The ghosts that we knew

Chapter 21

~A constant reminder of where I can find her

Light that might give up the way

It's all that I'm asking for without her I'm lost

But my love don't fade away. ~

Two days later~

Carolyn waddled her way into the infirmary determined to drag Sam to a late lunch with her. John and more than a dozen other men had left that morning to go into town and wouldn't be home till around sundown.

Things had been quiet and peaceful since Carolyn had moved back into her own home. The baby was doing well and she, John and Sam had all fallen into a routine that Carolyn could live with. They gave her the space she needed and she cooperated.

Lowering herself into a chair she quietly waited till Sam looked over at her from the microscope she was sitting in front of.

"How's my Mama Duck doing today?" Sam asked with a grin.

"You realize I'm going to kick your ass, right?"

"Yeah, but you have to catch me first, Speedy," she smirked.

Carolyn scowled at her friend before chuckling. "You and John were literally made for each other."

Sam laughed as she took off her lab coat and hung it on her chair. "Come on, Mama. Let's get you some lunch."

As Sam was helping Carolyn out of her chair and Carolyn gripping about it, Echo burst through the doors.

"What's wrong?" Carolyn asked recognizing that look as Sam looked between the two of them.

"There are men here. They have the children."

"Mercs?" Carolyn asked.

"Mercs." He replied.

Carolyn looked at her watch. It was just a little after two which meant they had a good five or six hours to go before John returned.

"You need to be ready to send someone into town to get John," she said as Echo took her arm. "Don't worry; I'll get the children away from them."

"Carolyn." Sam said in a warning voice.

Carolyn ignored her as they stepped out on the porch; confronted by the sight of a half-dozen or so armed men with their weapons trained on the children of the camp, most of which where crying in fright.

"Gentlemen," Carolyn called out. "How can we help you today?"

"Names Marlin and I reckon you know what we're after."

Carolyn shook her head. "Riddick's not here. Hasn't been for months, so I'm afraid we can't help you. If you wouldn't mind lowering your weapons and letting the children go it'd be much appreciated."

"I'm afraid we can't do that, Ma'am."

"And just why is that?"

"Cause we ain't here for Riddick. We're here for you."

Carolyn let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Fine. Just let the children go and I'll go with you willing."

"No!" Sam said hotly stepping in front of her.

"Sam!" Carolyn hissed grabbing at the woman.

"This woman is eight months pregnant and under medical supervision, unless you want to deliver her baby in the jungle, she's not going anywhere without me."

Marlin looked her over before speaking quietly to one of his men, as Sam turned towards Carolyn.

"Are you insane?" Carolyn hissed at her.

"I sleep with my brother, Carolyn. I didn't realize my sanity was still in question."

Carolyn simply glared.

"When John gets back and finds out what happened he'll come after you, I'll insist on going, he'll forbid it, I'll go anyway and there'll be a huge fight. This way I'm already there." She said with a gleam in her eye.

Carolyn closed her eyes shaking her head, suddenly getting an idea of what Riddick had felt like at times.

"Fine," Marlin replied. "You can come. I don't want anything to happen to her before Riddick finds us."

Carolyn cursed under her breath.

Sam nodded. "I just need to get my bag." She ran back into the infirmary, grabbed her bag and was back on the porch in no time.

"Let the children go." Carolyn demanded.

"Alright," Marlin said, "as a show of good faith." Signaling his men, the weapons were taken off the children who fled to their parents.

Sam and Carolyn slowly made their way to Marlin. "We're going to need to pick up the pace."

"Well, I guess you should have thought about that when you decided to kidnap a pregnant woman," Carolyn snapped at him turning on her heel, heading down the path away from camp with Sam's help.

As soon as they were out of sight, Echo went to work.

John jumped out of the back of the transport as it rolled into the middle of camp.

"How long?" He shouted at Echo who was jogging towards him.

"It's been four hours now."

"Fuck! It took us a while to get everyone rounded up." He explained as they walked into the mess hall where Echo had the maps of the area spread out.

It was dark by the time John and his men were ready to leave. They picked up their things and headed out, only for John to stop when he exited the building.

"Riddick."

"Reaper."

"We were just on our way out," John said motioning to the other men to go on.

"Had an interesting meeting in an alleyway a few days back."

"What a surprise," John replied offering Riddick a gun, watching as he waved it off, before moving into the jungle, Riddick hot on his heels.

"Wanna tell me what happened?"

"Mercs showed up. They knew you weren't here. They wanted Carolyn and were holding the children at gunpoint. She agreed to go willingly if they didn't hurt them."

"And just where were you? You were supposed to take care of her."

John rounded on Riddick getting in his face. "They've got Sam as well."

"Why."

"Carolyn's pregnancy hasn't been the easiest and she's due in just under a month. Sam wouldn't let them take Carolyn without taking her as well." John ground out before turning his back on the man, continuing on his way.

Pushing his goggles out of the way, Riddick watched the man walk away before silently following.