Chapter 1: Steppin' Away

*disclaimer* I do not own Riddick or Jack, they are owned by USA films. Oh yeah, I also don't own the character named Kim, uhm… she owns herself, but I wanted to use her so… there. I own everything else and I am not making any money off this, so don't sue me. On to the story…

They were all dead.

Dead for the taking. Dead for the coroner to drag away. God, how I hated myself at that moment. Why was I alive? I still don't understand it, even now. It drives me mad. Why was I alive, over my husband, or my children? Why did he single me out to live with this horrible, gut wrenching pain that pulls at my heart every time I breathe? Why didn't he let me die with my family?

I hate that man. I didn't know who it was when they were killed, but I found out who it was. Riddick B. Fucking-Riddick. I hate him, with all my life... I despise him. I would have killed him myself, if I could, but I'm weak. I'm only 5'2, about 120 pounds. I couldn't take on a man who was over a foot taller than me and easily outweighed me by a hundred pounds. I would be crushed, physically, not mentally, like he had already done.

I loved my family, I really did. More than anything in the world, I just loved to see them happy, to see all of us happy, but he took it away from us. Words can never describe the feelings I would get looking into Scott's eyes, and just seeing him smile. Scott was my husband. He was such a good man, an accountant, bringing in all the money while I stayed home with Gwen and Paul. He was such a beautiful man. Bright blue eyes, dark brown hair, and so tall. Scott was a little over a foot taller than me too, but most people are. His eyes… everyone loved how they shined. They sparkled and shined in the light, like the sea when the sun flashed off it like gold. It was such beauty. He was so beautiful. They were my life, my family that is. They were the only things I wanted to have. A family.

Then that bastard killed them. In front of my eyes, for me to cry and scream over, to only have my cries not heard. Not by him, not by anyone.

When the police finally arrived after my frantic calls, I was in shock. I just sat there, staring into Scott's lifeless eyes. I didn't speak, not for a while. I couldn't find my voice. My body shook as they started to ask me questions, and they pulled me away from him. God, I hated those men. I hated all of them. They dragged me back to the couch and sat me down. One man started asking me about him, and I couldn't stand it, I broke down into tears, then a tall woman came in, wearing all black, with a long trench coat flowing back behind her.

" Get the hell away from her, Lieutenant, I'll take over." She growled at the man, shoving him away from me.

I looked over at her. She was frightening. She had deep brown eyes, and long blond hair tied back in a no-nonsense ponytail. She smiled up at me, still a little bit cold. I didn't think the woman really cared, but I was wrong. " He killed them." I whimpered into my palms.

" It's all right. We'll find them, I promise. I'm Kimberly Whitesel, but you can call me Kim, Mrs.…?" She trailed off slowly, looking at me.

I sobbed for a few moments and drew in enough strength to speak again. " Emerald, Eme… Eme Malloy." I stopped for a moment, and turned away from her, and looked at the coroner's who were over Paul's body. I tried to run, to get them away from him. They shouldn't have been touching him; they shouldn't have touched any of them. There was nothing to do for them now. Kim pulled me back and sat me back down on the couch.

" You can't do anything now for them, Eme. I know it hurts, I do, but please, you have to tell me who did this."

" I don't know!" I screamed at her, throwing my hands up in frustration.

" It's okay, don't get frustrated, just tell me… tell me what he looked like, okay?" She said quietly, giving me a sincere smile.

" He was tall, taller than…" My heart got caught in my throat for a moment, I broke down into tears, and I shook. I hated it, the feelings; the pain. Everything, I couldn't help, and I felt so weak. I couldn't do anything for anyone. I felt so worthless.

" Who was he taller than, Eme?" She said quietly.

" Taller than Scott." My voice broke and I curled up on the couch. I wanted to rip out of my skin, to be somewhere else, some other time. I didn't want to have to deal with this; I couldn't deal with it.

" C'mon Eme, this will bring the man to justice, please. Just… tell me something else… was he light skinned, dark skinned?"

" He… was in-between…. I guess… I don't know; he just looked like another person on the streets except for those damn goggles he had on." I muttered, in a rage. The thought of him made me want to kill.

" What! What did you say? Did you say goggles?" She asked, her voice in a state of surprise.

" Yeah, he had goggles on… like he was sensitive to light… I don't know." I said, sighing and turning away. Now they were all gone. Only police were around, taking pictures, snapping photos of the apartment. My body slowly went cold and every emotion left from my body. A single thought struck my brain.

I would never see them alive again.

" Oh Jesus, he's back it again. Lieutenant, get over here." She said, stepping up from the couch. She tapped her foot as the man walked over.

He looked at her for a moment, and then snorted. " Wha'd you find out?" He sneered at her, turning his eyes away, smirking to his other friends in the room.

Kim shot me a look of sympathy then said, " More than you could find looking at the killer, Rookie. Now listen here, we've got another one on him."

" Who?" I cried, looking up at both of them. The Lieutenant had a solemn look on his face, and Kim looked… a little bit angry, I guess.

" Richard B. Fuck'n-Riddick." Kim said, then sighed.

The name quickly snapped in my brain. He was on the front page a few days ago. He had escaped from a slam. Everyone was trying to get him, to get him back into the slam, as soon as possible. He was a serial killer, and the worst of them. He had just killed… a girl named Jacqueline Bruce, I think. I couldn't remember, not really.

" That's great, Detective, but exactly how are we going to nail his ass?"

Kim smiled, like she had something perfect on her mind. " Use a merc's brother, the blue-eyed devil's brother to be exact."

" Jesus… You're crazy bitch, you know that?"

Kim grabbed his collar and pulled her close against him. " Don't you forget it." She smiled at him, evilly.

I sighed, not knowing… not understanding what was going on. She bent down towards me and smiled kindly, covering my hand with hers. " What's going to happen now?"

" Well, Eme, you're going to go to the hospital to be checked out, just precaution… if Riddick did anything to you, we might need to use that as evidence."

I nodded, my body started to shake again, and I gulped back a knot of fear in my throat. I hated hospitals and I hated doctors more than anything in the world. They had never done anything for me, except almost killing my child, by accident, or so they called it. I'd rather trust a freelance midwife then one of those stupid over paid idiots. " All right," I whispered quietly, and Kim helped me out, and I was off to go to the hospital.

***

I really hate hospitals, I can never convey how much hatred I have for everyone in here. They prod and poke at me, trying to figure out things about what happened. They couldn't think of it. Couldn't imagine it. Then, one of the doctor's has the balls to ask me if I had been raped by him. If I had been raped by that bastard Riddick, I would have killed myself. Just the thought of that deplorable man touching me made my skin crawl.

I sat in a cold room. It was pure white and it smelled of latex. I hated it, with every bone in my body, I hated it. I really was a nice person, usually, but under such circumstances, I think everyone would have been a little bit out of the ordinary, considering. I sat there, crossing my legs, uncrossing them. Trying to find some way to pass the time.

I felt so somber, so alone… and yet, now, I couldn't cry, I just wanted to ring that bastard Riddick's neck in my hands, but I knew that wasn't possible. Not in my lifetime. The hospital took hours, and I had no where to go once they were done testing me. I couldn't go home, I don't know if I could ever set foot in there again. It scared me to think about it, to think just maybe he would come back and finally finish me off. At least, then, I wouldn't have to deal with any pain.

Detective Whitesel was waiting outside the hospital, talking to a man with bright blue eyes and short blond hair. He grinned, and when he did, he reminded me a little bit of a devil. Something mischievous was playing in his eyes, dancing around like he knew something.

" Ah, Eme, you're finally done."

I nodded dumbly and stepped closer to her, still watching the man closely.

She smiled at me, patting my shoulder kindly and said, " I'd like you to meet Ryan Johns, he's going to track down Riddick for us and bring him in."

I shook his hand politely and left my eyes downcast. I didn't want to look at him, but I hoped he would kill the bastard. I didn't want justice, by any court standards, I wanted flat out murder.

" I suppose it would've been nicer to meet you on other circumstances, ma'am." He drawled slowly, putting his hands back into his pockets.

" I suppose." I muttered quietly to myself, not caring much anymore.

" All right, I've got to go take Mrs. Malloy somewhere to stay tonight." She started to walk away, and helped me walk along, then she stopped, pivoted and looked at Johns with the devil in her eyes. " Johns!" She called, and when he turned back, she spoke again, " You remember what I said, boy, or he might just have your ass too."

***

I stayed in a hotel, by myself. I had nothing else to do. I had no family, I was just an orphan, and Scott's family was dead, except his sister, who was off on some random shipping lane job. The hotel was decent and Detective Whitesel was nice enough to pay for it, for the time being, but as soon as Riddick's ass was nailed, I was basically out on the streets, except for any insurance that Scott and the kids had on their lives.

God, how can you put such a price on someone's life? It's awful, and I hate it. I don't want to use that money for anything, I'd rather just sit in my misery and let my soul rot like it already has started to. I didn't want anything, just death. Just something far and away from here. Anything.

I stayed in that hotel, over a week, just sitting on the bed, or sleeping. My dreams were filled with blood and gore. Riddick's eyes looking into mine, whispering he would repay me. Somehow, he would get me back. Frightening, yes, and very disconcerting. I usually would wake up from a nightmare and stay up as long as possible, until I couldn't anymore; just to keep away from the night, the one thing I can't protect myself from, not even the day now, I suppose. I forget to eat for awhile, until the police sent food up to make sure their witness wouldn't die on them.

Funny. That's all I was useful for. A witness. Now, since that purpose was served, I have nothing, but that's for later. I'm getting ahead of myself here. They came up to my room, about a week later. They all had a grin on their face, like they had gotten something, or someone. I prayed and hoped it was Riddick as they babbled on about the week, trying to ask questions. I refused to answer and looked over at Detective Whitesel pleadingly. She had to tell me something, anything. They had to have gotten him. He couldn't have gotten that far in a matter of an hour after someone in the apartment building had called. Riddick couldn't have.

" Well… there's some good news, and some bad news." Kim began wearily.

" Bad news first." I muttered.

" Well, bad news, he won't talk. Good news, we got Riddick." Kim grinned and everyone else clapped.

" How'd you do that? I thought he was supposed to be some great serial killer?"

She shrugged. " Everyone has days they just fuck up. We just tracked him to his hotel and nabbed his ass while he sleeps. Everyone has gotta' sleep, sometime." She said quietly, and sat down next to me. She hugged me close and held me for awhile.

I weakly cried. At least they had caught him. At least now, some odd form of justice would try to begin. Something would start, and hopefully finish on my finish line, not his. I would not let him have that pleasure. I wouldn't let him keep that over me. Nothing else would he ever take from my, I would give my life for that.

TBC…

(a/n: hope you like the character Kim! And everyone else, go review. This one will be finished soon, probably tomorrow night)