Riddick: Bloodhounds

Chapter 1: The Bait

Author's notes: Found myself at the latest offering of Vin Diesel and David Twohy's , Riddick 3 movie. Loved it, and as such, the show made me want to pursuer this universe further. This new story arc let's say, happens to continued three months or so after the last movie (Riddick: Rule the Dark) so if any reader of this work has not seen Riddick 3, then be advised that there may be spoilers ….. And my caution is for you to see the movie first (and bedazzled) before continuing. I hope that you find this story worth reading…Z (and, as always my stories are filled with AU & OC).

Secondary note: In trying to keep true to how David Twohy writes, Riddick: Bloodhounds is presented in a way as to suggest how the author may envision things. My perception of how he might continue on to the next chapter. I see Twohy as continuing the story in this fashion. There will be aspects of the story written below that will involve Riddick conveying his thoughts and ideas through narration (which will be shown in bold/italic, just Mr. Riddick thinking out loud) so be prepared. Getting into the mindset of the Riddick characters is a fun process.

Synopsis….There is a planet, far off in the distant reaches of space, a world known as LC-236 (Lost Colony). It has made a good hidey-hole for a certain individual for several months now. Someone who had wanted to remain hidden from the Necros, but now doesn't care anymore if they know about him or if they come (or anyone else,) he is ready. He sent out a beacon, from his transport, a telegraph seemly that was more of a whisper than a shout, but he knew that certain individuals would be looking, and would find it. First would be the bloodhounds, they always seemed to have their noses up someone's ass….

******************** The Bait ********************

"Bloodhounds…..I always knew when they were coming, I could sense it. Bloodhounds…. mercenaries, bounty hunters, guns for hire, whatever you wanted to call them, they were bloodhounds to me. Hot on my trail, scouring the universe to pick up my sent. The thing is, and what I find amusing….was when they found me…. It was a moment of spectacle. Yeah, it really brightened up my day, made me feel like queen of the prom or something, you know, like when everybody wants you because you've become most interesting…. (laughs).

Bloodhounds, how did I know that they would soon find me? Well, one reason may be that I had let it be known where I could be found, and secondly, I knew how they operated. Yeah I knew all about bloodhounds, their manners, their methods… why, because I used to be one myself."

She was sitting at a small unwashed table in the middle of a dive that was, as raunchy a bar as could be spoken of. A sleaze-pit that was considered to be a blemish on society, a stain on a planet where not even your average cockroach would venture to be seen (for reasons of humility), and, this world really had no reason to describe itself as such (as a planet).

She sat there, alone, drinking her label of choice from a bottle that was almost empty. She felt discussed by this hole-in-the-wall establishment that she found herself in, but she was here by choice, of her own accord (just as she had been for the last three nights), rather than by persuasion.

This pit of inhumanity would have not been on Johns' list of choice places to frequent, had he been with her, but the simple truth was…. he was not.

Her boss had gone off on some pilgrimage to find the body of his deceased son, maybe to give it a decent burial or something, whatever? Anyway he had left her in charge of the ship, their ship, and its crew. She felt honored, being left in command of a vessel which sported a total crew of three, well two now since Johns had gone, (post thoughts as sarcasm). However, that was all that remained after their last mission, months ago, a mission in which their original parameters had been to recover the renegade Richard B. Riddick…..which had happened, but not actually.

Things hadn't gone as planned, but in a universe, where nothing is fair, if one was able to do this kind of work and remain living for two years, one should consider themselves lucky, or blessed if you were a believer in an afterlife.

The woman giggled to herself as she brought the glass up to her lips…..and finished the last swallow.

Riddick, yeah, that man had a way of getting underneath a person's skin. She knew from personal experience. Still, it was an experience that she wouldn't trade for the universe.

Riddick was the type of guy that made people think twice…..consider their souls. He even had caused Johns to dump his unscrupulous ways and cause him to consider the alternatives of an afterlife. To think outside the box, consider ideas about his family, and what may become of his son's soul post mortem (isn't that the way that parents think, to envision an afterlife past the importance of their own skin, to concern themselves with the fate of their off-spring?).

Johns had never been a religious man, not before, but Riddick had caused him to rethink his priorities, focus more on what comes after. Seeing the death and carnage on that God-forsaken rock just a few short months ago had changed her boss, had made him more ethical, and as ethics go, as a pirate Johns had had more ethics than most. It was the reason why she had joined up with him and had remained.

Now he had left his ship for reasons to travel to a world where Riddick had said that the body of his son could be found, and recovered. This meant that his son's soul may be brought to peace, a peace that his father was determined to give him, and provide his own self with closure.

There was one thing that Johns had wanted from her before he had left this planet, a new mission, a new duty, find them a job. Sometimes those weren't easy to come by out in the universe. Sometimes it took months. A bounty hunter or pirate could starve to death if they weren't diligent or on their toes looking for work, and it was the reason why she found herself here…..

The Starlight Mission, a humorous play on words actually, the name of this bar, in this forsaken part of town. Not the kind of establishment that appealed to the upper crust of society, still, it was a place to seek information, scuttle-butt on what was going on in the cosmos. A place most people would not want to be seen dead in, much less being there for other reasons.

That would not stop her from enjoying her drink, or accomplishing her goal. Her duty had been to find another job, and as she, and the other of her group, existed on the rim of the civilized universe, because of their trade, it sometimes took them to shit-holes like this.

The woman looked around the room. There were plenty of men around, men she'd seen on previous nights, men who knew to leave her alone if they wanted to keep their balls attached. Still there was one that she didn't recognize, a newcomer. One who must have arrived on world only that day? He kept looking at her, glancing in her direction, (as if he had a chance). She kept baiting him though, allowing him the idea of promise that he could get some play. What an idiot, a looser, but she wasn't done with him yet. She would permit him to enter her space, and if he had a job (not a blow-job) that she considered interesting, then they may make a connection, a business connection only, mind you.

She looked over at him (with his furry sideburns) with eyes that spoke that she was available. He walked over and sat in the chair across from her.

"Good evening sista, kinda lonely in this part of town."

Who was he kidding? There were twelve goons for every maiden at this bar. Was he blind or over confident in his abilities to sway the fairer species?

"Yeah, I can get a little lonely, for the right person," she spoke.

"Look doll, how about you and me get together for a little undercover operations, get my point, or should I rephrase, get my point into you?"

That smile of his was the sleaziest she'd seen on this planet. What a shit clod…..this fellow, still he had been able to succeed where others had not, lose her interest in two sentences.

"The name is Dahl, and I don't screw men….."

The guy's stupid grin never left his face.

"I thought as much," he said.

He took a sip from his own drinking glass, arose from the chair he was sitting, and was gone... however, immediately another person zoomed in to take his place, a girl, a woman, and she looked as rugged and interesting as Dahl herself. She looked eye to eye with the freelance mercenary, brought her own drinking cup up to her mouth and took a deep swallow. She placed her glass down upon the solid table.

"You and me in the alley in five," the woman spoke," I've got a job for you," she seemed more interested in making a connection, rather than making a hook-up. The woman then stood and left the table.

Now this was interesting. What kinda job was she hinting about? Could be that she was just the lure, the bait to get Dahl outside, however, this didn't frighten the mercenary; she had broken the noses of many people that didn't show her respect, some of them women, and she was well capable of taking care of herself. Johns wanted her to find them a job, maybe this was it? After the woman had gone Dahl contemplated what she had said. Could be that this was a legitimate undertaking, or could be that it was a trap? She would never know unless she pursued the lead.

Dahl arose from the table, checked her weapons (even the hidden ones) and looked around the room. Mr. Sideburns was gone too….may he was the kind of guy that just liked to watch, she grimaced.

"Pervert, but I'm OK with that," she spoke, and then headed out the door.

END PART 1