[BBCSherlock-Xover] Circus Spy

Chapter 9 Act.09

Act.09

"I'm sorry about the boss." Knowing that Charles and the boss are like father and son, Mycroft can imagine Charles' mood.

"It's because I didn't complete the task he gave me."

"Then do you know who it is?"

"That's what the Russians want to know." Charles avoided answering the question. "They took me back to Russia and kept intimidating me, threatening me, and tortured me. They just wanted to know how much I knew." Charles looked at Mike Loft, "I don't know how long it's been, and I don't know why they didn't kill me." Charles' calm tone seemed to be talking about his painful experience in the past two months. "But I'm familiar with their interrogation methods." Charles blinked.

"Rocky?"

"Yes, Loki has always been very powerful, and now even the Russians are using his method." Charles smiled and rolled his eyes, hiding behind the steam with a teacup in his hand.

Loki's interrogation methods, even Mycroft, who adheres to the credo of "whatever works, uses any means", finds it inhumane.It is a miracle that Charles survived the injury.

Charles immediately read the look on Mycroft's face, "Oh man, come on, I'm alive and well?"

The former veteran of the Circus, Pete’s specialty is tracking—whether it’s in action or online, Loki is good at interrogation, Eric is good at instigating rebellion, Irene is in charge of gathering intelligence, and Mycroft has been doing static control Active overall judgment, Sherlock is reasoning and deduction, and Charles is empathy.

So anyone, if Charles thinks, can read your emotions no matter how hard you try to hide your facial expressions, Mycroft spread his hands, "Did they mention the boss?"

"No, but they mentioned you."

"I?"

"Yes, brought up as an 'old acquaintance'."

"Oh?"

"They also said that you are the man who controls the future of the British Empire." Charles smiled. "I guess they mean that if you are in charge of the Circus, then the entire British government and police agencies can be unified and integrated like never before. Reis Trade must have never imagined that he has also become the focus of other countries' attention."

Lestrade is very pure, and he is alone in today's corrupt officialdom; Lestrade is also very "smart" to know what he can know and what he can't ask; Lestrade is also very sensitive, for example, when he leaves The night before Hungary, Lestrade was really in a bad mood and unwell. Lestrade was also very kind. This is what really attracted Mycroft. Charles looked at Mycroft. Te, chuckled.

"Then were you ambushed or silenced?"

"Ambush, there is no so-called leader at all."

"So do you have anyone to suspect?"

"Tinkers, tailors, soldiers..." Charles stared deeply at Mycroft, and then went on, "Beggar. I believe you've been to the boss's apartment. Found the chess pieces?"

"Yes, so who do these code names correspond to?"

……

Charles recalled the evening before he left, the boss drew the curtains of the room, under the dim light, the boss put out four chess pieces and said to him, "I know he is among these people, Tinker," the boss said Chess pieces with pictures of Pete Sullivan, "Tailor," Eric Lanshel, "Soldier," Rocky Laufeson, "Beggar," Mycroft Holmes.

"You are going to meet the Hungarian general. All I want to know from him is a code name."

But what if there were never any generals?

Of course Charles questioned Sullivan, because he was the one who operated everything in the early stage, and he was most likely to make small moves from it, but he doubted the other person even more.

"Everyone deserves to be suspected." Charles finally rubbed his forehead, got up slowly, and stood by the stove to warm his legs. After two months of hellish torture, his already slender body had become He was too weak, and Mycroft had seen Loki's punishment, and he could imagine the scars on Charles' body under the sweater at this time.

Charles never said what those code names meant.

Mycroft sat on the return train, looking out the window at the whistling gray landscape, and confirmed two things: First, Charles was suspicious of Eric, but due to some personal emotional reasons, he had no evidence The circumstances were not clearly stated, because he knew that his words would have a crucial impact, so he chose not to talk about them.

Second, even if I separated from Lestrade, I still couldn't protect his safety.

As Mycroft stepped off the train and was about to walk home with his little black umbrella, he ran into an acquaintance just a street away from his new rented secret office.

"Mr. Holmes?" The man was wearing a beige trench coat, a traditional three-piece suit and a blue tie, and a black men's top hat. He was Mycroft's old subordinate, a fairly talented old subordinate, who had already He jumped to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and suddenly became a civil servant who can appear in the public eye with dignity.

It was also the eyeliner he placed in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs-there are always some high-level officials who are unpredictable, and multiple eyeliners can save some trouble-but that was all before his retirement.

"Well," what's his name? "Mr. Spencer, long time no see." Mycroft nodded to him, but was dragged by Spencer to the opposite coffee shop.

"Why didn't you go back to the Circus on January 1?" Spencer took a long sip of his coffee with double sugar, and curled his lips as he stared at the herbal tea in front of Mycroft.

"what?"

"I called you. As soon as Xavier's news came back, I told the boss and called your mobile phone, but Lestrade said you were out for a run."

"You told Greg all about Charles?"

"Yeah, I thought you could stabilize the situation by rushing back, and take the opportunity to return to the Circus."

Mycroft stared blankly at the teapot in front of him. In the transparent teapot, there were beautiful flowers rolling in the yellow tea.Mycroft's hand tapped lightly on the table, he didn't notice when Spencer left, he was thinking.

It was a cold day, and he was really bored, and Lestrade was tired and went to bed first.When he came back from a run, the two discussed breaking up, and then he left alone, and the phone was left at Lestrade's house.

This was originally nothing.

But Eric arrived an hour earlier than others that day, but he was very suspicious.

If Spencer is right, then he received the call with the boss, and Pete and Rocky were notified after the boss rushed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to understand the situation. Arrived late on the phone.

Then he remembered the coin again.

After he left that evening, Eric went to the Lestrade's.

them……

Mycroft rubbed his eyes and pressed his temples.

***

January 1, the night before Charles left for Hungary.

Greg came to the club, ready to have a drink with old friends, the latest Mycroft is strange, may be "retirement" depression, very anxious, very sensitive, Greg tried to comfort him but had little effect, tonight Sherlock's visit to the house may relieve his symptoms a little, or make it worse...

Just thinking about the way their brothers got along made Greg really want a drink.

He loosened his tie, and when he was about to open the door, a person knocked out from inside and threw himself into his arms. He subconsciously thought it was a thief, so he grabbed his shoulders and straightened him up, but unexpectedly fell into a puddle. In the deep blue lake water, "Charles?"

"Lestrade... um... Director?" Charles was a little surprised, but then he came back to his senses and looked back slightly at the door, but it was a pity that the door was closed.

"Hey, just call me Greg. Are you okay, why don't you look well."

"I'm fine, maybe a little too drunk, plus the air isn't very ventilated in there." Really?Greg didn't believe it, looked carefully at Charles' pale face, what did he do inside?Or being bullied?

"Who is smoking in there? I'll teach them a lesson." After hearing this, Charles looked at him smiling happily, but it made his face paler.

"Hey, are you really okay?"

"Well, I'm fine, just walk around."

"Then you slow down, no, I'll ask someone to take you back."

"Come on, the director of Scotland Yard personally sent someone to send me back. I'm too embarrassed." Hey, then there's no such thing as Mycroft, so why not be afraid.

"Protecting citizens is our duty."

"Then I don't dare to use the resources of the British government for nothing." Charles joked, maybe he kept smiling, so Greg looked a little less pale than before.

"I'm leaving, Greg."

Greg stood still and watched Charles go away, confirming that he was capable of going home by himself before turning and entering the club.

"Director, you're late! Please treat yourself to this meal." Eric Lanshere sat on the sofa, surrounded by a group of men and women.

"Hey, guess who I saw at the door." Seeing Greg coming, the group of men and women consciously moved away from Eric's side.

"Charles?"

"Yeah, he rarely comes to this kind of place."

"That's because you don't know him well enough." Eric handed Greg a glass of whiskey with ice and motioned for him to clink the glasses. Greg also lifted his chin, and took a swig.

"what?"

"He was a celebrity here at that time, if you don't believe me, you can ask them."

"Yeah, Charles Fried Chicken is charming!" A guy with a swollen tongue who might be allergic to drinking came over and shouted.

"We love Charles!" Everyone echoed.

Greg smiled, taking some comfort from the depression that had grown with Mycroft for the past few days.

"But I don't think he looks very good."

"Maybe he has a cold, don't worry about him." Eric replied casually. At this time, a coquettish young man squeezed into the crowd and sat next to Greg, trying to go to him Sit on your lap. "Hey handsome, can I have a drink?"

Eric looked at the embarrassed Greg and laughed, and patted the boy's leg, "Go on, Tony, he's not gay."

"Hey, how is it possible."

"Uh, kid, I'm really not."

"Liar! How could it not be what Eric brought!" Maybe the young boy hadn't been rejected before, and he muttered unwillingly.

Greg gave Eric a clear and slightly mocking look, "Little brother, how old are you this year? Have you reached the legal drinking age? I'm the police uncle, your favorite uniformed man." Gray Ge felt that his face had been thickened by Mycroft in the past few years, and he had learned badly.As he spoke, he made a gesture to reach into his suit pocket to take out his police badge.

The boy immediately left in disappointment.

Eric snickered the whole time.

"I'm surprised a guy who was almost married to a man and lived with a man for 15 years isn't gay, Greg."

"Ah, just pretend I'm not. Anyway, if I dump Mycroft, I'll find a gentle lady anyway!"

"Why did you dump him?"

"He dared to dump me?" Greg's eyes widened, and his alcohol was a little bit up.

"I mean, you haven't dumped him for so many years, are you still willing to dump him?"

"Hmph!" Greg took another sip of his drink.

The two stayed in the club until after 10 o'clock. Greg estimated that Sherlock's visit was over, so he planned to go home.

"Hey, I've agreed and I'll pay the bill." Seeing Eric take out his wallet, Greg hurriedly took out his own, took a big ticket, and a few coins as a tip, then hooked his shoulders with Eric's. leave.

Eric glanced at one of the oddly shaped coins in the pile of coins on the table, thoughtfully.