Sherlock - The Game Is On!

The Final Problem- Ten

Chapter Ten

Third POV

John's eyes open and he blinks several times, then grimaces and makes a pained noise. Lifting his head from the bed he's lying on, he puts his hand to the back of his head.

Nearby, Mycroft is leaning back against a grey panelled wall, the top button of his shirt undone above his slightly loosened tie. Sherlock paces but now turns to face John. "How are you?" He starts to pace again as John takes his hand from his head. "Bit of a lump."

"True dat, but you have your uses." There they stood in an identical cell to the one which Eurus was in. The large light in the ceiling is white, not green.

On the left of the room, about halfway back, the governor is sitting on the floor with his back against the wall. Mycroft is at the right side. As Sherlock continues to pace back and forth in front of the glass, John sits up on the side of the bed. "Did you see your sister?"

"Yes."

"How was that?" John holds the back of his head again. Sherlock pulls in a long breath before replying: "Family's always difficult."

"Is this an occasion for banter?" Mycroft sighs. "Mm, case in point." The sound of a phone ringing out can be heard. John stands up. "Are we phoning someone?"

"Apparently." John looks across the room to the governor. "What's he doing here?"

"As he is told." He stops and turns to John. "Eurus is in control." The phone connects and a young girl's distressed voice over the speakers:

- - Help me. Please, I'm on a plane and everyone's asleep. - -

She speaks rather tearfully.

- - Help me! - -

The lights in the cell go red and Jim's voice speaks over the speakers:

- - Hello. My name's Jim Moriarty. - -

Mycroft sighs heavily.

- - Welcome... To the final problem. - -

Still holding the back of his head, John looks across to Sherlock. The lights turn white again. "It's okay. He's dead."

"He doesn't sound dead." The lights turn red.

- - This is a recorded announcement. - -

On the plane, the tearful girl can also hear his voice.

- - Please say hullo to some very old friends of mine. - -

- - Hello? I can hear you talking. Please help me! I'm on a plane and it's going to crash! - -

The lights in the cell turn white. "What is this? We can't do this!" Mycroft panics plaintively. "Do shut up, dear." Sherlock interrupts. "Is someone there?"

"Is this supposed to be a game?"

"Be quiet."

- - Please help me! - -

"Oh, hello. Um, try-try to stay calm. Just te-tell me what your name is." Sherlock spoke to the girl.

- - I'm not supposed to tell my name to strangers. - -

"Of course not. Very good. But, um, I'll tell you mine. My name is..." A click and then static from the speakers started, pausing the call. "Hello?"

On a large TV screen, the image of pouring water briefly appears and then resolves to live footage of Eurus smiling into the camera:

- - Oh dear. We seem to have lost the connection. - -

Everyone turns towards the sound. The screen is on a stand in front of the lift on the other side of the glass. Mycroft walks towards the glass. "How have you done this? How is any of this possible?"

- - You put me in here, Mycroft. You brought me my treats. - -

"What treats?" John walks closer to Mycroft. Mycroft turns his head towards him and presses his lips together a little. Sherlock frowns, then looks round at his brother, who turns and returns his gaze.

Sitting in the chair behind the desk in the governor's office, Eurus raises a remote control and aims it towards the screens at the side of the room. She clicks a button and the lights in the cell turn red. Jim's face, in close-up, appears on the cell screen. The entire image is coloured red:

- - Clever Eurus! You go, girl! - -

As the lights turn white again John turns to Sherlock. "How can that be Moriarty?" Before Sherlock can reply, Eurus's image appears on the screen again:

- - Oh, he recorded lots of little messages for me before he died. - -

Still sitting on the floor, the governor sinks his head back against the wall behind him.

- - Loved it. Did you know his brother was a station master? I think he was always jealous. - -

"The girl, where is she? Can I talk to her again?"

- - Poor little thing. Alone in the sky in a great big plane with nowhere to land. But where in the world is she? It's a clever little puzzle. If you want to apply yourself to it, I can reconnect you; But first... - -

She sits back in her chair and swings it around to face the side. Behind her, out on the balcony beyond the windows, a woman is sitting on a chair facing the room. Large solid handcuffs are attached either side of the seat and the woman's wrists are manacled at the other end of the cuffs. Wide dark grey gaffer tape is wrapped around her mouth and possibly her nose. She struggles against her restraints. "That's my wife."

He scrambles to his feet and walks closer to the glass.