Bound By Blood

He wasn't expecting a scent from three months ago but criminals often returned to the scene of the crime, especially when they think they have gotten away with it, that's what he was hoping to find, a fresher scent.

He let Charlie take the lead, following behind and sniffing as they went, so far nothing out of the ordinary, rats for sure continue to roam around there.

The crime scene was untouched, even the blood still stained the floor. If it hadn't been abandoned this would have been cleaned up by now but since it wasn't in operation anymore, the scene remained, a look into the past.

The photographers had done a good job at getting everything, so Wulfric was looking more around the edges of the room for anything they might of missed so far nothing was standing out.

Something above them creaked
 
While Hoss prowled around the outer perimiter of the room, Charlie moved towards the center. The two lonely chairs were still there, not in their original positions, but a little way apart from the blood stains that marked where they had stood. She was about to ask Hoss if he thought the chairs looked new, when a sound made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up.

It was almost too quiet for her human ears to pick up, but in the otherwise silent warehouse it could have just as well been a gunshot. Was she getting paranoid and imagining things? A glance at her partner told her otherwise. Catching his eye, she flicked her own eyes upwards and then questioningly back at him. She wanted to ask if he knew what was on the upper floor of the building, but new better than to make such an obvious sound. Instead she took a few steps, so that she stood behind one of the pillars supporting the ceiling, out of sight of the only open door; the one they had come through.
 
Wulfric pulled out his gun and looked up towards the rafters, far as he knew, nobody should be here. He lifted his head slightly and sniffed again, frowning, not catching a scent from here. He glanced towards his partner. He was not losing another one. "Probably just the rats" he reasoned but he didn't put the gun away just yet, making his way over to her "There's nothing more for us to find here, let's go" If there was anyone else here they might here that and leave them be, if they chose not to leave them alone, he and Charlie would be pinned down here
 
Charlie nodded, still not quite daring to speak. She wasn't sure if she bought the rats reasoning. Not quite as quick to draw as Hoss, she nevertheless kept her hand near her weapon as they made their way back outside. As they passed it, she shot a long look up the shadowy staircase, but saw nothing.

Once back by the car, she resisted the urge to turn and scan the windows of the upper floor. If there was someone there, better they didnt notice her suspicion. Instead she settled into the car and waited until both doors were closed again before asking, "So what now?"
They could go question the victims neighbours or collegues again, find out about the previous investigators or any number of other things that seemed to her to lead to equally dead ends.
 
"Now... we find a spot to wait" he answered "There was someone in that building but I didn't want us pinned down" he explained "We make them think we've gone" he pulled out "In my experience criminals always return to the scene of the crime at some point, we may be in some luck" he said as he drove "Watch the rearview, make sure we don't miss them" he said, he'd scoped out a few potential spots along the rout, just in case of this exact thing.

It wasn't long before he pulled up to such a spot, out of view of the warehouse but they could see from there if anyone came or went. "binoculars under the seat" he prompted
 
Charlie slumped in her seat a little and suppressed a groan. How she hated stakeouts. It was tediously boring and even now she could feel the itch building inside her to move, to do anything other than sit quietly in an uncomfortable car seat and watch an abandoned building.
Still, she did as she was bid, knowing it was probably the right course of action right now, adjusting the rearview so that she could just make out the doorway in the reflection. Nothing happened as Hoss parked them a little way from the driveway.

Once they were situated and her partners eyes had zeroed onto their target, she fished in the file for several of the pictures and examined them more closely. Finally she held them out to Hoss, "Do these chairs look new to you?" she asked, following the train of thought that had started in the warehouse. "Those suffs and stains are from when the victims were bound to them, right?" She phrased it as a question, both because she was unsure if her idea was feasable, furniture didn't necessarily show wear that fast, and because she didn't know how Hoss would react when she didn't just act like an obedient sheep.
 
Wulfric paused in his watch when she spoke, taking the photos a moment to look it over "Sure, they could be new" he nodded a little in agreement "What are you thinking?" he asked, glancing briefly at her before looking back to the warehouse, he was listening, he just didn't want to miss any movement at the building. He didn't plan to stake it out too long, an hour at most, anyone hiding in there would leave before then after he had been so obvious about leaving
 
Charlies gaze followed Hoss' back to the building as she elaborated. "Just that they might be traceable. Theres not that many furniture stores in the area, unless the killer bought them online, then its all bust."
As much as she loved the possibilities of online shopping for herself, it was rather bothersome for investigations like this.
 
He nodded "worth a shot, we can run an image search later back at the office" he reasoned "good thinking" he added

"We should check up what's happened to the last four detectives that have worked the case too"
 
Charlie hummed in response, nodding slightly.

She fiddled with the sleeve of her jacket, trying to think of something else to say. Her ideas on the case were used up and just randomly asking him personal questions seemed a tad wierd. Still, sitting silently in a car staring at a building was grating on her nerves and her imagination was turning the stillness between them rather awkward.
 
He on the other hand didn't seem to mind the silence. Patiently waiting.

They waited for only twenty more minutes before it happened. A young man peaked out the door and looked around.

"Pays to be patient.." he studied him.theough the binoculars a moment before setting them aside "lets go arrest us a suspect" he put the car in gear "ever arrested someone in wolf territory?" Could get ugly. Packs were tight knit.
 
Charlie was about to announce any excuse whatsoever to get out of the car, her patience fully worn out, when Hoss leaning forward alerted her to something happening. She would have totally missed the nondescript youngster who had appeared out of the doorway, having not really been watching the building at all for the last 10 minutes.

At her partners comment, she had to suppress a snort. He sounded just like her mother.

His question made her frown. "Uh, no... not in wolf territory." Nor in any other for that matter, not that she was going to admit that.
 
"Wolves are protective of their own, don't show a bit of weakness, be ready for a fight" he said seriously, always a dangerous business arresting a wolf in their own territory. "He'll run" he added "Always do"

The kid didn't notice anything until he pulled in front of him on some street. The kid froze and stared as Wulfric got out, then bolted, Wulfric didn't hesitate to go after him, older and faster Wulfric had him in a couple of moments, already several other young men were coming out of nowhere. Wulfric was too busy with the arrest, counting on his partner to have his back

"Hey what are ya doing! You can't just arrest him!" one of the men was shouting, ignoring Charlie as no threat to them
 
The petulant child side of her wanted to mutter "I know that." but was eclipsed by the more serious work mode side of her that the sighting of the youngster had brought back to the surface. So she simply nodded and prepared to spring out of the car.

Hoss, with his longer legs and chasing instinct in his blood, was faster than she was and as it turned out faster than his quarry too. Before she had crossed half the distance to join them, more people started appearing in the previously deserted street. I looked as though the two detectives hand't been the only ones surveying the area. She lengthened her stride as much as she could without outright running and hurried to join her partner. He was still busy with the wannabe escapee, so she rounded on the wolves closing in around them.

"Back off!" Charlie barked, a growl worthy of a wolf ringing in the undercurrents of her voice as she flashed her badge around so everyone could see. "We just wan't to ask some questions. If the idiot runs, this is what he gets."
 
"Think flashing a badge means you can do whatever you want don't ya!" One of the boys shouted, though they stopper just feet away.

"Come on I ain't done nothin!" The kid begged as Wulfric cuffed him, he was only a kid, maybe then or eleven.

"Yeah well we'll see about that" Wulfric said as he dragged him. Back to his feet
 
Charlie was not in the mood to explain to these simpletons what exactly her badge did or did not permit her to do. It would be wasted breath anyway. As long as they stayed at an appropriate distance, she was fine with a bit of yapping. She doubted it would stay that way though.

"If you've done nothing, you'll have no trouble accompanying us. If its true, you'll be back home before you know it." Charlie tried to soothe her partners harsh words. His captive was just a kid, hardly more than the pups who played in her own neighbourhood.

She glanced towards the car, several yards away and blocked by several of the onlookers. They didn't seem inclined to let them simply walk to the car and drive away. Hoss still had the weakly struggling boy to contend with, so it was on her to get them through this. Her small stature and humanness were not effective tools for charging into a fight. Better to let them come to her. She had become quite the master at using her opponents size and momentum against them.

She took a step towards them and paused. When they didn't move, she said, "Let us pass please." Her tone was polite but still underlined in steel.
 
"Please?" One of them snorted "since when do beans say please" he sneered and spat at her feet

Wulfric lead the boy towards the car, the boy resigned to having to go, not as feisty as the other howlers that were protesting the arrest.

Ttraitor to your kind loner!" Another called put about Wulfric. Many werewolf officers were spat on by other howlers because to join the force often meant leaving their pack to join a new one, that was the force.
 
Charlies eyes narrowed. Her temper was rising, threatening to overwhelm her carefully trained restraint, not so much at the slight toward herself, but the one directed at Hoss. Wolves were invaluable to the force, not only because of their heightened senses. Having members of all races represented everywhere was important and people like this, who festered false ideas of 'them against us', made things unnecessarily hard for everyone.

Charlie kept pace with Hoss and the boy, ready to throw herself into the path of any who tried to stop them. She almost wished someone would try it. It would feel so good to let off some steam on the very people who had caused it for once and not on a punching bag in the gym.
 
Thankfully, for everyone really, they didn't step in as Hoss got the kid in the back "Get in" he said to Charlie, standing by the drivers side, not getting in until she did, making sure to have her back. Wulfric was calm and didn't show any sort of emotion towards the comment, he'd probably heard it all before, best not to let it get to him.

Whence Charlie was in the care he pulled out and headed back to the station, ignoring the other howlers still "You can have quite the intimidating presence there" he complimented with a slight smirk "Not bad for a bean"
 
Despite the slight dissapointment at the lack of confrontation, she was overall rather glad nothing had happened as she slid into the car at Hoss' direction. Jumping into a fight with an unknown partner against that many was just asking for trouble. Not that she didn't trust Hoss, but they certainly weren't a team after a few hours in each others company.

At his comment Charlie shrugged, ignoring the 'for a bean' jibe. It was what she was after all, no denying or changing it possible and had its uses too.
"I babysat alot when I was younger. Its the same principle."

She watched their little captive through the side mirror as they made the trip back to the station. He was looking sullenly out the window, posture hunched over and a thoroughly miserable air about him, quite the sorry sight. She really hoped he had been telling the truth earlier and hadn't done anything. He was far too young to be caught up in something like this case.
 
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