Chapter 3: Dangerous Waters

The memories were so painful, but constantly he would remember. His mind would refuse to let him forget; it would remain an image permanently burned in his subconscious, embedded there for all eternity.

He turned, letting the scalding water run down his tense back, slowly easing the pain and grief, lifting their weight off his shoulders; shoulders that carried lifetimes of sadness, a burden no normal man could carry and survive.

Flashback

"Jack make sure everything's secure for landing – we'll be on Veridia in less than 20 minutes."

"It's all secure Riddick, I did it over an HOUR ago."

"Well then, come up here, I want to show you something.

She's going to shit herself

Before Jack could make her way to the front of the ship, Riddick had stood up and sat himself in the co-pilot's chair.

"Riddick, what the heck are you doing?" Jack asked bewildered.

"What the fuck does it look like? Prepare us to land, kid."

She looked at him for a moment in disbelief but before he had a chance to change his mind, she ran to the pilot's chair and sat down. Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she looked over the control panels.

"What do I do now?"

"You've watched me over a thousand times, figure it out."

And with that Riddick closed his eyes and put his hands behind his head.

She better not fuck up

Jack proceeded to switch on the comm unit to signal tower.

"This is Hell's Kitchen requesting permission to land."

"This is Tower Control…"

Crackle, hiss, click, click

"Name verification, ID #, and any other passengers on board"

She glanced at Riddick from the corner of her eye, and seeing that he had not acknowledged the question in any way, began to look for their current cards.

"This is Ja…Err…Uh…Beth McAllister, ID # B015673M, and my brother's name is Dre McAllister, ID # D638259M."

"ID verified please proceed to Section B, Docking Bay 12, and have a pleasant stay on Veridia."

As the landing port came clearer into view, Jack began to get nervous; she was actually gunna land this piece of shit.

If it doesn't break up in the atmosphere first. She thought wryly.

She wiped her sweaty palms on her pants, made a silent prayer to God, and gripped the controls. She eased the craft into the atmosphere, checking the altitude and degree of entry; everything was going smoothly. The ship began to shake under the intense pressure of re-entry, but she hardly noticed. Section B came into view and she steadily reduced her velocity to the acceptable speed. Jack flipped on the reverse thrusters as they approached gate 12, and when they finally kicked in, Jack released the breath she hadn't known she had been holding.

The landing sequence was complete.

Riddick pushed himself out of the chair and ruffled Jack's short hair.

"Good work kid, you did a good job for your first time."

With that said he walked to the back and released the hatch to exit. Before he finally left he said,"I'll meet you at the exit in 30 minutes. Oh, and Jack, you can stop gripping the controls like that, you're gunna break 'em."

Jack blushed and looked away from him.

"Fuck you."

But he hadn't heard her; he was already out of sight.

Jack stood up and walked to her room. She grabbed her bag and the shiv Riddick showed her how to make, and made her way out of the ship towards the entrance of the compound.

It took Jack longer than she had expected, she was running late –got lost a few times, but when she finally made her way to their rondevu point, Riddick was nowhere in sight.

Where the fuck is he?O.K calm down Jackie-girl, he's a grown man, probably just stopped to kill someone along the way.

Five minutes

Maybe he stopped to kill a few people?

Ten minutes

He could have stopped to get a few things

Twenty minutes

That's fucking it, something's wrong. I gotta find him

Riddick stood in an alley way not to far from where Jack was standing. He could see the worried expression on her face as she waited for him, and as the time wore on, he noticed her resolve to stay calm slipping further, and further away.When he noticed her begin to leave to look for him a wave of relief washed over his body; she was looking in the opposite direction.

Good. Just don't turn around

As if on cue, she turned and headed back to him.

fuck, Fuck, FUCK

He backed away and hid in the shadows just as she appeared in the entrance to the alleyway.

"Riddick?"

No response.

The hairs on her neck began to rise but before her brain could register what was happening, it was too late. A gun was pointed to the back of her head, and before she had the chance to react, she was shoved to the floor; her face making contact with the concrete.

"Come out, come out, where ever you are"

Still, no response.

"Awe c'mon Riddick you're not going to let me kill her are you?" taunted a gruff female voice.

Jack looked up at the woman but couldn't see her face; she was covered from head to foot in black material and the blood trickling in her eye made her vision blurry."

RIDDICK I KNOW YOU'RE IN HERE SO GET THE FUCK OUT YOU PUSSY BEFORE I SPLATTER THIS BITCHES BRAINS ALL OVER THIS FUCKING ALLEY!!!"

The woman was becoming very impatient; she hit Jack in the back of the head with the blunt end of the pistol to get her point across. Jack only cried out in pain.

"ENOUGH!"

There, from the shadows, a very menacing and a very pissed Richard B. Riddick emerged, fists clenched, waiting for all hell to reign down.

He had seen the woman as soon as he stepped off the ship; he got that feeling – that tingling feeling at the apex of your spine, but continued walking, not breaking a stride as he weaved in and out of coming and going traffic. He saw an alley before the far exit of the compound and advanced his way towards the entranced glancing to see if he had lost her or not.

Good now all I have to do is wait

He saw the woman look around for her lost quarry and was calmed when she receded in the other direction.

Just gotta lay low a couple 'a more minutes and I'll be good to go

Then Jack came.

Fucking girl's gunna mess everything up. I should just grab her and go

Then the woman reappeared, curiously looking at Jack.

Fuck

When Jack appeared in the shadows Riddick silently cursed to the Lord that resented him. He knew he was screwed when she called his name; the woman had been listening. He knew he was deeply fucked when she appeared behind Jack and pointed a gun to her head. He had seen enough when the woman hit her.When Riddick emerged from the shadows, he saw the horrific look Jack had on her face and felt his chest become tight, when he noticed the trickle of blood run its course down her temple,to pool beneath her, it took all his control to keep the beast contained.

"Well, Well, Well if it isn't the INFAMOUS Richard B. Riddick. How nice to finally meat you."

"And your name is?"

"My name's not important. What IS important is the choice you have."

"I actually get to make a choice?" He laughed, "Don't hear that one too often but if you're willing, then aiight. You wanna know my choice?"

I'll fucking tell you," He growled, "You let the girl go and won't gut you like the PIG you are."

"Now Riddick that's not the choice I had in mind. Now the scenario I DO see happening is you come with me and I let the girl go." She said matter-of-factly.

"Yeah fucking right, where have I heard that one before?" Riddick said mockingly.

"Listen Riddick I'm in no mood to play games and I seem to be rather trigger happy tonight so make it fast. Your life or hers. The choice is yours."