Against the Odds

Chapter 24: HOUND

They were back at Baskerville. Sherlock was meeting with Major Barrymore first to get his final approval for their negotiated admittance. It wasn't like Barrymore could really refuse Mycroft, but Sherlock decided it was probably best to meet the man and prevent him from following them angrily around the whole time.

Marie had gone on ahead to the security room, checking the surveillance cameras while John went off to look for signs of the hound in the labs, as Sherlock had ordered them to. She was reviewing some of the tapes while watching the live feeds when she spotted John going into a restricted lab in the genetic manipulations sector.

She glanced up as the door opened and Sherlock walked in. "So, you want to tell me what this is really about?" She asked and he looked at her with feigned surprise. "What do you mean?" He asked innocently and her eyes narrowed.

"Don't give me that, you've been acting weirdly since earlier with the coffee. How come you want John to be on his own in the labs?" She asked and he grinned. "I love it when you're brilliant." He stated and she rolled her eyes.

"Don't try to distract me with flattery." She threatened and he conceded as he explained: "I needed to test my theory, and this was the only way." She examined him and then asked flatly: "What did you do?" Before he could reply she groaned, dropping her head into her hands as she muttered: "Of course. The sugar."

He beamed and she glared at him. "This is cruel." She told him and he shrugged. "If it helps solve the case." She narrowed her eyes as she scoffed: "So, you'd do it to me?"

He muttered something as he turned away and began to set up his trap in the lab next door to the one John was currently snooping around in, which was also incidentally right next to the security room Marie and Sherlock were stationed in.

"What was that?" She demanded and he sighed. Sherlock glanced at her before he murmured: "No." She said tightly: "That wasn't what you said."

He sighed and lifted his head. He then turned and looked her in the eye as he repeated: "No, because you would never forgive me."

She wrinkled her nose but conceded, and she dropped the subject as John walked into the abandoned lab that Sherlock had just rigged. It was too late to help John now, and Sherlock was right- they needed to figure out this case soon.

She watched as Sherlock began to overload John's senses, blasting bright lights and setting off the blaring alarm to daze and confuse the blond man. He also locked the lab down, over-riding John's security card to keep him inside the lab. Marie watched as John reacted, wincing and starting to twitch anxiously as his card continued to deny him from exiting.

Sherlock shut all the lights and sound down, and Marie watched John reel a little, his senses probably incredibly sensitive at this moment. Sherlock then began to play creepy sounds, starting with a metal clanging. Marie watched as John cautiously checked under the sheets of each cage, his posture becoming tenser and tenser.

She saw him suddenly stiffen as he came to the last cage, which was propped just slightly open as Sherlock had undoubtedly ordered to be prepared before he came here. Marie sighed as Sherlock began to play a recording of a dog growling and John flinched on the screen.

"I hate you sometimes." She muttered as she saw John moving to the doors, trying to get out. Sherlock retorted: "But you love me in the end." Marie pursed her lips and she mumbled: "John won't after this." Sherlock chose to ignore that as his phone rang. He glanced at it to see it was John, and didn't answer.

"You are so lucky I love you." Marie snapped and he sighed. "Please, Marie, I need to focus." He implored. She frowned, her lips pursing as they watched John run for the cage, bolting inside as he hid in terror. Sherlock decided it was time and he picked up his phone, dialling John's number.