RSTC/ Firefly:: Lost

Chapter 4: The Job

Jayne Cobb knows what he is and isn't. He knows he's a fairly big guy. He know's he's not terribly bad looking. He knows he likes gold and winning and hats. But most importantly, he knows that the likes of Malcom Reynolds and Zoe Washburne are probably the most interesting, smart and dangerous people this side of the Verse.

So it was a complete surprise to him when only two out of those three descriptions matched the pair when the Captain decided to take the job on. Stealing from the magistrate's secured vault when there are Alliance men around was interesting and dangerous. Jayne Cobb knew he wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but even he knew that continuing on wasn't smart. They should've just left. In fact, he reckons that the moment they saw the cruiser hovering above the place, they should've just turned back and sped away somewhere else.

Personally, he blamed Inara. Mal Reynolds could be all rough and tough, calling her a whore and such but Jayne could see who was putty in whose hands. He'd feel better if the companion were with them stealing the vault. Jayne didn't exactly think it's fair that she gets to go to a party while they have to do all the dangerous stupid stuff.

Jayne growled as he parked the transport hidden in the shrubbery near the vault building. He quickly pulled his cap down and caressed the hilt of his gun for comfort. It was nearly sunset. Everybody who's anybody should be at the magistrate's ballroom right now eating their dinner. "Kaylee better saved me some of 'em cookies." He muttered under his breath remembering that he had told Kaylee not to eat it all.

Exactly like the magistrate's boy said, six guards were relieved by another batch. When the last patrol was out of sight, Jayne saw Mal and Zoe come from opposite ends. Three guards each were easy for the two military trained friends especially when they held the surprise card. Zoe signaled for him to come help drag the poor souls in the vault as Mal opened the door.

"Tianzhu shenmu Maliya..." Jayne stared at the new floor to ceiling vault wall, which actually was the door. A tiny red light on top told them it was locked."That ain't here before." He pointed at the daunting task infront of him.

Mal simply waved a piece of paper in his face. "Well, it's a good thing we have this now ain't it." He grinned walking towards the tiny numeric key pad on the metal wall.

"Jayne's right Captain." Zoe frowned beside him. "This doesn't feel quite right."

There was a buzz and a click before the light turned green. "Just get the sacks ready." The Captain said pulling the door open. "We need to make this quick." He rubbed his hands together seeing the shelves lined with small bags of coin.

With a deep breath Jayne entered after Zoe and started sweeping the vault contents inside his bag. Mal was first to finish and went to peek outside the door just in case someone came looking. "Tell you what. This kid knows his guards' rounds." He heard the captain say.

He shrugged it off trying to be as fast as he possibly could. He threw the first sack out and started with a second one. "Fellas," Zoe suddenly holding her open sack and looking around. "Is there a mysterious ticking noise about?" She observed while tying off the top of her full sack. There was indeed a ticking sound. It was barely audible but it was getting faster.

Then the ticking became one continuous beep.

Jayne met the Captain's wide eyes. "Get out." Mal eyed them both. "Drop the sack. Get out now!" He yelled.

A second later, Jayne Cobb saw vertical bars drop from the ceiling of the vault door.

-- -- --

"He'll requisition you a new camera, paperboy. Stop moping." Doc gave him several pats on the shoulder.

Bobby 'Paperboy' Higgins glumly picked up a pebble and threw it as far as he could into the sunset. Despite the sun and the games, this was not a good day. "When exactly will he do that?" He huffed as they made their way back to the ship. "I mean, who knows when we'll be out of this SICON colony... Which isn't even the point." He complained kicking the tall weeds in his path.

"And your point will be what exactly?" Carl Jenkins inquired.

"Look, I'm a reporter. I like to document things. It's like, my job." He reminded them bitterly. "How many people do we know knows this place exists?" He placed both of his hands in his pant pockets. "Besides Andy." He qualified sensing they both had the same answer. There was silence. "Exactly. Crickets. And I'm sure we'll see more places and I won't get to document it all. It's not fair." He ranted.

"Did Rico say what it was for?" The psychic gave him a weak smile.

"No." He rolled his eyes. "It's probably need to know. And I don't need to know." He answered dryly.

"Higgins." Doc said.

"Yeah?"

"Write a journal." Suggested the medic.

But before the reporter could even recover from his panned expression, a very familiar sound filled the air stopping them all in their tracks. Bobby Higgins moaned. "Was that a gunshot?" He cringed knowing the answer when several others followed.

-- -- -- -

"River stay with Kaylee."Simon Tam watched the mechanic try to prep a gun while huddled with his confused sister. He counted to three before running across the cargo hold drawing fire from their shooters. Each time he popped his head to shoot, there would be more people shooting back at him. He's not even certain if he has hit anyone.

He watched as Kaylee nervously let out a few shots. "There's so many of them." She managed to tell him while his back is pressed against a crate.

Suddenly, there was a black blur dropping from the catwalk above, and rolled towards his direction. The man he recognized as the soldier- engineer flinched as wood splinters flew in the air. "Came from the engine room. Why are we being shot at?" He asked.

"If I knew, I'd tell you." Simon held his breath as he fired more shots into the fray. Somehow, there were more enemies now than ever before. He stole a glance at the girls across him. It wouldn't be long now before they were over run. "Jeffrey right? Where are your friends?" He asked while reloading the pistol.

"They haven't come back yet." Gossard answered. "Do you have a spare gun?"

He shoved the gun to the hands of the mechanic. "Here, you're probably better at this." He switched places with the man.

But to his surprise, Gossard just stared at the pistol. "Is this... ready to go?" He examined the gun's ivory, wood, and metal construction before meeting his gaze.

"Yes, it's fine." The medic quickly replied.

"Simon?" Simon Tam turned his head to his sister's voice and paled. She was covered in blood. But it wasn't her blood that she had on her dress. It was Kaylee's but he couldn't where she had been shot. He tried to move towards her but was held back by the trooper.

"Hey hey. You want to get yourself shot too? That's not going to help." Gossard let three bullets fly. One man fell to the ground. "Sorry, I'm used to bigger targets. Bugs are bigger." He apologized before letting a few more bullets loose yet only hitting two men.

"Hey Goss?" A girl sneaked into the nook where River and Kaylee were. "There's ten of them. Rico and Diz are sneaking up for one each. Doc's got one marked. Brutto and Ibanez are sharing one. CJ and Bobby's sharing one. That leaves... five. Rico says we have to go first." She shook her head rolling her black jacket to prop up Kaylee's head.

The medic took a look at what she was talking about but couldn't find any of the troopers in sight against the fading sunlight. "There's no one there." He tried pointing out.

Gossard nodded ignoring the comment. "Here's the plan, Andy. On three, I'm going to shoot and the doc and I are going there. Then I'm giving the gun to you to secure the place." He ordered.

"Roger that." She looked at the pistol with the same doubtful expression. "Kaylee, I need you to count to one hundred." She smiled at the dazed girl. "River, I need your cardigan please."

Simon watched as his sister wordlessly gave her jacket away as the mechanic started counting. The girl folded it roughly and applied pressure on the wound. Kaylee moaned in pain. It was more than the doctor could take."Stop it!" He exploded in frustration. "You're hurting her."

"I'm sorry!" The girl automatically went on the defensive.

"On three, Andy." Simon felt the trooper's hand on his shoulder. He closed his eyes waiting for the count. But it never came. "THREE!" The mechanic said pulling him forward the same time the girl rose to her feet.

Simon heard five shots come from the his gun when he turned Kaylee to face him. Then there was total silence. He turned to check what had happened. Gossard had now swiftly given Andy the gun . She was stepping forward slowly kicking the weapons away. A grim conversation started amongst the passengers that he couldn't fully follow.

Suddenly, fingers started snapping infront of his face. "Hey, doc. DOC!" Gossard called out. "She's kind of bleeding out." He reminded.

The experienced trauma surgeon met the soldier's gaze. "It only took five shots." He murmured slightly dazed.

"I actually missed two but Diz and Rico were there to take care of it. Everybody does their end. That's how it is." He explained simply. "Doc, man down!" He called out for their own medic.

"But...."

"That's how it is, Simon" River repeated yet her eyes were glued on her bloody hands.

-- -- -

The sight of Serenity's dim lights calmed his mind a little. His firefly had that effect on him. Simply put, it was home. He knew he wasn't going to be staying for long. He just needed to organize his thoughts a little, plan, stock up on ammunitions and maybe get in contact with Inara somehow. He refused to believe that the night could get any worse.

Jayne was right. They should never had taken the job. He knew it was too risky but he decided to do it anyway. The money was too good to pass up and they haven't had a job in awhile. If he could change one decision, it'll probably be taking the job on. In hindsight, he really should've refused. The capture of Zoe and Jayne wasn't worth any of it.

But he was wrong.

He marched up the rap to the cargo hold and paused when he saw the a group of injured men tied up with their hands behind them. Sitting on top of a crate was one Lt. Johnny Rico with a gun, not just any gun but the handgun the troopers had on them, on one hand and a walkie talkie on the other. "Copy that, he's here." He spoke to the black walkie talkie.

"What's this?" Asked Mal carefully eying the fallen men. "I thought I said for you to be invisible like." He frowned.

"We were." Rico nodded nonchalantly. "We were so invisible that they didn't see us come up from behind." He smiled sweetly.

"And neither did you, boss." Dizzy Flores suddenly said from behind his right ear giving him the chills. The girl giggled as she went passed him towards her commanding officer while stuffing a gun at the small of her back. "Hello, boys." She taunted the tied up men as she passed.

Mal Reynolds gazed at the pair suspiciously. If this were any other time, Zoe would've blown a hole in them already but this time, he was alone. "I reckon I said no guns too. Where'd you get those?" He asked.

"River gave them back." Dizzy Flores supplied. "See, you need guns you know when you're being shot at." She shrugged. "Oh yeah." She cringed as she remembered her point. "Captain, you might want to tell Dr. Tam to stay clear of certain troopers for a bit." She chuckled.

"Tell me about it." The lieutenant sighed. "I can hear the tone on the walkie talkies."

Mal's frown deepened just listening to their trivial sounding day. Finally, he had enough. "Will someone tell me what's happening to my ship?!" He exploded stopping the pair in mid sentence.

"They came with guns and bullets. Imprecise. Impatient. Noisy." He barely heard River on the catwalk looking down on them through the slots as she laid on the cool metal. "Kaylee was shot. Shotgun. Infraspinatus and deltoid and scapula. So much blood. Juan Rico wrapped one in his jacket. Hit another one. Isabelle Flores had her feet in his ear. One in the leg. Carmen Ibanez swung her crutch, Max Brutto stomped. Richard LeCroix threw one off balance. Carl Jenkins and Robert Higgins hit in the head. Ashley Anderson secured. Jeffrey Gossard shot three-- non fatal-- and carried Kaylee." Mal saw the girl's glassy gaze meet his. "He carried Kaylee." She recounted.

"Where's Kaylee now?" The Captain ran a hand through his hair.

"She's with the two doctors. They're not done." Rico hopped off the crate. He crossed his arms standing much too close of the captain's liking. "Carl's having trouble with little sister up there. Brutto has one arm on a sling. Carmen's leg is on a crutch and she has a neck brace on. Higgins can't stand straight. And my medic Doc, has his ribs to worry about. It hurts when he moves but he's still assisting Dr. Tam in there because that's what he does. So that's five out nine troopers definitely out.I have two people on the wings watching out for more of your friends. Dizzy just came back from perimeter." He frowned. "My guys are suddenly in caught in whatever it is you're doing. I need to know what's going on." He pressed his lips together.

"I don't know what's going on." The captain growled in frustration.

"What do you mean you do, you don't know?" Dizzy Flores demanded.

-- -- -

Inara Serra spun around before the dance warranted her return to her partner. She smiled graciously at her date for that evening who in turn reddened slightly. There was a game she liked to play when she was doing business. Tonight, she was quite sure that she was winning.

"I was wondering, Inara." Fess blushed even more. "After tonight, I would have enough money to... maybe..." He trailed on unable to get his words correctly.

"Yes?" She placed her most mesmerizing smile on magistrate's son. But it's effects were lost. Magistrate Higgins had managed to forcefully pull his son away from his partner before he could utter the words she wanted to hear.

"What is she doing here?" The magistrate scowled.

Fess Higgins held his hand out to her which she quickly took. "She is my guest, father."

"I can see that." The elder sneered. "Do you think things happen under my roof that I do not know about?" He challenged looking straight at the companion like it was a warning. Inara made sure her countenance did not falter. "I asked you to make him a man. Not to take away my son." He said softly but in a tone that sent shivers through the companion's spine. The magistrate left as abrupt as he came.

"I apologize for that." Fess bowed. "I assure you the night gets better."

Inara nodded eying the dancefloor once again. "I'm sure it will." She placed her gaze on him once more confident that she would get a proposal by the end of the night.

--- -- -

Zoe Washburne would rather have been executed than walk through the mudder's settlement. She can hear it while they marched, hands and feet cuffed, through the lines of dirty tents with twenty or so armed guards around them. The audible gasps and cries for Jayne was their reaction to disbelief. Their local hero was caught. Jayne was now a dead man walking and she with him.

This is what it sounds like when hopes are crushed in the middle of dinner.

Nobody made a move to help them. She could see her large friend shaking his head at everyone who had even looked like they were going to attempt a rescue. He had even growled once or twice. No doubt that the young man who had thrown himself in the line of fire was still in his mind. Jayne was not about to see someone else suffer the same fate.

She knew their situation was dire. Soldiers had pulled out their earpieces. They no longer had communications with the Captain. She didn't even know where they were going. She didn't even know how much time she had left. So Zoe did what she thought was proper.

She raised her head to the sky and prayed for Wash to pick her up when the time came.

-- -- - -

"That's stupid. You should never have let her go to that party." Max Brutto laughed. "But she is hot. It's kind of hard to say no." He leaned back on his seat.

"Concentrate, Brutto." Carl Jenkins shook his head.

"I can't believe the big guy is a local hero." Dizzy Flores grinned.

"Concentrate, Flores." Brutto passed on the taunt.

"I don't think the capture was a coincidence. This is very well planned." Carl flipped through the documents.

"So the magistrate orchestrated it and got his son to play along." Higgins suggested.

"But this Fess was the one who got them out of here the first time around. He wouldn't just play along." Dizzy argued.

"Maybe they were just really unlucky. This doesn't make sense." Rico exclaimed.

If there was something Mal Reynold's wasn't used to, it was a group discussion. This has never happened to him before. When he was a soldier, he was given orders and he followed those orders with little opposition. When he was a sergeant, he gave those orders after knowing the facts, and soldiers followed his lead with little opposition. In the Serenity, it was the same way. If there was any discussing happening, it usually wasn't about a job unless they were splitting the bounty.

But he was learning very quickly that this wasn't the case with the Roughnecks. They talked. A lot. And their commanding officer joined in the talking.

It was giving him a headache.

He met Simon's confused gaze as a cookie was tossed into the air just to be caught by the other medic who they aptly call Doc. River just stared at the flying cookie. He normally doesn't like the boat this full, but it does have its advantages. Kaylee, for one, was stable and she was under the watchful eye of Carmen Ibanez while the rest of them were up in the dining area... talking.

He took off his earpiece and chucked it on the table. "Sile." He muttered under his breath.

"Hey Cap, were you all wearing a piece?" Max Brutto motioned towards earpiece.

"Yes..." He answered tentatively.

"Andy, you think you can--" Gossard started to suggest.

The girl beside him suddenly grimaced. "Can we dip it in alcohol first? It... came from his ear." She said lifting her small laptop from her pack to the desk and started typing.

"You know, I seem to remember this story--" Doc started but was immediately cut off by the doctor.

"Story?" He eyed the medic in disbelief. "I don't think this is the time for anecdotes." He snapped.

A hand was raised in between the doctor and the mechanic. "L.T, can I go? I don't... want to be... here exactly." Andy said tentatively lifting her gaze from the screen.

"Uh... I think you need to stay this time." Rico replied a bit surprised by her request. "Doc?" He prompted ignoring the surgeon.

"Yeah so, there was this really big heist. These guys were suppose to steal diamonds but were double crossed." He leaned forward.

"I heard about this." Gossard tapped the table. "This was the Antwerp diamond heist. That was genius. Movie didn't give them credit though." He grinned.

There was a collective groan from the troopers. "Aww, man." Dizzy frowned. "It does sound like the same job."

"Hold on, hold on." Mal interrupted for the first time. "What's this all about? The same gorram job?"

"Way back when, there were these guys. The were hired to steal the contents of a vault, the contents being diamonds. So they figured out how to do it, get the key, layer of hairspray, or in your case, film on heat sensor, how to mess with the motion sensors-- everything. The guy who hired them even helped in the planning stages." Rico shook his head.

"When they got it, they cleaned out the safe no problem. But when they counted the stuff, they found out that that the haul was significantly less than what they thought it would be." Carl continued. "General opinion's they've been double crossed by the same person than hired them."

"I don't follow." Simon said placing a hand on his cheek.

"The loss." River stared at the map. "The amount that was in the safe was significantly higher than what they stole. The insurance payment would be on how much the employer says was in the safe since what was stolen could never be recovered and quantified. In the end, the employer would have the insurance payment and the amount that was not in the safe. It's a simple case. If x is the original amount and y is what was stolen then x+(x-y)0. 2x-y0. 2xy." She analyzed.

"Of course, they don't tell you everything. It's a scam." The mechanic went on. "I bet it's the kid." He pointed at the plans on the table. "Fess didn't tell you that whatever he placed in the heat sensor won't buy you time for long. Everything absorbs heat. Just at different rates."

"I'm going for the dad."Higgins picked. "He can always just bully his son into doing things. Or lie."

"It doesn't matter whodunnit. Can't find my crew, it don't really matter who set it up." Mal crossed his arms.

"Right." Dizzy rolled his eyes. "Pretty sure you're the kind that go find the bug and kill it. Or go try to steal the money again out of spite."

"Can you even do that? They've been made, Flores." Brutto reminded the older red head before the Captain could even attempt a comeback.

"Right..." Gossard started flipping through the plans on the table. "It doesn't look like the place has any alternate power source.... They didn't even really install this correctly. Those bars were custom." He shook his head in dismay. "If you cut the main power to the vault, you're in. Even the vault locks unlocks. The only thing stopping you is the front door."

Eyes grew wide with the revelation. "Well, ain't that interesting." The Captain nodded.

"It's stupid. That's what it is. What evil mastermind leaves the plans to his place with a bunch of, no offense, thieves." Max Brutto smirked. "This place is really weird."

"Hold!" The girl held up her hand again. This time, though she stood up. "Do we have a map of this place?" She asked.

"Sure do kid." Mal took the last sheet and placed it on top.

"It's pretty faint but there's one... here." She pointed at an aerial view of a house complex.

"That's where the magistrates party is. That's Inara's shuttle. Go on." Mal prompted.

"And there's one... here. And they're still moving. So that should be them or a bunch of soldiers or civilians. " A confused expression washed over her face. "Wow, it looks like they're heading towards the party...Oh well," She shrugged. "If it's on, you can't stop the signal." She quoted her dead friend.

"No you can't." Captain Mal Reynodls agreed deciding that maybe one day, he'll try this group discussion event. "Shiny."

-- -- -

Tianzhu shenmu Maliya = Holy Mary Mother of God

Sile= Doomed! Dead! And other expressions of the like.

-- -- -