They all turned to the Baron, who stood motionless looking back at them. After a few rings the sound stopped.
Then Irene's phone began to ring inside her purse. "Mind if I take that?" She asked a little annoyed walking to the couch to get it.
"Put it on speaker." Sherlock said.
She giggled as if he had said something funny and answered the call without putting it on speaker.
"Who's overreacting now?" she asked to the phone.
"Did I get on your good graces?" Moriaty's voice was playful on the other side.
"Will that make you stop?"
"Hmmmmm…. Not really. In fact, I would be a little disappointed if it was that easy. I like watching you trying to escape me. It's adorable how you think you have any chance."
"What if I changed the game a little, would you like that?" She looked at Sherlock and smiled. "After all, you also didn't kill you second favorite play thing."
There was a pause and she heard him sigh.
"Oh I know all about you and Sherlock. Who do you think e-mailed the Baron John's blog? I got to say I'm surprised. I didn't think any woman could make him have a hard on. But then again, you're not any woman, are you? Tell me, is he better than me?"
"I can tell you he can also make me scream and he doesn't even have to use his teeth for that." She said, winking to Sherlock with a smile and seeing his expression hardening.
"No teeth? What's the fun in that?" He asked, enjoying himself a little too much, for her taste.
Sherlock got impatient and tried not to give in to the thought that what was bothering him the most was the way she was talking to Moriarty. The intimacy in her tone just gave his imagination even more fuel and he felt another sting on the back of his neck that he chose to ignore. "Give me the phone." He ordered.
Irene moved and prevented him from taking it. "I can handle this, Sherlock." She said.
"Can you? Why were you running away then?" He asked accusingly.
"That was my way of handling it and you blew it. Now I have to think of something else, don't I?" Then she turned to the phone again. "I will give him everything I know about you and then we could turn this game around. Think you won't have time to worry about me with him breathing down your neck."
The laugh on the other side of the phone was really loud and even John could hear it. "You think you know anything that could threaten me?"
"Oh and you think you know everything I know. I have some tricks up my sleeve, hon. Things that not even you know about. So, you better back up if you don't want to figure out you're not as almighty as you think."
"All right, love, I call your bluff. Tell Sherlock everything you want. Let's see if he catches me before I catch you." He said and hung up the phone.
She sighed, worried. "Well, that didn't work as well as I thought." She said to Sherlock. "I guess he really doesn't believe you can catch him."
Sherlock grabbed her arm and made her look to him. "What do you know about him?" He demanded.
She smiled. "You need to back up too if you want me to tell you anything."
He went crazy with her answer and grabbed her by the neck. "Tell me what do you know. Now." He screamed pressing her neck hard and seeing the color on her face change.
She debated herself trying to get free from his grip, but he was too strong.
John ran to him and tried to make him stop. "Sherlock, stop. You're choking her."
Sherlock looked intensely into her eyes and let go, letting her fall to the ground coughing and grasping for air. He turned around and placed his hands on his face, sighing deeply and regaining the control over himself.
While that was happening, the Baron had taken advantage of they're distraction and crawled back to the door of another room, trying to conceal himself inside. When he heard the footsteps outside he decided to risk it. "HELP. HELP." He screamed to the noise outside.
The footsteps became closer and faster and there was a knock on the door and a calling from another one of the Baron's security.
John looked at Sherlock and Irene. "What do we do now?"
"There's a back door." Sherlock said and ran to the adjoining room. Irene and John followed. They exit through the side corridor the same time the entrance door was kicked opened by the security guards.
John shot their way and ran with after Sherlock and Irene down the service stairs. They were chased down to the street but were able lost the guards after some time.
