Disclaimer: The characters of Hannibal Lecter, Clarice Starling, Jack Crawford, Clint Pearsall and Paul Krendler do not belong to me, but to Thomas Harris. No copyright infringement intended. I won't make any money of it. Just borrowing them for a while. Lecter' s blue eyes belong to Anthony Hopkins, though (I'm not sure there's a copyright on this).


Chapter 18: Malcolm Van Basten

Clarice woke up at the sound of Hannibal' s cell phone. It took her a second or two to recollect her senses and remember where she was and what had just happened. She looked at the man lying beside her. He was sleeping. She pushed him gently. "Hannibal, your phone's ringing." He groaned and turned to his side. She smiled.

Night had fallen and she had difficulties finding his jacket and phone in the dark. Finally she got it. "Allo ... John ! This is Clarice. What's up ? ... No. Neil is busy right now, but I can take a message ... " She went back to sit near him. " What ? ... When ? ... OK, I'll tell him ... No. Do not follow him, John. We'll take over from now on ... No. We should be back tomorrow ... Yes, I will tell him. Try to get some sleep now. See you."

Hannibal put his hand on her stomach. She smiled.

" - It was John on the phone." she said.
" - What did he want ?" His voice was still sleepy.
" - Van Basten has just left Morgantown.
- We have about three hours, then." His hand was getting up to her breast. She took it and kissed the tip of his fingers.
" - And a lot of things to do." She said.

He sat behind her and put his arms around her. " Do I have the right to a kiss before getting to work ?" She turned to him and offered her lips. He kissed her very tenderly.

" - I need a shower." she said when they parted. "Would you be so kind to wash my back, Dr Lecter."
" - Always eager to help the FBI, agent Starling.
- Thank you.
- My pleasure."

They spent almost one hour in the bathroom. Then they went back downstairs to retrieve their clothes. Lazenby' s shirt was at least two sizes too large for Hannibal. Clarice grinned at him when he put it on. He grabbed her by the waist and faked biting her, which made her laugh more. She felt him slightly tense up when her back hit his stomach. She turned at him.

" - Hannibal, are you all right ?" she asked, concern in her voice. He smiled.
" - Never been better. I'm gonna check on Lazenby.
- OK. Meantime I will see if I can find some rope or something in his garage.
- See you around ..."

He kissed her on the cheek and let her go.


They had cleaned up the living room and had been waiting in the dark for more than one hour now. Hannibal was standing near the front door, while Clarice was ready to intervene in the living room. she was beginning to get impatient.

" Clarice, he's coming. Be ready" he whispered. Clarice had not heard anything but she trusted him. Another minute passed before she detected the sound of footsteps on the lawn. She prepared.

The sound of a blade on the lock of the door. Then the almost inaudible creaking of the door knob. She did not hear the door open, but felt a breath of fresh air on her face. She tensed up.

Hannibal let him enter. He cautiously passed behind Van Basten. Then he simultaneously slammed the door with his foot and passed his arm on Malcolm throat and pulled him back to him. But the young man reacted fast and threw his elbow to Hannibal' s stomach. The pain irradiated in his whole body, but Hannibal did not release his grasp. Clarice appeared at that moment and punched Van Basten in the face. Van Basten groaned but managed to get rid of Hannibal, who fell on the floor.

Hannibal was getting back on his feet when he saw Van Basten rush on Clarice with a saber in his hand. Hannibal jumped on his back with a strength he did not think he had left. The shock forced Van Basten to let go of the sword. The two men started to struggle ferociously. Starling took her gun and pointed it at hem. "Freeze !" she shouted. But neither of them stopped. The fight was violent. But they were so close to each other that Clarice could not shoot Van Basten without running the risk of hitting Hannibal.

She took her gun by its other end and moved to the two fighting men. When Van Basten was on her side, she bashed him over the head with the grip. Van Basten fell to the floor, groggy. Clarice profited from his temporary harmlessness to grab him by the collar and draw him to the dinning table. she forced him on his stomach and took the rope she had prepared. She tied both his arms and legs to the table legs.

He was neutralized.

Clarice wiped the sweat from her forehead. It was only then that she realized Hannibal was not with her. She went back to the hall and saw him. He was on the floor, lying on his side, his face turned towards the wall. She ran and kneeled behind him. "Hannibal, are you all right ?" As he did not answer, she tried to pull him back but he resisted. "Hannibal ?" She bent over him.

His hands were pressed on his stomach and his face was distorted by pain. She cautiously took him in her arms and rocked him gently. They stayed like that a few minutes, before the intensity of his pain decreased. She turned him on his back. "Let me see." she said.

His eyes were closed. She unbuttoned his shirt and undid the bandage. The wound had widely reopened and blood was running again. She tore the shirt and used it to contain the flow. His breathing was still irregular.

Hannibal opened his eyes and saw the blood on Clarice' s shirt. He raised his hand to her shoulder and held it.

" - Clarice ... What happened ... to you ? Are you ... all right ?" She looked at him, surprised. Then in the direction of his eyes.
" - It's not mine, Hannibal. It is your blood !"

He sighed in relief.

" - Van Basten ?" he asked
" - Secured."

The pain progressively eased a bit. When he was calm enough, she put his hand on the soaked shirt. " Hold it. I'll be right back". He nodded. She ran to the bathroom and came back with some gauze and bandages. The bleeding had almost stopped. She dressed the wound as tight as he could take it.

She helped him sit against the wall and sat beside him. She put her head against his chest. He put his hand on her hair and stroke it.

" - Thank you, Clarice. It looks as if you are becoming my personal nurse. Perhaps we should discuss your wages.
- And you find this is funny ?" she asked, a bit of anger in her voice.
" - No." He kissed her head. "But I love it when you take care of me.
- Hannibal Lecter, don't ever scare me like that again, OK !
- Understood. " He held her closer.

He gave her time to recover. He knew what she had been through emotionally speaking in the last hours. He would have liked to lift her in his arms and reassure her with his strength, but that did not seem quite feasible for the moment.

" - Clarice, I think we should go now. We have a job to finish.
- Can you walk ?
- Of course ... I may need a little help to get up though. And I think I could use another of Mr. Lazenby' s shirts. And perhaps a pullover if you can find one ?
- I'll get that."

She helped him get on his feet and put on the clothes. Then she cleaned up the mess they had left in the struggle.

It was 4:00 am when they left William Lazenby' s house. Hannibal was leaning on Clarice, his arm around her shoulder. They slowly walked to his car. " I guess it would be wiser if you drive, Clarice. Do you mind ?" he asked, handing the car keys to her. She took the keys and settled him in the passenger seat.


She was driving fast on the motorway. From time to time, she gave a look at Hannibal. He had fallen in a state of drowsiness as soon as they had left Clearfountain. He looked peaceful.

She was peaceful too, now. Her mind was clear. The man sitting in the passenger seat next to her was the man she loved. No matter what he was and what he had done, she loved him. Clarice had never been more certain of anything else in her life.


To be continued ... Thanks for reading. Reviews welcome.
Absolut