Genevieve stepped out of her car, accompanied by two of her kind. On the outside, the warehouse appeared to be abandoned. That was nothing but a façade. One of her bodyguards knocked on the front door in the secret pattern. Several locks unclicked, then the door opened, revealing one of Genevieve's guards. He had a shotgun slung over his shoulder.
She brushed past him, entering the warehouse as her heels click clacked on the concrete floor. The sparse overhead lighting cast meagre illumination over the dank, cavernous space. Ten more guards patrolled the warehouse, each of them nodding to Genevieve as she passed. At the far end of the building, a plastic medical tent was being erected. Her second in command oversaw the unloading of medical equipment and surgical tools.
"We have a problem," she said.
"What?"
"Someone broke into the client's home and attacked him. They killed most of his private security."
The balding man cursed under his breath. "What does that mean for us?"
"We proceed, but the client wants us to advance the timetable. Have the girl ready for the operation tomorrow night."
"Tomorrow night? That's too soon! I still haven't arranged for transport of the parts, wired the money to the appropriate accounts…"
Genevieve took a step forward, staring him down. Her eyes Woged, becoming dark black pits. Her second in command looked away, taking a fearful step back. "Have the girl ready tomorrow night. The client is getting anxious, and anxious men are not the most trustworthy. I can always have you replaced; the others could use a good meal." He glanced at the guards, who Woged and licked their sharp beaks.
"Of course. Everything will be ready."
"Good. And find more guards; we can't be too careful." She turned around and started walking back the way she'd come. Along the way, Genevieve stopped for a moment and looked at the empty office to her right. The girl sat, huddled, against the corner of the room, ropes around her wrists and ankles and a gag in her mouth. Her eyes were red and puffy from crying. Genevieve looked forward to scooping those pretty eyes out.
"Did you find anything?" Nick asked. He'd been staring at his computer for the better part of two hours, and lines of text were burned into his retinas.
"Nothing so far," Hank replied, looking and sounding equally frustrated. "Nidaria's had several domestic dispute calls over the years, but I can't find anything on the wife to suggest she was involved with the attack."
Nick nodded. "I'm looking over his business activity over the last month. So far, there's nothing out of the ordinary." Spotting something amid all the text, he said "Hang on a sec…Nidaria hired all the private security because he'd been receiving threats regarding an upcoming deal, right?"
"Yeah, that's right."
"Three weeks ago, he transferred funds to an offshore holding company. As far as I can tell, it's the first and only payment of any kind to that company. Want to know the best part? The threats came in the next day."
"You're thinking that whatever the payment was about is the reason for the threats and the attack?" Hank asked.
"I think it's a pretty good bet."
Just then, Wu came strolling in. "Techs found a partial print on one of the Nidaria mansion's main breakers. Whoever took down the alarms was sloppy."
"That's my favourite kind of criminal," Hank quipped. He rolled aside as Wu leaned over his keyboard. By the time Nick rolled over to his partner's desk, he saw that Wu had pulled up a police record.
"Print matches one John Wintermeier. According to his juvey record, he got caught hacking into his high school computers to alter his grades, and from there he moved on to have a fairly impressive record involving identity theft and credit card fraud."
"Just the sort of guy someone would hire to take down the alarms at the Nidaria mansion," Nick said. "Do we have an address?"
"Yes, we do."
They drove to the address along with Wu and three other uniforms. When they reached apartment 4B, Nick pounded on the door. "Portland PD, open up!" Not half a second later, he heard plates and cutlery crash from inside. Pursing his lips, Nick drew his gun and kicked in the door. He entered the apartment, checking every corner as he did so. The only lights were coming from the television in the living room and the street lights outside.
Nick trained his gun on the first sign of movement, which was John Wintermeier rushing out of the living room.
"Hey!" he called, chasing after him. He caught up with Wintermeier in the bedroom as he tried to climb out the window. Grabbing him by the shirt, Nick dragged him back inside and forced him to turn around. Upon looking at him, Wintermeier Woged into an Eisbiber.
His eyes widened to the size of golf balls, and he started screaming "Oh God! Oh God, oh God, oh God! Please! Please don't kill me, I'm begging you! I don't want to die!" His screams rapidly devolved into weeping, and Nick cuffed him before handing him over to Wu. He then holstered his gun and walked back into the living room.
"We're gonna want to go through these computers," he said. One of the uniforms nodded and called in over the radio, and Nick turned to look at Hank, who was looking at the television.
"Looks like he was watching the news over dinner."
Nick read the scrolling text on the bottom of the screen, which read COUNCILMAN'S DAUGHTER STILL MISSING: COUNCILMAN SUTTON GIVES STATEMENT. The councilman himself was standing at a podium, in front of several reporters, with tears in his eyes. Behind him stood an attractive, middle-aged woman with dark blonde hair who stood with a stoic expression.
"…been missing for almost a month now," the councilman said, sniffing. "I don't care what it costs, I don't care if I have to forego re-election. I want my little girl back. To those who have taken my daughter: I will pay any ransom, meet any demand you may have. But please, I beg you, return her to me. She deserves to be at home with her family. Daniella, sweetheart, if you can hear me, or if you're watching this, know that your father loves you. I will do whatever I can to bring you home."
"It's terrible, a child being taken from their father," Hank said.
Nick placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come on, we've got a suspect to interrogate."
"Come on, John, we've already got your prints at the scene," Nick said, standing off to the side. Hank sat at the table, across from their suspect. "What we want to know is why you disabled the security, and who hired you to do it."
John Wintermeier fidgeted where he sat, looking sheepishly at the table. "I-I can't say."
"You can't or you won't?" Hank asked, tapping his fingers on the table.
"If I say anything, you're just going to kill me anyway."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it?" Wintermeier asked, looking up at Nick. The terror in his expression was blatantly obvious. It caused him to Woge, sprouting dull golden fur and whiskers. "You think anyone's going to care if someone like me dies? It happens all the time, you know."
Nick sighed, leaning in close and lowering his voice. "Look, I know you're nervous because I'm a Grimm, but I'm not going to hurt you."
Wintermeier flicked his eyes between Nick and Hank. "You…you aren't? Really?"
"Really. All we want to know is who put you up to disabling the security at the Nidaria mansion."
The Eisbiber seemed to relax, if only a bit. He Woged back to human form. "Well, here's the thing. I'm just the computer guy. All I ever get is a call on an untraceable phone, money gets wired to my account, and I do the job. I can't name names, you know? I suppose I can give you—"
The door burst open, and a man in an expensive suit entered the room. "Stop talking, John, for your own good."
"And you are?" Hank asked.
"I'm Mr. Wintermeier's attorney, and I'm here to ensure my client isn't railroaded by a pair of overeager detectives."
"We have your client's fingerprints that place him at the scene of multiple homicides," Nick said.
"And do you have any witnesses that actually saw him there? Any proof he committed the murders?"
"Well, no, but—"
"Then this interrogation's over. At best, you can book him for tampering with the electronics, but not the murders. You'll be lucky if you even get that far. If you have any relevant questions, call my office. Come on, John." The Eisbiber stood and scampered out the door. "Good day, detectives." The two of them walked away, leaving Nick and Hank shaking their heads.
"How does a guy like Wintermeier afford a lawyer like that?" Hank asked.
"I don't know," Nick replied. "Probably whoever hired him in the first place; they don't want to risk him spilling any information about them." He saw Wintermeier and the lawyer walk over to an attractive blonde woman in a suit. The three of them exchanged hushed words, and the woman angrily led them out of the precinct. "Hm."
"What?"
"That woman looked familiar."
"Do you know how?"
Nick shook his head. "I'll catch up with you tomorrow.
Later that night he stood in his kitchen, alone. Juliette was out with friends. She'd been doing that a lot lately. Ever since she lost her memory, their relationship became strained, to say the least. Nick tried his best to give her space to remember on her own, but there were days when he wondered if they would ever get back what they'd lost. He grabbed a beer from the fridge and cracked it open. Before he could take a sip, however, he heard something outside.
His cop and Grimm senses kicked in, and he peeped through the kitchen window shutters. Everything was dark, but there didn't seem to be anyone out there. Just then, glass shattered by the front. Nick grabbed his gun and hurried over there. Broken glass lay sprinkled over the couch, and he noticed a fist-sized rock on the floor.
"What the…?" he said, picking the rock up. A yellow piece of paper was tied to it, with a single word written in black sharpie: YOU'LL PAY FOR WHAT YOU DID.
Nick opened the front door, peering into the dark street. Again, nothing. Something buzzed overhead, and a bee landed on his hand. He held it up close, and the bee stung him. "Ah!" he exclaimed, slapping it off his hand. Nick paused, realizing this felt familiar. This wasn't the first time he was stung by a bee that seemed to target him specifically.
Jacob grimaced as he exited the cab. His left arm hung in a sling, while his shoulder was thoroughly bandaged. He was glad to be out of that hospital, having always hated feeling trapped and at the mercy of others. The doctors had done a good enough job treating his wounds, but mundane medicine was not quite enough for Wesen.
The exterior of the shop was unassuming. On the front door, in golden letters, were emblazoned the words EXOTIC SPICE AND TEA SHOP. Jacob opened the door with his good hand. The bell chimed, and the woman behind the counter called "Be right with you!"
She was an attractive brunette woman in a beige sweater, speaking to a middle-aged man. Jacob looked around, impressed by the shop's inventory. He recognized several ingredients that were impossible to find normally, which made him confident he could find what he was looking for. The proprietor finished with the man, then smiled at Jacob as he approached. "So, is there anything I can help you with?"
"Yes, I hope so," he replied. "I was just discharged from the hospital, but Kehrseite methods are a bit, um…lacking in some regards. I was told this was the place to go."
"That looks like a nasty injury," she said, nodding to his bandaged shoulder.
"I've had worse."
"Well, there are a few herbal remedies I can suggest. Is there anything you're allergic to, anything that might cause a bad reaction?"
"Nothing, no. The pain is manageable; I'm looking for something to increase the healing process."
She ran down a list of items until he selected a few. "Excellent. Now I don't think I have all the ingredients in stock, so I'll have to order some. I can write down your information and call you when it's ready. How does that sound?"
"That sounds fine."
Clicking open a pen, she started writing on a notepad. "What's your name?"
"Jacob Carter." Her hand froze. She looked up at him, as if expecting to see him burst into flames. She also Woged from the surprise, revealing the beautiful orange and white fur of a Fuchsbau. He sighed. "I take it you've heard of me."
"I…I've…well, who hasn't?" she sputtered. "I just can't believe it. Nick said you were in Portland, but I didn't believe him at first."
Jacob frowned. "Detective Burkhardt?"
Realizing her slip, she pursed her lips.
"You're friends with the Grimm? I thought he would have cut off your head as soon as he saw you."
"He's not like that."
"He and his mother assaulted me and my wife in our home. They held knives to our throats and threatened to kill us. Forgive me if I do not take you at your word."
"Nick isn't like other Grimms. He doesn't kill if he can help it."
"No need to worry; we have an…understanding. If he doesn't come after me and my wife, then we will not have a problem. I apologize for any distress, and I would still like to purchase the herbs. If that's alright?"
After a moment of silence, she smiled and nodded. "Of course."
Jacob paid her, then walked out of the shop. His phone started ringing once he re-entered the cab. It was Sean. "I'm going to have to put you on my speed-dial if this keeps up."
"You'll notice I'm not laughing," Sean replied in a mirthless tone.
"You never laugh, Sean."
"Did you think I wouldn't notice how you lured the Grimm to that crime scene? I released you from custody based on a mutual agreement that we wouldn't interfere in each other's affairs."
"And that agreement stands."
"So what kind of game do you think you're playing?"
"The kind where someone specifically equipped to handle this sort of thing handles it," Jacob said, glancing at the cab driver. He couldn't tell if the man was Wesen, so he had to be cautious as to what he said. "I can't do anything further with my injury, and the situation needs to be concluded in a timely manner. It's going to happen again."
"We go back a long time, Jacob, so I'm going to give you some advice. The next time you find yourself in a situation like this, talk to me first. Otherwise I can't promise anything. Remember: you still owe me a favour."
Sean ended the call, leaving Jacob to frown as he gazed out the window.
"Hey, got a present for you," Wu said as Nick walked into the precinct.
"This isn't like that Secret Santa gift you got me last year, is it?" he asked sardonically.
The sergeant gave him a deadpan expression. "I'm just going to ignore that. Anyway, those threatening messages sent to Don Nidaria? Techs traced them to a payphone in the south side of town. Luckily there's an ATM across the street. After this rather astute and handsome sergeant combed through hours of camera footage, I found this."
He handed Nick a pair of photographs. One showed the full view of the street, where a woman in a jacket stood at the payphone. The second was a zoomed in view, showing the woman's face. "Wait a minute, I know her."
"Ran her through facial recognition just to be sure. You're looking at one Victoria Treu, who just so happens to work for Councilman Julius Sutton."
"Let's bring her in."
Later, Nick and Hank sat across from Victoria Treu, the woman who paid to have John Wintermeier released. She was a fit, attractive woman in a professional grey suit. Her blonde hair was pulled back and tied in a ponytail, and she had piercing blue eyes. Victoria was calm, alternating her gaze between Nick and Hank without a single hint of fear.
"How do you explain the threatening phone calls you made to Don Nidaria?" Nick asked.
"Making a phone call isn't a crime," she replied.
Hank smirked. "Maybe not, but breaking and entering, assault, and murder are. Those are the charges you're facing right now."
Victoria gave him an iron stare. "Can you prove I did all that?" After a moment's pause, she added, "No, of course not. If you had proof, I'd be sitting in a cell right now."
"You could help yourself a lot if you—" Nick started to say.
"Here's how this is going to go: in about one minute, that door is going to open and you'll be forced to release me. After that happens, how about you two stop wasting your time and follow the real criminal?"
"You're talking about Don Nidaria?" Nick asked.
"He's a greasy pile of filth, detective. He can't be trusted."
"Tell us why. Maybe we'll be more inclined to believe your side of the story," Hank said.
The door opened, and Wu leaned inside. "Guys? Captain wants to see you."
Nick saw Victoria give him the ghost of a smile, then sighed. He and Hank stepped out of the interrogation room, and Captain Renard walked over to them. "I've got a very angry city councilman in my office wondering why we've detained his head of security." Standing in the captain's office was Councilman Sutton. He was a well-built man in his late forties, clean-shaven with a head of curly black hair. His suit was nice, but not overly expensive. The councilman fingered a silver ring on his right little finger as he stared out the window.
"We brought in Victoria Treu because she's a suspect in the break-in at the Nidaria mansion," Nick explained.
Renard nodded. "Has she said anything?"
Hank shrugged. "Only that we should be looking at Nidaria."
"As much as I'd like to let you continue, I'm afraid we have to consider the politics on this one. Councilman Sutton is a powerful man, not to mention on the edge from his daughter's kidnapping. Without any hard evidence, you'll have to let her go."
"I don't like this," Hank said.
"Neither do I."
Nick opened the door to interrogation. "Ms. Treu, it seems you're free to go."
She stood, calmly walking out. "A word of advice, detective?" she said, stopping to look at him. "Men like Don Nidaria take whatever they want. Men like my employer fight to their last breath protecting what they already have." With that, she joined the councilman and walked out of the precinct.
"What was that about?" Hank asked, joining Nick.
"I'm not so sure yet. She sure believes Nidaria's guilty of something."
"Guy like that? Probably is."
Nick walked over to his desk. "Were you able to figure out what that payment he made three weeks ago was about?"
"Not a clue. That offshore holding company didn't exist until six months ago. Right now, I can't figure out where the money went after that."
"I'll start taking a look at Councilman Sutton's daughter's kidnapping. Victoria made those threats three weeks ago, the day after Nidaria made that payment. Daniella Sutton was kidnapped around that time, so they might be connected."
"Let's get to work," Hank said as they both started typing at their computers.
Louise sat in her car, watching. She'd been following the Grimm ever since he left his house. Thus far, he focused all his attention on the case of the Wesen that had attacked Jacob. That was something. Still, she felt it necessary to keep a close eye on him. Louise couldn't take the risk if he decided to come after her or her husband again. Grimms only knew how to do one thing: kill Wesen.
She sipped from her mug of tea, staring at the outside of the police precinct. Her target had not left the building in a few hours. Louise had only broken her surveillance to greet Jacob once he was discharged from the hospital. He felt well enough to move on his own, leaving her to her work.
Louise's ears twitched. Someone spoke nearby. She gazed out at her surroundings, honing in on the voices. There, on the grass field across the street. Standing beside a tree were two men who, like her, watched the precinct. Louise cracked her windows open, sniffing. The light scent of honey, combined with both men wearing yellow clothing, meant they were Mellifers. Why would a pair of them be watching the precinct? Mellifers were generally peaceful, only passing news in Wesen communities.
One of them, an older man with a thick beard, leaned against the tree. "I'm worried about Mia, you know."
"Me, too," the other man replied. "She's our queen, but is this really the best way to proceed?"
"She thinks she's honouring her mother, but Melissa wouldn't want her to be consumed by anger. She'd want her to focus on her duties. Someone should talk to her."
The younger man shook his head. "It's not gonna be me. We should all talk to her together, present a united front. Now with those Geiers in town, there's enough trouble already."
Louise sneered at the mention of the opportunistic scavengers, but perked up. The older Mellifer spat on the grass. "The only person who's in a position to do anything about them is in there. I am not going to talk to the Grimm under any circumstances. He killed Melissa."
"Geiers," Louise said to herself. Disgusting creatures that fed on corpses and harvested organs to grind and sell to junkie Wesen. In that moment, she remembered something Jacob had said in the hospital. 'I cannot afford to hunt this Wesen on my own; it would raise too many questions. This way, the Grimm can take care of it for us, and perhaps he will see this as a gesture of good faith.' Louise sighed. As much as she wanted to tear the Grimm apart on principle, she knew Jacob was right. Killing him would raise too much suspicion. If they wanted to live a good, quiet life here in Portland, cooperation was the way.
She stepped out of her car, locked it, then started walking across the grass field. Her gait was slow, casual, as if she were on a mid-day stroll. The Mellifers glanced at her, but otherwise did not react. Once their backs were turned, Louise hurried over to them. "Tell me about the Geiers," she said.
The two men flinched, taking a cautionary step back. "W-what are you talking about?" the older man asked, trying and failing to play dumb.
Louise rolled her eyes. "Je n'ai pas le temps pour ça," she muttered. Rolling her head back and opening her mouth, she Woged. The younger Mellifer managed to get away, while the older one pressed himself against the tree in fright. Louise gripped him by his shirt collar. With her other hand she clawed a chunk of bark from the tree trunk. "Tell me about the Geiers!" she repeated.
The Mellifer Woged as well, growing large compound eyes, mandibles, and antennae. "We don't know that much! One of our hive spotted some of them driving around, that's all."
Louise growled, raising her claws.
"Okay, okay! We heard they're not running the usual operation; these ones don't have any Kehrseite, only a Wesen, and they're leaving town once they're done with them."
Rolling her head back, she reverted to human form. "Thank you. You've been most helpful. Now run along and tell your queen to back off."
"I'll tell her, but I don't think she'll listen."
"That's her problem." Louise released her grip, and the Mellifer scurried away like the insect he was. She then crossed the street and entered the precinct. Though she preferred to never step foot in the building again, this was necessary. The Grimm sat at his desk, speaking with his partner. "Detective," she greeted.
He tensed when he saw her, likely expecting a fight. "Louise. I can't say I expected to see you here."
"I'd rather not see you at all, but the circumstances force my hand."
"What circumstances?"
Louise took a look around, not wanting anyone in ear-shot. Lowering her voice, she said "Apparently, there is a group of Geiers in town." The Grimm frowned. "Obviously you're familiar with their kind. This group isn't harvesting Kehrseite for their organs; instead, they're holding a Wesen captive. Once they're done with him or her, they will leave town."
"What's a Geier?" the Grimm's partner asked, whispering.
"Remember those homeless kids that were kidnapped and had their organs harvested? Geiers were responsible. They're just like vultures, with beaks and claws." Turning to Louise, he asked "Where did you hear this?"
"From a pair of Mellifers watching this place. I…convinced them to tell me what they knew. I also overheard them talking about someone named Mia, probably their queen. She's angry that you killed someone named Melissa."
The Grimm looked at her with suspicion in his black, soulless eyes. "Why are you telling me this? I thought you hated me."
"I do. And on any other occasion, I'd just kill you and be done with it. But my husband is convinced that it is better to work with you, non? Consider this an act of good faith. And if you ever break into my home again, I will tear you apart and mange ton coeur." Louise turned around and left. She'd said her peace; Jacob would marvel at her restraint, just as she did now. The sooner peace and quiet returned to their lives, the better.
An hour after his conversation with Louise Sauvageon, Nick received a phone call. "Burkhardt," he answered automatically, scrolling through the incident report of Councilman Sutton's daughter's kidnapping.
"Detective, there isn't much time," a distorted voice replied.
"Who is this?"
"Who I am doesn't matter. An innocent life hangs in the balance, and you need to act quickly if you want to save her."
Nick waved Hank over, then put his phone on speaker. "I can't do anything if you won't give me details."
"Daniella Sutton. I know where she's being held. If you don't do something in the next few hours, she's going to die. I know what you are, detective, and this is a problem that requires you to put away your badge." The voice gave him an address, then hung up. Nick reclined in his chair, staring at his phone.
"Think it's legit?" Hank asked.
"At this point, I'm willing to consider it." Something clicked in Nick's head. "When Louise Sauvageon came in here, she mentioned a group of Geiers that are in town. What if those Geiers are the ones holding Daniella Sutton hostage?"
Hank crossed his arms. "Does this have anything to do with that Wesen we read about? The…"
"Nobilis Dominus," Nick finished. "The book did mention that people used parts of them for good fortune. At the very least, we need to check out this address, otherwise this girl is going to die."
"And do we want to tell the captain?" Hank asked.
Nick glanced at Renard in his office. "Not right now. If anything happens, we call him for backup. We'll just tell him the truth: we were following up a lead. Until then, we need to check out that address."
Nick stopped the car in front of the warehouse. He and Hank stepped out, flashlights in hand. "Sure looks abandoned," Hank said.
"Looks can be deceiving."
Hank snorted. "Yeah, I sure found that out the hard way."
"Maybe—" Nick paused when he saw something move by a window. "Get down!" The window shattered as someone started shooting at them. They drew their pistols and returned fire. "Come on; we got to get in there!" Keeping their heads down, they ran towards the door and kicked it in. Despite the poor lighting, Nick saw at least a dozen armed perps. One of the men Woged, sprouting a sharpened beak and black eyes. A Geier. Two bullets to the chest took him down. "Over there!" he said, gesturing to the well-lit plastic tent at the far end of the building.
Hank nodded. "You go left, I'll go right."
They split up, exchanging bullets with the guards that started to converge on them. One man tried to rush Nick, who smashed the grip of his pistol in his face and knocked him out. He ducked as more bullets started flying in his direction, then took cover behind a crate. Half a dozen of the Geiers focused fire on him, pinning him in place. Nick shot back, taking out two in quick succession before he ducked back down. Amid the hail of gunfire, he heard a bestial roar. Peeking around the side of the crate, he saw a woman tackling the nearest Geier on the right. She tore his throat open, and Nick shot two more Geiers while they were distracted. The last one of the group Woged, attacking with his claws. The woman growled, blocking his wild moves with what looked like practiced ease. She kicked him in the leg, the bones breaking with an audible crack, then snapped his neck.
When the woman Woged, Nick recognized her immediately. Victoria Treu, with blood on her mouth, smirked. "Nice to see you again, detective."
"I knew there was something about you."
"Don't be too hard on yourself. You're only a Grimm."
More Geiers ran towards them, some shooting while others brought their claws to bear. Victoria shook her head, Woging. She charged into the fray, and Nick joined her. The fight was intense, but between a Grimm and a Löwen, they made short work of their opponents. Remembering that Geiers preferred to ambush their prey from high places, Nick looked up. A Geier clung to the railing on the second level. It leaped down, but Nick shot it in mid-air. Down the way, Hank was holding his own, though he was probably running low on bullets by now.
Out of the plastic tent, five more Geiers emerged. The only woman of the group gripped a young blonde girl by the arms. That must have been the leader, and she was trying to run with the last of her accomplices and their hostage.
"Daniella!"
Nick turned and saw an unexpected figure. Councilman Julius Sutton ran in through one of the doors. Upon seeing his daughter in the head Geier's arms, his eyes glowed a brilliant gold. He dipped his head low and spread his arms wide, as if about to dance at a high society ball. The councilman's arms sprouted pure white feathers, forming large wings. His boots morphed into thin, bird-like feet with sharpened talons that gleamed in the meagre light. His head grew, sprouting feathers as a sharpened yellow beak formed from his mouth.
Councilman Sutton was the Nobilis Dominus, Nick thought. The large birdman gave a sharp cry, then flapped his wings and launched himself above the floor. He sank his talons into the chest of one of the Geiers, gripping him by his collarbone. The councilman rose almost to the ceiling before he dropped the man, who broke his back on the upper level railing.
The last of the Geiers started running. "Stop!" Nick cried, running after them. He shot one of them in the chest twice, then another in the throat. Just as they reached the door, Hank appeared and aimed his gun.
"None of you are going anywhere, except to jail," he said with a smirk.
Councilman Sutton landed, and Nick felt the palpable hatred as he glared at the head Geier. She Woged, sneering at him with haughty arrogance. "Everyone on your knees," Nick said. "Hands on your—" Councilman Sutton lunged for the leader. He sank his beak into her throat, tearing through flesh like a machete through paper. Blood poured out of the gaping wound like a geyser, and the woman stumbled. She fell to the floor, dead in seconds. Nick aimed his gun at the councilman as he Woged back to human form.
"Daniella!" He removed the gag and cut her restraints with a gentleness that contrasted the savagery a moment ago. The teenager wrapped her father in a tight hug the second she was free, crying into his shoulder. "Shh, darling, it's over," the councilman said, stroking her hair. "It's all over."
"Not quite," Nick said, lowering his gun. "You can't just expect us to ignore what we saw. You executed a defenseless woman."
Victoria, still Woged, growled.
Councilman Sutton held a hand to her, and she calmed. "Detective, I know what you are. I also know you're different than others of your kind. Please, I am asking you to find it in your heart to let me take my baby girl back home."
Nick glanced at the corpses strewn across the warehouse. Hank was busy cuffing the last four Geiers.
"Do you know what our kind have suffered? The Byzantines would make jewelry out of our bones. The Normans would skin us and use our hides as cloaks. The Founding Fathers plucked out our feathers and sewed them into their clothing. Through every century there have been those wanting to torture us and use us like good luck charms. These filthy creatures would have cut my daughter into pieces and sold her like a commodity! Please, let me take her home."
Nick sighed, holstering his gun. "I'm gonna have to call this in."
"Sir…" Victoria said, the threat inherent in her voice.
"We'll make sure this doesn't come back to you," Nick added. "I'll get your daughter back to you, but you and Victoria need to leave."
Councilman Sutton seemed to consider it. "Do I have your word?"
"You have it."
The other man nodded. He cupped his daughter's cheeks, then said "Daniella, I have to go, but I'll be back as soon as I can. Can you be strong for me?" Sniffling, she nodded. "Thank you, detective. From the bottom of my heart. I am indebted to you, and my kind take our debts seriously." He gestured to Victoria, who Woged back to human form and followed him out.
"This'll be an interesting call," Nick said as he took out his phone.
Jacob stepped into the precinct. He stood at the back of the main office area, as dozens of reporters and officers crowded in front of Sean. The royal bastard stood in front of a podium, camera lights flashing. "Today I am pleased to announce that Daniella Sutton, daughter of city councilman Julius Sutton, has been found. She is in good health and was returned to her father earlier this morning. There was a shooting at the location she was being held, and I can confirm there were multiple fatalities. However, four suspects have been taken into custody. They have been linked to several human trafficking and extortion cases, as well as black market organ harvesting."
Sean always had a knack for speeches, Jacob thought. He had a certain poise and an air of refinement. Standing in the crowd was Detective Burkhardt, who walked over when he saw him. "Congratulations are in order. Well done," Jacob said as they walked into the hall.
The detective snorted. "I just did my job."
"If you did your job, then all the kidnappers would be dead. I understand they were Geiers."
"I only kill when I have to."
Jacob looked at him for a few moments. "You really are different from other Grimms, aren't you? You can understand my confusion, seeing as you broke into my house and assaulted my wife."
The detective crossed his arms. "Speaking of, your wife paid me a visit."
"She told me. No one was more surprised than me; Louise has spent a lifetime reining in her more violent urges, but speaking to a Grimm and letting him live? That was new."
"Actually, she was surprisingly helpful. Gave me a few bits of information on the case."
"We're not bad people, detective. We just want to live our lives in peace. I hope you can respect that."
"Well, your wife did kill four people," Detective Burkhardt reminded him.
"You killed many times that number yesterday alone. Not to mention the other Wesen you've hunted. I came here to make you a promise: we will not take another life, unless it is in self-defence."
"Can you make sure your wife keeps that promise?"
"I can. She only hunts rabbits and deer to sate her hunger."
Detective Burkhardt remained silent for several moments. "Okay."
They shook hands.
"Were you able to connect Mr. Nidaria to the kidnapping?" Jacob asked.
"Unfortunately not. My gut tells me he hired the Geiers to kidnap her so they could cut her apart for good fortune. But he's managed to cover his trail, so right now we've got no cause to arrest him."
Jacob nodded. "I'll be sure to keep a close eye on him. The next time he steps out of line, I'll let you know."
Mia climbed the tree, keeping her eyes on the police precinct. Thomas and John told her about their encounter with the Mauvais Dentes. She'd been furious, and felt compelled to take over surveillance. As queen, it was her responsibility to protect the hive.
She crouched on a thick branch, waiting for a few minutes. The front doors opened, and the Grimm stepped out. He checked his phone, then started walking to his car. Mia sneered, gripping the branch so tight her knuckles turned white. In the heat of the moment, she Woged. Her large compound eyes reflected the Grimm's face hundreds of times, and she tiled her head. A swarm of bees gathered above her head, rustling every leaf of the tree. "I'll make it up to you, mom," Mia said. "I'm going to kill the man who took you from me."
Cast List
Julius Sutton: Rufus Sewell
Victoria Treu: Anna Torv
