***Baker Street***
It was an early wintry morning, and a light mist was already begin to dampen the streets when Jon arrived just as the sun was peeking over the city. He rapped loudly on the door and found that it quickly swung open. Mrs. Hudson smiled happily despite the early hour and let him in. He nodded slightly and scooted into the warm study. She closed the door quickly to stop the cold air from getting in, "Go ahead on in, Mr. Holmes is waiting for you with Dr. Watson."
"Um...thanks." She smiled and headed into the kitchen. He brushed some clinging droplets of water off his shoulders and headed into the next room where he found the two sitting exactly where he had left them, and wondering to himself if they ever moved, he continued to stand and cleared his throat. Watson turned to look at him and smiled towards him, "So you're here! Well, I believe that we are ready to go, Holmes?"
The detective nodded, "Of course. So, John, I suppose you remember the quick sketch of a plan I came up with last night?" The boy nodded, "Good, good. Then I do not need to waste our time explaining it. Come on then, let's go. We have a busy day ahead of us." He herded both Watson and John out back out the door and down onto the street, where he had a cabby waiting for them.
He got them into the carriage and nodded towards the driver, "Take us to the docks."
The man nodded and urged the horses into a quick trot. Inside, Holmes settled back into his seat, looking very pleased, as if things were finally starting to come together, and pulled out his pipe, which he had stuck into his coat pocket. Watson stared out the window comfortably, but John wiggled around in his seat, anxious to get the day going, to see what would happen this time.
When they reached the docks, John jumped out before the carriage came to a standstill and jogged over to where he signed in for the day. He got into the short line for workers and Watson and Holmes hurried over to catch up with him. Holmes drew up close so that he could speak with John without anyone else overhearing, "Listen carefully. We will get into the docks so do not be surprised if you see us sneaking around. A little before mid-day, when the workers take their break, come meet us over on the other dock, making sure not to get caught again, and you can show us the way into the factory. We will take it from there."
Jon waved the detective away, "Ya, ya...I got it." He walked up to the sign-in table, scribbled his name down, then walked onto his pier and began to work right away. Watson sighed and shook his head, "That boy does have an attitude, doesn't he?" "Yes, and it is beginning to wear on my nerves...No matter though. Come Watson!" The two men got in line. When they reached the front, Holmes leaned closer to the man in charge, "Jeff, it is me. I talked to you yesterday, remember? Now how about letting my friend and I in?" Jeff scowled a little but let Holmes and Watson pass by. Watson caught Holmes's arm, "Now how did you manage that?" "Let me just say that you would be surprised how far a little persuasion goes, and also by how many informants I have. Look! There is the factory." Watson nodded and the two took off at a fast walk towards the other pier.
***Meanwhile***
John scowled and scuffed his boots on the wooden platform as he began to trudge towards the boat where the crew had just disembarked and where starting to unload. He was about there when someone grabbed him roughly from behind and slammed him against a wall.
John struggled wildly, his arms and legs flailing in the arm, trying to make whoever had grabbed him let go. A body pressed his hard into the wall, and John gasped for breath as a voice said, "Don't ever try to pull a trick like that one yesterday on me again..."
John's mind flew into action. It was the other man that had gotten blamed for when he let the crate slide. "Uh...okay, I won't."
The boy felt a hand press into his spine and he began to tear up, "That's not go enough anymore. Ever since you started you seemed a little uppity for a boy as young as you are, and me and the others guys, we're kinda getting annoyed." John bit his lip to keep down a sarcastic remark and the man eased up on his back a little. "You had better watch yourself, 'cause some day you're gonna push us too far...We wouldn't want that to happen know would we?"
John shook his head and the man let him fall to the ground in a heap, and walked away. John heaved air into his lungs and glared at the receding back of the man and muttered, "...Stupid caveman...someday you'll be the one who's sorry..." He rubbed his back tenderly, "I'm gonna feel that in the morning..."
Just then, Cunders lumbered over just as the other man disappeared around the corner. 'Convenient...Rather too convenient,' thought Jon. The large man scowled at Jon, who quickly stood up, "What do you think you're doing?! Get to work!"
He rubbed the back of his neck, and said rather sarcastically, "Yes sir...". But the sarcasm was lost on Cunders who stalked away. John growled under his breath and walked over to the docks to start working.
***Later, at the factory***
Holmes glanced around as he and Watson stood pressed against the side if the factory and furrowed his brow, "Where is that boy? He should have been here half an hour ago!"
"Perhaps he had trouble getting away from his boss or the other dock workers?"
"No, they are about as brilliant as rocks. It would not take very much to distract them. Ah! Here he comes!" Holmes motioned for John, who was panting, to come over, "Finally! Now that you have arrived, we can begin. I am assuming that you went in through the window, judging by the un- orderly pile of empty boxes beneath it, instead of using the door the last time you came. Am I correct?"
"Yes."
Holmes nodded, "Of course. Unfortunately, I am afraid that it would be impossible for Watson and I to get through that small space, so you will have to go up again and unlock the door from the inside."
"But there is a padlock on the door!"
"Not today. My guess is that yesterday they got a shipment of illegal contraband and they needed the extra security."
"Fine, but I still don't have a way to reach the window..." Holmes pointed to their left and John spotted a long ladder, "...Oh...".
He grabbed the ladder and propped it up against the wall. Before he was about to climb up, Watson rested his hand on John's shoulder, "Listen, if there looks like there will be a problem for you when you reach the top, come back down."
The boy nodded and began his assent to the window for the second time. When he reached the top rung, he was about nose height with the sill of the window. Gingerly, he pulled himself up and landed softly back on the catwalk.
Today, the machines were silent, and he could just barely hear the sounds of footsteps echoing below. He walked as quietly as he could to above the side door, and spotted a ladder that led to the first floor near- by.
He strained his ears to listen for any more sounds, and finding none, he slid down the ladder and landed with a soft thud onto the wooden floor. John froze, and after about five second of having his heart nearly burst from his chest from all the anticipation, finally got his body to move again, and ran over to the door and yanked it open.
Holmes and Watson were waiting for him, and slipped inside. Watson slowly closed the door behind them, and Holmes looked around with an almost curious gleam in his eye, and whispered, somewhat to himself, "Well, well, well, it seems that someone has certainly been busy..."
Watson smiled and began to follow Holmes as the detective slunk through the cavernous room, followed by a very edgy John, who felt his heart jump into his throat every time a board creaked. Their footsteps to him sounded like the pounding of thunder and so he almost had a heart attack when someone to their far left let out a sound of surprise and quickly headed for them.
It was an early wintry morning, and a light mist was already begin to dampen the streets when Jon arrived just as the sun was peeking over the city. He rapped loudly on the door and found that it quickly swung open. Mrs. Hudson smiled happily despite the early hour and let him in. He nodded slightly and scooted into the warm study. She closed the door quickly to stop the cold air from getting in, "Go ahead on in, Mr. Holmes is waiting for you with Dr. Watson."
"Um...thanks." She smiled and headed into the kitchen. He brushed some clinging droplets of water off his shoulders and headed into the next room where he found the two sitting exactly where he had left them, and wondering to himself if they ever moved, he continued to stand and cleared his throat. Watson turned to look at him and smiled towards him, "So you're here! Well, I believe that we are ready to go, Holmes?"
The detective nodded, "Of course. So, John, I suppose you remember the quick sketch of a plan I came up with last night?" The boy nodded, "Good, good. Then I do not need to waste our time explaining it. Come on then, let's go. We have a busy day ahead of us." He herded both Watson and John out back out the door and down onto the street, where he had a cabby waiting for them.
He got them into the carriage and nodded towards the driver, "Take us to the docks."
The man nodded and urged the horses into a quick trot. Inside, Holmes settled back into his seat, looking very pleased, as if things were finally starting to come together, and pulled out his pipe, which he had stuck into his coat pocket. Watson stared out the window comfortably, but John wiggled around in his seat, anxious to get the day going, to see what would happen this time.
When they reached the docks, John jumped out before the carriage came to a standstill and jogged over to where he signed in for the day. He got into the short line for workers and Watson and Holmes hurried over to catch up with him. Holmes drew up close so that he could speak with John without anyone else overhearing, "Listen carefully. We will get into the docks so do not be surprised if you see us sneaking around. A little before mid-day, when the workers take their break, come meet us over on the other dock, making sure not to get caught again, and you can show us the way into the factory. We will take it from there."
Jon waved the detective away, "Ya, ya...I got it." He walked up to the sign-in table, scribbled his name down, then walked onto his pier and began to work right away. Watson sighed and shook his head, "That boy does have an attitude, doesn't he?" "Yes, and it is beginning to wear on my nerves...No matter though. Come Watson!" The two men got in line. When they reached the front, Holmes leaned closer to the man in charge, "Jeff, it is me. I talked to you yesterday, remember? Now how about letting my friend and I in?" Jeff scowled a little but let Holmes and Watson pass by. Watson caught Holmes's arm, "Now how did you manage that?" "Let me just say that you would be surprised how far a little persuasion goes, and also by how many informants I have. Look! There is the factory." Watson nodded and the two took off at a fast walk towards the other pier.
***Meanwhile***
John scowled and scuffed his boots on the wooden platform as he began to trudge towards the boat where the crew had just disembarked and where starting to unload. He was about there when someone grabbed him roughly from behind and slammed him against a wall.
John struggled wildly, his arms and legs flailing in the arm, trying to make whoever had grabbed him let go. A body pressed his hard into the wall, and John gasped for breath as a voice said, "Don't ever try to pull a trick like that one yesterday on me again..."
John's mind flew into action. It was the other man that had gotten blamed for when he let the crate slide. "Uh...okay, I won't."
The boy felt a hand press into his spine and he began to tear up, "That's not go enough anymore. Ever since you started you seemed a little uppity for a boy as young as you are, and me and the others guys, we're kinda getting annoyed." John bit his lip to keep down a sarcastic remark and the man eased up on his back a little. "You had better watch yourself, 'cause some day you're gonna push us too far...We wouldn't want that to happen know would we?"
John shook his head and the man let him fall to the ground in a heap, and walked away. John heaved air into his lungs and glared at the receding back of the man and muttered, "...Stupid caveman...someday you'll be the one who's sorry..." He rubbed his back tenderly, "I'm gonna feel that in the morning..."
Just then, Cunders lumbered over just as the other man disappeared around the corner. 'Convenient...Rather too convenient,' thought Jon. The large man scowled at Jon, who quickly stood up, "What do you think you're doing?! Get to work!"
He rubbed the back of his neck, and said rather sarcastically, "Yes sir...". But the sarcasm was lost on Cunders who stalked away. John growled under his breath and walked over to the docks to start working.
***Later, at the factory***
Holmes glanced around as he and Watson stood pressed against the side if the factory and furrowed his brow, "Where is that boy? He should have been here half an hour ago!"
"Perhaps he had trouble getting away from his boss or the other dock workers?"
"No, they are about as brilliant as rocks. It would not take very much to distract them. Ah! Here he comes!" Holmes motioned for John, who was panting, to come over, "Finally! Now that you have arrived, we can begin. I am assuming that you went in through the window, judging by the un- orderly pile of empty boxes beneath it, instead of using the door the last time you came. Am I correct?"
"Yes."
Holmes nodded, "Of course. Unfortunately, I am afraid that it would be impossible for Watson and I to get through that small space, so you will have to go up again and unlock the door from the inside."
"But there is a padlock on the door!"
"Not today. My guess is that yesterday they got a shipment of illegal contraband and they needed the extra security."
"Fine, but I still don't have a way to reach the window..." Holmes pointed to their left and John spotted a long ladder, "...Oh...".
He grabbed the ladder and propped it up against the wall. Before he was about to climb up, Watson rested his hand on John's shoulder, "Listen, if there looks like there will be a problem for you when you reach the top, come back down."
The boy nodded and began his assent to the window for the second time. When he reached the top rung, he was about nose height with the sill of the window. Gingerly, he pulled himself up and landed softly back on the catwalk.
Today, the machines were silent, and he could just barely hear the sounds of footsteps echoing below. He walked as quietly as he could to above the side door, and spotted a ladder that led to the first floor near- by.
He strained his ears to listen for any more sounds, and finding none, he slid down the ladder and landed with a soft thud onto the wooden floor. John froze, and after about five second of having his heart nearly burst from his chest from all the anticipation, finally got his body to move again, and ran over to the door and yanked it open.
Holmes and Watson were waiting for him, and slipped inside. Watson slowly closed the door behind them, and Holmes looked around with an almost curious gleam in his eye, and whispered, somewhat to himself, "Well, well, well, it seems that someone has certainly been busy..."
Watson smiled and began to follow Holmes as the detective slunk through the cavernous room, followed by a very edgy John, who felt his heart jump into his throat every time a board creaked. Their footsteps to him sounded like the pounding of thunder and so he almost had a heart attack when someone to their far left let out a sound of surprise and quickly headed for them.