Chapter 14

8 September 2013 12:00pm

Sherlock, Jim and Dimmock walk through Trafalgar Square, pushing past any pedestrian getting in their way. Sherlock strides just in front of the other two. Jim smirks as he follows his arch-nemesis turned ally. Dimmock walks just behind trying to keep both of the others in his sights at the same time. Watching Jim out of the corner of his eye he nearly walks into a lamppost. Jim smirks. 'You might want to actually look where you're going Inspector.'

'Shut up Jim. Do as he says Dimmock.' Sherlock states not turning round.

'Whatever.' Dimmock mutters. He speaks up. 'Where are we going?'

'Jimmy's archive palace.'

'Palace?' Jim scowls

'Yeah, what about it?' Jim's tone is defensive. Sherlock smirks and stops outside a nondescript building.

'How do you know about this place?'

'It's only my sub-library.'

'It's what I need.' Sherlock kneels and picks the lock with too much ease for Jim's liking. The door swings open and Sherlock leads the others in. Jim pushes in front of Sherlock.

'Which room?'

'Your personnel.'

'This way.' Jim growls. He walks off down the corridors navigating them with ease. Dimmock catches Sherlock by the sleeve stopping him. Sherlock looks down at his arm. Jim disappears around a corner. Dimmock lets go.

'Why you pick the lock?'

'Why shouldn't I?'

'You have just let Jim open it.'

'Boring.' Jim reappears around the corner.

'Are you coming or not?' Sherlock strides down the corridor leaving Dimmock behind. The police officer looks after the detective before walking after him. Jim leads the trio on the quickest route from the door they entered to the where Jim keeps all his personnel files of the insignificant lackeys he barely knows the names for. Jim stops outside the door. He places his hand on the handle. He turns to face Sherlock. 'I don't actually know the system of filing in the room. I couldn't really care less about

'Who handles it then?' Dimmock asks incredulously over Sherlock's snort of derision.

'Sebastian Moran, his second in command, and yes I do know it was you who sprang him.'

'Colonel Sebastian Moran, first class, 279643, retired April 2005.' A voice says from behind the three of them. Dimmock spins.

'Yes, thank you, Sebastian.' Jim speaks not turning round. Noticing that Sherlock wasn't surprised.

'Surprised that I'm not are we Jimmy?' Sherlock smiles with uncharacteristic sweetness. Jim refuses to answer. Sherlock turns his head to look at Moran. 'I would have thought a trained sniper would be able to move on his home territory with the slightest hint of sound. I heard you the moment we stepped in the door.'

'Would you please turn off the alarm before the gas starts to blow Sebastian?' Moran hesitates. 'That would be now. These two won't hurt me. They need me.' Sherlock mutters something unintelligible under his breath. 'And yes, Lockie dear, you do need me.'

'And while you're at it Moran, turn off the phone cancelling signal. Jim just open the damn door.' Jim opens the door. Sherlock pushes past him and scans the relatively large room. 'Neat, military neat, not as tidy as John's room though.' Moran stays on the other side of the threshold. Jim scowls.

'Sebby dear, you have three minutes, twenty four seconds to get over to the alarm box and TURN THE DAMN THING OFF!' Sebastian bolts down the corridor.

'Classy.' Sherlock remarks sarcastically. 'Wouldn't have worked on John though.'

'Why not.'

'He'd say, do it yourself or don't be so lazy.'

'Who are we looking for?'

'The files have pictures?'

'Of course.' Sherlock pickpockets Jim with ease taking the consulting criminal's phone. He hacks into the computer in the middle of the room and connects the phone to the computer.

'Jimmy darling, would you turn the projector on please?' Jim scowls but grabs a remote to power up the projector hanging from the ceiling. 'We are looking for either of these two.' Two images from Jim's phone lie side by side on the projector screen. Each one is a shot from a CCTV camera. 'Jim you take that side. Dimmock, that one. I'll take the far end.'

'And the cabinets on the door wall?'

'Moran can, when he comes back.'

An hour later, both Sherlock and Jim have finished two of their allotted filing cabinets while Dimmock is on the last drawer of his first. Moran steps back into the room. He smirks at Jim going through the dusty paperwork, but quickly wipes it from his face when Jim glances over. 'Help us.' Jim says simply nodding at the cabinets on the wall on each side of the wall. Moran looks at the projections before striding over to the fourth cabinet on Jim's wall. He opens the second drawer, digs through the files stuffed in, pulls one out and lays it on top before closing the drawer. He strides across the room to the cabinet Dimmock has just started going through the top drawer and removing one from near the back. He lays that on top of the cabinet.

'Looking for those two.' Dimmock and Jim grab the respective files and flick through them.

'Four people were involved.' Sherlock states plainly, clearly issuing a challenge. Moran and Sherlock lock gazes. Sebastian strides over to the cabinet which would have been the last for Sherlock to look through picks out a file from the bottom drawer and places it on top. Before darting over to the cabinet right next to the open door and retrieving a file from the second drawer. From the top of the final cabinet he takes a couple of small bulldog clips and secures the file so nothing can fall out. He frisbees it to the table with the computer. Moran smirks at Sherlock, who ignores him and collects all four files. 'Dimmock,' he mutters, 'how would you like to visit The House of Power?'

'The house of power?' Dimmock queries not quite saying it the way Sherlock does.

'He means parliament.' Jim retorts. Sherlock looks up from the files.

'Actually I don't.'

'Westminster?'

'No.'

'Buckingham Palace?'

'No.'

'Downing Street?'

'No.'

'Tower of London?'

'No. Give up Jim?'

'Never.'

'Go on Holmes, where?' Moran intercedes.

'Bexley.'

'Bexley?'

'Bexley.'

'Why Bexley?' Sherlock snaps the files shut.

'You'll see. You don't mind if I borrow these do you?'