The next morning Mary was getting more nervous by the hour. The pictures should've arrived the day before and time was running out. They only had one day left. She kept putting off having to call him. She had a bad feeling. What if Moran had found out? She didn't tell Sherlock this though. He, in the meantime, was getting impatient.
'For the final time, call him and ask him about the pictures! If we have them now I can look them over, get things ready and we can take care of things tonight. We don't have much time.'
She hesitatingly took out her phone and dialed Reggie's number. He took her call almost immediately.
'Hi you! What's up?"
Well he sounded very cheery. So hopefully nothing happened. "Hi Reg! I just called to ask about those photos."
"Yeah sorry about that AGRA. I can't seem to be able to send those pics to your phone. I don't know what's wrong. And I can't load them on my computer either. I could just email them to you then. I was going to ask someone to help me…"
"NO! I mean, you aren't supposed to show them to anyone." She was really starting to panic right now. How would they get the photos now? She could feel Sherlock burning a hole in her back with his eyes.
"You know what? I'll just put them on a USB stick and bring it over to you! How's that?"
USB stick? That could work. "Yeah put it on a stick! And you don't have to go through all that trouble! I'll come get it myself."
He hesitated for a bit before saying: "It would be no trouble at all! Really!"
"No I'll come get it myself. It's the most I could do. I'm coming right away. How about I meet you at that new café that just opened up a block from my apartment?"
"Why can't we meet at your apartment?", he asked.
"I'm…heading.. that way right now! How about I meet you there in half an hour? I have to make a stop first." There was that guilt again. Seriously! She killed people for a living, but felt guilty when lying to someone!
"Okay I'll meet you there. See you in a bit."
She ended the call and turned to Sherlock. "I'm going to have to go get the pictures myself."
"That's what I gathered", Sherlock said drily. "What went wrong?"
After explaining everything to Sherlock, he said: "I imagine that there isn't any other way to get them. And I won't be able to go with you."
"No there isn't and no you can't. Don't worry. I'll be back before you know it." And with that she went to her room to change.
When she came back out Sherlock asked: "Are you sure about this?"
"Yeah don't worry! Reggie is someone who, you could say, I trust. There aren't many people I trust."
"Is there anyone outside of Moran's circle you trust?" Sherlock asked. "Why am I even asking her this?", He thought right after.
She thought about that for a moment. "Well now that you mention it. There is someone I met not that long ago who I do trust. It's risky, since I haven't known him for long, but it just feels right."
Grinning slightly he asked: "Anyone I might be familiar with?"
Before she closed the door to leave she said: "I'm sure you'll figure it out."
"What?", he thought.
Turning around, Sherlock saw that she'd left the phone on the table.
Even though she told Sherlock not to worry, Mary still had a bad feeling about the whole thing. She would wait until she saw Reggie go into the café and then she'd go in herself. She didn't have to wait long for him to show up. After he went in she waited 5 minutes before going in.
She saw him sitting at a table in the back and went towards his table. She greeted him and sat down at his table. And that was the last thing she remembered before everything went black.
Not long after that Sherlock heard the phone go off and went to pick it up. It was a message from a number he never saw before.
There's someone here who would like to see you. You know where to find her. SM
With it there was an attachment and he opened it up. It was a picture of Mary tied to a chair and she was unconscious.
He immediately called Mycroft. "Mycroft, Moran has Mary and I need your help. We have to go get her out."
"And how do you know this isn't some trap, Sherlock? I'm not walking into the lion's den knowing that they're waiting for us. Let's just try to get you away and we'll think of something else."
"I'm not leaving Mycroft. I know this isn't an act and I'm going to get her out of there. She betrayed him Mycroft. He's going to kill her. I have to do something."
"You can't just go there completely unarmed! Don't be foolish Sherlock!" Mycroft said.
"Well you're just going to have to help me then."
And with that Sherlock grabbed his jacket and left.
