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Ch. 30- The Big Job- Part 4- Flight of the Navigator

Zoe slid a little closer to her husband. Their hands tied behind their backs, they had been shoved to the back doors of the van they had procured and made to sit on the open tailgate. When one guard had tried to radio in and found his signal jammed, he decided to make his way back down the hill and told the other conscious one he would send for pickup. The third guy, the one Zoe had originally knocked out, was still unconscious on the ground nearby.

Zoe would have been unbelievably annoyed if the guard that had been left with them had been under her command. He was sloppy and lazy, lounging nearby and not keeping a close enough eye on his prisoners to notice that Zoe was now almost turned back to back with her husband and was working on untying his knots.

"Wash, honey," she whispered, "how are you doing?"

"Oh, just great. Zo, I can't see. I mean, it's not completely black, but it is completely fuzzy and gray. Zo, I'm scared."

"You'll be fine, Wash, I promise. The spray will wear off, it's only temporary. Honey, I'm almost through this knot, I'll need you to get mine undone."

"How am I gonna do that? I…"

"Shhh, he's coming over."

The guard was coming towards them, apparently having gotten a signal through as he was speaking to someone.

"Yeah, sure. Consider it done." He started loosening his gun from its holster.

Zoe didn't hesitate. She knew a 'kill' order even without hearing it. The guard was only a few feet away when she hopped off the tailgate of the truck and struck, a forward roundhouse kick to the head, just the way River had shown her in practice. The man dropped like a rock.

"Zoe! Zo! What's going on?!" Wash sounded frantic.

"Zoe! Zo! What's going on?!" Mal called frantically. "You guys alright?!"

"Yes, Sir, we're…"

"Great! Good to hear- how's about you guys come get us out of here!"

Wash had started to scramble backwards into the back of the van. "Honey, I think I'm onboard, but you're gonna have to drive…"

Oof! The second guard had come back up the hill unheard by Zoe and had waited until her attention turned before rushing her. They hit the ground in a heap.

"Wash! Go! Go!" Zoe yelled.

"I'm not leaving without you!"

Zoe rolled as a fist came down beside her head. "I am ordering you to go, husband!" She rolled again and tried to get her leg hooked around her attacker.

Wash had managed to feel his way into the front of the van and had found the steering wheel and the clutch. He turned the key, the van roared to life and he edged it forward a few feet. "Zo!"

Zoe had managed to roll out and away from the guard and had tucked her legs up and through her arms so her tied hands were in front of her. They were currently circling around, testing out each others next move.

"Zoe! We could use, oh, I don't know, a little pickup here!" Mal was sounding a little out of breath.

"Yes Sir, pickup coming your way. What's your position?"

"Front corner. I can see the van from here, you're out of cover."

"I'm a little busy, Sir. You're going to have to guide Wash down." Wash started swearing.

"What're ya talking 'bout?!" yelled Jayne. "He can fly a ship but he can't drive a ground vehicle?"

"Yes, that's exactly it, Jayne! I failed my driver's ed test in high school!" screeched Wash.

"Sir, he's blind." The guard took a swipe and Zoe countered with a kick to the ribs. "Just verbally guide him down to you." She almost sounded as if she was tired of dealing with little boys and their problems.

"What a wonderful piece of go se this is," mumbled Mal.

"Yes, I'm feeling pretty good about it myself," quipped Wash. "I'm not driving the getaway van blind!"

"Ain't much of a getaway if'n he can't e'en get here first," grumbled Jayne.

"Bi zui! Wash, straighten the wheel best ya can and hit the gas. We'll guide you down, now come on!"

Wash wasn't sure if the wheel was straight or not but figured he'd find out pretty quick once he got going downhill. He hit the gas and two seconds later felt as if his seat had dropped out from under him.

"Ahhhhh! I'm gonna die!"

"Wash! You're not straight! Turn the wheel left! No! My left!"

"Yer not very good at this are you?"

"No, Jayne, I don't have a lot of practice guiding blind drivers!"

"Some help here!"

"Turn a little right! No, a little!" Wash hit a small hillock and managed to land straight after catching a little air. He was halfway down.

"Good, you're doing great, Wash! Now a little to the left…oooh…" Wash had hit a bump and spent the next couple of seconds on two wheels.

"Well this doesn't feel right…ow!" The van clomped back down onto all fours.

"Okay, great! You're almost near the bottom, why don't you ease down a mite on the brakes…" Bamm! The van bounced over a small speed barrier, bouncing Wash's forehead off the windshield.

"Argh! Nice driving, Captain!"

"I'm sorry, I didn't see that from here. Alright, turn a little left, a little more…"

Mal currently had Wash lined up to cut through the center of a line of short parking barriers. He was doing well- until he hit the pothole that Mal had been unable to see from a distance. He proceeded to bounce off the next nearest barrier, and overcompensating the wheel right, bounced off the other side.

Bam! "Ahhh!" "Left, Wash, left!" Bam! "Ahhh!" "Right, Wash, right!" Bam! "Ahhh!" "Left, Wash…" "Ah, shut up!" "Will ya stop overdriving it!" "Yes, 'cause I can see where I'm going!" "Go right, just a little!" Bam! "Ahhh!"

The van proceeded to weave its way down the line of barriers toward the building. By this point there wasn't anyone in the complex that hadn't been alerted to their presence. Patrols were converging on three sides, two that Jayne could see, and one from inside the building. As Wash approached, Mal and Jayne, with a knowing look at each other, started to move off the van's trajectory. Wash was closing in.

"Alright there, a little more, then you can start hitting the brakes."

"I'm almost there?"

"Yup, jes a l'il more, keep goin' like ya are," encouraged Jayne.

"Almost there, Wash," the Captain said. "Alright, get ready to hit the brake…"

BAMM! The front of the van smacked into the building and bounced back. Wash lurched forward to get a belly full of steering wheel. Mal looked guiltily at Jayne.

"Guess I misjudged the distance."

"Guess so."

They took off running toward the van as the closest patrol rounded the corner of the building. Amidst flying bullets Mal leaped for the passenger side while Jayne launched himself into the back.

"Alright, we're on! Wash, great job, but I think it's time for me to drive." Mal started to climb over the clutch as Jayne gently laid a hand on Wash's arm.

"Come on in the back, buddy, I got ya."

Wash was startled at Jayne's tone but complied immediately; he didn't need eyes to hear the gunfire. He slipped into the back of the van with Jayne's help and was seated right behind Mal when the whine of a bullet followed by cursing let them know Mal was hit.

"Jayne!!"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm comin'." Jayne grabbed one of the rifles Zoe had left covered in the back and crawled into the passenger seat to begin firing away at their pursuers. Mal threw the van into reverse, slammed it backwards a few yards, then hit the brakes to swing it around. Wash grabbed frantically at the back of Mal's seat to stop himself from sliding right out the back door. Jayne fired consistently and productively, wounding or dropping everyone he aimed at. Mal glanced over in open admiration as he floored the gas pedal.

"I know you're good, but how're you doing that while getting whipped around?"

Jayne shrugged and smiled. "Been practicin' wit ma girl."

&&&&&&&

Inara had managed to make even Kaylee squeal as she jammed the clutch into fifth and leaped through the compound entrance at well over a hundred ninety kph (120 mph). They heard Zoe's heavy breathing through the comm as she took on the guard and yelled for Wash to go, and Inara immediately downshifted and spun left.

"Let's see if this thing minds a little four-wheeling, okay mei-mei?"

Kaylee nodded eagerly. "Oh, yes, that would be fun. And we can pick up Zoe on the way!"

Inara grinned, downshifted again, and began winding her way up the backside of the hill, avoiding the rocks and holes as best she could. Both the women winced as they felt a rock scrape the undercarriage; this was not a vehicle built for off-road. They crested the hill just in time to see Zoe land a roundhouse kick to the guard's head.

"Go Zoe!" Kaylee cheered.

"Shh," Inara hushed her as they continued their approach. "We need to play this one." Kaylee reached for some lipstick in her pocket and applied liberally.

The guard shook his head and started to attack again, but took a step back and shifted his attention as a small black sports car pulled up across from Zoe. Inara and Kaylee stepped out.

"Hey there, big guy," Kaylee beamed. Inara just smiled and fluttered her eyelashes. The man suddenly looked unsure of himself.

"Ah, ah, ladies, you shouldn't be here, this is a crime scene…"

"Oh, we know," said Inara smoothly. "We're here to add to it."

Zoe had taken the opportunity of the guard's distraction to edge closer. Before he could even finish making a 'what are you talking about' face, she jumped up close and chopped his neck. He crumpled straight down.

&&&&&&&

River had been listening from the bridge with David still perched behind her. She was frustrated that she couldn't help, but it seemed that Wash had made it down the hill with only minor injuries, and now the guys were safely aboard and making their way, albeit with haste, back to Serenity. With the women on their way as well, she relaxed.

Unfortunately, she had been concentrating so hard on what was going on at a distance from the ship that she had failed to notice the approach of a small group of heavily armed Alliance forces. She hit the comm.

"Simon, all teams are on their way back. Mal's been hit in the leg, but I think it's just a flesh wound, the femoral artery is fine."

Simon appeared in the doorway. "I'm sorry, mei-mei." He looked completely mortified.

Both River and David turned to him, puzzled. Curiosity gave way to frustration and anger however, as Simon suddenly lurched onto the bridge, the hand that pushed him followed by the form of none other than Lieutenant Trace.