Mal, Zoe, and Jayne were running as fast as they could, with Simon pulling River along after them. What the crew knew would be a difficult and dangerous heist had gone wrong. As they were being pursued by Alliance guards, thoughts of doubt were going through their heads. Mal was thinking he had been too cocky and the money too good, Zoe was thinking something similar, Jayne was thinking every curse word he had ever heard, and Simon was thinking how foolish he was to agree to go along and bring his sister.
They had gone through many parts of the building and had no idea where the exits were anymore. It seemed like every time they thought they found some more Alliance guards were blocking their way. River was moving too slowly. To herself she wasn't thinking so much as listening. The thoughts of those around her were interesting. The part of the building they were in now mostly consisted of scientists.
"Over here!" Mal shouted as he found a door that went to the stairway that led to the roof. A few of the scientists, so absorbed in their work that they hadn't noticed the thieves, started and looked up.
Suddenly a flash went off. Simon had been trying to pull River toward the door but she was fascinated by a machine that took up half the room. It was the one that made the flash. No one could see anything for a few minutes. Mal, Zoe, and Jayne were experienced enough to use this time to escape but Simon stood stunned. When the flash was over he look down at his hand that has just been holding River's wrist. Where had she gone?
"River?" Simon called out.
"Come on, we got to go." Jayne said practically pushing him up the stairs. Mal had said they didn't leave without the Doctor and Jayne wasn't planning on getting caught. Simon tried to tell them he had to find River but everything was in chaos and hurry. Getting annoyed Jayne just knocked him out. He would deal with whatever the Doctors' problem was later. Mal would think it happened getting away most like so it would be no trouble.
In a flash River was on a strange street. A street like there used to be according to history books. Her first instinct was to run so that is what she did. She didn't get far before she was tackled onto pavement by a woman. The flash has discombobulated her. She couldn't think straight. She blacked out.
When River woke up she was in a hospital bed. She was frantic at once. Had The Alliance got hold of her again? She was handcuffed by one wrist to the bad. She screamed.
"Whoa. No need for that. You're safe, just under arrest." Gibbs said. River looked at the man before her. He looked like someone who worked for The Alliance, older yet still in shape. He didn't wear the uniform though. In her mind she heard whispers from his own mind. With her throbbing head she could only make out a few words. Words like crime scene, murder, marine, suspect, and killer. They caught me at last, she thought. Two by two, but no hands of blue, so he will be killed after handing me over. River started screaming in Mandarin Chinese that they would never truly have her. They could destroy her but she would never work for them.
Gibbs looked startled. It hadn't occurred to him that she might not speak English. He had been the one guarding her hospital room but Ziva would relieve him soon. Perhaps she knew what language the …girl or woman? Gibbs couldn't pin point her age. He guessed somewhere between 17 and 25, but that was too broad. While he was thinking this, River had just laid back and said nothing else. She seemed calm or maybe just like she didn't care anymore. It was hard for him to tell.
"She woke up. Started shouting in some other language. I was hoping you might know what language it was." Gibbs told Ziva as she reentered the room. River studied Gibbs. He kind of reminded her of Mal just then. Ziva went toward the hospital bed and said a sentence in a few different languages but she didn't get a response.
"I cannot tell. Perhaps if you got her to speak again." Ziva told Gibbs. River was watching Ziva carefully. She somehow knew Ziva had killed people. A lot of people. It would be important to watch out for her. River knew she wasn't as loyal as she seemed. River decided to keep pretending not to speak English or know what they were saying. It might end up working to her advantage. She had to escape and find Simon. She wondered if he had been captured too or killed even. She hoped he was safe.
"What's your name?" Gibbs asked River, using emphasis to make sure she knew it was a question. He didn't expect her to understand him, just to talk again. What surprised him was that he looked into her eyes as he spoke and he knew that she could understand him. Maybe it had been a trick, maybe she was bilingual, but either way she had deceived him. He stood up.
"You understand English. You understood what I just said. If you don't want to talk fine. But if you don't talk I can't help you. Right now you are the main suspect in a multiple murder case. I can charge you right now, but I would rather talk to you, so I knew if I was putting the right person behind bars." Gibbs told her sternly.
River smiled. Gibbs reminded her so much of Mal. She didn't know if she could trust Gibbs though. Just because he was like Mal didn't mean he was trustworthy like him. She wondered what murders. She had after all killed before. What he was charging her with could be true. She realized that The Alliance would show up soon enough and probably kill him so she might as well talk to him. Gibbs might be interesting to talk to. Something to pass the time before The Alliance came and took her away to run tests that were torture on her.