The Death Game

Chapter 41

Back on the rooftop of St. Barth's hospital, Sherlock buried his face in his hands, his eyes filling with horror and confusion. He didn't know what to do. The only thing that could keep him and his friends alive had just shot himself and was on the ground, cold and dead. One of the many things he couldn't understand right now was Juliet Waters. She was slumped over the dead body of Jim Moriarty, her piercing screams and muffled cries filling the silent air.

At 221B, Mrs Hudson gave a mug of tea to a workman who was squatting in the hallway. The man smiled gratefully and took it, and once she had moved away, he picked up one of his tools and put it into his toolbox. Lying on top of all the other tools was a pistol with a small silencer attached to it. He raised his eyes ominously in the direction of Mrs Hudson as she went back to her flat. Meanwhile at Scotland Yard, a plain clothed police officer in the general office looked round to Lestrade's office, his eyes narrowed as he held unto a pistol.

After all, John had taken a taxi to go see Mrs Hudson, from the phone call he had received a few hours before, he was told that she had been shot and dying. But seeing that when he arrived, she was all right and it was all but a misunderstanding, his eyes widened in horror, he understood what this meant. Sherlock was about to do something stupid, very stupid. John was now sitting anxiously in a taxi on his way back to the hospital. Not far away and obviously unseen by John, a man trotted up a small staircase and then quickly sat down on the stairs, he began to assemble a high-powered rifle. Opening the nearby window, he aimed his gun out of it as John's taxi got closer to the hospital.

Back on the rooftop, Sherlock breathed shallowly and rapidly, holding his sleeve up over his mouth and complete horror as he turned back to look again at Jim's fixed grin and cold dead eyes. He didn't even had time to think about Juliet as he thought frantically for a while, then slowly turned back around towards the edge of the building. His breathing began to slow down as he stepped up onto the ledge, blowing out another breath as he looked down towards the ground.

In the street down below, John's taxi pulled up. Sherlock slowly took out his phone and selected a speed dial. The answering phone began to ring below him just as John got out of his taxi and raised his phone to his ear, trotting towards the hospital. Behind Sherlock, Juliet looked up through tear stained eyes at the tall silhouette that stood on the edge of the roof. Her breath quickening as she realised what was happening.

''Hello?'' John said on the other end of the phone as he kept walking towards St. Barth.

''John.'' Sherlock exhaled as he closed his eyes briefly before looking back down at the street.

''Hey, Sherlock, you okay?'' his friend asked as he had no idea what was going on.

''Turn around.'' Sherlock simply ordered, ''Turn around and walk back the way you came now.''

''No, I'm coming in.'' the man said as he furrowed his brow.

''Just do as I ask.'' the detective answered frantically, ''Please.''

''Where?'' John replied as he turned back and looked around bewildered.

''Stop there.'' Sherlock paused for a moment while John walked back along the road before speaking urgently, ''Stop right there.'' he said as John kept looking around, ''Okay, look up. I'm on the rooftop.'' he said as John looked up, his face filling with horror, ''I... I can't come down, so we'll... we'll just have to do it like this.''

''Oh God...'' his friend mumbled under his breath as he kept his gaze on Sherlock, ''What's going on?''

''An apology.'' the tall man on the edge answered as he looked over to John on the street, ''It's all true.'' he said as John furrowed his brow, ''Everything they said about me.'' he lied as he looked briefly at Jim's body behind him, ''I invented Moriarty.''