Face the Odds

Chapter 13: Shadows

Vivian glanced at the newcomer as the woman stopped a few feet beside Sherlock, who greeted without looking at the blonde woman: "Hello, Mary."

"Hey." Mary greeted, and Sherlock asked: "John?"

"On his way." Mary replied. "Marie?"

"Should be here soon as well." Sherlock confirmed, before he nodded at Vivian as he added with false politeness: "Let me introduce Amo."

Mary's face instantly darkened, and she stared at Vivian as she asked in disbelief: "You were Amo?"

Mary's face contorted, and she checked: "You were the person on the phone that time?"

"Using AGRA as her private assassination unit." Sherlock commented flatly, and Mary demanded: "Why did you betray us?"

"Why does anyone do anything?" Vivian shrugged, and Sherlock said sarcastically: "Oh, let me guess. Selling secrets?"

"Well, it would be churlish to refuse." The old woman answered with an easy shrug, looking at Sherlock. "Worked very well for a few years. I bought a nice cottage in Cornwall on the back of it. M was very generous."

"M... Moriarty?" Sherlock asked, cocking his head. He hadn't thought there might be that connection in this case... but, then again, it seemed that all their fates were inexplicably and irrevocably tied to one another.

"Oh, wouldn't you like to know." Vivian answered with a sniff, before she continued with a grimace: "But the ambassador in Tbilisi found out. I thought I'd had it."

She looked briefly at Mary before she turned back to Sherlock as she went on: "Then she was taken hostage in that coup."

Vivian laughed, saying in amazement even now: "I couldn't believe my luck! That bought me a little time."

"But then you found out your boss had sent AGRA in." Sherlock commented calmly, and Vivian said with a touch of derision: "Very handy. They were always such reliable killers."

"What you didn't know, Mary," Sherlock murmured to Mary as Mary smiled back mirthlessly, "was that this one also tipped off the hostage-takers."

Mary turned and stared at him, her eyes reflecting her shock at this new revelation.

"Lady Smallwood gave the order," Vivian told Mary at last as the old woman settled back on the bench with her handbag on her lap, "but I sent another one to the terrorists with a nice little clue about her code name should anyone have an enquiring mind. Seemed to do the trick."

"And you thought your troubles were over." Mary murmured bitterly, her eyes just a little shiny with tears as she remembered her team who had had to suffer, both during and after the incident, according to Ajay.

"I was tired." Vivian sighed, looking at Mary. "Tired of the mess of it all."

She sighed, closing her eyes briefly as she murmured: "I just wanted some peace, some clarity. The hostages were killed, AGRA too."

She looked right at Mary as she added: "Or so I thought. My secret was safe."

She sighed again.

"But apparently not." She murmured, looking at Sherlock. "M told me you were close to catching on to me. But I'm so tired, tired of looking out for Death."

She took a deep breath before murmuring: "Just a little peace. That's all you wanted too, wasn't it?" She nodded at Mary. "A family, home. Really, I understand."

Mary glanced at Sherlock, fighting back her anger, but he was keeping his hand on Vivian. Or more specifically, on the hand she kept on top of her open handbag.