16. Final Mistake

Alec landed on Dres in the late afternoon hours, just before twilight was getting ready to descend upon the planet. Large mining machinery could be heard in use not far away and he spotted a fancy ship close by. A Hydro-quad 650. He'd been looking for one of those for years.

"Look at that 'quad," his partner, Ken Reigns, breathed. "That's sweet!"

Alec flashed the younger man a grin. "Yeah. If I can find who owns it, maybe I'll buy it off them."

"I think I'll buy it off them!" Ken exclaimed.

"Like you could afford it, kid," Alec scoffed. "We gotta find Riddick now, so no more joking."

They headed for the supply shop and Alec felt more than a little unnerved as he faced another set of freaky eyes and a big man. "I'm looking for a big guy. Riddick. You seen him?" he questioned the shop keeper.

The man eyed him warily before saying anything. "I see a lot of big guys around here, mister," the man said slowly.

"This guy's hard to miss though. Shaved head, always wearing dark goggles?" Alec pressed.

The man just shrugged and turned away from him when a young boy with a shaved head and goggles entered the shop. His face was dirty and stern, jaw clenched.

"Hey, Jack," the big man behind the counter called to the kid.

The boy turned to the man and smiled broadly, pushing the goggles away from his face. "Hey, Austin," he said. "You got anything to drink? I'm broke, but you know I'm good for it."

The man he'd called Austin reached beneath the counter and the sound of clanking ice filled Alec's ears. Austin pulled out a soda and handed it to the kid, who took it gladly and popped the top.

"Thanks, Austin. I gotta get back to work, but I'll talk to you later, okay?"

Austin smiled at the kid named Jack when he left before turning back to Alec. "Why aren't you gone yet?" he questioned darkly, and Alec twitched nervously when the man reached for something Alec doubted was a soda beneath the counter.

"Uh, cute kid. He been here long?" Alec questioned, trying to get the man to ease up.

"She. And yeah, over a year now. What's it to you? After a little bald kid, too, merc?"

Alec straightened. "How'd you know I was a merc?"

Austin sneered. "Do I look that stupid to you? Merc is practically tattooed across your damn forehead."

Alec frowned at Austin. "In any case, no, I'm not after the kid, although there's a strange resemblance between, did you say her? and Riddick."

The man just shrugged and picked up a book.

With a contemptuous curl of his lip, Alec led Ken out of the store. Maybe some of the local miners would be more inclined to talk. He'd pay for any recent news on Riddick.

------

"Gin! Gin! Open the door, girl!"

Groaning at the sudden intrusion, Gin rolled away from Riddick and headed for the cockpit of her ship. One of the monitors was picking up someone banging on the hatch and calling for her outside. It was Austin Bennett, and he looked like he was trying to break the door down. Sighing loudly, Gin went back to the room Riddick was in and started pulling her pants and shirt back on. Riddick raised a brow and she smiled grimly.

Stuffing a pair of socks into her boots, she snatched them up and headed for the hatch. She grabbed her goggles as she passed them on the floor and hit the key pad that would open the main cargo hold.

"What's going on, Austin?" she asked, shoving a lock of short blonde hair off her forehead. She rubbed her eyes and watched him curiously.

"Some merc is after Riddick, so you had better get off this rock quick. He saw Jack, too. Said there was a strange resemblance between her and Riddick. You gotta get outta here."

Suddenly Gin was fully alert. "Damn! Thanks, Austin. I owe you one. Could you notify Craig Malloy? He's over in D-Block. The green hut. Tell him the merc is here and he should head back to X-14 if he doesn't want to mess with the guy."

Austin nodded curtly and jogged over towards the direction of D-Block. The settlement was divided into five main blocks, A through E. The hut Riddick and Gin had been sharing was in B-Block, but the landing pad and the supply store were in A, so even if the merc found where they'd been staying, it would take him a while to figure out where they really were.

Gin hustled back towards Riddick, who had heard the conversation from the hatch between floors and was just pulling on his last boot. He followed her back down the latter and Gin tugged on her socks and boots.

"We have to get those power cells. We have enough to take off, but we're gonna have to stop somewhere else and fill up the others if they aren't done yet," Riddick said, pulling on his goggles.

Gin tugged hers on as well and they headed to the back of Austin's store, where the trickle charger was.

Gin began unhooking the cells. They were all done, thankfully, and they began dragging them back to the ship. Riddick held a cell under each arm and another in each hand. Gin hefted the last two up on her shoulders and they made it back to the ship quickly.

They shoved the power cells into place and they were just getting ready to take off when there was a pounding on the hatch. Gin shot Riddick a questioning look and he nodded.

He went out back and opened the door. Outside stood two men, and one was holding a gun to Jack's head.

"Richard B. Riddick, you're coming with me," the man holding Jack said.

Gin crept up to the edge of the cargo door, staying out of sight, and saw that he had Jack by the back of her collar. Her stomach twisted and she felt a little sick as she saw the empty resignation in Jack's eyes. The girl was staring at the man that had once been her hero and the dull empty shine to her eyes made it obvious she didn't think anyone was going to save her this time.

Quelling her sudden rage, Gin slipped back into the depths of the ship's cargo hold and headed for the side hatch at port. It side open with a soft whoosh of air and she jumped down onto the black pavement that made up the landing pad. Circling around behind, she caught the merc's younger partner by surprise, slamming her blade through his back and deep into the sweet spot just to the left of his spine. Gin pulled the blade free in one smooth motion, spun for speed, and had the still bloodied blade of her knife pressed to the merc's neck before he could even register what had just happened.

"Let the kid go," she hissed, feeling her teeth lengthen and not even trying to contain the murderous threat in her voice.

"You don't know what you're doin', lady," the merc hissed back.

A low, threatening growl erupted from her and she pressed the blade so tight against his skin that blood began to trickle down his neck. "I'm not going to tell you again."

The merc let go of Jack, and she ducked and leapt forward, turning quickly to look her captor in the eye. "Dirty bastard," she gritted out from clenched teeth. She clenched her fist and nailed the man as hard as she could in the jaw. His head jerked back and he tensed, struggling to keep his balance.

"Start the ship, Riddick," Gin commanded. "Jack, go with him. You're coming with us."

Jack snarled a number of swear words at the man before doing as she was told and heading up to Riddick's side on the ramp.

------

Riddick felt an unexpected thrill of pride go through him as Jack punched the merc so hard in the jaw his teeth snapped together and his head whipped back on his neck.

Gin commanded the girl to get on board with him and Jack spat a number of epithets at the man that would make most people's ears turn red before stalking up the ramp to stand next to Riddick. He looked down at the girl, but her eyes were locked on the merc.

"Looks like you're taggin' along after all, kid," he said, wondering why he didn't feel more annoyed by the concept.

Jack turned unreadable green eyes up to him and gave him a cold stare. "Don't get all excited or anything, Riddick," she said quietly.

Unsure what to make of this new Jack with the sharp tongue and withering attitude, Riddick turned his gaze back to Gin.

"Shut the hatch, Riddick," she said from her place behind the merc. Riddick felt a sadistic grin twist his lips as his eyes met the merc's. He reached out and hit the key pad and the hatch began to raise.

"She's going to kill him, isn't she," Jack said quietly from her place by his side.

"Yeah, Jack. He's a dead man."

They walked toward the latter and climbed up to the next floor and then into the cockpit. Jack strapped herself into the co-pilot's seat and Riddick took his seat behind the main controls and started firing up the engines. The monitor that showed a view of the ship from just above the main cargo hatch showed Gin still standing behind the merc, whispering in his ear. Riddick looked at Jack, catching the grim look on her face and the set of her jaw.

"It'll be over soon," he whispered and switched the monitor off.

------

Gin turned the merc around so he could see his partner. "I'm going to do that to you," she whispered in his ear.

Alec stared at Ken. The younger man's eyes were wide with surprise and his mouth was open as if he'd tried to scream just before the woman had killed him.

"I let the kid go. You don't have to kill me," he insisted weakly.

"Ah, but I do. Because now you've seen me, and you'll come us both if I let you live. I can't let that happen. You made a big mistake grabbing the kid though. I don't usually have the urge to rip someone's throat out with my teeth, but with you I think I might make an exception." She shoved the merc away from her, spinning him around to face her at the same time.

His eyes locked on her face and then she jumped on him, shoving the blade deep into his chest. The man's blue gaze widened as he stared at her, and she twisted the blade, shoving it a bit deeper.

Then, with an inhuman growl, she used one long, canine tooth to rip open his jugular. The spray of hot blood touched her tongue and she brought it deep into her mouth.

The merc grabbed his neck with both hands and Gin brought her foot up between them and placed her boot against his stomach so she could shove him away.

Gin watched the merc hit the hard ground with a sickening thud. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, still clutching her sharp blade, then she rounded the ship and stepped back into the hatch she'd left through, closing it quietly behind her.