***
The elevator stopped on level ten and the doors opened. Jay dashed from the elevator and down the hall, quickly missing a couple walking down the hall.
Jay ran up against the door of Kevin's apartment, unable to stop in time. Jay started pounding on the door.
"Kevin! You in there! Open up!" yelled Jay through the door.
The door flew open, and standing there was Lecter, wearing a white apron, splattered with red splotches that Jay assumed was blood.
"Mr. Ziegler. You're early," said Lecter, opening the door wider to let Jay through. Jay bolted right through.
"Kevin? Are you here? Where are you?" said Jay as he quickly walked through the apartment. There was no sign of Kevin to be found.
"Where's Kevin? What have you done with him?" demanded Jay.
"I'm afraid Kevin has been gone for quite some time. And I haven't done anything with him…yet," replied Lecter is a rather cunning, yet menacing tone.
Jay noticed the closed bedroom door. He barged past Lecter and threw open the door. Sitting on the bed was Kevin, still very much alive, but heavily drugged.
"Hello Jay. How are you?" asked Kevin, his speech very slurred.
Jay noticed the bandage around Kevin's head and the large hole in his shirt and the stitched incision underneath.
"Kevin…I'm so sorry," muttered Jay and then he passed out.
"Oh Dear. He fell down," said Kevin, his speech still slurred from the drugs.
***
Jay woke with a jolt. He was on the couch in the living room. Jay had no idea how long he was out. He could smell meat frying in the kitchen. He slowly got up and made his way towards the kitchen. Kevin was sitting in the adjoining kitchen.
"That smells good. What are you cooking?" asked Kevin, his speech still a little slurred.
"You," replied Lecter, with a big smile on his face.
"Smells good," replied Kevin.
Jay walked into the kitchen, still feeling a little dizzy. He figured he must have hit his head on something when he fainted.
"Oh good. You're awake. Hope you're hungry," said Lecter, who continued to fry the meat on the stove.
Jay took a look on the stove. It appeared as though Lecter was preparing spare ribs. Jay looked over to Kevin. The stitches were in the area of the lower ribcage. "Not anymore."
"There is wine in the fridge if you would care to help yourself," said Lecter, gesturing to the fridge in the corner.
Jay walked over to the fridge and opened the door He was horrified to see, sitting on the middle rack, on a platter, the head of features editor David McCarthy. There was a small pool of crimson blood had gathered around the head. Jay let out a feeble scream.
"Oh, I forgot about that. That was supposed to be a surprise," said Lecter.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" muttered Jay as he stumbled into the next room. Lecter closed the refrigerator and followed Jay as he stumbled into the next room.
"Don't be afraid Jay. I told you I'd make sure I got your story published," replied Lecter, trying to calm Jay.
"Don't be afraid? DON'T be afraid?!" exclaimed Jay, " How am I not supposed to be afraid? You have the head of my boss in the fridge and you're cooking my colleague!"
"Okay. Be afraid. Be very afraid," said Lecter as he pulled a paring knife out of his apron. Jay was up against the wall. He grabbed the poker from beside the fireplace and began swinging it around. Lecter grabbed the poker and slammed it, handle first, into Jay's gut. He let out a long breath and fell to the ground. Lecter quickly pounced onto Jay and slammed the paring knife into the wall about ¼ of an inch from Jay's head. "There's no need to be afraid."
Lecter stood up and returned to the kitchen as Jay slowly stood up and made his way to the sofa. That jab had knocked the wind out of him, but hadn't penetrated.
***
The elevator stopped on level ten and the doors opened. Jay dashed from the elevator and down the hall, quickly missing a couple walking down the hall.
Jay ran up against the door of Kevin's apartment, unable to stop in time. Jay started pounding on the door.
"Kevin! You in there! Open up!" yelled Jay through the door.
The door flew open, and standing there was Lecter, wearing a white apron, splattered with red splotches that Jay assumed was blood.
"Mr. Ziegler. You're early," said Lecter, opening the door wider to let Jay through. Jay bolted right through.
"Kevin? Are you here? Where are you?" said Jay as he quickly walked through the apartment. There was no sign of Kevin to be found.
"Where's Kevin? What have you done with him?" demanded Jay.
"I'm afraid Kevin has been gone for quite some time. And I haven't done anything with him…yet," replied Lecter is a rather cunning, yet menacing tone.
Jay noticed the closed bedroom door. He barged past Lecter and threw open the door. Sitting on the bed was Kevin, still very much alive, but heavily drugged.
"Hello Jay. How are you?" asked Kevin, his speech very slurred.
Jay noticed the bandage around Kevin's head and the large hole in his shirt and the stitched incision underneath.
"Kevin…I'm so sorry," muttered Jay and then he passed out.
"Oh Dear. He fell down," said Kevin, his speech still slurred from the drugs.
***
Jay woke with a jolt. He was on the couch in the living room. Jay had no idea how long he was out. He could smell meat frying in the kitchen. He slowly got up and made his way towards the kitchen. Kevin was sitting in the adjoining kitchen.
"That smells good. What are you cooking?" asked Kevin, his speech still a little slurred.
"You," replied Lecter, with a big smile on his face.
"Smells good," replied Kevin.
Jay walked into the kitchen, still feeling a little dizzy. He figured he must have hit his head on something when he fainted.
"Oh good. You're awake. Hope you're hungry," said Lecter, who continued to fry the meat on the stove.
Jay took a look on the stove. It appeared as though Lecter was preparing spare ribs. Jay looked over to Kevin. The stitches were in the area of the lower ribcage. "Not anymore."
"There is wine in the fridge if you would care to help yourself," said Lecter, gesturing to the fridge in the corner.
Jay walked over to the fridge and opened the door He was horrified to see, sitting on the middle rack, on a platter, the head of features editor David McCarthy. There was a small pool of crimson blood had gathered around the head. Jay let out a feeble scream.
"Oh, I forgot about that. That was supposed to be a surprise," said Lecter.
"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" muttered Jay as he stumbled into the next room. Lecter closed the refrigerator and followed Jay as he stumbled into the next room.
"Don't be afraid Jay. I told you I'd make sure I got your story published," replied Lecter, trying to calm Jay.
"Don't be afraid? DON'T be afraid?!" exclaimed Jay, " How am I not supposed to be afraid? You have the head of my boss in the fridge and you're cooking my colleague!"
"Okay. Be afraid. Be very afraid," said Lecter as he pulled a paring knife out of his apron. Jay was up against the wall. He grabbed the poker from beside the fireplace and began swinging it around. Lecter grabbed the poker and slammed it, handle first, into Jay's gut. He let out a long breath and fell to the ground. Lecter quickly pounced onto Jay and slammed the paring knife into the wall about ¼ of an inch from Jay's head. "There's no need to be afraid."
Lecter stood up and returned to the kitchen as Jay slowly stood up and made his way to the sofa. That jab had knocked the wind out of him, but hadn't penetrated.
***