Chapter 2

Strangers with candy

1 Terra-Standard Week Later.

Salty, sweaty, with the overtone of peppermint that flavoured the preferred drink of the moment. Riddick tilted his head up slightly, breathing through his mouth instead. Flanking him on all sides were bodies throwing themselves around to the vibrations of Acidique. He spotted the staircase, despite the darkness of the club and his shades and moved towards it.

Bodies rolled up against him as he pushed through the dancing mass. A woman wearing only strategically placed cording, grazed herself down his body, kneeling in front of him. Curls of hair were clinging around her face and her flushed skin shone temptingly. She cocked an eyebrow as she slid herself back up his body and stared into his face. Riddick moved closer instinctively, bringing one hand to the bare skin of her hip and stroking. The movement of another dancer behind him jostled the package in his left hand against his knees. The staircase was close. All he had to do was.

The woman in front of him had started dancing again. Like a feline, she was rubbing against him, setting his teeth on edge as she twisted one leg around his hip. Riddick dropped his lips to her ear.

"Name?"

She tilted away, to stare at his eyes as she laughed. Riddick frowned as she shook her head, refusing to tell him anything. He looked at her one more time, generous curves dappled with electric blues and reds twisting in time to the music. Tension pooled in his stomach at the sight.

Been too long.

He felt the package in his hand again and tightened his grip. Rubbing her hip lightly he eased himself away and smirked as she pouted. She mouthed something obscene, and smiled before twisting her hands over her head and turning away. Riddick shook his head and started back towards the stair case.



The box dropped onto the table with a satisfying smack. Aka, as he chose to be addressed, nodded to Riddick to open it as well. Moving his hands over the release mechanism, Riddick opened the box and picked up its contents.

Aka swallowed.

1.1

1.2 Doesn't have the stomach for his own demands.

Riddick dropped the severed head back into the box and slid it towards his client.

"One head on ice, as you specified. My fee." Riddick crossed his arms and stood sternly.

"Well, we'll have to verify this is in fact Mr Lindor's. uhh. body part," Aka swept a hand to a guard and the man picked the box up tentatively. Before the club owner could even register the movement, his head was being gripped by a very strong hand. In front of his eyes was the face of his ex- business parter. Riddick shifted his hand slightly, and the head swung in response.

"Is this," he asked in a gravelly voice, "or is this not, the man you wanted dead?"

"I don't. I." the man gave a furtive look to the side, but his bouncers were intentionally avoiding his eyes.

"Take a good, long look."

Aka swallowed and tried to move away, "Why, yes, I do believe you're correct."

Riddick stepped back and placed the head down, glazed eyes fixed on his employer, "Brilliant."

"Mr Simmons, give Mr Oberon his fee." Even with his partner's face staring at him in captured terror, he managed to sound like a snide bastard.

1.3

1.4 Son of a bitch.

Quite simply, Riddick hated dealing with this type of scum. Overrun with drugs and narcissim, they'd hire people to do the most defiling acts and then have the audacity to turn their nose up at the result. Not only that, but they always made the mistake of thinking they could cheat him.

Although, Riddick had to admit he was pleasantly surprised when 'Mr Simmons' handed him an envelope with the remainder of his payment with no more fuss. Aka snivelled his regards as Riddick took it and left.

She was waiting by the door. Leaning against it, stretched out like a cat. Riddick ran his eyes down her again, shielded by glasses. One arm reached out, lazily dropping her hand in front of the doorway. Almost as an afterthought, he clasped his fingers over hers and pulled her out behind him. The woman laughed as she followed.

Riddick drew her further from the entrance. Her fingernails scraped playfully along his palm as she slinked behind him. The door far enough away, he pushed her against the wall to examine her. The light of the alleyway settled over her skin with sallow fingers. She was younger than he'd have guessed. Mid-twenties. Dark eyes outlined in smoky black. Sweat- glossed skin and raspberry coloured lips.

Did she taste like that too?



"Name?"

"Doesn't matter," the woman tilted her head as she smirked. The gesture seemed familiar, but Riddick shook the sensation away.

"Don't you want to know mine?"

She slid one leg up behind his thigh and pulled him into her. "Not really."

He spread his arms, and placed a palm either side of her head on the brick wall. Ducking his lips to her neck, he brushed along her ear gently. She shuddered against him, sending heat to where their hips rested against eachother. Voice soft and low, "Then how will you know what to scream." his focus drifted to her mouth, ".when I make you.". Her breath was hot over him as he pulled her lower lip into his mouth and released it, ".come."

Slender fingers pressed into the back of his skull, pulling him into a hungry kiss.

Sweetness of raspberries, bite of peppermint.

He stepped in closer, forcing her further against the wall. She arched her back, grinding into him. Riddick dropped his hands down to her waist, one hand resting at the curve of her hip as he slid her other leg up around his waist. She stared at him with her smirk, daring him to continue. He doubted she'd had to beg for anything in her life.

Strong fingers slid under the cording and rubbed along her skin. Slick and hot, he massaged circles into it. The grip of her legs tightened and she moaned in response, fuelling him on. Riddick dragged an open-mouthed kiss down her throat, almost tasting the blood that pounded through her jugular.

Her hands worked inside his shirt, scratching over his skin. She traced the lines of hard muscle, feeling it flex underneath her palms.

"Mmm," her purr rolled through him as he ran his tongue over the hollow of her collarbone. Her body spread out before him like a vertical map, hills of curves. the soft plain of her stomach and the hidden depth he ground against. Her breathing caught as he circled his hips once more. Spreading his fingers underneath the covering over her pelvis, he dragged it down. He was tired of foreplay.

Her teeth grated along his neck and she groaned, "Riddick."

The back of her head thumped against the wall. Her arms were pinned overhead. The shiv had just enough pressure at her throat to make its presence known.

"What the fuck did you say?" His voice was low and controlled, fighting back the spike of adrenaline.

"Riddick," she sang, smiling sweetly, ". your name."

"How do you know that?"

The woman arched her brow, "Let my arms go."

Riddick shook his head slowly. He had to give her credit. She still seemed awfully cheery for someone on the brink of death.

"Telepathy."

Riddick moved the shiv just enough to draw blood, "The question."

"Mutual friend," the woman shrugged, as much as someone can shrug when their arms are pinned.

"What do you want?"

She rolled her hips along the hardness in his pants, "I thought it was obvious."

Riddick gritted his teeth, fuck that felt good. He took the shiv away, stopping her movement with that hand instead.

"I had a message for you, but I'm not so sure I want to share anymore."

She pouted for a moment.

"How much." Riddick ducked his head in a thoughtful laugh, "How much do you think it hurts to have your intestines trail along the ground. while you're still conscious?"

He looked back to her, smiling calmly.

"Well, most of the pain would be from the incision through the abdomen, rather than the intestines themselves. The visceral nerve distribution-" she broke off as Riddick fastened a glare on her.

"Fine," the smile dropped away. She released her legs from his waist and stood upright.

"No-one ever wants to play anymore."

Riddick felt a pain slice along the back of his knee before she pushed him back. Weakened by the unexpectedness of the attack, she managed to get him several steps away. The woman tapped at her shoe, retracting the blade, before she fussed with what amounted to her clothing.

"I could have had your achilles," she added, "But I'm in a good mood."

Satisfied that she was as decent as she could be, she offered out a hand, "Mohani."

Riddick crossed his arms, "You know my name already."

"Be that way," Mohani sighed, "My employer wishes you to know several things. If it has thus far escaped you, you're back on the 'To Do' list of mercenaries the galaxy over. One in particular is very close on your trail. Don't worry, you're not getting any worse. They're just getting a hell of a lot better."

"Maev," he muttered.

"Give the boy a cigar," Mohani grimaced, "I don't have visuals for you. All my employer knows is she's a woman, probably young. A newcomer to the field. But impressive."

The woman shot an irritated look back up the alley as a group of noisier patrons left the club, heading the opposite way.

"What I do know though is that she's landing tomorrow. Same port as 'Obsidian Sun's parked in right now. But it's a passenger convoy, the 'Emily Deep'."

"Why tell me this?"

"Because I'm paid too," Mohani shrugged, "I don't know what my employer hopes to achieve. Now, if you'll excuse me I have a sex-life to resuscitate."

She nodded her head and slunk away. Riddick chewed over his thoughts. Why would anyone want to help him?!

"One more thing," she yelled back at him. Riddick whipped his head back to look at the bar's entrance. People were looking over.

"She said you'd probably have forgotten," Mohani chuckled and stepped back again retreating near a dumpster, "You always underestimate women. Take a cold shower and you might actually live through this."

Riddick bristled. The people up the alley chuckled, hooted some obscene things and headed the other way. Riddick cast one look back at where Mohani had been, but she'd disappeared.

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