Beaten Chapter Eleven
Loss and Gain
Note: Again I apologies for the slight (hah!) break between chapters but I've had exams and all that jazz so nyah to that now and here's another offering. As always reviews are greatly appreciated and a BIG Thank-You! To all that reviewed my last chapter…you are my driving force! So anyhoo must stop rambling and get on with story..Bon Appetit
Oh and by the way, for those who didn't guess the ending of the last chapter was inspired by Kill Bill(the DVD of which I got for xmas!) when the bride is goin' to Tokyo to whip some crazy 88 ass, booyah!…yeah, Im a hopeless Tarintino fan..
Clarice paced back and forth over the plush, royal blue carpet of the departure lounge, trying in vain to sort the turmoil of half-baked arguments and conflicts raging in her mind. It was bad enough being so bloody hormonally unbalanced without this, she though ruefully, gazing out the large windows that stretched the length of the room overlooking the runways. She knew that she had to get away yet she knew it wouldn't help-not in the long run. She had tried to face the issue head-on and received a great shock-she didn't know if she could do it again. With an audible sigh of frustration she leaned against the cool glass, her zealous breath fogging the thick scratched surface.
The high, glossy tail fin of one of the great 747 planes swung close to the window and Starling could she the large blue British Airways emblem, bright blue in the airport lights. She wondered if that was her plane, her ticket to a new life, a better life for her and her child. Being a mother changed so much, all selfishness is forgotten in the face of that little nothingness deep inside. It had caused Starling to come very close to leaving the FBI, an option she was still considering and go against the ardent wishes of the most dangerous man in the world. Also a man she had wanted to spend the rest of her life with if only she could. But this was all past and the present was still murky-Starling had to keep on her toes if she was to pull this off without anyone getting hurt in every sense of the word.
As she pulled back from the window a sharp pain shot across her abdomen and a fierce panic gripped her, again and again bolts of pain twinged inside her. Oh God, she thought, not when we've got this far, not now, don't you dare. Rushing as fast as she dared over to the main office she caught the attention of the man behind.
"Please sir, do you have any sort of medical staff in the building? I'm about 4 months pregnant and I'm in a considerable amount of pain."
Her voice shook as she spoke- it seemed like an awful long speech to her when time seemed so precious.
Luckily everything from there moved quickly and rather efficiently considering it was a busy airport. She found herself in a small clinic like room with ten minutes until her plane was scheduled to leave as the doctor who had examined her reappeared in the room.
"Well, Miss Starling, luckily nothing is wrong with either you or your child. The pain you felt was caused by the foetus pulling on the placenta, slightly separating it from the uterus wall but this is nothing to worry about although I would recommend you let your midwife know."
Starling nodded, weak with relief. She knew there was no way she could have aborted this baby and slept peacefully, or ever truly get over it. For once she was 100 sure of making the right decision.
"Now the nature of the tests allows me to inform you of your child's gender, should you want to know." She waited for Starlings response, holding a folder tightly shut.
"I…would like to know please" she said softly, one hand rubbing her minimal bump.
Minutes later she was escorted back to the terminal with just five minutes to go. "Hurry Miss or you'll miss your plane!" The young attendant called after her as he rushed back to his post.
As the passengers of the 19:10 to London Gatwick prepared to embark, Dr. Hannibal Lecter entered the main building and unhurriedly, beside his sense of urgency walked over to the enquires desk. He knew Clarice was very emotional, not just due to the pregnancy hormones and didn't want to cause her any hardship, yet if she followed through what she was threatening to do it would endanger all three parties involved but it was her safety he worried about most.
"Excuse me Miss," he said to the young woman behind the computer with all his usual eloquence intact. "I need to find out which flight a Miss Clarice Starling is booked into."
The woman looked up at him, taking in his fine-featured face and blushing slightly, her eyes flicking back to the computer screen quickly.
"I'm afraid I cannot disclose that information without some proof of relation, sir." She said, her voice stronger than her resolve.
Without a flicker, Dr Lecter pulled a crisp A4 sheet of cardboard in a plastic wallet out of his inner pocket.
"No problem, Miss." She said smoothly, giving the blushing young woman a small smile.
She regarded it then started typing fast into her keypad.
"You'll have to hurry if you want to catch her, sir. She is booked onto the 19:10 to London Gatwick."
"Thank-you."
Checking his watch as he scaled the stairs he saw it was 19:08 and hoped the plane had been delayed by even a few minutes.
Arriving in the departure lounge less than a minute later his eyes scanned the large floor to ceiling windows and out to the lit runways. The tail fin of a British Airways plane caught his sight and he watched as it taxied out the dock onto the open runway, the windows all lit like tiny lamps. Walking up the glass he checked his watch, 19:10. Of all the times for a plane to be on time. As his head turned to the departing plane and the departing Clarice Starling sparks span in his eyes as he realised the weight of her action, but then the thought was gone but the sparks were not, they had been turned to real glowing sparks as his eyes took in the sprays of flame bursting from the left engine of the plane.
Frowning he put both hands on the glass like a curious child in a zoo staring at a dangerous animal, knowing it couldn't hurt them - but Dr Lecter was hurting, even though he tried to lock the emotion away. He watched it all though- he saw the left wing buckle in the heat and sparks and the whole smooth body tip and lurch. People around him now were screaming, calling help, calling family, calling but Dr Lecter stood still and silent and watched.
A lasting image of the final explosion was stained on his retinas for several minutes afterwards, a huge spiky cloud of heat, colour and gasoline.
And then everything was very quiet for Dr Lecter although bedlam had broken out.
He turned and calmly sat at one of the many newly unoccupied seats and all was silent inside his mind but it was simply the calm before the storm.
Authors (Second)Note: Yup..left you all at a bit of a cliff hanger..did she get on the plane? Didn't she? If not where the hell is she and will she show herself to a certain doctor before all hell breaks loose? Hmmm hmm hmm…oh well if I am mollified with reviews I may feel up to concluding the mystery…hope you all enjoyed!
Capponi