A Kid Like Her (A Riddick - Jack Romance/Adventure Story)

Heating Things Up

Jack and Eron held back for a few minutes to give the others some time to advance into the ship. She wanted to go in, but neither of them wanted to run into Riddick. "Do you think it's been long enough?"

She nodded. "I think so. Let's go."

"Where to first?"

"I want to see Griedan's body for myself. They were up on that balcony. That, and I'm thinking they might have something on them we could use."

"Use? Like what?"

"Who knows? A gun? Communicator? Whatever they've got on them is fair game though."

"I can't believe you want to steal from the dead." Had she seen his face when he said it, she would've known he was jerking her chain. Jack whipped around, her hands on her hips.

"I can't believe you're busting my ass about keeping what you kill."

"Careful. You're beginning to sound like a Necromonger."

Jack caught the smirk that time. "You are fucking with me?" He shrugged his shoulders and she gave him an appreciative smile. "You've down well my padawan learner."

"Padawan?"

"Poor Eron." She patted his face. "You've been so neglected. First place we stop, I'm hooking us up with some vintage sci-fi movies. Now let's go." Jack led him up the way she had come down and past the room where they had kept her. They turned the corner and walked about ten yards before finding a staircase. "This has to be it."

After going up and through a corridor, they reached the balcony and saw their transport below. It had quite a few carbon markings on it from when they were ambushed. Stepping their way through the men, they inspected each one. Eron, not knowing what Griedan looked like, had to rely on her to identify him. He quickly counted six bodies.

"Well, which one is he?"

She turned over the last of the six and it wasn't Griedan. "Shit! He isn't here."

"He escaped? I don't see how! I was inside the transport, but I thought I saw them all go down."

"It's called playing possum. It's a large rat-looking animal that will play dead when predators are nearby to avoid being killed. Predator leaves because they can't get a fresh kill, they get up and walk away. Let's search pockets for loot and the offices up here, too. He may have just drug himself into one and died. Or at least I hope that's what he did."

"Go on and search. I know you want to."

"I'll be back in a minute." She walked back through the corridor and began with the offices on the right. "Lights one hundred percent." Scanning the room, she didn't see any blood on the floor or walls like she would expect to see had one of them come through here. There were six offices, three on each side of the corridor, however she found no sign that anyone had been in any of them recently. Walking back out she saw Eron had an armful of items other than weapons.

"I have no idea what these are, but all of them were carrying one of each." The first was a small device that had a lid which flipped up and three buttons were on the side, which they both assumed was a communicator. It had words on it but, not in any language she recognized. The other item was a small vial of liquid.

"I have a pretty good idea what this vial is and whatever you do, don't open it! If I'm correct, it's their paralysis gas." She clenched her eyes closed for a moment. "Fucking stupid! Give me the com link now." Eron quickly handed it to her. "Riddick or Vaako, please respond." She waited for a moment but no one answered. "Riddick or Vaako, answer me!" The com link was silent then a beep sounded.