bakerstreet | A Story in Six Words

We'll see if my perspective changes as the week goes on. I'll make sure to address anything in my notes pertaining your behavior.

[theres and chuckle as he finishes his pint.]

Let's see this London Eye of yours.

[She shoots him a mockingly murderous glare before picking up her messenger bag doubling as a briefcase, and standing up.]

All right.

[....Moments later, they emerged from the Tube station at Waterloo and walked down the road a short distance until the Waterloo Millenium Pier and the Eye came into view. Once they'd reached the queue, Louise whips out her wallet for a few twenty-pound notes, flashing him a little smile as she tucks the notes into her blazer pocket.]

My treat.

You really don't---[He catches her look and he threw his hands up before him jokingly (YES THAT IS RARE, BELIEVE IT).

Once inside and it started moving, he moves from the bench to standing at the window, looking across the river and the view across from it. Jim is silent for once, taking it all in.]

What all can you point out from here?

[Louise observes him, and his silence, for several minutes before speaking, noticing his very much more relaxed state. It suited him, she thought. She pointed to her right--] Of course, right there is the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben....down a bit to the left back there...The Tower Bridge and that oddly shaped skyscraper we like to call the Gherkin. It looks like a giant pickle. Behind it? The Shard. Going up in it? You're out 50 quid.

[She shoots him a cheeky grin as the large wheel powers downwards.]

[He had a great appreciation for the architecture. There was just so much history behind it all, nothing like Gotham or anywhere in the U.S., really. The closest one would get to royal families were the mob bosses running the underground businesses in Gotham. Most of it went on with a turn of a blind eye, though everyone knew it.

He listens attentively to her explanation of the different buildings, making sure to take everything in, creating a mental map if he had to.]

And your favorite place outside of work?

[Everyone had that 'special spot', even he had to admit to having one.]

[The wheel slows to a stop and the doors open as Louise throws Jim a wry, self-deprecating expression as they step out and back onto pavement.]

Believe it or not, the answer to that question isn't as esoteric, or, for that matter, as profound as you'd perhaps like to think.

[She sighs a beat, and continues.]

The Spread Eagle, down Croydon. Near my flat. Quiet, riff-raff kept to a minimum, just good, working class clientele. No chavvy yobs on the dole.

'Spread Eagle'?

[Jim wasn't sure of the colloquialism of her last sentence, but he was more focused on the amusing pub name. Followed by a shrug.]

Sure, let's go.

[She regards Jim gamely, shaking her head.]

You've got to be joking. Of all the places, you want to have a look at my local. You're really one of a kind, most offi---

[The sound of gunshots cuts her off at the pass, one of them whizzing straight past her temple. Louise whips around, terror in her eyes as the tourists scatter and more shots are fired.]

JIM!!!!!!! MY VEST----I've not got my vest on! [It had been a leisure trip. Why would she have needed it? They weren't in the field. The fear in her eyes is raw and palpable, and she hurriedly moves to take her gun out of its holster inside her blazer.]

Stay down!

[He was separated from her, not wearing a vest either. They were off duty and turned everything in. How would they think to wear such gear? Though there was one thing Jim had, and that was his gun. After the entire ordeal of applying to being able to carry it, he certainly didn't go far without it upon him.

He's crouched down behind a post box, of all things, and searching where the shots were fired. He isn't quick to return it, afraid of shooting people in the crowd. He peeks up, and sees some people running down an alley.]

Over there!

[Louise crouches down on the other side of a stone ledge, catching her breath for a few moments.]

FUCK.

[She pops a fuller magazine into her weapon, tossing the spent one in her bag. Counting to three, she squeezes her eyes shut and sprints, low to the ground, over to where Jim is.

...But it was not to be. As she darted out, a bullet from on high catches her squarely in the shoulder and she falls to the ground. Clutching her arm, she tries to get back up, but falters.]

[Wait. That wasn't coming from the people in the alley, it had to be someone from above! Jim quickly aims his gun upwards, estimating where they might be, and shoots a couple times before dashing out to loop an arm around Louise's waist and bringing around a building corner, hopefully away from the scene.]

Are you alright!?

[He's glancing at her only from the side, afraid to stand in front of her and become too much of a target. His gaze flickers between her and looking out and trying to see where they might be.]

[She lets herself be dragged, very much against her style, but they were in imminent danger, so, honestly, who was counting? They sit in the empty alley, Louise's aqua eyes aflurry as she looks round them for shelter. A dingy, metal door is slightly ajar down the way, and she huffs out a groan.]

I'm fine. [She points, gesturing towards the doorway-]

In there. NOW.

[While helping her, they move through the open door as quickly as possible and with minimal shots fired.]

What is this place do you know?

[He stands next to the door peering out, trying to see anything, then looks over to her.]

How bad are you bleeding? We need to get pressure on there.

[And back up, but he assumed someone would've called it for them out in the streets.]

I've no fucking idea.

[She breathes this out in an attempt to get her heart rate slowed to a bit less of a rapid clip, but relents when she sees Jim's concerned expression, and then the PAIN finally overrides the adrenaline.]

Dunno....[She falters, leaning up against a wall whilst putting pressure on it with her hand as much as she can. However, the blood loss is making her weakened, and Louise presses the back of her head against the wall as she sinks down.]

Edited (HTML!) 2015-07-05 04:43 (UTC)

[Shit! Jim pulls off his tie and begins tying it around her shoulder tightly, trying to compress the wound some. He debates pulling off his jacket as well, but is unsure how he'd be able to use it other than to tell her to use it to hold pressure.]

Let's get you out of here. There is little else we can do out there.

[He nods towards the door, knowing that the two of them alone can't do much. Perhaps if the weave through the building... But then there is the risk they have this building surrounded. Shit.]

Edited 2015-07-08 02:36 (UTC)

[As he wraps his tie like a tourniquet about her shoulder, she groans, banging the back of her head lightly against the wall behind her, fighting the shape pain of the slug still within her. Biting her bottom lip, Louise winces as the knot is finally tied, effectively containing further blood loss.

As Jim speaks, she sighs and begins to roll the back of her head against the bricks in a side-to-side expression of 'no', letting her eyelids fall delicately shut.]

No......no--Jim, they're targeting us. It's sod-all to do with civilians. They made it look random to get the punters to fuck off so they could aim at us. It's got to be one of the Wiles gang. Adam himself must have given the go word.

[He didn't want to acknowledge that, but the thoughts had crossed his mind as well.]

C'mon, there isn't much we can do right now anyway.

[Moving over to her good side, Jim slides an arm around her back, helping her walk. It wasn't that her legs weren't functional, just she seemed to be becoming lightheaded and it concerned him. They were making their way through the building, which appeared to be empty already, when he heard the door they had come through open and slam close. Automatically, he figured they were being followed given neither have received a phone call just yet.]

I think we're being followed.

[He muttered with irritation as they increased speed.]

[She huffs out a heavy breath as Jim lifts her up and begins to help her to walk. When the door slams shut, her once droopy, injury-addled eyelids fly wide open in terror and shock. She brushes away a long tendril of hair that's come loose from her chignon and is getting in the way of her vision, beginning to move faster as they lope along quickly in search of an exit.

Suddenly, the sound of a ringing mobile that's not either one of theirs sounds out, and there is an audible 'SHIT' about 50 yards back as the thug realises he'd forgotten to turn the volume off. Louise's head whips round to the left and she notices a side door.]

FIRE ESCAPE. Out. That way.

[She whispers these words into his shoulder, careful not to be heard by their 'company'.]

[He already has her beat, moving quickly in that direction spotting it the same time she did. Jim opens the door, which has lead them out into the alley, where Jim pokes his head out enough just to take a look.]

It's clear, though they most likely think we're still inside or moving towards the front.

[He whispers this, directing her to come out and he resumes helping her, leading her to the adjacent building, pleased to find the door itself opening with someone taking a smoke break.]

London PD, move out of the way!

[He shoves the man backwards, forcing themselves inside.]

[Louise allows him to take the lead, as the employee jumps back, startled, but moves immediately. Louise looks at the man somewhat weakly and fishes her badge from her blazer, flicking it towards him in a show of authority. With as much English hospitality as she could muster, she tries to nod curtly, professionally.]

Can we use your back room, please.

[The employee wordlessly nods and leads them to the empty manager's office where the two of them pile in. Offering a thin smile to the man, Louise shuts the door behind them, unlooping Jim's arm from her waist and collapsing into a chair beside the desk. Taking her mobile from her handbag, now slung crosswise over her chest, she punches in the number to Scotland Yard.]

...Yes. I am fully aware of the shots fired at Millenium Pier...what I need now is a backup team to search the building next to the Red Lion on Parliament Street.

[A beat.]

Yes. It was a sniper, most likely one of Wiles's. ..Dunno, must've been following us from the pub, I reckon. We're holed up in the manager's office of a curry takeaway nearby, and not moving until we have boots on the ground.

[She hangs up, tossing her mobile upon the desk fruitlessly. Placing her elbow upon it, she leans her head into her hand and shuts her eyes.]

[before Louise could even think of saying more, Jim turns off the lights.]

Come over here against the wall.

[He says this so calmly, but he can hear raised voices and people being threatened outside where the customers were. Quickly Jim locks the door, his back half pressed against it and the wall, glancing out of the small window in the middle. Taking a moment, he reloads his gun, preparing for another attack if need be. And he slinks back from the door, closer to her, waiting. They shouldn't be visible through the window being pressed against the wall like this and lights off.

Without even realizing it, Jim was gritting his teeth and could hear his heart beating all the way up to his ears, as if the organ itself had moved.]

Edited 2015-07-09 05:10 (UTC)

[She complies, nodding once and limping towards him as best she can. The voices outside grow ever louder, and soon, the arguing is right at the door, someone demanding, then attempting to force their way in.

Quickly, Louise tries to unpin her hair and shake it loose whilst unbuttoning her pencil skirt and shifting it so the slit in back is at her thigh instead. Reaching up, she ruffles Jim's hair and attempts, though in pain, to shrug his jacket off, tossing it, and their badges with it, in a dark, adjacent corner. As the man shoves his way in, she pulls Jim close, pressing their lips together.]

Go with it.

[Murmuring this against his lips, in terrible pain and suffering badly, Louise tries to play the part of the wanton woman, both their faces obscured, Jim's body effectively blocking their faces from view as Louise continues to kiss him. Wiles's sniper sniffs as he looks about the place, and, after training his eyes upon the couple, decides they're just two drunk punters making the most of it, and stalks out, letting the door slam behind him.]

Edited 2015-07-09 05:49 (UTC)

[Well this certainly was one of the very few times Jim could recall a surprise makeout session with a gun in his hand. He had been completely caught off guard, not realizing she was adjusting her clothes and hair while he was forcing himself to take slow deep breathes and calculating the scenario of where to aim and how quickly.

It happened so quickly he didn't even have time to ask What are you doing!? when she ran fingers through his short hair and pulled his jacket off to the ground. A hand gently rested on her arm while the other kept his grip upon his gun when her lips found his, the darkness of the room and their position completely obscuring anything obvious.

When the sniper walked off, Jim pulled back, looking wide-eyed to Louise, able to see her gaze even in the dim light from the ajar door.]

I can't believe that worked.

[It's whispered, as if still in shock at the entire scenario.]

[Her own slow, deliberate breaths mingled with his, determined not to be found out. Criminals like these could smell fear, especially on a woman. Louise's hand rested upon his chest lightly, fingers instinctively curling into the fabric of his shirt as the kiss took herself be surprise, and she found that her shoulder was hurting considerably less. Blinking as they broke apart, she finally let out a breath, collapsing against the brick in relief.]

Possibly the first time I've ever tried that tactic.

...Sorry. [She hastened to add that last bit, her nerves getting the better of her as her chest and neck began to flush of their own accord.]

[He's quick to shake his head.]

Don't be. I can't believe it worked.

[He reached out and affectionately gave her am a squeeze, before focusing on outside matters.]

What was the ETA for the rest of PD to show up?

[Jim may or may not be thinking of going after the guy. Now was the best chance he was going to get.]

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ooohhh SNAP!

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