Chapter 12: A Key Connection
As Clarice and Hannibal stepped out of the toilet, they found most of the passengers were gathering their belongings. It seemed that the plane had landed while they were... taking care of business.
Hannibal was careful to let Clarice go first, so no one was suspicious. He followed after a moment, rushing to grab his carry-on items. He hoped there were no male passengers needing to relieve themselves now. It was unlikely, since the plane had just landed, but one never knows where fate will lead...
Clarice went to her seat and gathered her tape player and book. She considered leaving the items, but figured, what the hell. The tapes could be fun to listen to later. Clarice knew there were more important things to think about anyway. Like what exactly Hannibal knew, and when she would tell him what he hadn't already figured out.
Clarice exited the aircraft, dropping something beside Hannibal's seat as she went. As he leaned to pick the item up, he saw it was a key. A key to car, but better than that; it was a licensed, FBI car key. Hannibal showed his white baby teeth as he smiled, and began to walk to the reserved parking lot. It seemed that Clarice had something to tell him...
*@**@**@**@*
Clarice waited in the parking lot, soaking wet and freezing her ass off. She had dropped the key to see if Lecter would come after her, but it was taking him an awful long time. When she looked at her watch, she saw only five minutes had passed since she got had gotten outside. It seemed longer, since it was raining hard and the wind was blowing. 'No wonder they canceled the flight,' she thought, 'it's raining cats and dogs out here...'
Clarice began to jump from side to side, trying to get warm. Her shirt was sticking to her worse than Krendler's hands ever had, and she was starting to shiver. She now thoroughly regretted coming out alone. If she had just waited for him on the plane, she wouldn't be out here freezing to death. She looked back to the airport, waiting to see him come out. But she never did see him.
Instead, Clarice felt the rain stop pelting the top of her head. She turned to see him holding an umbrella over her and carrying their luggage, curling his lovely lips into a smile. "I do hope that was a clue to your whereabouts, Agent Starling, and not a sudden decline in your training. You seem rather wet, I'll drive..."
Clarice smirked as water dripped from her nose. "No, no, I'm glad you figured the key out, but I'm still in the driver's seat." She took the key from Hannibal and unlocked all the car doors. "Hop in."
The perfect gentlemen placed their belongings in the back seat before he climbed in the passenger door. He was dry and cool, having been smart enough to open an umbrella before he went outside. Clarice was his complete opposite, her shirt stuck tight to her body and her jeans heavy with water. 'Not at all unattractive,' thought Hannibal.
Clarice shivered a little as she started the car heater. It was damn stupid to stand out in the rain, damn stupid. Her hair hung about her face in auburn waves, dripping down the front of her shirt. She was cold, wet, but nevertheless excited. She just hoped she wouldn't get sick.
But that wasn't important now. Now, she only wanted to go somewhere so they could talk. "Hannibal, I assume- I guess that you have some kind of arrangements? Somewhere we can go to talk?
Hannibal was surprised again, not for the first time this evening. "Are you saying that you want to leave with me? Now?"
Clarice shrugged. "Well, I don't know if I will go with you forever, but for now, yes. I would imagine that you have some questions for me, huh? This has been a more adventurous day than I expected..."
"Indeed, Clarice. Yes, I have connections here, rather obvious in fact. Who do you remember from our days in that dungeon?"
Clarice sat back, deep in thought. "Dr. Chilton, but he's long since dead. Miggs- Barney! Barney moved to Portugal, didn't he? Yeah, he did about four years ago. I have his address in the case file, let's go there." With a quick glance at her papers, Hannibal and Clarice made their way to the house of an old friend.
As Clarice and Hannibal stepped out of the toilet, they found most of the passengers were gathering their belongings. It seemed that the plane had landed while they were... taking care of business.
Hannibal was careful to let Clarice go first, so no one was suspicious. He followed after a moment, rushing to grab his carry-on items. He hoped there were no male passengers needing to relieve themselves now. It was unlikely, since the plane had just landed, but one never knows where fate will lead...
Clarice went to her seat and gathered her tape player and book. She considered leaving the items, but figured, what the hell. The tapes could be fun to listen to later. Clarice knew there were more important things to think about anyway. Like what exactly Hannibal knew, and when she would tell him what he hadn't already figured out.
Clarice exited the aircraft, dropping something beside Hannibal's seat as she went. As he leaned to pick the item up, he saw it was a key. A key to car, but better than that; it was a licensed, FBI car key. Hannibal showed his white baby teeth as he smiled, and began to walk to the reserved parking lot. It seemed that Clarice had something to tell him...
*@**@**@**@*
Clarice waited in the parking lot, soaking wet and freezing her ass off. She had dropped the key to see if Lecter would come after her, but it was taking him an awful long time. When she looked at her watch, she saw only five minutes had passed since she got had gotten outside. It seemed longer, since it was raining hard and the wind was blowing. 'No wonder they canceled the flight,' she thought, 'it's raining cats and dogs out here...'
Clarice began to jump from side to side, trying to get warm. Her shirt was sticking to her worse than Krendler's hands ever had, and she was starting to shiver. She now thoroughly regretted coming out alone. If she had just waited for him on the plane, she wouldn't be out here freezing to death. She looked back to the airport, waiting to see him come out. But she never did see him.
Instead, Clarice felt the rain stop pelting the top of her head. She turned to see him holding an umbrella over her and carrying their luggage, curling his lovely lips into a smile. "I do hope that was a clue to your whereabouts, Agent Starling, and not a sudden decline in your training. You seem rather wet, I'll drive..."
Clarice smirked as water dripped from her nose. "No, no, I'm glad you figured the key out, but I'm still in the driver's seat." She took the key from Hannibal and unlocked all the car doors. "Hop in."
The perfect gentlemen placed their belongings in the back seat before he climbed in the passenger door. He was dry and cool, having been smart enough to open an umbrella before he went outside. Clarice was his complete opposite, her shirt stuck tight to her body and her jeans heavy with water. 'Not at all unattractive,' thought Hannibal.
Clarice shivered a little as she started the car heater. It was damn stupid to stand out in the rain, damn stupid. Her hair hung about her face in auburn waves, dripping down the front of her shirt. She was cold, wet, but nevertheless excited. She just hoped she wouldn't get sick.
But that wasn't important now. Now, she only wanted to go somewhere so they could talk. "Hannibal, I assume- I guess that you have some kind of arrangements? Somewhere we can go to talk?
Hannibal was surprised again, not for the first time this evening. "Are you saying that you want to leave with me? Now?"
Clarice shrugged. "Well, I don't know if I will go with you forever, but for now, yes. I would imagine that you have some questions for me, huh? This has been a more adventurous day than I expected..."
"Indeed, Clarice. Yes, I have connections here, rather obvious in fact. Who do you remember from our days in that dungeon?"
Clarice sat back, deep in thought. "Dr. Chilton, but he's long since dead. Miggs- Barney! Barney moved to Portugal, didn't he? Yeah, he did about four years ago. I have his address in the case file, let's go there." With a quick glance at her papers, Hannibal and Clarice made their way to the house of an old friend.
