Hello to those of you still with me 😊 and thanks to those of you who leave a review. Here is the next chapter. I know it is short, but it needed to end here for the next chap to fit nicely. I promise this story won't take years to finish. Thanks for sticking with it. Lee xox

Greg looked at his phone and shook his head in frustration. Sherlock Holmes was to be held until someone came and bailed him out. Michael Hall had made a huge fuss over the incident and because he was the son of some very influential people in the British government his bail had been set unreasonably high. Sherlock had also been kicked off the kidnapping case and been slapped with a restraining order. Greg took a deep breath before sending a txt.

Sherlock in lock up. Please come and get him. Can't talk now. Will explain. -Greg

"Son of a bitch!" Victoria turned to John and read out the txt. "I told him he would have to behave. Guess I better go clean up his mess."

John paused at the clinic's door. "Do you want me to, I mean I can cancel my afternoon appointments...?"

"Don't be silly John. I can handle Sherlock Holmes." She laughed giving him a hug. "thanks for lunch."

Fifteen minutes later she was a block away from Scotland Yard. She walked along paying little attention to those around her. She kept thinking about Sherlock and whether he had managed to get her jobs done before he had caused whatever mess he had caused. She doubted it. She rounded the corner to the yard and was grabbed tightly from behind and pulled backwards. Her assailant held their chunky hand over her mouth and squeezed her around the middle. She heard a van pull up and began to panic as another set of hands landed on her. She caught sight of Rocko in the driver's seat as she was carried off into the back of the vehicle. It was dark in the van and her breathing was very limited through the hand over her mouth. The larger man still held her tightly as they sped through the streets. She kicked out as a pair of hands began to reach for her ankles. She kicked the man in the face and heard a satisfying crunch. When he finally did get her legs he wound them tightly with a coarse rope. Tears began to prick her eyes as her vision started to blur. She scratched at the hand on her face.

"Shhh... just relax. I promise to let you go once you pass out."

The voice sounded familiar. Her fingers started to tingle and she knew that her heart was struggling with the combination of panic and the lack of air. The hand became tighter. She couldn't get any air at all. She continued to wriggle but found the hand over her mouth releasing its pressure as the darkness finally claimed her.

Greg looked at his watch and back at Sherlock.

"You said you txted her" Sherlock mulled.

"I did. She said she'd be here by now."

Sherlock sat up. "Call her."

"Sherlock I'm sure she's just taking her time. Hell I know I do whenever you get yourself locked up."

"Lestrade you need to call her now." Lestrade looked at him confused and dialled her number.

"No answer."

"Of course. Don't you see? Hall knew that having me arrested would get you, Mycroft and myself all tied up in getting me out. It would also ensure that Tori would be on her way here. Call John. If she left him at work then you were right. We all just played into his hands."

Victoria Taylor's body was slumped in a chair. Her hands were tied behind her back and her legs were bound tightly to the wooden legs. The chair sat in the middle of a concrete basement. Thee room looked as if it had meant to be a spare room. There was an ensuite put together with old mismatched fittings and most of the tiles were cracked, the grouting stained by mould. A tap dripped constantly. The concrete floors had been covered once and there were still places with patches of glue. There was no natural light. Only a lightbulb hanging on the middle of the ceiling. Victoria's hair hung limp covering her face. Her shoes were gone and the collar of her top was ripped. A man walked out of the bathroom carrying an old tin bucket thick with rust. Water sloshed against the sides. He bent forward looking for her face before he swung the bucket and emptied the contents on her.

Victoria woke with a gasp as the cold water took her breath away. She shook her head to clear the hair from her face but strands stuck against her pale skin. She adjusted herself in the chair looking up at her captor.

"evening." Michael Hall dropped the bucket on the ground and the clatter made Victoria wince.

"Hall." She croaked.

"Oh come on now Vicky, don't pretend you weren't expecting me."

She leaned her head back and looked around the room.

"Michael, you look like you've been in a fight" she smirked. "pray tell, who kicked the shit out of you?"

He laughed wagging his finger at her. "See you've always got this fire don't you? We will see what it takes to put that out."

"some fires cannot be snuffed." She held her head high. He stepped closer to her.

"You're already white as a sheet Vicky. And I haven't even started yet."

"I'm not afraid of you."

He looked at her in pity.

"Oh my dear, you really should be."