The ghosts that we knew

Chapter 8

~So lead me back

Turn back from that place

And close my eyes from my recent disgrace~

Riddick paced the ship like a caged beast for the weeks it took to get to their destination.

Vaako stood nearby, looking down at the portable viewer in his hand as he listened again to the message that had been sent to the Lord Marshall Riddick.

A message from the planet Furya, a planet that Vaako thought lay in ruins

He had told Riddick everything he knew of Furya and as of now, Riddick still refused to consider destroying the planet. He supposed that could change depending on the condition they found his woman in.

Riddick was beyond pissed. He would kill whoever had taken her. There was no doubt in his mind that she had been taken because of him. Because of who he was.

The only thing Vaako had been able to tell him was that Furya was a ruined planet with no life to speak of. Well there must be some kind of life on the planet and it wouldn't be the first time he had walked blindly into a situation. All he knew was that he would be leaving and everyone else would be dead.

As the weeks passed he turned into more of the walking dead than any Necro and by the time they arrived at their destination he felt as though he could crush the entire planet within his bare hand.

People were running and screaming. The town was in complete chaos as the small ships slowly made their decent, landing in a field a few hundred yards away from the largest structure in the area. Widespread panic ensuing as Necromongers poured out of the holds.

Riddick strolled off the shuttle type vehicle onto the ground. This was the planet he had being dreaming about since meeting the former Lord Marshal, the planet that had burned. He inhaled deeply. He was home.

Nodding at Vaako to join him, they walked into the fortress type structure. Entering, they were stopped by two men, one as dark as the other was light, eyes as shined as his. Sizing them up, Riddick tilted his head with a smirk and waited.

"Our Mother will see you now." The dark one said.

Riddick laughed. "Mama's boys. Cute." He said with a wink as he pushed his goggles up. Raynor grabbed his brother as Bhaltair made to lunge towards Riddick. "Not yet," he hissed in his brother's ear.

Throwing his brother off of him, Bhaltair growled in Riddick's direction before opening the door behind him and stalking into the carnivorous room.

"He seems your type," Riddick said to Vaako. "Interested in ditching the misses?" He asked with a gleam in his eye.

Fortunately, depending on how you looked at it, Vaako had become used to his Lord Marshals "wit" and simply looked at the man. Riddick shook his head and ventured into the room where a woman sat on a chair at the end of the hall. Beside and slightly behind him, Riddick heard Vaako *hmpft* at the set up of the room. Guess he wasn't the only one feeling a sense of déjà vu.

Riddick stood through the introduction of this Bellona woman and her sons with bored impatience until he had his chance to speak.

"Where is she?"

"Where's who, Richard?" Bellona asked.

"It's Riddick," he replied with a bounce of his head "And I'm not really in the mood to play games. We both know the only reason she's here is because of me. So, here I am." He said holding his arms out to the side.

"I never realized you would care so much for one broken woman, Riddick." The woman's eyes narrowing as she watched his every reaction.

Riddick shrugged, "She's mine. I take care of my own."

The woman eyed him shrewdly before snapping her fingers. The dark one, Raynor, disappeared behind a curtain to the side of the room before returning with Carolyn in his grasp.

"We've done our best to help her fit in here," Bellona purred as Riddick got his first good look at her.

As Carolyn's eyes met his, she alone recognized that look in his eyes. Standing before her was the king of the jungle, unpredictable and feared by all, except her, for he had yet to rip her throat out.

But that was exactly what he planned on doing to Bellona and her minions. How dare they touch what was his.

Feeling so intensely was both a blessing and a curse, Carolyn decided right then as she watched his muscles ripple. She reached out a hand only to let it fall back to her side afraid to touch him, afraid to feel his mortality, knowing that these people were hell-bent on destroying him.

As Riddick's eyes ran over her, his eyes flicked back to Bellona. The woman didn't know it but her actions against Carolyn, and they were many, had sealed her fate.

Riddick watched as Raynor's hand circled around her throat.

Riddick cocked his head and growled for the length of a blink of an eye, before turning to Bellona. He stuck his thumb out towards Vaako. "This man will escort her back to my ship. No one is to interfere."

Bellona snapped her fingers much to her son's displeasure. He and Riddick battled with their eyes before Raynor finally let go of Carolyn, who stumbled down the few steps, Riddick catching her round the waist with one arm. His free hand came up to encircle the back of her neck as he kept one eye on Raynor and one eye on Carolyn, inhaling her scent. Underneath the drugs, ink, fear and something else he couldn't put his finger on was her basic scent.

Carolyn shuddered against him, her hand turning into a fist against his chest, her eyes closed. Letting go of her waist he turned and with Vaako on the other side led her to the door.

"Wait!" Bellona cried out, just as Riddick was ready to send them on their way. This time a sob escaped Carolyn's mouth as the three of them turned, knowing she should have known better than to think it was just that easy.

"My son has just been making a very good argument that our darling Carolyn should stay here and watch. After all I did promise him he could have her."

"You fucking bitch!" Carolyn cried out lunging towards the other end of the hall where the woman sat, even as Riddick's arm clamped against her waist. "They're all your children."

Bellona laughed. "He was never my son. I only gave birth to him."

Carolyn writhed in fury as Riddick looked back and forth between the two women.

Shoving Carolyn into Vaako's arms, Riddick never took his eyes off of her as he spoke to the Commander. "Get her out of here and on that ship. Do not leave her side"

"Yes, Lord Marshall."

Carolyn reached out grabbing Riddick by the front of his shirt, pulling him down towards her. "If you're not on that ship when I get there, I will leave you. Do you understand? I won't stay here for you. I'm not dying for anyone," She hissed.

"Finally." He growled into her ear as he bent near.

Flashing him an angry look, she turned away from him laying her head against a very displeased Vaako's chest plate.

Riddick threw his head back and laughed. Turning away from her, he headed back towards Bellona and her sons. As he did, Furyan men surrounded Carolyn and Vaako.