You, the boys and Simza jumped out of a carriage as the driver leads you four into Les Sept Grenouilles, a resturant that Simza knew Ravache resides. Once the four of you make it into the kitchen a group of men came up to you four and patted you down. After making sure none of your were carrying weapons they gesture for you to go down to the wine cellar.
The four of you walk down a spiral staircase and at the end saw a man sitting at a table with his back to you. "Still hiding in basements?" Simza asked Ravache. "It's hard for me to get out these days." Ravache said, in French, as he takes a bite of his food. "I am happy to see you."
"I'm not here to see you." Simza replied as the four of you walked closer to the man. You and the boys split and look around the cellar while Ravache gestures towards the chairs and said. "I would rather share this moment with your English friends."
"1789. Vintage." Holmes said, pointing at the glass of wine Ravache was drink. "The year of our glorious revolution." Ravache said, proudly. "Is he here?" Simza asked Ravache but he ignored her. "When freedom has triumphed over tyranny."
"Is my brother here?" Simza asked again. Ravache looks up at her and said. "I haven't seen him for a long time."
"You're lying." Simza stated. "Sim, please." Ravache said gesturing towards a chair then he leans forwards and continues his meal while you and Holmes walk over to the table and sit next to each other and Watson stands off to the side and said. "A letter was received from Rene, using this same paper." He holds up a piece of paper to show you and the others.
"Of course. He took with him wherever he went." Holmes replied then he looks over at Ravache then over to Simza and said. "He's telling the truth, Rene isn't here."
"He was given another assignment." said Ravache. "By an anonymous benefactor." Holmes said, talking over Ravache. Ravache stares at Holmes for a moment then said. "Another Englishman with money, power...who supported our cause. And now...he dictates our every move." He grabs his glass and drinks his wine and wipes his mouth with his handkerchief.
"Demanding I take responsibility for his acts of terror. I made a deal with the devil but after tonight it will be over. My job is almost done." He said and everyone goes silent for a moment. "He's had you plant another bomb, hasn't he?" You said to the man. "Claude, please, listen. These men and this woman can help you." Simza said, softly, to him. "I wish they could." Ravache said. "You see, gentlemen and madam....he has my wife and children."
"If you tell us were the bomb is, we'll find a way to help your family." said Holmes. "That's already taken care of. We have a deal." Ravache said and he takes another sip of wine then he continues. "He and I. No loose ends. There is only one thing I can do to keep my family safe. You have less than ten minutes." He picks up a gun and aims it to his head. "Don't!" You and Holmes shouted but too late the man pulled the trigger, killing himself.
Simza let's out a few quick breaths while you and Holmes stand up, staring at the fresh dead body. "He has no further need of that pistol, why don't you take it and cover the stairs." Holmes said to Watson, who runs over to Ravache's body and takes the pistol. Watson runs over to the doorway, where the stairs were, and stands by while Holmes looks around the cellar for an escape plan.
You could hear men running down the stairs and Watson takes aim and begins to fire. "There's only one way out of this place." You shouted. "Right you are." Holmes said as he stares at the fireplace. He walks over to the space next to the fireplace reaches up and flips a switch which opens a secret door. "Ah! Ingenious!" Holmes said, impressed. "That's the one, quickly as we can." He said while Watson fires bullets at more men coming down the stairs. You and Simza walk over to the secret door with Watson right behind you.
"You know what to do with that sandbag, Watson." Holmes said to him as the four of you walk in. Watson pulls his secret sword out of his cane and, once all of you are inside, he cuts the rope that had a tied up sandbag, causing the door to close behind you. "Doctor could you secure that lever." Holmes ordered as he picks up an unlit tourch and lights it on a nearby firepit. "He could have told me." Simza said. "Ravache was strong. He lived for Liberty. He would never take his own life."
"Calm yourself." Watson said to her. "My brother he....he's weak." She said, almost tearfully. Her breathing goes erratic so You walk up to her and set your hands on her shoulder and said, calmly. "Sim, we need you to take a deep breath and follow us." She nods as she slows down her breathing. "To the opera!" Holmes shouted and he lead you and the other through a corridor and up the stairs which takes you out into the streets of Paris.
The four of you run across the busy streets and make your way to the opera house. Once inside the building, you make your way to the backstage area. You could hear that the opera play, Don Giovanni, was being performed out on stage while you, Simza and the boys make your way through the backstage.
People tried to stop you but Holmes was on a mission as he shoved people out of his way and walks up to the stairs, pushed another worker out of his way and walked up to a lift that was risen up, revealing a statue, or what looked like a statue but was a man dressed up like a statue, to the audience watching the opera. You, Watson and Simza walk over to the side and watch as Holmes was under the stand the opera singer was on. Holmes looks around to find no bomb.
He pulls back a piece of fabric which revealed a see through sign that said, Imperator. There in the O was a queen chess piece. He moves the chess piece out of the way only to see Professor Moriarty sitting in the stands, watching him with his glasses. Holmes realized what a huge mistake he made; the bomb wasn't for the opera house, it was for L'Hotel du Triomphe, where a political meeting was happening. He kicks out the back of the stand and walks over to the side stage towards you, Watson and Simza and said. "I was mistaken."
"What?!" You and Watson said, shocked. Holmes holds up the queen chess piece and said. "I made a mistake." He throws the chess piece to the side and heads out. You and Watson give each other concerned looks then follow him.
The four of you run outside into the streets again. Holmes ran at full speed, you, Watson and Simza not far behind. You see that you are almost at the hotel and you pick up your pace even faster but before you and your friends could make it, there was an explosion. You and the others stop in your tracks as you see the fire spill out of the windows. Holmes runs towards the building once he recovers from the shock.
You, Watson and Simza follow him and the four of you walk inside, up the stairs and walked into the room and see, not only soot and smoke, but the dead bodies of the politicians. The four of you go around the room, just to check and see if by some miracle someone had survived while Holmes saw a bullet hole in the wall. He looked up and saw a bullet hole in one of the windows and took out his small telescope, to see were the bullet might have been shot from.
Across from the building, he sees another building with a giant statue at the top.
After getting out of the hotel, Holmes leads you three over to the building to inspect where the shooter might have been positioned. Watson walks up a spot and pretends that his cane was a gun and takes aim at the hotel. "He took the shot from here." He exclaimed as Holmes squats down and looks at the spot. "Using a tripod and a shooting stick and realized...there was a better position. The faint scrape where he dragged the tripod and set it up...here." said Holmes. "Six hundred and fifty yards." You remarked. "Not to mention a seven or eight mile an hour wind." Holmes mutters.
"He would have needed a wind gauge." Watson replied as he looks down and points at a spot on the edge and said. "Which he placed here." You look to the side of the spot and noticed some cigarette ashes. You pointed at it and said. "And put a cigarette down here."
"Can anyone shoot that far?" Simza asked as Holmes kneels down and picks up a cigarette butt. "Not more than half a dozen men in all of Europe." Watson replied to her. "And how many of those men served in Afghanistan?" Holmes asked as he gets back up on his feet. "Why?" Watson asked as Holmes holds out the cigarette butt to him.
"Prosperum with a touch of tekrum. Must've fallen out when he was rolling up. Wasn't that the blend you all smoked?" said Holmes. Watson sniffs the cigarette and let's put a sigh. Holmes folds his arms across his chest and said. "You didn't tell me about a Colonel..."
"Sebastian Moran. Best marksmen in the British Army. Dishonorable discharge." Watson said. "He's likely now a gun for hire. This is the second victim of his that we've encountered." You said. "What better way to conceal a killing, no one would look for a bullet hole in a bomb blast." said Watson.
The next day, you, Simza and Watson are sitting at a restaurant, waiting for Holmes. "He's twenty minutes late." Watson said while looking at his pocket watch. "He must come soon, I don't have any papers." Simza said, nervously. "And we're foreigners. This climate is exactly what Moriarty wants." You said, pointing at yourself and Watson, just as you hear someone clears their throat.
You look up and see Holmes carrying a tray and said, as he sets the tray down in the table. "The Omlete fino is devine. But they spared every expense on the tea." He goes to sit next to you, gives you a quick peck on the cheek, then looks up at you and the others and said. "Now, should we compare movements or consider what we know. Last night's bombing was clearly meant to look like Germany's retaliation for Strasbourg. However the bomb was meant to conceal the murder of just one man. The man killed by the gunshot was none other than Alfred Meinhardt." You and Watson stared at him, wide eyed, while Simza looks at the three of you confused.
"He makes guns. Big guns!" Watson explained to her. "Only days ago, a large share of his company was bought by an unknown investor." Holmes informed. "Moriarty." You and Watson said. "The clues point to one direction, to avoid repeating last night's debacle, I was obliged to collect more suffient data, hence my tardiness." Holmes said and he goes to explain that he had followed Moriarty and Sebastian and told you three that Moriarty was about to leave by train but asked if he had enough time to indulge his habit.
"He's habit is feeding that urban species the feral pigeon. So, there are seven mainline railway stations in Paris. But...taking ten minutes to get to Jardin des Tuileries where the largest concentration of winged vermin maybe found, reduces that to one The Gard du Nord, where he will be just in time to catch the eleven oh four train to Berlin. It makes several stops along the way, one of which is..."
"Heilborn." You stated. "Exactly, where we must go." Holmes said. "Where Meinhardt's factory is." Watson said, with a smirk. "Moriarty's factory now. Unfortunately, due to the bombing, the crossing between France and Germany is to be closed. I'm afraid our pursuit is over, unless we can happen upon a comrade who know their way around the borders." Holmes said and he looks, pointedly at Simza.
"Too English." Simza said to Watson as she pulls off his bowler hat and hands him her tattered hat and she places the bowler on her head. "However you do make a fantastic gypsy." You said. "I smell like a fantastic gypsy." Watson mutters as he looks at his dark overcoat. "Now, now...no need to be demanding." Holmes said as you and the boys walk along the forest towards the gypsies who had horse ready and loaded.
The man, who took Watson's scarf the other day, hands the scarf back to Watson and said. "It is a nice scarf." Watson looks at it then turns to you and Holmes then back to the man and said. "Too English. It'll suit you more." The man smiles and nods at him as you, the boys and Simza walk past him.
"Black one is yours." Simza said to Watson as she points at the black horse. "The grey one is mine and this is yours." She said to you and Holmes as she points at another horse. "Ah hmmm right. Where are the wagons?" Holmes asked. "The wagons too slow. Can't you ride?" Simza asked as a horse makes a grunting noise at Holmes, who looks at the creature in disgust. You and Watson chuckle, Simza looks over at you two confused.
"It's not that he can ride. How is it you put it, love?" You said as you look over at Holmes. "They're dangerous at both ends and crafty in the middle. Why would I want anything with a mind of it own bobbing about between my legs?" Holmes replied and he turns around as you and Watson chuckle some more. "I shall require a bicycle, thank you very much. It's 1891 I've chartered a balloon." said Holmes.
Simza looks at him, eybrows raised, then she looks at Watson, who shrugs, then over at you. You put your left arm across your chest and your right arm elbow on top of it, you right hand formed into a fist and leaned it against your lips as you think. "How can we make this more manageable?" You ask her.
Later, You, Watson, Simza and her crew ride along in the forest on full grown horses and Holmes brings up the rear on a pony. "Where's the fire?" Holmes asked. "It's not as if Germany's going somewhere..." At one point, during your travels you hit a dead end with what looked like a war was going on.
"We know another way." Simza said and she steers her horse around and the others follow her while Holmes has a disgruntled look on his face as he steers the pony. You shake your head and chuckle as you and the others continue on.
Finally, you make it to Heilborn. You look out into the horizon as you see the giant factory on the other side of the river. "We slip in though the loading bay, find out what he's doing and we get out." said Watson as he climbs off his horse. Holmes quickly gets off his pony and said. "Getting out might be tricky."
"We will get you out. If my brother is in there, get him out alive." Simza said and the boys nod at her. Holmes walks over to you as you get off of your horse. "You alright?" He asked you. You chuckle and said. "Yes, Holmes. I'm perfectly fine." You kiss his cheek and take his hand and you, him and Watson head your way towards the factory.