CHAPTER18COC

CHAPTER 18

His fingers played softly over her hip. Mindlessly swirling the tips around in chaotic patterns. For once she was totally oblivious of the too-soft, and therefore irritating, exploration. The deep sleep of exhaustion rendering her unaware to all but her dreams.
As Richard B. Riddick stared out the port side windows, gazing at the passing stars, he thought that there really had been no other choice to make.
“So what’s it going to be?” had been Zar’s ultimatum to him as his broken, but rapidly healing, body lay chained at her knees. Was he going to pick life or death?
Before she had walked into that cargo room from Hell, well...the answer would’ve been easy.
Death.
Because he knew that even if he got away from Miriam this time, there would always be another day with her, or another mercenary, coming. More running, always looking over his shoulder, constant worry about endangering those he cared about.
The good days with Zar and Audrey and Hill had out weighed the bad, but in all honesty, how many more could he expect? He’d seen Zar’s face the day he’d kicked Miriam out of the apartment so brutally. In her mind he’d stepped over some invisible line. A line of behavior that she just couldn’t excuse or get by. He’d always known it would come to an end sooner or later. But he hadn’t expected it to hurt so fucking much. Didn’t realize he had that much heart left to care.
Now his life would consist of running from one piss hole to another. Did he even want to try? It would’ve been better to just end the whole thing there.
He didn’t know if he could counteract the Profearaben with sheer will power alone, but if it meant ending the cosmic roller coaster ride his life had become, he was willing to give it a shot.
Then she was there. An angel in the dark and cold of Hell.
While life had seemed more trouble than it was worth when she wasn’t there, it all of sudden became more precious than gold when she was. And he wondered how could he ever give up the peace of her. The touch of her. The love of her. Even for the serenity of death.
And then there was her promise to stay with him no matter what or who threatened. She obviously had overcome her reservations to his behavior with Miriam. He wondered if she decided out of love to accept who and what he was, or if she just pushed the line he’d crossed a little further down. And when he crossed that one would she push the line even further down, or leave for good? And he would eventually cross it. It was almost inevitable the way his life was laid out for him.
That was just something they would have to deal with later. At that moment it had just felt too good to have her next to him.
The old Riddick had decided to weigh in at that point. Just when Richard decided to fight for life. The ruthless part of himself realized that once he was dead, he would be far beyond caring what happened to Zar.
Or would he? A small niggling doubt wormed itself into his mind. Maybe he loved her so much that even death wouldn’t release him from her. There’d been that connection in the service tunnel. Something that had only happened one time before. An occurrence even his strong mind shied away from contemplating.
He often thought that she owned his soul more than he himself did. She did more to keep it alive than he had ever done. Maybe he’d be with her after all. Watching her mourn him, love him, die slowly without him. Or maybe not die so slowly. Maybe she’d suffer at the hands of a psycho merc because of him. Him being unable to do anything about it.
He’d felt the old him slither back into it’s little black hole that it had carved into his heart. Unable to stand the light of the love he had for Zar.
No, there’d really been no choice in the matter at all. Life with her, or death with her.
Still, even with everything she’d been through as an orphan and with Brenner and Leffner, he didn’t think she knew what she was getting into. Life on the run was a bitch. She had pretty much always had a steady home, readily available food, a safe place to sleep. They’d be living in the not so cozy places of the galaxy. The places where people didn’t ask too many questions.
He couldn’t even guarantee that he’d be with her all the time. There’d be times and places where he would have to leave her on her own. And when or if he got captured, she’d take the fall with him. The likeliness of capture higher now that the missing eye made him even more noticeable.
They’d probably never see the kids or Imam again. It being too dangerous for all involved.
He felt responsible for letting her know what was coming, and felt he owed her one last chance to retain the life she’d built after the death of her family on Jessup 2.
Her response had been typical Zar. Lips curling in at his stubbornness and his determination to save her from himself, she grated out, “Shut up and get the fuck over yourself! I make my own decisions. I’m sticking, come Hell or high water. What part of ‘I love you even unto death’ don’t you understand?”
God, he loved that woman. Every aggravating, self-deluding, stubborn, big-hearted inch of her.
So he’d told her to look for bolt cutters.
She had closed her eyes in relief and bent her head to his. Whispering a fervent “Thank you.” He had wanted to hold her so badly at that moment. Touch the warmth and solidity that was his woman. His one true anchor to the world of reality.
Once she found some bolt cutters in an utility locker located next to the door, it had been short work to free him. Getting him on his feet had been another matter entirely.
He’d been healing but was still weak as only a tortured body could be. Zar had made him lie still while cleaning up the worst of his wounds. Fresh tears falling as she ran the Ravi Knitter over his gaping eye injury as best as possible. Moisture, especially tears, showed as bruise like darkness to his altered vision. It’s cooling properties dulling the normal pinks and whites of heated flesh. Soon her face looked like a giant hemorrhage.
He’d wanted to kill Miriam with an almost old Riddick determination for the pain she’d caused Zar. But the merc had done her hatchet job well. His mind might be willing, but his flesh wasn’t anywhere near being able. They’d have to be happy in just getting away...for the mean time.
He had no doubt there paths would cross again.
Taking pity on Zar, he’d taken over the doctoring himself. Asking her to get his goggles. For half a minute she’d hesitated. Cupping her face and rubbing his thumb over her lips, he reassured her that he could handle it. Giving her a ghost of a smile that felt as if it might break his face if he had to keep it up for long.
But it had done it’s job because she had helped him sit up slowly on the bench. His body had screamed in pain. Every cut and bruise making itself heard. His head beginning a dizzyingly deep throb as the blood rushed down from his brain. Zar had seen the effort it was taking him to not fall back onto the bench. Reaching into her goody bag, she’d brought out two capsules of a very strong pain killing narcotic.
It was called ‘Heaven’ on the streets, for it’s obvious results. It was a hot property in the penal system at the time he escaped. He’d wondered how a clean nosed woman like Zar knew about, much less had access, to it. His amazement must have shown because her face brightened to an almost white hot flush as she told him where she’d gotten it. Seems that some of her fellow employees had a side business in the dealing of illegal pharmaceuticals. They had given her a free sample with encouragement to try it. That she would love it. And to remember where she could get more of that ‘great’ feeling.
Not wanting to raise waves, she’d taken them home with the intention of flushing them down the toilet. For some reason she’d never gotten around to it. Must have been fate.
Laughing to himself at Zar’s innocent embarrassment, he’d refused the capsules. Liquor was one thing, drugs another entirely. He’d done a bit of experimenting himself as kid in the foster homes, and the military was a regular smorgasbord of dope, but the ugly experience with the Profearaben had turned him stringently non-user. He’d rather rely on his own potent brain. He truly believed it was the one thing that made him such a hard mother fucker to kill. The Profearaben not withstanding.
It had taken a few deep concentrating breaths to tune out all the pain. But his extraordinary and well honed survival instinct soon came through. Within minutes his body was once again under his control. It had made the evidence of his loss of control harder to stomach. Knowing the various body fluids, and their accompanying smells, were evidence of his weakness and stupidity. Weakness and stupidity that Miriam Gonzalez had taken advantage of.
It shamed him that Zar had seen him like that. Another debt the disturbed merc owed him.
But that would have to be taken care of another day. He needed to get himself and Zar as far away from Gonzalez as soon as possible. He didn’t think Miriam would let the authorities know that Richard B. Riddick was still alive. She had the very powerful motive of revenge, and greed, to keep the secret to herself. Wouldn’t want other greedy little merc’s horning in on her trophy. Merc’s were mostly like that. Very uncooperative with each other most of the time. It made it a little easier for an escapee. But not much. Still, Gonzalez was a very formidable force to deal with by herself.
When he’d felt strong enough to stand, he’d given it a go. And would’ve fallen on his ass if Zar hadn’t been there to lower him to the bench. With only one eye, his depth perception sucked. It would take a while to adjust.
A new fear had arisen. Would he be able to fly them out of there?
He’d seen the same scared question in Zar’s eyes.
The only way off the station was to steal The Hollerste.
He had no doubt he would’ve been able to pilot her under normal circumstance. Hell, he’d even taken off of Taurus 2 in an ancient tub with deep gouges taken out of his leg.
Once they were out in space it wouldn’t be a big deal. But navigating within the station itself, that was always tricky.
But they really had no choice. Hiding on the station until his sight had adjusted just wasn’t a viable option. The merc would be back sooner rather than later.
They’d just have to cope. Due to the kind of work she did on the dock Zar was technically inclined, so he could rely on her to help.
Eventually they got him dressed and standing.
The whole while he felt the minutes flying by. Bringing Miriam back that much sooner. In his current condition he knew he couldn’t protect either himself or Zar from her. Discretion was definitely the better part of valor in this instance.
Once steadily on his feet, he found his vision not so impaired and his strength more reliable. Must’ve been the Profearaben. Never thought he’d be grateful for that vile witches brew, but he had been at the moment.
He’d led Zar into the bridge of the ship. Telling her to start clearing the roadblocks she’d put in Miriam’s way. He’d been very impressed with the way her fingers had flown over the keyboard. Almost being turned on by the deep concentration she used to fool the stations data base once again. He and his body had been the focus of her diligence many times. Damn, he always did have a thing for the smart ones.
She must have felt his semi-lustful stare because she had glanced over at him. Seeing his goggled face with its lecherous smirk, she’d been unable to resist smiling back.
It felt like old times on that bridge. The two of them smiling at each other in true happiness. Something that hadn’t happened in a very long time. Leaning over, he’d kissed her with all of his Riddick style. A deep kiss of lust, love and masterful technique.
When he’d pulled back he’d been chauvinistically pleased to see her somewhat blindsided by the kiss. It was nice to know that with everything they’d been through individually and together, that he could still heat her blood. But soon enough she’d shaken it off. Giving him rolling eyes and a lip twist to show what she thought of his machinations.
He’d turned back to his console to get the ship ready to take off. He’d known that once Zar cleared the departure blocking orders that the merc would know within minutes and would high-tail back to the ship. So they had only a precious few minutes to get out. Zar had given them more time by not only freeing them, but also juggling the departure order. They would be given first priority.
There’d been only a few minutes of uncertainty as he’d shuttled The Hollerste on the dock. But his old pilot skills soon compensated for the lack of one eye. Guess it was like riding a bike.
As they had taken off, he’d kept waiting for all Hell to break loose. A shot across the bow with the station control tower demanding they return immediately. A squadron of ships latched onto their tails.
But miraculously, nothing happened.
He guessed even the Riddick’s of the world caught a break now and then. Or maybe it was God’s way of keeping Zar safe. She certainly deserved it a Hell of a lot more than he did.
For the last three months they had taken the back shipping lanes. Miriam had stocked the ship well. They wouldn’t have to stop for supplies for another month.
Time, and the Profearaben, had healed him completely. The scars would take a long time to fade though. When not wearing the goggles, he wore an old fashioned eye patch. Zar had told him he looked like a pirate. Said it made him even sexier.
The Hollerste was a pretty good sized ship. A main bridge, three crew rooms and four cargo bays, one of which housed the main drive engine. He and Zar had managed, somehow, not to get on each other’s nerves.
They were four months away from the Delightful Mining Clusters. A concentration of planetary systems that had been so named by some chart-making smart ass. Richard figured from all that he’d heard about them that they should’ve been named the Shit-Hole Mining Clusters. One of the most inhospitable set of planetary systems known to man, they had little aesthetic qualities.
But they were rich in Sargimite and always needed miners. Very few questions were asked as to origins or verifiable names. If you were breathing and looked liked you could operate heavy machinery you were hired. An easy place to get lost in.
He’d probably be able to get a new eye there. Maybe even a shined one. The turnover rate due to death was high and they always kept spare body parts in stasis to repair those not killed.
He worried about how Zar would cope. It would not be an easy life. But she was the strongest woman he’d ever known. Even stronger than Carolyn Fry. The woman whose sacrifice had brought him back to the human race. A sacrifice that had led him to a life with Audrey, Hill and his Zar. Audrey and Hill would probably be lost to him forever. But he had Zar. A gift more precious than anything he’d ever received before. Why the God he so distrusted and disliked favored him with her...he had no idea. But he was grateful nonetheless. And humbled just a bit.
He was back to not knowing what the future held. While on Polaris Station it hadn’t been that way. He’d gotten used to the predictability. Now he was back to being an escapee thanks to Miriam Gonzalez. But this time it was subtly different. This time there was Zar to share the unknown with him. For better or worse, it made it less burdensome.
Zar shifted in her sleep as he moved his fingers from her hip to her face. Brushing back the hair from her face. He knew she worried about Audrey and Hill. Missed them like a lost limb. But she never spoke of it with him. Her way of protecting him? Or her way of dealing with the loss? Either way he heard her praying for them every night. A note of sadness entering her voice when she gave their names to God to watch over.
Gently he moved her onto her back. Moving his palm down between her breasts, over her stomach, then beyond. Feeling her body awaken to his touch. Followed soon by her mind.
She raised lids on sleepy blue eyes. Smiling softly into his face and lifting arms to enfold him around his waist as he fitted himself between her parted legs.
As he slipped into her warm body he felt the things he always felt when he was with her, in her. Peace, desire, acceptance, love. Home.
He owed her so much. So much more than what she would get as the woman of a galaxy-class murdering escapee. But, as she had told him a number of times, she made her own decisions.
She was where she wanted to be.

A very special and heartfelt “thank you”
to everyone who has read this story.