The American Fire that Melted the Ice Man (Mycroft Holmes x OC - BBC Sherlock)

Chapter 19: Not You

Mycroft had no sooner called Sherlock and sat back down at his computer, this time to review the footage from the last few hours, that Sherlock dropped quite a bomb on him.

"Is she wearing her bracelet?" his younger brother asked.

"What?" Mycroft scowled as he stared at the screen to see someone in a hooded coat exiting his own house with Sophia just an hour and a half earlier. While he couldn't make out the face under the hood, he did distinctly see the glint of the end of a pistol being shoved into his wife's back.

"I asked you if she's wearing her bracelet."

"I don't see—"

"Just answer me, Mycroft!"

"She was earlier this evening. I'd have to go—"

"Hold on—" Mycroft heard him shuffling around with his phone. "Yes, she is."

Mycroft's scowl got deeper, and he growled. "How do you know that."

"Because the charm I gave her had a tracker in it."

"You—you what?"

"We can argue about it later, Mycroft—John, look at this." Mycroft imagined Sherlock was showing John his phone.

"Sherlock, that's just down the street. What are the odds we'd be—"

"That's it—that's why this case didn't make sense. It was a trick to get us out here." Sherlock put the phone closer again. "Mycroft, I'm sending you the address the tracker is at. It appears to have been stationary for at least forty minutes. We'll be there in five."

"I'm on my way!" Mycroft said, already running out of his office.

*****

Sherlock crept quietly through the warehouse from one side, knowing John was somewhere on the opposite side sneaking in as well. He and John had been given an odd case that he found just mysterious enough to investigate and it had led them to an abandoned house not too far down the road from this warehouse.

Mycroft no doubt had his driver speeding as he hastened to arrive. Had it not been for the fact that they were certain surprise was necessary, the older Holmes brother probably would have had the whole of the British Armed Services, Security Services, and Police Force, bearing down on the place.

Sherlock, however, was also certain this was exactly the way it was supposed to be. He was supposed to get there first. But why? Whoever had been doing these things to Sophia was surely trying to get back at his brother, not him? Unless it really was a trap, and they were hoping to get he and Sophia both. No matter what—Sophia Holmes was somewhere in this warehouse, and he wasn't going to let her die. Not a chance.

Sherlock stepped into the largest open area of the warehouse and it was then she saw her, sitting in a chair—tied to it. From this distance he couldn't be certain as he only had moonlight, but he was fairly certain she was also gagged.

He was slowly approaching when someone else stepped out of the shadows. He froze. He recognized that figure anywhere.

"Oh, come now, Sherlock. Come into the light. Now isn't the time to be shy."

His heart thumped hard in his chest and his ears buzzed. "You."

Irene Adler smiled. "Oh yes, it's me."

"It can't be you."

"Come now, Sherlock—you are, after all, the expert at identifying me."

His head still spun as he tried to take in everything. "Tell me that someone put you up to this."