Team Seven of Heroes Chapter 17

17.

“Let him in.” Mycroft heard the request and then looked to the sleeping figure. Sherlock was still on the bed but his eyes were open staring at the ceiling. “I know who that is.”

There was no knock but the door opened by the guard that followed the person. The person stepped in and was surprised to see the other two. The figure was dressed in the hunting attire with the knee high socks and boots. He was close cropped at the hair and the thin moustache was his only indulgence. He held a walking cane with a top that resembled a curved hold with a hidden lever to release the trigger.

“Sebastian Moran, please do find a seat. I need to move my muscles to give it some ….tenacity to the movement. It came with hours of being seated at my age.” Sherlock had then sat up and was preparing to leave the bed. The other declined the offer of a seat and dismissed the guards.

“You have met Watson and Mycroft. They looked smaller than being seen through the gun scope.” Sherlock smiled. “You are here because you saw my note. So I am right?”

Sebastian Moran leaned on his stick and then sighed.

“I never thought that Moriarty will do this to me but I guessed I have outlived my usefulness. Colonel Sebastian Moran the shooter is not needed in the service.”

“Stop your self-pity, Moran.” The last word came out with a tinge of sarcasm. “I can’t have you in that mode and another crime lord in the making. So tell me of this new one.”

Sebastian Moran pulled the papers from his jacket pocket and handed it over.

“His name is Monsignor Dupont. He has taken over my organization.” Sebastian Moran spoke out. “In a series of sweeps he took out three of my side kick and converted five others to shift over. All that was done in one week and by then Moriarty had me shut off. I narrowly escaped my assassination. It was more dramatic than retreating from the tribal brigands. I knew then how it felt for ….you.”

“Me? I was not running from you at any time. You had me mistaken for my doubles and for some time, I had you tailed. How did you reckon I traced you down?” Sherlock smiled. “As for Monsignor Dupont, he was more elusive. I am still ….”

“And you did not tell me?” Sebastian Moran had his voiced raised.

“Nor me?” Watson also added in. He was singed that his companion had isolated him. They had an understanding that there was to be more secrets between them. Since he moved out from the apartment after his marriage, Holmes had at times did not disclosed all there was to be known. He valued his new life but he also felt the need to be with Holmes. He had at times envied the man as per the quote; ‘what is a disease is wishing with an equal intensity what is needed and what is desirable, and suffer for not being perfect’. (Fernando Pessoa)

 “Does the well fed lion tell the gazebo not to stroll over when he knew there are the other packs hidden there?” Sherlock glared at Sebastian and then Watson before he looked back at Sebastian.. “We are two different breeds but I can’t have any new ones to challenge me.”

“Do you know where I can find Monsignor Dupont?”

A few hours later at the break of dawn, the assembled was seated at the long table taking their breakfast with the last to arrive was Lady Harkness. She arrived without a change of clothes. She also declined the generous serving of ‘brot, brotchen with marmalade, honig and quark with the meaty wurst’. She took instead was the ‘saft’ and then the ‘obst’.

“I was telling them that in our ride into the night, we were way laid by four balloons but we survived. They all hold the letter …” Lady Jane was cut off by Sherlock who had taken the seat at the end so he could see everyone.

“M for Monsignor.” Sherlock added for her. “He is our enemy here but he may not be the missing M we are looking for. Lady Harkness, you are late? Did I smell the scent of ‘frankincense’ instead of your lilac scent? I caught the scent when you passed me to go to your seat.”

“The white resin obtained from the balsam trees are also used in perfumes among others.” Lady Jane interjected in with her knowledge of herbs and plants. She held a reputation among herbalists.

“How is the Abbess?” Sherlock asked. “Don’t be dismayed? You are not a regular visitor to this land after your previous skirmish with the Abbess. Naturally, you have buried your differences and considered her as an ally now.”

“I am dismayed that you consider us allies. We were at each other’s throat and now allies?”

“She sent you back in the personal carriage of her’s.” Sherlock replied. “I also did see the stain of tea on your blouse. She must had served you breakfast. Was it black tea?”

“If I may interrupt we are to be taken to the place where the research was done by Hauptmeister Bormann.” Mycroft announced to the assembled and it was then the doors was broken in with the marching of polizei officers dressed in brown suits and leather boots with their nasty drawn guns. They surrounded the seated and then awaited their commandant.

“Pardon me, my guests. I am here to bring you down to the office. We already have your other ally in your care.” Hauptmeister Bormann smiled/ “Sebastian Moran was glad that we have taken him in.”

“So he is arrested this morning? I was wondering how he managed to get in safely and failed to leave the same way.” Sherlock smiled. “I ….”

“Take them away.” Hauptmeister Bormann told his officers. “The country does not need more intervention in our justice.”

The journey to their detention was long in the cramped wagon with the window sealed. Sherlock who had remained calm throughout the trip was resting with his eyes closed while Mycroft was tapping his fingers while making notes on the small pad he had in his hands. The ladies and the other men were just taking the time to rest for the next event that will unfold soon. The wagon came to a rest and they found themselves in front of a huge building with three levels and the walls were lined with steel barred windows and one each level there was a walkway on the front. The building was twenty feet from floor to ceiling with three feet for the flooring allowing for it, Sherlock reckoned they have a drop of over seventy feet if they were thrown off the roof. He was still pondering when Watson interrupted him.

“Your spare bottles were removed by me to safe place.” Sherlock heard the other and smiled. It would be embarrassing to be exposed as using cocaine by the esteemed sleuth.

“It’s okay. I had known that and if you must know, I have my own supplies.” Sherlock smiled and then proceeded inside the building. They have arrived in the lobby and there was the staircase in the rear that led to the upper levels with the rear doorway to the courtyard behind. Lord Greystoke heard the barking of the canines and he retained the scent in him for recognition.

“You will be interned in different rooms at the first level until you are called for.” Hauptmeister Bormann then gave the instruction for them to be led away except Sherlock.

“Herr Holmes, you will be with me at my office.” It was a typical office with the usual single table and chairs to seat three with the line-up of cupboards to hold the numerous paper files. There were two distinct differences in Hauptmeister office though. He had a gun cabinet with three heavy power rifles and there was one figure holding the one of the rifles then.

“Holmes, we meet again.” It was Sebastian Moran inspecting the rifle. “Mosin Nagant, five shots, bolt action, internal magazine fed, five hundred yards or stretched to eight hundred with a scope. I used it once and it was good. Clean kill but I still preferred my air gun without the loud noise on discharge.”

“Do sit down, Holmes.” Sebastian Moran motioned to the sleuth. “I am and so are you and your friends with ten guards in the house and two each in the front garden and the rear garden. We are all not his prisoner although he is protecting us well. I can’t say much for the handling of the arrest which was crude. Pardon your wagon but we need to look genuine.”

“Do be seated. All will be explained.” Sebastian motioned to Sherlock. “We are at the mercy of an evil trio. I won’t play deaf and mute to your knowledge of the trinity with the M as their sign. It’s not four but three buy it did span three countries. Ours as in the Great Britain, France and Germany; the three powerful countries in the continent and some islands with the power to subdue the others if they were combined which they were not in the nation build up but beneath that the evil layer have united and its rising to the level of national ….acquisition if I may use that term.”

“A rather long statement, Sebastian. You obviously missed your military life where such speeches will be delivered at the marching yard.” Sherlock replied. “A Sergeant Major were you before? Not a break in the lines and hold that breathe till the end.”

“I was not as I started off as a Captain. I also denied giving such speeches although I have seen Generals and Brigadiers who …excel in it. As for my long delivery of words, I was trying to tell you that we are here because it may be the only place we can be safe.”

“I am not here to be safe.” Sherlock replied. “Anyway this place is unsafe. I think the outside four guards are dead.”