Author's Note: Look, and update! Remember, the real world beckons, and occasionally I'm forced to dwell there instead of in the pages of my ridiculous works. Plus, I do write every day,but most of the things I'm currently working on aren't FF. Some times my original pieces take priority over fan stuff. Any way, I'm not too pleased with this chapter, basically because I think it's poorly written. But then again, I don't know... I'm usually pretty hard on myself. Reviews appreciated! I love you all!
Chapter Twenty One
Over the next week an a half they fell into a routine. Imam would do his own thing, leaving Jack to her own devices. Riddick would go out into the city and come back unburdened. In the evenings they had their private moments. He always had something to show her, to inadvertently teach her. When ever she asked him why, he'd always thrust the question aside and ask her to punch him. Before he left for the roof every night, she asked if he would be there the next day. The answer was always the same, "Yeah, I'll be here."
He was conflicted about the way he treated Jack. He was using her, and he knew it. He used her as a confidante, expressing himself to her in ways he'd never been able to with adults. Some how, filling her up with pieces of himself made him feel less empty. Deep down, it felt wrong to do. More wrong than it had ever felt to slice a man's jugular and leave him writhing on the floor. He knew he was burdening her, though she didn't show it.
He also used her as an anchor. As long as she kept asking him if he was going to be there when she woke up, he'd say yes. And as long as he said yes he couldn't leave. He couldn't break his promise.
And as the days rolled by, Jack became more and more intrigued by him, and there for more attached. He could see it. He didn't want it, but he didn't do anything to push her away. She was the first person to make him feel guilty since before he entered the penal system.
She took great pleasure in watching his eyes. That was off putting to him. He was used to his steely stare having a more sobering affect. She grew so intent on staring at them that he chose to keep his goggles on more often than not.
One morning, she was at the front door waiting for him. "Can I go with you today?"
He tilted his gaze towards Imam's study, almost as if he were waiting for the holy man to jump in and deliver him from answering.
"He said it's all right," she informed him hopefully.
"Keep up," he replied blandly, exiting the house.
She trotted along happily beside him. She wanted to know what he did every day. He was gone for hours and came back with nothing, after all. He moved rigidly through the throngs of morning commuters, not ever turning to make sure she was still there or laxing his pace. She tried to focus on tailing him, but colorful shops and bellowing venders kept her eyes revolving. It was good to be out of the house.
He brought her to the steps of the New Mecca public library. It was a bit puzzling, but Jack didn't ask questions. They scampered through the massive pillars and gigantic double doors. He made a beeline for the inter-stellar informational archives, located in the rear.
Taking out a concealed holo-disk, he placed it in the projector. A three dimensional map of the galaxy sprung to life. Using an optical pointer (provided by a librarian), he began picking out systems and scanning the planets.
"This is where you go every day?"
"Most days," he replied, not looking up from his work.
"Why?"
"Need some place to go after I split this rock, don't I?" He was searching for some planet to disappear to. One with few people and little to no tech reliance. Truth was, he'd all ready found several places that were to his liking. He kept looking because he convinced himself that he had to find the perfect one. It had to be some place no one would expect him to go. A place no one would want to follow him to even if they found him out.
Except for a young woman, sitting in a chair near the entrance in the opposite wall, they were alone. She was reading a magazine, but it seemed that her attention was really else where. Riddick had seen her before. She'd been sitting in the same place for the last three days, eyeing different issues of the same title. He was beginning to think she was after more than the answers to the latest cross word puzzle.
"Why don't you go pick out a book or some thing?" he suggested to Jack. Reluctantly, she went, muttering under her breath about all ready having one.
He spent another minute poking at the digital images before retracting the disc. Holding it loosely, he walked in the young woman's direction, appearing finished for the day. Stumbling slightly, as if he tripped over his own boots, he dropped the disc at her feet.
She looked up, smiled understandingly, then bent to pick it up for him. He reached down at the same time, but caught her wrist instead of the file. "Haven't I seen you here before?" he growled.
She suddenly looked pleased. She had been hoping he'd notice her. "I was here yesterday."
"And the day before."
She nodded shyly, "Yes."
He twisted her arm slightly, a seemingly uncalled for action. She grimaced as her skin chafed beneath his grip. "What do you want?"
She glared at him, baring her teeth, "Look, fella, I don't know what your game is, but where I come from the big-and-bad, 'I can slap you around some' act isn't considered a real turn on."
"Yeah? Where I come from-" He knew where to go. His free hand shot up her pant leg to her shin holster. He pulled the gun out and aimed it steadily at her, "Ladies don't need guns to go to the library."
She shot to her feet, whipping out another fire arm from behind, "That's not what I hear. Slam's can be treacherous places. A woman should always be prepared."
They stood there silent for a moment, an arm's length away, each staring down a dark barrel.
"See, kid," came another woman's voice from behind. "I told you, Dawn. All you gotta do is wait it out for a little while, and the lion will jump into the pin on his own."
Riddick didn't turn to appraise the new company. "Mercs," he spat contemptuously.
"What?" Dawn sneered through her pearly whites, "Not happy to see us? We've been dying to meet you."
"You two think you can ghost me on your own?"
"Ghost you?" scoffed Will, "I don't think that's what our employer had in mind."
"Worth more alive than dead?" he smiled wickedly, "Why don't these fuckers ever learn?" Daringly, he stepped into the woman in front of him, holding the muzzle of the gun against her temple. In response, her weapon made contact with his jaw line. "Scream," he whispered, "I dare ya."
Will tutted loudly, strolling unconcernedly up beside him. "You wanna blow the little 'un's brains out? Go ahead. So I'm down one crew member, and have one less sibling to send holiday greeting cards to, so what? But, then again," she tapped her lips mockingly with her pointer finger, feigning deep consideration, "She is my sister. Ah, what the heck? Do it any way." She grinned widely, "You take one of mine, I'll take one of yours. Then we'll call it even."
"I got the kid, where do you want him?" Gatback asked, appearing from behind in the same stealthy fashion Will had. With him was Jack, sufficiently bound and gagged.
Riddick revolved, his head reeling. Fuse and Wake stepped in, both pushing large blasters into the base of Jack's scull. He held his ground, his features contracting with channeled, shame-induced rage. Next, enter Mac. He put the icing on the cake. Pulling a dirk, he yanked Jack's head back by her hair and placed the blade firmly against her throat.
"I know, I know," said Will, sounding as if she were in a soap commercial, "It looks like over kill- pardon the pun- but it gets the job done."
"Let him go," he fumed.
"You've still got a gun to my scanner's head."
"Let him go," he repeated.
Will produced a pair of titanium cuffs, "Put these on, don't make a fuss."
"Let her go!" he commanded, his temperature rising. He bit down, hard, on the inside of his bottom lip as soon as the words flew from his mouth.
Will rested her hands on her hips, "Excuse me?"
"Let him go," he said, mumbling.
She shook her head, "No, no. That's not what you said."
"Ho-ho," laughed Wake, squirming in his own skin, "Did he say what I think he said? Do we got our selves a little sheila parading around in bloke's clothing?"
Will strode away from Riddick, placing herself before Jack. She took the child's chin lightly in her fingers, tilting her head from side to side. Jack averted her eyes. "Look at me," Will demanded. She took out her gag. "Are you a girl?" she asked, no nonsense.
"Fuck you, Lady!"
Will gave an arrogant half smile to her crew members, "I do believe I don't give a damn. We'll know soon enough, any way. Little girls are easier to break." She snapped her fingers, then turned back to her target.
Mac took his blade from the girl's throat to the inside of her arm, pressing down until he drew blood. Jack was strong, she winced, but made no sound.
"Dose it do anything for you, Riddick? Seeing her bleed? With those goggles on, it's hard to tell if you care."
Fluidly, he pulled his firearm away from Dawn's forehead. "Leave the kid alone."
Will clapped her hands approvingly, "Look at that, you do care. Really. Nice going, Mac," she winked at him, "You pinned it." She tossed the cuffs to Riddick. "Put 'em on, Con."
Jack wriggled this way and that to no avail, "No, Riddick, don't," she pleaded, her voice surprisingly level.
"Sorry kid," he slapped one bracelet on, "This is the way it's gotta be." His hands went behind his back, but instead of securing the second ring, he armed himself with the same shiv he'd taken back from Jack. He lashed out at Dawn first, cleaving her forearm, forcing her to drop her gun.
Wake and Fuse changed aim, training their blasters on him.
"Shoot, idiots!" Will yelled, ducking for cover behind a book case. She pulled Jack with her, kicking and screaming. She had a gatgun stashed on one of the lower shelves. Will made sure it was ready before shoving Jack against the wall, "You stay right here. You move and I will track you down to the end of the universe, I swear I will. And when I find you you'll wish you'd never met the guy. Hell, you'll wish you'd never stepped foot off your home planet. Comprende?"
Fuse and Wake were firing like mad men, helter-skelter, not even coming close to their rapidly moving target. He rolled this way and that, steadily moving forward. In seconds he was on top of them. Panic made the men miss, point blank. Riddick grabbed Wake's hand, turning the merc's gun on his comrade before spilling his throat's blood with the knife. Gatback turned tail and ran.
Mac rushed to Dawn's side. Riddick spun around, striding towards them with power born of startled anger. Something slammed into his shoulder blades, throwing him of track. A tightly strung net encompassed him. His shiv went flying. He stumbled into the wall. Will, furious, kicked him as hard as she could. "There, you fuck! You just cost me half a well bread crew!"
He lunged at her, struggling with the woven ropes. He caught her, and they tumbled to the floor. Dawn retrieved her fallen weapon with her undamaged arm, and Mac jumped over the wrestling pair to pick up one of the blasters. They both took aim, but refused to fire. Riddick and Will were tumbling too hecticly, they could hit her.
Suddenly, Mac lurched backwards. His gun discharged, putting a clean hole in the ceiling. Jack had jumped on his back, throwing her tied wrists over his head. She pulled back as hard as she could, choking him. They fell backwards, his much bigger body smashing hers into the carpet.
This distracted Dawn. Riddick swept her legs out from under her. Now they were all down, grappling for dear life.
Jack strangled Mac until he was unconscious. She scrambled out from under him. She spotted the shiv. Scooping it up, she hurried to help Riddick. The sisters were clawing at him like wild animals. He rolled onto them, pinning the two as best he could. Jack sliced the net off his back, and he shook the pieces from his form. He held out his hand for the knife, which she obligingly dropped into his grasp.
"So which one goes first?" he asked calmly, waving the blade above their faces.
"Let Dawn go, and I'll-" she was cut off as the shiv slashed across her throat.
"No problem," he said to her as her life drained away, "And you only had to ask me once." He shoved the younger woman to her feet, "Get the hell outta here," he commanded.
They watched her gallop away before making a break for it themselves. They could hear commotion heading their way. The gun shots were drawing a concerned crowd. Riddick took Jack's hand, dragging her from the building.
"Knew they'd come for me," he muttered to himself.
