THE BAKER STREET TRIO (SHERLOCK X READER)

Chapter 24: The Hound Of Bakersville

“Those names mean anything to you?” John asked her.

“No, not a thing.” She admitted.

Sherlock sighed. “Five principal scientists. Twenty years ago.” He began zooming in on the photo of the team. “Maybe our friend is somewhere in the back of the picture? Someone who was old enough to be there at the time of the experiment in 1986?” His eyes widened in realization. “Maybe someone who says ‘cell phone’ because of time spent in America?”

“Bob Frankland.” Y/N said.

“But Bob doesn’t work on…he’s a virologist. This is chemical warfare.” Stapleton pointed out.

“That’s where he started, though. He’s never lost the certainty, the obsession that that drug really could work.” The detective shrugged. “Nice of him to give us his number. Let’s arrange a little meeting.”

Sherlock began composing a text when John’s phone rang. “Hello?”

Y/N could hear a woman sobbing on the other line. She and Sherlock shared a confused look.

“Who’s this?” John asked. He turned around and whispered to his friends. “It’s Louise Mortimer. Louise, what’s wrong?…What?…Where are you?…Right, stay there. We’ll get someone to you, okay?”

John hung up.

“Henry?” Sherlock asked.

“He’s attacked her.” John replied.

“Gone?”

“Mhm.”

“There’s only one place he’ll go, back to where it all started.” He dialed Lestrade. “Lestrade, get to the hollow, Dewer’s Hollow. And bring a gun!”

~

Henry Knight staggered down the slope into Dewer’s Hollow. He was so tired. He was so scared.

“I’m sorry.” He said brokenly. “I’m so sorry, Dad.”

Slowly, Henry raised the barrel of his handgun, placing it in his mouth.

“No, Henry, no, no!” Came the deep voice of Sherlock Holmes, scrambling down into the hollow to stop him.

“Get back!” Henry freaked out. “Get away from me!”

“Easy, Henry. Easy. Just relax.” John said.

“I know what I am, I know what I tried to do.” Henry sobbed, pointing the gun at them.

“It’s going to be okay, Henry.” Y/N called. “Just put the gun down. It’s okay.”

“No, no! I know what I am!” Henry screamed.

“Yes, I’m sure you do, Henry. It’s all been explained to you, hasn’t it?” Sherlock said. “Explained very carefully.”

“What?”

“Someone needed to keep you quiet, to keep you as a child, to reassert the dream you both clung on to, because you had started to remember.” Sherlock stepped slowly towards the young man. “Remember now, Henry, you’ve got to remember what happened here when you were a little boy.”

“I thought it had got my dad.” Henry panted. “The hound. I thought…Oh, Jesus!” He began placing the gun in his mouth again. “I don’t know anymore! I don’t!”

“No, Henry! Henry!”

“Henry, remember.” Sherlock insisted. “‘Liberty, In.’ Two words. Two words a frightened little boy saw here twenty years ago. You’d started to piece things together. Remember what really happened here that night. It wasn’t an animal, was it, Henry? Not a monster. A man.”