Chapter 24:
"You know Magnussen as a newspaper owner, but he's so much more than that," Sherlock tells us.
John and I returned after having breakfast, and he filled me in on what little he knew of Magnussen.
"He uses his power and wealth to gain information. The more he acquires, the greater his wealth and power," Sherlock continues. He sits down at the dining table and opens his laptop."I'm not exaggerating when I say that he knows the critical pressure point on every person of note or influence in the whole of the Western world and probably beyond. He is the Napoleon of blackmail ..." He pulls up a photograph of Magnussen's home, together with a blueprint of the building.
I cross my arms and walk up behind him to look over his shoulder.
"... and he has created an unassailable architecture of forbidden knowledge. Its name ...is Appledore."
I frown,"Appledore?"
"It is the greatest repository of sensitive and dangerous information anywhere in the world, the Alexandrian Library of secrets and scandals – and none of it is on a computer. "
"He's smart," I note,"Computers can be hacked."
"It's all on hard copy in vaults," Sherlock says and points at the rotating blueprint on the screen,"Underneath that house; and as long as it is, the personal freedom of anyone you've ever met is a fantasy."
There's a knock on the living room door, followed by Mrs Hudson's entering. She points back down the stairs,"Oh, that was the doorbell. Couldn't you hear it?"
"It's in the fridge," Sherlock answers,"It kept ringing."
Mrs.Hudson lets out a frustrated sigh,"Oh, Sherlock!"
"Who is it?" John questions.
I look at the door and hear four men downstairs. I also hear the fast heartbeat of Mrs. Hudson. She is nervous, scared even.
She goes down the stairs and I hear her tell the men to come up.
Three men walk into the living room, obviously security guards. The watch us suspiciously with their hands clasped in front of them.
Sherlock stands,"Oh, go ahead," he sighs and spreads his arms to allow one of the goons to frisk him. The other two walk to John and I.
"Miss? Sir?" the guards question.
I narrow my eyes and cross my arms.
Sherlock sighs,"Just get it over with, Sara."
I grit my teeth and raise my arms, letting the guard frisk me. He does so quickly and thankfully his hands don't wander to places they shouldn't.
John glances over to Sherlock, then looks back to the man,"Can I have a moment?"
Sherlock lowers his arms from his frisking and looks across to the man,"Oh, he's fine."
The man glances at Sherlock, then kneels down in front of John and starts searching him.
John looks nervous,"Er, I ... right. I should probably tell you..."
The man reaches into John's jacket pocket and takes out small knife. He looks at John and raises an eyebrow.
"Okay, I ... that.." John doesn't know what to say.
The man pulls John's jacket open.
"And..."
The man stands up, holding the tyre lever he has just taken from John's jeans and looking at him sternly. Sherlock and I look at John with disbelief.
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Vampire on Baker street ( A Sherlock fan-fiction)
FanfictionSara Knightly is a 300 year old vampire. While in London she decides to pay her old friend, John Watson, a visit. There she meets a man named Sherlock Holmes. How will Sherlock handle a true supernatural being? Will Sara's past come back to bite her...