Author's Note: hey, just wanna say cheers to every and anyone who looks at this, we are at nearly 1000 views now, (authough as my dear, dear freind aldurna skalbaka keeps reminding me she has over 2 million...) so cyber hugs all round. please review if worthy,
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"nothing Sherly." Jim climbed out; he didn't need to undo his seat belt as he hadn't put it on start with. Sherlock followed, tucking his chin into his scarf as he did so. He walked up to the gates of the second prison, glancing down at the path like he had at the first to study the ground. Jim strolled over and leaned against the wall, staring at Sherlock as he lit the cigarette in his mouth.
Sherlock smiled a little; while the impressions on the ground where faint, they indicated that someone had walked there. The wall here was much lower, so Sherlock simply took a running jump at it. His arms caught on the edge, and he hauled himself up to straddle the wall. He peered back down at Jim. "Coming?"
"hmmm, I'll catch you up."
"Fine, then." Sherlock dropped down onto the other side, landing easily like a cat. he jogged up to the door and easily got in; the door was hanging from the hinges, long broken. There was a long pause as he tried to decide where to go next, so he chose the most promising-looking corridor and took off down it at a ran. Meanwhile, Jim jumped the wall and walked around the building, taking a short cut. Sherlock checked each cell as he passed, becoming a little more frustrated at each empty one he saw. Jim jumped another low wall and leaned against the other side, now standing in the allotments for the prisoners.
Sherlock scowled and stopped to catch his breath. Instead of running aimlessly, he decided to observe.
No distinguishing marks.
"For God's sake..."
Jim chuckled as he waited for Sherlock, absent-mindedly sending some texts as the cigarette burned between his lips.
As he passed one of the windows on the ground floor on the way to the door, Sherlock saw a figure outside. he sighed.
Of course.
He went out to join Jim, keeping his expression blank. Jim didn't look at Sherlock but simply held cigarette in his mouth and took a long draught.
"find anything?"
"No."
"shame. finished or have you got anywhere else to look?" Jim was a little upset how much he was helping Sherlock, but he didn't particularly want to kill John, however fun it might be, because then Sherlock would be no fun. still, if he got too dull...
"I didn't finish looking," he admitted.
"good." Jim did not want to indicate too much, he should be able to figure this out. Sherlock glanced around the area. He hadn't seen any marks inside but outside... Footprints leading up to a shed. Good enough. Sherlock followed them and inspected it for a moment. It appeared to have been opened recently. It was something, at least. Jim followed and leaned against the door, standing right in front of Sherlock, who gave him an irritated look.
"Move out of the way." Jim stared into his eyes for a moment before moving to the side.
"allow me." he said flatly, yanking open the door for Sherlock.
"I'm perfectly capable of opening a door," Sherlock snapped. He rolled his eyes and turned his attention to the inside of the shed. Jim chuckled and swung inside the small room, standing very closely behind Sherlock, peeking over his shoulder. inside the walls where replaced with in one corner with rings screwed in to secure prisoners. there was a video camera in the centre and the room was covered in bloodstains and mud. Sherlock looked around slowly, eyes slightly wider than usual. "John was here," he murmured.
"Yep." Sherlock crouched beside one of the blood splatters; he touched it lightly. "Fairly fresh."
"Well done Sherly," he whispered into Sherlock's ear, blowing out smoke heavily,
"no need to check, its little Johnny's."
"Obviously." Sherlock stood again, straightening his coat.
"So you've moved him. Perhaps because I was getting too close, or maybe because I took too long, or needed too much help... Maybe all of the above. It's likely."
"Do you really want to know why he isn't here? Its not important to you really."
"Oh, please, go ahead. I would have figured it out soon anyway though."
"well, you were there when I found out. Seb screwed up."
"Tsk. You should keep better control over your pets, Jim."
"You don't know why," Jim sighed, resting his chin on Sherlock's shoulder, "Seb always was a little, well, rough." Sherlock almost brushed Jim off, but he would probably just perch there again anyway.
"As shown by the photograph. Did you need to move him to the hospital?"
"oh no," he tilted his face closer to Sherlock's,
"that was intentional, it was what happened afterwards..." Horror made Sherlock's stomach twist; he tried in vain to lock the emotion away. "He wasn't killed," Sherlock said hoarsely, "that would ruin the game. I wouldn't play any more if you did that..."
"No, and if he was than Seb would be here to take the fall," he grinned at his own joke, "not me. no, john's just a little...indisposed." Jim shrugged, wide eyed as ever, "oh well..."
"Oh, I'm afraid I'll need more than that to play the game, Jim," Sherlock replied after clearing his throat.
"I can't make theories without all of the facts." Jim muttered "stupid Sherlock" a few more times before answering,
"are you sure you want to know? you might be distracted."
"Just tell me, or give me another picture or whatever." Sherlock waved a hand and paced in the small space.
"I need to know all of the facts, I've told John this multiple times."
"well, I am the new John, for a while at least, so...fine. a few hours after that picture was taken John came conscious and stressed out. He was chained to the wall here at the time, but he was very rude to Sebastian. Sebby asked me if he could teach John a lesson, and you were being pathetic at the time, so I said yes, then he went too far. still, I think John will still keep all of his fingers and toes, apart from one, maybe two..." As he spoke Moriarty's eyes flicked from left to right, outlining his main points. Sherlock sighed briefly.
"Of course. John, you idiot... One time you could have had a brain, you decided to be stupid..."
"I know, he is becoming more like you every day..." Sherlock ignored that comment. He clapped his hands once and pivoted to face Jim. "Well? what's my clue to go on now? Another image, a sentence, what? I still need to locate John and rescue him, after all."
"Its all around you Sherly."
"Blood and chains, that's all I have to go on?"
"no, look down." Sherlock did.
"Mud."
"exactly." Sherlock took out a pocketknife and scraped some from the ground. He studied it, frowning.
"anything interesting?"
"Come along, Jim. We're going back to 221B. I need to analyse this, and I can't exactly take you to St. Bart's."
"you could..." Sherlock gave him a look.
"Is it necessary?"
"you tell me."
"You're the conductor of this game, not me." Sherlock was getting more and more frustrated.
"I'm only here to help, remember?"
"You know what? Fine. We'll go to St. Bart's. You can see Molly again, then," he added, smirking. Jim grinned,
"this should be fun."
"I'm sure she'll be thrilled to meet her 'gay ex-boyfriend'." Sherlock rolled his eyes and swept out of the shed and towards the prison wall, looking a bit like a giant bat.
"especially with her precious Sherlock." Jim half sang, putting out his cigarette on the wall as he jumped it.
"Please, we would never be in a relationship." Sherlock climbed the wall with ease and leaped down onto the other side. Jim laughed as he walked ahead, approaching the outer wall.
"you will be surprised at what people can believe Sherly, I mean look at John." he jumped the second wall and walked briskly down the steps and then down the road, half dancing as he went. Sherlock rolled his eyes and followed.
"What about John? Have you been telling him lies, too?"
"No, no lies. In fact, we haven't spoken for a long time..."
"Good. I don't want him anywhere near you... after I rescue him, of course." Sherlock waved an arm to signal a cab.
"oh? what about before?" Jim raised an eyebrow.
"Well, I can't exactly ensure that until I find him, can I?"
"oh, how quaint."
"I suppose." Sherlock got into the cab first this time, leaving Moriarty to get in by himself. This time, mainly to annoy Sherlock, Moriarty got into the front passenger seat. Sherlock rolled his eyes. "Childish. St. Bart's," he added, nodding at the cabbie.