Chapter 14: The Storm
Clarice looked around the airport with dread. A voice in her head told her not to get on the plane. There was a terrible feeling of foreboding all about her. Ardelia was quiet, as though listening to something.
Clarice started looking her over for wires or ear pieces; microphones, or pins that might have cameras in them. Yet she seemed clean. Still, Clarice wasn't about to tell her anything about what had happened. She was still an FBI agent. She could still cause potential harm with her news.
"When we get to Quantico, you'd better level with me." Ardelia said as they moved towards their gate. She was keeping one hand close to her side at all times, Clarice realized. She was armed. Yet as an FBI agent, she was authorized to travel armed.
"I don't want to go to Quantico." She stopped when she realized what Ardelia had said. "I'm going back to Mansfield. I'll never step foot on Quantico again."
"You can't." Ardelia snapped. "Lecter will find you there."
"Then I'll go somewhere altogether different."
"Don't you even think about that, girl. Now let's go. Quantico."
Sighing, Clarice got onto the plane. Almost immediately, she knew she should have trusted her instincts. Ardelia already knew about Hannibal. The whole agency knew. On the plane, several agents came forward to arrest her. The crimes they charged her with had fancy, technical names. Yet basically, her crime was being near Hannibal Lecter. They planned to charge her with conspiracy, and with obstruction of justice.
Clarice was put into handcuffs and sat down towards the back of the plane. Ardelia didn't look at her. They'd apprehended her on the plane where Hannibal would be unable to help her if he'd followed them to the airport. Yet cell phones and walkmans confirmed that he was nowhere to be seen in the airport terminal. As long as he thought he was safe, they could take their time in organizing an arrest. As long as he didn't know about the trap they'd set for Clarice, they could try and come up with a good strategy for apprehending him.
"Damn you, Ardelia." She finally muttered bitterly. "Damn you for taking this away from me."
Clarice looked around the airport with dread. A voice in her head told her not to get on the plane. There was a terrible feeling of foreboding all about her. Ardelia was quiet, as though listening to something.
Clarice started looking her over for wires or ear pieces; microphones, or pins that might have cameras in them. Yet she seemed clean. Still, Clarice wasn't about to tell her anything about what had happened. She was still an FBI agent. She could still cause potential harm with her news.
"When we get to Quantico, you'd better level with me." Ardelia said as they moved towards their gate. She was keeping one hand close to her side at all times, Clarice realized. She was armed. Yet as an FBI agent, she was authorized to travel armed.
"I don't want to go to Quantico." She stopped when she realized what Ardelia had said. "I'm going back to Mansfield. I'll never step foot on Quantico again."
"You can't." Ardelia snapped. "Lecter will find you there."
"Then I'll go somewhere altogether different."
"Don't you even think about that, girl. Now let's go. Quantico."
Sighing, Clarice got onto the plane. Almost immediately, she knew she should have trusted her instincts. Ardelia already knew about Hannibal. The whole agency knew. On the plane, several agents came forward to arrest her. The crimes they charged her with had fancy, technical names. Yet basically, her crime was being near Hannibal Lecter. They planned to charge her with conspiracy, and with obstruction of justice.
Clarice was put into handcuffs and sat down towards the back of the plane. Ardelia didn't look at her. They'd apprehended her on the plane where Hannibal would be unable to help her if he'd followed them to the airport. Yet cell phones and walkmans confirmed that he was nowhere to be seen in the airport terminal. As long as he thought he was safe, they could take their time in organizing an arrest. As long as he didn't know about the trap they'd set for Clarice, they could try and come up with a good strategy for apprehending him.
"Damn you, Ardelia." She finally muttered bitterly. "Damn you for taking this away from me."