Lifeline

Chapter 2

"I have some errands to run," Marcus said once Chikage closed her door. Her eyebrow rose, but she didn't say anything, only nodded once. "South fifth street," he directed. He pointed to the building once they arrived and she sized it up quickly as she walked around the car to open his door. She followed him up the walkway, then through the door and the building's winding hallways.

"Place smells like shit," she commented quietly as they waited for Marcus' knock to be answered.

"Waste treatment plant," he explained quietly.

"Ah." The door opened, the man standing behind it nodding and moving out of the way. He eyed Chikage, but she only quirked an eyebrow, looking him up and down before brushing past him. She waited as instructed, and Marcus entered a room, shutting the door behind him.

"You're a bodyguard?" She turned her head slightly, her lightly tinted sunglasses meant to shield without hiding her stare.

"Are you surprised?" The man shrugged. "You shouldn't be." Her voice dropped to a menacing tone with her last sentence, and he lifted his hands, as though surrender.

"No offense, lady. I know Marcus would only hire the best, so I'm not questioning." She nodded, and said no more. "How long you been workin' for him?" She glanced at him, a warning, and said nothing. He nodded, and sat on a couch, glancing at her from time to time as she remained propped against the wall just outside the door Marcus was behind. A few minutes later, it opened, and she led him out.

---

From the corner of her eye, she saw Marcus reach out and click on the radio, the noise playing at a low volume. He glanced at her, hand still hovering near the knob, and she glanced at the contraption, then to him with a small smirk.

"Silence bother you, Marcus?" He laughed lightly, retracting his hand as he leaned back in the seat.

"Saturday at midnight," he said quietly, his smile falling. Her jaw clenched, and she nodded. "That's Dave's shift."

"I'll be there too."

"Chikage –"

"Look, Marcus. I'm not letting you run off to do this with just one primary." He sighed. "I know how important this is to you, and nothing's going to get in the way." She paused, glancing at him quickly. "Do you really think I go home as soon as my shift ends?" His head turned toward her just as her attention returned to the road. The rest of the ride was silent.

---

Chikage sat in her regular booth, legs propped up as usual, and the men started pouring in. Thursday nights were always busy, meaning two extra guards placed as patrons. As they entered the bar, they met Chikage's eyes and went to their tables, watching as casually as Chikage did. Music blared, and drinks sloshed. At one point, one of the men reached out to a black-haired stripper named Jade, one of the favorites, and, though she placed her foot firmly on his chest and pushed him back into his chair, Chikage stood, barely shaking her head at the two undercover guards beginning to rise. She glanced at the back door, leading to Marcus' office, and they slowly sat back, nodding slightly. The man who'd grabbed for Jade looked up at her when she tapped his shoulder, and she leaned down, whispering into his ear before grabbing him by the shirt collar and dragging him toward the door with little resistance. As she made her way back to her booth, she spotted him, with just a negligible pause in her gait. He was sitting at her table. He noticed her notice him, lifting his glass to his lips as she slid into her usual spot across from him.

"Must be the new guy Sujun told me about last night," she said quietly, holding her cigarette between her teeth as she reached for her lighter. He cocked his head to the side, eyes twinkling. "No one sits in my booth," she added, punctuating the statement with a slow stream of smoke.

"I didn't see a reserved sign," he replied with a small smirk. She sighed, flicking her ashes into the ashtray before looking back up at him.

"What are you doing here, Riddick?" He sighed, leaning his elbows on the table.

"I need a favor," he said quietly. Her eyebrow rose.

"I can't," she fired back hurriedly.

"You can't." His voice held a touch of disbelief, but she only nodded, taking another long drag. "It's important."

"So is this."

"What, bouncing for a strip joint?" he asked incredulously.

"You really think I'd sink to that level?" Her eyes met his angrily.

"Oh, I see," he said with a smile, leaning back against the bench. "Nice." She shrugged, taking another visual sweep of the place. "Someplace we can talk?" She glanced at him quickly, sighed, and then nodded at Sujun.

"Sujun, will you write down directions to Sweeney's for this man and make it look like you're giving him your phone number when he hits on you before he leaves in a few hours?" Chikage asked. Sujun nodded with a puzzled look, but Chikage smiled her reassuring smile, and the girl disappeared again. "Four a.m.," she instructed, turning her attention back to Riddick. "I might be able to find someone for you."

"I can't trust anyone else," Riddick hissed quickly. She sighed, shaking her head.

"Will you trust them if I trust them?" Her eyes searched his while he hesitated, but he gave no response. "Look, I can't explain right now, okay? We'll talk later." He nodded, folding the napkin neatly before sliding it into a pocket. "Not here."

"Not now," Riddick finished, watching the flash of a smile in her eyes before standing. "Good to see you, Chi." She didn't respond.

---

As always, she waited in the alley until the tail lights disappeared, then turned, heading toward the quietest pub in town. He was already there, sipping on a glass of water, knowing she'd arrived without acknowledging her. She slid into the seat across from him, ordering a drink when the waiter appeared as she sat, and glanced at Riddick.

"So talk," she said quietly.

"Can I?"

"Yeah," she answered with a small nod. "It's safe." He nodded, watching the waiter approach with a tall glass of dark liquid, waiting until he was gone before continuing.

"I need your help," he started. She blinked. Riddick never asked for help. God damn those shades. Can't get a fucking read on him. She nodded once, encouraging him to continue. "I'm working a kidnapping."

"You?"

"Yeah, I know," he quipped with a smirk. "Shut up." She snickered, shaking her head as she took a sip. "What the fuck are you drinking?" Evidently he didn't know the bar slang around here. "Forgive me. I don't know what an apple fizz is."

"Apple brandy and cola," she said with a smile. He nodded. "Anyway."

"Yeah. Kidnapping."

"Who?"

"Fourteen year old girl." The twitch in his cheek was a tell, she figured from her poker experience.

"No, who did it?" He sighed, lifting his sunglasses to rub his eyes. "Oh, fuck," she groaned, lowering her head. "Please tell me you're kidding," she pleaded lifting her eyes to his. His jaw clenched, and she let her eyes close. "Company," she whispered.

"It's not as complicated as it sounds."

"Like hell it's not," she snapped, shaking her head. It was her turn to sigh. "How much time?"

"I don't know." Shit.

"Look, I've got a big thing on Saturday."

"I know," he said quickly. "You said you knew some people." She shook her head.

"They're all either in or paid." Riddick swore. No trusting anyone that was either in with Company or paid by them. "Tell me something." His eyebrow rose. "This fifteen year old girl."

"Long story," he interjected, shaking his head.

"I've got twelve hours before I'm back on." He licked his lips, thinking.

"You heard about the H-G?"

"The Hunter-Gratzner? Yeah, I heard about it," she said with a question mark on her forehead.

"Got her and a Muslim cleric out. Everyone else either died in the crash or got mauled by the natives," he explained quietly.

"I thought—"

"Company bulletin, Chi. They staged the whole thing," he said, clicking his tongue to scold her.

"Right."

"Anyway, Imam's off in New Mecca. They can't get to him without being noticed," Riddick continued. "I left the girl with him there, but he sent a message a few weeks ago saying she'd run away. Tracked her down, alright."

"Wait, three weeks?" Chikage asked quickly. "Do you know for sure they took her?" His face held his answer. "They're using her to get you," she deduced. He took a long drink of water, and she sighed, biting her lip. "Look, I—" She stopped, glancing at him quickly. His eyebrows arched. "Will you take off those god damn sunglasses already?" He only sat there, face unreadable. "Fuck." She rubbed her forehead. "I seriously can't ditch this thing on Saturday. It's big."

"I understand," he said quietly, starting to stand, but her hand darted out, grasping his shoulder to stop him.

"Help me and I'll help you," she asked quickly. He sat back down slowly,

"You're gonna have to do a lot better than 'it's important', Chi."

"Security detail. Another primary besides me, and four minors." He waited for her to continue, making no move to give the impression he agreed to the deal. "Pick up a kid, get her back to the house."

"Why not call a cab?" he asked, his voice carrying the smirk his lips denied. She glanced around the bar quickly.

"You know of Marcus Sanders?" Riddick's eyebrow rose. "Exactly."

"Hell, we're fighting the same demons here," he said slowly.

"You don't know the whole story," she insisted. She glanced around again and leaned forward, lowering her voice. "When Marcus was in, he ran across some documents that directly implicated Company in the instigation of the nuclear wars on K-23, but they found out about it before he could get back to them and copy them to get them to the Intergalactic Council. He heard they found out and skipped. Problem was, the IGC wouldn't act without proof, and couldn't get a warrant for the records Company listed as classified without probable cause, and Marcus' word wasn't enough."

"So that's why he set up shop here, huh?"

"And that's why I'm detailing for him," she finished, leaning back again. He nodded, mulling the information over. "If they'll use a fifteen year old girl to get to you, they'll definitely use a six year old girl to get to him."

"You said two primaries and four minors, right?" Riddick asked. "How's the location?"

"Wide open," she answered with a sigh.

"Who's the other primary?" Shit. I knew he'd ask that.

"David Thaler."

"Fuck." She cringed. "Any way—"

"No, Riddick," she said, shaking her head slightly, a small smirk playing on her lips. "It's been twenty years since that happened."

"Think he can get over it?" A smirk now touched Riddick's lips, but her smile fell.

"For Amy?" Her eyes met his. "I'd bet my life savings he would."

A/N: Apple fizz came from my own mind. I'm willing to bet there's no such thing as apple brandy, but this is the future, and I'm sure there's not a single bar in the world that would equate 'apple fizz' with brandy and cola, so don't blame me if you try and get a weird look. Tee hee…