DISCLAIMER: I DON'T OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS EXCEPT PERHAPS MARIE. RIGHTFUL OWNER IS THOMAS HARRIS

Sorry about the lack of update, I have a busy schedule still and I had no time to write a chapter. So hopefully this makes up for it. R&R Please!

Consequences

It was such an odd thing. Dr. Lecter couldn't see how the FBI agents as well as Clarice's lovely friend Ardelia didn't notice Marie growling away and pulling on his hold on her. It came quite close a few times to actually letting go as Clarice and Ardelia argued away. Words were exchanged such as 'Whore' and 'Cannibal loving freak' but Clarice never gave into the desire to unless her anger but she didn't need to. Marie was about to do exactly that for her. After 'whore', his grip had slipped slightly, enough for Marie to slip quietly outside and make her way around the oblivious agents.

Just as it had been easy to kill the rapist in the alleyway in Richmond, it was easy enough to kill the poor unsuspecting fools. He wondered numbly as to how she would proceed, at the moment hiding behind a pillar with a good view of what was going on. She didn't appear to have any-… never mind, she had a small pocket knife in her right hand. She watched the nearest agent consideringly as she rubbed her left hand on her chin, thinking. It was then he noticed that she had a small scar barely visible to him run down the back of her hand. Although it stood out in the light she was currently in.

He pondered for a moment before realizing what the scar was for. Corrective surgery. For polydactyl, most likely in its rarest form as his had been. Having been so lost in thought, he almost didn't notice that Marie no longer stood behind the pillar. Instead she was now standing directly behind the agent Clarice had recognized early as familiar, if not a few feet shorter. Quite advantageous that he was at the back of the group and was hardly missed when he felt a sharp pain in his spinal area and was quickly silenced before he could utter a sound by a cut to the throat after falling to his knees.

The agent's abnormally bug like eyes became even more pronounced as he viewed his killer before falling into a dark abyss. Before coming to a Italian inscription that roughly translated as "lose hope all ye who enter"

One down three to go.

One by one, Hannibal watched in fascination as Marie killed in a deadly accuracy and precision those who discomforted her mother. Even killing in a familiar fashion by cutting one agent's artery in his groin as he himself did with the gypsy in Florence.

Hmmm. Someone has been reading up on me, haven't they, he thought wryly.

But nonetheless pleased she did her homework.

Marie felt nothing as she killed each man in an efficient manner. It wasn't long before she stood behind the woman who was interrogating her mother. She never took notice of the woman before now. She was dressed tactfully, but wore horrible perfume. Too strong. The woman also had extremely curly hair and had a dark complexion. At the moment she was holding a .44 mm gun at her mother's head as she threaten time for harboring a criminal wanted in 15 countries.

Marie slowly felt her anger build up again at the prospect of her mother being forcibly taken from her. She raised the knife up only to hear a soft whisper.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk. So quick a death little Marie. She should suffer. Pay her penance in the Inferno for her transgressions.'

The mention of Dante brought her back to reality somewhat and took the whispered voice's advice and sliced the woman's tendons in her legs. As a result the woman collapsed and was unable to use her legs. The woman stared disbelievingly at her.

Marie had no sympathies for her.

Marie turned to her father and saw him looking at her curiously and in that moment decided.

She handed Dr. Lecter the knife and stepped back into the house followed by her mother who was still in shock.

Pausing for a moment, as he listened to the retreating footsteps further into the house until finally they were no longer heard. Slowly and meticulously, he turned his head to Ardelia's. His cold blue eyes found her brown ones. Cutting through her defenses easily and saw she was truly frightened. At him and death.

Good.

Sorry for the shortness. It's all I had time to write. Open to suggestions as we near the end of the story.