CHANCE ENCOUNTERS (4/6)
by Sullen Gurl

E-Mail: blasie007@yahoo.com

Rating: PG for violence and profanity. I especially had a field day with the cuss words. Definitely NOT for the kiddies.

Feedback: Bring it on!

Archive: No problem, just let me know the URL so I can visit. My other fics can be found at http://www.geocities.com/sullengurlstuff

Thanks: Go out to my too-patient-for-their-own-good, Nadj and Stine. I don't think they've ever worked with a slower writer. (I can't helpt it, I promise.)

Author's Note: Dear Loyal Reader, From the bottom of my heart, I would like to thank you for sticking around this long. Thank you for all the generous feedback and the kind reminders. I have no excuses for how long it has taken me to put out this chapter. Well, okay, I do; but I doubt you'd want to hear them at this point. This story is really truly for you; it's stopped being something I did for myself a long time ago. Anyhoo, please accept my sincerest apologies and my latest humble offering...


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Fry's eyes widened in disbelief as loud sirens rang echoed her head. She twisted around in Riddick's grip, quickly surveying the room. The chairs were empty and all the chains were unlocked and discarded on the metal floor. In one corner was Delaney, bound by the very restraints used on the prisoners and silenced by a rag jammed in his mouth. His eyes were bloodshot and red liquid trickled down the side of his head. The rest of the room became a dizzying blur in Fry's mind.

This is not happening, Fry thought dazedly. This is not happening.

Still holding on to her arm, Riddick bent his head down to hers.

"Told you to check the chains," he said, his breath stirring his hair.

It was only when Fry finally looked up at him that her instincts finally kicked in. Her hand flew to her utility belt, about to draw her handgun. She fumbled around until she realized her holster was empty.

When had he disarmed me, she thought frantically, staring at him.

Anger mixed with fear welled up inside her when she saw the corners of his mouth lift in a sardonic smile. Fry pulled back her free arm and swung at him, but Riddick's reflexes were a hundred times faster. He easily caught his fist in one big hand and gripped it. Holding on to both her wrists, he spun her around and locked her arms behind her in a second. He pulled her to him, forcing her back against his entire length. When she struggled, he leaned down and spoke against her ear.

"Now, Carolyn. You wouldn't want to get hurt like your crewmate here, would you?"

Fry's glanced upon Delaney and took in his wide and terror-stricken eyes; his cries muffled by the rag stuffed in his mouth. She watched as Hyde searched through Delaney's pockets, while Towne stood over both of them. Towne nudged Delaney's head with the gauge, ordering him to pipe down.

Shitshitshitshitshit...

Fry couldn't get the words out of her head. She renewed her struggle against Riddick's stronghold, but he held her firmly with no trouble at all.

"Let me go," she hissed, part demand and part plea. She tried wrenching her wrists free until the muscles on her arms stood out, but his hold was steadfast. Towne watched both of them and frowned. He walked towards Fry, his eyes raking over her body. He made a show of licking his lips as he approached. Fry stilled and held her breath. She winced slightly when she felt Riddick's grip on her wrists tighten. Towne was just inches away, still not touching her.

"That's right, Riddick my man," he said. "You just hold on to her tight for me there."

He lifted his finger and caressed the side of her face. Fry jerked her head back, disgusted by even the slightest of his touch. Towne just snorted and started to slowly trail his finger down her neck to her chest, as Fry squirmed in Riddick's grasp. Just when Towne's finger was about to dip into the V of her top, Riddick spun Fry around and away from Towne. A befuddled Townd was left staring after Riddic's back, his finger still poised in midair. Riddick dragged a very relieved Fry to one corner of the cargo room.

"Hey!" Towne yelled after them. "I was just about to..."

Riddick stopped in his tracks and glared at him over his shoulder. He didn't like the message, but he got it loud and clear. The frustrated convict turned back to Delaney and Hyde, cursing under his breath.

Riddick abruptly released Fry's wrists, causing her to stumble forward.

"Sit down," he ordered her, pointing to a steel bench screwed to the wall.

Fry's first thought was to try and hit him again. Or to go into a kicking and screaming fit. Whatever. Just to do *something* other than sit at his command. But she could tell that anything she could think to do would be futile, and would likely just drain the energy she knew she'd need. She was trapped in the room with three criminals with a mission, and Delaney was clearly not going to be of any help in the state he was in. So she sat her ass down. And as soon as she did, she spotted her handgun on the floor not a few feet away. Now if she could just scoot a little bit to her...

"I don't think so," Riddick told her, walking over to where the gun lay and kicking it way out of her reach.

*Bastard.*

"Think about behaving like the good girl you are," he told her, jerking his head toward Delaney. "You have your friend to think about."

Towne pointed the gauge at the lieutenant's head, pretended to squeeze the trigger and laughed wildly. Delaney looked about ready to faint.

Fry spoke up, a slight tremor to her voice.

"Go ahead."

All four men turned to her. Delaney's eyes widened at Fry's words and he shook his head furiously from side to side.

"Relax Delaney. They need us," she told him, although she wasn't sure yet what for. "They're not going to kill us."

"Not yet, you mean," Hyde clarified in a clipped British accent. He walked over to one side of the cargo room. He ran his fingertips against the wall, as if feeling for something. When his hand stopped its search, he brought his fist to thump on one section of the wall. A hidden panel swung open, revealing an access pad.

Hyde turned back to her, a gleam in his eye.

"How'd you find out about that ?" Fry honestly wanted to know. That the supply hatch could be accessed through the room via a hidden panel was something known only by the crew.

"You underestimate me, Lt. Fry. I served aboard a transport ship very similar to this as my cover. Before my time at the Orion. My 2nd biggest heist, if I remember correctly" he added proudly. He looked into the distance wistfully for a moment, then caught himself.

"This is where *you* come in. We need the access codes to the hatch."

The artillery, Fry realized. Of course.

"And this fool," Towne piped up, nudging Delaney's head with the gauge, "won't give it to us."

Fry breathed a sigh of relief, thankful that Delaney had the good sense to stick to his guns.

"Well you're sure as hell not going to get it from me," she told them.

Towne grinned. "We have ways of making you talk," he said, wagging his eyebrows at her.

"And why *should* we talk? As soon as we give you what you want, you're going to kill us anyway, right?"

Riddick chuckled mirthlessly. "Yes, but there's *dying*... and there's dying a very slow and painful death. Your call."

Fry stared hard at the floor and resisted the urge to go ballistic. Just give it to them, a voice in her head screamed at her. You wanna be tortured? You wanna have to feel the life oozing out of your bloodied and beaten body?

She shook her head, as if clearing those thoughts away.

Shut up! Do what's right, Fry, she commanded herself. Do your goddamned job!

Finally, she looked right into Riddick's eyes.

"You're just going to have to find some other way then. Because you're not. Getting it. From me."

"Brave words from a stupid woman," Hyde announced. "In a minute, you'll be regretting them."

"In the meantime..." Riddick interrupted, picking up Delaney's discarded commlink from the floor and holding it out to Fry.

"What," she asked, pretending not to understand.

"Call your captain. Tell him you have your hands full, but that everything's fine."

Resentment bubbled up inside Fry. "If you think," she said through clenched teeth, "for one moment, that I will be a part of..."

"Listen," Riddick cut in harshly. "Seems to me like you've got no other choice. Any way you want to play this, we *will* get what we want."

She stared at him, pausing a second to weigh the situation. Would it be wiser to play by their rules, even for a while? Maybe it could buy them all some time and just maybe even give them a shot at survival. Whereas if she resisted this early in the game, she was apt to get her head blown off. I'll play along, she thought, if only to give us some chance.

Decision made, she grudgingly snatched the commlink from Riddick.

"Smart move."

Fry flicked the switch, not taking her eyes off Riddick. "Captain. Lt. Fry here. Do you read me?"

Silence from the other end. Fry tried again.

"Captain. This is Lt. Fry, do you read me?"

A burst of static filled the room.

"Fry! Where the hell are you? You find Delaney?"

"He's right here with me, Captain," she informed him. "There seems to be a leak at Level 2. He and I are checking it our right now."

"A leak? I don't see any sign of a leak on our scanner here. I'm lookin' at it right now."

Fry all but wanted to yell - There *is* no leak, Captain! They're going to kill us! You've got to come quick! - but she didn't. What she would give to have some sort of telepathic ability; to let the Captain know of the kind of dangerous and complicated situation they were in.

"Is that right? Well, it's possible that the turbulence earlier might have screwed up with the sensors. I think it's safest if Delaney and I check it out. It won't take long. Permission to stay for a few minutes longer, sir?"

When Gallagher didn't answer right away, she felt everyone in the cargo hold their breaths.

"Captain," Fry rasped into the commlink.

"Carry on, Lieutenant."

Click.

Fry's clicked the commlink off and hurled it against the wall as an act of defiance. She leaned forward to rest her elbows on her knees and covered her face with her hands.

Terrific, she thought. My first transport mission and it's all going to hell.

"This is bullshit," Towned piped up. "I don't understand why we can't just storm into the cockpit and take over. There's three of us, and as soon as we waste these two, there's only goin' to be him. I mean, how hard could that be?" He looked to his companions for agreement.

"Because, you dimwit," Hyde explained, as if to a five-year-old. "there are space stations everywhere and as soon as the Captain catches the slightest whiff or trouble, it'll only take one press of the shiny red button by him before the cops are all over this stinking ship."

"That, and you've obviously never heard of Gallagher," added Riddick.

"So. Where were we?" Hyde asked, rubbing his hands. "I believe Lt. Fry here was about to tell us something? "

Fry glared at him. "Why don't you kiss my ass?"

"Why don't I kill your crewmate?"

"That's supposed to scare me?" she bluffed.

Delaney thrashed about, but the rag muffled his words.

Towne gripped Delaney's head and took out the cloth. "What's that," he asked.

"...2231013!!," Delaney gasped. "Justdontkillmepleasedontkileeme..."

"Dammit, Delaney," Fry yelled, getting on her feet. "Fuck!"

Riddick placed a hand on her shoulder and pushed her back down.

Hyde bent down and patted Delaney's mottled hair. "Good chap. Knew we could count on you." He nodded at Towne. "Kill him."

"Hey," Delaney broke in. "Wait just a goddamned minute..."

Towne tossed Hyde the gauge. "Here. You've got first dibs."

Hyde held the gun with distaste and shoved it back to him. "Thanks, but no thanks. I'm a thief, not a murderer."

Towne shrugged and pointed the gauge at Delaney's temple.

"Look! I can help you!" Delaney was going into hysterics with his pleading. "Just give me a cha-"

"Don't think so," Towne murmured, pulling the trigger. A muffled blast filled the room. And then silence.

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Riddick watched the murder before him with only mild amusement. Frankly, he had been itching to just slit all their throats and fly the damned ship himself; but he knew that scenario wasn't as easy as it sounded, or even half as wise. He figured he had a better chance if he waited 'till the very last minute before completely screwing them over. Plus, it didn't hurt to have them do most of the work for him, without them even knowing it. So in the meantime, Mr. Richard B. Riddick was going to be a team player. He glanced at Fry, and saw that she had her head bowed low; her blonde hair shielding her face. He wondered if she witnessed her friend's execution. He noticed that her hands were gripping the edge of the steel bench so tightly her knuckles were turning white. A drop of moisture fell on the back of one of her hands and Riddick wondered if it was from her sweat or her tears. He waited, fighting the urge to come over and tilt her chin up.

"I'd really appreciate some help here," he heard from Hyde. He tore his gaze away from Fry. Towne and Hyde had already raided the hatch of all the artillery and were on the floor assembling them - or at least trying to. Riddick sighed; it was his luck he was transported with a pair of criminals inept at ammunitions. He hesitated before walking over to the two, wondering if it was wise to leave Fry unrestrained. She definitely had balls, that was for sure. Which was more than he could say for her squealing co-pilot. He looked back at her and interpreted her still bowed head and silence as a sign of surrender. Riddick surmised she wouldn't cause too much trouble. He went over to Hyde and Towne and on bended knee, began picking up pieces and putting parts together with a deftness and efficiency borne out of training and experience. Hdye watched Riddick's swift hands and made an attempt to mimic them.

"Aw hell," Towne grumbled, throwing the parts he held to the ground and standing up to wander off.

"Where'd you learn to assemble like that," Hyde asked, clearly impressed.

Riddick's brows creased in concentration, her hands never stopping for a second. He glanced quickly at him and scowled.

"You wanna save the small talk 'till after?"

Hyde raised his hands in a backing-off gesture. "Fine by me."

Riddick was about to load the last bullet in the gauge when he heard scuffling from behind him. He twisted around to check on what Towne could be up to this time. Fry was now up and out of the bench. Towne had her pressed against the wall. One hand leaned against the wall above her head, the other held her handgun pointed at her side. She had her face averted and her eyes screwed shut. Both of her hands were against his chest, trying to push him away. Towne was apparently much stronger than he looked. When he leaned down and sniffed her neck, Fry squirmed and her hands strained harder against his chest. This only served to enflame him, as he dug the gun deeper into her side as a reminder.

"Just kill me," she ordered him. "Pull the fucking trigger."

"Oh no," he answered, with a chuckle. "Don't think I'm going to let you off that easily. I like my girls kicking and screaming."

"Towne," Riddick warned.

"Be with you in a minute, man," he answered distractedly. He nudged her legs apart with his knee and placed his leg in between hers.

Another warning came from Riddick. "Towne."

Exasperated, Towne finally stepped back a little from Fry and turned his head.

"What?!?!"

"We're wasting time."

"Says who," Towne countered, "This won't take long. Don't worry, you fellas can have a go at her when I'm done." Then he winked at Riddick and Hyde.

Fry took advantage of the distraction Riddick had inadvertently provided. Bracing herself against the wall, she jerked her thigh up sharply, her knee making solid contact with Towne's groin. Both Riddick and Hyde winced, as Towned howled in pain.

"You stupid cunt," he spat out, doubled over.

Fry remained pressed against the wall, looking down at him.

"You touch me again, you better kill me," she told him angrily. Riddick could tell from her body language that she was thinking about kicking him in the head while he was down, but she glanced up at him and Hyde and wisely decided not to. Straightening up, Towne lunged towards Fry and grabbed her hair. Fry yelped when he yanked her head back hard. He reared back and gave her a hard backhanded slap across the face.

"Oh, I will. Little bitch."

"Get your filthy hands off me!"

"Or what, huh, tough girl?," he taunted.

"Or I'm blowing your fucking head off," Riddick's deep voice said from behind him.

Towne went still for a moment before turning around slowly. He found himself looking down the barrel of a very large gauge.

"You're shitting me, right?" he asked. Riddick simply stared at him over the gauge.

From where he stood, Riddick could see Fry standing motionless behind Towne, looking partly puzzled and partly relieved by Riddick's interference.

Riddick cocked the hammer. "We'll deal with her later. *You* will leave her alone."

Towne snorted. "You pull that trigger, and the blast will send the Captain running. Then it's game over, man." he told him. "Say hello to the Slam."

Without his aim waivering the slightest, Riddick attached something he had been holding in his other hand to the gauge. "You really are a moron."

A look of fear passed over Towne's features, only to be quickly replaced by anger and incredulity.

"What, have you gone sweet on her or something? Is that it?"

"This has nothing to do with her," he answered him. "And everything to do with what we had planned."

"Who made *you* chairman of the board ? You can take your plan and shove it up where the sun don't shine," he said before turning away from him to face Fry again.

In the blink of an eye, Riddick grabbed Towne's neck and shoved him up against the wall beside Fry. He pinned him there with the gauge pressed against the back of his head. Towne's face hit the wall so hard, Riddick was pretty sure he broke a cheekbone at the very least.

"Funny, I thought you said you didn't *want* to reach the Slam," Riddick said, punctuating his words by hitting his face against the wall a couple more times.

A strangled moan escaped Towne's lips. His hands clawed helplessly at the wall as Riddick's hold on his neck was seriously cutting off the oxygen supply to his brain.

"I don't, man, I don't..." he croaked.

"Wish granted," Riddick told him, then squeezed the trigger. Towne's head exploded mere inches from Fry's; his blood and brains splattering on her.

"Ohmygod!" Fry exclaimed, completely horrified. She had her hand to her mouth, but couldn't manage to shut herself up. "Ohmygod...ohymygod..."

Riddick released his neck and Towne's lifeless body slowly sagged against the wall before it finally slumped to the floor. He picked up the handgun and fixed Fry with his stare.

"And you - you'll know better than to try anything stupid. I am *not* fucking around," he told her.

Fry stood immobilized, a look of horror still in her eyes and clearly directed at Riddick. He knew that look very well; the one that couldn't imagine how a human being could kill with such impunity. He'd received similar looks from hundreds of others more times than he'd care to count. He never really careda about how others saw him or what they thought of him. He'd become immune to their judgmental stares. But this time - it was as if he couldn't bear to see Fry looking at him that same way. So he turned away from her and walked over to Hyde.

"Good riddance," Hyde said aloud. "That useless shithead was starting to annoy me anyway."

"Time to lock and load," Riddick told him, picking up the rest of the ammunition.

"Right," Hyde said. He swung his gauge over his shoulder and gestured towards Fry. "What about the girl?"

"Think now's the time for you to get rid of her."

Riddick paused for a second, looking at Fry.

"It is," he finally said. He lifted the freshly loaded gauge at shoulder-height and aimed it at her. He had his finger on the trigger, but still did not pull. Hyde watched him closely.

"Do it," he ordered him. "Do it so we can get out of here."

"Oh, I will," he told him, his eyes still locked on Fry. "Just got to take care of something first."

Hyde looked around him. "What's that?"

Riddick slowly turned his head to meet his gaze, then swung the gauge towards him. He lowered it slightly so that the barrell was pointing at Hyde's chest.

"You," he told him, before blowing him away. The impact of the shot sent Hyde flying across the room. He hit the far wall and landed in a boneless heap not far from Delaney's body. Riddick walked over and divested him of his gauge and other weapons. "I never was good at taking directions."


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At this point, Fry had moved away from the wall, putting some distance between her and Towne's remains. For her, this was just too much in too short a time. Any thoughts of getting out alive flew out of her head the moment they had wasted Delaney. As for Towne's death... she hated the fucker and was glad he was dead, but he had been killed right there, right beside her. He had his blood and who-knows-what-else on her. How could things have gone so wrong so quickly? It was all just too much, she repeated to herself.

Too much.

Too much.

TOO. MUCH.

"Carolyn." Riddick's deep voice permeated through the fog in her head. Fry hugged herself like she was cold and looked around her. At the bloodstained walls. At the bodies which limbs were twisted at painful angles. At all the artillery that lay on the floor nearby. She could pick up a gun right now and put a bullet in Riddick's head.

She could. Maybe if she was quick enough.

But she wasn't.

And she was tired.

And it was all just too much.

So she let her hands fall to her sides, and raised her head.

"Carolyn," he repeated, as if trying to snap her out of a reverie. Fry couldn't help but feel like he was trying to calm her down.

Much to her amazement, she found that she *was* calming down. She hadn't exhibited any outward sign of panic, but in her head just a few minutes ago, she was breaking down.

But now, with Riddick taking slow deliberate steps towards her, she felt everything go out of focus. The rest of the room spun away and all she saw and felt was *this* moment.

"You knew this was coming," Riddick said, now standing within arm's reach from her.

Fry said nothing. She was surrendering to her fate, and a sense of peace came with the acceptance that this was how her story ended.

So this is how it feels to have death staring you in the face, she thought hazily.

Her life didn't flash before her eyes. She just a lightness and stillness that surprised even herself. She felt together. She had that much, atleast, before she died. She didn't give them what they wanted, and she wasn't about to beg for her life. Fry tried to focus on Riddick standing in front of her. He lifted the gauge and brought the end ot the barrel against her chest. Fry slightly shifted her weight, leaning into it. It would go straight to the heart, and maybe she won't feel a thing.

"I'm sorry," Riddick rasped, looking into her eyes.

Fry looked into his for a moment, before nodding sadly.

"So am I."

Fry closed her eyes.

And waited for her quiet world to explode.

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TO BE CONTINUED.

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