Red Dragon Page #6

but there's only ten days

till the next full moon.

We've got to rattle his cage.

We'll stake out this apartment,

put snipers on the rooftops.

You'll have a moving box tail,

on the street, wherever you go.

You'll wear the Kevlar

at all times. No exceptions.

You again?

Come back at 4:
00 a.m.

when l open, all right?

Hey, l told you!

What?

You told me what?

F***ing d*ckhead!

ls that your f***ing name

on the sign?

Where am l?

What am l doing here?

Atoning, Mr. Lounds.

l haven't seen your face.

l couldn't possibly

identify you.

l work for the National Tattler.

lt would pay...

a big reward for me.

l mean, a half a million...

or a million, maybe.

Do you know who l am,

Mr. Lounds?

No.

And l don't want to know.

You know, believe me.

According to you,

l'm a vicious, perverted sexual failure...

a ''bottom-feeding lowlife''...

who's about to

''go down in flames.''

l think you know now, don't you?

Yes.

Do you understand

what l'm doing, Mr. Lounds?

No.

But l would like to.

l really want to understand...

and then all my readers

could understand, too.

l am not a man.

l began as one...

but each being

that l change makes me...

more than a man...

as you will witness.

l don't need to see you. No.

But you must, Mr. Lounds.

You're a reporter.

You're here to report.

Open your eyes and look at me.

No.

lf you won't open them...

l'll staple your eyelids

to your forehead.

No!

Open your eyes!

Oh, my dear God Jesus!

Oh, God!

Do you want to know what l am?

More than anything.

l was afraid to ask.

Do you see now?

Yeah, l see.

Oh, God.

Mrs. Jacobi in human form.

-Do you see?

-Yes.

Mrs. Leeds in human form.

-Do you see?

-Yes.

-Mrs. Jacobi changing.

-Oh, my God.

Mrs. Leeds changing.

Do you see?

Mrs. Jacobi reborn.

Do you see?

Mrs. Leeds reborn.

-Do you see?

-Please, no.

No? No what?

Not me.

Why did you write lies,

Mr. Lounds?

Graham told me to lie.

lt wasn't me.

-Will you tell the truth now?

-Yes!

About me?

-My work?

-Oh, yes.

My becoming?

Yeah.

l am the Dragon,

and you call me insane!

You are privy

to a great becoming...

and you recognize nothing.

You are an ant

in the afterbirth.

lt is in your nature

to do one thing correctly.

Before me, you rightly tremble.

But fear is not what you owe me,

Mr. Lounds.

You owe me awe.

Read.

That's all, Mr. Lounds.

You did very well.

Will you let me go now?

Soon.

There's one more way l can

help you to better understand.

l want to understand.

l do.

And l'm really gonna be fair...

from now on.

You know that.

Hello?

Oh, God, no!

l have had

a great privilege.

l have seen with...

wonder and awe the strength

of the Great Red Dragon.

He has helped me to understand

his splendor...

and now l want to serve him.

He knows you made me lie,

Will Graham.

Because l was forced to lie...

he will be more merciful to me

than to you.

Hello?

Oh, God, no!

We can let this

tie us up in knots...

or we can learn from it.

Maybe even use it

to catch the bastard.

He had to have a van

or panel truck...

to move Lounds around

in that big old wheelchair.

Go on.

He had to already have

the wheelchair...

or know where to get one fast.

lt's an antique, not something

you'd find in the house.

Does it strike anybody

that he set this up in a hurry?

The Tattler comes off the press

Monday night.

By Tuesday morning he's

in Chicago, snatching Lounds.

He either lives

in the Chicago area...

or he's within

a driving radius of...

call it six hours.

Find out in this area where

the Tattler was available...

for early distribution

Monday night.

Start with airports,

all-night newsstands.

Maybe a newsie

remembers an odd customer.

Lloyd, this cassette,

enhance the audio.

Maybe you can pick up

something in the background.

That wheelchair...

l want the maker, date,

possible sources.

Graham and l will coordinate

from Chicago. Let's hustle.

Look, there's not gonna be

any answers in Chicago, Jack.

Okay? l mean, Lounds, that was a bonus.

That was a chance to show off.

lt doesn't even fit his pattern.

The Leeds and the Jacobis

are what he needs.

l think l should go back to Baltimore.

After what he tried to pull?

Lecter picked up on something

in the missing part of the note.

Not a name, but something,

enough to narrow the search.

Even if he did, he won't tell you.

Not unless

l can offer him something.

Congratulations.

That was most artistic, the way

you disposed of Mr. Lounds.

Your cell looks bigger

with no books in it.

Does it?

l hadn't noticed.

Oh, you will.

l have other resources.

Tell me, Will. Did you enjoy it?

Your first murder?

Of course you did.

Why shouldn't it feel good?

lt does to God.

Why, only last week in Texas,

he dropped a church roof...

on the heads of 34 of his worshippers...

as they were

groveling through a hymn.

He wouldn't begrudge you

one journalist.

Put me next to him, Doctor.

You and some SWAT team?

Oh, Will.

Where's the fun in that?

He'll have to take

his chances, too.

A roof can fall on anybody.

But not on Molly and Josh,

l take it.

Not yet, anyway.

First he kills the pet,

then the family.

Freddy was your pet.

They're safe now.

No one will ever be safe

around you, Will.

Clever work on his note,

by the way.

And that blackout was

an especially nice touch.

What else was in that note,

Doctor?

Put me next to him!

That's what you want, isn't it?

To help him succeed

where you failed?

Twice?

Give him a chance to kill me.

Go on, then.

Seduce me with your wares.

Full restoration

of your privileges.

Plus computer access

to the AMA archives.

One hour a week

under supervision, of course...

but it's a one-time offer.

lt expires

the minute l walk out of here.

Bit measly, don't you think?

Turn it down, then. See what

terms you get from Chilton.

Are these threats, William?

l'm waiting, Doctor. Or maybe

you've got nothing left to sell.

A little sample, then. Why not?

-Seen the Blake, have you?

-Yes.

No, you've looked but not seen.

Transformation is the key.

The man-dragon...

his ugliness

transformed by power.

Look for a military record

with combat training.

Look for extensive tattooing...

and corrective surgery,

most likely to the face.

Come on, l'm past that already

and you know it.

Give me what l need.

How is he choosing the women?

l've already suggested how.

The answer was in front of you.

-You looked but didn't see.

-Bullshit! No riddles!

Just tell me.

No!

lt's your turn.

l asked you before

for a small courtesy...

and you responded rudely.

Before l tell you

anything more...

you will make

certain arrangements for me.

What kind of arrangements?

Oh, nothing much.

Shall we say dinner and a show?

You ready to tell me

what kind of outing this is?

Nope.

You're just full of surprises,

aren't you, D?

Yep.

He's about six feet away.

Can you smell him?

Yeah.

Now, he's a little noisy,

but he's sedated, l assure you.

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes