The Captain placed a hand on the back of the pilot's chair, leaning over River's shoulder to tap a finger against the nav chart. "Put her down there." The young woman nodded and turned her attention back to the controls in front of her. They had made it to Acorus in record time, thanks mainly to River's uncanny knack at finding shortcuts. Though just how she always managed to find them out in the black, when there really wasn't much of anything in a man's way, Mal couldn't figure. He turned to stare out the glass before him, watching the moon get larger as they approached. They had checked the radar again and again, searching for anything that even remotely resembled the Alliance, but every time nothing out of the ordinary seemed to show up. Mal raised a hand to his forehead in worry, rubbing gently. Feds weren't exactly stealthy, but he knew they could hide themselves if need be. He'd seen it before. The Captain's only consolation was that they had gotten there so quickly. Rawley shouldn't be expecting them yet, he hoped quietly.
Mal watched the dust from the desiccated moon whip around Serenity and soon he felt the familiar thud as she touched earth. River turned to him slowly, a smile playing across her lips. "I will."
"You will what?" He asked, although he was pretty sure he already knew the answer.
"I'll stay here in case we have to leave in a hurry."
Tilting his head slightly, Mal examined her. He was fairly certain he'd never get used to the way this woman could invade his mind, but somehow it was getting less creepy each time. I just hope we never have a conversation without speaking, cause I don't think I could take that, he thought. He watched as her smile widened and knew she was still in there. Mal shook his head severely, as if it would dislodge her from his thoughts, and gave River his best disapproving look, which only made her smile more.
"Fine little Albatross," he said, raising his hands to concede defeat. "Just don't go gettin' comfortable there, dong ma?"
Her smile faded, but she nodded at him, and he turned to head for the cargo bay. River watched him go, an odd look on her face. "I couldn't if I tried," she whispered to the empty bridge.
Zoe and Jayne were waiting for Mal in the cargo bay as he hurried down the stairs. He nodded to Jayne quickly, who, looking as though he didn't want to be there, sat scowling on one of Rawley's crates. Turning to Zoe, he asked, "where is she?"
She nodded, clearly understanding who the Captain was referring to. "I put her in the shuttle. I figure if they are out there," she gestured to the closed cargo bay entrance, "then they would go for the passenger rooms first."
"Good." He nodded and pulled his pistol from it's holster, making sure it was fully loaded.
"Sir?" Mal looked up at Zoe. "I also gave the shuttle coordinates and set the auto pilot. Josephine knows what buttons to press to get it going." She paused uncomfortably. "Just in case."
He turned to stare at the closed doors, concern etched on his face. "You think someone's gonna be waiting?"
"I do." He turned back to Zoe and they looked at each other, both trying to figure out the best course of action.
They were startled out of their ruminating suddenly, and they turned to see the doors sliding open and the ramp falling to the ground. Scrambling to find cover in case someone was out there, they turned to look, mouths open, at the control panel, where Jayne now stood. "Hows about we find out? Better than sitting here waiting for them to come to you." He started down the ramp, not looking to see if they followed. "I'm way over due for a little violence anyway."
Mal and Zoe exchanged a look before following him off of Serenity. The ground was drier and hotter than it had appeared from the bridge, and Mal could already feel himself start to sweat under the long leather coat. Shielding his eyes from the harsh sun, the Captain gazed, left and right, across the horizon. He could see Rawley's warehouse in the distance, but it appeared to be the only building for miles. It seemed enormous from where they were standing, and he couldn't imagine how big it would be were they right next to it. Squinting, Mal thought he saw something kicking up dust on the far side of the building, coming their way. "Zoe?"
"I see it Sir." She stepped slightly behind him, drawing her gun as she went, but keeping it pressed unobtrusively to her leg.
"What are you lookin' at?" Mal frowned at the large man, as he stood with his mouth open, eyes scrunched up, and blatantly staring in the wrong direction.
"We've got company," Mal explained, jutting his chin in the direction of, from what he could now see, were three large mules.
"Oh." Jayne quickly readied his own weapon as they pulled up in front of Serenity. The driver of the first mule, a short round man who looked to be in his forties, approached them cautiously with a few pieces of paper in his hands, small eyes darting to their guns.
"One of you Malcolm Reynolds?" He gazed at each of them questioningly.
Mal stepped forward. "I'm Captain Reynolds."
The short man extended his hand, and Mal shook it carefully. "Name's Colsen." He looked down at the papers, whistling softly. "We didn't expect you for another four days or so. What kinda engine you got on that thing?" Colsen lifted his hand to the ship.
Mal followed his hand. "Just your standard I guess. We just got a good pilot is all."
"Uh huh," the short man said, disbelief in his voice. "Well if you'll just sign here, we'll get those crates and let you be on your way." He handed Mal one of the papers to sign, and the Captain couldn't believe his good luck. These weren't Rawley's goons or Feds, they just worked at the warehouse and had seen the ship land nearby.
He signed the form hastily and showed Colsen's men where the crates were. Mal smiled at Zoe as they watched them load up the mules, but she was still on alert, eyes drifting over the horizon. He turned to Jayne and put a hand on the somber man's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll get into some trouble later," he said mockingly. Grimacing, Jayne climbed back up the ramp, followed by a serious Zoe. Mal stood at the bottom and watched the mules drive back to the building in the distance, a smile playing across his face. This had been easy, no complications, just the way he liked it. He turned to find Zoe and Jayne looking down at him. "I think our luck's changing," he called up to them, eyes shiny.
Zoe gazed down at him, ready to smile herself, but she shifted suddenly and looked over his shoulder, face growing emotionless. "Sir."
He looked at her, comprehension coming over him. "They're behind me ain't they?" She nodded and he heard the familiar sound of a laser pistol being powered up near his back. "Son of a bitch..." he muttered, slowly raising his arms above his head and watching Jayne and Zoe do the same, but with their gun's still in their hands.
"Malcolm Reynolds, you and your crew are ordered to stand down. We have reason to believe you are harboring a fugitive and we have a warrant to search your ship," came an apathetic voice from behind him. So they're Feds, he thought. Probably easier than Rawley's thugs. He looked at Zoe, a question plain on his face. Her eyes turned upward for a brief second, face betraying nothing. She pulled her thumb into the palm of her raised hand and looked at Mal again. The Captain nodded almost imperceptibly. Four of them, he thought, that's doable.
"I think you've made some kinda mistake boys," Mal spoke to the men behind him. "No one on board but crew. Y'all are welcome to search, but we haven't picked up passengers in a long time." Not since the first time we wound up harboring fugitives, he thought, smiling despite the situation.
"Turn around." He could hear that the man had stepped closer to him and he turned slowly, arms still raised. "I'll need your gun Captain."
"Of course," Mal said, still smiling. He turned sideways, showing the man his holster. The officer reached in cautiously, eyes trained on Mal's face for any signs of movement, and pulled the gun from his waist. Without thinking, Mal brought his elbow down sharply on the man's arm, right at the joint. Dropping to his knees, he was able to catch the gun that the Fed had dropped in pain and drive the barrel into his stomach. He remained kneeling, using the officer as a shield. "Now lets all remain calm..." but he was cut off as one of the Feds fired nervously in his direction. "Or not," he muttered, pulling the trigger on the man in front of him and pushing him backwards into the other three.
"Down!" Mal heard Zoe call out from behind him and he unhesitatingly kissed the ramp. Raising his arms instinctively to cover his head, he could hear the whoosh of Zoe and Jayne's bullets flying above him. When the noise of the guns stopped, he looked up to see all four of the Feds lying in front of him, and got to his feet quickly.
They hurried back on to Serenity, Mal stopping at the door controls and Zoe going to the com to tell River to take off. He paused before hitting the button and looked at his first mate, the com raised to her mouth. "Do you think this means we ain't gettin' the other half of our money?" She shook her head at him and turned back to the com.
"River, get us..." her eyes widened as she glanced behind the Captain. "Mal look out!"
He began to turn, gun raised, but it was too late. He felt the bullet penetrate the back of his upper leg before he ever heard it leave the gun, and fell to his knees again. Mal was still trying to raise his own gun but his assailant kicked it out of his hand as he came closer. The Captain could hear the hammer being pulled back on Jayne's gun and Zoe furiously pumping her shotgun. Grabbing him by the hair, the strange gunman pulled his head back and pressed the barrel of his gun into Mal's cheek.
He could see Jayne now, arms raised and pointed behind Mal. Zoe, in a similar position, stood toward the other wall, the com forgotten at her side. Simon and Kaylee had heard the commotion and were watching worriedly from the back of the cargo bay. As he pressed a hand to the top of his leg, trying to stop the blood flow, Mal wondered why River was actually listening to him and staying on the bridge. He began to wonder to, if Josephine had heard the commotion and left in the shuttle. The cold metal was pressed harder against his cheek, bringing him back to the hear and now.
"That was impressive, they way you dealt with those Feds." Mal couldn't see the man who spoke, but his voice was deep and it made the Captain think large.
"It was wasn't it. I take it you're not one of them?" He tried to sound proud, as if he didn't have a pistol thrust in his face.
The man laughed. "No, no... not one of them. I'm called Marco and I represent a man called Rawley. He believes you have something that belongs to him."
Mal looked up at Zoe and Jayne, wondering why they hadn't done anything yet. They were both still standing there, weapons ready. Zoe met his eyes briefly, before focusing on Marco again. She looked like she knew him, or his type at least. They must not think they can get the shot off before he shoots me, Mal thought.
"Where is the girl?" Marco pulled back harder on Mal's hair, getting his attention.
The Captain feigned confusion. "A girl? Don't know what your talkin' about..."
Marco pushed the barrel painfully into Mal's face, and the Captain knew when he took it away there would be one hell of a bruise in the morning, if he lived to see the morning. "I'm not stupid Captain, and I won't be lied too."
Mal sucked in a breathe at the combined pain of his leg and cheek. "You're not the one with the gun in their face, who am I to argue," he said, teeth clenched.
Letting out a frustrated growl, Marco turned to the others. "Bring Josephine to me, or so help me I will end your Captain."
"You do that," Zoe sighted down her shotgun, "and you won't live long enough to get happy about it."
Marco laughed again. "Very true, but he'll still be dead."
She kept him talking, and Mal noticed Jayne start to creep around him while Marco was distracted. The mercenary raised his gun slowly, aiming above Mal's head as the Captain watched. But before Jayne had a chance, a shot rang out from above them and Mal felt the gun fall away from his face, and something light and wet replace it, right before he heard Marco hit the ground. He touched his fingers to his cheek, wiping away some of Marco's blood, before looking up.
His reaction time was slower, making him think he's lost more blood than he originally thought. Zoe and Jayne had immediately whipped their guns towards the sound, and even Kaylee and Simon were staring upwards. Mal followed their gaze, and his mouth dropped open. Josephine was standing on the catwalk, a small handgun clutched in her right hand. Her eyes darted back and forth between Zoe and Jayne, their guns trained on her. Slowly she put her hand away from her body and bent at the knees to set the gun on the metal grating. She stood up just as slowly, raising her arms above her head to make it clear she had no more weapons, and walked down the stairs.
Jayne and Zoe had lowered their weapons by the time she was down the stairs, confusion on their faces. Ignoring the others, and their shocked expressions, she headed towards Mal, but stepped around him to get to the body. Kicking the gun away from his hand, she leaned down and placed finger at Marco's throat, making sure he was dead. She stared at the body a moment more, before kneeling next to it and digging through it's pockets.
Everyone but Mal seemed to wake up at the same moment. Zoe went to retrieve Jo's weapon, Jayne walked over to the body and watched the young woman rummage through it's clothes, and Kaylee and Simon rushed over to the Captain. Mal brushed them off as they tried to help him up and lead him to the infirmary. Instead, he turned back to Jo with a bewildered look. "What are you doing?"
She ignored him, but pulled her hands away from the body. Clasped in her right hand was a brown package, which she unwrapped quickly. Jayne cursed loudly and stepped closer involuntarily as she stood up, with what appeared to be a diamond the size of a fist now sitting in her hand. She walked towards Mal who was still supported by Simon and Kaylee, ignoring the other's wide eyes, and placed it in his hand.
"Sell it." He looked at the object in his hand, and then back at her, mouth open. "They already think I stole it, so why not?" She seemed so calm, but her own eyes were wider than normal as she turned back to the body. "And now I really have killed some one."
Zoe had forgotten about the body as she watched Jo. "Jayne," she said softly.
"Right." He walked over to Marco and balled his hands into his shirt to pick him up. Walking him down the ramp, Jayne tossed him, unceremoniously onto the dirt. Jo watched him hit the door controls on his way back in before turning back to Mal. Simon was trying to pull him into the infirmary gently, but he was staring at the diamond in his hand and wouldn't budge.
Zoe walked quietly over to the com. "River, get us out of here."
The Captain looked up as he felt Serenity start to lift and Jo brought a hand lightly to the bruise that was starting to form on his face, making him wince slightly, but getting his attention. "Can you sell it?" He nodded slowly, his expression glazed from the blood lose. "Good." She turned on her heel and headed in the direction of the passenger dorm, trying to ignore the eyes that she felt on her back. When she reached the corridor she turned abruptly to look at Mal. "Consider it my way of paying for passage." She disappeared around the corner, leaving Simon and Kaylee to deal with the shocked Captain.