Shattered Life
Part five – Surely not?
"Starling tell us. Where is he?" the officers barked again.
"I" she drew a deep breath. This was for Hannibal. For freedom.
"I don't know and I don't care. I hope he is dead though for what he did to me."
The officers were staring at each other. How could this be? The agent who ran off to be the lover of a killer hated him and wishing him dead.
After a pause the eldest spoke, "What did he do Starling?"
"He took me and kept me prisoner all this time. Why didn't you come and find me? Why didn't you come?"
The officers had to believe. They had to see a pitiable woman. The result of three years imprisonment with no strength left in her.
"Starling," The youngest was looking at her. A woman hugging her knees. Invisible tears seemed to be falling down her face. What had that monster done to her?
"Starling did he rape you?"
The tears did begin to fall now. Could she make that ultimate betrayal? Clarice shook her head from side to side.
"Is that a no Clarice? Are you saying in three years he never once tried to touch you?"
"Yes that is correct."
The interview was over now. Clarice would say no more today. One of the officers had spoken her first name. That was a breakthrough and showed he was beginning to trust her.
There were several interviews over the next few days but Clarice spoke very little. Usually just to confirm to other officers her story. She said little that would condemn Hannibal further than she had done in her first statement.
The officers were coming to a dead end. Nothing in the hotel room helped them. No clues as to where the couple had been staying previously and Clarice said she did not know as she had always been blindfolded when they left the house, those occasions being scarce anyway.
Clarice Starling appeared to be the victim and was flown back to Washington so her fate could be determined by the highest ranked officials in the FBI. She was still kept under constant supervision so when she was driven to another interview at the FBI's headquarters with an armed guard just 10 days after being captured Clarice hardly seemed fazed. Over the last two days she had been subjected to numerous interviews and in each she had given her questioner nothing of relevance. Time was running out and with no evidence her freedom seemed only footsteps away.
However, today something was different. Clarice was taken to the same room, well cell was probably more accurate, where she waited, but today a different officer stepped in.
Greasy hair, an ugly smirk on his face and eyeing up every bit of skirt on the planet. A Paul Krendler protégé if ever there was one.
After asking the other guards to leave he sat down in front of Starling introducing himself as Alan Sharpe.
"Well Starling," he began, "you must think you're pretty clever having every officer n this joint wrapped around your little finger but you don't fool me. Look at your hand, what's on it?"
Clarice glanced down.
"Yeah. A wedding ring. You could have taken it off at anytime but no, it stayed adorned on your finger all this time. I will not let you go Starling. I know you and your physco husband killed Krendler and when they find Lecter it's the death penalty for him."
White hot rage was building in starling. He was taunting her, eager to see a reaction but she wouldn't give him one.
"Holding out on me Starling. Well that won't last long. There's no way I'll let you be released. A sick bitch like you could be a danger to society. Before new year and this 1st of January you'll be locked in a cell so far away even the rats won't hear you scream."
"No!" Clarice shouted before trying to stand up. He didn't get that far. Doubled over in pain and clutching her stomach she fell to the ground her world hurtling into a black fog.
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My first fic is well on its way. Hope you still want the rest.
Reviews much appreciated.
xxkatyxx
Disclaimer: The plot is mine but the characters belong to Thomas Harris.