Despite the Odds

Chapter 5: Together Again

As the pair walked down to the underground, John questioned in disbelief: "So it's a bomb, then? A Tube carriage is carrying a bomb."

"Must be." Sherlock muttered.

They walked down the passage and John said determinedly: "Right."

He reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone and Sherlock asked curiously: "What are you doing?"

"Calling the police." John replied firmly and Sherlock looked scandalized as he protested: "What? No!"

John turned to Sherlock as he said in exasperation: "Sherlock, this isn't a game. They need to evacuate Parliament."

"They'll get in the way." Sherlock replied scornfully. "They always do. This is cleaner, more efficient."

He stopped by a maintenance door, pulling out a jimmy.

"And illegal." John commented as he saw Sherlock wiggling the metal pole into the door.

Sherlock just replied nonchalantly: "A bit."

He opened the door and stepped through, letting John in before he slammed the door behind them. The pair pulled out their torches as they made their way down, deep into the underground tunnels. John pulled out his phone again, checking it and Sherlock asked as he glanced over his shoulder: "What are you doing?"

John sighed quietly as he saw the no signal bar on his phone, but just muttered: "Coming."

They continued down reaching the very bottom to stand on the platform of the unopened tube station, placing them right under the Palace of Westminster. But as they glanced around, Sherlock frowned to find the place empty.

"I don't understand." Sherlock muttered and John replied sarcastically: "Well, that's a first."

Sherlock ignored him as he murmured: "There's nowhere else it could be."

He thought about it, closing his eyes and going into his mind palace, thinking through what the terrorist plan would be. He imagined himself on the train car, imagined it exploding and becoming engulfed in flames, and then where the flames and explosive air would go.

His wandering mind ended with the image of the Palace of Westminster exploding and Sherlock opened his eyes as he cried triumphantly: "Oh!"

"What?" John asked and he followed as Sherlock dashed to the end of the platform. He called as Sherlock jumped off the edge: "Hang on. Sherlock?"

Sherlock turned to his friend, asking impatiently: "What?"

"That's..." John trailed off, unsure.

"Isn't it live?" He asked and Sherlock shrugged as he explained flatly: "Perfectly safe as long as we avoid touching the rails."

Sherlock turned back to the tunnel, walking down the path and John muttered sarcastically: "'Course, yeah. Avoid the rails. Great."

"This way." Sherlock replied as he walked and John checked as he jumped down and followed quickly: "You sure?"

"Sure." Sherlock replied confidently.

They walked quickly down, and as they turned a curve in the tunnel they spotted the lights of the missing car.

"Ah. Look at that." John said in satisfaction but Sherlock was more interested in the open pipe above them.

"John." Sherlock said, drawing John's attention up to the pipes. More importantly, what was placed along the pip walls.

"Demolition charges." John realized. The pair turned their eyes back to the abandoned car, walking towards it carefully but determinedly.

Sherlock tugged the door open and walked in carefully, looking around as John followed. They peered around, checking the car but it appeared empty and untouched. John murmured as he shone his torch around: "It's empty. There's nothing."