| CHAPTER 11 They were tossing around words like ‘savage’, ‘gory’ and ‘sickening.’ But Alphonse Bieti knew none of those statements really applied to the carnage that surrounded him and the three men who stood in Bernard Bigsby’s quarters. Not just because the amount of blood and flesh scattered around the room was beyond normal adjectives, but because of a much more hidden reason. Words like ‘savage’ and ‘gory’, when uttered, gave the impression of uncontrollability. Of a monster run amok. But the atrocious murders Riddick had committed on the bodies of Bernard Bigsby and his lover were the exact opposite. They were carefully planned and carried out with the target audience in mind. Bieti had no doubt that he’d been that audience when Riddick hacked the flesh of Bieti’s people. Richard Riddick might not have known his name before he did his little torture and death thing on Bigsby, but it was a definite that he did after. The escapee would know that not much else would make an impression on the general. He’d done too much of the same himself and was as jaded as could be expected because of it. If he wanted to get Bieti’s attention, he’d have to do something spectacular. And something that the general would have no problem deciphering. The message was simple. “I’M COMING FOR YOU.’ He couldn’t have been more pleased. When he’d first decided to have Riddick killed, he’d told Bigsby to do it quickly and quietly as possible. He was, after all, a man who valued efficiency almost above all else. But now he was almost looking forward to the coming confrontation. He hadn’t been challenged like this in a many a year. Mostly because he dealt ruthlessly with all challengers to his power. They usually crumpled under the weight of his determination like tin foil. Riddick on the other hand had a much stronger constitution. More the make of cold, hard steel. But even steel could be melted and broken. Apply enough heat, enough pressure and watch the cracks appear. Stress did the rest. The outcome was a given, but getting there was half the fun. The three soldiers who’d accompanied him involuntarily widened their eyes as a small smile passed over his face. The fact that he was looking directly as the largest chunk of remains of his adjutant made the smile all that more evil. They’d worked for Bieti for a few years. Knew exactly how ruthless he could be. But the total lack of grief or anger, hidden behind a facade of warm, if restrained, geniality had everyone one of them determined to apply for transfer as soon as possible. The general’s cold eyes swiveled unexpectedly to rest on them. He knew what they were thinking. Didn’t give a shit at that point in time in masking his indifference as he usually did. Maybe Riddick was rubbing off on him. He just didn’t feel the need to play the ‘human being’ game. “Burn everything, sanitize the room. Wong,” the officer pinned by that low growl barely stopped himself from flinching, “you’re in charge of the Miller operation now. Be in my office in ten minutes.” Turning his back on the gaping men, he left the room at his usual military cadence. The dead men already forgotten. As he walked down the corridor towards his make shift office, he contemplated what information Riddick was likely to tortured out of Bigsby. Did he know everything? Or was Bigsby loyal enough, and tough enough, to deny Riddick the most sensitive knowledge even unto death? Bieti rather doubted Bigsby had the artillery to come out the winner in a war of minds with Riddick. Not many did. So take it as a given that Riddick knew not only about him, but also about the procedure done to the Cholena woman, what was taken from her and what was given to her in contemptuous recompense. As he walked down the hallway towards his office, he put himself in Riddick’s shoes. What would be the killer’s priority? Get the woman to safety or rescue the fetus? Riddick would be smart enough to know that only one had any chance of succeeding. Time wasn’t on his side so it would be a matter of triage. Decide who lived and who died. His woman or his child. The two soldiers stationed at his office door saluted smartly as he passed into the room. Each hoping to catch the ‘great’ man’s notice and maybe climb up the promotion ladder. But neither was rewarded with even the smallest of gesture. Wong found him there, seated at his desk, twenty minutes later. Fear at being late warred with apprehension at having to tell the General the latest news on Miller. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he addressed the man who held his life, both figuratively and literally, in his hands. “Sir, there’s been a...development.” Wong knew he should just come right out with it, get it over with. But the shaking in his gut wouldn’t let him keep his voice steady. Even with his back to his now top aide, Bieti could smell the fear coming off him. Whatever had happened evidently would not be a pleasure to hear. “Development?” The one word was spoken barely above a whisper, but the shear menace in the tone had Wong’s bowels loosening. Unconsciously he started to edge toward the office door. “Yes, sir. The Miller woman is...gone.” The sound of the chair swiveling around sent a grating pain straight to the adjutants head. The eyes that met his didn’t show anger. Anger would’ve been a relief compared to the cold emptiness that pinned him to the spot. “I issued express orders that her cell was to be kept under the strictest surveillance at all times.” “Yes, sir. There seems to have been an...occurrence...in the equipment sometime within the last two hours.” Bieti stared hard at the paling young man before him. He had contemplated including Wong in on the fact that they were hunting Richard Riddick, but the man’s obviously weak spine made that an impossibility. The operation would just have to be kept going with rest of it’s participants running blind. Not a big deal the more he thought about it. After all, the three most important participants were fully aware of who was the prey. “I take it you ordered a full search?” “Yes, sir. We doubt she got very far.” The loud bark of laughter sent the aide skittering back another step. “Wong, do really think that woman had the physical ability to fuck with the surveillance system, break out of the cell and cover her tracks this long?! Come on son, use your head! She was curled up into a mindless ball by the time our people got done with her. No, Miller’s the one who managed this little rescue. He’s come out of the mines for the woman. “Check all out going transports. And have all incoming transports closely watched. Any ship reported to be leaving without my express permission is to be blasted out of the air. Did I put that in simple enough terms for you Major?” Visible dislike flared momentarily in the aide’s eyes at being treated like an incompetent punk. It gave him the balls to ask what had been buzzing around his brain ever since finding the remains of Bigsby and his lover. The thoughts first planted by rumors floating around ever since they had arrived on Dee 7. “There’s talk that this isn’t just some doped up miner, sir. That Richard Riddick didn’t die on Taurus 2 as most believe. It would make sense wouldn’t it, sir? How this guy keeps escaping our traps, the way our men are being ambushed and murdered, the disappearance of the Miller woman.” Bieti leaned back into his chair. Bigsby would’ve been able, if still alive, to tell Wong that this was the first sign that he’d made a very big mistake. The equivalent of a snake coiling itself tighter to gather momentum for an attack. “You’re point being, Major?” “My point, General?! My point being that if we’re up against Riddick that we need to make this a much bigger operation with a Hell of a lot more fire power! Our people are working dangerously blind. Don’t you think they deserve to have all the info they need to capture someone like him?!” Bieti studied Wong’s impassioned face and came to the conclusion that the Bigsby’s were few and far between. The man had been willing to do anything ordered. No questions asked. Personally, he’d miss him not for one minute. Professionally, he knew it would a long time before his talents would be replaced. In the meantime, any do-gooders that came along would have to be dealt with. He worked too hard, had too much at stake to let them put it in jeopardy. Coming to his feet he walked slowly around the desk. His fingers rubbing his jaw as if in contemplation of Wong’s demands. A smile began to spread itself across his face as, upon reaching the major’s side, he placed a fatherly arm around his shoulders. “You’re right son, Richard Riddick is alive. And you may even have a point in recommending more men and fire power. But there’s just one issue I have with that.” Grabbing Wong’s hair he slammed his face up against the wall. The sickening crack of an eye socket exploding within the major’s head. He tried to struggle, but the older man had more strength than he did. The part of his mind not awash in fear and pain wondered how that could be. Bieti kept control of his aide by pressing his body against the wall with his own. Reaching one hand up to grab Wong’s chin he brought his face with inches of the obviously terrified man. “Richard Riddick is mine! No one, NO ONE, is going to fuck with what I have planned for him! Especially not some piss ant of a major who doesn’t know when to follow orders or when to shut up! Hell, son, you just signed your own death warrant.” A quick twist of his wrist and the majors neck was broken. His body going slack as his eyes lost the spark of awareness. Bieti didn’t let the body sink to the floor. Rather he grabbed the collar and drug it across the room to a door marked “Private – No Admittance.” A few quick keypad hits and the door opened silently. The room was lit with a diffused, soft pink light. Various instruments of science arranged on the two tables stationed against the wall. He knew Bigsby had moved Heaven and Earth to get this room set as quickly as he had when they first arrived. And now it would be the temporary coffin of his successor. The irony of it wasn’t lost on the general. He dumped the body over in the farthest corner and then walked over to one of the two glass enclosed coolers set against the opposite wall. Inside were various Petrie dishes and specimen jars. And one longish tube. As he stared at the tube he saw how everything was going to go down. It would end in this room for Riddick. This is where they would meet for the first and final time. The body in the floor would just be one more victim of Richard Miller. What was in the tube would make him a very rich and powerful man. And God help whoever got in his way. |
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