My thanks to LoT, Ducki, Melanie-Anne, Guber, Marcus Aurelius, DevilsQt, Shifter, Princess Bemidia, Deoceres, Wolf, Cristina, Cyranothe2nd, Saavik and Shell for your kind reviews of chapter IV and to all of you who offered your comments on previous chapters.
Before we go on, I want to remind the readers that the events on this fiction take place before the unfortunate events of 9/11/01, when Airport Security was not as thorough as it is today. Nor was the scrutiny separating, transit, connecting and terminating passengers [specially for passengers holding visas to the countries they transited or those who didn't require visas]. Also, back in "those day", unticketed, passengers and "meeters and greeters" were all allowed to enter most terminals unchallenged after going thru the security checkpoints.
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Exchanges V
Following the script
Clarice sat down and opened the package. Inside was a neat little box with a lot of cash [maybe 4 thousand dollars or so], a credit card and 2 airline tickets all issued to a Kay Miller, a passport with her picture, as a blond, under the name of Kay Miller from Memphis [she smiled] age 33, married. The passport was complete with some visas. There was a nice pair of cashmere pant, a matching top and cardigan, a few silk scarves, a wedding band, hair coloring, a pair of glasses with clear lenses, a wig that matched Clarice's hair exactly, and also a blond wig, a cell phone, a set of car keys and an array of other items.
He had thought of everything.
Clarice was mystified by his extensive attention to every conceivable detail.
"Just like him" she thought
There was also a lengthy and detailed set of instructions and a letter.
Very slowly, she opened the letter.
Dear Clarice,
I am pleased to see that you are managing to emerge from under the deceiving influence of the ungrateful masters you served.
Is possible that together we'll silence those lambs of yours and achieve the peace of mind that has eluded you for so long.
All details have been arranged to guarantee your safe arrival.
Please follow the enclosed instructions meticulously. Trust me, I am a practiced runner.
Yours, as always
H
She felt her eyes fill with tears but didn't want to cry.
She checked the numbers stored in the cellular phone.
She found the toll free number for Singapore Airline, American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Swissair and Lufthansa. There was a number listed under Escofier, she figured who that was.
She read the instruction sheets several more times. If she didn't know him better, she would have been impressed at his thoroughness, but from Hannibal Lecter, such attention to details was to be expected.
After a few minutes, she picked up her own phone and made reservations for Clarice Starling to fly the following evening from Washington National Airport to Singapore via JFK and Frankfurt.
She would to fly on American Eagle to JFK and connect with Singapore Airlines to Singapore with a stopover at Frankfurt. She gave her own credit card number to the reservations agent who issued an electronic ticket with an open return. She will claim it at Washington National (Reagan) Airport before departure.
She then placed a call to Swissair from the cell phone he sent her, and made a separate reservation for Kay Miller, to fly from Frankfurt to Zurich one and half hour after her the arrival in Frankfurt, charged it to the credit card provided by the Dr., again asked for an electronic ticket with an open return.
For the rest of the trip all she had to do was continue to follow the Dr's instructions. This was fun.
Curiously, that night the lambs were silent.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
In the morning, as instructed, she went out to the all night supermarket and from the parking lot, called Barney on the cell phone provided by Dr. Lecter.
The call was short and to the point. She just asked him to meet her that night at Washington National Airport.
Barney agreed.
She then went for a manicure and pedicure. That done, Clarice went home and dyed her hair blond with the hair coloring the Dr sent her. She supposed it would take time to get used to it, but for the time being it was fine.
A little before Noon, as stated in the instructions she received a package from Louis Vuitton, NY.
It contained a large classic, soft-sided Louis Vuitton carry-on bag with the standard handle and detachable shoulder strap.
In it, Clarice packed her cashmere pants and matching top and cardigan, 2 sets of underwear, a pair of comfortable slip on shoes, scarves and the rest of the articles itemized on the list. In addition, she packed the few items she wanted to keep from her past life. Which wasn't much.
She then packed a suitcase with the variety of items that one packs for a vacation, items that could be easily identified as belonging to Clarice Starling.
This suitcase, she knew she would never see again.
By 3:00 PM, she left for the airport. The wig of her natural hair color and style covered her new blond hair and she was wearing and nondescript outfit.
She parked her car in the economy long term parking, and headed to the American Airlines ticket counter. She looked at her car for what she knew was the last time.
She felt no sorrow, just was an urgency to leave her past life behind. It was as if once the decision was made, a weight had lifted and she was able to breeze easier. She was exhilarated.
American Eagle would take care to transfer her suitcase, which she checked all the way to Singapore as customary. She got her boarding pass and her ticket verification card. Carrying her Louis Vuitton bag, she was on her way to meet Barney as arranged.
Clarice was a little early and Barney shouldn't be arriving for another 10 or 15 minutes, which turned out to be a good thing because as she was looking in the Duty free shop, she bumped into Special Agent Erik Pickford, the late Paul Krendler's protégée, who had shared her office at Behavioral Science during her last days there.
"Well" she said to herself "is not as if he didn't warn me that something like this might happen"
She produced the most flashing smile she could muster.
"Erik, what a lovely surprise, where are you heading to?"
"Clarice, how wonderful to see you here!" he was smiling his most hypocritical, backstabbing smile "I'm flying to NY on my way to the Orient" he glanced at his watch "How about yourself?"
"What a coincidence", she exclaimed genially, hiding her dismay "I'm flying to New York on my way to Singapore and then possibly Bali. I'm treating myself to a well deserved vacation".
"Where in the Orient are you going, Erik?" her heart skipped a beat.
"Hong Kong, on Cathay Pacific from JFK, how about you?"
The relief flooded over her like a the warm water, she tried to keep her smile even.
"I'm on Singapore Airlines, also from JFK", she answered more at ease.
"Oh, good, they both leave from the Delta Terminal, I'm flying Delta to JFK" he persisted "are we in the same flight?"
"No, I'm on American Eagle" she thanked God for small mercies.
"Too bad, they leave from different gate banks here at DC" and as in second thought he added "Say Clarice, why don't we meet for a drink at JFK after we check-in for our flights. I'm supposed to see someone here before I leave so I better be going, but we are both supposed to have some time at JFK, how about if we meet at Chilis and have a bite to eat as well?"
"That sounds like a plan, Erik, it will make time go faster. These trips are long enough without the Airport wait".
See you there!"
Clarice forced herself remain calm. It was no big deal. Dr. Lecter had anticipated something like this. She could handle it well enough. Her first thought was that they might be better off is she didn't risk being seen with Barney, but she put the thought aside, remembering that Dr. Lecter warned her not to deviate from the instructions.
Looking back to verify that Erik was going in the opposite direction, she headed towards the Beer Bar to meet Barney.
Her stomach hurt.
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That's is IT for today.
I "think" I have the next chapter sorted out. Until then, please, please, review and comment.
Your buddy,
Clariz
