Chapter 20
The Nova's Tavern smelled of ozone assaulted Mal as he reached the batwing doors and entered another world completely. The smell of smoke that was thick all around him to slice with a knife that was accompanied by the loud chatter of dozens of conversations at once followed with music and dancers that littered the Tavern. The Nova's Tavern was littered with compatriots which Mal would guess half of their businesses were illegal. It would be a perfect locale' that the Alliance could bust into and arrest law breakers. But the Alliance did not come out this far. Hell, he'd doubt that the Reavers would stop by Phera 3. And if the former man savages did, they would have their hands full. Mal could recognize their trade just by their appearance. Cargo runners, gun runners, drug runners, slave traders, the list was endless as their were stars to count. Mal's eyes searched the Tavern as he reached the bar and pulled out his coin wallet when the bar keeper arrived. "What'd ya' have?" The bar keep' asked as he was drying a glass with a towel not really paying attention to Mal. "Give me the local ale," Mal said as he pulled out four gold coins and threw them on the bar counter. The sight of the gold, the bar keep put the glass down and bit down on one of the coins. Gold, he thought as he moved away and returned two minutes with two glasses of ale. "Enjoy," the bar keep smiled. "I'm lookin' for someone in these parts?" "Prostitution? Women, men?" "Not of the sort. An old friend of mine. Thought I'd stop buy and pay a little visit. The name's, Andre'. Know it?" The name Andre' made just the slight fluctuations in his appearance for Mal to know that he was in the right place. "Sorry buddy. Don't know an Andre'." "Now that is a shame," Mal said as he pulled five coins from his wallet and threw them on the bar. "Sure it doesn't ring a bell?" "Know you'll be looking for trouble, pal. Best leave while you can." "But I've come so far to see, Andre'. Hate for this trip to be wasted." "Hate for ya' to loose your life, now wouldn't ya'?" "I'm sure he's not that bad," Mal smiled as the doors swung open and a man and woman stepped in, looking through the bar. Looking as if they were looking for someone. "Don't want any trouble hear, pal. Take your money back. Drinks on the house. Now go." "Ya' know I'lll be back," Mal stated. "Yeah, I know," the bar keep answered as Mal took six coins and left the other three on the bar for the bar keep's troubles. "Look's like ya' in trouble," Jayne said as he was positioned in the far section of the tavern where he was able to see Mal take his money and attract the attention of the man and woman that just entered the room. "Cover my ass," Mal spoke into the air. His voice being caught by the mini comm that was attached to his shirt. "All over it," Jayne responded. "Not a pleasant thought," Mal muttered as he made his way to the bat wings and out into the streets where he looked down either side of the road and decided to go right down towards where the street was deserted. Just askin' for trouble, he thought as he got a quarter of a way from the Tavern when he sensed he was being followed. He glanced over his shoulder to see the man and woman following him. The man, a well built fella' and the woman, a perfect fit dame. Both were long knee length coats. Mal could only predict that inside their coats lay a surprise for him. And in a few minutes Jayne would be following the two trailers out of the Tavern. Mal was examining his surroundings, his strategic mind kicking into full burn as he headed down a dead end alley. "Position?" Mal spoke into the air. "Can you spare some change for an Independent veteran?" A lurker in the shadows called out with his hands stretched out. The vet wore a brown coat and his appearance looked as if he had not had a bath in months. "I'm following your fans," Jayne answered. His voice being carried to the ear piece in the ear that had been cut by Niska. "Here ya' go," Mal said as he gave the vet five gold pieces. "Find yourself some place safe," he said as he continued down towards the end of the alley. By the time Mal reached the end, he stood in the shadows, withdrawing Precious from his holster and keeping her at his side when he heard the vet ask the man and woman for spare change. The vet was used to his advantage. But when Jayne approached he knew the vet would ask Jayne for spare change. That would eliminate their surprise that someone was tracking his trackers. Mal stepped out of the shadows into the light as he gazed at the trackers. Precious drawn at the two individuals as they noticed a gun trained on them they reached inside their coats. "I wouldn't think about it," Mal said as his finger was firmly braced against the trigger. "Want to be telling me why your following me? Or are you making sure I get to my destination safe. How sweet is that?" "We want to know why your asking for Andre'," the woman spoke. Apparently the boss of the two trackers. "As I told the bar keep', he's an old friend of mine. Was in the neighborhood and thought I'd say hello. Why does my business interest you so?" "We're asking the questions here, Captain Reynolds,," the woman announced. How the rutting hell did they know my name? Mal asked. "Can you spare some change, sir?" the vet asked Jayne as he could barely see him at the mouth of the alley way. And knowing Jayne his weapons were drawn. And they were. Two pistols drawn. Either trained on the two trackers. "And I believe I asked you a question, miss," Mal stated. "And I told you we were asking the questions," the woman said as she took a step forward. But her advance was stopped as the sound of Jaycee's sidearms chambering a round in the barrel. "Seems like your in no position to not pay me a certain courtesy." Their was silence as the wind began to pick up. "We're to make sure you make it Andre', safely," the woman finally announced. "Don't ya' friend speak much?" Jayne asked from the rear. "He talks when it's necessary. And I don't believe my conversation involves you," the woman smarted back. Jayne grinned at the woman's feisty attitude. "Do love a woman with an attitude, Cap'." "Seems like those are the only ones these days. What ever happened to the nice ladies that you could take home to mom." "Those days are gone," the woman said as their was the sound of two weapons powering up. Mal and Jayne could only presume that the weapons were from a higher elevation. "Jayne, snipers," Mal said softly as he moved into the shadows and hid behind a garbage container. Jayne running for cover offered by a side doorway into a building. Mal couldn't see where the snipers were until the illumination of rounds into the night air. "See 'em," Jayne said as he aimed his side arms and fired at the ceiling of the surrounding buildings. The trackers ducking for their own cover. The woman facing Mal as the man faced Jaycee's direction. What occurred next was a gun fight. All members of the fight getting off a fair amount of shots before they ducked behind their cover and reloaded. Jayne fired a volley at the snipers on the roof that caught one square in the chest and falling to the ground five stories below. The sniper didn't as much scream o the ground for he was dead before he fell off the roof. Before Jayne could duck back o his cover the man fired off a shot that his shoulder. "Rutting bitch!" Jayne cursed. "That was a new jacket!" he barked as he looked at his jacket and saw that the wound only gazed his skin. Fury boiled inside as he reloaded his guns and continued to fire at the man's position. But before he could squeeze a shot a hand reached out for his weapons and flung them to the side. The man had rushed the distance while he was in cover. "That was a new jacket you piece of dung," Jayne said as he raised his hands and flung at the man that dodged swiftly and caught the middle of his arms and slung him against the concrete wall. "Now it's personal," he said as he began to rush him but felt his entire body convulse with electricity as the man retrieved a stunner. "Cap!" Jayne roared before he fell to the deck. His entire body numb as he could barely keep his eyes open until they closed. "Jayne!" Mal shouted from his end as he fired two quick shots at the woman. "Hold your fire!" the woman shouted. Mal continued to hug his cover. The gun fire had seized. And Jayne would not answer. "Answer me Jayne! Now!" "Your friend has been incapacitated," the woman said as she turned around too see her partner carrying Jayne to her position. "Se for yourself," she said as she stepped away from her cover and into the open Mal peeked around the corner to see what the situation looked like now. The woman was in the open, and her partner did indeed have Jaycee's slump figure. "What did you do?" Mal asked as he calculated his next move. He could take out the woman. But at this range he could not risk taking out the man without wounding or killing Jayne. "Nothing major. He'll just be waking up with a head ache. Now it's time to negotiate." "Ruttin' hell," Mal grunted as he put his gun on safety and stepped out into the open. If the woman was going to take him out, now would be the best time. No cover, and his gun lowered by his side. "Step out into the light, and let me see you slide your gun in my direction. Keep your hands out by your sides. Hell, Mal muttered as he dropped Precious and kicked it a good distance to her direction. His hands wide to his side. "Walk this way slowly," the woman advised. Mal did so. In a moment that seemed like an eternity, he was close enough to see her appearance. Her and her partner's faces light by the moon-light and flickering lights in the alley. Most importantly, he could hear Jaycee's labored breathing as the woman raised her hand and a stunner pulse hit him square in the chest. What next came nothing but black.
The Nova's Tavern smelled of ozone assaulted Mal as he reached the batwing doors and entered another world completely. The smell of smoke that was thick all around him to slice with a knife that was accompanied by the loud chatter of dozens of conversations at once followed with music and dancers that littered the Tavern. The Nova's Tavern was littered with compatriots which Mal would guess half of their businesses were illegal. It would be a perfect locale' that the Alliance could bust into and arrest law breakers. But the Alliance did not come out this far. Hell, he'd doubt that the Reavers would stop by Phera 3. And if the former man savages did, they would have their hands full. Mal could recognize their trade just by their appearance. Cargo runners, gun runners, drug runners, slave traders, the list was endless as their were stars to count. Mal's eyes searched the Tavern as he reached the bar and pulled out his coin wallet when the bar keeper arrived. "What'd ya' have?" The bar keep' asked as he was drying a glass with a towel not really paying attention to Mal. "Give me the local ale," Mal said as he pulled out four gold coins and threw them on the bar counter. The sight of the gold, the bar keep put the glass down and bit down on one of the coins. Gold, he thought as he moved away and returned two minutes with two glasses of ale. "Enjoy," the bar keep smiled. "I'm lookin' for someone in these parts?" "Prostitution? Women, men?" "Not of the sort. An old friend of mine. Thought I'd stop buy and pay a little visit. The name's, Andre'. Know it?" The name Andre' made just the slight fluctuations in his appearance for Mal to know that he was in the right place. "Sorry buddy. Don't know an Andre'." "Now that is a shame," Mal said as he pulled five coins from his wallet and threw them on the bar. "Sure it doesn't ring a bell?" "Know you'll be looking for trouble, pal. Best leave while you can." "But I've come so far to see, Andre'. Hate for this trip to be wasted." "Hate for ya' to loose your life, now wouldn't ya'?" "I'm sure he's not that bad," Mal smiled as the doors swung open and a man and woman stepped in, looking through the bar. Looking as if they were looking for someone. "Don't want any trouble hear, pal. Take your money back. Drinks on the house. Now go." "Ya' know I'lll be back," Mal stated. "Yeah, I know," the bar keep answered as Mal took six coins and left the other three on the bar for the bar keep's troubles. "Look's like ya' in trouble," Jayne said as he was positioned in the far section of the tavern where he was able to see Mal take his money and attract the attention of the man and woman that just entered the room. "Cover my ass," Mal spoke into the air. His voice being caught by the mini comm that was attached to his shirt. "All over it," Jayne responded. "Not a pleasant thought," Mal muttered as he made his way to the bat wings and out into the streets where he looked down either side of the road and decided to go right down towards where the street was deserted. Just askin' for trouble, he thought as he got a quarter of a way from the Tavern when he sensed he was being followed. He glanced over his shoulder to see the man and woman following him. The man, a well built fella' and the woman, a perfect fit dame. Both were long knee length coats. Mal could only predict that inside their coats lay a surprise for him. And in a few minutes Jayne would be following the two trailers out of the Tavern. Mal was examining his surroundings, his strategic mind kicking into full burn as he headed down a dead end alley. "Position?" Mal spoke into the air. "Can you spare some change for an Independent veteran?" A lurker in the shadows called out with his hands stretched out. The vet wore a brown coat and his appearance looked as if he had not had a bath in months. "I'm following your fans," Jayne answered. His voice being carried to the ear piece in the ear that had been cut by Niska. "Here ya' go," Mal said as he gave the vet five gold pieces. "Find yourself some place safe," he said as he continued down towards the end of the alley. By the time Mal reached the end, he stood in the shadows, withdrawing Precious from his holster and keeping her at his side when he heard the vet ask the man and woman for spare change. The vet was used to his advantage. But when Jayne approached he knew the vet would ask Jayne for spare change. That would eliminate their surprise that someone was tracking his trackers. Mal stepped out of the shadows into the light as he gazed at the trackers. Precious drawn at the two individuals as they noticed a gun trained on them they reached inside their coats. "I wouldn't think about it," Mal said as his finger was firmly braced against the trigger. "Want to be telling me why your following me? Or are you making sure I get to my destination safe. How sweet is that?" "We want to know why your asking for Andre'," the woman spoke. Apparently the boss of the two trackers. "As I told the bar keep', he's an old friend of mine. Was in the neighborhood and thought I'd say hello. Why does my business interest you so?" "We're asking the questions here, Captain Reynolds,," the woman announced. How the rutting hell did they know my name? Mal asked. "Can you spare some change, sir?" the vet asked Jayne as he could barely see him at the mouth of the alley way. And knowing Jayne his weapons were drawn. And they were. Two pistols drawn. Either trained on the two trackers. "And I believe I asked you a question, miss," Mal stated. "And I told you we were asking the questions," the woman said as she took a step forward. But her advance was stopped as the sound of Jaycee's sidearms chambering a round in the barrel. "Seems like your in no position to not pay me a certain courtesy." Their was silence as the wind began to pick up. "We're to make sure you make it Andre', safely," the woman finally announced. "Don't ya' friend speak much?" Jayne asked from the rear. "He talks when it's necessary. And I don't believe my conversation involves you," the woman smarted back. Jayne grinned at the woman's feisty attitude. "Do love a woman with an attitude, Cap'." "Seems like those are the only ones these days. What ever happened to the nice ladies that you could take home to mom." "Those days are gone," the woman said as their was the sound of two weapons powering up. Mal and Jayne could only presume that the weapons were from a higher elevation. "Jayne, snipers," Mal said softly as he moved into the shadows and hid behind a garbage container. Jayne running for cover offered by a side doorway into a building. Mal couldn't see where the snipers were until the illumination of rounds into the night air. "See 'em," Jayne said as he aimed his side arms and fired at the ceiling of the surrounding buildings. The trackers ducking for their own cover. The woman facing Mal as the man faced Jaycee's direction. What occurred next was a gun fight. All members of the fight getting off a fair amount of shots before they ducked behind their cover and reloaded. Jayne fired a volley at the snipers on the roof that caught one square in the chest and falling to the ground five stories below. The sniper didn't as much scream o the ground for he was dead before he fell off the roof. Before Jayne could duck back o his cover the man fired off a shot that his shoulder. "Rutting bitch!" Jayne cursed. "That was a new jacket!" he barked as he looked at his jacket and saw that the wound only gazed his skin. Fury boiled inside as he reloaded his guns and continued to fire at the man's position. But before he could squeeze a shot a hand reached out for his weapons and flung them to the side. The man had rushed the distance while he was in cover. "That was a new jacket you piece of dung," Jayne said as he raised his hands and flung at the man that dodged swiftly and caught the middle of his arms and slung him against the concrete wall. "Now it's personal," he said as he began to rush him but felt his entire body convulse with electricity as the man retrieved a stunner. "Cap!" Jayne roared before he fell to the deck. His entire body numb as he could barely keep his eyes open until they closed. "Jayne!" Mal shouted from his end as he fired two quick shots at the woman. "Hold your fire!" the woman shouted. Mal continued to hug his cover. The gun fire had seized. And Jayne would not answer. "Answer me Jayne! Now!" "Your friend has been incapacitated," the woman said as she turned around too see her partner carrying Jayne to her position. "Se for yourself," she said as she stepped away from her cover and into the open Mal peeked around the corner to see what the situation looked like now. The woman was in the open, and her partner did indeed have Jaycee's slump figure. "What did you do?" Mal asked as he calculated his next move. He could take out the woman. But at this range he could not risk taking out the man without wounding or killing Jayne. "Nothing major. He'll just be waking up with a head ache. Now it's time to negotiate." "Ruttin' hell," Mal grunted as he put his gun on safety and stepped out into the open. If the woman was going to take him out, now would be the best time. No cover, and his gun lowered by his side. "Step out into the light, and let me see you slide your gun in my direction. Keep your hands out by your sides. Hell, Mal muttered as he dropped Precious and kicked it a good distance to her direction. His hands wide to his side. "Walk this way slowly," the woman advised. Mal did so. In a moment that seemed like an eternity, he was close enough to see her appearance. Her and her partner's faces light by the moon-light and flickering lights in the alley. Most importantly, he could hear Jaycee's labored breathing as the woman raised her hand and a stunner pulse hit him square in the chest. What next came nothing but black.