The Chesapeake and the Baltimore ripper | Runaways

The Asylum

Jack threw another punch to my face and felt a tooth loosen. I spat some blood mixed with saliva out, onto the stone cold floor. My hair fell in front of my bloody, beaten face while I took in deep, vicious breaths. I tried to shake my wrists, but they were tied tight. Every time I tried to move, the rope only burned even more. I shook my hair out of my face and adjusted myself on the wooden chair I was tied to. I tried to turn my head around to face Jack, who was standing behind me, but he was too far behind.
"Does Will know you're doing this?" I asked Jack, knowing the answer anyway. I licked some blood off my bottom lip and heard Jack's deep breaths. I could hear my blood drip off his knuckles onto the floor, it was the only noise filling the dark, hallow, colourless room - except our breathing.
"I won't ask again.. I want to know about Martin, the lecter estate and Grutas..." Jack demanded off me. He marched back into my sight and I viewed his bloody fist and his unbuttoned shirt. The malevolence in his eyes piercing through me as I stared back at them.
"Im not saying a thing..." I leaned forward and whispered to him. He just stared intensely at me while I leaned back down on the chair. He suddenly winded me and punched at my stomach again with force.

The nurses took off my straight jacket once I was in my cell. Jack observed me getting placed back into my cell with Barney. I didn't take my eyes off Jack, who didn't take his eyes off me. The officer kept the rifle aimed at me. Once I was free, I took off my mask myself and made my way to face the corner.
"Don't turn around until you hear the door lock" the officer instructed to me.
"Same old routine" I sighed to myself, using my sleeve to wipe blood away from my mouth. I heard the locks click and turned around, to see everyone walking away, except Jack and Barney. I was fond of Barney, he was clearly passionate about his job. Whereas Jack, Just wanted me dead more than ever and for me to be his local punching bag, he had to pay chilton the total of $1,500 every time and any medical bills that might fly the asylums way. Therefore, nobody knew about what Jack was doing to me and who were they going to believe? The well respected Dr. Chilton and agent Jack Crawford, who caught the two tippers and have been in their professions for a long time... or the Baltimore ripper, who is 'always having fights with nurses, then officers have no choice but to use force'... I'll let you decide.
"I'll get you a cloth, Grace" Barney exclaimed to me as he hurried off. I gave him a faint smile then shot my head over at Jack, who was opposite the wall to me.
"You did well hiding your bruised knuckles" I whispered to me. He slightly snarled at me, while I just smiled at him.
"How's Hannibal doing? He also getting a beating?" I questioned Jack, fiddling with his nerves.
"Dr. Lecter is in heavier security than you..." Jack informed me.
"Good..." I whispered to Jack faintly. Then, he slowly walked off and I watched him leave.

I zipped down my uniform to see my bruised ribs and reddened stomach.
"Miss Lars"
I shot my head up to see Dr. Chilton staring at me. I gave him a faint smile and zipped up my uniform then approached him, as best as I could anyway with this wall. He had a smug smile on him, and grew his beard out a little since Hannibal and I left Baltimore. He analysed my face, that had been cleaned by Barney. He took a good look at my busted lip, bruised jawline, cheekbone, and black eye.
"Your scar... it's healing well" Dr. Chilton observed. I touched my cheek, where Pazzi slashed me with broken pottery.
"It keeps re-opening... tough enforcement" I said sarcastically to Chilton. A smirk cracked from one corner of his mouth as he clasped his hand around his cane.
"Then maybe don't be violent, Lars" chilton responded to me, slanting his head at me.
"I'm only violent to those who deserve it" I snarled. He chuckled to himself and hit his cane on the floor.
"Your multiple reports don't say that" chilton teased.
"The phoney ones?! You can't keep me in here forever, Frederick. And when I'm free... you better hope your officers are as forceful as they say on my reports"  I threatened to him. He began to walk away, but still shouted at me as he walked down the corridor.
"I can keep you in here forever, and I will... I've already won, Lars" he shouted to me. I huffed to myself and sat myself down back on my bed. I viewed my wrists to see the purple rope marks, that also had scabs on them. I rested my head on the wall and murmured to myself.
"Hannibal... where are you?"

Hannibal's POV

Will tossed a case file over to me. I just stayed sat at my desk while I watched Will sit himself down.
"Well?" I asked Will, slanting my head at him. He sighed, stroking his stubble then approached the wall separating us.
"The photos of Grace are in the case file..." he whispered to me. I felt a little delighted and made my way over to the case file.
"Discreetly collect them" Will whispered to me again, observing me collect the file.
"Of course" I replied to him, making my way back to my desk. I felt so eager to see her face again, since it had been a month since we last ever saw each other - and could be the last forever.

I flicked open the first few pages, completely ignoring the evidence against the red dragon, and saw the three, single Polaroid photos of Grace. The first one was her being escorted into the asylum after her court case. She had her mask and straight jacket on, with her brunette hair fallen in front of her. She didn't look insane, she was instead looking at all the journalists, not trying to hide her face. The second was her talking to Barney in her cell. They both had a smile on their faces, but Grace had a blood stain on her uniform, on her hip. I pulled a worried face then looked at the third, which was her being transported by two officers from her weekly, half hour walk. She had marks all over her and these clearly were not accidents.
"Why is she so beaten, Will?" I asked him.
"I'm not so sure.. her reports all say that officers are having to use force on her, because she's attacking people" Will informed me. I stashed the photos in the pages of one of my books then faced Will again.
"Now your end of the deal, Doctor... tell us what we have on the red dragon" Will instructed me slowly. I opened the pages and clicked My tongue as I scan read the pages.
"I would like to see Grace" I quickly decided to say. I closed the file, to see Will close his eyes to contain his disappointment. I clasped my hands together on the desk and leaned forward.
"Take this towards Dr. Chilton or Jack, but I'd like to see her... then you shall receive the help from me, I'm sure grace would also like to help" I suggested to Will.
"Do your side of the deal, Lecter!" Will pleaded off me.
"It is quite clear Grace is not being cared enough and I'm sure you still care about her... so, take this to chilton and Jack - now please" I instructed to Will. It is clear he has no power in this, while I do. He needs my help, he must earn it - he knows that. He crossed his arms while he stared at me.
"Don't make this difficult, Will" I asked off him nicely