A Game Of Hearts And Minds

CHAPTER XVI - Kidnappings

"Not guilty! They found him not guitlty! No defence, and he walks free!" Mycroft exclaimed through the phone. I fell silent and lowered my phone. When I didn't answer, Mycroft practically yelled through the phone. "Are you listening? He's out. You-you know he'll be coming after you. Lau..." I swiched off my phone. The only thing I had to do was share a look with Sherlock. A silent tear rolled down my cheek. "Fuck." I whispered under my breath.

*Two month timeskip*

With two utterly heavy bags in my hands, I trailed up the stairs to 221B. Jesus I hated shopping for groceries. As I reached our apartment door and opened it as I spoke. "Sherl they were out of-" I paused, three heads turned to me. Greg and Sally were in the room with Sherlock, while he was pacing around the room. "What is going on?"

"Kidnapping." Sherlock shot at me as he walked over to the dining table and agressively started typing on his laptop. "Rufus Bruhl, the ambassador of the US. His children, Max and Claudette, age seven and nine." Lestrade explained.

"The kids have vanished." Sally added. "The ambassador's asked for you two personally." 

Sherlock rose from his chair and was already heading out of the door, as he passed by Sally, she mocked; "The Reichenbach Hero."

Sherlock hesitated for a moment, but before he could speak up, I was already on it. "Go fuck Anderson or something." I growled as I traced behind Sherlock and Lestrade down the stairs, Sherlock looked back and chuckled lightly. It took a moment before Sally traced after us, likely because of the shock I had caused her.

As we arrived at St Aldate's Boardingschool, I could see that there were already two police cars standing out in the front. There was a woman standing in front of one of them, leaning against the bonnet and wearing a shock blanket around her shoulder and crying frantically. A female police officer standing nearby was visibly trying to calm her down. "It's all right."

 "Miss Mackenzie, House Mistress. Go easy." Lestrade quietly introduced to me and Sherlock, I nodded and Lestrade stayed back as Sherlock and I walked over to the woman. "Please go somewhat easy." I whispered to Sherlock, Sherlock just smirked.

"Miss Mackenzie, you're in charge of pupil welfare, yet you left this place wide open last night." He angrily raised his voice. "What are you: an idiot, a drunk or a criminal?! Now quickly, tell me!" I poked Sherlock in his side, he shifted slightly, but kept his furious glare focussed on the woman. She was cringing in terror, little streams of tears running down her face. "All the doors and windows were properly bolted. No-one – not even me – went into their room last night. You have to believe me!"

Sherlocks demeanour instantly swiched and he smiled reassuringly and gentle took hold of the womans shoulders. "I do. I just needed you to speak quickly." The woman turned to me, looking me desperately in the eyes. "Sorry ma'm!" I paused and turned to Lestrade. "Miss Mackenzie needs to breathe into a bag now!" Lestrade immediatelty came rushing to our side. "Show us where the brother slept." Sherlock ordered Lestrade.

We were taken to another smaller dormitory and as I was looking around the room, Sherlock walked over to the only bed in the room which had bedding on it. The bed was opposite of the door, which had a frosted glass pane in the top of it. He peered towards the door while gesturing down to the bed. "The boy sleeps there every night, gazing at the only light source outside in the corridor. He'd recognise every shape, every outline, the silhouette of everyone who came to the door."

"Okay, so ..." Lestrade questioned. 

"So someone approaches the door who he doesn't recognise, an intruder. Maybe he can even see the outline of a weapon." I explained as Sherlock walked outside the door and pulled it almost closed, then raised his hand and pointed his fingers as if they were a gun, showing Lestrade how the boy could have seen it through the frosted glass. After a couple of second, he came back in the room.