Upon entering Johnny's home, Riddick immediately began to glance around. The first thing someone like him looked for when entering a building was always cameras—at least in technologically advanced cities, in which almost every building possessed at least one camera.
Here in the OT's, however, Riddick saw none and immediately thought to himself, ‘Well, that just makes my job easier, I suppose.’
He then turned his attention to the happy couple who were currently hugging and laughing as Johnny asked Jamie about her day. In the midst of all this happening a voice rang from afar, coming from just above the stairs.
It was a soft and childish voice with a cute tone. The owner of this voice revealed herself to be a little girl as she ran down the stairs. She looked especially miniature to someone with Riddick’s frame, and he needed no extra observation to tell that it was simply Johnny and Jamie’s child.
She had a smooth fair complexion like her mother but possessed dark brownish hair like a father Johnny. Facial wise, she looked nothing like Johnny, but this wasn't something uncommon.
As Riddick took note of that observation, the little child ran and hugged Johnny by the legs, continuously yelling, “Pa! Pa!”, over and over again in an excited and uppity manner.
Johnny quickly reached down and grabbed her, lifting her into his arms before giving her some fatherly playful affection. "So, how have you been, my little ruggrat? Hope you haven’t been bothering your Ma too much? You been studying?"
The little girl giggled and nodded in a continuous manner. "Yes, Pa, I did all my work."
As the child said this, she turned her attention toward the gigantic figure standing in their home. Unlike most children who showed some semblance of caution toward strangers, this child seemed used to seeing new faces every now and then and instead looked curious as she said, "Gee, Mister, you're big, you must really drink a lot of milk."
Apart from a few run ins, Riddick barely had any interactions with kids. It wouldn't be a stretch to say this was his first proper interaction with these little curious creatures. So he found the statement quite blunt. "I suppose you're not entirely wrong. You're quite smart. You must drink a lot of milk too,"
As Riddick replied that while trying his best to show a small smile, the child burst into a giggle and nodded over and over again. "Yep! I drink all my milk and eat my veggies so I can grow big and strong healthy like ma and pa."
Seeing Riddick not get angry made Johnny sigh internally while Jamie blissfully laughed in the background, unknowing her boyfriend's worries over the contract killer that was now in their house.
But looking at Riddick’s character so far, Johnny began to ease up in his worries and felt that Rick was likely a good person. Still, he didn't let his guard down as he said, "Darling, it's getting kinda late. Why don't you take Sabrina upstairs and read her a story or watch some old cartoons, while me and Riddick here talk business."
Jamie was obviously no stranger to Johnny's business, and him saying such meant it was something she and the child obviously should not be around for.
After all, there was no telling if Riddick was simply putting on an act in front of the child. They often ran into characters who looked like the worst of criminals, but even they smiled in front of their child and put on charming faces. At best, it could be said they were simply being hospitable for as long as the deal went on.
Jamie quickly reached out to get Sabrina out of Johnny's hands, despite the little girl’s protests. "No, no, no. I want to hang out with pa and his friend, please, just 10 minutes. Please, please."
Inwardly, Riddick had already grown tired of the little girl's presence, not because she was irritating but rather because Riddick really disliked idle noisy chatter, more so now after having listened to Johnny's stories for hours.
Right now, he really just wanted to collect his thoughts and get his problem sorted out, hopefully with as few bumps as possible.
"You should listen to your parents. If you do so, the milk works 10 times better," Riddick suddenly commented, causing the little girl to gasp in surprise.
"Really? I’ll grow bigger and stronger faster?" the little girl showed a mischievous grin and quickly pointed to the stairs while holding her mother by her hair. "Quick, Ma, let's go!"
Jamie could only laugh as she began to walk away, only turning her head to say, "I left you enough food for you and your friend in the dinning room." Johnny smiled back, and nodded. "Thanks, Jamie. I’ll Come to bed as soon as I'm done."
After that, Johnny watched Jamie’s figure disappear up the stairs as he let out a sigh.
Riddick obviously knew that Johnny did that because he was cautious of him. And he couldn't really blame him as this was a good measure to take.
Not wanting an awkward silence to emerge, Riddick spoke first, providing a compliment, "You have a really wonderful family. I think I understand why you work so hard."
Johnny was taken by surprise by the comment but quickly showed a genuine smile and said, "Thank you. I'm really blessed."
Johnny may not have known it, but he was simply being told this so that his guard could be lowered further and he would see Riddick in a positive way, at least in the short term before his worries began to bubble again.
Johnny began to take off his shoes. "Let’s just put our shoes aside, I'll bring the food to the living room and we can, you know, each have a drink, watch the game if you want, while we talk business. I'm thinking we're going to need to move your car in a truck and keep it hidden. You know, to avoid greedy eyes. I also need to send a few messages but they should answer back as we're eating so we should know how this will be happening before bed."
Riddick followed Johnny's actions and also began to take off his shoes while nodding, as he found no qualms with Johnny's suggestion. "Sure, that's fine."
Inwardly though, Riddick had already begun to think of a plan to ensure everything either goes according to plan or he was in the know of any potential threats.
Because, in Riddick's mind, as much as this family looked normal and nonthreatening despite their career path, for them to have survived this long meant that they weren’t that simple.
So Riddick himself needed to be cautious and go with the flow as he began to set up his own preparations and countermeasures.
After removing their shoes, Johnny and Riddick went into the kitchen/dining area where one could see an assortment of plates neatly put on the table and covered with lacy white cloths. There was also a huge jug of juice at the center and a case of what looked like beer right on the edge of the table.
Johnny seemed used to this as he didn't comment and simply started getting ready to move the plates to the living area. "You just wash your hands and make yourself comfortable, you’re my guest after all."
Riddick nodded at first, but then paused for a second before adding, "By the way, do you have any tea? I might want to make some to help me sleep better after we're done talking."
Johnny thought for a moment and nodded while reaching out to grab a few plates. “Sure, just check in the cupboard right behind you. Jamie has all sorts of them, teas and whatnot. She used to have trouble sleeping when Sabrina was just born, so the tea helped. I tried some myself a few times and it definitely does help me sleep better, but I can’t get over the weird taste it has."
Riddick gave a nod, "Thanks, sounds like we could both use some."
In reality, Riddick needed no such thing to help him sleep, and rather, instead, he wanted some to help Johnny sleep harder.
Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.
As Johnny left Riddick, he quickly opened up the cupboard and reached out for the various boxes of tea of varying brands. He paid no mind to the name, so he just reached out to the boxes while quickly looking at the ingredients written.
He was now looking for teas that had the following; Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla or Matricaria recutita), Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis), Passionflower (Passiflora incarnata), Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). And if he couldn't find that particular set of ingredients, he could also make due using spearmint, blackberry leaves, or thorn and rosebuds. Thankfully, he didn't need to as he found a brand possessing the first set he looked for.
At this time, Johnny came back and began reaching for more plates but asked, "Did you find it?"
Riddick turned back, showing him the box, saying, "Yes, thanks. I was looking for one with this particular set. I'm kind of allergic to the one with spearmint, it always gives me a feeling of nausea."
Johnny didn't really know what Riddick meant, and Riddick knew this. Johnny said he wasn't a tea person, so Riddick simply said it to act as if he got what he was looking for.
In response, Johnny could only nod and say, "Sure, the kettle is right there in the corner. I think I might have one too, might need it to sleep well after that long-ass ride."
By Johnny saying this, Riddick realized that his behavior thus far had made Johnny reach the point that he at least trusted Riddick enough to drink something he offered.
In Riddick's initial plan, he thought he would need to wait until Johnny became drunk, at which point he would make two cups of tea and offer them to Johnny in that state. Even if Johnny was cautious, Riddick was at least sure he had a high percentage of succeeding, as perhaps Johnny would feel it was rude to refuse the tea even if he didn't like it.
Riddick felt inwardly relieved that he didn't need to go that far and it now made his job easier. So he gave a nod, before Johnny took another set of plates to the living room.
Riddick then quickly sorted out what he needed to and left the concoction brewing before reaching for the jug of juice at the center of the room, along with the two cups beside it.
He saw Johnny coming in to get those very things and asked where they put them. Johnny felt a bit awkward though, "Oh uh, just right over there? But you're the guest y’know, and uh well… I'll grab the case of beers then. There just happens to be a game on for the Redemption Cities Crows FPS Division."
Riddick feigned an interested expression and nodded, "Sure, I happened to miss the other games this week since I have been really busy."
Saying this, Riddick walked past Johnny and over to where Johnny pointed. There he found the food neatly set up right before an old-school a 4K quality 60-inch wall-mounted flat screen.
Riddick settled the jug and cups on the table and also had the drinks ready. One thing he really didn't have to worry about was getting either poisoned or drugged because his unique body physiology wouldn't allow it.
Just like with Nikolai, the moment anything negative entered their bodies, it would be cleansed by extremely unique cells called “Immunotitanium Cells”. However, this also meant Riddick would never be under the influence of things like alcohol for long periods of time, even if he wished to.
Even drinking 100% alcohol (pure ethanol) would only make him feel the regular level of drunk an average human would if they drank a bottle of 40% content. However, this feeling in Riddick would last at most 10 seconds, with Nikolai's system being far more adept as it could do the same in two seconds. Because the more one's body grew accustomed to certain negative elements, the more efficient it became.
Soon Johnny returned to the living room with a case of beer in hand and quickly sat on the brown three-cushion sofa that Riddick was on, right on the other side, leaving some small room at the center at which Johnny put the case of beer.
With this done, Riddick could now only wait until Johnny began the talks for his plan, only after would Riddick have the chance to continue what he was planning. For now though, he was content.
‘So far, so good. Let's hope it stays that way.’
As Riddick and Johnny sat in the living room quietly, watching the virtual sports game while indulging in the meal, Johnny's phone rang.
He quickly put down the beer that was in his and removed his phone from his pocket before answering, "Hello? Larry?" He then put it on the loudspeaker and placed his phone on the table.
A very low gruff voice rang from the other side, "Hey Johnny, I got your message. Well, I just got home, but I'm thinking we can still make the trip depending on how quickly you want it done." As the man named Larry said this, Johnny directed his gaze toward Riddick. After all, he didn't yet know how fast Riddick wanted things done.
Riddick leaned forward and spoke up, "As soon as possible."
Larry then immediately replied, "All right, I think we can do that."
Johnny then added, "You said you wanted to head to Midtown right? that's pretty close, so shouldn't take us more than a few hours to get the trip over and done with. Since it’s only one small car, it’ll be an easy run for you Larry.”
As the plan seemed to be forming, Larry put forth a point, “You better not have any contraband or aliens hidden somewhere in it. I'm not about to do time for some
Larry was very blunt, and his addition was something that didn't catch Riddick by surprise. Fixers had a very unique job, one they were often very good at. So at some point, organizations dealing in smuggling would often use cars as a front and have car fixers deliver said cars not knowing what was inside.
As one can imagine, authorities eventually caught onto this tactic, and car fixers began being more careful, with some still smuggling to make some extra cash while others outrightly refusing, sometimes even suggesting that they inspect the car themselves.
Thankfully, in this case, Larry just wanted to know. But to fully ease Larry's worries, Riddick replied by saying, "I’m not smuggling anything. I just have a stolen car with a high value, so I'm just trying to get it somewhere safe as soon as possible."
Riddick chose to reveal this to ease Larry's worries on the front of smuggling, though one more person now knew that he possessed a valuable car, but it wasn't like Larry wouldn't know this eventually.
For now, Larry didn't know the value of the car. So even if, in a situation where Larry was someone who would be moved by greed, he definitely wouldn't do this without knowing the exact value of the car. After all, he didn't know who Riddick was or what risks he came with. For all he knew, Riddick could've been backed by a large car thieving ring.
Such dynamics were how the black market maintained its fragile balance. It wasn't due to some unspoken rules of order, but rather it was based on caution for one's own life.
Understanding this, Riddick knew just what to say to ease the situation without losing on too much or gathering any high risks. The strategy works as the calmness in Larry's voice could now be heard, "All right, I get what you mean. The
Larry let out a disappointed sigh, clearly unhappy that he was unable to act on the opportunity before him. Riddick once heard about these hyenas — rogue OT communities that based their survival off stealing from others.
Considering how often they did such, their camps often had a lot of goods, which were then desired by others too. Even Riddick, however, he knew not to bite off more than he could chew because by being too greedy, he would stand to lose perhaps what he had already gained so far, like the money from the botched deal and the Morgan currently in his possession.
Though if by the end of all this, it may not equate to the exact total value, it was a gain nonetheless, and he wasn't willing to jeopardize it due to greed. So he let Larry's plan pass, and instead of showing interest, he showed understanding, "Yes, I get what you mean. I'm from Lowtown, and I know a couple of people who constantly used to get raided by those guys. But since the government of Redemption City won't do anything about them, I guess it's only up to you guys."
In addition to saying this, he wanted to further paint a positive image of himself in front of Johnny. By not showing a hint of greed or want toward what Larry had said, he gave Johnny the impression that he was probably trustworthy. Probably.
Caution would never fully vanish, but at the very least, Riddick was content with what he managed to put forth. With nothing further to discuss, Larry chose to say his goodbyes, "Well, all right then, Johnny. I'll come over to your compound in the next four hours. Let me just catch a few Zs, eat something, and we can go over the final details there."
Johnny had no qualms with this plan and said, "All right." Turning to Riddick, who also simply said, "All right, that works fine."
Upon cutting the call, Johnny put his phone back on the table and reached for his beer can. "Well, better just finish this game and hit the hay. Can't drink too much or I won't be able to wake up."
This was a reasonable action from Johnny, and considering he was a car fixer who often traveled long hours, Riddick was sure that even if Johnny was feeling low, he, like most car fixers, would simply take some drugs to keep themselves active — a very common practice.
But Riddick didn't need Johnny to sleep for long. He just needed Johnny to sleep soundly for at least an hour. So before Johnny could finish his can, Riddick stood up, "Yeah, you're right. Let me just get our cups of tea. It's not good sleeping with too much alcohol in your system."
Johnny, who had completely forgotten about the tea, simply nodded along, "Oh yeah, sure, sure."
Riddick quickly made the tea before coming back with two large mugs filled to the brim.
Looking at his tea, Johnny let out an impressed whistle, "Wow, you really know your stuff. This actually smells really good. Mine always smells like boiling water and leaves."
This was a very crucial point, and the last thing Riddick wanted was for Johnny to back out. So he showed a smile and nodded, "I picked up a few things from this vegan girl I once dated. She knew all sorts of recipes."
“Oh?I get you, I get you. I had a cousin once, Wally, ate nothing but vegetables, but boy could she cook. Among other things… *haha*”
What Riddick told was, of course, a lie, but it made Johnny focus on another factor and stay un-suspicious of the tea.
As Riddick casually reached out to his own and began sipping while watching the game, Johnny quickly drank his can of beer, before crushing it and throwing it into a nearby trash bin.
He then also reached for his tea, and began to sip on it.
Now Riddick could only wait…