The Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris [70]
Senator Ruth Martin watched through the smoked glass of the limousine as the state troopers rolled Dr. Lecter out of the airplane. She wanted to run up to the bound and masked figure and tear the information out of him, but she was smarter than that.
Senator Martin's telephone beeped. Her assistant, Brian Gossage, reached it from the jump seat.
“It's the FBI--- Jack Crawford,” Gossage said.
Senator Martin held out her hand for the phone without taking her eyes off Dr. Lecter.
“Why didn't you tell me about Dr. Lecter, Mr. Craw?ford?”
“I was afraid you'd do just what you're doing, Sena?tor.”
“I'm not fighting you, Mr. Crawford. If you fight me, you'll be sorry.”
“Where's Lecter now?”
“I'm looking at him.”
“Can he hear you?”
“No.”
“Senator Martin, listen to me. You want to make personal guarantees to Lecter--- all right, fine. But do this for me. Let Dr: Alan Bloom brief you before you go up against Lecter. Bloom can help you, believe me.”
“I've got professional advice.”
“Better than Chilton, I hope.”
Dr. Chilton vas pecking on the window of the lim?ousine. Senator Martin sent Bean Gossage out to take care of him.
“Infighting wastes time, Mr. Crawford. You sent a green recruit to Lecter with a phony offer. I can do better than that. Dr. Chilton says Lecter's capable of responding to a straight offer and I'm giving him one--- ?no red tape, no personalities, no questions of credit. If we get Catherine back safe, everybody smells like a rose, you included. If she... dies, I don't give a God damn about excuses.”
“Use us then, Senator Martin.”
She heard no anger in his voice, only a professional, cutyourlosses cool that she recognized. She re?sponded to it. “Go on.”
"If you get something, let us act on it. Make sure we have everything. Make sure the local police share. Don't let them think they'll please you by cutting us out.
“Paul Krendier from Justice is coming. He'll see to it.”
“Who's your ranking officer there now?”
“Major Bachman from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.”
“Good. If it's not too late, try for a media blackout. You better threaten Chilton about that--- he likes atten?tion. We don't want Buffalo Bill to know anything. When we find him, we want to use the Hostage Rescue Team. We want to hit him fast and avoid a standoff. You mean to question Lecter yourself?”
“Yes.”
“Will you talk to Clarice Starling first? She's on the way.”
“To what purpose? Dr. Chilton's summarized that material for me. We've fooled around enough. ”
Chilton was pecking on the window again, mouthing words through the glass. Brian Gossage put a hand on his wrist and shook his head.
“I want access to Lecter after you've talked to him,” Crawford said.
“Mr. Crawford, he's promised he'll name Buffalo Bill in exchange for privileges--- amenities, really. If he doesn't do that, you can have him forever.”
“Senator Martin, I know this is sensitive, but I have to say it to you: whatever you do, don't beg him.”
“Right, Mr. Crawford. I really can't talk right now.” She hung up the phone. “If I'm wrong, she won't be any deader than the last six you handled,” she said under her breath, and waved Gossage and Chilton into the car.
Dr. Chilton had requested an office setting in Mem?phis for Senator Martin's interview with Hannibal Lecter. To save time, an Air National Guard briefing room in the hangar had been rearranged hastily for the meeting.
Senator Martin had to wait out in the hangar while Dr. Chilton got Lecter settled in the office. She couldn't stand to stay in the car. She paced in a small circle beneath the great roof of the hangar, looking up at the high, latticed rafters and down again at the painted stripes on the floor. Once she stopped beside an old Phantom F-4 and rested her head against its cold side where the stencil said NO STEP. This airplane must be older than Catherine. Sweet Jesus, come on.
“Senator Martin.” Major Bachman was calling her. Chilton beckoned from the door.
There was a desk for Chilton in the room, and chairs for Senator Martin and her assistant