Silence Them

CHAPTER 17

Clarice sat in the private room waiting patiently for Jack and Will to arrive. She stood immediately when the door opened, Jack glaring at her as Will walked in behind him.
"I thought I told you to stay home until I gave you the okay," Jack said sternly but softly.
"I'm not going to abandon my job just because you don't know what you're doing anymore." Clarice crossed her arms and looked at Will, then back at Jack.
       "Well, have you spoken to her yet?" Jack asked as he poured himself some coffee.
  He looked over at Clarice and held up the coffee pot to see if she wanted any. She walked over to him and grabbed a cup.
     "No, I haven't. I told them I would talk to her once she was situated." Clarice looked at Jack as she placed the coffee pot back. "I'm assuming Sheriff Baker talked to you." She began to pour in her cream and sugar.
  "He told me everything you told him, so now we wait for the okay to go talk to her," Jack sighed as he sipped his coffee.
"She probably won't even talk to us... She was so scared and traumatized."
   Clarice threw her stirrer straw away, blowing on her coffee before she sipped it gently. Her mind automatically began to race as she thought of her dreams.
   Seeing that poor vulnerable woman reminded Clarice a lot about that morning in Montana. She inhaled deeply and turned to Jack. Before she could speak, Will interrupted her.
"We have to try, we can't keep pushing it off," Will said quickly. He sat down and rubbed his temples, Clarice shooting her head quickly at Will.
"We?" She looked back at Jack. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but I tried to help and you pushed me away."
"Clarice, with all due respect, I just need you to cooperate. I should suspend you for not listening to my instructions, but right now I need you." Jack looked at her and bit his cheek as he watched her grow a bit angry.
"Will, could you excuse us for a moment?" Clarice asked calmly as she stared at Jack.
   Will looked at Jack for approval and then left the room. It was silent for a few minutes. Clarice swallowed hard and her jaw clenched as she watched Will leave and looked back at Jack. "
   "Why didn't you want me to help? First you tell me to go home, threaten to suspend me, and now you need my help? You make no fucking sense anymore. What the hell compelled you to even do that?"
"Clarice, we don't have time for this..."
   She could tell he was beating around the bush.
"Jack, why did you send me home?" It was obvious she was upset.
   Jack bit his top lip before saying anything, Starling staring at him. He looked at her.
  "I found this on my porch the day I told you to go home." He pulled out Chilton's badge. Clarice's eyes widened as she stared at it. "I'm also not stupid. He was with you that night, wasn't he?" Clarice stared at Jack as she began to feel lightheaded. "Answer me, Starling," Jack's voice was stern.
  "He attacked me and ran off..."
    She felt tears began to form. How stupid was she for confessing she was with Lecter to her boss? She couldn't believe herself.
   "What does that have to do with you making me leave and not helping?" They both jumped when Will came in the room.
"Sorry for interrupting, but I got some information that might be useful."
   Will gave Jack a notepad. Jack grabbed it and began to read it, Clarice looking at it with him.
   The woman had drawn a map of the location where the warehouse was, both Clarice and Jack looking at each other then at Will.