The Eyes of a Lamb

Greed

Clarice sat in the forensics lab watching Beverly Katz work her magic along with Zeller and Price. She watched as they tried to piece together the parts from the last victim, his stomach pretty much in shreds from the explosion of rotten fish.

"Victim was postmortem when he was surgically cut open" Beverly said taking a look at the stitches "And then the fish were stuffed in him."

"Why fish though?" Zeller said as he took a sniff.

"He's a fishermen" Clarice said "And our killer has a sense of humor."

"Some kind of humor if you ask me" Price said turning away with some samples.

"Clarice" Beverly said turning towards her "What's this guys end game? I mean, we all know the seven deadly sins, but why has he picked them? These patterns don't point to any religious preference, so why these seven."

Clarice thought about it, thought about the way someone would be patient enough to kill someone slowly, drain their blood, and then take the time to stuff fish one by one into the body, then hang it on display for everyone to see.

"He's showing off" Clarice said "The first girl was just a calling card but now we are getting the full performance. Each kill will be grander and more gruesome then the last, just because he wants it that way. Our killer...loves suffering. In the worst way. These things would had taken time, and who knows what this poor guy went through before our killer decided to cut him and stuff him."

"So what is next?" Zeller said "He just keeps going? There's only seven sins."

"He's building up to something" Clarice said as her eyes began to get far away "He's building up for the last sin. The last and most deadliest sin of all. Then we will know his end game, because he won't allow himself to be caught. He's fast, careful, and worst of all patient."

"We aren't going to catch him are we?" Price said with a dark look.

"Not until the last sin" Clarice said "Only then will we see him for who he truly is."

Clarice sighed deeply and rubbed her forehead "Of only Will was here. I can only do so much right now, I can't empathize with this killer because his thoughts and design are so twisted and gruesome, it's like going down a dark hallway, not knowing if there is a wall there or if it just keeps going on forever."

"Well Will isn't recovered yet" Beverly said coming over towards her " He's not even just try your best Clarice."

"Thanks" Clarice said, Suddenly Jack Crawford popped in, his eyes wide as Clarice felt her heart sink once more.

"Greed" Clarice said.

Jack nodded and motioned for her to come while Beverly and Price got their equipment to go to the next scene. Clarice followed, her eyes hollow as she went for the long car ride to the tall skyscraper building where police cars lined up by the rows, not letting people in as Clarice walked by them like a forgotten ghost.

Upstairs, on the thirteenth floor, was the crime scene. Clarice almost wanted to laugh at the killers humor. He had picked the thirteenth floor specifically, it didn't matter if the victim worked on their or not, it was just to mess with them.

What Clarice saw next though, was not humorous.

It was horrible.

The victim's body was bended back in some almost strange yoga position, with his body split in half as crazed limbs stuck out from his body, their hands and feet grasping up in almost fevered panic as the carpet was soaked from all the blood. Clarice flinched for a minute, her eyes wanting to trail away but frozen on the spot at the display that laid before them.

"Clarice" Jack said almost in an echo in Clarice's head "What's happening here?"

"The many hands that reach are the ones that leech" Clarice said quietly "Did they find who's bodies those hands belong to?"

"There were three bodies" Jack said "Stuffed in the basement."

"Sloppy of him" Clarice said shaking her head "Something must have disturbed him."

"Like what?" Crawford said watching Clarice circle the body.

"Someone coming in" Clarice said "A missing piece, a phone call, an appointment...anything. But he didn't have time to make use of the other bodies."

"So what does that tell you?" Jack said giving Clarice a solid look.

"He's got a life outside of this" Clarice said looking Jack in the eye "He's someone important, someone you wouldn't think would ever do this, or if you did you are too scared to say anything. He's got money too, nobody just walks in here and gets this private with someone. Security must have been paid off."

"So who are we looking for?" Jack said "Give me at least a simple description."

"Tall" Clarice said looking at the mutilated body "Handsome, he's got to be charming. Slender build but he works out. I can't give you a hair or eye color because they could be anything. This man, who acts and walks like a man, is nothing but a wolf in sheep's clothing."

"We can work with that" Jack said nodding.

Clarice took a deep breath, pulling her eyes away from the scene finally, her body uncontrollably shivering. Jack let the forensics team in as he walked over to Clarice and put his arm around her.

"You know what you need" Jack said quietly as the team worked.

"A nice bottle of whiskey?" Clarice joked sadly.

"I think you need to go home" Jack said "Take a long bath, and spend some time watching bad TV. "

"That sounds nice" Clarice said rubbing her eyes "But I have to go see Will. I didn't get to last night."

Alana Bloom suddenly was on scene as she pushed her way through the crowd, her eyes growing wide and horrified at the scene before her. Quickly Crawford stepped in front of her, shielding her from the nightmare that Clarice had been free to see.

"Alana" Jack said making eye contact with her "What is it?"

Alana shook herself out of the daze she was in and finally got out "Will's awake..."

"When?" Clarice said stepping forward.

"A couple hours ago, I tried to call but nobody answered" Alana said looking at Clarice "He's asking for you Clarice."

That's all Clarice needed to hear as she nearly sprinted out of the room, Jack following close behind her as they hurried to the car. Jack understood the panic that was running through Clarice, wanting to know answers and wanting to know that Will Graham was alright. It was a silent but tense trip to the hospital when they finally stepped through the doors and down the hallway to Will's room.

Hannibal stood next to Will like a silent guardian as Clarice rushed in, her eyes relieved to see Will sitting up awake, though he still looked like hell.

"Hi" he croaked out.

"Hi" Clarice said with a tearful smile.

"Glad you could join us Clarice" Hannibal said with a small grin "Dear Will here is said to make a full recovery."

"I'm so glad to here that" Clarice said as she wobbled a bit. Hannibal came over quickly and led her safety to Will's bedside, his heart trying to remain calm as Clarice kept her eyes on Will. It was a strange feeling, seeing her only looking at Will while he looked at her. For the first time, Hannibal did not feel jealousy ripple through him, he simply felt...connected.

Hannibal continued to watch the two of them, merely speaking when he felt appropriate. Abigail Hobbs and Alana Bloom stopped in as well, and for a moment, Hannibal felt strangely content.

He had his friend, his lover, and his family all in one room together, their eyes hopeful as their bodies and souls connected piece by piece together in front of him, like long lost puzzles coming together after years of being shuffled in the dark.

And for the time being, he felt complete.