Clique of 221B

Chapter 34: The Governor

"How long?" Mycroft asks her.
"No, no, no. The countdown is for me." The governor stares at Mycroft. Sherlock continues to hold the gun out. Nearby, John has his head lowered and his eyes screwed shut. "Withholding the precise deadline will apply the emotional pressure more evenly. Where possible, please give me an explicit verbal indication of your anxiety levels." Sherlock turns his head towards Eurus but doesn't look directly at her. "I can't always read them from your behaviour."
Mycroft shakes his head,
"I can't do this." Sherlock turns to look at him. "I can't. It's murder."
"This is not murder. This is saving my wife." Technically still murder but I won't mention that now. Mycroft looks across at him nervously.
"I'm particularly focussed on internal conflicts, where strategising around a largely intuitive moral code appears to create a counter-intuitive result." Well isn't that fascinating. I did wonder why she was doing this. Mycroft stares down at the gun which Sherlock is still holding.
"I will not kill. I will not have blood on my hands."
"Yes, very good. Thank you." She looks bored, she'll do something unexpected soon.
"Killing my wife is what you're doing." Mycroft looks down at the gun one more time, then backs away, shaking his head.
"No." Sherlock holds his gaze for a moment more, then he turns away,
"Okay, fine." He offers the gun to John. "John." John is looking away but then turns his head to Sherlock. The governor stares at him, his eyes full of tears, and takes a step towards him.
"Doctor Watson. Are you married?"
"I was."
"What happened?"
"She died." John looks at you, you swallow hard and glance at Sherlock who lowers his eyes. The governor steps towards John.
"What would you give to get her back? I mean, if you could, if it was possible?" You all look at him. "What would you do to save her? Eurus will kill me. Please save my wife." You look at Eurus who reaches to the desk and picks up the remote control,
"There will, I'm afraid, be regular prompts to create an atmosphere of urgency." The lights turn red and Jim's red-lit face replaces hers on the screen, he whispers loudly,
"Tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock, tick." The screen keeps shifting between Jim's face and Eurus's, the lights flicker from red to white. "Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tock, tick-tock." The white light stays on and Eurus returns. God she's dramatic, you can tell she's a Holmes. You all look towards John. He takes his hands from where he's been holding them behind his back and shuffles on the spot. Not meeting his gaze, Sherlock gestures the gun towards him. John then reaches out and takes the gun. Mycroft turns away, covering his face with his hands. Sherlock steps to one side, his eyes fixed on John, who faces the governor who's stood in front of him,
"What's your name?"
"David."
"And you're sure about this, David?"
"Course I'm bloody sure."
"Nearly there." Eurus whispers. John hesitates,
"Right. D'you want to pray, or anything?"
"With Eurus Holmes in the world, who the hell would I pray to?"
"You are a good man, and you are doing a good thing."
"So are you."
"I'll spend the rest of my life telling myself that." The governor smiles a little, closing his eyes. John turns his head to look at Sherlock, who meets his gaze and lowers his chin slightly in affirmation that there is no other way. John turns back and raises the pistol in front of him to point it at the governor. John's hand lowers a little, then his face becomes more determined and he raises the gun to its former position. The governor then shifts and faces away from John, I doubt John would want to shoot anyone in the back. John hesitates for a moment and then steps forward and puts his hand on the governor's shoulder. He jumps. John pats his shoulder twice and the governor gets down onto his knees. As Mycroft turns away and covers his face again, John makes a decisive move and steps forward and presses the muzzle against the back of his head. You hear the governor gasp quietly,
"Oh, God!" John bends down to speak to the governor,
"I know that you're scared, but you should also be very proud." The governor continues to cry,
"Just do it." John straightens up, stepping back and aiming the pistol down at him again. "Be quick!" Jim's face reappears on the screen,
"Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick."
"This is very good, Doctor Watson." Eurus tells him. You see John's hand start to tremble on the gun. "I should have fitted you with a cardiograph."
"Tock-tock-tock-tock-tock-tock-tock tick-tick-tick." John screws his eyes shut for a moment, and his finger wavers as he tries to apply pressure to the trigger.
"Please!" The governor begs. John's finger begins to tighten on the trigger. The governor closes his eyes.
"I can't." John gasps. He lowers the gun and turns to you and Sherlock. "I'm sorry. I can't do it." The governor collapses forward onto his hands, sobbing. Sherlock steps towards John,
"I know. It's all right." He takes the gun from John. Eurus sighs,
"Care to finish this Miss [Y/LN]?"
"I'm not doing your dirty work." You reply tensely. "How do I know you won't just shoot his wife regardless?" She smiles at you,
"Interesting."
"Let his wife go, and I give you my word that I will kill him." You both stare at each other.
"Very well." She gestures at the side of the room and a guard walks over to the governor's wife. He unties her and walks her out the room. "She'll be locked in a cell somewhere, alive I assure you." You nod. The governor's still on his knees, you walk over to Sherlock as he holds out the gun for you.
"Anyone who doesn't want to see this should look away." You say, mainly for the benefit of Mycroft, but Sherlock and John might not want to see it either now that you think about it.
"Thank you." The governor breaths out.
"Don't thank me." You reply, aiming at his head. You adjust you stance and fire. You turn back to face Eurus. She was right I didn't find it difficult.