Chapter 8 – Run or Fight
Nick sat in trailer and only fact, that Adalind kept him in firm hug, anchored him to marbles. Few moments ago he checked sighting point of riflescope on his own rifle. If that twat would dear to appear in firing range, Nick was ready to finish him without slightest mercy or even warning…
Monroe in turns woged and dewoged, also angry for inability do something useful. Rosalee systematically prepared multifarious healing potions and bandaging, but now she made herself to stay calm, for case she should do same for her husband, as Adalind was doing for Nick. But Monroe was thankfully less predisposed for burst of aimless violent wrath, than Grimm…
Diana lied on couchette, or more precise to say, she levitated few inches over it. She truly was the most important person present there in moment, as she sent her astral projection in search of her half-brother. Now she sometimes made little motions, similar to dreaming cat a little bit…
Hank looked over Wu's shoulder, as Wu piloted drone in anticipated escaping route. They together disputed, whether to ask Sean Rennard to help them with ensuring search helicopter, but they came to conclusion, helicopter would attract attention of pursuers and they could use sniper rifle and kill any of escaping teenagers. Drone could cause similar danger, but on much shorter distance, so risk is lower…
Before they were able to say where to do it, they are unable to do anything to help escapees…
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"This white nonsense is like banner here in forest," cursed Máiréad, pointing finger on Laura's robe. "I'll better give her my spare clothes, she seems to be of similar size to me…"
"…and my sneakers, not so good in forest like hiking, but spare hiking boots would be really too heavy for my rucksack," added, seeing bare feet of their interim ward girl. "Boys, just give us some privacy, please," her voice became irritated a bit.
Kelly, as well as Frederick and Felix quickly moved to positions to cover whole prospect view. They wisely decided not to say a word.
"I believe, it's high time for you to introduce yourself, as well, as whole group," Laura tried to speak with that strange Luizon girl, who declared herself as Grimm's girlfriend.
"Later!" refused Máiréad. "You evidently are unable to quickly redress and talk in one moment and we really need to hurry away. We have no firearms and your uncle has sniper rifle and official gun as Deputy Sheriff. Even Grimms are not bulletproof."
Seeing Laura having problems with too big sneakers, Máiréad handed her another pair of socks:
"Place it inside, not to let your leg move in."
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Brandon Esselt found Txema Ramirez in place he expected him to be. Brandon had big bucket with almost ice-cold water and emptied it onto Txema's head.
"WHAT THE F*CK?!" jumped Txema and staggered a bit.
Brandon seized Txema by the collar and gave him a few slaps.
"Your son is dead!" snapped to him. "As well as Bill. Sheriff believes, they killed each other. Maybe he's right, maybe they fought for who will be first with Laura. But Laura escaped. So, go for shotguns and ammo, I'll try to find her scent, what way she escaped. Find me in barn and for God's sake, do something with your stupor, you stink like a skunk."
With these words he left paralyzed Txema and hurried into barn.
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"What will we do with that robe?" asked Máiréad, once they reunited.
"Grimms collect trophies," answered Kelly. "This is good one. I think, dad has no such in his trailer."
"Trophy?" asked Laura. "Seriously?"
"That's something Grimms have common with serial killers, they love to collect trophies of plentiful kinds," smiled Felix.
"In fact Grimms ARE special sort of serial killers, usually hunting wesen serial killlers," added Frederick. "But Kelly, if it's YOUR trophy, means YOU will carry it in your bag, we are your support team, not your Sherpas."
Kelly laughed and nodded:
"You are right, karma IS a bitch."
He though a little bit and during packing Laura's white robe into his rucksack, he pulled five bars of MRE. He smiled and threw one by one to each of triplets. To Laura he better handed it, he was unsure, how good is she in catching small flying things.
"Eat it!" ordered her, as his friends did not need any invitation.
"What is THAT?!" asked girl with evident disgust.
"MRE, or Meal Ready to Eat," answered Máiréad. "Uncle Sam offers it to his soldiers of his special units," she smiled. "Eat it quickly, not allowing your taste buds to find the REAL taste of it."
"We'll need to hurry," explained Kelly, what was obvious. "You'll need energy for run, as well, as any of us. We could hardly go to pub for snack and you'll better run in full woge."
"And do you really think, Grimm, you can catch running woged Coyotl?" questioned Laura.
Kelly's ugly silent smile gave her answer she did not like at all…
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Txema tottered up to kitchen. There he ate some instant coffee, hoping it could help him to become more ready. As he was officially working on farm, it was his responsibility to see both Pedro and Bill as well as Laura, to ensure, on evening everything would be prepared.
He knew, his order would be number four, after Jeffrey, Brandon and even Bill, but before Pedro, who was any way weakest male of pack. He ate two more soup-spoons of instant coffee and washed it down with one canned beer, twisting his face because of taste. He decided to ignore Brandon's insults. They both will have shotguns, so maybe, once they will find Laura, things could change by one simple move of pointing finger, or even maybe by two moves…
Txema laughed shortly. He almost forgot about his son's dead, there was almost no father to son responsibility in him, now he imagined, how they both with Laura will move to Mexico, selling this damned place for good. Questioning, whether she wants to do that was something his tequila-washed brain was unable to think over…
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For Laura it was like a nightmare during daylight. All three Luizons, as she regarded strange group of wesens, acted together with Grimm as well-coordinated military troop. They were able in one moment to run, as well as to observe situation in wide surroundings and watch her. Whenever she was sure 'Now I must fall down and broke my leg or neck,' somebody gave her helping hand to assist her in keeping balance. After some ten or twelve miles they found creek and decided to wade through down the stream.
"Sorry, you will have soaked sneakers and trousers, but we should better cut our scent track," explained young Grimm. "If we were lucky, they lost some time trying to find vehicle we used to flee, but sooner or later they will try to truck us by scent."
Laura was barely able to nod. She was pretty sure, she will die for sure that day. Surprisingly, she found that perspective better, rather than accepting being object of Aseveración, ritualized collective rape.
Creek hollowed not big valley in landscape, so they were hidden for observers from around. They neared to road, creek was directed into drain pipe, big enough to crawl through it to opposite side.
"Perfect," appraised it Grimm, after short reconnaissance of pipe entry. "There was movement sensor, quite a long ago, but it was destroyed, I guess during flood. OK, I go first, you are our rearguard," he pointed to Frederick, who nodded.
Máiréad wordlessly forced Laura to go as second, right after Grimm. Laura felt that strange girl right on her back. After leaving the pipe on opposite side of road they continued wading down the stream for a half of mile or so, up to forest.
Grimm pointed to a hidden glade near the wood margin.
"Five minute break," for Laurta it was in that moment the most welcomed statement he could only make. "I think, now it's time to introduce to you, Laura. My name is Kelly."
"Máiréad." "Frederick." "Felix."
"Fine, now I'm not in so disadvantageous position to you," answered Laura, once she was able to breath freely again. "How is it possible, three Luizons are collaborating with a Grimm, like his hunting dogs or what?"
"First of all," said Kelly. "They are no way my servants, like 'hunting dogs' you named them, our families are friends as long, as I remember."
"Our father met our mother thanks to his father," explained Máiréad. "And we are not Luizons, we are FuchsBluden."
"What!?" Coyotl girl was confused.
"We are triplets, you maybe were able to recognize it," said Felix. "Our mother is Fuchsbau and our father is Blutbad."
"So we're hybrids, or abominations, if you'd wish said so," added Frederick.
"Don't wish so," said Máiréad. "Kelly is really overprotective to whom he considered friend. He's a Grimm and can easily became real danger."
Laura felt extremely exhausted.
"How much longer?!" asked with pain in her voice.
"I guess six or rather seven times more," said Kelly seriously. "Right now we can't got to any help and it's much more probable, your uncles will find us sooner, than my family. Our only chance is in quickness."
Máiréad pulled from her rucksack five bars of MRE and handed it to each one of them. They ate it wordlessly, lost in each other's minds…
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Brandon found scent of four intruders. He traced their scent, together with Laura's to ladder upstairs and through the window out.
"Brandon, are you here?" Txema finally came with both shotguns into barn.
"Go to the other side, they probably jumped from the window here upstairs," howled Brandon downstairs. "I'll try to go same way."
He jumped through window and sniffed. With smile he recognized all five scents he found in barn.
Txema trudged to him with both shotguns. Brandon grabbed one.
"Ammo?" asked.
Txema handed him ten buckshot shotgun shells.
"Thanks," nodded Brandon. "They seems flew this way."
He showed to nearest forest.
"They?" asked Txema, still a bit out of his mind.
"Three boys or young men, two of them Fuchsbau or something such, one girl of same origin, one boy is probably Kehrsaite, I should inform Jeff too," explained Brandon and called to his brother.
"What?" asked Deputy Esselt, hearing that new. "Three Fuchsbaus and Kehrsaite? Why the f*ck would they release Laura and how the Hell could they only found her?"
"No idea," answered Brandon by truth. He really had never too many ideas. "I'll go on their scent path with Txema. Is it possible, they murdered Bill and Pedro?"
"Off course it's possible," growled Jeffrey. "But, if you catch them, ask no question and kill all three boys. That girl could be a good bonus…"
"OK," agreed Brandon. "Try to check, whether somebody was around and try to identify them."
"Don't teach me to do my work!" Jeffrey was angry, as it was in fact his younger brother, who reminded him to check phones around Farm. "Call me, if you find more, I'll do the same."
Brandon let himself a little bit self-satisfied smile:
"Txema, try to check scent traces here too," ordered. "I might over-smell something."
Txema Ramirez was pissed off, but kneeled down and woged. He sniffed several times and growled:
"That was not Kehrsaite, I think."
Brandon did not say, that according him Txema does not think at all, rather kneeled too and sniffed again.
"For me he smells like a common Kehrsaite."
"No, no, no!" Ramirez lost his temper. "There IS something strange, I just do not know, what it is!"
"OK, any way, we should shot him to kill and after dead he'll lost whatever makes him so strange…"
With these words both men, armed with shotguns, moved on trace after five fugitives…
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After several miles they needed to use paths surrounded by fields again, but they succeeded to find trace without eyewitnesses and seemingly also without cameras. They dewoged, with exception of Kelly, who was never in woge, off course.
"Now we can't run," explained Kelly obvious. "We must look like more or less normal sightseers. I hope, we are on distance long enough, so nobody would know you personally here, does somebody?"
"No, not here," answered Laura. "Where do you plan to spend night?"
"On way," said Kelly a bit cruelly. "We simply MUST flee, I don't have even popgun. Jeffrey Esselt has sniper rifle and we did not succeed to got even your shotgun."
"There are two shotguns," answered Laura. "I believe, now Brandon Esselt, Jeffrey's brother has one and Txema Ramirez, father of Pedro has second. You're right, now they probably want all us dead."
"That way," showed Felix. "There's touristic route in necessary direction. No people in visual contact."
"Perfect, let's move on," nodded Kelly, who looked like being no way tired. "I hate being here under open air."
All five of them disappear on forest way amongst trees and woged again…
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Jeffrey Esselt was shocked. His attempts to find something around Farm were blocked and his official phone was dead, evidently remoted switch-off. Attempts to place Laura's face into FRS failed with notice 'Unauthorized Access Denied'. It was self-evident, somebody focused on him to block his activities. Jeffrey was quite sure, it's no way Sheriff Recks, it rather looked like work of Internal Affairs of Portland PD or FBI.
He dialed his brother from his private phone:
"Somebody blocks me from everything, Brandon, did you find anything strange?"
"I found nothing strange, but Txema believes, that's not a common Kehrsaite, that third boy. He doesn't have a clue, who or what could he be, but according him, he's different. Who blocks you, Sheriff Recks?"
"I don't think so," answered Jeffrey. "It must be somebody, who has special access into System, like Internal Affairs or FBI."
"Did you piss FBI somehow in last moments?" asked Brandon. "No… wait… just a moment, somebody told me, in Portland Police there is one Grimm. Could it be action of that Grimm?"
"If there is Portland Grimm cop, he or she would simply come to me and ask for my arresting, Sheriff Recks would hardly have ways to object a lot."
Jeffrey had a think.
"You might be right. I heard some drunken idiots to speak about Portland Grimm, but I took no care. Maybe he or she is not here but his or her son, who is training in being Grimm. That could explain, why he and his hunting dogs are here to give us troubles. If you think it's necessary, kill them all, once you see them and tell me, where are you now?"
It was strange, how close to truth was Deputy Jeffrey Esselt able to approach…
"Close to Burden Farms, with Canby Mullino Road on our back" answered Brandon. "They systematically avoid contacts with people and prefer walking on forest paths. Seems, they want to avoid informing Kehrsaite."
"OK, I guess, I can imagine, where they want to go," said Jeffrey. "Continue in pursue, I'll meet with you soon, I'll try to meet you near Kush Hill Farm."
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"I think, they are heading somewhere there," showed Jeffrey on tablet into map. "We can get ahead by going there by car. They're clever, but we're cleverer, than they assume."
They met near Kush Hill Farm, where they together confirmed escapees' route on digital map. Jeffrey let Brandon to show him, where they left some scent traces. Jeffrey woged and sniffed to remember all their scents.
"I'll kill you Grimm, for memory of my son, in name of our tradition and for future without self-trustees like you!" promised Jeffrey Esselt into uncaring sky.
Other two men scared on him for a moment, but when Jeffrey leaned backwards and start to howl, they quickly joined him.
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"It's Jeffrey Esselt!" blurted Laura. "I remember him howling such a way, years ago. It was time my parents were alive and I thought, it was real fun."
"OK," nodded Kelly. "Felix, Frederick, how far are they, what do you think?"
"Less than two miles, we slow down," answered Felix. "We must accelerate."
"We don't have power to accelerate," answered Kelly. "We must simply continue. Acceleration could kill us. Don't panic untimely, now just go!"
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Farmer John Neubert swore, hearing Jeffrey Esselt and his relatives howling:
"F*cking shi*ty coyotes!"
He brought hunting rifle from cupboard, loaded it and attached searchlight. He found place near his sheep flock, expecting for pests. As no coyote came to his farm, he never met any of our story character and has no more role, we could feel free to forget about farmer Neubert for good…
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"We are at Alder Creek," reported Felix.
Even on well-trained FoxBluden was visible exhaustion, as well on Grimm. Laura was so tired, that she almost reckoned, she died and now she is in Hell, forced to endless escape…
It was late at night, so late, that it was quite possibly already Sunday in fact. She did not know, from here her saviors are used to reach their place on foot. But off course without being on foot for so long and with so many miles in their foots…
They had no idea, their pursuers are more close, than they think…
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Jeffrey stopped their car on place, where he considered as possible, the escapees' route will continue.
During night they had some sleeping, as they were able to take turns in watching. They missed less, than sixty yards, from place, where escapees crossed road. Soon in morning Jeffrey sent both Brandon and Txema to search for traces. This time it was Txema, who guided them to fresh trace, made in less, than ten minutes ago.
All three pursuers hit the trail…
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"So here you are!"
Kelly was a bit shocked, seeing his sister walking in air to him.
"Mom and dad are crazy, as well as uncle Monroe," Diana looked strange, as she usually tend to look.
Laura stared on blond girl, evidently levitating over forest underbrush.
"Who are you?" asked a question.
"I'm Diana and who are you?"
Answer was not said that moment, as it was time, when Deputy Sheriff Jeffrey Esselt reached place, from which he observed group of six teenagers, Laura Cledments amongst them.
Two boys in group looked similar to girl, who was pretty near to third boy, who had darker hair and a bit different body posture. He chose him as target, but as he was far from being perfect sniper, he hit that Fuchsbau girl instead of Grimm by his first shot…
"Máiréad!" screamed Kelly and kneeled to girl on ground…
TO BE CONTINUED…