AN: I HAVE CHANGED UP THIS WHOLE STORY SO IF YOU'RE JUST GETTING THIS CHAPTER I SUGGEST GOING BACK AND RE-READING THE WHOLE THING!
They marched on and on, Riddick and Johns had put themselves way ahead of the group, they were talking too closely and to quietly for Jo's comfort. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, something was about to happen, Jack sidled up next to her. "What are they doing up there?"
"Their talking about the canyon I suppose, how to get us through" Imam replied.
Jo didn't figure they were doing that though, if Johns and Riddick were talking it certainly wasn't about the good of the whole group. Jo made eye contact with Caroline and could tell she was thinking the same thing so she held out a hand and slowed everyone down. "Lets put a little more distance between us and them" Jo and Caroline kept a close eye on Riddick and Johns.
Riddick had put himself ahead of everyone; he needed to figure out a way across the canyon. Then Johns sidled up to him "Not everyone's gonna make it."
"You just now figured that out"
"Just seven of us left; if we could make it through the canyon and only lose a couple it'd be a hell of a feat wouldn't it"
"Not if one of thems me"
"What if you're one of five?"
"I'm listening"
"Battlefield doctors determine who lives and dies its called triage"
"Kept calling it murder when I did it"
"Still it's something I think you can catch onto"
"Sacrifice then; leave a body at the start of the canyon, like a bucket of bait"
"Trall with it, we've got extra cable on the back of the sled, drag it about 40 or 50 feet behind us"
"Nice embellishment"
"Well I don't want to feed em' just want to keep em off our scent"
"Well who'd you have in mind?"
Jo saw Riddick turn back to the group then Johns nudge him forward again, she knew that couldn't be a good thing. She looked over at Caroline "Hey something bad is about to happen, when it does we need to get out of the way"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, you've got to trust me on this"
"I say we take the two girls out, the little one and the stripper"
Riddick cracked his neck a little but tried to remain calm "Really why them?"
"Girls already a target and the con, well I don't have much use for her. She tried to bribe me with a tempting offer but she ain't that pretty and would you want to drag a woman around with you, let's be honest"
I'd drag that woman through hell and back if it meant keeping her safe.
"So let's just do this you kill the girls and I'll keep the other off your back. That's not a problem with you is it?"
"I don't know I was just thinking we needed a bigger piece of bait"
"Like who"
For a second they stared at each other, and then Riddick knocked the flare from John's hands and grabbed at his shotgun.
Jo saw them pause an then the destruction started; she dropped her rope to the sled and grabbed Jacks hand and pulled her away. Caroline yelled for everyone to leave the sled and run, just as they jumped behind some spires shots rang out. Jo forced everyone to the ground and looked over the dune at the fight going on. Riddick pulled off his lights and laid them on the ground, they were circling around each other then Riddick pulled out his shiv, he and Johns wrestled some more, Johns getting hold of the shiv but it didn't last long suddenly Riddick cut Johns on the back. Then the flare had burnt out and Jo couldn't see Riddick at all as he had faded into the darkness. She assumed Johns would be dead soon, but then she heard shots ring out obviously he'd gotten hold of his shotgun again. She tried to climb up the hill to make sure Riddick was still alive but someone grabbed her shoulder and pulled her along everyone got up and started running again, back towards the ship. Jo wanted to look for Riddick, she needed him to be alive; she couldn't imagine losing him out here in the dark. She kept looking all around hoping to see a glimpse of him. Her panic grew she wanted Riddick, she was done with the charades, she wanted to be with him to know he was safe. She couldn't go on, she sank down in the dirt.
Suddenly Caroline screamed, Jo turned around and saw that she had run into Riddick. Jo jumped out of the dirt and threw herself at him; she didn't care about the surprised looks of the rest of the group. She needed to assure herself it was real and that he was alive.
Riddick accepted Jo's hug gratefully and wrapped her up in his arms without Johns he didn't have to worry about her going to a slam, all he had to do was get them off this rock. He held her close, and nuzzled against her neck. "I'm here" he whispered. "I'll always be here" They stood that way for awhile, then he let her go tipped her chin up and walked into the rest of the group. "You guys going back; huddling in the cargo hold til you can't see what's eating you. That the grand plan?"
Imam stammered first "Do you… do you two know each other?"
"No Imam, I just take to pretty girls" with that Riddick walked off going back to retrieve the power cells.
Caroline looked back at Jo giving her an accusing stare. Jo squared her shoulders and faced everyone "Yea we know each other, we grew up together. I got him out of prison the first time." She sighed and ran her fingers through her hair. "I killed three mercs who raped my best friend, they happened to be working for Johns so I got thrown in jail and he "volunteered" to take me to a higher security slam, hoping to make a few bucks off me. It was a coincidence that he was also transporting Riddick."
"Have you two been working together this whole time" Caroline spat at her
"You mean getting off this fucking planet!? Yea and you're still alive aren't you, so you better be fucking grateful. The fact that I know Riddick changes nothing, the plan was and always will be to get everyone off this rock, the only thing that's changed is that John's isn't around to stab us in the back."
Imam stepped towards her "Is he a good man?"
"No, he was once but the world has done everything to make sure he was forced to do everything he had to to survive. I can't give you his assurance that he won't leave you behind but I can give you mine. I will do everything in my power to get you all off this rock"
Imam nodded his head and took Jo's hand and gave it a little squeeze, it lessened her fear immensely and she was extremely appreciative of the holy man. Jo walked over to Jack who was still stunned in silence.
"Do you trust me kid?"
Jack finally smiled "Abso-fucking-lutely"
"Good, watch your mouth. Caroline?"
Caroline was silent for a moment then she straightened up and held out her hand, Jo took it and shook.
Riddick went off by himself and was looking at some bones of one of the creatures he held up what looked like eye-stalks and noticed the creatures had a blind spot.
"Shall we pray together? I have already prayed with the others, it is painless"
"It's pointless"
"Because you do not believe in God does not mean God does not believe in…"
"You think someone can live half their life in a slam, horsebit in their mouth and not believe. Think he can start out in some liquor store trash bin with his umbilical cord wrapped around his neck and not believe. You got it all wrong holy man, I absolutely believe in God and I absolutely hate the motherfucker."
"He is with us none the less"
"You've already lost two of your boys holy man, how much faith do you have left"
"The woman, Jo, says you were once a good man"
"Maybe in her eyes, but I never was"
"All the same she believes in you with her heart you can see it in her eyes. She does not seem to be a fool; I hope her faith in you is not misplaced. A young girl's heart is not to be trifled with"
Riddick rounded on the holy man "There is only one person in this universe other than myself who I'd stick my neck out for and that's her. Do not underestimate me holy man, she may try to save you all but if it comes down to it I will carry her out screaming and leave the rest of you here to die. So I suggest you keep up"
With that he stood and pulled the power cells behind him, the rest of the group joined them and everyone headed to the canyon.
Everyone paused at the entrance to the canyon with their torches held up; there were hundreds of creatures overhead. Riddick planned to pull the powercells himself, Jo hoped he could keep up she looked back; he grabbed the rope to the power cells, and yelled move. Everyone started running forward, trying to keep the light above them to stop any of the monsters from swooping down. Wet, blue, slime began falling on them from above Riddick yelled to not look up but Jo couldn't help herself, she saw the creatures above her tearing into each other, whether to feed or to try and stop the group from continuing forward she wasn't sure but the sight was gruesome, Riddick shoved into her from behind forcing her forward again. Suddenly they came to a pile of bones blocking the path.
"Keep moving, keep moving" Riddick ran past everyone and started crawling under the bones. Everybody followed his lead and began moving forward, the last one through was the last of Imam's protégés but he wasn't quick enough. One of the creatures had only been playing dead and grabbed him by the foot, dragging him into the night. Imam tried to crawl after him but Jo grabbed his back and kept him in the light. He was shouting and muttering in Arabic. She turned around and saw Jack shouting after Riddick; he was already at the top of the hill with the power cells. Jack didn't have a torch with her. Jo watched in horror as a creature swooped down, she screamed at Jack who quickly dodged under a pile of bones. The creature hammered away at the bones trying to get at Jack. Jo quickly jumped up and she and Caroline and Imam ran at the creature trying to use the light to scare it off but it was determined to get at Jack. All of a sudden Riddick dropped the power cells and ran, yelling, down the hill. The creature charged at Riddick who grabbed his claws before they could sink into him. He wrestled with it back and forth, until he managed to get his shiv out and cut the creatures intestines out. It fell to the side dead.
"It did not know who it was fucking with"
Jo smiled at Riddick, but quickly began to frown again as raindrops started hitting her cheeks. Soon there was a full on rainstorm on them and they couldn't keep the torches lit.