Chapter Twenty-Eight

Once the Dying Starts

-oOo-

As soon as the shock had worn off, an unimaginable wave of anger engulfed Jack's senses. All she saw in front of her was a traitor who had sent Riddick to his death. Despite the agony it caused, Jack pushed up off the ground and sprinted the length of the mess room until she was face to face with Kyra.

The girl looked up but didn't have time to avoid the fist as it collided with the side of her face. Kyra was thrown to the side and nearly toppled over, but she regained her balance and gripped her cheek.

Jack glared at her, breathing heavily with her rage.

"Ow!" Kyra cried, "What the fuck did you do that for?!" she yelled, cradling her red face.

Jack was almost beside herself, "Don't even try to lie to me! I ain't no backward settler!"

Kyra just frowned and shook her head in disbelief, "Are you mental? I don't know what the fuck you're talking about, and that frickin' hurt!" she wailed.

Jack screamed in frustration, "Don't lie!" she hollered and jumped towards Kyra, her bandaged arms swinging in all directions.

Kyra refused to fight back which angered Jack even more and she didn't relent until she felt a powerful grip on the back of her shirt rip her away from Kyra.

"No fighting in the population, C132" said the thick-necked guard, "You should know that by now" he chuckled, obviously quite amused with Jack swinging away at nothing but air.

"Fuck off, dick face!" Jack spat and tried to wrestle out of his grip, but his smirk faded fast and he kicked the back on her knees, sending her sprawling onto the ground next to Kyra.

"Right, I think isolation for both of you bitches" he roared as he bent over, hauled both girls to their feet by the scruff of their shirts and marched them out of the mess room.

"Nice going, Jack!" Kyra said sarcastically as they were shoved down another corridor. Jack opened her mouth to retaliate but was instantly cut off by the guard.

"You shut your mouth," he snapped.

"You should have told her that before she spilled her guts to Redman!" Jack snarled.

"Listen, Jack! I don't know what the fuck you're talking about" she quipped back.

The guard silenced the pair by shaking them and threw Kyra up against the wall outside one of the Confinement rooms. She looked up at the guard.

"Wait, you're not putting us together are you? She's insane!" Kyra pointed to Jack.

The guard unlocked the door and smirked, "This bitch wants a piece of you, Kyra, and the guys are always up for watching a bit of a scrap" he said, pushing open the door and pointing towards the camera in the corner of the white room.

"Have fun" he sniggered and shoved both girls in, knocking Jack painfully to the ground.

The door closed behind them and Kyra backed up against it, her eyes nervously resting on Jack's back. The girl painfully got to her feet and turned to face Kyra, her eyes narrowed and her face she red with anger.

"Why did you do it?" she asked, in a dangerously quiet voice.

Kyra scoffed, "I don't know what the fuck you're talking about! I just got back from having my ass kicked about by Redman and then you give me a second dose of crazy! What the hell is your problem?" she shrieked.

"My problem" Jack seethed, "Is that you back-stabbed me when I showed trust in you. You spilled to Redman! Don't you dare deny it, you told him everything about…" she gazed at the camera, "…about you-know-who!" she finished.

Realisation dawned on Kyra's face and to Jack disgust, began to chuckle.

"And what the fuck is so funny?!" Jack snapped, her fists clenching, ready to attack again. Kyra rubbed her forehead and her face suddenly dropped into seriousness.

"You really think I would betray you? Granted we haven't known each other long, but you really think I would backstab the one person who's ever showed even the slightest amount of trust in me" she asked, hurt echoing from her eyes that made Jack shrink back into herself, suddenly questioning her accusation.

"But…" she started, "But you looked so guilty"

Kyra slumped down onto one of the beds and cradled her head in her hands, after a long sigh she lifted her eyes to Jack, "I have to admit I did seriously consider it, you can't deny it was a very tempting offer" she smiled sadly, "I guess he told you what he was offering?" she asked.

Jack dropped down on the opposite bed, her arms now throbbing terribly, "Yeah"

"I almost did you know" Kyra said, "But then I saw your face and it was the way you looked at me as soon as I went back to the mess room. I always thought that freedom was what I wanted most of all, but really there's nothing out there for me. Just an endless life of meaningless moments. I have no family and the only friend I have is right here" she said, eyeing Jack, "It's sounds as cheesy as hell, but I'd rather die knowing I'd made a friend who'd remember me once I'm gone, then have no legacy at all" she finished.

Jack sighed, allowing Kyra's words to sink into her tired mind, and it all made perfect sense. She felt utterly stupid and ashamed at her accusations and suddenly couldn't met her eye.

"I'm sorry, Kyra. I wasn't much of a friend, I should have given you a chance to explain yourself," she said in no more then a whisper.

"Yeah, we both wish you had" Kyra replied with a smile, soothing her sore cheek.

Jack smiled sheepishly, "Sorry about that" she said.

Kyra shook her head, "I've had worse, no problem. I would've hated to see what you'd have done if I had told him everything" she smiled and both girls began to giggle, happy that their friendship was now repaired. And Jack knew she would never doubt her friends' loyalty again.

Kyra looked at the camera on the wall, "Looks like they'll be missing out on a what could have been a good show" she smirked.

Jack got to her feet, "I don't know" she said and walked right up to the lens, looked up with a smirk and stuck up the middle finger of each hand.

"This enough action for ya?!" she laughed into the camera. Jack sat back down and laughed alongside Kyra.

"You know, maybe I'm a bad influence on you. You're turning into me more and more each day" Kyra smiled.

"That ain't a bad thing" Jack said, lying down flat on the bed, "I'm sick and tired of getting my ass kicked about because I'm just a kid" she added.

"Jack, you should know by now. Anyone who goes through this kinda shit ain't a kid no matter what their age is. You change, you get twisted out of shape. We maybe young in years, but surviving day to day makes you something else" she said, picking at a strand of hair.

Jack smiled, "And it makes you some what philosophical"

"And that, but mostly the changing thing" she replied.

Jack knew Kyra was right. Even though she was still only fifteen, she had no innocence left in her at all. She had seen things people couldn't even conjure up in their nightmares; she had been through things that would drive the mind mad. But she was still here, fighting to survive. She figured she got that from Riddick, his ability to detach himself from the horrors that were thrown his way, he just existed and didn't let it hurt him, only change him into something stronger and more resilient.

Both girls lay in a comfortable silence before they were rudely interrupted by the thick-necked guard who, with one flick of his wrist, shoved Jack off her bed and poured from a metal bucket, icy water all over her sheets.

"What the…?" Kyra yelled.

Jack painfully got to her feet and rubbed a hand over her spiky head where her skull connected with the hard floor, "Dr Redman's little joke" she explained, "Somehow he thinks this is going to make me talk" she said, loudly for the guard to hear.

"Pleasant dreams" he snarled and left, locking the door behind him.

Jack sighed and tried to clear as much of the ice off her bed as possible, but the sheets and pillow were already drenched and freezing cold.

"Here" Kyra offered, "Share mine, I think there's enough room here for both of us" she added. Jack smiled as Kyra shuffled right against the wall and made some room.

"Thanks Kyra" she began, but the camera in the corner caught her eye, "But I think we should at least look like we're still pissed off at each other. If Redman finds out we're chummy-chummy, he might use you to get me to talk. I don't think I could live with that" she mumbled and grabbing the sopping wet sheet, she lay it down on the hard ground, curled next to it and tried to fall into some form of unconsciousness.

It was when she was nearly asleep she felt a warm and inviting presence all around her. Kyra had grabbed her own sheet and pillow and was presently pressed up against Jack's back, shrouding both of them in the welcoming warmth.

Jack allowed a small smile to creep across her lips.

-oOo-

In must have been morning when the guards returned to collect Jack and Kyra. It was Banham and the other guard from the first day Jack spent in Isolation.

Kyra had returned her linen to her own bed and acknowledged Jacks thanks with a nod.

"Very disappointed girls," Banham said, shifting to remove the handcuffs from his trousers, "We were expecting a good scrap, but not even any hair-pulling" he tutted.

"Yeah" the other guard quipped, "But that cuddle under the covers was promising. Anything you wanna share?" he laughed.

Jack rolled her eyes at Kyra who did the same, "Men" she sighed, "Always thinking with their penis" she added.

Jack smiled but straightened her face when Benham looked at her, "Come on" he said and aggressively pushed the girls out of the room and back to join the population.

Once everyone had seen who had entered the room, the crowds started back to their own business and the girls were free to return to their end of the room. Tim rushed over and eyed them both suspiciously.

"You're both still alive?" he asked. Jack and Kyra sat on the ground.

"Of course, Tim" Jack replied, "Why wouldn't we be?"

"Well" he started, "I'm more surprised Kyra's still in one piece. The look on your face, Jack, scared the shit out of me"

"Well it was a misunderstanding" Kyra explained, "Anything happen while we were gone?" she asked.

Tim shrugged, "Only your old friend" he said to Jack, "the one who slugged you? Made some fuss about needing to see Redman and got dragged off"

Jack frowned and glanced towards the door as if expecting Kate to be standing there, but of course she wasn't, "why the hell would anyone voluntarily want to see Redman?"

Kyra shrugged, "Your friend apparently" she replied

"She's not my friend" Jack sighed, "No anymore"

Kyra nodded with a laugh, "Oh right, yeah, because you couldn't save her before. Jesus, she should get over herself"

"It's not as simple as all that" Jack murmured, still feeling the cloud of guilt above her head.

Kyra waved her hand in the air dismissively, "Whatever. I say it as I see it"

Jack smirked and settled next to her friends and slipped into a quiet rest as she tried to think of anything but her next impending torture.

-oOo-

The mist parted before them as the Bluebird settled once again in the old scrap yard. The sky was a thick grey and wisps of fog swirled around in front of them like smoke. Imam seized his robes and hitched them above his ankles as he jumped out of the shuttle and onto the squelching mud below. Disgusted, he tried to run on tiptoes to join Riddick but still managed to get mud up his calves and on the hem of his robes.

"This filth" he muttered, "It gets everywhere"

Riddick walked behind him at a steady march and smirked to see Imam hopping alongside him.

"So how are we going to do this Riddick" Imam asked, "You said we weren't going to knock on the front door"

"Step number one. When breaking and entering, scope out your environment" Riddick answered, he looked up at the towering building of the hospital. It was a good two miles away, but the building was so large he could almost count every window.

"I can't see anything in this cursed fog!" Imam muttered as he jogged alongside the assassin. They finally reached the edge of the yard where a flimsy wire fence separated a hilly stretch of land leading to the hospital, to the filth-ridden graveyard of the storage area.

Riddick heaved the metal fence off its hinges with a growl and shoved it into the dirt, splashing up fresh mud over Imam's legs. The Holy Man grunted but said nothing and followed Riddick at a quick sprint across the hilly verge, both men squinting down to avoid being sighted.

Huge heavy searchlights were perched on the roof of the building, gently and slowly swaying along the outskirts of the hospital's boundaries. When Riddick reached the top of the verge, he pushed Imam down with him so they lay flat on their stomachs against the moist grass.

"What is it Riddick?" Imam asked, getting a mouthful of the grass.

"Take a look" he replied. Imam strained his eyes, but all he could see were a few fuzzy lights in the distance.

"I cannot see anything, the fog is too thick" he explained, "What do you see?"

Riddick pushed his goggles further up his forehead and peered forward, "There's a checkpoint, two guards. There's a small patrol with high powered guns"

"So how do we do this?" Imam asked, his mouth suddenly dry with fear. Riddick looked at him.

"We need to find somewhere to sneak in" he replied. Imam fixed him with a questionable stare.

"Sneak? Since when did Riddick sneak?" he raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, I'm not Superman, Holy Man. I don't know how many more guards are there" he bit back defensively. He turned his eyes back to the checkpoint.

"Don't places like these have back doors?" Imam asked.

"That's what I gonna find out" Riddick replied, getting to his feet.

"What about me?" Imam asked, also getting to his feet. Riddick studied him for a moment. He obviously didn't know what to do with Imam; it was risking it taking him along to rescue Jack. One, he could blow their cover. Two, he could get injured and slow Riddick down. And three, he could be killed. Riddick didn't know how that would affect him, but he wasn't willing to try it out.

"Stay close behind me" he finally replied. Imam nodded, and quickly as they could, they sprinted around to the back of the building and ducked behind another verge. A foul smell hit the two men hard in the face and almost sent Imam reeling.

"What in Allah's name is that stench?" he asked, holding his hand over his nose.

Riddick refused to answer, he knew what it smelt like, but didn't want to unnecessarily unnerve Imam.

Riddick lifted his head high enough to see the back entrance. It was a simple bunker-style entrance. A deep pit had been dug under the building and was concreted over with a large thick iron door, big enough to allow a full sized lorry to enter and exit.

"Is it well guarded?" Imam asked through his hand.

Riddick doubled checked, there was no one in sight, it was possible the door was operated from a control station inside the building and cameras allowed them to view who entered and excited the rear door. He looked closer and saw a camera right in front of the door, bearing down on anyone who came near.

"We wait for it to open. The door's operated from the inside" he explained.

"Oh" Imam coughed unenthusiastically. The stench was obviously getting too much for him, "Joyous"

-oOo-

pottingshedpixie - Yeah I know, I am rather evil. Just wanna keep you guys hanging on. And Riddick will be kicking serious arse!

Death By Teacup - Apparently no, Kyra didn't tell Redman everything. Just a little red herring I put in there. Tee hee! Me evil!

angelwingz - Ah, sorry mate, she didn't tell. Kyra is defo I good person in this fic. Disappointed? Chuffed?

BatPhace - Ello cheeky! Haven't heard from you in a while. Sorry about the cliffie, couldn't resist!

Amita4ever - I know have this story mapped out from this point right up to the end, which is only a few chappies away, but there will be a comeback in Part II so no fear. Kyra's not gonna see Riddick at all until Chronicles of Riddick, althoughwise he'll suss that Jack and Kyra are two different people and the plot won't work.

A/N : Sorry people! It was really evil of me to put that bit about Kyra betraying Jack. Obviously she didn't, but I wanted to through a spanner in the works and spice things up a little. But no, Jack and Kyra are firm friends.