Chapter 47
Hannibal stopped the car and pulled over. Clarice looked at him. "Time to get out?" Clarice knew the answer but felt like she needed to ask it, there had been silence for so long that it felt good to use her voice again.
"Yes, I'm afraid that we will have to walk for quit a bit." Clarice got out of the car and shortly after Hannibal followed. The afternoon sun sent it's last warming beams over the tree tops.
"Is there anything you absolutely want to take with you?" it was then Clarice knew that it would be quit a walk. "No, there is nothing in particular." Hannibal nodded and wiped the car clean of prints and retrieved a bag from the trunk. "Shall we my dear?" He gestured with his hand, and Clarice started to walk.
"Quit an adventure." Clarice started laughing. Hannibal looked at her questioningly. Quit unpredictable, she never ceased to amaze him. She was a fighter, she had no idea where she was going or how long she would be walking, yet she followed him, no complaints and no questions asked. Would he have been disappointed if there where? No he didn't think so.
Clarice stopped and looked at Hannibal. There was almost a coy look in her eyes. "Would you mind walking hand in hand?" he couldn't help but smile. But he didn't answer instead he walked up to and offered her his arm. "Not at all my dear."
I should have known, Clarice thought, always the gentleman. But she didn't mind at least she would be close to him.
Clarice suddenly got a feeling that the person that was in charge of this witch hunt was her old best friend. Clarice stopped walking again. A ghostly like emotion came over her face.
"Hannibal." Clarice leaned up against him for support. "Are you alright Clarice." There was concern in his voice. "It's Ardelia." Hannibal looked confused. "She is the one trying to catch us." Hannibal looked relieved that is was only that?
"Hannibal, I won't harm her." Clarice notice the coldness enter his eyes, she was worried, would she let Hannibal hurt Ardelia?
Hannibal started walking again, Clarice kept behind him. Would she let anyone get in the way of their happiness, of her own happiness? Had she really not thought about Ardelia being the one to come after her? Her best friend.
Clarice walked lost in thought, only glancing at Hannibal's back. She didn't like the thought of not being able to be with him, she had done so much for this to be real, and now the only one standing in her way was Ardelia Mapp. Clarice had killed before to protect her lambs, was it any different now?
Clarice didn't notice that Hannibal had stopped walking and now looked at Clarice. There was a smile on his lips. He loved watching her, the way she moved, and now the way she was lost for the world.
It wasn't until Clarice bumped into Hannibal that she notices he had stopped.
"Ups" Clarice started to laugh. "I didn't see you there." Clarice stopped laughing when she saw into those serious eyes. There were not more the an inch of air between their bodies. "We should continue, it will soon be too dark to move in." Clarice sent him a smile, and gave him a kiss. "Lead the way." Clarice clamped herself to his arm, making sure that she wouldn't bump into anything or anyone else on the way.
The dark night was slowly beginning to surround them, but Hannibal didn't seem to notice, he walked as if it was day.
After what Clarice thought to be a ten mile walk she felt her tiredness. Her muscles began to cramp and her stomach growled for something to eat, but she didn't say a thing. She hated the idea that Hannibal might think her weak.
Hannibal stopped. "Wait here." Clarice looked skeptical. "I'll be back shortly" and he was gone, the darkness swallowed him.
Clarice sat down near a tree and returned to her previous thinking.
She had after all killed for him before. If Ardelia became a treat that was all she needed to think about, her being the enemy. But it wouldn't be the same, and she knew it, this time she would have to kill agents and police officers. Was this what it meant to be a fugitive? On the run, taking no chances as to being caught. She had a pretty good idea what Hannibal was capable of if it meant freedom.
Was she willing to do the same? Knowing the cost if they or she got caught? She had to admit that she hadn't given it much thought. She had been so preoccupied with finding Hannibal, that she hadn't thought about the consequences.
There was an arrest order out for her, she was a murder, could they prove it? maybe not, but they where sure to have an interest in getting to her, so that they could get to Dr. Lecter.
Clarice felt a growing hate towards her former masters, but the question remained if she was more loyal to Hannibal, whom had never lied to her, she might not have liked the truth, but he hadn't kept it from her. And Ardelia, she had become a messenger for those undeserving beasts back at the bureau. Had Ardelia thought about what she was asking? Was it all Clarice had become for Ardelia, an instrument to get to their centerpiece? The mere thought made Clarice angry.
The night seemed to cool her down, yet it wasn't cold. Clarice leaned against the tree and closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds around her. The night crawlers and other night animals where out. And in the distant she could hear a chopper.
There was something relaxing about the whole setting. Clarice's eyes began to be heavy and she fell asleep to the gentle sound of the nature.
Hannibal stopped the car and pulled over. Clarice looked at him. "Time to get out?" Clarice knew the answer but felt like she needed to ask it, there had been silence for so long that it felt good to use her voice again.
"Yes, I'm afraid that we will have to walk for quit a bit." Clarice got out of the car and shortly after Hannibal followed. The afternoon sun sent it's last warming beams over the tree tops.
"Is there anything you absolutely want to take with you?" it was then Clarice knew that it would be quit a walk. "No, there is nothing in particular." Hannibal nodded and wiped the car clean of prints and retrieved a bag from the trunk. "Shall we my dear?" He gestured with his hand, and Clarice started to walk.
"Quit an adventure." Clarice started laughing. Hannibal looked at her questioningly. Quit unpredictable, she never ceased to amaze him. She was a fighter, she had no idea where she was going or how long she would be walking, yet she followed him, no complaints and no questions asked. Would he have been disappointed if there where? No he didn't think so.
Clarice stopped and looked at Hannibal. There was almost a coy look in her eyes. "Would you mind walking hand in hand?" he couldn't help but smile. But he didn't answer instead he walked up to and offered her his arm. "Not at all my dear."
I should have known, Clarice thought, always the gentleman. But she didn't mind at least she would be close to him.
Clarice suddenly got a feeling that the person that was in charge of this witch hunt was her old best friend. Clarice stopped walking again. A ghostly like emotion came over her face.
"Hannibal." Clarice leaned up against him for support. "Are you alright Clarice." There was concern in his voice. "It's Ardelia." Hannibal looked confused. "She is the one trying to catch us." Hannibal looked relieved that is was only that?
"Hannibal, I won't harm her." Clarice notice the coldness enter his eyes, she was worried, would she let Hannibal hurt Ardelia?
Hannibal started walking again, Clarice kept behind him. Would she let anyone get in the way of their happiness, of her own happiness? Had she really not thought about Ardelia being the one to come after her? Her best friend.
Clarice walked lost in thought, only glancing at Hannibal's back. She didn't like the thought of not being able to be with him, she had done so much for this to be real, and now the only one standing in her way was Ardelia Mapp. Clarice had killed before to protect her lambs, was it any different now?
Clarice didn't notice that Hannibal had stopped walking and now looked at Clarice. There was a smile on his lips. He loved watching her, the way she moved, and now the way she was lost for the world.
It wasn't until Clarice bumped into Hannibal that she notices he had stopped.
"Ups" Clarice started to laugh. "I didn't see you there." Clarice stopped laughing when she saw into those serious eyes. There were not more the an inch of air between their bodies. "We should continue, it will soon be too dark to move in." Clarice sent him a smile, and gave him a kiss. "Lead the way." Clarice clamped herself to his arm, making sure that she wouldn't bump into anything or anyone else on the way.
The dark night was slowly beginning to surround them, but Hannibal didn't seem to notice, he walked as if it was day.
After what Clarice thought to be a ten mile walk she felt her tiredness. Her muscles began to cramp and her stomach growled for something to eat, but she didn't say a thing. She hated the idea that Hannibal might think her weak.
Hannibal stopped. "Wait here." Clarice looked skeptical. "I'll be back shortly" and he was gone, the darkness swallowed him.
Clarice sat down near a tree and returned to her previous thinking.
She had after all killed for him before. If Ardelia became a treat that was all she needed to think about, her being the enemy. But it wouldn't be the same, and she knew it, this time she would have to kill agents and police officers. Was this what it meant to be a fugitive? On the run, taking no chances as to being caught. She had a pretty good idea what Hannibal was capable of if it meant freedom.
Was she willing to do the same? Knowing the cost if they or she got caught? She had to admit that she hadn't given it much thought. She had been so preoccupied with finding Hannibal, that she hadn't thought about the consequences.
There was an arrest order out for her, she was a murder, could they prove it? maybe not, but they where sure to have an interest in getting to her, so that they could get to Dr. Lecter.
Clarice felt a growing hate towards her former masters, but the question remained if she was more loyal to Hannibal, whom had never lied to her, she might not have liked the truth, but he hadn't kept it from her. And Ardelia, she had become a messenger for those undeserving beasts back at the bureau. Had Ardelia thought about what she was asking? Was it all Clarice had become for Ardelia, an instrument to get to their centerpiece? The mere thought made Clarice angry.
The night seemed to cool her down, yet it wasn't cold. Clarice leaned against the tree and closed her eyes, focusing on the sounds around her. The night crawlers and other night animals where out. And in the distant she could hear a chopper.
There was something relaxing about the whole setting. Clarice's eyes began to be heavy and she fell asleep to the gentle sound of the nature.