Part 3
Riddick wasn't about to admit that he was the slightest bit panicked when he barged through the back door of the holy man's house. He had just come from Carolyn's and it was evident that no one had been there in months. A layer of dust in the house and a dead garden mocked him as he kept a steady pace into town. If she were still alive she'd be at the priest's house, wouldn't she? He knew that she had been shot, but also knew that she had made it off the planet alive.
He had stolen a prison guard's uniform and Id, and with a hat pulled low over his eyes had managed to make his way off the planet with the rest of the rescued staff, including a very much alive but injured Carolyn. He had disembarked at the first stop unable to take the chance of staying on board till they reached their destination. He knew she was alive and that had been good enough. But what if something had happened between the time he had left her and now.
"Carolyn!" He bellowed as he hit the doors not bothering to close them behind him. "Carolyn!"
"Riddick?! I'm here! I'm here!" He heard her call out from somewhere in the house, the sound of running footsteps echoing along the wooden floors. He let out the breath he didn't know he was holding when she appeared at the end of the hall. His feet remained planted as she ran to him, jumping into his arms, a single leg hooking around one of his thighs, as her arms went around his neck clinging to him.
One arm around her waist, the other fisted in her hair, he found himself breathing in her scent. Pulling her head back, he claimed her mouth. Carolyn broke away first, bringing her forehead to rub against his cheek. "Where have you been? I was worried." She whispered as she slid down his body, her feet touching the floor.
"I wanted to wait until I was sure it was safe." He told her, his nose and mouth buried in her hair.
"Too long." She said running a hand over the growth of hair on his face and scalp.
"Why are you here? What's happened?" he asked taking a step back, glancing up at the stairs.
"It's alright," she said following his eyes. "Lajjun and her daughter are upstairs in the bath. We're basically alone until Imam returns."
Riddick hadn't stepped foot in this house since Carolyn and Jack had moved out. Lajjun had always been extremely disapproving of Imams friendship with the convict so both he and Carolyn had done their best to respect that. Riddick had only seen their daughter from a distance, always making himself scarce if the two families had prearranged plans when he was in town.
Heating up water in the kitchen, Carolyn carried a basin out to him and sat quietly watching him shave. Standing when Imam returned, a single glance from Riddick in her direction had her sinking back into the chair she was in.
She sat in the shadows as Riddick blocked out the sight of Ziza, watching and listening to Imam talk about world-enders and saving his family, having little sympathy as hers was in a state of fracture. Riddick seemed to pick up on her feelings as he shrugged his shoulders in non-chalance."It had to end sometime."
When the knock on the door came she jumped slightly, moving to yet another shadow in different corner, Riddick's eyes never leaving her. She locked her gaze with his as they listened to Imam greet his newest guests.
When the three men entered the room, Riddick stood quickly, closing the door to the study. Ripping the cloths off the first priests face, the other two quickly removed theirs as he inspected them closely. Carolyn gasped as he pulled his knife on the wind and a woman appeared. Riddick listened to the old woman talk, less than impressed by what she had to say, cracking a joke about being educated in the penal system.
When Imam began talking about Riddick's birth, she closed her eyes dropping her head to her chest. Looking back up, she discovered Riddick had turned his back on all of them and was looking straight at her.
She saw the pain in his eyes as they hounded him about his childhood, not at all surprised when he turned on the old woman in the blink of an eye.
They could hear the shouting in the plaza and the beating on the door seconds before Lajjun burst into the study letting them know that they were searching for a man who had been seen today. Riddick of course. Lajjun was beside herself causing Carolyn to rub her temples, the pounding on the doors matching the pounding behind her eyes. She always knew it had been a mistake to let the woman know about Riddick.
She watched as Imam pleaded with Riddick not to leave and threw Jack in his face as he rebuffed the man and headed to the window to make a quick getaway. As Imam guided them all out the doors with the delusion that he would be able to send the soldiers away, Carolyn saw Riddick pause.
She struggled and fought as the soldiers manhandled them going so far as to slap the one who had roughly drug Ziza out of the house, shoving her into her mother's arms. She could have killed the priests as they begged the soldiers not to hurt Riddick because they didn't understand. That he could help. Her eyes stayed glued on the upstairs window, covering her mouth when the room went dark. They could hear the sounds of a battle down here down in the street. Her eyes flew to Imam as the sound of splintering wood reached her ears and both his head and the head of the soldier guarding him whipped around at the noise. When the soldier dropped his knife and took off at a run, Carolyn's hand clutched at her heart in relief.
She stood at the door listening as Imam revealed that he knew Jack had been imprisoned, sending her thoughts and emotions reeling as they threw accusations back and forth, Riddick's growled declaration that they should all stay away from him dragging her out of her thoughts as he blew past her without looking back.
When Ziza called after him, he finally let himself make eye contact with her before glancing up. Stepping away from the door, she looked up and saw something white billowing in the window above her. When she looked back Riddick was gone.
Carolyn slowly sank to her knees as the world went mad around her.
The End.