TheDarkestShinobi: Enjoy! Please review!
John knows something is wrong after the man in the black jacket crosses the corner. He's being tailed. John lets out a breath as he fists his hands in his pockets. He knows he can take his tail, but if the odds are stacked against him and his tail has friends then he's SOL. John tries to grab his phone, but he doesn't know how to text with it in his pocket.
There's a deli on the next corner with a camera, he can pop in there and lose the tail. Even if that didn't work, there would at least be some video of the man that hopefully the police and Sherlock would be able to use to find him. He watches two other men step out of a car ahead of him and takes them in. Their coats are too warm for the weather; even John has forgone his usual jumper today. They stand tall and have large glasses covering their face. He stops walking as he glares at the two men walking towards him. The corner of his mouth lifts as he breathes out through his nose.
He listens as the footsteps get closer to him. He peeks into the window next to him to see the man is pulling something out of his coat and will be close enough to hit in 3…2…1… John spins as he punches the man. The other man drops the syringe as his hands come up to cover his nose; broken for sure. John turns back to the other two with arms raised but the first of the two swats them to the side with the momentum from John's spin as the other shoves his head down to bend him in half. John feels a little prick in the back of his neck and not much afterwards.
John's head is pounding and he lifts his hands to his head, or he would've had they not been bound together behind his back. He opens his eyes to see Jim in front of him. He furrows his eyebrows in confusion as his fingers start to untie the knot between his hands. He looks the man over and yes, that's Molly's boyfriend sitting in front of him. John lets out a breath as he looks around, not catching up to the situation.
"Jim?"
"You remember me, Johnny boy?" Yes, but just a bit differently than this. John is silent. Moriarty can read the story and thoughts on his face. He was full of expressions. "Jim Moriarty," Moriarty introduces as he leans back in his chair with disapproval. John's eyes widen as he tries harder to untie the knot, no telling what Moriarty will do to him. Molly was dating the criminal mastermind, he couldn't quite believe it.
"Moriarty?" Moriarty asks aloud, "Moriarty from the games? From the cabbie?" John doesn't answer him; Moriarty's look shifts to approval as he smiles a bit. "Nice work on that by the way." John looks away at the implication. "Although I wouldn't be too terribly hurt if you didn't know me, after all, I was only interested in Sherlock myself." John is almost done with the rope.
"Who still hasn't noticed you're gone." Moriarty frowns suddenly, "No. I don't see it, Dr. Watson."
"See what?" John asks as he tugs the last bit out of the knot. Just as he goes to move them away from each other he feels another hand descend on his. John closes his eyes with a small sigh and Moriarty's light up as his frown disappears.
"Ah! Interesting." John doesn't do anything as the man behind him reties the rope, extra tight, around his wrists. John can tell he's going to lose circulation in-there's the tingling feeling. Jim watches the look on John's face turn into a glare and wonders the point of it. John has no hope of escaping Moriarty at this point. Neither of them did. Moriarty continues. "That is a record for untying Moran's knots. Just for doing it, actually. You also broke somebody's nose a few hours ago."
So he's been gone a few hours and Sherlock hasn't noticed he's gone.
"But I suppose you've had practice in Kandahar." John stiffens slightly at the name and Moriarty stands. "Yes, I know all about it." He seems to sing the last part and John maintains the glare as he tries to wiggle his fingers for some circulation. Moriarty turns to walk out of a door behind him and Moran tugs on his own knot. John can feel the pain of the relief as he catches the sight of Moran. A tall, muscular, if not bulky, man covered in black from head to toe. John can't make out any features and watches the door shut and leave him in complete darkness.
John had been in a situation like this before, and Moriarty just told him he knew about all of that. He lets out a sigh as he tries to figure out what Moriarty knew about him. The only safe answer is to assume he knows everything but not to give anything away. He had been to a lot of places oversees, but Kandahar is where everything happened. He shakes his head. The other can't know everything, some things weren't documented. Him being a POW wasn't, those 16 days of hell exist only in his mind and are only evidenced on his body.
If Moriarty knew about Kandahar then there were no secrets. John felt a chill crawl down his spine, was Moriarty going to cause London to be his new nightmare? John shifts, pulling on his ropes. Even if the extent of his stay was unknown, all they had to do was lift his shirt and they'd see all the scars. Someone like him may even be able to tell what made which scars, which ones bled out and which were held shut and burned closed. John shook his head as soon as he felt his leg throb. Focus.
What does Moriarty know? Everything.
What can he give away? Nothing. He closes his eyes.
Will Moriarty hurt him? Maybe. It's different than last time. Last time he was the target, the others wanted revenge and thought the Captain was the person to start with. He was the endgame of that plan. This time he is the bait and Sherlock is endgame. This was meant to scare him and get him into thinking about his other time, maybe even trigger some of his PTSD. It wouldn't work. They wouldn't hurt him too much, if at all. Sherlock. This time everything revolved around Sherlock.
If it had been a few hours, he couldn't could on Sherlock knowing he was missing yet. Any text he sent to check up on him could be answered by Moriarty for the time being; therefore it could be a whole day before Sherlock noticed. John hopes Sherlock doesn't play into Moriarty's hand and get caught. If Moriarty is going to hurt either of them it would need to be John. Sherlock wouldn't be able to survive something like that. John knows what it does to people with ordinary minds, but it would be different for Sherlock. He'd be tied up and know what was going to happen as the others figured it out, he would be able to remember everything that happened. His mind palace would be shattered. John couldn't let that happen.
John shakes his head as he leans forward. His arms strain as he puts all his weight on his toes but it's no use, the chair is too study to break by falling on it. He sets it back down as he tugs on the knot. It would take way too long to untie. John lets out a breath before looking towards the door. The man in all black, Moran, is back and this time he's got a vest of explosives with him. It's small enough to be hidden with a jacket.
"I'm not bombing anyplace." John growls out and hears a high pitched laughter in response.
"Oh, John, that's not really your choice, is it?" John shakes his head, the sand of Kandahar flashes in his mind.
"I will not." He struggles even though he knows it is futile.
"I'll kill Sherlock if you don't." John lets out a snort and shakes his head.
"You like him too much." He tugs again, his shoulder protesting. Jim feels a surge of hope. Moriarty tilts his head in what appears to be interest.
"Not just kill, torture, worse than what you have had to go through." John is sure Moriarty has no idea what he had to go through. Even then, John swallows, he can't. Not even for Sherlock. His life would be one thing, but the victims of the bomb are another and not his to give. Moriarty nods as if he just confirmed something. He motions to John with his hand and Moran gets closer.
"No." John says firmly and repeats himself as Moran starts to place it on his lap. John sees the needle as soon as Moran takes it out, and he has no idea what's in it, but he lets out a string of curses until it renders him unconscious.
It's hot, so hot; too hot for Europe. John's breathing quickens. He can almost hear the voices taunting him. He doesn't understand the words but he knows their meaning. No. When John wakes up he jerks awake, back arching and hand coming up to grab something that's not there.
"Oh dear, it looks like we've traumatized him." John blinks twice before he can really see, and he locks eyes with the man with a gun trained on his head. He knows the man must be a good shot because he is wearing the vest from before.
"No, we didn't have to." John shifts his gaze to spot Moran a few feet away. He knows what Moran doesn't say: someone else did. He is already defective. "Now, Dr. Watson, I'm going to explain the situation and then you are going to do exactly as you are told." John doesn't shift.
"I really, sincerely, doubt that."
Trust issues
…
"This is a turn-up, isn't it, Sherlock?" John blinks rapidly three times as soon as Sherlock turns around to see him. He is ridiculously hot in this parka and under that gaze.
"John," He blinks slowly this time, three times. Sherlock is still holding out the drive "What the hell." Three fast blinks, but Sherlock doesn't show relief. John hears Moriarty laugh. Moriarty must've read what Sherlock couldn't. No matter.
"Bet you never saw this coming." He repeats and Sherlock walks towards him. John repeats his series of blinks; now that Sherlock is focused on him he should see it. He should. He doesn't.
"Oh Johnny, he sees but does not observe," John knows the wording is on purpose.
I think he wants to be distracted.
John pulls open the parka at Moriarty's request and curses the two of them and their boredom. He wonders why he has to be the one in between them.
"What would you like me to make him say next?" John asks Sherlock who seems relieved at it and searches around for him. And John hates the next exchange with every part of him, because it was, word for word, what Jim told him it would be.
"I've given you a glimpse…" And that's what it was, a glimpse. "No one ever gets to me, and no one ever will." And still Sherlock responds with the exact words Jim told him before. "…even 30 million quid…" John shakes his head because he still can't believe it. As Moriarty continues, John has to stop himself from yelling fuck it and just tackling the mad wanker.
Finally, Sherlock asks if he's alright, after Moriarty and he have talked. Moriarty told John to wait for his okay, and then he would say he's alright now. Thing is, John hated this script in Moriarty's head and the fact that the universe seems content to follow it. He would not. He looks Sherlock in the eye and nods. Despite his little change, the rest of the script goes as planned. When Moriarty tosses the plans, John disrupts his plans again; charging towards the madman and hoping someone will shoot him and end this now.
Moriarty seems pleased; he yells 'good, very good' and John wonders if this is still part of Moriarty's plan. But then, it doesn't matter too much, as long as Sherlock gets out of here safely.
When the laser sight is on Sherlock's head and Moriarty twists slightly in his hold to look at him, John realizes there is no hope. This is all according to plan. Except it's not, not for Moriarty because each act from John causes Jim to stir and question. Jim is pushing back and Moriarty isn't equipped to deal with this all at once. Tactical retreat, then. John lets go and Jim quiets a bit. Moriarty continues with his plan and John feels like screaming. Nothing he did could change anything.
When Sherlock falls to a knee John feels the first rush of panic. He yells his name a few times to try and get Sherlock to say something hoping his voice will break the memory.
Captain!
I found him!
Help me untie his legs!
As soon as the vest comes off breathing becomes the task. He's too cold. He yells Sherlock again but Sherlock moves past him without a sound. When they untied John in Kandahar he fell to his knees, unable to support his weight. He almost falls on them here before remembering he hasn't been suspended in air and he can catch himself. Still cold.
"Oh, Christ."
It worked.
John tries to talk about people talking, anything to get his mind off of this. When he rises he spots the laser sights again and shakes his head. When Sherlock asks him, with a look, if he's okay with Sherlock's plan he nods. Moriarty needs to be taken down, no matter the cost. John had been prepared to lay down his life before and this is no different. Instead, when the phone rings and Moriarty walks out, John is left sitting in the back of an ambulance with an orange blanket wondering how he has cheated death again.
He also spends the time telling himself that the weather is not too cold right now, the air is not too clean and there is no need to sleep with his gun under his pillow.
TDS: What do you think?