I should have
listened to my gut. I should have known that I wouldn't be able to
find
any kind of peace on that blasted planet. Fuck. What did Imam
expect? For me to
play the hero? It's not guilt that plopped my butt
here in the dark waiting. It's the
damn kid, and wondering what kind
of trouble she's gotten herself in to. Apparently,
from what I can
understand, her trouble is my damn fault, so it's up to me to haul
her skinny ass out of trouble. Again. Here comes the tarnished
knight, yee-fucking-haw.
Someone should
teach the Holy Man about cheap locks. Easy to pick, way too damn
easy to get a drop on him.
Riddick stood
shrouded in shadows, the sounds in the modest house quiet. Everything
seemed
to be in place. Inhaling through his mouth, he caught the
faint scents of patchouli and lavender,
the taste of scented oils
filling his mouth. Nothing. No blood, like he had thought there might
be,
no scent of the copper nor the stench of decay. It
seemed...normal. The kind of tranquility that
the Imam cherished.
A
slight creak from above, upstairs, stilled him and he listened. Foot
steps. His fingers clenched
around the hilt of a shiv, clutching
methodically as he crouched and watched. A tall figure came
into
sight at the top of the stairs, a male shape clad in a thick robe.
Silver eyes narrowed as the
man came into view. Holy
man..you don't look so uptight now.
Riddick watched
as the Imam walked quietly into the kitchen, went to the cabinet and
got a glass.
Inhaling again, he neither tasted of the acrid scent
of fear or the slightly bitter taste of stress, only
dull sleepiness.
"Seems very calm, Imam."
The tall black
man whirled on his feet, the glass dropping to shatter on the tiled
floor. Riddick
watched him search the shadows, his eyes clearly
revealing recognition of the disembodied
voice. "Mr. Riddick?"
Stepping out of
the dark shadows, Riddick, crossed his arms over his chest, tapping
the blade
of a shiv against one bicep. "I got your message, holy
man, but it doesn't look like I'm needed
that much. Can you tell me
why you asked me to break cover and fly half the sector to get here?"
Confusion laced
Imam's face, his brow furrowing. "Message, Mr. Riddick? You must
be mistaken."
The broken glass cracked as Riddick took another
step forward, his boots crushing the shards
to powder. "I
respected your need to leave, Mr. Riddick. I've never messaged you."
