"Argh…" moaned Lestrade as she sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes..
"Hey Inspector" greeted Wiggins from he couch "you fell asleep on at the terminal."
"I don't need you to tell me that Wiggins" replied Lestrade rubbing her neck. "…shouldn't you be in school?"
"You're kidding right?"
"It's Monday and we won't be moving in till tonight. So no. Get moving, that includes Tennyson, Vidur can do whatever computer work needs to be done, and Mickey can handle everything else."
"True enough." replied Mickey from his place on the sette.
"Are you flipping mad!" cried Deidre "We can't go to school at a time like this, we won't be able to concentrate on anything. And Mickey has to attend that meeting with the mob bosses"
"This isn't up for debate kid," said Lestrade as she rose from her seat. "There's nothing you can do, so you might as well go to school."
"But In—"
"This isn't a democracy Deidre, you don't get to decide, now I'm going to get ready for work I'll see you when I get back."
"Don't worry Deidre the meeting won't take long, and there really isn't much for me to do other then make sure the back-up plan is ready." said Mickey placing a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"Everything's going to turn out alright, you'll see."
***
"I can't believe her! Who does she think she is?" cried Deidre as the Irregulars walked to school.
"The women who can toss us in jail, and you know your pop's isn't going to bail you out." replied Wiggins.
"After all the work I did, helping her make those explosives." she whispered so only they could hear.
"Beep beep whur Blip." (You weren't the only one helping)
"And from the smile on your face I wouldn't call it work." added Wiggins.
"That's not the point."
"Aw chill Deidre there's nothing we can do. And I think we should change the topic."
Deidre sighed, a few minutes later she heard her wristcom announce a caller wondering who it could be, she answered it to see Mickey's face smirking at her.
"Would you three be terribly annoyed if I asked you to play hookie?"
***
Lestrade meanwhile was once again staring at moniters this time though she was looking at Mace.
"You're eyes seem to go to the red-head a lot." said Dewar casually.
"She's the only women I've seen here, and she's talking to Cross looks like they're arguing."
"Can you read lips?" he asked moving closer to get a better view.
"It would be easier if they were facing me but I can make out the word 'Hart' and 'you son of a bitch'"
"Wonder who she is, boss has been putting her thru the ringer, in a few minutes someone who looks exactly like that guy you escorted yesterday will come in and torture her. Or escort her somewhere else to do it. Probably that room there." he said pointing to another moniter. "Or maybe not, she was really sick the other day and still hasn't recovered."
Cross left a few minutes later. And thought Lestrade kept a careful eye on Mace no one else entered to disturb her much less torture her.
"Don't you have other screens to look at Molly?"
"Yes but no-where near as interesting." smirked Lestrade as she turned to another screen, it wouldn't do her any good to watch Mace right now she didn't need the temptation to do something stupid.
***
Holmes finished buttoning his shirt while he awaited an escort to take him back to his cell, he looked up as Lestrade disguised as Kelstern approached him.
"Follow me," she ordered as she gestured to the door.
The two walked without a word, Holmes soon noticed that they were not going to his cell, he said nothing knowing that if Lestrade could tell him anything she would.
Suddenly Lestrade stopped, they were at a blind spot the cameras could not see them. "We have a lead on the medusa program, and the escape plan is in motion, we should be able to get you two out tonight, how are you holding up?"
"I'm fine but I am worried about Mace."
"Ya I heard she was sick. We gotta go if we don't show up on camera soon they'll suspect something, common."
She stopped before a door and opening it gestured Holmes inside. Cross was sitting comfortably at a table with Mace the billionaire gestured to an empty chair and never taking his eyes off Cross the detective sat down.
"I thought it would be nice if we all sat down for a meal together. I would prefer diner but, well, you're scheduled for tests this evening."
Holmes expression remained stoned face, but this new information posed a problem Lestrade had told him that a rescue attempt would be made tonight. If he was in a lab with guards, it would throw things off. Perhaps result in a failed attempt, which meant Lestrade, may be sentenced to a session with Kerai.
Mace saw the detectives hand tense, it always did when he tried to keep his emotions in check. 'He's endured test before, I don't think that's what's bothering him, but if not that then what? It doesn't matter I have to get him out now, but how?..'
Mace looked at her plate, her eyes fell upon her knife, she stared at it hard, she only had one thing that Cross wanted, well two, but one was only to be used as a last resort. Without a moments hesitation she quickly took hold of the knife and stabbed herself in the throat careful to avoid her jugular and windpipe.
Her two companions quickly took notice.
"Mace! What are you doing?" shouted Holmes as he leaped from his seat Cross rose as well and placed a hand on the detective's shoulder.
"My nanites will keep her alive detective, look the new hole in her neck is already sealed."
"The tip of the blade is less then half a millimeter from my brain stem Cross I push it further in and I'm dead," she informed her companions, blood dripped from her wound as she continued to aggravate it.
"Let Sherlock go, now."
"Or you kill yourself? The nanites—"
"Take time, if I was distracted, you could, but if I feel them taking control I will push the blade further in, severing my brain stem and killing myself instantly."
Cross stared stone face, Mace was correct the nanites would take a moment, she was focused on the task at hand, a focused and determined Mace was a dangerous thing. She wasn't bluffing, he knew that.
"I still need him."
"You have enough."
"How about I let him go until I need him for Moriarty? After that we'll see if Dr. Kendrick still needs to run test."
Mace hesitated. Looking from Cross to Holmes who was paler then she'd ever seen. "Mace remove that blade from your throat immediately, I'm not going anywhere." ordered the detective.
"Come now Mace" continued Cross "I'm not giving him up entirely, agree and you'll have bought time, months even."
"Six, six months no less. And once Moriarty is finished you let Holmes go permanently, you'll have until then to finish up your…experiments"
"Very well, but I want something else."
"What?" asked Mace careful not to damage her brain stem.
"You," Mace stared, he already had her. "I want to know more about you your past and your contacts everything. I let Holmes go you agree to answer my questions lie or leave out important details, and I bring Holmes back."
Mace paled, she had always felt that when you shared your secrets with someone you gave them apart of yourself, her past was just another part of her he would own, and he knew it, still it was the only way to get Holmes out.
With one swift movement she pulled out the knife.
Holmes was by her side an instant later.
"Tell him you have changed your mind," he ordered.
"Go home Sherlock." Replied the red head as she sighed and messaged her temple.
"Mace—"
"Come along detective," said Cross as he placed a hand on Holmes' shoulder three guards entered Cross turned to them "Take Sherlock back to his home on Baker St."
"No! Mace I'll not leave you."
Mace turned her head from Holmes and looked at the wall opposite, she didn't want to deal with him, she kept reliving her sessions with Abeo every time she looked at him.
Holmes was been dragged out the door by the guards, "I'll come back for you!" he yelled before Cross closed the door.
"Well Mace, let's start with your name."
"You already know it."
"Yes but I want to hear it from you." He told her as he sat down.
"Let's lay down a few things first, I will not lie to you but I will hold back, you have plenty of time to get the whole story from me no need to rush. Bring Holmes back and it won't matter if you keep me away from all sharp pointing objects, you can't use the nanites on me twenty four seven, bring him back sooner then six months from now and I will bite off my tongue, and drown in my blood."
"Thought you were against suicide."
"My life is the only thing I have that you hold of value if you think I'm above using it a bargaining chip, you've got another thing coming."
"I thought you said you were broken."
"I lied."
***
Meanwhile Holmes was been dragged down a hallway further away from his friend.
"Mister Holmes how good to see you." The men escorting Holmes froze at Arlington's approach and took steps back while forcing the detective in front of them.
A malicious smile playing on her face she gently took hold of his chin, "Easy or hard detective?"
"Release me and allow me a few moments with Mace"
"Go home Sherlock" said Arlington in Mace's voice. "She wants you gone detective, after that little show don't you think you owe her that?"
With out another word Arlington applied pressure forcing the detective's mouth open and brought her lips to his. After a few moments she pulled away, keeping a firm hold on the detectives jaw, ensuring it remained closed.
"This drug is fast acting detective, no painful paralytic, you'll be asleep within seconds."
***
Lestrade did not immediately return to her post in the security room and thus missed Mace's little show. She was on break now and wanted to place the explosives. A task she knew would not be easy given all the security.
Fortunately it was not considered weird for guards to acquaint themselves with the building and since she worked in one of the most secured areas she had high clearance.
First thing was first there was a lab dedicated to the study of cloning, cloned organs failed without warning but apparently Cross was working on that problem.
Unfortunately he was also using people to test on.
Despite this, he had made, according to Lestrade's sources, a lot of progress and she didn't want to destroy the lab, but Cross would have backup copies of his research and though fire could easily get out of control, she thought a fairly small explosive in a nearby room would suffice and present a fairly small amount of damage.
She then went to plant various explosives and smoke bombs on the fourth and fifth floor, there was a danger that the medusa program would be destroyed and with it valuable evidence, but she didn't want Cross to know they knew it's location until after the virus had been unleashed.
While she was planting explosives on the fifth floor she went to find Watson so she could remove his board, and replace it with the robot's original. Using the tracer she had placed on him and looking at the locator only when she was in a blind spot she soon found him in the lab where he had said the medusa program was located.
"Look here robot see the problem?" said a man gesturing to a screen while looking at Watson.
"Christie it's a robot just because it raised it's head to look at the screen does not mean it's curious." said Carter massaging his temple. "A.I people." he muttered to himself underneath his breath.
"What can I say I've never met a robot that's curious it's weird. Do you now how hard it is to program a computer to be curious?"
"The hacking program Christie."
"Right, right, see the problem is here." said Christie pointing.
'Darn it Watson,' cursed Lestrade as she leaned against the wall next to the door, she was lucky the two programmers hadn't seen her. She withdrew the device she had used to lure the robot before and activated it.
***
"Where's the robot going?" asked Christie as Watson rolled off toward the door.
"Maybe it has orders." said Carter.
"I removed it's receiver."
"Of course you did, less maybe it's bored."
"…Think I'll follow it."
Watson froze.
"Christie." moaned Carter but it was too late the hacker was on his way to the door.
Watson turned left, he decided to look around the lab hoping that Christie would conclude that he was nothing more then a 'curious' robot and not think to open the door leading out of the lab.
'I'll never make to Lestrade like this…I may have to brave the fire if she's already planted the explosives.'
***
'Damn it Watson, are those guys stopping you from leaving? I don't have time for this I'll finish planting the explosives and then come back and try again.'
Lestrade made her way to one of the lower security garages and set up a few explosives there. The guards and drivers would make removing the hover trucks with their highly combustible fuel a top priority. She Holmes and Mace would have no trouble hitching a ride on one of these.
That done she looked at her watch if she hurried, she would just make it to her shift on time.
'I'll have to get Watson after work.'
***
"Hmm" moaned Holmes as his eyes opened, he realized there was a hand on his shoulder, and his head was resting on something warm, a lap.
Quickly he sat up and saw that it was Arlington who he had been using as a pillow.
"Afternoon sunshine." she smiled coyly. "I expect you recognize the park we are in."
"I do," he responded curtly.
"Good then you can find your way back, heh don't look so upset, no-one wanted to deal with your friends and we couldn't just leave you drugged and helpless so I decided to stay with you." she informed him as she rose.
"I'll just be off now detective, I did take a few pictures, I'll be sure to email the irregulars a few copies."
Holmes shook his head "No you will not, Cross has made it clear both mine and Mace's privacy is to be respected."
Smiling she turned to face him "True, but the look on your face was fun."
***
"Mr. Holmes what are you doing here?" said Deidre wide eyed as the detective entered.
"Well this is a pleasant surprise." said Mickey from his seat near the fire, "I see Mace isn't with you. So I doubt you left willingly."
"She bartered for my freedom." he replied. "What can you tell me?"
"Lestrade isn't back yet." said Deidre
"And Watson?" said Holmes as he turned to his friend who was sitting in his usual chair. "His memory board has not yet been returned to it's rightful place."
"No he's still at the Hunt building and has been for two days." continued Deidre
"He found it Mister Holmes. Whatever 'it' is"
"Of course he did Wiggins, he has never failed to play the game. When do you expect Lestrade?"
"Not for another couple of hours." replied Deidre, who was going over the blue prints of the Hunt building with Mickey.
Holmes sat down in his usual chair and steepling his hands before his face said: "Then you would be so kind as to acquaint me with everything that has occurred in my absence."
***
Lestrade meanwhile was having a hard time refraining from throwing the remote in her hand at the wall. As she tried once more to get Watson out of the lab. 'It's still not working. Damn it Watson the explosives will be found soon we need to move tonight! Get over here now!' she mentally yelled as she pressed the button on the summoning device over and over again harder each time.
'We have to move tonight, I'd stake my life on this lab been okay, but Watson's is another matter. I'd better go before people start getting suspicious.'
***
"Holmes! What are you doing here?" questioned Lestrade loudly upon reentering 221B thru the secret exit and seeing the detective sitting in his chair.
"Mace upon learning that I was to be sentenced to further experimentation this evening which would most certainly have caused a problem, bartered for my freedom. Where is Watson?"
"I planted the explosives but couldn't get to him without drawing to much attention, he's still there and the bombs have been planted, we can't risk them being found so we have to move tonight."
"Then I shall recover Watson while you do exactly as you planed."
"I can't get you in."
"No need to worry Lestrade, I do not need your assistance to gain entrance.
"Alright Holmes, what's your plan?"
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