Absolution

by portmanelena

"Shocking isn't it" smiled the old man "Who'd want to hurt you?" When four murders draw Sherlock and John into a bitter game of revenge, their determination to solve the puzzle reveals a plot so dangerous it threatens the very foundation of their lives. But when all is said and done, how does one cope with the knowledge that their world will never be the same again?

11. Exposed

General Rykov sat at his desk in the hotel room, back straight, his face emotionless and blank as he watched Sherlock and John break into his office.

What Sherlock and John had not known was that Josef's information was wrong. The office may have looked minimal security from the outside, but that was all part of the cover. Barbed wire fences, watchdogs and advanced security technology would have drawn unwanted attention, but OASIS would hardly leave the office of one of their highest in command open to just anyone. As soon as John and Sherlock opened the door a message went straight to their security headquarters and a live stream opened to Rykov immediately- waiting for instructions. The old fashioned looking cameras in the hallways were actually the most advanced software one could get their hands on-illegally of course, such equipment was not available to the general public. It had scanned both the mens faces and was searching international databases in a matter of seconds while movement sensors and thermal imaging cameras provided constant data on their movements in the building. on the intruders.

Rykov had watched as one man attempted to hack into his computer, and as Franco was killed (he could have intervened and saved his mercenary but once OASIS put their plan into action his usefulness would expire anyway ad he would become just a loose end.)

Rykov sat with his hand hovering over a small button on the edge of his custom laptop, one press and the men would be killed and it would all be over. Rykov would have preferred it that way, he did hate loose ends and these men were proving to be rather annoying.

Rykov knew they had been asking questions around the city, but he also knew they weren't agents because he had men in every secret service in Europe. These men were different, clearly someone had sent them, he had been watching them the moment they had stepped of the plane from London. His surveillance at the airport was top notch, but then again it was everywhere, Crawford ran a tight ship and Rykov appreciated that. He liked precision.

So he let the two intruders escape with the limited information they had gained, he would see who they reported to, who they were working for, what else they knew and then he would decide if they were a threat or not.

It would be dangerous to kill them without being sure they hadn't jeopardised OASIS's plans, Crawford would not be pleased.

Rykov moved his hand off the button, no he wouldn't push it, the men would live, for now.