Mischa Lecter

Chapter 12: Wouldn't He

"Daddy, it's 4 o'clock in the morning... Where are we going?"

"Mischa, that is the 6th time you've asked me that in the past 10 minutes. And I have told you every time we are going somewhere we can wait for your mother to get back, without you being interviewed by every cop who has a question."

"But that doesn't tell me where we're going, OR why you insisted that I just wait until we got to wherever we are going to change."

He sighed and pushed the gas pedal a little harder. It had taken him 20 minutes to wake her up, that's why he insisted she wait. He had told her that too, but apparently it went in one ear and out the other. He glanced over at her balled up form. She looked so much like her mother, even with her hair dyed black and extensions reaching her elbows. She had a pair of cotton shorts on, an old shirt of his, and his jacket on. He looked back at the road as she wrapped it tighter around her, snuggling down into for warmth and comfort.

Finally after 5 more minutes and 20 more questions they had arrived at their destination. Well one of them.

"The airport?"

He nodded as he pulled two duffel bags out of the trunk, handing one to her. Her slippers made a scrapping sound as she hurried to follow him inside, "Mischa, Darling, pick up your feet."

The scrapping sound stopped as she caught up to him, "Well, why are we at the airport? You said Mom wouldn't be back for a month or more." she said as her cheeks turned a rosy color as two boys whistled. He put his free arm around her and pulled her closer, his eyes searching for the source of the sound.

"We're not here to get her, we're here to go to the place where we'll meet her."

"And where is that?"

"Australia."

She looked up at him as they entered the airport, her eyes wide and a smile spreading across her face, "Really? We're going to Australia?"

"Yes, now go get changed."

"Really?"

"Yes, Mischa." he said smiling a little back at her. He stumbled a bit as she jumped into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. "Yes, you're welcome. Now please, go change."

She smiled, pulling the bag back over her shoulder and practically skipped to the bathroom.

She emerged 15 minutes later in a pair of wide legged jeans, his old shirt rolled up to her elbows and tucked in, and a matching vest, and black pumps. She didn't go to find her father though, instead she went to a hair salon that was located about 200 feet away from the bathrooms. She had her hair dyed a honey colored brown, with blond streaks, cutting it to her shoulders. From there she went back to the bathroom, pulled her hair up into a bun and went to find her father. He wore a pair of jeans and a polo shirt, an odd site for her to see. And he had cut his hair shorter, leaving it the same color.

"Hi Daddy."

"I see you did what I told you to."

"Clever putting the note in the back pocket of my jeans."

"That's where you always put your phone so I figured you'd find it there."

She smiled and sat down next to him, "What time does our flight leave?" He glanced at his watch, "2 more hours." She nodded slightly and pulled out a book she had found in her duffel bag and began to read, yawning every now and then.

"Drink this before you fall asleep."

She jumped slightly, "Oh, thanks." she said taking the coffee, "I didn't even notice you'd left."

"You like the book then?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I would never have picked it out but it's great."

He nodded, "It's actually your family's history."

"From your side?"

He nodded, "I thought you might want to read it."

"Wow, that just made it ten times more interesting." she said laughing a bit as she returned to reading, "So you lived in Lithuania?"

He nodded, "With my parents and my little sister."

She closed the book and leaned forward a bit, "Well, go on."

"You're named after her. She was killed by Soldiers in Word War II, She was 7. They were some of the first people I ever killed."

"Who was the first?"

"A man from a market who insulted my aunt."

"Was it hard?" she asked, looking slightly away.

"No." he said, "The others were easier though, as I was running on revenge."

She nodded, "I'm worried... I don't feel guilty. I feel like they deserved it, even though they were my friends."

"It will get easier." he said gently taking her hand, "I promise."

She smiled and nodded, "I know Mom told you that I bite, did she tell you what I did when I was younger?"

"She might have."

"Well, Hamal, Masumi, she's my best friend, and me have... Well had these 4 seats on the train to school. Well this teen, pushed me down onto the floor and sat in my seat. I told him that it was my seat and he was being very rude. Well he reached out to poke me and I bit him. Took the skin off his finger." she said chuckling a little, "After he ran off we all got into our seats and continued on like every other morning."

"You know, it's a bit dangerous to sit in the same seat every day. You form a pattern that's easy for others to detect."

"That's what you were trying to tell me when you hung that body in the bathroom."

He nodded, "I tried to get you to change your routine."

"Old Habits die hard." she said shrugging slightly, "And I hope you know I got pretty beat up from that."

He nodded, "I know, It was rigged so that the conductor that showed you no respect, even though you didn't show him any either, would be injured or killed. I wasn't really expecting it to hurt you as well, but I knew it was possible."

"Well thankfully it didn't leave any scars. And I got to tell Agent Krendler off."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I basically told him to go screw himself and to leave Mom alone... I did it politely, but that was what I meant... Speaking of my childhood, it was you that came to get me that day from school. Wasn't it?"

He nodded, "Your mother called me that morning and told me what was going on."

"I had the flu." she said smiling a little, "Thanks for coming to get me, by the way." her hand was fiddling with the bangle on her wrist.

He smiled a bit, "That was my sisters." he said pointing at it, "She wore it until the day she died."

"Really?" she asked looking at it, "Why did you give it to me?"

"Because I knew you would care for it as much as she did."

"And because you love me?" she said as she laughed, he did too.

"Yes, because I love you."

She smiled, "So where did mom go?"

"Mischa."

"What, I'm just wondering."

"One of her friends is sick, she felt obliged to go see them."

"And you let her?"

"Well, I'm not holding you two hostage."

"I know, Daddy. I never said you were. But everyone is going to think you were, and she might not be able to come back."

"I know, I told her to tell them that I was keeping her with me, but we never found you in Italy."

"You think they'll buy it."

"Your mother is a good liar. They'll believe her."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you before."

"Sorry? You're sorry you didn't tell me that my father is a cannibalistic serial killer?"

"Well would you rather me have told you when you were younger and made you think you were going to grow up like him?"

Hamal was silent.

3 hours ago he though his mother was dead, and she came walking through the door. Then told him that his father was Hannibal Lecter and where she had been. It was an understatement to say he was pissed. He crossed his arms and looked out the window, he was acting like a child and he knew it. But right now, he wanted to. Right now, he wanted to shout and cry and have a fit. But he couldn't, something within him wouldn't let him.

His mother said that they hadn't found Hannah when they were in Italy.

He knew she had been shot. In the hand, and maybe the shoulder, he remembered seeing blood on her arm. He couldn't remember if it had been his or not, there was a good possibility she was dead. There was a good possibility her skeleton was hidden somewhere it would be impossible to find.

There was also a possibility she was still out there, He'd know if she was dead... Wouldn't he?