Ripple:
By: Raven612
Chapter 11: Escape Route
Summary: Someone dies.
A/N: Have I scared anyone away with my evilness yet? Are you guys ready to see what happens to the doctor? I'm excited to see what happens to John too! Thanks for all the support with this story, you all rock so much and I love each and every one of you! I send all my love back to you! Okay, on with the story!
*Afternoon of Day 7*
Sherlock walked a step behind the larger man. He narrowed his eyes as he studied the broad shoulders and meaty neck. Sherlock was the same height as the henchman and much leaner. The man had the upper hand of muscles, but Sherlock had swiftness. He glanced over his shoulder at the hall behind them. John was down that hall, and about to be shot. Sherlock turned his head back to the goon in front of him. He wasn't going to think about that. He pulled the envelope from his pocket and dumped the key into his palm. He looked back up at the man ahead of him. They were a fair length from Moriarty. A quick gleam flashed in Sherlock's eyes. He stepped forward, and in one swift movement, Sherlock snapped his flattened palm against the fleshy area just under the man's ear. The man gave a short, strangled cry before his body was splayed on the ground.
Sherlock looked around quickly to make sure no one had heard, or saw. He was still alone in the corridor. He quickly pulled his phone from his pocket and sent Mycroft and Lestrade a text. He needed help, and he needed it quickly if John or the twins had a hope of escaping alive. Sherlock then returned his attention back to the man on the ground. Sherlock bent down and hefted his hands under the man's armpits and drug him towards a darkened alcove the stairs leading to the second level had created. Sherlock hid him as best he could and grabbed the gun from his waistband. Sherlock placed it into the waistband of his pants and moved away.
He glanced down the hall again, so far he hadn't heard a gunshot. That was only a little promising. He quickly walked to the door that the man had been leading him to. He pulled the key from his pocket. He studied it for a moment before putting it into the hole and turning it. The door snapped open and Sherlock pushed it in.
Anna and James both looked up from a small table where they were coloring. Sherlock looked at the man and woman. The man nodded to the woman, and she backed away.
"Come James and Anna, we're going home right now," Sherlock said to them in a tight voice. His eyes leapt from the man to the woman and back again.
"Run along dears, your uncle has come to collect you," the woman drawled with a slow smile as she looked Sherlock head to toe.
Sherlock flashed her a deathly glare and ushered the twins to his side. He bent and picked up Anna who automatically wrapped her legs around his waist.
"Bye bye Miss Helen," Anna called and waved merrily to the woman who waved back and blew them a kiss. Anna giggled and caught it and pressed it to her cheek.
Sherlock shot the woman a glare and turned the twins towards the door. His only goal at the moment was to get the twins out before any sort of hell broke loose, and so far he was doing well. Sherlock's gaze stayed forward as he led the kids from the room. Lestrade and the others should arrive shortly, or so he hoped.
"Hey, where's Leo?" the man asked and stuck his head into the hall.
Sherlock closed his eyes and pulled in a breath, "He was required elsewhere," Sherlock replied in an even tone so as to not compromise the situation. He kept herding James and Anna towards the front door. In the distance he heard sirens.
The man stepped from the room, "Where?"
Sherlock drew a breath in through his nose and closed his eyes again to answer. "I don't know," he replied tightly and bent to set Anna on the ground. Anna and James looked between their Uncle and the other man. They started to fidget.
James tugged on Sherlock's coat sleeve, "Uncle Lock…where's Uncle John?" he whispered and Sherlock didn't miss the tremor in his voice.
"Hey, I asked where he went," the man had stepped into the hallway now.
Sherlock swallowed thickly and pulled the twins close and knelt down, "I need you two to go outside. Uncle Lestrade and the others are on their way. You need to go outside and wait for them while I get Uncle John. Can you two do that?" Sherlock hissed.
Anna, the usually more stoic of the two started to shake. This was not some impromptu visit by family friends as she was led to believe. She looked at James and grabbed his hand and looked back at Sherlock, "Uncle Lock?" she ventured in a shaky voice.
Sherlock closed his eyes again and let out a breath. He pulled her close and planted a kiss into her curls and did the same with James, "You two need to go, now," he said and gave them a little shove as the man from the room started to look for Leo.
Anna nodded and blinked back tears. Her hold on James tightened and she looked to her brother, "C'mon James," she whispered and turned towards the foyer. Sherlock watched them and then flinched when he heard the gun shot.
Moran picked up the phone when it had rung and John watched wearily as his smile slowly curled. John sighed and sagged into the chair. Sherlock had chosen the twins. A smile flashed across John's face. Good…good. He opened his eyes once more, but his lids drooped.
Moran hung up the phone and turned to John. He picked up the gun from the desk and stared at it, "Well doctor, it has been fun, but sadly, it's time for you to go," he chuckled and loaded the chamber of the pistol.
John's head hung to his chest. He coughed and a spray of blood rained onto the chest of his jumper. He smirked, "Get on with it then Moran," he wheezed and rolled his head to the side so that he could look his killer in the eyes.
Sebastian smirked and ran his hand along the cool metal of the pistol, "I wasn't able to finish the job back in Afghanistan, but now, now I can finally finish the only job of mine that was left unfinished," he grinned and came to stand in front of John.
John smirked and pulled in a shaky breath, "I'll see you in hell then Moran," John muttered and then managed to throw his head back to rest against the back of the chair.
"I'll look forward to it doctor," Sebastian grinned and placed the barrel of the gun into John's temple and knocked John's head back and bared his neck.
"Oh just fucking shoot already," John hissed and drew in a shaky breath.
Moran chuckled and pulled the gun away, still keeping it aimed at John's head, "I'm enjoying this moment doctor. You aren't going to survive this; I'm just letting tha-"
Moran didn't get a chance to finish because John had brought his knee swiftly up and crashed it into Sebastian's groin. It was a textbook trick and about the only thing John could think of that would work given his predicament. Moran had immediately dropped the gun and fallen to the floor. Still running on an adrenaline rush John threw himself against his bonds and his chair crashed to the side and the old wood splintered. John groaned when his shoulder made contact with the floor and the ropes became loose. John didn't have a chance to steel himself against the pain. He quickly flipped himself to his stomach and used his right arm to push himself to his feet. He staggered around a moment; his vision was blurred and his legs threatened to give way at any minute. He saw Moran finally regaining his faculties and the gun lay only a foot from his outstretched hand.
"You are a dead man doctor," Moran hissed as he rocked onto his back.
"Fuck you Moran," John hissed and staggered forward and fell onto his knees. He fell forward and caught himself with his right hand on the floor.
Moran kicked out with his foot and his heel caught John's injured shoulder. John howled in pain and fell backwards. The back of his head bounced against the carpet. He sucked in a deep breath and looked to his right. The gun was only inches away. Moran saw John look. John wasted not a second and grabbed the gun with his right hand. He lifted it and pulled the trigger. He wasn't sure where he hit Moran, but he heard the man yelp and heard the thud of his body hitting the floor. John then flung the gun into the furthest corner of the room and flipped himself back onto his stomach. He groaned and his eyes scanned the area until he came to rest on the still form of Moran lying spread eagled on the floor. There was a pool of blood surrounding him, but John didn't care about that. He needed to get to Sherlock and the twins. John used his right arm to drag himself towards the door and halfway there the blackness took over again.
Sherlock swore and turned and ducked just as the other man swung at him. Sherlock pulled the gun from his waistband in mid crouch and upon standing he knocked the butt of it into the back of his assailant's head. As he came to full height a bullet whizzed past his face and the woman stood in the doorway. Sherlock raised his gun and pointed it at her. The woman grinned and stepped into the hall.
"It seems Jimmy underestimated you," she said and grinned.
Sherlock glared; he needed to get to John, "Save yourself the wound and just give me the gun," Sherlock ordered and held out his hand.
The woman laughed and shook her head, "Oh, I don't think so detective, I think you're going to be the one that gives me the gun because you are sorely outnumbered," she said and looked over his shoulder.
Sherlock closed his eyes and muttered under his breath. He heard the slight scuffle behind him and then heard the sound of a chamber of a gun being loaded. He moved his eyes to see the man he'd just knocked out, now standing again. Sherlock looked back to the woman. He shifted around a little and saw that he had the barrels of two guns pointed at his head.
"Drop it detective, or die," the woman hissed.
Sherlock turned to look at the man and the woman. He grinned and slowly lowered himself to the ground as if he were actually going to set the gun down. As he neared the floor in a crouch, he turned and shot, hitting the man in the knee. He howled out in pain and his gun dropped. Sherlock threw himself to his stomach and flipped and pulled the trigger once more and caught the woman in the abdomen. Sherlock then scrambled to his feet and ran down the hall towards the room where he heard the gun shot from before.
"John!" he called as he kicked the door in, gun aimed ahead of him. Sherlock's arm slowly lowered when he took in the scene. Moran lay on the flood with a hole in his chest and his eyes already glossed over with death. Sherlock's eyes then found the all familiar form of John lying on his stomach with his right arm stretched out towards the door.
Sherlock quickly knelt to John's side. He set his gun on the floor and gently flipped John over to look him over. If he hadn't seen the shallow dip and rise of John's chest, he would think him dead. Sherlock swore and then looked up when he heard sirens right outside the house. Sherlock's phone started to vibrate in his pocket. He ignored it and hefted John to his feet as gently as he could.
"C'mon John, you need to help me out here," Sherlock hissed as he wrapped his left arm around John's waist.
John moaned in response, and curled the fingers of his right hand into Sherlock's shirt, "T-twins?" John managed to croak.
Sherlock shuffled forward pulling John along with him, "They're safe and the Calvary has arrived," Sherlock said with a slight chuckle as he managed to get John out into the hall.
"Good," John sighed, and his feet tripped over one another as Sherlock led them down the hall. Every few steps he'd moan in pain and his face would contort.
Sherlock tried hard not to think about the pain John was in. They were so close now. Sherlock led them around the bodies lying in the hall. Sherlock turned the corner into the main foyer and stopped dead in his tracks.
"Fuck," he hissed.
Moriarty grinned like a madman, "Oh Sherlock, did you think I wouldn't figure you out. I knew Johnny boy was just so precious to you," he said and tipped his head.
Sherlock narrowed his eyes at Moriarty. He had a gun trained on Anna's head and held James' wrist in a vice like grip. Both children had tears streaming down their cheeks. Sherlock's heart threatened to beat out of his chest. Stupid, stupid, stupid!
"Wha…" John moaned and tired to open his eyes to see what was going on.
"Hello Johnny, I see Moran got to boasting and found his demise," a faint tone of pure rage leaked into Moriarty's usually chipper and sick tone.
John groaned in response and his body sagged even more against Sherlock. Sherlock staggered a bit and swallowed the lump in his throat.
"You've lost Moriarty, let them go and just give up," Sherlock said in an even tone, his left hand shaking very slightly as he held onto John.
Moriarty chuckled and shook his head, "No, you took something from me and I'm going to take something from you!" Moriarty snapped and jerked James forward and pressed the gun to the back of Anna's head.
James hiccupped and new tears began to spill. Anna trembled and kept her blue eyes fixed on her Uncles. Her lips trembled as she fought back sobs. Sherlock looked from the twins to Moriarty and back again. He could see the flashing lights outside. For once Sherlock was glad they hadn't come barging into the house. So far they'd heeded his direction; that was good. As long as no one came bursting through the door then no one would get shot, or so he hoped.
"You can't win. You are surrounded by police and even if you kill them or myself or John…well you know what happens," Sherlock said flippantly and flexed his fingers.
Moriarty chuckled and shook his head, "I die, Sherlock, and you all come with me one at a time. I will kill Johnny first and then the kids. I'll start with James and then Anna and then…well maybe I'll let you live Sherlock…let you live with this guilt Sherly," he grinned and bumped the back of Anna's head and she let out a gasping breath.
Sherlock's gaze narrowed. He did not doubt the man for a minute. He looked around the house. He could hear faint orders on the other side of the door being shouted. Sherlock's heart was pounding. He needed a miracle. He turned to John. He was struggling to pull in breathes. Sherlock squeezed his eyes shut to think, and then he was defended by a gun shot.
"No!" he screamed as his eyes snapped open and he looked at Moriarty. The crazed man's eyes were wide open and blood was trickling out of a hole in his head. The twins screamed and fled to hide behind Sherlock as the body of James Moriarty fell forward to reveal Anderson standing in the doorway and a stunned Sally Donovan next to him and a pale Lestrade right behind them.
Sherlock's knees gave out and he and John sank to the floor. Soon police were flooding in through the front door and everything, all the shouts, and voices were a faint buzz in his ears. Sherlock was acutely aware of someone puling John away from him. Sherlock reached to grab John again but his fingers just brushed over the course threads of his jumper. Somewhere he heard the screams and sobs of the children then saw Sally and Anthea cradling one twin each who had been swaddled in a shock blankets. Mycroft's face swam into view right before Sherlock's world went black and he fell forward onto his stomach.
Hours later Sherlock woke with a start.
"Easy Sherlock, you're in the hospital," his brother said from right next to him. "You fainted on scene," he elaborated and set his file to the side and folded his hands on his umbrella.
Sherlock shut his eyes and rubbed his hand over his face and turned his head towards Mycroft, "John? Where's John?" he asked and sat up.
Mycroft fixed him with a look.
Sherlock glared back and ripped the IV from his hand and swung his feet over the side of the bed.
"Sherlock!" Mycroft scolded and stood from his chair and put a hand on his younger brother's shoulder to push him onto the bed.
"No Mycroft, I am fine, let me up, I need to see him," Sherlock pleaded as he looked up at his brother.
Mycroft sighed and nodded behind Sherlock. Sherlock stopped moving and looked over his shoulder. His breath caught in his throat and he scrambled from his bed. His knees wobbled and he had to grab his rail to steady himself. He looked back to Mycroft.
"His shoulder was shattered and he had a fair amount of blood and fluids in his chest cavity. They're still draining the fluids, but he will be okay," Mycroft informed him, "the twins are being looked after by Anthea, Officer Donovan, Mrs. Hudson, and Lestrade," Mycroft added and Sherlock nodded.
Sherlock opened and closed his mouth trying to form words, but they wouldn't come. He sighed and just stared up at Mycroft and gave his arm a squeeze as he hobbled over to John's bed and fell into the chair. He reached up and moved his fingers through the blonde fringe on John's forehead and grabbed his hand. Sherlock rested his elbows on the mattress and placed John's hands against his lips and closed his eyes muttering under his breath.
Mycroft sighed and rubbed his hand over his face. He turned towards the door to the room, "You're welcome Sherlock," he sighed and his footsteps and the tap of his umbrella faded down the hall as he left Sherlock and John.
A/N: So? What do we think? This was a fairly difficult chapter to write and I really would like to know your thoughts on this chapter! Thanks for reading and I shall try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible! No beta or Brit-pick so excuse any errors.