A/N: Slightly updated to bring the scales into line with each other for the time in Cryo. Warning: This chapter has a rape scene. Um, right. I still don't own :-(

A Passage: 26

Toombs and the Making of 'A New Animal'

Carl Johastein was the sort of man that got what he wanted. He wasn't used to dealing with those who felt otherwise in any other fashion besides a runaway steam engine. Only one man in the 'verse dared to continually thwart him, and that man was currently flying low, under the radar, presumed dead. He had to wonder why, sometimes, his obsession with his near son, Richie, could make him go to such extremes as landing on the merc infested rock of Lupus 5. And speaking of mercs, here was the one that claimed to have seen the boy – or man, rather – personally. He narrowed his silver-blue eyes as the unshaven, unwashed, rough-around-the-edge fellow that walked up in front of him.

He looked at the merc going by the name Toombs. One thing and one thing only would make Johastein deal with this sort of scum, the possibility that Richie, his one time head of security, might still be alive somewhere. The merc put out his cigar stub and brushed himself off. "I know this is kinda old intel, Mr. Johastein. But if you look at the backup files I saved -- these images are a perfect match." The ill-mannered fellow offered up a data padd that had hacked Kovan records on it alongside the company data that Johastein had provided from his personal files. If it weren't for the fact that this meeting had to be under the table, someone else would be here doing this. Still, Toombs had been bragging that he knew the guild had made a mistake and that Richard B. Riddick was alive. Johastein took the padd and looked at it. There was no doubt in his mind that the man was telling the truth, now. He knew this was Richie. How in hell had he managed to pass himself off as Marcus Smyth? A light went off in his head. Little Audrey. Of course.

The possibility that his 'daughter' was using her illegally honed skills to hack into, and wreak havok with, universal wide databases for Richie's benefit was an alarming one. There would be no stopping them if they decided to take him to point. He narrowed his eyes at the image in his hand. It was time to play his hidden card. He looked up at the merc who was waiting casually, "I've got a deal for you, Captain Toombs. I'll pay you up front, after a fashion, and make sure that the guild reimburses you for the balance, if you are right. And I'm willing to give you the benefit of the doubt. This looks like him. And I see that the images are from after his so-called death." He handed the device back to its owner before motioning for Toombs to follow, "I think I've got something that will aid you in your quest, if you are willing to work for your pay."

Toombs for his part was aware that Johastein did not like anyone that appeared smarter than he did, and although he disliked the man's attitude he knew that someone with Johastein's kind of power could have any size chip on his shoulder that he wanted. Besides, the man was willing to make the guild pay out every last bounty for Riddick if he was brought in and Toombs knew Johastein would see that it happened. That would make Toombs a very rich man, and rich was good. He put on his meek face and followed his 'superior' into the next room where his eyes landed on something he thought he'd never see again, in spite of the fact that she haunted his dreams all these many months later…

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The plain man in a formal tan suit approached the door of the multi-story dwelling that he knew was the home of Imam Abu al-Walid. His arrival on Helion Prime had been uneventful; something he hoped would remain true for the remainder of his current route. He had an aversion this part of his job but the insurance claim needed to be delivered. Due to the situation, both with the high amount of the money and the standing of the parties involved, meant that he was doing this in person just to verify that it had been done and that the company could wash its hands of the matter. A vid-card would have been easier, but the Imam deserved a more personal touch. He knocked and waited. After a moment a beautiful woman dressed in a cinnamon colored tunic and coordinating striped loose pants opened the door. He was momentarily startled by the graceful swell to her middle, "Mrs. – al-Walid? Is the Imam home? I'm Duane Spencer, from Sun Corp Insurance Group. There's been an – well, we located Mr. Smyth's ship. I think you might want to be sitting…"

Lajjun knew that on some level Abu had been expecting this, so she was not overly startled to have this man at her door. At six months pregnant, she wasn't sure that this was exactly the best of times though. Her heart sank as she realized the hidden implications of the man's presence on her doorstep. If Smyth had perished then Jack had as well. Still, it wouldn't do to jump to conclusions. She smoothly stepped aside and motioned toward the archway, "Please come in, Mr. Spencer. I shall inform my husband that you are here. Why don't you help yourself to some tea in the sitting room?"

Mr. Spencer thanked her for the offer and moved into the indicated room as she walked into her husband's study. After a moment the holy man joined him in the sitting room and his wife followed to pour her husband tea. Abu studied the young man for a moment and then said, "My wife is under the impression that you bring bad news, Mr. Spencer. I am well aware that Marcus Smyth took out insurance with your company in case there was another error in his getting to Aquila Prime similar to the one he suffered getting here. I believed at the time that he was being paranoid." The look on his face was grave and pained as he waited.

"Err. Um, well. I think that it was a beneficial thing that Mr. Smyth bothered to take out insurance, however things have turned out, sir." He really did hate this part of his job because it never got any easier, "I regret to say that Mr. Smyth's ship turned up at an Aquilan automated outpost nearly a parsec off course. Life support was down, and the body found in cryo was decomposed so badly that we couldn't make a full ID. Still, the company feels that in light of everything that Mr. Smyth had gone through that the claim should be paid to his next-of-kin. He designated that party to be you." He heard the Imam's wife sob and hastily leave the room. Duane wanted to complete this and be gone; "Here's your draft, Mr. al-Walid. I'm very sorry."

Imam took the slip of paper. The amount was far more than he thought was proper, considering that he suspected it was fraudulent. He held his tongue, relieved that he could at least do something to help others with the money. "Please forgive my wife. She is slightly emotional these days even when she isn't hearing that her friends have died. Thank you for the personal visit, Mr. Spencer. Most other insurance companies leave video recordings and make one jump through hoops to collect. I'll make sure that I spread around to my contacts that your company is the one to seek out when they need it."

Mr. Spencer stood, shook the holy man's hand, and let himself be ushered out onto the street, "Thank you, Sir. I do hope your wife is okay," but discovered that he was speaking to an already shut door. Ah well. At least that was over and he could head back to the hotel until he needed to catch his next flight.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

She'd been having dreams. Not sweet, pleasant dreams, but borderline nightmarish dreams that had her confused about not only her age but also her location. Some part of her was aware that there were things in the dream that were memories. Most made little sense to her, being snatches of a broiled desert world with three suns in the sky and memories of being asleep for long periods of time, combined with snatches of people in lab coats peering down at her through a hazy surface. She wasn't sure which bits were worse, actually. Neither seemed totally real. The one thing that she wanted above all else was to wake up from whatever she was trapped in. After an unknown time of fighting she sensed the fog lifting and struggled toward awareness.

The blue-eyed girl with the mental identity of Jack woke up in a cryo-tube. She put her hands on the glass. 'What the hell? How did I get here?' Here was a far cry from her last memories. Where dust and dirt and dry heat just seconds ago had surrounded her, she was now incased in moist cold, slick and sterile. She'd sought out shade from unending daylight but her eyes now focused on square white lights placed in a white ceiling. She'd hidden that she was a girl under tight bandages but could feel that she was unbound and exposed. The jarring differences made her want to close her eyes and go back to sleep on the off chance that this was part of the dream she'd been having. Instead she blinked and focused on her last memory: the abandoned settlement, three suns, and fearing that Johns was going to recognize that she'd stolen his wallet. That she knew was real, no matter how she'd gotten here.

If her eyes weren't playing tricks with her, she was not on that world anymore. In the memory she was standing, no, exploring a darkened room, blowing dust off various objects and trying not to cough from the burn in her lungs. She'd not been able to take a clear deep breath for hours, without the breather in her mouth, at least. Now she was lying down, and her senses screamed at her that she was naked but for the gel like moisture around her. She could breath and her lungs didn't burn. There was no dust anywhere near her. She started to hyperventilate. Her mind supplied helpfully that she must be in a ship someplace, or perhaps a medical lab like a burn unit. The fluid around her didn't keep her from breathing but adjusted to her panic and she felt artificially calmed like there was some drug seeping into her skin designed to keep her feeling disconnected from her surroundings. This turned out to be a good thing as shadows fell onto the tube she was incased in.

Johastein watched the timer on the cryo tube blink, indicating that the figure inside was waking. He paused as the merc behind him froze, eyes glued to the woman inside. "Do you recognize her, Captain Toombs? This is my daughter, Audrey. She ran away from home nearly three years ago. I've been trying to track her down and figure out why she left. Perhaps your experience will give me some clues?"

Toombs eyes never left the figure floating with nary a stitch on in the slick pale blue-green gel, "Ah, well. I did see her. In fact I saw her on the Kubla Kahn. She was running with Riddick. I'd never forget a face like that one…" his voice drifted off as intense sky blue eyes bored into his. They were just as intense as the ones he remembered in his dreams but they were – the wrong color. The amber eyes floated through his mind again in deliberate contrast to the ones focused on him now. He was struck with an undeniable possibility, one he wouldn't dare voice, "Holy, Sweet, Mother of Jesus!"

Carl was watching the merc. The man was smart. Smart enough to play dumb until shocked into revealing his intelligence. "Ah, I see that you understand that this is not actually her, Captain. No, it is not the same woman you saw then, but I think having her around might allow you to track where Riddick has disappeared. Those who know him might be more – willing to let things slip if they believe Audrey was left behind. I suspect that she's with him still, whereever he's gone."

She was aware that the two men paused about three feet away were talking by their body language. They seemed wary of each other, and one of them was intensely focused on her. She could feel his eyes like weights. The men walked up to the tube, and the cleaner cut one looked down at her. She let out a startled gasp as she recognized him. It was Pops. The man who had killed her mother with his callousness, who had made her short life hell, who had raped her with his nightstick after viciously beating her. She wanted to claw her way out of the tube and put space between the hand the rested casually on the curved glass and her body, but the drugs in the gel instantly soothed the impulse. Being as she couldn't do anything about Johastein she looked at the other man.

She did not recognize the scruffy fellow but his eyes spoke that he recognized her. There was a flash of shock as some other thought occurred to him. Jack wanted to frown at his expression but her face wouldn't comply. She could read the man like a book. He was a classic merc by his dress and manner, rude and crude. Memories of hacking into the Company database for some of Pop's 'friends' to earn her mother's morphine circled her brain. That was over now, and she was positive none of them had been this man. She was revolted that he could look at her like he knew her. She had no memory of him at all. He mouthed, "Holy, Sweet, Mother of Jesus!" as he looked over her nude body. Jack felt herself turning red. The fellow was scum. She had no idea what Pops was gonna do. He was keeping his face away from her. The men talked for a bit more before Pops motioned to someone else that she couldn't see. Likely one of the lab technicians she remembered from her dreams. The liquid drained out and the lid opened. Jack still could not hear well, her ears popping from the pressure change.

"Audrey? Do you know who I am?" Carl Johastein begun. The girl didn't look at him.

The tech spoke up, "I would imagine that her ears are rather clogged, Mr. Johastein. Perhaps if she were looking at you?"

He gave the tech a nod, reached into the tube gripping her arm hard and forcing Jack into sitting up. Then he caught her chin and turned her face, "Audrey? Do you know who I am?"

She noted the artificially concerned expression first. It was not like he really cared about her, after all. She was just a means to an end. She blinked and focused on his lips as they moved, his voice came through to her as muffled and faint. Jack made to nod but his hand kept her wet, weighted down, head still, so she spoke instead, "Yeah. – Pops?" He let go of her face but kept a tight grip in her arm. He was acting; she knew it. Perhaps if she acted like the rape had never happened he'd reveal something, "How did I get here?"

Johastein nodded to the tech to send her away. He could handle the defiant youth from this point. "You ran away from home. Remember?"

Oh boy, did she remember? The vivid images of the nightstick, the bloody sheets, the raw fear...all came back to her in force. Of course she remembered! It hadn't been the answer she was fishing for however. How was she to figure out what was going on? Jack twisted her arm in his grip and played dumb, "I did? Why would I do that? I loved taking care of my brothers and sisters."

The reply made Johastein pause. It had been explained that the girl might not retain all her memories. In fact it was possible that she wouldn't remember any of them. The physical reaction she was having was what he expected, but her words made him wonder. Did she not remember her last months on Sigma 3? He decided to test that out, "Your mother and I talked it over, Audrey. And we decided to let you join up with the Mercs' Guild just like you wanted." Jack looked at Johastein in disbelief. "I imagine that the nasty bump you took to the head had unforeseen consequences, love. One of the things you said when my men picked you up off the Kubla Kahn was that you didn't want to come home when you could have an exciting life of your own. Have you changed your mind?"

Jack felt confused. She'd been rescued? Injured? Healed? She guessed it made sense. It explained the gap in her memories. Had she really wanted to join the Mercs' Guild? She couldn't remember. But anything was better than going back to the hellhole that was Sigma 3 as Johastein's whore and being pimped out in the mine pits. For some reason he was letting that plan go and offering her a choice. She chewed on her lip for a moment, "No… No, Pops. I've not changed my mind. I just don't recall the conversation."

"Ah, that's to be expected, Audrey. Some of the memories should return with time. Don't worry about it, okay? I went and checked out the various crews looking for the best people to place you with. This man is the best," he indicated the scruffy merc. "He's got an impeccable record and can teach you how to be part of a successful team. Once more, Captain Toombs has agreed to let you sign on with his crew, Audrey. Do what he says, when he says it, and he'll give you a decent cut while teaching you the trade. Isn't that right, Mr. Toombs?"

Toombs had to settle his flipping heart. Johastein was actually turning the girl over to him. They'd sign a contract of course, and Toombs had the perfect forms for it. He'd been promised pay up front, of a sort, and guessed that this was it. He'd make sure that she belonged to him before they left the merc port. "Sure thing, Mr. Johastein. I'll take the kid on. She looks plenty tough to me." Jack looked at Toombs with her bright blue eyes. He could see the shock there, and the knowledge that her life wasn't her own to do with as she pleased. Good. She'd be less of a problem that way. He raked his eyes over her body one more time. Sweet and young, untouched and hot off the presses. He wanted to sink his 'cigar' into her box and drill her through the floor, just like he'd dreamed of doing to the amber-eyed angel haunting his dreams. That would have to wait until after the papers were signed. Hell, he'd have to wait until they were in space and he was sure she wouldn't turn his crew on him. "Damn, you are right pretty, lass." He removed his vest and tossed it at her. She caught it and slipped it over her shoulders. At least it would cover most of her torso. She scrambled out of the tube as the merc said, "Welcome to Lupus Five, kid."

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

In the months that followed, Jack discovered while Toombs jealously guarded her body from other interested parties and went out of his way to teach her enough about fighting, gunplay, and how to approach runners to be useful, that he was more engaged in keeping her as a workhorse than really turning her into a top star merc. Maybe it was the thought of her striking out independently as competition to him that made him treat her like shit, but she rather thought that it was because he was scum and that Johastein had been talking out his ass when he'd called Toombs the 'best'. The old boys on the crew all knew that she was Toombs personal domain. None of them even dared to look at her funny much less bother to teach her anything. She'd gone out on several low-profile cases and managed to survive to bring the bounty in, which was more than she could say for some of the other crew. But Toombs had yet to pay her more than a handful of UD's insisting that she was being paid in gear, food, and a place to sleep without having to screw him for it. And she should be thankful that he bothered to give her pocket change, god damn it.

One conclusion she had reached was that Lupus 5 was a burrow of shit-faced gamblers and down on their luck mercs. Toombs was there because labor was cheap to come by and his crew always had a fairly high turnover. So while she was thankful for the training she itched to get off planet and away from her keeper.

Toombs current crew was pilling loads of gear at the base of the ramp to his C-19 undercutter. It was a smallish craft with had room for seven crew and two bounties, but could be flown by a single pilot. The supplies she was loading were various guns and ammo, securing equipment, heavy ground to ship rocket launchers, emergency rations, and assorted medical kits. The cryo systems and fuel were loaded automatically. The real jewel of the craft was the shield system that could make it nearly invisible to most detection systems and the naked eye. Jack was the 'computer specialist' due to her hacking skills but was only allowed access to the computer when Toombs was standing over her shoulder. Most times she respected his boundaries and thus was the only crewmember allowed inside the ship without supervision. This translated into being the only one trusted with loading the ship without Toombs being right there. That suited the rest of the crew just fine, because it meant that they could drop their gear off and she would put it away while they went off to drink, gamble, or fuck. Not that she gave a shit.

She paused on the ramp and wiped some of the loose curls off her face. The brown waves were irritating when she was sweaty. For some reason it seemed more unruly than she remembered it being. She couldn't shake how strange it was that her hair was as long as it was either. She'd cut it just a few weeks back and it was already in her face again. It was growing like a goddamned weed. The replacement crewmembers ogled her as they dropped their stuff at her feet because Toombs wasn't in direct eyesight. "Stare at someone else before I remove those pretty green eyes, Curly," she snarled at the bolder one. His companion settled his gear down and moved swiftly away.

The youthful looking merc grinned at her, "Ah, I think it turns you on, little girl. I bet you want some…" A cleared throat announced the captain's return. For once Jack was relieved to see his scummy face. "Just teasin' boss," Curly made like he was innocent before commenting , "Look at her blush." She narrowed her eyes at him at glared, her face heating as her temper rose. Jack's face was red, but with anger.

"Get the fuck away from my computer hack before I feed you your worm-like dick!" Toombs didn't have to take his gun out to make his point. Curly darted off. The captain looked at the tender young flesh shaking with rage, "And you!" he snapped, "Get your pussy in gear. Get those supplies loaded, chit! I'm not paying you to stand around and look pretty." He swung a switch at her and snapped it near her head.

"Sure, boss," she ground out. Jack picked up the nearest box and stiffly carried it into the cutter. She hated everything about her life. Nothing was going right. Toombs was an ass. His crew was just as bad. The training was barely enough to survive by and every moment spent under Toombs' wing was a moment of being intensely aware that he was itching to fuck her. He'd told her as much. If she wanted a full cut she'd have to spread her legs and let him have his way with her. Otherwise she was his apprentice and as such he didn't have to pay her shit. 'Bastard,' she mentally chanted as she carried load after load into the ship and put them away.

After all the time that had passed there was one major thing that bothered Jack more than how Toombs treated her. Her memories of the last year and a half before she'd woken up had not returned. Her dreams centered on that dusty darkened room with its stifling heat like some clue had been left there, something important, but she couldn't figure out what it was. Beyond that her mind was blank and empty. Most of the time she wasn't confronted with things that threw it in her face so she ignored it. But she still had to wonder what had exactly happened because something was off. She supposed that the missing time was like being in cryo. That wasn't too bad. But then Toombs had showed a clip of people being rescued from a ship he identified as the Kubla Kahn. He declared that he'd been there when she was rescued along with Carolyn Fry, Imam and a man he stated was a 'Mr. Smyth'. He said he was doing her a favor showing her the blurry clip, and that she was not to mention it to anyone else. As far as she knew the brown haired woman in the clip could be her, just as the blonde one could be Fry. The images of Imam and Smyth were different though, almost too clear, like they were pasted in. Then there was the story Toombs had fed her about how Smyth had injured her and fled… but why? Because Smyth was Riddick? If she'd been on his side why did he attack her? And why was there no footage of it? It just didn't add up.

She was on her way back down the ramp to pick up still yet another box of ammo when the most grating voice hit her ears, "Where are we going, Captain?" One look revealed the base's cigar chopping whore leaning suggestively on Toombs' arm like she was half drunk. Toombs didn't seem to mind, and was eyeing over the revealed cleavage like a starving animal. Jack made a face and groaned slightly when she noticed the loader floating along behind them. Apparently Toombs had found his pilot.

"New Mecca. I got a lead that Riddick's been back there. And we'll play the sympathy card and see if the preacher will say where he went."

"Why would that work, Boss?" came the smoke-roughened husky voice of the newest crewmember.

"Because she'll do as I say, and it will. Who could resist this face, huh?" Toombs had stopped right in front of Jack and caught her chin in a dirty hand. "As long as she don't want to end up like her mother, she'll follow orders. Ain't that right, doll?"

Jack nodded as she pulled away, "Yes, boss."

The woman looked her over, sizing up the threat, then turned to Toombs, "I'm positive that you are going to nail this Riddick fellow to the wall of the nearest triple max, Boss. I wouldn't trust anyone else to do it."

Toombs gave the woman a wet kiss and slapped Jack on the cheek; "This here is Betsy. She's a pilot. Load her things, girl. Betsy and I have some terms to negotiate." The loader came to a stop as they moved away. Jack shot his back a glare as she continued loading the heavy supplies into the cutter. Her face stung where he'd slapped her. She hated him almost as much as she hated Johastein.

She heard the burly, well-built woman comment, "Cute kid," as they rounded the corner, Toombs guiding the woman with a hand on her well-rounded ass.

His reply floated back to Jack, "Got her on a bargain bin, a deal with her father. She's working out alright."

Jack shook her head as she turned to store the decoys in the special hatch for them. She knew the two mercs were going off to 'negotiate' over sex. 'God, this place is a pit,' she thought. Betsy's stuff consisted of more guns, a few changes of clothes, some backup navigation charts, and even more guns….

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

They were in space. The other crewmembers were in cryo. Jack was still awake, at least for the next few moments. She'd developed a ritual, composing her thoughts like a dairy before she went under. The current 'entry' went like this: 'Being in a small cutter with three smelly guys and a cigar smoking bitch is not what I'd call fun. We're three hours off of Lupus 5. It's a 90-day trip to New Mecca. Oh, joy…in cryo. I won't be thinking about stuff much, I'll bet. Toombs told me I'm supposed to catch Imam's wife at home and see what she knows. Her name is Lajjun. I didn't even know the holy man had a wife. I really doubt that Riddick would have told either of them where he's off to, but I got no choice. Toombs keeps flipping the 'no papers' thing in my face. Man, I am so screwed. He owns my sweet ass, and there is nothing I can do about it until he says the 'debt' is paid, and I have a Merc license. He owns me. I'm no better off here than I was on Sigma 3… There's nowhere I can turn. He gives me the creeps. Doping up now. Goodbye for 3 months.' With that finished and memorized Jack closed her eyes and let the muddy hovering near-death of cryo take her.

The computer woke the assigned crewmember exactly two hours before the others. There was always a risk that the captain wasn't going to wake up if he wasn't the first one, but Toombs had assigned the task to Jack because he did trust, well not her exactly, but his control over her. She blinked and decided to compose another mental dairy entry. After a moment her mind supplied 'Guess what? Toombs set me up to unhook when gravity kicked in. Funny, I thought Betsy would get that honor. Maybe he doesn't trust her?' She got up and started on the pre-landing checks. The inner monologue continued, 'Anyhow, everyone's stats look fine. So, I got a little bit of time to think about stuff before we land. It occurs to me that this Lajjun might know me better than I know her. Or not, because I have no way to tell. What I'd love to do is slip away from Toombs. Maybe they, meaning Imam and Lajjun, will help me even if they don't know me.' The Helion port buzzed them and Jack looked at the request. Somehow answering them became part of her thoughts, too. 'Um, a light token…Yeah, we got one of those. I'll just punch us in for an automated entry. Betsy should be waking up soon. Ah, hell. Cryo makes me stiff. Some of those stretches Toombs taught me should do the trick. Ah, better.' An urgent message flagged itself as read-now and Jack did. The message was a shock. 'What is this? A wanted poster? For me? I don't remember killing anyone, let alone two people. Who is Chillingsworth? What the hell is going on? Shit, now I'm royally fucked. I gotta do something!'

The sounds of Toombs coming to interrupted Jack's thoughts. She froze half turned away from the screen, too slow to delete the message before he spotted the bold red alert banner. He glared at her and gave her a swipe with one hand as he hastened to unbuckle from cryo,"What the fuck are you doing over there!" He woke up fast and cranky. Toombs grabbed Jack by the scruff of the neck and pulled her away from the Intel screen, keeping a grip on her collar. "Well, would you look at that? An easy 200K, for your scrawny ass. Faster compensation than waiting for your first unassisted capture that's for sure." Jack whimpered in his grip, "Don't you worry, I'm gonna leave you with a lasting taste of Merc life before I turn you over to the 'golls who want your ass. You are too pretty to flip off untarnished." She attempted to twist away and he aggressively spun her around. His hand patted her face making her cheeks sting. "I could let the boys have a taste too. They'd like the extra bonus. Even Betsy wants to smoke a cigar after it's been in you, darlin' on account of the fact that you are so pretty." His eyes wandered over her, his spare hand followed suit, under her clothing. Jack struggled. "Now, now…You find out where Riddick has gone and that 1.126 million 'daddy' is putting up more than covers the 200K. I'll let the 'golls rot. You got one chance to find out where Riddick went. Got it?" His hand was down her pants now; Jack whimpered again and nodded. "Either way, this is mine." Toombs' fingers delved through silky strands and soft moist flesh as he brutally fondled her in the most profane of ways making her feel sick inside.

OoOoOoOoOoOoO

The landing was easy; Toombs had clearance. Bright, clean, civilized place, Helion Prime, not the sort of place where either Toombs or Riddick would blend in for long.

Jack would have seen the beauty here if she hadn't been so frightened of the pack of Mercs tailing her. She felt dirty from Toombs touching her. Dirty from how the last fella had leered at her. She had put on clothes provided to help her blend in, but she felt out of place. No one in New Mecca noticed her pushing her way through the crowd.

The inner composer was back, 'We're on Helion Prime now. Toombs took me to a contact. I had to cut my hair again. I'm really confused. The guy was calling me "Jackie" and Toombs was laughing about it. I don't know what is gonna happen. The contact wants to tag along to the next stop, I have a feeling that is likely gonna be Kova, by the way Toombs is talking. Yeah, he's going to flip me off for the money no matter what I find out. Should I get inside Imam's house and tell them the truth? Will they believe me when I say I honestly don't know who I am anymore? And even if I manage to convince Toombs to keep me around, he's gonna rape me…. He's gonna do it anyhow….' Jack looked around the busy New Meccan quarter, searching for the address she'd been given. 'He's watching me. I can't run. Even here I have no rights. Oh, hell…I have to pass the Kovan embassy. This is not good.' Jack tried to pass the building without making herself noticeable.

"You, girl. Stop!" One of the 'goll guards moved down to look at her. He was a burly fellow with implants marring what might have been a handsome face at one time. "Your name?"

"Kyra. I've lived here all my life and passed this way a thousand times. What is the problem."

"You've never been off planet?"

"No sir. My father won't allow it. Now if you're finished, I must get to the Imam's house."

"Um…" The guard looked her over again, "you look familiar somehow."

"I told you I've passed this way a thousand times. You have likely seen me before."

"Alright then, child." The guard resumed his post. Jack moved off as calmly as possible. 'Okay, the bluff worked. That was a good call. But still what do I do about Toombs? Maybe I'll try telling Imam's wife…want's her name? Oh, right -- Lajjun. Yeah, I'll tell Lajjun and see if she can help me. Maybe it'll buy me some time.'

The address took her to a nice multi-story home, clean and sheltered, but sitting right on the busy street. She knocked. 'Please, please be home…'Jack could feel the watchful eyes on her back from the mercs behind her, around the corner and on top of the neighboring buildings. 'God, this place has a lot of spots to hide. I know they're out there watching me. Please answer the door…' She could hear footsteps coming closer, a slight tap of heeled shoes on tile. The handle to the door clicked and the door opened. A beautiful dark skinned woman stood on the threshold, blinking in surprise. "Jackie? I thought you left with Mr. Smyth."

"Can I please come in? It's not safe to talk out here."

"Sure, Jackie. Our house is always open to you." The woman stepped aside, "What has happened? Abu was sure you left."

Jack entered and waited for the door to close. "I don't know if I can explain, really. I got myself into some really bad shit. I know that I know Imam, but I'm not sure that I know you. You're Lajjun right?" The woman nodded looking confused, "Yeah, you look about as confused as I feel. I'm not overly sure that I'm the Jackie you know."

"Come sit. Perhaps something happened and you were injured?" Lajjun turned and escorted Jack to a sofa. "It has been many months since I saw you last, Jackie. What is the last thing you remember?"

"From when? I don't remember ever coming here, Lajjun. I had to ask for the address. Some mercs brought me here, thinking I would be able to find Riddick. But he's long gone…That 'Mr. Smyth' you mentioned, huh?"

"Um…Jackie, we all know that Riddick died in the crash. Leave it at that."

Jack felt a chill. She closed her eyes and then looked at the regal woman, "You think I could use the restroom? I really gotta go."

The woman smiled as the sounds of an infant crying floated through the otherwise serene house. "Of course, Jackie. It's right up the stairs at the end of the hall. I need to attend to Ziza so it might be a moment or two before I return. There's fruit in the basket and iced tea in the cooler. Help yourself."

She waited until Lajjun was out of the room before she ventured to locate the restroom. Once inside, she pulled off her clothes and removed the wire. She looked at the offending item for a moment then flushed it down the toilet. Jack smirked and redressed. Maybe this was the opportunity she'd been praying for. With the wire disposed of she returned to the front room and helped herself to an orange. Lajjun returned with an infant that had to be only a few weeks old. Jack stood back up, "Ah, she's beautiful."

"Thank you. Discovering that you were correct about your prediction was one of the happiest days of my life." Lajjun watched the confusion cross the young woman's face as she spoke, "I'm sorry, Jackie. Is there something wrong?"

Jack found herself nodding. "Yeah, everything. See, I don't remember you. I've never been in your house before. And -- Carl Johastein doesn't believe Riddick's dead, Lajjun. He's offering a private bounty of 1.126 million UD's for his capture. The group of mercs that brought me here have a fellow who claims to have seen him after the crash, seen him with Imam, here on Helion!" Jack stood up and paced, the half-eaten orange forgotten, "Don't tell me he's dead! He can't be. Finding him is gonna be my one chance of salvation from this mess. Man, I am so fucked. Johastein will mess me up bad if the mercs don't do it for him."

Lajjun watched her pace for a moment before placing her baby into a sleeper. She stood up and put her hands on Jack's shoulders, "Calm down. You are safe here. Stay here for a while, the mercs will eventually leave. Just stay here. The Company can't touch you here."

Jack started to cry, "I want to, I really do. But there are other problems, Lajjun. The Kovans have a 200k bounty on my head. I don't remember killing anyone! I don't know who these people were! And they tried me without me even being there."

Lajjun hugged her. She was shocked that the girl didn't remember her actions on Kubla Kahn when she'd been so determined to keep Smyth alive. Maybe somehow the two of them had fought and Jack had left him, but that didn't seem right either based on what she knew about the pair. She ran her hands through Jackie's hair, "Listen to me, Jackie. The Kova system's laws don't reach here either. Abu will get you protection. Shush now, it's okay." Jack was guided back to the couch. She cried herself to sleep.

Jack woke up on the couch. Lajjun had left her there with a soft blanket. Imam's somewhat familiar voice drifted through the warmly accented rooms. Jack blinked. Her blue eyes adjusted to the shifted sunlight filtering through the rust draped windows. 'I have to figure out a way to ditch this mess,' She dropped her feet to the floor just as Imam walked into the room. "You're awake, Jackie. How are you?" he asked.

"Not good," she whispered. Jack looked up into Imam's understanding visage and saw something flicker across his face. "I'm not your Jackie, am I?"

He kneeled down in front of her and took her face in his hands, "It is not possible…."

"What, Abu?" Lajjun moved back into the room with a tray of drinks.

"Tell me what you remember from the crash, Jack. The last thing. Think hard about the very last thing you remember," Imam ordered.

Lajjun put the tray down and looked at them both. Jack blinked at Imam. "Zeke died, Riddick was helping us, Imam! How can he be dead?"

"Don't worry about him right now, Jack. Think about the crash." Imam gripped her face tighter but not enough to hurt, "The crash, Jack."

Jack tightened up her lips. "Okay. We were unloading the sled after the decision was made to move to the settlement, your boys and me. And, um, I went to the skiff while everyone was talking about the fact that it was not a star-jumper." Jack frowned. "It's pretty fuzzy. I think I wondered off, I needed a bathroom. Oh, I found some clothes that would've fit me. And Riddick told me to stash my pack in the skiff. Honestly I can't remember much else. I think I found a razor – it had kind of a dull blade. It seemed to pull the hair out by the roots as much as cut it… Damn, did I shave my head?"

Imam raised his eyebrows. "Is that the last you remember?" He watched the young woman's face as she struggled with her memories, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. Someone powerful was still after Jack and Richard, even after 'Marcus Smyth' had died. His heart ached for his friends. And this girl, innocent of everything, was caught in the middle of it all, threatened by Jack's actions which were self defence when it came right down to it. He wanted to hug her but held back.

"Yeah. I woke up in a cryo-tube, on Lupus 5. Johastein was there. He turned me over to some mercs. My hair was longer than this, Imam, like I'd never cut it." Jack put her hands on Imam's. "I'm scared. If I don't find Riddick they're gonna flip me to the 'golls."

Imam leaned back and took her hands in his own, "Riddick is dead. He died to save us. You don't remember that far. But he is dead. Leave him that way, Jack. I'll see if I can't purchase your contract with these mercs that Johastein signed you up with."

"That's right fucking noble, of you Imam. But you ain't gonna match that 1.126 million that is up for Riddick right now," Jack stood up and pulled away. Imam could sense that she was torn between her fear and a rage that he never remembered his Jack having. She paced for a bit, then threw out, "Where did Mr. Smyth go?"

Imam stood, "He left for Aquila, nearly a year ago. His ship didn't make it. There was engine failure over a parsec away from the outer planet of the system. No life was reported when the ship was finally found. He's dead too."

"I'm so fucked…" Jack froze, staring at her own hands. She returned to her pacing. 'No Riddick. No leads.' Toombs threat loomed in her mind. "Imam, can I crash here for a few days?" Maybe she could sneak away.

"Yes, Jack. Please give me time to help you. I know you are upset. Here, sit and drink something."

Jack sat and accepted the drink, "Thank you, Imam. I'm so sorry…." Her eyes filled with tears again, "I'm so confused…" She fought back the tears and drank her tea in silence. Something in the tea relaxed her. Not like being drugged exactly, but she felt drowsy again.

"I'll take you to your room, Jack," Lajjun said. Jack nodded. She stood and followed Imam's wife upstairs. The bed looked so comfy. "Here, Jack. Why don't you get a nap, and I'll make supper, Okay?"

"Yeah." Jack yawned, "Sounds fantastic, Lajjun. You sure you don't want help with the cooking?"

"I'm sure, sweetheart. You are a good cook, I'll give you a chance to wow us again later." Lajjun kissed Jack's cheek and left the room. Jack slumped to the bed. She smelled something cloying and sweet that she assumed was a type of local flower. The warmth of the room and the weight of the air combined to make it difficult to fight closing her eyes. She couldn't even be bothered to rub the sting from the insect bite... There was a muffled clattering noise. 'Lajjun sure made it to the kitchen fast.' Jack fell back on the bed, sinking down into the fluffy matress, and passed out….

…It was blurry; her eyes couldn't focus. Jack blinked. Wrong colors for Imam's place. Her arms were numb. She tried to move them. No go -- too anesthetized still. Her feet tingled. She felt somewhat cold. There was stale smoke in the air. Old sweat and metallic burn added to the mix. An indistinct shadow fell across her.

"Well, if it isn't sleeping beauty." Toombs. "Want to explain why you forced us to retrieve your ass?"

"I was still trying to get info, that's all," Jack mumbled, her tongue just as paralyzed as the rest of her.

"What? Oh, shut the fuck up. You can't tell me nothing in that state." He blew smoke into her face. "Hell, I'd take what I want, but you wouldn't feel it. So I got to fucking wait."

"Hey, Boss? You want me to get the wire off her?" Another Merc. Greene she thought.

"What fuckin' wire? Where the hell were you when she flushed a thousand UD's down the fucking toilet? No. Never mind. You go look up what you can find about Mr. Smyth. I want the name of his ship, where it was found and if anything happed that was unusual afterwards."

"Sure boss."

'I could find the info for you, asshole. But you won't give me that chance, will you? I hope you never find him,' Jack thought as she struggled to get her sight back. Toombs aggressively patted her cheek. "You ratted too much, princess. So, it's off to the 'golls with you. Sign and sealed. Hey, I even get a bonus of 20-percent for transporting you. Makes me 240K richer on delivery."

"Fuck you." Jack got the words out with venomous clarity.

"No doll, I'm gonna fuck you. See that's how things work, and if you had been smarter, you'd have worked your way into another crew by screwing the captain before we left Lupus 5. But I got the contract, and the goods, so I get to do with you whatever the fuck I want with you." Toombs began cutting her clothing. Jack played it like she was paralyzed until she could feel her legs then she kicked Toombs in the groin, hard enough to send him sprawling against the pilot's seat. He crumpled, groaning. Blood welled up on her chest where he'd been cutting her top. Jack looked at her arms. She was secured in the prisoner cryo-lockdown…. She struggled. Toombs slowly got up. "You must've got some feeling back, huh? You little bitch. I'd kill you, but that would cost too much. So I'm just gonna have to settle for messing you up." He cautiously moved forward, mindful of her unsecured legs. Jack kicked out again forcing him back.

"Stay the hell away from me, shitbag!"

Toombs laughed. "You sure are spirited. That'll make this fun." He moved in again, ready for her kick this time. Jack threatened with feint then caught him upside the head with the other leg knocking him to the ground.

"I said stay away!"

"I'm right proud of your learning, girl." Toombs picked himself up off the floor rubbing his temple. "But enough of this shit." He pulled out a stun gun and fired.

Jack felt high voltage rip through her body, painfully rendering her immobile again. "Someday, Toombs, I'm gonna see you die…" she blacked out again.

Jack woke completely secured, her shirt cut open… dried blood clung crustily to her skin where Toombs' knife had cut her. They were in space. The entire crew was there, leering at her. Even the bitch, Betsy, who was chewing on the end of a fat cigar. Nasty woman. Toombs was standing, watching her come around, playing with his knife. Waiting. Jack was smart enough to peer out through her eyelashes and take everything in, but she knew it would only buy her a few seconds. Suddenly, she hated everything Toombs stood for. It did not matter who she was anymore, only that she was being betrayed for money. Raped for thrills. Yeah, that was coming. She just had to live through it. Just hang on to the hate and live. Just live long enough to see Toombs die. She remembered being raped before. Would it hurt just as bad? "You know, I think she's awake, Boss," Curly this time.

'Stupid Merc, bet you found nothing about Smyth, or Riddick, because you're so dumb.' Jack turned her hate on the fellow who was, in her opinion, a brown-nose. She opened her eyes and looked right at him, "If you called him 'boss' more often, he might fuck you too, ass-sucker." Toombs slapped her face for the comment. "What's the matter Toombs? You don't think he's pretty? Maybe you should look at his baby face again." Toombs growled. "Oh, my mistake. You do think he's got a cute ass, don't you, you mother-fucking bastard?" This time he hit her hard, splitting her lip. At least he wouldn't be kissing her. She spit out some blood and smiled at him. "Think those 'golls will go for damaged goods?"

"Get me a gag." Betsy supplied some cloth and one of the other men plugged Jack's nose to force her to open her mouth. She smartly clenched her teeth, pressed her tongue down, and kept her breathing shallow. Toombs watched for a minute and then said, "No, dumb-ass. Hand me the club." Toombs took the weapon and belted her sharply in the stomach with his fist, hitting her just right to force her mouth open with surprise as she doubled over. He caught her by her hair, pulled her head back, forced the nightstick sideways into her mouth and tied it there. "Who taught you how to deal with convicts, moron?" He slapped the man upside the head. "Pinching her nose? What the fuck was that about?"

"I don't know…. I just saw it done on a vid-show…"

"Fuck vid-shows. They don't know shit. Okay?" The fellow nodded. Toombs pushed him away. "I'm gonna have to show you how to do everything, even fucking, likely. There's no way you boys are gonna get paid unless you get in line for this lesson, got it?" He looked around. "You decline and I'll kick you off at Kova, before the drop…" There was a chime of agreement. "Good. Nothing like a crew of players. Now pay attention." He pulled out the knife again and moved over to one leg and began cutting Jack's pants off. "No fucking way are we untying her."

'His balls must still smart,' Jack thought. It was kind of funny in a way. Jack might have laughed at Toombs if she was still able to talk. As it was all she could manage was a muffled giggling noise, so it was better not to even try. Toombs cut through her waistband. The cold air made her goose pimple. The knife was even colder against her skin as Toombs cut her panties. He didn't bother to cut the other leg of her pants, choosing instead to pull them down to her ankle. For a moment Jack felt very scared. She was so exposed. Toombs looked her over, eyeing her body now that he could see her fully. He blew smoke over her. The fear morhped into rage so strong that Jack shook with the force of it, 'Son of a bitch, fucking bastard, now I'm gonna stink, ass-wipe.'

"Alright. Let's look at the full package, shall we?" Toombs moved her top so that it was hanging to her sides. "I told you guys she was pretty. Look at that. Perky even." He put the cig in his mouth and worked his hands over her chest, pinching and twisting to color her up. 'Fucker, you're not gonna break me…' He leaned back and puffed the cig down. "Much better. Say, Betsy, how big was that special cigar you got again?"

Coarse laugher filled the ship. "About the size of your pecker, Captain. Only I don't gotta worry about it going soft after the first dozen rounds or so." The ship was filled with laugher again. "So are you gonna spend all you got on her, or are you saving some for me?"

"Lady, you will get yours, don't you worry." Toombs moved toward Jack again after putting the cig out. "You, doll, hurt my feelings. Not only did you rat us out but you kicked me. I was going to be a little less rough with you on account of your age, but you blew it." He reached out and touched her. "You can make it up to me by behaving and letting us have our fun." His hand wandered between her legs. His fingers probed her. Jack cringed inside. It was not like she could get away or defend herself now. She couldn't even talk back. But she could glare. So glare she did. "I always wondered if you were fully intact. Johastein told me his original plan for you, or, um, the original you…I think he was stupid, you are just as fine as the original," Toombs whispered in her ear. Jack turned her face away from him. She didn't want to think about what his words might mean, not now or ever. Besides, she figured that the 'original' was just as dead as Smyth -- Riddick -- if Imam had told her the truth. "Hand me a wet-wipe, would you?" Toombs told one of the others. "No reason to get blood all over the fucking place." He took the wipe and pushed his fingers against the resistance they encountered.

"Hey, Boss? You gonna fuck her or not?"

"Go sit down and wait your turn, Curly." Toombs put the wipe out to catch the mess. "I was just checking everything out. This one is smart, you never know when the smart ones are going to do something to shred dicks they don't like." He unzipped and dropped his pants. Jack's stomach turned inside out. He was really doing it. Part of her couldn't quite keep cool anymore as he forced his way into her, but it was rage she felt, pure and hot. A fire of anger that made her focus on how much she hated Toombs and the rest of his so-called crew. If Toombs could betray her like this surely he'd turn on the others as soon as UD's were involved. Localized pain flooded her senses throbbing and expanding to wash out everything except the dark emotions at her core. Out of the hate and anger emerged a new personality. One that crushed Jack with the pain that was being inflicted on her body. Toombs slapped her. "Fucking pay attention to me, bitch." She imagined shards of blue glass mincing his face and body. She hardened her face. "You think you're tough, do you? Wait until the 'golls are done with you, doll. You will look back on this little event with the fondness of a bride on her wedding night." He finished with her and wiped himself off. "You fellas like 'um bloody or clean? If you like 'um bloody then you should go first."

The remaining male Mercs jockeyed for positions in line. Jack died in shattered pieces with each indignity endured. Yet the young woman remaining refused to cry. She refused to be cowed. 'Kill me, fuckers. I won't shed a tear for your pleasure. Go on, do your worse. I'll find you someday and laugh on your graves.'

But Betsy was the worse one. She came last. Unlike the men, Betsy wanted to see the girl forced to enjoy what was happening to her. There were no defenses against the way Betsy soothed her, gently cleaned her, and lightly worked her tortured body into involuntary responses of pleasure. "You dumb asses. You can't make her cry by hurting her. But I'll have her sobbing. Toombs, you could learn something here."

"I'll bet. You get her to cry and I'll increase your pay 5-percent, out of pocket."

"Yeah? You're on." Betsy redoubled her efforts.

"You can't and you work for me, scratch and pocket change."

"That's a lot more than 5-percent on a losing bet. How about I take a cut to scratch plus 5?"

"Okay. I'll cover your costs and pay 5 if you lose." Toombs looked at the others; "Boys? Want to do side bets? Now's the time."

In the end, Betsy won. The captive girl sobbed. It was the final nail in Jack's coffin. 'Jack's dead,' the girl thought as she felt the cigar being pushed inside her, 'she was weak…'

"Alright, fun's over. Dope her out. Time to get to Kovan."