Chapter 8: Darkness Falls
Clarice pivoted quickly to her left and found herself gun barrel to gun barrel with a man she'd previously met on the most important night of her life. "Agent Reid, is it? I suppose it was your people following me?"
"That's right Starling. Now where is he?"
"Who?"
"Don't play dumb with me. We've talked to the McIntyre kid."
"What did he tell you?"
With a smile he replied, "Nothing. The look on your face told me everything. Now where is he?"
Out of the corner of her eye, Clarice saw a shadow move away from the tree at her right. She didn't risk moving her eyes away from Reid; she couldn't risk him disabling her with a bullet to the leg or shoulder. The figure seemed to be making a wide semicircle, first away from then towards Reid, possibly to stay out of his own peripheral vision.
To Reid she replied, "I don't know."
"Don't give me any more of your crap. Why'd you do it Starling? Was it money? They say everyone has their price, what was yours?"
"My father. He learned several personal facts about me and used them to get into my head and manipulate me. I'm here tonight to bring an end to it all, to end the head games." She had slowly lowered her gun a fraction, giving herself a more vulnerable appearance, all the time tracking the figure that was becoming more and more distinct as it entered her field of vision.
Reid, in response to her relaxed posture, lowered his own weapon a bit. "That's all well and good Deputy, but that's not exactly your job. Why don't you tell me where he is and I'll handle it. If you cooperate with me I'll recommend leniency."
The figure was mere feet from Reid now, moving with feline patience and stealth. Starling could see the glint of something metallic, possibly a knife, in the waning dusk light. At that moment time seemed to get stuck in molasses. Clarice's heart rate slowed to 50 beats per minute, then to 20, then she was between beats and all was still. She could see the picture before her and knew she had to make a choice, the same choice she had made so many times before. Life or death, death or life. Was she strong enough?
Time sped up again and she heard herself say, "Don't bother doctor." Reid had a half a moment to look confused before her gun was raised and fired. The sound was unnaturally loud in the empty cemetery and the muzzle flash bright in the darkening evening.
As the gun smoke cleared, Clarice stared ahead at what she had done. A hand on her arm brought to her attention that she was still in the ready position. She slowly lowered her arms and he gently removed the weapon from her hand. "What have I done?" she asked. Silently he laid a hand on her shoulder in comfort.
Shaking the hand off, she walked the dozen steps to look down at the body that stared up at her with an accusatory third eye. Her aim was true, entering the center of the forehead precisely.
"Oh Hannibal, what have I done?" she cried, tears pricking her eyes. The cool of the evening made her shiver and she hugged her arms across her chest helplessly.
Continued
