The night was crisp on the girl's skin. She waited anxiously. Anyone passing by would see a teenager impatiently waiting, perhaps for a date, a friend… However she wasn't there for something quite so trivial.
Arlina was a pickpocket, one of the best. She had grown up in a secure, middle-class environment when a psychopath had massacred her family. She had watched from a hiding place, unable to stop him.
From then on Arlina had put away her childhood, and before a year had passed, at fifteen she was more proficient with knives and daggers then any older person she knew. She had to be, to survive among men. But, living on the street, she had to earn a living, and had become a thief. She had earned many unsavory nicknames, and had quite a reputation among the lowlife of her district and the guards who pursued them.
Arlina Kate Wells. Her real name. However all knew her as Rebel, although her childhood friends had called her Ally. Rebel had been her first nickname, given to her by some mercenary guards out for cash, who had sold her to the Doc.
By sixteen she was a proficient in thievery, knives and killing people. She didn't kill very often, but she would not quail.
She was now twenty-five, and regularly employed by known criminal organizations, and doing fairly well for herself. She had two peculiarities were not hers by nature, but had been forced upon her by Doc, which had helped in her ascent to one of the most wanted pick-pockets in the underground. Known by no other name, Doc experimented on runaways and slaves, wreaking havoc on their bodies. To Rebel, he had given diamond claws, if she moved her hand in a certain way, or in fright, they would suddenly protrude from between her knuckles. He had also given her an eye job that gave her enhanced night vision, but wasn't similar to a shine job, as she could still see in bright light, although her night vision wasn't any where near as good as a shine job, it just improved contrast.
Tonight she was after a big quarry. The Syndicate, one of the largest criminal organizations, behind only the Mafia and a few others, had asked her to grab some data off a man. She had to steal the disc, get it to a point where some guys would copy the data, then have it returned before the man realized it was gone.
Easy work. Arlina stiffened as a man walked down the alleyway. Not her mark. He did not leave. She didn't think he saw her, but she pressed herself against the wall, just in case. Slowing her breathing, she hoped that if he did notice her, he would think she was merely a sleeping teenager. If he interfered…
Another set of footsteps began to walk down the alley. She looked to see her target. Shit, she cursed what the hell do I do with the stranger?
Her mouth twisted caustically. She knew exactly what she would do. She began to whimper softly. The stranger stood up and came closer. When he was in reach she pulled him closer, and hit him on the head, hard, so he slumped over her. When her mark walked past, all he saw was a couple embracing.
Seeing him walk past, Arlina quickly shoved aside the man, taking his wallet – never turn down an easy profit – and followed. Her mark – Lucas – was almost too easy. She took his wallet, and ran to the halfway house. The men there knew her, and the disc was copied instantaneously. She grabbed the original, ran back, and replaced it before he was gone.
She returned to the halfway house. Her money was waiting, and she pocketed it quickly. She declined Mike's invitation for drinks, as usual, and made her way home.
She put the filched wallet on her table, locked up, and proceeded to take a long shower. Arlina sang as she bathed, but at least she had a fairly pleasant voice. After emerging, she dressed and walked back out into the larger room. She only had four rooms, a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and living room.
Arlina yawned, and, curling up in her bed, soon settled down to sleep.
Suddenly she woke up. Something had disturbed her sleep. She quickly reached for her daggers in the sheaths around her body, but they were all empty. She reached out for the dagger in the bedpost, but there was none there. Arlina called out "Lights". They flickered on and off, finally staying on.
In a smooth, fluid movement she rolled onto her feet and lightly pulled herself off the bed. As she landed, catlike, on the ground she was immediately yanked by her ankles to the floor. She twisted around, pulling at the hands on her ankles. The figure rolled out from under the bed, and they tussled for a moment, tumbling over one another, each trying to pin the other down. He was much heavier as well as being probably more skilled, and inevitably, he held her down.
She writhed in his grip, but, in control now, he grabbed both of her arms and held them in a large hand whilst he put a knife against her throat. Sullen, she stilled. He dropped the knife and pulled off goggles she hadn't realised he had been wearing, and her eyes widened as she realised she was looking into the eyes of Richard B. Riddick, the most wanted fugitive in the universe. "Shit." He winked at her, before hitting her over the head and she slumped into unconsciousness.