Treacherous

She peeked around the corner in time to see the pale circle of a face duck behind one of the columns out front.

“We’re here for Militia. We mean no harm to civilians. Lay down your weapons and we’ll get you out safe!”

A few seconds passed. Bell thought she could just make out the tiny sound of people whispering. “To be a Necromonger! I’d rather die!” came the shout finally.

“We won’t harm you. No conversions!” she yelled back.

Again the tiny sounds of them consulting. “You’re a Necromonger. We can’t trust you!”

She stuck her head out, leaving it out this time. “I’m not! You have my word. We’ll take you where you want to go. You’ll be safe. But this planet isn’t.” She didn’t shout, but kept her voice loud enough to be heard.

Now several pale circles of faces were showing, peeking out at her.

Bell stepped out, hearing grumbling from her guard. She raised her empty hands to show she meant no harm. “Militia is finished. The Mongers are here to ensure that. But the civilians are to go free. You just can’t stay on this planet.”

Arguing between them. But then someone stepped forward, pushing one of the men aside. She woman came down a few steps. “Please. There are children inside. We just want to keep them safe.”

Bell nodded. That was what had her senses buzzing. There were innocents inside. “I understand. We’re here to help, but you have to put down the weapons. My soldiers will only kill those that fight. Stand down.”

The woman turned on the steps and looked into the shadows behind the columns. “You heard her! I told you you’d get us all killed. Put down the guns!”

Six boys stepped forward, no more than teenagers. They still held their weapons. Suddenly she had eight soldiers flanking her, guns at the ready, trained on the boys on the steps.

“No!” she yelled. “They’re surrendering. Don’t shoot.”

They didn’t, but they didn’t lower their weapons either.

Bell moved forward, trailed by her men. “You are outgunned, boys. Please, just put down the guns. No one wants to get hurt.”

They looked between themselves. All of them looked scared. Slowly they dropped their weapons to the stones before them.

Six of her guard moved in, snatching the guns, taking control of the situation.

Bell jogged up the steps to the woman that had come out to end the standoff. She could see the woman had been crying. She looked weary.

“I give you my word. We just want to get the children out safe. Our goal is to take everyone that doesn’t stand against us. The rest will go under with the planet.” Bell knew she sounded harsh, but speaking the direct truth was the fastest route here.

“We were threatened by soldiers before nightfall to not surrender,” she whispered. “It was on the vids and radios. Said the Necromongers make zombies of everyone.” Her eyes teared up, “Even children.”

Bell huffed and instantly got on the radio. Vaako was the one that responded.

“Are you safe?” he asked first.

“Yeah. It’s not that. We need to arrange some sort of announcement. A broadcast. Militia has been freaking these people out. Telling them all kinds of—“ There was suddenly static and jumbled voice from Vaako’s end.

“Vaako!” she called, trying to figure out what the hell was going on.

“Bell?” It was Riddick.

Bell’s heart hammered in her chest. It was if she could see him. His voice was enough to conjure a vision of him. In the dark somewhere, his playground. Armor spattered with blood, muscles rippling from the tension of the fight, eyes flashing constantly as he surveyed his domain, the darkness.

“Riddick. Militia has scared these people. Told them Mongers will make them zombies or some shit. We have to make a broadcast that can be heard that we’re not the bad guys and are here to help.”

He was silent.

She waited all of five seconds. “Riddick, they’ll keep fighting. They’re scared. I don’t care if you mount a loudspeaker under every transport, but we have to tell those people still in hiding that they won’t be hurt if they just don’t fight.”

Again only silence, then softly, “If they’re scared they won’t believe it. I’m not on a crusade here.”

She frowned, not understanding his reasoning. “I don’t care what you think you’re doing here! There are civilians here and Militia fucked with their heads. I’m not going to let children be killed because you think you shouldn’t have to take care of the intricacies of this!”

Not a live connection, and hard telling how far apart, but she could still feel the pulse of his anger. “This was your fight, Bell. You’re in charge. You need something done, you make the order.”

She gasped in complete outrage. He was shouldering the responsibility onto her. “That’s fine, fucker. Then get your ass back to the ship and sit in the dark if that’s all the help you’re going to be!” She flung the comm. It hit the stone column before her and shattered. Not enough. She wanted to tear at something, scream to the heavens and knock that immature coward Riddick on his fat ass!!

Jud stepped up to her. He was highest-ranking soldier, but had deferred to her despite her not having any sort of military experience. He was the knowledge, she was the say so. “My Lady, we need a directive.”

She sighed. Deep breath in. Hold for the count of three. Exhale. Repeat. As often as necessary! But it gave her time to think.

“I need a comm. to the command deck, to every general or commander, and every troop ship.”

He nodded, bringing another comm. forward. “Contact the command deck. They can take it from there.”

She nodded and got on the horn. It took some explanation and a few ultimatums, but she got the order across. Within a matter of minutes they could hear the loudspeakers. It was a looping message, informing that all those that didn’t fight would be taken off planet peacefully and not harmed, but if they fought or remained on planet they were doomed.

Transports started arriving for the group within the building. A total of two hundred children and young people, mothers and elderly had holed up in the old building. They were loaded and taken to specified ships where they could be seen my medical personnel, fed and interrogated if need be. None of the transports would take detainees back to the Basilica Ship.

As the last transport took off Bell found she was now in the center of a larger troop of soldiers. Commander Scales called out to her and then made his way to her.

“My Lady, there is already word of other standoffs ending peacefully due to the message. It’s unorthodox, but I can’t deny how well it worked. It was good of you to think of it.”

She was impressed by his candor, and suspicious, of course. While he hadn’t shown open animosity as Toal had, he hadn’t spoken in support of her either.

“You do not disagree?” she asked, allowing her tone to sound uncertain. Just a little woman here, hoping for validation from this strong, smart commander.

“Not at all, My Lady. People are always needed for conversion. Carting off the children is a nice touch.”

Bell almost smiled at his misinterpretation. He thought she was propagandizing these people. The idea offended her. She didn’t like him thinking her capable of such deceit, but his mistake was better left alone.

She nodded, and then used one of her guards nearby to remove herself from his presence. Jud stepped up to her and she smiled at Commander Scales, “Be safe, Commander,” effectively dismissing him.

“And you, My Lady.”

He gave himself away with those last words and that last look. Necromongers didn’t allow their females in battle. Too weak, too stupid, too unworthy. She’d heard the principle and scorned it. Just another attempt by men to control women. Commander Scales’ wishing her safe reeked of poorly concealed sarcasm. He’d like nothing better than to shoot her himself, just to make sure the point was proven, that she had no place being there.

If he survived this campaign she’d make sure he had his sexist ass on the first ship to The Threshold.

Hours passed and a dozen more transports were loaded with civilians. She saw transports taking off from other areas of the city as well.

Sleep. The need to rest was sneaking up on her and her guards. That she was keeping up with them was something that impressed them. They were Necromongers, engineered to be stronger, faster, tire less easily. And in their eyes she was a mere breeder, and a woman at that.

Back to the ship or catch a few hours where they were?

Teos was a planet of broken periods of sunlight. Sister planets blocked the sun for much of what would have been daylight. These eclipses were common, occurring three or more times per day, up to three of which were during daylight hours. They were regular, clocked by Teosians, depending on where on the planet one resided.

But it was foreign to Bell. Dawn had come, revealing a greenish planet directly above them. It slowly crossed to block the sun, its shadow not as dark as night, but close. She was sure Riddick enjoyed it.

Bell and her guards sheltered in an abandoned house. She got the bed while the soldiers bunked down on the floor, some taking pillows or cushions. A rotating guard to keep the house secure.


A jolt of energy woke Bell from the few hours sleep she’d gotten.

Nothing nearby. She knew in an instant that she was in no immediate danger. That her guards weren’t up and moving to protect her told her that she was the only one who’d felt it.

Her apparition had worked as a defense through the night, but now it was on alert, searching unbidden for the cause of alarm.

The children.

She crept through the small house, nodding at the guard at the front door. A quiet, darker room, a sitting room, and she sat to concentrate, to listen.

Not the children. She was sure of it. The points of their apparitions were calm. She could feel their heightened state, nervous, expectant, but not fearful.

Then Riddick. Like radar, her apparition moved out from her. Nearby surroundings were almost clear, like a bat’s sonar, it gave her an impression of buildings, objects, even people. Further out it became vague. The energy of people could be felt, Necromongers stronger than others. Still no Riddick.

Time to get on the comm. She checked with Ramsay first. Yes, the children were fine. No problems all night, but they seemed agitated now.

Were they feeling what she felt? It just frustrated her more.

A link to Vaako. “Are you safe, My Lady?” were his first words.

She ignored them, “Where is Riddick?”

A surprised silence, then, “We have entered an underground facility. I assume he’s with the forward guard.”

“Where are you?”

A moment away, muffled voices, then he was back, “The entrance was beneath a medical building on the western side of the thirty-second Icon.”

Bell understood. The Icons were numbered. Eighty-five had landed on Teos in all, concentrated on the cities. Ten had landed in or around this capital city.

With a point to work from she closed the comm. without another word. A kilometer or more from where she was. She searched for Riddick.

Nothing. That in itself was wrong.

Then finally she detected him. Deep below the city.

Unconscious.

That was the only explanation. It was like glimpsing a dim light bulb in the dark. One that should’ve been painfully bright.

In a second she was running, shoving through doors, leaping steps and obstacles. Out of the house, ignoring the shouts of her guard. Through the streets, she ran faster than she’d ever run, feeling almost like she was flying.

A higher power seemed to be in control. Bell could feel her guards, lagging further and further behind. Each intersection, every time she had to choose a direction there was no real dilemma. Her path was before her, and she just knew the twists and turns. Even in darkness where she tripped over small objects littering her path, she instinctively knew it was safe to run, swerving to miss larger objects.

She didn’t tire, though she felt her breath quicken. It was natural, oxygen needed to fuel her lungs, blood, muscles. A point passed when she knew, understood that she should be wearing out, but still she ran.

Vaako hadn’t told her any real information about the entrance to the facility. Necromongers in formation. She ran toward them.

“Did the Lord Marshal and Commander Vaako pass through here?”

One man, his face and armor familiar, had enough pose to answer her quickly. “Yes, My Lady. A while ago. We were set to guard the…”

She ran past without another word missing whatever else he said.