Mycroft set the phone down on the side table and settled onto the bed again. His mind was racing. Magnussen. He was confused at the sudden reach out. He had been planning with his team for weeks a takedown of the newspaper tycoon and was worried that Magnussen had caught on. Céline stirred a bit when he settled back down and pulled her close.
"Mycroft?" She softly asked, rubbing her eyes.
"I was hoping to stay longer but I have to go into work." Mycroft softly spoke, kissing her forehead. "I'll be back this evening."
When Mycroft got into work his assistant looked shaken. Mycroft took a mental note of it and frowned.
"What did Magnussen say?" Mycroft asked, approaching her. She shuddered and just pointed to his office.
"He's waiting for you." She spoke, keeping her tone of voice low. Mycroft's face curled in confusion.
"He's waiting for me in my office?" Mycroft asked, annoyed. She nodded. Mycroft scoffed and entered his office, shutting the door behind him. Magnussen didn't move or perk up when he did. He was sitting in a chair across from Mycroft's desk waiting for him. Mycroft passed him and sat down, sizing him up. Magnussen was calmly reading the newspaper that Mycroft's assistant laid out for him on his desk daily. Magnussen was on guard and didn't give Mycroft much to assess.
"Is this an urgent matter?" Mycroft finally spoke. Magnussen continued reading for a moment, letting the statement hang in the air before folding the paper back up and looking at Mycroft.
"I heard you were planning on taking away my protection and I wanted to come and clear up this misunderstanding." Magnussen calmly spoke. Mycroft noticed his eyes go dead but something felt off about it. As he thought of what to say he saw that Magnussen did not have dead eyes, he appeared to be reading something. A smirk etched itself onto the newspaper tycoon's face.
Mycroft Holmes
Status: Of Intrest
Brother: Sherlock Holmes (See File)
Sister: Eurus Holmes (See File)
Pressure Points:
Sherlock Holmes (See File)
Sibling Rivalry
British Government
Céline Josephine Brown (See File)
"What's so funny?" Mycroft asked. Magnussen reread the list of pressure points. It amused him. The last time he had seen Mycroft in person was just before Sherlock had been declared "dead" and back then Mycroft's list of pressure points did not include Céline. Magnussen knew that the two had finally consummated their relationship but he was happy to see it held emotional weight for Mycroft now. He had prepared Mycroft's blackmail so that it hit to the core of each of his pressure points.
"The mere thought that you would consider.." Magnussen trailed off, thinking of a better way to phrase his thoughts. "The mere notion that you would entertain the idea of cutting me off from government protection." Mycroft let out a sigh.
"Magnussen. To be frank, the British government does not want to work with a psychopath." Mycroft bluntly spoke, he was frustrated at this confrontation. Magnussen let the statement hang in the air. Mycroft continued. "We don't want to entertain someone in this for his own interest over the interests of the state."
"Britain is not my home." Magnussen simply spoke. Mycroft shrugged.
"Perhaps this is better for you then," Mycroft suggested. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a lot of work…"
"I have an offer." Magnussen cut Mycroft off. Mycroft frowned.
"I am not interested in your offer..." Mycroft flatly spoke. Magnussen shifted in his seat as Mycroft spoke to retrieve his cell phone. It was time for pressure point one of his plan, Céline Josephine Brown. Before Mycroft could finish the sentence Magnussen began to play an audio recording. The recording was of Mycroft and Céline the previous evening while they made love. Mycroft's face fell as the moans of pleasure filled the room. Magnussen watched him closely and after a moment stopped playing the recording. "How did you get that?" Mycroft asked, his voice slightly halting in his throat.
"A temporary phone hack, don't worry about me doing it again. I have more than enough…Although, the full audio recording was a delight to listen to." Magnussen spoke a slimy smirk etching itself onto his face. Mycroft kept his demeanor calm but his mind was rushing.
"You will not threaten her with anything." Mycroft snapped.
"I hadn't thought of it." Magnussen shrugged. "But, I kept ruminating last night as I listened to the recording. How good was she? It sounds delightful." Magnussen began to play the recording again and Mycroft kept his jaw tightly clenched, he was angry. Magnussen noticed this and moved to number two, sibling rivalry. As the audio recording of Céline and Mycroft's lovemaking continued to play Magnussen stood and set the phone on Mycroft's desk in front of him. Magnussen then moved to pace Mycroft's office, taking his time and letting the sounds of heavy breathing and moaning fill the room. "I couldn't help but think as I listened to this, what must it be like to steal your own brother's lover?" Mycroft was at a loss for words and thickly swallowed. He had been greatly caught off guard.
"I didn't steal her…" Mycroft snapped but before he could say anything else Magnussen cut him off for number three, the British Government.
"The British Government talks about me from its glass house. I for one could never dream of fucking my own brother's…slag as you British people say." Magnussen spoke, waltzing over to Mycroft's desk and grabbing his phone back. He paused the recording and sat back down. "The British Government stands behind you and that behavior. Why not stand behind me?" Mycroft was visually disturbed. His eyes were locked onto the table, his mind racing for what to do. He was deeply upset by this moment, for once in his life he didn't know what to do. Mycroft felt helpless. Magnussen was delighted, he had broken him down to where he needed to be. Magnussen knew Sherlock was on his trail for tossing Céline in the bonfire and didn't want to lose this protection. He finally moved to the next phase and most impactful pressure point, Sherlock Holmes.
"Your brother will be after me soon and I demand your protection or I can guarantee that this recording will go to him," Magnussen spoke, lowering his tone to a threat. "Look at me." Magnussen snapped, Mycroft slowly turned his eyes up and made eye contact with the newspaper tycoon.
"You know Sherlock Holmes. You know what this would do to your brother. Don't you?" Magnussen spoke, keeping his voice low and soft. Mycroft nodded, defeated. "It's funny isn't it, that you and your brother preach about how the world around you is full of idiotic cretins. Yet, you both are laying claim to a normal woman. Mycroft, I would guess that despite the danger it poses that you will return to Céline this evening and make love to her once more won't you? You won't let her go. Will you?" Magnussen spoke. Mycroft watched him for a long moment and didn't answer, but his face told Magnussen all he needed to know. "I guess once a simple man has a taste of the apple in the garden of Eden he can't go back." Magnussen stood and went to the door.
"I look forward to confirmation this evening that I am fully protected. I will leave my list of requests with your assistant." Magnussen spoke before leaving Mycroft's office.
And with that, we are done with "The Empty Hearse" puddin's! Stay tuned for the first chapter of "A Sign of Three" coming soon!
