The captain sneaked into the viewing bay. He didn't know why he was being so cautious, he was the captain and could do whatever he wanted. Maybe it was his deep fear of Riddick that spurred him to be so stealthy. If Riddick found out what he was up to he would carry out his threat to kill him. The captain stood motionless for a moment. He was waiting. A door opened across the room and two hooded figures came in. They stayed in the shadows of the dark room as he smiled. He put his hands behind his back and began to pace. Was this plan going to work?

"We all know why we're here and that reason is Riddick. The price on his head is a very substantial sum but, I want to keep him on the ship. I want him on our crew for good," he revealed.

The shrouded figures turned their heads to each other in unease. The captain continued,"Yes, I know he's dangerous, but that's the beauty of it. With him we could take over the other territories for exclusive salvage rights as well as the main pirate lane. Nobody would defy us. Not with him as our negotiator."

The first person came out of the darkness to ask his question. It was the chief medic.
"How can we do this?" the medic asked. "Riddick will kill you the first chance he gets, take his friends, and disappear. The only reason he hasn't so far is because of the threat against his companions and the implant."

"True. In order for the whole thing to work out he would have to want to stay."

"The old Riddick would have wanted to stay, but this man is different."

"Is he?" The captain smiled. "The killer is still there. The weapon we want is only dormant. All we have to do is to bring him out."

"How do you propose we do that?" the medic asked folding his arms in doubt.

"Break him, break him wide open."

The medic shook his head. "How? It can't be done. He's had extensive training in torture and we don't have the means to do a mind reconstruction."

"We don't need to," the captain turned his back to his fellow conspirators and went to the windows over looking space. "Riddick is in turmoil with himself right now. He's teetering on the edge of right and wrong. What we need to do is send him over the edge."

"Even if you find a way to do that … which I don't think you will, what makes you think you will be able to control him?"

The captain turned swiftly back to the medic. His evil smile made even the medic's skin crawl. "A man with a broken mind is simple to control. They only want to be told what to do. They don't want to think for themselves. It's too much for them."

"How do you propose to break him?" the medic smiled. He was beginning to like this idea.

"Simple," the captain said. Taking a deep breath, he revealed the next step of his plan.

"Valia?" From the shadows she stepped removing her veil. Standing in the half shadowed room her eyes stayed on the floor contemplating what she was doing. She was betraying him. Her love for her lost man had blinded her into this. She couldn't lose him to her.

"Valia, tell the good doctor here why Riddick will break."

Valia's heart sank. Her voice was quiet and desperate. "Destroy the things he hold dear. Destroy that, destroy the man."

The medic tilted his head back laughing. "I see. He's begun to care. Use his weakness. Kill what he loves. Brilliant! Which one will it be?"

"That's the beauty of it," the captain said. "He will have to choose. He just won't know it until it's too late."

The captain and the medic laughed at the idea of the great Riddick falling to his knees.

Not Valia. She wrapped her arms around herself as if she were cold. Standing among the men she could only think of Riddick and what she had done. She gave them the secrets to his mind; the only weapon they had that could truly destroy him. Tears streamed down her face. She was going to be a party to the second time he loses his mind.

Riddick walked down the corridor to Imam and Jack's room. He couldn't wait to tell them about Carolyn. Jack would scream with joy and Imam would pray and say his God made it all possible. Jack, they really needed to give her a girls name or find out her real one. Riddick smiled as he walked. She really loved him. He thought about her wanting to stay with him after all this was over. Could he take her with him? Would it be the best thing for her? He had plenty of time to think it over; he didn't even know how he was going to get everyone out of this yet. Reaching their room he pushed the keypad. The door slid up and open. He went through expecting a great rush from Jack but they were nowhere to be seen. Riddick went through the entire room. They were not there.

As he stood in the middle of the room, the hair on his arms stood up on end. There was something wrong, he could feel it. Riddick felt the urge to crouch almost hide from something. The room felt cold, dead, almost as if it had never held life in it. This was not good. He felt that same eerie feeling that he had in his room the day before. Someone was watching him. This time he wasn't going to ignore it.

"Where are they?" Riddick growled loudly. No answer came from the walls. He tried again this time spanning the entire room with his eyes. "Where are they?"

A short silence and an unseen door opened up on the wall. Valia quietly stepped through. Her deep brown eyes stayed focused on the floor as she stood in front of him. He searched her for some sign of what was happening. Her eyes would not meet his. He took a step toward her, she took one back. Riddick stopped. No eye contact. His heart began beating so hard he thought it would come out of his chest. He finally managed to speak.

"Where are they?" he asked again. Valia didn't answer.

He took another step forward. "Don't move away from me."

This time it was a warning, this time she did not move. She could feel his anger as she looked at his boots. Quickly, so she couldn't move away, he went to her and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Where is the priest and the girl?" his voice was deadly. "If you don't tell me right now I will kill you myself."

Finally, her eyes met his. "They're gone," she squeaked.

He shook her. "Where?" There was a growing urgency to his gut feeling of something being wrong.

"I don't know for sure. The captain came for them."

He pushed her away and turned his back on her. He put his hands over his face and rubbed his cheeks. His mind was racing. What was he going to do? What did the captain want with them? He kept his back to her, only turning his head to the side.

"What have you done?" It wasn't a question he was asking. He was looking for confirmation that she had done something. She couldn't speak. Her mouth just moved with no words coming out.

"Did you do something I need to know about?" He turned to her. She was holding herself tightly and rocking side to side. The tears streamed freely down her face.

"What,...did,...you,...do?"

She took a deep breath. "I'm so sorry Richard,...Riddick. I'm so sorry," she wept as she spoke.

He went to take another step toward her when his intercom went off. "Riddick, the captain wants you. He's in the arena room," the faceless voice said.

"I'll be right there in a minute," he responded. He turned his attention back to her.

"The captain says NOW," the voice warned. Riddick kept staring at her, teeth clenched. Her tear-filled eyes avoided his stare.

"I'll be right there," he spun around toward the door. He opened it and started through. He stopped right outside of it. "If anything happens to them, God help you because there will be no redemption from me." Not waiting for her reply he proceeded to walk out of the room.

Valia watched him leave knowing full well that would be the last time he would ever speak her name without hatred in it. She stood crying as the door closed. She now had to go and watch him die for a second time. She couldn't get the images out of her head. His mind was so full of hate for her she could barely stand to read it. His last true memory of her was hate. She hated even herself. Turning back to the hidden door she stepped through and headed for the arena room for the death of Richard B. Riddick the man, and the rebirth of Riddick, the killer.

Riddick hurried through the corridors, running as if he were late for something. He could hear the crowd in the arena room but what they were cheering for he didn't know. He could hear the captain's voice getting louder as he sprinted closer to the arena. He burst through the doors to a huge roar of applause. It seemed everyone was waiting for him. He stood catching his breath and looked around. He was shocked to see Carolyn, Jack, and Imam all present for his arrival.

Why was she here? She shouldn't even be out of bed yet. He was so happy to see that Jack and Imam were all right that he almost thought things were going to be okay. But his instincts told him different. So did their faces. They were white with fear. Imam stood praying while Carolyn held Jack's head against her side and sat staring at him with pleading eyes. He remembered those eyes. Those were the eyes of fear. His gaze went to the captain who stood behind them.

He smiled at Riddick with such delight that it made him sick. "Riddick, my boy. Nice you could get here so quickly," he said.

"What's going on?" Riddick asked, already knowing it wasn't good.

"Well, there are few things in this world that really piss me off," he said walking through Carolyn and Imam toward Riddick.

Riddick began to back away remembering the devise in his chest. "Don't run away," the captain continued," I turned it off so we could get together. "Now, as I was saying, few things piss me off. Things like, stealing, no, no, that's not one."

The crowd roared with laughter. The captain scratched his beard, as he got closer to Riddick. "Wait, I'll remember. It pisses me off when you …um,.. wow, I can't seem to,."

He stood in front of Riddick, now. He could feel the captain's heat he was so close. The captain stopped rubbing his beard and smiled again at Riddick enjoying his little bit of fun. Finally, he turned to Valia who had magically appeared behind the crowd. "What the fuck is it that really pisses me off, Valia?" Her eyes never came up off of the floor.

"Betrayal," she whispered.

"Ah, yes, betrayal is the one. I knew that, just couldn't think of it. My mind's going you know. Yes, betrayal. That really pisses me off. People who betray the trust that I've given them as well as their freedom. Wouldn't you say that is something that really pisses you off, Riddick?,.. Betrayal?"

He stood motionless in front of the captain. "You could say that." His comment directed at Valia.

"Good, then you understand punishment," the captain said turning to the group of Jack, Imam, and Carolyn. He stood in front of Imam and bowed. "The father here understands it, don't you, Father?" Imam's eyes never left the captains. He only nodded.

The captain continued," God, is vengeful, when it's justified. That's punishment." He then went to Jack. He touched her head rubbing the stubble that so much reminded Riddick of his own. His anger grew with every stroke he touched her with. "So innocent. Do you think she fully understands punishment? I think she does. She clings to you for protection from all those nasty punishments out there. You are her savior."

The captain looked down at her holding her chin in his hand. Their eyes met. "So sweet."

He released her and took a step to the side to stand in front of Carolyn. "And you, my dear, we haven't been formally introduced, although I get the feeling you already know who I am."

"I know who you are," Carolyn hissed through clenched teeth. She held tighter to Jack as the man stepped closer to her face.

"Yes, I thought so. You're very pretty my dear," he looked back at Riddick. "I was a fool to let you have her, Riddick. Maybe I'll take her away from you." Turning back to face Carolyn he was greeted by her spitting in his face.

"Bastard," she spat. The captain wiped his face and smiled.

"Fiery, I like that in a woman," he grabbed her around the throat. Riddick bolted forward trying to stop him but was grabbed from behind by what felt like an army of men.

Completely restrained he could only watch. "You should be careful, my dear. I like a woman with spirit but disobedience won't be tolerated. Right, Riddick?"

He released Carolyn. She gasped for air and rubbed her throat as the captain went on. "She knows of punishment, doesn't she?" He turned back to Riddick. "I think they all know of punishment. So, the big question is, he got right into Riddick's face. "Do you?"

Riddick struggled against his captors and stared at the captain with all the hatred he held in the universe. "I don't think you understand punishment, Riddick. If you did you wouldn't have pissed me off."

"I did nothing," he growled.

"Oh, but you did. You conspired to escape, didn't you?" Riddick flashed a look at Valia.

Her eyes met his. His mind reached out to hers.

"What did you tell him?" he thought to her. She shook her head at him.

"I'm sorry, I had no choice," she answered in his head. This time he spoke out loud.

"Bitch!" he yelled.

"Ah, in mind communication," the captain surmised. "She's very useful in that respect. Don't blame her Riddick, she really had no choice." He paused a moment to gather his words.

"I gave you freedom in my ship. I gave freedom with my women. I even gave you the opportunity to join my crew without having to earn it in combat. That's how much I like you, Riddick. And yet, you stab my hospitality in the back. Shame on you. Conspiring with one of my own, you should have known better. Now we must ask,.. what to do,..what to do." The captain turned back to the three captives.

"Which one will die, Riddick?" Riddick struggled even harder.

"No!" he yelled out. "If you want to punish someone, punish me. I'm the one you want."

"Oh, but now wait. You made a deal with me that you were going to behave or one of your friends was going to pay the price. I though you understood that. As I remember I told you that the priest would die first." Imam looked up at Riddick. Riddick shook his head. Imam spoke directly to the captain.

"If there must be a sacrifice, I will go. My God is ready to receive me." The captain's mouth flew open in a big smile.

"See, Riddick, you've got friends WILLING to die for you," he put his hand over his own heart. "I find that so touching."

He stood between the group and Riddick. "But, I'm sorry to disappoint you Father, it's not that easy. You see, Mr. Riddick has been such a bad boy, that he must choose which one of you must die." Riddick's mouth fell open.

"I won't do that!" he yelled.

"Pick me, Mr. Riddick," Imam said. "I am ready."

"Shut up!" the captain yelled back handing the Holy Man. He stared down at the fallen priest and yelled back at him, "Oh, he will pick, I assure you!"

He turned his attention back to Riddick. "But let's make this a little more fun." The crowd began to roar in approval. The captain pointed down to the arena floor. There was a maze. In different parts of the maze were three boxes. Riddick tried to memorize the maze but one of his captors threw a blindfold over his eyes. Without his sight Riddick had to rely on his other senses. "As you see, there is a maze for which you must navigate. At different places in the maze there are three metal boxes, each will hold one of your companions. You must find all three boxes before time runs out OR whomever you don't find will die."

Riddick's heart pounded. He reached out to Valia.

"Please, if you ever cared about me, help me, " he thought to her. There was no answer from her. He was on his own. The captain went on.

"You will have no way of knowing who is in what box. There are no holes to peer through, they won't be able to speak to you, and there will be no help from any of us."

Riddick knew he was speaking of Valia. "Take them down!" the captain ordered.

"Wait!" Riddick yelled. "At least allow me to see them and talk to them before you take them away," he pleaded. There was a long silence. It was broken by Carolyn's voice.

"Please," she said. "At least let us say good bye. If one of us might die, let us say our peace." Her plea hurt Riddick's heart in a way he never thought imaginable. "Please."

The silence hung heavy over their heads. Finally the captain spoke.

"Very well. Take them all below together. You may take the blindfold off of Mr. Riddick once you're downstairs. Give them TWO minutes, no more."

Riddick felt himself being pushed forward. As he walked blindly he smelled her perfume. Even though he couldn't see her, he knew she was there. Valia, his betrayer. As he passed, he spat. His final act of defiance to her treachery.

The captain yelled after him, "Mr. Riddick, you also only have two minutes to find all of the boxes. If you succeed, your friends live, if not.. well, you know."

He laughed, as Riddick was lead away down the corridor, down the stairs, and onto a dirt floor. Riddick was push hard forward. Losing his balance, he fell onto his hands and knees. He hung his head still blind. His mind raced. Sitting back onto his heels he removed the blindfold and looked up to the ceiling. He held the blindfold tightly in his hand and began pulling on it. Why? Why was all of this necessary?

Still staring upward, Riddick tried to remember the maze, what little he saw. It wasn't enough. He would have to use all of his senses to rescue all of his friends. Behind him the door opened and all three survivors rushed in. Still on his knees, Riddick turned toward the door. Jack ran to him in a life-loving embrace. He held her tight; hand on her head, rubbing it in what looked like a desperate move to memorize her feel. Her face was buried in his shirt as she spoke to him.

"You'll save us all, right?" she pleaded for a yes.

"I will and when we get out of this I will take you places you've never seen. Do things you never thought possible." Her head moved and her eyes met his.

"You're going to take me with you?" He smiled at her.

"You bet your ass," he wiped the tears off of her face. "No more of that, you hear?" She nodded her head. Riddick stood up, a hand still on her head, as he looked to the Holy Man.

"So, how much faith do you have left, Father?" he asked.

"Enough for all of us, Mr. Riddick." He put his hand out and the priest took it. He shook it heartily. "It has been an honor to have known you."

"Likewise, Father." Letting go of his hand, he turned to Carolyn.

There's not enough time to tell you all the things I want to tell you, he thought to himself. He walked to her, stopping right in front of her. Their eyes met. He didn't know where to start.

"Carolyn," he began. She stopped him by putting a finger over his lips. He closed his eyes, letting her touch sink deep into his mind. Opening them he stared back at her. Their entire past together raced through his mind. At what point did he know he wanted her? The beginning. Her strength, her vitality. She was brave in the face of death; she was willing to die to save him. Every facet of her being, he wanted. He took deep breaths of her. The images in his head formed by her essence were enough to drive him mad. He brought his hands up to her face, cradling it. He put his forehead against hers where they rested for a moment. Their eyes closed as her hands came down on his. They took each other in. Whatever happened in the next few minutes didn't matter. For that one moment they understood.

Eyes opening, he backed his head away from hers, still staring into her eyes. Their hands stayed connected as they stood staring. The doors behind him leading to the arena flew open. Riddick's head turned to take a quick glance and then back to Carolyn. "Not enough time," he said quietly.

"Let's go you three!" the guard said. They came in and grabbed the three of them and began to drag them into the arena. Carolyn shook off the guards hold and rushed back to Riddick.

His arms engulfed her. Grabbing his face, she kissed him with a force unknown to him. Fear, desperation, perhaps even love. The moment lasted a lifetime to him, but even at that, was over too soon. The guard ripped her from his embrace. Their hands held until he could no longer extend his reach. And then she was gone, they were all gone.

The door slammed shut leaving Riddick alone with his thoughts. He paced like an animal. He jumped up and down, readying himself for the run ahead of him. He had to be strong. Failure was not an option. He could faintly hear the crowd roaring its approval of the spectacle before them. He hated every one of them.

Riddick suddenly stopped his pacing and fell to his knees. He went deep within himself. Calm, relax, and gather your wits. He cleared his mind, like clouds parting and letting the sun in.

He closed his eyes and let all of the tension go. His breathing was slow and focused. He could do it. He could save them all.

The doors flew open again. The crowd let out a might cheer. Riddick slowly opened his eyes and focused on the task ahead. Getting to his feet, he went to the doorway. The people above him threw garbage and glasses. The brightness of the lights made it hard to see. He reached to his waistband and brought out his goggles. Slipping them on, he readied himself. The captain spoke.

"You have two minutes to find all three boxes! You must touch each box to get your flag raised. The flag indicates that you have found that box.," he yelled down to him.
Riddick looked forward at the metal maze and realized there was no entrance he could see. He glared up at the captain.

"There's no entrance!" he screamed.

"Of course there is! You just have to find it!" The group above laughed. "Watch the clock, Riddick!" He saw the captain point to the clock above. "Two minutes is all you get."

Riddick looked back at the maze. He waited for his signal to go. The captain raised his gun to the ceiling and fired.

Riddick jumped to life as he ran around the maze to find the way in. He rounded corners looking for an opening but couldn't see one. It finally dawned on him. It's an illusion. He ran up to the walls and ran with his hand touching the metal at all times. His hands suddenly felt nothing. He stopped and ran back. It was there. He quickly entered the maze and decided in a split second to turn right. He opened his mind and heart, hoping to feel them, hoping they could guide them. Running back and forth, cutting corners anywhere he could, his eyes searched for the way to go. Traveling forward he stopped short... dead end.

Quickly, he turned around retracing where he had gone wrong. Coming to the fork he kept going the opposite way. He tripped into a clearing and peered up from his hands and knees to see one of the boxes! The guard next to it put up a flag signaling that it had been found. One down.

He ran passed it trying to sense who was in it, but his senses were overloaded and he couldn't focus on the person's essence.

Blazing passed it he made the quick decision to go right again. Turning the corner, he looked up at the clock. One minute fifteen seconds left. He flew around another corner right into a wall. The wrong way again! He turned to go back to hit another wall. Looking from side to side, he realized that the walls were moving. The maze was changing as he was going through it. He turned in a complete circle, screaming. Finally he saw an opening and ran through it. One minute remaining.

Riddick's body was rebelling. His leg was weak, his back and arm were throbbing and yet he somehow managed to keep going. The noise from the crowd made it hard for him to concentrate. He knew that's why they were doing it. Turning left this time he rounded another corner. He ran right into the second box. Oh, God, he was almost there. The second flag went up as Riddick passed him.

Forty-five seconds to find the last remaining box. He kept on going, not missing a step. He kept on turning and winding his way, convinced that the next turn would hold the last box. But it wasn't there. He looked up. Thirty seconds. The crowd was getting louder and louder with the prospect of an upcoming kill. He came around the next corner and saw the box! Elated he smiled as he ran to it. But it was short lived... there was already a flag up. He'd been here before. He screamed again in frustration and bolted again.

From above the captain watched the rat race. Wringing his hands together, he could feel the man's mind beginning to crack. His frustration was the beginning of the end for him. He was no longer thinking rationally. He watched Riddick run in circles trying valiantly to save the person in the last box. The captain rubbed his face. He wondered which one of the survivors was in the box. He was hoping it wasn't the woman. He liked her, he wanted her. If Riddick survived all of this he might have to bargain for her. The captain's eyes turned to the clock. Twenty seconds left. The fat man smiled. Looking back at Riddick he chuckled. If he only knew how close he was to the last box.

Riddick was turning frantic. He couldn't make heads or tails of where he was. His instincts were there but the moving walls were confusing them. Sweat poured out of his skin and dripped as he ran leaving a trail of desperation. His heart was as loud as the crowd now that booed his every move. Fifteen seconds. He didn't stop, he kept moving. It had to be here, somewhere close, he could feel it. More turns, no box. Time was almost gone now. Ten seconds.

The crowd began counting down the final seconds of someone's life with such glee it almost made him stop to throw up.

"10," he turned another fruitless corner.

"9," his eyes began to sting with tears of frustration.

"8," more garbage rained down from the spectators.

"7," another wall moved next to him, blocking his way.

"6," he screamed yet again at the unfairness of the whole thing.

"5," a wall cleared showing him in the short distance the last box.

"4," a new burst of energy propelled him forward.

"3," all went into slow motion. Riddick felt as if his feet were in quicksand.

"2," almost there...... Riddick's knee gave under the strain. Face first, he fell into the sand. He kept crawling on his hands and knees. 10 feet to go... just ..had...to .....touch ....it.

"1," Riddick outstretched his hand and dove for the box. Gunshots rang out from the crowd as well as cheering.

Riddick's face was buried in the dirt. He raised his head up to see what was happening. He turned his head and laid it back down onto his side and began to cry. His hand was six inches short of the box. The guard next to the box had already shot the occupant and was standing still awaiting his next order. Riddick pulled his knees up and sat on all fours, sobbing for the loss of one of his friends. The chain that lowered the metal box down to the floor began to lift it back up so as to reveal his dead companion. He didn't want to see who it was. He didn't think he could face it. He kept his eyes closed as long as he could. The crowd gasped at the apparent sight of the victim. Riddick could hear footsteps behind him. He didn't want to look at whom he hadn't been able to save. He finally got his sobs under control and looked upward where the box was.

All time and space went black and silent. Slow motion took over as he crawled to her. He sat down next to her just staring at her blood soaked face. She stared up at him with dead, accusing eyes. He had failed her. He picked her head up and placed it in his lap. Stroking her cheek he looked up to see the others. Imam went to his knees, holding his beads, mouthing words that could only be a prayer. Riddick couldn't hear him. He couldn't hear anything. His eyes went back to her lying in his lap. He picked her up into his arms and cradled her lifeless body. Rocking back and forth, Riddick's mind began to split. He sat in the middle of the arena, shaking, his good side battling the evil side. All the reasons to never love or care about anyone or anything lay in his arms at that moment. This was why. It only dies.

He removed his goggles to look at her without any interference. His tears made streaks down his dirt covered face as he stared at her. Footsteps came to his side. A hand touched his shoulder. He hardly felt it. Hatred as well as unbelievable grief was taking over. His eyes weren't seeing what was going on around him. He was seeing red. Slowly he managed to take his eyes off of her and look at the hand on his shoulder. He followed her arm up with his eyes until they met hers. Tears streamed down her face as well. She sat down next to him. He didn't want her there. He didn't want anyone near him. She tried to comfort him.

"Riddick, there was nothing you could do," Carolyn whispered. He went back to Jack's dead face. Feelings were arising in him he didn't understand. He sat shaking uncontrollably now. Inside his mind the two sides were feuding, walls were going up, the human side was dying. Carolyn put her arms around him trying to find the man she left only 5 minutes ago.

His eyes flashed silver as he pushed her so hard that she flew ten feet back. Riddick stood up, still cradling Jack's limp body. He stared at the captain. The captain just smiled. Riddick shook his head over and over finally letting out all the anger he had inside.

"NOOOOOOO!!!!!" his voice echoed throughout the arena.

At that moment.... Riddick's mind broke.

Chapter 11-12