"Welcome to the New Mecca Omega Docking Station, this is Deirdre from tower control," a female voice announced through the com-unit, "please identify yourself."
"Hmm, good afternoon Deirdre," Riddick crooned into the unit smirking, "that's a beautiful name," Riddick's face broke into a full grin, this is going to be too easy, "this is Captain Darius Frye aboard the Mijkela."
"Well, thank you Captain Frye," 'Deirdre' giggled into the unit, causing Riddick to roll his eyes, "please have your ships identification and cargo manifest ready upon landing, you may dock in hangar ODS32"
"Oh," Riddick said, making sure to add a note of worry to his gravelly voice, "I'm sorry Deirdre, I'm here for an urgent emergency, my mother," he fought to keep from snorting out laughter, "she's very, very sick Deirdre, you see?"
There was silence on the other end of the line as Deirdre caught on to what Riddick was saying. "I'm sorry Captain Frye," she said, "I'm really supposed to make sure that all ship's cargo holds are thoro…"
"I'm sure you are," Riddick cajoled "but you see, my mother…I would appreciate it greatly…" he waited for her to take the bait. Dumb broads always do he thought, allowing a smug grin to flash across his handsome face. "Well," Deirdre sounded uncertain, "I suppose, since you are here for emergency business…proceed to hangar ODS32 Captain Fry."
"Thank you… Deirdre," He made sure so draw out her name, growling. Ha! He could hear her sharp intake of breath. Jesus, he thought, I could smile at this broad and have her signing over her next paycheck. Pathetic. Hope Jack isn't one of these easy pieces of ass, a strange spike of anger shot thorough him at the thought; just give me another reason to beat her ass.
It has nothing to do with you Dickey boy, a voice in the back of his head said
The fuck it doesn't, his animal growled back.
She ain't yours you stupid prick, you gave that up when you dropped her on this rock, the voice countered smugly.
He couldn't help it, the inner beast snarled in protest to that, Shut the fuck up, I took her skinny ass off that planet, took care of her for damn near a year, kept her alive, taught her how to defend herself, spend five years on that ice cube of a planet to keep her safe …shit if she ain't… it stopped, pacing back and forth within its cage in irritation.
Ain't what? Yours? You think she's yours Dickey boy, hmmm? His conscious laughed at him, shit, guess all that ice musta went and frozen your brain, you dumb motherfucker. His inner beast snarled, but couldn't disagree with that. Shit, he'd battled himself on this time and time again, there wasn't time to take a walk down that particular lane, right now he had a holy man to get straight with.
He chuckled darkly to himself before reaching over to sign off the com-unit when Deirdre's voice piped up one last time, "My shift ends in 0600 hours, Captain Frye, feel free to pay back that favor."
Yeah sure thing….Deirdre, he laughed to himself, and signed off without replying. He docked smoothly and, wasting no time, threw on a cloak covering his newly shaven head, pulled his goggles down over his shined eyes, and exited the ship. He watched to make sure that the ramp was fully secured before turning his back on the Mijkela and setting off on his journey to Imam's. Hell, wouldn't be the first time some slick shit wanna-be badass slipped into the cargo hold as the ramp ascended. Seven years ago he returned to "his" ship to find no less than three mercs crouched in the corners of the cargo hold, waiting to jump him as he entered. They were a bunch of rookies, trying to make names for themselves. Three gauges against two shivs. Piece of fucking cake. He had almost felt bad after effortlessly ghosting all three without breaking a sweat. Almost.
Riddick tried to keep to the shadows of alley's and deserted streets as he made his way to Imam's house, but as he neared his destination he quickly realized that it would be impossible for him to remain unseen if he were to try to enter the holy man's house through the front door. Surrounded by an ivy covered wall, the house was damn near impossible to enter without walking straight through the center of a busy market.
Godammit, Riddick thought as he scaled the crumbling wall that faced a deserted alley, last fucking thing I need is to be seen by some asshole merc. He dropped silently down into the side garden of the compound, dusting off his cloak and striding into the house through the sliding glass door that was standing wide open.
The familiar sound of the holy man's prayers reached his ears as he made his way into the living room. A large framed photo, caught his attention and as he made his way over to it he realized that it was a picture of a tall cocky looking blonde boy with his arm wrapped a little too snugly around a petite long haired brunette, a beautiful brunette with large green eyes and a small uncomfortable smile on her face …who looked suspiciously like... Like Jack, he thought growling unconsciously, and who the fuck is this clown?
In the back of his mind he noticed that the prayers had stopped and began to turn away from the curiously annoying picture when, out of the corner of his eye he saw a body launch itself at him, and in a flash a shiv appeared in his hand. Riddick whirled around to face the 'attacker'. The very small attacker. The very small attacker, who strangely was grinning ear to ear while her mass of unruly curly hair bounced in time with her steps. Oh shit, Riddick thought twirling the shiv so it faced him instead of the little girl bearing down on him, "its a little kid. Must be Im…"
THUD
Before he could finish his thought, the little girl slammed full force into Riddick's chest, almost knocking him off balance. Out of reflex he wrapped his arms around her, stunned.
"You're Riddick," She beamed up at him.
He pulled his head back to get a good view at the little creature wrapping herself around his torso, chattering about monsters and bedtime stories.
He was trying to dislodge her from his chest when the sound of a throat being cleared made him snap his head up, his arm protectively going around the girl as his shiv once again appeared in his hand.
"Mr. Riddick." As much as he wanted to Imam couldn't hold back the amused smile creeping across his face. Any other parent in the universe would faint at the sight of the infamous convict Richard B. Riddick holding their child in his left arm and a shiv, that'd undoubtedly claimed the lives of many grown men, in his right. Ahh but, as much as he hates it, Imam thought, I know his heart, he would never harm a child.
"Imam," Riddick shifted uncomfortably, dropping his arm to his side, causing the girl to wrap her arms around his neck tighter, "this your kid?"
"Yes," he replied chuckling, "this is my daughter Ziza. Ziza this is…"
"I know who you are," the little girl interrupted, digging her heels into Riddick's side like he was a tree she was determined to climb, "you're Riddick. You saved sissy and my daddy from the monsters." Sissy? Riddick shot a look at Imam raising an eyebrow.
"Such are our bedtime stories," Imam explained, shrugging.
"Uh, yeah kid," Riddick said looking back down at the girl clinging to his side. His frown didn't faze the little girl at all; she began bombarding him with questions as she poked at his goggles and continued digging her heels into his waist. When she reached out to explore the shiv he still held in his right hand, he held it out of her reach shaking his head slowly. She pouted, a look that Riddick was sure had been practiced to perfection, before he knew it a low chuckle escaped his throat and the little girl's mouth snapped shut and her eyes grew to the size of saucers. "What?"
"Sissy said you never laughed," she whispered in awe, as if he had just grown a second head. Riddick's mood soured instantly at the mention of Jack, excuse me Sissy.
"Yeah," he said wrapping his arm back up underneath the tiny girl and pulling back to look her dead in her eye, "and what else did uh…Sissy, say about me?" This should prove interesting.
The little girl perked up instantly at being asked a question by the man she had heard stories about all her life. "She said that you were the biggest, baddest, meanest motherf…"
"Ziza," Imam spluttered irritated but not all together shocked, it was Jack after all, "why don't you go find your mother and help her prepare dinner. Mr. Riddick and I must talk."
"But baba," she whined holding tighter to Riddick. "Ziza," Imam warned, knowing that he would never, could never actually play the role of disciplinarian. "Yes baba," she pouted sliding down Riddick and sulking off into the kitchen to find her mother.
"Cute kid," Riddick smirked. He pulled off his goggles and lounged back onto the overstuffed couch in the formal sitting room, fixing Imam with his steady silver gaze. "So Imam, the girl…what's the deal?"
Imam sighed sitting across from Riddick. "I have hired the best hackers I could find to trace where her messages have been coming from. I have done everything I can. She left here, only leaving a note and some gifts for Ziza. I was worried out of my mind that she had been killed until I received her first message, about eleven months ago." He looked at Riddick waiting for him to respond. Silence.
"Our conversations are never too detailed," he continued, rubbing his hands over his face for what seemed the hundredth time that day, "however, they seem to be increasingly…tense. She is unhappy. I can feel it. I fear for her Mr. Riddick, for her safety. She is still a young woman; a mercenary ship is no place for her. She should be here, safe at home with her fam…" his voice broke and he buried his head in his hands.
Riddick watched, somewhat uncomfortable with this display of emotion. Sure, in the eight months he had spent with them after the crash, he had at some point become accustomed to Imam even thinking of him as a friend, someone who could be trusted; but, sitting here watching a grown man cry over a girl who wasn't really his daughter, but loved just as much, made something stir in Riddick. Something that he preferred would stay still and dormant so he didn't have to deal with it. Just do what you're here to do Dick. That's it, that's all.
"Show me the messages," Riddick demanded, standing. He knew Imam cared for Jack as his own daughter, but just sitting there listening to the other man sob left too much time for Riddick to think, and self-reflection was not something Richard B. Riddick spent a great deal of time dealing with. Plus, the sooner he got Jack away from those mercs, the better. He needed to see those messages, now. Spending his teenage years as a military assassin and his adult years on the run had taught Riddick a few things about tracing people and staying hidden that he was sure no punk kid hacker could know.
"They are stored in the com-unit in my study," Imam replied, pointing down the hallway, "third door to the left."
Two hours later Riddick walked into the dining room hold a sheet of coordinates in his hand, duffle bag slung over his shoulder. "Imam," he said badly startling the young woman who he assumed was his wife, Lajjun. She dropped her fork on the plate and refused to meet his eyes. Whatever, he thought, I don't have time for this I'm-not-the-bad-guy shit. It'll take me at least two days to get to Sona III. And besides, he let an evil smirk cross his features, scaring the woman more, I am the fucking bad guy.
Imam stood and left the table walking with Riddick into the courtyard. The sun was almost completely set, allowing Riddick to remain without his goggles. He stared at Imam scowling for a long moment before he spoke. "She's on Sona III, party planet, dangerous place, run by the citizens, no established system. That's not the problem though," he pulled down his goggles, rubbed his hand over his head and sighed, "the problem is that the place is crawling with mercs looking for a payday."
"I understand," Imam started.
"No, I don't think you do," Riddick interrupted. "I'm leaving for Sona III, for Jack, tonight. She'll be safe until I get there. If Jack kept up with her training like you say she has, the locals there won't be a problem." He pulled himself up onto the wall and perched there like some great predator staring down into the calm face of Imam. "It's what's going to happen to her after I find her that you should be worried about." And with that he was gone, jogging back to the docks.
He reached the ship punched in his access code and strode inside. As he waited for the ship to power up he let his mind wander to his time in Imam's home.
It had only taken about an hour to locate Jack. She wasn't as clever as she thought. The rest of the time he had spent in her room. He had walked into it only to find some recent photo, some letter, some clue as to who she may be with. A boyfriend maybe?A merc boyfriend? Riddick had ground his teeth at the thought.
She was pushing it. He hadn't made it more than three feet into her room when her scent had attacked his senses, rendering him thoughtless for a minute. She could've just walked out of the room her scent was so strong. Those damn candy apples. Definitely Jackie…but something else too. Something more…vanilla and cinnamon. Riddick inhaled deeply and growled in appreciation before he realized just who the fuck he had been thinking about. This was Jack! This was "kid"! Yeah that's right KID, he had barked at himself. There's no way we're gonna ride THAT thought-train, you sick bastard. But goddamn she smelled like heaven (if he had believed in it). Like a woman. Not like a kid at all. Well, that's just fucking fine but she's still 'kid' to you, he told his beast, don't ever forget that.
He had sorted through her clothes, pulling out some cargos and tanks that she might need to change into in case he had to just drag her ass back to the ship in a hurry. He threw her clothes into a duffle bag and was turning away from the closet when a flash of light from the bottom of the closet caught his eye. He stooped down and pulled out a metal encased book, locked with a password. Looks like Sissy didn't want anybody seeing whatever's inside here. He smirked to himself as he pocketed it. He felt a twinge of guilt for blatantly violating her privacy, but he got over it quickly. Fuck that, his animal growled as he closed the closet doors, I think five years on an ice heap entitles me to a peek into the life of the girl I was there trying to protect….
Yeah that's right asshole, you justify it. Just like you justified leaving her here.
To keep her safe.
From who?You?
Shut up.
He was pulled away from his argument with himself as the "Commence Takeoff" light flashed on the control panel. He threw the duffel bag into his cabin and strapped himself into the pilot's chair.
"Control Tower Omega," he spoke into the com-unit, "this is Captain Darius Frye, requesting permission for takeoff from hangar ODS32."
He grinned when he heard Deirdre's obviously pissed voice answer. "Well good evening Captain Frye, leaving so soon?"
"Good evening Deirdre," he sneered right back, "requesting permission…"
"I'm sorry Captain," she said sweetly, not sounding sorry at all, "but there's been trouble locating your ships I.D. number," she sighed into the unit feigning distress, "I'm going to have to ask you power down your ship. Station security should be arriving soon to escort you to Tower control, please have your ship identification and carg…"
He looked out of the cockpit to see armed security making their way towards him. Fuck. "Look," he snapped into the intercom, "I'm requesting clearance. Fuck that I'm telling you to clear the damn lanes."
"Captain Frye, I don't think you understand the rules," she sneered, scorn dripping from every syllable. This bitch does NOT know who she is fucking with.
"No, I don't think you understand Deirdre," he said slowly as if explaining it to a slow child, "I'm initiating takeoff in less than one minute, so if you don't clear the lanes, and I mean fucking now, you're risking having a head-on collision on your hands, and I don't think your boss would like that very much. So listen to me very carefully, little girl, because I don't like having to repeat myself. Clear the lanes…Now!!"
He then pressed the exterior intercom and shouted into it for the guards outside to hear, "Initiating takeoff now, if you don't want to get blown-the-fuck-up, I would suggest moving away from my ship immediately." And with that he pushed the throttle to the max and roared off into the atmosphere. He had to dodge a large transport vessel, but once in the clear, he punched in Sona's coordinates, set auto-pilot and went to get some rest. Collapsing onto the cot he kicked off his heavy combat boots and was asleep before they hit the cabin floor
He had been walking home from the security job Imam had secured for him at a small shipping yard, when he first felt their eyes on him. He knew this day was coming. He had been feeling it for weeks. It was just a matter of time. (Sorry kid). Ducking into an alley and pressing himself up underneath a fiberglass overhanging from one of the shop doors, he slipped the contacts from his eyes, giving him the advantage of sight over the mercs who were coming for him.(The creed is greed). He felt an unfamiliar stab of panic which he knew came from the fact that he was just five blocks away from the house where Jack was.He pushed those thought away however, when his beast snarled at him for being so damn to three he inhaled deeply, slowing his heart rate. A cold smile crept across his face as he felt the familiar hum start in the back of his head and work its way down. (Damn, it's been too long). Slipping his favorite shiv out from behind his back, he rolled his neck relaxing his muscles. It was time.
One. (Boots on gravel.One man in the mouth of the alley.Twenty feet away, approaching).
Two. (Footsteps above.One man on the roof of the building).
Three. (An electronic hum …sound like a gauge. Now).
The animal ripped its way up to the surface, swinging out his arm he grabbed the merc who'd followed him down the alley (Idiot). Ripping the gauge out of his hands and throwing it down the alley, he twisted the man's arm up behind his back, smiling, when he heard the familiar sound of cracking bones. The merc screamed. (Shut him up). Riddick jammed his fingers into the hollow of the man's throat; the screams were replaced with wet choking sounds as the merc collapsed onto the ground clutching at his throat. Still standing underneath the fiberglass overhanging he glanced up as the shadow of another fell across the alley.
(That's right…one on the roof). Riddick knelt and grabbed the ankle of the man who had fallen in front of him, dragging him slowly closer.The man's eyes widened as he realized what was about to happen, he began to struggle. Riddick smiled again and tightened his grip until he heard another satisfying crack. The mans eyes rolled back into his head with pain.He gave one last feeble attempt to escape before the razor sharp edge of Riddick's shiv sliced across his throat sending a crimson arch sailing through the air. (Beautiful) A loud cracking sound from above made Riddick duck and spin around, shiv out. He almost laughed when he saw a foot then leg come crashing through the fiberglass awning.
Standing up he watched as the momentum of the fall caused the upper half of the mercs body to swing forward. He walked up to the man who was now hanging upside-down from the awning fumbling for his gun, and stood in front of him reveling in the stench of fear that permeated the air around the man. Riddick tapped his shiv on the underside of the man's chin noticing the crusty dried spit collecting in the corners of the man's mouth. (Disgusting). When the heavy stench of urine assaulted his nostrils Riddick decided that he'd had enough of the pig and driven his blade clear through the man's jaw, burying it to the hilt. He was wiping the blood from his knife on the hanging mans shirt when searing hot pain shot through his shoulder almost flooring him. (Fuck. Another merc). He had been sloppy. Ducking behind a dumpster he shielded his eyes as bullets ricocheted off the walls spitting brick dust. Silence fell over the alley. One footstep.Then another. Riddick flew from behind the dumpster tackling the assailant to the ground only to have the man roll from underneath him a slash at his chest with a knife that had been attached to the back of the gauge. Fire burned up his stomach and it was only surpassed by the agony that shot through his head when the merc turned on an exceptionally strong UV flashlight and pointed it straight into Riddick's eyes. He swung out blindly, growling when his hand connected with the side of a throat. He wrapped his hand around the throat, pushing his thumb into the hollow, he held on for dear life. The merc began stabbing blindly at Riddick's chest and arms; struggling to get free as the air was continuously squeezed from his throat. When Riddick sensed the man was weakened he reared up drawing back his free hand he punched him in the neck, snapping it. He had continued punching him until a voice shouted down the alley. After that he had run.
When he arrived home the first thing he had done was shower until the water was cold, bandaging his shoulder and chest. And then he had stood in the doorway of Jack's room and watched for hours as she slept. She was sprawled out across the bed, feet wrapped in the blankets and arms flung out, snoring softly. He walked up to her and brushed the hair out of her face. As she began stirring he wrapped his hands softly around her neck and began to squeeze. She woke with a start and began struggling with him, fingernails clawing into his skin, he squeezed tighter smiling softly. As she spluttered, turning blue with tears running down her face he leaned down and kissed her mouth softly, before sinking his teeth into the soft skin in her neck and ripping out her throat.
"JACK!"
Riddick shot up in his cot, shiv held out defensively in front of him. His heart was hammering in his chest, he was gasping for breath, his sheets were soaked in sweat. WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?
He remembered that night. The mercs. It was the night he knew he had to move on. That had happened. But hurting Jack? No fucking way. In fact, that night he had lain down to sleep next to her bed to make sure that nothing would happen to her; and when she had awoke in the middle of the night telling him to 'just get in the damn bed Riddick because you'll get a stiff neck from laying on the floor', he had done it, pulling her close to him apologizing silently because he knew he was going to have to break that promise. Sorry kid, really.
Pulling his shirt back on Riddick made his way to the small galley and make himself a strong pot of coffee. Silently draining his cup, he wondered just what the hell he was going to do until he arrived in Sona, because sleeping was definitely out of the question. It's gonna be a long two days, he thought refilling his cup with coffee, a long two days.
