Chapter 7.

Thomas stepped out of the back door of the bar and took a deep breathe of the cool night air. The usual blackness behind the bar was erased by the intensity of the stars that shown above. He looked up into the clear sky. It was a rare thing to see the stars at night; the heavy smog usually clung to the atmosphere. But he already knew today was no ordinary day.

As he walked to his transport, he heard Melissa and Rae talking. What were the odds – the only women on his shift and both had connections to his past, well, to one person in particular. Funny thing was, they each had very different opinions regarding that man.

Why they both thought to talk to him, he didn't know. It wasn't like he had spoken to anyone about his past before today. And he had to admit he was more open with Rae than he was with Melissa. Rae apparently was more aware of what it was the Rangers really did.

These two women were alike, yet so very different from one another. Both were strong and independent. They were smart and beautiful, each in their own right. But one was bitter, and could be hateful when she wanted to be. She was sometimes rather cruel, and callous and would start fights just to make herself feel better. The other was kind and loving, always looking for the good in people, but was not afraid to stand up for herself and what she believed. Now he understood where that quality stemmed from, Riddick.

Before today, Thomas really didn't understand why Melissa had been testier the past few months; her moods switching in a heartbeat. A couple of months ago, Melissa received a comm from her mother. Her brother, Jeff, the angel and baby of the family, had been killed in action. Weeks later, the news broke about Riddick and his actions.

Standing on the dock, Rae was checking the roster for the missing palates that she needed to fill her order. This day was chock full of fuck ups. When that happened, the days would drag on because the mistakes could just snowball. Sometimes they became avalanches, where you're lucky to be alive when it was over.

"Fuck!"

Running through the dock doors, Rae stopped as a coffee cup flew past her head, just missing her. Rae watched it land on the concrete just out side the door and shatter.

"Melissa, what the hell? Ya wanna watch where you toss your coffee out. What the fuck is wrong with you?"

Melissa glared at her. "Nothing."

Rae shook her head. She figured it had to do with her brother; a stray bullet killed him during a raid on some city. Rae felt for the woman. She listened and comforted her friend when she received the news. Though it frightened Rae that she recovered from the hurt faster than she would have thought healthy.

As Rae turned around, there was another object, a clipboard, flung through the air. Hitting the wall to the right of where Rae had been standing.

"Are you trying to hit me?" Rae asked marching towards Melissa. "Here let me make it easier on you. There now you shouldn't miss." Rae said as she stopped. She now stood a foot away from Melissa.

"Leave Rae. I don't want to hurt you." Melissa growled through her teeth.

"Coulda fuckin' fooled me. That clipboard was the second thing you threw in my direction. Get your temper in check, girl. Cause I'm not gonna deal with you like this."

Melissa and Rae stared each other down for almost twenty minutes. Neither moved. Neither wanting to back down. Finally, Melissa turned and walked away, Her head hanging as she walked into the locker room. An echo of a locker being punched rang through the now quiet warehouse.

Everyone in the vicinity heard a muffled 'god damn it'.

Rae sauntered into the locker room. Picked her friend up off the floor by the shirt, and started to haul her off to the med center. Rae shook her head in disappointment. Melissa was the only other person she knew that was more fucked up then her. Rae never asked Melissa 'why the out burst'. In fact, Rae didn't really care. She had a pretty good idea.

Thomas started his transport and headed for home. He let out a heavy sigh; Work should be interesting tomorrow.

Rae stood at the foot of the mattress, her hands on her hips, head hung in exhaustion.

"No, he saved us. How after all this time can you say those things about him?" Jackie spat through her tears.

"You are always the one that says 'not everything is what it seems', Rae. You say 'listen to your heart'. Well, ya know what? I am. Yeah, he's dangerous, and mean but… What about what you told him?"

Rae realized that Jackie's mind was working at warp speed, bouncing from one thought to another, trying to process everything. Trying to figure out her own feelings. Rae's attention snapped back to Jackie when she stopped talking. They stared at one another.

Jackie stood in her nightshirt, an oversized sweatshirt of Rae's. Her eyes red and swollen from crying, her cheeks flush with anger. Rae watched as she clenched and unclenched her small hands. "You never lie Rae, Never. And you keep your word. Why are you not gonna keep it this time?"

Rae couldn't answer Jackie. She herself still didn't understand how she really felt about it all. It was true that Rae prided herself on her word. When she had told Riddick that she believed he was a good man, she meant it. Question was, did she still?

As Jackie lay down, she felt lost, confused and angry. Many thoughts of the big man she saw on the vid-news ran through her head. He was just as Rae described him, tall, bald, and intimidating. She smiled to herself.

She had read up on Butcher Bay when Mrs. Davis let her on the computer. I may be young but I'm smarter than most. She found that it was a triple maximum-security prison. No one had ever escaped from Butcher Bay. Very few were lucky to even serve out their entire sentence without dying or losing their minds. It was easier for the Company to sentence men there, than to kill them by capital punishment. They found the public didn't find it as offensive, that those that died in slam got what they deserved.

Jackie closed her eyes and thought of Riddick. She imagined herself meeting him and how he would open his big arms to her and she would thank him for saving her from uncertain death… She smiled weakly as she drifted off to sleep.

Melissa sat in the locker room of the port office. She was watching the morning vid-news, when Rae walked in, unusually early. Quickly turning of the vid-screen, she wiped off the scowl that she knew had been plastered on her face.

Rae smiled kindly at her friend. "Morning Melissa. Hey, sorry bout last night. Just had a lot on my mind. Hell, I still do."

Melissa just nodded and gave a small smile so the younger woman knew she had acknowledged her presence.

"Hey I'm working at the diner tonight, maybe you can stop in and I'll buy you dinner, we'll talk. Got a lot to tell you." Rae said walking towards the docking doors.

Melissa perked up at Rae's offer. "What were you and Thomas talking about last night?" Melissa asked curiously as she followed Rae. "You were crying and angry… I don't think I've ever seen you like that."

"Someone we both knew once…" Rae said over her shoulder. She didn't want to get into this right now.

The large docking doors started to rise. It was Tuesday. Which meant the produce shipment was in. Rae loved Tuesdays and requested that she get the job to unload the ship. It was total backbreaking grunt work and she loved it. Plus it was the one shipment that everyone else avoided like a plague. Some one had to do it.

It was her secret as to why she requested this particular job. It reminded her of home, of her parents. The smell of dirt, thick and musty. The collage of colors. The memories always came rushing back to her, some more detailed than others, but memories nonetheless. And she relished in them.

She had forgotten all about Melissa the moment the ship was in sight. So she never noticed the woman's infuriated stare as she walked away…

Melissa turned and walked back into the warehouse. She couldn't believe she had been snubbed again. She couldn't believe how angry the whole situation made her. Rae and Jackie practically idolized this man. How? Why?

Aweek ago, Melissa had gone to Parkers Diner. Rae had been working there two nights a week for the past three months, and asked if Melissa would come and keep Jackie company during the dinner rush. Melissa was more than happy to do just that. She adored the little girl. 'She's got spunk.' Melissa said.

They were sitting in the booth thumb wrestling. Melissa allowed Jackie to win repeatedly, when they heard the men in the booth behind them mention Richard B. Riddick. Both girls froze, neither one noticing the others reaction.

Jackie spoke first, her voice a bit shaky, "Hey Lissa? Can I have some pie?"

"Sure, sweetie. Just have to get your dear sisters attention." She answered with a smile, while trying to catch Rae's attention.

"Melissa, were you listening to those men?" Jackie asked, as she reached into her cup for an ice cube.

"No, should I have been?"

"They were talking about someone. They said that he was a killer…" She trailed off. Her vision focused on the table, but she was clearly somewhere other than the diner. "He's not a bad man." She whispered. Melissa was just able to hear her small voice.

When Rae made her way to the booth where Jackie and Melissa sat, she came baring two slices of peach cobbler. Setting the plates on the table, she tucked the stray hairs that had fallen, behind her ears and smiled at her sister and friend.

She cut the smile short when she sensed uneasiness between them.

"I gotta get going guys." Melissa announced, causing Rae to jump in surprise. "Rae, is it okay if I scoot a little early? Gotta few things I forgot to do."

"Uhh… Sure. Rush is pretty much over. Jackie, hun, why don't you start getting your stuff together? You can sit up at the counter by me. 'Kay?"

Jackie gathered her things, knowing she really had no choice in the matter. As she slid off the bench, she looked at Melissa with a steely gaze. One that made Melissa shudder.

Two months I've survived in this hell. Got a couple lifetimes to go. At least that's what they say. Thing is, I won't be here for much longer.

They say I'm a monster; that I'm an animal. They have no idea just how right they are…

Thanks to my reviewers Jordayna and Social control. More Riddick coming soon...