Refuge- Part 2
Author: mirawesting@hotmail.com
Content/Safety level for children: CAUTION
Growing up she'd slept through the day - the creatures had been nocturnal.
Prison had also required an adjusted pattern - it was not safe for the new
girl to let her guard down. All in all, Detri had learned to exist on very
little sleep. As a result, the confinement of the ship made her more an
more restless with each passing day. Adams did not sleep either but he
ignored her once the ship's lights reached minimum brightness, opting to
concentrate on his written research.
Thus, the nights belonged to Detri alone. She preferred it that way.
Adams
treated her well but his constant supervision made her nervous.
Financially
and legally she was tied to him but as soon as she found a way, she would
bid him farewell. That time, she hoped, was coming.
The hum of the ship reminded Detri of the constant drone of the generators
of mining colony IH-06. It was a calming sound. In IH-06 that sound meant
that the front line was secure and the Bugs had not broken through to the
compound. The absence of that sound meant someone had died, it meant that
she would be hunting in the dark. The first few times, the attacks had
proved that humans were easy targets. The Bugs killed a few an retreated
with their prizes - secure in their food source. But the children had
learned quickly and they had begun to survive.
But that's all it had ever really been - survival. There had been no life.
Prison had been little better. Each day a fight; killed or be killed.
Detri had come in more prepared than most - humans were far more fragile
than endomorphs. After a year, anyone who was willing had challenged her.
There were still tense moments, especially when new transports brought new
prisoners, but, on the whole, Detri was given a healthy berth.
It was the hum that first started Detri's mind in motion. Survival had
never given her much time for thought - she'd relied on instinct. And
instinct told her that there was something about Riddick and his companion
that she wanted to know. After weeks of planning, she was ready to get her
answer.
She slipped dow the corridors between her quarters and the holding room in
silence. She's been given the room furthest from the prisoners. Good
plan,
she conceded, but ineffective.
When she reached the door outside the room, she found that the security
system codes had been changed since her last visit. Not surprising but
easily surmountable. One thing prison had given Detri was plenty of
experience with this type of system. She'd cracked her cell codes within
the first few weeks, after that she'd hired herself out to any interested
and influential party. It had become a kind of profitable hobby to her
since she'd decided that she'd rather wait out her term than spend her life
a hunted woman.
But her talent came in handy in this instance. Ten minutes after sitting
about her task, the door slid aside. And Detri stepped inside.
The first thing she saw was a distinct shine. She had not supposed he
would
be asleep. The night time was as much Riddick's as it was her's - perhaps
more.
This time her approach was as slow as before but less cautious. He spoke
first, "Though you might be back."
"Why?"
"It's against the rules."
Never had that been Detri's true motivation but she did not mind Riddick's
assumption. "What would you do if I released your restraints right now?"
The 'seats' that he and Jack had been placed in were not meant for comfort.
His arms were held at 45 degree angles to his body, his legs clamped
together directly in front of him. Lucan had only let them walk free twice
since the journey began. Thus, his answer was truthful if not complete.
"Stretch."
But Detri was not one to be put off. "Then?"
"Kill Lucas."
"No, the crew would either kill you or send out a distress signal before
you
could take care of them all."
"You seem to think I care." Riddick did not like being baited, especially
by a little girl he'd like to break in half.
Detri missed neither the tension is his voice nor his body. "I think that
if you're as smart as they say, you'd rather be free than dead."
"You can't offer me freedom."
"No, we can offer it to each other."
"You aren't a prisoner."
"That's a matter of perspective."
Throughout their conversation the female prisoner had listen but not
participated. To give Riddick time to cool off, Detri approached the young
woman. Weighing her options, she took the small pilfered device from her
pocket and with one smooth motion released the other woman's legs. "What's
your name?"
"Jack."
"You parents had a sense of humor."
"And you have Lucas' pass key."
Detri shook her head and released one of Jack's arms. "I made my own a few
weeks ago."
"From Lucas' original?" n The girl caught on fast.
"He's not very good at his job." She paused just short of Jack's last
cuff.
"You will behave, won't you?"
"Of course."
As soon as the cuff clicked aside, Jack lunged for Detri. Detri stepped
aside, turned and tripped Jack from behind. In a matter of seconds Jack
aws
one her back, with Detri straddling her chest, knees in elbows. "You
should
have waited. Afterall, you do have the size advantage. You attacked too
fast, I was expecting it."
The word were so calm, so cool that for a moment Riddick worried for Jack's
safety. Detri had seemed competent before but with Jack in her grasp her
mentality changed - she was calculated, lethal. Riddick understood the
transformation - it was instinctual in those who had to fight to survive.
A
cut-off of emotion and rush of adrenaline.
But the moment passed. "I have a proposal for you both."
"We work alone," Jack spat, clearly unhappy with her position.
Detri ignored her. "This ship has a scheduled stop."
"Lucas would never have hired a transport with a stop off before Slam
City."
Not even Lucas was that stupid.
"He doesn't know. Remember this isn't strictly a transport, it's a
freighter. McMasters has been in contact with the military agent he does
contract work for." Detri tried to gauge Riddick's reaction to her
knowledge but found his vacant eyes unreadable. She pushed on. "It's a
cargo pick up. There will only be a two or three minute window but it will
be there."
Below her Jack had gone still. "How do you know?"
"I sliced into the ship's computer."
"Useful skill."
"I think so." Detri rolled gracefully off of Jack's chest and the two
women
eyed each other.
When they were both sure the other was temporarily subdued, Riddick asked,
"When and where?"
"Thirty-two day and I don't know. I only got co-ordinates from the
computer
and I don't know how to read them."
Riddick nodded. "You price?"
"Take me with you. Get me a new identity."
"Let me go and you've got a deal."
End Part 2
go back to Part 1
go to Part 3
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