Our Fate, Dear Brutus
Our fate, dear Brutus, lies not in the stars, but in ourselves.~~Julius Caesar
The trio had survived. Only three out of forty had survived the entire ordeal. As Riddick quickly piloted away from T2, he briefly thought back on the events of the previous days. He gazed back on the sleeping Jack and Imam. He could not believe that he had saved lives instead of taken them. As much as he hated to admit it, these people had actually grown on him. People are supposed to be afraid of him, not seek his protection, but these two trusted him. And it scared him.
His thoughts were quickly broken when he noticed that the white anomaly before him grew even bigger. Riddick had noticed the bright circle when they had taken off, but never thought twice about it. It had looked too far away to be a concern. But as they continued to travel, the white circle grew larger and closer. It now looked large enough to engulf their first ship, the Hunter-Gratzner.
The size of the circle started to alarm Riddick. He tried to steer the skiff away, but to no avail. The anomaly seemed to be pulling the ship into it. The only thing he succeeded to do is shake the ship and wake the sleeping duo.
"Riddick, what's wrong?" Jack asked, moving to the seat beside his.
"Steering's locked," he mumbled, still trying to pull the wheel to either side. His muscles tightened as he pulled with all his strength. However, nothing happened. He looked out the front window in time to see the white circle double in size.
Jack had noticed it also. "What the hell is that?" she cried, grabbing the attention of Imam. He also moved to the front of the ship to observe the ordeal.
The bright light from the circle began flooding into the ship. Riddick pulled his goggles over his eyes as Jack and Imam shielded theirs with their hands. They kept moving faster toward the circle, unable to pull away.
"It's taking us in!" Jack cried, while Imam started praying again on his beads.
"Hold onto something!" Riddick growled, gripping the wheel tighter. Jack grabbed the ship's control console as Imam clung to the back of Jack's chair.
Then, the circle engulfed them.
*************************
Despite his goggles, Riddick's eyes still burned from the intense light. He shut them tightly and watched as past scenes from his life played with perfect clarity. As he watched the images pass before his eyes, he felt the ship go faster and faster.
Fry rips away from him and into the nocturnal blackness. As he falls to the ground, he cries, "Not for me! Not...for me."
The ship moved even faster.
"Riddick, wait!" Jack cries as the creature swoops down on her. He rushes to it and slices it to pieces. "Did not know who it was fucking with."
The light grew brighter.
"Billy Bad-Ass. The chains, the gauge, the badge. Should have ghost me..."
Faster.
"He's just a merc. And I'm just a payday. You see, the creed is greed."
Brighter.
"Paris B. Olgibi. Antiquities dealer, entrepreneur." "Richard B. Riddick. Escaped convict, murderer."
Farther memories.
"Lay cornea aside. Drill through eye gel. Shoot a little reflecto-coat on the back of the retina."
Even farther back.
He watches the expression on his first victim as the blade finds its mark. "No, please don't!"
Faster. Brighter. Farther.
"Someone call an ambulance. There's a baby in the Dumpster."
They moved too fast. Riddick felt like he was being torn apart. The brightest flash of light...then darkness.
*************************
Riddick stirred as Jack's voice echoed in the back of his mind.
"Riddick! Riddick, wake up!"
A sharp slap to the face brought him completely to his senses. The pain was good. It assured him that he was alive. However, it did not need to continue. Before Jack slapped him again, he blocked her hand and opened his eyes. As he looked around, he found that he was lying face up on the floor of the skiff.
He sat up and pulled his goggles off from his eyes. "What happened?"
"Our ship entered that circle thing. I think we all blacked out. We kept traveling and ended up here."
"Where's here?"
Jack looked out the window. "I don't know. We're hovering over a planet. It LOOKS like Earth, but bluer. Cleaner."
"We should land," Imam suggested. "Get our bearings."
"Why not just use the com system and contact them on the planet?" Jack inquired.
"It's out," Riddick answered. "Disabled. Must be from that circle."
"Then, I guess we land?" she asked.
Riddick's answer was steering the ship down to the planet.
*************************
As they grew closer to landing, the trio noticed the lack of space outposts; solar powered vehicles, or hovering crafts. Everything looked fuel powered.
"How weird," Jack said.
They finally landed in an abandoned lot, surrounded by nothing but a dark stretch of road. The group exited the ship and surveyed their location. Once again, it was night, and Jack huddled close to Riddick, for she feared the unexpected return of the creatures.
"This can't be Earth," Riddick stated. "It's too primitive and undeveloped."
"There was a city miles back," Imam started. "I saw it as we passed overhead. Maybe we should go there and inquire where we are."
As they pondered that suggestion, Riddick heard a vehicle approaching their position at a fast pace. He lowered his goggles as headlights appeared over a hill.
"How would we get to the city?" Jack asked.
The car was right behind them. The brakes squealed as the driver discovered the three people standing in the middle of the road. He leaned on the horn and watched as Riddick calmly strolled to the side of the car.
Grabbing the door handle, Riddick all but wrenched the door off of the sedan. The driver stared in amazement as the convict leaned into his car. Try as he might, the poor man could not catch a glimpse of the intruder's eyes through the dark plastic of his eye wear.
Riddick met his gaze, face to face. "Out. Now."
The scared driver fumbled with his seat belt and then fell out of the car. Stumbling to his feet, he soon fell again as Riddick's fist met with his head, knocking him unconscious.
"This is how we'll get to the city," Riddick informed Jack, pointing at the car.
"What about him?" she asked, gazing down at the poor victim.
"Leave him." Riddick started moving into the car.
Imam stopped him. "I'm sorry, Mr. Riddick, but I cannot allow you to just leave this poor man on the side of the road. We must at least get him to safety."
Riddick looked at the unfortunate driver, then at the Islam. "Fine. Throw him in the back."
As Imam struggled to put the unconscious man into the back seat, Riddick slid into the driver's seat. While he looked over the controls, Jack grabbed shotgun.
"Do you even know how to work this?" she asked Riddick.
"It shouldn't be that different than piloting. The only difference I notice it the acceleration on the floor instead of at your side. And it's a pedal, not a lever." He turned back to Imam, who had gotten both the man and himself positioned in the back and had shut the door. "Which way was that city you saw?"
"That way," Imam pointed toward the east. "Should not be more than several miles."
"Then we go that way." Riddick moved the drive from P to D.
"From 'Park' to 'Drive," Jack observed. "Why isn't it M for 'Move' or F for 'Forward?'"
"Who knows?" Riddick remarked. He put his foot on the pedal, but nothing happened. He tried again with the same results.
"What's wrong?" The girl looked worried. "Why aren't we moving?"
Riddick looked at the floorboard and noticed the other pedal. When he hit that one, the car lurched forward at a quick pace. "Everyone remember where we parked," he quirked as they sped away.
*************************
After about twenty-five minutes, the unconscious driver slowly woke up. Looking around frantically, he observed the people about him. A oddly dressed African American sitting right next to him, looking out the side window. A teenage child (he was unsure if it was a girl or a boy) sitting in the passenger seat, shaved head and broken goggles on its head. The child was obviously imitating the man who was driving his car. Each of these strangers looked tired, wearing ragged and torn clothes with worn expressions on their faces.
"Who are you people?" he asked, looking at each in turn. Both the child and Islam turned to face him.
The child addressed the man driving. "Um, Riddick, he's awake."
"I know." Riddick kept his eyes on the road.
"Please be calm," the Islam said. "I am Abu al-Walid, otherwise known as Imam. The young one's name is Jack, and the other man is Riddick. May I ask your name?"
"It's Daniel. Daniel Everton. Why the hell did you steal my car?"
"Because we fucking needed it," Riddick mentioned in his low voice. "Do you have a problem with that?"
"No, no problem. I was…just wondering." Daniel was really scared of the big man driving his car.
Riddick could sense that.
Daniel decided to change the subject. "So…why are we heading toward Dallas?"
"Is that the name of the city?" Jack asked, turning in her seat to face Daniel. "We were wondering what it was called."
Something flashed through Riddick's memory. "Dallas? As in Texas?" Daniel nodded.
"How did you know that?" Imam asked Riddick.
"Ancient geography. I remember reading about how that American president was shot there while visiting. It sounded like somewhere I would want to visit." Riddick continued to gaze down the dark road. "If we're headed to Dallas, that means we're on Earth."
"But we can't be," Jack stated. "You yourself said that this is too primitive to be Earth."
"Excuse me," Daniel interrupted. "ANCIENT geography? Too PRIMITIVE? Where exactly are you people from, 'cause you are really starting to make me believe that you escaped from the local looney bin or something. I mean, it's the early 21st century for crying out loud. People as sick as you should be safe in a home or something."
Riddick slammed on the brakes and let the car briefly fishtail. When it came to a stop, he whipped around to face Daniel. "Number one, shut the fuck up. Number two, did you just say this was the 21st century?"
Daniel opened his mouth to reply, but quickly remembered Number One, so he slammed his jaws shut and just nodded yes.
Riddick punched the steering wheel with his fist. "How the fuck did we end up in the 21st century?"
"Maybe that circle thing was some kind of portal," Jack suggested. "Like a tear in space."
Daniel smiled. "Oh, I get it. The location confusion. The portal in space. You guys are Star Trek extras, aren't you?"
"I thought I told you to shut up," Riddick glared at Daniel, who quickly sunk into his seat. "Okay, we've traveled into the 21st century through a tear in space. How the fuck are we supposed to get back?"
"I don't know," Jack started. "But can we think about it while we get something to eat? I'm really hungry."
"Yes, it has been quite a while since any of us has eaten, Mr. Riddick," Imam agreed.
"Fine, we'll go to the city and eat. Then, we figure a way off of this fucking rock and back to our time."
*************************
It took another fifteen minutes before they reached Dallas, and they quickly pulled into the parking lot of a diner. Leaving the car, Riddick made sure to walk behind Daniel. "There's no way we're leaving you to take your car back."
Together, they entered the restaurant. The hostess at the front took one look at the group, and sighed heavily. "It's gonna be one of those nights," she thought to herself. She then plastered on her saccharine smile and greeted them.
"Welcome to Chris's. How many will this be?"
Riddick pushed Daniel forward. "Answer her," he demanded.
"Um, four," Daniel said in a shaky voice. "In the smoking section if you can."
The hostess quickly looked at Riddick, then away. "Okay, four for smoking." She grabbed the menus. "Follow me please."
She led them to a table in the back corner. As everyone sat down, she handed them their menus. She stopped when she came to Riddick, then she practically threw it at him. She pointed at him. "You scare me." Then, she walked off.
"You just can't please some people," Riddick stated. He picked up the steak knife by his napkin. Good quality. Nice edge to it. Could prove useful since he had lost his shiv on the planet. Quietly, he tucked it into his belt.
"What is this stuff?" Jack's voice sounded from behind her menu. "I've never even heard of chicken fried steak, and they have five varieties. Daniel, what is it?"
"Trust me, get a hamburger and don't worry about it." Daniel looked around the diner. Not many people. Two couples in the nonsmoking section, a group of teens by the door acting all cool by smoking even though they were underage, and three waitresses. The front door was too far away for him to run and make it. This Riddick guy looked like he could outrun a horse, never less an out-of-shape banker like himself.
"I have to find a way out of here," he thought to himself. Then, the idea hit him. As discretely as he could, he pulled his fountain pen from his coat pocket and started writing on the back of the menu. Hopefully, their waitress would notice his message.
Just as he finished writing, their server came to their table, staring at her order tablet. "Hi, I'm Doris and I'll be your..." Then she looked up from her tablet and noticed the group. "Oh…my gosh," she mumbled, but then she collected herself. "I'll be your waitress this evening. Are you ready to order?"
Everyone stared at Daniel. "Oh, yeah," he started. "I'll have the cheese steak, except hold the onions please. With a large Coke if you could."
"What will you have, sweetheart?" Doris asked, addressing Jack. Jack looked at her menu one last time. "I'll have a, what did you say Daniel?"
"She'll have a hamburger," he finished for her.
"And you sir?" The waitress looked at Imam.
"I believe I shall have the...vegetable medley," he said, closing his menu.
Doris turned to face Riddick. She took a deep breath, and then asked him, "And what do you want?"
"Steak."
"Do you want anything with that? A side dish? The cook made a great fettuccine alfredo tonight."
"Just steak."
She tried to swallow, so to remove the lump in her throat. "How would you like that cooked?"
"Rare."
"Fine," she squeaked. "Can I have your menus?"
They each handed her their menus. Daniel made sure that she had everyone else's first, then he gave her his, with the writing side up. As she took it, he met her gaze and notioned to the writing with his eyes. Hoping she understood, he released it into her hand.
*************************
As Doris walked away from their table, she took a deep breath and watched as one of the other waitresses, Sabella, strolled up to her.
"Doris, what's wrong?" Sabella asked.
"Have you seen the freaks at table 7?"
Sabella quickly gazed in that direction. "Oh my gosh, that guy with the goggles is hot! A little weird but really buff."
"Hot nothing!" Doris disagreed. "He fucking scared the shit out of me."
"Do you want me to take the table?" Sabella had that hopeful gleam in her eye. "I wouldn't mind at all."
Doris looked down at their menus in her hand. "No, I don't think anyone's going to take that table now." She showed Sabella the back of Daniel's menu. In scribbled handwriting read the message:
"Help! These people kidnapped me. Call the police!"
Doris took one look at Sabella and then picked up the phone.
*************************
Everyone was still waiting for their food when blue and red lights flashed through the windows of the diner. Riddick watched as the teenagers by the door dashed out of the diner, throwing the cigarettes on the ground outside.
"Thank God." Daniel watched as two very tall and built cops walked through the door and talked to Doris. She pointed their way, and the cops started walking toward them.
Riddick noticed the police as well, but stayed very calm. He barely moved a muscle.
Daniel, Jack and Imam looked up as the cops stood right next to their table. Riddick stayed facing the table.
"I'm afraid you will all need to come with us," the first officer said.
"What's the charge?" Riddick asked in a low tone.
"The lady says that three of you are guilty of kidnapping this fourth guy," the second cop said. "That's something we like to call a crime. So, if you all would slowly stand up and place your hands on your heads."
Jack and Imam quickly complied. As soon as Imam was standing, the first cop grabbed his hands and cuffed them behind his back. Holding the cuffs with one hand and grabbing Jack's shoulder with the other, he led them outside. As he walked out, he turned back to the second officer. "Hey, Brett. Watch your ass with that guy, okay?"
"No prob, Earl," Brett called back. He then turned to Riddick, who was watching as Imam and Jack were being put into the back of a cop car. "Let's go buddy. Hands up." He seized Riddick's arm to lift him from his chair.
As soon as Brett touched him, Riddick jumped up, grabbed the cop's hand, and twisted Brett's arm behind his back. When the cop tried to reach for his nightstick, Riddick pulled the knife from his belt and held it to Brett's throat. As the action escalated, Daniel fell out of his seat and hid under the next table.
"You listen to me," Riddick growled at the cop. "There's no fucking way I'm going to your century's piss-ass excuse for a Slam. So, we're gonna walk out of here, and you're going to let my friends out of that fucking cop car and let us go quietly. Do you get that?"
Brett hesitantly nodded, and with Riddick's blade to his neck, started walking to the door. As they walked out, they passed the onlooking Doris. Riddick leaned in close to her. "Cancel the order for table 7." He then pushed Brett out the door.
Only to be met by four other officers, with guns drawn.
Riddick pulled Brett closer to him, holding the knife deeper into his hostage's throat. "Back off!"
One of the four officers was Earl, the same cop who had taken Jack and Imam away. "Let him go!"
"Not until you let my friends out of that cop car!" he yelled back. Again, he had called them friends. Riddick could not understand where this connection came from.
Earl looked at Riddick, then at Brett. He and his fellow officer made eye contact, and then Earl knew exactly what to do. Lowering his gun, he ordered the other policemen to do the same. After they did, Earl turned to the car and put his hand on the door handle.
Riddick saw the look of anticipation on Jack's face. He nearly smiled, until he noticed Earl's hesitation to open the door. Then, he knew he was about to be duped.
Faster than Riddick could react with the knife, Brett grabbed hold of Riddick's wrist and forearm and flipped him over his shoulder. During the split second Riddick was down, Brett pulled his baton from his belt and slammed Riddick over the head. Repeatedly. Before Riddick completely blacked out, he saw the anticipation vanish from Jack's face and watched as terror replaced it.
*************************
Riddick's eyes snapped open, and, once again, he found himself on the floor. This time, he was on a concrete floor, not the metal one of the skiff.
Looking up, he saw Imam staring at him while sitting on a bench. Several other men milled around, casually looking at metal bars or concrete walls.
A jail cell.
Imam extended his hand to help Riddick sit up.
"How long have I been out?" Riddick asked the holy man as he stood up, ignoring Imam's helping hand.
"We were just put in here about two minutes ago," Imam replied. "If you add to that the time in the police car, it comes to about twenty minutes."
"Shit," Riddick mumbled under his breath. "We need to get back to the skiff."
Imam looked at him. "May I ask, Mr. Riddick, why you are so eager to leave this time period? One would think that you would be happy to be away from our time, away from persecution."
How was Riddick supposed to explain his feelings on this? How would he tell Imam that his thrill in life came from dodging the authorities, making them feel like idiots every time he alluded them? No, he had opened up too much to the Muslim. He couldn't tell him this.
"Do you think I could possibly live in time where there's no fucking space travel? I pilot for fuck's sake." To change the subject, Riddick started, "Did those cops say anything to you before they put you in that damned car?"
"No, and they were quiet the entire ride as well. Why?"
"Not important."
Imam looked at Riddick with a skeptic look, but that look vanished when one of their fellow cellmates stomped over to the bench.
"Get the hell off my bench!" the guy yelled at Imam, currently ignoring Riddick standing by the Muslim.
Imam stood up. "My sincerest apologies, sir. It shall not happen again."
The man walked right up to Imam and stood right in his face. "Your sincerest apologies, my ass. I think you did it on purpose."
"Kick his ass, Pike!" A voice sounded from the group that had started to form around the bench.
Pike smiled. "You know, I think I will." He raised back his fist to deck Imam in the head and started to swing.
Only to have his arm caught by Riddick.
"I think not," he said, looking Pike right in the eye.
Pike ripped his arm away from Riddick. "What the hell are you going to do about it? Mr. Big and Bad-Ass with the dark glasses?"
Just as Riddick was about to respond, the warden's voice was heard from down the hall. "Light's out, boys. I'd better not hear any problems back there." Then, all the lights went dark.
All was quiet for a few seconds, until Pike broke the silence. "Is the poor little goggle boy scared of the dark?" he asked in a mocking tone. "Come on, fighting blind. That's how I like it."
Riddick's strong laugh echoed off the walls. "If you insist." Only Imam was able to tell that Riddick had pulled off his goggles, for they were placed into his hand.
*************************
"What a loser," Pike thought to himself. "Thinking he can take me on." He peered into the darkness of the cell, trying to catch a brief glimpse of movement from his opponent.
However, in that pitch black, all he could distinguish was a pair of faint bluish silver glints. Pike thought that it was a piece of metal reflecting a slight ray of light from the warden's office, until it disappeared for a second. Then reappeared. It did that twice, as if it was blinking. Blinking.
Suddenly, the glints moved toward him. Walked toward him.
"Shit!" Pike cried. "Those are your eyes?"
Riddick did not answer. He just proceeded to slam his fist into Pike's head.
*************************
Imam could not see what was happening, but he could hear it. Everyone could hear it, and images played through their minds. Pike's body being slammed into the walls, then thrown to the floor. Kicked several times, despite his attempts to block the attack. A brief scuffle indicated that Riddick had lifted Pike back up. A loud clang resonated from the bars, giving the impression that Riddick had rushed Pike's head into the metal barriers.
Only Riddick had the true satisfaction of seeing what he was doing to Pike. Only he saw the blood splatter as Pike's face connected with the solid bricks of the wall. Only he saw the effect of Pike's bones breaking as he was slammed into the steel bars. Riddick stepped forward, ready to finish Pike off.
Suddenly, the lights flashed on. Riddick fell back as the light momentarily blinded him. As Pike fell to the ground in pain, Imam stepped forward and handed Riddick his goggles.
"What the hell is going on?" the warden yelled as he walked toward their cell. He looked into the cell to see Pike cringing on the floor and Riddick slowly standing up, goggles replaced on his face.
The warden looked at Riddick and pointed at Pike. "Did you do that to him?" When Riddick nodded, the warden's face turned bright red. "There's no fighting in my jail! Why the hell did you do that?"
Riddick walked right up to the bars. "I did it because we're not supposed to be here."
"You and your friend kidnapped an innocent man and stole his car. Then, you resisted arrest and threatened a cop's life with a steak knife. I'd say you're supposed to be here."
"But you forgot one thing," Riddick mentioned.
"And what's that?"
"Your arresting officers never read us our rights."
The warden looked at Imam, then back at Riddick. "Don't you move."
"Really not an issue," Riddick replied.
The cop glared at him, then walked back to his office.
*************************
Moments later, the warden reluctantly walked back to the cell, keys in hand. He unlocked the door and motioned for Riddick and Imam. "You two are free to go. They're bringing over that kid who was with you." As they walked past him, Riddick heard him faintly mumble, "Damned technicalities."
*************************
The two men were told that Jack would be brought to them outside of the police station. While they stood outside, Riddick watched as his old buddy, Earl, left the precinct and got into his car. Riddick took note of the direction he drove off. "Didn't drive too far," he thought to himself, when his acute hearing followed the sound of Earl's engine and heard it cut off.
As he and Imam waited outside the precinct, the Muslim turned to his fellow traveler. "How did you know about the officer not reading us our rights?"
"Over the centuries, that's one things that's never changed. Always a fucking loophole where THEY don't want it."
As they watched, an unmarked sedan drove up and stopped next to them. The driver got out and walked to the back door on the passenger side. As he opened the door, Jack jumped out and ran to Riddick. Fortunately, the dark goggles stopped anyone from seeing the surprised look in Riddick's eyes when Jack wrapped her arms around him.
The driver walked up to Riddick. "I'm Officer Jeff Baker. Are you Jack's father?"
Jack let go of Riddick, and he looked at Jeff, face to face. "Do I look like her father?"
"Actually," Jeff started, but stopped. "Wait, did you just say 'her?'"
Riddick looked down at Jack, who just smiled. He faced Jeff again. "Look, I'm her older brother," he lied. "And we're leaving."
"Wait," Baker stopped him. "We're somewhat worried about Jack. He, um, SHE has been very quiet, even when around the other children at protective services. Then, when Bob tried to get her to open up, she explicatively said, "Fuck you," and faced the wall.
"Who's Bob?" Riddick asked.
"One of my fellow officers."
Riddick placed his hand on Jack's head. "And who says that kids are slow-fucking learners?" He removed his hand and turned to Imam. "Like I said, we're leaving."
Baker looked at Jack and sighed. "Do you need a ride home?"
"Funny. Very funny."
*************************
The three walked away from the station, Riddick leading the way.
"Where are we going?" Jack asked.
"To visit an old friend," Riddick stated nonchalantly.
Traveling by memory, Riddick stopped at the only house that could possibly be Earl's. A small one bedroom, complete with metal link fence. The exterior showed all the aspects of a traditional bachelor pad.
Leaving Imam and Jack at the fence, Riddick walked straight to the door and knocked. Loudly.
"Hold on," came Earl's voice from inside. Riddick heard a dead bolt slide, then a couple key locks turn. The door cracked open, and Earl looked out. "Yes? What do you…?" Earl gasped when he saw who was standing before him.
Earl tried to slam the door shut, but Riddick jammed his hand against it. Pushing it open, he stepped inside. "Hiya, Earl."
*************************
Jack and Imam stood outside, getting impatient.
"What do you think he's doing in there?" Jack asked Imam.
"I do not think I really want to know," the Muslim stated. "I DO feel sorry for the poor officer."
A few seconds later, Jack couldn't take it anymore. "I'm gonna go see how much damage Riddick's done." She skipped through the fence and ran through the front door.
The house was a mess. Chairs overturned, mirrors smashed, papers and books strewn all over. Jack frantically looked around the room to find Riddick, and saw him in the middle of a standoff between him and Earl. Earl had his gun aimed at Riddick, and Riddick held a kitchen knife, pointed at Earl, ready to throw it. The cop was barely standing. Blood trickled down his nose, bruises covered his face, and he leant more on his right leg, indicating that the left leg was broken. Riddick had a couple scratches, but none from this fight were as bad as the one he had received while fighting the carnivores.
"Riddick," Jack cried, providing just the distraction Riddick needed. As Earl glanced around to see who had spoken, Riddick threw the knife. It sunk deep in Earl's right shoulder, and he fell to the ground, finally passing out from the pain.
"Did you just kill him?" Jack asked.
"No, wrong side of the chest. Merely hindered his following us." Riddick casually walked to the door, leading Jack in front of him. "Come on. Let's find some place to stay."
*************************
When the sun began to rise, the trio was sitting outside of a night shelter.
"Look, Riddick. It's okay to get kicked out of jail," Jack started. "But did you have to get us kicked out of our only place to stay? Why did you get in a fight with that guy?"
Riddick could not explain why. The three had each received a bed at the shelter, even though it had been late. Jack and Imam had fallen asleep immediately, but Riddick had decided to keep one eye open. When he had gazed around, he had noticed this one guy staring back at him. As Riddick had continued to watch the man, he had realized that the guy had not been staring at him. He had been staring at Jack.
Unable to see Riddick's eyes through the dark goggles, the man had assumed that everyone was asleep. Quietly, he had arisen from his bed and had walked over to Jack's, an evil intent gleaming in his eyes.
Riddick's protective instinct had kicked in. That was the only explanation. Before the man had the chance to do anything, Riddick had leapt out of his bed and practically threw the man across the room. Jack had awoken at the start of the fight and sat up, watching the action. The fight ended quickly with the man leveled on the floor, and Riddick standing over him with someone's hammer in hand, ready to bash the guy's head in. Everyone in the room had woken up and was cheering on the combatants, and five of the shelter attendants were trying to break up the fight.
Now, they were sitting on the steps outside, watching as the first rays of sunlight peeked through the many buildings. Riddick was unable to truly answer the child's question, but Jack had a good idea what the answer would have been. She stopped talking, but traces of a smile appeared on her lips.
The shelter door opened behind them, and one of the attendants walked out. "I thought I told you three to leave. That means get off the property. Don't make me call the police!"
Riddick just looked at him, and Jack stuck her tongue out at him. Then, all three stood up and walked away from the shelter.
"I must say, Mr. Riddick, that traveling with you has been full of experiences," Imam stated.
"Same here, Holy Man," Riddick replied.
As they turned down a dark alleyway that the sun had not yet hit, Riddick heard footsteps following behind them.
Not alarming Jack or Imam, Riddick casually looked around the alley for a decent weapon. In a nearby trash can, a broken glass bottle stuck out the top. The sharp edge looked strong enough, so when they walked past the can, Riddick grabbed the bottle and snapped it over his knee, making the shard about shiv-sized so it would be easier to use.
Jack and Imam finally heard the footsteps, and she huddled close to Riddick.
Suddenly, a shot rang out, and Imam fell to the ground. As Jack ran to his side, Riddick whirled around to face the gunman.
Pike, with three of his buddies from the jail cell. "Well, looky here," he laughed. "It's Goggle Boy and his merry crew."
"How the fuck did you get out?" Riddick asked, carefully positioning the glass shiv for fighting.
Pike smiled. "It's a nice little loophole called bail." The smile vanished. "You and your friend embarrassed me in there. There's no way in hell I'm letting that go unpunished."
Off to the side, Jack gasped back tears. She rose to her feet and looked directly at Pike. "You killed him. You son of a bitch, you killed him!" She barely finished her words before she flew at Pike in a vengeful rage.
"Don't!" Riddick yelled, but it was too late.
As Jack reached Pike, he grabbed her, twirled her around, and held her to him, gun pointed at her head. She struggled to get free, but he secured her tightly.
"What a nice little situation we have here," Pike said, flexing his finger around the trigger.
"Let her go!" Riddick demanded.
Pike smiled, and tauntingly asked, "Oh, does someone have an attachment to this little piece of..."
Wham! Jack racked him with her elbow. Distracted by the intense pain, Pike loosened his grip only slightly, but it was just enough for Jack to break free. She ran toward Riddick as Pike's friends huddled around him.
Jack was only three steps away from Riddick when Pike recollected himself, took aim, and fired the pistol. As the bullet hit, Jack stumbled and started to fall, but Riddick caught her in his arms, careful not to cut her with the shiv.
Riddick knelt to the ground, holding her close, her head resting on his arm. Looking up at him, she whispered something that would be inaudible to any normal person.
"You're welcome," he said, while slowly removing his goggles. He wanted eye-to-eye contact with her.
With her remaining strength, Jack leaned up and kissed her hero lightly on the cheek. Then, she breathed her last sigh and died right in his arms.
Riddick knew that dead, blank stare. He had seen it several times on the faces of his victims. At times, he had reveled in it, studied it. Not now. It was not supposed to be on the face of someone he had survived with. Someone he knew about. Someone he cared about.
He placed her on the ground, closing her eyes with one hand. When he heard a slight chuckle, he whipped his head up and glared at Pike.
Pike just smiled. "Oops. My bad." He turned to his friends. "Why don't you guys take care of him? I'll watch and enjoy."
Riddick slowly stood up as the three men rushed at him. When the first reached him, Riddick merely swung his arm around, glass shiv connecting with the man's abdominal cavity, just below his stomach. As Riddick continued to slice upward, the shard cut all the way up the guy's chest, disemboweling him. As the man fell to the ground, the other two guys flanked Riddick on either side.
Moving with the speed of a panther, Riddick grabbed the guy at his left and spun him around, throwing him at the man to his right. As they connected, Riddick slammed them both into the side wall. One of them tried to get back at him, but Riddick stuck his right hand up, shiv pointed out. The combined force of Riddick's jab and the man's velocity caused the shard to puncture through the guy's occipital cavity and straight into the brain, killing him instantly. Riddick lost the grip on the shiv as Pike's final friend tackled him to the ground.
"Zack, rip his head off!" Pike called from his stationary post.
Zack got a couple good punches in, slamming Riddick in the head or the gut. A couple kidney shots. He felt pretty good about himself, until Riddick lifted his foot up and kicked Zack over his head. Leaping up, Riddick grabbed Zack by his head, lifted him off the ground, and ran him into a fire escape, skull first.
Throwing the barely conscious Zack to the ground, Riddick grabbed the nearby metal trash can and turned it upside down, dumping out the contents. He hefted it over his head and quickly slammed the rim down just below Zack's neckline. The body convulsed once while Zack's head banged around the sides of the can with a dull thud.
Riddick turned to face Pike...
Just as a bullet tore from the gun and into his left arm.
Riddick fell to the ground, clutching his arm and looking at his attacker. "You forgot about this little friend of mine," Pike smirked while pointing the gun to the sky. "I told you, I can't let any of this go unpunished.
As Pike cocked the gun, Riddick reached across himself and grabbed the glass shard from the eye of the second fallen body. He flipped to face Pike, prepping the shiv for throwing. He launched the shard just as Pike pulled the trigger.
It all happened in less than three seconds.
Riddick watched anxiously as the blade hit its mark, slicing across Pike's external jugular vein. Blood spurted from the laceration, and Pike slumped to the ground. In a matter half a minute, Pike was dead, a pool of blood surrounding his body.
Only after the assured demise of Pike did Riddick surrender to the pain of the gunshots. Judging by the agony, Riddick was able to tell exactly wear he had been hit. The second bullet had ripped through his chest, nicking the ascending aorta of his heart. He knew he wouldn't last much longer.
Despite the stories of near-death experience survivors, there was no fading into darkness nor a calm, soothing light. Instead, an intensely harsh illumination flooded in front of Riddick's now closed eyelids. The light grew brighter and harsher as he faded away.
*************************
Brighter. Brighter. Brighter.
"Riddick? Riddick, wake up."
A sharp slap woke him. As his eyes fluttered open, his heightened vision revealed Jack leaning over him. She smiled. "It's about time. You've been out for hours. Guess you were tired."
Riddick sprung into a sitting position, staring at Jack. "What the fuck? You were dead a minute ago."
Jack started backing away. "What are you talking about?"
"You and Imam. That son-of-a-bitch shot both of you in the alley."
"Okay, you're starting to scare me now," she said. "Imam and I have been sitting here, waiting for you to wake up and trying to figure out how to steer the skiff until you do."
Only now did Riddick soak in his surroundings. They were no longer in the alleyway. Once again, they were aboard the skiff, a sea of stars ahead of them. Once again, he was on the cold metal floor of the ship, Jack slapping him into consciousness. Once again.
"There's no fucking way that was a dream." Even as he said it, parts of the memories were fading into nothingness. Soon, he'd barely remember it.
"It must have been an intense dream, Mr. Riddick," Imam spoke up from his seat. "You've been asleep since we went through that white circle. Do we knew what it was anyway?"
"No clue," Jack answered. "Probably just some random space anomaly. It didn't even do anything."
Riddick stood up and moved back to the pilot's seat. Staring at the controls, he tried to recollect his thoughts. They had been dead. ALL of them, shot in the alley. Weren't they?
Jack walked over to him. "Look, we're just happy you're awake. Not like we could do this without you." As she started to walk away, she patted him on the left shoulder.
Riddick flinched slightly. "Fuck, don't do that. It hurts."
Back to Main
