Riddick: Bloodhounds: 4

"Becoming Acquainted"

Author's note: Cast members- Richard B. Riddick, Toombs, Dahl, Luna & Eve Logan, with new players-Bugsy Benjamin, Lee Davies, Miranda Goff, Slink Williams, and Foster Mead.

********** "Becoming Acquainted" **********

Toombs stood outside the nose-cone of Johns' vessel. He had already spoken to Luna…..and had assigned "the tech expert" the duty of pinging the transponder node to Santana's old space-heap (under the threat of shooting Dahl if he did not comply), and, the Bloodhound now, was awaiting Luna's report. This was how he planned on tracking down his old adversary, Riddick.

Toombs would use the transponder code to triangulate Riddick's last known position….it would post a starting point for his search, and it would give him, and his crew, Riddick's latest known location.

As he stood there…. looking up at the nose-cone of his newly acquired spacecraft, Toombs was thinking out loud. He more considered that this spacecraft; the "Blue Eyed devil" had the wrong name. It might be a name familiar to the escaped convict (should they make landing on a planet where he was hiding). The name may cause him to become alarmed.

Toombs was trying to think of a better name, something more serene, more tranquil. Something that was less likely to gather Riddick's interest or attention, something like, the "Fairy Godmother" now that would come across as seemingly unthreatening …..Toombs laughed.

"Yeah Mr. Richard B. Riddick, when I catch up with you, I'll soon put your ass again in chains," he paused, "as soon as I get your location, and rename my new ship."

He recalled that… upon his last trip to Crematoria, he had convinced himself that the ex-con had been secured adequately. Well chained inside his vessel, he had felt confident that Riddick could not have escaped his bonds. Now, Toombs realized that he had been wrong. Riddick could have easily freed himself and strangled every one of them in their sleep. He had underestimated the convict's strength, agility and cunning. This time he would not. He didn't intend to make the same mistakes twice. He would steal Johns' ship, rename it, capture the ex-con, and hope that Riddick didn't see any of it coming.

Dahl, who was standing beside Toombs (held captive until Luna completed his mission), voiced her opinion in this matter….

"I don't think that the Captain of this vessel would like that much," she spoke, "you taking his ship while he's away."

Toombs looked at her…

"You can say his name toots, I know that this vessel belongs to Johns. Me and that renegade have been after Riddick for years. We sort of have a gentleman's agreement if you will, or if you prefer a mercenary's competition… which one of us will get to him first and claim the reward?"

Toombs stopped; he was wandering how much of his plan should he reveal to this rival mercenary, after all his idea was to take her along. Unbeknownst to them, Dahl and Luna were joining his crew, at least for a while. The question was how much should he let her know? He continued….

"I now have a personal vendetta against the man, a grudge, wouldn't bother me one bit to take his carcass in dead or alive. Don't know what Johns' reasons are for wanting the same, but I assure you that there are hundreds, if not thousands of mercs and bounty hunters out there that would do likewise."

No words could have been truer spoke by a bloodhound than what he had spoken (with the exception of herself, Luna and Johns), Dahl knew that Riddick was high on the list of people that were searching for him and wanted reward money. His ass was as well-cooked as Bar-B-Qued Hell Hound if he were caught by any other bounty hunters. Dahl, (even though it pained her) couldn't have agreed with Toombs more.

Toombs was "point on" that there was a universe full of folk that wanted to hear Riddick was dead, hunted to the ends of the cosmos until his luck had run out. He was the type of person that either brought out the best in a soul, or their worse…..the thing is there were more that he brought out the worse in. Still, in Dahl's mind there was something about him that brought about an idea of honor and respect. It had been the reason that she, Johns and Luna had gone back to rescue him from the Mud Demons. There were far too few people around the galaxy with the morals of Riddick.

A grin splashed across her face, ironic that she had expressed the thought of morality and Riddick in the same idea, but the history books were strewn with people that were first, to be considered criminals, and then later viewed differently. Riddick was that kind of person.

Dahl looked over at the man who was planning to steal Johns' vessel. Obviously Toombs was unaware that she and Johns had been in a position to ghost the escaped convict, yet had opted to help him instead, but then, he didn't need to know.

As the two stood there Luna came out of the vessel with Bugsy Benjamin in tow. Toombs looked at his crew-member.

"Get the location," Toombs asked?

"Got it boss," Bugs answered, "tell him kid."

Luna looked at both of them, and then he glanced over at Dahl. His eyes pleaded that he hoped that she forgave him for ratting out Riddick, but she expressed that he was already forgiven.

"You'll find him on LC-236," Luna spoke.

Toombs grinned…he looked over at Bugsy….

"Should I tell them?"

"Sure Boss, let them in on our intentions."

Toombs looked over at his two captives….

"The two of you will be accompanying us on this mission," he spoke, "a little back-up plan should anything go wrong."

Dahl and Luna stood there with their mouths hanging open.

END PART 4