AN: I apologise profusely to all who have been following this tale with their fantastic comments and reviews for my inexcusable laziness when it comes to updating. My GCSE's were the initial stopper then I was hit by that ole' rascal writers block. Was it not for the continued encouragement it may have proved lethal but here I am so yay! As I say, writers block may show in the quality of these chapters (oh yus, I wrote TWO just for you, coz I love you all that much) and if so please tell me via review and I will re-write the craptastical bits and pieces. So without further ado I give you..Beaten… oh and a titanic THANK-YOU to all reviewers and sorry I haven't started with individual replies..next chapter I will be though so ask away anything that's bugging you!
Dr. Lecter needed to be out of the building with its too bright lights and scents of cheap floor cleaner and stale sandwiches. He needed to be alone and quiet to sort this cataclysmic event in his mind, to stop the loose shrapnel of the blow unleashing his inner demons- attack him at his weakest. It was perhaps this state of suppressed mania that prevented the Doctors usually honed senses from picking up on the two men flanking him until they were nearly out of the building, stepping through the airy lobby. Flicking his head to the right, he caught a glance of ash blonde hair and a lean male physique and then they were on him, too close, pressing in on him. The doctor had the strange sensations of being threatened and seduced at the same time; such was the two attackers' calm, confident manner.
"We're going for a little ride, doctor. One wrong move and I'm afraid you may never walk again."
The chill tingle of a high powered electric taser pressed against the bare skin of the doctors' back, up under his shirt, his slim figure clearly showing the soft ridges of his spine- the deadliest shock point.
The doctor fought against his overwhelming sense of inner pain to clear his mind and face the current, rather awkward situation. He saw the rear light of a large black van flash as one of his assailants' pressed an automated key in his palm. No time for any plan of action to formulate itself- the doctors mind still sluggish with raw grief he had yet to come to terms with and before he put up the slightest hint of a struggle he was assisted rather gently into the back of the van, the door closing with a heavy thud, encasing the three in semi darkness. His right foot was taken and a cold length of twine material wrapped and linked to some sort of strap fixed to the van wall- he was rendered quite immobile.
"He's a fine one, William. I almost don't want to give him up." The voice was deep, full of malicious laughter. A soft hand fluttered across the doctor's stomach, rested on his hip and seemed to draw warmth from his body, replacing it with a clammy chill. The doctor was thinking fast- give him up, they said thus they were working for someone else. It didn't take long for Lecter to work out who that individual may be; the same person it always boiled down to, only this time the doctor was not in any position to follow his usual alluding act. He needed something, some event to distract these two composed henchmen.
"Stop it- we have our orders and we have our money. Get in the front."
This one seemed to hold the authority out of the two, the other not quite challenging the order but satisfying himself with a whine.
"We don't take orders, William. We're too good for that, too good for anyone. Why are we running around after this old fanatic anyway?"
"We've been through this, Alex, now be quiet and drive." The older one snapped a growl in the voice.
The engine started with a whine, and then a throaty roar reverberated through the doctor's body as it caught. He thought he heard some metallic clank below the engine noise- perhaps the van would brake down and give him a little more time to focus. The doctors eyes narrowed against the darkness as it came again- it seemed above his level, couldn't be in the engine.
A soft click now and the rear door opened a crack. Dr Lecter turned his head to see if either kidnapper had noticed but they were bickering in hissed tones at the wheel. Could he slip out of the opened door? He tried the binding on his leg and found it held strong- he couldn't afford to gain his captors attention by moving to loosen it. The door widened yet further, but before the growing ray of light could attract either of the arguing men, a figure hopped in- their weight rocking the van very slightly. The door closed almost silently and a scent came to the doctor that could not possibly be. It was the unique and wonderful bouquet of scents that was Clarice Starling. Perhaps it was his mind dealing with the loss- airing his memory of her trace. But it was so real- and he could feel warmth.
"Are they armed?" The doctor felt slightly light headed- it was her, she was here and alive, wonderfully, remarkably, impossibly alive. He managed to quash the surge of sweet raw emotion that sent adrenaline zinging around his body sufficiently to answer.
"One has an electric taser. I am unaware of any other weapons." He whispered back, his voice amazingly steady.
"Have they called anyone? Reported back to any one?"
"Not in my presence, no."
"Right."
He felt her move from his side and edge in the gloom to the two front seats, backing onto the back compartment and blocking much of the light, although as she moved closer, Dr Lecter could see the sun on her hair, picking out the auburn highlights and casting fine shadows on her face and it registered totally and fantastically that she was here and there was still a chance of working to a future.
He saw her raise a small pistol to rest between the headrest and the seat and saw the flicker of muscle bulging slightly as her finger squeezed the trigger and with the smallest of pops, the older man slumped forwards, his head sounding a blast of the horn before falling onto his partners knees. The younger one moved with feline precision and actually had his own handgun pointed at her as she squeezed twice more and inflicted two lethal chest wounds to him. He gaped blindly at her for a split second then slumped forwards, like his partner before him. Then silence.
She turned her head slightly, eyes taking him in whole and he saw a wealth of emotions swimming in the depths of those deep irises, but seeing those features, that face again had such an effect on him he knew for sure that he was little more than a wandering shadow without her. He had never needed anyone in his entire life, and planned quite deliberately never to be in such a compromising position but here he was. And here she was.
"Clarice." Just the name and the barely hidden confused wonder.
"Don't say anything for a few moments; I need to sort some things out here. Did you think I was on that plane? I thought so, yes. Were you here to stop me leaving? Okay. I thought as much, but why? You made your stance on the matter perfectly clear- you are not the sort of man to change so dramatically."
She broke off with a shrug and dropped the gun, wiping her face with her hands.
"What do you want?"
His eyes fell to her swollen stomach then rose to her face.
"To tempt fate a perverse amount and try to live as I wish to in this moment."
He reached to uncoil his foot, still trapped to the wall and felt rather than saw her move next to him. As he freed himself, he turned and their faces were but inches apart.
"Do you wish to live as such just in this moment, or forever?" She asked softly but intensely, her brow furrowed slightly.
"Until the seas run dry and the Jews are converted" He quoted with a small smile. "I have not changed my stance- I have just realised what my stance was all along. I wanted to protect you, and," he patted her stomach gently, resting his palm on the warm skin. Her hand moved to lie on top of his.
"Do you have somewhere we could go? It's not safe to stay here." She asked, suddenly awakening to their predicament.
He nodded and reached for her hand, leading her from the black van into the dying sunlight.
The bodies of the two brothers lay still and stiffening as sun was swallowed by thick clouds and fat drops of rain began to pound on the metal roof of the van in angry percussion. As the rain blew itself into a full scale storm, no-one looked twice at the van sitting in the car park- thinking perhaps the owners were inside waving loved ones off, sheltering from the rain in the coffee lounge but the truth was not many people cared about anything except getting from their cars to the dry sanctuary of the lobby or visa versa. Sot the brothers went unnoticed as their prisoner and killer were hurrying through the brewing storm towards the band of milky light on the Eastern horizon.