Rana barely realised when night had finally arrived. She had been sitting on one of Jack's chairs, her laptop on her lap as she kept doing research and making notes of different organ donor lists and programs. If the organs remained in the US, they should be able to find them one way or another. If they did, they would be led to the reaper or at least one of the possible killers.
At the same time, Jack was trying to think but his mind could not and he only heard half the things Rana was telling him. Eventually, she came to a stop when she noticed how tired he was.
"Maybe you should go get some rest, Jack. I can continue from here and let you know everything new, first thing in the morning" she suggested, closing her laptop and leaning back on the chair, his desk the only thing that separated them.
Jack looked at her, not happy with her suggestion. "Like I can go home and sleep when the Reaper is out there. The clock is ticking and I cannot let him escape to me while I try to rest" he said with stubbornness, making her sigh.
Gods, he and his wife had that one thing in common and Rana many times wondered how those two survived all those years in a relationship with one another. Before she could say more, there was a knock on his door as Beverly entered.
"Am I interrupting?" she asked.
"What is it, Agent Katz?" Jack asked her.
The woman walked deeper into the office. "I think I have a lead" she came to a halt next to him and motioned for his keyboard. "May I?" he moved his chair back and allowed her to bend and start working, Rana joining at the other side of Jack and watching in silence. "I've been looking for the kill truck. A van or S.U.V. but it was a whole lot easier than that."
As she explained, she worked and called up the F.B.I.'s VICAP system, before choosing a folder and clicking on it. A few more clicks and the monitor is covered with a fisheye lens surveillance video of ambulances and fire engines outside of an upscale hotel.
Rana leaned closer to the screen. "Are those…Security cameras that overlook the hotel from across the street?"
Beverly gave a nod. "Yep, from the ATM"
The female agent could not help but give a faint smile. "Smart thinking"
This surprised Beverly, considering Rana was not one to congratulate or show she was satisfied with the results, which she seemed to have copied from Jack. However, she didn't let it just pass by and she gave a small faint smile, glad that for once there was not this odd tension between them.
One would think that being the only two females in their group, they would be close but Rana and Beverly were quite different. Rana respected privacy and secrecy, having this maturity behind each case. Beverly liked to snoop around and explore, studying every little detail of people.
She tried to do that with Rana when she first joined them, which would explain why their work relationship has been so…odd.
"Kill truck?" Jack finally asked.
"It's a private ambulance. "
"The city works with a dozen private ambulance companies"
"Medi-Now. But not as a first responder. A first responder driving away from the emergency."
Jack got out of his chair and offers it to Beverly. "Take a seat. You've earned it. " It was Rana's turn to be surprised but could not help but faintly nod, agreeing with Jack.
Beverly noticed, feeling pride in her chest as she sat down and clicked again, causing the surveillance video to zoom in and capture the Medi-Now ambulance mid-getaway. "Ambulance would be a smart place to perform surgery. If the cops show up, blend in and drive away."
"And no one would ever suspect a thing" Rana concluded, finding this suddenly very smart. "The best hiding spot is always in plain sight" she muttered, earning a look from Jack and a grin from Beverly, as the female agent quickly picked up what she said.
Jack eventually spoke again. "Where's Will Graham?"
Rana checked the time on the wall and thought for a moment. "Around this time, either at his classroom or home, I would say"
Since they had a lead, Jack and Rana went to look for Will. Their first stop would be his classroom and if he was not there, they would try to call him and/or visit his house. At least, with this new lead Jack was a little more of himself and Rana wished she could keep that, but that was far harder than one would think.
Unless they suddenly got all three killers, including the Reaper. That would be the only case but that was something one would call a miracle from God and let us say, she was not the most religious person in the world.
As they walked down the hallway in the FBI Academy, Rana picked up two scents. One belonging to Will and the other, belonging to none other than Hannibal Lecter. She hadn't truly seen him since that night with Abigail, and she would be lying if she said her mind never drifted on his whereabouts. Yet, she never made a move.
As they entered, the duo was already looking in their direction. Clear that they had not only heard them but got her strong scent, which alerted them of their approach.
"Dr Lecter. What a nice surprise." Jack said, before focusing on Will. "We have a lead on the Ripper." Then, an idea popped into his mind. "Care to help us catch the Ripper?"
This made Rana look at him with a slightly confused expression, trying to understand what her former mentor was thinking but she couldn't truly make it out.
In addition, Hannibal did nothing but refuse. "How could I refuse?" he said, his curiosity greatly piqued.
The next morning, Rana was the first to arrive at the Medi-Now Ambulance garage. She could not truly sleep much that night, wanting to get this over with and at least catch one of the killers, with a small deep hope that it would be the true Reaper.
The first one to arrive after her was Hannibal, who got out of his well-maintained and cleaned car. A smile graced his lips as he noticed her, walking her way as his three-piece tailored suit was as perfect as ever.
"Agent Stones, we meet again. How have you been?" he said, stopping in front of her as the two of them immediately locked gazes.
"We do, after quite a while." She said, her lips forming the faintest of amused smiles but it was clear in her eyes that more occupied her mind. "Well, you are the doctor. How do I look to you?"
Hannibal kept his expression serious but it was clear in his eyes, that he accepted her passive challenge. "I thought you did not like me psychoanalyzing you"
"Not without permission and I am sure you can realise some things without digging deep into my soul," she said.
Accepting her little challenge, Hannibal's face turned quite serious. There was silence between them, his eyes holding this hidden darkness as they suddenly stared not at her but right through her. "I would say you look well, although tired. Have you been having trouble sleeping?"
Rana could not help but release some air out of her nose in an amused scoff, the amused smile on her lips slowly disappearing as she blinked slowly. Her shoulders were tense and she could feel her muscles complaining from it. "You could say that. Needless to say, these last cases have been…tiring" she said, after finding the right word. "They have been more challenging than others"
Hannibal understood, giving the smallest of forward nods with his head. "I am well aware. Will has been affected by them greatly, some hitting too close to home I would even say. And he is not the only one" he said, passively hinting that Jack had visited him, something that she picked up but decided not to comment on. "My office and my home door are always open, in case you need it"
A part of her felt thankful hearing it, for in a way she could use it. Especially, considering that Hannibal was like her and that allowed her to be more open with how she felt or have someone that could understand her better than others.
"I am not one for therapy, I am afraid. It's not my cup of tea" she admitted.
She had been to therapy in the past and as a child but only for a while. Needless to say, she hated every moment of it for the doctor was a human and she could never truly open up to the things she felt or saw or knew.
He quickly realised and decided to change his approach, wanting her to be more present in his life and start depending more on him. It was quite easy with Will and he even managed to get Jack and his wife. However, she was someone tougher to earn their trust. She was closing up like a clam; shielding the precious pearl hidden within.
She would not drop her guard easily, not for him or anyone for that matter. He planned to change that but to do so…he had to find the right approach when it came to her. So far, it has been unclear which one worked but he refused to give it up…not when the game had started to become so much interesting.
"No one said is therapy. It can always be a glass of scotch and some talk, between friends" he said and he could see, that she was mentally thinking about it, even though she never answered that.
Soon after, Will, Beverly and Jack arrived, and they could all officially start. Entering the Garage, all one would see would be several bays occupied by ambulances in various stages of repair. The Garage Manager, a man in his 40s, was leading them through the garage. Jack and Beverly tailed his close, with Rana, Hannibal and Will trailing further in the back.
"That ambulance isn't in the rotation. It hasn't been out of the shed. " he said after he was shown the picture of the ambulance caught in the surveillance video that Beverly had found.
"Surveillance footage says she has." Jack reminded him.
"Nobody signed her out. My road sheet has her down for repairs."
"Who signed her in for repairs?" Rana asked him.
The man flipped a page on the clipboard. "Devon Silvestri. He's one of our part-time drivers."
It was Will's turn to ask a question. "Does he want to be a doctor?"
"He's taking the MCATs. "
They finally arrive at an empty ambulance bay where the said Ambulance should be there but is not.
" Mister Silvestri working today?" Jack asked.
"He's not on the schedule. "
Will motioned for Rana and Will to come to the side with him, as Beverly decided to ask the garage manager different questions. Hannibal stayed where he was, using his keen sense of hearing to eavesdrop on all the conversation.
"If he's not working with the Ripper, he still needs a kidney," Will said.
Rana frowned her eyebrows. "Which means he could be striking again, today. Our only chance will be if we catch him on the act or before it, if possible"
As if Beverly had known, her questions about the Radio and the GPS of the ambulance had the answers to what Rana suggested. "Jack, if the ambulance radio is on, I can use a DF sweep to find it"
A few hours later and the plan was set in motion.
Rana was gearing up while talking with the leader of the Swat Team, said team consisting of different top FBI agents. She was giving instructions on formation, while also checking and ensuring her gun was ready.
Hannibal kept watching, observing with pure fascination as she showed pure leadership skills. It was clear that the way she talked, ordered and guided; all came as second nature to her. She was not just trained to do that but that was a skill she already had; someone of her age and with little experience in the FBI should not possess it…but she did.
Moreover, Jack had allowed her full control of the team while he loaded his shotgun and had gotten ready, That was something Hannibal did not expect or predict, for that matter.
As if Will had been reading his mind, he spoke up and cleared a few things. "Jack usually lets Rana lead any strike in or swat team in such missions. I am not sure why, but she knows what she is doing and the men listen to her" he explained, remembering the first time he had seen her when they broke into that woman's house with the missing boys.
The way she had moved inside, shooting to take down but not kill the boys and later just silently having appeared out of nowhere, hitting the woman at the back of her head with one clear shot. Something he could have never done, especially with the boy she had been holding hostage during that time.
"It is impressive. She is experienced in that matter" Hannibal told him. "Has Jack or anyone else ever told you about her? I mean, she is only 5 years in the FBI"
Will shook his head faintly. "No. Whatever she had done before the FBI or how she got up in the ranks, it's something no one tells me. I do not even think others know. Jack must be the only one who does"
Eventually, everyone was ready and got into their respected SUVs to move.
The missing ambulance was sitting quietly in isolation, the sky above it a light dark indicating that the sun had just recently set. Although the cab was dark, a light burnt brightly in the back windows.
FBI agents silently tighten around the Ambulance with Rana leading them. She used motions of her hands to spread them into formation, as several SUVs slowly rolled up behind the Agents. Jack Crawford held his shotgun and moved next to Rana, exchanging a look with her and knowing she would have his back.
She lifted one hand and motioned for a certain agent with a crowbar tool to step forward. He got into position, ready to force the Ambulance doors open on her signal.
The tension is thick, the heartbeat of each agent echoing in their ears as they all got their guns ready…the signal is given and the ambulance doors are forced open.
Inside, Devon Silvestri, a nervous man in his mid-to-late 20s, was in mid-surgery. The victim was face down on the make-shift operational table with Devon Silvestri's hands inside him.
"Show me your hands" Jack demanded, his shotgun aimed at the young man, with Rana standing next to him and being ready to also fire at him if he tried anything.
"I can't," he said in a low tone, fear clear in his eyes.
"Show me your hands."
"He'll die. "
Jack quickly assessed that Devon is mid-surgery, calling out the only man that could help them. "Dr Lecter"
Hannibal, Will and Beverly Katz emerged from one of the SUVs, with the man in question sprinting ahead upon hearing his name. Without hesitation, he climbed inside the Ambulance.
"He was removing the kidney. Poorly. I can re-attach it" he quickly explained once he noticed the situation.
"Do it," Jack ordered without a second of hesitation. Hannibal stuck his hands into the patient's back, taking the wheel, as it were, working quickly. "Do you have it?"
There was a moment of silence. "I've got it."
"Silvestri, show me your hands" Devon Silvestri raised his bloody, gloved hands, stepping away from his victim, giving Hannibal room. "Step out of the vehicle. On the ground. Hands behind your head."
The man hesitated as he slowly climbed off, looking around with fear at the whole situation. Jack didn't have to say it again as Rana had already moved with the stealth of a cat, forcing the man to the ground and cuffing him. She felt the fresh blood staining her own hands as she violently forced him onto his feet.
She passed him to an FBI agent, before looking at her bloody hands. She remained quiet, smelling the metallic odour coming from it before realizing it was also coming from the ambulance behind her, as Hannibal continued operating.
Her heartbeat started to rise and it took a lot of mental power to contain herself at that moment. She did with success but at that moment, Hannibal's offer was more and more tempting.
