I had a lot of fun writing this chapter. I'm one of those pedantic types who must research everything, she puts into her stories.
Let's just say researching stun guns on the internet was very interesting.
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Chapter Seven
Close Call
Needless to say, Mr. Grant was not happy to find Jane gone. I heard the door at the end of the hall open and close. Silent moment passed into silence moment and I began to wonder if Grant had just had a heart attack and died from the shock.
The sledgehammer burst through the far wall in a shower of plaster and wood fragments. Houses were built sturdy these days; swinging the hammer hard enough to punch a hole like that in the wall took immense brute force. Jane flinched but fortunately didn't scream. It took some force of will to stop myself from screaming.
Grant left the hammer lodged in the wall and stormed down the stairs. I realized that I was still holding my breath and gasped for air. A few more doors slammed downstairs, then a final slam which echoed into the alley.
I looked out the window and saw Grant, hunched into an overcoat, making his way down the alley. My mouth fell open with shock. ~Grant must think that Jane escaped on her own. He's going to look for her.~ A clatter from the stairs snapped me back to the present. It could be only one man making his noisy way up the stairs, damn him.
The door burst open, regardless of the lock, and in dashed Sherlock Holmes. This time Jane actually did scream, a long ear-piercing note.
"Damn you man! I told you to wait!" I yelled over Jane. Holmes ignored the obscenity.
"Where?" He asked. Jane stopped screaming once she realized this strange man in front of her wasn't Grant.
"He thinks she made a get-away on her own. Gone after her." I gestured at the alley. Holmes turned and made to dash out the door, but froze at the sound of a voice in the street.
"Oy, what's all this then?" The familiar cry of the London bobby rose above the stunned ruckus the neighbors were making.
"No getting out that way." I said unnecessarily. Holmes frowned.
"There's a back stair." A thin, weak, but nevertheless clear voice said. We both turned to stare in amazement at Jane. "It's how I was brought in." She waved vaguely at the unexplored end of the hallway and passed out.
Holmes was at the door and down the hidden steps in a second. I paused for only a moment before following. It didn't seem right to leave her unconscious on the floor like that, but it seemed a far greater injustice to let Grant escape so easily.
I caught up with Holmes standing on the corner of a relatively busy street for this late hour. Grant could reasonably assume that Jane would take the shortest route home. But here the path split, Grant could have gone either way.
"Split up?" Holmes asked rather than ordered, I noted.
"Left." I said by way of agreement.
"Right." He nodded and we set off in opposite directions. I noticed that there were less people traveling in this direction, and that the road had started to narrow. The only question was would Grant take the road less traveled.
I gathered no few strange looks as jogged down the road. Oh well, it wasn't like I had a chance to change out of my ninja-like outfit. The road came to a dead end after about three minutes. The cul-de-sac was empty. Grant must have gone the other way.
I cursed in three languages and turned to head back, when a strange sound reached my ears. It sounded almost like an echo of my voice, except it was all in English. At the far end Grant stood, cursing the buildings which obstinately refused to move out of his way.
He turned to leave the dead-end. I slipped backwards into the shadows. He walked past me without the slightest sign he had seen me. ~How thick can you get?~
Despite my earlier argument with Holmes about being able to take care of myself, I had no desire to take on Grant without back up.
And as if the thought had summoned him, Holmes came strolling up the street. He was on the other side of the street, being very careful not draw any attention to himself. Grant was so intent on his goal you might have dropped an anvil on his head and he would keep on going.
I waved at Holmes. He looked startled to see me there, but kept on walking. I motioned towards Grant, trying to convey my plot. Holmes nodded and his hand crept into the pocket that kept the revolver. I shook my head and pointed to myself. His hand withdrew.
"Excuse me sir." Holmes hailed, crossing the street. The street was deserted but Grant kept right on walking.
"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you could help me." I noticed Holmes was speaking with a American, and distinctly Southern drawl. "I'm 'friad I've lost my way in this big ole town."
Big ole town? Yeesh. Oh well. Grant slowed to say something about maps and idiots but was unable to finish the sentence. 500,000 volts of pure electricity has that affect on people. Grant collapsed unceremoniously onto the cobblestones.
"Curious weapon. Is he dead?" Holmes asked phlegmatically.
"Nah. You might want to tie him up though. It'll wear off in a few minutes." I carefully turned off the taser and stowed it in its case. The guy who sold it to me had some funny stories about people who had left them on accidentally, and I had no wish to be featured in one of his tales.
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Just thinking of that quote by Kipling. 'For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.'"
"Damn straight."
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Questions, comments, critisicms, complaints? Review!
.·´¨`·»¦«·Kerowyn·»¦«·´¨`·.
Let's just say researching stun guns on the internet was very interesting.
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Chapter Seven
Close Call
Needless to say, Mr. Grant was not happy to find Jane gone. I heard the door at the end of the hall open and close. Silent moment passed into silence moment and I began to wonder if Grant had just had a heart attack and died from the shock.
The sledgehammer burst through the far wall in a shower of plaster and wood fragments. Houses were built sturdy these days; swinging the hammer hard enough to punch a hole like that in the wall took immense brute force. Jane flinched but fortunately didn't scream. It took some force of will to stop myself from screaming.
Grant left the hammer lodged in the wall and stormed down the stairs. I realized that I was still holding my breath and gasped for air. A few more doors slammed downstairs, then a final slam which echoed into the alley.
I looked out the window and saw Grant, hunched into an overcoat, making his way down the alley. My mouth fell open with shock. ~Grant must think that Jane escaped on her own. He's going to look for her.~ A clatter from the stairs snapped me back to the present. It could be only one man making his noisy way up the stairs, damn him.
The door burst open, regardless of the lock, and in dashed Sherlock Holmes. This time Jane actually did scream, a long ear-piercing note.
"Damn you man! I told you to wait!" I yelled over Jane. Holmes ignored the obscenity.
"Where?" He asked. Jane stopped screaming once she realized this strange man in front of her wasn't Grant.
"He thinks she made a get-away on her own. Gone after her." I gestured at the alley. Holmes turned and made to dash out the door, but froze at the sound of a voice in the street.
"Oy, what's all this then?" The familiar cry of the London bobby rose above the stunned ruckus the neighbors were making.
"No getting out that way." I said unnecessarily. Holmes frowned.
"There's a back stair." A thin, weak, but nevertheless clear voice said. We both turned to stare in amazement at Jane. "It's how I was brought in." She waved vaguely at the unexplored end of the hallway and passed out.
Holmes was at the door and down the hidden steps in a second. I paused for only a moment before following. It didn't seem right to leave her unconscious on the floor like that, but it seemed a far greater injustice to let Grant escape so easily.
I caught up with Holmes standing on the corner of a relatively busy street for this late hour. Grant could reasonably assume that Jane would take the shortest route home. But here the path split, Grant could have gone either way.
"Split up?" Holmes asked rather than ordered, I noted.
"Left." I said by way of agreement.
"Right." He nodded and we set off in opposite directions. I noticed that there were less people traveling in this direction, and that the road had started to narrow. The only question was would Grant take the road less traveled.
I gathered no few strange looks as jogged down the road. Oh well, it wasn't like I had a chance to change out of my ninja-like outfit. The road came to a dead end after about three minutes. The cul-de-sac was empty. Grant must have gone the other way.
I cursed in three languages and turned to head back, when a strange sound reached my ears. It sounded almost like an echo of my voice, except it was all in English. At the far end Grant stood, cursing the buildings which obstinately refused to move out of his way.
He turned to leave the dead-end. I slipped backwards into the shadows. He walked past me without the slightest sign he had seen me. ~How thick can you get?~
Despite my earlier argument with Holmes about being able to take care of myself, I had no desire to take on Grant without back up.
And as if the thought had summoned him, Holmes came strolling up the street. He was on the other side of the street, being very careful not draw any attention to himself. Grant was so intent on his goal you might have dropped an anvil on his head and he would keep on going.
I waved at Holmes. He looked startled to see me there, but kept on walking. I motioned towards Grant, trying to convey my plot. Holmes nodded and his hand crept into the pocket that kept the revolver. I shook my head and pointed to myself. His hand withdrew.
"Excuse me sir." Holmes hailed, crossing the street. The street was deserted but Grant kept right on walking.
"Excuse me, but I was wondering if you could help me." I noticed Holmes was speaking with a American, and distinctly Southern drawl. "I'm 'friad I've lost my way in this big ole town."
Big ole town? Yeesh. Oh well. Grant slowed to say something about maps and idiots but was unable to finish the sentence. 500,000 volts of pure electricity has that affect on people. Grant collapsed unceremoniously onto the cobblestones.
"Curious weapon. Is he dead?" Holmes asked phlegmatically.
"Nah. You might want to tie him up though. It'll wear off in a few minutes." I carefully turned off the taser and stowed it in its case. The guy who sold it to me had some funny stories about people who had left them on accidentally, and I had no wish to be featured in one of his tales.
"Hmm."
"What?"
"Just thinking of that quote by Kipling. 'For the female of the species is more deadly than the male.'"
"Damn straight."
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Questions, comments, critisicms, complaints? Review!
.·´¨`·»¦«·Kerowyn·»¦«·´¨`·.
