Sophia Holmes and the Scandal in Belgravia *Completed*

Chapter Twenty Nine - The Scandal in Belgravia Part X

I wake a little while later, my jaw throbbing from the blow. Beside me, Mrs Hudson is trembling. Her right cheek is bleeding after being hit, her wrists look bruised from the bonds and her cardigan is torn. I look over to her to pass over some reassurement just as one of the men stir from their position at the window.

"Sir, he's here."

Neilson nods to the other agent and a moment later they're both positioned behind us, a gun to each of our heads.

I hear the door open downstairs. No doubt dad's already noticed the signs of disturbance on the keyhole and the situation will become clearer as he gets inside.

Mrs Hudson continues to sob as he climbs the stairs slowly, in no rush to confront us.

When he reaches the top, dad strolls casually into the room, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Oh, Sherlock," Mrs Hudson cries when she sees him. "Sherlock!"

"Don't snivel, Mrs Hudson," he advises. "It'll do nothing to impede the flight of a bullet." Dad looks up at Neilson before continuing. "What a tender world that would be."

"Oh, please, sorry, Sherlock," she continues to sob, but they ignore her.

"I believe you have something that we want, Mr Holmes," Neilson says, holding his position behind me.

"Then why don't you ask for it?" Dad walks closer to us and holds a comforting hand out to Mrs Hudson and she grasps at it desperately. He checks her bruising before Neilson continues.

"I've been asking this one. She doesn't seem to know anything." Dad surveys the damage done to me from his where he stands, still in front of Mrs Hudson. "And this one," he gestures to me, "refuses to speak what she knows. But you know what I'm asking for, don't you, Mr Holmes?" Dad's eyes transfer from me to Neilson, but he isn't deducing him, from what I can tell.

"I believe I do," dad responds shortly and Mrs Hudson whimpers as he releases her hands and straightens up, putting his hands behind his back again.

"Oh, please, Sherlock," she pleads, but is ignored again as dad speaks.

"First, get rid of your boys," dad instructs and Neilson angles his head slightly in confusion.

"Why?"

"I dislike being outnumbered," he explains. "It makes for too much stupid in the room."

"I hope you're not counting me in that," I challenge, glaring playfully at him. He grins back at me.

"I wouldn't dare."

After a moment, Neilson glances at the other men.

"You two, go to the car."

"Then get into the car and drive away," dad continues, his seriousness returning as he looks back to Neilson. "Don't try to trick me. You know who I am. It doesn't work. Next, you can stop pointing that gun at her."

"So you can point a gun at me?"

Dad steps back and spreads his arms out beside him.

"I'm unarmed."

"Mind if I check?" Neilson responds, suspiciously. He's right to be suspicious. Dad knew our situation up here, he wouldn't have come unarmed.

"Oh, I insist." Neilson steps away from us and towards dad and I allow myself to relax so the bonds I had made sure were loose earlier were big enough for me to slip through.

He starts patting dad's pockets down as he circles him but as he starts patting his back, dad rolls his eyes at us, bends his right arm back in towards himself and whips out a cleaning spray whch he uses to spray Neilson in the eyes with as he twists around.