Chapter 17: The Betrayal and Crucifixion of Saviors

At the same time that Clarice Starling was reading the note from Hannibal Lecter, Kendra Mitchell sat behind her desk, head in her hands, waiting for the telephone to ring and to be questioned as to the last time she had seen Will Graham. Surely Clarice had found his car by now and Kendra knew she would be the first to be questioned. She would simply tell them that she had met with Agent Graham, they had both left the Aquarium in different directions, and that was the last she had seen him. Anything could have happened to him once he left her sight.

This was the first time Kendra had stepped foot into the FBI building since Tuesday. She stared, unseeing, down at the day planner on her desk, lost in thought. For the first time in her professional career, Kendra Mitchell was second guessing her actions. To save her own hide, to protect the illustrious career that she had worked so hard to attain and had sacrificed so much for, she had sold out a fellow federal agent to a serial killer.

"How did things get this far?" she asked her office bleakly.

The events of the last week had blurred together badly and she forced her anguished mind to work through them to try and figure out how things had come to this. Tuesday had been the day that Will Graham had given her the ultimatum. Kendra had never responded well to ultimatums, especially from people under her command. The unusual problem with this ultimatum was that she had been unsure as to whether he'd actually had the damning evidence he said he did. That had infuriated her. She had never been put in a position like that before. She had never been confronted by someone willing to stand up to her because they had little or nothing to lose.

She had gone home for the day after her conversation with Graham and worked out at her punching bag in her exercise room. She had worked out to the point of exhaustion while she had mulled over his words in her mind, looking for a way out. She had finally collapsed in a rumpled heap on the floor and lied there, too tired to move. In the early evening she had finally dragged herself to the bathroom and taken a hot bath to relieve her aching muscles. Unfortunately, the strenuous work out had not helped her mind solve her dilemma and she had begun to sink into depression. After a time, Kendra had managed to drag herself out of the tub and into a robe. She had limped gingerly to the kitchen, pulled a bottle of Jack Daniel's out of the cupboard and collapsed on the couch in the living room, with the bottle clutched in her hand. She had laid there staring at an infomercial, not seeing, taking swigs off the bottle here and there.

Two hours later, the ringing phone had startled her out of her intoxicated lethargy and her arm felt like lead as she had reached out shakily to grab the receiver.

"Hello?" Kendra had asked.

"Is this Agent Kendra Mitchell?" A polite, refined gentleman's voice had asked softly.

"Yes, who is this?" She had asked suspiciously.

"This is someone who can give you what you want most in life." Kendra had been able to hear the smile in the man's voice.

Kendra had thought it was a crank call. "Listen buddy, I work for the FBI.." 'At least I do for now,' her mind thought. "...and I can have this call traced and have officers at your door so fast it'll make your head spin."

"But then you'll miss out on my generous offer," the voice was calm and so genteel that it all but commanded compliance.

The caller's assuredness had entranced Kendra and she decided to play along for awhile, this crank call was different from the stereotypical heavy breathing ones. "What's your offer?" Kendra had asked, words slurring.

"You give me what I desire most in the world right now and I'll give you what you desire most in the world."

"And what is it you think I desire?" Kendra had asked doubtfully.

"Notoriety, Kendra," the man's voice had cooed. "I'll make you famous."

Kendra's curiosity had piqued. Not only did he know her name, he actually did know what she really wanted. "How do you know my name? And who are you?"

"Who I am and how I know you are not important right now. What is important is what we can do for each other."

"And what exactly would that be?"

"Give me Will Graham and I'll give you Hannibal Lecter."

Kendra had been stunned speechless and sat straight up on the couch, her over-exerted muscles screaming in protest. She had ignored them. "How will you give me Hannibal Lecter?" She had asked, shaking her head to try and clear the fog that the alcohol had left in her brain.

There had been a brief pause. "Well, at the very least, you will be credited with either his capture or his demise." Another pause and Kendra had heard the smile return to the serene voice. "And the world will revere you for it."

Kendra had sat still, pondering his words. She had been able to picture her name on the front page of every newspaper around the world and she smiled. But who was this person? And what did he want with Will Graham? "I don't know," she had finally replied pensively. "Who are you?"

"I will give you time to think about this. I will call you in the morning." And the line had disconnected.

Kendra had sat contemplating the message. It had seemed so surreal as if it had not even happened at all. She had stared at the phone in her hand and wondered if somehow she had imagined the entire call. After all, she had been wracking her brain for a way out of her predicament with Graham and maybe her intoxicated mind had produced this fabrication.

She had shaken her head and the phone had rung again, startling her. Instead of answering it, she had listened as the answering machine picked up the call. She had heard the beep followed by a man's voice, but it was not the same man.

"Agent Mitchell, this is Special Agent in Charge David Cullen in the Washington office of the DOJ, Office of the Inspector General, Investigations Division," the caller had paused and taken a breath. "I really need to speak with you Agent Mitchell at your convenience."

The caller had proceeded to leave his number but had not alluded to what he was investigating. Kendra knew that in many instances the Department of Justice, Office of the Inspector General was asked to investigate suspected instances of misconduct by agents within the FBI. Panic had seized her throat and she had felt as if she could not breathe. Had Will Graham already informed someone of her proposition to him? He had said he would give her until the end of the week before he gave his evidence to anyone.

'The lying bastard,' she had thought. 'Damn him!'

Kendra had taken several more long drinks from her bottle and her depression had only increased. She was going to lose her job, there was no way out of it. Her depressed, fevered mind had then seized upon the former caller's idea and she had thought how her problems would just disappear if Graham was out of the picture. She had decided to wait and see if her mysterious caller phoned her again in the morning. Indeed, at 9am the next morning, the telephone had rung.

"Hello?" Kendra had asked, head pounding from a hang-over.

"Good morning Kendra," the hypnotic voice had replied. "Did you sleep well?"

"No," she had replied dismally.

"Did you consider my offer?"

"It's all I thought about all night," she had answered. "But it won't work. If Will Graham disappears, I'll be fingered in that disappearance."

"Why is that Kendra?" The voice had asked knowingly.

"Graham claims he has a tape of me in a not very favorable light and he's going to share it if I don't leave Behavioral Science," Kendra had sighed. "If he disappears, and that tape shows up, I'm dead. Not only will I then lose my job, I'll also lose my freedom."

"There is no tape, Kendra," the voice had replied.

Kendra had shaken her head. "How do you know that?"

"I know Will Graham and let's just say I've overheard a conversation or two. Additionally, I know there is tension in the office," he had paused and Kendra heard him chuckle, "especially since your actions the other evening when you made some bad decisions in the Hannibal Lecter case."

"How do you know all of this?" Kendra had been flabbergasted. "Who are you?"

"For lack of a better word, I suppose you could call me God," he had smiled. "I know all, I see all, and I control all."

Kendra had sighed and shook her head and had thought how disturbed this guy was. "Then if there's no tape, my job is not in jeopardy and I have nothing to worry about right? So then why would I give you a shot at Will Graham?"

"As I stated last night Kendra, for the notoriety of the capture of Hannibal Lecter," he had replied quietly. "For the infamy if you prefer. I know that is what you crave, what you desire above all things."

Kendra's pounding head and persistent depression had about overwhelmed her and his knowledge of her deepest, darkest desires had bothered her. "How can you guarantee me that if I give you Graham you will give me Lecter?" Kendra's voice had risen slightly. She was frustrated and tired and short tempered.

"You just have to trust me, Kendra," his soothing voice had washed over her. "But I never break a promise. It's simple, really. Just get him out of the office alone. If you play it cool, you'll come through the interrogation just fine. Within the week, Hannibal Lecter will either be in custody or dead." He had paused. "Then Will Graham will trouble you no more and all your years of sacrifice and hard work will have paid off."

Now as she sat at her desk, Kendra Mitchell groaned and laid her head down on her desk. She could not believe that she had agreed to his idea. The depression that had sunk in on Tuesday evening had only grown and now that she was feeling guilty over her involvement in Will Graham's disappearance, her depression threatened to consume her completely.

'How could I have been so stupid?' she asked herself. 'How could I have not known he was actually Dr. Lecter?'

To justify her initial involvement, Kendra had convinced herself that her mysterious caller was not a real threat to Graham and would do him no serious harm. But when she had seen the man creep soundlessly from the bushes and had recognized Dr. Hannibal Lecter himself, she had frozen with fear at the sight of him. In that instant she had known that he had played her for a fool. He had used her just as he used everyone for his own sadistic pleasure.

Kendra Mitchell groaned again. God only knew what he was doing to Will Graham right now. She sighed. Somewhere along the way, she had lost her integrity, she had lost her morals, and she had become an unfamiliar vainglorious person. She did not know who she had become or who she was anymore and she sank even further into depression. For a moment she stared dismally at her gun lying on her desk.

Kendra jumped as her phone buzzed and she sighed. It had begun.
Will Graham heard someone calling his name, invading the oblivion of his chloroform-induced stupor. He attempted to raise his head but it was too heavy. He tried to open his eyes and the lids were too heavy as well. For that matter, every inch of his entire body felt too heavy. He had no idea what time it was or even what day it was at this point. His head ached and his throat was sore. He swallowed and felt as if his throat had been seared. He hovered around consciousness but he did not want to wake up, he did not want to face the demon he knew awaited him.

"William," an all too familiar voice commanded, "wake up."

'William?' his fevered mind thought. 'God I hate that name. Only one other person has ever called me that since elementary school.' He knew that person and the one before him now were one and the same.

Suddenly he was struck by an open palmed hand across his cheek and his head rocked back and to the side, fresh pain exploding through his temples as his head hit the wall behind him. He groaned and forced his eye lids to open. He blinked several times in the harsh fluorescent light and tried to focus. His tongue ran along his dry lips.

"Dr. Lecter," he stated sullenly.

The doctor leaned down and looked into his face. "Good morning Will," he replied sweetly as if they were dear old friends.

"Where am I?" Will croaked.

"You'll see soon enough," Dr. Lecter's calm voice announced. "Now wake up and focus. School is in session, Will, and you need to be instructed."

At his words, Will forced his mind to focus and willed his blurry eyes to clear. He squinted and peered carefully around him. The first thing he noticed was that he was sitting on a cold hard floor and propped against a hard stone wall. He was clad in his white undershirt and pants only, his coat, suit jacket, watch, tie and dress shirt had been removed as well as his shoes and socks. He glanced to his immediate left and spied a small porcelain sink attached to the wall. He slowly pivoted his aching head around to the right, taking in the full layout of his lair. Three stone walls met his fuzzy gaze, the one he was leaning against and one on either side of him. In front of him was a long, clear piece of what was surely a reinforced bullet proof glass wall with small holes that ran the length of the top and middle of it. It ran parallel to the wall behind him and was reinforced with metal. The floor in which he sat was dusty and he could see Dr. Lecter's footprints leading between the door in the glass wall to where he now sat. Against the wall to his right stood an old wire cot covered with grime and spider webs. To the wall on his left was a small metal table and chair both bolted to the floor and equally covered with the same filth as the cot. As Will's eyes cleared even further, he suddenly recognized where he was and a chill ran up his spine.

A cold wet cloth was thrown over his head, causing him to involuntarily jump, and he lifted one awkward hand up and removed it.

"Use that to help clear your head, Will, I want you alert."

Will obediently wiped his face and eyes. He tried to sit up straight to work the kinks out of his back and neck but his aching head screamed in opposition. Slowly, he tilted his head up and gazed toward the towering face of Dr. Hannibal Lecter, illuminated by the fluorescent lights, and Will blinked in the light.

"Hello Will," Dr. Lecter smiled. "It's been a long time hasn't it?"

"Just kill me and get it over with," Will grimaced as he sat up straight.

Dr. Lecter made a clucking noise with his tongue and knelt beside Will. "Now where would be the fun in that?"

Will rolled his eyes. "I see you brought me to your old haunt." He paused. "How is that possible? It's been abandoned for some time." What he did not say is that he knew this would be one of the first locations that the FBI would search.

"Ah yes, kind of ironic isn't it?" Lecter smiled again. "Years ago this is where you put me to rot for all eternity and yet," he paused and leaned in until their noses nearly touched. "Instead this is where you will rot for all eternity." He straightened up and continued to smile. "Procuring this building was rather easy, actually. After it was shut down due to budget constraints years ago, its care was left in the hands of one maintenance man, one slightly mentally and physically challenged maintenance man. It is amazing how far flattery and showing interest in a person will get you."

"What are you talking about?" Will asked dazedly, trying desperately to clear his mind and focus.

"One might say I've been a sort of pen pal to the young man for years in the off chance that one day I might need to pay a visit one more time to the Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane. Of course, he has no idea who I really am, but he was delighted when I wrote him that I was bringing a few friends for a sort of field trip. And I must say he was an immense help in hooking up the generator so we have lights and reconnecting the water." Dr. Lecter paused. "Oh, and there's no need to worry about any unwanted pesky FBI agents interrupting us, they searched here in the middle of the night before I brought you here."

Will's heart sank at the news and his mind worked frantically for a way to escape but it was still much too fuzzy and he felt sure that he must have been drugged after being kidnapped to ensure his compliance, the chloroform would not have kept him knocked out this long. He shook his head. He could not believe what he was hearing. "Since we have running water then, can I have a drink or is it your plan to kill me through dehydration?"

Lecter gestured to the sink next to Will. "Of course you can have all the water you want." He paused and made his way toward the door. "Now there's no need for sarcasm Will, you know how much I detest incivility."

"You're gonna kill me anyway, so who gives a shit if I'm civil or not?"

"Ah but you see, Will, the level of your pain could depend on the level of your civility or the lack thereof." Dr. Lecter grinned at him savagely.

Will just sat and stared at Dr. Lecter, no emotions registered at all on either mans' face. They regarded one another for awhile until Lecter smiled slightly, the smile a fox might give to his caged prey.

"I warned you to leave well enough alone but you just could not heed my words," he replied softly. "You had to go and corrupt her."

"Oh come on," Will said angrily. "I didn't corrupt your precious Clarice. She's a woman, not the Virgin Mary. Christ," he muttered. "You have built her up to unattainable proportions in your mind that no one could live up to."

"You know, I much preferred you as an addict Will, you minded your own business." Dr. Lecter replied coolly.

"And I kept my mouth shut, right?" Will asked. "You have always hated the fact that I stand up to you that I call you on your bullshit. Clarice always has too and you love her for it but you hate me for it."

"But then you got it into your head that you were destined for greater things," Dr. Lecter continued, ignoring Will's comment, "that maybe you could be the savior of the FBI," he drew out his last few words slowly as he eyed Will, who remembered vaguely that Kendra Mitchell had said something along those same lines to him but the memory was too vague. Dr. Lecter shook his head slowly. "I know you are not a religious man, Will, but I'm positive you've heard the stories of what the Romans did to the world's savior." He paused and grinned thinly. "In that context it is rather amusing that you referred to Agent Starling as the Virgin Mary."

Will's eyes closed briefly as he thought how crucifixion would be a horrendous way to die. He opened his eyes and met Dr. Lecter's gaze.

"What do you want?" Will asked simply. "You want my blood? You want me to scream? You want me to beg for my life?" He paused. "I would not beg for my life, especially not from you."

Dr. Lecter's grin faded and his eyes turned icy. "What do I want, Will?" He paused and moved closer to Will, his fists clenched. "I want to make you suffer as you have made me suffer. I want you to watch as I violate someone you love, just as I watched as you violated someone I love."

Will stared back, on the outside he was the epitome of calm, but that ball of fear re-appeared in his stomach. He wondered whom Lecter could be referring to. Dr. Lecter broke off their stare and strode to the door. He walked through, closed it and locked it. He looked at Will again and smiled cruelly.

"We will talk more about the betrayal and crucifixion of saviors later but for now, it is time for you to suffer emotionally."

'But I think you and I love the same person,' Will thought, though he felt it better not to say so aloud. 'And I know you would never hurt her.' "I don't know who you could be referring to," he replied.

Dr. Lecter cocked one eyebrow at Will's comment. "Don't you?" he asked meekly. "Daddy," he hissed.

Will's eyes grew wide at the word and Dr. Lecter moved out of Will's vision down the hall.

"No," Will whispered.

He stood up on unsteady legs and lurched toward the glass partition, his feet padding fresh foot prints into the dusty floor. It was then that he saw the large wooden chair bolted to the floor in front of his cell with leather straps on the arms and front legs. Lying on the floor to the right of the chair was a hacksaw, a hatchet, rope, wire, several needles, a nail gun, and something he had certainly heard of but never actually seen, an electro-shock baton.

"Oh fuck," Will whispered and pressed himself against the glass, straining to see where Dr. Lecter had gone.

Suddenly he heard footsteps coming back up toward him, two pair, and sweat beaded his forehead. Then they were there, in his line of vision, and Will's eyes widened in horror. He saw Dr. Lecter guiding his son Josh up the hall toward the chair, blindfolded and his hands tethered behind him.

"No," Will yelled and banged his open palmed hands against the glass.

Josh turned his head in the direction of Will's voice. "Dad?" he asked uncertainly.

Will's heart broke at the sight and sound of his son whom he had not seen or heard in years. He was tall and lean, almost as tall as Will and he had not even hit his growth spurt yet, with his father's same young, boyish face and Molly's raven black hair. He looked so young, so innocent, like a lamb going to the slaughter.

"Josh, I'm here," Will called and his voice was choked with tears. "Do not be afraid."

Dr. Lecter chuckled slightly as he helped Josh to sit down in the chair. He bent down and strapped the boy's left leg firmly to the leg of the chair. Will threw himself up against the glass partition but he bounced right of it.

"No," he yelled again, pleading. "Don't do this you shit. It's me you're angry at, it's me you want to hurt. He's an innocent. Let him be. It's me, Hannibal, it's me."

Lecter turned his head to regard Will. "An innocent?" He repeated and shook his head. "If you'll recall years ago I told you that no one would ever be safe around you. He is your son, he is hardly an innocent."

Will threw himself against the glass again harder, again and again until he saw stars swim in his vision and his legs threatened to fold. "You sick fuck! You stupid shit! I will fucking kill you if you touch him!" He yelled in desperation.

Dr. Lecter clucked his tongue again and shook his head but turned back to strap Josh's other leg to the chair. Will's mind worked frantically, looking for a way to get Lecter to come after him instead of harming his son. He pounded his fists against the glass, tears of rage streamed down his cheeks.

'You must calm down,' he told himself. 'Think damn you, think. That's your son he's got.'

Will's mind seized on an idea and he ran with it, anything was worth a try at this point. He stopped pounding the glass, wiped his face, and looked calmly at Dr. Lecter.

"Admit it, Dr. Lecter," he said quietly. "You aren't mad at me, and you aren't mad at Josh. The person you're really mad at is yourself." He paused and he saw Lecter glance briefly in his direction. "You're mad at yourself because once again I proved that I'm better than you and it kills you."

Dr. Lecter had finished strapping Josh's legs to the chair. He straightened up and looked at Will. "This isn't going to work, Will. You cannot goad me into attacking you."

"I'm not trying to goad you," Will shook his head. "I'm merely pointing out facts. The fact that I slept with Clarice Starling is killing you." 'That's the key,' his mind screamed at him, 'Clarice. That's how you'll get to him.'

Dr. Lecter had never had a tangible weakness before and Will knew he had to try and exploit it. He was unsure if he would be able to provoke the doctor but it was worth a try. He shook his head. It pained him to think ill of her let alone to say it out loud. But for Josh's sake, he knew he must.

"What, do you think I'm actually in love with her?" Will scoffed. "Come on, like I could ever develop an attachment to someone like her," he paused and watched Dr. Lecter remove the binds from Josh's wrists and place his right arm on the arm of the chair. "What was it you called her once? One generation away from poor white trash?" He nodded. "That's the truth. Nah, she was just a play thing for awhile, a mere amusement."

Lecter's jaw clenched slightly. He detested rudeness but especially when the words were directed against someone he cared deeply for. He glanced in Will's direction and the beginnings of fury burned within his eyes. Then he took several deep breaths.

Will saw Dr. Lecter's jaw tighten and he smiled inwardly. 'Keep going,' he told himself. Lecter buckled the strap around Josh's right arm.

"You know, though, just between us guys you don't know what you're missing. You know what they say about red heads, right?" He chuckled. "It's true. God, that woman is wild in bed." He watched Dr. Lecter's gaze shoot in his direction again. "I tell you, she is the best piece of ass I've ever had."

Dr. Lecter's eyes burned like ice in his face. Fury pulsed just beneath the surface of his skin. He knew that Will was trying to get a rise out of him and he attempted to calm down. He could not let Will Graham get the better of him. The problem was he had never cared this deeply before about anyone and he was in misery to hear the horrible degrading things that louse was saying about her. He regarded Will for a moment before moving to Josh's left side to strap that arm down.

Will had hoped that his last comment would do it, that it would cause him to rush into the cell, leaving Josh alone, but it had not worked. Will sighed. He could detect the turmoil within Dr. Lecter and knew that it was a new experience for the doctor; to attempt to remain in control while someone he loathed hurled degrading comments at him about someone he loved. Will thought for sure he almost had the Good Doctor and that he needed to keep going but he did not want to utter these next words, it killed him to speak of Clarice like this. But he had no choice.

"Yup, she is sweet as sugar," he smiled. "God what an amazing fuck she is, you'll really have to try her out sometime." He watched as now Dr. Lecter removed the blindfold from Josh's eyes. The boy blinked from Dr. Lecter to his father behind the glass and terror was written all over his face.

"Dad?" He asked fearfully.

Will ignored him to continue his barraging of Dr. Lecter. "You know what though, Hannibal? When you do finally get to fuck her, don't ever forget one thing: I had her first," he replied smugly.

Dr. Lecter turned to glare at Will. He could feel his self control just about dissipated. He looked at the man who he had watched make love to his goddess, his Clarice and his fury almost overtook him.

Will was not sure if he was reading Dr. Lecter correctly or not but he thought he could discern intense fury within the man. He nodded and grinned slightly at Dr. Lecter. "That's right. You could think of it this way: I broke her in for you." He saw Lecter's fists clenching and unclenching and knew he almost had him. "So Hannibal, when you're inside her and you cum, just remember one thing," he paused slightly looking levelly at Lecter, "I've been there...and done that."

That was all he could take. Dr. Lecter roared with fury and leapt to the cell door. Will took a step backward his arms out, palms up, gesturing for Lecter to come. In a flash, Lecter had the door opened. He burst through and punched Will squarely in the jaw. Will grunted as his head rocked and his unsteady legs buckled. He fell to one knee.

"Dad!" Josh cried and looked to Lecter. "Leave him alone you son of a bitch!"

As Will attempted to regain his footing, Dr. Lecter kicked him directly in his ribs and he heard two crack. Will groaned and rolled onto his back, clutching at his ribs. All of the fury, all of the rage that he had kept penned up over the last several weeks was unleashed. In his mind, all Dr. Lecter could see was Will atop Clarice, holding her pinned against the mattress and her moaning in pleasure. He bent down and punched Will in the face repeatedly, mashing his nose, blacking his eyes, tearing his cheeks, forehead and lips and Will curled his arms around his head in a feeble attempt to ward off the blows. Josh screamed at Lecter to stop and at last he did, fists clenched at his sides, jaw clenched tight, and stared down at Will who now rose up unsteadily on his hands and knees, blood streaming from his face to the floor. He leaned his forehead on the cold dirty floor and groaned.

A touch of his rage spent, Dr. Lecter left Will to bleed on the floor and exited the cell. He roughly un-tethered Josh from the chair and forcefully tossed him into the cell next to Will's, Miggs' former cell. Will slowly lifted his head and peered through his nearly swollen closed eyes to watch. He tried to stand, but could not. He cursed his weakened body, this might be the only chance he got to attempt an attack on Dr. Lecter but his body was betraying him. He could feel the ends of his two broken ribs grating against one another, sending jolts of misery coursing through his body and his face and head felt like they were on fire.

"Dad," Josh called from the next cell but the stone wall in between them did not allow for visual contact. "Dad, are you alright?"

Will groaned but he could not find his voice to speak. He heard rather than saw Dr. Lecter re-enter his cell and he knew it was now or never. He mustered any strength he could find and waited until the doctor was standing over him. Will lunged up, hitting Dr. Lecter in the chest with his shoulder, knocking him backward. Dr. Lecter retained his footing but Will's legs betrayed him again and he sat down hard onto the floor. He cursed his weak body once more.

"Now, now, Will," Dr. Lecter, seemingly recomposed from his earlier fury at Will and back in control, clucked lightly. "We can't have you escaping now can we?"

Broken and almost beaten, Will Graham allowed Dr. Lecter to lead him to the chair. He all but fell into it and strained to see through the blood that was beginning to cake his eyelids. Dr. Lecter strapped his arms and legs quickly to the chair and Will gave up, closing his eyes, and leaned his head back against the chair.

"Stop this please!" Josh screamed, his hands gripping the bars of his cell so tightly that his knuckles were white. "Just leave him alone! Why are you doing this?"

Dr. Lecter ignored the boy, his full attention on Will. He leaned in close and Will felt warm breath on his face.

"You think you're better than me now, William?" Dr. Lecter sneered. "You know those things you said about Agent Starling were very ugly and while I know you think you were saying them just to get me to turn on you, a part of me wonders if you don't actually believe those awful things you said."

Will shook his head defiantly but his eyes remained closed.

Dr. Lecter grinned. "I know she will be deeply hurt to hear the things you said but do not fear, as I always have, I will be there to comfort her."

Will forced his eyes to open and he peered blurrily at Dr. Lecter. "Leave Clarice alone," he rasped.

"You know I cannot do that Will. She and I are destined to be together." He smiled and glanced at his watch. It was time to meet up with the UPS truck and deposit his little package as it made it's almost daily delivery to the FBI building. "I suppose it is about time though to send her a little something. A keepsake if you will."

Will watched warily as Dr. Lecter picked up the hatchet next to the chair. He gritted his teeth, this was going to be bad. Will closed his eyes tightly and steeled himself for the pain to come. He could hear Josh screaming but he took comfort in the fact that at least for now he had managed to spare his son physical torment. Then he felt Dr. Lecter's hand grasp his left one, holding it steady against the arm of the chair with his fingers splayed, and Will's entire body tensed. Then the hatchet fell.

To be continued. Please review!

Kurt: LOL, I loved the 'dramatic organ music'!! Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Shattered: I'm sure this chapter makes up even more for the lack of H/C mush! LOL, yes, I laughed out loud at the idea of the GD at a rave!! We had just watched a movie in one of my Sociology classes that analyzed the social implications behind raves and for some reason, I thought how Dr. Lecter would view them. Too funny! Thanks for reviewing.

DevilsQT: LOL, sorry to make you wait on the cliffie of that last chapter! Although this one's got a pretty good cliffie as well. Thanks for your great review.

LoT: Hey, Yowsers, thanks for your review. LOL, the two characters that piss you off!! We'll see what's in store for Zachary and Kendra. Thanks so much again for reading and reviewing.

ducki: Thank you for your kind review.

Mel: LOL, I don't mean to stress you out. Well, not too much anyway! To kill Will or not to kill Will, that is the question! Stay tuned. And thanks again for reading.

Hanni85: LOL to your review about your teacher. Thank you for reading and reviewing.

Nan: Thanks again for posting your review to the lecterphiles since FF wasn't working too well. Thank you so much for your kind words, I always love your reviews.

guber: LOL, if last chapter's cliffie about killed you, I can only imagine what this one will do! I will try to update as soon as possible, but I'm becoming pressed for time with school papers needing to be done. I'm glad you're loving the story and thanks for reviewing.