Chapter 19 - Who Can You Trust?
Jack continued trying to struggle away from Carson, her mind whirling, still not quite able to believe what had just happened. "Carson, let me GO! NOW!" Waiting until his head was directly behind hers, she threw her head back as hard as she could, seeing stars as she felt the back of her skull connect with his face. She was dazed for a moment, but she managed to crawl away from him, elbowing him in the stomach for good measure. Crawling to the other side of the room, she turned, breathing heavily, watching as he held his hands to his now bloody nose.
"You bitch!" Carson wiped his nose gingerly on the sleeve of his jacket. "You broke my goddamned nose."
It didn't take long once she was able to think for Jack to figure out what must have happened. Carson had turned Riddick in, but how had he known? How could he know? He was supposed to be her friend, how could he do this? "Why?" was all she could say.
Carson laughed, but it wasn't his usual laugh, the light and playful one, this one sent chills down Jack's spine. "Why? Because he's worth a million fucking credits, that's why. I give him to my buddy Michael, and Mikey in turn splits the money with me." He shrugged, "Mikey gets 75%, but I figure 250,000 credits isn't too bad for ratting out a murderer and leaving the hard stuff to him." He narrowed his eyes at Jack, disgust evident on his face. "How could you let him touch you, knowing what he was?"
The blood pounded loudly in Jack's ears. "How did you know?" she whispered, her voice barely above a hiss.
A wide smile spread across Carson's face. "You should never put down on paper things you don't want people to know, luv."
Her hand automatically flew to her chest even though the key card no longer hung from a chain around her neck. It was safe at home with Imam, along with the box and her diary. But once upon a time she had shared an apartment with Carson and she now realized that he had found what she'd tried so hard to hide. Worse than that, he had defiled her. All these years he'd been her friend, and she had never seen this side of him. She'd never known what a bastard he was. "You asshole! How could you violate me like that? I trusted you!" She felt the humiliation of it, the thought that someone had seen her innermost thoughts and feelings made her feel more exposed than if she had been standing there naked. "Those were personal. You had no right."
"How could you love someone like that?!" He raged. It was as if Carson had completely snapped. He stood up and came toward her, as if he meant to hit her, but stopped mid stride. His face was still contorted with anger and disgust. "How could you love him? How could you let him touch you when you would never even give me the time of day? How could you let all of them fuck you? Have you no pride? I'm worth ten of them, a hundred."
Jack's eyes went wide as she realized that this wasn't the boy who had been her friend or the man who had been her partner, this was someone else entirely. This person was crazy. Someone who scared the shit out of her. She tried to keep her voice calm as she crawled backward, searching for something to push herself up on so that she would be standing, better able to defend herself. "I never realized how deep your feelings for me were, I'm sorry I didn't see that before." *More sorry than you'll ever know you freak! If I'd known, I'd have stayed the hell away from you.*
As easily as the mask had slipped, it was back in place. Jack wasn't certain what scared her more, the fact that he was so obviously unbalanced, or that he could so easily slip back into 'good old Carson'. "No one ever has to know what happened between you and Riddick, AJ. I'll keep your secret," he smiled at her again, this time it was the smile she'd known so well, but it chilled her even more than the other had. Holding a hand out to her, he took a step toward her.
Jack's hand closed around something hard. As her fingers glided over the smooth surface, she recognized the shape. *Riddick's pulse pistol!* She wrapped her hand around the grip and waited. When he took a step closer she was ready to strike. Swinging the pistol up, she leveled it at him. "Don't come any closer."
Carson just sneered at her. "You won't use that thing." As he lunged forward, he found out just how wrong he was.
She didn't have time to think, didn't have time to do anything but react. Her finger tightened on the trigger and she felt the surge of energy as it left the pistol. But Carson's momentum carried him forward and the blast hit him in the shoulder rather than the chest. He staggered back against the wall, his arm hanging loosely by his side, twitching, but there was no blood. Jack was confused for a moment until she realized that the pistol had been set on the lowest setting, basically making it a stun pistol. But in order to stun someone with a pulse pistol you pretty much had to hit them point blank in the chest, which was why most people just used concussive stun rifles or stun batons. Despite her situation, a smile crept over her face. *Riddick wasn't going to kill me.* She suddenly felt foolish for even thinking he was. Carson's voice drew her attention back to the here and now.
"Oh, you are going to pay for that." He started toward her again, holding his injured arm, apparently oblivious to the fact she was still holding the pistol on him, ready to shoot again. But a voice caught their attention.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. What the hell happened?" Alejandro stepped through the ruined door and into the destroyed living room. "AJ, you ok?" He looked over at her, concern in his eyes.
"Alejandro!" Jack pushed herself up and ran for him, launching herself into his arms. "Have I ever told you that you have spectacular timing?"
Wrapping his arms around her, he rubbed his hand up and down her back. "No, you usually tell me I have shitty timing. What's going on?" He looked over to Carson whose face was once more a mask of anger and disgust. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"
Carson stepped over the ruined coffee table. "Why don't you ask AJ," he sneered. He bent next to her ear as he passed her, whispering, "this isn't over by a long shot." And then he was gone.
Jack buried her face in Alejandro's shoulder, glad for the feel of his arms. She drew on his strength. "It's a very long, very old, and very complicated story."
Alejandro shrugged, hugging her tighter. "I've got time, chica."
Looking up at him, she searched his face. Alejandro was her friend, she knew that, more importantly she felt it. Carson had been her friend, but she'd known there was always something not quite right between them. She'd always assumed it was that he wanted her sexually and she didn't want him the same way. Apparently that hadn't been the only problem. Jack searched Alej's face, trying to reassure herself that deep inside, he was what he appeared to be. Her friend. "I can trust you, can't I?"
Alejandro looked down at her, a slightly hurt frown on his face. "Yeah, AJ. You know you can." He moved her toward the door and down the hall to his apartment, picking up her backpack as they left. "Let me call maintenance to fix your door, then you can tell me what's happening."
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An hour later, Alejandro sat in shocked silence as Jack finished her tale. She'd told him about the crash of the HG and what had happened since then, plus everything about her past and what she knew of Riddick's that she felt was pertinent, then she'd told him about today and what she'd found out about Carson. It felt good to get all of it off her chest, she'd not had anyone to talk to about it besides Imam since the crash, and he mostly just listened. Plus, it felt good to be able to tell Alejandro everything. Jack took a long drink of her beer, and she noticed that Alejandro did the same. "Alej?" She sincerely hoped that Alejandro would understand, he had to, he was the only hope she had. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out. "So, what are you thinking?"
Finishing off his beer, Alejandro sat the empty bottle on the coffee table. "Shit!" he breathed. "So that guy, the one that you punched me because of, that was this Riddick guy?"
"Yes. It was." She waited for a moment. "Alejandro, I love him. I won't try to deny the fact that he is a killer because I know he is, I've seen him do it, but I also know that he only does what he has to to survive." She shook her head. "If we were in his position, wouldn't we?"
Alejandro seemed to snap out of his daze. He searched her face. "And you want to give up everything to run around the galaxy with him as a fugitive?"
"I know it doesn't seem sane or rational, especially since you put it like that." She laughed a bit before smiling sadly at Alejandro. "The heart wants what the heart wants, and my heart wants him."
Alejandro had that sage look in his eyes again, Jack hated it when he did that, it usually meant he was going to be all logical. "And what about you, chica? Does he love you?"
She shook her head sadly. "It doesn't really matter. I love him. I can't let him go back to that place. I couldn't live with that."
"Is he worth it?" he asked quietly.
"He is to me." She shrugged, gesturing expressively with her hands. "He's worth everything to me. Reasonable or not, sane or not, I'd risk my life to save him. Even if I didn't love him, I owe him that much."
Shaking his head, Alejandro laid his hand on hers. "Dios Mio. I knew you had it bad, I didn't know it was this bad." He looked like he was thinking for a minute before he squeezed her hand. "Ok. You can count on me. Do you have some sort of plan?"
Jack took a deep breath and smiled widely at Alejandro. "Not really, and I doubt this Michael guy is planning to keep Riddick here long so we don't have much time to come up with something. We need something fast."
Jack continued trying to struggle away from Carson, her mind whirling, still not quite able to believe what had just happened. "Carson, let me GO! NOW!" Waiting until his head was directly behind hers, she threw her head back as hard as she could, seeing stars as she felt the back of her skull connect with his face. She was dazed for a moment, but she managed to crawl away from him, elbowing him in the stomach for good measure. Crawling to the other side of the room, she turned, breathing heavily, watching as he held his hands to his now bloody nose.
"You bitch!" Carson wiped his nose gingerly on the sleeve of his jacket. "You broke my goddamned nose."
It didn't take long once she was able to think for Jack to figure out what must have happened. Carson had turned Riddick in, but how had he known? How could he know? He was supposed to be her friend, how could he do this? "Why?" was all she could say.
Carson laughed, but it wasn't his usual laugh, the light and playful one, this one sent chills down Jack's spine. "Why? Because he's worth a million fucking credits, that's why. I give him to my buddy Michael, and Mikey in turn splits the money with me." He shrugged, "Mikey gets 75%, but I figure 250,000 credits isn't too bad for ratting out a murderer and leaving the hard stuff to him." He narrowed his eyes at Jack, disgust evident on his face. "How could you let him touch you, knowing what he was?"
The blood pounded loudly in Jack's ears. "How did you know?" she whispered, her voice barely above a hiss.
A wide smile spread across Carson's face. "You should never put down on paper things you don't want people to know, luv."
Her hand automatically flew to her chest even though the key card no longer hung from a chain around her neck. It was safe at home with Imam, along with the box and her diary. But once upon a time she had shared an apartment with Carson and she now realized that he had found what she'd tried so hard to hide. Worse than that, he had defiled her. All these years he'd been her friend, and she had never seen this side of him. She'd never known what a bastard he was. "You asshole! How could you violate me like that? I trusted you!" She felt the humiliation of it, the thought that someone had seen her innermost thoughts and feelings made her feel more exposed than if she had been standing there naked. "Those were personal. You had no right."
"How could you love someone like that?!" He raged. It was as if Carson had completely snapped. He stood up and came toward her, as if he meant to hit her, but stopped mid stride. His face was still contorted with anger and disgust. "How could you love him? How could you let him touch you when you would never even give me the time of day? How could you let all of them fuck you? Have you no pride? I'm worth ten of them, a hundred."
Jack's eyes went wide as she realized that this wasn't the boy who had been her friend or the man who had been her partner, this was someone else entirely. This person was crazy. Someone who scared the shit out of her. She tried to keep her voice calm as she crawled backward, searching for something to push herself up on so that she would be standing, better able to defend herself. "I never realized how deep your feelings for me were, I'm sorry I didn't see that before." *More sorry than you'll ever know you freak! If I'd known, I'd have stayed the hell away from you.*
As easily as the mask had slipped, it was back in place. Jack wasn't certain what scared her more, the fact that he was so obviously unbalanced, or that he could so easily slip back into 'good old Carson'. "No one ever has to know what happened between you and Riddick, AJ. I'll keep your secret," he smiled at her again, this time it was the smile she'd known so well, but it chilled her even more than the other had. Holding a hand out to her, he took a step toward her.
Jack's hand closed around something hard. As her fingers glided over the smooth surface, she recognized the shape. *Riddick's pulse pistol!* She wrapped her hand around the grip and waited. When he took a step closer she was ready to strike. Swinging the pistol up, she leveled it at him. "Don't come any closer."
Carson just sneered at her. "You won't use that thing." As he lunged forward, he found out just how wrong he was.
She didn't have time to think, didn't have time to do anything but react. Her finger tightened on the trigger and she felt the surge of energy as it left the pistol. But Carson's momentum carried him forward and the blast hit him in the shoulder rather than the chest. He staggered back against the wall, his arm hanging loosely by his side, twitching, but there was no blood. Jack was confused for a moment until she realized that the pistol had been set on the lowest setting, basically making it a stun pistol. But in order to stun someone with a pulse pistol you pretty much had to hit them point blank in the chest, which was why most people just used concussive stun rifles or stun batons. Despite her situation, a smile crept over her face. *Riddick wasn't going to kill me.* She suddenly felt foolish for even thinking he was. Carson's voice drew her attention back to the here and now.
"Oh, you are going to pay for that." He started toward her again, holding his injured arm, apparently oblivious to the fact she was still holding the pistol on him, ready to shoot again. But a voice caught their attention.
"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. What the hell happened?" Alejandro stepped through the ruined door and into the destroyed living room. "AJ, you ok?" He looked over at her, concern in his eyes.
"Alejandro!" Jack pushed herself up and ran for him, launching herself into his arms. "Have I ever told you that you have spectacular timing?"
Wrapping his arms around her, he rubbed his hand up and down her back. "No, you usually tell me I have shitty timing. What's going on?" He looked over to Carson whose face was once more a mask of anger and disgust. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?"
Carson stepped over the ruined coffee table. "Why don't you ask AJ," he sneered. He bent next to her ear as he passed her, whispering, "this isn't over by a long shot." And then he was gone.
Jack buried her face in Alejandro's shoulder, glad for the feel of his arms. She drew on his strength. "It's a very long, very old, and very complicated story."
Alejandro shrugged, hugging her tighter. "I've got time, chica."
Looking up at him, she searched his face. Alejandro was her friend, she knew that, more importantly she felt it. Carson had been her friend, but she'd known there was always something not quite right between them. She'd always assumed it was that he wanted her sexually and she didn't want him the same way. Apparently that hadn't been the only problem. Jack searched Alej's face, trying to reassure herself that deep inside, he was what he appeared to be. Her friend. "I can trust you, can't I?"
Alejandro looked down at her, a slightly hurt frown on his face. "Yeah, AJ. You know you can." He moved her toward the door and down the hall to his apartment, picking up her backpack as they left. "Let me call maintenance to fix your door, then you can tell me what's happening."
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An hour later, Alejandro sat in shocked silence as Jack finished her tale. She'd told him about the crash of the HG and what had happened since then, plus everything about her past and what she knew of Riddick's that she felt was pertinent, then she'd told him about today and what she'd found out about Carson. It felt good to get all of it off her chest, she'd not had anyone to talk to about it besides Imam since the crash, and he mostly just listened. Plus, it felt good to be able to tell Alejandro everything. Jack took a long drink of her beer, and she noticed that Alejandro did the same. "Alej?" She sincerely hoped that Alejandro would understand, he had to, he was the only hope she had. Taking a deep breath, she blew it out. "So, what are you thinking?"
Finishing off his beer, Alejandro sat the empty bottle on the coffee table. "Shit!" he breathed. "So that guy, the one that you punched me because of, that was this Riddick guy?"
"Yes. It was." She waited for a moment. "Alejandro, I love him. I won't try to deny the fact that he is a killer because I know he is, I've seen him do it, but I also know that he only does what he has to to survive." She shook her head. "If we were in his position, wouldn't we?"
Alejandro seemed to snap out of his daze. He searched her face. "And you want to give up everything to run around the galaxy with him as a fugitive?"
"I know it doesn't seem sane or rational, especially since you put it like that." She laughed a bit before smiling sadly at Alejandro. "The heart wants what the heart wants, and my heart wants him."
Alejandro had that sage look in his eyes again, Jack hated it when he did that, it usually meant he was going to be all logical. "And what about you, chica? Does he love you?"
She shook her head sadly. "It doesn't really matter. I love him. I can't let him go back to that place. I couldn't live with that."
"Is he worth it?" he asked quietly.
"He is to me." She shrugged, gesturing expressively with her hands. "He's worth everything to me. Reasonable or not, sane or not, I'd risk my life to save him. Even if I didn't love him, I owe him that much."
Shaking his head, Alejandro laid his hand on hers. "Dios Mio. I knew you had it bad, I didn't know it was this bad." He looked like he was thinking for a minute before he squeezed her hand. "Ok. You can count on me. Do you have some sort of plan?"
Jack took a deep breath and smiled widely at Alejandro. "Not really, and I doubt this Michael guy is planning to keep Riddick here long so we don't have much time to come up with something. We need something fast."