The mule was coming up fast over a slight rise just to the south of where Serenity was parked. Mal and Kaylee were sitting in the front seats and it didn't look like either of 'em was bleeding or clutching at injured parts. It didn't look like anybody was in the backseat, neither, but they were still a little too far out to see if somebody might be laying down or something back there. There weren't any riders following behind, so Jayne nodded at Zoë and moved down the ramp a ways.
One of the first things they'd worked out back when Jayne came aboard was a signal for when things went south. Jī dū, as often as Mal managed to get humped out on a job, he was surprised they didn't have one before. 'Course, the captain and Zoë had all them army signals between 'em and could practically have entire conversations without saying a word, but Jayne didn't have none of that shared experience. Made him all different kinds of uncomfortable to know that he wouldn't always be able to size up a situation in a glance, what with the way those two kept everything so closed off and their faces all blank. Plus, sometimes the captain insisted on Wash or little Kaylee taking part in their jobs, and Jayne'd felt a whole lot more comfortable knowing them two had a way of communicating with the rest without igniting the situation any.
Kaylee was using the signal now, just three fingers touched to her head like one of them army salutes. To anybody else who might be watching, it just looked like she was greeting them that was waiting at the ship, but for Jayne, it clenched up muscles he didn't even know he had. She was telling him that there was an extra passenger riding with 'em. He heard Zoë swear under her breath behind him. He raised a hand like he was waving the mule home, two fingers up like that old peace symbol from Earth-That-Was. Mal and Kaylee would see it and know that him and Zoë were the only two people visible when they pulled up. It also meant that they didn't have no backup inside the boat yet.
"Put the gun back on your hip, Jayne," Zoë ordered him from behind. "We play this casual 'til we figure out what's going on. I'll let our folks know we might need an extra place at the dinner table."
Jayne nodded and slid Lenore back into her holster. He slipped the rifle's strap over his head so it lay against his chest like a bandolier. Be a touch easier to swing the rifle around his back and into his hands that way.
He heard Zoë flip the intercom switch and then her voice was echoing throughout the bay. "Wash, honey, might wanna get 'er ready. Looks like we got company comin'. Shepherd, if you could see your way clear to evenin' up the odds a bit, I'd much appreciate it."
The pilot and the preacher both responded that they were on it. The preacher added that the Tams were holed up in the engine room.
"Good. Tell 'em to stay there until one of us comes to get 'em," Zoë said, her tone clearly meaning that she wasn't taking any chances with them two. "Inara?"
"I'm ready to help in any way I can, Zoë."
Jayne snorted. What was she going to do, seduce whoever it was into not being a threat?
"Just stay in your shuttle for now. Keep the 'com line open to Wash; he'll be listening in on whatever happens down here," Zoë responded.
Wash's voice came crackling out of the speakers, just the slightest bit of fear coloring his words. "'Course I will, bǎo bèi. Zhù yì."
"Always am."
Jayne couldn't help but be a little impressed at how calm they were during the whole exchange. He knew Zoë was a cold-as-ice soldier-lady, but Wash tended to be a bit more excitable, unless he was flying them through all manner of obstacles. Every time the little man managed to not turn into a gibbering monkey when things got rough, he wanted to pinch himself to make sure he was awake.
"I said 'casual', Jayne, not 'look like you're gonna rip everybody's head off'," Zoë sounded almost amused. Well, as amused as she could get with her captain coming in fast with unknown dangers in tow.
Jayne made an effort to loosen his stance a bit, relaxing muscles he'd barely even realized were tightening, letting go of the rifle strap as he did so. He kept his hand hovering over Lenore's grip, though. Some things – like not looking menacing – just didn't come natural to him. He moved to one side of the airlock chamber and leaned up against the bulkhead, trying to look like he was lounging there. He was starting to feel itchy, something he hadn't realized had stopped until it started up again.
Zoë mimicked his stance against the opposite side of the airlock chamber, her shotgun dangling down at her side like she forgot it was even there. Jayne glanced back into the cargo bay and caught sight of Book leaning against the rail on the catwalk nearest the empty shuttle. He squinted a bit, trying to see if the preacher was packing but the bright sunlight at his back didn't extend all the way up into the shadows.
"So, you wanna talk about why you're being a mite bit unfriendlier than usual this past week?"
He glared at her. "Now's the time you wanna be bringin' that up?"
"S'there a better time for you?" She stared him down, same calm mask on her face as she always had when they was fixing to start up a fight. Her eyes, dark like the moonbrain's, didn't eat away at him the way the girl's did but he felt them pressing in on him all the same.
He shifted from one leg to the other and dropped his hand down on Lenore's grip. Zoë's eyes flickered down for an instant but came right back up to his. Her stance didn't waver at all, still all tense and ready without looking it. Her fingers didn't even tighten on her shotgun.
"Can't stop thinkin' 'bout that gorram statue. Botherin' me some's'all," he mumbled. He couldn't look her in the eye no more so he shifted his gaze to the mule, which was less than fifty yards out and starting to slow down some. He felt more than saw her turn in the same direction.
"You ain't the only one's seen or done things they'd rather forget, Jayne..."
The rest of her response was drowned out as Mal shouted to 'em from the mule.
"Guess who we ran into today?"
Jayne pressed himself up against the wall as the mule roared up the cargo ramp. As it passed by, he got a sunny smile from Kaylee – who looked downright cheerful for someone holding a gun on a man who was all curled up like a bug and moaning something fierce in the back seat.
He quickly swung the rifle into his hands and took a few steps toward the vehicle. "What in the ruttin' hell's goin' on here, Mal?"
On the other side of the mule, he saw Zoë doing the same but she kept her mouth shut. Mal powered down the mule and took his gun back from Kaylee before climbing out. He tucked the pistol into the holster strapped to his thigh and, after a look between 'em, Zoë dropped her shotgun down to her side again.
Jayne didn't let his aim waver none. He kept the man's head square in his sights while he waited for somebody to explain to him what in the hell was happening. Kaylee clambered over the side of the rig and dropped to the deck next to him. He reached out with one hand and made to shove her behind him. She twisted out of his grasp, quick as a cat, and reached into the backseat to pluck a couple of bulky engine parts from behind the man's legs.
"Gorrammit, girl, get out the way!"
"It's okay, Jayne." Mal held up a hand. "This fei-fei de pi-yan ain't gonna be makin' a nuisance of himself any time soon. Ain't that right, Kaylee?"
"Sure as shootin', Cap'n." She tilted her head to one side as she hugged the chunks of metal closer to her chest. "Caught him right 'tween the legs when he grabbed for me. He ain't goin' anywhere, lessen it's for a big ol' bag of ice or the like."
Jayne winced in sympathy. Weren't no pain in the 'verse like a swift kick to the goolies. He let the nose of the rifle droop a little on account of there was no way the man was making any sudden moves anytime soon.
"So who is he, sir?" Zoë stole the words right out of his mouth. Except for the 'sir' part.
The captain grinned at her and walked around to relieve Kaylee of a few of the parts. "One o' Bernoulli's crew. Seems they took exception to our takin' the scenic route to the drop. Sent this poor hún dàn to make sure we didn't try nothin' funny. Figure we can drop him off same time as we drop off the cargo." Mal started walking to the back of the cargo bay. "Zoë, you wanna grab that box o' provisions, take it up to the kitchen?"
She nodded and dropped her shotgun on top of the box before hauling it out of the mule.
"And the injury, Captain?" Shepherd Book was making his way down from the catwalk and tucking his ever-present Bible into the crook of his folded arms.
"Hey, don't look at me!" Mal retorted. "That was all little Kaylee's doin'. I was just tryin' to be … businesslike and peaceable."
Kaylee, Zoë, Jayne and the preacher all snorted as one. The man in the mule gave a gut-wrenching groan.
"You was bein' 'bout as peaceable as a dog fightin' over a scrap of meat, Cap'n," Kaylee piped up. She explained to the others, "He was jus' 'bout to reach for his gun when the guy tried t' grab my arm. Didn't want us to get stuck here on account o' the cap'n killin' nobody, so I took 'im down quick as I could." Her grin got even bigger as she said it.
Zoë nodded her approval. "Quick thinkin', Kaylee." She glanced over her shoulder at the mule. "Good kick, too, looks like."
Jayne had to fight the urge to cover his nuts with his hands at the look on both the women's faces. Downright scary how fierce they both looked all of a sudden.
The captain punched the intercom button with his elbow. "Wash, take us out."
"I didn't hear any blood-curdling screams, so I take it that everybody's in one piece?"
"Āi, that we are. Your wife'll give you all the gory details, soon's she's done in the kitchen, I'm sure."
Zoë just gave him a look and started up the stairs, the preacher right at her heels. Mal and Kaylee followed right behind 'em, leaving Jayne all by himself in the cargo bay.
He looked at the man, who had moved on from groaning to whimpering.
"Guess it's jus' you 'n' me, now, huh? I reckon there ain't much more hurtin' I can put on ya." Jayne raised up the rifle again, a tight smile twisting up his lips and baring his teeth. "Care t' find out?"
tbc...
Translations:
jī dū - Jesus Christ
bǎo bèi - baby
zhù yì - be careful
fei-fei de pi-yan - baboon's ass crack
hún dàn - bastard