16. Dilemma
Jack lost the cop pretty quickly, and cruised the concourse looking for a tube down. She knew this area was just for the tourists. What she was looking for wouldn't be brightly lit and so fucking cheerful.
But she kept thinking about Zemma…
She had finally started to laugh at Jack's jokes, now that she got 'em. Of course, Riddick was probably explaining them to her. Jack didn't like picturing them naked in bed together, talking comfortably in hushed tones…
Jack pushed the image away; tried to keep her walk casual and feminine. But a man rolling dice at a counter caught her eye and brought back thoughts of…
She wasn't a half bad poker player. Jack had even quit cheating, once she realized Zemma knew she was cheating, and wasn't calling her on it. She had her poker face down pat, but would raise an eyebrow, and keep her bets conservative, whenever Jack dealt from the bottom.
Jack grinned ruefully.
Zemma never stayed mad, and she wasn't afraid to pop Jack… or get knocked in the head herself.
Jack caught herself looking back over her shoulder in the direction she'd left Zemma in the clutches of a cop.
Stupid! Stop that! Twit didn't even have the sense to beat feet.
Probably never saw a cop before in her life. Probably scared, like the kid Zemma thought SHE was.
Jack wasn't that far away, so she eased her way back. If they were treating her bad… well, Jack could at least message Riddick, and still be gone before the mess got cleaned up. She made her way up to the mezzanine, to get a view of the scene playing out below.
"My name's Min…"
What the fuck?
"I bought a dress…"
Zemma didn't really look any different, except she looked years younger. Her eyes were wide and glassy… almost blank. Her face was vacant one moment, and childishly happy, then sad, the next. Jack almost laughed out loud.
Damn if the chick didn't have a head on her after all; playing like she didn't have the sense God gave a fencepost.
But the old guy was threatening to cuff Zemma anyway. Prig.
Jack decided she better give Riddick the heads up before she disappeared. This was just supposed to cost time. Not her life. And Riddick had made it pretty clear last time Zemma got hurt would BE the last time.
But no sweet spot for me. Jack could have laughed, but it would have been bitter. No slow death watching her life's blood pool at her feet while the scornful psychopath who'd done it watched, without even a smart-assed remark. No, Riddick said it would be quick and painless. He'd kill her if she crossed him again. But he wouldn't sell her out. He'd kill her before he'd let Them get Their hands on her again.
Jack wasn't liking either scenario. Jack was all about staying under the radar. Riddick, on the other hand, couldn't help being a great big-ass blip on everyone's screen.
So, Riddick's big fatherly attitude change or no… Jack was getting scarce. Besides, he was lousy at it, and Jack was running out of jokes to break the tension. Did he really think he could get inside Jack's head? Did he think it was gonna help Jack to talk about her childhood after her mother died… or… Kyra?
And this whole fucking family dynamic? Zemma couldn't be much older than herself; she was no mother figure!
Kind of sisterly sometimes…
So she'd just give Riddick the heads up… so Zemma wasn't down there too long…
…Before Hero comes to the rescue.
Jack rolled her eyes, and headed for the nearest vid-phone.
But something…
She turned back to the mezzanine rail; something had caught her eye…
Holy Hells!
Don was on the opposite mezzanine, looking pissed enough to kill her with a glance. Which meant he didn't look any different from breakfast…
Jack bolted. She had to get gone before that old man got a hand on her. She had to get that message to Riddick before old Don put his spin on it.
Then, she had to get way-the-fuck gone!
---
Don was glad he'd decided to follow the women. Riddick hadn't asked for his help haggling for the cargo, so there wasn't much else to do. Riddick had been pretty cool to him lately. He knew why, of course. Riddick was protecting Jack, despite Jack's efforts to entice someone into killing her. That girl had been daring everyone… daring fate… since he met her. Probably longer.
But being ballsy didn't make him like, or trust, that Jack.
Despite his initial misgivings about Zemma, he'd only just decided he liked her. She'd put up with his heavy handed training, and never once complained to Riddick or Jaron. He'd waited for it the day he nearly busted her nose on the helmet. Jaron had been cool at mess; he'd only asked how Zemma was progressing. Nothing was made of the matter. Jaron had said that they'd make a soldier out of her yet.
Don had to agree. That is, if she could be pried out of Riddick's bed. Youth, wasted on the young and all that crap.
But that Jack…
Riddick wouldn't confirm, or deny, that she was his daughter. Don didn't think she was. But Riddick had been putting up with a lot more shit than Don would ever have guessed the man put up from anybody. And wouldn't say why.
Not that Riddick was a comrade who shared everything. That suited Don. They had respect for each other. That suited Don too. But lately, Riddick seemed willing to stand up for Jack to the point of trading blows. Don wouldn't bother to go that far. The girl wasn't important enough to Don to go to war over.
Was she important enough to Riddick? She was 'something' enough that Riddick got them rooms off the port, just to give the girl, or maybe Don himself, some time away.
Still, it made a man wonder…Why go to so far for this kid?
Some kind of vow, probably. A fallen comrade's kid maybe?
Or… a traitorous one's?
Don had never asked, but the look on Zemma's face… or… the carefully crafted lack of expression… when Riddick had told the story of the kid he wouldn't kill… the kid who was maybe the only antidote to a genetic weapon…
Didn't make him like the smart-ass punk any better. Should have shown a little more consideration to the man who probably spared her life not just once, but again after Zemma…
Nasty business all around.
Again. Nothing said. No anger… well, on Zemma's part. Don thought Riddick might feed the still swearing and kicking youngster to the tiger…
Oh well.
Now, if he caught her… what to do with her? Couldn't just cycle her out the nearest lock like she deserved. He and Riddick just might go to war if he did that. Maybe she'd just fall down a few times…
Or… maybe…
Maybe she'd just get away… this time…
Don changed his course and headed back towards the dock. He didn't need Jack… he needed to tell Riddick about Zemma getting arrested….
Yah. That's it.
Run fast, kid.
---
The two officers and Min stopped at a small office, manned by a few more uniformed officers, and next to a place called "Fast Fried Treats" that smelled delicious. Min hung back at the door, sniffing obviously and trying to look at the pastries in the window next door. But they didn't stay inside; Jensen said they were taking her downtown for booking.
Zemma didn't understand either 'downtown,' or 'booking.'
Min only understood that she was hungry, and they weren't going in to get treats. "Please, please, please…" She didn't quite whine, but leaned hard away from Deak's grip. "I'm hungry…" Zemma had to be careful not to fall back into Min's comfortable habits, like arm swinging, and a sing-song voice. She let herself be led away, looking back over her shoulder pitifully.
She wondered what Riddick would do when they didn't meet him back at the room Jack had called a 'flop.' Zemma had agreed there wasn't much room to do more than that. Would Jack meet Riddick there? Or did she have further plans?
'Downtown' amounted to a tube that slanted downwards, further into the moon, into a quiet business section. The 'streets' were just very large corridors, but the businesses had some windows looking out onto it, and some were decorated. The place she was led seemed dark and ominous compared to the shop fronts with awnings and curtains.
Inside, another uniformed man behind a long counter asked what they had.
Jensen said 'shoplifter,' but Deak made a face and rolled his eyes.
Min said "Hi," cheerfully and looked around with interest, not resisting Deak as he lead her towards some desks in the back, and sat her down in a chair.
"Don't move. I'll be right back."
"Okay," Min agreed and started picking up strange objects on the desk for closer examination.
Deak walked back to where Jensen was talking to a man called Captain.
"She's a good collar," Jensen sounded defensive.
"She's a feeb, Captain." Deak said apathetically.
Zemma watched from the corner of her eye, while Min looked around at everything.
"We got rules; did you read her her rights? We don't want the military here because we can't do our job." The 'Captain' said sourly.
"Won't do no good, Cap." Deak shook his head, but he called Min over.
Min complied with a cheerful smile. "Hi," she said to the new man. "My name's Min." She waited a moment for him to say his name, frowned briefly and repeated herself. "My name's Min. What's your name?"
The Captain rolled his eyes to the older Jensen. "This is your suspect?"
"Just read her her rights," Jensen said dismissively to Deak, and marched off towards the desk Min had been sitting at, followed by an impatient glare at her as he started putting things on the desk back in their place.
The Captain stood by as Deak gamely began reciting. Min looked at him interestedly, until he ended with "Do you understand these rights?"
Min blinked. "Is this a new game?" she asked hesitantly. "Is that the rules?" A frown creased her forehead "I don't know how to play," she said plaintively. She turned to the Captain, "What do I say now?" Her voice wasn't a tiny girl's, but still soft and concerned.
"Just say 'yes' or 'no'," he prompted her.
"Yes or no?" She turned to Deak, "Yes or no," she said seriously.
"No," the Captain started, "it's 'yes' OR 'no'…"
But Deak shook his head, apparently more exasperated with his elders than the simple-minded woman in front of him. "Just say 'no', Min."
Min smiled, looking relieved, and responded with a jubilant 'No.' Zemma suspected the man has some experience in dealing with 'feebs.' "Did I play right?" She asked him.
"You played just fine," he told her, and turned back to the Captain. "Cap, that kid was just using her as a smokescreen. There's no sense in even doing any paperwork on her. She hadn't even seen the other stuff in the bag… and she had creds on her, no judge will…"
"Where'd you get the creds?" The Captain turned to Min again.
Zemma thought about the name Riddick had chosen for his forged passport and had to control a giggle.
"Ben gave them to me to buy a dress…" Min stated happily.
"Is Ben the boy who was with you?" The Captain asked her seriously.
"No silly. Ben is Ben. The boy bought me ice cream." Min frowned. "I'm hungry. Ben will be mad at me if I don't get back for dinner. Ben said he'd take me out in my new dress. No rations! Do you ever eat rations?"
The Captain held up a hand against the barrage of soft but quickly spoken words, and Min paused with a blink. When he put his hand down Min started again, but more slowly, "I bought a new dress…"
"Min," Deak interrupted. "Do you know who Jack is? Did he come with you and Ben?"
"Jack?" Min looked pleasantly puzzled.
"The boy who bought you ice cream…"
"Oh! He was nice. I like ice cream." Min's face lit up just a moment, but fell again. "I'm hungry can I go home now? I bought a new dress, and Ben is going to take me out…"
"Stop!" The Captain held up his hand again and Min paused. When he started to drop his hand Min started again, "…to dinner…"
The hand went back up and Min closed her mouth. Zemma wanted to laugh. Keeping his hand up he spoke to Deak, "Find out who she belongs to, and find that kid."
"And the paperwork?"
"Fuck it."
Zemma saw Deak cringe a second before Min could react.
"Don't say that bad word," she admonished, and turned to Deak. "Can I go home now?"
"Soon."
"Soon?" Min sounded hopeful.
"Soon as we find Ben. What's Ben's last name?"
Min blinked. "Ben is Ben." She smiled.
"Do you know your last name?" Deak tried again, patiently.
"My name is Min," she chirped. "I bought a…"
Zemma heard something clatter loudly against the wall behind her.