Age of Nox
Chapter 7
Jack pulled on some fresh clothes, happy to finally have a wardrobe of her own. She eyed Toombs' shirt and grabbed it, balling it up and sticking it in a bottom compartment of her backpack. She walked out of the room and found Toombs at the control panel.
"Like the changes?" She asked, leaning over the back of the captain's chair. They had left the last port a few days ago and Toombs was still experimenting with the updated systems.
"It's like Christmas, fuzz skull. I don't remember the last time I used a system this fast." He replied, watching systems and universes flit by on the screen.
"What are you doing?" Jack sat down in the co-pilot's chair, legs tucked beneath her.
"Setting a course. New bounty up that sounds like a good chase." He supplied, typing in coordinates with his right hand. Jack wondered if he'd ever keep it untaped. Inwardly she sighed with relief. A new bounty wouldn't be Riddick, so they'd be safe for now. Could she ever tell Toombs about her past time she spent with the escaped convict? Jack knew that it would be a test for both of them. Whether or not she trusted him enough to tell him and whether or not Toombs would then push her for more information.
"Jack? Hey, up and at 'em." He kicked her chair and she startled into reality. "Where you been?"
"Thinking." Jack looked out the window. "So who is the bounty?"
"Ex-merc who was a thorn in my ass for years. Tried joining my crew a few years back, but he was a total narc. Didn't take him on and he haunted me about it."
Jack mused how that sounded like Johns.
"What's the bounty?"
"A lousy fifty thousand."
"Sounds a little low for the merc who has set the record for catching bounties." Jack smirked. Let him know she had been poking around in his files.
"Shut it. I gotta pile up some cash before I go deep sea fishing." He continued when Jack raised an eyebrow. "For the big fish…bounties."
"Ah, that was quite the metaphor." She sat farther back in the seat. "I still have a few updates to do, but I need to go out and get some shit to do it when we get to the next port. That ok?"
"It's going to be a few weeks til we set down again, though. Yeah, it's fine. Long as it isn't too expensive. Gotta keep the pockets full."
"For what, the whores?" Jack shot back and wanted to slap herself. Why couldn't she keep her mouth shut?
"They don't come cheap." He replied, as if question had been normal. Inside he was confused. This was the second time today Jack had bothered him about the whores. Where was she going with this?
A few weeks actually became six weeks. Toombs had to constantly avoid a few systems where he knew mercs would be hanging out that he didn't quite get along with. Jack didn't care, but was very glad when they finally landed at another port.
"Get back before dark, this city is full of assholes." He warned her, watching her unbuckle the belts on the seat.
"Like you?" She teased, standing up and stretching.
"You wish." He grunted.
"Right, whatever. I'll be back later." She got up and Toombs heard her walk back into now was their shared room. Newly booted feet walked back out and he registered the fastening of knife belts.
"Get another weapon while you're out, fuzz." He turned his seat around. Looking her up and down, Toombs knew that even at this age, Jack wasn't someone to mess with. While she hadn't been able to fight off the slave traders, he knew she had some training.
"Why? I like knives. Blasters are your thing, Tums." She started keying in the code for the exit ramp.
"It's a dirty way of fighting, but someone's gotta do it. Just do it, you'll thank me later." He watched the ramp close back up and shook his head. Why had he ever let her on this ship?
She exited the shop, pleased with her purchases. A few books later she had entered a store with the extra supplies she needed to update his systems. Jack flexed her bargaining skills and did quite well.
Evening was coming on and she knew she should be back so Toombs could leave to find his bed warmers for the night. Quickening her pace, she suddenly stopped when she heard a name over the news street holograph.
"…so the search for escaped convict Riddick continues. While many believe him to be dead, there seems to be a determined few who still chase him. He was on the Hunter-Graztner crash, which no one escaped alive from. Could he have survived?"
A picture of him flashes up and even through the photographed goggles, Jack could feel him snaking his way into her mind. Tightening her hold on her bags, she turned away and quickly walked back to the hangar.
"Back!" She called through the ship as the ramp closed behind her. "Toombs! 'm back!" She shouted again and frowned when she didn't hear anything back.
He wouldn't of have left. It was too early and he'd always want someone on the ship. Where was he? Jack looked around and found a note on the control panel.
Roses are red,
Violets are black,
I'd think Toombs would look better
With a knife in his back.
"What the fuck?" Jack asked to no one, holding the note in her hand. Had someone taken him? She couldn't feel it, but piece by piece a wall that had never been looked beyond began to crack in her. Claws scraped at the wall, breaking it down.
She quickly checked every space on the ship. The helkin was still there, but that was just a side note. But Toombs was nowhere to be found. Not a trace of where had gone besides the note. How was she going to find him?
Do you even want to find him? The ship is yours now.
Jack shook the voice silent. She was not going to leave him somewhere on this planet and take his ship. Besides, she didn't really know how to fly a ship to start with. Before the voice spoke again, she barged into the shared room and began to look for extra weapons.
She was going to find him.
Jack swallowed deeply as she fingered the old-fashioned handgun that was in the back waistband of her pants. She was wearing a tank top then a baggier long-sleeved shirt over that one. How the hell was she going to start to find him?
Picking up her comm. device, she found the number from the whores that had called her yesterday. She dialed their number and good old Bessy picked up. Said she hadn't heard from Toombs since he left and none of the other girls had mentioned about having him that night. Jack asked if she had heard any other 'customers' talking about getting back at him and she said she hadn't heard a thing about that.
"Well that's just fucking great," Jack mumbled, disconnecting the link. It was pretty dark out now and she was in the worse part of the small port city. But her knives were at hand and the loaded gun comfortably rubbed at the small of her back. Reassuring.
Jack figured the next best idea would be bar hopping. She asked around and no one had seen anyone of his description. At one of the last bars she sat heavily down on one of the barstools, rubbing her hand over her 'fuzz skull' as Toombs had so nicely titled it.
"Looking a little tired there, missy." The bartender greeted her. "Need a drink?"
How she was passing for legal age to drink she didn't know.
"No, looking for someone actually. Having no luck so far, though." Jack breathed in deeply, the cigarette smoke barely bothering her at this point.
"Maybe I can help, what does this person look like?" He asked, leaning over the drinks and waiting for Jack to speak.
"Guy, actually. Tall, dark hair, these mutant side burns-"
"You mean Toombs? That crazy merc?"
"Yeah! You've seen him?" Jack asked, suddenly re-energized.
"Seen him? Guy's famous around here, around most merc bars actually. I wouldn't be dropping his name too fast. A lot of mercs have shit against him. But no, haven't seem him. Why you looking for him?"
"Just am. No idea where he could be?" Jack saw someone sit down next to her. He had tattoos all up and down his arms, but she was busy talking to the bartender.
"Sorry, but no. Can I get you anything?" He asked the man who had just sat down. Jack bit the inside of her lip and glanced at the inked art on the man's skin. They were pretty intense, going all the way down onto his hand. That's when Jack saw two flowers entwined on the back of his hand. A red rose and a black violet. Her mind shot back to the strange poem left behind at the ship.
The man slowly sipped at a beer, glancing at Jack once or twice. He didn't sit long and got up, walking out of the bar. She slipped off her barstool and followed him, sticking to the shadows. By now she didn't even notice that the wall had crumbled down long ago and if one looked close enough, her shadow didn't match her form. Claws for fingers, a lithe body with a tail whipping back and forth. It slunk in and out of the shadows of the buildings, stalking its prey.
Jack stopped as the man entered into a building, through a side door that looked rusted shut. She fell the ground in a crouch and moving in the crouch, soon sat outside the door. Her boots were gripping to a gutter that was slick with who knew what.
How was she going to get in?
"You gotta know, Toombs, I know you do. Oh, back so soon, Vip?" Jack looked down, the voices were coming from beneath the gutter. Stepping back, she saw a window that was cracked open. The gutter's bars prevented her from seeing anything.
She didn't listen to the conversation, but worked on getting the gutter out. Using her knives, she easily worked it out of the cement. She set it aside and jumped into the small space, cursing when her boots made small splashes of water. The conversation stopped.
"What's that?" One asked, the one who had addressed Toombs earlier.
"Just a gutter rat, get on with it. That chick he's traveling with might call the cops if we don't get him back soon."
Chick? Jack was offended.
"Toombs, we know you know where he is. You've been tracking him with all your extra time. He's the splinter you've just got to get out of your hand."
Jack was wondering who they were talking about, but focused on getting him out. The crack in the window was being held up by a wedge of wood. She'd have to wait until they left the room to go in. She froze when she heard a muffled grunt of pain.
"Try gettin' that splinter out of your hand, Toombs. Looks pretty nasty, doesn't it Vip?"
Jack growled. These guys were getting what they deserved. She removed the wedge of wood and held the window open with her foot. Glancing into the room, she saw Toombs facing her and the guys' backs facing her. He didn't register her as she slinked into the room.
She let the window close without a sound behind her. They were laughing at Toombs while blood dripped from the tips of his fingers that hung off the arm of the chair he was taped to. Jack leaned against the back wall and took out one of her knives, beginning to use it to clean out dirt from beneath her nails.
"So I'm the chick, huh?" She quietly spoke and they two guys whipped around, startled.
"How the fuck did you get in?" Vip asked, his voice giving away his feelings. He was scared shitless.
"Well, it's not like you'll be getting out, so I don't think I need to tell you for future reference." Jack pushed herself off the wall. "Why do you have him taped to a chair?"
"None of your business, bitch." The other pulled out a gun and aimed it at her.
"Think it is, actually." She glanced at Toombs and saw he was mostly awake, watching her. "So, you going to tell me?"
Another chapter! Back to faster updates now, I promise. Next chapter will have choice. Thanks to all who review, it makes me glad that you didn't forget my story.
-Shamrock