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Isabelle sits in her car as her inner thoughts battle, causing a physical headache to slam against her skull. For the past couple days she has been fixated on tracking down Monroe's assailants, but now that she was outside the apartment complex where they all resided Isabelle felt instant regret as her common sense was starting to kick in.
Monroe was right. She should've just let it go. But of course her unstoppable urge to kick asses of those who hurts her and the ones she cares for, thanks to her mother, she acted before she could realize what she was actually doing. And although she had been sitting in her car for over two hours Isabelle decided it was time for leave, forget she ever did it, and go home to watch Hallmark movies like she should've just done in the first place.
Twisting her keys in the ignition Isabelle is about to pull away but then she notices the assailants walking out of the building and down a dark alley. Sighing to herself she turns the engine back off and sticks her police badge in the glove compartment. Getting out she car she scan the street both ways, making sure it's safe before heading down the alley. It was dark, only a glimmer of a streetlight shinning down on the pavement. But as she reaches the end of the alley she finds it empty.
"What the.." Isabelle starts when suddenly she's hit on the back of the head and falls to the ground. "Ow. Okay, that hurt."
"Isabelle Kessler — the Grimm." One of the men sneers and Isabelle looks to find a man with a goblin looking face.
"I would say what you are but I honestly don't really know. I'm still pretty new to this Grimm and Wesen world." Isabelle says pushing herself up onto her elbows.
"Well don't worry, you won't be here for long." The man behind the other man assures her and goes to kick Isabelle in the face, but she quickly blocks his foot with her hands and knocks him to the ground.
Jumping up onto her feet Isabelle grabs the woman that charges towards her, knocking her against the brick wall behind her before throwing her on top of the guy Isabelle had knocked to the ground. Hearing a angry growling noise coming from the last man left standing Isabelle grabs a garbage can lid and hits him in the stomach, but he barely flinches.
"Okay, then. Time to go old school." Isabelle mutters and ducks out of the way as he swings his fist at her. Jumping on his back she pinches a nerve, quickly hopping back to the ground as he falls unconscious. "Well, that was fun. I'm gonna go grab a pizza now."
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Throwing her plate away after she finishes her slice of pizza Isabelle heads back down the street to where her car was parked. Hearing her name being called she turns around to notice Monroe walking towards her.
"Monroe, hey." Isabelle greets with a smile. "What are you doing out so late?"
"Waiting for three hundred bucks that Nick now owes me." Monroe remarks.
"You loaned Nick three hundred dollars?" Isabelle asks, both shocked and confused.
"Something like that." Monroe mutters. "So, what were you up to tonight? I would've thought that you would have been helping Nick with the case."
"Oh, you know, just experiencing normal Portland activities." Isabelle says. "Watching passerby's from my car, eating street pizza, and confronting the guys that beat you up last week."
"You what?" Monroe exclaims looking at her with wide eyes.
"Yeah, I know. Not my best idea." Isabelle sighs running her hand through her hair.
"You could've gotten killed." Monroe frowns.
"But I didn't." Isabelle smiles. "And now I'm going to go home, help myself to a nice bottle of wine, and watch Hallmark movies until I pass out."
"Promise?" Monroe presses with a serious look.
"I promise." Isabelle assures him, cracking a small smile as she reaches for his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. "Goodnight Monroe."
Opening her car door Isabelle slides inside before adjusting the air temperature, falling back into her seat with a sigh. Grabbing her seatbelt she quickly buckles herself in before driving home. After parking Isabelle skips up onto the sidewalk, heading for the front entrance. Starting to feel like she was being watched she pauses in her tracks and looks across the street where a white van was parked.
Isabelle instantly flashes back to what the street kids told her, Nick, and Hank about the mystery job their friend had received from someone with a white van. But before she can investigate any further the vehicle pulls away, squealing as it speeds down the street — leaving her worried and confused.
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"Isabelle, wait up!" Nick calls as Isabelle enters the precinct with a fresh hot cup of coffee. "I did some research last night in the trailer and I think I found out what kind of wesen that organ driver guy was, a Geier. Apparently Geiers have an innate ability to move through trees in order to stay above unaware victims — not to mention they harvest organs while the victims are still alive."
"Ew. Gross." Isabelle frowns.
"That's not even the worst part. I talked to Monroe last night and according to him this Geier could possibly be a dealer of.. human parts for creature enhancement." Nick continues.
"Talking isn't the only thing you two did." Isabelle rolls her eyes.
"What are you talking about?" Nick asks confused.
"I was downtown yesterday getting dinner after my thing and I bumped into Monroe. He told me that you borrowed a nice chunk of money." Isabelle tells him.
"I'm gonna pay him back." Nick assures her.
"Uh-huh. Like you paid me back for that spring break trip back in sophomore year of college." Isabelle retorts.
"Hey, you offered to pay for me." Nick defends.
"Whatever." Isabelle mutters, rolling her eyes as she takes a sip of her coffee.
"Anyways, as I was saying, Monroe went to this spice shop downtown for me and bought something called Gallenblase from the a shopkeeper who turned out to be a fox looking wesen called a Fuchsbau." Nick continues. "I took the Gallenblase to the crime lab, so if this stuff really is from a human then I think we should head down to the spice shop and talk to this Fuchsbau ourselves."
"I think that's a great idea." Isabelle agrees as they walk to their desks. "Hank, got anything interesting to report other than the ant trail crawling across the muffin crumbs on your desk?"
"Joke's on you — it was a muffin from your secret stash." Hank remarks smirking at her. "And yeah, we have a connection. I got the test results back and the paperwork confirms that the DNA from some of the blood in the SUV matches the kid."
"Well, that would explain the holes in his neck." Nick muses. "Somebody was taking his blood."
"And transporting for the black market." Isabelle adds.
"But none of the organs match Steven or one another." Nick points out, still confused.
"So we've got a lot of blood and a lot of human body parts from different people." Hank comments.
"Somebody has been harvesting human organs — and not from a hospital." Nick realizes flipping through the file. "Check out this histology."
"No lesions, fat, cirrhosis, or pathology of any kind." Isabelle reads.
"Young and healthy. Perfect specimens. Red market." Hank states sharing a look with Nick and Isabelle.
"As evil and horrible as it is — that's pretty genius." Isabelle admits. "You know, for a gang of psychos."
"Yeah, Burkhardt." Nick answers as his phone rings before walking off to the side. "No, that's it. Thank you."
"Test results came back?" Isabelle inquires.
"Yeah." Nick nods as he hangs up. "Let's go pay that Fuchsbau shopkeeper a visit."
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As Nick goes around to the back Isabelle enters the spice shop, looking around at the shelves of spices before stepping up to the man behind the counter, Freddy Calvert.
"How are you?" Freddy asks.
"Not too bad. Just looking for the.. catch of the day." Isabelle grins and watches as he woges in front of her. "You're a Fuchsbau, aren't you? That is how you say that, right? Fuchsbau?"
"Oh my god." Freddy gasps backing away from her.
"I hear you're selling something called Gallenblase." Isabelle says. "And no offense, but I do not want that in my tea."
"Don't kill me." Freddy pleads.
"Relax, I just need to ask you a few questions." Isabelle assures him. "Okay, question one — who do you get your Gallenblase from?"
"I don't know what you're talking about." Freddy responds.
"Oh, don't play dumb with me, Spice Man. I know that you sell it here And I know what it really is — human gallbladder." Isabelle tells him and Freddy immediately takes off, racing down to the basement. "Of course he's running."
Chasing after him Isabelle stops when she finds Nick pinning Freddy against a wall.
"There's two of you?" Freddy questions looking between Nick and Isabelle.
"Yup." Isabelle nods. "We're sort of a package deal."
"Don't hurt me. I didn't do anything." Freddy begs.
"You're selling human organs." Nick retorts.
"I'm just the shop owner. I don't kill them myself." Freddy defends.
"And that makes you sound better how?" Isabelle inquires.
"You are going to tell us everything you know." Nick states.
"The Geiers will kill me." Freddy shakes his head.
"Well perhaps you should've considered that before going into business with them." Isabelle counters. "Now tell us what we want to know before things become a little more Grimm around here."
"I don't know their names or where they are. One of them makes a delivery once a week." Freddy admits.
"How do you get in contact with him?" Nick asks.
"I text him when I need something." Freddy answers.
"Here's a pen and paper — write it down." Isabelle instructs, handing him a notepad and pen as Nick loosens his hold on him.
"Same guy makes the delivery every week?" Nick questions.
"He's the only one I ever saw." Freddy replies.
"Is this him?" Isabelle inquires showing him a picture of the dead driver.
"Yes." Freddy confirms.
"When do you see him next?" Nick asks.
"I was supposed to get another shipment yesterday but he never showed." Freddy informs them.
"Well, that's because he's dead." Nick remarks.
"Oh, god." Freddy breathes closing his eyes. "You guys killed him?"
"Hey, just because we're Grimms doesn't mean that we just go around killing people." Isabelle argues. "It's modern times now — and those stereotypes are a bit biased."
"Show us the rest of your supply." Nick demands and Freddy leads them to the back, stopping in front of a tall wooden cabinet with glass windows — and Nick pushes it right to the ground.
"Now, I don't know if we'd made it clear, but as of now you no longer sell human organs." Isabelle notifies Freddy before shooting him a warm smile. "Have a nice afternoon."
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"Kevin Standish was reported missing from Cody, Washington May of last year." Hank reports as he, Isabelle, Nick, and Wu stand in front of Renard in Renard's office.
"Apparently he left Portland the same night Steven did in a white van." Nick adds.
"So Steven turns up dead and Kevin is still missing." Renard comments.
"From what we've gathered, yes." Isabelle confirms with a nod.
"If someone is operating on these kids where are they doing it?" Renard questions.
"We don't know. But we have information from the driver's phone." Nick answers.
"Well, believe or not, there was only one number ever dialed from it — and dialed a lot. We triangulated it down to a radius of one thousand feet northwest of town, pretty remote area. Closest address hit was 21343 Murtaugh Road." Wu informs him.
"If someone is dealing in stolen body parts there's going to be a lot of families who want answers." Renard points out.
"Then let's not keep them waiting." Isabelle suggests.
"I'm going with you guys on this." Renard said standing up from his chair.
Once they reach the address the team splits up — Isabelle, Nick, and Hank in front with Renard, Wu, and a couple sergeants right behind them.
"Portland PD! We have a warrant. Open up!" Nick calls knocking on the door of a trailer, but no one answers. Suddenly the back window breaks as a man slams his gun against the glass, causing shards of glass to rain down on Isabelle. But before the man can fire his gun Renard shoots him. Pulling out their guns Isabelle, Nick, and Hank carefully enter the trailer. Leaning down Isabelle checks the man's pulse — he was dead. Stepping over the body Nick slowly makes his way down the trailer, cautiously opening the door at the end of the hall. "We've got some kind of greenhouse out here!"
"Oh, god." Isabelle frowns as they step past the curtains. "I don't think this is a greenhouse."
"These are human organs. Hearts, gall bladders, kidneys." Renard realizes as he and Wu enter. "This is unbelievable."
"Why would you dry them out instead of selling them for transplant?" Wu asks confused.
"Every culture has their own unique myths about medical care." Isabelle replies.
"So what — if animal liver is good a human one must be better?" Hank inquires.
"Well, whichever way you look at it, it's still cannibalism." Renard retorts.
"Uh, I think it's pronounced capitalist." Wu corrects.
Hearing a phone ringing Isabelle follows the sound back to the body. Taking the phone out of the man's pocket she clicks on the missed calls and clicks call.
"Folter Clinic, how may I direct your call?"
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"They're not operating on anybody here." Hank says walking out of one of the exam rooms.
"Yeah, cause the location of black market surgeries would totally tun out of a free clinic." Isabelle scoffs sarcastically as she rolls her eyes.
"There's got to be another place." Nick presses.
"Well, unless they're hiding in a closet I don't know where else to look." Isabelle retorts and turns to the nurse who was being questioned by a cop, Patricia Mason, before strutting inside the room with Nick. "Hey, Bill, we've got it from here."
"Look at me — very closely." Nick instructs closing the door so no one could hear them. "We know what you are."
"I don't know what you're.." Patricia starts.
"Oh, don't even try to lie to us. We saw you out in the lobby." Isabelle informs her. "You're a Geier."
"Oh my god." Patricia breathes backing into the wall.
"Where are the kids?" Nick questions.
"I.. I.. I.." Patricia stutters and Isabelle pins her to the wall.
"We're not asking you as cops, so don't expect us to behave like them." Nick warns.
"Yeah." Isabelle smirks. "What he said."
"They're at the farmhouse on Dewey Avenue." Patricia confesses.
"Thank you for your cooperation." Isabelle replies before swinging the door open. "Hank, Captain — we have an address!"
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They all arrive at the address as it gets dark and Isabelle, Nick, and Hank sneak up towards a white van. Taking out and turning on her flashlight Isabelle surveys the van — but no one was inside. Hearing a crackling noise as he takes a step Nick looks down to find that he had stepped on a puka shell — and that there was a trail of them leading towards a boarded up farmhouse.
"Smart kids." Isabelle comments before speaking into her walkie. "Captain, we have a trail leading to the house. Me, Burkhardt, and Griffin are following the track now."
Isabelle, Nick, Hank slowly move towards the house before peering through one of the open windows — where they find Doctor Levine, among others, with a group of unconscious boys and girls. But before they can make a move gunshots shoot from across the yard.
"So much for the surprise." Nick remarks and Hank kicks open the door.
Racing inside Isabelle ducks behind a table as bullets fly at her, quickly shooting down two shooters as Nick and Hank shoot down three more guys.
"Where the hell did Levine and Tom go?" Isabelle questions scanning the room.
"I got this. You two get them." Hank tells them.
"I'll go left, you go right." Nick instructs before separating from her.
Heading back out the door Isabelle holds her gun tight, ready to fire. Walking around to the back side she finds a line of fiery pits.
"Oh my god." Isabelle breathes and suddenly Levine drops down from the trees, the doctor's face woged into her Geier face. "Shit."
Pushing Levine off Isabelle looks around for her gun, which had been thrown across the yard. Standing up to her feet Isabelle goes to get it but then Levine grabs her before scratching her arm and shoving her onto her back — just centimeters away from one of the fiery pits. Jumping on top of her Levine wraps her claws around her neck, pushing Isabelle towards the fire. Lunging at them Nick pushes Levine off and hovers over Isabelle to keep Levine from grabbing his cousin as she falls back into the fire.
"Iz, are you okay?" Nick inquires helping Isabelle up to her feet.
"Yeah. I'm fine." Isabelle assures him. "What about everyone else? Are they.."
"Yeah, they're okay. Captain has everyone inside." Nick informs her. "We're starting the wrap up now."
"Good." Isabelle smiles. "Because, I don't know about you, but this case was really starting to depress my soul."
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A/N : I know it's been a long time since I last updated, but this chapter is almost three thousand words — so hopefully that makes up for it. Next chapter will be up much sooner. Thanks for all the love. Xoxo, Ashley 💖