Sherlock slammed his eyes closed again as Jim Moriarty turned around and decisively headed back towards where the detective was sitting. Sherlock briefly zoned out to try to place where Sebby had headed, quickly noting that he too seemed to be walking in the same direction as Jim.
Sherlock steeled himself, taking a deep breath whilst still feigning discomfort from the brightness of the room, by squinting with a faint moan. Jim resulting chuckle reassured him that his performance was sufficiently convincing.
He settled himself, steadying his heart rate - something he had taught himself to do as a drug user, in order to disguise his repeated use and highs - and focusing his thoughts on the job in hand. The element of surprise would mean that he could easily take down one of the men, but disabling two would require rather more effort. As he became aware of Sebby's proximity, he decided to take him down first, he being the stronger man of the two and the most likely to be immediately armed.
He chewed on his bottom lip and counted to ten...
"Greg is meeting us there?" John questioned Mycroft, asking a variant of what was essentially the same question, for the fourth time. Mycroft just grinned tolerantly and turned to John, noting that they were approaching their destination as the car began to slow.
"The tactical unit, along with Detective Inspector Lestrade, will be on site before we are... although," he hesitated briefly as the car rounded a corner and slowed to a stop, "we are here. And I can see the unit are parked around the corner." Mycroft motioned to the two armoured vehicles parked in the side street and he reached for the door handle at the same time as the 'heavy' moved to open it for the men. John shuffled himself out of the car, reaching, almost without conscious thought, for his weapon behind him.
"I assure you that we shall be quite safe, John."
Trust Mycroft to notice even the most subtle of moves. John rolled his eyes and laughed.
"Sure... sure. Just checking." John huffed out a breath. He wasn't used to someone criticising his attention to his weapon. Sherlock was quite used to it. John's face fell at the reminder of Sherlock and the reason why they were there, as if he could have forgotten.
"What's the plan then?" he asked Mycroft, his voice hushed as if walls and pavements had ears before his face relaxed a little as he saw Greg approach from around the corner.
"You'd better check with the boss." Mycroft nodded in the direction of the Detective Inspector, and Greg laughed as he heard the elder Holmes' comment. It wasn't often he felt like the boss when Mycroft Holmes was concerned, and even less often that he was referred to as one.
"Jim Moriarty, Sherlock and two unknowns are in room 621." he began, scanning the area to ensure that the tactical team were all in place
"Wait," John interrupted, grabbing hold of Greg's forearm in a mild state of panic, "Jim has two others with him?"
"Well," Greg nodded, placing his free hand over that of the concerned doctor, "yes, but one, we believe, is an additional victim. There appears to be only one additional perpetrator."
Mycroft groaned and both Greg and John turned to him.
"Jim would know that adding a second victim would motivate Sherlock further. Because of that, my brother may feel compelled to do something stupid." he said blankly. "It was unnecessary, of course. Sherlock would have given him..."
"Mycroft..." Greg pulled from John's touch and laid his own arm on Mycroft's. "Mycroft. He'll be fine. I promise you, he will be fine."
John resisted the urge to raise his eyebrow at the scenario before him, almost feeling like an intruder in a 'moment' that appeared private.
Mycroft nodded and raised his eyes to Greg's.
"I'm sure you are correct, Greg." he replied, chewing nervously, once more, on his bottom lip. "I presume that Tactical are awaiting your instruction?"
Greg cleared his throat before responding and stepping back a little, the physical proximity of Mycroft Holmes being, momentarily, someone overwhelming.
"They are." he finally said, nodding in the direction of a dark-clad man who was holding an impressively large weapon. John suddenly felt rather inadequate with his army-issue Sig.
"OK then." Mycroft briefly placed his hand on top of Greg's before the moment was over and the two men broke apart, "Let's get this over with."