Chapter 21
Sherlock acted on instinct. Unfortunately in his haste to run to the back of the house, he released Miss Downing's arm. It was just enough for her to break John's hold and start to bolt towards the car. She didn't get far.
Before John could do much more than move, Donovan had the woman pinned to the ground, her arms behind her back painfully.
"Are you all kinds of stupid, bitch? You try to pull this with not one but THREE Yard detectives only meters away from you? " To her shock, the woman only laughed.
"I won't tell you anything. You are wasting your time on me. "
"You may or may not say anything. Fine. I will cherish locking you in a cold cameraless room with that baby's father. He will tear you to shreds without touching you. You don't need to say anything. He will STILL get it out of you. Really? Trying to pull this on Sherlock fucking Holmes? "
Molly and John stood near bye. John was wide eyed and terrified even as he held Molly, trying in vain to comfort her.
Finally Sherlock came back over and took his wife into his arms. He looked paler than usual. Lestrade put a hand on Sherlock's shoulder in comfort but had his phone to his ear.
"Gabriel will be alright. Long range shot. Had to be out in the trees. But didn't hit internal organs. Anderson is getting him to the vet. Didn't want to be around Sherlock at his current state."
"But... " Molly weeped " Mycroft had security. "
"Not all set up yet. He ...we... " Sherlock said, his own voice breaking. " The men that are stationed are looking for whoever shot. No one saw anyone. "
It was then that Sherlock looked over at the moving van.
"Where did the movers go? "
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Two nights later, Sherlock sat in the living room of their new house. He was exhausted but couldn't sleep. He'd spent the last two days alternating with Lestrade and Mycroft trying to extract information from Miss Downing. Which, of course, was an alias. It all went down hill for her when Sherlock went into his mind palace to deduce her accent. The english accent was a little too rehearsed. There was something a little alien to him. Finally, he touched upon it. She was American. Not being able to completely hide a Chicago accent.
Mycroft went to work, Molly was sedated, and being looked after by John and Mary. Sherlock, was ready for his straight jacket.
He sat on his chair, looking over the footage filmed the day of the move. Bringing in boxes, unpacking some. Trying to spot the movers. They thought it was safer to go with a small company, one that wouldn't draw much attention. Fools!
He was not used to feeling helpless so often. Gabriel was healing and laying on the couch. Every once in a while, he would lift his head and look around, only to drop his head with a whine. Sherlock knew how he felt. He'd let Laura down. Failed to protect her.
Sherlock looked away from the dog, back to the screen. It was plugged into the telly, the sound low so as not to wake Molly. John came out of the room, having checked on her again. He squatted by Sherlock's chair after reaching down to scratch at the poor pup's ears. Small comfort though it was. It was all he had to offer.
John looked from Sherlock to the screen. They had unpacked some of the boxes, when there was suddenly laughter off screen. Mary had been holding the camera at that time. She moved it to see the source. Going through boxes, Laura had managed to find something packed in there as a joke. Sherlock's deerstalker.
The little girl had a perplexed look on her face, turning the hand around in her hands.
"Why does it have too fronts? " She asked, her small nose scrunched.
Suddenly, Laura placed the hat on top of her much smaller head. It came down low, resting on the bridge of her nose. She faced the camera and tilted her head back, to look into the camera and smirked.
John and Sherlock both chuckled. She shook her head wildly, causing the hat to turn on her head until it made its way all the way around.
"This really is a stupid hat. " She said, her smile beaming.
The men laughed again, until John noticed Sherlock's was a bit gruffer than it should have been. He turned from the telly to look at his friend. Sherlock's face was screwed up in more pain than John had ever seen on a man. Even men who he had treated in war. Sherlock buried his face in his hands and openly sobbed.
"I failed, John. I ... "
"She's out there, Sherlock. We WILL find her. "
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Sherlock had finally fallen asleep close to dawn when he was jerked awake by the sound of his cell ringing.
"Holmes. " He answered desperately.
"Mister Holmes? Sherlock Holmes? " A soft voice came from the other end
"I just said that! " Sherlock yelled, then caught himself. " I'm sorry. I... what do you want? "
"Sir, my name is Luddy. You know a Laura Holmes? "
Sherlock gripped the phone tight and held his breath.
"Yes. " He croaked out. " My daughter. Have you seen her? "
"Yes sir. She's here. I found her in my back yard this morning. I breed Pit Bulls. in a legal way, sir. They were huddled around her, keeping her warm. They didn't hurt her sir, I swear. "
"How did she get there? " Sherlock asked in a panic.
"Well, she was sleeping with the dogs around her. I woke her up. She said she was lost and needed to phone her daddy. I got your number from her. Clever girl, your Laura. A little banged up, but I promise it wasn't from my dogs. "
"I believe that, Luddy. Where are you? " Sherlock felt hope bursting through him.
"Well sir, not a good idea for you to come here, dad or no. My dogs growled at me even when I got near her. And they know me. Is there somewhere I can bring her to you? "
Sherlock thought for a moment.
"How close are you to London? "
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Mycroft was already at the Yard when Sherlock, Molly and John rushed in. Lestrade told them they had Molly in his office, and thought he would wait until Sherlock got there for them to question her. He wanted to see his daughter.
He went into the office and fell to his knees at the sight of her. Laura looked up and quietly slid off Greg's chair. She calmly came to stand in front of her father as his arms came around her and he pulled her close. Laura hugged him back, his small hands weaving into his curls, so like her own.
Finally, Sherlock recovered his senses. He stood and picked her up, sitting on the small sofa in the office, setting her on his lap.
" You gave us all quite a fright, young lady. " he said, fighting back tears that came too often since this small human came into his life.
"'I'm sorry daddy. She said, looking at her hands. "
"Not your fault, love. " Sherlock said, taking her hands from her lap to hold in his. That is when he noticed the marks on her wrists.
"What happened? What are these? " He said sounding more calm than he felt.
The others stood back, trying not to crowd Laura.
"I went to sleep with Gabriel. Where is Gabriel? "
"He's fine. What happened? "
"I woke up and I was in a room sitting in a chair. My left leg hurt. Like burning. my shoes were off. They felt tingly"
Sherlock turned to John, and silently the men decided John would give her a complete examination soon as possible.
"My arms were behind me and I couldn't move much. "
"You were bound then? "
"Yeah, " Laura nodded. " handcuffs. " She said with dismissive snort.
"Was there anyone with you? "
"A man. Said he was a friend of uncle Jim's. Said the story wasn't over yet. He took out some papers. He wasn't very nice. He was messy too. Kept leaving stuff around. Like his coat. His coat smelled funny. Made the room smell. "
"I see. " Sherlock said, shaking. " what else? "
"I don't know. I fell back asleep. "
"And when you woke up? "
"I guess they thought I would sleep longer cause I was by myself. I saw a chance. I got out of the cuffs, but the door was locked. So I got into the man's coat and found a credit card. I used it to unlock the door and snuck out. It was dark and I had no shoes. After a while I felt sleepy again, and that's when I saw the dogs. Lucy had a pit bull in one of the homes we were in. He was oh so nice to me. I knew I would feel safe, they would protect me. "
"They are dangerous dogs, Laura. " Sherlock advised.
"When they are trained or treated to be. Just like people. "
"Go on. "
"I don't know. I felt cold and lied down so sleepy. Next thing I knew, some of them came and laid next to me. They didn't sleep, I saw them looking about before I fell asleep. "
"I shall have to find suitable gifts for those dogs. " Sherlock smiled, and Laura beamed.
"Wait. " John said, shaking his head " How did you get out of the handcuffs? Or know how to pick a lock? "
Laura shrugged. " Learned it from the Winchesters. "
"The guns? " Lestrade asked in a half laugh
"The brothers. Lucy had dvd's. Sometimes when she would fall asleep, I would sneak some to watch them. I was scared of monsters, and they get rid of monsters. Thought it might be good to know how. "
Sherlock looked at John, who shrugged. John had head of a show like that but never watched it.
"Rather unsuitable for a little girl, don't you think? " Sherlock asked his daughter without admonishment.
"Never was normal. " She shrugged. No one could argue.
"Looks like I might be able to learn a thing or two from that. I deal with monsters all the time. " Sherlock said with a smile.
"Wrong kind of monsters, daddy. "
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When they all returned to the house, it was like a police state. Mycroft met them at the door.
"I have cleared everyone here. The best from all corners of the globe. I still believe caring can be a disadvantage, but in this case... " He looked down at Laura, a rare smile tugging his lips.
"Im sorry. "
John had given her an examination. They had indeed injected her, but not really hiding it, they pushed whatever it was straight into her femoral artery. It wasn't a small needle either. John also found a smaller puncture wound at the base of her skull. They drew blood and other fluids, and sent them off by special messenger to Baskerville.
It was the next morning when Sherlock woke to his phone ringing. He looked at the caller ID, carefully pulling his arm from under Molly, who woke instantly at the lack of contact.
"Doctor Stapleton, news? " Sherlock said into the phone in a rush.
"Yes. The sample of the fluids. There are two compounds, the one that makes her sleep is from a rare form of spider. Extended use is dangerous, but I don't think she's at the point though. But there is something new. I'm guessing it is whatever was injected into her cranial area. Mr. Holmes, there is definite markers for genetic manipulations. But its like nothing I have ever seen before. I wanted to ask to send some samples to a friend of mine in Switzerland. They are doing amazing new... "
"NO! " Sherlock yelled. Hadn't Irene said the packages she got were from there? " I'm sorry doctor. But I have reason to believe that ... I don't ... "
"Mr Holmes, I can send it to a trusted friend. No one will know but him. "
"Let me get back to you. " He said. He looked at this phone as he closed it. Looks like he will have to talk to Irene after all.
He got up and put on his dressing gown. Molly had already left the room to make breakfast. She passed him in the hall and pressed a kiss to his lips.
"I'm going to go get Laura. I need to go do something normal with her. Girl stuff. I thought we would go shopping. She is already outgrowing her clothes. "
Sherlock nodded distractedly and went towards the table to eat with his family, when he heard Molly call out to him.
He ran into the room and saw Molly sitting on the side of Laura's bed, her hands on the girls shoulders.
"Sherlock... her pulse is steady...but I can't get her to wake up! "
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Sorry for all the angst, but I DID warn you from the start. :D