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| CHAPTER 11 From deep within him Riddick felt everything he had experienced in prison rise up in his throat. Filling him with hate and rage and other emotions so dark that they ate at his very soul. They forced his body to stop the spreading trauma of Brenner’s bullet. Engorging his mind with the need to survive and hit back with all the cruelty it could endeavor. Laying face down on the street where Brenner had left him, his senses came back to him quickly. He smelled his own blood. And Zar’s. He heard the sounds of choking and struggling, and fast approaching death. Lastly his eyes snapped open and focused on the sight of Brenner strangling Zar to death. The ragged wound to his shoulder forgotten, he was filled with a rage so encompassing that his vision turned red. He picked up his shiv as he forced his weakened body to rise silently to it’s feet. Ripping off his goggles, he let his night vision take over as he moved in behind Brenner. The shiv felt like an extension of his hand as he raised it, then buried in Brenner’s back, at the sweet spot to the left, fourth lumbar down, slowly slicing his spine and abdominal aorta in half. Brenner cried out in agony. His hands automatically dropping Zar’s now limp body. He tried to swing around, face his attacker, but his body wasn’t receiving his minds directives, there was no spinal connection to act as liaison. Falling to his knees, he then toppled over to his side, into a puddle of his own blood. There was no pain, but there was fear. Fear of death, and what came after for him. Fear of the man leaning over him, ready to whisper in his ear. “Tsk, tsk, tsk...they always make the mistake of never making sure if I’m dead. That was your second mistake actually. Your first was in touching the Arnett’s. Don’cha know that what goes around comes around? Have a nice eternity in Hell, and say “hello” to Johns for me will ya?” Thirty seconds later Brenner was gone. His eyes staring sightlessly in terror at the coming horror that was to be his for eternity. But Riddick was already looking at Zar. He knew he should go over to her. Make sure she was really dead. But he just couldn’t make himself face it right now. Maybe if he just held her head in his lap awhile. Not check for a pulse or anything, just hold her and remember what it felt like to hold a loving woman in his arms. Maybe that would help him face her death. And his broken vow to protect her from Brenner. Sitting with his back against the wall, he pulled her unresisting body to his. Laying her head on his thigh, brushing the hair from her dead white face. She’s still warm. Won’t last for long. He knew he should get her body away from there. If Security came on the scene, they would confiscate her. And he would lose her forever to some crematorium. His own body cried out for medical attention. But he just wanted to stay there with her for a little while longer. Holding her. Remembering her. Loving her. He didn’t cry. That ability had been pretty much wiped away from him. He didn’t rage against the injustice of it all. Like he told himself before, he should’ve know that everything he touched turns to shit. He just sat there, with her head on his lap, bleeding slowly to death, wishing he could go with her. But there was Jack. So he allowed the shock to overwhelm him. And refused to live beyond that precise moment. “God no!!! Zar!” Jack hadn’t been able to stay away. She knew tonight was the night that Zar planned on doing Brenner and she had had a funky feeling about it all day. Something was going to go right. She just knew it! So about an hour after Zar left, she went looking or her, or Riddick. She figured if she found Riddick first, she would just tell him everything. It would ruin Zar’s plan, but he could keep her safe at least. She didn’t know what led her down that particular alley, but something made her look in it. First she saw the bloody body of the man Riddick had been casing in The Paradise. Brenner. Two seconds later she saw Riddick, but her relief at seeing him alive quickly passed when she saw the blood on his chest, the look of shock and despair on his face, Zar’s head on his lap. Her deathly white face with grayish lips. Kneeling in front of Riddick she started sobbing. “Oh no! It’s not fair! Not Zar...fucking no!!!” The pain was too oppressive, making her head too heavy to support her heaving shoulders. Her forehead fell until it rested on the side of Zar’s face. Rearing back in shock, her eyes widened in amazement. “Oh my God! She’s still warm Riddick! She’s not dead! Let me feel for her pulse!” Riddick slowly came back from the far away place he’d been inhabiting in his shock. Watching incredulously, he saw Jack put two fingers to the side of Zar’s neck. “She’s alive Riddick!!! We got to get her to the med-tech’s right away.” Jack jumped to her feet in anticipation of helping Riddick to his. But he continued to stare down in disbelief at Zar’s face. “Riddick! Snap out of it! She’s not dead now, but she will be if we don’t get her help soon!” Slowly he raised his face to Jack’s. “She’s not dead?!” he whispered. Jack was humbled by the complete look of joy and wonderment on Riddick’s pale face. Squatting down next to him she tried to console him with the truth that he was having such a hard time believing. “Yeah,” she whispered back, “..she’s alive. Come on, I’ll help you up. You need to get out of this alley. Security can’t find you here. I’ll call them and the med-tech’s. Tell them about Brenner’s and Zar’s past dealings with each other. They’ll put it down to justifiable homicide. Hell, they’ll probably give her a medal! Shit, you’re covered in blood! You can’t go in the streets like that. Here, put my jacket over your back, cross your arms over your chest. That’s it. O.K. Go straight to the apartment! Get a taxi transport if you have too. It’ll be quicker. I’ll call you as soon as I get to the med-tech’s station with Zar. Are you going to be O.K.?” Swaying slightly on his feet, he looked down at Zar’s face where he had gently lowered it to the ground. “Yeah. Just take care of her Jack. Please.” “Don’t worry Riddick, I will. I won’t let her leave us.” |
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