Silence Them

CHAPTER 2

Clarice stood beside Ardelia as Crawford carefully unzipped the large bodybag.
   The room was dim, the only source of light was the one above them. Clarice handed Ardelia a jar of Vick's after applying some under her nose.
     "We have another victim that might be involved with The Stork," Jack grunted as he helped Will Graham remove the body from the bodybag, a few coroners observing them.
  "Victoria Thomas— she was twenty five. She was thirty six weeks pregnant. As you can see, her lower abdomen is cut and the baby was removed. Her body was found in Elk River. This is the third body they found there."
  Clarice stared at the body not saying a word— Hannibal was the only thing on her mind. It had been a month since he escaped Memphis and Clarice wasn't sure if he was okay or not. Jack looked at Clarice with his arms crossed as he stood there analyzing her.
    "Starling," Crawford said quickly.
   Clarice looked up and saw Jack was giving her a stern look, everyone else staring at her. Clarice sighed quietly and grabbed an empty case file as Ardelia snapped photos and Will talked into the tape recorder.
   Jack leaned against a nearby counter and continued to watch Clarice's mannerisms. He knew Clarice had been worried ever since Lecter left, but this time was different. Something was off. She was quiet and seemed to be dissociating.
  "Starling. Outside, now," Crawford said sharply.
   He excused himself and Clarice, Ardelia making eye contact with Starling as she walked out of the room with Crawford. Clarice leaned against the wall with her arms crossed, Jack staring at her with his hands on his hips. She remained silent.
"What's going on?"
   Clarice could tell by the tone in his voice that he was concerned. Jack knew that Clarice had some bad days before in her past, but she never acted like this. Even then, she was always concentrated and on task.
"Mr Crawford," Clarice's accent got thicker than normal. She cleared her throat and stopped for a moment. "I'm fine."
   She swallowed hard as she tried to avoid eye contact with him and awkwardly pushed her short brown hair behind her ear.
"Your mannerisms say other wise. And how many times do I have to tell you to call me Jack?"
Clarice and Crawford liked each other, they always have. Clarice admired Jack, Jack admired her. She could go to him with any of her problems; Crawford was her safe place. However, Clarice seemed to have her eyes set on Hannibal and Hannibal only. That's where her heart belonged even though it was wrong.
"I'm just worried," Clarice confessed as she looked up at Crawford.
   She swallowed hard, her jaw clenched from embarrassment. She didn't want to show Jack her true emotions, especially when it came to Dr Lecter.
   "He could hurt someone, or someone could hurt him."
"I know, Starling," Jack sighed. "We could really use him right now." He paused and looked at Clarice, she stared at him. "But, that's not what you should be worrying about right now. You're a very determined woman; you and Ardelia are the only two agents I have that are able to get the job done. Carefully and fast."
   Clarice looked away and laughed rolling her eyes at Jack's comment.
"You have Will." Clarice looked back at Jack. "Nothing gets better than that."
    Jack smiled and patted her arm.
"I have him temporarily... Now, let's go. This already looks unprofessional as it is."
   Jack gestured his head towards the door. He reached for the door knob, Clarice pausing in her tracks.
"Jack, why is Will here? You never said anything to us... He just kind of showed up."
   The look on his face worried Clarice.
"Like I said, you and Ardelia are the only good agents I have and sometimes I need a little help," Jack smiled softly.
   Truthfully, Clarice knew Will was only there cause he was the second best person Jack had, Lecter being the first.
They walked back into the room and Clarice picked up the case file. She began to write down all the information about Victoria.
   She stared at the body and looked for anything suspicious as Jack and Will also examined the body. Her brows knitted when she noticed Victoria's skin looked as if it were glued down.
   She grabbed a pair of medical tweezers and everyone watched as Clarice pulled back the cold, decayed skin. Eyes widened as a small cocoon appeared from under the skin.
   "Whomever killed her hallowed out chest so we couldn't find this," Clarice whispered.
   She and Jack looked each other as they both knew what it was. Jack put the cocoon in a jar of solution and looked at the coroners.
   "I think we're done here. Be sure to check the chests of those other victims."
   The two coroners nodded and while escorting Victoria's lifeless body from the room.
Jack kept examining the jarred cocoon in disbelief. Buffalo Bill was dead and gone; they had no leads as to whom could be doing this.
   Clarice stood near a counter and was writing down the rest of the information; Lecter was still on her mind. She stared out the window and she tapped the pen on her mouth, her and Ardelia jumping when Jack laughed in disbelief.
   "Well ain't that something, Starling."
   Clarice looked over at Crawford and saw him smirking and staring at her, his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
   "Death's Head Moth," he chuckled while shaking his head. "Can you believe that?"
   He let out a deep breath, the look on his face worrying Clarice as he went outside with the coroners. The two girls looked at each other as they stood alone in the dim room.
"You think it may be a copy cat?" Ardelia sprayed down the metal exam table and began wiping it down, Clarice look back out the window as she watched Jack help the coroners and Will place Victoria in the vehicle.
"I'm not sure," Clarice responded softly.
She knew they needed Lecter's help and if they didn't get it soon, more women would end up missing.