River arrived in the cargo bay a few minutes later.

"Simon!" she called.

He came flying through the door. He knew that call anywhere. It was the "Hurry up someone needs your help" call. He was relieved when he saw that there wasn't a lot of blood.

"Help me get him to the infirmary."

River and Simon dragged Jayne there with difficulty and managed to get him onto the table.

"He took a beating," Simon sighed as he did a quick preliminary exam. "Luckily I'm not seeing anything too severe. I'll have to take a few scans. You don't have to stay, mei mei."

River nodded and decided to go feed Daisy. She was worried about Mal. He was really upset when she left him. She had to do it. There was no other option.

There was something else that was bothering her. She couldn't figure out what. It had something to do with Mal. She had this unsettling feeling in her gut. She figured it was about the spat they had just had combining with the nightmare she had the night before. Still, it was like he was in trouble. She couldn't focus on it because her own feelings were out of check.

"Hi Daisy," River grinned as she picked up the aquarium. She figured that she should stay close to Simon just in case he needed her help.

She went up the ladder and to the couch outside of the infirmary. Simon saw that she was taking the lid off of Daisy's enclosure, so he shut the doors quickly. River smirked.

"Wimp."

Simon leered through the window. "Brat."

****

Mal squirmed against Strong-arm's strong arm. He loosened his grip just enough to allow Mal a shaky breath while he placed a comm. unit in his hand. Then he felt the cold metal of a gun pressed into the small of his back.

"I'm not askin'. I'm tellin'."

"Can't…breathe…how…can I…walk?" he managed to choke.

Strong-arm loosened his grip once more, but only just. "I have you by the throat, not the legs. Now move it. We have yer friend. Take her to my place."

Mal saw one of the men grab Zoe roughly by the back of her shirt and lift her harshly into his arms. He struggled, so Strong-arm pushed the gun further into his back.

"Don't be a hero. If you do, I'll tell my boys to shoot her. Move!"

After casting a look at Zoe, who had blood trickling down her face and soaking her hair from the head wound, he reluctantly started moving. Two of Strong-arm's men tagged along.

He went as slow as possible so he could formulate a plan. At some point he would have to overpower him. That would be no small feat. He'd have to utilize the element of surprise. He'd have to also use his gun. There was no way that he could beat this guy even with all the surprise in the 'verse. Not to mention Strong-arm's buddies. They'd shoot him before he even had a chance.

Then there was the problem of where he was taking him. He couldn't take him to Serenity. If he could take him to a different ship or even somewhere else that would be a logical hiding place…

"Where are you takin' me?"

The dreaded question that needed an answer. He felt the gun jabbing into his back harder.

"Ship…" he coughed.

"Serenity it is."

Gorram, how'd he know that was my ship? I should of said somewhere else…

He had to decide. Did he turn on him or wait? He wouldn't let him on his ship. No way. He decided it was time to fight.

He stomped on his foot and then rammed his elbow into his gut. His elbow was hurting more than Strong-arm was. He was rock hard all over. His rock hard arm clenched tighter around his throat.

"Bad move." Mal heard the comm. click. "Hit her and hold the comm. near."

Whack. The sound of a fist hitting flesh and bone along with a muffled yelp came through the comm. right beside his ear.

"Next time I'll tell him to shoot her in the leg. I'm runnin' outta patience here. Take me to Serenity."

Mal hated to put her in danger, but he had to.

Darlin' there's a problem. I'm pinned down. They have Zoe. We're comin' to the ship.

****

"I hope you enjoy these," River said to Daisy as she dropped a weird looking bug into the enclosure. "I know your favorite meal is grasshoppers, but it's difficult to get those. I looked, I did, but I couldn't find any."

She was just about to drop in the last bug when she heard Mal's message. Her nightmare flashed before her eyes again. In a rush, she darted towards the cargo bay. In the process, she accidentally knocked over Daisy's aquarium.

She tore down the corridor and into the cargo bay. She grabbed a gun from the mule before attaching it to the chains and sending it back up to the ceiling. They were no doubt coming for their wood and they'd never think to look up there.

Just as the mule stopped, the door opened. Strong-arm sent one of his two men in first.

-Bang-

He was dead in an instant. The other came flying through and avoided her shot. He reached out and grabbed her. He forced her arm into the bulkhead. She dropped the gun. His arms weren't as big as Strong-arm's, but they were still stronger than Jayne's. It was obvious that this wasn't his first time restraining someone. His right arm was wrapped tightly around hers and his other was wrapped around her legs so he was holding her off of the floor.

Strong-arm entered with Mal. It was just like her nightmare. He struggled against him, but it was in vain.

"Who's this pretty lady?" Strong-arm asked.

Mal tried harder to break free. If he had just lied about where the cargo was…

"Where's the cargo? We'll take it and be on our merry. If not, one of you will get to watch the other die. Then we kill your friend. Your choice."

River didn't say anything. Mal didn't either. He just looked at her, secretly saying "I'm so sorry."

"You're gonna be loyal to Badger? Is he even payin' you?"

Silence.

"Who wants to watch the other one die?" he asked heatedly.

More silence.

"Then you get to watch her die," he spat.

"Let him go," River said evenly as she fought the grip of the man holding her.

This made him reconsider. He held the gun barrel up against Mal's head. Mal fought back, so he tightened his hold on him. It was just like her dream. She struggled to slip free just for a moment, even it was just her hand. That was all she needed to destroy him. He had a gun on him, she felt the holster. If she could just reach the gun-

"Say goodbye."

She knew what came next. She fought harder. In the chaos, no one noticed the large Brachypelma albopilosum crawling across the cargo bay floor. Daisy crawled towards Strong-arm's ankle.

"I…" Mal began.

"No, no…" River said with tears in her eyes.

"Love…you…" Mal choked.

-AHHHH-

Strong-arm let go of Mal in a panic. He felt something bite him and upon looking down discovered the large spider still in attack position.

The man holding River loosened his grip as well. She elbowed him and then yanked his gun out of the holster.

-Bang--Bang-

She shot him at the same time Strong-arm fired his gun. She spun around and emptied the cartridge on him. He stumbled backwards and fell to the floor in a puddle of blood while River rushed to Mal.

Mal had collapsed against a crate. He was gasping for air. She kneeled beside him and looked at the bruises around his throat, inspecting him for a bullet wound. There wasn't one. She figured that Strong-arm must have missed.

"Are…you…okay?" Mal wheezed.

She nodded with tears drifting down her face. He let out a sigh of relief and then she ran her hand down his face before carefully hugging him. She would have kissed him, but he needed to breathe. Mal shut his eyes to savor the moment and upon opening discovered something.

He wrapped his arms tightly around her. "Darlin'," he began followed by a few deep breaths. She could tell that something was wrong.

"What is it?" she asked nervously.

"He let go…of me…'cause…" he stopped to take a breath and to look into her big brown eyes. He didn't have to speak.

Slowly, she turned around. Daisy was on the floor and then River knew that Strong-arm hadn't missed. She gazed at Daisy in silence with the tears flowing faster and more frequently.

He held her tighter, but she twisted out of his arms.

"Zoe. We have to get Zoe," she said as she furiously wiped the tears away.

"He told his guys to take her to his place."

"His house. Let's go. We'll come up with a plan when we get there."

Simon came flying in. He looked around at the dead bodies with his mouth hanging open.

"We have to go get Zoe. She has a head wound. Be ready," Mal said in a rush.

"Al-alright."

Mal took his coat off and placed it gently over Daisy's corpse before they left to go rescue Zoe.