Ilfray remembered closing her eyes only for a moment it seemed. When she awoke, the ache along the side she had slept on told her it was longer. She didn't mean to fall asleep. The idea was to rest a while and then try to get herself centered. The last few days had been a nightmare and almost always constantly in the dark. She had started to forget what the sky looked like in the day or how bright and vivid everything looked. The day they managed to get out of Ryel was the first time in 4 nights she managed to see the sun and smell air that hadn't been processed through ventilation systems.

She pushed herself upright and groaned as her neck responded with pain. Her fingers gently probed the flesh and muscle and wondered how her companion had known of her experience. She knew already he was a killer and it was fear that initially held her to his side. "Riddick?" It was almost a whisper as the dark was still as thick as ever. He didn't open the shutters and had left her in endless black. She slowly got to her feet and with her hands and a few stubbing of toes, she was able to find the desk that had been beneath the window. Lifting her hands up she found the iron latch and released it, swinging them inward.

Her efforts were for naught as it was now evening and with no moon to light the grounds all she could see were the stars. The moon was also absent the night she met Riddick…

It was just a walk. A simple night time walk to clear her head from countless hours of writing reports and statistics. She couldn't stand such tasks but being a Cyberian required a level of skill in all matters involving the universal network. Including writing up hours of pointless jargon. Throwing her glasses on the desk and rubbing her eyes she tried to figure out what the hell she was thinking to get into this line of work. Sighing with frustration at the digital text that seemed to mock her she grabbed her coat and keys. She needed to feel alive again. Like she hadn't just been an organic processor for the last 8 hours.

As she stepped out onto the city street, she noted how peaceful it was. It must be late for it to be like this and the blacked out windows across from her building confirmed it. As she started to walk she noted she didn't even bother to change clothes before she sat down to work. The wind was chilling her shins and feet as she only wore 3/4 black trousers and black flat shoes. Thankfully she still wore her grey jumper beneath her black coat. She wore mainly earth or dark tones because she found that people ignored her more if she did. Strangely, she didn't enjoy being hassled when she was out in the public eye.

As she took in the starlit air she allowed her gaze to wonder upwards to the sky. The stars were barely visible thanks to the lights of the city. In a way she hated it. She felt it was almost a crime to hide the night from the world in this way. For a city to try and outshine the stars was celestial murder. She did enjoy a good blackout when it happened. Strange to say she felt the most alive in the darkness. Where no judging eyes could see her and she was free to be….to be….

A hand attached to a powerful forearm had struck out of a nearby alley and with a swift jerk pulled her into the darkness with it. Another hand joined in touching her, this time clamped around her mouth as she felt a body, solid and hot pressed against her back. She screamed pointlessly knowing he had her. She could smell the testosterone. A warm almost booming sensation immersed her left ear. "Scream and I will kill you. Just follow my lead and I will let you go." Her heart hammered as she nodded and her eyes welled up with fear. She felt him inhale deeply like someone enjoying the scent of their meal at a table before eating.

She felt something sharp stab into her lower back near the side of her spine, just enough to tell her it was there before he released her mouth and arranged himself so that they looked like a couple walking down the street. With his powerful arm around her, she had no choice but to go where he led. As they walked out of the alley and into the nearby street lights she looked up briefly to see her would-be kidnapper. He was hooded and all she could see was a strong jaw. The rest of him was covered in his cloak which was a dark brown with clean and archaic style. Typical fashion of New Mecca she noted. So that's where he came from.

No words were exchanged as they kept walking. The streets were empty and not even the night guards appeared on their usual patrol. Where was everyone? "Your protectors won't be joining us". The words rumbled gently above her head and seemed to vibrate through his skin as she felt them through the fingers that held her. "Then why do you need me? You don't need a cover." She was surprised at her own boldness but logic was her domain and she hated being treated like an idiot.

A small smile crept on the man's face making him seem almost….warm in nature. "Your smart…lets see if you can figure it out." He purred. She felt anger rise through her. She hated guessing games but he had laid down a challenge and she took it up with relish. She knew the city well and started to think. He was covering his appearance, he properly dispatched the guards on the local patrol, he wasn't irrational or impulsive….It meant he was a wanted man. So he needed to escape. He needed a ship or at least a hideout of the city.

"You're taking us to the 'ports. And they are always heavily guarded and full of people so you needed a cover. Me." She growled and it caught her off guard. The man smiled….