I know, it has been AGES since I last updated this story. And I have no forgiveness, I know it all. I wanted to apologise for the... What, fourth, fifth time in this story? I can't believe I have been so irresponsible with this and had no time to update this and leave you all hanging on the fifth chapter. But now, today is the day I make a promise that I will maintain until the end: I will continue and finish this story before the summer ends. I just want to thank any of my followers who still want to give me another chance and read me, I will try my best to not disappoint you nor leave you without new chapters again (and a warm welcome to the new readers, yay!). I have been thinking and, not counting this one, this story will probably have one or two more chapters before it comes to an end, so... Thank you so much, I am really sorry for everything and enjoy this new chapter! Comments and any kind of opinions in what I can re-write to make it better will be more than welcomed!
Love!
Chapter 6
"Listen to me. Just listen. Do not say a word. Please. I can't say your name because he will discover I am talking to you, and I won't be saying anything that will make sense at first, so I trust your skills on decoding messages. I am supposedly just recording the steps and the description of the actions we will be committing, so please, be silent. We have one second left before he establishes the connection and starts listening to our conversation, so let me say it: I love you." – John says it all in a rushed tone, as fast as he can, with a tired, full of pain voice. At the other end of the line the silence is fulfilling the whole pause in that conversation. As if he was the best of the actors, the good old doctor continues his speech with a neutral tone, changing completely – "Everything ready for the show, the coordination and the disposition are correct in all senses. We'll try to be as discreet as possible, as well as quick. Once done, we'll head to the basement, getting rid of the whole material, as He said. Time won't be an advantage, on the contrary, it's very limited, but we have no doubts about the success of the entire operation. Plus, we have to count on the tip about being able to easily drive to the basement." – He stops for a second, not ready to hang up yet... Not yet, please... – "Here talking John Hamish Watson, ex-army doctor and new associate."
The line cuts off. Even the beat of his heart can't be heard by himself. He still hasn't separated the mobile phone from his ear... It was him. It was John. An empty, automaton and dead on the inside John. But it was him.
As if a powerful force hits him hard, Sherlock quickly stands up, nearly throwing himself to his desk in search of a piece of paper and a pen to write down the exact words that John has just addressed him...
Once written down... Three beeps.
"He called."
"I need more details than that, Sherlock."
"I'm sending you what he told me. I'm already decoding it, but I'll tell you what I got later. Now, do research in my last received calls and find the location."
"It's an unknown number-"
"And you are in the British Government. If your full of reputation job can't do anything against such a thing I'll be acting alone from now."
He throws his phone to the nearest soft place. It's the only object that can make him know any minimal thing from John... He can't risk to break it although his hurricane of different emotions tells him otherwise.
"Everything ready for the show, the coordination and disposition are correct..." – he starts reading in a quite inaudible tone.
The case was on. The most important case of his whole career. It is here when our consulting detective feels, for the first time in his work, true fear. Fear to the unknown, fear to the possibility of losing, fear to do the wrong deductions... Fear to the consequences. And that is, definitely, not a good sign.
-oOoOoOo-
His shaking hands are one of the most difficult things to hide and control. He didn't have the chance to hear a single word from him, but his only breathing was enough to calm him. He wishes it could have been different, though. He tries not to think about how much he needed that "I love you too" to continue with this hell. But this was the only way it was possible. It was the safer option for Sherlock. The advantage they had was Jim Moriarty's impossibility to know if his "pet" was calling someone or if he was recording what John had suggested as a good idea before taking part in any kind of plan, as he did in Afghanistan. His "perfect" high-technology systems allowed the man to get into any mobile phone of his network during a conversation or during a recording without being detected or heard almost immediately. Almost. John trusted that "almost" as well as his knowledge about that technology and its difficulties to give the owner information about the action of calling or recording. He couldn't miss the opportunity to let Sherlock know he's fine... For now. He just... He just hopes this hasn't been a mistake. He just thinks about his man and his reaction... Just wishing it to be the one he wants it to be: the one where Sherlock stays still and doesn't try to locate him and save him.
"Pet." – says the man with the cold eyes – "Take it. It's the profile of the person you'll be shooting today." – He handles him a slim brown folder – "You better not fail, we all know you are a great shooter. If you do, I'll know you did it on purpose. And that means..." – He gets closer to the blonde's face – "It means there will be a lot of bad, real, real bad consequences." – He says in a lower tone, threatening, finishing the sentence with an odd childish little chuckle. – "Have I been clear?"
"Yes" – answers quickly, in an emotionless tone the ex-army doctor.
"Yes...?" – He gestures with the hands, inviting John to continue.
"Yes... Sir." – Adds with a sigh.
"That's much better, Johnny boy." – Says Moriarty while he ruffles the short man's hair – "I can begin to understand why the dull Sherlock Holmes liked you so much." – John clenches his jaw before the suited up man adds – "13:00 pm. Trafalgar Square. My men will guide you to your position. Don't fail."
He opens then the folder and a muffled shout of horror is merely contained.
"Wait! Wait, I can't- This is impossible...! – John says. But there's no one else to listen to his words in the room.
-oOoOoOoOo-
Sherlock has been hours sitting down on the floor with three pens, two pencils with the tip broken and fifteen sheets of paper with the different interpretations he has written down of the original message. Although having such an elevated number, he has one in hand that keeps reading over and over: the one he is sure it is the correct decoding. He picks up his phone.
"Two calls in a day. I never expect even one in an eternity from you."
"Write down all I am going to say, I can't lose a second." Sherlock says coldly, ignoring his brother's comment.
"I'm listening."
"The first sentence Everything ready for the show, the blah blah blah" – shortens – "He's referring to himself, to his physical and mental state as well as an action that will be soon known and done."
"That's a shot in the dark."
"That is not a shot in the dark." – He says in an angry tone. After breathing a single time the detective continues. - "The second sentence referring to discretion and being quick has hidden half a truth and half a lie. Why do I say that? Because Moriarty can never and will never be discreet. He loves being the protagonist more than anything. John knows this action that was a shot in the dark for you is going to be, maybe not big, but certainly known and spread. On the other hand, the velocity of the act is not questionable. Although Moriarty is a junkie of any dramatic situations you can imagine, he's efficient, quick and clean in his daily objectives. You have everything until now?"
"Every single word."
"Fine. The next one is quite confusing. Starting at the basement reference, it could be anywhere. It's clear that John doesn't want me to find him because he has given no clues, he doesn't want me hurt as he said in his video, but he forgot I can read him like an open book, and there are some details in that simple reference he isn't even aware he has revealed. The basement expression refers to a dark, probably abandoned place that is not occupied all the time by Jim's presence but it is full of his men."
"Dark and abandoned are very general details to concrete a certain point."
"But it allows you to put a cross on some of the locations we have thought about, reducing the number of places to start a research."
"True. Continue."
"Now the part of getting rid of the whole material as Moriarty said. That is a huge thing. Whatever they are going to do, it requires some kind of material, probably guns, we're talking about Jim after all. So they will be left somewhere nobody will want to go and look for them. It can be the Thames, or any place that makes the research difficult or improbable. It will depend on the location of the action. And it is an order, obviously."
"Anything else?"
"Yes. The next one, it talks about two, even three different types of time: the time it will take them to accomplish the mission is very short and established, they are very well threatened to take part in the exact duration under the pressure of having consequences." – He says that last word in a lower tone than before – "The second type it's located in the next sentence: the driving is easy to the basement, it means they will avoid driving through the always filled with infinite cars centre of London, meaning the basement is not in the city itself."
"What about the third type of time?"
He takes a second after that question. The third...
"The third is hidden in the previous sentence, in the same words as the first type. I understood there that..." – He stops, trying to calm down – "That John is trying to stand this, and he's managing, but he won't be able to do it for longer." – He adds, his hands closing strongly and making his knuckles go white.
"That will not happen. We will find him before anything similar happens."
"You never say such things when we have nothing to grab to. Why are you now?"
"Because we do have something to grab to. Turn on the TV. BBC news."
He quickly gets to the living room and turns on the TV. He listens carefully as a man explains how in Trafalgar Square hundreds of people have seen how a middle aged woman who still hasn't been recognised has been shot from an unknown point right into the head, cause her an immediate death. Sherlock's surprise grows bigger when a photo of the victim is displayed on the TV screen.
"She was one of the victims."
"Excuse me?"
"She was one of the victims Moriarty obligated to put on the Semtex vest. We saved her." – He says, still looking at the screen as if it was non-sense what he was watching.
"He will probably follow the path."
"Or that's what he wants us to think."
"You perfectly know this is a trap for you, don't you?"
"I know it is. And he doesn't know I do. Because he thinks feelings will make me blind and desperate. In other words, they'll make me the perfect target. And that's what I will make him believe. I'll be making my best interpretation."
"We have to set up a plan."
"I already have it. Have you found the location of the call finally?"
"Yes. Apparently the call was dialled from Kyoto, Japan." – Mycroft sighs. – "They hacked it. They know what they are doing."
"Moriarty always knows what he's doing. For now, please, send me a car. We're heading to Trafalgar Square. John must have left his riffle near."
"Be ready." – He hangs up.
I'm always ready he thinks. John has been obligated to kill her... He must be devastated, and Jim knows it. He knows this is way worse for him than any kind of physical torture he can give him...
He rubs his temples and closes his eyes as he hears the bell downstairs. A last thought races his mind: Hold on, John. I'm coming to save you.