Chapter Four

Jack drifted back into consciousness. Something warm and wet was trickling down her face. She tried to move her head, but she felt as if she were made of brick. Nothing would move. Her head ached. Her body would not move. She was frightened. She could hear footsteps, voices, car horns. Her mind suddenly focused and Jack remembered. She knew now that it was blood running down her cheek and that her head ached because he had hit her.

Hard.

*Chad*.

She opened her eyes. Her vision was blurry, but she could make out the brightly-lit street ahead of her. She saw Chad at the end of the alley, watching the people.

She tried to stand, to do anything, but her body wouldn't obey. Chad was walking towards her now. Jack screamed, but no sound came out. She screamed again, to no effect. She realised, too late, that something was covering her mouth.

"Morning, Sunshine." Chad said as he reached her. Jack flinched as he knelt down next to her, his face inches from hers. He smiled. Jack stared back, helpless against what ever he had in store for her.

"Guess you've got a few questions?" he said, "Why? Why me?" he asked, imitating her voice. He leaned closer and licked some of the blood off of Jack's face, savouring it, "well, Jack, I'll give you the short and not-so-sweet answer that my Psych gave me once-I'm a sick fuck, and I get off on other peoples pain." He paused for effect, "and today,it's yours."

Jack felt panic sweep through her body. Thoughts galloped through her mind: New Mecca, Iman and Riddick. She would have given anything at that moment to be on New Mecca, chanting away with Iman. She wished that she could see him again and apologise for leaving the way she had. Now it seemed that she would never get the chance.

She watched as Chad rummaged through his pockets. His face was the picture of happiness. He pulled a small vial out and unscrewed the lid. He waved it in front of Jack's nose. It had a sickly sweet smell. Jack felt the pain in her head diminish minutely.

"That should keep you still for a little while longer," Chad said, "and although I do enjoy seeing people squirm when I cut them, I can't risk a frisky Jack possibly getting away and spoiling my fun."

He smiled again and pulled a knife from inside his coat. He ran it along the side of Jack's face. She felt the sting of the blade cutting into her skin. She willed her body to move, but the drug was too powerful. Her eyes moved towards the street. *Somebody look down here!* her mind screamed, *please.*

Chad followed her gaze, "Oh, Jack. They won't help you," he said, moving the knife to under her top, and cutting it open, revealing her chest. "They don't help because it's a part of life, and they wouldn't know whether or not I'm packing a gauge."

He caressed her stomach with the knife, each little circle he made with the tip turning an angry red. Jack gasped in pain. Tears escaped her eyes and she could see that it excited Chad: he was growing hard with every slice.

Jack wished he would kill her. Right here. Right now. Knowing what he was going to do to her, she wanted to die. She could tell that he was going to rape her. She could also tell that he was going to torture her, and death seemed like heaven in comparison.

She felt a white-hot pain across her stomach. He had cut her deeply this time. She looked on as he made a second run on her stomach, the edge of the blade disappearing in to her skin, blood welling in its wake.

"Mmm. Good," he said, licking the knife clean. He kissed her on the forehead, stroking her breast with one hand, while the other worked at un-buttoning her pants. He moved his mouth down her face, kissing her, mouth working its way down to her stomach. He rested his head there.

Jack felt both of his hands tugging to get her pants loose now. She shut her eyes tight, praying to Iman's God to save her. Her eyes flew open again as one of his hands violated her. Sobbing she stared out at the street, still hoping that someone would come to help her.

Chad tugged her pants loose and she felt the knife touching her thighs ever so lightly. Chad watched her face as he pressed the knife harder, cutting her skin. Jack shut her eyes, not allowing him to see her pain. She felt the knife cut deeper, carving a long line down her leg, cutting through muscle and tendons.

"Look at me," Chad said firmly. Jack kept her eyes shut and she winced as she felt the knife cut even deeper. Despite the pain, she kept her eyes closed. The knife found its way to her stomach again and she felt him drive it into her, all the way to the hilt.

"Look at me, you fucking bitch," he said again.

Jack opened her eyes. She could just make him out through her tears. She looked at her stomach and at the knife sticking out of it.

Chad placed his hand on the knife and slowly began to withdraw it. Jack's vision went black, but she didn't pass out. She could taste bile in her throat. Her breath was coming in painful pants, each stabbing at her stomach and increasing her pain.

She felt his hand on her stomach as he removed the knife completely.

Then suddenly his hand was gone. Hear mind registered Chad's surprised gasp. Her vision was grey, but Jack could make out Chad's figure and someone else. As her vision cleared, she saw another man with Chad, no, fighting with Chad.

The man was dressed in black and brandishing a vicious-looking shiv. She watched as they circled one another. Chad looked disconcerted. Jack looked at the man with the shiv, his face was stoney, *like Riddick's,* Jack thought. She watched as they circled, wondering if she might yet live.

"Casteel," Chad said by way of greeting, "fancy meeting you in a place like this."

'Casteel' simply looked at him.

"What, no hello, how's my favourite psycho-fuck rapist? That's not polite." Chad said.

"If I felt like having a conversation, Len, I would go to a coffee house," Casteel replied.

Jack's eyes widened. *This Casteel is a chick?* She looked at the dark figure, now seeing feminine curves, hair tied back. She tried to focus more on the woman, but couldn't. Dizziness overwhelmed her and she felt darkness surround her.

Casteel circled Chad, aka Len, her shiv ready to strike.

Len let out a scream and charged at her, knife extended. She grabbed his out-stretched arm and pulled him towards her, using his momentum against him. She stepped out of the way just as they were about to collide, her grip firm on his arm. She twisted his arm upward as he passed, and heard the satisfying sound of his arm breaking, bone tearing through muscle and skin, the knife clattering on the ground.

She let go of him and kicked him in the back sending him sprawling further down alley. He landed on his face, howling in pain as he clutched his arm.

Casteel approached him silently, passing the rigid body of the girl. She noted the blood pooling on her shredded stomach, spilling onto the pavement. Breaths ragged. *Girl won't live long with out medical attention,* she eyed Len, hunched over, rocking on his knees, *first things first.* She approached him cautiously. She saw his good arm twitch and she dived behind an industrial bin as he whipped around, gauge in hand. Bullets whizzed past her and she heard the screams from the people on the street.

She counted bullets and after thirty, vaulted out from the cover of the bin.

"Fuck." she said, "Damn it". The alley was empty. She moved stealthily down it. She knelt just short of the wall that ended the alley, her fingers touching a small pool of blood, fresh. She examined the wall quickly and found more blood.

Looking back at the girl, her mind weighed up possibilities. Chase Len, or get the girl to a hospital. Casteel stood at the wall for a full minute, before she turned and stalked up the alley. Reaching the girl, she picked her up and began walking to the street.

*You had better live girl. I'm gonna need you if I want to catch that Bastard you've gotten yourself aquatinted with.*