Anna walked away from a conversation with a guard about bathroom hygiene when she saw Imam exit Jacks' barrack. Jad had her back turned, so Anna slipped behind her own barrack and took 'the back way' to get to Jacks'.
Jack was still lying in the bed, pondering her next move when Anna knocked on the window jamb. Jack sighed and climbed outside.
"What's up?" Jack said as she landed lightly on her feet.
"Jad wants me to kill you." Anna gushed. Jack felt her stomach fall. It took all of her resolve not to burst into tears. How had this become so fucked up?
"When?" she asked.
"Tonight." Anna was shifting from foot to foot, upset with the turn of events. Jack blinked, thinking wildly.
"Way to take care of a problem, Anna...Alright. I'll figure something out. Meet me on the roof during lights out. Stay out of sight until then. OK? You alright?" Jack asked, wondering why she was asking Anna if she was alright, when it should have been the other way around. She felt like kicking her in the stomach.
"Yeah. On this roof. Lights out. Got it." Anna hurriedly walked away. Jack stood with her face in her hands.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck." Was all she could say. She stood for a few minutes longer, swaying from side to side as the nausea returned. Breathing deeply didn't help. She squeezed her eyes shut against the last rays of the sun. Time was running out. She put her hand on the wall to steady herself before climbing back through the window.
Riddick relaxed his muscles. He had just finished talking with Imam when the conversation between Anna and Jack had begun. He had listened to the entire exchange. Apparently, he wasn't her main concern. She had bigger problems to deal with. He waited until he heard Jack climb back inside before moving away. Halfway across the yard, he spotted Jad. Inspired by the immediate turn of events, he changed his direction and headed straight for her. She met him halfway.
"Wanna go at it one last time before we leave?" she offered. Riddick smiled easily.
"You read my mind. " Riddick replied.
"Same time, same place?"
"No, one hour before lights out."
"Why?"
"Tell me you knew this was gonna happen tonight."
"No, I didn't." Jad said, startled.
"Well, you do now." Nothing more to say, he went back to his own barrack. Jad watched him go, stunned by his announcement.
Jack exited through the front door to find Imam. When she did, he was in the midst of a debate with several men. Pulling him aside, s h e spoke loudly about nasty warm water before lowering her voice to convey her message.
"Tell Riddick to meet me on the roof tonight. And he'll need a belt. Lights out." was all she said, before continuing on about how her flask might be rusting. Imam smiled to acknowledge her message. They sat on the ground, side by side. No further words were spoken; Jack couldn't think of anything to say, and Imam didn't want to say good bye. When she got up, he squeezed her hand tightly and kissed her cheek. She kissed him back, then abruptly let him go. He was still watching her retreating figure when Riddick appeared at Imams' side as if out of thin air. Imam hated it when Riddick did that. He let it pass, because he knew Riddick did it just to get under his skin.
"Jack wants you to meet her on her roof tonight during lights out. And to bring a belt."
"I figured as much." Riddick took the seat Jack had previously occupied.
"It may seem strange, me sending her off with you. But I can think of no other way." Imam was explaining his motive.
"I understand." Riddick was uncomfortable. This man was trusting him with his daughters' life. Imam continued.
"See that she gets safely away from here. Once you drop her off somewhere, she can get in touch with the proper authorites to get back home. That is all I ask. She has been away from her people for too long, now."
"Fair enough." Riddick doubted Jack would want to return to a Muslim family after her stint here, unless she went back just to complete her schooling. She had pretty much been living as an adult for the past few years. She wouldn't take well to being told what to do ever again. She had grown up fast. She saw to Imams' needs, what few there were. She had adapted to this environment easily; she hated it, but she made the best of it. Always thinking ahead, always planning.
In other words, she had grown less and less dependent on him. He was glad in a sense-there were times when she had been downright annoying on the emergency shuttle. But as soon as they had arrived in this camp, she had kept her distance. In fact, there had been times when his presence had inspired nothing better than resentment. He began to wonder where she would go, and what she would do. It seemed unlikely she would stay with him. He had dismissed Jads' earlier theory as bullshit, but now he began to wonder. His reverie was interrupted by Imams' smooth voice.
"I regret that I have nothing to offer you in return"
"Don't be so sure. Consider the debt paid." Riddick finished. Imam looked at Riddick in surprise. Riddick turned his eyes away,it was an awkward moment. Imam cleared his throat.
"Well, then. I know you will you flinch when I say this, but I shall say it anyway: Go with God, and I shall pray for you both fervently. And now, I am expected in a game of chulac. The others will be waiting for me. Alaikam a salaam, Mr. Riddick." Imam stood up and adjusted his robes. He winked at Riddick once, and strode into the barrack next door. Riddick sat unmoving, knowing he would most likely never see Imam again.
Jad caught Anna returning from Jacks' barrack.
"You didn't do it yet, did you?" She wanted to know.
"No, not yet."
"So when are you going to do it?"
"She told me to meet her on the roof tonight, during lights out." Anna fidgeted, trying to think of a way to get out of killing Jack. She liked Jack. She was gruff and crude sometimes, but she was one of the few people that would talk to her.
"So, like that's an hour and a half from now. You don't have much time, Anna." Jad pressed.
"If you want her dead, you do it!" Anna spat. Glimpsing the rage flooding Jads' face, Anna turned and ran.
Jad'Zia couldn't believe it. Fuck! She thought. What was she going to do now? What would happen if she killed Anna on the roof? Would Riddick do anything? She doubted it. She could see several women through the windows. Any thoughts of killing Jack right then and there were crushed.
Jack lay on her back, face up staring at the sky, through the window. The first colors of twilight were stretching across the visible square of sky. Lights out was still an hour away. She was taking this time to will away her worries. So far it wasn't working.
Anna sat, paralyzed with fear. She was rocking back and forth on the edge of her bed, unable to think of an idea. She had made an unholy mess of this. All she had to do was not tell Jad a single thing, but no. She had freaked out when Jad came up to her and told her everything. And now Jad was probably going to kill Jack. Anna knew she couldn't let that happen, she just didn't know how she was going to stop it.
Riddick waited patiently for Jad at their usual meeting place. Then he remembered he didn't have his shiv, Jack still had it. No matter, he thought. Jad appeared from around the side of the water tanks. As she peeled out of her shirt, he decided it could wait until later.
"Did you talk to Jack?" Jad asked, as she pulled Riddicks' shirt over his head. He answered as they eased down to the permacrete that supported the weight of the tanks.
"As a matter of fact, I did." He didn't see any point in telling her it had been a conversation that had taken place several hours before, or that it had been about detonators, not her. He smiled as he thought back to when Jack had 'borrowed' his shiv. Jad smiled and unzipped his pants.
"Good. Now come on killer," she whispered, mouth inches away from his, "we don't have much time."
An hour later, Anna was still perched on her bed, riddled with indecision when the last glow of daylight faded. She stood up and parked herself in front of her window, opening it as far as it would go. Several other women did the same.
Jack lay poised to move. She pulled her belt from around her pants and waited.
Imam sat on his bed, watching the landing area, holding prayer beads in one hand, and the detonators in the other. He was whispering so low, there was barely any sound coming out of his mouth. Riddick was fastening his pants, while Jad buttoned her shirt.
The entire plan was based on one premise; there were two power generators; one for all night security systems, and another for all necessary power during the day. Due to cheap and unreliable relays, one plant had to power down completely before the other could power up. That left a gap of a minute and a half. All of the guards would be focusing on the gates.
Time wise, Jack wouldn't have any problem; she had simply to climb to the roof, and go from there. Riddick and Jad were both strong, and fast. Anna however, she wasn't sure of; if she got caught, they would all be in trouble.
Jacks' stomach was roiling again. She watched the darkness move across the sky, obliterating all light in its' path. She spun around to watch it stretch across the sky through the opposite window. Not waiting any longer,she swung a leg out of the window.. She was halfway out of it when the whistle blew. She clambered out, using the sill and frame to climb to the roof. She heard Riddick and Jad arrive as she unfastened her belt. They followed her example and removed their belts. Surprisingly, Anna arrived shortly thereafter. Jack walked to the inside edge of the roof and clamping the belt between her teethstarted running. Stretching her arms outward, Jack leapt from the roof...
Riddick watched in shocked silence as she sailed through the air. He exhaled when she landed clumsily into a light pole. Even though she slid down a few feet before grabbing hold of a climbing rung, he was impressed; the whole thing was only visible by the lighted rungs themselves, and any way you looked at it, that was a hard jump. Having gained her footing, Jack began to climb.
At the top, Jack coiled one end of the belt around her left hand and slung the other end over the wire to her right. The entire time she was holding herself in place with her legs wrapped tightly around the pole itself. Jack unhooked her legs from the pole and pushed off with her feet. There was little noise as gravity pulled her the top of the light pole down to the opposite roof below. She released the belt from her grips and fell to the roof of the water cooling plant.
Jad started to follow Jack, but Riddick pushed her aside and went first. Jad swallowed her fury and waited for him to climb upwards before she started running for the edge.
Riddick was at the top when Jad'Zia hit the pole. The whole thing vibrated from the impact. He slid to the other building and followed Jacks' scent. It was easy to follow; it was dense with her sweat. Jad'Zia didn't look back to see Anna take her running start. She could tell by her heavy footfalls and lack of speed that she wasn't going to make it. There was a thud as Anna smashed headfirst into the pole, followed by a distinctive crack as she hit the ground some thirty feet below. Jad'Zia could hardly believe her luck:
One down, one to go.
On the other side of a roof-mounted generator, Riddick also heard the crack. Jack looked up, startled by the sound. They were pulling on a roof hatch with all of their might.
"Come on! Hurry up!" Jad whispered with exasperation. The first lights across the camp were coming on, one by one. Riddick grimaced as he put all of his weight into pulling the hatch open. At last it opened. Jack went in first, followed by Riddick. Jad pulled the hatch down as she lowered herself into the opening just as the lights behind the water cooling plant flickered into night piercing brilliance.
"OK. What now?" she asked. After adjusting her eyes to the relative darkness, she could see Riddick and Jack standing together in the darkness. The light filtering in from outside gave the room an eerie glow.
"Are you finished with my shiv?" Riddick asked. Jack smiled.
"Yeah, here." She produced it from her pocket and handed it to him. Jad watched, fascinated by the strange intimacy between the two. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something there. Already wired from adrenaline, Jad moved closer and hissed;
"What now?" Jad stood defiant as Riddick turned his full attention to her, smiling. Jad smiled back. Riddick lightly caressed her cheek.
"We get the fuck out of here." He said as he walked behind her, fingers toying with her hair. She moaned softly as he massaged her shoulder, and threw her head to the side as his hand caressed her neck and throat. She stared maliciously at Jack, gloating in her apparent victory.
Jack didn't know what to think. What was he doing? There wasn't time for this. She looked at Jad, then Riddick. What she saw would stay with her for the rest of her life; Riddick wasn't looking at Jad at all. He was staring directly at Jack, a feral smile on his face. Jack stifled an involuntary gasp. Jad furrowed her brow at Jacks' unexpected reaction. She tensed as Riddicks' mouth rested lightly on her ear.
"Everytime I was with you, I was thinking of her." Riddick whispered so Jack wouldn't hear. Too late, Jad realized what was happening. Riddicks' hand was clamped like a vice over her mouth. Struggling frantically, she knew her muffled screams would never be heard. She tugged and clawed to no avail as his arms closed around her like a vice.
Jack stood frozen, watching them both; he was like a snake, coiling triumphantly around a lesser predator. It was all so surreal- staring into those piercing eyes, sparkling with mischief as he twisted the shiv around and slowly forced the sharp edge through the delicate skin of Jads' throat. Jacks' own skin felt like it was on fire as she let her eyes fall from his to watch the shiv as it sliced from one side of the throat to the other, leaving a growing wedge of blood pouring from the gaping fissure. She stared in morbid fascination as the blade sliced through the jugular; blood spurted lazily, heavy like cheap wine. It was at once horrific and seductive; insidious and provocative. She hardly noticed that her own shirt was now soaked and dripping. She didn't blink when it splattered her face; she didn't twitch as the heavy droplets settled on her cheek. He had done this for a reason.
"So, how many is that I owe you now?" Jack asked, an unsteady pitch to her voice.
"Consider that one on the house." Riddick replied. Jack looked at her shirt and swore.
"On the house: Right." She said, wiping the blood from her face, or trying to. There was blood everywhere, it was all over her shirt, her hands, and her arms. She had to wrench her shirt around to find a dry patch to wipe her face. She refused to look and see what Riddick was doing. She focused on keeping her hands from shaking. "You're welcome." Riddick offered. It startled Jack.
"You didn't have to do that. We could have figured something out." Jack ground out.
"Hey, don't throw a fit. It was her or you." He retorted.
"There was room for all three of us."
"Not the way she saw it, and you know it. She wanted me to choose." He leaned closer to Jack and lowered his voice. "I chose you." Jacks' head jerked upward; she was caught by surprise.
"It wasn't your problem. I could have dealt with it. In my own way." Jack insisted.
"There was only one way to deal with it, and trust me, that's not a path you want to follow." He finished softly.
"What do you get out of this?" Jack inquired, not entirely sure of what was flickering behind those shiny eyes. Riddick leaned forward, until he was inches form her face. She could feel his breath on her skin; it was hot and damp. Still, she stared right into his eyes, unable to think of one of her cutting remarks. It didn't matter anyway; she was paralyzed again. She couldn't move. Her mind was screaming run for the fucking hills, but her body remained stubbornly where it was. In the last second before his lips touched hers, her brain simply shut down. What else was there to do? She didn't have any idea. Well, she did sort of.
She had let Martin Curran kiss her several times behind the mess hall. It was good practice, but his breath was enough to kill a vampire. Thankfully, such wasn't the case this time. Thinking 'oh to hell with it' she relaxed and stood there, silently accepting the tender gesture as if it were the most natural thing in the world. She didn't spaz when his fingers, still sticky with blood, touched her cheek.
She parted her lips and reveled in the sublime sensation of his tongue caressing hers, at once forceful and gentle. On a dangerous whim, she leaned into it, daring him to take it farther. When he all to quickly obliged, nearly knocking her off her feet, she abruptly broke it off, coming to her senses.
"That…that doesn't answer my question." She stammered."What do you get out of this?"
"I don't know yet." He intoned. There was a wry smile on his face.
"You just did that to try and scare me." She said after a pause.
"Did it work?" he smirked.
"Nope." She lied, "Let's go. We need to get outside. And it's a hard climb to those windows." Jack walked a little unsteadily towards the far wall. She needed those precious few seconds to collect her thoughts. A series of pipes, one on top of the other led straight up.
Riddick followed, wondering what in the hell he had just done. His mind rejoiced at the sight of the pipes: Something else to think about; for now. He didn't want to think about the fact that she had just recently turned eighteen. Or the fact that they would be stuck in a shuttle -together- for days, maybe even weeks on end; and then there was the whole thing about Imam trusting him with her… Christ. He did not need this right now.
"You don't make anything easy, do you?" he asked as he stretched his arms up to grab a pipe.
"Like you would appreciate it if it were." Jack answered. She squeezed her foot into a space between two pipes and also began climbing. Riddick chuckled.
Several long minutes later, they were both at the top, perched on a narrow ledge, inching towards a long window. There was no latch. Riddick smiled. MINCO security was turning out to be a joke. He pushed the pane outward and lifted himself up, propelling himself forward with his hands. Jack watched quietly as he rotated until he was hanging by his hands, then dropped to the ground below. She followed suit.
It wasn't as easy a maneuver for her-she was considerably shorter. She had to physically jump just to reach the window, then haul her self up with only the strength of her arms. She planted her feet on the wall, hoping what little traction there was on her shoes would hold. After several tries, she managed to get a shaky grip on the wall and push herself up as she pulled. She was exhausted by the time her body swung out of the window. Almost the instant she was out she let go of the filthy frame. She fell straight down into a vise like grip, only to be lowered gently to the ground. She almost screamed from the surprise. Truthfully, she was glad when he let go, for two reasons; 1) she couldn't breathe, and 2) all of the hairs on her body were standing on end again.
She almost laughed at the ridiculousness of her situation. Here she was in the middle of an escape, and she was thinking really dirty thoughts about a convicted murderer. If her father had known. She established a position behind Riddick as they crouched behind a stack of empty containers, on the far side of the small hangar. No ships actually rolled in; it was just where all of the supplies were kept. Now all they had to do was wait. Jack already felt free; they were outside the fence.
Back inside the camp, Imam blinked rapidly to keep from falling asleep. He rocked back and forth, mentally humming songs he used to sing to Jack. He propped his face on his hands, and waited. He almost missed the beacon; it had been flashing for sometime before his sleepy eyes registered that it was on.
He immediately came fully awake and waited for any sign of the incoming craft. He pricked his ears at the first sound of the engines coming in low over the camp. He cocked his head to the side and watched the landing gear touch the ground.
Counting under his breath, he placed his hands on the windowsill, as if to pray. Once he reached 30, he pressed the buttons on all three detonators. They were now set to go off, 45 seconds apart, beginning in five minutes.
Jack was drowsy, crouched in the tight space next to Riddick. His skin was warm; the hairs on his arm brushing her skin lightly everytime she breathed. The light of the beacon brought her back to real time.
"Heads up." Riddick said. All of his muscles tensed, ready to spring into action. Jack took a series of deep breaths to calm her wildly beating heart. It was beating so hard it hurt.
Peering around the side of the building, Riddick saw the hatch to the raft open. He shifted his stance, ready to propel himself forward. He watched as six men came out of the shuttle. The pilot was the last to appear. A mechanic moved into view with a repulso-lift. All seven men stood at the hatch, stretching and gathering their things. And then all hell broke loose;
An explosion echoed through the air, followed by another one that rocked the entire camp. The men responded in prompt confusion. The pilot yelled something and waved his arm; the men followed as he ran for the camp. Jack could see the glow from where the flames were lighting up the sky. The mechanic stayed put, waiting to remove the battery. Jack heard a beep, and the muffled clicks and clunks as the power cells were being removed. Jack ground her teeth, Riddick was holding his hand up for her to wait.
When the air cracked with the thunder of another explosion, Jack was nearly knocked off her feet. All the lights on this side of the camp were going out, one by one. At last, Riddick sprang forward, in a burst of silent speed.
He was already in the air when the mechanic finally saw him. In less than a second, the mechanic was lying motionless on the ground. All of the camp alarms were sounding, drawing everyone outside. Riddick calmly placed the cells back into the compartment. In the time it had taken for Jack to catch up to him, he had already reinstalled the cells. It would take a moment for the ship to draw enough energy just to power up.
"Give the signal when I can power up." Riddick ordered. Jack shook her head and watched him jog to the hatch and disappear inside. She watched uneasily as Riddick strapped in as she waited for the cells to flash. She closed her eyes for a brief second; she was just going to have to trust him. When she opened her eyes again, the red lights were flashing and beeping. She looked up and gave Riddick the thumbs up. She raced around to the back and dove in as the hatch closed.
It would take an agonizing two minutes for the vessel to power up. And with all of the running lights on, it stuck out like a sore thumb in the pitch black. There was plenty of time for someone to notice the impending takeoff and to respond. She covered the distance from the hatch to the copilot seat in several long strides. She strapped in and watched as Riddicks' hands flew over the controls. He went through a series of checks, quickly inspecting all systems. Satisfied, he looked at her and winked. Jack produced a small smile in response. She felt like she had just been thrown from the pot into the flames.
"Attention all passengers. Please fasten your seatbelts and adjust your seats to the upright position." Riddick eased the throttle forward. As the shuttle rose from the ground, Jack stopped smiling. A burden was settling heavily on her shoulders. At some point, she would have to come back and get Imam. She sighed and whispered;
"I'll be back, Dad."
The Story Continues in Leave Of Absence