II.

Hope awoke with a dull headache. Her jaw and her cheek hurt like hell and she wasn't able to see anything. She felt dizzy and was hardly able to breathe, the little air she got smelled awful. Panic welled up in her when she tried to move and couldn't. How the hell had she gotten in that situation?

It took another minute until realization kicked in: Riddick had knocked her out and had burrowed her into that big scrapheap! That bastard! Now she knew what's been wrong with the picture … Riddick caving in … that's been wrong! He never changed his mind and she should have known it. What a big dope she had been.

And then another realization hit her. Riddick had tried to set them on the wrong track. What if they had captured him? What if he already was dead? Her breathing was ragged and her heart beat furiously at that thought. She had to find him. But at first she had to calm down. She was of no use for him if they captured her coz she wasn't aware of her surroundings. She had to get out of the scrap und had to find out for how long she had been unconscious. And maybe Riddick was back at the ship by now. 'Let him be back, please!'

Cautiously she crawled out of the rubbish heap and scanned the adjacencies. She couldn't hear anything and started to climb up to the roof. It was pitch black outside but when she checked the chrono on her PADD she saw that just half an hour had gone by since Riddick had knocked her out. Just 30 fucking minutes and it got pitch black! They could have sat it out! She hailed the ship only to find it empty. Fear for Riddick let her heart clench. And there was anger. A lot. She would kill him for that. But first of all she had to find him.

She had no clue which direction Riddick had headed for and for a second she just stood there on the roof. She knew she'd never find him if he was hiding somewhere but if they had captured him there would be a three-ring circus. She closed her eyes and led her ears take control over her other senses, opened her mind and concentrated on the sounds of the night, let them come to her, just as he had taught her. She heard the crackle of the building cooling down; nocturnal animals going for pray; the wind between the buildings, blowing garbage through the streets. Chatting people, drunk, hookers looking for customers. A bar fight. Somebody howling with laughter. Commotion. More laughter. Ugly, roaring laughter. All her instincts told her that that was the direction she should go to.

She climbed back down to the warehouse. Riddick was right … she would blend in the crowd but it wouldn't work if someone saw her climbing down the roof. She had no problems finding the place where all the agitation took place. Lots of people were flocking there, nobody wanted to miss a second in the drama called 'Catch the infamous Richard B. Riddick'.

Hope had to bite her lip to suppress a cry when she saw what was happening there. Five mercs were standing around Riddick who was lying flat on his face, totally motionless. One of the mercs had his boot on Riddick's back and for a second Hope's heart stopped beating. 'He can't be dead!' She didn't realize the tears streaming down her face and her trembling until a hand was gently placed on her shoulder.

"Girl, what's wrong with you? Can I help you?"

Hope was too desperate to care for her own life at the moment. She didn't even grab her shiv when she turned her head and faced a woman about her age. The woman was wearing too much make up and her clothes barely existed but she had a friendly and sympathetically expression on her face. Hope shook her head and focused her attention once again on the scene in front of her.

The merc had removed his boot from Riddick's back and was chaining him with cuffs and ankle shackles ... they would not cuff him if he was dead; most likely they had hit him with a stun rifle and he was just unconscious! Relieve washed through Hope. There was still a chance left to save him.

Three men were necessary to haul Riddick on the waiting vehicle. She tore her eyes away from him; she'd got work to do. To her surprise the woman was still standing at her side.

"You know him, don't you?"

Hope ignored her and tried to force her way past her but the woman held her back.

"I've watched you and I think I know who you are." She held up her hand. "Please listen, don't worry. I'm with you." she added quickly. "They talked about a woman the convict was with having with him and as it looks you are that person. You have to be careful, you are the only one here looking sad. Come with me, I can help you."

Hope stared for a moment at the woman. She couldn't sense any fear or falseness in her, she seemed to be sincere. "If I'd be that woman why would you help me?"

The woman took a look around and was relieved that nobody was paying attention to them. "A merc killed my husband because he hid a convict. Beat him to death. I lost everything and had to earn my living as whore after my husband died. Nobody can hate that scum more than I do." She outstretched her hand "I'm Sara, but everybody calls me Crystal now. Come on, as soon as they have taken him away the search for you will continue."

It was a gut feeling that let Hope follow the woman. She would need help if she wanted to free Riddick and Sara seemed to be more than willing to provide it.

Sara led Hope through a couple of narrow lanes until they reached a run-down building. The hall was dark, the staircase full of garbage and the smell reminded of the hotel on Orkas. Sara opened a door on the 4th floor and motioned Hope in. The apartment was sparsely furnished but clean and comfortable.

"Do you have a data port where I can plug in my PADD?" Hope couldn't afford to waste time.

Sara pointed to the table. "Over there. I'll get something to drink for you. Are you hungry? And … no offence … but you might want to have a shower."

Hope shook her head. The shower was a good idea but for the time being all she wanted was that terminal. For the 1st time in her life Hope felt sorry not to have a neural data port; it would have made things much faster, but she never could get used to the thought of implanting a computer into her neck and connecting it with her brain. She hacked into the system of the space port and scrambled it; not a single ship was able to take off now. Except for the Defiant.

Time for the shower; she had to get rid of the garbage smell that was still clinging to her. She was back at the table doing researches when Sara returned from the kitchen. Hope looked up and couldn't hold back laughter: she was presented with a cup of tea. "You don't happen to know my family, do you? Tea always was their choice of drug for each and everything."

Sara gave her a restrained smile. "Actually it was my husband who loved to drink tea and somehow I got accustomed to it." Her face was more than sad. "I still miss him so much. And I'll do anything that will help you to get your husband back."

"We are not married." Hope replied but Sara didn't accept that answer.

"But you love him, I can see that and that's everything that counts. Is he really that bad? I can hardly believe it when I look at you. You don't look like somebody hanging around with a crazy killer."

Hope sighed; how to describe Riddick in a sentence? "He is no crazy killer at all. He is the most honorable man I've ever met. And he never would hurt anybody innocent. Did you recognize the mercs?"

"Simmons and his goons. We all know them. Brutal and ruthless. They are the ones that should go to slam." Sara's face was contorted by hate.

Hope read the data on her PADD. "Their ship is in docking bay 27 … the 'Equilibrist'. 5 man crew. I'm sure they'll take him there. Do you know where they go when they hang out? Not all of them will spend the evening in the ship."

Sara nodded. "They all get together at the 'Kettle'. It's an awful dive where they drink, beat each other up and look for … whores." She sucked in air. "I'm still not used to think of me as a whore."

Hope hugged her spontaneously. "You can come with us when we leave and we'll take you wherever you want to go."

"You'd do that for me?"

Hope shrugged her shoulders. "Just returning a favor. You risk a lot for helping me. I'll get you as soon as I've freed Riddick. Stay here so I can find you." She was on her way out when Sara held her back.

"What's your plan?"

"Kill the mercs to leave a message for the others, free Riddick, come for you, get off that shithole of a planet. Plain and simple." Riddick couldn't have phrased it better.

"You'll really kill them?"

"It can't be helped. Each one involved in Riddick's capture has to die; the message must be clear. They have to learn to leave us alone." Hope's jaw was clenched, her eyes black burning pools of fury.

"And don't look at me like that. I've been a geek when I left with Riddick; I knew nothing about the life out there. I didn't do anything to anybody, never hurt anybody but nearly got raped and abducted by three mercs just because I was with him. I was forced to kill them in self-defense and it wasn't easy for me to get over it. I had to learn it the hard way that mercs are just scum and I have no pity on them anymore. And if I have to kill them to defend my life or Riddick's I'll do that without any remorse. And if that makes me a bad person than be it; I can live with that." Hope took a deep breath. Maybe it came out a bit too harsh but it was the truth. She was wondering how Sara would react to her little speech.

"I'm not judging you, I just wanted to know." Sara grabbed her purse and a jacket. "I'm coming with you. I know nearly everybody here and I can help you. But you have to open a few buttons on your shirt and do something with your hair if you want to blend in."