So, I'm still feeling a bit ropey. It seems this cold has knocked me for six and thrown out all my writing plans for the weekend :(. Fear not however, this chapter is all ready for you. The waiting will soon be over.
Chapter 19
They settled themselves as comfortably as they could in the dark and Molly hugged herself into Sherlock's side. She was still a little embarrassed about her meltdown earlier and didn't want to let her claustrophobia get the better of her. Comfortingly, as she leant against him, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer.
'Do you think Lestrade and John will get here in time? If not, do we have a plan?'
She could feel him shrug before he answered, 'I texted them our location before we came down here but I have no phone signal now. As for a plan...I'm sure something will occur to me as we go along...it normally does.'
They chatted for a little while longer but Molly surprised herself by falling asleep. Sherlock made her feel safe and secure in a way none of her other partners had ever done. Curiously the only other who had given her this feeling had been her short lived dalliance with Moriarty.
She came to when Sherlock placed his hand across her mouth and shook her gently, 'shhhh.'
She nodded to show she understood and his hand left her face. She could hear footsteps and voices getting closer, flickering candle light creeping into the entrance of the tunnel they were hiding in before passing on by. Molly counted about six people. A couple of minutes later another two went past; their capes rustling as they walked.
Sherlock waited until he was sure everyone that was using that passageway already had and then he took Molly's hand leading them slowly, in the dark, back towards the room. As they got close they hunkered down so as to not draw attention to themselves.
Already there was a low hum of chanting from those gathered in a circle on the outer edges of the pentacle. There was a strange smell of incense in the air and Sherlock indicated to Molly that she should put on her breathing apparatus as he put his own on. She fumbled with it a little trying to remember how Sherlock had told her to attach it and activate it but she soon felt the clean air entering her lungs.
Above the chanting were the cries of a young girl and Molly's heart went out to her. She started to rise, instinct making her want to go to her but Sherlock took hold of her wrist pulling her back down and shaking his head. They needed to bide their time. Molly knew Sherlock was hoping for back up before they had to act but she was scared it wasn't going to come. Their only defence would be Sherlock's wits and the gun she'd seen him slip into the inside pocket of his suit jacket before they'd left his bedroom.
Molly looked into the room past the cloaks of the two people stood just in front of the tunnel entrance. She recognised Lily from her photo but only just. She was thinner than the photo and her hair was limp and unwashed. She was lying roped to the stone table wearing nothing but a thin satin nightdress which barely covered her modesty. She was pulling on the restraints at her wrist and pitifully begging the people gathered around her for help.
Gradually the chanting grew louder and louder and there was a rumbling noise in the background building the atmosphere. Someone was using a sound system to accentuate the noise in the room to great effect. Just as the chanting reached a crescendo they all stopped and there was utter silence.
A deep synthetic voice came from off to the right where Molly knew the altar was but she couldn't see the originator, 'Welcome. Tonight my friends, we celebrate Walpurgis...and what a celebration we have planned. For too long we have been dormant, for too long we have been complaisant but no longer. Tonight we put Almsbury on the maps once more. From this night forth our village will be the pinnacle, the centre of chaos and darkness. Tonight we raise our master...we raise he to whom we owe everything, our very existence. Tonight we will come face to face with the Demon of the Abyss...and we will make him our slave...Choronzon will be at our beck and call and we will become triumphant.'
The people around Lily started to sing, raising up their arms, swaying from side to side. Molly could see those same familiar masks that she'd seen surrounding her and Sherlock and it made her feel sick with anger that they were terrorising this poor girl and for what...a stupid myth. The only thing they'd be raising tonight would be their insanity levels.
Whoever was leading the group started to walk around the stone table and as he came past still spouting his propaganda mixed with Latin phrases and other languages Molly saw a slim, male body encased in black leather trousers, naked from the waist up and wearing a large black mask similar to the goat embossed on the altar cloth. The horns rose up from his head: twisted and dripping blood. But by far the most bizarre item he wore though was a huge black dildo strapped to his groin, jutting out in front of him.
Molly saw his hand trail down Lily's body as he walked past her. She saw the girl try to pull away, twisting her body to one side. Where he had touched her he left streaks of blood; it looked as though something had already been sacrificed that night.
As he got to the bottom of the table and looked up at the prone body of his young victim Molly saw Sherlock remove the gun from his pocket. It looked as if they had run out of time, they were going to have to do this themselves.
Sherlock shifted so he was closer to Molly, 'I'm not going to be able to hold them off for long. Concentrate on freeing Lily and when you do just leave, don't wait for me. Get hold of Lestrade or John as soon as you can.'
Molly's heart felt as though it were going to beat out of her chest. She watched as the self-proclaimed leader stood on the table between Lily's leg, he was lewdly stroking the dildo and thrusting his hips. Every move he made seemed to cause a reaction in the surrounding group who started to moan, Molly could even see some of them touching themselves, flashes of naked bodies beneath the cloaks they wore. The whole scene just made her feel sick.
SHSHSHSHSHSHSHSH
Sherlock was waiting for the last possible moment before he made a move. He knew absolutely that he wouldn't be able to control this group for long but he hoped it would be long enough for Molly to get the girl to safety.
He kept his eyes on the leader. He knew who he was now and berated himself for not seeing it earlier. He always missed something. The man was obviously a psychopath and very good at manipulating his own personality to perfection. He could have given Moriarty a run for his money on that score.
At the point when he threw off the dildo and started to unbutton his trousers Sherlock knew he'd run out of time. He stood and as he entered the hall he fired his gun into the ceiling. Within a couple of seconds Molly skirted round him and started to tug at the knots at Lily's wrist. A swell of pride at her actions caught him a little by surprise. He knew she was scared but here she was doing exactly what he'd asked her to do.
At the sound of the gun all the chanting ceased and he felt every eye turn to him. Those nearest too him had fallen back away from him. He aimed his gun very clearly at the man on the stone table. The black mask was turned in his direction and an unholy laugh came from the sound system attached to it.
'Mister Holmes, I was so hoping you would drop in on our festivities. What took you so long?'
'Well, I was curious to see just how pathetic your ceremony was but I realise it's not worth watching. I've seen much better in far less grand surroundings. Really...it's a disappointment.'
The man lithely jumped down and walked slowly towards Sherlock who just as slowly backed away from him, keeping the gun pointed at his chest.
'I don't think you realise what a precarious position you and your slut have put yourself in. Do you think a gun can stop us? We're ready to face the fires of hell, to glory in death and destruction...' As he spoke he flicked his right hand towards Sherlock. Immediately one of the cloaked figures ran towards the detective forcing him to turn and fire the gun.
Even as the acolyte fell clutching his shoulder another came at Sherlock from the left and he knew the game was up. He fired again but his concentration was on Molly and how she was doing but it was no good; she and Lily weren't free and his worst nightmare was coming true. He hadn't protected her he had just put her in harm's way.
He dropped the gun as he felt multiple hands roughly taking hold of his arms pinning them painfully behind his back. He could see Molly had also been stopped and another of this sick cult was retying Lily's restraints. She was howling and pulling against them but Sherlock just wished she would shut up so he could think. He needed to delay things as long as possible and hope that John and Greg would find them.
Molly was brought over to stand next to Sherlock and he felt sickened at how white she looked. She was visibly shaking with fear. He should have sent her back along the tunnels to safety not dragged her into this mess with him.
'It looks as though your little rescue mission has ended in disaster, Mister Holmes. What ever should we do with you both now?' He circled round the two of them. Molly hugged closer to Sherlock to get away from him but it just caused him to concentrate on her further.
'Little Mousy Molly, trailing hopefully after her repressed detective. You should be grateful to us. If we hadn't intervened and given him a taste of you do you think he would ever have noticed you...or wanted you? You did look so delightful that night...such creamy, unmarked flesh. Oh the images I could carve into you. Or maybe I should taste you myself, see how I like it. Fuck you before I fuck Lily. Mmm that could be fun. There'll still be plenty of you left over for my followers to enjoy. Have you been had by ten or more in one night before?'
Molly let out a choked sob and Sherlock stepped forward, he had his head cocked to one side, 'but that sounds so unlike you Adrian. I would have thought I'm more your type. Don't think I didn't see your eyes undressing me every time you saw me in the bar. If you want to rape anyone wouldn't you rather it were me. You could even let me loose...I'd give you a real run for your money.'
Sherlock heard Molly's sharp intake of breath as he revealed who the coven leader was. He'd known that Adrian was involved in the evil goings on here but he had not realised he was their leader until he'd seen him.
Adrian walked up to him, still masked, swaggering slightly. 'Oh you are good but not as good as I'd hoped. I fooled you didn't I with the 'only gay in the village' routine. I bet you even believed Meredith owned the pub. Not true...it's mine as are half the properties in this God forsaken little place...and it really is God forsaken. We have worshipped Baphomet and Choronzon for hundreds of years and my family have led them all. And our Gods have been good to us, given us money, land and worshippers. But I realised that maybe it's time to think bigger, to rule more.'
'Tonight...tonight will give me the power to take all of this,' he spun in a circle, 'to London. There are so many lost and lonely people there, and so many pleasures. I could show them what they could have and all they have to do is give up their souls, nothing much. People sell their souls on eBay nowadays for a few pounds and yet I can offer them so much more.'
He moved to the alter and picked up an ornate but wickedly sharp dagger. 'You know...I think you're right Mister Holmes, I would enjoy you more. Now on your knees.'
And I think I'll just leave you all there; hanging onto that cliff...don't let go now. But be warned there are trigger warnings for the next chapter. If any if you would like more detailed information please feel free to PM me and I can tell you more about it.