How dare he! Erica seethed, her skin hot and flushed, her heart beating at about a million miles per minute. Why that self-absorbed, macho, horny, ass! Her anger threatened to get the better of her. She didn't appreciate being taken advantage of. But her strong attraction to the muscular man fought valiantly against her fury. Why did he have to be so utterly desirable! She snorted in frustration as she stomped through the sand in search of the other survivors, her mood definitely not favorable.
She decided to take some time to cool her heels before scouting out her fellow ship wreck victims. When she finally did venture out to join them, they were gathered around the large crater the miner man had been in the process of digging. They were searching for his body. Carolyn was down on her hands and knees peering into what appeared to a tunnel at the base of the pit.
"Is it even possible that Riddick stuffed him in that tiny tunnel?" Sydney was asking, keeping a good distance from the splatter of blood and gore that decorated the sand.
"Its beginning to look to me like Riddick wasn't the one who did this," Carolyn commented, squinting into the darkness.
"I wouldn't put it past the bastard," Johns said, staring down at their captain. Everyone seemed to be looking to Johns and Carolyn for leadership.
"He will pay for what he has done," the miner woman interjected, her teeth clenched and her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"I vote someone goes in and looks for our departed comrade," Erica piped up, and all eyes turned upon her, as if they hadn't noticed her presence until that very moment.
Carolyn nodded, "Good plan. If it wasn't Riddick then we have something else to worry about out here," she looked around her in question, "Any volunteers?" There was silence all the way around the circle. Erica looked from one person to another and sighed, raising a hand.
"Are you sure you want to do this Erica?" Johns asked in what seemed to be concern, "it could be dangerous and you are wounded." Erica knew full well that Johns was full of shit. All he cared about was his pay day.
"I'm a big girl Johns," she said as she expertly snatched a flashlight from his belt, "I can handle myself." His gaze hardened but he didn't say a word.
A harness was handed to her from some direction or another, she wasn't sure. She was feeling a bit nervous at this point, her stomach clenching. Perhaps diving into a den of monsters wasn't a bright idea. She hardened her features. They must know their enemy, always know your enemy. One of the key things to remember in a war. A war? She brushed it aside. Slithering down on her belly, she began the blood slickened crawl into the tunnel.
As she went deeper into the ground, the tunnel widened and became a cavern. It was dank and gloomy inside, with large boulders strewn about. A stray shaft of light bit through the sandy crust of the earth to light upon a large rock jutting towards it, as if in a futile attempt to escape. Erica proceeded cautiously into the interior, swinging her flashlight here and there to investigate the dusty floor. Bones littered the ground and crunched beneath her booted feet as she walked.
Suddenly, a strange scuttling noise resonated through her sensitive ears and she spun, the small beam of light she carried whipping about as if it had a life of its own. Nothing. Utter silence reigned for a minute's time, Erica's own breath constricted as she held it in. The tense atmosphere was broken with an inhuman screech, a hungry sounding cry. It was followed by more scuttling, this time what seemed like hundreds of cavern dwelling creatures rushing towards her.
As Erica swung about in an arch, her roving beam caught upon the scaly tail of some winged creature as it slithered behind a large boulder. It made an unearthly cry as the beam of light touched its flesh, a hissing noise indicating that the skin had been seared.
That was enough for Erica. As the scitterings turned into a buzz of thousands of angry, hungry creatures, she ran. Her progress was impeded, however, as she tripped headlong across something laying amidst the bones. Erica lifted herself from the floor, spitting dirt, and craned her head around. Half of a man's leg lay beneath her foot, a gnawed bone protruding from the flesh. She jerked away from it instantly, scrambling up quickly and lunging at the giant boulder bathed in sunlight.
She was atop the rock before she could think, instinct taking over. The tunnel was just wide enough for her to force herself into, using her elbows and knees to drag her body upwards towards the open air of day. Her mental state was fixed on survival, her muscles pumping a rush of adrenaline through her body. Suddenly, her line drew taught and she nearly lost her grip on the rocky walls of the shaft. Damn it, she cursed. It was snagged.
Erica jerked roughly on the line with one hand and the rope pulled free. She lost no time in beginning her upward climb once more. Her body was blocking the light which would have filtered into the cave, and she could hear the creatures squealing and stampeding about in a frenzy below her. With no warning, a hard jerk dragged her back towards certain death with such severity that she was forced to claw viciously at the packed dirt. They were trying to pull her back to safety from the opposite end. Damn you idiots! she screamed in her head.
Erica scrambled to release the clasp from her belt, to unbuckle the harness, but in the cramped space she couldn't manage to slip her arm down to reach her waist. She held tightly in the tunnel with her back pressed against the rock, her muscles quivering with exertion. She began to become desperate. There was no way she could hold out much longer against the steady pull. Riddick! for some reason he was all she could think of in her terror. His presence, scent, the feel of his iron muscles, they filled her mind, her senses. It almost seemed like she could feel him, reach out and touch him. There was a pulsing beat somewhere deep inside her that began to grow, the sound of chains being clanged harshly against a metal surface resonating in her mind.
In a sudden rush, that animal strength filled her body, flowing through her like a jolt of electricity. She lunged upwards with all of her might, progressing steadily against the weight of her fellow survivors. Wild anger reddened her vision, her thoughts the fury of a cornered beast. Her eyes glowed brilliantly in the gloom, unbeknownst to her, and a deep growl emmited from somewhere deep in her chest as she tensed herself and pushed up into the sunshine, with a tremendous power she didn't know she possessed.
She heard her name as she sat panting on the sand, and the heavy weight pulling at her back died suddenly. The sound of running feet met her ears, yet she ignored it. "Are you OK?" it was Jack. Erica managed to shake off the last reminants of the animal that clouded her mind. She blinked her eyes and looked up.
"Yes," she said, sounding a bit distracted. Johns and Carolyn ran over, kicking up sand as they went. Erica glared at the bounty hunter. They both stared at her expectantly.
"Well," Johns said, "whats down there?"
Erica's scowl deepend. "I nearly got eaten down there, no thanks to you three, and you're expecting me to just start blabbing?"
Carolyn managed to look ashamed, her eager expression disappearing. Johns simply got angry. "Who cares? You're alive right? We need to know what you found."
Erica wasn't too happy to divulge the information, but she supposed she would have to spill it. She told them about the monsters and about the foot. The miner woman turned away in anguish at this snippet. There was silence for a few moments as each contemplated what this meant and Erica took the time to inhale a few deep breaths. What had happened down there? It was as if Riddick had lent her his massive strength. She could have sworn she heard him in that dark cavern, pounding out stern encouragement as he worked against his bonds. Her reverie was broken by Carolyn's voice.
"We need Riddick," she said, and her tone told Erica that there was no arguing with the decision. It didn't stop Johns from protesting.
"Don't be stupid Carolyn," he snapped immediately, "hes better off tied up. You know what he could do to each and every one of us."
Erica scowled at him. She was possitive that they needed Riddick. Those creatures were dangerous and the monster caged amongst the wreckage was the only thing formidable enough to keep them safe. Fight fire with fire. "Let him go Johns," she said, her voice steely and dripping with venom. There was something there that caused a shadow of fear to pass over the bounty hunter's face. Damn if she didn't sound like a lethal weapon herself. That surging energy still pumped in her blood and allowed her temper to rest at a comfortable simmer. No one spoke, and every single one of the survivors were staring incredulously. Sydney backed off. Would they fear her too? She didn't really care. "Believe me, we'll need him before this is over. Hes your only chance against those devils. Him. And me."
The tension hung suspended before them until Sydney nervously cleared his throat. "She...she is right you know." He blanched as Johns turned a cold gaze on him. "As much as I hate to admit it, she is right."
"Hes a weapon," the miner woman added, seeming to forget her anenimity towards the man, now that she knew he hadn't killed her friend.
"Well, I see I'm outnumbered," Johns said dryly after a pause, obviously unhappy. "And how do you suggest we get him to cooperate?"