I heard Sherlock's footsteps as he followed me into the kitchen. I put the kettle on the stove and set the tea cups and pot on the counter which clanked slightly due to my shaking hands. I felt his eyes on me and it made me nervous. I'm not sure why, I mean sure he's attractive but he is absolutely infuriating. When the kettle whistled I poured the hot water in the pot and set it aside to steep. With nothing else to do I slowly turned so that I was now facing him.
"So Sherlock…ummm…anything new with you?" I found myself asking my gray eyes locked with his.
"Don't make idle chatter Miss Hudson you are horrible at it." Sherlock stated simply. I gaped at him and made a small growl of frustration.
"A woman who utters such disgusting sounds has no right to be anywhere remember you are a human being fully capable of articulate speech." Sherlock said in a bored voice. I don't know what made me do it but I grabbed the small pitcher of cream on the tray, walked to him, and dumped the contents on his head. I watched as his curls became wet and a look of pure shock took over his features.
"I will no longer allow you to speak to me this way! I've already had one man who was on a permanent jag speak to me this way I simply will not allow another!" I yelled as I stormed out of his flat not giving him a second glance. As I was walking down the stairs severely upset I passed by John.
"Hey Eleanor could you…" His happy smile dropped as soon as he got a look at my face. I quickly passed him and continued down the stairs to my flat when I reached it I heard thudding footsteps speeding up the stairs. After I opened my door and was about to close it I heard John yell,
"Sherlock what the hell did you do to that poor woman." I then slammed my door shut.
It had been two days since I stormed out of Sherlock and John's flat and what little pride I had refused to let me go back. I had taken the wrap on my wrist off yesterday and this morning I was once again in my blue chair my legs tucked under me with Pride and Prejudice opened in front of me. There was a soft knock on my door and I knew it couldn't be gran she went to tea with a group of women a half hour ago.
"Sherlock if that's you I don't want to talk to you go away." I yelled still reading my book. The knock continued and with a huff I stood up and with my book in hand I walked to the door and threw it open.
"Sherlock I said…who are you?" I asked looking at a man who suddenly grabbed me and placed a cloth over my nose and mouth. I struggled dropping my book to the ground and kicking out attempting to scream, but soon my eyes closed and I was no longer aware of what was happening.
~Sherlock's POV~
"I'm not going to apologize John. I did absolutely nothing wrong and it will just distract my mind from the case. This is the first level seven case we have had in two weeks! Two weeks John. Six murders I believe we have a serial killer on our hands. Oh this is wonderful." I said as we came up to the door of 221 Baker Street.
"Sherlock you offended her the least you can do is apologize and I'm sure she feels bad about dumping cream on your head." John said while opening the door and walking in. I followed closely behind and muttered I doubt it. I looked over at Eleanor's door and noticed it was slightly open. I stopped while John kept walking not noticing that I was no longer following him. My eyes quickly darted around the area taking in any clues. I took a step closer to the door and noticed a few small drops of blood on the ground most likely from a small cut. I looked at the door jamb no sign of forced entry.
With my leather gloves still covering my hands I slowly opened the door and looked at the room before me, nothing was torn apart but upon looking down I saw a book. The book was a small paper back right next to my shoe I carefully picked it up and looked at the cover, Pride and Prejudice my eyebrows furrowed.
"Sherlock," John called, "where are you?" I ignored him and with the book still in hand I walked quickly to Mrs. Hudson's flat and knocked loudly. When Mrs. Hudson opened the door she smiled up at me and carefully adjusted her purple jacket.
"Hello Sherlock dear. Can I help you?"
"Hello Mrs. Hudson have you seen Eleanor?"
"Not since this morning dear, is something wrong?"
"No Mrs. Hudson I was just wondering. I have to go." I answered leaving a confused Mrs. Hudson at her door. I walked towards the front door where John was looking outside for me.
"Come along John we have a case." I said pushing past a very surprised John while carefully tucking the book into my coat pocket. I hailed a taxi and got in waiting for John to follow.
"Sherlock what's going on?" John asked getting into the taxi and shifting his jacket around him. I steepled my gloved hands under my chin.
"It seems someone has taken Miss Hudson."
"Does Mrs. Hudson know?" John asked quickly turning to look at me before I could answer him my phone began to ring. I quickly pulled it out of my pocket and looked at the caller I.D. A non-listed number I quickly answered it.
"Hello?"
"H-Hello Sherlock is that you. Oh God Sherlock w-what's happening?" I heard Eleanor's wavering voice answer me.
"Eleanor where are you whose with you right now?" I asked quickly tightening my grip slightly on my cell.
"I-I don't know Sherlock. I'm scared Sherlock. Please help me." I heard her whimper and then I could hear shuffling on the other end followed by loud sobs.
"Eleanor! Eleanor are you there?" I asked as John looked at me with increasingly worried eyes.
"Hello Sherlock Holmes so nice of you to call us." A gruff voice with a Manchester accent said through the phone.
"You called me. What are you doing, what do you want?"
"Yes I suppose I did call you. You know Mr. Holmes it takes a lot to get your attention I had to go so far as to kidnap Miss Hudson here. Now listen to me very carefully you are going to meet us at the Kingsland Road Warehouse. Oh and you may want to hurry I don't like to be kept waiting I might get angry. And if I get angry our Miss Hudson here might accidently eat a bullet. We'll see you soon Mr. Holmes." And then the line went dead I slowly lowered my phone and put it back in my pocket.
"Kingsland Road Warehouse." I said to the cabby looking straight ahead.
"Sherlock what the devil is going on?" John asked in a distressed voice from beside me.
"Eleanor has been kidnapped and is being held at the warehouse." I stated before going to my mind palace for the time being.
~Eleanor's POV~
I sat tied to a chair in a room that was lit only by the sun shining through the murky windows to my left. I felt my tears streaming down my face and whimpered. I was terrified as I watched the man in front of me walk back and forth his facial expression becoming increasingly agitated as time passed since the phone call. My eyes became fixed on the gun in his hand his pointer finger lightly brushing against the trigger my mind going back to what he had told Sherlock. As the man began to pass in front of me he turned so he was facing me and stepped right in front of me.
"Well Miss Hudson it seems Mr. Holmes is late. What shall we do about that hmmm?" The tears left my eyes faster as his Manchester accent wrapped around his words. I shivered as I felt the cold metal of the gun brush against my lips. I watched as he smiled pressing the gun harder against my lips and his finger inched closer to the trigger. It was at this point that I began sobbing. I heard a set of doors slam open and the gun left my lips.
"Ahhh so Mr. Holmes you decided to bring your assistant Mr. Watson with you. Well you came just in time Miss Hudson was just about to eat some bullets." I heard my sobs echoing off the bare walls unable to stop them any longer.
"Who are you?" I heard Sherlock ask rather close by. I looked up and both he and John had a gun pointed at the man.
"Mr. Holmes I'm quite simply one of your biggest fans. It seems to take a lot of effort to get your attention. Apparently the six people Scotland Yard showed you wasn't enough for you to find me. I had to go so far as to take this woman right from your very home. Did you like my work Mr. Holmes my inspiration comes from the ripper. It makes it more difficult to identify the victims but it is so much more fun to prolong the screams." I felt like I was going to be sick as this man continued to talk.
"Who the hell are you?" John asked disgusted and taking a step forward. Suddenly the man was beside me with the gun pressed against my temple. My cries and whimpers became louder and I heard the man chuckle.
"Tut tut Mr. Watson. You don't want to be responsible for our dear Miss Hudson's death do you? You can just call me Mr. Ripper."
"Well Mr. Ripper what is it you want?" Sherlock asked looking between the man and me his eye lingering briefly on the gun.
"Just to talk to the great Sherlock Holmes. I want you to use your powers of deduction to figure me out. Who am I?" He asked pressing the gun harder against my temple.
"You are in your forties. A widower still very much in love with your spouse. You are from Manchester but you live here in London now based on your mixed accent."
"Very good Mr. Holmes very good. Not good enough for me to let her go but very good. Now tell me Mr. Holmes tell me why I'm doing this. Why am I the Ripper or have you not made the connections yet." I watched Sherlock as his eyes widened briefly.
"Your wife, you killed her because she had an affair. Just as all those murdered women were. But," And at this part Sherlock smiled slightly making me shiver, "it was someone you were both close with that's why you became the Ripper. I would guess a brother or a family friend. Am I right?" I felt more tears rush down my cheeks.
"So close Mr. Holmes, but you are wrong. Oh well we can't all be winners now can we. There always has to be a loser." Out of the corner of my eye I saw the man place his finger on the trigger. I closed my eyes and my whole body tensed as a gun shot rang out and I screamed loudly. I slowly opened my watery eyes and looked to my side where the man lay with a bullet hole right in his head. I began to hyperventilate unable to look away before my vision was blocked by a black coat.
"John call Lestrade now. You're going to be alright Eleanor, you are safe now." I looked into Sherlock's blue eyes as he whispered to me and untied me from the chair. When I was untied my breathing hitched and new tears burst from my eyes. Sherlock placed his hands on my shoulders and I fell against his chest. My arms wrapped tightly around his waist as my bare feet touched the cold concrete of the floor. I felt one of his hands on the back of my messy blonde hair as I buried my face into his chest.
"I was so scared Sherlock. I was so scared." I cried as my hands fisted the back of his coat. He pulled me back slightly and looked into my gray eyes that I knew were puffy and red.
"You are safe now Eleanor. He can't hurt you anymore." I nodded and squeezed my eyes shut as he pulled me against his chest and allowed me to cry. In that moment I felt completely safe but one thing I was unsure of was did he mean the dead man lying beside us or Kael the one hours away.