Ravenous
Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Hannibal Lecter. He belongs to his creator, Mr. Thomas Harris. I'm just borrowing the Good Doctor for a little while. I promise to play nice then put him back right where I found him.
Summary: Based on the film "Hannibal Rising". This takes place two years after the events of the movie. After a stressful residency at John Hopkins University, the Good Doctor decides to take a long needed holiday.
Being a connoisseur of fine wine, he travels west to the lush vineyards of Napa Valley, California. Soon after arriving, he is unexpectedly reunited with someone from his past. Much to his surprise, feelings of longing and desire are rekindled. But as he is getting reacquainted with his lost love, an old foe and rival also comes calling.
With his security in jeopardy, will young Dr. Lecter have to resort his unique culinary talents once more?
A/N: This is my first "Hannibal" fic ever. And I wrote this at the behest of a favorite authoress of mine, Mishka Germash. So please be kind. I do welcome constructive criticism.
Rated M for gore, violence and sexual situations. Hannibal/Lady Murasaki and of course Inspector Popil.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The instant Hannibal Lecter heard the unmistakable sound of breaking glass emanating from the hacienda's second story, he instinctively sprung into action.
"Murasaki!" he gasped in horror.
Not bothering to excuse himself, in a momentary flash he left the near-catatonic company of Mrs. Ortega. His heart raced wildly within his chest as the unwelcome sensation of fear began to seep into his consciousness. With his long legs pumping, Hannibal dashed up the massive staircase two steps at a time.
For many years he had been able suppress the accursed emotion underneath the hard-bitten veneer of coldhearted detachment. Hannibal had fought long and hard to not allow his feelings get in the way of his continued survival.
Insulating himself from the horrors of the world, Hannibal Lecter soon learned to turn the fear he felt outward by striking back and becoming the world's horror.
But now the familiar nauseating awareness that he had successfully kept at bay since childhood threatened to overwhelm him like an avalanche. By the time he made it to the top of the staircase, he was frantic, wild-eyed and perspiring profusely.
Hannibal tried desperately to block out the frightful images violently conjured up by his overactive mind's eye. Mishca's screams, the terrible sound of the axe hacking through flesh and bone, and the nightmarish vision of her killers' yellowed rotting teeth gnashing hungrily all came back to the forefront with a vengeance. Suddenly, he found himself struggling for every breath as his lungs constricted.
On the verge of collapse, only panic induced adrenaline urged him on. He could not allow his Murasaki to endure the same fate that had claimed his dear sister!
Sadistic bastard! If any harm befalls my beloved, I will take supreme pleasure in gouging out your eyes. I will use all of my skills to slice that counterfeit smile right off that smug face of yours and make you suffer agonizing torture right before you pathetically beg to end your wretched life! And I will be more than happy to comply with your request!
Anxiously, Lecter sprinted down the corridor towards Ramon's bedroom praying to whatever deity would listen that he would make it there in the nick of time.
However, by the time he arrived at his destination and flung the door open it soon became apparent that he was already painfully too late…
The room was empty and there was no sign of Lady Murasaki.
There were, however, indications of an obvious struggle. Books and papers had been strewn about. The writing implements that once graced the humble looking desk were also scattered onto the floor to and fro like a child's set of pick-em-up sticks.
Shards of jagged glass dripping with the remnants of the foul smelling formaldehyde jutted up from the floor like the razor-sharp teeth of a predatory creature.
And near the broken glass were the bloated disembodied fingers of one of Ramon's victims.
Very quickly, an incredibly vivid scenario of what had transpired in this tiny space started to come together. Somehow, someway Ramon had covertly made it back to the vineyard after discovering Hannibal's inquiries regarding his work schedule.
The son-of-a-bitch must have accurately guessed that Murasaki and I would be here trying to find substantiation of his culpability. So he raced back here to try and thwart my efforts. But in doing so, he found something even better when he caught my lady unawares.
More than likely he is now using her as leverage against me. She is the bait meant to draw me to him!
Jolts of nervous energy rushed throughout Dr. Lecter's tautly wound body, from head to toe. Clenching his fists, he struggled to keep his anger in check as his nostrils flared.
For the first time in a long time, Hannibal had been rendered incapacitated… powerless by an opponent that had proven himself to be just as ruthless and cunning as he was.
However Ramon was, at best, a poor mimic. A pathetic copy cat delegated to live in the shadow cast by the true master of the craft.
And yet Dr. Lecter felt incredibly stupid and impotent. How could he have allowed sentimentality win out over his superior intellect and logic? In a moment of weakness and blinded by love, Hannibal unwittingly had endangered the one person he gave a damn about in this whole rotten world.
Ramon was astute enough to know that Murasaki was Dr. Lecter's Achilles' heel, the chink in his otherwise impenetrable armor. It was all so clear now, how could Hannibal not have seen it before? All Marquez had to do was observe and wait for the precise moment to pounce.
Clenching his teeth together, Lecter seethed as the horrible realization washed over him. Lecter had practically served Lady Murasaki up to Ramon on a silver platter!
Suddenly racked by guilt and anguish, Hannibal emitted a strangled sob of sorrow.
I should have never gotten my lady involved!
Paralyzed by impotence and internalized anger, Hannibal's thought process was in disarray. This, of course was most disconcerting, maddeningly so! Dr. Lecter simply could not accept that this boy, this amateur had bestedhim!
The mounting antagonism directed toward his foe caused Hannibal to grind his teeth together. The powerful muscles and bones of his mandibles toiled unconsciously, sharpening the incisors and molars for the kill to come. After a short while, he inadvertently bit down hard on his own tongue. But rather than cry out at the first twinge of discomfort, he welcomed the pain.
And as the tangy coppery warmth of his blood flowed freely into his mouth, Hannibal bit down again…harder this time. Very soon the throbbing ache had the desired effect Hannibal needed so desperately.
Focus, Hannibal, focus! You will accomplish nothing by losing control! Cooler heads MUST prevail in this precarious situation. Unleashing your rage now will only doom your precious love! You must carefully formulate a plan, and when the moment is right, execute it to decimate your enemy!
Closing his eyes, Dr. Lecter slowly and deeply inhaled, allowing sweet oxygen to fill his lungs, before expelling the breath. He repeated this action a few more times, until the fury that consumed him eventually subsided.
Calm, cool and collected, Hannibal's eyelids slowly opened to survey the scene before him with a more meticulous eye.
lllll
Lady Murasaki slowly awoke to the pungent stench of dank decay and the faint sound of dripping water. Still within the stranglehold of her drug induced grogginess, Murasaki's eyelids felt terribly weighted down. Her blurry vision tried desperately to pierce through the darkness. But the black shroud that surrounded her proved to be too dense. Vaguely, she became aware of the hard surface she was presently laying upon flat on her back.
Where am I, she wondered drearily. Well, wherever she was, at least she was still alive.
Very carefully, Murasaki tried to move. However, she immediately discovered that she had been restrained somehow. Just then she heard the distinct sound of footfalls. Someone was definitely approaching.
Despite the dehydration scorching her throat, she managed to croak out, "Who's there?"
The response was cruel and immediate. Abruptly, the harshly bright illumination from a flashlight was shone directly into her eyes.
Groaning in pain, Murasaki tightly squeezed her eyes shut to block out the light.
When she heard the sarcastic tenor of Ramon Marquez's voice, her heart plunged into despair. "Lady Murasaki…it's time for your wakeup call!"
Struggling against her restraints she snarled at her abductor. "Stop shining that light in my face, you bastard!"
"Oh…how very rude of me, Madame Lecter. Please, allow me to remedy the situation." Again there was that mocking tone grating on Murasaki's last frazzled nerve.
"Let me go!" she shouted as the subdued glow of a kerosene lamp gradually filled the room.
Although he was cast mostly in shadow, the lady could finally see the face of the boy that had drugged her then dragged her off to parts unknown.
Cautiously, Ramon drew near, smiling smugly all the while.
"Now why would I want to do that?" he asked coyly. "Besides, we have to get you ready for the ball, Princess. Your Prince Charming will be here soon to try and save you. Not that it will do him any good…you'll be dead long before he shows up."
Ice cold terror ran up and down Lady Murasaki's spin as she doubled her efforts to break out of the fetters that held her down. But try as she might, her efforts soon proved exhaustingly futile.
Panting laboriously and drenched with sweat, the Japanese captive began to whimper miserably as she watched Ramon draw closer with every step he took. Her terror-stricken eyes then observed Ramon reach into his shirt's pocket to carefully pull out a shiny stainless steel scalpel. The glinting metal accentuated the curve and sharpness of the blade.
Oh God, please no, don't let it end this!
Trembling all over, she cried out desperately in a last ditch effort to save her skin. "Stay away from me, or I'll…"
Ramon's smile only widened, he was clearly amused by her pathetically empty threat. Flicking his pink tongue between his teeth, he dragged it slowly across his fleshy bottom lip. Then without warning, he swooped down upon his helplessly immobile victim like a bird of prey.
"Or you'll what? From the looks of it, you're in no position to make any threats! And don't worry about trying to get out of those ropes. I was a Boy Scout, you know. I sure can tie a mean Timber Hitch knot."
The weight of his body plastered Murasaki, grounding her even deeper on top of whatever surface she forced to lay upon. Holding the razor-sharp edge of the scalpel to her exposed throat, Ramon's dark eyes hungrily took in the splendorous visage that horror had blemished. Gone was the serene porcelain China Doll expression and in its place was the look of frightened quarry longing to escape. He could also smell the stink of the sickly sweet perfume that only fear could produce.
And oh, how she reeked of it!
Closing his eyes, he lowered his face towards Murasaki's. As he grazed a stubbly cheek against the supple milky white flesh of his prey, Ramon let out a sigh of infinite longing. Inhaling deeply, he reveled in the power he now had over her.
With just a flick of the wrist and a clean slice across her pulsing carotid artery, he could take her life in an instant. And just the thought of watching her bleed out as the light in her eyes is extinguished excited him to no end.
Her incessant squirming only managed to add fuel to the fire. As their bodies rubbed together, the friction between them was almost unbearable.
Oh God, did her ears deceive her or did Ramon just groan loudly… unabashedly?
Disgusting! He's actually becoming aroused by this?
And sure enough, Murasaki's suspicions were confirmed when she suddenly felt a protruding hardness brush against her hip.
Terrified out of her mind she blurted out angrily, "You disgust me, you piece of filth! When Hannibal finds out you've violated me, he is going to tear the flesh right off your bones!"
Ramon suddenly threw his back to laugh heartily at the woman's ridiculous statement.
"Violate YOU? Don't flatter yourself, Tokyo Rose; I wouldn't fuck you with my best friend's dick! I'm saving the rocket in my pocket for your lover, or should I say MINE."
"You really are mad, aren't you? In case you haven't noticed, he isn't into boys, especially ones as vile as you!"
Angered by her haughty comment, Ramon swiftly leapt off of her then viciously slapped Murasaki across the side of her face with the open palm of his hand.
The recently struck woman hissed in pain as the force of the impact caused her to bite down on the inside of her cheek. Almost immediately the bitter tang of blood danced on her tongue. Tears welled in her eyes as her face throbbed.
And yet, despite the pain and humiliation, Lady Murasaki had had won a small victory over her aggressor.
"Did I touch on a nerve, Ramon? Judging from your reaction, I guess I did. What did you think was going to happen? Do actually believe that by eliminating me, Hannibal would somehow fall into your waiting arms? I seriously doubt that. Hannibal… loves… me! Do you hear that you stupid, deluded child. He loves me, and there's not a damned thing you can do about that!"
Enraged, Ramon paced in front of her, back and forth like a caged beast. Breathing heavily, his body trembled as his fist tightened around the steel blade of his cutting implement.
"LIAR!" he roared ferociously. "Don't you see? Don't you understand?! You're in the way, bitch! Hannibal and I belong together! We're two of a kind! And once I make him see the truth, he won't need you anymore!"
As Ramon spoke, the tighter his hand clutched around the sharp end of the scalpel. Suddenly, he groaned with a mixture of pleasure and pain as he felt the blade bite deeply into his skin. Undeterred by his self mutilation, Ramon Marquez smiled broadly. And as the blood from his hand trickled down the side of his jeans, Murasaki could clearly see the madness flickering within the sinister pits of his eyes.
Afterward, Ramon started to advance on her again. A loud gasp slipped past her dry cracked lips when she saw the way he was looking at her. Ramon's cherubic face now bore a ghoulish expression, rendering him inhumanly unrecognizable. Without a shadow of a doubt, Murasaki was truly in the presence of a monster, of Evil itself.
Slowly, he lifted his bleeding hand, while the glint of the steely blade flashed brightly against the backdrop of gloom. As he prepared to strike, Lady Murasaki began to scream for her life.