Morstan and Adler

One: Mary

MARY

Mary reloaded her gun. Well, that's what she went by these days. To people. But the other assassins, her clients, her victims, only knew her as the Poison-Dart. Her target was Miss Irene Adler. But she went by, 'The Woman' or 'Domanatrix'. Apparently a lot of people hated her. And if she wasn't assassinated today, then the Poison-Dart herself would be.

Miss Adler had been her client's appointed target for a very long time. Many assailants had failed. Her client was annoyed. Mary had to be the one to kill Miss Adler, she had to be the successful one, or she would get the cut. Literally.

Her target's file was very interesting. Miss Adler was certainly a woman to be hated. She'd caused a lot of trouble. These sorts of people, Mary thought, need to be rid from the world. That's why I am what I am. She looked forwards to these sorts of missions. People who caused other people unnecessary trouble. Of course, Mary expected Miss Adler to put up a fight. She was that sort of woman. But nothing could stand a gun. Especially when Mary was holding it.

She crept through the now open door, pistol in hand. The house was silent. Mary surveyed her surroundings. Posh. Well, of course it was. She was in a house in Belgravia. And the money Adler bought it with wasn't honest money. Mary laughed quietly in the silent house. Neither was any of her money.

Miss Adler didn't seem to be around. It was 12 at night, after all. Mary had watched her for weeks, and understood the layout of the house. She started to make her way up the stairs towards Miss Adler's bedroom, gun held out in front of her. She reached the master bedroom. Her muscles tensed with anticipation. Silently, she reached out and slowly pushed open the door, stepping into the room and pointing the gun at the bed.

But she wasn't there. Mary let out a sigh of oxygen she didn't know she was holding inside of her. It was just Kate. Miss Adler's maid, but also her admirer. And sometimes, when Kate paid for it, her lover.

Well, her target obviously wasn't in here.

Just then, something cold touched the back of Mary's head. She recognised it all too well as the nose of a gun. Great.

"Don't move," breathed the voice of Irene Adler. "Or I'll shoot. I swear."

Mary sighed, exasperated. "You're pretty good," she said, without turning around to face her target. But now it was the other way around. "We could do with somebody like you."

There was the flash of a needle, and then pain in Mary's left arm, before she collapsed.

***

Mary awoke, tied to a chair, in the living room. Miss Adler was sitting in the sofa opposite her, two guns in her lap. One of which was Mary's. She scowled to see her pistol, which he'd had so long, sitting with somebody else. It was like watching somebody else use your phone, while theirs is perfectly fine. The assassin had become quite attached to her weapon. "That was neat of you," she managed to say.

"Who are you?"

"My identity is classified. But you can call me Poison-Dart. I've earned that name. Got a good reputation."

Miss Adler sighed and pointed both guns at her. "I repeat, who are you?"

"Miss Adler. I might die tonight, by your hand. Even if I escape, I'll be hunted down for my failure to kill you. But I don't wish my name to be slandered after I die. So I won't tell you my real name. But, you can call me Mary."

Miss Adler nodded. "Mary. You can call me Irene. Funny, being so informal, when I'm about to kill you."

"OK, OK. Just untie me, will you? I don't appreciate being restricted. Irene," Mary requested, shifting in her bonds. Irene nodded suspiciously and cautiously placed the guns on the sofa, then walked across the room and began to untie the thick ropes.

As soon as she was free, Mary made a well-aimed kick to Irene's head, but Irene anticipated it and ducked, punching low and connecting with Mary's ribs. Mary grunted and threw another blow, which was blocked by Irene, who threw one of her own. So it continued; throwing and exchanging attacks, blocking and changing. Finally they moved closer to the sofa. Mary ducked a high kick and grabbed her pistol then swept Irene's legs from under her, all in less than a second. The assassin stood over her target, gun aimed at her head.

Irene tried knock Mary's legs from under her, but Mary jumped, avoiding the sweep, and fired the pistol. The gunshot cracked, echoing in the midnight air. The bullet missed her face by an inch, leaving a hole in the floor.

"That was a warning shot. Try anything again, and next time I won't miss," hissed Mary.

Irene laughed. "Kate will be awake now. She'll be coming downstairs now." Sure enough, Mary heard thundering footsteps down the stairs.

"Tell her to stay out. It'll just be you and us," Mary warned, tapping her finger on the trigger to emphasise the point.

"Kate?" Irene called out, in a surprisingly calm voice.

"Irene?!" called out the maid from outside in the hallway. The doorknob rattled as the maid tried to open it with shaking hands.

"No, Kate, don't come in. Just go back to bed."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, I'm fine. Go away!"

Finally, they heard the retreating sound of footsteps going reluctantly back up the stairs, and the floorboard creaking in the bedroom above.

"Mary, was it? I know the exact two words that will prevent you from killing me," Irene said, a smile flickering across her mouth.

Mary laughed bitterly. "Please, I'd like you to try."

"Sherlock Holmes."

The assassin faltered. Sherlock Holmes. One of the most expensive men in her business. Maybe more so than Jim Moriarty. His death would bring her a lot of money. "You.... you know him?"

"Not yet, but I'll be seeing him very soon. He was hired yesterday to come and deal with me. I expect him to come within the week."

"And you could....?"

"Co-ordinate his death, yes, of course. Yes, you will be able to assassinate him. There's a number of people who want him dead. All you've got to do is find the one who's willing to pay the most, then I'll set him up and you can shoot him," Irene explained. "But, one condition, I get some of the share."

Mary grinned. She put her pistol in her belt and offered a hand. Irene took it, and pulled herself up. "Really?"

"Of course," Irene shrugged. "It would be doing me a favour. With him out of the picture, it would make it easy to show the information to Jim. Then I'm rich. I'll pay you back, don't worry. I might even give you a little extra for your help." She stuck out a hand. Mary shook it.

"Well, Irene, we're both business women," Mary grinned.

And then she disappeared into the night.

She found her client. There was some yelling at her for her failure, but one shot, and he was dead. Mary even got some money from one of his rivals.

New client (and business partner), Miss Irene Adler. New target, Mr Sherlock Holmes.