Here is part three - I'm leaving you with another cliffhanger. I'm back at school now and my new teachers decided it would be an excellent idea to have a test the second day back (lovely) but I'll try and update as soon as I can.

Thanks to my beta JetNoir for all your helpful advice and all reviews (constructive criticism as well) are welcome.

Death Trap

Part Three – Execution

Clarice groaned and slowly lifted her head up. Her eyes were forced shut again due to the bright light and her head throbbing where she had been hit. When she tried to lift her hand up to examine the wound Clarice only succeeded in pulling the ropes, which held her wrists, tighter. The young woman found her ankles were tied just as securely, to the chair legs.

Carlo, Piero and Tommaso were outside the room talking quickly in hushed voices.

"Understand guys? You stay outside this room until it's done OK?"

Piero and Tommaso nodded at Carlo and his authoritative tone. The leader of the Sards then entered the back room quickly shoving a long strip of dark cloth into his pocket.

Clarice, who had been staring at the blank walls, now turned to face the noise of the one door to the room as it was opened. She stared at the face that was unrecognisable to her and instantly broke out into a sweat when she saw the unwavering eyes and slightly smug smile. A professional, who knows what he's doing and obviously enjoys his work.

"Agent Starling, a pleasure to meet you at last. After all I have heard so much about you."

"What do you want from me?" Clarice tried to place the thick foreign accent. Spain or Italy perhaps. Definitely not an American.

"So very direct aren't you," Carlo paused and began slowly pacing around the room, "let's just say Agent Starling a mutual acquaintance of ours is very interest in you. Or to be more accurate he is interested in a good friend you have."

"Listen to me; you know I work for the FBI. Well they can get you what you want. Money, transport. If you can let me go…"

"No. I don't think I will be doing that,"

"But you won't be able to get anything by keeping me here,"

"Now that is where you are wrong Agent Starling," Carlo approached Clarice and tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear. It immediately fell out again when Clarice flinched and snapped her head backwards. Carlo seemed to ignore this and continued, "Such a pretty face you have. And when you're in trouble a certain, how you say er, guardian angel may come and lend a hand. He did show a lot of interest in you in the past, and he let you live. Something rare to happen to a person once they've met him,"

Clarice's head was bowed and her eyes stared at the ground. "You want Doctor Lecter, don't you?" she paused for a moment her brow creased in concentration. "But why have you captured me. Mr Verger said on the phone to me that Dr Lecter was already here,"

"Now that Agent Starling was not exactly the truth, you see. Why would Hannibal Lecter come here to risk being captured if he didn't think it was worth it hmm?"

"Mason Verger set me up. He planned this didn't he? To keep me here kicking and screaming while all the newspapers print about the poor missing FBI Agent. Then when the Doctor comes to find Verger can take his revenge,"

"Clever girl, but you added a little bit extra there. You see…" Carlo bent closer to Clarice "Mr Verger does not want you kicking and screaming," The breath caught in Starling's throat. "Time is money and all that. It is very hard these days to keep a prisoner under constant guard with no-one else interfering. It's much easier when they don't talk, walk…or breathe."

"No," shouted Clarice "You can't do this,"

"Alas Agent Starling it's time to say goodbye,"

Carlo took the cloth out of his pocket and ripped it cleanly into two pieces. Ignoring Clarice's cries of protest he wrenched her jaw down and gagged her, tying a tight knot at the back of her head.

"A bullet to the head is a very quick death but I don't suppose you'd want to see it coming,"

The other piece of cloth was wound around her eyes forming a very effective blindfold that blocked out all the light.

Clarice was still struggling against the restraints, even trying to tip over the chair so Carlo smacked her hard over her already injured temple. Though still conscious the movements stilled. This is it Starling thought. Alone until the end.

"Ready when you are Agent Starling." Carlo turned squarely to face her, his back to the door. He thumbed the safety off his gun.

"After ten shall we say?"

"10,"

"9,"

"8,"

"7,"

"6,"

"5,"

"4,"

"3,"

"2,"

The door opened.

"Piero, Tommaso you fucking idiots. I told you not to come in until I'd killed her,"

A voice rang out.

"I'd never let that happen."