A Dish Best Served Cold
Summery: Moriarty is out rule the world once again and he's had it with Sherlock Holmes's interference. He has a plan, but the detective's friends may pay the ultimate price.
DisclaimerAll Publicly Recognizable Characters, Settings, Ideas, etc. are the Property of DiC Entertainment and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Original Characters and Plot are the Property of the Author. The Author is in no way Associated with the Owners, Creators, or Producers of DiC Entertainment. No Copyright Infringement is intended.
Chapter 20 - Deafening Silence
Underground Near Moriarty's 2nd Base, Unknown Location
When Watson had reached the side tunnel he had glanced back at where he had last seen Lestrade, despite knowing she would not be there, he had hoped to see some trace of her, however his hope were soon dashed as there was none. He sighed, and turned back to the tunnel. He walked for several minutes before finding an old abandoned train, figuring that this was as good a place as any to hide, while waiting for his charge to recover, the droid started towards it. He pasted by two cars before climbing the ladder in-between the third and second. He was certain Moriarty's people would search the cars if they came across it but they might overlook the roof.
Using a fireman's carry, he got Holmes and himself to the roof. It wasn't very roomy. But Watson found that he could kneel fairly well, carefully he positioned his friend, so that he was as comfortable as could be expected under the circumstances and once more took stock of his condition. The detective was doing ok but the two ionizers had not been on a low setting. Watson hadn't told Lestrade that Holmes' pulse was shallow and erratic. The compudroid could only presume that the tortures his friend had suffered this past week had wreaked havoc upon his nervous system making him vulnerable.
Watson had just finished his scan when Moriarty's voice began echoing through the tunnel. "Call him." Watson looked around, where was the criminal? Who was he speaking too? The doctor began scanning, but found nothing, just as he finished though he heard Moriarty once more.
"I do hope you're listening Holmes, rest assured, Lestrade's life depends upon it. My men are combing the tunnels for you as I speak, I am sure if you were to look, you would be able to find one in less them a minute, however to be on the safe side I will give you five minutes to surrender, or the good Inspector dies, painfully, I might add. Oh and I want Watson to surrender as well can't have him warning the yard as to our location. Now can I? Your five minutes start now."
Now Lestrade, why don't you tell Holmes how much you would like to see him?"
Watson heard nothing he hoped this was merely a trick and that his friend was not really caught, though his instincts told him this was wishful thinking. Then he heard confirmation as the screams of a woman reverberated around him and his charge in a great spiralling continuum of agony. Her cry pierced the compudroid's soul. Watson had never admitted it, but Lestrade was very dear to him. She had made sure he was reassigned to Holmes, she had given him his elastomask and tended to the necessary paperwork so he could live with Holmes, (since she had known Holmes wouldn't be able to do it) but most importantly, she had provided him with the original John Watson's journals. He had known her practically his entire life, he had been fresh off the conveyer belt when assigned to her. She was like family to him.
He sat frozen in place unable to move merely as a result of the image of his friend once again been at the mercy of that monster. After what seemed an eternity, the cry stopped. A few seconds later Moriarty odious drawl oozed thru the air.
"That was just a warm up Holmes I suggest you surrender or Lestrade will continue to suffer until I finally kill her out of sheer mercy."
'What should I do?' thought Watson. 'I cannot surrender Holmes and yet I cannot allow the inspector to remain in the clutches of that monster, perhaps if I surrender my self…no such a fiend will only be content once he has his true quarry with in his grasp, Holmes' condition has not stabilized andwill not until he regains consciousness, I must notleave him.'With a final self assuring nod the doctor sat down to care for his injured friend, all at once, Moriarty's voice, broke in upon the crumpling silence
"Very well have it your way Holmes." There was nothing more for an instance Watson heard Lestrade scream. It was a blood curdling cry full of insurmountable anguish. 'No' he thought 'I must do something but what?' he looked at Holmes, who though still unconscious was frowning. Watson shook the detective lightly but he would not wake, fearful of doing more harm then good the compudroid carefully put Holmes back into what he believed was a comfortable position. Lestrade continued to scream the walls themselves seemed to vibrate with horror at the monsters action taking place within them.
Watson looked at his friend, at a complete loss as for what to do, surrendering was not an option …was it? He had no right to decide so he decided to respect Lestrade's wishes. She was the only person conscious who had any right to make the choice. One word from her and he and Holmes would surrender. Watson felt better for having a course of action, even if that action was inaction, but the Inspector's continuing scream was wearing his resolve and he found him self praying, she would give him some sign that she had had enough, he put his face in his hands. The perfect picture of despair.
Eventually Lestrade's screams ended, and the criminal Mastermind filled in the empty space with his gluttonous tones.
"Now Holmes, I would rather not be forced to kill my little pet, but rest assured if I must I will. You have one minute left Holmes and my droid is crushing her. Her vital organs are being compressed against one another, twisting and contorting in an effort to prolong her very painful life. You have fifty seconds, Holmes, then I kill her."
During Moriarty's speech Watson had become too horrified to do anything other then stare in the direction of the voice. He could hear Lestrade screaming in the background. Not so much loudly, as painfully. "Arrgh—ahhh!" moments of silence between the cries were becoming more and more seldom.
"Twenty seconds Holmes…Ten seconds…five." Watson closed his eyes, it was too late to surrender, all he could do was listen. He had never felt so alone, so helpless. "Two… One" All of a sudden, Lestrade's cries ceased, it was something the compudroid would never forget; the agonizing scream suddenly cut short, the silence struck like a knife. A silence so sudden so deafening, so couplet, a silence that was to him louder the any scream could ever have been.
00o00
Holmes awoke up moments later. He saw his friend crouched beside him, head in his hands and knew something was terribly wrong, he turned his head and glanced about for Lestrade, but could not see her, his heart jumped into his throat.
"Watson what has happened?"
The compudroid raised his head, and stared back at his friend empty eyed, grief and misery written across his face. Holmes felt the muscles in his face constrict became frightened. "Watson, where is Lestrade?" The doctor continued to eye him vaguely, "What happened?" Holmes pressed, panic creeping into his voice. Watson told him.
'No, she can't be dead, she can't.' Holmes' pulse quickened inside him and helplessness was beginning to overtake him. Lestrade, caught by that monster again subject to the whim of that lunatic. 'Never again.' He had promised himself 'never again'
Watson noticed the change in his friend's expression he had never seen the detective so cemented in place. Moriarty was in a great deal of trouble. Holmes placed his hands on Watson's shoulders his voice eerily calm as he said. "It is possible Lestrade is still alive. Moriarty may simply have rendered her unconscious, until we know for sure, she is alive and awaiting our rescue. You need not blame yourself, my friend, your counter part would not have acted differently."
The compudroids eye's took on a glimmer of hope "You truly believe she could be alive?"
Holmes' face darkened as the memory of Lestrade's session resurfaced"Stop! Moriarty, you must desist, you are killing her. Your quarrel is with me."
"Precisely, you, the great detective, voice of the oppressed would gladly die to spare her the torment which she now endures, the irony is quite fantastic. She was quite right Holmes, this is a far more effective, not to mention, enjoyable method of tormenting you."
Holmes nodded. "Moriarty knows that if I could have acted, I would have, he must have realised that I was in someway incapacitated and that there was no point in killing Lestrade, most likely, he intends to keep her as a 'wild card.' Until such time as she may be used"
Watson thought for a moment: that made sense, Lestrade could be alive.
"We must find her, knowing Moriarty, he is moving again, he does not know where we are and so must assume that we are attempting to contact the yard for help. We haven't much-" Holmes froze mid sentence and held up his hand for silence. The compudroid knew better then to move.
His audio processors picked up what his deer stalker companion had already heard, foot steps the pair froze.
"Ow much onger is the boss gonna have us searching for these yardies anyway?" said a male voice.
"Not much longer, and keep yer trap shut they could ear ya."
Holmes' eyes assumed a strange glint as he slowly and quietly, began to climb down the ladder situated in the side of the coach. When he was just over the side, and out of site he brought out his ionizer a few moments later, the owner of the second voice a woman stepped into view. Holmes fired, and jumped down landing like a cat on the floor of the underground railway. Just as the other guard came to check up on his partner who was now struggling in the green energy rings that had been produced by the detective's ionizer. The man caught sight of Holmes and was about to blast him when Watson shot him.
"Excellent work Watson" commended as he turned his attention to the girl. "Where is Inspector Lestrade?" His tone was hard and commanding.
"Weren't you listening? Your friend's dead because you didn't surrender." Holmes glared his eyes full of a cold resolution, despite herself the woman cringed under it.
"You are going to tell us how to get into Moriarty's stronghold undetected."
"Heh pal I haven't a clue how to do that myself, all the entrances are guarded. You can't get in undetected. Besides in half an hour everything will be gone, chances are Moriarty is already. They started moving out as soon as they saw you. Moriarty figured you'd be dumb enough to come down on your own if you needed to, but he didn't think you'd come down without telling anyone. He's gone and so's your girlfriend."
Holmes grabbed his prisoner dragged her to her feet. "Make no mistake if Lestrade is dead, you your comrades and Moriarty, will not live to see the inside of a cell much less a courtroom." His voice was barely a whisper. The detective had spoken the words in a hard tone but not a threatening one. He merely said them as if he was stating a fact, and that combined with the hard look in his eyes, was more terrifying then any mere threat.
"Now, tell us of every entrance you know." He continued twisting her arm slightly causing her to flinch.
"Perhaps it would be better if the young lady were to accompany us." suggested Watson.
"No way in hell, Moriarty, would see me." She turned to Holmes. "You may kill me detective but there is no way you're capable of torturing people to death like he is. Kill me if you want to but I'm telling you squat, besides," she added as a smirk spread across her face. "There's no way to tell if what I say is the truth. Any directions I give you will lead you right to Moriarty's hands. Then where will you and your girlfriend be?"
Holmes was looking downright murderous. This woman could help him find Lestrade and the fact that she was playing games was beyond infuriating, the fact that she had a point… well that wasn't helping. Watson decided to step in, he placed his hand on Holmes' shoulder "We are wasting time, the longer we stay here, the less chance we have of finding the Inspector."
Holmes looked at his friend, he knew that, but they needed information desperately. Suddenly he was struck with an idea. "Where is Moriarty moving to, how does he plan to get there?"
"How should I know? All I know is that I have to be at the train at a specific time."
"Where is the train, and what is the time?"
"Just outside the northern side of the base, and twenty minutes."
"Thank you, you've been most helpful" said Holmes as he withdrew his ionizer and set it to stun. After pulling the trigger turned to Watson. "Mace was able to give me a general overlay of the base, if we can get back to where we first encountered Fenwick I believe I can locate the train."
"Then what?"
"I have not reach that point as of yet, I am sure an opportunity will present its self, which way did Lestrade depart before her imprisonment?"
"That way" said Watson pointing in the direction they had come. Holmes nodded and began walking. They had been walking for several minutes when Holmes heard an ionizer charge, he sidestepped, barely managing to avoid the blast. Quickly, he turned in the direction it had come from. There were three men all armed with ionizers pointed at himself and Watson. Briefly the detective chastised himself for not hearing the coming onslaught.
"Well, well if it isn't the great Sherlock Holmes." Said the one in the middle he was a large muscular man blonde hair and blue eyes, he had a bit of stubble growing on his double chin his whole appearance seemed to project an aura of an unkempt harshness. "This is gonna be so sweet Moriarty's gonna reward us big time for this." He raised his ionizer and was about to pull the trigger when a familiar voice drawled:
"Why do they always talk so much?" Before the man turned he was blasted out of the air. The other two guards were so stunned the red headed assailant had time to take out the one on Holmes' left. The last one standing, an equally grizzled fellow, fired and his attacker dodged the blast and running got in close to him grabbed his arm and tossed him across the tunnel. As soon as he landed, she finished the job with a final defiant flick of her hair and blasted him with her ionizer. Mace then turned to her reason for showing up in the underground.
"Holmes!" she shouted as she ran up and glomped him.
"Mace, as much as I an delighted to see you, I would appreciate it if you would refrain from hugging me in such a manner" said the detective as he pried himself from her grasp.
"It's called a 'glomp' Sherlock, an enthusiastic hug involving pouncing." She chuckled, she was no longer standing right in front of him but to his right with her left hand on his shoulder. "Oh and before I forget" she slapped Holmes on the back of his skull, hard.
Holmes grabbed his head, and taking a step back, turned so they were face to face. He then noticed that she was glaring at him.
"You bloody idiot! You said you wouldn't come down here without backup, are you suicidal or just plain dumb?! Merde, est-ce-que to a un cervelle dans ta tete? De quoi pensais tu? How in all the nine frozen hells did you survive to old age in your first life!?" (1)
Both Watson and Holmes were a bit taken aback by this verbal bilingual attack.
Before they could say anything Mace had turned to Watson, taking his right hand in hers, and she started shaking it, a warm smile on her face, her anger completely dissipated. The unnerving thing was that this change in demeanour had taken less then point three seconds. "Hello, you must be Watson my name is Mace, pleasure to finally meet you." She let go of his hand.
"I didn't know you spoke French." Holmes prodded predictably
"My family moved here from Canada just before the incident, Mom was francophone. Now if you boys have nothing better to do, I suggest we leave and return with backup."
"That is not possible. Moriarty has captured Inspector Lestrade we must hurry. By the way Mace what are you doing here?"
Mace looked at her old fashion pocket watch, it was a family heirloom. "Ah Holmes Moriarty already left. I ran into one of my contacts he said that there are two trains the first with Moriarty and his scientist as well as his special guests. It left five minutes ago." Mace didn't need to say that Lestrade qualified as a 'special guest' it was written on her face.
Holmes' expression grew stone cold. "There is another train that will bring everyone else to the new base."
"From what I understand they may not be going to the same place"
"Even if they are not destined for the same location we will no doubt come across at least one informed individual if we make our way towards the location of the second train. Mace we must reach the northern perimeter with all possible hast."
"The northern side huh? That's this way." She informed them as she started walking.
Holmes commenced to examine his wrist while Watson asked. "How is it you came to know of our predicament and location?"
"I expect the answer lies here." Replied Holmes as he held up a small tracer.
Mace grinned and nodded "What can I say? I didn't believe you, rightly so I might add, so I stuck a tracer on you when I grabbed your wrist earlier. By the way Sherlock, was that Lestrade I heard screaming earlier? The woman Moriarty says he killed" It wasn't a question.
Holmes did not respond right away and when he did his voice was quiet, controlled, shimmering with unadulterated determination. "We have no reason to believe that Moriarty has killed the Inspector, in fact, I doubt very highly that that is the case." obviously there was to be no argument, if Mace thought it was a waste of time, she was welcome to leave.
The woman grinned like the Cheshire cat, "Heh don't insult me Sherlock, I ain't gonna leave what's the plan?"
"Are you able to contact the yard?"
"No, one of the thugs I encountered earlier threw a grenade of some sort at me, fried my wristcom."
"Our own communication devices have also been rendered useless." Watson informed her
"So we're on our own, great."
Holmes glanced over at Mace. "Mace perhaps you would not mind enlightening me as to the contents of your shoulder sac?"
"Not at all, a first aid kit, five smoke bombs a few explosives, a few antitoxins, a flashlight, a U.V flashlight, A cable gun, bottled water, sketch book, pens, pencils, night vision goggles, and a crowbar."
Holmes raised his eyebrows at this odd assortment and reminded himself yet again that women had changed a great deal since his time. "Do you have any other items on your person?"
'Hmm… my palmer where I store maps, it was also fried, or I would have used it by now to send an email, a few spare tracers that are still working, a compass, a note book and pen, an ionizer And more throwing knifes then I care to count."
"Do you always carry such an arsenal with you?" asked Watson
"You think that's an arsenal?" she questioned, eyebrow raised "and here I thought it's what every none suicidal person raised on the streets carried with them." (2)
"Hmm good thing too. I'm sure they will prove invaluable."
"You have a plan?" asked Watson.
Holmes said nothing, Mace and Watson looked at each other and decided it would be best to leave the detective to his plotting.
Footnotes:
(1) Translation: Shit, do you have a brain in that head of your's? What were you thinking?
(2) Line suggested by my editor Alanna
Next update will be on the 13 before noon CST as usual.