Chapter 39
Hannibal and Clarice made their way back to the house with the phone in hand. Clarice ran upstairs to the study room and plugged the phone up into the computer. Hannibal made his way into their bedroom and retrieved a black duffel bag from underneath their bed. He unzipped and fiddled through the contents making sure everything was there. Clarice's gun, Hannibal's harpy, handcuffs, rope, cash, various passports, and much more could be found inside the bag. It had been Clarice's idea originally to pack what she called a "go bag." Hannibal was on board with the idea, but preferred to travel lightly because leaving any form of a paper trail behind accidentally could prove to be fatal. When Hannibal was satisfied, he took the bag and met Clarice in the study room.
"Did you find the video?"
"Yes, got it. It's a little shaky, but it is here."
Hannibal walked around the rather large leather chair to stand behind Clarice.
She hit play on the screen and they both watched. A large man could be seen carrying Henry whom was thrashing about and screaming. The man put Henry on the ground and whispered something into his ear that immediately made Henry quiet. Henry shook his head with tears in his eyes and the large man picked him back up and placed him in the van. Next, another man could be seen taking Amelia from the front of the car and placing her in the back seat as well. The van drove off in a hurry from the scene. The camera kept playing for some time before finally going dark.
Clarice rubbed her eyes and ran her hands through her hair, "Jesus, Hannibal."
Hannibal brought his hands to rest at her shoulders. He massaged them gently, "Breath Clarice, and focus. If he wanted our son dead, he would have killed him. If he is holding Henry hostage, it is because he wants something from you or myself."
Clarice leaned back and looked up at him, "I know Hannibal, I know…it just hits a little harder when it is our son, and Amelia….she got drug into this whole mess."
"Play the video again."
Clarice did as instructed, and she paused the video at various times to observe every pixel of the image. The van was black with no identifying marks along the sides. Clarice briefly caught the license plate and wondered if it was worth even running. Perhaps they left a paper trail if they were sloppy enough not to cover their own tracks.
Hannibal spoke, "Pause the video Clarice."
She paused, "What do you see?"
Hannibal pointed to the large man's arm, "What is that? A tattoo?"
Clarice glanced at the man's wrist and noticed a marking in red ink on the inside of his wrist.
"No…no fucking way."
"Pardon?"
Clarice advanced the video and got a look at the man's other wrist. The same red marking appeared on the other one.
Clarice sat still for a moment.
Hannibal walked around the chair to face her, "Clarice? What is wrong? Do you recognize this mark?"
Clarice glanced up at Hannibal, "Yes. I believe I do. But I need Ardelia's access codes from the FBI. I need access to my old case files."
Clarice stood up and grabbed the phone. Hannibal sat in the corner chair and waited.
The phone rang four times and a familiar voice answered. A ring number they had both agreed upon years prior, the four rings were a signal that the call was not being traced and that the person was free to talk. If she were to answer on any other ring number then it meant it wasn't a safe and secure time.
"Been a while C, how is my favorite Godson?"
"Dee, I need your access codes."
A beat.
"What happened C?"
"I am going to keep this short with you Dee. I need the access codes now."
"Shit girl! No greeting no nothing?"
"Our son is missing Delia."
"What? Henry? But I-"
"Dee, please forgive me. I really cant talk right now. Please, the access codes."
"Understood, but I expect the complete version of the story later."
"You will get it."
Clarice gathered the necessary info and logged in. She began digging through her old case files.
She glanced at her husband who watched her attentively.
"After the Buffalo Bill incident…I took a number of cases. One of these cases had to do with a man named Elijah Kennedy. He worked for the FBI and had this absolute infatuation with me when I became an agent. He was obsessive, but not in the flattering kind of way…more in the creepy kind of way."
"Obsessive in the creepy kind of way, Clarice?"
Clarice winked at Hannibal, "You wouldn't know, you were obsessed in the flattering kind of way."
Hannibal smiled.
"I was a very active agent, but Elijah was determined for some time with me. I really wouldn't give him any attention. He actually reminded me of Krendler. In my opinion the only difference was Krendler would never get his own hands dirty. He sent people out to do his work for him. Elijah, on the other hand, liked to be involved and get his hands dirty. Fast forward maybe 3 years after Buffalo Bill and I had found myself on a field mission. I was going in as a potential buyer for a big drug bust involving a senator at the time. I guess you could say this was one of my downfalls in the FBI because, after that, those senators and politicians involved sought to ruin my career and drag me down. Come to find out, Elijah had been a part of this drug bust scandal. I found files upon files of messages, photos, I mean…it was huge. The senator at the time had friends running for high up positions in office and he couldn't afford the hit so they pinned it all on Elijah. He was stripped of his titles and thrown behind bars."
Hannibal crossed his legs in the chair and brought his hand up to rest his chin on. He gave her a sideways glance, "And what of the senator? I know my straight shooter Special Agent Clarice would not let him go unpunished."
"I didn't want him to, but that was a different time when Krendler was alive. He had altered the evidence and kept silencing me. When I threatened to go public with the information, they threatened to fire me and pin the drug bust on me and Elijah both. It was after this that my career took a hit. It was a rough job from there on out. No one wanted the federal investigative agent snooping around the politician's business. Turns out, everyone loves an agent that catches the bad guys, except when those bad guys turn out to be our future leaders of the country. Go figure."
Clarice found the pictures she was looking for. She printed them off and walked over to Hannibal to hand it to him. The first was a mugshot picture.
Clarice pointed at the man on the picture, "This is Elijah the day he was arrested." Clarice lifted the paper to expose the second image which was crates lined up in what looked like a warehouse. Each box had markings on it. The same markings as the man had on his wrists in that familiar red ink. "This is the warehouse where I caught Elijah and his gang. This is their emblem. Always shown in red ink. He claimed it depicted Cerberus with his three heads."
"Guardian of the Underworld, how fitting."
Clarice walked back to the desk and sat down on it facing Hannibal.
There was a long pause before Hannibal broke the silence, "I assume you already looked at his records recently to confirm his escape from prison?"
"He broke out two years ago. Apparently it was an inside job, they haven't found him since."
"Of course he hasn't been found, however-"
Hannibal stood up, "Criminals involved with drugs always leave a trail. You have identified the captor Clarice, and now it is up to us to handle the rest."
Clarice gave a smile, "Time for another drug bust, H?"
"Indeed my love. Only this time you will have back up. I would think, given that you were the one who caught him in the first place, that you would know where the search begins?"
"Oh yes, I know precisely where to begin."


Elijah entered the room where Henry was kept. With him, he brought a plate with a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with chips and a bottle of water.
The room was rather dark with only one hanging light in the center of the room. A bed, chair, couch, and small table occupied the space. Files were laying everywhere that Henry had read through. The TV kept playing various news articles posted of his mom and dad. Over and over again. Elijah found Henry sitting in the floor looking at pictures of his father.
He approached Henry and sat down next to him in the floor. He placed the food in front of Henry, but Henry did not touch it or even acknowledge that it was there.
"Henry, I am proud your reading my dear boy, but you really should eat. It has been two days since you have been here and you haven't touched anything except water."
Henry didn't respond. Elijah took the file from Henry and placed it to the side. Henry still just sat there.
"Henry, come now, eat something."
"What do you want?"
"Huh? What are you talking about? I want nothing but the truth Henry. That is all. You need to know the truth."
Henry looked up at Elijah, "That's not true."
"Everything you see here is the truth. I used to work with your mother at the FBI."
"You are an agent? You worked with my mom?"
"Yes I did. She was brilliant, beautiful, and an outstanding individual. Your father really warped her mind and poisoned her Henry. That is why I am here now. I want to save you and your mother from him."
Henry shouted, "My Dad isn't a bad man. He takes really good care of my Mom and they love each other."
Elijah grabbed Henry's hair and pulled him close, "That is the brainwashing Henry! That is exactly what I am talking about."
Elijah grabbed a case file in which Hannibal had killed a woman. She was hanging from a tree with a dagger through her heart. Elijah shoved it in Henry's face, "Look at this Henry! Do you think he cares about women or children. Could a good person who truly loves do anything like this!?"
Henry cried. Elijah pulled the file back and let go of Henry, "I am sorry Henry, truly. But that man is always just one step away from violence and destruction. He is dangerous Henry. I want you to see something."
Elijah pulled out three photos. The first one was a group photo that looked like a class picture. Henry recognized his mother, Ardelia, and what looked like Elijah standing beside them. The rest of the people he did not know. The next picture was one of his mom and Elijah both smiling together while jogging in their FBI sweats, and the last picture was of Elijah and his mother holding guns at a shooting range.
"Your mother and I were good friends. She always used to kick my ass at the gun range. Haha" Elijah laughed and played it off.
Henry was quiet now, but the tears were still rolling down his cheeks. Unfortunately, what Henry did not know was that Elijah had these photos taken. Clarice and Elijah were never close, even though in his head they were. He would always pester Clarice for a picture when they were near.
Elijah spoke again in a more comforting voice this time. "Henry, we can save your mother together. I want to rescue her from this monster, but I need your help. Do you want to save her Henry? You have read all through these case files. You know what he is capable of, do you want to let that happen to her? Do you want her to die?"
Henry glared at Elijah, "No! I don't want anything to happen to my Mommy!"
Elijah clapped his hands together, "Good Henry! Yes, well done! Here I have some more case files to show you of the man known to the world as Hannibal Lecter. I will teach you how he brainwashed your mother Henry. Let me enlighten you."


A/N: Hello everyone! We are back in action and ready to rock and roll! I apologize for the long layoff. Life has been a major roller coaster lately full of ups and downs, but each of your messages and comments inspires me to continue and keep writing more, and for that I want to say thank you to everyone that has stuck with me and to those who are just now beginning the journey. Stay tuned! Next chapter will be out before you know it!