Clarice stayed utterly still. What am I going to do now? She looked down bleakly at Will who was scanning the stairwell closely. She closed her eyes and waited as his eyes approached her in her crouching position, and then slid over her. When he found nothing, he began to mount the steps. Clarice held her breath as he approached the first landing. If he keeps coming, you'll have to make a run for it. Try to loose him in a janitorial closet or something. You can't let him find you like this. She watched with growing dread, as Will stood on the first landing. He approached the door and read it's label. He put his hand on the handle. Please open, please… please open, Clarice prayed silently, holding her breath. The lock clicked open, and then Will passed through the door. It clicked shut. Clarice's breath came out in a long, loud whoosh.
Instantly, she was on her feet again, running up the stairs as fast as possible. Gotta put some time between us. He might not check every door. Her feet padded soundlessly on the steps as she covered one, two, and then three flights of stairs. Halfway up the fourth, she heard the door opening below. Like a flash, she was crouching between the steps huddling away from the light from the floor below.
Will gazed upward again. He saw the many shadows on the walls, but no movement, no variation in the wall pattern. "Clarice?" he ventured again. "Clarice?"
Clarice thought about how stupid this was. He would eventually find her, all dolled up and in an evening gown. She wasn't even sure Dr. Lecter was here. Might as well save them both the time. There was no way she could escape from the building without being seen. If Will thought Lecter was here, which he most certainly did, he would not be stupid enough to come alone. Him of all people, should know not to come alone. You, of all people, should have known not to come alone.
Clarice sighed to herself. Time to face the music. "Clarice?" She opened her mouth to answer him. No point hiding anymore. "Clarice?" she heard again below her, but as she went to speak, her voice caught in her throat.
Above her, she distinctly heard what appeared to be a beckoning echo of Will Graham's voice. "Clarice…" Her eyes widened to enormous proportions, but she dared not risk the movement to look up. Below, Will finally conceded once again that she was not in the stairwell, and had entered a door on the second floor landing.
The second, no the instant, she heard that telltale click, Clarice's head was bent back to look up. Only two more flights to go. Not much room left to hide. She gritted her teeth and started up again, briskly. That is if you're not just imagining what you'd like to hear. Clarice totally ignored the voice this time. Nothing was going to stop her now.
Up she went again. Good thing you didn't let your jogging slip off. She was almost up to the last landing, when she heard the door from the second floor open again. She immediately began to shrink down to a crouch, but lost her balance as she went. She tried standing again and waved her arms wildly to catch her balance. Oh no, she thought. Not only is he going to catch me in this get up, but I'm going to go crashing down ten flights of stairs before he does it. Well, think of it this way, you'll get a good view of the surprised look on his face when you land…
Fortunately for Clarice, she'd never have a chance to see that look. Just as she was about to go tumbling down the metal stairs, an arm wrapped itself around her waist, pulling her backwards. A second arm came up under her own to cover her mouth and keep her from letting out the surprised yelp she had almost allowed to escape. She allowed her body to be pulled onto the landing only so far as to regain her balance and then drew a breath with which to scream. The scent that she inhaled was enough to make her exhale that breath slowly through her nostrils.
"Well, hello Clarice," his voice was right next to her ear, so close that she could feel his lips moving to form the words. She gave no reaction. She did not struggle, she did not make a noise, she barely even dared to blink. There had been no noise except for his voice in the stairwell, and that she doubted Will had heard. There was a long minute, where Clarice stared down at Will all those floors below, but did not move her head an inch. Lecter had not moved either of his hands and she stood with her back pressed against his chest, feeling his steady breathing and trying to make her own fall into sync. As if realizing her lack of movement was some kind of sign she had no intention of struggling, Lecter slowly removed his hand from over her mouth to let her breath easier. "Shh… shh…" she felt him breath into her ear, soothingly. His hand did not go far however, coming to rest on her shoulder so that his arm crossed over her chest.
Below, Graham was searching the steps again. "Clarice?" he called, his voice becoming strained and frantic. "Clarice?"
In her ear, she heard an eerily familiar echo of Graham's distressed voice. "Clarice…" Her eyes closed and a shiver ran through her body so violently, that he held her closer to calm it, but still she made no noise, nor conscious movement. The moment lasted forever. The two of them standing on the landing, not speaking, not moving, barely daring to breathe, Will below them, staring up into the dark, spiraling world above for some sign. A click and a whoosh let Clarice know that Will had once again entered a floor searching for her.
Still neither of them moved. She wondered if she should say something, but could think of nothing clever or intelligent to say. She could hear him inhaling deeply through his nostrils, as though re-familiarizing himself with a perfume long kept out of reach. Then he moved his head as though to look over her, resting his chin against her hair, and his nose on the top of her head. She took this chance to breath out loudly, deeply. She felt him smile against her hair.
"Alone at last," he whispered as quietly as before.
Clarice thought about laughing. In fact, she would have laughed if their predicament was not so serious. Why is it that he always makes cliché comments like that when I need him most to be serious?
People will say we're in love…She smiled. Now she knew exactly what to say. "We have to stop meeting like this, Doctor," she said, trying to sound as cliché as he.
"And why is that, Clarice?" his voice purred, acknowledging her willingness to play the game.
"People will say we're in love."
