Dedicated to Gymp and Eternal Celestial.
So faithful and I love you for it, thanks for keeping me so motivated. -Jackie
Jack and Riddick walked into the bank with a confident stride. Jack had switched to business mode and put on a demure smile. Riddick hated it instantly, like he hated the voice she used, or the subservient demeanor she portrayed.
Mr. Madison stood and smiled because Jack had smiled. Riddick noticed her change before he could move. She was subtle and observant both traits he admired. "Ms. Farad, how good to see you again."
Jack began in Arabic and Riddick moved closer and held her at the small of her back escorting her to the waiting chair. "My lady wishes to tell you that she is also happy to see you."
He was all business too, and she smiled. Then spoke quietly and looked at Riddick. "My lady," he began remembering what Anne had told him about how rich Pilgrim women were to be addressed, "requests the withdrawal of all funds from her account. She has taken to travel and wishes to be able to have the money readily available."
His shock was plain as the bulbous nose on his face. He stammered at the thoughts of losing over a million from his bank. "That will take a bit of time. We will need to assemble the money into a briefcase for you."
Jack looked as serene as he had ever seen her. "How long before the money will be assembled?" Riddick asked him.
"One hour." The banker croaked typing on his screen.
Riddick wished he could communicate with her and she felt his unease at the fact that they would be removing cash. Riddick listened to Jack and then wanted to do nothing more than smile a big shit eating grin. "My lady wishes you to transfer the money into this coded account. She asks if you would do this."
Jack slid the paper across the desk and Madison took it, not before she smiled and touched his hand. He recognized the banking codes for his associate bank on Talos 4. Jack turned to Riddick who immediately sensed his relief and watched his jaw for signs of distress, she saw none and she asked him in Arabic, "Did you think I didn't have a back up plan, come on this is me we're talking about. You didn't think I'd know what and where your chip came from? Love you big guy, you're gonna be rich. This bank is an off shore account bank. Anonymity is a big deal to them. Practically un-hackable."
"What did she say?" Madison asked Riddick as he finished his conversation with Jack.
"My lady is pleased with you especially and is recommending to her father that he conduct more business with this bank." Riddick said smugly. Try and top that one Jack!
Within minutes the transfer was made and the account closed. Jack rose and said in accented English, "Thank you; you were very kind to me. I shall not forget such a kindness."
He actually blushed and Riddick watched his wife smile and ooze charm. "It was my pleasure my lady."
Jack put her sunglasses back on and walked with Riddick close behind her. In Arabic she began to speak and Riddick was so thankful for the shades to translate. "Riddick, you are the most frightening man on this planet. I would have loved to see him squirm but carrying around 1.25 million plus our 50 thousand was something I didn't want to have to do. I thought by putting the money into your account, the one that you set up before coming back for me, would be the easiest alternate in case we couldn't get the chips. I just wondered why he was willing to dispense with that much cash."
Riddick looked at her thinking and in perfect Arabic; he replied grinning like a fool, "You amaze me thinking on your feet like that."
"When did you learn Arabic?" she asked stunned.
"Been hanging with Salim and Kalifa, had to happen sometime." He said smug.
They both laughed and walked to the spaceport. "Time to disappear for a few hours. We've got all afternoon to plan logistics for tonight's snatch and grab." He told her as they walked back up the gang plank.
Toombs, Roper, Metzger, Cavanaugh, Janis and The Swede walked down the gang plank of their ship, the men oozing with testosterone and need of a good lay.
"Doc," Toombs said smiling. "Wanna go have that drink now?"
"Where you off to? I think I'm gonna walk around. How long do we have before we need to get to work?"
Toombs thought for a moment. "Four hours. Figure we can start once we all got that itch out of our systems." He said really trying not to offend the lady.
"Then I'll meet you at the H Street Bar at midnight, then we'll have that drink, what do you say?" she said winking.
"Bet your ass Doc." He said smiling a broad shit eating grin. "Come on boys. Let's get some."
"Daniel?" Janis asked. "Where will all you go after your liaison with the more tender sex?"
"Equinox. It's a techno club. Metzger and I like it so we all decided to meet there at around nine." He said suddenly shy.
"I'll see you there. I wonder if I'll like the music." She said smiling.
"You might." He said and ran to the men who looked more like pack animals walking down the street.
The suns were setting and Janis walked down the long street and noticed that people seemed to gravitate to the streets once the suns set. The deep black of the night sky was creeping towards her and she suddenly felt a chill in the air.
On the corner, four blocks down, she noticed a large pitcher of beer lit up as a neon sign. She didn't see any other bar and when she walked in she immediately felt as though this was the one she was meant to come to.
Salim sat at the bar dressed much differently than he was used to. Black pants, an old leather jacket and a worn t-shirt made him indistinguishable to the other patrons, but that was his intent.
When the bar door opened and Janis walked in, he held his breath taking her in. She was as beautiful as he remembered. It was not so long ago that she had smiled sadly at him, trying to be comforting where there was none.
"There isn't much I can do for her Salim. I wish I could but the illness has taken what strength she has and I cannot stop the shutdown of her body." She told him coming out of his wife's sick room.
Kalifa and Yasmine sat on a couch off in another room, both sobbing at the impending loss of their mother.
"Allah has given her to me for nearly twenty years, I cannot be bitter that her time has come. I thank you for what you have been able to do in order to keep her as pain free as possible." He said looking into her sad brown eyes.
He also remembered the funeral of Janis' husband. He had known Abdullah for many years and recounted the times when he knew she had been thankful for the veil.
Janis stood stoic as they laid her husband into the ground. With her three daughters, she held in whatever grief she had and Salim knew it. He approached her and she felt his gaze.
"May Allah bring you peace Raphaella. I hope that if you have needs in future that you aren't as distant as you have been. Endeavor to know that I am your friend." He told her and walked away hoping she would seek him out if she needed to.
He sat on the bar stool nursing a drink when a familiar voice broke him from his recollection. She sat at the bar and he walked over. "Can I buy you a drink pretty one?"
She looked up and he noticed her hands shaking. "I'm meeting someone."
Her smile lit up her face when she saw him and he was pleased that she had come. "So it would seem. Maybe I could help pass the time until they arrive."
"Sure." She said to Salim, then to the bartender, "I'll have whatever he's having."
"Would you prefer to sit somewhere less…exposed?" he asked gesturing with his hand.
"How kind," she said getting up with her drink, "I'd be delighted."
Roper sat at the table the others had gotten and nursed his beer. "To Riddick, May that asshole be easy to find, and a whole lot less trouble than his girlfriend, back on New Mecca."
They raised their glasses and laughed. "Got me a pocket full of cash and an itchy trigger finger if you know what I mean." Metzger said looking at a voluptuous brunette pole dancing in front of him. "Come on little lady, dance for me."
The dancer, clad in only a thong, stepped down and sat on his lap resting her hands on his shoulders and teasing him with her breasts.
Johansson, known as the Swede had livelier game. A redhead with athletic arms and a firm backside had been teasing him from the pole and when he waved a hundred in front of her she stepped down and pulled him towards the side door.
Toombs on the other hand couldn't find a woman he wanted. His thoughts drifted elsewhere and he was kind of pissed. "What?" he growled as someone tapped his shoulder.
A dark haired beauty looking remarkably familiar asked him if there was anything she could do to improve his mood. "Man at the bar said you needed a friend." She told him. "My name's Janis." She said with some prompting from Cavanaugh who just raised his glass of whiskey and smirked.
Toombs smiled and went on his way. "Better get it while you're young, and try not to grow a conscience while we're gone."
"Yeah, whatever man." Roper said falling pray to another brunette, this one tattooed and had creamy skin.
Riddick heard the shower going and he knew that he could as easily interrupt as not but he knew Jack was getting herself ready to go kill people and sometimes, to keep an even head, you needed some time by yourself.
When she emerged she was wearing a pair of cognac colored leather pants, and a creamy version of the top she'd worn when they went out the night of their date. She had a low woven belt around her waist, and he knew that was so she could go armed. She wore no jewelry save a pair of hoop earrings and a few bracelets on her wrists. She wore a different fragrance, a harder more erotic scent he didn't dislike, but knew because of the mission they were on, he'd never smell again. She'd make sure of that. She didn't want to remember that night, or anything associated with that night, just like when she cut Faisal all that time ago, she'd burn it and go on from there.
She wore high heeled boots and smoothed the leather against her backside and looked at her reflection. In the darkness he continued to stare. She wore her hair back and loose, and her make up was a bit harsher but still made her look incredible.
"Can't make yourself ugly, it just ain't possible Jack. You'll be hot no matter what you wear."
"Don't look at me." She warned. "This is for someone else, and not for you. I can't have you liking this because I don't even like it. I feel like a whore."
"You're no whore Jack, I told you back then and I mean it more now. Eye candy is what you need to be so we can draw out these bastards and get the job done. And you look very sweet baby."
He put his hands on her waist, running them up her ribs and cupping her breasts. "Remind me when this is all done, to wash you myself, if that makes you feel any better. I'll get you all soapy, rub-that-smell-right-off-you. Deal?"
"Deal. So, you think that Roper will go for me?" she asked suddenly unsure.
"Does this," he told her pulling her hand and resting it on his hardness, "answer your question?"
"I guess that does." She said bending over and picking up a towel she'd thrown on the floor. His view of her ass in those pants made him groan. "Stop staring at my ass Riddick, you see it enough naked what makes it so nice clothed?"
"Cause wrapped sometimes gives us alot more to fantasize about." He told her pulling her close. "Love you Jack."
"Love you too Riddick. Let's go play who's the better killer." She told him grabbing her leather coat and the tranq gun.