Chapter 28

Pride

Clarice felt the haze start to lift as she slowly opened her eyes to the blinding light that pierced above her. Her body felt cold, or maybe that was just the floor as she slowly sat up, her hand still trying to shield her sensitive eyes from the lights above. She could barely make out her surroundings, only seeing dry gray wall around her and glass in front of her. As her eyes began to focus though, Clarice felt panic set in instantly as she realized that she wasn't in a room, but a box within a room, a box just big enough for her to spread her arms and legs out in, but not enough to walk easily around.

Quickly she pressed herself against the glass, seeing two other similar boxes that housed two other bodies that lay unconscious.

"Oh no" Clarice whispered as she recognized who the bodies were "Will. Will! Will wake up!"

She saw Will stir a bit, his plaid covered torso moving only slightly at her words. Clarice turned to the second box and saw Abigail trying to recover as her eyes dazed a bit while her hands struggled to grasp onto something.

"Abigail!" Clarice said banging on the glass "Abigail it's Clarice!"

"Clarice?" Abigail muttered as her eyes started to focus "What's going on?"

"I don't know" Clarice said "But Will is here as well. What do you remember?"

"I...I was at Dr. Lecter's office" Abigail said groggily "And I felt this sting on my neck..."

"I think they drugged us" Clarice said feeling the tender spot where a tranquilizer needle had stuck "but I don't know who."

Suddenly Will got up, his heaving groan scaring both the girls as he slumped upwards, his head shaking violently to wake his mind up.

"Will!" Clarice said "Will are you alright?"

"Clarice" Will said "What's happening?"

"I think we are in trouble" Clarice said as all three of them realized they were stuck in a glass box with no clue where they were or how they were put in there. Clarice could see pumps leading in and out of the box though, which meant that air supply was provided for them. But for what reason where they put here?

Then suddenly, Clarice remembered Hannibal being at her house when she had been shot.

"Will do you see another box around me?" Clarice said in a panic.

"No why?" Will said getting frustrated.

"Hannibal was with me last night when I was attacked" Clarice said "Why did they just take me? Why didn't they take him?"

"Maybe they did and he's just not here" Will said struggling to follow her.

"But why not stick him in the box like the rest of us?" Clarice said.

Will's eyes grew wide as he realized who had put them here.

"The killer" Will whispered "Clarice we are the next victims."

"What?" Clarice said wondering how Will had gotten off the subject of Dr. Lecter.

"Clarice we need to find a way out of here" Will said "Because I think we are Pride."


Hannibal sat with his arms tied tightly to the chair he was sitting in, the leather straps working hard against his skin as two of Mason's goons strapped his legs in as well. A psych ward mask had been placed around his face, so that speech was allowed but limited.

Mason stood above him, his handsome smile wicked as he patiently tapped his fingers along his arm.

"You like it?" It's a 16th century torture chair. They used to strap traitors and prisoners in it to gain information" he said.

"Is that what you are going to do?" Hannibal said "Try and get information out of me?"

"No" Mason said laughing "I already know everything about you Dr. Lecter. Your schedule, the food you eat, the people you kill, the woman you fuck. I know every last little detail. No, you are in that chair to see, not speak."

"And what exactly am I supposed to see?" Hannibal said trying to think of a way to play into Mason's weaknesses. Here in Mason's house, he was king, the marble floor always sparkling as tropical plants flocked along the corners and walls while expensive paintings watched over the group like gods among the clouds.

"Margot" Mason said rolling his eyes as he dramatically waved his hand.

A big but pretty girl came into the room as she rolled a TV with her, her eyes never looking once over at Hannibal.

"Good girl" Mason said slapping her on the head as she quickly left the room, knowing Mason would only dish out more if she stayed.

Mason flicked the remote in his hand till the screen showed up on a security camera looking down on three objects in a stone room. Hannibal realized that Will, Abigail, and Clarice were all in the boxes trapped as they stared at one another in disbelief and confusion.

"You see Dr. Lecter" Mason said as a luxury chair was placed beside him "You haven't noticed any of my gifts I've been sending to you, so I thought the best coarse of action was just to bring you here and show off for a minute. After all, it wouldn't be the seven deadly sins if I didn't complete the last and greatest sin of all. Pride."

"None of these people are prideful" Hannibal said.

"No" Mason said with a grin "But you are. You thought you were so fucking better than me. Yes it's true, you had a friend, a family, and a lover. But you were so high and mighty, the great angel Lucifer that thought he was better than mere humans and was cast out from heaven because of his pride. And now you get to see the consequences of your sins."

"Mason" Hannibal said "This is foolishness."

"Maybe" Mason said "But it's still a hell of a show." His finger clicked a button on the remote and Hannibal saw that water was beginning to pump into the boxes that his loved ones were trapped in.

"I'll give you a choice doctor" Mason said with a grin "You get to choose two to die, and the other one lives. I'm sure it won't be a problem having someone's blood on your hands, that is after all, what you are used to."

Hannibal sat there and watched the water begin to fill the boxes, the screams of Abigail sounding out within his mind as he saw her mouth open in flying hysteria.

Will seemed to struggle around in his box, probably trying to figure out how he could somehow break the glass before the box filled with water. But Clarice just stood, her body still as the water, but Hannibal could see the gears turning in her eyes, and the fierce tenaciousness about to approach.

He knew though, he had to make a choice.

"Take Will" Hannibal said casually.

"And the other one?" Mason said pressing a button so that more water was being pumped into Will's box.

Hannibal couldn't say it, although he knew he had too. Abigail was his daughter, and Clarice was the love that he had only dreamed about for years.

"Mason" Hannibal said "Let them go."

"Sorry, that was the wrong answer" Mason said pressing another button.

Abigail's box now started receiving water at a rapid rate. Hannibal could feel his body tensing, knowing there was one final choice to make.

But he knew he couldn't.


Clarice watched the water fill up in Will and Abigail's boxes, the clear liquid going up now to her friend's waist as he stared at her with panic. Abigail tried not to scream, but she had become hysterical now that the water was filling up her box faster.

"Think" Clarice whispered to herself as she looked around her box. She saw various pipes and openings, but nothing to suggest a break in the box.

"Think!" Clarice hissed.

"Clarice!" Will said banging on his glass "You have to find a way out, break the glass before we drown!"

"I'm trying!" Clarice said knowing it was only a matter of minutes before the glass box filled up completely.

This was all her fault, if only she hadn't been so wrapped up in herself she could have caught whoever was doing this to them now. Will wouldn't be in danger, and Abigail would be safe at home if it wasn't for her. If anyone should die, it should be her.

Suddenly the solution was right in front of Clarice, although she knew that it was going to devastate Will and Abigail. Quickly she turned around and faced Will, who stared at her expectantly.

"Will" Clarice said firmly "I just want to say that I'm sorry."

"For what?!" Will said.

Clarice simply shook her head, and with a hard kick she hit one of the pumps in her box, the pressure shifting now so that the water began hurdling into her glass case. Will realized what Clarice had done as the water stopped pouring into his and Abigail's case and straight into Clarice's.

"CLARICE!" Will screamed as his hands beat against the glass.

She stared at him as he slammed his hands over and over again on the glass, but she knew there was no other way then this. Clarice felt the water start to creep up her chest and up her neck, the icy coldness numbing her as it took her for it's own.

Before her head was surrounded by water, Clarice took a deep breath and silently hoped that somewhere, Hannibal was safe.


Hannibal felt his body lurch as he watched Clarice get surrounded by the water, her body starting to convulse from the lack of oxegyn.

She was drowning.

And he couldn't save her.

Suddenly Clarice's body became still, the drowned body floating peacefully in the water as it began to sink down.

"Oh well" Mason said "One for the price of two at least."

Hannibal watched with wide eyes, the love that had lighted his heart dying each second Clarice's body floated downwards, the life of hers fading like a star in the black night.

Clarice was gone.

And now, Hannibal was angry.


Will screamed Clarice's name, his body now smashing against the walls of the glass as the splinters began cracking around him. He slammed again and again until the glass gave, his body tumbling down as shard of glass cut him up seven ways to Sunday. Quickly he searched around the room, grabbing a long PVC pipe that had been discarded in the corner.

With everything in him, Will smashed the pipe against the glass, the spider web of cracks sounding out as he hit it again, smashing it in now all the way as the water cascaded everywhere in the room. Will scrambled as he swung the pipe to knock the rest of the glass out of the way before collapsing down to get Clarice's body.

He immediately started CPR, his adrenaline pumping as he did chest compressions and breathed with all his might into Clarice's mouth.

"Don't you die Clarice!" Will screamed "Don't you go!"

He bent to give her another breath when suddenly Clarice hurled up water in front of him, her body shaking in fury as she coughed up more and more water.

Will couldn't help it as he clawed her into his arms with relief.

"Don't you ever do that again!" Will said shaking her.

Clarice could hardly smile, her body weak and her rib cage no doubt ably broken from Will's CPR.

"How did you know?" Will said realizing he had just smashed through thick inches of glass without a second thought.

"Your my friend" Clarice raspingly said "I would do the same for you."

Will felt relief but panic at the same time, realizing that they were not out of this situation yet. They freed Abigail from her box and quickly exited the stone room, their footing clumsy and confused as they tried to find their bearings. Will spotted an exit though and immediately sent Abigail to go get help.

"Hannibal's in here somewhere Will" Clarice said "We have to find him."

"Let's find out killer first" Will said "And then he'll tell us where Hannibal is."


"Mason" Hannibal said cooly "You've done an excellent job."

"What?" Mason said surprised.

"It's true that I am a bit upset over Ms. Starling's death" Hannibal said "But the way you executed the trap and the plan itself, I can't help but admire."

"You really think so?" Mason said pleased with himself.

"Very much" Hannibal said "I though would have done things a little more slower. You have to be patient when it comes to torturing and fear."

"I'm glad you are starting to see things my way" Mason said getting down to Hannibal's level "After all, I am your number one fan."

Hannibal was sure the next thing Mason was seeing was stars after he violently thrusted his head forward, headbutting Mason square in the skull as Hannibal snapped the restraints off, his anger fueling his strength as the image of Clarice floating dead on the screen repeated over and over in his mind.

Mason seemed dazed as he tried to back away, Hannibal looming over him.

"Mason" Hannibal said with an eery calm "You have been very, very bad."

Hannibal relished in that moment as Mason's screams echoed through the house as Hannibal quickly tore into him.


Clarice and Will suddenly heard the ear piercing screams as goosebumps shivered up their skin. Clarice had taken a gun from a guard they had disarmed on the way up the house and quickly drew it just in case they encountered their killer.

"You know where you are going?" Will said quietly as he drew his own gun out.

"Yea" Clarice said "Towards the screams."

The moved quietly together, their feet silent against the cold marble floors until they saw a several lights illuminating the room where most of screams that had now turned silent had come from.

Clarice motioned to Will as they walked steadily into the room, their guns drawn on the figure that huddled over the blood mess of a body in front of them.

"This is FBI" Clarice sounded out "Place your hands above your head and slowly turn around!"

Hannibal upon hearing her voice, quickly turned, his mouth and hands stained with Mason's blood as he faced his angel, his man suit taken off and the monster inside revealed to her at last. Relief and love washed over him, but in return, Clarice looked at him with confusion and terror.

"Hannibal?" Clarice said as she looked him up and down "It's you? Your the one that the killer was trying to impress?"

Will suddenly felt anger, betrayal and confusion set into him "Your the ripper?"

Hannibal eyed Will with a deadly intent, but his eyes softened slightly when he looked towards Clarice.

"I didn't want it to end like this" he simply said.

"It's not" Will said "We are taking you in."

"All this time" Clarice said as hot tears began streaming down her face, the gun in her hand shaking from the rattling of her bones "All this time you've lied to us, you lied to Jack! You lied to me!"

"Yes" Hannibal said as he stepped towards them.

Suddenly Mason groaned and produced a gun pointing it straight at the group when Hannibal quickly snapped the bone in his arm and took the gun. He check the bullets and then in a flash whipped around and shot at Will, his body collapsing behind Clarice as she turned with a scream.

"He'll live" Hannibal said as Clarice turned to him, her gun still pointed towards him.

Will moaned in agony, his blood steaming out from his wounds.

"Clarice.." he rattled "Don't..."

But Clarice was already too gone, her mind twisted to the point of no return. This man, this man she loved, was a killer, a monster, the thing nightmares were made of.

"I'm sorry" Hannibal said quietly.

"I trusted you!" Clarice screamed.

Hannibal started moving towards her, his eyes intense as he watched fear grip into her.

"Stop!" Clarice said backing up.

Hannibal stopped for a moment and stared at her in pleading hurry to understand him.

"Clarice" Hannibal said softly "I..."

But three shot rung out as the bullets dug into Hannibal's chest, sending him collapsing to the ground as Clarice stood in shock as she turned behind her. Will looked up at her, the gun still smoking in his hand as Clarice dropped her own and ran towards Hannibal.

"Please!" Clarice said trying to close the wounds around Hannibal's chest "Please don't!"

It was then, in the grips of Will passing out before the ambulances and FBI arrived, did Will see something cross between Clarice and Hannibal.

And then, darkness.