A KILLER BY DESIGN

I do not own Riddick, but everone else is mine.

Chapter 1

I watched him in the cell, my eyes taking in all the radiant strength and beauty that he instilled. The man was incredible looking; large and foreboding, with dark golden skin that covered the defining muscles of his body. His head was clean shaven and his shined eyes glinted in the low level light that showered his small cell. The room was the size of a peasant’s home, not being more than ten by twelve feet. He was sitting on a wooden bench in the far corner, his arms chained and stretched to each side. Those beautiful eyes looking out towards me, but not really focused on anything as the drugs in his system kept him in a catatonic state. I had to note that at that moment the most dangerous and cruel criminal in the known universe, Richard B. Riddick now looked as menacing as a decrepit old man.

He had been here for 3 months now, arriving shortly after I started working as the night guard at Quintarus 3 research facility. I remember the day vividly that he was brought in; he fought hard before the drugs started having their effects on him. The fury that he unleashed killed 2 guards and seriously injured one of the doctors. I luckily was not hurt but my new friend Carl was the second guard he killed. Carl had tried to sneak up behind the raging beast to try and subdue him by force when Riddick spun around so fast it took me several seconds to even realize he had moved at all. I saw his face clearly for that one split second before he grabbed Carl=s head and twisted him clean around snapping my new friend’s neck like a twig. My legs were shaking as I held my gun on him; I was scared shitless to say the least. How the hell was I to take him down if he killed everyone else in the room was my first thought. Luckily I didn’t have to. When he was in the process of killing Carl a doctor lunged forward and stabbed him with a needle and injected him from behind with some fast acting tranquilizers. The roar that left Riddick’s mouth almost dropped me to my knees from the intensity and pain it carried. He slammed his arm back against the doctor’s chest which made the man fly across the room out of Riddick’s reach, only to crack his head against a steel gurney. By now there were 3 people down and I was one of 2 left standing with a huge brutal killer staring right at me. I raised my gun and tensed my finger on the trigger to ward him back as he stumbled towards me. His face changed then, as he realized his body was no longer responding to him. I expected to see anger or hate appear in his features but I was totally unprepared for what I saw.
Fear. He was afraid, truly and utterly afraid. I kept my gun on him as he went down to his hands and knees while his eyes stayed locked on mine. His body started to convulse and he shook his head as if to will his mind to wake up from a bad dream. The word >no= escaped his lips repeatedly. He fell forward onto the concrete floor as his body finally gave up the fight for control. The fear was still evident on his face, his eyes locked on mine again until he passed out.

I was mesmerized by him as several more guards entered the room and cuffed his unconscious form and then lifted him with groans and sighs onto the gurney the doctor had crashed into. I lowered my gun and unsteadily walked to him. I could finally take the time to look him over and study him without the fear of getting killed. He really was a beautiful man. His body was a well tuned machine of muscle, power, and prowess. His face was soft and peaceful as he slept, but I could see the underlying mask of animalistic rage and unbridled fury that lurked inside him. It was beautiful....he was beautiful, and I was completely captivated.

As I surveyed him sitting in his cell I felt a little stab of guilt run through me as I did everyday since he arrived. This man, no matter what he had done or been accused of was meant to be free. He was dying inside, I could see that now. The drugs may have him subdued and he may be manageable now but his eyes showed his soul. The soul of a man who had been beaten down and now had nothing to hang on to. I had a part in that and now it was slowly eating me alive.

"Hey Jay, shifts up girl." A voice boomed from down the corridor. I turned my head abruptly and I saw Dranger walking towards me, a huge shit-eating grin on his face. "Lusting over the convict again are ya?" He drawled with a chuckle.

Quickly, I gave him the finger and he laughed harder. "Just playing with ya girl, you know that."
"I know Dranger." I calmly stated as I started to walk back with him towards the exit. I looked at him as we walked together towards the door and had to grin myself. I loved walking next to him, it was such a contrast. Dranger had to be about 6'6” tall and weight about 300 pounds, although he wasn’t fat, he was just stacked. He was darker in skin color with black hair and hazel eyes. His descendants were Samoan or something. I stand 5'1” and weigh 120 pounds with lots of curves, but I have good muscle tone throughout my body. I reached the door first and swiped my ID card and pressed my thumb to the ID panel and the door slid open to allow Dranger and me to pass through.

We entered the locker and shower room and I proceeded to take off my uniform to the delight of the few other male guards that were in the room. It didn’t bother me though, I was damn tough and could take about any of them, and the ones I would have normally worried about new full well that Dranger was my friend, and no one fucked with him. We met about a year ago and he has been a great friend, always there when I need him. He was the one that got me the job here at Quintarus 3 when my other job at the mining plant got liquidated.

I striped I listened to the locker room babble going on around me. There was talk of the guard Manetti from the lab who was sleeping with Nurse Carter and Nurse Vale. Like that was news, I had known about that for weeks. Another guard spoke of how Doctor Mercer was starting his new program in the all new Calber Labs for which several ships had been delivering cargo the last few weeks. I hadn’t heard it was starting so soon but I stayed away from Dr. Mercer, he was a freak and made it very well known that he would like to get to know me better. I just got strange vibes from him and he seemed to enjoy the pain of some of the occupants here. I was just hearing more about the sex lives of my fellow guard’s when Dranger walked up behind me and leaned into me to whisper.

"Have you heard what the ships have brought for the new project?" He asked quietly while buttoning his jeans.

"No, I haven't. Must be pretty hush, hush." I said turning my head to his and whispering back to him.

He threw on a t-shirt and leaned over me again putting his lips by my ear. “I saw what looked like women getting off the ships. Isn’t that weird?"

I nodded and finished up getting my street clothes on. Looking back at him I saw he had backed up a few feet from me and was getting his bag together to head out. I grabbed my bag and threw it over my shoulder. "Walk out with you?" I said casually and Dranger nodded back as he grabbed his bag and we both headed for the exit yelling 'see ya later' to the others in the room.

We made it to the facility lobby and noticed Dr. Mercer talking with some military types. I moved to Dranger’s far side hoping to block my presence from the men behind Dranger=s large frame but it didn’t work.

"Miss Cavanough....Miss Cavanough, can you please come here for a minute?" I heard Dr. Mercer shout. I cringed and Dranger must have seen it because as I headed for the group of men Dranger followed right behind me like the giant guard dog he was, thank God.

"Yes, Dr. Mercer." I said curtly when I reached him.


"Miss Cavanough, I need to talk to you about my new project that's starting Monday." He spoke reservedly.

He was quiet for a few seconds and I wasn’t sure what he was wanting from me. "Yes?" I recounted.

Dr. Mercer looked at me a bit irritated and then looked at Dranger who was standing right behind me and starring right back at him. "Alone Miss Cavanough.@ He said with irritation in his voice.

"Oh, yes sir." I said quickly before turning to Dranger. "I’ll meet you outside alright?"

Dranger nodded and left me there alone with the men and Dr. Mercer.

"Alright Dr. Mercer, what can I do for you?" I said as pleasantly as I could.

He smiled and turned to the men. "These are the men funding my next project. They are with the military alliance and we are starting another military project."

I looked at him confused because I was, so what I thought.

"Alright sir, what do you need from me?" I asked trying to get some more clear information.

"Our project is of the highest security. You are not permitted to discuss it with anyone." He raised his eyebrow and eyed the front doors to where Dranger was waiting for me, watching.

“Of course sir." I answered briskly, wanting to get out of there.

“I will be starting this program with prisoner #813." He mentioned casually, the other men nodding there agreement.

“That would be prisoner Riddick." I noted a bit shocked.

Dr. Mercer glared at me and the other men stopped all movement as well. "In this building, in this program the prisoners no longer have any ID other than their given numbers; do I make myself clear Miss Cavanough?"

I swallowed hard and nodded my head. "Yes Dr. Mercer, I apologize. What do you need me to do as far as prisoner #813." I questioned quietly while keeping eye contact with him.

He smiled again, a creepy smile this time, the smile I usually see on him when he is looking at me from a distance. I shuddered slightly but regained my composure without notice of my slight discomfort.


“Number 813 will be moved this weekend to a new holding facility for 3 weeks. Some important test will be run on him and he will be confined to his holding cell the entire time. I have selected you to be his personal guard while there. You will check on him at the appropriate times given to you and no other. You are not to be told of what the specific test are, your only job is as a guard and to watch him and report any abnormal behavior or abnormalities within his cell. Understand?"

I wrinkled my brow but nodded none the less. "Yes sir."

"Good." Dr Mercer replied. "You are to come to work Monday morning at 0600 hours, you will then be escorted to the new holding facility. Once you arrive you will remain there until the 3 weeks are up and then you will be escorted back here for a week of paid leave."

I almost butted in but at hearing a week of paid leave I just couldn’t. I nodded again.

"Alright Miss Cavanough, we shall see you here Monday morning." With that Dr Mercer turned and headed to the elevators on the far side of the lobby with the other men fast on his heels.

I turned and walked outside, Dranger standing there looking at me as though I got caught doing something illegal.

“What the hell was that all about Jay?" He asked with a bit of an edge on his voice. He didn’t like Dr. Mercer any more than I did and he really didn’t like that Dr. Mercer had taken a liking to me, but he would never tell me why.

I moved closer to him and we started walking towards downtown. "I just got re-assigned for the new project he is starting. I leave Monday and will be back after 3 weeks."

“Re-Assigned, for what?" Dranger hissed.

“I can't really talk about it; I am just going to be gone 3 weeks. I am being placed on guard duty. That's all I can tell you." I spit the words out sharply as our pace quickened to our usual little bar we hit after work.

“I don't like it." He voiced.

“I don't either, but I get a week of paid vacation after it so I couldn’t turn it down." I said calmly.

We kept walking, not saying another word to each other. When we reached the bar after about 10 minutes I headed for the door. Dranger grabbed it first but didn’t open it. I turned to him with a scowl on my face. I really needed a beer.

“Promise me, you’ll be careful." He uttered softly as he looked into my eyes. I smiled at him and nodded. “I will, promise."

He smiled back and opened the door allowing me to enter first. Now I could get that drink and try to get rid of the little voice telling me something wasn’t right about all this.