Thanks to:
TotallyRiddickObsessed – tis a treat for ye…this chapter that is.
Note: I'm finishing up the story now and the next updates will be long…and the time in between them will be longer as well.
Chapter XXXIX: One Death, One Revenge
Liege fell to her knees, pulling the now dying body to her. He had protected her and now fate dealt the cruel hand of death. Burying her nose in the familiar and unique smell, her resolve became unbreakable. No matter how many people fell today, Liege would make sure O'Calhern died.
Ordering her other comrade to take the body back and out of the ship, she continued forward, looking for the now-hiding men who had shot at her, Khan and Kell. Putting away her handgun, she eased out two devilishly sharp-looking blades. Using the dim light, she reflected more light into the hallway off of her knives, giving more light to the still-dark ship. Soundlessly walking forward, Liege tried to convince her mind that the wetness she was feeling was just blood tracking down her face, not tears.
Tightening and loosening her grip on her weapons, she stopped a few feet from a closed doorway, where she heard booted footsteps and almost silent murmurs. Paralleling her body to the wall, she inched along, her teeth clenched and her body tense, ready to rip O'Calhern's throat and break every bone in his body. Soon, it would be over. Well, half of this joy-ride anyway.
Taking a step forward she spun and with a strong roundabout, kicked the steel sliding door down like it was old, rotted wood. When Riddick later looked onto the scene, even he winced at what he thought of as a ravaged temple of hatred and wrath. Blood soaked the walls, broken bones that still had tendons attached scattered the floor and the now spilled juices of the guards and O'Calhern gave the room an unbearable smell. Jack could barely make out the difference between what could've been bile and digestive acid, it all smelled horrible. She ventured into the room even after Liege had prohibited it. Jack closed the makeshift door, forever remembering it as the sight, smell and feel of a terrible nightmare that would plague a murderer's sleep. She shook the thought that Riddick could have such nightmares, not wanting to ever bring it up.
Liege advanced on O'Calhern, who backed himself up against the screens, his feet scrambling on the control panels. Mangled bodies lay all around him. She had quickly killed them, but knowing he wouldn't go anywhere, she took her time opening them like animals. Yet Liege had high respect for nature's unspeaking creatures, and no thought at all for those who had betrayed her father and family. When she had entered the room, she knew each of these man had no guilt about turning their backs, they were shallow bastards. She had enjoyed skinning their still-twitching bodies.
"Now…Liege…" he voice quivered, terrified.
"Ye weakling. Can't even kill yer enemy's daughter, what made ye think ye could lead a fuckin' revolution?" Her voice dripped with scorn and disgust.
Stepping closer to him, she elegantly placed one foot in the front of the other, her shivs reflecting light from the now-sizzling panels. As Liege came into clearer view, O'Calhern thought of different raging animals that each move of hers reminded him of.
She stalked forward, each foot having it's proper place, always ready to leap forward and strike. A big cat, a tiger most likely, it's copper eyes sparkling with savage hunger. Silently stepping forward, it's pads preventing any noise from being heard as the hunter within fought to get out.
Her blades almost glowed with a predatory gleam, looking like large claws in the dim light. One of those ancient dinosaurs from Earth, he thought they were called raptors. Calculating eyes, curious twitches but the clicking of their long talons sounded death for any creature.
The feral noises that emitted from somewhere deep within her lithe body. There was no one animal to describe these sounds. The guttural sounds of bear, the rippling snarl of a wolf, the majestic roar of a lion, the blood-freezing hiss of a viper…that and many more where mixed to create a terrifying sound that he was sure only she could produce.
While images accompanied with sounds flitted through his mind, it was soon taken over by the flashes of his life. He closed his eyes to Liege only four feet away then opened them milliseconds later to find her directly in front of him, her golden mercury eyes fiercely staring down into his frightened eyes.
He opened his mouth to scream, but it became a choked yell, garbled with unspeakable pain as he felt what he imagined to be her knife pierce his chest, where his heart should be. He slipped to the floor, his body jerking to and from consciousness as her blade wrenched open his chest cavity. It was replaced by her hand as she dug for his heart and finding it, pierced the still pumping arteries with her nails and finding it loose, yanked it back out and reaching behind her, took a bone from one of his guards and shattered it on the panel above his head. Shoving the organ onto the sharp broken bone she moved it into sight of it's owner.
With one last terrified stare, O'Calhern choked a sob, his body shuddered and went limp to the floor. Her lip curling in disgust at his short-lived time at death's doorstep, she stepped back and kicked the body, pleased to see it twitch into spasms. Grinning, she threw the bone to the ceiling and it stuck, but she doubted anyone would look up. The heart dripped blood down onto her as she left the room, revenge being filled.
Looking disdainfully around the ship, she decided she would enlist everyone's help to clean it before she got it off the ground. That and find a pilot. Trotting out, she stopped at the spot where he had fallen. Liege never prayed, she never held faith in a high power, but now as she swallowed deeply, she was forcefully shoved back into reality. Without the strength of her killing animal, as she privately entitled it, she was still human. Kell had proven that. Closing her eyes and looking up, she imagined she was home and that she was looking up at the vast blue sky. Sending hopes to that endless sapphire space, Liege looked back down and opened her eyes, not wanting the greet the splatters of blood she saw.
Liege stepped out into the dawn, surveying the still bloody scene beneath her. She was surprised that no officials or watchers had come to investigate, but then she realized that O'Calhern probably paid them never to get close to the ship. Sighing deeply, she looked up to see Jack bounding up the ramp and tackling her in a strong embrace. Both girls wrapped their arms around each other, burying their faces in the other's neck.
Pulling back slightly, Liege saw that Jack's face mirrored her own. Tears were being held back, wavering eyes glared at each other, as if chastising the other for being part of this. A few yards away, Riddick mused that if he had just been an onlooker, he would think the two were lovers. Liege tenderly smoothed down Jack's hair, her mouth moving, asking her something.
Jack shook her head in response and then said something briefly. Liege towards where the first sun was rising and closed her eyes, deeply breathing. It wasn't supposed to be this way, no one was supposed to get hurt. Deciding she was being immature, she forced herself to realize that if she was going to lead this family, she would have to accept casualties and maybe even defeat.
"Jack…" Liege whispered, making Jack look up readily into her friends face.
"Yeah?" She asked, sounding hopeful.
"I need ye and everyone else to clean up the ship, but ye should avoid the inner ship control room, tis a bit…messy." She raised her hand to silence Jack. "I need to be alone a bit. Ye take charge, let Riddick help if 'e sees fit, alright?"
Jack nodded mutely, knowing this was painful for Liege. Feeling a tug around her neck, she looked to see Liege was holding Riddick's ring.
"Let 'im 'ave ye, lass. Make it clear yer his. Tis best for both of ye to know things like that in case anythin' were to 'appen." Liege almost ordered, but Jack could clearly hear the pain of loss that echoed in the command.
"Liege, it wasn't your fault."
She turned away from Jack and launched herself off the ramp and landed with a slight splash on the still bloody ground. Standing she briefly looked to where the man who had fell for her lay. Walking to him, she knelt, clenching her teeth as she saw his labored breathes.
"God, Liege, 'm so sorry, this wasn't meant to be like this…" He barely got out, coughing up blood. His normal speech was slurred by the pain.
"No, no…it wasn't." She replied, gathering him in her arms, holding him tightly. Liege didn't want to be feeling the space between his heartbeats grow longer, but she couldn't prevent it.
"Liege…" He called faintly, holding one hand up to her cheek. She looked down at him, not preventing the tears from falling. He struggled to sit up, trying to protest her help. Finally giving in, he ended up sitting but panting. Leaning his forehead against hers, he took both of her hands in his and held them tightly. "Kiss me."
She carefully began to lean forward but he pulled her closer and soon both were lost in a deep passion. When she backed off, Liege noted that in someone's dying moments, every emotion was stronger. Looking directly at her, he spoke clearer than he ever had in his lifetime.
"I love you, Liege."
Without hesitation, Liege replied.
"And I will always love ye." She sealed the promise with another deep kiss, twining her fingers in his hair. His last breath was spent in the kiss as she felt him fall limp against her. Her hands shook as she felt for a nonexistent pulse and as the realization hit her, she lifted her head back and cried. The moment she began to sob, the sun lit the entire sky, crossing over the horizon.
Jack looked on, tears falling as well. As she felt Riddick come up behind her and wrap his strong arms around her, reassuring her he was there, she looked up at his silver eyes that bled sympathy. Jack was giving the same emotions, because she was struck with the thought that she too would be lost and full of pain if Riddick died.
As Liege inhaled the scent of him one more time, she kissed his head and closed her eyes. Perhaps one day this wrong could be righted, but the revenge with O'Calhern's death was never going to right this. Watching his now peaceful face, her body shuddered in emotion one last time. As she whispered her farewell, she knew he would always be with her.
"Goodbye, Kell."
Liege stood, cradling the body close to her, wishing it was warm and full of life. His fiery red hair had become dull as rigor mortis set in. Swallowing, she wasn't sure how to properly honor him. Liege certainly wasn't to put him in a coffin and bring him home, but she knew technically she was supposed to do. Deciding on another method, she found a dry space of ground to deposit the body.
She walked over to Jack and Riddick, who were wound together in a tight embrace. A faint trace of a smile graced Liege's features as she looked up at them.
"'m goin' to take everyone," she gestured to the dead bodies that littered the ground, "to the beach. But I…" she trailed off.
"Don't know how to get there?" Khan filled in, appearing near her, but not too close. He knew Kell had been very special to Liege and it was best to give her space. "I can, only question is how to get them there."
"I can do that." Riddick stated, trying to ignore the fact it wasn't the first time he had to transport bodies.
"I would like it done by the end of today." Liege said, not really leaving room for argument. Soon a cold leader would take place, not letting anyone in for a very long time. Jack inwardly sighed, for she knew this was going to happen and there wasn't anything to be done about it.
Riddick nodded and untangled himself from Jack, who let him go. He started down the ramp and immediately began to organize the bodies in a sort of order. Jack was going to watch, but decided to call on Rick and Falc.
"C'mon guys, let's start cleaning the ship. Liege will want it prepped for take off ASAP." She said, turning to head into the dark ship. Jack felt their presence behind her and felt reassured. She was pretty confidant that Liege had taken out every living human on this ship.
Jack barely noticed Khan join them, scrubbing and wiping the blood away from the floor and walls. Soon the entire ship was cleaned, except for the one room that everyone had to block their noses in order to pass. Remembering what Liege had said, she asked Rick to go out and get him.
Waiting a good five feet away from the room, Jack watched how emotionless and detached Falc was, fingering the cloth that had been washed out countless times, but was still tainted pink. She was about to ask Khan a question when the undeniable presence of Riddick approached.
"Did you finish outside?" She asked, looking up at the now goggled eyes of her lover. He nodded, briefly rubbing Jack's back, knowing that none of them wanted to see this. He and Jack had already ventured in, but it was still an unbearable sight by most people's standards. He ordered Rick, Falc and Khan to clean up outside. As they slowly walked away, his rubbing became a tight grip as he pulled her smaller body against his.
"Jack…" he growled into her neck, suddenly turned on by the smell of her mixed with blood in the air.
"Riddick, not now." She said, closing her eyes, longing to be back in their bed in Imam's house. "But, when we do get free…"
"Yes?" Riddick looked up at her, not caring when she gently pulled off his goggles and let them rest on his neck.
"We could…" she fidgeted, purposely trying to annoy him. She twisted the fabric of his shirt in her hand and let the other one travel up his chest, rubbing over the smooth skin, hot with exercise.
"Jack." He growled, leaning over her and inhaling her scent again.
"Share a shower, perhaps?" She ventured, removing her hand and leaning back onto the wall. Jack was rewarded with a smirk and a slap on the ass. "Guess that means yes."
As they entered the room, both were knocked back by the pure smell of death, decay and massacre. Riddick had done some serious damage, but he had never left behind a mess of this degree. This wasn't a hunt, not by any standards. This was most definitely death by revenge, because Riddick knew that revenge could completely do a 180 on someone's original intent and have a result like this.
"Fuck, how the hell do we start?" Jack asked, nudging a body with her foot. "Can we just burn them in here?"
"No, though the idea is tempting. We could mop up some of this blood." He suggested, noting the depth of the blood that moved in ripples as he and Jack slowly maneuvered around the bodies.
"We're gonna need an industrial size and strength mop for that." Jack joked, not wanting this somber attitude to become permanent.
Smirking, Riddick decided on shoving all the bodies to one side of the control room and working from there. He wasn't too keen on touching them, not because he was skittish, hell, he was more than comfortable, but he didn't want Jack to think she would have to touch them if he was. Roughly toeing them, Jack and Riddick moved them under one of the control panels on the far side of the room.
Two hours later, the room was clean and the bodies were disposed of. Jack had to balance on Riddick's shoulders to pull out the speared heart from the ceiling and neither really wanted to know anything more about it. At the moment, Jack had stepped outside of the ship, glad to be breathing afternoon air. Sitting on a cargo box that had been ordered to the ship by Liege, she wondered when Liege was going to return.
As if fate had heard her, Liege's form came into view, followed by a rather irate Imam. Jack paled at this. No one had contacted Imam since the fight and he must've been up worrying. Swallowing and hoping for the best, she shoved herself off the box and started to walk towards the oncoming pair. Rick and Falc had just finished scrubbing out the last blood in the concrete and were now resting in the sun, laid out on the loading ramp. Khan had gone off to do business of his own, but had promised he would return before nightfall.
"JACK!" Imam's voice cut the air, startling Rick and Falc from their nap. "You come here right now, you imp!" He yelled, causing a goggled Riddick to emerge from the ship, annoyed at all the noise outside.
He walked down between Rick and Falc, not bothering to tell them whether they needed to get up. Going in Jack's footsteps, he watched as Jack was chastised by Imam, who was holding a package of something. Something that smelled like food. Riddick grinned at this, of course Imam would be the mothering hen, bringing food even though he had to scold Jack first.
"You left without leaving a note and I find mysterious belongings of people you didn't even mention were coming! Luckily Liege returned to tell me what happened, for I had been out at a religious gathering. Child, you are lucky that Allah saw fit to protect you without my help of prayers!" Imam continued on, waiting until Jack's face was filled with enough guilt to make him soften. This only took a few more lines of blame and soon Imam hugged her.
"Sorry, Imam." She apologized, looking at the ground.
"No no, do not worry now. Here, I brought you food." Imam held out the package, which turned out to hold various sandwiches with warmed spiced meats from leftover meals. Imam had somehow made enough for everyone, even one for himself.
With the promise of a return to Imam's house, the caring man took leave of the group, glad to know his charge was safe. At some point talk quieted and all eyes were on Liege, who sat on a cargo box, deep in thought. It was clear she was thinking over what exactly was to be done, what consequences there were of this massacre, who knew about it and so on and so forth. Finally running a hand through her blood-caked hair, causing flakes to fall around her, Liege began to speak.
"First. Everyone here, excluding Jack and Riddick, is part of this team. Even ye guys." She motioned to the other loyal fighters who had disappeared after the battle, not to rat out on them, but for solace. Liege knew this well. "Second, we will not depart for a' least two nights, so ye can spend them as ye wish. Third, ye will follow me orders without question and I shouldn't even 'ave to be sayin' this. Fourth, all of ye better be fuckin' clean when ye return."
This got a laugh out of the small group that assembled around her. They got up and began to drift off, Liege telling Rick and Falc to start getting familiar with the ship and then to give her a supply update on the med bay. Khan was still not present, so that left Jack and Riddick.
"Jack, 'm goin' to let this be yer decision, but I would like it if ye sat this one out." Liege started, knowing that would ignite her friends temper.
"Killing O'Calhern might have been your fight but the rest of this, we are in it together whether you like it or not." Jack argued back, her arms crossed over her chest. She was going to fight this one out. She continued on the reasons why she should be allowed to go until Liege snapped an order, sounding like a general of an army more than a friend.
"JACK! Ye will listen and shut the 'ell up. Once ye take part in this business, ye are part of it. It isn't safe 'n it isn't what ye want." Liege pointed out, not wanting the argument to continue.
"Jack, listen to her." Riddick quietly said, noticing the flare in her eyes flicker as he asked her.
"I don't know where this," Liege gestured a link between Jack and Riddick, "is going. But if ye ever want to 'ave kids or something…ye can't."
"What?" Jack asked, not sure where this was going.
"Jack, there are traditions in me…line of work tha' even I stick to. One of 'em is taking anyone connected to us…well, takin' their children and using them as needed. Like…lab mice. They could be runners for weapons, guards, field workers…ye want to keep yer kids. Tha' and either of ye by yerselves are targets for other enemy…gangs." Liege tried to ignore the disgusted look on Riddick's face as she tried to describe what would happen to their children.
"What do you mean, Liege?" Jack was worried now.
"Is too late to avoid this part, 'm afraid. Any other gang can link me to ye and Riddick. They could and would use ye against me in threats 'n such. Tha' 'n to start a war. They kill someone 'm connected to, or in better terms, someone in me family, and as revenge, I will kill one of theirs and presto. A killin' spree."
"But Falc and Rick…"
"Know what they signed up for." Liege confirmed.
"But you're going to need our help." Jack continued lamely. She knew it was a lost battle. Inside she also knew she couldn't risk losing Riddick. Never could she risk that.
"Look, I will keep in touch with ye n if I can, return when this mess is sorted out, alright?" Liege offered, sighing in discontent. She wanted Jack and Riddick to accompany her, but in her heart of hearts it was too dangerous. And for Riddick to be connected as a convict to her family was another complex matter she cared not to take part of.
"Got it. We'll be back to say goodbye." Jack returned, slipping her hand into Riddick's larger one. They turned and began to walk home, leaving Liege on the cargo box. She considered briefly returning to pack up her stuff, but she figured Jack would pick it up. Turning to go into the ship, Liege figured she would shower then get to work repairing this piece of flying shit.
Smirking, she shut the ramp door as she entered the main bay. Calling for Rick and Falc she wondered who could make a decent dinner.
