The next week flew by and Jack wanted to pull her hair out most of the time. From the early morning hours after Salim made her do kata to focus her energy, and 30 minutes of sparring and evasion techniques, until Riddick would pull her to their bedroom and forcibly remove her clothes taking her to bed, she worked to get the programs up and running, work out what they needed to arrange, and the details of the elaborate plan to get the mercs off their necks, get the money, and their revenge on Toombs.
She paced, she shouted, scribbled, muttered incoherently and barely noticed that she'd stopped eating. It was only when Riddick took her hands and lead her to the mess that she realized it was that time of the day again.
On the seventh day, after dinner with less than a week to go before Toombs would hit Talos Prime, she unveiled the "MASTER" plan.
"Okay everybody," she started, shoving a piece of bread in her mouth. "I've got it all done now. Sasha?"
Sasha's voice came over the comms and Jack sat on Riddick's lap with her lap top in front of her.
"Ready Jack."
"Phase one: We downloaded the necessary files from Toombs' ship so I could get access. So far, he's unaware, the crew except for Janis, is in stasis and I've got details on everyone.
First, We have Daniel Roper. I researched what I could find on him. Smart, more tech, no combat experience. He's gonna be a problem if he starts screwing around with the nav or com computers. But I've covered my tracks. Janis says he's nice, as far as mercs go. This is his first snatch and grab. He's young and likes to carry a pulse pistol."
Riddick had never seen her so prepared. She had notes on everything. He'd looked at some of it. She was thorough as hell. His chest swelled with pride and he wanted to get started.
"He likes pretty girls. Brunettes, so Anne, you're out for the purposes of eye candy."
"Good, I like being back with the equipment anyway." She said looking to Riddick for validation. "I'm better in the med lab. Keeping the fort, taking care of little guy."
"Then it's settled. She's staying on the ship. She's not trained to handle combat anyway." Kalifa said relieved he too looked to Riddick.
"Agreed." Riddick said authoritatively. "Anne stays on the ship and takes care of the wounded and Layne."
"Next, is Cavanaugh. What I found out about him was that the blinded eye was due to an argument on Terra Luna after a deal that went sour 10 years ago. He's still deadly with the one eye. Old school, if you know what I mean. Been doing it for a long time so keep an eye out for him."
"He won't act rashly. He'll be observant." Salim offered looking at his service record. "Black ops, demolition, the man knows war."
"Next, Metzger. Former Guard Lupos 5." Jack started when Riddick's hold around her waist got tighter. "Trained at—"
"I knew I recognized that son of a bitch. Nasty mother fucker. Liked working over the new fish. He was Marine Corps. We need to watch him, he likes to see em bleed." Riddick said growling growing agitated.
Jack rubbed Riddick's arm and took a deep breath continuing, "Now, here's a problem." Jack started. "Olaf Johannson. Known as 'the Swede.' Baby, he's all yours. Likes knives and is fast and big. Go get em tiger. He was an enforcer on Tangier 2. That's a big boy."
"No problem Jack. Next." He said leaning his chin on her shoulder. He'd look over his stats later, he wanted to hear the entire plan, one thing at a time.
"Then there's Harold Marvin Toombs, entrepreneur and soldier for hire. We really need to watch him. We want him alive. I've got the tranq gun for his ass. Once we pick off his guys, we go after him." She told them finishing the first phase.
"Now," she said getting up and standing in front of the assembled group. "Sasha and I have constructed a virtual Toombs. He's almost as bad as the original. I've tested him out and even Riddick approves. He's just as rude, arrogant, and obnoxious as the original. But under our control. Phase 2 of the plan will be this. Right now, Toombs' ship is off line. But since Roper is out, he doesn't know this. And by the time Roper is awake and talkative, I'll have already taken care of everything.
Over the last three days, I've been sending communications relayed through our advanced long range relay systems and Farad is dealing with my Toombs instead of the actual Toombs. He is pleased and now we're gonna start discussing a change in the compensation agreements. That's where Phase 3 happens.
Anne, Riddick and I are gonna go to a bank in the city and open an account. I'm Farad's daughter, and Anne is my translator while the big guy here is Jabbar Haras."
Everyone chuckled and Riddick smiled knowing what those words meant. Jabbar Haras, most powerful bodyguard…
"Thank God I studied and speak fluent Arabic. We get the transfer codes and account numbers, give them to Farad and wait for the money to drop. Trust me, with these photos, he'll pay."
Then Jack had Sasha show digital representations of Jack, shackled, blindfolded and a bit in her mouth, in stasis next to a similar version of Riddick. She felt his body tense and flinch. "I'm even willing, as a gesture of good faith, submit to him DNA samples."
Riddick shifted moving her and she moved on. "Then when Toombs' lands, I've got a message from Farad, waiting and when Toombs goes to contact him, he'll be contacting us, text only since he's out so far. No messages will ever get to New Mecca, I'll intercept them first."
Jack stopped for a moment, taking a drink. "Then once we get Janis, and know where the others will be we take the money once it hits, redeposit it elsewhere, take out the other members of the team, then go after big Daddy Toombs. We want him alive. The plan is to humiliate, then cryo his ass and send him back to Hellion Prime to face the music. He'll be expected to have us, and when he doesn't, and no money, they'll frag his ass."
"Jack, that plan is very well thought of." Salim told her looking to Riddick. They had seen her push herself too hard all week and had decided that once she was finished they would make her rest. "You must rest now. The hardest work is done. Am I not right Riddick?"
"You are." He said as everyone got up. He watched Jack close her laptop and sit back in the chair. "Jack."
"Yeah babe what?"
"You need a little down time. You've been burning it at both ends for over a week. Come on, let's go and relax." He told her and it was not a request.
"But what about Layne?" she asked looking at the baby, sleeping in his bassinet in the mess.
"Covered kid, see?" he said holding out his hand as his Baba Salim took him and began to sing in Arabic. "Shower, bed, and sleep, for at least a few hours. You need it. Then, we figure out the bank. But for now, it's rest and I ain't takin no for an answer Jack."
"Fine." She said in mock disgust. "I'm tired as hell all of a sudden."
"I know. 18 hour days are rough. Now move that ass Jack." He said in a playfully gruff growl.
"I want you to know Jack that we're all proud as hell of you." he told her holding her hand and walking to their quarters.
"I'm just afraid that it'll all fuck up. There are so many ways this could go shitty." She admitted when she sat on the edge of the bed.
"That's all right, we've got back up plans too." He told her and explained that Kalifa and Salim were fully prepared to kill them all. "Now," he said pulling off her boots. "A hot shower, then bed. I want you to sleep."
She hadn't been sleeping more than three hours a day and when she did, she would wake screaming. More than once he had to clamp his hand over her mouth so she wouldn't wake Layne and each time he'd pull her to him and soothe her. "There's so much that could go wrong Riddick."
"Sh." he told her pulling her top off and unclipping her hair. It had begun to drift below her shoulders again and he ran his fingers through it petting her. She closed her eyes and moaned with a content grin on her face. "Like that?"
"Oh yeah. Your hands on me always make me feel so good. I think I like you best when you do this." She said wanting so much to lean back and drift off to sleep.
"This?" he asked laying her back so he could remove her pants.
"That and the huge dick thing. Man, I hadn't realized I was so tired." she said yawning bigger than he'd seen in quite a while.
"It's all right kid. I'll be here. Rest, the shower can wait until later." He said pulling up the blanket. "Love you Jack."
"Mmm. Love you too Riddick." She said as sleep pulled her under.
Riddick put his goggles back on and left Jack snoring slightly snug underneath a warm blanket. He was glad she'd crashed because there were some things he needed to discuss with Salim and Kalifa that he didn't want Jack to know about.
He found Salim and Kalifa working out in the gym, going through complex moves that he had come to admire since they had been together. His training with and without the use of his eyes was extremely challenging and he felt confident that he'd done well.
"My son." He said stopping and standing next Kalifa who had blood coming from his lower lip. "Let us discuss how and with what means we will dispatch these others before the final blow to this Toombs fellow."
"Roper, he's a lightweight. My concern is for the old man and the Swede." Kalifa said sitting down on the mat and putting his hands on his knees.
"That is true my son. His proficiency is well documented. I am confident in your abilities though. We must train more, and blindfolded. You must perfect using your other senses to fight." He told Riddick as he handed him the blindfold. "Are you ready?"
"Bring it on." He announced standing up.
Anne, Jack and Kalifa stood outside a shop that catered to the richest of women clients. "You sure you can do this?" he asked them as both women looked at him with an incredulous glance.
"Yes. I am a rich pilgrim and I need to dress like it. No dowdy clothes, this isn't New Mecca and I want to make an impression or the bank is a wash. Wait here. We'll be out in a few minutes. Now look like my bodyguard already." Jack said dressed in a long black abaya and veil.
Riddick had a few words with her and she wanted to argue but part of the plan had to happen that way and she wasn't going to back down. It was only when she opened it up and showed him her jeans, mechanic's boots and a tight form fitting T-shirt did his face changed from a scowl to a eye brow wiggling smile.
"No old lady shit Jack. Don't be gone long." He ordered and returned to the pummeling he was getting blindfolded.
"Promise." She told him kissing his cheek before he left.
She emerged almost an hour later with two bags and one for Anne, then she walked to the alley, discarded her veils and abaya and Anne did the same revealing her dressed in jeans, a top and a pair of comfortable boots herself.
"Now, I need something to knock someone's socks off." She told Kalifa and Anne, "And for this I need your opinion."
"Mine?" he asked nervously. "You mean Riddick's."
"I know his tastes Kalifa and I need to know if you like what I choose. This is to lure Roper out so I can kill him."
"Riddick wouldn't approve of your methods Jack." He warned.
"Riddick is gonna have his hands full with the Swede Kal, now move." She said pushing him inside and securing her abaya in her back pack.
"This is wrong." Kalifa said looking at the clothes. "On so many levels."
He watched as Jack came out wearing a pair of cognac colored leather pants that sat low on her hips, a pair of boots underneath and a belt that could hide her shiv. Her top was a creamy beige with string straps that criss crossed between her shoulder blades and that not only held her firm taut breasts in place but revealed to anyone who looked that the blouse did not have a back and laid at her sides showing every bit of her tattoo that was visible above the belt.
"May Allah be merciful when your husband finds out I saw you in that." He exclaimed.
"Good. Just the reaction I wanted." She said walking to the sales person and smiling. "I'll take these and the boots. Give me two more in those colors. And that blouse."
The last shop the visited was a women's toiletries shop and Jack and Anne took their time. Perfume, cosmetics, ear rings, and things he would never have thought of. When they arrived back at the ship Kalifa walked to the gym took his coat off and began hitting the heavy bag much to the amusement of his father and brother.
"Don't even ask me how my afternoon went." He growled as his fists hit the large oblong bag.
"You lost with the short straw Kal." Riddick said chuckling. "You lost."
He grunted and went at it for nearly 30 minutes before Riddick saw Jack walk towards the med lab.
"Princess?" Riddick said standing behind her as she loaded more ampoules. "What are you doing?"
"Getting my gun ready. Why?" she asked sliding the darts into the clip. They resembled bullets and Jack knew she'd take down a bull with these if she needed to.
"Wondering. You want to go out into the city tonight?" he suggested.
"You mean like a date?" she asked cocking her head slightly to the side.
"Yeah." He told her moving to invade her personal space. "With the promise of sex at the end." He purred in her ear as he grabbed her by the buttocks and lifted her onto the examining table.
"Well," she said putting her arms around his neck and playing with his shirt. "if you put it that way. Sure."
"Love you Jack." He said thinking he could say that to her every day for the rest of their lives and not get tired of it.
"Love you too big guy." She said kissing him.