✔️ Only I Can Feel You | Hannigram | Rye Ambrose

7

"He knew," breathed Will as he opened his eyes, the visions of the previous fire fluttering from his mind. "Victorum knew that we would come."

Jack ran a hand over his face in disbelief. Will glanced over his shoulder. Green eyes met maroon.

"You weren't behind this..." muttered Graham, "were you?"

Hannibal showed indifference. "I identified the murderer. I led him straight to you." His eyes glimmered. "The fact that he is my friend means nothing. We acted by the hand of justice."

"Justice can be quite unfair, if you really think about it," grumbled Will, eyes dark. "Its seemingly righteous hands could be pressing all the right buttons. Playing a game." As he spoke, he neared Hannibal, ending practically nose-to-nose with him. "Digging under everyone's skin."

Hannibal's eyes glinted, nostrils flaring at their close proximity. The air hummed with heat.

"We're not here to accuse anyone," stepped in Jack, nudging Will away from Lecter. The binding air dulled in the slightest. "Will, what can you tell us about the crime scene?" His eyes narrowed as Will kept his electrifying, steadfast gaze on Hannibal. "Without accusing Dr. Lecter."

He tore his gaze away and huffed, shaking the tension from his limbs. "It was planned. More than we expected it to be." Will turned away from Hannibal, not sparing another glance at him. "A good thing we know—Bram Bates didn't escape prison."

"He wasn't a part of it..." mumbled Crawford.

Will shook his head, pacing the pews and glancing up at the intricate walls and paintings of the church. "No... but we still have Death in the picture. I have a feeling that Victorum—like Bates—knew Death. How, we still have no idea." He leaned against one of the pews.

"Victorum sat here. Waiting." He nodded, images flashing through his head. "Assuming he's buddy-buddy with the church officials, he spent his time distracting them while his accomplice soaked the carpet with gasoline." Will glared over at Hannibal, and Jack huffed.

"He's not part of this, Will."

The statement went ignored, and Will continued. "It was skillfully set. Like pieces on a chess board." Will paced once more, faintly aware of the other's gazes. "Skip forward to the explosion of fire. We were outside at the time, Jack—if you remember." He couldn't help but narrow his eyes at Hannibal. "While Dr. Lecter happened to be inside. Presumably helping," he grumbled.

"Will..."

Graham huffed. "Anyway. Victorum's accomplice was inside. He let the fire spread just a little longer, let it linger in some explosives that were precisely set..." Will motioned to an aisle of destroyed pews, their wooden remains in ashen, blocky pieces. "Then, like a hero, he stamped out the fire. The church officials decided to cancel the service, dismissed the people, and just as they left the building, the explosives set off."

Will walked down the middle aisle, facing Jack and Hannibal. "This leaves us with two options: one—the accomplice escaped before the explosion—" Will struggled to keep his eyes away from Hannibal. "or two—his body is among the others at the BAU."

Jack nodded, humming in thought. After a moments silence, he turned to Lecter. "Hannibal, would you have any idea where Victorum went? You know him better than any of us."

Lecter shook his head. "Over the course of our friendship, he's always disappeared without a trace," he said. "Sometimes for a mere day—others for months, even years... I have a feeling this is the same case."