Chapter 2. More stuff deleted from the first draft of The Things We Leave Behind
Shit. Jack struggled to her feet, turned around. The four guards the mining company supplied were picking their way back, looking cautious.
"Hey," one called.
"Hey," she answered, trying to keep her voice light. "Uncuff me?"
"Hm." He came close enough to touch her, ran his finger inside her collar. Pulled out her necklace, with the key. "So your da's sellin' you to a serial killer?"
She closed her eyes. "Something like that."
"Must be important."
"He says so."
"Don't wanna interfere with family business," he said with a grin. "But seems kinda mean to leave you here alone." He tucked the necklace back in.
"Especially with my hands cuffed."
"Tell you what. Me and my buddies are gonna show you a good time." She closed her eyes. "You be a good girl, we'll uncuff you when we're done. You fight us, we won't." He tucked the necklace back in her shirt. She groaned again. So did one of his buddies. Or rather, he gurgled. A very familiar gurgle.
She swallowed, tried to keep the guard's attention. "Uncuff me first."
He leaned forward. Kissed her under her ear, gently. He whispered, "dunno. The cuffs are kinda hot." There was a crack. She thought she knew that sound too. She groaned again, hoping to distract him.
He made a pleased sound. "I know you want it," he whispered. "I saw him hit the button." He started fishing in her pockets. "I can hit buttons too, you know."
A shout rang out, cut off fast. Her would-be gentle rapist let her go, turned, drawing a gun as he did. "Wha-"
The lights went out. Her foot lashed out, getting him in the back of the knee. He went down cursing. "Bitch!" She danced back but he was too fast, tangling her feet and knocking her to the ground. They fell in a heap. Something lifted the man off of her straight into the air. There was a crack, a gurgle, a thunk, and she was in the air too, over someone's shoulder. She gasped.
"Shhhh," the figure whispered. There was another shout from behind them. Sounded like Mark. Sounded a long way away. She forced herself to relax. If she was lucky . . .
Whoever it was kept her in pitch dark. After what seemed like a long time, he put her down, facing away from him. His hands were on her, intrusive, exploratory, searching. Taking things out of her pockets.
"Uncuff me?" she whispered, embarrassed that her voice was cracking. "Please?"
"Who's askin'?" He whispered, his voice rough and very familiar. She almost sobbed in relief.
"Riddick?" she whispered back. His hands stilled. His head got closer to hers and he sniffed, deeply, under her ear. She shivered.
"No . . . pretty sure I'm Riddick," he said softly.
"I'm Jack. From the Hunter-Grazner. You saved me . . . "
He shook his head, slowly. He was so close she could feel it against her neck. "Jack was a little girl. You're . . ." one hand drifted to a breast, caressed it gently, "you're all grown up."
"People do that, Riddick." Her voice was a whisper.
He buried his face in a handful of her hair, inhaled deeply. The other arm tightened around her waist. "Jack," he whispered. Like he was trying it out.
She forced herself not to pull away. "Riddick. Please. Uncuff me." He lifted his head from her hair but he didn't let her go.
"You smell like Jack," he whispered. "You smell good." He was exquisitely careful in his annunciation, like he was having to remember what words sounded like. His head lowered back to her neck, sniffing. "But I lived with Jack for a year and she never once put out the smell you're puttin' out right now."
"It's . . ." she stopped, swallowed. "It's not what you think."
"Mmmmmm . . ."
"You're scaring me, Riddick."
He was breathing her in deeply. She'd seen him do this before, to get information, or to freak out someone. The memory calmed her down a bit. But his words were disconnected from his actions, and that alone was terrifying "You're scared. Why would my little Jack be scared of me?"
"It's been a long time, Riddick. And it's been a long, horrible, horrible day. And, oh yeah, you haven't uncuffed me. That's really scary. Key's around my neck . . . " Her voice cracked on the last few words.
He chuckled, let his fingers slip into her shirt, pulled out the necklace slowly. "I left my Jack in New Mecca. Safe." His voice dropped to a whisper. "If you're my Jack, why aren't you there, safe?"
And that's the question of the hour. "I-" Oh, god, how do I start? "Abu-" His body stiffened and he exhaled noisily, like some spell had been broken. It's real. Her knees buckled. "Oh god," She was crying, tears running down her cheeks and there was nothing she could do about it, not even wipe her face. He turned her around, put his arms around her. His grasp became gentle, comforting. She could see his silver eyes in the dark and it made her cry even harder, pressing into him.
"I didn't sign up for this," she finally managed. "They want you to kill someone. They're using me to get to you. They're going to - oh god. I'm so sorry. I didn't-"
"Shhhh . . ." he whispered. She froze. He picked her up again, this time in his arms, lovingly, like a husband carrying a bride over a threshold. If it wasn't for her hands cuffed behind her she could have liked it. "Shhhhh," he breathed, stepping quickly and delicately through the darkness.
He hears something, she realized. Right. I can deal with this. Being quiet. Something to do. She jumped when he nuzzled her face with his own. Took about ten more steps. He set her down and, thank the merciful lady, uncuffed her.
He kept hold of her, leading her through the pitch darkness about fifty feet. Finally whispered into her ear, softly. "Sit. Stay." She lowered herself to the ground, carefully. Leaned back against something hard. He squeezed her shoulder and was gone.
She closed her useless eyes. She couldn't hear Riddick. He could be three feet away and she couldn't hear him if she didn't want her to, unless he'd gotten creaky with age. He hadn't seemed to.
She counted her breaths. After fifteen, she heard voices. Ten more and she could count them. Two voices. Talking in an exaggerated hushed tone that carried well. She opened her eyes. She could see the glow of their flashlights.
". . . tracking device?"
"Dunno."
"If he killed four, why are we in teams of two?"
"We're not going to engage. Just talk."
You're dead men, she thought, slightly hysterical, wondering which ones they were. Part of her wanted to stand and shout, "Run! Riddick's gonna kill you!" She choked back a sob. They both shut up. "Didya hear that?"
"Not sure." His voice rose. "Riddick?"
Dead silence. "Riddick? We just wanna talk. There's these crazy folks in New Mecca wanna hire you. Good deal . . . "
There was another soft sound. The beams from the flashlights spun. "Riddick?"
She closed her eyes. They kept talking. "Minister Walid said you'd protect the girl. Sorry we hurt her. It was just to get your attention. It's okay that you killed those guys. We didn't like them either."
The other voice. "They want you to kill someone specific. They're gonna make it worth your while."
The other voice chimed back in. "Girl's yours, too. Crazy Elemental lady and Walid said you'd like that."
Jack pressed both hands hard to her mouth. There was a soft wet sound. Then the lights went out. Then two objects hit the ground like meat.
Another fifteen breaths of near silence. Then warm breath on her cheek. "You kept it sharp. Good girl." He pulled her up, took her hand in one of his and led her down the hall.
Oh god, he used my necklace. I forgot it wasn't just jewelry. Oh god. I brought the knife that killed one or both of them. Merciful goddess, I am so sorry. I am so sorry. I am so sorry.
His voice was low and rough. "Now if you're not Jack, if you took my present from my Jack. . . this shiv I made for her little hands . . ." He squeezed her hand gently, lovingly. Leaned over and whispered. "I'm gonna make her another one. Outta your bones. Just sayin."
Jack's freaking out. If she is Jack. She's doing it quietly, so I don't say nuthin'. I gotta cool it with all the sex and the scary. Gotta let her calm down so I can really smell her. But playin' the sociopath's how I get my way when I ain't killin'. Bit of a habit. And if she's not Jack; or if she is and she's luring me into a trap, want her off balance. Fuckin' conflictin' impulses.
Something I gotta think about. If she is Jack and she's playin' me, what do I do about it? Don't like the thought of killin' her. But puttin' those cuffs back on . . . mmmm . . .
She's shivering. "Cold?" I ask, 'cause I care. If she's Jack.
"Yeah."
"Wait here." I sit her down by the wall, lope back up to the dead guys. One's too bloody to think much about, but since I'm there, I grab his kit. The other one's barely bloody at all. I strip off his jacket and shirt, grab his kit, and after a second, both of their lanterns. Little awkward, but I manage.
Go back to her. Look at her in the darkness. If she ain't Jack, someone's doin' a real good Jack impersonation. God damn I'm pissed at Abu right now. I crouch beside her, rub the side of her face with the back of my hand. "I'm gonna put another shirt on you. Hold up your arms." She does, trusting like. I pull it over her as gentle as I can. She puts down her arms. "Got a jacket too." Help her into it like we're on a date. She's still shivering.
"Did you take this stuff from someone you killed?" she asks me, all soft.
"Yeah."
"I can't -"
"Shhhhh," I whisper, putting my fingers on her lips. "Don't fight me, maybe-Jackie girl. Jack wouldn't."
"The hell I wouldn't," she snapped back. "I seem to remember we fought a lot."
"Me killin' never bothered Jack," I rumble. I pull her down the hall fast. She's having trouble keeping her feet.
"Not how I remember it. And you killed people who threatened us," she says, her voice almost normal. "Not for their clothes."
"Killed those guys 'cause they hurt you," I shoot back. "Or wasn't that you on the ground, screamin'?" She shivers harder. I squeeze her hand a little tighter.
"Oh," she says. "Yeah. I almost forgot how you show affection."
I snort. Then I hear something. I press her against a wall, put my hand on her mouth all gentle like. She's trembling against me. I like it. We stand there for several minutes. Whoever it is, they're a level above us. I listen to them walk over us. I listen until there's nothing to hear. I take my hand off of her mouth, pull her down the hall.
She's quiet for a long time, concentrating on not falling, I think. "Where are we?" she finally asks.
"Dunno. Some dead place. Company's got people excavating."
"Archeologists?"
"Don't think so."
"Why are you here?"
"Place to be." I hesitate. If she's Jack, I wanna tell her. I should tell her. She needs to know where I'm coming from; seeing her like we were best buddies chastely cuddlin' a week ago. Well, except for me tuggin' one out thinkin' of her. Should I tell her that? If she's not Jack. . . guess it don't much matter. If she ain't Jack, she ain't living long. "Some crazy doctor guy woke me up here yesterday. Was headin' somewhere else. Something went wrong while I was in cryo."
She giggles. Tinged with hysteria, gotta watch that. "You and me should stay out of cryo."
I snort. "Yeah." I stop. "We gotta go down a rope ladder. You up to that in the dark, or do I need to tie you to me?"
She shivers. "Climbing blind. Fun." She squeezes my fingers. "I'll try it. I'll try anything once."
"Good girl." I help her find the first rungs. "You're goin' first. We're goin' all the way down."
She starts climbing. Interesting again. She snaps at me about killing guys who tortured her but crawls down a dark hole 'cause I tell her to. She's very slow and careful.
We head down about three stories. When she gets to the bottom, she steps away from the rope. I drop right beside her. She feels it and makes a soft, scared sound. I grin and wrap an arm around her. "Good job, kid."
"Finally something goes right today."
I snort again. "So what, you didn't like the bit where I saved you from gang rape?"
Her shoulders slump. "Thanks, Riddick," she says, quiet enough to make me feel bad.
I pull her down the tunnel a little too fast. After a long time, I ask, causal like, "What's up with you and that soldier?"
"Huh?"
"Seven mercs. Four company guards. One soldier. They shot him 'cause they didn't think he'd leave you alone in the dark. What's up with that?"
She's concentrating on her feet. "Thirteen," she murmurs. "That's appropriate."
"Huh?"
"Thirteen's death. With me. Twelve's the sun. Without me. And then there's you. Fourteen. You take the Solar Hero from death to the Devil. Or maybe you're the devil."
"Kid, you're making no sense."
"Yeah. Religious stuff." She hesitates. "The soldier's an idiot. I met him this morning. Well, sort of. He thinks – he thought – he wants to be one of the good guys. Abu-" She stops abruptly. "Everything's that goin' on, you want to talk about him? He's harmless. Well, mostly harmless." For some reason that makes her giggle. Still slightly hysterical, but she's calming down.
I make my voice gentle. "You're still not makin' a whole lotta sense, kid."
She sighs, noisily. We're nearly there. Once we're there, I'll have more control over the situation. Looking forward to that. I think she's gonna stay quiet, but she surprises me. "I joined a church."
"Abu's?" My voice was more dangerous than I meant it to.
"God no. He dragged me there a few times, they said get on my knees and submit and that was kinda that. Bad memories. He said I had to join somewhere if he was going to live in his house." I growl, softly. He didn't get to put conditions like that on her. That wasn't part of the deal. "I started going to a different one every week. Didn't get far before-" She shuts off again. There's something big in there she don't want to tell me.
She skips whatever it is and keeps on going. "Finally joined the Hermetic Unitarians. Here's the thing." She stopped, swallowed. Seemed to gather herself up. "Real big into the worth and dignity of all life. And in not doing things that end up undermining the worth and dignity of life. Turning them into a means to an ends. Killing them."
I snort. "So you don't kill people anymore."
"Funny how rarely that comes up in New Mecca," she shoots back. Then she stops talking.
"You don't like that I killed those guys? I shoulda let them rape you?" I say, all soft. She makes a funny noise.
"Oh god. No. Thank you."
Her voice cracks. She's cracking. I can taste the salt from her tears. It pisses me off, but it also kinda melts me a little. Those tears smell like little Jack. I squeeze her hand, lean close to her face and nuzzle her wet cheek. She laughs a little and sniffles. I let her go. "We're here. Just a sec."
I step away from her, roll the metal door back. She's trying hard not to squint here in the pitch dark, just listen. I make it a point to move back silently. Swing her up in my arms to carry her over the threshold. She gasps, girlishly. "There's a lip. Don't want you tripping."
"Where's here?" She asks, inanely.
Someplace you can't get out of, I think. I say, "someplace safe. For now."