A/N: Holy Bob! I was just about to start writing this chapter when Ray Parker Jr.'s Ghostbusters came on the radio. I'm going to go deaf now that the volume is up pretty much all the way. "An invisible man sleepin' in your bed" what wouldsex be like with someone who's invisible? Hmm... this is totally irrelevent.
Thanks again to all of my reviewers! 11 reviews and only four chapters, that's a new record for me. THANK YOU!!!
When he awoke, Riddick found he was sitting down with his arms chained up. His goggles had been removed and he squinted as some sunlight flood into the dim room through a hole in the ceiling. For a moment he forgot where he was but then remembered the Hunter Gratzner crashed and he had been knocked out thanks to a swift kick to the head.
After a moment's thought he decided that Johns must have taken him back to the wrecked ship and tied him up. What else had happened? Riddick's head swam momentarily while he recalled everything that happened after he found the bloody hole.
He remembered being tripped by Johns and having a struggle with him. Riddick also remembered his goggles being pulled off and being temporarily blinded by the brilliant suns. Everything after that was a little vague but he definitely remembered there being some struggling going on around him while he tried to find his goggles again.
Riddick's thoughts were cut short when he heard someone approach. His black and silver eyes looked up and into the dim room. He clearly saw Johns approaching, gun in hand.
"Tell me what happened," the merc demanded when he stopped just feet in front of Riddick.
"What happened when I was back at Butcher Bay," Riddick asked in return. "Johns if you can't remember than you must be losing your mind."
Johns scowled at the muscular man. "Don't be a wise ass. What happened to the free settler?"
Riddick shrugged and said, "I heard noises." His silver eyes never left Johns, they stared at him unnervingly. "Johns," Riddick said with a wicked smile. "What happened to your face?" He indicated the bruise on Johns' cheek. "Get into a fight you couldn't handle?"
If looks could kill then Riddick would have died a thousand deaths. Without a word Johns gestured with his gun. Riddick's eyes turned to see what lay next to him. He stared and Johns walked away, leaving him in shock.
Riddick studied Cassidy who lay unconscious, her head resting against his knee. How could he have overlooked the fact that a beautiful young woman was using him as a pillow? Her auburn hair tumbled over his leg and he admired the way it shone in the small patches of sunlight.
Cassidy, he noticed, had also been chained. One of her arms was stretched upward and fastened to one of Riddick's restraints. Her other arm rested on the floor, the chain attached to a nearby support beam.
She looked so vulnerable, so defenseless in her unconscious state. A small smile pulled at the corners of Riddick's mouth. He knew that this seemingly helpless creature had given Johns that bruise, Cassidy really could hold her own. Riddick felt a rising anger towards Johns. How could anyone harm a woman, much less one as beautiful and captivating as Cassidy? Oh, how that merc bastard would pay.
Shouts could be heard but they were so far off and distant it seemed as though she had imagined them. Slowly they got louder, penetrating the thick layers of sleep and bringing Cassidy back from the realm of unconsciousness. Unfortunately, along with her hearing, her sense of feeling returned as well.
A slight groan escaped her lips when she felt the throbbing pain in the back of her head. "Fuckin' a," she uttered as she squeezed her eyes tight. She tried to reach a hand to the back of her head to feel for blood but it stopped half way.
Cassidy froze. Okay, something isn't right here. Awareness hit her like a ton of bricks but she kept her eyes shut. Hurting head… ow! Cold metal around wrists, arms not moving, slight clinking sound when I try… Okay so I'm obviously chained. Damn! This really is not good for the whole escape thing.
Her ears strained to pick up the slightest noise. There were people arguing somewhere but they were too far for Cassidy to hear anything other than their angry shouts. She focused on her immediate surroundings and she realized she wasn't alone.
Finally, her yellow eyes opened and they quickly skimmed over the dim innards of the crashed ship. Now I know where I am, she thought. But who is with me…?
Her head turned slowly to the side to see who was behind her. Her eyes traveled up the leg her head was resting on. It led to a muscular torso with a broad chest. Two massive arms were stretched out tothe sides and were chained. Finally Cassidy made eye contact with two silvery black orbs.
For a long moment the two stared at each other in silence. Cassidy found herself oddly mesmerized by Riddick's eyes. She gave herself a mental shake before she could down in them completely.
"What the fuck happened," she asked, her voice a little raspy and dry.
"Apparently Johns doesn't like it when he gets beaten by a girl." Cassidy could have sworn she saw Riddick's lips twitch as he tried not to smile.
"Yeah, I figured that's why I feel like my head was stepped on by a Fragdarian Giant." Cassidy referred to the ten foot tall inhabitants of the planet Fragdet who would just as soon use you for one of their fair games as give you the time of day. "How much damage did I do to his pretty face?"
This time Riddick did smile. "Enough to make him hold a grudge. Nothing permanent but I don't think he'll forget it anytime soon."
Cassidy gave a nod and began to look around the room again. "Any chance of escape," she asked while beginning to work the chains that bonded her to Riddick.
She froze when Riddick's hand closed over hers. Cassidy's owlish eyes looked at their hands for a moment before she looked to Riddick's face. His silvery eyes were staring at her unblinkingly.
"Who said," Riddick said quietly in his deep voice. "That I want to escape?" His grip on her hand tightened slightly but not too much. His eyes never left Cassidy's and they seemed to pull her in until she was like a deer caught in the headlights. "I kind of like where I am at the moment."
As Riddick finished his sentence, Cassidy became aware that her head was still resting against his muscular leg. It took every bit of her self control to keep herself from turning red.
Cassidy felt her heart speed up as if she had just drunk an entire keg of coffee. "Riddick…" she uttered before her voice trailed off. She felt him give her hand a little squeeze and her heart skipped a beat in its furious drumming.
Suddenly Riddick dropped Cassidy's and his eyes went icy cold as he looked away into the darkness. He left Cassidy momentarily flabbergasted. She blinked a few times in her confusion before her senses came back to her and she knew why he was staring into the darkness.
Her keen ears picked up the sound of someone approaching the entrance. The footsteps were light, those of a female and they were coming fast. Cassidy's owl eyes pierced the darkness and she saw Carolyn Fry enter and head angrily towards them. Beside her, Cassidy could feel Riddick look down and she closed her eyes partially, hiding them behind her eyelids.
Carolyn stopped in front of them and irately said, "What happened to Zeke?" The question was directed to Riddick and it was obvious that Carolyn thought Cassidy was still unconscious.
Neither of the chained prisoners said anything and this seemed to anger Carolyn more. "You told Johns you heard noises." Still no answer. "Well just so you know there's a debate right now on whether or not you should live," she said before turning on her heel and storming off.
Once Fry had left, Riddick spoke to Cassidy. "Did you hear that, Foxy? They're trying to decide if they want to kill you or not."
Her yellow eyes opened again and she turned them back to Riddick. "I think she was implying you're the one they want to kill. Actually, she could have meant both of us. I did after all, attack Johns and he's obviously manipulating them."
"He won't let us die," Riddick said calmly. "He wouldn't want to miss the payday."
Cassidy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that's true," she said before pausing. "Do you really want to get turned in?"
Riddick shrugged. "Its not that hard to get out of a slam."
A sad smile spread across Cassidy's face. "Yeah, but it isn't so easy to escape from a bunch of mad scientists. Especially not when they have you strapped down on a cold slab of metal."
He looked to Cassidy and opened his mouth to say something but he never got the chance. Carolyn and Johns walked into the room at that moment, Johns carried his gun.
Riddick's dark eyes turned to the merc and he asked, "Back so soon?"
"Tell me what happened, Riddick," spat Johns angrily. Riddick gave no answer, he only smirked. Johns gave a small growl of frustration as he raised his weapon, aiming it at Riddick. "What happened?"
The muscular man gave a sadistic chuckle at Johns. "Go ahead," he said, still laughing.
Johns glared at Riddick, his eyes full of pure hatred. "No?" Suddenly he turned the gun to Cassidy and asked, "How about now?"
Riddick fell silent and he met Johns' gaze. "I don't see why you would do something like that," his voice was emotionless as he spoke. "She means nothing to me."
It was Johns' turn to laugh. "Right, and that's why you haven't killed her yet."
Riddick glowered and looked like he was about to kill Johns. Cassidy calmly looked from Johns, to his gun, to the livid expression on Riddick's face. She was certain the escaped con would tear his chains apart and attack Johns.
"Just tell us what happened to Zeke," Carolyn finally said and Cassidy was grateful she did.
Riddick's eyes left Johns and landed on the woman. "It ain't me you have to worry about," he said simply.
"Then what happened to his body?" Cassidy could hear a tinge of panic Carolyn's voice.
"Did you check the hole," Riddick said in a bored tone.
Carolyn exchanged looks with Johns. The merc turned back to Cassidy and surprisingly removed her restraints. Everyone including Riddick looked at him with surprise.
Johns roughly grabbed Cassidy's arm and pulled her up to her feet. "You're going to check down that rabbit hole, fox-girl."