BLUE SUN ROOM FAN FICTION - ROMANCE

SHADOWGLOVE

A Firefly in the Pitch Black: Chapter 8
Thursday, March 20, 2008

A change in leadership...and not exactly for the better


CATEGORY: FICTION    TIMES READ: 1509    RATING: 0    SERIES: FIREFLY

Into a rising wind, and with heavy hearts at the loss of Paris, the survivors trudged on.

Jack had given Iman her hand-light to wear around his neck, and she now held Paris’ umbrella torch, refueled and coughing fireballs at regular intervals. Kaylee had been traveling in the back with River until Fry’s cutting torch sputtered and died. The blonde had promptly thrown it away into the darkness and taken the umbrella torch from Jack, forcing Kaylee to leave River and go stand next to Jack to keep the boy and the right side of the sled covered in light.

“Bottle count.” Fry ordered when she returned to the front.

“Four fulls, one half.” Jack counted quickly before looking up at Kaylee nervously. “That means we’re halfway there?”

Kaylee wished that she could tell Jack what he needed to hear, but she didn’t want to lie to him either. “Probably.”

She looked up with a sigh. Jack had asked the question none of them wanted to ask. They’d all been content following the light on Riddick’s back, but the man hadn’t spoken to them after resuming their journey, and Kaylee couldn’t help but feel that they’d been walking forever.

“Can we pick up the pace?” Fry ordered in an impatient voice, obviously worried that they’d run out of light before they reached the settlement and the skiff.

“If you think you can do better,” Johns growled, letting the sentence dangle. He abruptly slapped an arm across Iman’s chest, gaze wide and down on the sand before him.

Kaylee looked down at her feet, wondering if there was something she’d missed.

The sound of the shotgun ratcheting caused her gaze to jerk back up in time to see Johns out of his chains, moving forwards, and jamming the nose of the shotgun into the back of Riddick’s neck.

The mechanic’s eyes opened in shock. What was Johns doing?

“We aren’t completely stupid.” Johns growled in a dangerous voice that could have rivaled Riddick’s.

Everyone halted, frozen, eyes wide, watching the confrontation and wondering what had happened to trigger it.

“Stay in the light!” Fry called out, as if anyone was planning on having a nice stroll into the darkness around them. “Everyone! Stay in the fuckin’---.”

“We crossed our own paths,” Iman turned to Hasan and Suleiman, voice grave.

“He’s runnin’ us ‘round in circles!” Johns turned his head towards the others, the nose of his shotgun still pressed against Riddick’s neck firmly. “Look for yourself. Look!”

“Riddick?” Fry’s voice was hurt and angry. “What the hell are you---?”

“You all think too loud and don’t listen.” River scolded them, looking insulted at their clueless state.

The survivors looked at each other in confusion.

Riddick snorted at their silent confusion, shaking his head slightly. “Listen.”

Kaylee knew that she’d mentally tried blocking out the sounds of what was going on around her on purpose to keep from going insane with fear at the constant reminder that blood-thirsty creatures were all around them, in the dark, waiting for the lights to go out so they could devour them without mercy.

She guessed the others had done the same thing.

But now that she’d been told to listen, she strained her ears, and her eyes widened in horror as she finally realized what River and Riddick obviously had known for a while now.

The sound of a hundred Geiger-counters next to a truckload of titanium rode the wind around them.

They were close to a helluvan army of creatures!

“Canyon ahead,” Riddick had yet to turn to them. “I circled once to buy some time to think.”

“’Bout what?” Shazza asked, more curious than pissed.

“About how to kill us and still get these cells to the skiff!” Johns exploded, sending her an ugly glare. “Gorramit, we’re just doin’ the heavy lifting for this prick!”

“I was talkin’ to Riddick.” Shazza replied coolly, glaring right back at Johns.

Riddick ignored Johns and answered Shazza. “About the girl.”

“Girl?” Fry made up her nose, obviously wondering who he was talking about since there were four females in the group of survivors.

“Also been wond’ring what it’s gonna be like when we hit that canyon.” Riddick’s voice was emotionless. “With her bleeding.”

“Who are you jaw-jacking about?” Johns asked, obviously reluctantly believing what the murderer said.

Kaylee turned to look behind her at River in worry. “River?” Her heart skipped a beat. “Why didn’t you tell us that your wounds opened back up?” She was worried; River might have been bleeding to death and hadn’t told anyone!

“He’s not talking about me.” River announced before looking at…Jack?

It hit Kaylee like a two-by-four as she remembered River mentioning voices an octave wrong, Adam’s Apples and smells. “Jack!”

The child looked around her in terror, stuttering, close to tears. “I didn’t want everyone to leave me there…back at the ship…that’s why I didn’t say anything…”

“No, we’d never…” Kaylee passed Hasan her umbrella torch and went to her knees, pulling the crying girl into her arms. “Oh God, honey…you should have told us. We wouldn’t have left you. I swear that to you, but you should have told us!”

“I’m so sorry!” Jacks cried, hugging Kaylee with all her strength. “So sorry! I was just so frightened!”

Johns lowered his shotgun from Riddick’s neck, finally getting it. “Aw, this can’t be happenin’ to me…”

Pulling on his goggles, Riddick finally turned around and stepped into the light. “They been nose-open for her since we left. They go off blood.”

Kaylee held the shivering child closer, completely understanding and agreeing with Riddick’s decision not to go straight through that camp of predators while knowing this.

The light on them grew brighter, and Kaylee looked up to see that Suleiman had taken the umbrella torch from Hasan and taken a step closer to them.

She smiled at him in thanks.

“Well, we must keep her close, then.” Iman finally broke the silence that’d descended on them. “Here, she’ll be safe if we put her between--.”

Riddick scanned the darkness around them. “There is no ‘safe’.”

Kaylee shivered, wondering what it was he saw that made him so sure of that.

Another beat of silence passed as the wind gusted, the flames chattered, and the canyon’s sounds moved almost bodily around them.

“It’s not going to work.” Fry announced. “We gotta go back.”

Johns brayed with little amusement. “Hey, you’re the one who got me out here an’ turned me into a gorram sled dog!” He rounded on her. Lately his relationship with Fry was most volatile than his relationship with Riddick. “An’ now you ‘spect me to go back like a whipped dog?”

“I was wrong,” obviously trying to keep her anger and tears in check, Fry glared at the mercenary. “My bad, okay? I didn’t know all the particulars or I wouldn’t have suggested us going out!” She snapped at him. “Now let’s just get back to the ship!”

“I dunno.” Johns sneered at her, eyes blazing with dark fury. “Nice breeze, wide open spaces---you know, I’m startin’ to enjoy myself out here!”

“Are you fuckin’ high again?” Fry screamed, fury taking over her desire to cry. “Just listen to--.”

“No, no, no, no. You’re right, Fry.” Johns interrupted with false compliancy. “What’s to be afraid of? My life is a steamin’ pile of meaningless toadshit anyhow.” He seemed to be quoting Fry, yet Kaylee didn’t remembering hearing that conversation. “So I say mush on! Canyon’s only couple hundred meters, after that we’re in Skiff City! So why don’t you just butch up, stuff a cork in that kid, and get----.”

“ She’s the captain,” Iman interrupted, obviously angry at Johns for his lack of respect towards their leader. “We should---.”

“ Listen to her? Her?” Johns threw his head back and laughed cynically. “When she was willing to sacrifice us all?”

A beat passed and everyone’s eyes turned to Fry, who looked pale and desperate to say something, yet couldn’t.

Kaylee’s heart stopped.

Was what Johns had just said true?

“What’s he talkin’ ‘bout?” Jack asked in a soft, frightened voice.

“You wanna know what your fearless little leader’s really like?” Johns asked, turning his attention on the little girl. “Well, little Jackie, during the crash---.”

Fry growled warningly in her throat. “This doesn’t help us, Johns.”

“----Carolyn Fry tried to blow the whole ruttin’ passenger cabin.” Johns ignored Fry and continued on, as if feeding from the pain and surprise in the air. “Tried to kill us all---.”

“Shut up!” Fry screamed out, yet wasn’t denying the charges.

“---tried to kill us all in our sleep.” Johns tore his gaze from a shocked Jack and let it roam over the rest of the survivors. “Paris had it right, we are dispensable.” He waited a beat before adding: “We’re just walking ghosts to her.”

“WOULD YOU RAG YOUR STUPID HOLE?” Fry rushed at him, ready to rip his eyes out, yet he easily shunted her aside.

“We’re not alive because of her---,“ he sneered down at the shaking Fry contemptuously. “We’re alive in spite of her.” His words swung beneath the belt and connected…hard.

Kaylee looked back at a silent River, mentally asking her if it was a lie, or if Johns was telling them was the truth.

There was a pause as River looked slightly uncomfortable before nodding. “The fox is sly, yet his words are truth.”

Fry’s chin quivered and her knees apparently gave out on her, the undertow of events bringing her to her knees on the sand in a defeated mess.

“We can’t go through there…” She whispered, voice trembling with the tears she was shedding.

Johns sneered. “I don’t think anyone gives a rat’s ass what you think anymore, captain.”

Iman pushed him back, and helped a shaky Fry up, glaring up at the mercenary. “Fine, fine, you’ve made your point. We can all be as scared as you are now.”

Johns shouldered his shotgun, reminding everyone of the advantage he had over them. “Verdict’s in. The light moves forwards.” With that he walked out ahead of them, ignoring his now abandoned harness.

The others quickly rearranged themselves so that each side still had a light, and Jack was in the brightest section. Suleiman took Jack’s place and pulled the harness over him, helping Iman pull the sled through the darkness as Hasan continued to push from behind.

They trudged on, slower than before, building reserves for the canyon-run. At rear-point with River, Fry followed like a broken rudder, and while Kaylee’s loving nature wanted her to try and comfort the other woman, she couldn’t help but feel betrayed by someone she’d put her whole trust in, and so she remained silent.

No one noticed as, up ahead, Johns joined Riddick.

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Riddick had a lot on his mind.

Too much had happened in the last couple of minutes, and the worst had occurred, Ol’ Saint Johns had taken over the leadership of the group like any tyrant on Earth-That-Was, and Riddick knew that if he didn’t really think things out this could be his end.

He felt the merc coming towards him and faintly wondered if he was stupid enough to shoot him now that the leadership…and the Big Gauge…was in his hands.

“Ain’t all of us gonna make it.” Johns announced, breaking the silence in a surprisingly civil manner.

Obviously he’d realized that he’d broken all alliances back in the group and was looking to form one with Riddick.

That could prove useful.

“Just realized that, huh?” Riddick snorted, eyes constantly around them.

There was clicking nearby and Johns blasted into the night, driving away the sound, and reminding those behind them who had the Big Gauge.

“Ten of us left.” He replied casually. “If we could get through that canyon and lose one or two, that’d be quite a fuckin’ feat, huh? Anyway, that skiff is mighty small, mightn’t even be able to take off with the weight of ten people on board.” He paused. “So us losing one or two would be good thing, right?”

“Not if I’m one of the ‘one or two’.” Riddick snorted.

“What if you’re one of eight or seven?”

Riddick paused momentarily, giving the mercenary a look that said ‘I’m listening.’

“It’s hellified stuff, but no different from those battlefield doctors during the Unification War, when they had to decide who lived and who died.” Johns announced, speaking of the great Unification War between the Browncoats and the Alliance several years ago, in which the Alliance had won and ‘unified’ the universe. “It’s called ‘triage’, okay?”

Riddick shook his head in wry amusement. “Kept calling it ‘murder’ when I did it.”

“Either way,” Johns shook that aside, not rising to the bait. “Figured it’s something you can grab onto.”

“Sacrifice play.” Riddick put it into simpler, cruder terms. “Hack up a body or two and leave them at the start of the canyon. Like a bucket of chum.”

“No, no, I think we should trawl with it.” Johns shook his head, obviously quite serious with this plan of his. “There’s a cable on the sled. We can drag the body behind us.”

“Nice embellishment.” Riddick’s sarcasm was lost on the blonde.

“Don’t wanna feed these landsharks,” he announced with a scowl. “Just keep ‘em off our scent.”

“So, which ones caught your eye?” Riddick looked back, purposely meeting River’s gaze and letting down the mental shield he’d learnt to erect years ago to keep his thoughts secret.

Her eyes widened as she understood the warning he gave her, and nodded discreetly.

“Don’ look, don’ look, don’ look!” Johns’ nervous voice brought his gaze back on the blonde. When he was calm once more, Johns continued. “I’m thinking the little transvestite and maybe the two kids of the Chrislam. They’d put up less of a fight and would be easier to gut.”

Only a coward would pick off the kids of any group when there were adults available, yet Riddick kept that comment to himself. The more and more Johns spoke, the more Riddick wondered what made Johns the good guy and what made him the bad one. They were quite similar, except Johns was a lot more fucked up and a coward to boot.

“What’s her name, anyway?” Riddick asked, referring to Jack, wondering how callous Johns could be.

“Jacqueline?” Johns guessed, obviously irritated by the question. “What do you care?”

Riddick shrugged. He didn’t care; he’d just wanted to know how much Johns didn’t care.

“Then let’s not name the Thanksgiving turkey, okay?” The blonde looked to the right when there was another click, and fired off another shot into the dark before continuing. “I assume you still got a shiv.”

“ What, you ‘spect me to do it?” Riddick scoffed, not believing the pussy Johns was.

“What’s one or two—or three—more for you?” Johns reasoned as if discussing the weather. “Like these killings are going to be the ones to send you to Hell?”

Riddick shook his head at the arrogant, self-righteous, dickhead. “Oh, you’re a piece of art, Johns. They outta hang you in a museum somewhere.” He paused, smirking. “Or, forget the museum---maybe they should just hang you.”

Obviously not taking what he’d said seriously, Johns nodded to himself. “Awright, you kill the girl first---she is the one bleedin’---and I’ll keep the others off of your back. You’ll kill the others when we need ‘em.”

Riddick stopped.

“What?” Johns asked, and then rolled his eyes. “Aw, don’t tell me you’re growin’ scruples.”

The murderer shook his head. “Just wonderin’ if we don’t need bait bigger than three scrawny lil’ kids.”

Johns paused, thoughtful frown on his face, obviously considering this carefully. “You mean like Fry, Shazza and Mr. Chrislam?”

Before Riddick could tell him ‘More like Mr. Johns’, a scream from behind them caused them to turn around in time to see one of the umbrella torches being torn apart and three predators attack the survivors behind them.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

River had sensed it the moment Riddick let his mental block dissolve, and she’d been surprised at not only the fact that his thoughts weren’t painful and loud like the others—but soft and soothing—but what was going through his mind.

Johns wanted to kill the children to leave as bait?

Nodding in Riddick’s direction to let him know that she’d gotten his message, she’d told Iman to slow down, and while the Chrislam looked at her oddly it was the first time she’d spoken to him and she was supposed to be injured, so he graciously complied.

Unlike the last attack, this time she didn’t feel Grim until there was a scream, and the umbrella torch Shazza had been carrying was ripped in two, destroyed, by an extra-hungry creature who’d flown close enough to slice it with its scythe-like blade.

Mixing more gas into her cutting torch, brightening the flame despite Fry’s orders to keep them on medium so as to conserve the light, River rushed forwards and threw herself in front of Shazza (who’d been knocked back against the sled) swinging the torch left and right rapidly just as the predator circled around to attack the woman who’d been in shadows seconds ago.

Instead of having a sure meal, the predator that’d been bomb-diving towards Shazza was unable to pull up in time and it shrieked in pain as its eyes were charred by the bright flames. At the last minute it managed to divert its course until it crashed violently into the sand behind them, thrashing and clawing at its own eyes.

A couple of the predators around them noticed this and jumped onto the squealing creature, tearing it apart and relishing the easy kill.

Despite that distraction, another predator took advantage of everyone’s attention either being on River and Shazza or the feasting behind them, and slashed at Kaylee, slicing her arm and throwing her into Jack. The mechanic had managed to keep a hold of her umbrella torch, and when the predator swung once more she aimed the torch so that it coughed the fireball into the creature’s face, causing its face to melt slightly as it screamed and also crashed to the sand, becoming victim to its siblings’ hunger as well.

Johns’ shotgun fired into the air as he and Riddick hurried back towards the group, yet a scream sounded out louder than the shots.

Suleiman had un-harnessed himself with amazing speed and grabbed onto Hasan’s hands as the lower half of the younger boy’s body disappeared in the air, in the darkness. Hasan screamed in pain and Iman tried desperately to pull himself out of his harness to help his disciples.

Suleiman sent up prayers in Arabic as his grip on Hasan’s hands slipped, and before Fry or Iman could make it to the child, Hasan had been swept away into the air, scream piercing the night.

Wiping out the pistol she’d kept hidden until that moment, River buried her toes in the sand and connected with the planet again. Closing her eyes she felt the wind, Hasan’s screams, and the flapping of wings, before firing blindly into the night.

There was a screech of pain as her bullets were true and the creature that’d taken Hasan from them crashed, taking the young Arabic boy whose legs were in its mouth with it.

The lights shone towards the young boy, crying pitifully on the ground besides the creature that’d taken it, trying to force its jaws open so he could escape…while the predators around hi, noticed his predicament and began to grow near.

Sensing Grim behind her, River twirled around and shot the predator that’d crept up behind her right between its eyes.

Another shot rang in the air and a child screamed.

River turned in time to see the smoke from Johns’ barrel, and a now dead Hasan collapsing right before the creatures circling him jumped upon his dead body.

“It was better to go that way than to be torn to pieces.” Johns announced in a dead voice when everyone turned to him horror for having shot the boy between his eyes much like River had the creature behind her.

“Enough chum for you?” Riddick asked.

Johns turned and glared at him before turning to the others.

Everyone had tears in their eyes, and Iman, Suleiman, Jack and Kaylee were crying heart-brokenly at the loss of the shy young boy.

Fry’s head was bent, shadows playing over her face, but her shoulders trembled with her silent sobs.

Shazza shook next to River, looking as if it were all she could do to keep a firm hold onto her sanity as the sounds of feasting filled the air.

Feeling a prickling in her eyes, River raised a cautious hand to her cheek and swiped at the clear liquid there, surprised to realize that she’d been crying.

She was never affected by anyone’s death. The only one who’d ever affected her when injured was Simon.

Maybe Kaylee is right, she thought to herself, eyes on the clear liquid covering her fingers and running soundlessly down her cheeks. Maybe I AM undoing their programming.

“They’re busy feasting.” Johns spoke once more. “I say we make for the canyon while they’re not looking for desert.”

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

They were nine left: Riddick, River, Kaylee, Shazza, Fry, Jack, Johns, Iman and Suleiman. They listened to the canyon and the continual buzz and clicks coming from there, knowing that there had to be countless predators ahead.

“How many do you see?” Fry asked Riddick.

“One or two,” came his vague answer.

“Jack?” Fry turned to the young girl.

She looked up from quickly counting the bottles on the sled. “Three full ones, but we’re going to need a refill soon so…”

Fry nodded, understanding what the child was saying, letting out a sigh. “Doesn’t seem like enough to turn back on, doesn’t it?”

Silence descended on them.

“Only one way to do it.” Riddick spoke, causing everyone to turn to look at him in interest. “Turn the sled over drag it like that, girl down low. Light up everything we got---and run through like dogs on fire.”

A beat passed.

Suleiman looked up and spoke with a thick accent, understanding what Riddick was talking about before the others did. “The sled as a shield.”

Riddick nodded.

“What about the cells?” Fry asked.

“Johns and I will take those.” The murderer announced and the mercenary didn’t voice any objections to the plan.

Fry glared at them. “We’re just here to carry your light, aren’t we?” She looked from Riddick to Johns right back to Riddick. “Just your torch-bearers.”

Kaylee continued to cry silently next to Jack and Shazza, the mechanic hadn’t been able to get over young Hasan’s death.

Shazza had bandaged her arm and stopped the bleeding. They were attracting the predators enough as it was.

“Nah,” Johns sneered at the pilot, regaining her attention. “You’re also here to be our bodyguards.” He passed a surprised Shazza his shotgun. “To make sure we don’t be taken by surprise from behind.” He turned to look at River, who now had the pistol out in full view. “I ‘spect you to make good use of the bullets left.”

She gave him a long, silent look.

Fry frowned at River. The girl had somehow gotten the pistol without any of them knowing, and apparently not only could wield a hunting boomerang from an extinct Earth-That-Was tribe with deadly accuracy, but was only a sure-shot with a gun.

She’d killed that hun dan that’d taken Hasan with her eyes closed.

Obviously she wasn’t some innocent and naïve girl from some backwater planet like everyone had believed of both her and Kaylee.

And Fry was wondering if she should really trust the girl, even if she had been helping them so far.

The girl was obviously trained to kill, and if Fry’s suspicions were right, she was a reader. She’d predicted and known too many things for it to be anything else.

Which meant this girl was from the Alliance, probably an Operative, which meant that she had the power to arrest Fry the moment they got to safety for violating her crew vows of putting the passengers’ lives before her own.

She’d probably even give in Riddick for his murders and Johns for being in possession of an illegal amount of morphine and child-slaughter---not that Fry would blame her for putting Johns away, the hun dan deserved to be in the deepest, darkest slam available.

“ Let’s drop back an’ boot up.” Riddick ordered, pulling Fry from her thoughts.

As they hurried to do what they must, Fry sent Johns and Riddick a look before shaking her head. She was going to have a little talk with Riddick and let him know about the little innocent looking girl that’d caught his attention.

Maybe they could strike up a deal---an alliance---and if they could, things would look brighter for her.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Riddick looked down at the two sets of power cells. They’d been lashed together into two queues that he was more than sure both he and Johns would have no problem dragging behind them. Well, he’d have no problem dragging them, Johns mightn’t be as strong as he usually was now that he wasn’t having his daily shots of morphine.

Working amidst the great bones in the boneyard, Riddick and Johns crafted two new harnesses from the old straps, and close behind them, Iman was muttering something in Arabic.

“What’re doing?” Riddick asked, looking at the Chrislam with slight suspicion as he turned towards the darker man.

“Blessing you two like the others.” Iman announced. He frowned when he noticed the expression on Riddick’s face. “It’s painless.”

“And pointless.” Riddick, a man of no religion, pointed out.

“Amen to that,” Johns snorted, continuing to work on his harness.

Riddick couldn’t help but find the mercenary agreeing with him so much slightly unnerving.

“ I see.” Iman seemed to be choosing his words carefully. “Well, even if you don’t believe in God, it doesn’t mean He---.”

“Oh, no, you’ve got it all wrong, Preacher. I damn well believe.” Riddick shrugged on the harness, and snugged it down. “’Cuz you don’t spend half of your life in lock-down with a horse-bit in your mouth and not believe. And you surely don’t start out in a liquor store trash bin with an umbilical cord wrapped around your neck and not believe.” He chuckled darkly before turning to the holy man. “Oh, I absolutely believe in God. And I absolutely hate the fucker.”

Surprisingly enough, instead of being angry or insulted at the words spoken against his God, Iman looked compassionate. “He will be with us—with you, whether you wish Him with you or not. You were allowed to live your traumatic birth, to go through what you went through, to crash here, because He knew we’d need you.”

Riddick was silent as he shook his head at Iman and his faith, despite the fact that the man had surprised him into wondering. “Don’t you think God should have sent you someone who cared if you all survived?”

Iman didn’t answer, yet there was deep knowledge in his eyes that pissed Riddick off for a reason he couldn’t name.

“Give my blessing to the girl.” He said gruffly, turning his back on the holy man. “She needs a spare.”

There was silence as Iman moved away.

Riddick shook his head, movement jerky.

“I still sense Grim.”

Looking up Riddick relaxed when he saw River standing by his side. Behind her, Iman and Johns were having a tense conversation, obviously about Hasan, but Riddick ignored them and focused his attention on the beautiful woman standing next to him and looking worried.

“The Reaper?” Riddick asked, remembering the old tales. “Well, darlin’, I doubt Hasan will be the last one killed tonight---‘specially with us going through the ruttin’ canyon with the kid bleeding like she is, so it’s not surprising you sense Old Man Death near.”

“You didn’t let the holy one lay God’s hand on you.” She observed more than accused.

Riddick paused, wondering if she was a believer. “No, I didn’t. I don’t need anymore of His help.”

River tilted her head to the side and looked at him in silence before turning her back to him and looking up at the sky. “You’re like my captain,” she sighed the last two words, causing Riddick to tense because this time she wasn’t trying to get him jealous, she honestly cared deeply about ‘her’ captain. “He was angry with the One beyond the darkness for disappointments in life.”

“I can understand the sentiment.” Riddick grinded out, hearing the wistfulness in her voice.

“He’s going to come here.” River turned to him, eyes innocent, trusting. “He’s going to save us. I sense him close by.” Her smile showed her true adoration for the man in question as she returned her gaze to the darkness above them. “My captain is going to rain down light like drops of water upon us.”

Riddick clenched his fists and looked away.

What did he care that the bitch openly adored this faceless bastard?

The faceless bastard he was going to kill once they were safely off this planet.

Right after I ghost Johns, of course, for touching her.

Riddick snorted in wry amusement, the girl was turning him into more of a murderer than he already was.

“We’re ready.” Johns called, breaking into their time alone. “Let’s go, the skiff’s waiting on us.”

River gave Riddick a timid smile before going to him and placing a soft, innocent kiss on his smooth cheek and backing away. Turning her back on him, she went towards the others, singing softly to herself as she went, as if they were about to go on a family outing instead of into the lion’s den.

Riddick turned and watched her go, awe-struck.

Since when could such a pathetically innocent excuse for a kiss affect him so much he trembled?

Fuck it.

Shaking his head, Riddick followed River towards the others as they readied to do the canyon-run.

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