John, Sherlock and Lestrade froze in their places to listen to the footsteps coming up the stairs. When the man came to door, Sherlock pulled them into the shadows. The only light in the room was coming out of the small window but it was not nearly enough to light the whole room and the men could just barely see one another. The door opened and a small figure stepped inside.
Moran had lost a lot of weight since military, John noted. Though, he could've just remember him bigger. The person who dropped his bag was also shorter than he remembered. The silhouette crouched and opened his bag. John breathed as silently as he could. Sebastian started to compile his gun, piece by piece and John realized how great the sports bag disguise was. Moran dropped the silencer once, put it back on and loaded it.
An air gun. How clever.
He landed the barrel on the open window and was ready to aim. Simultaneously Sherlock took his gun from his pocket and gestured Lestrade to do the same. Sherlock stood up.
Just as Sebastian was ready to fire, Sherlock took the safety off with a loud click that drew Sebastian's attention.
And at that very second John realized what was off.
"Sherlock, don't!" he yelled and knocked Sherlock over. "Lestrade, switch on the lights!" Lestrade found the light switch and now everyone saw what John had seen a second ago.
The person who had been behind the gun and who was now standing in Lestrade's grip for trying to run away was not Colonel Sebastian Moran.
She was a 16-year-old girl.
"Well, this just got interesting." Sherlock said, getting up and pointing the gun at her. "Now, you're coming with us."
John and Lestrade followed Sherlock's lead and guided the now trembling girl inside 221B. It seemed weird, as if she wasn't afraid of the guns in our hands but something or someone outside the situation. Sherlock seated the girl to John's old armchair and went to the window. Now they could all see the 'bait' Sherlock had been using as a body double.
John had presumed that it was a doll of some kind but when his face was visible it was revealed to be an actual human being. Dead, but a human still. Dark curls, slim figure and cheekbones that looked like they could cut flesh, the man could be easily assumed as Sherlock, especially from that far. His body was in good shape and the only thing that was telling that he wasn't just passed out was the three bullet holes in his forehead.
"Who is he?" John asked.
"His name is Matthews, he's a part of the reason of why I had to jump from the St. Bart's rooftop. He was one of the three gunmen Moriarty had hired to kill you two and Mrs. Hudson if I wouldn't jump." Sherlock answered while he casually pushed the body off his chair to the floor and pulled his chair back to its place. He pointed the gun back to the girl.
"A 16-year-old girl tries to shoot a detective who has been informed dead three years ago. The girl also just happens to know how to use a gun and just happens to appear on the place where a professional assassin should be standing. I highly suspect that was just a funny coincide." Sherlock said glaring at the girl. There was not a single sign of mercy or understanding in his voice. He saw there someone who had just tried to kill him, not a scared little girl like John and Lestrade. John didn't know what to think about it.
The girl didn't answer and her trembling was getting worse. John felt his doctor's instincts kicking in.
"Sherlock, she might be going to shock."
"Does it matter?"
John stared at him. "She's sixteen! She's a bloody child!"
"You can leave us if you want to. At the moment, she is our best lead to Moran and I need everything she knows, no matter what." Sherlock said coldly. John quickly glanced the dead man on the floor and it the occurred to him that Sherlock had probably treated him the same way for same reasons.
"You are going to kill her."
"If she doesn't soon become co-operative or otherwise useful, yes."
"I'll answer your questions." a fragile voice said. All three turned to watch at the girl who had finally began to speak. Sherlock grinned like a bloody Cheshire cat.
"Why were you there?" Sherlock asked without a single hesitation.
"I came to kill you. For the sake of James Moriarty." she answered with odd pride in her voice. Did Moriarty have children to kill for him?
"I know what you did. I want to know why. Why you took Moran's place?"
"He doesn't know I was there. Well, didn't."
"Why?" asked Lestrade, who had been quiet for the entire time.
"I didn't want him to come." the girl said surprisingly cocky. She was still trembling but she managed to keep his voice steady. Sherlock clicked the safety off. "He's too important to m-!" she cut off her own speech and looked like she had said too much. And so did Sherlock.
"Aahaha! Yes! Brilliant! This is good!" he jumped form the armchair dropping the loaded gun to John. He run to the bookshelf and took a thick folder out. He took the gun back and dropped the folder to John's lap. It was labelled 'S. Moran'.
"Open the section 'private life' and find the name Tara Gissel. It was Gissel, wasn't it" he asked the girl who simply nodded looking defeated.
"Tara Gissel, deceased in 2005, used to date with Colonel Moran before the revealing of his work with terrorists. Had one daughter (born in 1998, named Alexandra Gissel) who was never found after the death of her mother. Unimportant." John read out.
"2005." Sherlock repeated. "Is that when they took you? You were just seven years old, they had enough time to train you suitable for their needs." Both John's and Lestrade's eye widened.
"You think that...?" Lestrade asked.
"I am very much sure. Would you like to tell them your real name?" Sherlock asked with the mockery of the voice used to talking to children. The girl sighed and looked like she was holding back tears.
"My name, the name I've been using since I was seven, is not Alexandra Gissel. It's Alexandra Moran-Moriarty. I am the adopted daughter of Sebastian Moran and James Moriarty."
For the past days, I've been a quick updater because I've had a lot of spare time. Unfortunately I have a lot of scheduled to the few weeks ahead. Might take long before the next chapter :( Don't hang me.
Please, review. I love getting feedback, it makes me feel noted.
Thank you for reading!
