"Arden, do not come any closer to that man." Sherlock's voice warned over the phone evenly. Arden's hazel eyes were wide, lips parted, heart hammering so hard she was almost afraid she would have a heart attack and she was frozen in place in her spot in the middle of the local museum at night. Staring at the crying man crumpled on the floor, with a detonating bomb strapped to his chest, and hers.
20 seconds..
If you're wondering how Arden got into this...jam, it all started out with just another stroll in the sunny, busy london day with Sherlock. Her arms were full of white plastic bags of...things for Sherlock, Of course. All she saw were wire cutters and that's all she needed to know. Arden winced at the weight of the bags while her friend walked cooly next to her, eyes scanning at the people, places, pets, mostly anything that he could see and be perceptive about than he usually was.
"You know you could help me!" Arden said, glaring daggers at the detective while he kept his gaze forward.
"You've been carrying things and delivering them for us and to us for two reasons," Sherlock said knowingly glancing behind him at the struggling girl who still glared at him it almost made him smirk.
"John thinks you're useful since your father is his friend and a brilliant award-winning scientist. Therefore smart father, smart daughter. And because you can keep up with everything that happens in the dull city which is the number one reason why you live with us and why we need you."
Arden shrugged, there was no use in arguing with Sherlock.
"What's with the random ass back story, huh? I could come up with a back story for you." Arden smiled sweetly as Sherlock furrowed his eyebrows.
"I'd like to see you try."'
Arden hoisted the bag up to her shoulder and caught-up with her fast-walking friend, panting and moving her dark-side bangs out of her russet eye-shadowed eyes.
"If I lose an arm I'm suing." Arden groaned.
Sherlock looked at her from the corner of his eye and chuckled, he would never in a million years admit it, but it was free-ing and relaxing spending the afternoon with Arden. It matched whenever he spent the day with John. She always had something new to say that would most likely put her in a mental hospital, but it was refreshing. Meanwhile she thought Sherlock was an asshole and a selfish jerk that she wanted to beat him with a frying pan and push him down the stairs, but she had her moments where he was actually genuine and nice.
Suddenly the sound of Arden's ringtone 'happy happy unicorns' started playing that it made her face turn red and earn a strange look from Sherlock, he started having second-hand embarrassment for the girl. She sighed and shoved the bags at him who looked down at the bags like he's never seen them before. Arden retrieved her cell phone before her embarrassment would kill her and pressed 'answer'.
"Hello? Really? The guy that always picks his nose? oh my go-no way! of course I'll be there!...Okay, see you soon." Arden clicked off her phone and shoved it back into her back pocket of her acid-wash jeans excitedly.
"Emergency? Let me guess, it's about a boy whose soooo cute." Sherlock did an impression of a girl who looked like her mouth was on fire and that earned an annoyed look from Arden.
"Shut up, Sherlock. Anyway I really gotta go, but I'll meet up with you and John later tonight. Maybe we could go eat pizza or...something, cheerio!" Arden wiggled her fingers and darted the other way and rounded the corner. Sherlock raised his eyebrow and shook his head, hoisting the bag up so he could get a better grip and started off to the flat.
10:39, Local museum in the heart of London.
"Lucy? Hello? I'm here!" Arden called as she entered the empty museum, the only sound being heard was the sound of her blue converse against the polished wooden floor. She looked around at the dimly lit place, artifacts being the only thing brightly lit. Arden instantly felt something terribly wrong.
"Glad you could join us, Arden."
Arden heard the voice behind her and whipped around only to have a hard object hit against her skull, making her yelp and knocking her out cold.
"You let her go?! Are you really that much of a bloody idiot?! No wait, don't answer that.." John sighed closing his eyes pacing quickly, both hands on his head in frustration while Sherlock typed away on his computer, occasionally looking up at his friend.
"Sherlock, you just can't let a 17-year-old girl wander around London at night. There's creeps and murders and rapist out there!"
Sherlock felt his heart ache at the thought of Arden being the victim of any of those things. He would kill if anyone laid a finger of his friend. Or friends. He ceased his fingers of typing and took a deep breath finally turning his full attention to John.
"I trust her, John. She know what she's doing out there. She's not a little girl anymore, you and I both know that."
"I do know that, but her father left me in charge of taking care of her. Both of us, in charge. I swear Sherlock if anything happens to her.."
John trailed off warningly, making his way over to the detective, his gaze icy. Sherlock opened his mouth to argue with his friend when his phone went off. He sighed and glanced at it to see it was from Arden, he quickly unlocked it and pressed answer, his stomach turning in knots when he heard the sound of her crying.
"Sher..Sherlock.." Arden sobbed, but he could still understand her clearly. John's expression was on alert, he could hear her as well.
"I-If you wanna find me...y-you're gonna have to hurry before...t-the fireworks s-show.." Arden sobbed harder at the last sentence that it made Sherlock grip the phone tightly. A bombing riddle. He kept quiet though, if he asked where she was there's no telling what the person behind this would do if she answered.
"I'll find you. I swear it." And with that he hung up and got up in a flash, grabbing his trench coat while John looked down at the phone then at Sherlock, anger bubbling up inside him.
"Sherlock, where is she."
Sherlock shook his head pulling on his gloves furiously.
"No time to explain, come quickly."
70 seconds...
Arden hung up the phone slowly, her hazel eyes glassy and defeated staring off into space, ignoring the man with the same bomb strapped to his chest crumpled on the floor while Lucy smiled sweetly and took the phone from her hand.
"Well, Mr Holmes seems to care a great deal about you, no romance I'm assuming? Or just late night hook-ups? No strings attached?"
Arden curled her fists into a ball, desperately wanting to punch her in the face and strap this bomb to her chest and leave her for dead.
"Bet that's an experience, it's too bad I won't allow you to talk. I would love what you have to say." Lucy taunted looking at the phone amused while Arden moved her glossy eyes to Lucy, a tear escaping down her cheek at the gesture. Lucy looked back and put both hands on her hips.
"Well that's not a pretty face...Actrually, it is. It's too pretty.." Lucy said, her expression darkening then she walked slowly around the 17-year-old, her heels clicking.
"It might seem petty to you, but I've always been jealous of you, Arden. Not because you're the smartest girl in school, or the most...beautiful," Lucy cleared her throat at the last part. "But then, I'd be lying. It's because of all those things. You're different. Different in a way I will never understand and you, have no idea how much that irritates me."
Arden swallowed hard, glancing down at the detonating red numbers that assured her soon death. It was hard to concentrate with that shit in mind.
"Meanwhile. Nothing I did pleased anyone, my parents would always say how much of a fucking delight you were. But you're a freak who lives with a high-functioning sociopath and a man who's attracted to danger without even acknowledging it."
Lucy took a slow deep breath, closing her ocean eyes. Then she opened them to bore into Arden hazel ones.
50 seconds..
"You know, red's a good color on you."
Arden felt like she wanted to puke.
50...49...48...47...46...45..44..43...42..41..
"Well those numbers went quickly." Lucy laughed turning her back, pretending to inspect the artifact.
"In fact, I'm going to let you talk. So go on."
Arden opened her mouth, trying to get her voice steady, but feeling like a huge pill was in her throat.
"So you did all of this...because I'm smart and attractive? I always know you weren't the brightest crayon in the box but.."
Lucy's sinister smile faltered and Arden cursed herself. Just then Arden's phone went off that read 'Sherlock.'
20 seconds..
More tears pooled in Arden's eyes as her breathing got heavier with panic. She shakily took the phone from Lucy's grasp and pressed answer, her eyes dropping to the still crying man crumpled on the floor, her eye's wide, lips parted, her heart hammering in her chest.
"Arden, do not come any closer to that man," She heard Sherlock's voice warn evenly, in the background she heard John cursing Sherlock out in the distance.
"O-Okay...please-"
"Ah Ah Ah, no begging." Lucy interrupted, grabbing the phone and tossing it against the wall where it shattered into pieces. Arden clenched her jaw.
16 seconds..
Suddenly, just as Lucy was about to walk out to the back door, located in a back room on the far end of the museum, a bullet entered her skull.
Arden screamed but covered her mouth as Lucy fell dead instantly, blood splattered on the wooden floor.
The man screamed too and Arden finally found her voice.
"Sherlock help me! get this off me!"
12 seconds..
Just then Sherlock and John busted through the window on two motorcycles and Arden covered her face at the flying glass. Sherlock quickly jumped off and kneeled in front of Arden, his fingers hovering over the bomb trying to decipher how to disarm it.
10 seconds..
"Sherlock hurry!"
John's voice shouted, his eyes large and afraid looking at Arden who mirrored his face.
"Shut up, John!" Sherlock replied back as he pulled apart small seat-belt looking locks and wires, his usual fluffy curly hair askew, breathing heavily, his hand started to shake.
9 seconds..
Arden noticed and knew he wouldn't get this thing off if he was panicked. Arden put both of her hands on his cheeks and his blue-green cat-like eyes found hers as she spoke softly, but firmly with a tear escaping down her cheek.
"Sherlock, take a deep breath and calm down...you can do this."
Sherlock nodded furiously and his attention turned back to the device. He took a deep, slow breath and with-now steady hands he head a loud click. the bomb fell off and hit the floor with a clunk.
"Come on!" John yelled waving them over quickly.
6 seconds..
Sherlock took Arden's arm and the two ran to Sherlock's motorcycle. He helped Arden on and got on as well. John revved his motorcycle and drove out of the museum, trusting that Sherlock and Arden would follow.
3 seconds..
"Put your arms around me." Arden complied wrapping her arms tightly around his waist while Sherlock revved his motorcycle. And Arden caught the sight of the man who still had the bomb strapped to him. He slowly smiled sadly and mouthed 'go'. She shrieked as they busted through the window and out of the museum and into the night street after following Johns motorcycle just as..
BOOM.
The loud explosion caused Arden to jump, her arms tightening and her hair whipping wildly behind her. She instantly felt bad for the man who couldn't get free, she was almost starting to get the symptom where you almost feel guilty for being alive. But in a way she was grateful as well, She would make a mental note to attend his funeral. She slowly lifted her head to look at her friend in full concentration on the road.
"Thank you, Sherlock.."
Glad to see you guys are liking this so far!