Sherlock - The Game Is On!

The Final Problem- Six

Chapter Six

Third POV

John and the fisherman sit side by side at a table in a small room. The governor walks to the mesh door in front of them and stops. Someone offscreen deactivates the lock and the door opens. The governor walks inside. One of the beanie-hatted guards stands inside the room beside the door, holding his rifle pointed down to the floor in front of him.

The fisherman immediately starts talking: "This is a mistake. I'm the victim 'ere." He stands up and jerks a finger down to John. "This man stole my boat. 'e's a pirate."

"Yeah, I really am." John boasts sarcastically. "Please, sit down."

"I don't even know who 'e is!" He sits whilst jabbing his finger about angrily. "He's Doctor John Watson, formerly of the Fifth Northumberland Fusiliers." The governor stated, as if it was obvious. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a hospital. Any work?"

"It's not a hospital." Still looking at the people opposite him, he holds out a pass towards the guard. "I want eyes on Eurus Holmes. Go straight to the Special Unit, deploy Green and Yellow Shift on my authority."

"Sir." Turning around, the guard raises the pass to a camera above the door. The door buzzes and unlocks and the guard goes out and walks away. The governor sits down on a chair opposite the other two men. "I'm sparing your blushes because we're supposed to be on the same side; And frankly, this is embarrassing."

"Ooh, doing a cavity search?" John presses nonchalantly. "The true art of disguise, according to your famous friend, is not being looked at." He turns to the fisherman. "But I am looking at you, aren't I, Mr Holmes?" The fisherman looks across the table to him. "Yes, you are." The governor smiles.

"But that is sort of the point..." John looks across to the man beside him. "Isn't it?" The fisherman stands up while John turns to the governor. "See, you should have been looking at the guy you just gave your pass to." Beside him, the 'fisherman' pulls off his hat with one hand, pulling off the white hair at the same time. With his other hand he pulls off his false nose and moustache, leaving just the white beard in place.

Sighing with relief, he lowers his hands to reveal the face of Mycroft. The governor's smile drops as Mycroft grins down at him through his grubby false teeth and raises his eyebrows at him.

Elsewhere in the facility, the guard trots down some stairs and swipes the governor's card through a reader. The nearby doors open and he gets into the lift which they have revealed.

Sherlock's hair was hidden under the beanie hat. The doors close.

Back in the holding cell, Mycroft has now removed all traces of his disguise and the outer clothing he was wearing, revealing that he kept on his blue trousers, a white shirt and blue waistcoat. He stands in front of a large mirror on the side wall, smoothing down his hair. "That's the trouble with uniforms and name badges. People stop looking at faces. You'd be better off with clown outfits." He turns around. "At least they'd be satirically relevant."

"Oh, you'll find the real Landers on the north shore, tied up with two others." John adds. "Two others?" The governor questions. "Well, it was trial and error." John gestures to his own waist as he speaks. "We had to find the right waistband."

"This is insane! This is unnecessary!"

"No; Your security is compromised and we don't know who to trust."

"And that justifies dressing up?"

"Yes it does!" Mycroft snapped, facing the governor. "It justifies dressing up or any damned thing I say it does. Now, listen to me: for your own physical safety do not speak, do not indulge in any non verbal signals suggestive of internal thought. If the safety of my sister is compromised; If the security of my sister is compromised; If the incarceration of my sister is compromised in short, if I find any indication my sister has left this island at any time, I swear to you, you will not."

He glares down the man, who is standing with his hands behind his back and not moving as instructed. Mycroft tilts his head towards John. "Say thank you to Doctor Watson." He spoke with a calmer tone. "Why?"

"He talked me out of Lady Bracknell. This could have been very different." He turns away and puts his right hand to his ear. "Are you in?"

In the lift, Sherlock puts his own right hand to his ear. "Just arriving at the Secure Unit. Explain."

- - Door opening. - -

Sherlock turns to the doors opening behind him and walks along a long corridor, slouching and rocking his body from side to side as he disguises his normal stride. "A prison within a prison. Eurus must be allowed the strict minimum of human interaction." Mycroft spoke through the earpiece. "Why?"

"Since you're determined to meet her, you're about to find out."