The main doors were closed and secured by a thick chain and a weathered padlock. It was plain to see that they had remained undisturbed since they had been closed. Undeterred, Nick crept along the building, keeping to the shadows as much as possible as he hunted for a way inside.
Around the side of the building was a narrow alley, barely three feet of space between the plant and the building beside it. A stack of rotting crates blocked the path part way in; Nick's eyes lifted over the crates and to a broken window just above them.
Nick doubted that even Matthew would have been able to carry Monroe up to and through the window; doubted that the crates would have held their weight, and he wasn't entirely confident that they would hold his. Feeling the press of time closing in around him, Nick didn't see a better option. Carefully, he climbed up the crates, placing his feet where the wood looked the strongest before reaching the top and slipping through the window into the building.
The room he found himself in had once been an office of some kind. The furniture had long since been removed, but metal shelves built into one wall beside rusted filing cabinets remained to tell the room's story. Nick couldn't tell how recently the room had been occupied, but seeing no evidence of either Matthew or Monroe, he headed through the open doorway.
A long hallway stretched in either direction with several doors dotting the walls. After a quick glance in both directions, Nick turned left and slowly crept onward.
Each room he passed stood as empty as the one before it. Nick reached a closed door at the end of the hallway and pushed it open, revealing a set of fire stairs leading up as well as down.
Nick paused, considering his options. The notes on the loitering charge named the building but little else. But if Matthew needed a secure place to stash weapons- or a person- and still be able to escape quickly, it made more sense to be closer to the ground.
Decision made, Nick headed downstairs.
He paused briefly on the ground floor before continuing down towards the basement. It made sense to start at the very bottom and work his way up.
The basement door opened to darkness. Fumbling with his phone, Nick activated the flashlight and pointed it ahead.
The light didn't stretch very far, but Nick's sharp eyes were able to see a wall to his right with several doors facing what appeared to be a wide expanse of space. Nick moved towards the line of doors, deciding to sweep the room in a loop.
The first two doors swung open easily, revealing nothing larger than an occasional crate. The third door, however, had a large iron bar braced across it.
Heartbeat quickening, Nick pressed an ear to the door, straining to hear any signs of life. "Monroe?" he hissed.
Nothing.
Setting his phone down so that the light shone towards the ceiling, Nick felt along the iron bar. It looked like it had once belonged to a forklift and had been set in a pair of crudely-constructed braces mounted on either side of the door. Grasping the bar from underneath, Nick grunted as he slowly lifted it out of the braces. As soon as it was clear, he let it drop to one side with a clang and scooped up his phone.
"Monroe?" Nick pulled the door open.
Something strong and powerful barreled into Nick, sending him to the ground and driving the air from his lungs. The phone slipped out of his hand as he reflexively grabbed at whatever was pinning him to the ground.
Hot breath and flecks of spittle hit him in the face as sharp teeth snapped at him. Nick used all of his strength to try and shove his attacker away, managing to roll over until he was the one pinning the attacker to the ground.
Shafts of light from Nick's phone spilled onto the face of a woged Blutbad. Nick tightened his grip on the Blutbad's shirt. "Monroe! It's me!"
The Blutbad froze. "Nick?"
Nick didn't dare move, waiting for Monroe to connect the dots.
The Blutbad's face shifted back into the human version Nick was more familiar with. "Nick? Thank God! What the hell is going on?"
Nick climbed to his feet, helping Monroe up before retrieving his phone. "It's a long story. Are you all right?"
"Nothing a good couple hours of Pilates and a hot meal can't fix," Monroe replied. "Dude, I know that Matthew is your brother and all, but there is seriously something wrong with that guy. He said you sent him to get me, but then he went nuts and locked me away."
"I didn't send him," Nick replied. "Turns out that Matthew's the Huntsman. He figured that, by taking you, I wouldn't do anything to stop him from finishing his contract."
A snort of disbelief reached Nick's ears. "Clearly he doesn't know you very well." A pause. "Wait . . . did you just say Matthew was the Huntsman?"
"I did," Nick answered.
"You're telling me . . . that the most terrifying and lethal killer of all time is your brother?" Monroe pressed. "That I was kidnapped by the Huntsman?"
Nick could hear the beginning of a wild terror coloring the edges of Monroe's tone and knew he needed to head off the mounting panic while danger was still near. "Well, if you'd like to wait here while I give you the full story, we can, but I don't know how long we have before Matthew decides to come back and check on you."
"Why didn't you start with that?" Monroe admonished, his frustration with Nick pushing away some of the fear. "Let's get out of here!"
Nick patted Monroe on the arm and led the way back to the stairs. Once in the stairwell, he switched off the flashlight and pocketed his phone. Together, Nick and Monroe climbed the stairs to the ground level.
"I don't suppose you know of another exit?" Nick asked Monroe.
Monroe gave Nick a look that the young Grimm was beginning to become very familiar with. It suggested that Monroe still couldn't believe Nick was still alive, given his tendency to rush into situations without considering the consequences.
Nick was also quite sure that Monroe's interpretation had more colorful language.
"Are you seriously asking me for help in rescuing me?" Monroe exclaimed. "How did you get in?"
"By a broken window and some questionably stable crates," Nick replied calmly. "I'm not sure if they'll hold us both."
"Given the alternative is a bloodthirsty serial killer, I'll take my chances," Monroe shot back.
Nick couldn't quite argue with that, so he led the way up to the second floor. Monroe, surprisingly, didn't make a sound as he followed, allowing himself to be led down the dusty hallway and to the window that promised freedom.
The crates felt even less stable to Nick as they carefully made their way to the ground. More than once Nick felt the wood bend under his feet, but he and Monroe managed to reach the ground without incident. Giving Monroe another once-over for any new injuries that might have popped up since the basement, Nick then gestured for the Blutbad to follow him.
Monroe nodded and obeyed. His head swiveled back and forth, taking in his surroundings. "Where are we? Is this . . . wait- are we even in Portland?"
"Barely." Nick glanced cautiously around before leading Monroe out of the alley and into the open.
Monroe nodded, mostly to himself. "Where's your car?"
"About a mile down the road," Nick replied. He stretched out his senses, on the alert for his brother.
"A mile?" Monroe exclaimed.
"Parking outside an abandoned building would have looked suspicious and might have alerted Matthew to my presence," Nick replied absently.
"What if I had been too injured to walk?" Monroe demanded.
Nick glanced at him, an eyebrow raised. "Are you?"
"Well, no, obviously," Monroe answered. "But I could have been!"
"But you're not, so it's not a problem."
"That's not the point!"
"Oh, so there is a point?"
At the sound of Monroe's indignant sputtering, a smile escaped from Nick's placid expression. Monroe drew to a halt and frowned at him.
"You're winding me up on purpose," he accused.
Nick shrugged one shoulder, his smile growing.
Monroe narrowed his eyes and crossed his arms. "Do the cops you work with find you as aggravating as I do?"
"Probably," Nick admitted. "Which reminds me . . ." He pulled out his phone and called up Wu's number, ready to let the sergeant know there was no need to send in the cavalry, but froze.
Monroe tensed in response. "What?"
Nick's body was moving before his brain registered his actions. His phone clattered to the ground as he grabbed Monroe and threw him down, his body covering as much of the lanky Blutbad as he could. Monroe's startled yelp was drowned out by the crack of a gunshot echoing off of the buildings surrounding them.
"I have to admit, Nicky, you're far better than I've given you credit for. I'm impressed."
Matthew's voice chased after the gunshot's echo, making it difficult to pin down where he was hiding.
Nick glanced around, both searching for Matthew and a place to take cover. "Yeah, well, you know I live for your approval."
A hard thump on his arm drew his attention from the edge of the next building several feet away. He looked down at Monroe who was frowning at him severely. "What?"
"Do you mind not baiting the homicidal maniac while he's shooting at us?" Monroe demanded.
Nick rolled his eyes and reached for his gun. "When I say go, run behind that wall there." His eyes flickered to the building, then back to Monroe. "I'll be right behind you."
Monroe nodded and rolled onto his stomach, digging his toes into the ground.
Nick took a breath, then, "Now!"
As Monroe scrambled up, Nick spun in a low crouch and fired three shots in quick succession. Without waiting for confirmation of a hit, Nick turned and ran after Monroe. He had just cleared the wall and threw himself against it when a bullet pinged against the brick.
Monroe scooted closer, back pressed as tight to the building as Nick's. "Now what?"
Options raced through Nick's mind, some discarded as they were just formed.
"We need to get to the car," he finally told Monroe. "We're sitting ducks if we stay here. Look." He fished into his jacket pocket and pulled out his car keys, which he passed to Monroe. "The city is just a couple miles south; just a straight shot down the road. My car is parked inside the first grove of trees you see."
"Why are you giving me instructions like you're not coming with me?" Monroe asked.
"Because I'm not coming with you," Nick told him.
"Nick-," Monroe began.
"We won't make it if we go together," Nick stated flatly. "I'm going to draw his fire; give you enough time to get out. It's fine."
Another gunshot rang out, but its echo indicated that Nick and Monroe weren't the target. Nick frowned, his head turning back towards the way they'd come.
"It is not fine!" Monroe hissed, oblivious to Nick's confusion. "No part of that plan is fine!"
"Hey!"
Both Nick and Monroe's heads swiveled at the hushed call. Nick immediately noticed a woman across the narrow road from them, tucked in between two buildings and beckoning them over.
"Do you know her?" Monroe asked.
Nick nodded, adjusting his grip on his gun. "She's one of Renard's Hexenbiest guards." The one who had rushed to Renard's side when he'd been shot, in fact. And the one who had drugged him.
The woman's glower seemed to intensify, her movements sharper as she beckoned at them again.
"I think she wants us to go over there," Monroe stated.
Nick looked at him.
Monroe scowled. "Shut up."
Nick huffed lightly and lifted his gun. "On three?"
Monroe shifted, but before he could move another gunshot echoed, this one further away.
"You brought me some friends to play with, Nicky?" Even Matthew's voice sounded distant.
Nick shrugged at Monroe, then held up three fingers.
Monroe nodded, watching as Nick lowered one finger, then another. As soon as the final finger fell, the two took off across the road.
Nick was expecting a hail of bullets to strike him as he ran, but miraculously no shots came their way. He ran after Monroe, skidding to a halt in the shelter of the alley with the Hexenbiest.
The Hexenbiest wasn't alone; a man with hair just beginning to gray at the temples was with her. He was dressed in dark clothes, but he didn't appear to be carrying any weapons.
The Hexenbiest was scowling at him and Monroe. "It's about time," she snapped, hands planted on her hips. "Were you waiting for an engraved invitation?"
"To run into open fire towards some woman I don't know?" Monroe snapped back. "Yeah, introductions at the very least."
"Fine," the Hexenbiest retorted. "I'm Danni. Nice to meet you. I'm the one not shooting at you. Better?"
"Can we maybe table this discussion for later?" the unknown man asked.
"Sounds good to me," Nick agreed. "How many people do you have distracting Matthew?"
Monroe and the man stared at Nick in surprise.
"Three," Danni answered. "But he's fast, so we need to get you out of here now."
Monroe was nodding in agreement, but Nick shook his head.
"No," he stated firmly. "I'm finishing this now."
"Nick-," Monroe began.
Nick met his eyes. "You should leave. It's too dangerous for you to stay, and I can't guarantee your safety."
Loyalty to his friend warred with the very real danger Matthew represented. Nick could see the conflict on Monroe's face and felt a rush of fondness for the Blutbad.
"Please, Monroe," Nick said softly. "I need to put all of my attention on Matthew if I'm going to stop him, and I can't do that if I'm worrying about you, too."
Monroe finally nodded.
"I can get you to safety," the man told Monroe. "But if we're going to leave, it has to be now."
Monroe pointed at Nick. "I'd better see you alive and in one piece when you're done."
"I wouldn't have it any other way," Nick replied.
Monroe looked as if he wanted to say more- possibly in argument- but instead he nodded and dutifully followed the man.
Nick turned his attention to Danni. "So what's your plan?"
"Get you to safety while his highness deals with the Huntsman," Danni replied shortly.
Nick's eyebrows shot up. "Renard's here? Isn't he supposed to be in the hospital?"
Danni folded her arms. "Aren't you?"
"I don't have any extra holes in my body," Nick shot back, then sighed. "Fine. Where's the final showdown supposed to happen?"
"A few blocks over, in front of the old manufacturing plant," Danni replied. "The Huntsman should be arriving there any minute."
"Then I guess we'd better hurry," Nick replied.
Danni carefully glanced at their surroundings, then led Nick stealthily around the building. Nick kept his gun lowered but ready, calling on every instinct he possessed- both cop and Grimm- to remain alert to any potential surprises.
No gunshots had rung out since Nick and Monroe had met up with Danni. Nick hoped that meant that Matthew was conserving his ammunition and not because he'd managed to find his targets.
Danni led Nick through the maze of buildings, squeezing around rusting dumpsters and rotting crates as they slipped through alleys. Nick was just beginning to wonder if he was going to be able to find his way out when Danni suddenly stopped and pressed her back against the brick wall. Her arm swung out, pushing Nick against the wall beside her.
Nick allowed himself to be moved and held very still, his senses straining. He could hear voices echoing off of the walls nearby, and it took him a moment to identify two distinct tones. After a silent conversation with Danni that included several flurried gestures-some more rude than not- Danni and Nick switched places. Crouching low, Nick peered around the corner.
Renard was standing in the middle of an empty parking lot, his expression imperious and disdainful. He was dressed as smartly as ever in his suit and tie; if Nick didn't know any better, he would have believed that Renard was little more than his police captain, waiting for Nick and ready to deliver him a scathing reprimand for coming out to rescue Monroe by himself.
". . . right of combat," Renard's voice rang out.
Nick frowned in confusion.
"Why not?" Movement from the doorway of one building immediately caught Nick's eyes, and his breath caught in his throat as Matthew stepped into view. A rifle was slung casually over one shoulder by its strap, but Nick knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that Matthew would have it up, aimed, and fired in the blink of an eye if he wanted. "Sounds like fun."
Renard lifted his chin. "Standard terms. If you win, the contract is fulfilled. No one else needs to die."
Matthew shook his head. "Now now, your highness; you know better than that. The contract asked for two heads."
"And you have already claimed far more than that," Renard stated. "If you win-."
"When I win," Matthew corrected, his tone amused. A smirk curled his lips.
"If you win, Nick is left alone," Renard stated.
Nick felt a sudden burst of shock flood his body at that.
Matthew tipped his head to one side, giving Renard a considering look. "Why are you so interested in my brother? He's not even a proper Grimm."
"He's a better Grimm and a better man than you could ever claim to be," Renard shot back. "These are my terms; if you win, he goes free."
Matthew's smirk widened slightly. "I don't think my brother would agree to that." He pitched his voice louder. "Nicky? What do you think?"
Danni's hand suddenly clamped down firmly on Nick's arm, trying to hold him in place. Nick shook her off and stepped into view.
"I think that it's time for you to surrender," he announced, moving to join them.
Matthew simply shook his head at him, pitying. "You just never learn, do you, Nicky? Tell you what; last chance. Join me, be my partner, and I'll spare your life. What do you say?"
Nick's thoughts coalesced in that one moment. All of the time his brain had spent agonizing over his life as a Grimm, his duty as an officer of the law, and even whether or not he could trust Renard, was suddenly laid out into two distinct paths. At the end of one lay the promise of working alongside a blood relative while ruthlessly wiping out countless innocent lives. At the end of the other lay a bond with someone whose first priority was the safety and well-being of the people in his charge. When laid out so plainly, there was only one choice to make.
"Thanks for the offer, but my place is here, guarding the people of Portland against threats like you," he stated firmly.
Matthew shook his head again. "You disappoint me, Nick. You could have been something great."
"He already is."
Nick's eyes shifted in surprise as several men and women moved into view, their faces woged. They ringed the area, surrounding them and standing resolute. Nick didn't know which one of them had spoken, but he thought several of them seemed familiar to him.
Matthew waited half a heartbeat, then swung his rifle up in an explosion of movement. Nick reacted just as quickly, and before Matthew could fire off a single shot, Nick fired his gun at Matthew. Matthew managed to dodge the shot, but it was too close for him to dodge and still hold onto his gun. His rifle clattered to the ground harmlessly.
Renard woged and surged forward, knocking Matthew back as the wesen ran to join in the fray. Nick moved to help, but an iron grip on his arm stopped him.
Danni stood beside him, a crystal flask in one hand. "Do you agree to the bond?"
Nick blinked at her. "I- yes."
Releasing him, she pulled out a small silver knife and handed it to him, then uncorked the flask. "Add five drops of blood to the Vertrauentrank while saying the oath."
Nick fumbled in his pocket for the paper and was struggling to unfold it when Danni snatched it out of his hands. "For the love of . . . just, repeat after me, okay?"
Despite the sheer volume of wesen fighting against Matthew, none of them seemed to match his skill. He was still on his feet, felling attacker after attacker with no sign of slowing. Renard darted in and out, scoring hit after hit, but blood was blooming where he'd been shot.
"Come on!" Danni snapped.
Nick sliced open his palm and squeezed it to draw out more blood. He held his closed fist over the flask and carefully added his blood, clumsily echoing the Romanian words that flowed gracefully out of Danni.
Once he had finished, Danni took her knife back and pushed the flask at him. "Now drink."
"But Renard . . ." Nick protested.
"Already did his part," Danni told him. "Drink half."
Nick hesitated for a moment, but dutifully brought the flask to his lips. Tipping it up, he drank.
"Everyone back!"
Nick spun around at the command. Matthew, bloody and battered, was breathing heavily as he stood over a kneeling Renard, a long blade leveled at the prince's throat. Renard was semi-conscious and covered in far more blood than Nick was comfortable seeing, but he stubbornly remained upright.
The wesen still standing were slowly backing away at Matthew's command, but remained alert for any sign of a weakness that could be exploited. Nick passed the flask with the remaining liquid back to Danni and turned to face his brother.
"When will you monsters learn that you are inferior to us?" Matthew demanded. "We are far superior, and we will hunt down every last one of you to the ends of the Earth!"
Something strange was beginning to happen inside Nick. It felt like a flood of ice was racing through his veins, only to be followed by fire. The pain in his hand ebbed until it was almost gone; one less thing to worry about for now.
Lifting his eyes to Renard, Nick saw that the prince was watching him carefully. Nick nodded at him, then turned his attention back to his brother.
"It's over, Matthew," Nick called, cutting into Matthew's diatribe. "You might be able to stop one or two of us, but not all of us."
Matthew sneered at him. "That you dare associate with these abominations is a disgrace to us all. Even worse with the blood of Jacob Grimm's line flowing in your veins."
"The only abomination I see is you," Nick snapped. "You're the only one here who has murdered innocent people. Who tried to murder a defenseless infant."
Surprise flickered across Matthew's face for a brief moment before his focus sharpened on Nick.
"Then I guess I should finish what I started." With a sudden strike across the back of Renard's head with the hilt of the blade, sending Renard to his hands and knees, Matthew lunged at Nick with his knife.
Nick was dimly aware of Danni rushing to Renard's side as he threw up an arm, grabbing at Matthew's hand and twisting it sharply. Matthew's hand opened at the pain, dropping the knife to the ground.
Nick kept hold of Matthew's hand, twisting his arm behind his back and reaching to Matthew's other shoulder to push him down. Matthew spun gracefully out of Nick's grip, moving to punch him.
Another hand appeared, catching the fist and yanking Matthew away from Nick. Nick blinked in surprise as Matthew turned on Renard, blocking and trading punches with a surprisingly recovered prince.
One punch landed right on top of Renard's bullet wound. Renard grunted and staggered back. Matthew moved forward, arm drawn back for a killing blow when Nick tackled him to the ground.
A strange surge of energy overtook Nick, and he wrestled Matthew onto his stomach with little effort. Each attempt to throw him off of Matthew's back was countered easily.
Renard joined him, adding his weight to Matthew and allowing Nick to reach for his handcuffs.
"Matthew Becker," Nick said, his tone commanding. "You are under arrest for murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, and whatever else we can make stick."
Sirens began to fill the air as Matthew continued to fight the handcuffs.
"This isn't over," Matthew snarled.
"It is for you," Nick stated.
"More will come," Matthew continued. "They won't stop until you're dead."
The sirens were closer. Danni and the other wesen were helping their more injured friends out of sight.
"Then we'll deal with them the same way we dealt with you." Nick glanced at Renard. "Together."
Renard nodded.
