Daylight

Part 12

John moved quickly after unlocking himself from the cuff.  He may have only moments before another person found out what he’d done.  He poked his head outside his door and looked both ways before stepping out.  He saw no one.  The big lug he’d just taken out might have been Jim’s only backup.  The bastard had been so self-confident about the control the collar gave him, he’d had only one man looking out for him.  Idiot, John thought channeling Sherlock for a moment.  He didn’t believe he’d killed either man.  He knew enough about the human body to know how much pressure to apply to achieve unconsciousness.  With everything else he’d done lately, he didn’t want to add murder to the burdens he carried around with him.

     He tried to remember which way he’d been brought in yesterday and turned left.  The hallway to the right ended in a wall,so there was no use going that way.  He stayed low and moved as fast as he could.  He passed closed and locked doors along the way, so he continued until he came to an open archway.  He moved into a room with three solid walls and one glass, two-way mirror, and paused a moment to suss out the situation before continuing on. 

     John inhaled sharply when he recognized who was in the room on the other side of the glass.  Sherlock sat in a chair next to some computer monitors.  John saw with some trepidation one of the monitors had the scene of his recently vacated room with Geoff on the floor and Jim strewn across the bed.  Both still lie where he left them and that meant he had a bit more time before all shit broke loose. 

     Sherlock wore a collar just like the one he’d shed, and when he saw it, he felt something inside him twist in shame.  Sherlock hadn’t raised an alarm although he’d obviously see John take Moriarty down.  Whatever the reason he’d been working with Jim, he’d done it because he feared for his own skin.  Or perhaps, he’d feared for someone else’s, maybe even John himself.  Sherlock wasn’t watching the monitor to his room anymore, but staring through the two-way mirror as if he were looking right into his John’s eyes.  Did he know John was there?  John felt a tug at his heart then.  After all that had happened to him, he still believed Sherlock had a good soul. 

     The detective had lost his way after one moment of panic at a public swimming pool.  He’d solved his perceived dilemma of losing John using the only tool he had at his disposal, his brother.  But, in the long run could this have worked out any differently?  The second he’d cast his lot with Sherlock, his life had been absorbed into the world of mystery, revenge and elation all rolled into one spectacular package. 

     John had sudden doubt about leaving him to stay in Moriarty’s grip.  What would they do to him if John got away?  Sherlock turned his head to look over his shoulder and John noticed the two guards that stood at the door to the room.  Sherlock knew he was on the other side of the mirrored glass.  He’d deduced it, and as usual was correct.

     Sherlock wouldn’t be going anywhere with those two in the room.  Then, John got an idea.  What if the remote control in his hand released Sherlock’s collar as well?  Why not?  Would each collar be linked to a different frequency, or would Moriarty have a key that controlled all his pets at once.  John put his money on the “one key” theory.  He had only one way to test his idea.  He tried pointing the key at Sherlock’s collar and pushing the release button.

     He’d seen the security guard push the button on the right viscously when he thought it would cause John’s collar to explode, so he pushed the button on the far left.  Success.  He saw Sherlock’s eyes widen as he realized his collar’s clasp had disengaged and he quietly removed it and held it in his hands.  His eyes met John’s through glass and he lifted one corner of his mouth in a genuine, Sherlock smile.  John thought he saw a look of absolute gratefulness pass over the detective’s face.  John felt a return smile slide over his own lips. Then, he saw the look in Sherlock’s eyes change from dumbstruck gratitude to insidious revenge.  Sherlock had murder in those sea-gray eyes now.  Without the threat of the collar, John knew Sherlock could overpower the two guards in the room easily enough.  With the burning press of his conscious somewhat relieved by releasing the collar, John decided to get out while he could.

        John left Sherlock to formulate his plan of escape, while he went back into the hallway and looked for another exit.  One door caught his eye as being heavier than the others.  Ah, an exterior door, he thought.  Here was his exit.  He tried it and found it unlocked.  Bright light flooded his vision as the afternoon sun streamed into the hallway.  Would it be this easy?  Would no one else try to stop him?

     He heard shouts behind him.  He decided to risk it and make a dash for outside.  The shouts meant that either Sherlock had made his move and tried to overpower his guards, or someone had found Jim’s inert body.  Either way, it wasn’t John’s problem.  It most certainly was not John’s problem.  It was not.  John hesitated a moment.  He could see freedom in a short flight of stairs that lead to an asphalt covered car park and a busy street just beyond.  People!  Freedom.

     But Sherlock, possibly fighting for his life, lie behind him.  John closed his eyes and waited for clarity.  Could he live with himself if he left Sherlock behind?  If they didn’t kill him, they would continue to use him.  Unspeakable evil would continue unabated.  John would never be rid of the constant threat of James Moriarty, and Mycroft would continue to hunt him down.  Clarity finally arrived in the form of reason.  John had made his decision, he’d go back.