Chapter 4

A look around the corridor told Sally, that there was nothing near her which could be of any use. She remembered that there were some iron rods in the equipment that Sherlock had put up yesterday, just down the corridor, but there wasn't a chance that she could get one. The equipment was in sight of the man at the front door and if she dared she would have to get the tarp off it which a) would take too long and b) would be way too loud. She would be shot on sight. And probably alert Josefson as well, who then already would have had plenty time to shoot Sherlock.

Forcing herself to breath calmly, she got closer to the still open door and peeked into the room. Sherlock was slowly backing away while Josefson had turned sidewards now, trying to get Sherlock into the corner where Sally had been secured to the radiator. It was kind of ironic that he was supposed to end up there as well, she thought.

"So you are going to shoot me?" Sherlock asked and Sally nearly gasped. Was the freak bonkers? No wait, she knew the answer to that already. He was just plain crazy, wasn't he?

Josefson just laughed though. "Oh no, that would be boring, wouldn't it? No, imagine what I could do with you. Imagine what will happen once the word got out that the great consulting detective is still alive? So many people would like to have some time with you! Why would I shoot you if I can make you beg for you death? Cause that's what you will be doing once everyone is through with you!"

Sherlock huffed and looked around the room for a second, probably seeing Sally as well, before he glared at Josefson again.

"Don't try anything though. I will shoot you. Although not fatally." Josefson promised and Sally nearly huffed in response.

Bollocks, she thought, while Sherlock was backed up in the corner now. Not if I can help it.

Knowing she had to do something now while Sherlock was still free, she signalled him to get down and hoped he would understand. Then without further thinking, she ran into the room, arms above her head and jumped Josefson. Sherlock of course had understood immediately. He had threw himself down, while Sally first put her cuffed hands over Josefson´s head and then pulled him backwards with the cuffs at his throat, choking him in the process. The criminal struggled and managed to get Sally in her ribs with his elbow once, but then he went down straight away as well, giving Sherlock time to hit his arm, so that his gun went flying. Only milliseconds later the consulting detective had gotten something which looked like an epipen out of his bag and injected him with it.

Josefson screamed, well actually more croaked in rage and Sally feared someone must have overheard, before suddenly all hell broke loose: There was a shout and then a shot which might have come from the front door, prompting the men in the breakfast room, who found they had been locked in.

More shouts and screams followed. Banging against the steel door. Shots from inside and outside and there seemed to be noise everywhere, while Sherlock and then Sally as well, held down Josefson until he stilled.

"Sedative?" She finally asked, but the consulting detective didn't answer her question. Instead he hissed at her.

"Why didn't you run like I told you to!"

What the hell was he playing at? "I was supposed to let you become his plaything? Do you really take me for..." Sally was angry now. What did he think she was?

"I had it under control."

Damn twat."Yeah of course. I saw that. " She was close to jumping him now, still full with adrenaline, and nervous from the noise of the front door being broken down.

Sherlock still looked somewhat pissed, but then he suddenly sighed and his face softened somewhat. "Well thank you, I guess. But don't do that again unless you have a death-wish."

Sally grumbled and was just about to say something as he intercepted again., getting up. "That's not what I meant. You were lucky, without that noise from outside he would have heard you before you would have been close enough to attack. So like I said: Thank you. But don't do that again."

Sally was baffled. He was concerned? Really? About her? She didn't get to think much further as there were more shouts from outside. Then shots. Banging. Something which sounded like someone throwing themselves against a door. Shots from the inside. Curses. A police siren.

The cavalry had really arrived. Thank god. Yet it was probably better to have an eye on the door. She picked up Josefson´s gun, just in case they would get visitors.

But it was only a matter of time now and they would be safe.

That prompted Sherlock to work faster though. He took the cuffs from the radiator and secured the unconscious Josefson with them before getting up and pulling away a cupboard at the opposite corner of the room. Sally got up at once and helped him as well as she could with her hands still cuffed. After pulling out the cupboard about 1 Meter, she saw what he was on about.

"There´s a shaft towards the sewer. You knew this." She exclaimed only somewhat surprised.

Sherlock nearly grinned. "Yes, my escape route. Of course I checked the building plans." He looked at her like he was asking her if she really had expected something else and Sally shook her head. Of course she hadn't.

"If you had checked them Sally, you would have known that this was a slaughterhouse once and this room was where they dumped the blood into the sewer. Perfect for slipping out really." To emphasize this he dumped the unconscious Josefson down the hole. A slight splashing noise could be heard and when Sally peeked through the hole, she could make out the body in a puddle of dirty, smelling water. She wrinkled her nose, not trying to think what kind of old blood, body parts and other stuff she was most likely was a loud bang from the corridor.

More shots. Police were in the hall now. A bang. The squeak of the steel door.

"Police! Everyone stand down!" Lestrade. Sally couldn't help but smile. Of course he would have been up front even when the commissioner and the other higher ups probably would have tried to prevent it. She was one of his team after all. She found herself getting closer to the door to take a look and was surprised when Sherlock was behind her.

Lestrade and a few more men were still standing in front of the now open steel door while the rest of the swat team went into the room, to take care of the eight men there.

Fighting noises could be heard from the room, but Sally knew the men were done for, especially since Sherlock had promised to make sure the guys didn't have lots of ammunition. She continued to hold the gun ready though, just in case

"It seems like they have everything under control. Make sure they got everyone." Sherlock told her and she turned around. It was clear he was ready to run off now and he already set to go as...

"Damn it John, you were supposed to stay back!"

Sally´s eyes went big as she heard this and she looked at Sherlock who now strained to take a peek into the corridor once again.

"You called for a medic, Greg. Also Sally said there were ten and you have two outside and eight in there, haven't you? So..." The rest was much quieter as John had walked up to Greg, obviously armed with med supplies, and they could only hear parts of it. But Sally didn't even try to hear every word that was said. Instead, she continued to watch her companion.

Sherlock looked like he had seen a ghost. But his face had told her so much more the second they had heard John´s voice.

"You love him." She only realised at the last word, that she had spoken out loud, but Sherlock didn't answer and turned away again. So Sally followed him.

"I thought he wasn't consulting anymore.." Sherlock stated and Sally shrugged. She hadn't seen John in months. She was surprised he was here as well. Hell, as far as she knew he didn't have contact with any of them.

Sherlock seemed torn, a bit agitated, but then walked towards the hole in the floor again and Sally made sure she caught up.

"I..." She stopped, biting her lip. "Watch out, will you? Cause I´ll miss your insults. I mean, you plan on coming back, right?" Sherlock´s eyebrows went up in surprise, before his lips formed a short smile, which lasted about a second or two before it went away again. He nodded though.

Sally smiled back and it was weird, thinking that this was goodbye again. She´d be the only one to know. To the others he was still dead.

And he looked so lost to her, even though he was playing all strong.

What made her do the next thing she would never know, but she lifted her arms and gently ruffled through Sherlock's hair, similar to how he´d done when they first met in this room.

To her surprise Sherlock didn't jump away, he looked at her for a few seconds, then nodded before he jumped down the hole. When she was sure he had landed safely, she tossed him the gun as it needed to vanish as well. Then Sally closed the hatch again and proceeded to push the cupboard onto it.

It took a small amount of time, but voilà: Nobody would have suspected that somebody fled from here.

And just in time as well, as the door flew open and Sally found herself face to face with two men of the swat team and a bit further behind, Lestrade.

#

It took about one hour until everything was processed and all the evidence was collected. Sally had identified all the men so that they were sure they got everyone. She didn't say anything about Sherlock and Josefson and she knew that the criminals knew better than to rat out their boss. Apparently Josefson liked to send back traitors to their families piece by piece and since they thought he was still free, they were clearly afraid. She had asked Sherlock how anyone would risk working for such a man and he said he´d guess it was because he paid extremely well.

Sally had just shook her head at that. She´d never understand this. But that was why she was a cop and not a criminal, wasn´t it?

So far she had successfully avoided John Watson, who was still helping with checking the refugees for injuries and sicknesses, and she vowed to let it stay that way. At least she now knew what the hell he was doing here. Apparently Lestrade had met up with John Watson yesterday evening, right after John´s shift in the local A&E, like they had been doing every now and then. When Anderson had called Greg, they still had been at the pub together and John had wanted to help. From what she had heard, none of the three had slept much as they had spent the night looking for Sally. She was a bit surprised about John spending the night seaching to be honest, but that didn`t change the fact that she couldn´t face him at the moment.

Therefore, she made sure he stayed busy.

What also became clear now was, that the whole ordeal was slowly catching up with her. She was afraid of breaking down and saying something she would regret in gernal, but especially when she faced John. She had promised Sherlock to not tell him or the others anything, and she wanted to keep this promise. That didnt mean, she couldn´t take a peek here and there though.

And so she peeked around the corner and watched as John treated the little boy who had been in the container with her. Transfixed, she didnt even notice Lestrade walking up to her again.

"You all right, Sally?" he asked and she nodded and fought the urge to roll her eyes. Hell, she had told him that four times already.

"Okay, but I´d still feel better if John would check up on you, just to be sure." he pleaded once again and Sally sighed. So far she had managed to postpone the check up, always pointing out refugees who needed to go first or evidence which needed to be collected. Sadly this wouldn´t work now.

"I´m all right, Sir. I´m not hurt anywhere, really. Just a few scratches."

And that wasn't even a lie. She was okay, really. Her wrists were a bit red and tender and she guessed she had gotten a nice blue souvenier when Josefson had elbowed her in the rips, but apart from that it was only a few minor bumps and scratches. She didn't even feel the one from Sherlock anymore.

The thing she was starting to notice was, that she was bone tired. Therefore, she couldn't help the yawn that escaped her after that sentence.

"Greg?" she turned to face him now and her boss smiled at her reassuringly. "If it's all right, I´d rather go home now and sleep. I feel like I will drop any minute now."

To her surprise, Greg nodded. "Okay. I´ll tell the others at the Yard that they´ll get your witness statement tomorrow. We are busy with the refugees anyway. Get some rest, Sally. I´m glad you are okay." he patted her shoulder carefully as if not to startle her, and she smiled back at him. He probably thought she was in shock or something, but she couldn´t care less. Right now she really just wanted to go home.

"Thanks. I will" She turned to go and Lestrade accompanied her outside.

"You know you were brave, don´t you?" He told her and Sally snorted.

"I´m a cop, Greg. Being brave is our job. Get some sleep as well, will you? And say hi to John from me."

And with that she got into a police car, which then drove off. Of course Greg had insisted that she shouldn't drive in her tired state and she had indulged him. At least he hadn't asked for the check up again.

Looking at London passing by her car window, Sally finally allowed herself to really breath again for the first time in days and remiscised.

#

Two weeks later, the Yard got the message that Jonah Josefson, the head of the whole human trafficker ring, had been caught by the MI6. According to the report they had found him in a hotel called „Merci Sali". Sally had snorted at that.

But the most improtant thing was that the freak had kept his word.

And Sally was glad that she had done the right thing.

Now the freak just needed to come back, she thought and grinned, still a bit surprised she was actually looking forward to that.

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Well Sally, be careful what you wish for ...or what do you guys think?