Sherlock story
Deleted Memories, Chapter 35
Warning: post Reichenbach spoilers. Hope you enjoy
*As always thanks for reading, a special thanks to all of you who take the time to review, comment, and favorite :)
LoL (Lots of Love)
Sherlock spoke for the first time, "Have you located Ahmed Ajaj?"
At John's puzzled look, Mycroft explained, "He is one of Ayyads associates the one that abducted Mr. Müller's wife."
Mycroft then turned to Sherlock who was still staring at the wall, and answered his question.
"We have people on the ground currently; we should know something within the hour, Sherlock."
"Do you mean the Müller, the suspects that blew up the plane Müller," John asked with surprise.
Mycroft nodded.
John glanced at Lestrade who did not seem surprised by the news.
"How is Müller and the rest of these people tied?" John asked.
Mycroft answered, "Sherlock has been examining the data, so this is the part which I hoped for Sherlock to clarify."
"Sherlock, if you would." Mycroft added, hoping to draw his brother out of the unusual quietness.
Sherlock sighed then turned around; he glanced briefly from face to face before explaining.
"All the suspects in the bombings have one thing in common. Someone they want to protect. In addition, they have a certain personality profile that makes them more likely to… do whatever it takes, to succeed in their assigned missions. They are the perfect undetectable criminal, the invisible man."
"These are law-abiding citizens with no criminal record or ties to criminal activities. They willingly walk into buildings, trains, and airplanes; and detonate bombs, killing themselves and masses of people."
"Several people are recruited for each terrorist event. Each accomplish had a specific part to play without knowing of the other's involvement," Sherlock explained.
"Why would anyone agree to such a thing?" John asked
"Love," Sherlock said weakly, "I have always said that it was the most dangerous of emotions."
Lestrade asked, "What do you mean Sherlock?"
"Let's use flight 1270's suspect as an example, Müller. He was a successful business executive by all accounts. He lived a very dull and uneventful life. He had one wife who was pregnant with their first child. Mr. Müller, who has no criminal affiliations or history of mental illness, walks on a plane and detonates a bomb dying instantly along with two hundred and twenty three passengers."
"Yes, but we knew that from the media," John said
"What the media was not privy to was that there were three persons involved. One was a janitor who was mysteriously hit by a car after the bombing, one a mechanic who accidentally drowned while taking a bath, and of course Müller himself. Like Müller, not one had a criminal record or history of depression or was suicidal."
Sherlock paused, closing his eyes and inhaled deeply.
"Sherlock, you okay," John asked while trying discreetly, to look him over.
"Sorry, um…," Sherlock frowned and looked at John. Anyone not knowing Sherlock would have thought him to be just fatigued. However, John saw embarrassment as well as the beginning of panic on Sherlock's face.
Sherlock Holmes had forgotten what he was about to say. John of course, would pretend not to notice. They all would.
"Was anything else left out the media Sherlock," John asked casually, as he sat back crossed his legs, and took another sip of tea.
Sherlock exhaled the breath he was holding, and glanced gratefully to John. He then sat back and continued, as if nothing odd had happened.
"What was also left out of the media was the fact that they threatened Müller's pregnant wife."
"They threaten to kill her," John stated.
"Worse, they threatened to kidnap her for seven months then return her," Sherlock said.
"Sherlock how is that worse," John asked confused.
"When they returned her they promise to … cut the baby out first. Müller was shown pictures of the last individual who did not take the terrorist threats to heart. Needless to say, they proved their point.
"Why not go to the authorities," John asked while swallowing the bile that had suddenly come to his throat.
"They were all under twenty four hour surveillance; on their phones, houses, cars, even mobiles." Sherlock answered grimly.
Sherlock continued.
"I suspect that's why Edward Green took Katie. When he was threatened, he took her from her bedroom at her school. Easy enough, the building was practically abandoned for holiday. It was a sentimental attempt to protect her. Of course, he was completely out of his depth."
"Green, with the mother's knowledge devised a plan. Mr. Green called Katie telling her to leave her room window open. Her… shall we call him uncle Mr. Edward Green tried to sneak in the window and take her out, cutting his hand on the damaged wood. This accounted for the small amounts of blood found at the window and floor beneath."
"Edward Green never knew his phone was bugged."
"The Greens never reached more than a few kilometers away from the emptied school. Katie was taken as insurance that Green would cooperate. It took the true kidnappers less than five minutes to stage Katie's room."
"Of course, Katie will never be let go, she saw their faces. She will be used in the bombing in some way. This all goes back to Ayyad."
"It was a win; win for Ayyad. The nation's attention is focused on a kidnapping, and away from his activities. He would receive a very large ransom from a wealthy Mr. James Green. And, he gets what he wants the most," Sherlock ended frowning.
"And that would be," John asked with some trepidation.
"Bomb," Sherlock said looking at John.
"Mr. Edward Green is a chemist," Sherlock added.
"It is not difficult to imagine why a know terrorist wants a man who knows how to put chemicals together," Sherlock looked at Lestrade, then Mycroft, then John. He then resumed staring at the wall.