Prophecy

Moistening her lips, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and smiled up at him. “Thanks,’ she breathed. “I don’t know how I would survive this place without you.” She reached through the bars and brushed her hand lingeringly over his before taking hold of the hairclip he offered her. He grinned at her, marvelling at the way she could make something as simple as clipping her hair up appear so damn sexy. Swallowing, he took a step towards the bars and reached in. “Come here,” he whispered, as he took hold of her hand and gently pulled her towards him. Looking into his eyes she let herself be drawn up against the bars. Gently he brushed his fingers against her cheek. She moistened her lips and closed her eyes. Slowly he leaned in towards her, his heart hammering in his chest.



Just as their lips were about to meet, a loud growl echoed through the cell, accompanied by the clanging of heavy chains. She inhaled sharply and backed away, the fear was evident in her eyes as she looked pleadingly at him before turning away and disappearing into the darkness.



“What were you doing?” he growled at her



“Nothing,” she answered a little too quickly.



Peering into the darkness the guard tried to distinguish what was happening at the back of the cell. He heard a loud slapping sound and she screamed.



“Leave her alone Riddick!” he yelled into the darkness.



The rattling of chains grew ominously louder and he subconsciously backed away from the bars. In the gloom he could just make out the large form of a man moving towards him with pools of glistening moonlight where his eyes should be. “Or what?” he demanded and waited for a reply.



The guard looked around him lost for words.



“Hmm,” he grunted. “I thought as much.” He reached out and pulled her into him from the shadows, one hand clamped around her throat, her back pressed into his chest so she couldn’t move. He glared at the guard then tilted her head to the side and spoke into her ear. “Where is your hero now?” he growled and looking back at the guard he ran his tongue up the side of her neck. She sobbed and struggled against him as he stepped back into the shadows, his malicious laughter echoing off the cell walls.









The Captain reclined in the comfort of his chair, studying the readout on the screen before him. He had been sitting there staring at the figure for the good part of an hour, checking and double checking, still unbelieving at what was clearly laid out before him.



“That can’t be right,” he stated in confusion and double checked the figures again.



He had been a Trader for more years than he cared to remember but never in his life had he ever been confronted with such an enormous bounty. Millions of UDs had crossed his books. It still amazed him the amount of money slams would pay for the honour of housing the scum of the universe. Hell, he almost squealed in delight when the mercs bought him Riddick. That was a huge payday in itself, but this… This was something else. Who would pay such an exorbitant sum for one unremarkable woman? And why?



He couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that had settled deep in the pit of his stomach. This wasn’t right. Something was definitely off here. He rubbed at his chin as he mulled over the situation. What to do? What to do?



Being a Trader was serious business. There was no room for certain human emotions, for compassion, for morality. It was all about greed, about the next big payday, the next big score. It wasn’t every day that he was confronted with two major money spinners in his possession at once. This was not the time for weakness, not the time to grow a conscious. He provided a service. His job was not to question why someone placed a bounty on a person’s head. His job was to deliver that person and to collect the money. Finally coming to a decision, he depressed a button on the desk in front of him and his XO’s face appeared on the screen.



“Make the call,” he ordered, staying online just long enough to see his underling nod his consent, the uneasiness in his stomach turning to torture.











Her tortured scream pierced the silence of the holding area, startling the guard from his fitful sleep. Instantly he bounded off his cot and ran to the cell. She emerged from the shadows at a run and slammed into the bars, blood dripping from the corner of her mouth, her eyes wide with fear.



“He’s almost loose!” she yelled at him hysterically.



“What?” he stammered in confusion.



“Help me!” she pleaded, “He’s going to kill me!”



He stared into the shadows blankly “But how?”



“He used my hairclip to pick the locks.” The sounds of heavy chains sliding to the floor made her gasp. She reached out through the bars and grabbed hold of his top. “You’ve got to let me out of here!” She begged in desperation. “Please!?”



Finally he nodded and moved to the cell door. “Hurry!” the tears where welling up in her eyes as she kept looking over her shoulder. “Hurry” she whispered.



In the shadows the clanging of the chains silenced. She looked back over her shoulder again and gasped, her eyes wild with fear. Sobbing she backed into the bars as Riddick’s massive form materialised out of the dark. Lunging forward he reached out to grab her but at that moment the door hissed open and she was pulled out of his reach, leaving him with a handful of her ripped top. Just as suddenly as the door had opened it hissed shut again.



She landed hard on the floor, her ankle twisting painfully beneath her. “Fuck!” she spat, pushing herself up off the floor and turning to glare at the cell. “Fucking bastard!”



The futility of the guard’s attempt at freedom was obvious, even to himself, yet that didn’t stop him from struggling. Riddick’s immense arm across his throat, pinning him against the bars may as well have been made from steel.



Gingerly she rose to her feet and tested her weight on her fragile ankle. Wincing at the pain, she took a step forward. “Let him go,” she demanded.



“Get me my goggles.”



She shook her head and looked at the guard. Riddick’s arm flexed turning the guards already frightened face a pasty shade of white. He gasped for air. “Now!” he demanded.



“Okay! Okay!” looking at the guard she asked “where?”



He pointed down the narrow hallway to a secured cabinet and mouthed some numbers to her. She looked at him questioningly and he nodded.



“Move!”



She jumped at the sound of his deep gravely voice and hobbled towards the cabinet. Keeping her back to Riddick, she studied the keypad for a moment then entered the code the guard gave her. The red light flashed then turned green and the cabinet door swung open. Inside were Riddick’s goggles, a security card, some cash and clipped in neatly across the top were a row of hand guns. She smiled to herself and unclipped one, checking the setting she placed it on the bench in front of her. Reaching in again she picked up the goggles then turned grabbing the gun and hiding it behind her back.



Hobbling back to the cell she held the goggles out in front of her. Both men watched her approach. There was an almost palpable feel of anticipation in the air as she stopped before them. She looked at the guard and there was an instant when he could have sworn that she almost smiled before she dropped the goggles to the floor and pointed the gun at them.



“Let him go!” she demanded in a trembling voice.



They both froze and stared at the gun in her shaking hands.



“You won’t shoot me,” he stated



“The Hell I won’t,” she replied more steadily. “Now back off!”



They glared at each other as deathly silence filled the room. Finally the guard smiled in relief as Riddick slowly released him and backed away from the bars. Rubbing at his throat he took a step towards her and reached his hand out for the gun. She returned his smile and tilted her head to the side. “Sorry,” she whispered as she squeezed the trigger and watched him slump to the floor.