I Am Sher-locked

22. Set me Free

"When everything is over ..... kill me."

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"Ah, you don't need me to do this", Jack smiled triumphantly. "You will do it on your own."

Irene stared at him for what seemed like a century but then she gathered all her strength and stood up. Her legs were barely keeping her but she had to deal with it gracefully and decently. She pressed her lips together and wiped the remaining tears off of her pale face. 

"I never hated you before but now I do, with all my heart..", she said poisonously, staring at Jack. "Sherlock was my only chance. I could live a decent live with him...", she bitterly smiled. "I fell in love, dad...", she tried not to break down again. "I know you don't know me well but trust me when I say I was a cold-hearted bitch before I met Sherlock... He somehow managed to break the ice that covered my heart and made me love him unconditionally...", she lowered her head and smiled the saddest smile. "Love is torture but I could endure anything for him... And you destroyed everything..."

"You said it yourself, baby-girl", Jack sighed, acting all disappointed. "The worse part is that Sherlock believed me. Well, if he truly loved you, he shouldn't have believed me, right?"

"You were lying...", Mycroft deduced with a mildly shocked expression. 

Irene slowly turned to him and looked at him with pity and disappointment. "Now you noticed...", she said tiredly. 

Mycroft sank to his leather seat and covered his mouth with his hands.

"I tried to find you so many times but I couldn't", Jack looked at his daughter. "Everything changed when I saw a picture of you and Sherlock Holmes on the internet. I could recognize your mother's eyes from a million miles away. Then I thought, this is my chance! He is a Holmes! He has the money I need!"

Mycroft covered his face, embarrassed. "Good God...", he muttered. 

"Ten million dollars...", Irene exhaled. "For what?"

"Usurers", Jack scratched the back of his head, then he checked at his watch. "Where the fuck is your brother??", he turned to Mycroft. 

Suddenly someone knocked down the door and Irene stepped back with a small gasp. It was.... Sherlock. 

"Here I am, bastard", Sherlock offered a tight smile and.... drew a gun.

Scott, Violet and John burst in right after Sherlock and Irene looked at them shocked. His father was safe! It was the first time after their meeting that Irene detected fear in Jack's wide eyes. He stepped back, his hands up in surrender. Mycroft jumped up his seat and hastened to his parents. 

"You think so poorly of your daughter, Norton", Sherlock took a step forward, aiming the gun at him with steady hand. He was furious but at the same time calm. "You're such an imbecile. Obviously you have no idea who I really am. I had to play your game until the time I left the office", he smirked. "I had the opportunity to learn some very important information from my mother within the few minutes we talked before Irene and I arrived at my brother's office. She said a man with gray temples and a dark blue suit was seen talking to my father shortly before he disappeared. You are that man and I realized it as soon as I saw you."

"Clever man", Jack awkwardly chuckled, staring at the gun which was in Sherlock's hand.

Irene couldn't even blink. She was holding her breath. The others were silent.

"You are a complete fool", continued Sherlock, his smirk grew wider. "You showed me the video with my father and practically revealed to me the location where my father was. It was so easy that it became boring. Let me not comment on your attempt to convince me that Irene was involved in all this fiasco...", he laughed, amused by the whole situation.