Ch.2

Jack ran from the room as fast as she could go. She didn't know where she was going, but she had to get away from Imam and Riddick before her anger turned to guilt, then to shame and finally gut retching sobs. No one was allowed to she her like that. She wouldn't let them; they would think she was weak. Jack rounded the next corner as the first tear streaked its way down her cheek. Hearing footsteps behind her Jack looked around frantically for a room to hide in. Picking the first door on her right, she found herself in a storage room stacked high with rows of plastic and metal crates. Dim lights illuminated the room, casting shadows everywhere. Running down the first row towards the back of the room, Jack wound in and out between the rows looking for a dark corner to hide in. Finding one, she collapsed against the wall of the ship and brought her knees up to squeeze between the wall and one of the crates.



Burying her face in her lap she tried to stop the sobs that were threatening to escape her throat. Jack froze in fear as she heard the footsteps stop in front of the door. The door whooshed open, it stayed open for several gut retching moments and then closed as the footsteps moved away. Jack exhaled sharply. She swallowed hard, expecting to be caught at any moment. Her tears were still very close to the surface, yet held in check by her sudden fright.

~~~~~~~~~~



He'd watched the man move away from the door to the storage room. Riddick had started after Jack a few minutes after she had run out of their shared room and had been following her scent when he'd picked up a new one. It smelt male, musky, of things little girls should have nothing to do with. Riddick growled, his shiv appearing almost magically in his hand.



Silently, he followed both Jack's and this man's scent, letting thoughts of what he would do to this man if he touched Jack run through his mind. As the man walked away, Riddick thought about going after him and showing him what he did to people who tried to take things that belong to him, because somehow, somewhere, Jack had become his. She had wormed her way into his heart, with her doe eyes and bright smiles. She was his now and no else was allowed to have her.

.

Sighing he let the man go. 'Just for now, I find him later.' he thought. Riddick turned back to the door and managed to stride silently into the room before the door closed. Riddick had seen the look in Jack's eyes when she said she would never be a child again. He knew that look. It was a look of abuse and pain, and maybe even something deeper, guilt.



Listening to the almost quiet room, Riddick could hear the faint hum of the lights and the whirl of recycled air from the ventilation. Underneath all of that were the tiny sighs of a young woman. One that belonged to him. Removing his goggles he started walking back to where he heard her. Silently, he looked around for her. He could hear her breathing. 'Were is she?' he thought. Looking around the room he saw tan boxes and black crates easily labeled for clear identification, but nothing looked out of place. Nothing moved or pushed out of the way. 'She couldn't have climb up the crates they were to slick. So she must be on the ground.' he thought. Looking at the small space between the wall and the crate he grinned. It was a perfect hiding place. Even he had trouble finding her. He smiled as he slid down next to the black crate of medical supplies and waited for her to notice him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Jack felt her emotions beginning to calm and sighed again, her head still buried in her lap. Then she felt it; someone watching her. Her heard jerked up, and seeing someone sitting next to her, Jack inhaled deeply preparing to scream, but saw the silver tinted eyes looking down at her.

"You scared me." Jack said with a shaking voice, her heart still pounding in her chest. She breathed slowly, trying to calm herself, then looked up at him, expecting an answer. "What? You mad at me for storming off?"

Complete trust in him shone in her eyes as she looked up at him. Riddick grinned inwardly. He was the most dangerous man in the universe and this girl trusted him implicitly. The fear he'd seen in her eyes had disappeared as soon as she had seen it was him.

Jack shifted her shoulder trying to ease the ache that was growing there. 'Is he mad at me? Why do I care, he probably thinks I just some stupid kid.' she thought looking down. Not wanting to meet his eyes.

"You okay?" he asked, tracing a tear track with a rough finger.



Jack looked back up at him, surprised that he had spoken with such gentleness, and nodded, not trusting her voice.

"Come out of there." he said standing up and moving away from the crate, so she'd have room to move.

She nodded again and squeezed out to stand in front of him, looking down, not knowing what to say next.



Looking at her shaved head, and tattered clothing he thought 'She rides herself to hard, hell her life has been hard, probably with to little praise as well.' "I'm surprised you could get in there at all. It's a good hiding place." he said.



Jack's head came up, a brilliant smile on her face from the praise he'd just given her. She frowned. "But how did you find me? I heard the door close and you walk off." Putting a hand on her shoulder, he steered her towards the door.

" It wasn't me." His voice was cold.

Jack stopped dead. Her eyes going wide. She knew that voice. It was cold, hiding anger and most likely someone's death.