Every single character belongs to T. Harris. I still own nothing.

Lost of folks had the kindness to review chapter VI, and I appreciated it enormeously!

Thanks to DrandMrsLecter,  Guber, DevilQt, Shifter, Ducki, Hanniballover1181, Cristina, LoT, RivanKnight, Saavik, and all the folks who didn't review [ah????] but are out there reading [maybe???].

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Exchanges VII

Hannibal

The car was parked in lot "A" right across for the terminal. Clarice walked straight to it, put her Louis Vuitton bag on the passenger seat and opened the glove compartment, where she found the envelope. She read the contents twice. Folded the paper and put it in one of the deep pockets of her cardigan. Got off the car, opened the trunk and removed a medium size package.

Back in the car, she examined the contents of the package: a Harpy knife and a small Baby Eagle Magnum Pistol, a few magazines of ammunition, a cordura gun strap and a third item in a little box.

She was a little unfamiliar with the use of the third item as a weapon, but his detailed explanation anticipated and answered every possible question, fast and to the point.

She arranged all the items as instructed, and felt her stress level fall down to almost zero.

Clarice was aware of  the trust he implied by supplying her with weapons. She found the vote of confidence very touching.

Next, she called the number on the cell phone, this time, Dr. Lecter answered right away.

"Welcome home, Clarice. I hope the items you found in the car are adequate"

"They are fine and more than fine, thank you. I hope our luck holds and I don't have to use them. If someone gets on the way, however, I will do whatever I have to do" she sounded more like herself again, and it pleased him.

"Make no mistake," she added, "anyone who gets between me and that meal you promised is going to regret it"

He chuckled –a throaty noise she found sexy.

Starling was hoping he wouldn't say something like "that's my girl". Which, naturally, he didn't.

"Ta, ta, them, my dear, until later."

In addition to a sheet of printed driving directions that she kept beside her on the passenger seat, the car  was equipped with a portable GPS, the itinerary already programmed and the maps showing on the screen.

All during the drive she tried to curb her anticipation and rid herself of expectation and conjectures.

What if he didn't want her after all?

"Fat chance."  Barney's voice echoed in her head. 

Clarice forced herself to get back to the matter at hand, she didn't want to be distracted

She calculated she was, at the most, two and on half hours away from her final destination and wanted to get there, uneventfully, as soon as possible.

She ached to see him.

In the  privacy of her thought she often used his given name or even said it out loud, for the sheer pleasure of daring to voice it. Now she was eager to do it face to face….When the time was right.

The whole idea of the two of them in a private setting was ….mind-blowing. The though could make her dizzy if she let it.

Again, she forced herself back to reality.

One and a half hours later she arrived to a secluded  Inn which was part of her itinerary. It was one of those picture pretty Swiss Chalets with window flower boxes and balconies, surrounded by endless pines

She parked the car in the practically empty parking lot, picked up her bag and the GPS and headed inside to use the ladies room, and maybe, have a quick cup of coffee.

The air, with the added bonus of the pine smell, was invigorating and the view spectacular. She liked what she saw.

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Hannibal Lecter was convinced that one of the reasons why he had successfully avoided captured for the last seven and a half years was his thorough attention to details and the acceptance that  one couldn't very well assume that all members of law enforcement were stupid.

He had instructed Clarice to stop at an Inn where she would switch from the car she was driving to one he would leave for her in the rear parking lot of the Inn.

He had been driving during their  last phone conversation.

As much as he didn't want to alarm Clarice. He admitted to himself, there was a strong possibility that this guy Erik was on her tracks, and if so, that he periodically reported his whereabouts to some backup team.

Dr. Lecter wanted to avoid further confronting Starling with unnecessary violence; however, he didn't believe in lose ends or senseless chances.

He arrived to the Inn about 20 minutes earlier that Clarice, and parking the car in the back, made his way on foot into the surrounding clusters of pine trees. From there, and armed with a par of binoculars, he was well hidden and  had an excellent  view of the Inn and surrounding areas.

He was pleased to see Clarice arrive right on schedule and liked her casual demeanor as she got out of the car and entered the Inn.

The Dr. calculated that if everything went right they would be in their way in another half and hour or so.

Hannibal Lecter was eager to start what he hoped would be their  new life.  He was not accustomed to this type of enthusiastic anticipation and it made him almost giddy. He found the feeling amusing and rejuvenating. In other words, he was feeling good!

Just then he saw the two cars enter the parking lot. They both had tinted windows and were -to him- so obviously undercover, it might as well have been written on the license plates.

"Oh well," he said to himself, "fun knows where to find me, whether I seek it or not."

The two cars parked next to one another, not far from where Dr Lecter had parked. Other cars, probably belonging to the staff, were randomly parked, in the otherwise empty lot.

One man got out of each car. One lighted a cigarette, and they talked briefly.

The non-smoker, who Lecter suspected was Erik Pickford, got back in his car and drove to the front, where he parked it adjacent to the one Clarice had been driving. He stayed in the car.

"How quaint," reflected the Dr. sarcastically, "they are setting her up."

Without haste, Hannibal Lecter made his way back to the parking lot. Approached his parked car, opened it and placed his folded binoculars on the back seat; opened the front door and took a pack of cigarettes from the glove compartment.

Holding a cigarette with his left hand, he walked casually towards the suspicious car  parked not far from his,  leaned over and knocked at the tinted window on the driver's side, waving the hand holding the cigarette.

When the driver lowered the window, a polite Hannibal Lecter leaned over.

"Pardon me for the intrusion,"  he grinned apologetically, looking at his cigarette with mock distaste, "I'm trying to quit, but I guess I'm not being too successful." Another grin, "could I possible bother  you for a light?".

The driver  nodded and commented , "is not easy to give them up." He fumbled in his pocket for a light.

With the smile still firmly planted on his face, Hannibal Lecter rapidly maneuvered the Harpy out of his pocket.

He cut the other man's throat with one fast, single movement of his wrist; simultaneously pushing him towards the passenger seat in a successful attempt to prevent the blood from squirting outside the car.

A rapid visual assessment of the car interior didn't reveal the presence of  a two way radio.

He leaned forwards and reaching in, removed a cell phone from the man's jacket pocket; then made sure the car door was  locked.  With his knuckle, he pushed the button to close the power window, and promptly removed his hand.

The whole transaction  had taken about one minute, maybe less. A casual onlooker –should there had been any-  would not have detected anything out of the ordinary.

As the window of the car closed, Hannibal Lecter turned around and headed towards the front parking lot.

He was curious as to how Clarice was handling her end of the situation.

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OK folks, I'm tired of typing and my eyes are crossing.

As usual, I'll appreciate comments, suggestions and such.

Love you all

Clariz