Disclaimer: I don't own Starling, Lecter, etc. You know this. But now the question arises: why are you still reading this? The story's down there.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Night of the Jackal
Ch 3: Off We Go
Chacal relished the night air. He thought that it was actually quite calm despite the horrified yelling coming from the bed of the truck behind him. Chacal strolled up the walk to the open door serenely. As he came close, he suddenly stopped short. Better to be careful. He sidestepped a few feet and peeked through the window of the living room. Lecter was still on the floor, eyes closed. Chacal stood still for a moment, watching the doctor breathe. It was deep and regular- the sign of true sleep. It could rarely be imitated, too, making Chacal that much more secure.
An odd thought came to Chacal just then. He wondered what the target was dreaming of. He couldn't even imagine. More likely he was fighting to regain consciousness; the mind working perfectly but the body unable to process its commands. Chacal quickly brushed aside this line of thinking. It would not do to stand out here giving the target time to wake up. Yes, there were more drugs where the last came from, but they were not cheap and it was silly to waste what time he had at present.
LESSON SEVEN: WASTE NOT WANT NOT. USE ALL AVAILABLE RESOURCES TO YOUR ADVANTAGE.
Satisfied that the target was still quite sedated, Chacal reentered the living room. He walked cautiously, gun drawn and aimed at the target. Once he was within two feet, he said quietly, "If you surprise me my finger might just slip and where will your wife be if you're dead?" No response whatsoever. As a final test, Chacal rolled the target onto his stomach, and pulled a zip tie from his own pocket. After securing the doctor's hands behind his back, he kicked the man with some force in the back of the leg (pressure point). If the man had been anywhere near consciousness, that would have driven him out of it. And yet, here he was, still blissfully unaware of the very painful attack. So he was still out of it, after all.
Chacal knelt down and began searching him for weapons and any other sharp objects. He found another knife in the jacket, which was removed immediately, as was the belt and shoes. Around the seams of the clothing he searched more, and found two pieces of wire (presumably to pick locks). Finally, it was with some concern that Chacal opened the target's mouth and searched for cyanide or anything usable. He doubted the doctor had swallowed anything which he could vomit up later for use. The target would have to be completely paranoid in that case, which, as he had seen, was not true. There was a very large difference between careful and paranoid, and many shades of grey in between. Careful was what the target was.
Chacal regarded the target with a little regret. It would be so much more enjoyable to keep him hidden in the country somewhere, his very presence a constant reminder to the world of its failure to do what Chacal could. But the prize for completing this job... it proved too tempting. And so he kneeled down next to the doctor, propped the man up to sitting position, and lifted him to his shoulder. Normally, the weight of an adult man would be too much, but, for various job-related reasons, Chacal had had.... practice.
Now, with the target draped unceremoniously over his shoulder, Chacal made his way to the front door and left. This time he shut it behind him. Without any further caution, Chacal walked to the back of his truck where Mrs. Lecter was still waiting, though quiet now. He tapped on the glass window and spoke. "I imagine you would like to make sure he's doing alright. It may have occurred to you to try to escape when I put him back there. I assure you- if you try anything at all, I will dispatch him immediately. For his sake, back up towards the cab of the truck and stay."
Clarice complied without speaking. Chacal unlocked the truck with his one free hand and opened it, backing up to allow Clarice to have time to try whatever she wished. After a moment, Chacal dropped Lecter off of his shoulder and rolled him into the back of the truck, quickly slamming it shut when he was all the way in. Next, Chacal locked it, and checked it to make sure it would stay locked. It was secure. For the first time, Chacal allowed himself a moment of rest. Things were progressing quite smoothly. Now for the next phase: disposal.
LESSON EIGHT: MOVE QUICKLY. IF THE TARGET/S ARE SURPRISED, THEY WILL BE THAT MUCH MORE EASY TO MANEUVER.
---------
Sigh I hate this computer. It really spazzes out sometimes. Posting will probably be sporadic, but as long as I keep getting reviews (hint, hint) I will keep writing. See you next time.
-Vilest of Worms
