Chapter One Intro
As Ashley Starling sits on a cold wooden floor she fights back tears as she begins reading newspaper clippings her mother's best friend had saved during Starling's 20 year career with the FBI. Clarice Starling never believed in saving them but Ardelia Mapp thought it was important to save them for Starling's prodigy. Her clippings ranged from the time Clarice Starling found and killed Jame Gumb to the time she captured Hannibal Lector days prior to her retirement.
When Clarice apprehended Lecter, Ashley was ten years old and she couldn't have been more proud of her mother. Three years after her retirement Clarice and Ashley were involved in a hit and run accident and Clarice was killed. Ashley's father had died when she was three and Ashley had no other living family. Luckily one of Clarice's close colleagues Ardelia, graciously adopted Ashley. For Ashley's protection the press was never notified of Clarice's death. Six months ago Lector escaped from his jail cell after being taken to the hospital for stitches after cutting himself on a bed spring. A rather dumb move on the hospitals part was the cause of it, so they say. The FBI out of respect for their once star agent moved Ashley to a secure location in the woods where she is home schooled and kept under 24 hour surveillance. She is only allowed to leave the cabin on weekends and must check in every half hour, not the FBI's rule but her bodyguard Special Agent Eddie Michaels. Sunday, two days from today, is the first anniversary of Clarice's death.
Ashley wipes the tears that had run down her cheeks. She packs up the clippings and arranges them neatly in a box that she plans to take to her mother's grave. Ashley looks up as the front door opens.
"Ashley what's wrong?" Special Agent Michaels questions paying particular attention to her red puffy eyes.
"Nothing Eddie, I'm fine." The teen lies.
"Well Ashley, you're sitting on the hallway floor crying, I don't think you're fine. C'mon lets get you to bed it's almost midnight ." Eddie says as he gently takes Ashley by the arm.
Eddie leads Ashley to her bedroom and tells her goodnight. The young teen climbs into bed and turns off her light.