HELLO BEAUTIFUL

by evilgrin on 29 Dec 2005, 01:20
::TWELVE::

I’ve seen a lot of things today. Things that made me question everything I’ve ever done. How I’ve looked at everything. Maybe that’s just how it is on the day you die. Maybe it’s just me, I’ve gone soft.

Vaughn could have killed you pretty easy. Had a perfect, clear shot. Nowhere for either of you to go. If he hadn’t have got you with the first, it would have been the second. Either way, doesn’t much matter. It would have ripped a massive hole in you. We both knew what we were hunting when we started this run, and we packed for it. It would have taken you down.

Standing in that dim light, in open view, you pulled that girl behind you, put yourself between her and Vaughn. Would you have taken a bullet for her? I’ll never know. None of us ever really knows that answer, until the time we’re called on. But I think I know. I can’t get the image of you kissing her, just before you left your room. I think you would have died for her. I don’t even know if you know that yourself or not, or if it’s something you’d admit to or not. Men don’t admit that, not even to ourselves, like to say it out loud would sound ridiculous.

Vaughn lies what would be face down on the tunnel floor, if he still had a face. I don’t think there’s anything left of it to even say who he is anymore. I can’t hold the gun anymore, and it’s a relief to let it go. No pretense of a defense. Who the hell am I kidding. If Riddick wants to kill me, he’ll kill me. Fucking icing on the cake, as far as I’m concerned. I’m dead already, all that’s left is the waiting.

Petrie has moved up to try and help me. He’s a good kid. Maybe he’s not too bright afterall, but he’s still a good kid. Has his jacket off, trying to cover that gaping hole in my middle.

The girl’s picked up my gun. Quick check, sees what she’s got left to work with, lots of ammo. Her hands are still, and calm. If either me or Petrie so much as thought about moving, she’d kill us before the thought was fully formed.

Riddick crouches over me, his hand on my chest. A knife, edge first, just under my jaw. If he wanted, his weight on my chest alone could kill me. But there is no weight. His hand is light, there is no anger in his face.

“I can end it quick.”

“I’ll die soon enough. I’d like to stay a minute or so more.”

I look at his girl, her eyes cool, calculating. They look strange together, until you look at their eyes.

I start to cough, and Petrie moves to help me up. The girl tenses, and, if Riddick hadn’t reached back absently to stroke her calf, I believe she would have shot us both, right there.

He leans in to me, “This is a shitty way to die, Granger.”

“Are there any good ways? My Louise is waiting for me. Don’t kill Petrie, he’s not part of this, he doesn’t belong here.”

One last look at her face. “She’s a good woman, Riddick.” We share a look. I’m not telling him anything he doesn’t know.

Petrie’s fussing over me, a waste of a good coat, trying to cover this mess up.

~~
“You heard him kid, you don’t belong here, go home.”

“I’ve been hearing that all day.”

The kids scared, can’t say I blame him, but it took guts to come down here, unarmed. Stayed with Granger til the end. A lot of people wouldn’t have done that.

He gathers himself together, looking down at Granger. Absently hands you a laptop. You’ve lowered the gun.

“Granger said it would be a bargaining chip, if things went south. I don’t want this anymore. I don’t want any of it.”

His voice starts to break, and he goes back the way he came.