Chapter 8
She was sitting in the copilot's chair, staring out the main deck's windshield, just watching Kallipolis slowly get nearer, growing larger the further the ship traveled. She'd spent the past two days packing her meager belongings into the one satchel she brought with her. She marveled at how stuff multiplies when it's time to pack up again. When she first arrived, she'd had plenty of space in her little bag, and she'd not bought that much along the way, but she'd still had to stuff it all in there so tightly she couldn't fit in a toothpick if she'd tried. She'd left all of the female clothing in their bags in the bottom of her closet. It would take him a while to find them. It had been a waste of money, but oh well.
As Kallipolis drew closer, the more depressed she got. Why? she asked herself. Why should I care that this didn't work out? She sighed. Ever the optimist.She still wished there was a way she could know he was safe. But that would require keeping in contact. Something which, she felt, was impossible. And she figured if something happened to him, it would be all over the news. Not like she could do anything about it anyway.
"Just a few more hours." She started, but didn't have to turn. There was only one other person on this ship. He watched her, but she didn't respond. "I wish this could have worked out." Still nothing. He sighed. "I'm sorry, Jack." Her eyes closed, but she didn't move to say anything. He cleared his throat behind her and sat next to her. She turned away, staring at the wall opposite from him. "Is there anything I can do to fix this?" Nothing. He nodded. "Okay." She heard him stand, but not leave. She turned her attention back to the window, and he was still standing next to her. Out of the corner of her eye, she watched him reach out and tuck a stray strand of hair behind her ear. It had grown out a little, just enough to tuck back, but it wouldn't stay there. Goose bumps rose on her skin, and she shivered. "I never meant to hurt you," he continued quietly. "I've never felt the need to have someone around me, you know? Never felt like I could trust anyone enough to keep them close to me." She just continued staring at the large planet drawing nearer. "I don't know anything about relationships, Jack. I don't know what to do about this, if there is anything." He ran a hand over his head and sighed. "I just know I'm gonna miss you even more now." She shook her head just barely enough to see. "I really wanted this to work, Jack." She looked up at him for a second, then returned to staring out the window.
"What was this supposed to work as, anyway?" she asked quietly. He thought for a moment.
"I don't know." She sighed. "I don't think really had any expectations. I just wanted you around."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"So why is it okay for you to not know what you want from me but not okay for me to not know how I feel about you?" she asked. He sighed.
"It's not." She shook her head. "I'm really sorry, Jack."
"Sorry doesn't cut it." Her voice was flat and cold, the impact of her words confusing him.
"What will?"
"Nothing," she responded. "It's too late now." He nodded.
"That's what I thought you'd say," he admitted. He took a breath as if he were going to say something, and then changed his mind, letting the air out slowly in a silent sigh. "What could I have done differently?"
"Nothing," she said. "Things happen like they're supposed to. I guess this was just validation that we don't need each other any more." He sighed and gave up, turning to go back to his room to lock down for landing. He stopped in the hallway and turned to look back at her, watching her watch the approaching planet.
"I'll always need you, Jack," he said quietly. Her head turned slightly. "Even if you don't need me."
He just had to make me sit next to him for the landing, didn't he? She sat strapped into the copilot's chair, gripping the armrests as the turbulence kicked in. Boy, she wasn't going to miss this. She felt the landing gear touch the runway and sighed inwardly. Almost there. Her harness stayed buckled until they parked in their docking assignment, when she unbuckled and stood, walking toward the hatch. He followed her down the hallway, down the stairs, and into the cargo hold, watching her stoop to collect her satchel. She turned back to him as the hatch started to lower. He forced a small smile and reached out, wrapping his arms around her. She didn't return the hug.
"I'm sorry," he whispered into her ear. She pulled away and shifted the shoulder strap of her satchel.
"Goodbye, Riddick," she said, turning to walk out of the ship. He watched her through the heat waves emanating from the runway's pavement. She didn't turn to look back at him. All his strength left him, and he slid to the floor, watching her leave him. The gentle sway of her hips, the wind tossing her hair around, the sporadic shifting weight on her shoulder. He shook his head, letting it drop into his hands. I sure fucked up royally this time.
She really needed to pee before the landing, and stepping out onto the hot pavement didn't help. Her body screamed for a bathroom. She ducked into a building that looked public. It turned out to be a little grocery mart where pilots could grab something to eat while paying for their fuel. She asked the attendant where the restroom was, and he pointed her in their direction. She thanked him, and headed into the men's room, still playing her role. Once inside, she dropped her satchel on the floor and let go, holding back a sigh of relief.
"He land yet?" She glanced down at the floor and saw two pairs of boots in the stalls next to her.
"Yeah, I think he just got in."
"So what's the plan? Storm and grab?" Her stomach fell. Shit, shit, shit!
"Yeah, I suppose so. Company wants him back as soon as possible. They're pretty pissed he killed Johns. Good merc, man. Shame." Her eyes narrowed.
"We can wait until he gasses up and pays. At least they'll get his money before they get him."
"Good call," the other man said. She flushed and walked to the door.
"Sounds like you guys are planning on picking up one of the pilots," she said in her best male voice. "Think you'll need any help?"
"Appreciate it, man, but no," one of them said. "We got a whole team together on this one."
"Must be a big catch," she pressed.
"Yeah," the other said. "That Riddick guy." She shook her head, biting back a colorful word. "Evidently an informant saw him leave with a young boy a month or so ago, someone with ties here, and thought just maybe he'd come back. Turns out he did, and it's a damn good thing we started planning in advance."
"Why's that?" she asked.
"He's a tough one to catch," the first guy replied. "Made a name for himself killing mercs, cops, and military, mostly. Hard to find, and hard to hold."
"Well, good luck," she said, walking out the door. She tried as hard as she could not to run back to the ship, knowing it would draw attention. The closer she got, the more nervous she became. The Black Ranger was within sight, and thank God, the hatch was still down. She walked up to it and peered inside the cargo hold. He wasn't there. Shit. She entered slowly, glancing around. "Riddick?" No answer. Fuck. She walked up to the main deck and looked around. His bedroom door was closed, so she knocked.
"What?" she heard him call.
"Riddick, you gotta leave now," she said, the panic spilling out of her voice. The door was yanked open, and she was staring face to face with a very angry Riddick.
"Why's that?"
"They know you're here." His eyebrow rose. "I heard a couple of guys talking in the bathroom about grabbing you after you pay for fuel." He just stared down at her. "Riddick, c'mon. You probably don't have much time. If you don't get fuel, they might think something's up and come over here anyway." He pinched the bridge of his nose. She didn't know why she was so insistent on getting him out of here. As long as he didn't gas up, they wouldn't go after him, would they? "Riddick, please." He looked down at her, searching her eyes. He nodded finally, and pushed past her and down the hall. She followed him to the cockpit, and her mouth dropped in horror. "Shit."
"Go close the hatch," he ordered. She ran down to the cargo hold, pausing before turning the latch, staring at the five uniformed, armed men running toward the ship. Finally, her fingers worked, and the latch turned, the hatch groaning and creaking as it closed. Two shots rang out, and she ducked behind a wall, dodging the ricochet. Once the hatch was closed, she ran up the stairs and back to the main deck. "Strap in."
"Riddick, I—"
"Now, Jack." She stood there. He looked up at her and sighed. "I'll find another way for you to come back here, I promise."
"I don't want to leave," she said quietly.
"Well, there's not much I can do about that right now," he barked. "I said I'd find another way back for you, now strap in and shut up." She looked like she'd been smacked, but she complied. He grabbed the com unit and clicked the button. "Black Ranger requesting permission for takeoff."
"Permission denied, Black Ranger. Open your hatch immediately," the tower responded.
"Fuck you," he whispered, starting his engine and pulling away. They faintly heard the uniformed men yelling at him to cut the engine and turn himself in, but he ignored them, steering the ship toward the closest runway.
"Black Ranger, you are denied takeoff. Cut your engines now." He shook his head and turned the com off, letting the handset fall to the floor. Jack reached out to pick it up and replace it, but he grabbed her arm.
"Don't fucking touch it," he growled.
"I was just—" His grip on her arm tightened to the point of being painful. She nodded and dropped it with a thud to the floor. Her arm was released, and her other hand went to it, rubbing her wrist tenderly.
"Does this port have fighter jets on standby?" he asked roughly.
"I don't know. I don't think so," she answered, "But I don't know."
"Fuck." His hands gripped the controls so tightly his knuckles were turning white as he steered them into their takeoff. They got out of the atmosphere safely, but Riddick wasn't taking any chances. He kept the ship at full throttle, sitting at the controls for an hour after takeoff. She didn't take the chance on him going apeshit over her leaving her seat, so she just remained.
"Do we have enough fuel?" He glanced down at the gauge but didn't say anything. "If we stop at the closest settlement, they'll expect that."
"I know that, Jack." She looked away. He sighed. "I have enough to get to Mena. Barely, but enough." She nodded. "You know any programming?" he asked quietly.
"A little."
"Can you reprogram the ship's identity and ID number?" Her eyebrow rose, but she nodded.
"I think so," she said.
"Do it, if you can." She turned in her chair and started typing away at the program panel.
"What do you want the ship's new name to be?"
"I don't know," he sighed, sounding frustrated. "Come up with something." She turned back to her programming and continued typing. When she was finished, she stood and headed to her room, searching around for a screwdriver. Riddick appeared a while later, leaning against the doorframe.
"What are you doing?" She looked up at him.
"Rewiring the door." His eyebrow rose. "If I can get the box to work, the door might open and close without locking automatically." He nodded, staying to watch. "Do you have any wire strippers?"
"Not that I know of, unless you bought some."
"Shit." She shook her head. He watched her bite the wires, stripping them, albeit unevenly, and twist them back together. After a few minutes of tinkering, she tucked the wires back into the box, reattached the box to the wall, and looked at the door. "Can you hold that up for me so I can get it back on?" He nodded, watching her put the hinges back on the door, holding it to the wall so she could screw the hinges into the wall. She stood and shrugged. "Let's see if it worked." She let the door close, Riddick out in the hall in case it didn't work, and tugged on the handle. Panic rose in her chest when it didn't budge, but she tried it again, turning the knob the other direction. She heard a beep, a click, and it opened. She grinned up at Riddick. "I shoulda been an electrician." He shook his head, smiling slightly. Her smile fell slowly, and she fidgeted with her fingers. "Riddick, I—" He shook his head, holding up a hand.
"I know some people on Mena that can get you back home," he said quietly. "You'll be safe with them."
"I—" He shook his head again, interrupting.
"I promised you I'd find you a way back to Kallipolis, and this is all I can come up with, so that's how it's gonna be."
"Will you let me finish?" He sighed and let his eyes meet hers, nodding slightly. "When I said I didn't want to leave, I meant I didn't want to leave here." His brow furrowed. "This ship." His eyes fell away from hers, looking at something down the hall instead. "You." His fingers twitched around the corner of the wall. "I don't know why, but when I heard those guys talking about catching you, something—" She broke off, searching for words. She sighed and closed her eyes. "I don't know what I'd do if something happened to you." Her hand ran through her hair, tousling it. "Just hearing them talk about it – I guess it made me realize where I belonged." He looked back at her.
"I don't want you to stay because you think you have to," he said quietly.
"I don't," she insisted. "I want to stay because I want to be with you." His cheek twitched. "And God knows you need help getting this ship fixed up enough to be safe," she said, a smirk twisting her lips. His returned smile didn't light his face for more than a second.
"I still don't know what to do about this," he admitted. Her eyebrow rose.
"About what?"
"This." He gestured between them. "Us. You being here." She shook her head. "I don't know how to live with other people, Jack. I'm not good at being sociable." She smirked.
"I know that," she said quietly. Suddenly she remembered something. "Shit," she muttered, collapsing onto the bed.
"What?"
"I left my bag in the bathroom." He looked down the hall. "Of the gas market." He sighed, rolling his eyes.
"We can stop and get you some more clothes on Mena," he said.
"I have some, but yeah, let's do that." His eyebrow arched.
"You have some?" She blushed.
"Damn that woman." He grinned.
"The department store lady?" he asked. She nodded, rubbing her eyes.
"I guess I can suffer until we get to Mena," she mumbled.
"Hope so," he said. "You're not doing laundry every day to avoid it, I can tell you that much." She groaned. "Aw, it can't be that bad." She nodded. "I guess we'll see tomorrow then." She glared up at him as he turned down the hall. "By the way," he said, poking his head back into her room, "you left all your bathroom shit in there too." She sighed. He'd found that stash much sooner than she expected.