221B

Chapter 14 - The Great Game

I hear the door close, it echoes throughout the whole building.

"He's here..." His voice says in a high-pitched, singsong voice through both of our earpieces. He's happy about this.

"Please don't." I mutter, trying as hard as I can to keep my voice from shaking but failing miserably.

"Remember; say anything different...anything at all..." His voice says in the same high-pitched, singsong voice.

"Keep up with that singy voice and I swear to God I'll kill you." I mutter back.

"'Singy voice'?" He chuckles. "Big talk for someone in your position, don't you think? I'd shut up now, if I were you."

I look over at John, who stands next to me. He looks back at me, his face filled with horror and worry and everything else in between all mixed together.

"Brought you a little getting-to-know-you present. Oh, that's what it's all been for, hasn't it? All your little puzzles; making me dance-all to distract me from this." Sherlock says loudly.

"Now, do exactly as I say, say exactly what I tell you. I'll mainly be making Doctor Watson say all this so Miss Harrison needn't worry about repeating anything. Yet." He pauses. "Miss Harrison, if you would be so kind as to open the door."

I hesitate for a moment, then slowly reach out and grab the cold door handle with a trembling hand. I take a shaky breath, then slowly open the door and step out. John follows.

Sherlock is at the edge of the pool, at one end of the room, when he hears the door open he looks over his shoulder at us, holding up a memory stick with one raised hand. Sherlock stares at both of us in complete shock. I stare back at him, already fighting back tears, resisting the urge to yell at him to run and get out of here before the trigger is pulled. I resist the urge to tell him that John and I are not the bomber Sherlock's looking for-I can see it in Sherlock's face that he thinks so, that he actually believes, just for a moment, that we're the ones strapping bombs to people's chests and giving out the cases for Sherlock to solve.

Just seeing the expression painted on Sherlock's face is enough to break my heart a little. I know, a bit melodramatic, but it's the truth.

"Doctor Watson-repeat after me: evening."

"Evening." John repeats a moment later.

Sherlock's hand slowly begins to lower, other than that, he doesn't move. He continues to stare over his shoulder at us in disbelief.

"This is a turn-up, isn't it, Sherlock?" John repeats.

"John..." Sherlock says softly, still obviously shocked. He looks at John, then at me. "Kate...what the hell...?"

"Miss Harrison: bet you never saw this coming."

I repeat it exactly as he said it with a second of hesitation.

Sherlock finally manages to move, he slowly starts to walk towards John and I.

"Show him." He instructs us. "First Doctor Watson."

With a look of despair on his face, John takes his hands from the pockets of the hooded jacket he'd been given, and pulls open the jacket, revealing the bomb strapped to his chest.

"Miss Harrison, if you would." He instructs.

I close my eyes, draw in a shaky breath, look at Sherlock again, and pull open the jacket I'd been given-it's nearly identical to John's; the jacket I was given and the bomb strapped to my chest. I can picture my expression matching John's.