Team Seven of Heroes Chapter 9

9.

“I came onto the task one afternoon when the then Inspector Lestrade come to visit me.” Sherlock recounted his meeting then with the dismayed Inspector who normally sought his advice.

“Come in, Lestrade. I was about to have tea by myself. Watson, well he is indisposed.” Sherlock offered the man a seat. “It comes with a new wife and the pleasures of it.”

“Why thank you, Holmes.” Lestrade took his seat and watched the other man poured him the afternoon tea. He did look out the window and then wished it was dark so he could take the whisky instead. “I am here….”

“The murders, I read about them. Tell me what the papers did not say.” Sherlock cut in before he took a sip of tea. He loathed the cookies but Mrs Hudson insisted they were for him who needed nutrition. He knew his need was in a syringe and the deep drag of the pipe plus less women in his life.

“I can’t tell much except it happens at night and random victims. The Ripper liked whores …I meant ladies of the night but this one was baffling. We do suspect it could be a creature for the body was mutilated with the head decapitated. There were traces of mucus and these.”

Lestrade handed over a small mechanical item.

“It was found in the last victim.” Lestrade tried to find his words for it. “My experts told me it’s a silver component used in some pioneer study for medical purposes.”

Sherlock examined with the magnifying glass the small piece and it did looked like a small bone but it was lighter. He took reached for the tea spoon to scrape at it much to the chagrin of the Inspector.

“I would assume your people had checked it for blood samples.” Sherlock asked.

“Yes, we did and it turned out to be an unknown one.” The test was then introduced in the recent years known as the ‘precipitin test’ which involved a serum that reacted to human blood. It was the level of protein that displayed the result. And further to that, others began categorizing blood groups of different creatures.

“Unknown or untested yet?” Sherlock asked. He then began scrapping the surface of the item before he replaced the spoon on the saucer. “We are still new to this, and there may be more we do not know.”

“Did they take the blood samples at the zoo?” The city held a zoo which housed a great variety of the beasts and kindler ones. Sherlock had once said to Watson, if there was to be another great flood, he will take the zoo creatures for his collection in the new Ark with the statement. “It beats searching them elsewhere. These were used to be fed than to feed onto me.”

“Never mind, my dear Lestrade. We will work with what he hold.” It was from that conversation, Sherlock was to be involved in the task which brought him to meet up with M later. The meeting was also in his sitting room at Baker’s Street.

“Surely Madam, you need not have twenty of your officers standing on my street and with another twenty on the adjacent street. I know they tried hard to blend in but honestly tell whose idea was to have a fish and chips stand there and a long list of customer for it. It’s absurd for no one queued for it when we have five more of the same nearby and they all were served by the same vendor on the next street with the supplies. And who ever watched the monkey turn the barrel anymore when we have wheelers rolling you over if you stayed too close to the kerbs.”

“Good observation, Mr Holmes but I am in need of protection.” M having seated there on the next available seat in the sitting room shifted her legs to cross it. “If you want to know, it’s named as strings and I like have it on than those cotton pants. You should try it.”

“Pardon me, Madam. I did try it but it sort of twang my scrotum once too often.” Sherlock had then uncrossed his legs and adjusted the lapels of his dressing gown to cover his knees. “Now back to the task on hand, you are obviously not here for my report which I had handed over. Yu may be here to question on my findings that this is more than any murder cases and I may require more assistance. I do then state my plea as guilty.”

“Admirable as you are, Mr Holmes I was here to query on why them? The associates that you had named with details on their expertise.” M took the folder form her bag leaned on the seat.  “Unfortunately for you, Mr Smith have retired and chosen a sedentary life in the hills of Scotland.”

“That is one short then but with the other six I can contend with.” Sherlock sighed in regret that the infamous Nayland was not able to join.

“Six? I don’t think the Ministry will approve six. You know that we are …fastidious to the numeral six. I am afraid it had to be seven or five. I will not reduce the numbers as you are already shorthanded. I will give the last member. His name is …”

“Mycroft Holmes. I am advised.” Sherlock Holmes once displayed his deduction skills. “I saw your best among the guards; the so named Black Guards which held a team of ten officers. One of them was Mycroft for his immense strength and a pugilist with a fine record.”

“And he is not among those you saw outside. I wondered myself how you knew them all when I find difficulty recognizing them at times.” M smiled. “Maybe I took my tasks too seriously that I don’t see the trees from the forest.”

“No, Madam. You are observant but your focus is on the bigger forest that needed your care. Now back to my list, I can work with Mycroft but he must not know I selected him. It has to be the other way.” Sherlock told M then. And it was how Mycroft thought that he was the leader until then.

Sherlock was shaken out of cocaine induced stupor when M knocked on the table. She motioned to the unidentified leader on the middle screen. He had brief the assembled with his mind in a daze recollecting the events that led to then. He stared at the madam who shook him then.

“Who is the leader, Mr. Holmes?”

Tweet...tweet.... End my woes.

Hopefully he will wake up from it.

Despair the defeated will crawl

The joyous victors cheered in their steps

And no one sees the death and maimed

For none cared

The defeated anxious to save their own

The victor needs no reminder

Yet in every war this is repeated

Just like the mind reprocessing  

Just that the memories did not come around

We are all retards to the woes of war.

Jimmy Loong, May 31^st 2017

Two insurmoutable obstables (it was then.... ) were challenged and overcomed. Hail the hero ( whose life was tethering to expire the last day on presumption when I lost my control on the blog theme ) and breathe in the air, folks I am back. 

Pardon me, I am watching House ( the obstinate doctor series where arrogance rules the labs ). 

< Geez... I need oxygen... fresh one please. There are contaminants in my breathing space. >

Oh back to my insurmoutable obstacles.

I got my blogspot back after a spot of delirous thoughts which included a possible insertion of the screw driver on the motherboard < given my current sighting ...failing to spot a tit for tat...mind you can be troubling > I refrain for I could not find the screw to drive it in. And more to it, my better part of my brain tells me that blogspot was not the work of my motherboard but some setting issue. Well, I looked further below < not what you think > and found the zone that allowed me to turn it on and off < pardon the ping.... > 

That done and the next insurmoutable obstacle needed my attention.

I was stuck < dumber by the number of rewrites > on my second Team Seven Heroes from 20K words to 35K words and then epidemic wiped it back by15K and then hovered at 20K before I took a break to write a new tale on apes. It was inspired by rerun of Planet of the Apes. I did that in three weeks at 39K words for what I termed as Season I. 

And I wrote that poem above. 

By this weekend, I will be back to Team Seven Book II. 

And maybe no more House. Its depressing. I am already self diagnosing my own health from ALS to Staph and HIV...unlikely I am careful. I only preview and never over indulge. Swear upon my keyboard. 

Pardon if what I wrote made no sense for I was breathing in the wrong air...and watching the wrong series. 

Cheers

Team of Seven Heroes Chapter 8

8.

In the testing facility, Van Helsing placed his hands on the walls and traced it across the chamber. He was looking for something inside and tracing its source. He was there with the lady Harkness and the Greystoke couple while the others were at the other row of building. According to Mycroft, the Ministry owned all two blocks to the right and left of the vault building. He also mentioned that they were to be empty and was unaware of any testing facility there.

“I think I found something.” Van Helsing voiced out. “There is an electrical charge inside the wall and it trailed across the chamber.

“We also found something interesting. There are blood scents and it was not human or animals we knew.” Lady Greystoke added her findings.

“I know, my dear. The psychic vibrations I picked are not the usual. Whatever was here were not of this dimension.” Lady Harkness spoke of her findings. “They were in pain then.”

“Sabor…..” Lord Greystoke was on his knees and with his head down on the flooring. “There was …..sabors… They were here.”

It was unexpected when Van Helsing slammed his silver covered fist into the wall and drew out the wires there. He then pulled hard at the wires alongside the wall until he saw the small compartment by the corner. The wires led to a crate and on it was the switch box with the detonator. There was a number counter there and it was ticking to less than ten minutes on the clock.

“It’s a bomb.” Van Helsing called out. “We have to leave.”

“I will warn the others. You get them out.” Lord Greystoke rushed for the previous building while Van Helsing went for the doorway.

“Get out! There is a bomb here.” Lord Greystoke called to the others in the vault. He saw then Sherlock had recovered and was busy at the opened flooring. Watson who was with him with Mycroft then looked up.

“We know. Or Sherlock knew that, He said we can’t get out so he is defusing the main switch to the bombs now.” It was then Van Helsing came with the others.

“I can’t break the wall in time. It’s reinforced …”

“With steel plates.” Sherlokc spoke up without his eyes lifted from the bomb switches. “Either we or someone triggered the defence system here. They rigged the buildings with bombs and we are trapped. The walls were the original design and the sensors were to trigger the shutdown of the doors and windows but the bombs were something new.”

“No wonder we did not see guards?” Van Helsing commented.

“There was none needed. The sealed premises will have killed us if the guards arrived late. The sealed premises have another defence mechanism. Our air is being sucked out by the ducts and soon we will be dead.” Sherlock kept on talking while he was studying the design of the circuitry. “Blue or red? I wonder?”

“I know we can survive the bumbs.” Lady Greystoke called out. “We can hide inside the metal compartment inside the bullions.”

Without much ado, the six of them proceeded to remove the fake bullions and looked at the compartment. It was foldable which was how they brought it in pieces and then assembled it there. The plates were not heavy but the bullion pieces were. Each compartment could hold three persons and that meant one was single out. The six removed one side of the bullion and then lowered the metal compartment over them. It was fine for the first compartment but the second one was a mixed decision.

“You go in and I will hold my luck here.” Lady Harkness told the Watson and Mycroft. “And that man with you.”

“I will not go.” With Sherlock pulled the blue wire and then exclaimed out. “I did it. The clock stops at 45 seconds to go”

The clock did stopped then but it was then they heard the explosives. It was triggered in series and it was from both ends of the chamber. Sherlock rushed over while grabbing the lady to squeeze inside the metal compartment. The explosives were felt as it arrived close to the compartment and then silence.

It was not the silence of the bombing but the ear drums of the seven were then deafened by the high decibel of the noise.

Watson opened his eye lids and found his vision blurred. He could recall last was the smell of the unwashed Sherlock face at his and then silence. He did have a good dream of his first wife but he was not sure of the details then. He tried to focus his vision when he felt the soft hands on his left forearm.

“Are you awake, my dear?” Watson turned to the voice and saw it was who he had dreamed but it was Lady Harkness in her white blouse and dark skirt with the face unblemished despite the experience they had undergone.

“Sherlock have a sore jaw when you head butted him.” Lady Harkness told Watson. “Mycroft is fine except for the tingling in his ears. I believed in medical terms, it was called tinnitus.”

Watson could only nod then and then tried to sit up but was held back by the kind lady. He looked at the lady and she smiled.

“In my kind, we are built to last many forms of abuse. My body could recover faster.” Lady Harkness smiled. “What we needed was the pint of blood.”

“A bloody good pint, huh?” Watson replied with a cynical smile. He was told to rest until the others have recovered and then M will see them.

It was not for another three days later when they sat in another hall with the view through the tall glass windows at the beautiful valley and the town beyond it. It would have been scenic but the presence of guards who stood there on the outside lawn. There was also the parked armoured vehicle nicknamed the Mark IV which had trampled the bed of roses there much to the dismay of the gardener. Nothing of the deterred the invited guests to the mansion who were dressed in their best and was lavished with the finest in cuisine that the M could offer then.

“I am sure bully beef and potatoes with green peas may not be your fancied meal but I have to admit we are at war now.” M picked at her peas with the fork. “We eat what our boys eat during these trying times. I have though the Spanish wine circa 1898 and ….never mind the tale behind it, I am happy that all of you are here and recovered from such an ordeal .I never thought of the compartment could be of such use.”

None of the seven replied for they were enjoying the food. After the length of stay at the hospital, any food serving was welcome then with glee.

“While you were recovering, there have been three more murders and the Exchequer told me of the threat if devaluation of the currency. The rumours are in circulation on the missing bullions and the government is at its end.” M pushed her plate away which signalled the servants to clear the table of its layout much to the protest of Lord Greystoke who held onto his lump of beef.  “We may now look at the new strategies.”

The drapes on the windows were drawn and the gas lights turned while a table was carried in with the same rectangle box on it but there were three then. The three boxes were lighted up and displayed on the tall wall.

“Can someone please bring the white screen? I am sure Lord Nelson does not want us to imposed on his portrait?”

With the white screen hung there like the morning wash, the images projected by the three boxes were seen then.

“Moriarty, Fu Manchu or Doctor or even his other name, the Mandarin. The leader of the trio we know not who but he held an initial M like mine.” M smiled. “It can’t be me although my inner self professed to be that but we know it’s not. I am a capable person but I doubt I have that capacity needed there.”

“You are being modest, M.” Sherlock interjected. “We are capable of more things but our mind sets the limitations to it ….subconsciously.”

“It may be true, detective but the action of these three are consciously done with malice.” On the three screens were shown scores of images of which some were dated a decade ago. “These are known crime acts of the trio but we were never able to prove it.”

“Not even the bombing of the vault which we attributed to Moriarty.” M sighed. “We are a failure when it comes to our security?”

“I assembled all of you on the advice of Mr Sherlock Holmes who was working for us for …some time now.” M continued when she looked at them and stopped at Sherlock. “He will explain more and how your skills can come handy.”

Team Seven of Heroes Chapter 7

7.

The streets of London then was ever breath taking even from the inside of the wheelers with hustle and bustle of the people in the city going about their lives. The ones which you can’t missed are the daily chores with the groceries delivery or the papers being delivered or the mother pushing the pram to the park. Those are the ones many could see but none saw the homeless picking the trash for his meal or the boys chasing the cats from the alley to street and back. Or the flower girl that was trying to sell the flowers while she wanted was to have breakfast with her beau in the house.

“I wondered if there were bagels served at where we are going.” Sherlock sat there with the legs crossed. He was in the huge wheeler which accommodated the seven of them butts to butts with reeking smell from beneath the bench seats.

“Mycroft, do you think the ….lady could have arranged a better …wagon?” It was Van Helsing who fretted then. “In my country, I will have the use of the four horse carriage served with champagne and probably a book on ancient pagans to read too.”

“Well, you are not there now and here we try to be more inconspicuous. You see we have the nosy papers that have hundreds of staff who get a scent of us and then a molehill will be made into a mountain.” Mycroft gave his analogy of what he perceived then.

“You read too much secrets that everything you see is one.” Lady Jane concurred for Mycroft. “I think we need not argued anymore for we are there.”

The so named vault was located in a row of brick layered two levels buildings that counted to ten units in the row. The street in the front of the units was a narrow cobbled one with the trees planted on every second unit. The wagon rear doors opened and the seven guests stepped off. They were like all others who were new to any place; they commented on the neighbourhood. Mycroft was buttoned up in his overcoat over his tailor made suit and holding the walking cane as if he was the batsman. The Greystoke couple also in overcoats and knee nigh boots alongside Mr Harkness in similar dressing and a wide brimmed hat to shield from the sunlight. Van Helsing was in the animal fur coat and fur lined boots with the shoulder bag slung across the chest. Sherlock an Watson was with their overcoat unbuttoned to reveal the off the shelf tweed suit and dark leather shoes.

“Nice place. I like the flowers.” Lady Jane admired the flowers there. “Daffodils? I wondered if we are short of choices. In Africa, I had seen more that are displayed at Chelsea. There is the gardener there. I will ask him myself.”

Lady Jane paraded over to meet the gardener while the others took the steps towards the then opened door at the units but it was stated as Five and a quarter.

“Five and a quarter? Someday someone will find it magically fun to use that address.” Watson sighed. “Why can’t they call it Six when that was the next number.”

“In the Bible, the number six symbolizes man and human weakness. Man was created on the sixth day, and a Hebrew slave was to serve six years. It also marks the sign of the beast if you bring three six’s together. When ‘six six six’ multiplied by seven it equals ‘four thousand ‘six hundred and sixty two’, which depicts man’s imperfection under Lucifer. The Minister was a Man of God and in his mind, the quarter was to signify this butchering of the devil.” The gardener smiled. “His father and father of the father were butchers and with them every things was quartered.”

The group laughed while the gardener stepped over to greet the six other guests with Lady Jane holding his arm. The disguised gardener was tall in his frame with the fake moustache but his giveaway was the lighted pipe held in his hand.

“You may not assume or presume for I am the real Sherlock Holmes. It took the lady here to detect me out.” The gardener removed his cap and then smiled at the other lady standing there. “Lady Harkness, I am sure you would have known with the scent of my tobacco.”

“I knew but I was not here to reveal your identity.” Lady Harkness smiled. “We have a mutual past and understanding. The last you tried to have me place on the stake.”

“True”, Sherlock replied. “It was elementary, my ….”

Sherlock stopped then and looked to the others. “Shall we go in?”

Sherlock however stopped the other one who was dressed like him.

“Basil Ratty, you may return to your stage now. I am back in my role.” Sherlock told the actor who sat for him. The other smiled and then reached for Watson’s hand. “My apology,old chap. We had our moments.”

Watson sighed then for he had to cover up for the actor when the original was well, more original and creative. Soon the assembled seven were in the building and was ushered into a steel cage and then lowered to the basement. The gates opened wide and they found themselves in a huge chamber with the gold bullions stacked high and the piles of currencies. Each stack of god bullion was rimmed with the tall pots of daffodils which then were in heavy blooms.

“No guards?” Lord Greystoke sniggered. “Even a chimp could sneak in.”

“Well, close to that.” The gardener aka Sherlock Holmes remarked. “For this pile here, it’s not real. It was made up to appease the Treasury staff. The real bullions were taken away. I had verified that when I was here for over a week looking for clues. I finally did and was to call M but she told me you were coming here.”

“My friends, and once foe,” Sherlock singled out Lady Harkness. “What M told you was true. We have been robbed. I concurred that some time back and told M I needed a team for its unique qualities that may win over the enemy. M agreed and here you are. Thank you.”

Sherlock then looked at Mycroft who was standing at the side looking uneasy. Sherlock knew then that will need fixing for Mycroft looked dejected.

“As to the case of the missing gold, please allow me to walk you through the burglary. The real bullions were stolen by a crafty crime lord named Fu Manchu.” Sherlock smiled then and then continued with his take on the evidence. “Fu Manchu or better known as Doctor Fu Manchu was an immaculate planner of his tasks but in this case, he left me clues. Pardon me, let me give you the tour de force of the theft.”

 “The burglary was done by the front door or the roof or any windows favoured by the experts but the crime lords have to do it with more finesse. They did not dig through the walls or the flooring. They left with the garden waste.” Sherlock looked at the assembled there at the doorway of the main lobby which they had come in earlier. “They switch the bullions and then carted it out daily in the flower pots hidden inside were the bullions under the soil. Those fakes here have huge compartment inside where the fake bullions were stacked outside to form a skin over it.”

There was no applause then and Sherlock continued on.

“I found minute traces of dirt on the bullions. They were wiped clean but the trace was there if one were to look. I also found here something extra.” Sherlock frown then when there was no applause even from his associate. He took from his side pocket a metallic item.

“This is a canister I took from the block behind this one. I found this in the garden. For your information, it was also owned by the Minister but he did not use it to stock bullions but it was a testing facility. The facility was cleaned out after the theft too by the same criminals.” Sherlock handed the canister to the assembled. “I have searched the place thoroughly and with every inch of the place searched.”

“However nothing could elude me…..before.” Sherlock smiled. “I found that in the flower pot. It was left behind by someone for me to find. That was the part that eluded me.”

It was then Sherlock sighed before Watson rushed up to hold his friend’s hand. He then turned to look at the assembled.

“Sherlock needs his rest now.” Watson took Sherlock’s hand before he handed him the bottle with the syringe.

Team Heroes of Seven Chapter 6

6.

The new place of meeting was not below although the walk down the stairs was long and midway down the steps came to a two way junction. They took left following the elderly lady while she threw some switches before she moved on. The inquisitive wild man reached for the switch near him but he was stopped by the detective.

“I think it’s advisable.” The lanky sleuth figure tapped the side of the switch. “They may be a pressure switch.”

“You may be wrong.” The doctor caught up despite his limp, and threw the switch to turn off the lights behind him. “Now the pressure is on the flooring. Step on it and you will be crocodile feast.”

“How did you know?” The younger lady asked.

“It was…basic. I saw the flooring piece was sunken down and after I passed it, and when then switches were thrown off, the piece moved up. It was…” The doctor was interrupted then by the detective.

“Elementary. Shall we keep up or be trapped in this Torquemada chamber.” The group then forgot about the traps and moved on. They walked on and turned corners with more switches with lights on and off on every passed passage before they came to the metal doorway. The elderly lady opened the door and shooed them in what may be described as a wine cellar. There were rows of the barrels and the bottles. There was one unique item normally seen in the greater houses of the reminder of the Arthurian era. The item was unique as it was a man like figure but with extra height and frame. The figure was dark shaded metallic in design with the front visor for the human face to appear. The metallic figure held two upper limbs with the three pronged grappling finger extensions, and the lower limbs were a set of heavy boots. The frame was however split in the middle section where the cables were seen.

“Did Torquemada design this too?” Van Helsing asked but the elderly lady had ignored his remark. She motioned them to be seated at the long table there and then fetched herself a bottle of wine.

“Spanish circa 1893. I liked that year.  The year I returned from Spain after the war then against the Moroccans. I was with the British attaché and foreseen the war. I did my duty and was given commendation.  It was also the year I was finally seen as an officer then and not the bitch under the table without her knickers.” The lady named M had then shown anger in her tone. “I know my duty and I will do it to protect my country.

”

“Elementary, you were Spanish?” The sleuth asked then as a matter of curiosity. He was looking at painting of a country house with the backdrop of the Irish landscape with its limestone with the carpets of Alpine flowers including gentians, edelweiss and orchids.

“Is this Ireland? I see the delicate details on the flowers…..” Sherlock was left talking to himself when the lady had not replied immediately. She moved to the table where the wine glasses were displayed and soon they were filled to the brim.  

“Croi follain agus gob fliuch!” Sherlock toasted in Gaelic and with that he saw only Mycroft and M raised their glass.

 “Sorry, that was Gaelic. I was to say ‘healthy heart and a wet mouth’. It’s also my family toast during the special days.”

“Were you in love with an Irish?” Mycroft asked with a glee to meet another of his homeland.

“No, I was not. I was in love with …another one … Spanish he was but he died in the war. I was however deported soon when they found out my other purpose was to spy then. I came back here a hero. I retired to the Highlands for a while.” M looked at the gathered. “Now back to our reason to be seated here and served with good wine.”

It was then Mycroft stepped in with his suit covered in dirt and a poodle under his left arm.

“Carlotta is safe.” Mycroft handed over the poodle to M. “She was hiding under the bed in the servant’s chamber as always.”

“Naughty girl. You are always peeking at Drax.” M cuddled her poodle and then reached for the dog tag to remove it. She released the poodle and then displayed the tag to all of them.

“Mycroft, please do the honour.” M gave the instruction. The later pressed the switch for a rectangle box to be lowered form the ceiling. In the box was a piece of elongated glass piece with light bulb covered on three sides. There was also may be termed as a rectangle box with a slot on the top between the bulb and the glass piece. Mycroft took the dog tag and slotted into the box and soon an image appeared on the wall.

“It’s blurred, Mycroft. I doubt my eye sight have failed me just yet.” Mycroft then adjusted the position of the glass piece to sharpen the image.

“Team, we are now going to review several candidates that may be termed as the Evil Trio. They are possibly our suspects for the spate of killings and other more vile crimes that had happened in our country.”

The slide then showed a man in a grey tweed shirt and sporting a monocle on his left eye. He was also seen carrying a cane then with a green ruby top at the hilt.

“Doctor Moriarty or his full name Frank Moriarty, the unknown twin brother of the infamous Professor James Moriarty which is the nemesis of our dear detective here.” Sherlock had then raised his unlit pipe to defer on the statement.

“I must correct the facts here. The man you referred to have no known kin or ever said to be my nemesis.” Sherlock frown his expression with his right brow curled upwards as if he was looking at a clue. “However, he is my opposite in the works. I for ….”

“My dear friend was trying to imply that the Professor is the bad guy while he remains the good one.” Watson intruded in sharply. “On the conjecture that Professor may be with kin it would be improbable to conclude that fact until we have the full understanding of the matter.”

“Thank you, my dear Watson. It was …” By then Sherlock was cut off by M for his famous quip on the other.

“The suspect here was responsible for the burglary at the Central Vault in the City a month ago….” M was again interrupted.

“It can’t be for we have no news of it.” Sherlock raised his query. “If there was such an incident, would we have not chaos and riots on the streets for loss of value in our currency?”

“It was not disclosed for that obvious reason.” M then leaned over and waved the five pounds note at Sherlock. “Care to light your pipe, Sir?”

“No, thank you. I don’t smoke anymore. This is my comforting posture for the papers to illustrate my image.” Sherlock then took the fiver and smiled. “It might come in handy on the rebound.”

“The good doctor…. Pardon me, Doctor Watson. I was referring to another.” M smiled at the doctor. “Frank had been pulling the schemes while his twin appeared on the front. They have a huge network of criminals and enforcers. Having said that, we are of the …opinion.”

M looked at Sherlock for any expression then but she saw that he was more at ease on the fiver he was holding.

“As I was implying, in our opinion the Moriarty’s may be to par in intelligence but we doubt that they could had done it without others. Our opinion was drawn on the facts that they have not done it earlier despite the years of being the assumed uno numero.”

“Spanish, I know that word.” Sherlock beamed up then. “It’s elementary for they are the best means that they…”

“My esteemed friend was saying that Moriarty may not do it for it will collapse their own in the result of the chaos and rioting. Moriarty is not silly enough to do it.” Watson tapped his friend’s shoulder and then say “Bravo, old chap. You have done it again.”

“Exactly my sentiments.” M added in. “But they did do it and we were forced to keep it hidden from the public. That comes to my second suspect that may have been the true mastermind.”

“Spare me the pennies. I know who.” Sherlock beamed up once more as if a beam of light may appeared to declare him sainthood then. “It’s Bill Sikes. I knew only Dickens could had hidden such a villain so well in his pages that we never suspected it.”

“Actually I was to say Doctor Fu Manchu.”

“Fu…Fuck who is he?” Sherlock looked at the other faces for any answers and stopped at Lord Greystoke.

“How would I know but you can ask her. She knows the fuck from …...” It was then Lord Greystoke called out his jungle yowl when his balls were pressed Torquemada style. M had to call for a break then and held her discussion with Mycroft to speed up things.

“Mycroft, I am running out of time. Take them all to the Vault and moved from there.” M instructed the officer in her service. “You knew all the suspects so you can brief them when the need to know comes.”

Mycroft nodded and was to leave when M stopped him.

“Remember this. It’s a need to know only.”

Mycroft was stopped by Watson later and asked a pertinent question on his mind.

“Does M look familiar to you?’

“Yes, she does. She is the top ranking officer in my section. We all know her.” With that Mycroft went on his other matters. 

Team Seven of Heroes Chapter 5

5.

The rain have not poured anymore in London for there were one too many mushroom platforms and the floating balloons forming a canopy over the city. Even if it did, it will just bring down the dirt in the fog down to the ground. It however brought down the layer of dirt onto the street. When it does happened, the street will be cleared by the huge mechanical sweeper contraptions that took over the streets then. The words on the streets then were; ‘it ain’t sporty to get the rain for it will corrode the spots it spat on.’

That did not deter the four wheeler that pulled up at four flights of red bricks structure with the smaller garden patches with blue daffodils. It was not the gardener’s choice but the officer for the unofficial residence of the Ministry of Internal Security or MIS for those who felt the acronym more easily to remember.

“I say old chap, would we needing the brolly soon?” The tall lanky figure in the three piece dark suit voiced out with his eyes not averted from the glass opening in the wall. He would have been a class act but for the yellow Wellington boots that he substituted for the leather suede pair.

“I think so. I counted six in the library and the tea served was for seven persons.” The figure next to the tall and lanky one was a shorter with the lack of height dragged horizontally acr replied. “You know how much the Minister fret on wastage with the austerity drives on.”

“Yes, he did give me one side of the socks short. What did he expect? Recycle them or wear one less on some days.” The tall one replied. “Oh! The last one is here.”

The tall one stopped then.

“He is a charm. I think I will …” The tall one exclaimed in surprise but it irk the other.

“By George, Castell when will you grow …”

“One? I have it but it’s in the front.” The one named Castell had then moved to receive the arrived guest.

“Mycroft, ain’t you the best host if you had hosted this meeting?” Mycroft had given up his hat and cane to the one at the door but when he saw the silver tray offered then at the library. He eyed the seated at the round table and did the mental count. Eight of them were all seated there with one that was the real host.

“M, I am ever so sorry but the Bolivian officer was quick on his feet. I had to run a block before I took him down.” Mycroft smiled when he pulled out his Webley from the back of his pants to place it there. “Be careful, old chap. The barrel is still hot.”

“M for Mycroft but you are not the M that sits here.” The figure seated there named M smiled. “Unless you are willing to go without knickers. If I did, they would make me wear diapers.”

“Shall we start? Our guests are growing beards while we banter on whose knickers are still on.” The figure named M stood up and then she looked at the seated there.

There was the sleuth detective with his un-smoked pipe on his right hand and left one holding the hat popularly known as the deerstalker. The hat is made from cloth either of light or heavy wool tweed. The cap is made up of six triangular panels with rounded sides that were sewn together. The hat was worn by hunters.  M had not met the sleuth before but his exploits were known from the tales reported by the papers. She then saw the figure seated next to the detective. You had seen the doctor and they all looked alike; bore to their choice of haircut and choice of bow ties but not that one. She then recalled Doctor Watson was not the typical one. He served his time at the Far Frontier but he was missing for four years in the hills. He came back with his leg limping. He was one that M loved to be in the game. The wild man and his wife intrigued her too. Unlike the sleuth, the couple was known only as nobles but the wild side was hidden beneath the layer of dirt and wrapped in papers. She read they were reclusive and their estate was far bigger than the village she used to live in. They also kept a lion there. She had seen the other lions were at the zoo with her grandchildren. There was the last two which made her wondered. She was not sure who the lady was from but it can’t be from the islands. She must have been from the main continent or down south into icy lands. Or maybe the dark forest or on some higher mountains that reached beyond the clouds

The mild coughing from Mycroft brought her back to the library

 “Thank you for coming to this office where everything you ever know of us can be erased. I will give you the clean slate. We are the Government and you need to trust us. Like brother and sister.”

“Don’t be shy. I am a grandmother at home with two kids. Don’t tell me who you are for I knew all of you. But for my sake, you will be given code numbers and seven will be not available as it’s bonded to someone in the Highlands.” The lady stood up and smoothen her skirt over her knees and then adjusted her jacket. “I will be quick, you can pick from 001 to 006. Mycroft has his own code.”

“Am I not right, 010?” M looked at Mycroft before she took her right hand to sweep the strand of hair onto the bun held by hairpins. “Back to all of you, we have a task to do. And I thank you for being here.”

“From now you will know me as M or Madame and only the person that will protect you from here on. Your designation of double zero allowed you to do everything except kill me but we won’t dwell on that. I got enough people to kill me and they run into many zeroes. I won’t ask you if you are going to pull out for we are already in.”

“Now bring in the enemy.” M then called out.

It was then explosion went off in the rear of the building and rocked through the library. The books lined up in the three levels of shelves rattled off like plucked live chickens in the coop. The books down with the pages flapping and when it landed the spines broke giving a glimpse of the falling snow flakes. It was not only the books but the collapsing shelves and the ceiling peeled off with its pieces of plasters. Everyone had ducked for cover under the table to avoid the debris.

“Mycroft, I just renovated the library.” M complained then. “Find out if my poodle is safe?”

M then looked at her distraught guests while Mycroft went off to look for the poodles.

“Follow me.” M then led the six guests to the fireplace there. She pushed at the candle stick to open a hidden doorway at the flooring to reveal a set of descending stairs.

“Let me go first. I need to turn on the lights. We can’t go stumbling in the dark unless we are in for an orgy.”