Grimm: The Killing Time (26 page)

“No humans allowed in the Hafen,” she growled. “Everyone knows that.”

“Not even Kehrseite-Schlich-Kennen?” Juliette asked. She took a quick glance around the clearing. “Looks like there are a few of us here.”

“Close friends and family,” the Bauerschwein said. “That’s different.”

Juliette wasn’t sure, but she thought the man’s lower teeth grew longer and thicker as he spoke.

“Right,” the cougar-woman said. “Who vouches for you two?”

Juliette wanted to point out that the Wildermann guards had let them enter and that should be good enough. But given how hostile these two Wesen were being, thanks no doubt to the
Ewig Woge
, she doubted they would care.

“I do,” Renard said.

The two Wesen turned to look at him, as did others in the immediate area. Juliette felt the tension in the air increase dramatically, and she feared that if they didn’t play the next few seconds just right, violence would break out. If that happened, it could set off the entire Hafen, and the results would be catastrophic.

Renard put the cooler down and stepped forward to stand in front of the Wesen. Juliette could see his struggle to maintain control of his anger in the set of his jaw and the narrowing of his eyes. Normally, the two Wesen might’ve taken a step back from an angry Zauberbiest, but they were in the grip of the
Ewig Woge
, and that made them step closer to Renard, hands bunched into fists.

“This is ridiculous,” Juliette muttered to herself.

She put her bag on the ground, removed a jar and unscrewed the lid. She dipped a finger into the light-purple paste inside and then stepped in between Renard and the two Wesen. The Bauerschwein and cougar-woman glared at her, but in a tone of voice she used to calm both frightened animals and their anxious owners, she said, “Hold still now.” She then applied a dab of paste around the Bauerschwein’s snout and beneath the cougar-woman’s nose. The Wesen were so stunned by her actions that they stood still and let her work. When she finished, she stepped back and the man and woman both inhaled deeply through their noses. The effect was immediate and dramatic. The tension drained from their bodies, and they visibly relaxed.

“What is this stuff?” the cougar-woman asked, inhaling again.

“Lavender and vanilla,” the Bauerschwein said. “Among other things.” He too inhaled again.

“Well. Whatever it is, it’s
great
,” the woman said. A moment later, she began purring.

Juliette turned to Rosalee and grinned. Rosalee smiled back.

The first step was to begin distributing the endorphin-enhancer to every Wesen in the Hafen to help keep them calm and relaxed. After that, Rosalee could begin mixing the cure for the
Ewig Woge
. But in order for it to work, she needed a very important final ingredient—and that’s where Nick and Monroe came in.

Her smile fell away. Somewhere out there was the Wechselbalg—and in all likelihood, it too was heading for the Hafen. The question was, who would get here first? And what would happen then?

* * *

Nick didn’t waste time thinking. He stepped to the side just as the Lowen lunged for him. He spun around, grabbed the back of the Lowen’s head, and shoved him toward the nearest tree. The Lowen hit face-first, let out a muffled
oof!
and went limp. Nick caught him before he could fall and lowered him gently to the ground. He checked the man’s pulse and was relieved to find it strong. He’d put a lot of muscle into that shove, but he hadn’t wanted to hurt the man, just keep him from raising the alarm.

Nick straightened and Monroe leaned close to his ear to speak.

“Man, you’re a bad-ass when you’re being sneaky,” he whispered.

Nick smiled and the two men continued toward the Hafen, Monroe once again leading the way. They didn’t encounter any more roaming guards, but neither did they run across the Wechselbalg.
Too bad
, he thought. Things would’ve been simple—and probably a lot less messy—if they could’ve confronted him outside the Hafen.

Eventually Nick could smell campfire smoke and see glimmers of light ahead. As he and Monroe drew closer, the underbrush began to get thicker, and thorns snagged his jeans and hoodie, scratched his face and hands. Monroe had warned him that it would be like this close to the Hafen, and they slowed their pace, doing their best to keep the thorn damage to a minimum as they proceeded. Both men took in soft, hissing breaths as they were scratched, but eventually they made it to the edge of the clearing.

Monroe leaned close and whispered in his ear once more.

“Try not to get too close to anyone. They might smell the blood from your scratches and get suspicious.”

Nick nodded. He pulled up his hood to conceal his features. The two men then entered the Hafen.

The clearing was filled with people standing around small campfires or near tents. Nick estimated there were a couple of hundred people present, and from what he could see, almost all of them were woged. The air practically vibrated with tension; he felt as if he’d just stepped into a room full of high explosives, and all it would take was a single match to set them off.

He and Monroe had agreed it was best not to enter the Hafen with the others so that Nick could hide his presence from the Wechselbalg until he was ready to confront the shapeshifter. But it was equally important to avoid causing an outbreak of violence. The last thing the Wesen needed to see was a Grimm in their midst—especially since some of them believed he’d gone insane and started killing Wesen at random. Even if they hadn’t been suffering from the
Ewig Woge
, his presence could’ve provoked them to attack. So the longer he remained concealed, the better.

No one seemed to have noticed them enter the Hafen. No one turned to look in their direction, and better yet, no one shouted to raise the alarm. Nick and Monroe started walking toward the center of the clearing, Nick sticking close to his friend’s side. Monroe had told him that a lot of the Wesen would keep to themselves, some because they tended not to play well with others, and some because they were trying to maintain control of their aggressive urges. So as long as Nick kept his hood up, looked down at the ground, and kept his hands in his pockets, no one would give him a second look—they hoped. Monroe’s Blutbad scent would help mask Nick’s human scent, but Monroe had cautioned that it still would be best to avoid getting too close to anyone they didn’t know, just in case. So they steered clear of Wesen as they walked, and no heads swiveled in their direction, no one sniffed the air, no one pointed and shouted, “Human!” or worse, “Grimm!”

Nick was on edge, but not because he feared discovery. He’d never been in the presence of so many Wesen before, certainly not so many that were woged, and his instincts urged him to attack the creatures that surrounded him. They were monstrous, unnatural beasts, and they had to be stopped before they could cause harm.

Nick gritted his teeth and fought the compulsion to grab the nearest Wesen and beat them to a pulp. The experience brought a newfound respect for Monroe. Walking among all these Wesen, Nick had a much better idea of the battle Monroe fought every day—it was a battle he wasn’t sure he’d win if their position had been reversed.

On the other side of the clearing, Nick saw Juliette, Hank, Rosalee, and Renard talking with a pair of Wesen. He was glad to see the others had reached the Hafen safely, but it looked like they weren’t receiving the warmest of greetings. Nick felt an urge to go over and help, but he knew he’d only make matters worse if he interfered. Besides, they could take care of themselves. But he planned to keep an eye on them nevertheless.

“Any sign of him?” Nick asked softly as he and Monroe walked.

“No, but if he was here, wouldn’t we be able to tell by all the screaming and bleeding?”

Monroe had a point. The Wechselbalg might have been something of a chameleon in his prime, but right now he wasn’t one for subtlety. If he was here, he’d be fighting—and killing.

Unless he’s walking around in disguise and looking for you, so he can steal the rest of your memories and finally eliminate the competition.

Nick struggled to predict the Wechselbalg’s next move. He could be in the Hafen right now, hunting Nick while Nick was hunting him. Or he could’ve decided Portland wasn’t big enough for two Nick Burkhardts, and he could be on the road headed anywhere. Maybe to New York, where Nick had grown up…

He quickly shut down that line of thought. Not only was it counterproductive right now, his instincts told him the Wechselbalg would be here. He just had to keep looking, keep waiting. It was only a matter of time.

Nick and Monroe continued making a slow circuit of the Hafen. Juliette and the others managed to get past their welcoming committee, and now headed toward the stone slab in the center of the clearing. Monroe had told him it was called the Speaking Stone, and anyone who stood on it had the right to address those who’d sought shelter in the Hafen. Whoever held control of the Speaking Stone was allowed to talk as long as they wanted—until a minimum of three Wesen called for them to step down. If they refused, they were “encouraged” to shut up, violently if necessary. When she was ready, Roslaee would step onto the stone and address the assembled Wesen. And then… well, they’d see what happened.

As Rosalee and the others set down their supplies and started to unpack them, Nick caught sight of Bud standing near a tent, talking to another male Eisbiber that Nick didn’t recognize. He caught Monroe’s eye and nodded in Bud’s direction, and the two men headed toward the tent. As they drew closer, Nick was able to make out what Bud was saying.

“—couldn’t believe it! I mean, I’ve known him for a couple years now, and I’d come to consider him a friend. But after tonight, I don’t know—” He broke off as he noticed Nick and Monroe approaching. He looked suddenly nervous. Even more so than usual, Nick thought.

“Monroe! What a surprise! I mean, it’s not really a surprise, since just about everyone’s here and you’re definitely part of everyone.” He gave Monroe an uneasy smile.

At first Nick wasn’t sure what Bud’s problem was, but when the man Bud had been talking to got a good look at Monroe, he turned without saying a word and walked rapidly away. Nick got it then. Monroe in human aspect might not be threatening, but in full woge? He was a Blutbad, and no one was comfortable around them, especially Eisbiber.

“Relax,” Monroe said. “I’ve still got it under control.” His words came out in a half-growl, and they did little to comfort Bud. If anything, the man looked even more frightened than before.

“Who were you talking about?” Monroe asked. “Whoever it was, it sounded pretty serious.”

“I was talking about Nick,” Bud said. “Word going around the Hafen is that he killed a couple Skalegenck kids for spraying graffiti. And when he came over to my place, he was acting as if something was really wrong with him. I mean, he held a gun to my head! I feared for my life, I really did!” He shook his head. “I think the Grimm part of him finally took over, you know?”

“Aw, man,” Monroe said. “Didn’t you get Rosalee’s voicemail?”

Bud frowned. “Rosalee called me? Sorry, I’ve been so busy getting the family to the Hafen that I haven’t looked at my phone since leaving the house.”

Nick didn’t know exactly what had happened at Bud’s house, but he knew who was responsible—the Wechselbalg. He raised his head so Bud could get a better look at his face.

Bud looked at him, but the closest campfire was twenty feet away, and it took a moment for him to make out Nick’s features.

“Nick?” he said, the word coming out almost as a shriek of alarm.

Up to this point, the tent flap had been open, but now it was zipped closed from the inside with single swift motion.

“Let me guess,” Nick said. “Your wife and kids are inside.” Bud’s whiskers began twitching so fast, they became twin blurs on either side of his face.

“No, they decided they’d be safer at home. Wait, did I say they were still at home? I meant they left town, but they didn’t tell me where they were going, so there’s no point in asking me.”

The words tumbled out of Bud’s mouth even faster than normal, so fast that Nick had trouble making them out. But he didn’t need to catch Bud’s exact words to know the man was terrified of him.

“It’s okay, Bud,” Nick said, trying to keep his voice down so no one would overhear.

“Sure. Sure, it’s okay. Everything’s okay. Always has been, always will be. Well, it was good seeing you, but I’m sure you’ve got some important official business to take care of, and I don’t want to keep you from it. Never let it be said that Bud Wurstner obstructed justice. So take it easy, and I’ll see you later, all right?”

Bud starting backing away, but he continued facing Nick, as if afraid to turn his back on him.

“It’s
me
, Bud. Nick. The
real
one.”

“It’s true,” Monroe said. “He’s the one and only. Well, maybe not
only
these days, but he is the original, that’s for sure.”

Bud stopped backing up, and his furry brow knitted into a frown. He looked at Monroe.

“Have you gone crazy, too?” he asked. He held up his hands. “No offense.”

Nick stepped closer to Bud so he wouldn’t have to speak louder to be heard. Bud stiffened, and for an instant Nick thought the man would flee, but he held his ground. Monroe stayed by Nick’s side.

“Earlier tonight, when Hank and I visited, do you remember me asking about a Wechselbalg?”

“Sure, but that’s not the visit that concerns me. It’s when you came back later, alone, that—” Bud broke off, eyes widening in realization. “That wasn’t you the second time, was it? He sure looked like you, but he didn’t act like you.” He let out a short laugh. “Man, what a relief! I should’ve realized you’d never do anything like that. Not our Nick.”

Bud spoke in a normal tone of voice, and Monroe put a finger to his lips to shush him.

“Keep it down. We’re trying to be incognito.”

“Right,” Bud said, although it was clear from his tone of voice that he had no idea what Monroe was talking about.