Disclaimer: I don't own any of these characters.
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Jack led Will silently back to Ardelia's side of the apartment where they ate in silence for the next ten minutes or so.
Halfway through the meal Jack's cell phone rang. He got up quickly to answer and came back only minutes later.
"Well, we finally have some good news. My old friend Perkins said that my car has been spotted on I-95 near a small town named, 'Darcy'. The information must be a day old or so by now, but it's the best we got."
"How long will it take to get there?" Will asked, already finishing his dinner in preparation of leaving.
"About an hour." Ardelia replied curtly.
"Well, the sooner we get there, the better," Will replied truthfully.
"O.k. Let's go then," Jack decided as he started gather up his things.
An hour later found the Jack, Will, and Ardelia exiting the highway. They turned and were soon on the road to Darcy.
The town of Darcy was not exceptionally notable. It was made up of a tight knit community whose inhabitants worked at the handful of shops that made up the town's small downtown area.
Unlike most nights though, the local police station was a bustle of activity. People were being interrogated, hotel records were being looked through, and every part of the tiny town was being combed through.
Unfortunately neither Jack, Ardelia, or Will had any more authority than other common citizens and were not privy to any of the information that was likely being gathered at police headquarters.
"If anything important comes up I'm sure Perkins will let me know soon," Jack said, more for his own benefit than either Ardelia's or Will's.
"I really wouldn't worry about it, Jack. I doubt they'll find anything anyways," Will responded calmly.
Jack shrugged as he found a parking place at the center of town. The trio got out of the car quickly.
Luckily, there was only one main road in and out of the town so it made searching the town a whole lot easier.
After walking up the road for about five minutes, Ardelia lost her patience.
"O.k. what exactly are we looking for? Everything is basically empty except for the police station, the one place we can't go."
"Quiet, Ardelia. Will needs to concentrate."
Ardelia whipped her head around on Jack.
"What does he need to concentrate for, there isn't anything to See!"
"You looked but didn't see..." Will whispered to himself.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Ardelia asked.
But Will ignored her and walked into the local liquor store. Near the door there was a small stand. Local magazines filled most of the slots but several maps and travel guides filled the bottom row.
Will knelt down and picked up on of them and quickly unfolded it, tracing his finger across the surface.
"Thank you, Ardelia. Your ramblings have helped things...for once."
Ardelia glared at him and didn't deign to answer.
"What is it, Will?" Jack asked excitedly.
"Something you said before, Jack. Your car was spotted off the high way. No one actually spotted them inside the town of Darcy."
Suddenly, Will noticed something and walked over to the counter.
"Excuse me, but what does this area signify?" Will asked, indicating the shaded area to the north of Darcy.
The owner of the store looked down at the map and thought a moment.
"Oh that, that area is private community, 'Secluded Heights'. Several large estates are located there. No one talks about them much, very exclusive. Mostly summer homes for the wealthy, or they come spend the whole winter there to enjoy the skiing months."
"How do we get there?"
"You can't. As I said it's all private property, besides you can't drive up the main road unless you have special clearance."
Will pursed his lips, looking angry for a moment before focusing once more.
"How much for the map?"
"2.50."
Will paid for the map and left with Jack and Ardelia looking confused behind him.
"What was that about?" Ardelia asked.
"Dr. Lecter never came to Darcy. He most likely hiked to one of his homes located at Secluded Heights. It will be to hard to locate his trail in the dark, I suggest we rent some rooms for the night and figure out which estate he is most likely hiding out in."
"Why are you so sure about everything, how do you know. All you've seen is a map-"
"Ardelia, Will knows what he is doing," Jack chastised lightly.
Ardelia seethed silently as the walked back to their car. They only had to drive for about a block before coming to the town's one and only motel.
Will led the way to the reception desk and secured their rooms for the night. The three of them spent the rest of the night going over records of Dr. Lecter's victims before retiring.
They had discovered that a relative of one of Dr. Lecter's victims did indeed own an estate in Secluded Heights. However, since the whole property was privately enclosed, it was impossible to get a better map of the area. But it was enough, and the next morning the three planned on tracking Lecter's trail.
Now Will was never an early riser. More nights than not, he had spent passed out after drinking liberal amounts of alcohol. That was one of the few things that kept the dreams away. After the incident with Dolarhyde, even Molly had left him. He didn't want to remember anymore...but he still did nonetheless.
In the dark moments of the night he remembered Dr. Lecter's face, it had always seemed so far away. Now Dr. Lecter was with in reach, he could almost taste him. For so many years now Will wanted nothing more than to kill him. But really, is that the worst thing he could do to him, Will wondered?
At first he believed Clarice Starling to be nothing more than an amusement to Lecter. A somewhat talented agent, who understood serial killers a little too well, but still nothing important.
After listening to those tapes he wasn't so sure anymore. He had already decided not to tell Jack or Ardelia about Clarice's true feelings. He had no doubt that Clarice felt something for Dr. Lecter. But what about Dr. Lecter's feelings for Clarice? That was what Will had yet to figure out totally.
And if Dr. Lecter actually did feel something for Clarice, how would that change Will's plans? Perhaps he could use them to his advantage. He was no fool and knew that taking Dr. Lecter down would take a sharp mind, quick body, and quite a bit of luck. He had done it once before...but now?
He was not so sure, that was why he needed to play upon any advantage that may be presented to him. He really needed to figure out how much Clarice meant to Lecter so he could decide how much he could use her against him.
But if his instincts were right, and they usually were, Dr. Lecter would do anything to protect that Starling woman. He need only put her in danger first and hopefully then Lecter would be too distracted to care about his own safety.
Will was sure that neither Ardelia or Jack would appreciate putting Clarice in danger, but hopefully they wouldn't mind if it meant Lecter was killed.
Will shrugged, he really didn't care either way. As long as that bastard Hannibal hurt for once. It would be nice to fall asleep; knowing that Lecter was dead. With that thought on his mind, Will prepared himself for his approaching meeting with his old nemesis.
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Finally, the two stories will be coming together. So what do you think? Any reviews are appreciated and welcomed with open arms. Thanks for reading!