LIMELIGHT: Chapter 6

LIMELIGHT: Chapter 6

Rating: R for torture

-- --

Simon could only stare as Kaylee took in the sight of the theater. It was one of the many on Paquin used for ballets, operas and the like and so it was ornate, gold-leafing adorning almost ever surface, floor-to-ceiling canvasses depicting all sorts of images on almost every wall. Of course, Kaylee could not believe the chandelier, a large ornate piece of crystal that was a work of art in itself. As she stared, mouth agape, Simon couldn't help but press a kiss to her cheek.

"Have I told you how amazing you look?" he asked, drawing her wide eyes back to his face.

Smiling demurely, she told him, "Once or twice." Pausing, she grasped his hand excitedly and told him, "But you can say it again."

His eyes sweeping down her beautifully dressed form, they again rested on her face as he said, "You look amazing."

Leaning in to kiss him, Kaylee told him, "You don't look half bad yourself." Giving him the once over, she said, "Kinda reminds me the first day we met."

Simon glanced down to his suit, realizing that it did closely resemble the outfit he'd been wearing that day. This one was a bit fancier of course, a bit dressier as served the occasion, but the cut and style were similar. "When I was an idiot," Simon added, grimacing a bit at the thought.

"No, you was sweet," she told him, the two of them following along behind the others as they were shown to their seats. "Plus, back then all I knew was that I wanted to take a bite outta ya."

She said this last a bit loudly and an older distinguished gentleman raised an eyebrow in their direction. Blushing furiously, Kaylee bowed her head and hurried to her seat as Simon murmured an apology and followed her.

As they settled in, Simon leaned towards her ear and whispered, "Let's keep those thoughts to ourselves for the evening, okay?"

Squeezing his knee, Kaylee's eyes danced as she smiled at him and said, "I'll try."

Simon grinned pressing another kiss to her cheek, before turning his attention forward. They had arrived just in time and as the lights dimmed and the orchestra began, he felt a sense of comfort and peace wash over him. It had been so long since he'd been in this kind of environment; surrounded by people in fancy clothes, surrounded by culture. He didn't really miss his life back on Osiris, for the express fact that it had never really been his, but sometimes he did miss a few of the trappings that had gone along with it.

Glancing over to Kaylee, he saw her eyes transfixed on the stage as the curtain rose and Simon again considered that a woman like her deserved the opportunity to get dressed up and have a night on the town more often. She deserved to have doors opened for her, and chairs held out; to have strangers comment on her beauty, to have ladies envy her. But Simon knew that while those were the things he thought she deserved, Kaylee's own ideas of what her life should be were very different. She was perfectly content on Serenity, engine grease under her fingernails and the occasional reason to head out and get all gussied up. And so Simon had learned how to be content with that as well.

She caught him staring and took his hand in hers, interlacing their fingers. Leaning over she whispered, "Honey, you can stare at me any time ya want, but I don't know when you'll get another chance to see your sister dancin'." She pressed a light kiss to his cheek as she again straightened and Simon focused his eyes on the stage.

And there was his sister. He would have been able to pick her out anywhere, especially when she was dancing. She looked like a swan, her neck elongated, her arms and legs seemed to be never-ending. As she moved from one step to the next, executing the choreography flawlessly, Simon found himself wholly engrossed until the lights rose for the first intermission.

-- --

Inara and Mal were huddled close in a corner of the crowded lobby. Inara's eyes had barely settled all evening, content instead to roam about the room. Her suspicion and anxiety were getting the better of her and while he knew she had every reason to be upset, he wished she could relax, for just a moment.

Leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek, he murmured against her skin, "You are beautiful."

She smiled quickly at him, still not looking in his direction. When he encircled his hand around her arm and squeezed lightly to get her attention, she did finally bring those big brown eyes to his face. "What?"

"'Nara, you gotta relax," he told her softly, pulling her a bit closer to him. "All this anxiousness ain't good for you. An' if there is someone here we should be keepin' an eye on, you might be tippin' 'em off."

Staring at him for a moment, Inara let out a big breath and nodded. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply a few times and when she again opened her eyes, her expression was one of absolute calm, a smile once again gracing her features. "Better?" she asked, smoothing out the front of her dress.

A bit unsettled that she could so easily fake it, Mal nodded once and said, "A might. Now, is there anybody here you ain't seen before?"

As Inara's eyes again circled the room, she leaned forward and started pointing out a few folks, Mal's mind working overtime, wishing, for her sake, he knew this plan was going to work.

-- --

River quickly shed her makeup and costume, changing back into the clothes she had worn to the theater. Her eyes never drifted far from the beautiful roses as she got ready to leave, but she had decided she would leave them at the theater. Perching the card back inside them, she gazed at them longingly for another moment, before heading out.

Once outside, she had just started to look for her family, when a strong hand closed over her arm. Turning sharply at the touch, a man she did not recognize, looked to her and said in a low voice, "The ambassador would like to see you at his home."

River's eyes lit with a bit of excitement. The card with her bouquet had said: I missed you at the party last night. Maybe the ambassador really had sent them, this young and handsome man, having possibly taken an interest in her. But as River concentrated a bit harder on the man who held her now she realized his intentions were not at all good. Her eyes widening a bit more as she sensed his desire to kidnap her, she relaxed a bit in his grip and said quietly, "Of course, I'd be happy to visit with him."

She felt shock register in his mind just as the look passed across his face. Grunting softly, he pulled her down the sidewalk and away from the theater and River let him. She knew her disappearance would frighten Simon and the others and while River did not want that, she also knew this was necessary. If they had any hope of finding Laney or the other girls than River was going to have to be kidnapped, just as they were.

With a slight shiver as she realized that whatever fate was to befall her would not be pleasant, River was jerked by her captor into an alley. As he covered her mouth with a chloroform soaked rag, River was assaulted with unconsciousness. Her last coherent thought was that she would survive long enough to find Laney and get her back to Inara.

-- --

Simon and Kaylee walked slowly out of the theater, being pushed along by the crowd of people. As they wove their way to the edge of the building so they could go and meet River, Kaylee paused for a moment, a hand on his arm. Looking to her, he asked, "Are you okay?"

She nodded once, tilting her head to the side and asked, "Did River always dance like that?"

Simon thought on it for a moment and said, "Yes, she's always been very good. Although I would say that her performance tonight was fueled by a bit more emotion than technique." Taking Kaylee's hand in his own, he started walking again as he continued. "Her teachers, when she was younger, always complained that River was brilliant at execution, but she never brought the appropriate feeling to the piece." With a sigh, he admitted, "I suppose her time at the Academy helped that along."

Kaylee was quiet for another moment, the noise of the crowd dying away as they passed along the side of the building. "River really coulda done anythin'," she said quietly, her voice almost a whisper.

When Simon turned to look at her again, he was slightly surprised to see a few tears in her eyes. "Bao bei?" he asked quietly, resting a hand to her cheek. As Kaylee again looked to him, he said, "You're not all right."

Shaking her head slowly, Kaylee told him, "I just keep thinkin', 'bout River and 'Nara's sister, Laney. I mean, they both never did nothin' an' yet there's people, bad people who wanna hurt 'em. That ain't right." As Simon stepped closer to try and embrace her, Kaylee backed up and told him, "I try not to be sad 'bout it, I hate cryin' over it. I wish I could get mad like the cap'n or do somethin' smart like you, I wish there was somethin' I could do, but I can't an' … an' I hate it," she finished again, dropping her eyes to the pavement as she sniffled.

"Kaylee, you do something, you just don't realize it," Simon told her gently, not at all surprised when she raised her tear-filled eyes to regard him.

"What?" she asked sullenly, stepping closer to him again.

"You love people," Simon told him earnestly, his hand again resting on her cheek. "River wouldn't be half as sane as she is right now if it weren't for your friendship." Leaning his forehead against hers, he added, "And I wouldn't be half as happy as I am right now if it weren't for you."

Shrugging lightly, Kaylee said softly, "Don't seem like enough."

Kissing her lightly, Simon wrapped an arm around her shoulders and said, "Trust me, Kaylee, it never does. But it's enough for me and it's enough for River."

With a heavy sigh, she leaned against him and tried to shake the sad thoughts from her head. Looking back to him, she said, "She was real good though, Simon. You should be proud."

A smile again gracing his features, Simon thought of his sister, up on the stage and he murmured, "Oh, I am, bao bei."

-- --

Mal and Inara lingered in the lobby for a while, Zoe and Jayne having left already to follow a couple that had raised the hairs on the back of Mal's neck. Simon and Kaylee were going to collect River, so he and Inara had taken the opportunity to take one final look at the audience as they filed out of the building. Of course, Mal didn't have a lot of faith that they would be able to spot anyone – they really needed River's talents for that.

Watching as the last couple left, Inara gripped the banister in front of her tightly and lowered her chin to her chest. Resting a light hand on her back, Mal told her softly, "Don't lose hope, 'Nara. We're jus' startin' to look for her."

Turning sad eyes to him, she let him lead her down the stairs as she said, "I know, Mal, but she's been gone for two months, and without her medicines." Inara shuddered to think of the kind of pain her system was suffering. She remembered vividly the kind of agony the cancer had caused her before.

"I know, darlin'," he said, an arm around her shoulders. "But hang in there. If we can find her-"

"Cap'n!"

Kaylee's anguished cry reached them both as they descended the steps to the sidewalk. Running towards them at full bore, Kaylee stopped, panting in front of them, Mal's hands on her shoulders to steady her.

"What is it, Kaylee?" he asked hurriedly, noting the wide-eyed fear on her face.

"It's River," she panted, tears falling silently. "She got snatched."

-- --

When River awoke, her head was pounding, no doubt the aftereffects of the chloroform. Raising her head slowly, the room swam for a moment and River shut her eyes to bring it into focus. When she finally did, she saw that she was on a mini-replica of the stage from the theater, bright, hot lights shining down on her from above. She could see nothing passed them, and with fear churning in her gut as she felt a menacing presence approaching, she slowly sat up.

Looking down, she noted she was not in the same clothes as before. She was dressed in a costume similar to the one she wore in the ballet, only it was a bit more garish, a bit more revealing and River instantly felt dirty wearing it. Swallowing hard, she also noted the chains wrapped around her wrists and she fought to keep from vomiting.

"Ah, you're awake, I see." The disembodied voice echoed in the cavernous room and River held up a hand to block out the light. She wanted to see her attacker; it was the only way she felt certain she could get out of this. "I'm so glad you were able to come this evening. I missed you at the party last night."

"Ambassador," she breathed, her eyes watering a bit as they again strained against the harsh lights. Slowly, she rose on shaky legs and did a slow circle, looking for a way out. Walking towards the edge of the lit area, the voice said, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

On cue, a burly bodyguard stepped forward, a bull whip coiled at his side, a baton slapping against his palm. Backing away from him, River coiled her hands around the chains and gripped at them tightly, trying to break them, but it was no use. The metal was unyielding and bit into her flesh and with a cry of failure she let them go, the heavy links falling against her legs as her arms dropped to her sides.

"What do you want?" she asked, her voice echoing back in the cavernous room.

There was silence, and then, "I want to watch you dance."

Frowning, River opened her mind to the senses around her and recoiled at the contact. That wasn't all that hun dan wanted; River could feel his lust for her, his depraved desire broadcasting through her mind what he wanted to do to her. Running her hands over her bare arms as she shivered at the thought, she said quietly, "No."

"I'm sorry, what was that?" The voice was taunting, teasing and it only made River more defiant.

"No!" she screamed again, throwing her head back and letting the cry echo off the room's walls.

There was a barely audible sigh, and then, "That's what I thought you said."

River felt the snap of the whip hit her bare back and she fell forward under the hit. She had been so focused on her captor, she had not felt the other man's intent until it was too late. Rising, despite the burning pain of the welt, she turned blazing eyes to him, ready to attack, when another whip struck at her, this one hitting across the back of her legs. Realizing quickly that she was surrounded, River heard music being piped into the space and just as she was about to be struck again, she held up her hands. "All right," she called loudly.

The three men in the room instantly backed down and River stood in the middle of that white hot spotlight, taking a few deep breaths. And then, with a bit of difficulty as the welts stung and the chains around her wrists weighed her down, River began to dance, doing her best to block out her captor's lewd and ugly thoughts.

-- --

Inara, Mal, Simon and Kaylee canvassed the area around the theater, looking for River. As soon as Jayne and Zoe were back, they joined the hunt as well, but an hour later, they had nothing to show for their efforts. Simon, his eyes blazing, would not even look at Kaylee as she tried to comfort him.

Shaking off her hand, he strode towards Inara and bit out, "Are you happy now? My sister's gone. Just like yours!"

"You'll wanna back up there, doc," Mal threatened, stepping between the man and his girl. Kaylee moved forward and tugged on Simon's arm as well, getting him to back down. He wrenched his hand away from her and paced a small path off to the side, trying to do his best not to dwell on where his sister was and what exactly was happening to her.

Inara stared off for a moment, feeling such immense guilt over River's disappearance she could barely stand it. Just as Mal was about to question her, she walked towards the stage door, meeting the kindly old security guard there with a smile.

"Charlie, how are you?" she asked, her voice and visage again the definition of pleasant.

"Well, I'm fine there, Miss Inara. How are you?" The older man tipped his head in her direction, taking in the motley collection of folk who were forming up behind her. "You know these folk?" he asked skeptically, his eyes lingering for a bit on Jayne.

Smiling patiently, she told him, "Yes, I do. We're actually looking for River. Did you see her leave tonight?"

The man rubbed his chin thoughtfully and said, "Well, yeah, I did. She was standing out here for just a minute or two and then this bigger gentleman came along and took her off. I thought maybe he was the one who brought her the flowers."

Serenity's crew all digested this information to varying degrees. As Zoe and Jayne stepped forward to get more information regarding where exactly this man had taken River, Inara, Simon, Kaylee and Mal stepped into the back door, Inara leading the way towards the dressing rooms.

It was easy to find River's space as the large bouquet of flowers was a dead giveaway. Moving towards it hurriedly, Inara grabbed the card River had left behind and read the sentence over and over again. With disgust, she sank onto the stool and threw the piece of paper onto the table.

"What is it?" Mal asked, reaching for the card and reading it himself.

"Nothing," Inara said angrily. "It doesn't mean anything"

As Mal passed the card off to Simon and Kaylee, he turned to Inara and told her, "Maybe not to you, but if'n there was a party last night, I'm guessin' somebody else 'round here knows." Taking her hand, he pulled her to her feet and asked, "Now, where do these dancers go after the show?"

-- --

As River had danced, her captor's thoughts had turned more disgusting. She tried desperately to block him out, but it was more and more difficult as his thoughts reached a heightened pitch. Just when she'd said a silent prayer that he hadn't entered the room so she wouldn't have to look at him, she heard a door open, and froze. The younger man strode into the room and stood just in the edge of the light so she could see his face, so she could watch him as he pleasured himself while he looked at her.

Fighting not to wretch, River turned away from him and danced as far as she could without the other men in the room striking at her with their whips or batons. Finally, she felt the man approach and her whole body tensed as she again froze with fear.

Turning to face him, she recoiled in disgust. Had she not just been privy to his debased thoughts, she probably would have found him handsome, as others did. But instead River found him repulsive and she spat in his face to communicate that. Slapping her hard across the cheek in an instant, River's face burned; the mark would no doubt look like a hand print when it bruised. With eyes blazing she turned back to him and watched in horror as he began to undo his trousers.

Using all the self-control she had ever learned, River spoke in a low and steady voice, noting on Creighton's hands froze as she began to lay bare his secrets. "Have to make them hurt. Make them scream. Pain makes them less than you, makes you more than them."

With wide eyes that held a bit of fear and a lot of anger, the ambassador strode forward and gripped her arms roughly, digging his fingers into her flesh. "What are you?" he hissed in her face, his breath hot and heavy.

Not answering him, River pushed herself further into his brain, finding the memories, the moments that had caused this behavior to manifest. Trembling from the horror of them, she continued. "Did you scream? Did you cry out when they hurt you? When they killed your parents, your brother?" Cocking her head to the side, River stared at him with big eyes and murmured, "No, you didn't. You hit, you killed. And you liked it. Like torture, need the control."

"Bi zui!" His hand flew again, striking River hard enough to make her see stars. She tasted blood in her mouth as this last hit caused her to bite down on her tongue. Staggering backward, she had almost regained her balance when he moved towards her again, his mind once again filled of lustful desires and ways to make her scream.

With all the instinct and fight she'd been taught, River jammed her hand up into his face, breaking his nose, while her foot connected sharply with his currently overly sensitive groin. Cringing as he dropped to the floor, River was about to land a roundhouse kick to his head when she felt the sting of more whips. She felt to the ground, unable to stay standing as they lashed at her legs and back.

Curling into a ball, she brought her arms up to her face to protect herself, and then cried out as one of the hard batons connected with her ribs. The ambassador had risen again to his feet, and ignoring the pain in his nose and the blood that was gushing down his face, he ordered, "Bring me a whip."

One of the guards in the room handed over his own and with a kick into River's stomach, Isaiah forced her to roll onto her back and look at him. Leaning over her, his face was just inches from her own, a few drops of his blood falling onto her cheeks. "I hate to mar a beautiful body like yours, but your insolence will not be tolerated." Grabbing at the hair, he rolled her over and hissed, "The sooner you learn that lesson, the better." Spitting a bloody wad of phlegm onto her, he cocked back his arm, cracking the whip loudly.

And then River was being struck again and again and soon darkness consumed her.

-- --