Setting off an explosion in the armory was the second thing Johns had done. The first was to raid the brig locker and get his red shells. He made sure Rorye was too busy in the armory collecting weapons and setting charges to see him take a hit.
The armory hit was so that they would have weapons and no one else would. They took off for the engine room for their next target. Rorye led the way. Johns had the strategy, but Rorye knew the layout.
The engine room was a vast cavern housing the pulsing propulsion unit. Catwalks criss-crossed overhead, and people bustled about everywhere. It was usually busy here, but with alerts blasting, it was practically humming with nervous energy. It would be impossible for them to take the whole engineering section, but lucky for them, Johns and Rorye were only interested in the master control room set slightly aside from the rest of Engineering, and only a handful of crewmen were inside.
Johns and Rorye walked in, guns ready, and ordered everyone out. The chief engineer made a move for his sidearm, and Rorye blew a hole in his chest.
"Always hated that bastard," he grated.
Johns smiled grimly. The other crewmen fearfully shuffled out of the control room. Rorye sealed the doors, locking out anyone else that may want to play hero.
Johns went to work on the computer system. He may have dropped out of public school, but the MAE education centers more than made up for that. Johns' greatest strength was the joy he had in hunting bastards like Riddick down to the ground. However, he had also discovered an aptitude for computers that came in handy sometimes.
Now was one of those times. Rorye held the fort while Johns hacked his way into the main computer systems. It took him a while - whoever had programmed the security lockouts was good - but he made his way into the command protocols. He changed all of the passwords and clearance codes he could find, then booted up the interior sensors to find Riddick.
* * * * *
Lacroix headed straight for the bridge when the blast shook his ship. Angela and Riddick followed close at his heels.
"Report!" he barked the moment the lift doors opened to the bridge.
A wiry lieutenant at the security station ticked out the details. "An explosion in the main armory unit. We're pretty much limited to whatever we have on us right now. Blast also took out a line of power couplings. Decks 10 through 18 have fluctuating if any power and no life-support. They're being evacuated so we can seal 'em off."
Lacroix took his seat and brought around a computer console. As he checked the particular stats on the lieutenant's report, he asked, "Who the hell set off an explosion on my ship?" Lacroix had controlled his fury enough to not vamp out in front of his crew, but he was sorely tempted to charge down whoever had done this, and drink his fill.
"Unknown, sir," the lieutenant answered, "but I ran a security scan. Sgt. Johns isn't in the brig, and Lt. Rorye isn't responding to his communicator."
Lacroix slowly rose from his seat to glare hard at the lieutenant, who was his Chief of Security. Lacroix had personally suspended Rorye from duty due to blatant insubordination and charges of embezzlement. Chief Harding damn well knew he shouldn't have put Rorye back on the duty roster until he had Lacroix's say-so. Harding shifted uncomfortably beneath his admiral's gaze, but did not look away.
"We will discuss this later," he told Harding. "Get the internal sensors online. I want to know where they are immediately!"
"Sir," an ensign at the sensor array spoke up. "The sensors are completely locked out. I can't get them back up."
Suppressing a growl, Lacroix went to the ensign's console and began inputting codes and data. To each input, the computer responded, "Unable to comply. Invalid code."
Lacroix turned to his son, but before he could ask, Riddick answered, "Little prick's a genius when it comes to computers. Could probably hack into Earth Mainframe if he wanted to."
"Glad to know you think so highly of me," Johns drawled from the viewscreen.
Heads snapped up across the bridge.
"In case you didn't notice," he continued, "I control this ship now."
The shot on the viewscreen was very tight to Johns' face, but Lacroix didn't need to see the background to know he was in Engineering. His vampiric eyes caught and focussed the tiniest flutter of movement behind Johns. It was Rorye guarding the door.
"What do you want?" Lacroix asked.
Johns shrugged. "Just what I started my trip with: my prisoner and transport to Slam City so I can collect my bounty."
Lacroix turned to look at his son.
"And no funny business," Johns warned, "or I'll start shutting down life-support deck by deck. Deliver Riddick unconscious and have a transport ready for me within the hour."
Lacroix eyed the man on his screen. Johns' eyes were bloodshot and wild. The vein in his neck bulged out abnormally large, and ticked off at a furious pace.
Riddick noticed his father's perusal and whispered too low for the comm-system to pick up, "Morphine addict."
Lacroix's eyes narrowed on Johns' image. His voice was no less menacing for all its quiet wrath. "I do not respond to threats."
As far as he was concerned, the threats, demands, and negotiations were over. Lacroix raised his own sidearm and blew out the screen, effectively ending communications with Johns.
The bridge crew glance nervously at their leader. They weren't sure what he planned, but they trusted he had something in mind. You don't blow out your link to the madman with his hand over your life-support controls without something up your sleeve.
That hope was dashed with Lacroix's question, "Well, Richard, do you have any idea?"
Riddick shrugged. "Prep a shuttle for him."
"What about you?" Angela asked. "He's not going to just leave...and even if he got you, he'll probably rig the ship to blow once he's clear."
He smiled and hugged his sister. "Trust me."
* * * * *
Johns paced furiously in front of the computer. They wouldn't just cut him off. The vamps might be able to survive without life-support, but the rest of the crew wouldn't. Was the admiral willing to risk the lives of his entire crew just to save Riddick from Slam?
He shook his head. No, there had to be something else. Lacroix had to have invested years of time and effort to make it to admiral. You don't just throw that away at the drop of a hat, not even for family.
They had to be up to something. They were planning some trick or trap for him.
"What do we do now?" Rorye asked.
Johns glared. "If you shut the fuck up, I could think of something!" he roared.
Rorye back off nervously, then turned to face the doors. He could see out the clear panels to the rest of Engineering. The crew stared back at him, anger and betrayal reflecting in their eyes.
He thinned his lips in frustration. He was beginning to wish he hadn't let Johns out. The lure of money had been his undoing, as usual, but now he had serious second thoughts about this whole operation. They were trapped in the control room with no way out unless this weirdo could come up with a plan.
Rorye wished he could be on the other side of the doors. He glanced at the chief engineer on the floor. One way or another, everyone on this side was royally fucked over.
Johns caught Rorye's longing gaze outside. The lieutenant was quickly becoming more of a liability than an asset. He tried to calculate when would be the best time to off Rorye: now or when he got the transport.
"Someone's comin'," Rorye called over his shoulder.
Johns looked out and saw Riddick approaching with his hands up. "Looks like they're surrendering."
Rorye smiled with relief. Maybe they'd get out of this after all. At Johns' okay, he opened the door for Riddick, who stepped in quietly with no sudden movements. Rorye stayed at the door, gun trained on Riddick's back. Johns stood at the other end of the room, gun in hand but not raised.
"Thought I said I wanted you unconscious."
Riddick lowered his hands. "If bullets can't take me down, you think chemicals will?"
"So what's the verdict, Richie? Do I have a ship?"
Riddick clenched his jaw at the nickname. "Yeah, Shuttle Bay 3, Admiral's personal yacht is bein' prepped for takeoff."
Johns nodded satisfactorily. "Now the big question: do I get you?"
Riddick shrugged. "I'm four-hundred years old...what's a few days in jail?"
Johns raised an eyebrow. "Days?"
Riddick pursed his lips thoughtfully. "Oh, maybe a week...at most. We have people in high places, Johnsy, and a lot of 'em owe me favors. One message to the right official, and just like that" he snapped his fingers for emphasis "I've got a full pardon, an apology for the egregious error, and maybe even a monetary compensation the shit that poor innocent me had to go through...'Course that shouldn't matter to you. You'll still get the bounty now, even if they release me later."
Johns considered this. He really couldn't see a down side to this bargain. He would get Riddick's bounty, and if he got free and screwed things up with the law again, Johns could hunt him down for another bounty. Plus he'll get to travel in an admiral's yacht. Merc admirals were notoriously decadent and lavish in furnishing and stocking their private vessels.
"So why're you willin' to help us?" Rorye was still suspicious.
Another shrug. "Why not? You get your bounty and your freedom. I get my freedom and my father's gratitude for saving his ship. Believe me, his gratitude is worth a lot. It's a winning situation all the way around. Besides, the alternative to this plan is for daddy dearest to take armed shuttles out and blast holes in the hull until you don't have any more air to breathe."
"That would kill everyone onboard" Rorye nearly screeched "including himself!"
Riddick gave Johns a knowing smile. "That's not a problem for him." He turned and addressed Rorye, "It's what environmental suits are for."
Rorye acquiesced, but didn't like any of it. This whole thing stunk.
Johns didn't care. He holstered his weapon and smiled. "You've got a bargain, Riddick."