Chapter 3: Whatever Our Souls Are Made Of...

Jayne, Simon and River had travelled to Echo on a public transport ship. Now they were at the rendezvous point, sat astride three magnificent chestnut horses. Echo consisted of scrubby grassland, and they were in the middle of a bowl shaped valley.

"Don't ruttin' like this," Jayne grumbled. "Perfect place for an ambush."

Simon glanced over at River who sat on her horse like a noblewoman of old. A long fur trimmed coat protected her from the icy wind that blew across them. Simon pulled his long dark grey wool coat a bit tighter around his body, and shivered. Night was beginning to fall.

Jayne didn't seem to notice the cold, or if he did he wasn't saying. Jayne rested his hand on a long shot gun that he had draped across the front of the saddle. He saw Simon's look and patted it.

"Can't be too careful. Sophie here will take care of us."

Simon knew that Jayne probably had a succession of other guns secreted about his person.
He shrugged. He was more intrigued about who had written the note.

"It was family. Family are all coming," River suddenly spoke up. "For a party."

Simon stared over at her. River's eyes were bright and she was staring off into middle distance. She didn't say things like this anymore.

"Good time for her to give us all the heebie-jeebies doc."

Somewhere in the distance they heard the sound of a vehicle approaching.

Inara noted to herself that Wash's piloting was much better than his driving as they bounced over yet another pothole. Next to her Kaylee hung on to the inside handle of the off-road vehicle, looking rather sick. Between them baby Mal lay fast asleep. Probably used to his dad's driving.

"Heads up people, we're here," Wash called from the front seat. "And we're not alone."

Wash turned the lights off and stopped the vehicle, a few dozen yards from the actual rendezvous.

"Stay here," Zoë snapped at Kaylee and Inara grabbing a gun. She and Wash leapt out of the vehicle.

Kaylee pulled a face. "I want to see who sent those note."

She followed them. Inara sighed and went after her. Mal would be safer here.

Kaylee scrambled after Wash and Zoë. Then she saw them, three figures on horseback silhouetted in the dusk.

In six more strides she saw exactly who was pointing weapons at them, and who Zoë and Wash were aiming right back at. There was a very long silence and then several voices interrupted and overlapped each other.

"What the hell is going on?"

"Bù kê néng!"

"You!"

"Wode tìan..."

Kaylee stared up at them and felt her mouth drop open. This couldn't be real. They were supposed to be dead. If they were dead it was easier.