A Dish Best Served Cold
Summary: Moriarty is out rule the world once again and he's had it with Sherlock Holmes's interference. He has a plan, but the detective's friends may pay the ultimate price.
DisclaimerAll Publicly Recognizable Characters, Settings, Ideas, etc. are the Property of DiC Entertainment and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Original Characters and Plot are the Property of the Author. The Author is in no way Associated with the Owners, Creators, or Producers of DiC Entertainment. No Copyright Infringement is intended.
Chapter 18 - A Women named MaceDocks Near the Thames River
Holmes was to meet his source, a women named Mace, by the docks at a nice, fairly quiet, café. The detective was to pay for her meal and tell her what news he himself had of the underworld—which meant communicating to her what he had been through.
Throughout his dealings with this informant Holmes had been very conscious of her unusual temperament, Mace seemed to be a child trapped in an adult's body. Her emotions were always at the surface ready to break out—though she had a great deal of control over her temper, and rarely (if ever) allowed it to take control— another thing that sometimes bothered the Victorian and therefore defined this women, was that she seemed to find everything hilariously funny.
During one of their earlier meetings she had said something to anger him, some trivial matter not worth cluttering one's brain attic— and he had given her one of his icy cold glares that often took people aback or caused them to focus there attention elsewhere, Mace on the other hand had burst out in inordinate laughter
His mind drifted back to the scene…
…"Ha ha ha ha," the red head attempted unsuccessfully to stifle her outburst, "hmmm hehehehe—sorry, sorry—hahahaha you just look so funny glaring like that! So stiff and—ha haha!" She continued to exclaim in a similar manner until the sheer force of her enjoyment caused her to fall off the chair she had been sitting on and onto the floor. It was another minute before she regained adequate composure to sit down once more…
Needless to say, he'd never fixed her with one of his icy glares again; though, his milder angry glares never caused her to lose herself to such a degree, she seemed able to confine herself to a small smile during such instances.
She was always well informed about the goings-on's of the underworld. She did make her living by buying and trading information after all. Although unfortunately for Holmes, she was a fan who had been reading about him for years.
They met once a week, and if he had no new information to trade for hers' he would have to tell her a story of one of his cases – either from this life or the last. Honestly he would have preferred to give her money.
Holmes knew little of her past besides the fact that her parents were killed when she was thirteen. After their deaths she had found odd jobs to do in order to earn money.
These various employments had included being the lookout for burglaries and transporting illegal goods into the city. She had done some travelling and learned interesting tricks along the way.
These tricks included pick-pocketing, slight of hand, combat, interrogation techniques and…poker. She was an avid poker player, which suited her since she was very talented at reading people; even Holmes - a gifted actor himself - had trouble getting a lie past her.
Mace looked up as he approached. "Got some great stuff for you Sherlock", she said enjoying the wince he gave in response to the familiar term. She smirked, flicking some of her fiery red hair away from her face 'Man this guy's fun to annoy!'
Seating himself, the detective noticed that the backpack that was usually (and almost literally) glued to her, was on the ground beside her and not for the first time he wondered what was in it.
"I apologise for my absence during our previous engagement but I was rather preoccupied."
"Tell me about it," she ordered leaning forward like the child eager for a story that she was.
"I would rather communicate the events you once the case has been completed."
"From what I hear you could be dead by then," she prodded leaning back in her chair in a casual manner
Holmes gave her a wry, mirthless smile. "Time is of the essence, it would take far too long to relate the narrative to you with appropriate detail, even should we have sufficient time, it has – as yet – no conclusion."
"That's never bothered me before."
Holmes sighed, she was right of course. Mace, though she loved a good story, was also interested in the science of his profession and so he had told her about many of his failures, which Watson had always said would make poor stories.
He had, at first hoped these tales would dissuade her from requesting her unusual form of payment. No such luck.
"As I have previously assured you, it would take far too great a time to relate."
"Liar," she declared with a grin, "You should never lie to an avid poker player Sherlock, half my income comes from the table… more like three fourths actually, when you consider the information I gain from them. You could sum it up well enough; you just don't want to because it was an emotional experience, and you're not ready.
None the less it is my price." She took note of the look on Holmes' face. It was subtle; his expression but Mace could tell he truly dreaded the idea and simply wasn't ready to discuss it. He looked so uncomfortable and tired, even haggard, that she decided to have mercy on him.
"All right Sherlock we can discuses the matter one week after the case's conclusion. We'll have a special meeting to devote to it, since it's so long and all." Mace thought she was being nice giving the detective a week to collect his thoughts and reign in his emotions. Holmes appeared somewhat relieved. "But I still want a story for today, it can be a short one, but I want one."
Holmes sighed this girl certainly knew how to take advantage of a situation.
"I'm not taking advantage," she assured him reading his expression. "You missed our last meeting and I had other plans for today that I am missing. You owe me a story."
Holmes sighed once again "Very well, I shall acquaint you with the various reasons why I was offered and ended in refusing - a knighthood in my previous life."
Mace leaned forward and her expression assumed the very definition of an avaricious child.
An hour later the tale had been told and a meal eaten. Holmes once more turned to his companion "Your turn."
Mace's expression became thoughtful and worried as she leaned back and looked at where her plate had been before the waiter had whisked it to the kitchen"When I heard you had gone missing, Sherlock, I scoured the pubs, the underground, the crack houses, I looked everywhere. Moriarty has his hands in a lot of gambling dens and the like, even a few whore houses, got a couple friends in those. He's also behind a fair amount of burglary rings—not just in London or even all of the U.K—he's branched out into the Americas, but of course you already know all this."
"What my point is, is that when you run such an organization you have to hire muscle, and lots of it, in every city you work in, even more in the one you live in. For this reason I know a lot of people who work for him, some of them, nice chaps looking for a meal ticket. It should have been fairly easy to find someone who knew where you were and fairly simple to extract the information from them." This last part she said with a hint of a sadistic smile that reminded him of Kerai.
"But Holmes, I couldn't find anyone, who knew anything, I have never tried so hard to find information as I did for the days you were missing but I found squat. Well, maybe not squat. One of my informants couldn't tell me the location of Moriarty's then current base but he did tell me of a few other bases Moriarty has in the London area. I've done some checking, and only in one of those is there any sign of a fair amount of recent activity."
She stopped her narrative and looked at the man across from her. His expression was still stone faced, but she could see the eagerness in his eyes. She reached down into the pocket of her grey coat and pulled out a piece of paper.
"Here is the location, as well as a few entrances, though I could not find any security details." Her tone was apologetic, as she handed the paper to him.
He responded with a nod, "Thank you."
The detective got up from his chair but Mace grabbed his wrist as he turned to go. "Holmes," she said as he turned back around to face her, a look of annoyance on his features.
"Be careful," she pleaded.
…I have never tried so hard to find information as I did for the days you were missing…
Holmes remembered the words and realised that Mace had truly been worried about him.
He was surprised, as she always acted rather aloof but nonetheless he smiled and his expression softened. "I will be."
Mace did not look convinced, still clutching his wrist she persisted, "You won't go in there without help or backup?"
"Rest assured I am not reckless to such an extreme," the red head's face assumed and expression of scepticism and practically shouted 'like bloody hell you're not!' Holmes smiled and walked away, forcing his companion to release her grip.
Lestrade was not having fun. She was still a bit sleepy due to the drug and Greyson was insisting she get some rest. Naturally, she refused and just as naturally he had given her desk duty. Annoyed, Lestrade left to find Murdock. He and Johnson had been working pretty close today and she was sure he knew what was going on.
The inspector knocked on the top of his desk. "Murdock?" she asked. The sergant was looking intently at his monitor. He looked up as she approached.
"Hey Lestrade, how you feeling?"
"I'll feel better once you've talked to me." She replied staring at him from across the desk.
He smiled. "Hey, no problem, unfortunately there isn't much to tell, you guys had already uncovered most of the data that hadn't been deleted. Equipment - wise there wasn't much to find.
"It looks like they moved some pretty heavy stuff if the scrapes on the floor are any indication. All they left were the droids you blew up and fried, and some medical equipment. We were able to tell that they used a train to move everything, the lack off dust on the tracks made it obvious which route they took, however they also collapsed several tunnels and we're still trying to pick up the trail.
"At least that's what I gather from Johnson's report. I just got back from interviewing, the president's entourage, saw Deidre, Wiggins, Watson and the droid that's been christened Shinwell as I was leaving. I told them where they could find a good vantage point and when and where the presidents would be dinning. As well as where a few side entrances are located and where they could acquire some uniforms."
"Do you have to encourage them?"
"Hey, figure they're safer if they know what they're doing, 'sides this way they won't mind telling me about some of the things they find. I'm just trying to stay informed. Besides," he continued with puppy dog eyes, "Kids need encouragement in order to become productive members of society." (1)
"You've been spending way too much time with Deidre." replied Lestrade as Murdock put on a mock-innocent grin, she sighed, "So what did you find out from the interviews?"
"Well the entourage hasn't noticed the presidents acting oddly, besides a bit of forgetfulness, mind you, they don't know them very well, so that's not saying much. Unfortunately, British Intelligence and U.N officials, seem to think that proves you and Holmes wrong."
"So basically, you found nothing."
"Not that I can see, sorry you couldn't interview them Beth, but Greyson's right, you've been through a lot and need to rest."
Lestrade glared, "I'm fine."
"For now, yes, but you shouldn't push yourself." Seeing that this conversation was going nowhere he decided to change topics. "Well at any rate the point is, is that it looks like we're on our own and even Greyson is reluctant to believe the story."
"Oi, Lestrade," Johnson said from a few feet away "Olmes is here to see you, 'e's in the lobby."
The inspector suddenly looked like as though she were about to take the life of some unsuspecting and not wholly innocent creature. Johnson took a step back as Lestrade walked past him towards the lobby.
The detective was waiting patiently for her, usually he would go straight to her desk but the lobby was far more crowded at the moment, so he felt safer.
"Sherlock Holmes!" raged Lestrade as she strode over to the detective. 'Damit,' she snarled mentally, 'he couldn't have waited for me in a more private area? I can't maul him in front of all these witnesses.'
"What do you want?" She snapped upon reaching him.
"I must speak to you and Chief Inspector Greyson immediately. I believe I have located Moriarty's current base."
Lestrade smiled sadistically at the thought of getting her hands on Moriarty. Holmes saw her fingers twitch in anticipation of wrapping them around the villain's throat—at least he hoped it was Moriarty's throat she was envisioning—not his own.
"Well let's go find him then, shall we?" the inspector turned, and started walking straight to Greyson's office.
"Is this source properly registered with the Yard?" Greyson demanded once Holmes told him what he had found.
"Are you kidding? Greyson, I am aware that you are certainly not the most observant of individuals, but surely you have noticed that my sources are, without exception, never formally registered?"
Greyson bristled at Holmes's tone. "Then I don't see how we can take her word on the matter."
"Sir we have to follow every lead." Lestrade interjected.
"Where exactly is this base supposedly located?" Holmes handed him the piece of paper Mace had given him.
"'Ave you lost your mind? This area of the underground was sealed up years ago—there's no way Moriarty could be using it."
"Unless of course he has taken the liberty of unsealing it," replied Holmes in his patronizing 'I'm-Talking-To-A-Three-Year-Old Voice.'
This – of course – only served to make Greyson even angrier. "I'll not waste time sending officers to a sealed area of the underground on the word of some street punk not properly registered with the yard. Lestrade I told you to file paper work and I expect you to do that. Olmes you can do whatever you want so long as you stay out of the yard's way." With that he sat down and put the piece of paper on his desk where Holmes could reach it. "You're dismissed."
With that, Holmes and Lestrade left the office.
"Well that went well," Lestrade said brightly, "Let me see that paper."
The Victorian handed it to her.
"Hmm…" with that she ran to her desk and copied down the information she then went to see Murdock, Holmes trailing behind her.
"Murdock."
"Hey Lestrade," the Sergeant looked up from his desk.
"Me and Holmes are going to pick up Watson and check out what Greyson thinks is a dead-end—we'll be at this location," she handed him the paper with the copied information scribbled across it. "If you don't hear from us in three hours… worry." With that she turned to go. She stopped at the doorway "By the way, could you keep an eye on the Irregulars for us?"
"Ya sure thing."
"Thanks," she turned to Holmes "Let's go."
On the way to the hotel where the conference dignitarieswere staying, they contacted Watson and updated him on the way, so he was outside waiting for them when they arrived.
Although Watson had told Wiggins and Deidre to stay in contact and not to leave the premises alone. He was still unsure if it was a good idea to leave Wiggins to follow the president of Quaqdic alone. Perhaps he should have instructed him to stay with Miss Deidre, but the two where in the same building five minutes away and in constant contact so they should be fine.
Still, a lot can happen in five minutes.
Watson climbed in the back of the hovercar and addressed his two companions, "What have you two found?"
"Moriarty's present location," Holmes replied.
"Splendid, but where is the rest of the yard?"
"Greyson doesn't buy it, no back up." Lestrade informed him shortly.
"I see…we are on our own then."
"Yep we'll land in about twenty minutes and after that it's a fifteen minute walk."
The rest of the trip passed in silence.
Footnote:
You'll never know where this came from… mwahahahaha!
Next update will be on the 30 of December before noon.