A/N: lorekeeper- my fav line too. i wrote this story just so i could use that line =)
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Chapter Three
Six Steps to…?
Of course it was not as simple as it sounded. One didn't simply walk up to a gang of car thieves and say "Hey guys, can I play?"
Holmes had been cultivating contacts in London's less desirable regions every since his first case in high school. He wouldn't tell me what that case was though. By now he knew enough people, in so many different lines of 'work', that he could contact any major criminal in London if he wanted to. It was rather like playing 'Six Steps to Kevin Bacon.'
Our go-between with the car thieves was a small squirrelly man who insisted on being called 'John'. John met us in a bar overlooking the Thames. We took a seat in a corner booth and waved away the waitress' offer of food. Three pints of dark liquid were delivered to our table.
After glancing over his shoulder for men in trench coats with earpieces, John spoke. "Hello Alex."
I looked to Holmes in surprise. He hated his first name about as much as I hated mine. Holmes didn't wince as he usually did. He simply nodded. "This is Anne."
Oh well, at least he used my middle name. John muttered something I took to be a greeting.
"We would like to get in contact with the people operating a car theft ring." Holmes got straight to the point.
"Funny thing that." John glanced over his shoulder again. "They are looking for new members. Seems one of theirs got hurt in a bar fight."
"What do you know?"
Another glance around. "They call themselves…well, it's something Chinese but it means 'Tigers'. I hear they're shipping stolen cars to China and the other way around to prevent identification. There are rumors that the funds are going to a crime syndicate, but no one knows which one."
"I want to meet them. Tell them you may have found a couple of replacements for their man."
John was so shocked he forgot to look around before he spoke. "You? I don't know…"
"Yes. We can handle ourselves, but we need an introduction. You can just say you heard about us from an associate and you're acting as the go-between. In exchange for a small fee of course."
It wasn't even a lie. Holmes and John settled the when and where and John disappeared into the night, leaving behind an empty glass. Before the waitress came back I dumped half of my untasted beer into his glass. It wouldn't do order a drink and then not drink any of it.
"That's a bit of a coincidence." I pointed out. "They are looking for a man just as we are looking for a job."
"Yeah. We'll have to make sure there really is a wounded colleague. Nothing we can do about that now." Holmes finished his beer and stood. "Come Watson. We have to turn you into an experienced car thief."
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Questions, comments, critisicms, complaints? Make your voice heard.
.•´¨`•»¦«•Kerowyn•»¦«•´¨`•.
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Chapter Three
Six Steps to…?
Of course it was not as simple as it sounded. One didn't simply walk up to a gang of car thieves and say "Hey guys, can I play?"
Holmes had been cultivating contacts in London's less desirable regions every since his first case in high school. He wouldn't tell me what that case was though. By now he knew enough people, in so many different lines of 'work', that he could contact any major criminal in London if he wanted to. It was rather like playing 'Six Steps to Kevin Bacon.'
Our go-between with the car thieves was a small squirrelly man who insisted on being called 'John'. John met us in a bar overlooking the Thames. We took a seat in a corner booth and waved away the waitress' offer of food. Three pints of dark liquid were delivered to our table.
After glancing over his shoulder for men in trench coats with earpieces, John spoke. "Hello Alex."
I looked to Holmes in surprise. He hated his first name about as much as I hated mine. Holmes didn't wince as he usually did. He simply nodded. "This is Anne."
Oh well, at least he used my middle name. John muttered something I took to be a greeting.
"We would like to get in contact with the people operating a car theft ring." Holmes got straight to the point.
"Funny thing that." John glanced over his shoulder again. "They are looking for new members. Seems one of theirs got hurt in a bar fight."
"What do you know?"
Another glance around. "They call themselves…well, it's something Chinese but it means 'Tigers'. I hear they're shipping stolen cars to China and the other way around to prevent identification. There are rumors that the funds are going to a crime syndicate, but no one knows which one."
"I want to meet them. Tell them you may have found a couple of replacements for their man."
John was so shocked he forgot to look around before he spoke. "You? I don't know…"
"Yes. We can handle ourselves, but we need an introduction. You can just say you heard about us from an associate and you're acting as the go-between. In exchange for a small fee of course."
It wasn't even a lie. Holmes and John settled the when and where and John disappeared into the night, leaving behind an empty glass. Before the waitress came back I dumped half of my untasted beer into his glass. It wouldn't do order a drink and then not drink any of it.
"That's a bit of a coincidence." I pointed out. "They are looking for a man just as we are looking for a job."
"Yeah. We'll have to make sure there really is a wounded colleague. Nothing we can do about that now." Holmes finished his beer and stood. "Come Watson. We have to turn you into an experienced car thief."
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~ ~*~
Questions, comments, critisicms, complaints? Make your voice heard.
.•´¨`•»¦«•Kerowyn•»¦«•´¨`•.