Throw Away The Key

5. Location, Location, Location

Roddy, Barry, and Holly are waiting on the front porch the next morning shortly after Monroe comes downstairs. He can make out their silhouettes through the stained glass door and vaguely wonders how long they've been standing there waiting for him. He opens the door and ushers them inside, glancing out at the street out of habit before closing the door and locking it behind them. He knew first hand how some of the other Grimm creatures felt about his association with Nick (a brutal beat down at the hands of the Reapers sank that idea in pretty quick) and he didn't want to get the kids involved anymore than he had to in case someone was watching. He knew they wanted to help Nick but until they found their wayward detective, it was his job to keep everyone safe.

It's very shortly after 8:20 in the morning but all three teenagers look like they've been up for hours. They'd promised not to do anything the night before and start searching with Monroe the next morning but Monroe knows it wasn't a mutual decision. Holly and Barry have this wild animal look in their eyes and it looks like the only thing that's keeping them at the table and not running for the door is the fact that they have no idea where to even start searching. Roddy is looking at Monroe with calculated scrutiny the way he does a new sheet of music like he's trying to figure out every possible secret it could be hiding. They're all waiting for Monroe's advice, his approval, and he'd be more than happy to give it to them if he had even the slightest idea of what to do first.

He'd spent the better part of the night combing through every old storybook he had regarding Nachtkrapp while trying to determine where they might have taken Nick. In the few stories he'd heard growing up, he knew that Nachtkrapp acted more as hired muscle than on their own. It wasn't uncommon to see them in the ranks of gang leaders and mob bosses because their work was quick, efficient, and most of all unseen. That didn't narrow down a location though and that was the main thing he'd been looking for. He knew he stood a better chance of finding some answers by visiting Marie's trailer but Nick was the only one who had a key and to be honest it kind of freaked him out to be in the trailer by himself. It was like walking into a serial killer's pantry of horrors. His grandmother had told him enough stories about all the terrible, mutilating weapons Grimms tended to carry around on a daily basis and he'd only just scratched the surface of the crazy shit Marie had in the few times he'd been in the trailer with Nick. The idea makes him shudder; the thought that Nick was related to her, to a woman as well known and deadly as Marie Kessler, and yet he could be so entirely different. Nick was nothing like his aunt and Monroe had accused him of being worse than her…

He shakes his head to pull himself out of his darker thoughts and looks back at the teens surrounding his table. Holly is absently chewing on her thumb nail, knee bouncing like she's ready to come apart at the seams, Barry is looking out the window at the backyard next to them, and Roddy is still staring at him like he's waiting for instructions from a drill sergeant. Monroe has no idea where to send them; he knows splitting them up will cover more territory and probably narrow down a location faster but he's not too comfortable with the idea of them being alone. It's not that he thinks they can't handle themselves, quite the contrary in fact. He just knows that young creatures, especially predators, are usually much more prone to violence than their adult counterparts. Holly and Barry, though civil enough right now, would probably fall back on their more animal instincts if they found a lead and there wouldn't be much holding them back. Monroe's biggest concern is that they'll find someone with information on Nick and accidentally kill them before the information can be given. Still, they don't exactly have the luxury of time and every second they waste puts them another minute away from finding Nick. He sighs and looks back at the kids, coming to a decision.

"Okay, here's what we're going to do. Barry, I want you and Holly to take the woods and see if you can pick up a scent there. If you find something call me immediately. Do not try to handle it yourselves, understand?" He looks at them carefully, putting as much Alpha wolf power into his voice as he can without changing completely. Holly nods so quickly her hair bounces and Barry gives him a single nod to indicate he understands. "Good," Monroe says before turning his attention to Roddy. "I want you to search around the streets a bit, use your rats if you have to, but just stay under the radar. We don't know where Nick is or what whoever took him wants him for so we want to find him as quickly as we can without drawing unnecessary attention to ourselves, got it?" Roddy nods and Holly follows suit.