Chapter 1
Alana Bloom sat in her car, parked outside the Behavioral Science Unit. Her argument with Cade Prunell had left a bitter taste in her mouth and the phone call with Will Graham had created a hole in her stomach. In her mind she replayed the crime scene photos of the man Will had killed in self defense and then mutilated like one of the serial killers he helped the FBI catch. Prunell was right. That was no self defense, Will used to be a cop; he knew there were limits, didn't he? He could have easily incapacitated Randall Tier and call for help, not beat him dead and then mutilate the body to resemble another Chesapeake Ripper murder.
But then that Shiva statue created by "Freddie's" remains? Alana had been there on the scene with Jack and Will. She had felt as if it was a test that she took with Jack and Will as her teachers that guided her towards the answer that it was the mentor that did it as a gift for the mentee.
According to Will the mentee was himself and he had "killed" Freddie and as a reward the mentor, Hannibal, had created the statue. That would make sense considering how engrossed Hannibal was with Will's therapy, but... There was something nagging at Alana's brain. Something that needed to be considered and heard but she couldn't figure out what.
"I need a vacation. And answers"
She grumbled and turned the key in the ignition. A vacation may be out of the cards for now, but answers she did need and had a good idea where to find them. She drove straight to Hannibal's house ignoring the ball of dread that lived in her stomach.
She arrived at the Victorian house just over 20 minutes later and sat for a moment with the engine running watching the open front door. Jack was already here despite the warrant for his arrest.
Taking a deep breath she turned the engine off, got out of the car into the rain, whipped her phone out and gave into the urge of calling the police prematurely and make a false claim of gunshots. If Jack was really going to go after Hannibal tonight, a few cops with guns would come in handy. If Jack wasn't here and Hannibal had simply forgotten his front door open, she'd be in hot water.
It was worth it.
Wrapping her fingers around the starfish pendant around her throat Alana whispered
"Help me mom"
Entering Hannibal's home Alana put her umbrella into the stand Hannibal had and got her gun out. She had taken exactly 3 lessons and all she knew was how to take the safety off and shoot. Her instructor had yapped about proper stances while shooting and keeping her cool about it but he hadn't told her how to check for bullets or something similar so she just held the foreign thing in her hands and stood in the hall.
A crush coming from the kitchen guided her to the large peaceful room that most restaurants would be green with envy for. Crossing the archway her mouth fell open. Jack stood in the middle of the counters with Hannibal hanging over his back suspended by what looked like a tie. Both men were covered in blood and Hannibal reminded her of a limp doll.
"Jack"
She whispered. The man didn't hear her
"Jack!"
She called out louder and was rewarded with Jack turning to look at her with Hannibal flying behind him like a cape.
"Alana get out here"
Jack growled making her pale. Jack shouted at everyone but had too much respect for her to shout. In fact, usually she shouted at him and he took it.
"Jack you're killing him"
"That's the idea"
For a moment the man reminded her of a big brown bear she had seen when she was little. Back then she had screeched for daddy and hauled ass away from the beast. Now she stood her ground and raised the gun and cocked it
"Jack stop. Please"
Jack complied. Alana was about to let a breath out relieved when Jack brought Hannibal back over his shoulder and slammed him down on the ground like they were in a WWE special. Then the standing man turned to her with a glint in his eye and without thinking Alana pulled the trigger...
..And nothing happened. Jack kept on advancing and the stupid gun wouldn't fire. Taking a page out of her brother's playbook Alana threw the gun at Jack catching the bigger man in the stomach and did let out that panicked breath then. Jack let out a strangled cry and fell on his knees.
Taking advantage of him falling she rushed to him to grab his cuffs from his pocket and attached him by the hand that wasn't bleeding to the foot stand Hannibal's counters had. Then she picked his gun and went to check on Hannibal.
He was unconscious, the back of his head was bleeding and his white shirt was bloodied on the shoulder but Alana didn't know whose blood that was. Until she opened the shirt and saw a gushing cut underneath it.
"Hannibal?"
She whispered, lost for a moment, until her medical training hit her and she fumbled to grasp a towel to press firmly on Hannibal's gushing wound, pulling his head on her lap. After a moment's considerations she handed another to Jack who took it silently but glaring.
"I called the cops before I came in. They'll be here soon. What were you thinking Jack? Prunell cancelled your plans and put out a warrant for your arrest! You had no backup!"
She admonished him softly. Jack ignored her and pressed the folded towel on his hand. They remained quiet for a few minutes till a hiss was heard and then steps. Alana raised Jack's gun and then lowered it again when she saw Will cradling his own gun.
"What the hell?"
Will exclaimed taking them all in. Alana felt a corner of her mouth lift
"Welcome to the Slaughter House"
She deadpanned and was rewarded by a smirk on Will's lips. Will opened his mouth to say something when a cry was heard and both he and Alana raised their guns to point the archway once again. A grey clad form fell on Will while screeching.
Alana recognized the form but it was Will who whispered the name
"Abigail?"
The teenage girl they all thought dead and eaten let out another cry and began hitting will. Alana fired a shot to the ceiling afraid to even point the gun at her friend and the girl not knowing which one she'd hit.
Will's gun was pointing the right away and he fired until Abigail was fallen on her side and will, free of her weight, covered in bruises and scratches, was on his knees staring at her as if he had never seen her again.
When the archway was filled with people again, no one even bothered to look up as Hannibal and Jack were taken away by ambulances, Abigail in a coroner van, Will in handcuffs by the FBI agents that followed him to Hannibal's house and Alana was left alone with Cade Prunell thinking she really did need that vacation.
Or a really big glass of wine.