What Hannibal had intended on being a quiet afternoon where he got to return to his mate early for a change, had abruptly been transformed into carefully choosing is words so as to both assist and give nothing of help to Special Agent McCoy. How Anders' last kill had been left inside a nightclub full of cameras without any of them seeing anything had not only infuriated him, but made him look incompetent to his superiors. Frustration had started to wreak havoc with his mind, had him ready to kick in every door in the state to do an illegal search for anything connecting to the Flag Killer. So, Hannibal had smiled and offered the man a seat, had calmly retold him everything he'd said before learning who Anders was but in a different fashion to make it sound new. It hadn't taken more than two minutes to decided to message Will informing him he'd be late leaving the office. In McCoy's mind, Hannibal was a gilded font of knowledge at his personal disposal, a soothsayer who'd guide him to the Flag Killer's door. Although, while Hannibal had originally been content to occasionally provide insight to another murderer's kills, he'd certainly not jeopardize his daughter's mate or her relationship with him. No, he'd continue being polite and playing helpful until McCoy was either pulled off the case or just stopped darkening Hannibal's doorway.
"I'm afraid I'm not a forensic computer analyst, I can't explain how he avoided those cameras. What I can tell you is that the Flag Killer has a point to make and leaving a body in the centre of a normally happy place is his way of doing it."
"Yeah, yeah." McCoy sighed from his seat opposite Hannibal's desk. "He's punishing them for their crimes."
A knock sounded on the door then so Hannibal politely excused himself and crossed the room to admit Anders; probably poor timing. He held a few books in one arm and had a satchel over his shoulder.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, Doctor Lecter, I didn't realize you were still with patients."
"You're my son-in-law, I think it's high time you called me Hannibal. Please, come in." He gestured to the tired alpha at his desk. "This is Special Agent Michael McCoy, he's consulting me on the Flag Killer." That had gray eyes flick to Hannibal questioningly a moment before his mask fell back into place. "Agent McCoy, this is my daughter's mate Anders Corvene."
Anders set his books down on Hannibal's desk and slipped off his satchel before he shook the hand of the agent after him. The serial killers had this man outnumbered now and he hadn't even realized it.
"That's a lot of medical books."
Gray eyes glanced at them a moment. "Yes, I'm at Johns Hopkins. I actually came by to ask if Doct- Hannibal would be kind enough to loan me some of his anatomy books. Apparently he has a rather lovely collection of rarer ones."
Hannibal saw no problem with loaning some books out and easily gestured to the ladder which led up to the mezzanine. "By all means, Anders, do help yourself."
With thanks Anders made his way up the ladder and out of sight while Hannibal moved the satchel from the floor to one of the blue chairs in the office's centre. Meanwhile, curiosity had McCoy pull the topmost book from the pile Anders had placed on the desk. Torture. Why would a hopeful doctor have such a detailed book on torture techniques? His brow furrowed deeply as he flicked through only to stop when the pages became riddled with annotations and notes, then they widened and glanced up to the mezzanine to ensure Anders hadn't seen him. McCoy gulped, returned the book then quickly but quietly approached Hannibal. He caught the taller man by the arm and tugged him further away from the mezzanine so they'd not be overheard.
"Is everything all right, Agent McCoy?" Hannibal asked as he straightened the creases from his sleeve.
"Em, Doctor Lecter, I don't wish to alarm you, but I'm fairly certain he's the Flag Killer."
Hannibal cocked an eyebrow. McCoy may not have been wrong, but he did wonder how the man had so suddenly realized it. Of course, none of that flashed across his face, instead Hannibal made a puzzled expression and whispered quietly.
"There must be some mistake, why would you think such a thing? Anders is my son-in-law."
"I know he is. I know that and I'm sorry, but he has a book full of notes on flaying. He's filled the margins with reminders for how deep to cut. You said our man was a highly intelligent alpha who's a medical student. Anders Corvene is a highly intelligent alpha who's a medical student and he's got a how-to manual on skinning people."
Yes, Hannibal couldn't really argue with the federal agent, not when everything he'd said was accurate. Still, he went into damage control mode easily enough.
"Anders is a curious man, he knows I've been consulting and probably wished to help in any way he could. I'm sure there is a very simple explanation for all of this. How about we just talk to him and clear it all up?"
Reluctantly McCoy sighed with a nod. All of this seemed like far too much of a coincidence to not be connected, but Hannibal was a smart man and McCoy wanted to give the man's family the benefit of the doubt. They'd talk to him, if it turned out there was a simple answer then great, if there was something darker they'd deal with it when they crossed that bridge.
McCoy spun around as Anders descended the ladder with two books in his arms. He flashed a pleasant smile but clearly took instant notice of the conspiratorial huddle McCoy had drug Hannibal into.
"Everything all right, Agent McCoy? I can leave if I'm interrupting your consultation."
"I just want to talk to you about something, lad. You see-"
In an instant Hannibal had grabbed him from behind and begun choking him out slowly while Anders stared in shock. He didn't drop the books, didn't rush to help McCoy, just watched as Hannibal expertly choked a man.
"You're book gave you away, Anders." Hannibal informed as McCoy's eyes started to flutter. "He knows you're the Flag Killer."
Rendering someone unconscious took longer than most presumed, so Hannibal stood there for several moments with an unrelenting grip while Anders set the books aside and slowly approached. McCoy struggled, by God did he struggle, but he stood no chance against Hannibal. When he made a last-ditch effort to grab his weapon, Anders snatched it away swiftly enough.
"I'm sorry about this, Hannibal. I didn't mean to involve you."
"Quite all right, Anders, we're all serial killers here. Besides, mistakes are teachable moments."
With that, McCoy finally slipped into unconsciousness and Hannibal carefully lowered him down to the floor between them. The two killers looked at McCoy a moment unsure what to do with him.
"I could call D?" Anders suggested. "He has that black minivan."
"Francis' involvement will not be required. Believe it or not, I once had a similar encounter with Miriam Lass."
"The girl at the House with one arm?" Hannibal nodded in confirmation. "So that's how she wound up so conditioned by you."
He'd planned on using Miriam to taunt law enforcement once upon a time, but that plan had been cancelled a long time ago. She was much more use at the House now so there she'd remain. Meanwhile, McCoy wouldn't make for a very good taunt and killing him hadn't been planned in the slightest. Killing him would likely be the easiest thing to do as well as the simplest. With McCoy gone a new agent would be assigned but they'd not get Hannibal's assistance nor would they stumble across Anders' books. So, with a few orders from his pack alpha, Anders had set about moving McCoy's vehicle to somewhere it wouldn't be noticed a while and creating the idea he'd left Hannibal's office hours before he'd been killed. While Anders had done that, Hannibal had bound McCoy, lightly sedated him for the journey, and driven him over to his house on the cliffs for some privacy.
It had been some time since Hannibal had been there, he'd bought it a long time ago before he'd become a psychiatrist and just never sold it on. Now the children were older he'd maybe bring his family out for a weekend. They could look out at the ocean and enjoy a little vacation now and then. For the time being it would serve as McCoy's prison.
Upon arriving, Hannibal had hauled McCoy down to the basement where he'd bound him to a table to await Anders. Killing McCoy really hadn't been on his list of things to do but needs must and all that. Hannibal removed his suit jacket and waistcoat then placed them neatly over a chair looking out over the vast cliffs. Yes, he really would have to bring the children here sooner or later.
With time to kill until Anders arrived or McCoy awoke, Hannibal decided to treat himself to a nice glass of red and stare out at that view. Should he turn his accidental victim into something beautiful and artistic, or let him simply linger on a list of missing persons? While the latter would likely be simpler in the long run and avoid riling up whichever agent took over the Flag Killer case. Although, Hannibal had an idea for a homage to Anders' work which he didn't want to waste. Freddie Lounds had made several allegations that the Chesapeake Ripper had teamed up with the Flag Killer to murder which was, of course, false, but maybe this once they'd let her be right about something.
Eventually Anders arrived and Hannibal admitted him to the house which was promptly complemented for its elegant modernism.
"Thank you, Anders. Please, follow me." Anders didn't need telling twice, he just trailed after the older alpha down to the basement where their victim had finally regained consciousness. "I'm glad to see you awake, Agent McCoy. You'll have to forgive our rude treatment of you. Regrettably, you have forced our hands."
"The fuck is this? Have you known it's him the whole time?!"
"Please do not yell, it is uncouth. To answer your question: No, when you first came to consult me I didn't even know Anders. I figured him out shortly afterwards though. My daughter has only just mated, she loves him very much and I shan't see her heart broken just because you wish to close a case."
McCoy gaped wide-eyed at Hannibal. He'd entrust a known serial killer with his pup? "You'll just let him keep killing to protect a reputation and some upset? Are you insane?!"
Hannibal smiled ever so slightly as Anders removed his jacket and rolled his sleeves up much as Hannibal had. "After so many years in psychiatry, I can tell you that everybody is a little insane. I have chosen to protect my pack not my reputation, that is merely a useful by-product."
Hannibal went to prepare his tools while Anders removed his own from his satchel. Honestly, the old saying that daughters married their fathers seemed alive an well because, looking at them, an outsider would have assumed Anders to be Hannibal's flesh and blood son rather than his son-in-law.
"Have you ever harmed an omega, Agent McCoy?"
"What? No. Just let me go. You don't need to do any of this. You only kill people who need punishing, right?" Anders nodded. "I don't. I've never abused or belittled an omega. This isn't how you kill. Hannibal, I don't know what's going through your head but you're a good man who knows right from wrong. Your daughter doesn't have to lose her mate, she'll have right to heat privileges. Just let me go and I'll help you all through this."
Hannibal spun around to regard McCoy a moment. Everything he'd said was logical and truthful, but they'd passed the point of no return back in his office several hours ago. Pleading wouldn't do anything to help McCoy now because he was appealing to a better nature neither killer had.
"I'm sorry, but you are going to die here. Best resign yourself to it, Agent McCoy."
Anders' brow furrowed. "Hannibal? He doesn't need punishing if he's never harmed an omega, so I'm disinclined to kill him. That said, I did create this mess and shove you into it, so I should clean it up." Out from his satchel came a glass vial and syringe which he promptly began to fill. "Normally I ensure my victims feel ever second of agony, that is their punishment after all, but you don't deserve that so I'll ensure you feel no pain."
"Wait." Gray eyes flashed up to Hannibal's intense maroon ones. "If you give him that then the meat will be ruined."
"Meat?!" McCoy felt sick as those maroon eyes turned to face the bound agent.
"Did it ever occur to you that the nod toward the Chesapeake Ripper's work displayed in the Flag Killers latest kills was because I had been teaching him?"
McCoy paled as the proverbial penny finally dropped. This was why Hannibal had been so totally unbothered by the fact his daughter had mated with a serial killer; he was one as well. It was a whole fucking family of murdering psychopaths.
Neither killer seemed bothered by McCoy's sudden horror, in fact they just turned back to their conversation over him.
"If not the painkillers and sedative, what would you recommend, Hannibal? Like I said, he doesn't deserve to suffer the agony of flaying."
"You are so used to ensuring your victims live through the process that you've failed to reach the simple answer, Anders. We just kill him now and then mutilate his body."
"No! Let me fucking go! You won't get-" Hannibal swiftly removed McCoy's tie and shoved it into his mouth to keep him quiet; screaming profanities wasn't needed.
"We shall simply sever his brainstem, death will follow shortly after. I propose you take his skin and craft your flag as you always do. If you'd be so kind, I'd like to take the rest of him."
Anders nodded. "That seems reasonable. I won't be displaying him as one of my kills, but I'll make the flag for you."
How two people could so calmly discuss the execution and subsequent mutilation of a federal agent as though they were discussing nothing more than where to go for lunch startled McCoy. However, he'd never get to fully ponder it as Hannibal swiftly took a blade and ended his life. Light faded from his eyes and McCoy soon departed for another realm.
With McCoy dead, Hannibal left Anders to his work and headed upstairs to contact Will and fill him in on everything that had happened and exactly why he'd be home so late. As expected, Will hadn't been too pleased to hear that McCoy choosing to alert Hannibal to his suspicions was the only thing to save their family, but he'd calmed down upon hearing McCoy had already passed. Anders had learned not to keep annotated textbooks on torture and Hannibal had restocked both his and the House's refrigerators, so all was again well. Will had even used the late night as an excuse to order one of those godawful pizzas Hannibal hated so much; Hannibal could only hope his twins took one look at it and insisted they had one their papa had prepared instead. Hell, Hannibal would have installed a proper pizza oven if Will hadn't kept stressing that the fact it was cheep and greasy was what made it good. Regardless, his mate and children were happy, he had fresh meat to cook with and the next morning the world would see his creation.
Some time after he'd left him, Hannibal returned to the basement to find Anders dumping his bloody gloves into the trash which would be burnt before they left. McCoy had been flayed and the skin set out in a neat single piece beside him.
"I must commend your skill, Anders, very impressive. Your hard work has paid off."
"Thank you. I owe most of it to you though. You're an exceptional teacher."
While not his protégé, Anders had been taken under the older alpha's wing where he'd learned a great deal of both the medical work and murdering world. Hannibal's talents with a scalpel were unmatched and had left Anders understanding that intelligence and memorizing textbooks never quite matched up to experience and natural skill.
With the flaying complete, Anders work was technically done and so he could leave, but Anders had wanted to remain just to see what art Hannibal had in mind. A homage to the Flag Killer was what Hannibal had alluded to, and it wasn't every day one got to see the infamous Chesapeake Ripper in action. So Anders watched, he sat and watched quietly as Hannibal turned the stereo on - Un bel dí vedremo – and set to work after a roll of his shoulders. With a truly amazing speed, Hannibal butchered McCoy down then set the bones to boil clean before he returned to properly prepare the meat. Only then did Anders fully understand the fundamental differences between his and Hannibal's kills, while he killed to punish and remove those who weren't fit to live from the world, Hannibal killed to eat and create his art. Yes, both were sadistic and enjoyed the power they held over others, but, when all was said and done, Hannibal was an artist while Anders was an executioner.