The Grumman Gulfstream carrying Dr. Hannibal Lecter touched down in Memphis with two puffs of blue tire smoke. Following directions from the tower, it taxied fast toward the Air National Guard hangars, away from the passenger terminal. An Emergency Service ambulance and a limousine waited inside the first hangar.
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. Crawford?”
“I was afraid you’d do just what you’re doing, Senator.”
“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 was pecking on the window of the limousine. Senator Martin sent Brian 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, cut-your-losses cool that she recognized. She responded 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 Krendler 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 attention. 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.