Against the Odds

Chapter 5: Bomb

About a week later, Rose was heading back from Bart's, satisfied with a day's job well done and humming cheerily as she walked, But as she was passing an empty alley, the phone rang... inside an empty phone booth. She paused to stare at it, before shrugging it off and carrying on walking.

But then the phone in the next phone booth also rang as she passed by, and stopped as soon as she was out of reach. Rose frowned as she glanced back at it and when the next phone rang, she stopped walking. She glanced at it curiously and then stepped into the booth, answering the phone carefully and silently.

"Good afternon, Miss Jones." A male voice almost purred, and Rose frowned some more. "Please, get in the car." She looked up to see a sleek black car pulling up before the booth, its windows tinted so darkly she couldn't see inside. "Why?" She demanded and the voice sighed.

"If you will look up," she did as he said, "you will see a security camera." She spotted it and watched as it swiveled so that it wasn't pointing at her anymore. "Now, if you look across-" "You'll do it to all the cameras." Rose muttered. She pursed her lips before she hung up and stepped out of the booth.

A well-dressed man stepped out of the front passenger seat and opened the back door for her. Rose slid inside and glanced at the woman sitting in the seat beside her, never lifting her eyes off her phone. The door shut, the man climbed back in and the car smoothly pulled away. Rose sat the entire journey in silence, waiting.

They arrived at what appeared to be an abandoned warehouse. She lifted a brow but stepped out when the man opened her door for her. The brown-haired woman had also gotten out and Rose silently followed the woman towards the entrance as two armed men stepped up and came to stand before her.

One raised a hand for permission and she lifted both arms in the air with a sigh as he patted her down for weapons. Coming up clean, he then escorted her inside, leading her deep within until she came to an empty storage room; empty except for a chair in the center of the room and a middle-aged man standing across from it, leaning somewhat casually on an umbrella.

Rose sighed again as she stopped beside the chair and appraised the man. He had a receding hairline, but he wasn't trying to hide it as his dark hair was slicked back in a smart fashion. His suit was expensive, most likely tailor-made and he sported a small potbelly. But it was his sharp eyes that gave the man away, and Rose knew instantly who he was.

"Please, sit down, Miss Jones." He offered, gesturing at the chair but Rose said coolly: "I'd prefer to stand, Mr. Holmes." He arched one brow as the only sign of surprise- this man hid his emotions very well. Much better than Sherlock, and as well as any person really could. Politics, Rose's mind told her. Mycroft spoke again: "It seems, my brother was right to take an interest in you."

Rose lifted her brow as she looked at the man. "If you're referring to the fact that Sherlock misjudged his readings on me the first time, I'd hardly call it interest." She said, and Mycroft Holmes smiled at her. "Come now, Miss Jones. I am cleverer than my brother- those subtle hints to direct my mind will not work on me at all, even though it may sometimes work on my brother."

Rose pursed her lips and watched Mycroft with narrowed eyes. He continued: "So, let us be frank. You know Sherlock Holmes accepted you- he allowed you to join in on a case and since then he has become fond enough to let you into his flat every day."

Rose snorted as she said: "You know, the way you say it makes it sound indecent. I only go join John for a cup of tea." "And you engage in what some might call friendly banter with my brother- only, it is more often a battle of the minds as you try to gauge and read each other."

Rose shrugged in acknowledgement, adding: "He rarely has someone to bounce ideas with or to use his full intellect. It's not my fault I happen to be the only one near him." She said looking pointedly at Mycroft.