Morph

Chapter 21: Discovered

Remora is in eyes view and she’d never looked more beautiful. Riddick re-named the ship to ‘Devil’s Haven’. After the dock station gives us permission to dock, Riddick decides eed eed a change identities for the moment. Knowing how the federation works, I warn Riddick that it’s more than likely they already know our whereabouts. He agrees that we need to get packing soon. Jason leads the way eager to see his mother. We enter the apartment complex and Saia greets us with tears.

“Momma!” Jason runs with arms extended and Saia embraces him. She murmurs a ‘Thank God’. Riddick explains everything that happened all the while packing everything we’d need to make it in the galaxy for a few weeks. Everything is packed and ready to go. Only one more thing remains to be done. Riddick informs me he needs to see a man about our new identities and I insist in tagging along.

We make our way in Riddick’s mobile transport.

“I’m gonna miss this hunk a junk” Riddick says sourly. He’d built this ‘car’ with his own hands, his baby as he’d called it once.

Riddick slows down when he spots his man. He stops and we get out.

“OK, I’ll take care of the ID’s, you go and find us the rest of the supplies we need to get off this rock”

He hands me some credits chips and I turn to leave.

“Jack” he calls and I twist around. “Be careful”

“Don’t worry, if anything happens to me... you’ll know” the connection between us is strong. He nods and I continue on my mission.

Striding through the open markets, I pick up food, water and find an old story book from earth that I buy for Jason.

Dusk is nearing and I head back to where I left Riddick. The streets have the same eerie feel as when I first arrived. It makes me uneasy. I hear steps following me. I pick up my pace and the footsteps quicken as well. Suddenly I stop and take the chance of turning around. My shadow bumps into me hard and we both go down. Intuitively I begin to swing blindly at my attacker. My elbow makes contact and I hear a man mumble something. I focus on the bum lying in front of me.

“Shit....Jeez, Miss. I didn’t mean to scare ya....I just wanted to ask for some food” he runs away holding his nose.

I stand wide-eyed and begin to laugh at myself. Damn I’m paranoid! Composing myself, I bend down to pick up my supplies off the ground. I take a few steps and can see Riddick’s transport, immediately feeling relieved. In an instant I’m yanked back by my throat. My bag and its contents go flying in the air. I begin to scratch at my neck trying to grip whatever is choking the shit out of me. No luck. My mouth opens, but nothing comes out. Once again I’m reminded of the “so close but yet so far’ scenario. In one final attempt to free myself, I steady my legs and head-butt the person behind me. For a moment the grip is loosened, giving me time go crashing to the back wall. The effect is better then I thought, the person is stunned long enough for me to jerk away. He’s wearing a flight uniform. The Corporation is already planet side. He regains his footing and charges at me, knocking me to the ground. I kick and buck trying to get him off me. His hands grip around my neck. Immediately I think that something isn’t right. Why would they want me dead? I claw at his face, drawing blood, he curses at me. Wildly my hands go for his eyes and I gouge one. He reaches to cover his face, I push him off me and stand, quickly kicking him in the back. I don’t stop there, I keep kicking him, in the ribs, stomach and face. He puts hand on the f to to get up and when I try to kick again he grabs my leg causing o fao fall back on the ground. My head hits the concrete hard, sending a bolt of pain all around my head to the front of my nose, causing my eyes to close shut. When I open up he’s standing above me with a brick in hand, ready to crush my skull. It seems as if when I blink it willed him to disappear, but I can hear him breathing heavy. Then Riddick comes into view.

“You OK Jack?” I nod and he reaches to pick me up. “Sit right here, how’s your head?” I manage a “Fine” and see the flight officer on the ground, still breathing. Riddick moves over to him and searches his uniform for an ID.

“Officer Swartz. You’re a hired assassin, that much I can guess. But who hired you?” Riddick has a menacing tone.

The officer tries to sit up the best he can, “You think I’d tell you, so they can kill me afterwards?” he smiles smugly.

Riddick kneels down closely to him, “You’ll be begging for death when I’m done with you” with that Riddick picks him up and takes him in alleyway. I close my eyes, trying to push the thoughts of what Riddick is going to that man.

The screaming starts and I recite a poem I’d learned as a child over and over.

A hawk wheels against the clouds.
It's proud cries like dark arrows
Piercing the pale sky.
I watched that hawk in a dream
With a slight twinge of envy
For I wish I could be like that hawk
So proud and free

I’m startled by Riddick’s hand on my face. My eyes travel down to his bloody shiv and clothes.

“Don’t look at it” he tells me. I swallow hard and nod. I want to ask about Swartz, but he’ll tell me in time. We make our way back to Saia and leave for the spaceports. We have to get off this planet.
We hurriedly make our way to the dock, to the ‘Devil’s Haven.’ Before we can even get the ramp closed, the alarms go off.

“Shit! They know where we are” I tell Riddick.

Riddick begins to take charge, “Saia, you and Jason secure yourselves in a cryolocker. “ Riddick leans down and looks at Jason in the eyes, no words are spoken, no words are needed.

“Jack you come with me” we head to the navigation bay. Riddick plops down in the pilots chair and begins flipping switches. I run a quick sys-check.

Our comm-unit comes alive, “Devil’s Haven, we have orders to keep you planet side. Shut down your engines. Do you copy Devil’s Haven?”
Without looking up or answering Riddick tells me to strap myself in. “This is gonna be a rough take off” he says.