Thanks for the
feedback so far, everyone. It makes it a lot easier to keep
updating now
that I know that people are actually reading this :)
Whoever hit
me, hit me pretty fucking hard. Most likely a rifle butt, but it felt
like a damn
hammer. Smart too, to hog tie my stupid ass. Must have heard
about my gift
of escape, but I've gotten out of worse. Goggles gone, blind
folded, but
I'm not helpless. By the lightened weight, I know I'm not on a
planet, and
there are sounds of movement nearby. Still can't smell anything
different, and my head is
fucking pounding. Motherfucker will pay for busting
me thatdamn hard..hell..he'll pay for coming on to my ship.
Light
footsteps and the soft rustle of cloth. Too light to be a man, even
with
the clunky
heels. I remember the boots, black leather, thick soles, slim ankles.
A woman. A
woman with small feet and one hell of a good arm. A merc?
A smart merc
would have done more than leave me on the floor, they
would have
tranked my ass and would have put a bit in my mouth. I bite. Been
known to tear
a throat or two, but lets not think about pleasantries. That can
come later.
This explains
the message at least. Should've known better than to hurry my
ass back.
Possibilities...One: Imam ratted me out. Two: Messages were traced
and he was
smart enough to erase them after he found out. Three: Fucking
coincidence, but not likely. Or four, my payday hasn't hit the boards
yet.
"Nice to see
you again..Riddick." The soft contra alto caught his attention
and he turned his
head towards the voice. It was different, but he caught the familiar
cadence and inflections.
Scratch those. Damn..she was smarter than I took her for.
" Jack."
His nose twitched, and he shifted against his bonds. "What the
fuck do you think
you're doing?"
A soft mocking
laugh and he heard the squeak of boots
as she knelt near him,
but sensibly not
too close. "I just thought I'd drop in to say hi, see
if you got
my messages."
"Hi, my ass.
You could've done that without trying to knock my eyes out of
my skull."
He tested the bonds again, felt chain and smirked. "Thought this
out didn't you?"
"I took precautions. "
"Great, now fucking undo this shit."
There wasn't any request in his voice,
instead, a low
raspy command, filled with anger.
and I remember that knock that you gave me five years ago. I don't want
to repeat the experience. As for your situation, let's call this five years worth of
payback."
"Payback? You've got a strange idea of graditude for me saving your skinny ass."
The soft voice
dropped, anger making her words sharp. "Payback for leaving me.
I begged you
Riddick. I fucking begged you! I spent five years on that planet,
stuck
with Imam because I didn't have anywhere else to go. You didn't
even care enough
to reply to the
messages, so fuck graditude. You saved me, but you didn't care about
Imam...or me. I
looked up to you, Riddick. How do you think I felt, being abandoned
again? "
"That was
your mistake, so spare me the self-pity. I didn't want you with me
and I
still don't."
"Looks like
you don't have a choice anymore, Riddick. But don't worry, it won't
be
for long."
"Glad to hear it."
"Don't you want to know why?" Her voice, so soft, was harsh.
"One, I
don't give a fuck. Two, if it were going to be for any longer than a
few days,
you would've
popped me into cryosleep long before I woke up. Three, whatever
plans
you have don't mean shit. You think this'll hold me?"
There was a
pause, then a soft snicker. "It'll hold you well enough I think.
At least
until we meet the
merc ship. Don't growl, it won't help. I stopped being afraid of
you a long time
ago."
"You should
really fucking start." A sharp prick on his arm and he snarled,
tossing
his head.
"Bitch!"
"I learned from the best, so you should know." He didn't feel the soft touch on his head
or the soft sigh as the finger trailed down his cheek. "Sleep well, Riddick."