Two more days until they reached the planet Maylon. Bi-Lines home, temporarily. Riddick and Eric went over their inventory, setting up weapons, equipment, and for the millionth time, went over the only information they had on Bi-Lines. Alex went through the surveillance tapes they had set up outside Bi-Lines property, looking for anything different or any additions to the building.
"It's doesn't look like much has changed," he said, still reviewing the tapes.
"Good," Eric said, continuing with his work. Kyle, Raven, and Skye kept themselves busy with repairs, plotting their course back to their employer with Marishpere, and just hanging out.
Riddick and Skye avoided each other but it wasn't intentional, they were just busy. But while moving from room to room or passing in the hall she would steal glances at him and each time, he would meet her eyes and smile.
Something very powerful was happening between them but they kept their distance. He seemed to realize the effect he had on her so he kept out of her way. Not only that but he didn't need any distractions himself. Soon they would be stepping into a dangerous situation and he needed his head clear, and so did Eric and Skye.
Raven bounced into her room and stopped when she saw Skye lying on the bed.
"Were you asleep?" she asked, tip-toeing to her bed. Skye opened her eyes and smiled.
"No, just trying to relax, keep my head clear." She closed her eyes again and took a deep breath.
"So, is your head clear?" Her tone of voice indicated that she figured there would be at least one thing on her mind. Skye caught on and sat up letting out a sigh.
"Kind of," she said.
"I see," she said, getting some boxing tape out of her drawer. Skye desperately wanted to change the subject.
"What do you need that for?" she asked, pointing to the tape. Raven looked down at her hands and an evil smile spread over her lips.
"Eric is going to show me some of his moves." Skye laughed. He had already gotten a lesson the other day from her but it looked like he was up for more.
"Well, don't hurt him too much. We need everyone's help to pull off this mission and we don't need anyone incapacitated." It was Raven's turn to laugh.
"Don't worry; we just need to blow off a little steam." Raven said, walking out the door. Skye got up to pace the small room, shaking out the tension in her arms. She wasn't really nervous about the whole deal; she just hoped her 'sense' didn't fail her.
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Today was the day and Skye was alone in her room getting dressed. Her clothes consisted of black fatigues, black long-sleeved turtleneck, black vest, and black boots. It was going to be cold but they couldn't take jackets because they needed their freedom of movement. She braided her hair in a single braid, hanging all the way down her back, then picked up her vest. It carried ammo; video feed clips for the security cameras, a virus disk, and the empty vials for the virus samples. She strapped a modified 9- millimeter to her right thigh, tucked a Bernard-Oxford; carrying magnetic pulse charges, into the back of her pants, and tucked a shiv in her boot.
Skye came out of her room and went to meet the others in the living area. Eric was sitting in a chair looking as relaxed as can be, dressed identical to her. They didn't speak and Skye didn't sit. No doubt they were mentally working themselves up.
"We ready?" came the deep voice from behind her. It was a sensual sound to her ears and so was the man standing behind her. His shirt was tight right down to his wrists, detailing every muscle he had. She stared, as if in a trance, as his muscles moved underneath the tight material while he put on his vest. 'Damn, he looks good.' Skye thought.
"Yea, we're ready," Eric said. He stood and took the high powered shotgun, with an added silencer, from Riddick.
"Here." Riddick handed her an earpiece with an extended mouthpiece so they could communicate hands free. Eric punched in the code for the ramp and they waited for it to open all the way.
"You guys remember what to do?" he asked, turning back to the others. Skye followed Riddick down the ramp half listening to what Eric was saying.
"Yea, everything's set," Kyle answered. Skye had stepped away from the ship to take a look at her surroundings. Everything was dead and if it wasn't dead, it was frozen. The ground sloped directly in front of them leading to the ridge where Riddick and Kyle had set up one of the cameras. They would be heading left into the dense area of trees and circling around to the back. It was a little longer trek but it was a lot safer.
Eric took the lead with Skye behind him and Riddick taking up the rear. Riddick took a moment to enjoy the view of what was in front of him before going back to scanning the area. They moved between the trees like they were ghosts. Not a sound came from any of them. With Skye as their 'sense' they were able to move quickly, covering more ground than they would have if they had to sneak.
They stopped behind some trees near the back entrance and Riddick whispered to Skye.
"So, they don't have any security cameras outside?" It was cold enough to see his breath. She shook her head no to his question.
"Just guard rotation," she whispered back.
"How stupid can you get," Riddick said, sounding unsure of the whole set up. Eric moved from the tree he was hiding behind and headed for the back entrance. Once he got there he motioned for the others to follow. He removed the paneling of the lock and started hooking up the de-coder. Skye stood on one side of the door with Riddick on the other. So far, everything was going smoothly and for a second, it didn't even seem like it was even real. She never did like that feeling.
"We're in," Eric said. He put away his equipment and opened the door. Skye went in first moving against one of the walls. The corridor was long and the lights were very dim. She looked back to see where the guys were and she saw the shine from Riddick's eyes, having removed his goggles. Normally, this would have scared the shit out of her, seeing a pair of shining eyes, looking at her from the dark, but not this time. She felt safe. The time that she wouldn't feel safe is when she looked back to find them gone.
Easing down the hall, Skye concentrated on the building. Slowly, a picture of the structure formed in her mind, followed by the exact lay-out, how many rooms there were and location, codes for some of the locked doors, the exact amount of people in the building, and finally, the location of the virus.
She confidently moved away from the wall and strolled to the first intersection. There was an open empty room around the corner and she needed to tell the guys what she knew and she would feel better if they were out of the hall.
She flattened her stomach against the wall and peeked around the corner, her gaze drawn to the ceiling. A smile formed on her lips but was quickly replaced with a frown. Right around the corner and about eight feet off the ground was a security camera. There was no way she could reach it so she turned to Riddick and with a nod of her head, he moved from the wall and came to her. She pulled him close so she could whisper in his ear.
"You're the tallest so I need you to stick this right on the back of the camera," she said as she reached in her pocket. From it, she removed a small device and pulled up an antenna before handing it to him. He took it and looked around the corner. Reaching up, he stuck it to the back of the camera and then ducked back into the hallway. Skye pressed a button on her earpiece.
"Alex, we're sending you the first signal. Tell us when you're ready." She kept eye contact with Riddick as she spoke to Alex. He was still standing in front of her, very closely.
"Copy that," Alex said. They didn't have long to wait. "You're set," his voice crackled in her ear. Skye grabbed Riddick's vest and pulled him around the corner and to the empty room.
"Okay, there are 17, no wait, I can't count us," she said, closing her eyes. "There are 14 people in this building. No one on this level, five on the one below us and below that, there are nine. I don't know which ones are guards and which are civilians. I guess we'll find out soon enough." Eric looked to Riddick and then back to Skye.
"So how do we get down there?" he asked.
"The stairs seem to be our best option." She moved to the door. "Let's get this over with." They followed her through the hallways and to the stairs. There were a few cameras they had to take care of on the way but that was no problem. They made quick work of the five people on level B1 considering the people were spread out and not standing in a group. The shocks they received from their tasers would knock them out for at least three hours.
Skye stopped on the landing of level B2. The virus was contained here. She peeked out into the hallway to confirm what she saw in her head.
"Shit, there are two guards and there's no way we can get out and hide before they spot us." She began pacing.
"I'll take care of them," Riddick said, moving to the door. Skye put her hand up and moved to block him.
"No. As soon as they see you, they'll call for back up and they won't wait to find out who you are or what you're doing here." Riddick could see an idea forming in her head and he had a feeling he wasn't going to like it. "I'll go." He was right, he didn't like it.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" he asked. Skye undid her vest and handed it to him.
"It's all we can do right now," she said. He knew she was right but it still bothered him that she was going out there. These guys were going to try to mess with her and he hoped she could handle it. Skye un-strapped her 9-millimeter and tucked it in her pants in place of the Bernard-Oxford, which was too bulky to conceal without wearing her vest, and handed it to Riddick.
"Wish me luck."
"Good luck," Eric said. Riddick just stood there. All he wanted to do was reach out and touch her, hold her, anything to keep her there with him. Instead, he smiled.
"You won't need luck," he finally said. Skye caught the smile on his face before it disappeared. At first she thought he wasn't going to say anything at all but when he did she couldn't help herself. She grabbed his arm and gave it a squeeze. It was amazing how she could feel his energy, his life, humming just below her hand. She reluctantly released him and, waiting until they moved away from the door, slipped out. Eric and Riddick watched her through the slit in the doorway in case she got into trouble.
She approached the guards with confidence in her step, putting out an air of sexuality. One of the guards spotted her and called out, not bothering to get up.
"What are you doing here? Do you have clearance?" She moved closer, not giving him a response. He got the attention of the other guard and he turned in time to see her gracefully sit on the desk and lean over.
"No, I don't have clearance, so it looks like I won't be getting passed you, but…" she gave her lips a slow sensuous lick, "maybe I don't want to get passed you." Her voice was husky, revealing her faked desire.
Riddick watched the little scene with interest. He couldn't hear what she was saying but he could tell whatever it was, it was working.
Skye swung her legs over to the other side of the desk and purposefully let her calves rub against the outside of the guard's legs.
"Been a long day, hasn't it?" The guard gave her a slight nod and she knew she had him. She took a deep breath and let out a sigh as she slid into his lap. He jumped slightly but other than that, he didn't move. Skye looked over his shoulder to the other guard and moved her head, signaling him to come closer, which he complied a little too quickly. She leaned into the guard she was on and reached into one of the pockets on her pants for her taser. Her movements didn't look out of the ordinary so the other guard continued to approach. When he got close enough, she gave him a smile and zapped him. He went down without making a sound, other than his body hitting the floor.
She felt the guard she was with turn but before he could see his partner on the ground, she zapped him too. Riddick and Eric emerged from the stairwell as Skye moved back around the desk.
"Piece of cake." She was all smiles at her accomplishment. Riddick surveyed the area, trying to conceal his own smile. "Let's lock these guys up," she said, not seeing the approving look Riddick had just been wearing. Eric grabbed one guy and Riddick grabbed the other and they dragged them to the empty room Skye opened for them. Securely locked away, Skye put her vest back on and strapped the Bernard-Oxford to her thigh, leaving the 9-milimeter tucked in her pants.
"Okay, that leaves seven. Two of them are in two different rooms and the other five are closer to the virus. I'm guessing they're guards or lab techs." She finished securing her gear and looked at both of them. "We take out whatever guards there are first. Most lab techs aren't trained to deal with people like us." Eric chuckled at her comment. "Come to think of it, these guards aren't really putting up much of a fight either." She shrugged her shoulders in thought.
"I don't think I would've put up a fight if you were sitting on my lap like you were with that guy," Riddick said nonchalantly. Skye bit her lip to keep from smiling. She moved close to him so Eric wouldn't hear what she was about to say.
"I might just have to test you on that." He grabbed her arm to stop her from moving away and pulled her close.
"You already have and did I fight?" His voice was lower than usual, vibrating right down to the center of her.
"No, but I wasn't straddling your lap either. That'll be the test." She tilted her head to the side. "Think you can handle it?" she lowered her voice too, causing parts of Riddick's body to respond.
"I guess we'll have to find out sometime," he said. Skye's gaze traveled from his eyes to his lips and licked her own, thinking about how he tasted. Eric passed by them and slapped Riddick on the back. Skye's gaze lingered for a moment before she turned away. She moved ahead of Eric and walked confidently through the halls. The guys relaxed a little as they followed Skye. She wasn't ducking for cover so there wasn't anything to worry about.
After re-routing about a dozen cameras and traveling through a maze of hallways, Skye finally stopped outside of one of the doors. She put her hands on the door and closed her eyes.
"We're in luck boys," she said, removing her hands from the door.
"What do you mean?" Riddick asked, stepping up next to her.
"The virus seems to be in a containment unit because they working on something else." Riddick looked confused but not as confused as Eric looked. "The unit and everything about it including temperature control is in this room," she explained. Riddick nodded his understanding. "There's nobody in there. Most likely, if there are any guards left they're in the lab with the techs."
"What about samples?" Eric asked. Skye frowned slightly.
"You'll get your samples." A knot began forming in Skye's stomach. That same voice was back, screaming inside her head to run, a cold feeling washing through her body. She rubbed her arms trying to warm up as Riddick helped Eric by-pass the lock. Glancing in her direction, Riddick noticed Skye was staring off into space. That probably wasn't a good idea; she might not feel someone approaching. He moved from Eric and put a hand on Skye's shoulder, snapping her out of her trance.
"You okay?" he asked. Her eyes came back into focus as she met his.
"Yea, just have a bad feeling." A click caught their attention and they both turned to see Eric standing there with the door open.
"Come on." He motioned for them to follow. They moved into the small room and spread out. There was only one window in the room. Thick sound and bullet proof Plexiglas. On the other side of it lay the virus, in little vials, each in their own storage container. Skye took a seat at the computer and pushed the button on her earpiece.
"How's everything looking Alex?" she asked.
"So far so good," he replied.
"Good. You're gonna need to walk me through the procedures to destroy this thing."
"Got it." Alex had to re-route the computers temperature alarms before walking Skye through the steps. That only took him a few minutes.
Riddick and Eric stood by and patiently watched Skye freeze out four of the five containers. Ice crystals formed on the inside of the four containment units until they each cracked one after another. Skye glanced over her shoulder.
"Now all we need to do is get the other one. Only problem, we have to go through the lab to get it."
"And the problem is?" Eric asked.
"There are five people in there that we have to deal with."
"Than we deal with them," Riddick said, turning towards the door. "Let's go." Skye moved to catch up with him, pushing past him to be in the lead. Her hand lingered on his hip as she passed. She needed the contact. He watched as she moved ahead, her hips swaying slightly as she moved silently into the hall. Her braided hair swinging in time with her movements, brushing across her back just above her ass. 'Get a grip boy,' Riddick said to himself. He strode to the door and out into the hall, his steps and movements were silent and graceful. Skye had her hands on the door down the hall and she waited until the others joined her.
"The room is set up in two sections. First area, two people. We can take 'em both out without the others knowing." She paused and leaned her forehead on the door. "The other door leads into the lab. They're not working on anything dangerous so we won't need to suit up." Her knowledge of the building gave Eric the creeps. It was like she was a former employee or something.
Skye drew her Bernard-Oxford out of her thigh holster and the guys got their weapons ready.
"Eric, you take the right and cover us." She turned to Riddick. "We head left and we have to move fast." Riddick wished he could see what she was seeing. She was able to familiarize herself with the room before entering. He had to rely on his instincts and quick mental reflexes. Skye punched in the code to get in the door and Eric gave her a skeptical look. 'She didn't know the code to get in the building but she knew this one?' he wondered.
Eric set himself up near the door and as it slide open he moved in quickly, scanning the area with his gun. Riddick and Skye moved in right after, not hesitating. Skye moved to the guard on the left and Riddick took the one on the right, as if they had planned it.
The guard Skye targeted was fast. Drawing his gun, he dove for her. She twisted away, pulling out her taser with her free hand while keeping him in her gun sights. He swung a fist at her, catching her on the cheek. The impact rattled through her head causing her to drop the taser. She started to tumble so she turned and landed on her back. Her breath was knocked out of her but she still had a good grip on her gun. With catlike speed, she pointed the gun square at his chest and fired.
Riddick stunned the guard he went after and turned in time to see the blue flash from the muzzle of Skye's Bernard-Oxford. A strong magnetic pulse went straight to its target, rendering him unconscious.
After the guy went down, she didn't move, her gun pointing at nothing. All she could hear and feel was her breath slamming back into her lungs and the pounding of her heart in her head. She wasn't immediately aware of hands on her until she was standing up and Riddick turning her to face him.
"Are you hurt?" he asked. She couldn't get herself to speak. He reached out and wiped the blood off her face from the cut on her cheek and she grabbed his hand. Concern creased his brow and it almost scared her as much as when anger creased it. It was foreign to her to feel what she was feeling for him and to see those same feelings mirrored in his own eyes…
"Later," she managed to choke out, stepping around him. Eric was already working the lock.
"So, you don't know this code?" he asked. She noticed the weird tone in his voice.
"Simple ones I can figure out. This one," she pointed to the door, "is a little more complicated." She wasn't angry with him for implying that she knew more than she was telling them. He seemed satisfied with her answer and continued with his work. The lock proving to be difficult like Skye had indicated, taking a little longer to open.
Riddick stepped up behind Skye and she unintentionally leaned back into him. The warmth from his body seeped into her. She tried to breathe him in but her lungs felt like they were burning and she could feel a dull ache starting in her shoulder. Probably from when she fell.
Once the door was unlocked Skye switched her gun to the 9-millimeter.
"Follow my lead. When we get in there, I'll tell you were to go and what to do," she said, cocking the gun. As the door slid open, there was only one man visible to them and he was really close. Skye stepped up to him and put the gun to the back of his head. He started to move but she stopped him.
"I wouldn't move if I were you, cuz I'm tellin' ya, it won't be pretty." Another lab tech came into view and Riddick drew his gun. The guy's arms went up in surrender and Riddick took him out with his taser. Skye realized her taser was still on the ground in the other room.
"Eric, why don't you go get your samples." She turned her head to talk to him but she never looked away from the lab tech. "The vials are in my vest pocket." He slung his shotgun onto his shoulder and began fumbling with her vest. "Side pocket, babe," she said, smiling. He unzipped the side and pulled out the two vials and ran to the containment room. "Riddick," he turned when she said his name. "Will you be a dear and check the room behind you and get this man's friend to come and join the party?"
"Sure thing boss," he said over his shoulder as he went to the room. Skye turned the lab tech around and pushed him into a chair. He looked freaked, like he wanted to ask her a question. The word 'how' formed on his lips and she smiled at him.
"Where's your main computer, the one that's linked to every other one this company owns, and don't lie to me."
"Who are you and why are you here?" His voice was shaky with apprehension.
"I think I'm the one asking the questions, okay?" She pointed the gun in between his eyes. He began visibly shaking when Riddick brought out the other man out of the room and sat him in a chair nest to the other one. He looked at the guy and then at Skye.
"What'd you do to him?" he asked, amused.
"Nothing, I guess he's just afraid of guns," she said, as if she didn't understand the problem. "Now where did you say that computer was?" She turned her attention back to the tech. He pointed a shaky finger to the other side of the room and she looked in that direction. "You think you can watch them for a minute?"
"Uh, yea," he said sarcastically. Skye went to the computer and started it up. She was starting to feel a little impatient, itching to get out of there.
"Hey Riddick, do you think you can convince one of those guys to give you the pass word for this computer?" She could hear him snort. Like he would have a problem convincing someone to talk. Riddick loomed over the two men, making them shrink down in their seats.
"So, who's it gonna be?" he asked. The men looked at each other before the one on the right raised his hand.
"I know it," he said weakly.
"Then get over there and help her and don't try any shit," he said, grabbing the guy and shoving him in her direction. He kept his gun trained on the one still sitting but watched the other out of the corner of his eye. Once she got the password, she put in the virus disk and let it wipe out everything the company had ever worked for and not just this location. Anywhere Bi-Lines had a computer, this virus wiped everything out.
"Check this out," Eric said, emerging from the room. "I didn't need the vials and these ones have Bi-Lines name engraved right into them." He waved them in the air. "Payday." He tucked them safely into his vest.
Skye finished destroying the files and got up to leave, not realizing the lab tech was still there. She heard Riddick call out her name just as the tech kicked her in the ribs.
"Shit," she yelled out as she stumbled. She didn't fall though and the tech regretted kicking her the second she grabbed his shirt. The world seen through her eyes had a red tint to it. Not just from her anger but from the pain. She pulled back her arm and slammed her fist into his nose, breaking it on contact. Pulling back again, her punch made contact with his eye and this time he went down. She dove onto him, kneeing him in the stomach as she went. "You fucking prick," she screamed in his face.
It was only a few seconds from the first hit but it felt like a lot longer to Skye. Riddick left the guy he was watching to Eric and ran to help her. The two were on the ground and she was screaming at him. He pulled her off the guy and backed up. There was nothing he could do that she hadn't already done. He was bleeding profusely from his nose as he sat up.
"I thought you guys were supposed to be smart," Riddick growled at him. Skye leaned over and put her hand to her side, wincing at the pain.
"Stun these guys and let's get the hell outta here." Her voice was full of pain, just like her body. After zapping them, they ran out into the hall, Skye grabbing her taser on the way. Riddick noticed she was holding her side but it wasn't slowing her down. They ran down the halls, not going the way they came. Not wanting to linger, they headed for the elevator for a quick shot out.
"Eric," Skye shouted up to him.
"Yea," he yelled back, not turning around.
"The elevator requires a code and a fingerprint to get off this level. Can you still hack it?"
"Not a problem," he said. Riddick had pulled ahead of her and she slowed as she tried to put her taser in her pocket. When she came around a corner, she ran right into him. He had come to a dead stop. Breathing was getting more difficult every second. Leaning over and holding her side, she spoke.
"Riddick, what are you doing? Why'd you stop?" She began wheezing a little.
"There's someone in there," he said, pointing to the door. Skye glanced at the door and then back at the ground, her vision starting to blur.
"I know, but they're not a concern for us so move," she said her last word with urgency because she was hurt more than she was letting on and she didn't know how long it would be before she passed out.
"I have to know." His voice took on an eerie quality that made Skye's heart skip a beat.
"Fine, the door's open so why don't you just go check it out," she said, feeling extremely irritated. He opened the door, light spilling into the darkened room. Skye squinted to see what was inside but there wasn't enough light. She followed him through the door but didn't proceed any further. Her eyes adjusted to the darkness and she could see the outline of a bed and someone lying on it. The person began to stir when they heard Riddick getting closer.
Skye gasped when she saw it was a very young girl with short hair and big blue eyes. She had never seen her before but she could only figure a girl as young as she was, wasn't there for the work. What shocked her even more was when the girl spoke and the one word she said.
"Riddick."
"Jack," was his response. Skye's mouth dropped open as Riddick scooped up the girl. She held onto him and Skye could see the tears running down her face. Skye wondered how this girl could possibly know him. He walked passed her and out the door acting as though she wasn't even there. Skye stood there for a moment looking at the floor, her mind going into overdrive. It looked as if they all had their own little secrets.
Skye moved to leave but something caught her eye. It looked like a hospital chart. She was right; the girl wasn't there for work. Taking the chart with her, she jogged painfully out of the room to catch up with the others. Before she reached the elevator she could hear Eric asking Riddick where she was and who the girl was. He was telling him but she couldn't make out what he was saying.
"Skye, move your ass," Eric yelled to her when he saw her. She picked up the pace as much as she could and stepped on to the waiting elevator. The ride up was like eternity. Skye watched on as Riddick whispered things into the girl's ear and the girl would occasionally nod. Eric remained silent but his gaze kept going from Riddick to Skye. He noticed Skye wasn't looking too hot but he'd get her looked at as soon as they were home free.
Once outside of the building Eric contacted Raven over the comm unit.
"Raven, fire up the beast, we're on our way," he said.
"Roger that." The trek back to the ship was a lot harder; being it was kind of uphill. Skye pushed herself harder than she's ever had to. The pain that had started in her ribs was beginning to spread through her body. Her legs began to shake with the strain of trying to keep up and she was getting light headed from breathing shallowly.
Engines fired up and the ramp open and waiting was a welcoming sight to Skye, giving her enough strength to get on board. Eric went right to the cockpit and Riddick headed for the room they set up as a med lab. After everyone exchanged curious glances, Raven took off after Riddick, her being the one who knew the medical stuff and Kyle followed. Skye sat on the floor near the ramp and leaned back against the wall basically giving up moving for the time being.
Eric got the ship into orbit and was still in the cockpit, setting their course for Marisphere. Skye decided she needed to move and get checked but she needed help after crawling proved to be too hard.
"Can I get some fucking help here!" she yelled into the empty room. Bad idea to yell because the pain shot through her lungs, brining tears to her eyes. She let the sobs rack her body, taking short gasping breaths, feeling helpless and scared. Everything that had happened in the past few hours had finally caught up with her. She was mentally exhausted from using her 'sense', injured, frustrated at things she didn't understand, and feeling a little jealous. Riddick wasn't involved with this girl sexually, Skye could just tell, but the fact that she was completely forgotten when he saw her…it hurt.
**** Finally, I got this chapter done. Every time I started writing, more ideas popped in my head and the chapter just got longer and longer. Please keep reading and remember to send a review. I need a fix. =)