Chapter 6: Still Not Playing Jenga
Riddick woke slowly. Jack was curled into his arms. She was twitching ever so slightly, as if she was dancing or fighting in her sleep. Dreaming . . . He pressed his forehead to the back of her skull, took a deep breath, and pushed ever so slightly.
She was Kyra, fighting, killing. Mercs, soldiers, monsters, they were all falling before her. She was magnificence on bloody sands. Then it was just her, standing over the bodies of the slain.
I did this to her. I took a sweet girl and turned her into a killer. The thought was unsettling.
There was a sound. Kyra spun around, vaulted over corpses, bloody knife at ready. She shoved aside something that looked like a giant lizard. A young girl was crouched, crying almost silently, terrified. Kyra stared down at her, breathing hard. The girl tried to scramble away.
"Don't hurt me," the girl pleaded.
"Just go," Kyra said, her voice cracking. "Get away from here. Get away from me." The girl got to her feet, backed away, and ran. Kyra stared down at the knife, shuddering.
The slow sound of one man clapping. Kyra's head snapped up. He watched himself – or someone who looked like him – walk into the arena, stepping over the bodies with exaggerated care. "Nicely done, Sunshine!"
She wiped her eyes. "I learned from the best." She hesitated. "Or the worst, I can't quite decide."
His double shrugged. "Hard to tell sometimes."
"Yeah." She glared at the bodies as if irritated they were still there. "So now what?"
His double grinned. "I guess that depends on me, doesn't it?" He watched himself stalk forward, barely human.
She backed up. "Why do I think I shouldn't depend on you?"
He laughed. "Who says you have a choice?" He kept coming towards her, and suddenly she was awkward, clumsy, stumbling over the bodies. He grinned at her again and moved impossibly fast. She tried to dodge, tried to get the knife up, but her body was unresponsive and he saw himself take her knife away, smile, eyes gleaming, saw himself get intrusively close, get intrusively closer, felt her fear, felt her heartbreak --
I don't like where this is going, Riddick thought, jerking back. Nuzzled her. "Hey, Sunshine."
She woke with a gasp, tried to pull away.
"It's okay," he whispered. "I got you."
She shuddered. Stopped struggling. "You scared me."
"Sorry." He nuzzled her again. "We gotta get up. Big day today."
"Okay," she said. Started to sit up, but his heavy arm around her waist stopped her. She laid quietly for several heartbeats. Finally, "you have to let me go if we're gonna get out of bed."
He laughed softly. "You're right. But I don't wanna." He nuzzled her again. Be nicer to her. She was about to dream about being raped by you. That can't be a good thing. "This is nice. I missed you."
She laughed, unsteadily. "I missed you too, big guy. That's why I died for you."
He could feel his muscles stiffen. "I'm sorry," he said again, voice sounding low and rough even to himself.
"It's okay. I seem to have gotten over it." She laid there quietly for a few more heartbeats. "I can't figure it out."
"What's to figure out?"
"I can't tell if I'm the love of your life or some sort of prize for killing Zhylaw."
He considered that solemnly. "Little of both, I think." She sighed. "That a problem, Sunshine?"
"Why do you call me that?"
"Dunno." He nuzzled her again. 'Cause Zhylaw called you that and I liked it? "Maybe that song you used to sing. 'You are my sunshine, my only sunshine.'"
She laughed, unsteadily. "You remember that?"
"Thought about it all the time, Sunshine."
She sighed again, pressed back against him. "I used to sing that just to torture you."
He grinned. "I know. We gotta get up. I gotta go to a meeting."
She laughed. "Richard B. Riddick takes meetings?"
"Yeah. The things I do for you. Come on. Lights, dim."
"The things you do for me," she said softly as they pulled out of bed at last. Shook her head. She seemed to be lost in thought as she dressed, slowly, carefully. "What's the meeting about?"
"Finishing up."
"Finishing up what?"
"The Prytania." She swallowed, headed to the bathroom in her ridiculous school girl clothing. He finished dressing for war. When they'd both finished, he took her to the gym.
She watched him stretch, made a half hearted effort to mimic his efforts. When he started lifting weights, she sat on the floor and watched him childishly, a full green skirt spread over her knees. Finally, she asked in a small voice, "Why are you doing this?"
"To stay strong."
She flushed. "No. Why are you going to war with these people? What did they ever do to you?"
Oh, Jesus Christ. "Them specifically? Nothin.'"
"So why go to war with them?"
He set the free weight down carefully, shrugged at her. "Thing to do." Picked up the weight again.
"People are going to die today?"
Not as many as yesterday. "Yup." Got the weight above his head, held it there for several heartbeats.
"You don't care?"
He set the weight down again, carefully. Smiled at her. "A little. But I know none of them are you. I'm good."
She closed her eyes. "I don't like this."
He shrugged. "Not asking you to. It's sweet that it bugs you. But if it wasn't me, it'd be someone else. These guys are fucking nuts. They really believe their own shit." He picked up the weight again.
"But you know it's wrong."
He snorted. Finished the lift. She leaned back against the wall, watching him intently. He put the weight down, turned his back on her, started running through a martial arts kata he'd taught her, once upon a time. Did it slow, hoping she'd join him, the way she'd sparred with Ninshubar the day before. After a few beats he slotted his eyes over to her. She'd drawn her knees up, wrapped her arms around them, and buried her face. Not watching him. He felt a flash of irritation. Kept moving. Did the kata again, faster. She still wasn't watching.
By the time he'd finished a third run through alone his irritation had ripened into something much darker. He crouched beside her, laid a heavy hand on the curve of her neck, so deliciously exposed by her abject posture and newborn-short hair. "You wanna figure it out? Here's what you need to remember. The only reason I came here, the only reason I challenged Zhylaw, the only fucking reason I'm in charge of this freak show, is you. You don't like it, fine. But don't you fucking dare get all holier than thou with me over what I had to do to get you out of the fucking mess you got yourself in."
She tried to turn her head to look at him. His heavy hand tightened and she froze. He leaned in closer, whispered directly into her soft ear, "never forget, if you'd just stayed on New Mecca like I told you, I would have gotten you and Abu out of there and we'd be playing happy families somewhere far, far away."
She shuddered. It was dangerously delicious. Despite his resolution to be nice, he couldn't help twist the knife just a bit more. "Don't get me wrong. I'm not sorry it worked out this way. If you'd done what I told you, I'd probably still be playing your doting big brother. Goin' crazy trying to figure out how to get in your pants. Tellin' myself you're not for me. Instead of being in charge and all . . . entitled to fuck you. So yeah. You're the love of my life. I stormed the fucking gates of hell for you. And you're my prize for killing Zhylaw." He nuzzled her with a rough cheek. Her shoulders were quivering. The door chime rang and he stood abruptly, barely managing not to pick her up by the neck. Wrapped a hard hand around her upper arm and pulled her up. "Come on. Let's meet your new keepers."
Jack slid into Kyra as he yanked her down the hall and he was glad. Jack shouldn't have to be with him when he was like this. He kept hold of her as he opened the door, ushered the two men in.
They bowed. He nodded briefly. They both gave Jack an appraising look. She flinched back into him, all Jack again, making him smile.
"You know your orders?"
"Yes sire," they chorused, clearly expecting the line. The guards yesterday must have talked. With a sudden burst of generosity, he jerked his shoulder backwards. "Got a private workout room back there. She can show you where it is. Have some fun." Their eyes gleamed. They uttered overlapping "thank you sire"s. He gave them one last grin and left to conquer. Didn't look at Jack.
He left her with two strangers. Two strangers who were looking at her hungrily. Once upon a time this would not have been a problem.
Once upon a time, you were all grown up and a kick ass fighter. He did something to you. You aren't you anymore. She ignored the voice, as much as she could. "I'm Jack," she said, carefully.
"We kinda figured that out," the taller guy said, grinning. They did not seem inclined to introduce themselves.
"Let me show you the gym." She took half a step back, continued somewhat defiantly, "that's what Riddick wanted."
"We know what he wants," the shorter one snickered. She looked down, flushing. The short one continued. "Later. She'll be here soon."
"She?" Is Riddick going to let me see that doctor again? He didn't kill her? Hope rose within her.
Only to fall again. "Someone who very much wants to meet you." There was a strange, worshipful, almost malicious look in the man's eyes. She took another half a step back.
Someone I don't know. Someone Riddick doesn't know is coming. Shit. The short one was circling her. "Kel was right. She's an absolute fucking knock out. No wonder he's keeping her for himself." He reached to touch her face and she jerked back.
Okay. Be smart. I can't fight these guys right now. Better to try to connect, at least a little bit. "Kel? Kelmis? The man who was here yesterday?"
"Yeah," the short man was intrusively close. "Kelmis the Knife. He was a little pissed off that he got sent away like that. He was really looking forward to having a go at you."
Go at me? She swallowed. "Riddick didn't like the way he was looking at me," she said, woefully. Which was pretty much the way you're looking at me. She risked a glance at the tall man, who was standing back, watching. Not the way Ninshubar had watched, gloweringly ready to step in, just watching with an easy smile. God. Why isn't Nin here? He liked me.
Probably because Riddick doesn't want him here. Because he liked me. Riddick's got a jealous streak. She shuddered. Calm down. They're just trying to fuck with you.
Kyra's voice. Yes, that's the problem. They probably won't kill you. But they might do all sorts of other things. Riddick told them to play . . . And you're just a fuck toy. God. He's such an ass.
The short man had finished another circuit around. "Ninshubar likes you."
Ninshubar. His name felt like hope. "Yeah?"
"Yeah. Nin likes you a lot. Got a soft look on his face when he was talking about you and everything. So did Lord Vaako. And our Lord Marshal went to some trouble to smuggle you up here. No one knows how he did it. They said you fought him and you're not dead. He must like you a lot too."
"Dunno about that," the tall one interjected laconically. "He seemed pissed at her this morning. And I heard some funny stuff from the med staff. And the cleaning staff. Even Nin. Got that look he gets when he thinks somethin' bad's gonna happen to someone else."
"Yeah. That's true. Still, two out of three stone cold killers who've spent time with you like you, and the other one seems to have big plans. What makes you so special, breeder-girl?"
If stone cold killers like me, why are you trying to pick a fight with me? She shrugged, painfully. "Maybe I remind them of something they've lost."
The two men started to snort. Then to laugh. "What, like lost innocence?" howled the tall one. "I love it! You're a very lucky girl."
"Why?"
They both flopped down bonelessly on the couch. "Because she's interested in you, breeder-girl," the short one seemed to be the talker. His voice was worshipful. "She wants to help you."
Riiiiggggghhhhhttt. Why don't I believe you? I may have been born the day before yesterday but I'm not an idiot. She sat carefully down on a chair, leaned back and closed her eyes. Someone's coming. Someone you guys think matters more than Nin, Vaako or even Riddick.
The two of them poked each other and giggled like school girls for a while. They're really young, Jack realized abruptly. Younger than me. They're just huge. She had a strange pang of pity for them. The Necros took their world and converted them and they never had a chance to be anything else. She opened her eyes and smiled at them. They both smiled back automatically. Caught themselves. Sneered at her. She rolled her eyes and they laughed again, a little warmer. Here we are. A bunch of chums. Only they're heavily armed. I wanna be heavily armed. She fought the urge to bury her head in her arms. Didn't go so well last time.
Then the door opened. The two boys jumped to their feet. They bowed deeply, much deeper than they'd bowed to Riddick. Jack stood slowly, a lead weight in her stomach.
The woman who entered the room was vaguely familiar. Small, dark, impeccably made up, impeccably dressed, shadowed by one of the most enormous soldiers she had ever seen. She extended an impeccable hand, palm down. "Jack. Welcome. Thank you for seeing me."
Like I had a choice. Feeling absurd, Jack took a step forward, extended a hand sideways. The woman smirked ever so slightly, turned her hand to shake it. She expected me to kiss her hand, she realized. Flushed.
"I am Dame Vaako." She inclined her head graciously at the two young soldiers. "Peter. Saul."
"Mum!" they chorused, looking delighted. Dame Vaako turned back to Jack, perfectly.
"I'm Jack? Thank you for coming to see me?" God, I feel like a dolt. She's ready for a fancy dress party. I don't even have underwear.
The woman looked at her, fascinated, gracefully extracted her hand. Jack flushed, realizing she hadn't let go of it. "So you're the latest young woman our Lord Marshal . . . collected, are you?"
Latest? "I – I guess." Just like the short soldier, Dame Vaako circled her, slowly. When Jack tried to turn to follow her, she shook her head.
"You are very beautiful. I understand now how you caught our Lord Marshal's eye."
Oh, I seriously doubt that.
"Did you come . . . willingly?" There was something like compassion in the woman's voice.
Fuck. How do I answer that? I'm not even sure I'm the same person I was when he came for me. Her eyes started to prickle. She blinked furiously, rubbed her face. "I--" she broke off. "I didn't fight him."
Dame Vaako nodded, sagely. "Wise." She started circling again. "Do you know why you're here?"
Jack blushed hard. "Because Riddick wants me. I get the feeling he gets what he wants."
"Thus far. Why you?"
This, this I can answer honestly. "I have no idea."
"I think I do. You look a great deal like the first dead girl."
First? "Dead girl?"
"The one our new Lord Marshal followed the first to the Necropolis. She helped him and my husband kill the old Lord Marshal. Was she your . . . sister?"
Oh, shit. That dead girl. That me. "I – I don't know." She didn't have to feign fear or woe now. "I don't have a sister. As far as I know. I don't know why – I don't know why Ri – the Lord Marshal – wants me. I don't understand any of this." She swallowed hard.
Dame Vaako finished her circumlocutions, sat beautifully. Her silent guard positioned himself behind her chair. At a gesture from her, Jack's two young guards sat back on the couch alert. Ready. "Where are you from, my dear girl?"
"Riddick told me not to talk about my -- myself." She looked down. "I'm sorry. But he's kinda scary."
Dame Vaako nodded, thoughtfully. "Yes. Yes he is. Let me be frank. Please, sit." She made a graceful gesture back at the very chair Jack had been sitting in. Jack flushed, sat awkwardly. How did she do that? This is more my room than hers. And yet it's like she's in charge.
It's like she's in charge. Maybe she is, sort of. "Dame Vaako? As in Lord Vaako?"
"My husband, yes."
Your husband who helped me and Riddick kill Zhylaw. Your husband who seemed to care that I got roughed up. Your husband who knows who I am. As much as anyone does. Huh. "He seems like a good man," she said, cautiously.
Dame Vaako smiled, pityingly. "I'm sure." There was a long silence. "So. Let me be frank. You are . . . you share the bed of the most powerful man in the Necropolis." She stopped, thoughtfully. "Right now. A man who matters an enormous amount to the salvation of the universe. A man who, inexplicably, forwards our mission without himself embracing it. A man who has, again, chosen a . . . " she paused delicately "a bed mate. Who is also not one of us." Just to make sure she understood. "Again."
She really wants me to know that Riddick fucks other people. She's trying to get under my skin.
Don't let it work. "I'm sorry. I really am."
Dame Vaako made a dismissive gesture. "My dear, you are an innocent in all of this. I want to help you. I am not," again this serpentine woman paused, thoughtfully "without influence. I am the wife of the heir apparent to your Lord Marshal. Who was also the heir to the previous Lord Marshal. I could be a valuable friend to you. Or . . . not."
Jack swallowed, involuntarily. She thinks Riddick stole her spot. If she figures out who I am, she'll think I stole her spot. Fuck, she thinks I stole her spot anyway. There was a long silence. Jack finally filled it. "What do you want from me?"
"Just to be your friend. To talk to you. To help you with your … problems. Be my friend. In return. . . " She paused, delicately. "In return, I can offer you my protection."
She swallowed. What the fuck, go for broke. "Against Riddick?"
Dame Vaako shrugged. Like everything else she did, it was beautiful. "I am a loyal servant of the throne. It would be sad if you came to the same end as your predecessors. But the strong do what they will. The weak suffer what they must." Her eyes were sharp. "If you have friends, he might pause. But I was thinking more about . . . everything else."
Jack swallowed again, looked at the wall. She wants me to betray him. "I would love to have friends. But I don't think Riddick wants me to talk about him."
"Isn't that interesting." Dame Vaako leaned forward. "I, of course, am not asking you to betray him. But you have no reason to be loyal to him. He's clearly been brutal with you. The Necropolis is aflame with stories of you, what he must have done to you to leave you in the state you were in yesterday. And now he's dressed you like a trophy from a conquered world and left you in the care of soldiers who conquered that world. But if you're my friend, you'll be treated like a princess. At least, by everyone else . . . "
A princess. The type who gets married off against her will, the type who gets sacrificed so the sun will rise, or the type who's silly and spoiled and irrelevant? There was silence. Jack looked at the two young soldiers looking almost painfully alert. "Treated like a princess. Or . . . not?"
Dame Vaako smiled beautifully. "Clever girl. If our time was not so short, I would not be so blunt. But your predecessor was dead within a month. You need friends now."
Jack closed her eyes. She wants me to ask. Do I make her happy or not?
Oh, what the hell. "Predecessor?"
The other woman smiled, triumphantly. "I would not bear rumors against the Lord Marshal."
You really are a bitch, aren't you? Jack spared a glance for the other woman's bodyguard, standing silently. His face was almost impassive. He reminded her of Ninshubar, staring at her blood on the bed. Made her feel slightly better. Dame Vaako frowned, slightly. Heh. Wonder who her bodyguard works for really? The other woman addressed the short soldier. "What exactly are your instructions, Peter?"
Peter smiled, tapped a few controls on his wrist console. Read aloud: "Protect her from outside threats. Prevent her from hurting herself. Prevent her from leaving." He smiled "And he told us to have fun."
Dame Vaako nodded thoughtfully. "Interesting. Keep her here, keep her from hurting herself or being hurt by," she paused, delicately "by outsiders. And you are, both of you, inside?"
"Yes mum!"
"So. Gentlemen. As a non-outsider, if you were, say, ordered to rape this young lady, would you?"
"Obedience without question! My honor is my loyalty, mum!" Peter was on his feet. Tall Saul nodded, a little less enthused. Dame Vaako's bodyguard's eyes widened.
"Riddick wouldn't like that," Jack whispered, more to the silent man behind her new nemesis than anyone else.
Dame Vaako smiled. "Then it is a good thing no one has left that order, isn't it?"
This is not going to be a good day. Why didn't Riddick give me a panic button?
That's what the guards are here for.
Only they work for her, not him. Certainly not for me.
Not for me. Something about the phrase hit her strangely. But before she had time to untangle it, Dame Vaako stood. Smiled beautifully. "Jack, I will see you again. Think about what I said. Gentlemen, I leave you to your duty." She extended a perfect hand. Both solders dropped to their knees, kissed her hand reverently. She wheeled out, her silent bodyguard trailing grimly.
The two guards collapsed back on their couch, smiled at her. "I know what happened to the last girl," the short one said, maliciously.
Connect. "Do I want to know?"
He laughed. "So we're purifying this place, Hyperion, and they've got a queen of all things. After we bash through, she wants to negotiate surrender terms." There was a sneer in his voice. "Riddick goes and talks to her. Comes out with this dark haired teenager. Looked a little like you. Not as pretty. Too young and scrawny for conversion. He smiled, licked his lips. "Normally we kill those. After having a little fun. He locks her up in here. We figure he's gonna have a little fun himself."
"Did she have guards too?"
"Nope. But they did have fun. Well, he had fun. Then three weeks later, he tells the cleaning crew to dump her body. He'd choked her to death; big bruises around her throat. Real clear she died under him."
Choked to death during sex. He wouldn't do that.
He's killing billions. Of course he'd do that.
But he doesn't get off on it.
Yeah, right. Remember having sex with him? Remember crying? Telling him it hurt? Remember him not caring? And in his own crazy way, he loves you. What would he do to someone he didn't?
The two men were watching her like hungry puppies. She rubbed her eyes. "Doesn't sound like Dame Vaako could have protected her."
The short one frowned. "Don't underestimate her."
"There's another rumor," Saul said, conspiratorially.
Keep talking. "Yeah?"
"That he didn't kill her. I talked to someone who knew the crew who used to feed her. Guess they used to talk about what was going on with her people. Even used to carry messages back and forth. They said she seemed okay – right up until they told her it was all over; that we'd planted the monument on her world and everyone she knew was dead or converted. Then she got really depressed. Really depressed. Some people think that she hung herself. That Riddick came back to find her kicking." He seemed to find that immensely satisfying.
"I don't believe it," Peter said, dismissively. "But I heard another story."
You guys sure like your stories. "Yeah?"
"I heard it was one of the junior purifiers. They're all pissed off at Riddick for not converting and not even anointing a successor to Eris. I know they also hate he that was keeping a breeder. Some say one snuck in here and strung her up."
"I don't believe it," Saul said, just as dismissive of that story as Peter was of his. "Riddick woulda decimated them. Everyone says he hates those guys anyway."
"Not if he thought it was suicide. But you know, I'm thinkin'. Maybe that's why we're here. That he's not sure."
"So you'll protect me from roving bands of purifiers? What are purifiers?"
That was the wrong thing to say, clearly. They both drew up, offended. "Holy men."
Holy men you think might have killed a girl. Riddick's girl. In Riddick's rooms. The girl he was fucking instead of saving me.
God, I want out of here.
Kyra's bitter voice cut through. He's never going to let you go. He made sure you're too weak to fight him. He made you into the perfect prize. Not the woman you grew up to be; just the little girl he saved. With bigger tits. So he can feel good about himself while he's destroying the universe. She closed her eyes.
God I wish he was here.
He's not here. He's off playing Lord of War, killing innocents in the name of a religion he thinks is nuts. For you. He wasn't nice this morning. And you've got no reason to think he'll be nice tonight.
Shut up, Kyra. She stood up. "I'll be back."
"Where are you going?" Peter asked.
"Going to get a drink of water."
"Oh no you're not."
"What?"
"Weren't you paying attention? Our orders say nothing about letting you drink. Or eat. So you don't."
Oh shit. "Nin thought I did."
He snorted. "Nin's a softy. He thought he was supposed to take care of you. Lord Marshal didn't tell us to do that, princess."
Princess. I don't wanna be a princess. Silence. Her stomach grumbled. "Please?"
"No. Now, if you wanna reconsider her offer . . ."
Just one day. She took a step toward the door. No one stopped her. And another. At the third step, Peter leapt into her path. She froze.
Paul reached for her face. "Man, you're soft." She recoiled.
"Don't do that."
"Why? He told us to have fun. You look like a whole lot of fun."
She tried to edge away. "Pretty sure that's not what he meant."
He paced her. "You know him so well after two days?"
Shit. "I think he might be the jealous type. Just a feeling."
"I got a different one. If he didn't wanna share, why didn't he tell us that? We usually share people like you. You're spoils of war, princess." He reached for her face again. Stroked it, fascinated. Started unbuttoning her blouse.
She jerked back. "Don't."
"Just relax, princess." His hands were under her clothes, on her skin, almost worshipfully. Without thinking she struck out at him; a blow that should have sent him spinning across the room. Would have, once upon a time. He laughed. Cuffed the side of her head. She dropped like a stone. He dropped after her. Started to stroke her face again. She bit him hard, a little surprised at how easily her teeth sliced through his skin. He yelped, lifted her head up almost gently then smashed it down on the hard floor. Everything went black.