Chapter 2- Mal
Summary: One battle at a time…

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"He ain't the kind to take the time to leave the planet. He'll have someplace close by. He's impatient, always has been, so he'll want to be able to get to work as soon as possible…" Jayne offered as they sat around the kitchen table.

"What type of place?" Kaylee asked.

"Somethin' private…soundproof…where nobody or no one will be stumblin' onto 'em or hearin' the…" he trailed off.

Inara and Kaylee cringed. They both knew that the rest of his statement was, "The screams."

"Would he take the building by force? If so, perhaps we can look into any crime in the area so far," Shepherd suggested.

"Na, as I said he's impatient. He won't waste time killin' to get somethin' he can get quicker some other way. 'Sides, he don't need that attention. He needs to be discreet."

"What does that leave us?" Inara asked.

"His business partners. The ones he hasn't tried to kill yet. He'd call in a favor 'n use their place. I can look into the smugglin' 'round these parts. He's bound to know 'em. The more private places are our best bet."

"I know the local smugglers," Seamus Nimitz, the son of their friend, commented. "Sorry, I've been listenin' at the door. My father says Malcolm helped him back in the war. Saved his life."

"That's what I heard," Jayne nodded.

"I can give you a list of names and circle the ones close by."

"That'd be extremely helpful," Shepherd replied. Seamus nodded and left to get the list together.

Jayne leaned back in his chair with a grimace. Inara sat beside him, reading the signs of guilt all over his face.

"It isn't your fault."

"Like hell it ain't. I'm the one that contacted Dylan. I'm the one that said he was a friend. He was always a mite violent when I ran with him back when, but he was a gorram friend. I thought he'd never flip on me. And then Mal goes and trades himself in for Kaylee and me. He's a stupid son of a whore with a ruttin' hero complex."

"That's what I keep telling him."

"I know him 'n me ain't the best friends. Hell, he's hit me more times than I can count. But this crew's the closest thing I've got to family out here."

"We'll get him back."

"Dyl ain't 'bout to let us take him without a fight. Ya really think that a Companion, a newlywed mechanic, a preacher, and one mercenary with two empty guns and a knife can walk in with a hope of walkin' out again?"

"I have to believe that there's hope or I'd fall apart."

"Gettin' Mal back is only half the battle. He's gonna kill us when he finds out we went after him instead of moonbrain."

"One battle at a time, Jayne."

****

-Crack-

The brass knuckles hit the side of his head with vengeance. He yelped as the blood poured down his jaw line. His hearing in his left ear went out along with it, but he lifted his head to his torturers with a faint, very faint, smile.

"Come on now…this ain't…torture…just a beatin'…let's get to the fun part…" he grinned bloodily, spitting out some of the reddened saliva onto the now scarlet floor. Now he knew what the drain was for.

The taller of the two—Mal called him number one—moved to the table of wonderfully amusing torture instruments. He had to give them props for creativity. He had never thought to use a metal kitchen pot for anything other than protein stew, but they came up with a few rather painful uses for it.

This time number one had a hammer. Mal's eyes drifted up it and then at his torturer. "Much better."

He tried to focus on something other than the agony stemming from the hammer. It hit him right under his eye. His thoughts drifted to his crew and the chances of a rescue. Hopefully River made it out alright. He'd find a way home to her if they didn't find a way to him first.

****

"This is everyone around here that smuggles. I circled the ones close to here," Seamus passed the list to Shepherd.

"How is it that a boy your age knows about this?" he inquired.

"The war weren't long ago, preacher. Someone had to pay the bills while Dad was away."

"Do any of the names stand out to you?" he asked as he pushed the list to Jayne.

"Yeah. Robert Favole. Rob used to run with us. Where do he live, kid?"

"He lives in the house in the middle of nowhere. It's 'bout fifteen minutes from here. Twenty on foot. You can't miss it. It's a big gray buildin' in the desert. Just keep goin' past the church and you'll find it."

"That's the place. Do you have any guns we can borrow?"

"Dad has a rifle and there's the two handguns in the trunk in his room."

"Grab 'em Shepherd. 'Nara, Kaylee, you're gonna stay back. Can we borrow the mule?"

"No. The doctor and the Washburne's took it. But there's a hover boat. It don't go so fast, but it's all we got."

"Thanks kid. We'll take it. Let's get goin'."

Shepherd took the guns while Jayne got the hover boat started. He helped Kaylee and Inara into the back.

"Um…isn't this an actual boat?" Inara asked.

"Yup. But it hovers so you can take it on land."

"Oh."

"What, they don't got these on Sihnon?"

"Not exactly…" she muttered as she pushed some live bait away from her with her foot.

Shepherd climbed in, handing Jayne one of the guns. "We're ready to go."

They took off for the building. Their plan was nonexistent, but they had to move. Once they got Mal back they had to try to find River. Time was one luxury they did not have.

"Kaylee, 'Nara, you stay with the boat. If anyone comes at you, shoot them. Keep her runnin' while Shepherd 'n I go after Mal. It might be awhile. I gotta stop off to pay my friends a visit."

****

His smile had faded. The pain was taking its toll on him. His vision was blurred and what he could see was tinted in crimson. He couldn't hear out of his left ear at all. His right was still working somewhat, but the last blow turned the volume down.

-CrackleCrackle-

He was able to make out the faint shape of jumper cables and the cascading sparks. Why did every torturer have to turn to electricity? Why?

Number one turned a hose on. The cold water hit like a thousand needles stinging his flesh. Some of the blood washed away, but that wasn't the purpose. Water was a great conductor.

The clips were attached to the legs of the metallic chair and then they turned the electric current on and up. After what seemed like forever, they shut it back off. He put his head down, struggling to breathe. His body still convulsed from the remaining traces in his flesh.

Number two, the shorter one, stepped forward and inserted several needles in his chest. He flinched and his first thought was of River and what they did to her. The electricity started up again. After a few moments, it was shut off and number one removed each needle harshly with a pair of rusty pliers. Then hit him across the face with them.

It was a miracle that he was still awake and alive. What vision he had left slipped away and he was left in total darkness with hardly any hearing.

****

"Whadda ya think? Back door, side door, or window?" Jayne whispered from their hiding place behind a large rock.

"Window. There isn't any security except whoever is in the room or any cameras and we can take those out easily."

"I agree. You ready?"

"You know I am."