Chapter Summary: While Hank pulls a nasty case that's driving him and his partner crazy, Renard puts his foot down with his underworld contacts.

Notes:

There's No Honour Among Thieves

Hank looked round the crime scene with a puzzled look upon his face, it looked like something right out of a bad fantasy movie. The floor had several large circular seals' upon in that looked like it should have been carved by a mage during some ritual, written in an unknown language was carved some sort of bindings. The blood had long since scarred the stone and no amount of scrubbing was getting it out, fragments of weapons were stuck within the woodwork while a few discarded ones were scattered around.

This case was getting weirder and weirder with every new discovery more questions were left behind, he was brought out of his musings by the arrival of his partner Officer Karl Walsh.

"It's the same as the other three we've come across Hank" stated Walsh as Hank agreed.

"We need to go check in with the Captain, something about this case doesn't sit well with me" spoke Hank as they headed toward his car before returning to the station.

Renard wasn't in his office when Hank returned, he and Karl sat at their desk as they passed casefiles back and forth as they tried to make sense of the case. Hank noted that one name kept cropping up when it came to the few people involved. Once Renard had returned, they both headed into his office. Sitting down at his desk they began explaining their case and what they had uncovered.

"As you can see the floor has several symbols carved into it, I'd say it some bad mojo…." Karl was interrupted by Renard as he read out the meaning's on the floor.

"Man's first happiness is to know how to die. His second, is to be forced to die." Spoke Renard as both men looked at him confusedly making him shake his head.

"It's Latin, I took it in high school in preparations for me going to med school. Funny how life changes" chuckled Renard as both men agreed with him, that was when Hank threw him a curveball.

"Also, a name keeps cropping up in conjunction with all this, Leo Taymor he's the parole officer for at least three names' attached to the blood spilled on the floor" Renard half listened to Hank's words as he tried not to crack his teeth in anger.

"Tread carefully Detective, after all he's a part of the department of corrections. We may have different uniforms but the badges mean the same things, or at least that's what we're told to believe" answered Renard and after dismissing them both with words of wisdom to help them search in a different direction from the one he needed to investigate.

Once alone he made a series of calls while he still had control of his temper, rubbing his temple he pulled out a cell phone he had enchanted to be untraceable and after a moments pause he typed in a number burned into his memory. Letting it ring he didn't expect for anyone to answer, so as it went to voicemail, he left a message filling the mysterious receiver in on all that's going on before hanging up with a sigh.

Hank and Karl pulled up outside the parole office luckily for them it wasn't that far from the Pd, entering the door they approached the reception desk and groaned as the woman looked up at them and just looked back down at her computer. Hank pulled the badge from his belt and placed it loudly down in front of her, he watched her unimpressed look change and her attitude improve as she suddenly and politely showed them to their location. Leo Taymor was sat at his desk and for a brief second, he looked shocked before his expression changed, standing up he greeted them both before offering them a seat.

After much discussions Leo Taymor bid the detectives goodbye, once his office door shut, he let out a groan and slumped down in his seat. Reaching into a locked draw he pulled out a burner phone and hit dial, when the voice on the other end spoke Taymor started growling and barking out orders.

"Pull back on the recruitment, lock down the fighters we have…your dumb ass screw up has put the locals on my ass. No, we are still on for the fight…like they could stop this the purse is to big…...don't worry about him the money will keep him at bay, it's not like he'd given a crap until now. If the badges find us then they can fight and die like the rest" chuckled Taymor darkly as he ended the call and threw the phone back into his draw.

Getting up he grabbed his jacket and headed out of his office, his car was in the underground parking so he headed down while growling to himself but his lack of attention almost cost him as a large black SUV screeched into his path making him jump away. His heart was racing causing him to lose his control and woge as he readied himself to attack whoever was challenging him, as the SUV's door slammed, he turned to the source of the noise and was taken back at the figure that got out. He didn't have a chance to react as he was thrown back against the wall, a gun was suddenly in his face as he stared at the enraged woged face of Renard.

Renard's half breed appearance was more horrendous then that of a fully woged Zauberbiest, it was rare that he'd allow this side of him to come out but given the circumstance he didn't care. Using his strength, he pinned Taymor to the wall, pushing harder then he needed to he made sure his point was to be made. Releasing him he took pleasure as he watched the Lowen crumple to the ground, as both of them reverted back to their human forms he watched Taymor scrabbled back to his feet.

Taymor looked the other man up and down Renard wasn't dressed in his usual clothing, the carefully constructed mask he's built of a respected police Captain was far from them tonight. Dressed in dark pants, a crimson shirt with no tie and a black leather jacket that barely covered the mysterious inky marking swirling up behind his right ear.

"What's your problem?" growled Taymor as he went to approach Renard but once again was pushed back against the wall by an invisible force.

"Your my problem" spat Renard as he got in Taymor's face.

"Your little blood sports gotten out of hand" he hissed, his words dripping with venom as he got close to the other man's ear.

"So, we had one escape, we caught him" Taymor explained nonchalantly making Renard's blood boil at his insolence.

"After he murdered two people" Renard growled as Taymor rolled his eyes.

"Not a perfect world" he said in a sing song mocking voice to Renard.

That was the last straw and quicker then Taymor could register the movement Renard moved forward and slammed his knee into his chest with such force he felt his ribs break under the pressure.

"You screwed up" he hissed as the pathetic excuse of a wesen huffed and coughed on all fours in front of him.

"We had an agreement, I gave you a list, with specific names on it. You were not to deviate from that list" Renard growled loudly allowing his Beist form to surface once again.

"They were on my list" Taymor dared to huff out as he attempted to get to his feet, Renard was beginning to wonder if he had a death wish.

Renard grabbed Taymor by the collar and pulled him to his feet before making sure he was paying full attention, he made sure his face was only inches away from his before he spoke. His wesen form was pulsing away and Renard was taking full advantage of the hidden fear rolling off the Lowen.

"You don't have a list, there is only my list, in my canton under my rule" Renard growls once again as he punctuates each sentence.

"Gangbangers and meth addicts don't make good fighters, they don't even know how to die, where's the sport in that?" questioned Taymor as he tried to build up his bravado once again.

"So, you decided to pick your ex-cons out on parole with family in my city?" he asked wondering just how much of a fool Taymor actually was.

"They are exceptional, one of them has won six straight fights, he loves the taste of blood. The purse is the largest it's ever been. You'll get your tribute" Taymour's comments made Renard angry but the fact that in all his death wishing life he attempted to touch Renard.

It took all he had not to shudder in disgust at being touched by Taymor, but instead he slapped his hands away and growled a warning at him. This at least made Taymor slink back a little.

"I don't care about the money. SHUT IT DOWN!" Renard growled louder.

"Before your greed and stupidity ruin us both" Renard made sure he got the threat within his words, before he let go of him and tossed him to the ground.

"I don't know if it's your call any more, there's too much money involved. Times have changed your highness and royalty ain't what it used to be" hissed Taymor from the ground as he got to his feet again before locking eyes with Renard.

"Your right in the old days, I would have had you drawn and quartered. Now clean up this mess or I'll clean it up for you" said Renard with a malicious smirk on his face as Taymor drew himself up and spat off one last insult.

"You and I are in this together whether you like it or not so I'd be more careful on how you treat me. You might have had a Grimm on your side but he's not here now, you have an open target on your back now and from what I've heard your shit out of allies…" before he could finish his face met Renard's fist before he turned and got into his SUV.

"Fix it or I'll fix you Taymor" he spat once more before rolling up the window and leaving, Taymor didn't even get to his feet this time, he just pulled out his phone.

"Move the fight forward, it's time we send a message to the Prince about who truly rules over this city" with that he shut down the phone and just laughed to himself.