As they came towards the street where the Watsons lived, Sherlock saw that the police had already cordoned off the area. "Stop here." he ordered the cab driver and climbed out to make his way to see the body. John hurriedly paid the driver and ran to join him. His main concern was his family's safety.
Mary was speaking to Lestrade when she saw Sherlock and John entering the crime scene. "Hey, guys! Fancy seeing you here!" she joked, trying to make light of the current situation.
"Lestrade told us what happened. Are you alright?" John asked anxiously as he gave her a hug.
"I'm fine, just a bit sad that somebody's been found dead right on our doorstep." she nodded, hugging her husband. "But never mind me. How's Molly? Is she alright?" she asked, looking concerned.
"Yeah, she's fine. A little bit shocked, but thankfully no harm's been done to her." John nodded.
Mary sighed with relief. "That's good to hear, I was worried something bad had happened." she breathed.
"Man's been identified as Arnold Peterson. Recently divorced and father of two." Lestrade announced.
Sherlock knelt down next to the body and started making his deductions. He dressed in a smart casual style, which meant he was probably a small business owner. There was a lack of a wedding ring, yet there was a faint tan line where a ring had used to be, which confirmed that he was divorced. His jacket had a small stain of sauce, so it was likely he'd eaten shortly before his death. His wrists seemed to have bruising and had fierce red lines across them, which most likely meant his hands had been tied up and he'd been held down by force. Slowly turning him, Sherlock saw that the shirt was stained with blood. "John, you need to see this." he called.
John heard Sherlock call his name and went to see what he was needed for. "What is it?" he asked.
Sherlock moved Arnold's shirt a little to give the doctor a better look. "Recognise this?" he asked, pointing at the pattern of very deep cuts in the form of a lotus on the deceased man's torso.
John had a look and immediately recognised the pattern. "That's the same carving we found on Annie Bridges' body." he realised.
"Right, but this man was alive when the cuts were being carved into him." Sherlock deduced.
"How can you be sure?" John asked.
Sherlock pointed at Arnold's wrists. "He was tied up and someone held his wrists down so he wouldn't be able to fight back. Once they were done, they left him to fend for himself." he answered.
John felt his heart sink at Sherlock's explanation and immediately knew what the cause of death was. "Poor sod died from blood loss; the adrenaline he was experiencing as he was running pretty much caused him to pump out more blood from his wounds." he sighed.
Lestrade came over to check on the detective's progress. "Alright, what've we got this time?" he asked.
Sherlock stood up. "His clothing style is smart casual, so he probably had his own business. The ring finger has a small tan line, which means that it wasn't him who initiated the divorce but his wife; he wanted to save his marriage and only took off his wedding ring when the divorce came through. His jacket has a small stain near the breast, so he must've eaten shortly before he died." he began. "His torso has the same lotus carving found on the previous victim, however his wrists have injuries consistent with being restrained and having his hands being tied up, which means this gentleman was alive when the carving was made." he continued.
"So, they both died in different circumstances?" Lestrade blinked.
"Different circumstances, but both have the same lotus carving. The killer is using different methods on each victim; the first victim was strangled to death, the second victim was put through what one can describe as torture and bled to death. This killer is not just looking to satisfy their urge for bloodshed, but loves to be in control." Sherlock answered.
John stood up. "So, you're saying that the killer is a control freak?" he asked.
"Not just a 'control freak', as you said. This killer knows how to inflict pain at its most strength; most likely saw it being used on others. And the lotus is a sign, a message to anyone who crosses their path." Sherlock replied.
John's face slowly drained of colour. "No... They wouldn't..." he croaked, unable to comprehend what the detective was implying.
"The Black Lotus Tong is looking for a specific target; in this case, us. John, they will use anyone they deem important to us." Sherlock replied in a deadly serious tone. "It was no coincidence this man was found near your flat; someone dragged him here once he'd died in order to lure you into this game they're playing." he added.
"Bloody hell... Now it makes sense. The lotus on the mirror that scared Molly in the ladies at St. Bart's, the body being found near John and Mary's flat..." Lestrade groaned in despair.
"Lestrade, get to Baker Street. Mrs. Hudson will need a guard should anyone come after her." Sherlock ordered.
"Right, I'll get on it immediately." Lestrade nodded. He grabbed his walkie-talkie and gave the nearby officers orders to process the crime scene and head to 221B.
Sherlock took out his phone and dialled a number. "Mycroft, I need you to give me a list of which artefacts the Chinese government are shipping into Britain for the Chinese New Year event." he began, once his brother answered.
"I assume you've gotten yourself into a rather large mess, brother mine?" Mycroft replied with amusement.
"The Black Lotus Tong will be after anyone they deem to be important to John or myself. Now, are you going to give me a list or not?" Sherlock demanded with irritation in his voice.
Mycroft chuckled. "Don't you remember what I told you about sentimentality? It is a weakness that clouds judgement, and it seems that you've forgotten that fact." he answered.
Sherlock clenched his fist a little, but restrained himself from saying what he wanted to say. "I do remember. I've underestimated the Black Lotus once. That's a mistake I'd rather not make again." he answered calmly.
"A list will be with you shortly. I'd hate to see you take your anger out on some poor innocent bystander, brother mine." Mycroft replied with a hint of smugness in his voice. No-one knew Sherlock better than he did, as much as Sherlock himself hated to admit it. He then hung up, leaving his brother to his thoughts on his next move.
Mary came over to see John. "What's going on?" she asked, quickly noticing the worry in her husband's face. "John, what is it?" she prompted.
"I'll explain indoors." John sighed. Once his wife had gone to the flat to check on their daughter who'd been left in the care of an officer specially trained to work with children, John turned to Sherlock. "Now what do we do?" he asked.
"We wait for the Black Lotus' next move. These murders were just the appetisers. They're really waiting for the main course." Sherlock replied coolly. He headed out into the road and hailed a cab.
"Where're you going?" John asked.
"An urgent errand I need to attend to." Sherlock answered as he climbed into the cab that arrived.
Sometime later, once the hospital had given her a clean bill of health after her scare, Molly was at home. She watched television and sighed. "Guess it's just you and me, Tobes...again." she smiled sadly at her cat who had curled up on her lap. Suddenly, there was a loud knock on the door, causing Toby to jump off of Molly and head into the kitchen. Molly looked at the clock on her wall. It had just gone midnight. Who the hell is calling at this time of night? she thought as she made her way to her front door. Still a little jumpy, she was hesitant to open the door immediately. "Who is it?" she called.
"It's Sherlock." a familiar voice replied. "I need to speak to you." he began.
Molly felt a sigh of relief escape from her body and opened the door, letting Sherlock in. "You made me jump." she laughed nervously as she closed the door behind him once he was inside. She then realised he wasn't laughing when she saw the solemn look on his face. "What is it?" she asked, becoming serious.
"Molly, a dangerous group of people are after John and me. They will try to use you to get through to me as they want revenge." Sherlock began.
"I see..." she nodded solemnly. "What do you need?" she asked.
Sherlock placed his hands on her shoulders, making sure he met her gaze. "I need you to be brave, because your life will be most certainly be endangered." he answered, his blue - green eyes looking straight into her brown ones.
"I don't understand. Why do I have to be brave?" Molly asked, looking confused.
The detective smiled, yet there was a hint of sadness in his expression. "Because you're the one who mattered the most." he replied, his voice now in a soft tone. He gently kissed her forehead and turned to go.
"Sherlock, wait!" Molly blurted out suddenly. He turned to her with puzzlement. "I-I just wanted to say thank you." she stammered.
Now it was Sherlock's turn to look confused. "Thank you for what?" he asked.
Molly smiled at him. "Well, for being so... nice to me lately. I know you'll probably think that it's just part of being sentimental, but... it was nice to receive that kind of attention from you." she replied shyly. "But I'm ok with it if it's back to normal once this is all over." she added hesitantly.
"Good. Goodnight, Molly." Sherlock nodded, opening the door.
"Goodnight, Sherlock." Molly replied, watching him go.
At the same time, John was explaining the situation with the Black Lotus Tong with Mary. "Mary, these guys are dangerous. This new leader of theirs is unlike anyone we've encountered. She could be as bad as Moriarty, maybe as bad as Magnussen... or worse than both of them." he explained.
"John, we're going to face this together. We both made vows on our wedding day, and I made a vow to always be by your side. You and our daughter mean more to me than anything in this world, do you understand?" Mary replied. She was determined not to let her husband go through this without her.
John sighed. He knew he'd been beaten. "Alright, but you have to promise me that you'll stay safe. In return, I'll promise to do the same. Deal?" he asked.
Mary nodded. "Deal." she replied, kissing him on the lips.
In a warehouse, two Chinese men were awaiting their orders. A webcam sprang to life on a nearby laptop. "The time will soon be upon us. Gather the others and prepare for the final phase." a young woman's voice ordered.
"Yes, Madam Lien!" the men exclaimed.