Chapter Twenty-one
After Jack agreed to Toombs's offer, Kyra escorted her back to her cabin. The girl seemed worn out, emotionally if not physically.
"You gonna be all right?" she asked tentatively when they reached Jack's cabin. She keyed open the door and Jack stepped inside. Kyra held her hand in the path of the sliding portal and narrowed her eyes at the girl when she received no response. "Jack?"
Jack finally turned and gave Kyra a sad, tired smile. "I always am. It's what I do."
Kyra consulted the display of her watch. "Hey, it's 2200 ship's time. You get a good night's rest. We'll start working on getting you back into shape tomorrow morning. If you need anything, hit the call button on the comm unit. Someone will get you whatever you ask for... within reason. Okay?"
"Aye, aye," Jack acknowledged with a weak, sarcastic salute. "Look, I'll be fine. I really think I just need to sleep. To... you know... process everything. Then I'll be better."
"I'll be here at 0800 sharp," Kyra said with a vicious grin. "I'll warn you, I'm a bitch of a trainer. Sleep well, Jack."
Kyra moved her hand and allowed the door to slide shut. She hesitated a moment and then keyed the lock sequence. "It's not that I don't trust ya, kid," she whispered to the closed door. "But I know what I'd try in your place, so I don't trust ya. At least not yet. Maybe we can work on that."
She pressed her hand flat against the door for a moment and then walked swiftly to her own cabin and entered. As soon as she had Jack settled, Kyra's thoughts turned to Toombs. The time since he had returned to the ship had been hectic, and she hadn't found the opportunity to really welcome him home. Or to thank him for what he was doing for Jack.
A slow smile spread across her face she thought of the perfect "welcome back". She showered quickly and dressed in a thick, black robe made from Aquilan silk. She had purchased it on a whim while trailing a bounty through a market during her most recent mission. The robe bore an intricate design in red and black thread that depicted characters from some ancient Earth language. On the back, there was a depiction of some sort of half-canine, half-human creature. For some reason, the thing's bemused expression had reminded her of Toombs.
She pulled out a palm-sized device that she could use to monitor any of the security cameras in the ship. Being chief of security definitely has its perks, she mused as she logged in and checked for crewmembers in the general vicinity of her cabin. When she found no one, she slipped out and cautiously made her way to one of the zero-g maintenance tunnels that crisscrossed the ship. Toombs frequently used this particular passage to get from his office to his cabin, because it was quicker than taking one of the lifts. Kyra also suspected that he simply enjoyed the brief weightlessness. When she reached the tunnel, she slipped into a dim alcove where she wouldn't be seen by any casual passers-by.
Scanning through the cameras, Kyra located Toombs on the bridge. He stood behind Jericho who was working at the navigator's station. She didn't have any audio capability on her handheld, so she could only guess that they were discussing the course that Toombs had asked Jericho to devise. The path would take them eventually to the Ursa Luna prison, but would take considerably longer than a least time direct jump.
The long path would give them time to help Jack prepare for the prison, but it also made good business sense. During the journey, they would be passing through several systems where they could make apprehensions to deliver to the prison along with Jack. The extra bounties would make the trip extremely profitable. However, Toombs's vicious grin as he explained the details had told her that the business sense of the course he had chosen was secondary to the defiance that it showed to Aereon.
On the handheld's screen, Toombs spoke and then leaned over and pointed to a spot on Jericho's display. The dark skinned navigator made several calculations and then grinned evilly at Toombs. Hmm... that probably just added another month to the trip, she thought as she watched Toombs clap Jericho on the shoulder and then swagger away.
Kyra tracked him from camera to camera, as he left the bridge. He paused and looked into his office, but didn't bother entering. He then continued on a path that would eventually lead to the access tunnel in which she was waiting.
As a pair of crewmen passed through the tunnel, she ducked further back and hid the glow of the device screen. From their conversation, she judged they were on their way to the rec room, but fortunately, neither seemed to notice her in the shadows of her alcove. When she looked back down, Toombs had passed out of the range of the camera she currently had displayed. She quickly locked down the ends of her tunnel so that she would have no more interruptions and then began searching for her quarry.
"Damn," she said softly, scanning the cameras adjacent to where she had lost track of him. Please let him not have gotten into the lift. Her plan was to stall the lift if necessary so that he was forced to use the maintenance corridor, but it wouldn't work if he had already gotten inside.
After a moment, she heaved a sigh of relief when she located him on camera. He had paused to chat with Mare, and Kyra made a mental note to do something nice for the older woman at some point in the future. Kyra watched them talk for a few moments and then Toombs started walking away. Apparently, his final remark had incensed Mare because she playfully kicked at his conveniently presented rear end. Toombs tossed his head back in laughter and then gave her a jaunty salute, which Mare answered with a different and much ruder hand gesture. Kyra grinned as she watched the exchange.
Kyra was delighted when he passed the lift without a glance and continued on to the entrance to her access corridor. She quickly released the lock so that he could enter unhindered. He stepped through and oriented himself in the null-g environment, then pushed off expertly with one foot, 'swimming' along the corridor. Kyra quickly reengaged the locks before anyone else could enter the corridor and disabled the security cameras along its length. She then turned off the handheld and tucked it into a corner of the alcove where it would be safe. Once Toombs had passed by, she edged slowly out of the alcove and floated out to the middle of the passage behind him where she waited for him to notice her with a languid smile on her face.
When he reached the end of the corridor, he literally bumped into the door, which had not opened when he expected it to. "What the fuck?" he mumbled, as he pressed his hand against the locking mechanism. When there was still no response, he began turning around. "Damned faulty equipment. Gonna kick Twitch's ass if he don't get this..."
He broke off as his eyes met hers and a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. His eyes roved over her, lingering on bits of skin that were left exposed by her robe.
"Hey, handsome, come here often?" she asked, carefully accenting her words so that he had no doubt as to her meaning.
Toombs kicked away from the door and sailed toward her. When he reached her, he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her deeply, stoking the fire that had been simmering inside her since he had returned to the ship that afternoon. When he released her mouth, he chuckled and completed the ancient pick-up line she'd quoted to him: "Would you like to?"
"Oh, God... You have no idea," she purred as she ran her tongue along the curve of his jaw and then teased his earlobe with her teeth. He pulled her against him with a growl and kissed her again. His hands tightened on her hips and his hardened groin pressed against her.
"Baby, I think I have some idea."
He traced a fiery path down her neck and he paused at the base of her neck gently sucking the sensitive V of her collarbone. Kyra threaded her hands through his hair and allowed her head to loll back as he began trailing kisses toward the cleavage exposed by the neck of her robe.
"This is a really great outfit," he rumbled against her chest. The stubble of his beard tickled against her skin when he spoke, drawing a soft gasp from her.
"Glad you like it," she purred back. She slid her hands over his shoulders and then along his arms until she reached his wrists. She grasped his hands and moved them to the belt of the robe, which was tied around her waist. Toombs grinned at her and began slowly untying the loose knot. When he finished, he pushed the belt ends aside where they floated gently in the null gravity. He slid his hand inside the robe and dragged his knuckles across her bare stomach before he reached to cup her behind underneath the robe. The motion caused the edges to drift open, revealing the bare skin underneath.
Toombs's gaze raked down her body causing her nipples to tighten into hard peaks in anticipation. He grinned at her: "I think it may be my new favorite. Now let's see about getting it the hell off of you!"
Kyra chuckled but her humor transformed into a moan of pleasure as he covered one peak with his mouth and began laving it with his tongue. He bit her nipple and ran his teeth back and forth across it, causing her to gasp and arch against him. Her motion caused them to begin spinning very slowly in the weightless environment. His hands caressed her body, sending tremors of sensation along her skin.
Wanting to touch him as well, Kyra slid her hands to his waist and tugged his shirt free. She slipped her hands under his shirt, trailing her nails along the skin of his back. He growled softly against her breast, released her nipple and kissed her hard. His tongue thrust into her mouth, stoking along the sensitive skin of her inner cheek. Kyra kissed him back hungrily, meeting his tongue thrust for thrust.
Kyra wrapped her legs around him. "I want you now , Gabriel Toombs." She sank her fingernails into his back to punctuate her statement.
"Oh, I missed you, baby," he rumbled softly as he disengaged her limbs so that he could shove the robe off her shoulders. He made a soft noise of satisfaction as his eyes swept over her now bare form. Kyra grinned at him and then reached for the waist of this shirt and he lifted his arms so that she could strip it over his head. Her gaze lingered briefly on his well-muscled chest, and then she turned her attention to the fastenings on his pants. His clothing soon joined her robe to drift lazily along the corridor.
Kyra ran her hands up his arms and tangled her fingers into his hair. Her core clenched in anticipation as she pulled him toward her. She reveled in the feel of his hands as he skimmed them down to grasp her waist. Her feet slid around to catch on his thighs and she felt him press teasingly against her. She tensed her feet against him urging him forward and he complied by pressing her waist down, sheathing himself inside her.
She gasped. They both paused a moment before began a slow rhythm that gradually increased in pace. Kyra matched his rhythm and felt the heat spread from her inner core to suffuse all her limbs. Her face flushed with heat and she clenched her hands on his shoulders as she arched against him. Ragged gasps tore from her throat as the sensation grew to a crescendo.
He buried his face against her neck and sank his teeth into the sensitive skin above her collarbone as he thrust into her. The brief flash of pain from his bite sent her crashing over the edge. A scream of pleasure erupted from her and her body rocked against his. As she shuddered around him, she felt a tremor pass through him and he surged against with a wordless growl of pure pleasure.
They floated, limbs entwined, for several minutes before Toombs chuckled. Kyra leaned back slightly so that she could see his face and quirked an eyebrow in a silent question. He grinned mischievously at her. "You know, if this is the sort of welcome I can expect, I'm gonna have to send you out on missions more often," he teased.
Kyra felt her face split into an answering grin. "Fuck, Toombs. It ain't like this is the first time we've had sex in a corridor."
He laughed again and gestured to her discarded robe, which had floated about halfway down the passage. "Yeah, but it's the first time you bought special clothes for it."
Kyra snickered and then snuggled her head back against him. She stayed that way for several more minutes lulled by his regular heartbeat, just enjoying being close to him. For the first time since they had captured Jack, she felt truly at peace. "You know, we're doing a good thing..."
"Huh?" he asked, jerking at her voice and then blinking drowsily at her.
Kyra dug her fingers into his side. "You can't fall asleep here, you big lug."
"I'm the Captain, I can do whatever the hell I want," he informed her with a grin. "But you were saying something about good things? I like good things, so tell me more."
"What we're doing for the girl. It's right , you know? It makes me feel a little better."
"Ahhh, baby. You didn't have anything to feel bad about to begin with," he said and placed his fingers against her lips before she could voice the protest that formed instantly. "It was my call, my responsibility. But, yeah, I know what you mean. I'm glad we're helping the kid, too. And I know you're gonna do a great job at training her."
"Speaking of which, I have an early morning tomorrow." She pushed away from him, grabbed a set of handhold and propelled herself down the passage to retrieve her robe. "And besides, we should probably move along before the crew starts pounding down the doors."
Toombs grumbled about a captain being able to do what he damn well pleased in his maintenance corridors for as long as he damn well pleased; however, he followed her lead and gathered his clothing, dressing quickly. Kyra retrieved her handheld and checked the cameras outside the exit to the tunnel. When the path was clear, she keyed the release code and the two made their way to his cabin.
Jack was awake and dressed very early according to the chrono on her desk. The past twelve weeks had been painfully grueling as she worked to regain the strength and tone she had lost while she was Aereon's "guest". She actually felt like she was in better shape than before her abduction. She was still about ten pounds lighter than before, but she thought that it was due to increased muscle tone rather than any lingering effects from her interrogation.
It's no wonder with the 'drill sergeant' training me, she thought wryly. The memory of Kyra yelling at her and the several other crewmembers that she had been training with flitted through her mind. Outside of the training arena, Jack was surprised at how fond she had become of the mercenary woman. Jack had even forgiven Kyra for her part in the abduction. However, once they stepped onto the sparring mats, the sisterly, young woman disappeared, leaving a demanding taskmaster in her place.
Jack had not been very involved in sports while on Helion Prime, having decided to focus on intellectual pursuits instead. The martial arts training had been more for the meditation techniques than for the physical aspects. She was surprised at how much she was enjoying the release that the focused training provided. Additionally, her fighting skill had increased considerably.
She grinned at her reflection in the mirror unable to keep excitement from bubbling up inside her. Kyra had promised that they would start weapons' training today. Visions of Riddick with his shiv danced tantalizingly through her mind. Her grin broadened as she imagined herself handling a knife so smoothly that it seemed like an extension of her own body rather than a separate weapon. "Gonna make you proud, big guy. I promise."
She was drawn out of her fantasy by a loud buzz from her door. Jack stepped out of her tiny bathroom and crossed her cabin in two strides. She waved her hand at the sensor. The door slid open immediately to reveal Kyra on the other side with her hand raised to hit the buzzer again. "Ready," Jack said brightly.
The corner of Kyra's mouth twitched with humor as she looked suspiciously at Jack. "You're certainly eager this morning."
"Who, me?" Jack asked innocently falling into stride beside Kyra as they made their way toward the gym.
"Yeah, you. Don't try that innocent, little girl act on me. It ain't gonna work," Kyra countered and poked Jack in the ribs. "Now why the hell are you so fucking bouncy this morning?"
A giggle escaped Jack's throat. She glanced sideways at Kyra whose expression made her grin stretch even wider. "You said we'd start weapons training today."
"That's it?" Kyra asked with obvious incredulity. At Jack's nod, Kyra shook her head and gave a short laugh. "Good God, I've created a monster."
I don't think you created me, Jack thought, recalling her recent daydream. Her fondness for and loyalty to Riddick was an ongoing sticking point between the two women. Jack had tried to explain that his record was an incomplete picture of the man, but Kyra couldn't see past the portrait painted by his history. Jack didn't mention her other fighting influence and instead shrugged one shoulder noncommittally.
A glance sideways showed her that Kyra's eyes narrowed even more as she regarded Jack, but the woman didn't push the issue. Jack was grateful because she didn't want to spoil her pleasant mood with another argument about Riddick.
When they reached the gym, Jack broke away from Kyra to begin her warm-up routine. Once she had stretched, Jack began sparring with an electronic dummy. She tried to focus, but her mind kept drifting to the promised weapons training. I wonder if she'll stick to close in stuff, or maybe do some firearms training. I guess there are advantages to knowing both. She threw a few more punches and kicks at the dummy as she pondered the possibilities.
"Your form's off," a voice said from behind her.
Startled, Jack overcompensated on a sidekick that missed the dummy entirely and sent her crashing into it with uncharacteristic gracelessness. Jack untangled herself from the dummy and looked up to where Toombs was bent double with laughter. She stood and glared at him, which served to make him laugh harder. Jack half expected him to roll around on the mat in his glee over her consternation.
He was still laughing when Kyra walked up. She looked from Toombs to Jack with an expression of confusion. "What's so funny?"
"Jack was just showing me some of the moves you've been teaching her," he said as a wicked grin stretched across his face. "Go on, kid, do that last one again. It's a real kick in the ass."
Jack resisted the urge to stick out her tongue at the grinning mercenary and instead turned to Kyra with a sheepish shrug. "I guess I was a little distracted while I was warming up. I missed the damn dummy and then slipped. Apparently, Captain Comedy here found it amusing."
"It was fuckin' priceless," he agreed, nodding his head.
"Don't sweat it, Jack," Kyra consoled her. The woman draped a friendly arm around Jack's shoulders while she spoke in a loud whisper. "Ask me later about the first time 'Captain Comedy' and I sparred together"
Toombs stopped laughing. "Kyra, you wouldn't..."
The two women looked at him and then exchanged a conspiratorial smile. "You'd be amazed at how distracted he gets from a simple thing like a black sports bra..."
"Now that's a story, I've gotta hear," Jack said with a snicker as she allowed Kyra to lead her toward the main sparring mat.
"Woman, you are pure evil. I shoulda known you females would stick together," Toombs grumbled as he trailed after them. Jack rolled her eyes and Kyra's grin broadened.
She lead Jack to a footlocker that she had set beside the practice mat. Jack felt the excitement bubble inside her as she anticipated what sort of interesting weaponry might be inside. When Kyra opened it, Jack got a tempting glance at an impressive array of blades and such. However, Kyra withdrew what looked to be a stick about 30 cm long. Jack frowned in confusion. She had at least expected a knife of some sort.
"A stick?"
"No," Kyra said as she pressed a button with her thumb and the stick snapped to triple its length, "...a riot baton."
"Kyra, it's still a fucking stick," Jack countered with disgust. "I thought you were gonna teach me how to fight with a real weapon, like a shiv or a gun or something. Not a stick."
"Jack, this is a real weapon. You've obviously never seen one of these babies in action."
"Sure, I have. Johns had one when we were on the planet. He wailed on Riddick with it a couple of times. But he used a shotgun when he meant business."
"William Johns was punk who didn't have a clue how to use a baton correctly," Toombs interjected. "Trust me, kid, this is definitely a 'real' weapon. And if you know how to use it, you can do a hell of a lot of damage with it. Plus, when you're on the inside, you're better off staying the hell away from blades and you, damn sure, don't wanna pick up a firearm. That's the quickest way possible to get dead."
Toombs serious tone caught Jack off guard. She looked from him to Kyra, who nodded in agreement. "Okay..."
"But with a blunt weapon... a 'stick' if you will," he continued with a wicked smile and a chuckle. "Hell, guards and cons both'll overlook something like that. At least, till it's too late."
"And, it's a hell of a lot easier to build a makeshift baton than it is to put an edge on a shiv," Kyra said as she proffered the baton to Jack.
"That makes sense," Jack agreed, accepting it and testing its weight. "But a stick?"
"Just give it a week. If you still feel the same way, I'll teach you how to use a knife."
"Deal!" Jack said with a nod.
A/N: I'm almost out of completed chapters, so my posting speed may slow down some. However, I will write and post as quickly as possible. All the positive feedback I've received has really inspired me to redouble my efforts to complete this story. Take care all!
