Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters, except for the ones I've made up myself.

Family Blood

Chapter 14: Confronting the Past

The group of six stepped out of the warm car and into the cool dark night air. The pavement below them almost felt slippery as they approached the dim vacant mall cautiously. As they got closer to the front entrance a small piece of paper taped to one of the glass doors came into view. Matthew took it down and read it out loud:

"Well now, it looks like you guys have taken the bait. We hope that, for your sake, you all have a weapon or two, because all three of us are most certainly armed. So then, let the games begin! Sincerely, Jack Crawford & Richard Silversted"

Ardelia shook her head in mild disbelief. "Leaving a note behind for us? Looks like they're taking a page from your book Doctor."

Dr. Lecter gave her a look that was pure offence. "They're trying to, Agent Mapp," he corrected her.

Jadis spoke up thoughtfully, "If all three of them are here, then why did only Silversted and Crawford sign their names?"

Elaine opened the door and slipped through. "That we'll have to find out," she quietly said as the rest of the group followed her into the seemingly empty mall.

Guns and harpy drawn and at ready, Elaine whispered, "We should all split up. We'll cover a lot more ground that way."

As they all moved away in different directions, some more reluctantly than others, their footsteps seemed to echo all through the mall were the killers awaited them.

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Clarice moved up the stilled escalator to the second floor. Near her on the right was a large open space with brass railing all around where you can see down into the first floor far below. She had been in this mall a few times before, but this wasn't the shopping center she had remembered. This usually bright and cheery place had an eerie feeling about it. She found herself half expecting an unseen phantom to leap out of the dark shadows and lunge for her throat at any minute.

From the bottom floor, all the way at the other side of the large mall, a thundering crash resounded, breaking the haunting silence. She faintly heard the rapid footsteps of what she hoped were her companions running towards the source of the sound.

She was just about to follow in suit when a reflection in one of the store windows caught her eye. Acting on sheer instinct, Clarice vaulted herself over the railing and just barely caught the bottom brass rail. A stinging pain surged up through her arm as it absorbed the weight of body. Gratefully getting her other hand up over her head and grasping onto the railing, Clarice dangled helplessly over the concrete floor beneath her.

"Long time no see Starling," a hauntingly familiar male voice greeted her, his voice emotionless.

Clarice felt her heart stop dead. Straining her neck to look up, the sight of her former mentor's head peering down at her filled her vision.

"Mr. Crawford," Clarice managed to breathe out.     

Jack Crawford looked down at the helpless Clarice. This wasn't the same Jack Crawford she remembered at all. This... thing... had the most demented looking eyes she had ever seen, not those soft and sad pupils of her former friend.

"What the hell happened to you?" she found herself asking him.

Crawford let out something that she guessed was supposed to be a chuckle. "Nothing major Starling, just the realization that you betrayed me, hurt me, not to mention used me."

Clarice blinked at the man above her. "What do you mean?"

"I mean turning your back on the FBI, running off with Lecter, and not to mention scarring me for life." Shaking his head, he continued. "You know Starling, for the longest time I thought that I was in love with you. But then Lecter comes along and takes you from me."

Clarice saw the pained look behind his eyes. "Jack," she tried desperately to reason with him. "I'm sorry if I had hurt you, I never meant to. But I had to leave with him. Don't do this Jack, please."

Crawford didn't seem to listen to a word she had said. Instead, he disappeared for a few seconds from Clarice's sight, giving her the chance to try to find a way back to solid ground. Below her she saw a very narrow beam holding up a few lights. She guessed that the beam was about three inches wide and the drop to the floor below her was roughly about twenty feet. Quickly contemplating her options, she saw that if she tried to fall to the ground below her she ran the risk of breaking a leg or her neck. If she tried to climb back up she still had Crawford to contend with.

'Damnit,' she angrily thought. 'Where the hell is the rest of the group?'

Looking back up, she saw that Crawford had returned. The weapon that he now held in his hand was a small camping axe, the silver blade deadly sharp. Lining up the blade with her fingers on her left hand, Crawford looked back down at his former student.

"All it will take is one swipe Starling, and then you'll plummet to your death. Aren't you going to beg for mercy?" Getting nothing but a cold glare from Clarice, he went on. "Didn't think so, you're brave little Clarice Starling."

As the axe came down, Clarice took a large leap of faith and released. She felt the wind from the descending axe just missing her index finger by millimeters as she tried desperately to aim for the narrow beam.

One hand just barely grasped the beam as gravity made her plummet downwards. The other hand waved wildly in the air for a split second in slight panic, but quickly found its way to the beam. Wrapping her shaking legs around the rocking piece of metal for more grip, Clarice held on for dear life as she swung wildly from side to side for a few hideously long minutes. When the swinging finally stilled, she breathed for the first time in what felt like ages.

Crawford took a swing at her from above with the small axe. Clarice clung on to the beam, still as a stone. She didn't dare move yet.

Looking a little defeated, Crawford backed off slightly. "You got away this time Starling," he warned, "but we'll see each other again before the night is over, I guarantee it."

Clarice glared furiously at the traitor. "Find a place to hide you bastard," she growled at him. "Because I'm making you a promise, I will kill you Crawford."

As he strolled calmly away, clearly not deterred by her threat, Clarice screamed at him, "I'LL KILL YOU! I FUCKING SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!"

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As a shaking Clarice carefully climbed down to the bottom floor, the rest of the group ran to her side.

"We heard you yelling," Matthew informed her.

"Crawford was here," she responded, clearly still pissed. "What was that crash?"

"Nothing more than some TVs being knocked over," said Dr. Lecter. "My guess is that it was a distraction. Are you alright Clarice?"

She nodded. "I'll be fine, we need to get-"

She was interrupted by footsteps above them. Looking up, they saw a fleeting shadow, one very visibly not Crawford.

"Silversted," Jadis growled. "I'll go after him."

Getting her gun ready, she went after the other killer.

Elaine spoke up. "I'll call for back up." Reaching for her cell phone, an uneasy feeling came over the rest of the group.