Author's Note: Was the last chapter considered a cliff? Hmm... If you thought that was bad wait till you read this one! That's all that I am saying for now. Enjoy!
Chapter Thirteen: The Warehouse
Clarice looked startled for a second before her brain switched to agent mode. Michael Talivaldis had stood there, also, but now started to turn and run.
"Stop! F.B.I.! Your under arrest!"
Michael ran as fast as his legs carried him, dodging all the other pedestrians in his way. Starling was very close behind him. She couldn't pull out her gun in fear of hitting an innocent bystander. Sweat started to grace her forehead. She breathed in through her nose and out through her mouth. He turned down an alley way trying to lose her. She followed only there meters behind. She saw him glance to the left and burst through a door. She stopped only for a second, pulling out her gun. She glanced inside the dark doorway and then went in. The air smelt strongly of oil and grease. It almost choked her. She saw the Crusader at the end of the hallway. He disappeared into another door. She ran quickly, and with her gun straight out in front of her, opened it one handed. There were textile machines lined around the walls of the huge warehouse. Several conveyer belts were located in the middle of the room. She saw Talivaldis in the middle of them, staring straight at her.
"I can't go with you," he said.
His handsome face was flushed and sweat was shining on it. His eyes looked eerily blank of emotion. He looked quite deranged among the unusual setting.
"You have to. Now turn around and get your hands up where I can see them."
He then grinned.
"No."
"Don't make me shoot you, Talivaldis. Don't try me 'cause I will."
He laughed.
"You'll only be condemning yourself. I know your not a afraid to kill someone. You're a natural born killer. And now you're a whore."
He spoke with such confidence that it unnerved her. She tried not to react to his words.
"You need help, Michael. Please come with me and I'll see to it that your taken care of."
"Taken care of? More like thrown in jail for my religious convictions. Kill me and you'll just make me a martyr. Those people deserved to die. The Lord commanded it. It says in Revelations, chapter—."
"I don't care what it says," she interrupted him. "No one deserves to die the way they did. You've become a murderer, something worse than those people."
He began to scowl at her. His face darkened considerably.
"What are you going to do now, you whore?"
"I should slit your throat for that, boy."
The voice had come out of nowhere. Both were shocked to hear it. Clarice because she knew who it was and Michael because he didn't. He looked frantically around himself, trying to locate the owner.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" he said with his voice shaking slightly.
Laughter rang out and echoed in the large space. Starling felt a chill run down her spine. It was like listening to a demon laugh.
"How are you going to get out of this one, Crusader?"
Both turned and saw Dr. Hannibal Lecter leaning against one of the textile machines. He was wearing a pure black suit, matching silk tie, with a white fedora and black ribbon. Clarice had not even saw nor heard him walk out. He only leered at Talivaldis, not once glancing in her direction. Talivadis looked between the two of them as if considering his options. He didn't say anything.
"Come now. I just asked a simple question. It's not hard to answer..."
"Who are you?" Michael managed to croak out.
Dr. Lecter smiled thinly.
"It doesn't matter in this situation. Your cornered. Give up yourself to Special Agent Starling here and all will be well."
With his hands behind his back, Dr. Lecter walked slowly up to Talivaldis. Michael stood as straight as a rod and did not move.
"I can't go with her."
When he was directly in front of Talivaldis, Dr. Lecter looked him in the eye. A spasm of horror spread through Talivaldis. His face contorted and he stepped away from Dr. Lecter.
"Velnias," whispered Michael.
Dr. Lecter laughed again.
"Do you really think so?"
Michael nodded numbly. Those eyes will forever be burned into his memory. No one had eyes like that, except Satan. In the dim light they shone like dark rubies waiting to be polished. Talivaldis imagined hundreds of horrible ways that this man could kill him. He couldn't die, he reminded himself. The Lord was on his side! He had done his work dutifully. He deserved salvation. This man or devil was not going to take it away from him. Like any cornered animal, he attacked.
Talivaldis was strong. Dr. Lecter was pushed back against a conveyor belt and felt the man grap his neck. He heard Clarice yell something but couldn't make out what she said. With his other hand the Crusader had tried to restrain his hands. Michael only managed to grasp his right arm. Dr. Lecter flicked his left wrist and the harpy concealed in his sleeve fell into his hand. His air supply was low but he was going to get rid of this nuisance before any real damage could be done. Before he got the chance to do anything, he heard the click of the safety from Clarice's .45 and felt Talivaldis's grip lessen.
"Let go of him," said Starling, her voice calm with a hint of a warning.
Talivaldis reluctantly let go of the doctor and stepped a foot away from him. Dr. Lecter stood up straight again and fixed his bunched up suit.
"Walk towards the door and if you so much as turn around, I'll kill you."
"Kill me already. I'm ready to die."
"I agree with him," said Dr. Lecter.
"No. Come on, I'm taking you back."
She glanced at Lecter for a second seeing him with raised eyebrows. She moved her gaze back to Talivaldis. He hadn't moved. She could feel the animosity coming from him. He lunged at her and but he never made it. Blood splattered at her feet as she saw wide eyed Michael's throat slashed. A gurgling noise emitted from the wound and he crumpled to the floor. His head came to rest right next to her feet. Blood soaked into his white blond hair staining it. She didn't realize she had been staring until she felt Dr. Lecter's arm pull her away towards the door.
"You shouldn't be here. Come."
She still couldn't pull her eyes away from the corpse's. They looked eerily the same, blank and unresponsive. They were two meters from the door when it flew open with such force, it bounced off the wall. Agent Deming along with Lugo and Ratcliffe entered the room.
Clarice cried out as she felt her arm twisted behind her. She then felt the cold unmistakable feel of metal against her throat. Her .45 dropped to the floor. The warehouse was dead quite as the three agents stared astonished at the scene before them. Dr. Hannibal Lecter held his harpy against Special Agent Clarice Starling's throat, his other arm twisting her right one.
