The police stood in silence and listened to what Sherlock was telling them in a brief yet informative manner making sure that they got all the key facts that had gone over the past few hours. They all stood nodding and taking notes.
"We expect that he escaped by boat. As none of Mycroft's car or cameras picked up anyone leaving the grounds due to blackouts most likely caused by one of Moriarty's men. Do we know why they occurred, brother?"
"We aren't entirely sure, brother mine. The cameras briefly blacked out at first it was static and then the signal came back but it was as if nothing had happened. At first it was when we can assume that they came in to the building and the second when they kidnapped Rosie."
"Right." Lestrade shouted to address his team. "Half of you get on the river. Get hold of the river police if need be. The other half of you get are going to search this warehouse yard from top to bottom. Look for anything to help us find Rosie. We are going to find this girl. Come on then let's get to it."
Sherlock's buzzed. He been text by Moriarty.
Don't try and find her. I'll bring her to you, I'll be done with her pretty soon.
"What does her mean by be done with her. He's not going to kill her, is he?"
"I don't know John. But these cryptic texts are what makes him so unpredictable." Sherlock said worried.
His phone beeped again. It was video message. He called over Mycroft and Lestrade. "It's a video."
"Play it." Lestrade said. "It could help us find her."
"Is there any point? He said we won't find her until he lets go."
"Well it might let her go that she's alive still." Mycroft told his younger brother.
All four of them crowded around the phone to watch the video that was about to play on the phone. Sherlock pushed the play button. A room, appeared on the screen. It was dull room, repetitive grey. The essence was it wasn't a place that you wanted to be in. No windows but there was a small lantern that was lighting up the room. The camera was faced into the centre of the room and it was focused on Rosie was crying, her eyes darting around the room tied to a chair by her arms and legs. Her mouth gagged. A metal door slammed.
"Smile, Rosie. It's not that bad. I could think of all lot worse things that could have happened to you. At least your alive unlikely that mother of yours." Moriarty sung as he walked into shot of the camera. Rosie turned her head to look at her kidnapper.
All four of the grimaced as they looked at the face that they knew all too well. Moriarty turned to look at the camera and leaned in to wave and smile in his menacing way. He then turned back to face Rosie and leaned in at her right shoulder squatting to be at the same height as her.
"Now do think of saying anything because Daddy will be able to hear you. They can see you and hear you now as we have our little conversation. Their watching, smile though for daddy."
"It's a livestream." Sherlock growled.
Lestrade turned to notice the crowd of officers that had gathered. "Right you lot get back to work. Nothing for you to see here. We still have a missing girl and you standing around here isn't going to help find her." The crowd died away and Lestrade turned around to face the phone again.
"Now this is my work done. Enjoy the show! You know what to Seb." Moriarty turned and left the room.
The man, Seb, then came into view of the camera. He walked around Rosie with her eyes following all the way around. He leant in behind her and snarled into her ear.
"The boss, wants me to talk you suffer and feel embarrassed and guilty all for you little friends to watch this." Out of back pocket Seb pulled out a pair of scissors. He cut away at Rosie's sleeves away. Sherlock, John, Mycroft and Lestrade all watched in horror. Rosie's sleeves fell to floor and Seb moved onto cutting away at her jeans. Once he'd finished, Seb took one of the blades and began to cut at her arms and legs.
"He's trying to make her look like the people that they've been killing." John whispered. "We need to find her, he's going to kill her."
Rosie was screaming in pain with her sobs. The cuts were dripping blood down her arms and legs. Rosie tried to even out her breathing to help with her anxiety. But then her whole body went tense.
"Ahhh!" Rosie screamed in pain.
Seb had beaten her arms with a metal pole causing the wounds to open even more
"I thought that you were told not to talk." Seb spat. He hit Rosie again this time on the legs. Rosie looked at her wounds and realised that they weren't as bad as they could have been. She felt devastated that her friends and family were having to watch this.
"Now let's increase the fun, shall we?" Seb asked. As he drew out a knife that looked like the one that had found in Rosie's house. "Now. We have choice would you like me to cut you or you do it yourself." Seb united the gage in Rosie's mouth.
"I'm hardly going to cut myself, am I." Rosie snapped.
"Right then." Seb united Rosie's arms and held it out in front of her. He placed the knife down onto her arm and dug hard and drew it painful slow across her arm. Rosie screamed out in pain. "Shut up." Seb slapped Rosie across the face.
"Why are you doing this to me?" Rosie said as she sat up.
"The boss wanted me to create a little bit of entertainment for your little friends. I think it's time for a little video. Don't you?"
The camera angle changed on the screen that Sherlock and his friends were crowded around. It was on a TV screen and then it played.
"Jim, Jim please…I will pay you back." Rebecca begged.
"It's ok Bex. I understand, you need the money. You need a fix and work hasn't been coming recently." Moriarty said lovingly.
"Yeah. It's Rosie is driving me nuts. She just never shuts up. But I can't keep risking my life."
"So, you love her more than me. You're going to let your sentiment get in the way of us. I can you work that won't risk your life but I won't pay as well and you won't be able to get the drugs. Your risking your life on these drugs so what's the difference, eh." Moriarty touched Bex's face.
"Your right I can let her stop us. Taking drugs is no different to the work. Soon it will just be me and you Jim. We can run away and be together, no Rosie. I love you, Jim." Bex kissed Moriarty lightly on the lips.
The video paused before the screen went black. Rosie's sobs could be heard the camera changed back to being on Rosie and the tears were rolling down her face. Her arm placed onto her knee. Everything that Rosie had known was a lie. She was beginning to feel dizzy and light-headed probably due to the blood loss.
"You bastard." Rosie said barely audible.
"You what?" Seb walked up her and place the knife up to her neck. "Do you wanna say that again? One false move and I will cut your throat open."
The door shut again. Moriarty walked into view.
"Seb stop." He had Seb the scissors. "Less damage, only once and then let her go." Moriarty turned and left the room.
Seb cut across Rosie's neck once and then Rosie felt something strike the back of her head and then she passed out. The livestream ended. Sherlock, John, Mycroft and Greg all looked at each other they didn't know what to do. No-one had found anything nothing to lead them to where Rosie was being kept. They blow to the head could have done some serious damage, they needed to find her fast.
"What do we do now?" John asked.
"They'll have let her go." Sherlock said calmly.
"She'll need hospital, Greg." Mycroft addressed Lestrade
"I'll get an ambulance down here." Lestrade walked away from the group.
"Right, let's go Anderson's work that he seems incapable of doing."
Rosie came around and found herself lying in an alleyway. Everything left stiff as Rosie sat up she became light headed and she lied back down on to the floor. As she leant up against the wall and looked at her cuts and felt the one on her neck and they'd stopped bleeding a long time ago. She supported herself on the wall as she stood and stretched her limbs nothing was broken. She waited a few minutes to let the dizziness pass before she started to walk. She found her phone still in her pocket and looked at the time and she hadn't been out for very long at all.
Once she made herself out onto the street she found that she was only a few streets away from the warehouse. She had paid attention to the route they had taken on the way and she found her way back to the warehouses. She hoped that they police were still looking for her and that she one would find her.
She rounded the corner and saw blue flashing lights. She was relieved to see that her dad, John, Mycroft and Lestrade where still here. She began to walk over to them but before she could have reached them she had collapsed onto the floor. The four men ran over to Rosie who was lying on the floor.
"Can we get a paramedic over here please!" John shouted out. "Rosie…Rosie can you hear me?"
The paramedics rushed over and got Rosie onto a trolley and off into the ambulance. Sherlock climbed into the back and told Mycroft and John to follow them to the hospital. His phone buzzed.
I enjoyed that. You better find the killer though you don't know what they are capable of xx – JM
Why are doing this? – SH
I enjoy hurting people and watching them break around me xx – JM