:) It's been a while! SORRY! The writer's block is waning...the story is moving along. Hope you like and gracias for the reviews, I LOVE them, they make me feel all warm and fuzzy!!


Riddick gritted his teeth against the pain that flared in his back as his shirt chaffed his skin.

"Goddamn shirt," he swore quietly. He swore loudly, however, when the puddle he stepped in turned out to be deeper than he'd originally thought. His shoe now squelched with every step but it didn't deter him from his mission.

Jack was somewhere in this hellhole and he wasn't leaving without her. Not after everything he'd done to get there.

Evading mercs was a never ending job, tedious and painstaking. Breaking outta slam was always dangerous, always risky. Escaping the Ramses had been a stone cold bitch.

He hadn't wanted that many people to die, but people had a tendency to get in between him and freedom. But then, they had tried to get in between him and Jack. And now they were dead.

And he was pretty sure he was back on the radar. They had his DNA, they must've sent it out to the Counsel by now. Mercs would be breathing down his neck in no time.

So much for taking her with me.

Bitterness swept through him and this time he couldn't shake it off. It hit him then how much he'd wanted to have her with him. When had that happened?

Ducking under the overhanging of the tower control building Riddick surveyed the docks looking for a sign of Davis or his crew. Gerod or Riley, he'd kill quickly. Maybe Farris too, he never really trusted him. Jack would get over it. But Davis…that motherfucker would die slowly.

During his race from the Ramsesto Trelios he had uncovered the truth about Davis's real operation. The name tags. They'd been the final clue. None of those crewmembers were wanted; he had run them through the Counsel database after hacking in. Everything about the Severet was legit. Manifest, logs, crew, and cargo…Davis was pirating. Hell, he was wanted for questioning by the Counsel. And he had turned Jack into his executioner for-hire.

Riddick hoped she would never know. He sure as hell wasn't planning on telling her.

How would that sound, he wondered, 'hey Jack, I know you're already torn up about the people you've killed but, guess what? There's a chance that none of them were cons and you murdered a bunch of scared innocent passengers…surprise!'

It would kill her.

He waited for a few more minutes, but the yards were dead not a soul moved through it. Stepping back out into the torrential downpour he flipped the collar of his jacket up and started off in a slow jog towards the heart of Talios.

Finding Jack was going to be easier than he thought, and he applauded himself for placing that locator beacon in her comm. unit when he'd had the chance.

Luckily, she wasn't on the ship. There shouldn't be any complications.

Grab Jack, kill Davis, take his ship, and get the fuck outta here.

He was anticipating the look on Jack's face when he found her, it would be priceless. He hoped she'd be happy enough to not kill him when he told her that she couldn't go with him.

Wincing at the thought he sped up.

Better get this over with, he thought, she's going to hate me.


Cobi started crying in her sleep. Long, shuddering moans that made the hair on the back of Jack's neck stand straight up.

Jack didn't want to know what could make such a young girl cry like that. She didn't want to know the horrors a pretty little thing like Cobi would've had to endure in this hellish city. All Jack knew was that as long as Cobi was with her, she would do anything to keep her safe.

Smoothing her hands down the girls back, Jack whispered soothing words and Cobi buried her face into Jack's chest snuffling and sobbing.

How long has it been since I really slept, Jack wondered to herself, four days? Five?

The rain beat down outside and Jack felt a fleeting stab of hopelessness; it would never stop raining. Not for her. It seemed as if overnight she had gone from being an honor student in a land full of light, to a jaded woman with a gaping hole in her heart.

Gently untangling her limbs from the girl's, Jack slid off the bed and walked to the bathroom, quietly closing the door behind her.

She slid down against the door and held her head in shaking hands.

"I can do this, Riddick, I can," she whispered to herself, "I can do this…but god, I just want you back."


Riddick glanced at the tracking device in his hand and then back up to the shoddy hotel in front of him. She was in there, somewhere.

"Jesus, kid, "he muttered as he strode through the rain towards the office, "gotta thing for shitholes or what?"

The little bell above the door jingled as he pulled the door open and he found that it grated on his already frayed nerves. All he wanted to do was grab his girl and go.

Whoa, not my girl, he thought running a hand through his damp hair, can't be mine. Not anymore.

The thought pissed him off more than he thought it should and by the time the clerk had hauled her fat ass out of the back room his patience had completely evaporated.

He gave Jack's description and the woman stuttered out that she was in room 7B. He left the office without a backwards glance.

Standing outside her room, he felt a sudden chill run up his spine, followed by hot raw anger. She wasn't in there alone. He could smell someone else's scent mingling with Jack's sweet vanilla. Inhaling deeply he caught the scent of mint, but couldn't tell if it was a man or woman.

Fighting the instinct to kick down the door, he pulled a shiv from his pocket and picked the lock with practiced ease. Listening to it lock click back he cracked the door open peeked into the dark room. Light shone from underneath the bathroom door, but what caught his attention was the little body lying in the bed in front of him.

"What the hell," he murmured to himself creeping closer. This was definitely Jack's room, the air was saturated in her scent …but he could swear the thing in front of him was a…a kid.

He reached his hand out, intending on turning the sleeping body over, when the sound of metal slicing air caused him to jerk up.

He deftly snatched the shiv out of the air milliseconds before it embedded itself in his chest. Before he had the chance to move a foot connected with his chest and he stumbled back out into the rain.

His attacker was on him in an instant, and he was almost too surprised to block the flurry of punches and kicks she threw his way.

She landed a solid kick to his knee cap and when he fell back she bolted back to the room. She was trying to protect whoever was in there. She wasn't fast enough, however, and Riddick was back on her in a second.

This time he managed to grab her arm, spin her around so her back was to his chest and slam her – none to gently – against the wall. She struggled and bucked against him, but his bulk won out in the end. She was pinned.

"You've been practicing," he growled into her ear. She went stock still and he could scent fear, sharp and ugly, radiating from her.

"What did I tell you about fighting angry…Jack?"

She shuddered once in front of him and the scent of tears met his nostrils. He slowly loosened his hold and let her drop to her feet. So much for a happy reunion.

Her back remained towards him and she practically vibrated she was shaking so hard, "Riddick?"

Her voice broke, and he felt a sliver of worry at the empty hysteria he heard in it.

"Yeah."

She jumped at the sound of his voice, and when he reached out and put his hand on her shoulder she wrenched herself from between him and the wall and stumbled back into her room, slamming the door behind her.


Hmmm...happy she does not appear to be ...wonder what will happen next. R&R please.