Soldier without his Detective

Chapter 15

A/N** This is the last chapter of Soldier without his Detective. I have done a follow up. It is on AO3 atm and I will post once on here when it's finished. This is set straight after chapter 13. I really hope you liked the second part!!

The sun pressed down on the team. Even for early December the desert was unbearably hot. John could feel the sweat trickling down his body under his equipment. The gear needed for the patrol and camp amplified the desert sun. He led the team towards the buildings. They found people, but they were too late. The animals had already taken them. The further they travelled the more they found. John could feel the sting in his eye as a bead of sweat fell. Blinking it away he tightened his grip on his gun and moved forward.

They cleared house after house. Nothing but the remains of an abandoned village. Wasn't like John had expected much from this patrol. The village was partially destroyed. They had reached the centre, where the attacks had focused. They had to be more alert in this area. It was no longer just an empty village, like the earlier parts they walked through. The desolation spread around them. Obscuring their view. Hiding animals and bodies.

John held up his hand. Something's not right . His team all halted behind. Fingers on triggers. Focus directed on anything that looked slightly out of place. He could hear it. He didn't know what it was, but it was something. His eyes dart to the side as Sami comes into view. Eyes still scanning his surrounding area, John breathes out, "Listen." Sami focuses on any and all sounds around. He nods slightly towards a nearby house they had yet to check. John nods back to him and moves forward. Sami falling in line behind. The team follows John as he walks towards the house.

The house was mainly intact. Only broken windows as an indication that anything was wrong. They take their attack positions. John stands in front of the door. Sami stood with Hancock on the left of the door. Wright, May and Bill on the right. Andrews stood behind John. He would break the door and they would all follow him in. Everyone stood on high alert. John looks towards each side, silently asking if they're ready. With a sharp intake of breath, John kicks open the door.

Scanning the area, they all pile in. Moving with quick, practised efficiency. They check through the rooms. John stops short. He found the source of the noise. A television was flickering in the corner of the room. The picture alternates between a cartoon and static. He moves forward to switch it off. False alarm. He lets out a sigh of relief. He begins to move through the rest of the house. As he passes Sami he whispers, "Just a tele." With a stiff nod, they both carry on through the house.

The rest of their day was quiet. They didn't find anything. No more unidentifiable sounds. No more lost children. They made camp. It had become colder than the days previous. They all huddled close under the stars. The night filled with the sounds of chewing rather than jokes. They shared around the food. Making sure they had enough to last.

Bill stood and motioned to John, "Need loo." John stood and walked with Bill. They had to go in pairs everywhere they went, as a precaution. John carried his gun as they walked away from the group. He stood watch, facing the opposite direction to Bill. Both still alert, they stood in silence. Bill moves to walk back when John pulls on his arm slightly. He hands over the gun and they switch places. Bill kept lookout, holding John's gun out to the empty night.

When they returned the team were starting to doze. John looks over his team with a fond expression. He looks towards the stars on the horizon. It was a beautiful, clear night. A cool breeze on his face. His uniform kept him from the chill. He wonders what Sherlock would be doing. His phone was turned off in his pocket in an attempt to keep the battery to text in the morning. His mind still on Sherlock and his eyes on the stars ahead.

Sherlock would probably be at home, drinking a cuppa. Or maybe he's running after some criminal. Has he even eaten yet? Most likely not. Is that star moving? It takes less than a second for him to register and shout as he dropped to the ground, "DOWN!" A shot is taken, landing near to where he dropped. The team scrambles to find the attackers in the darkness. They grab their gear and begin shooting towards where the shots were coming from.

They try moving back to get coverage, bullets flying close. They were shooting blind, but so were the attackers. John began calling the base. Barking orders down the line so they could hear him over the sound. Beside him Andrews fell. "BILL! COVER!" John dropped beside Andrews and began dragging them towards the nearby building. He took some bandage from his pocket and pressed it towards Andrews. It wasn't serious they could cope. John grabbed his gun and moved forward to rejoin his team.

The bullets flew through the air. They shot back. Aiming at anything that moved. John needed his med bag. He motioned to his team and began moving back towards the camp they had made. He shot as he walked. Crouching low to the floor. He heard a cry from behind. He moved faster. Grabbing his pack and shooting towards the moving star. He made his way back, dropping to where Bill was pulling May away. He thrust some cloth into his hands and gave them cover as they ran for cover. Bill rejoined him. Andrews and May shooting from behind the wall.

Ahead of him Sami fell as he ran back with the others. Sami falling like a sack of potatoes. John sucked in a breath and dropped all his equipment as he turned to his team. Pushing his pack towards Bill he said, "Cover me!" More shots could be heard over the top. John gave a slight nod to where the backup had arrived. The soldiers from base joined his team as John crouched. He ran towards Sami. Sami looked up towards John. He had been shot in his stomach and his leg. John took hold of him. Lifting him over his shoulder in fireman's lift - or at least the best he could manage while staying close to the ground. He pushed his way past the soldiers and placed Sami on the back of the transport.

He made his way for Andrews. Lifting them in a full fireman's lift. The soldiers provided him with cover. Another vehicle pulled up close. John kept moving. Running against the incoming soldiers. Not many had joined them, but it was enough. Andrews was placed on the back of the truck, someone else dropped. John ran back into the storm. May could walk. Giving support he led them to Andrews. He ran to the next soldier. Pulling the soldier next to him he shouted over the noise, "TAKE HIM TO THE OTHERS!" He stopped the next soldier "DRIVE BACK THE WOUNDED!"

The shots kept coming and slowly the newly formed team started to move back towards the vehicles. He heard the wheels skidding as the wounded were taken back towards base. John picked up a gun from the floor and started providing cover for his team to run for the truck. The attackers he could see were blurred. He wiped his eyes, trying to get the sand out of them. His vision still blurred. He shot towards the blurs he knew were the enemy. Must have got most of them, it's getting quieter. His left eye went black. Sand! Shitting sand! He wipes his eyes again, the noise lessening. His team were retreating.

"Captain...Watson... John!" The words were quiet. Slurred. Someone is calling. They must be hurt. The gun slips from his finger as his vision spots even further. The voices drowned out. He falls into a pair of arms and can feel himself being dragged. He tries to call out. The words passing his lips in barely audible gasps, contrasting the screaming in his mind, "Sher-"