"That wasn't a very smart move, Mr. Holmes, not smart at all."
I edged closer to Holmes as I saw the alley blocked by two men. My friend slowly retreated from the irate informant we had unwittingly double-crossed in this case.
I glanced behind and saw three more men blocking any chance of escape we might have had. Holmes's eyes flitted to them and he pushed me so that our backs were against the cold brick of a building. I felt him quivering with suppressed nervousness as we realised we were very effectively trapped.
The informant whose identity we had accidentally let slip to Lestrade was advancing upon us methodically, a weighted club in his hand.
Before Holmes could even remonstrate with him, the man leapt upon him with that club, yanking him away from the wall. Holmes sent him reeling, and I jumped to his back on the instant, soon engaged in just trying to remain on my feet.
But there were too many, I was jerked away from Holmes and sent crashing into the brick of the building. My head started to spin, and I fell heavily as the pavement seemed to tip upside down beneath my feet. From somewhere I received a vicious kick from a steel-toed boot, hard enough that I felt a sickening crunch of bone.