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.”