Chapter 27
Deal with your own Fear
-oOo-
Imam sat quietly besides Riddick in the Bluebird. He had felt a huge sense of relief when Riddick turned his silvery eyes to him and asked where the Bluebird was. His eyes nearly watered with the effort not to appear too relieved or make a big deal. It seemed that Riddick was on a very fine line, one with two sides, either he reverted back to his old ways, or he embraced the new caring Riddick. Evidently he had reluctantly chosen the latter, but it probably still pained him to think of the sacrifices he would have to make on Jack's behalf.
The sky was grey and thunder rumbled in the distance. Another huge knot of nervousness twisted in Imam's stomach. He had been so preoccupied with finding Riddick that he had no thought of what he would do when he did.
He would be expected to fight, no doubts about that. Of course he had issues with inflicting pain, but as long as his aggressors were working against Allah he would have to be forgiven.
Imam risked a glance in Riddick's direction. His face was stone hard as he squinted out into the fog. As always his face was unreadable, even though it was obvious he cared for Jack and probably the same thoughts and fears crept into his mind as they did Imam.
Riddick however could think of nothing now except getting to Jack. It was true, Imam had slapped some sense into him, even if he didn't want to admit it. He knew deep down he was only being stubborn, a part of him knew he would have found some reason to return to Zathos and find Jack, but he felt naked and vulnerable knowing that someone had a hold on him emotionally.
He remembered the look in Fry's face as she stood, pleading for him to help her save the others back on T2. He saw the conflict in her eyes, should she save herself? Or risk her life for someone else? She chose the latter; she made a choice, which effectively made her vulnerable. Riddick had planned to use that factor against her later on, once they had escaped T2. But then she died and that option was taken from him. But now he sympathised with her, he realised what a difficult and life-altering decision she had to make. Now he understood her motivation, and it was burning through his body like his blood. Someone had his Jack, someone was hurting her and he had had to make that decision, this time it wasn't only someone else challenging him, he was challenging himself, just as he had Fry.
I guess you got your revenge Fry, he thought, I rejoined the human race after all, and to tell you the truth, it scares the shit out of me.
"So how were you planning on doing this, Holy Man. Knock on the door, preach your good will?" Riddick smirked, allowing the stone mask he was wearing to slip a little.
Imam starred at Riddick, "I must warn you Mr Riddick. I have little experience in breaking into highly secured secret facilities, but I hope I'm not being rude by suggesting you have a little experience?" he smiled.
Riddick smirked, "How did you know that?"
Imam shrugged, "Just a hunch" he added.
"I need to scope out the place first, find out how much man power they've got and if they're packing heat" he mumbled.
"And if they are?" Imam asked. Riddick looked sideways at him.
"Then I'll know not to knock on the front door" he replied.
Imam nodded and leaned back on the chair. Oh Allah be with us, he prayed, Allah be with us all.
-oOo-
Jack couldn't believe how she could have forgotten the pain from the last time she was as the hospital. Her arms throbbed and ached every which way she moved them, then they throbbed and ached when she didn't move them.
She stayed with Tim for most of the afternoon, Kyra had mysteriously vanished, by returned by what felt like two hours later, escourted by the beefy necked guard. She pulled her arm out of his grip and strolled over to them. Jack couldn't help noticing that she seemed to be avoiding her eye. But she shrugged it off and just enjoyed their company.
For the rest of the day, she relied on Kyra and Tim to help her off the ground and to help spoon the disgusting vegetable soup down her throat. Jack hated being helpless, especially in this place, but she was grateful at least for Kyra and Tim., both whom had become quite firm friends as the day progressed. Tim, like Jack, was in awe of Kyra's resilience and confidence while Kyra thought Tim had a lot of spirit and potential. Jack lay restlessly at their feet as they exchanged life stories; her eyelids grew heavy as their soothing voices finally sent her off into a fitful sleep.
Fry stood in front of the Hunter/Gratzner, her body torn and bloodied, she reached out and tried to grab at Jack, her eyes alive with fear and her fingers clawing at the air. Jack saw that she was trying to say something, but the words refused to exit Fry's mouth.
Before Jack could move, a long smooth horn exploded out of Fry abdomen, blood spraying over the golden sand. Jack gaped as Fry's body slumped and fell to the ground. But instead of one of creatures standing behind her, it was Riddick, holding a large shiv in one hand and smirking upon the corpse.
Jack shook her head, Riddick looked up at her, "I couldn't save her Jack. Just like I couldn't save you," he said as he strode forward, lifting the shiv above his head, poised to strike.
"Riddick, no!" she screamed, trying to run, but her feet stood firm in the sand.
"I'm sorry Audrey" he said, lifting his goggles of his head, but instead of his shiny eyes, they were now a cold grey, "Just give me what I want" he added in a deep growl, very much unlike Riddick's usual deep boom.
"Who are you?" Jack whispered.
"Why, I'm your friend, Richard B Riddick" the man replied, but it was not Riddick's voice. This was educated and eloquent.
"No you're not!" Jack screamed. 'Riddick' lashed out and grabbed her upper arm, and with the other, he tucked the shiv into his waistband and lifted his fingertips to his chin. Without hesitation he ripped the flesh from his face, Jack screamed but couldn't keep from looking at the morbid sight in front of her. Instead of blood and muscle, the face of Dr Redman appeared. The same cold grey eyes, the cool smile, the bristly moustache.
"Tell me Audrey, where is he?" he whispered.
"No! I won't tell you!" she screamed in Redman's face. The doctor scowled and began to shake her violently. Finally he slapped her across the face.
Jack awoke to the harsh stinging on her cheek. She looked around and saw herself flat on her back, eyes and heads turned in her direction.
Kyra and Tim were leaning over her, "You were having a nightmare" Kyra muttered, she looked up and saw the audience they had, "Hey! Why don't you all fuck off and mind your own business!" she shouted. Automatically the crowd dispersed and continued their previous conversations.
Jack felt the throbbing return to her arms as she fully awoke to her surroundings. She recalled the frowning faces starring down at her, desperately she looked to her friends, "I didn't talk in my sleep, did I?" she asked.
Kyra looked at Tim, "Just murmuring and shit, you did shout 'No' a few times though" she replied.
Jack groaned, relieved not to have shouted Riddick's name out in her sleep. That was the last thing she needed, gingerly she sat up and allowed Tim and Kyra to haul her to her feet, "I feel like shit," she mumbled.
"Join the club" Tim scoffed, and then the alarm sounded. Everyone began to bid farewell to their friends and headed to join their Batteries to return to their Dormitories. Tim rushed off with a wave over his shoulder, but Kyra stayed with Jack, helping her down the corridors until the intersection where Jack had to go straight and Kyra had to turn left forced them to separate. They smiled at one another and went their separate ways.
Jack risked a glance over at Kates' bed. She was just talking to the young girl who slept beside her when she caught her eye and scowled. Jack turned away and headed to her own bed, the covers still askew (they would be expected to sleep in the same sheets for a good few months before cleaners decided to replace them) she crawled under the sheets, trying not to touch anything with her sore forearms and lay uncomfortably on her back. She starred at a spot on the ceiling until the alarm silenced and the lights turned off.
She hated these hours where she was forced to lie by herself, thinking of everything that she had lost and would never see or experience again.
Trees, grass, stars, the sun, the moon, cheeseburgers, rocks, television, hovercrafts, soft drinks, spacecrafts, ice cream, Imam…Riddick…Riddick.
Slowly and with some difficulty, she finally slipped back into unconsciousness.
-oOo-
Jack awoke with a start as the usual morning hubbub began again. After enduring the humiliation of showering in front of complete strangers (made even more embarrassing by having to lift her arms above her head to avoid the gauze on her arms getting damp) they finally filed out back into the mess room. Kyra was already there, leaning over a bowl of gruel in a world of her own.
Jack went to fetch her own breakfast and sat opposite Kyra which snapped her out of her daze, "How you feeling?" she asked, gulping down her food with some discomfort.
Jack shrugged, "Same old" she replied, but already a pit of bubbles was boiling in her stomach, was Dr Redman going to torture her today?
"Anymore dreams?" she asked. Jack frowned, she didn't think she did. Just distant memories that were still imprinted in her mind. She shrugged in reply to her question.
"I'm guessing you didn't tell them anything yesterday, Jack" Kyra asked, studying her spoon. Jack starred at her, mixing her gruel absently with her own spoon.
"No" she replied, "I couldn't do it, Kyra"
The other girl nodded, "Yeah, I didn't think you would" she replied.
"What do you mean?" Jack frowned.
Kyra dropped her spoon into her bowl with a clatter, "I mean what you know is a piece of pretty valuable information. If someone else found out what you know, Redman won't need you anymore" she replied.
"You're the only person I've told" Jack hissed, suddenly worried someone was listening to their conversation. Kyra looked at her.
"You mean you didn't tell Tim?" she asked shocked. Jack shook her head.
"I've put him in enough trouble as it is" she replied.
"Very noble of you" Kyra said, her eyes glanced to the mess room's doors behind Jack, "Heads up" she said.
Jack felt a presence behind her, "C132, get on your feet" a deep voice instructed.
Kyra gave Jack a sympathetic smile and watched as Jack was hauled out of her seat and frogmarched back to the operating room.
Again, pain like she had never experienced was inflicted on her again and again. The old wounds were reopened and the pain wanted Jack to beg for death. But she pictured Riddick and she pictured her new friends. She would do this for them, she would keep fighting.
Jack was sweating profusely when they finally gave up for the second time. Her head lolled to the side of the chair.
"Audrey? Can you hear me?" Dr Redman asked in a sickeningly sweet voice, "You're not going to win. Sooner or later, you will tell me what you know"
"Never!" Jack wheezed.
"Then maybe one of your friends might be a bit more cooperative" Dr Redman smiled. Jack's insides squirmed. What would he do to them?
"Even if they knew anything. They wouldn't tell you shit!" she replied, hoping to sound more confident then she felt.
Dr Redman removed his glasses, "Well, maybe if I give them the proper motivation, perhaps if I give them the one thing that all the inmates in here desire most of all"
Jack starred at him, a frown creasing her brow. With all her effort, she hocked back and spat in his face. To her satisfaction, the saliva sprayed across his glasses as well as his face, "I'm going to kill you" she growled.
Dr Redman starred at for a moment before removing his glances and standing to full height. The two surgeons starred at him, unsure of what he would do.
"Guard!" he called, cleaning his glasses on his white jacket.
The beef-necked guard returned and stood poised beside Dr Redman, "Yes sir?"
"C132 is not to be allowed any meals until I authorise it. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" he replied
"And I want a bucket of ice thrown onto her bed. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir!" he replied
"Get her out of my sight" he snarled.
Jack felt the restraints slacken and she was dragged painfully back to the population. Tim was there again to pick her up and drag her away from the curious stares, then she just lay there and allowed the pain to completely consume her.
"Is it really worth it, Jack? This secret you're keeping from Redman" he asked.
"It's worth my life" she replied, and she meant it. Riddick was her whole world, she could admit that now. She hadn't been tortured near to death for something she wasn't prepared to die for. You just didn't risk death for someone you hated, you didn't contend with the pain for someone you wanted dead.
Tim looked at Jack and couldn't help but admire her. As soon as she had stumbled in his shop, and he thought her a boy, he knew this was a brave person. It broke his heart to see her just as broken. Her face was paler, her eyes vacant and sad, her arms were awkward, the gauze badly tied and blood was seeping under the bandages and running down her fingers.
"Here" he offered and carefully he unravelled the bandages and tied them up the best he could. Jack smiled thankfully and lay her head back down on the floor.
Batteries Four and Twelve returned soon after Jack, but Kyra was no where in sight. Jack began to worry. Perhaps Redman had gotten to her; maybe he was interrogating her right now. But she knew that Kyra would never betray her confidence, but a nagging voice in the back of her mind reminded her that she didn't know Kyra all that well and perhaps telling her about Riddick had been a deadly mistake.
Dr Redman's voice began to echo in her mind 'maybe if I give them the proper motivation, perhaps if I give them the one thing that all the inmates in here desire most of all'
Of course Jack knew what he meant by that. Freedom.
The mess room's door swung open and the guard shoved Kyra back into the population. She was scratching her arm and looking at the ground. Jack turned her head in her direction and saw all the symptoms of guilt.
"Oh God" Jack whispered.
Kyra had told Dr Redman everything.
-oOo-
pottingshedpixie - lol, thanks for that, really made me chuckle! I was a bit worried about that ending, I didn't want to drop the character of Riddick and I wasn't sure if he would think something like that, but I wanted to add some humour and it is ironic coz even if he does have feelings for someone, he really isn't a pussy, he could still kick arse as hard as before!
pottingshedpixie - Thanks, I was surprised at how well the Kyra/Jack thing was accepted by my reviewers. It's hard to keep them seperate characters considering in the films they're one and the same.
angelwingz21 - Hope this was soon enough. I do try to get writing at least once a night, but it's tough when you got two horses, two dogs to look after! Plus I had to get my hair highlighted on tuesday after work and went to an Equine Podiatry lecture on thursday night. I didn't get home till about midnight so I was very tired the next day at work!
Amita4ever - Firstly, don't put yourself down! like me, I'm sure you get loads of hits but people just don't leave reviews, like you said, it aint everything! So don't get hypocritical on me! Secondly, I've got plans for Tim in the second part so I thought it important for him and Jack to become friends again.
Death by Teacup - Yeah I do like a bit of blood and gore every now again, by the way, your pen name is really cool!
MasterofPuppets666 - Ok! Scary person.
A/N : Just a heads up, folks. By parents are skipping the country for a week, so I'm mum for seven days to my little brothers. That means cooking, cleaning, washing and not to mention taking care of the pets, so don't be surprised if I don't update as quickly as usual. Peace out.
