Disclaimer: Would anyone out there actually sue me if I did claim to own Riddick and Jack?
Jack sat through the headmaster's lecture with one ear on his droning voice and the other waiting for the last class bell of the day. She was finally through her tech training. Five long years of reading and computing and worst of all; five long years of listening to this asshole. It was the end of the year and she was free.
Her senses told her that he was finally winding down and she smiled in his direction. Sanctimonious bastard!
"Exactly what are you smiling at young lady?" He asked in a snotty voice.
"The school records are already posted, aren't they?" Innocent wide eyes looking at him.
"Of course." She could tell he thought she was stupid. Everyone at the school did and she'd done everything she could to complete that picture.
"So---if I've passed, there's nothing that could change that, right?"
"Young lady, the fact that you passed is a minor miracle. I'd be surprised if you didn't end up in a correctional facility with the amount of time that I've had you in this office.
Jack smiled slowly and leaned back in her chair. One booted foot went up on the headmaster's desk followed by the other. "Actually, considering the amount of time that I've spent in here listening to your bullshit it's fucking miracle that I'm not in a metal health facility. As for passing your pathetic courses, why would I bother. Can't get a job with the shit you teach here."
She grinned one of her wicked little grins. " I do have to say that it was nice of you to let me use your net systems to set up my business and even nicer that you allowed me access to resources that I ---- well let's just say I put them to good use."
She pulled both feet off his desk, stood up and admired her work. His face was almost purple with rage, a little vein was throbbing on his forehead. She sauntered out the door pausing for a moment to turn back.
"Just in case you were thinking of sicking the cops on me, you should know that I have a really interesting net broadcast ready to launch of you and a student taken last year. She looks to be a bit underage, if you get my meaning."
His face suddenly blanched.
It had cost a lot of credits to get her hands on that tape but watching the blood drain from this piece of shit's face made it worth it. She had wanted to leave the tech school knowing that if her illegal actions were discovered at a later date, he would make sure to keep it quiet.
Jumping into her ground car, she felt like singing. It had been along time since she felt this good. She had fulfilled her end of a deal that she'd made with Imam who'd insisted that she finish school. It was the least she could do for the man who'd taken her in and treated her like family but now it was time to do something for herself. Something she'd been waiting a long time for.
Find Richard B. Riddick and kick his sorry ass.
"Child, I think that you should have left this idea of revenge behind you long ago." Imam was desperately trying to convince her to forget Riddick as he stood in their small kitchen cutting up vegetables for dinner.
Jack grinned and stuck out her tongue. "If you call me a child, I'm gonna act like one." Dodging the issue.
"How do you expect to find him after all this time?" Imam put down the knife he'd been holding and turned to her.
She pursed her lips together. Now was the time to tell him what she'd been doing these past years instead of studying. Oh Damn! He was going to hate this. "Imam, do you remember when we first got here and I was tracking the net looking for him everyday?"
"I hardly think that I could forget that. Getting you to stop long enough to eat was a challenge." He smiled at her fondly.
"Well, it turns out that I have a knack for that kind of thing. I can find anyone, anywhere." She paused, waiting for a response.
"It's good that you have a useful skill. Perhaps it will be an asset when you join the work force."
Too late for that old man!
"The thing is ---- I've been doing that as my career for a couple of years now." She shoved both hands into her pants pockets and adopted a defensive stance. She'd been helping people find their run away kids, mercs find their paydays and anybody else that could afford her. She'd developed quite a rep on the net but no one had any idea who she was.
"You've been working for years?" Iman asked incredulously.
"Been saving credits, setting myself up. I'm ready now." Jack said proudly.
Imam's eyes narrowed on her and he sat heavily in a chair. "I should have known." He signed. "You were always too -- restless to sit and wait for life to come to you. Even before I knew you --- on that dark planet, you rushed things."
"Imam, don't you want him to pay for what he did to us?" She couldn't keep the anger out of her voice.
"I wish harm to no man." She knew that he meant it and just couldn't understand.
Riddick had abandoned them on a strange planet and had taken all their credit. They had been forced to beg for food until Imam had found a job. She'd cursed him for years until Imam had finally admitted to her that he'd encouraged Riddick to go. Riddick's need had been greater than theirs, Iman had told her.
Fuck that! Her need had been pretty damn big when she was sleeping in alleys, fending off would be rapists and freaks.
Jack planted her feet solidly. "You have your philosophy and I have mine. I also have a ship. One that's gonna take me to Mr. Big Bad Ass so that I can pay him back." She wasn't looking for permission and wanted Imam to know that.
He rubbed his fingers in his graying beard and looked at her thoughtfully. "Well, you can't run off without dinner, can you? Sit down."
Jack let out the breath that she'd been holding. He wasn't going to try and stop her, not that he could have but she didn't really want to leave with a bad feeling between them.
She looked around her bedroom. Thought of the nightmares she'd had in that bed, of the hours spent in front of the mirror trying to look dangerous. She imagined that other girls dreamed of boys and spent their time in front of the mirror with entirely different goals.
Bags packed, she wore a black flight suit with titanium covered boots and black contact lenses designed for night vision. She'd come into this apartment as a little girl but was determined to leave it a lethal hunter.
Imam watched her reproachfully as she carried her things to the door. "If I'd had any idea why you were taking those martial arts courses and computer classes I would have prevented it." He said regretfully.
"I'd have done it anyway." She admitted.
"I suppose."
"I can take care of myself." Her fingers ran over the bulge of the tazer she had in her pant's leg pocket.
"That remains to be seen." He paused thoughtfully. "Have you ever wondered why it is that you cannot let go of your anger towards Mr. Riddick? Perhaps there is more to your feelings than anger."
"Oh yeah, hatred, disgust, loathing and a few other things that I'm not allowed to say under your roof." She smiled at the childhood remembrance of her rebellion at Imam's rules.
"I was thinking more of betrayal and the loss of ---- a friend." The old man stood up and walked to the door where she held her bags.
Jack blinked. Friend! What the hell was he thinking? "Nice try but that's not it." She dropped her bags and wrapped her arms around the man who'd been like a father to her for so many years. Tears stung her eyes. "I'll be back as soon as I finish----what I have to do."
"I'll be waiting."
She gave him one last bright smile and opened the door. "You might want to think about waiting with that nice lady who smiles at you from down the hall."
"Shoo child." His face flushed and embarrassed.
Her ship was not new, it wasn't even second hand. More like tenth hand. But it had a completely rebuilt drive engine that could catch anything and it had a weapon's array lethal enough to take down a full battle platform.
It also had some little alterations that she'd had specially installed.
A real water shower; not standard.
A holding cell, most definitely not standard.
And the best part, a captain's quarters to rival the greatest of fleet cruise liners. A little indulgence that she'd allowed herself when considering how tough the first few years had been for her and Imam and all the luxuries that she'd never had.
Thinking of that, she logged on the net from her interface on board the ship and transferred funds into Imam's account. The next time that he accessed his credit balance he would have a nice surprise. She'd known that he'd never take money from her so she simply wasn't going to give him a chance to say no.
She had a state of the art computer system onboard and would be working while in transit. Riddick was a personal vendetta but that didn't mean she was planning on loosing money while chasing him. She sent a few messages to clients and put her things away.
Waiting for take off clearance she felt the excitement bubbling up inside her. Comin' to get you bastard!
Gonna make you real fucking sorry you left me behind!
