Sherlock cautiously made his way up the stairs with Rose right behind him. When they reached the third set he heard the door directly above them close. He glanced at her and could see the same idea in her mind. She nodded and they hurried to the door.
He held his gun ready as she opened the door. He aimed, glancing left and then right down the hall. A door at the end closed.
"He's here," Sherlock whispered before stepping into the hall.
She followed and they both held their guns ready as they made their way to the door. At that moment the sound of sirens reached them. He glanced at her and she grinned, giving him a shrug.
"Sent a text to Greg," she whispered.
He returned her grin as they stationed them themselves on each side of the door. He planned to kick the door in and hopefully take Morgan by surprise, but in the next moment the man burst through the door.
Morgan eyed them, but before either of them could aim their guns at him he grabbed Rose by the arm, shaking the gun out of her hand as he backed her down the hall. Sherlock was consumed by one instinct. Protect her at all cost. He aimed his gun at the man.
"Let her go," he demanded.
"So you can shoot me," Morgan laughed.
"If you don't let her go I will shoot you."
"You're a detective, not a sniper Mr. Holmes."
Morgan held Rose in front of him with his arm around her throat. Sherlock tried to get a shot, but he couldn't shoot the man without shooting her. Bloody hell! Morgan backed toward the door to the stairs and Sherlock knew once the man got her inside he'd lose both of them. He doubted Morgan would leave her alive once the man got away.
He pushed the panic aside as it threatened to overwhelm him. The thought of losing her, of her dying. It was enough to crack his rational mind, but he couldn't give in to his emotions. If he did he might very well make a mistake and that mistake would cost him a woman he only allowed himself to believe in the dark of night meant something to him. More than something.
Rose couldn't let Morgan get away. She made Mary a promise and she wasn't about to break it. She knew how dangerous her plan was, but she had to try.
"There's something you ought to know me," she said as the man held her in place.
"What's that sweetheart?" Morgan asked, almost whispering in her ear and making her shiver in revulsion.
At that moment Rose elbowed the man in the ribs while stomping on his foot. Then she twisted out of his grip.
"I've had my own military training," she replied with a smirk.
Sherlock took the opportunity she afforded him and fired, striking the man in the leg. At that moment the door to the stairs opened and a host of Scotland Yard's finest led by Inspector Lestrade entered the hall. Half of them trained their guns on Morgan and the other half on Sherlock.
"This is the one we want," Greg said, indicating Morgan.
Rose hurried over to Sherlock as he lowered his gun. To his surprise she threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. He sighed into her hair, pulling her close as the fear drained out of him. Fear that she could've died, that he could've lost her.
"You were brilliant," she exclaimed, making him smile as a warm feeling crept over him.
"You weren't bad yourself," he replied.
She pulled back and gazed into his eyes.
"I wasn't, was I? I was actually pretty good."
He grinned.
"Watch that ego of yours."
She laughed.
"You're one to talk, yeah?"
Greg watched the two after ordering his men to load Morgan into a patrol car. He smirked. He never thought he'd see the day when Sherlock looked at a woman the way he was looking at Mary's cousin. Not enough room in John and Mary's flat my arse.
He walked up to them, clearing his throat. Sherlock glanced at him in annoyance as Rose released the detective, stepping back. Greg smirked again.
"Shut up, Grant," Sherlock snapped.
"It's Greg," both he and Rose corrected, but she ended in a laugh. "So, he's the one then. The serial killer."
"Technically he was a government agent turned rogue and the killings were a means of revenge," Sherlock explained.
"A means of revenge against who?"
"Someone who used to work with him, but died."
"Wait. Died? He was seeking revenge against someone who was already dead?"
Sherlock constructed the lie seconds before he spoke. It had to be good. Had to keep suspicion away from Mary. No one, not even Lestrade could know who she used to be.
"Mary bears a striking resemblance to the agent he worked with and when he saw her I believe his mind snapped. Creating a false reality in which she was the agent," Sherlock explained.
"So he was targeting Mary?" the inspector asked in disbelief.
"And John."
Lestrade rubbed the back of his neck in concern.
"Good thing you found him."
Rose watched Sherlock construct the lie, but she knew what he was doing it. To protect Mary. The woman had been a different person once, but if there's one thing Rose believed it was that everyone deserved a second chance and Mary had changed. She had a family and the last thing Rose would do would be to take that away from her.
"I agree," Sherlock said.
"And…how did you find him?" Lestrade asked.
"Does it matter, inspector?"
"No…um…not really." Greg gazed at him a moment. "Probably better if I don't know."
"Probably."
"I'll need a report."
"I'll stop by in the morning," Sherlock said, but Lestrade hesitated. "I believe Rose has had enough excitement for one night. I'm sure she'd rather not spend the next two hours at the Yard."
Greg glanced at her.
"If you don't mind," she said with a grin that Lestrade returned.
"Yes. Right. I understand, but first thing tomorrow," Greg insisted, eyeing the detective.
"Shall we?" Sherlock asked, ignoring Lestrade as he offered Rose his arm.
She smiled.
"We shall," she replied, taking his arm.
Standard Disclaimer.
Thank you to all my brilliant readers!
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