CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
You know it's not mine. And that I'm doing it for free.
FF
River was waiting in the galley when Jayne and Chelsa returned. The girl hugged a small bag to herself and went straight through to her room, slowing only to say hello. Jayne waited for Chelsa to go, then looked at River.
"We still goin' out tonight?" he asked working his arm. He was bruised pretty bad, and it hurt. He'd removed his armor and placed it on the table. There was a sizeable dent in the back right shoulder area.
"If you like," River replied softly.
"Girl wants to," Jayne shrugged, as if that were all that mattered.
"Jayne, I was. . . ."
"Don't wanna hear it," Jayne held his hand up. "Not right now. I'm mad right now, and I'm sore. When I ain't mad you can tell me all about it. Less'n you decide I don't need to know, that is," he almost snarled, but managed not to. He really was mad, and his shoulder hurt like hell.
"It isn't like that, Jayne," River shook her head, eyes glistening with tears.
"Probably not," he nodded. "But look at it from where I'm standin'."
She nodded, conceding the point. She sighed heavily and got up.
"When you're ready, I'll tell you whatever you want to know."
"I really don't know that I care anymore," Jayne sighed, sitting down. His shoulder was throbbing now.
"Wh. . .what?" River was shocked.
"I don't think I care no more," Jayne repeated. "It ain't gonna change, don't look like, so why bother? Just. . .hell, I guess just tell me what ya want to, y'know? I'd appreciate it, though, you'd warn me next time someone might take a shot at me or the girl."
"Jayne, I didn't know!" River shot back. This wasn't fair. "I was trying to gather information! I didn't tell you about the detective because I didn't think it was that important. And I was going to tell you about the. . .the people he met when I had their photos. That was why I went to the detective's office in the first place, so we'd know what these people looked like!"
"Okay," Jayne nodded. "Good work. Reckon we don't really need the photos now, but they would o' come in handy, otherwise. Maybe the detective can find out why they was shootin' at the girl? I'd really like to know the answer to that."
River was taken aback. Jayne had practically done an about face. Only. . .she could sense his anger still. But it was more cold. Like he'd turned a switch off, somewhere.
"Jayne, that's not fair," she said softly. "I really was trying to help."
"I know," Jayne nodded. "I'm gonna take a shower. My shoulder's hurtin' somethin' fierce."
"I could give you a back rub," River smiled hopefully.
"Nah, shower should do the trick," he said, standing. "I think I'll rest til it's time to head out to supper. Need me for anything holler." With that he was headed away, leaving River staring at his back, lip trembling.
Dammit!
FF
Everyone gathered in the cargo bay, ready to go to dinner. Liam was wearing two pistols, tonight, since he couldn't very well carry his rifle into a restaurant, much as he'd like to. Jayne had asked for a PA security guard for the ship for the rest of their time in port. It was expensive, but he would pay it himself, gladly. Anyone who'd try to kill a teenage girl to get even with her parent wouldn't mind sabotaging a ship, he figured.
Inwardly he was seething, but didn't allow it to show. Flint didn't know it yet, but he'd signed his own death warrant today. There was no way he got to keep living after this.
But tonight was about Chelsa. She clutched her purse tightly to her. She rarely carried one, but tonight made an exception, since the silver bracelet she'd bought for River was tucked inside.
River herself was dressed a bit more formally than usual, trying to get Jayne's attention one way or another. She was hurt, and she was angry. She was willing to concede that Jayne had a point, but she had intended to show Jayne the pictures, and let him read the detective's report, as soon as she'd returned to the ship.
How was she to know that these people would attack Chelsa? Yes, she was a reader. That only went so far, however. Yes, she was precog, but had little to no control over that ability. If something revealed itself to her, it did. If not, then it didn't, and she knew no way to change that.
She glanced at Jayne, seeing his face stony, and unmoving. Anger radiated off him like an engine. She bit back a frustrated sigh. She had brought this on herself, with her actions months ago. Her decisions had hurt him, hurt him in a way that no one else could have, and he had every right to still be angry.
But to act, to think, as if she had deliberately not told him something. . .that was too much. It was wrong, and that hurt her.
"We all ready?" Jayne asked, breaking into her thoughts. She nodded, along with Liam and Chelsa.
"Well, let's go eat, then," he grinned, but River knew without looking the grin didn't reach his eyes. She did sight this time, quietly.
It would be a long night.
FF
One sat behind the table in the interrogation room at police headquarters. He was nursing a number of injuries, and his mood was black, to say the least. It would have been difficult to speak, even if he'd been of a mind to do so, which he wasn't.
"I gotta ask," the detective across the table said. "Why would you want to kill a teenage girl? I mean, what kinda sick hundan does that? Guys like you, you're lower'n a snake belly in a wagon rut, you know that? Seriously, you're the go se that people scrape off their shoes 'fore they go in somewhere nice."
One growled slightly under his breath at the insults, until the words hit him. Girl? What girl? The detective wasn't new at his job, and caught the look in One's eyes.
"What? You didn't know? You shot at a man's daughter, and you didn't even know? Are you stupid or somethin'? I'll tell you one thing," the cop leaned over the table. "You're damn lucky it wasn't my daughter. You'd still be screamin', ya little wángbadàn. Anyway," he suddenly stood. "You're goin' ta prison for the rest o' your life. You'll meet plenty o' people there who'll educate ya on what happens to people who hurt little girls." He walked to the door.
One looked at him. Prison? So they didn't know who he was, yet? He almost laughed at that. He was a government official. No charges could be pressed against him. He chuckled, which hurt, with his facial injuries. The detective turned back.
"Think o' somethin' funny?" he asked. One tried to sneer, but the pain in his face made it impossible.
"Oh, I know," the detective smiled. "You reckon you're gonna get outta this, is that it?" he smirked. "Well, two things. First, you ain't. You can think it all ya want, but it ain't happenin'. Second, if I was you, I'd be real glad to be in here. That girl's daddy? Last man on the planet you want to be screwin' with. Wouldn't surprise me he wasn't waitin' around right outside, hopin' to see ya."
"Come to think of it," the detective smiled, "might be interestin' to see ya let go, at that. Yes sir, might be at that." With that he walked out, closing the door behind him. He didn't actually know the girl's father, or anything about him, other than the L-T saying that the man really wasn't somebody these people wanted to cross.
But the little peckerhead in there, he didn't know that.
FF
Flint stalked. There was no other word for it. He wasn't pacing up and down the suite he occupied, he was stalking.
"Of all the idiotic, imbecilic actions. The best, the very best we have, and not only are they unsuccessful, but three are dead, and two more in police custody!"
"What will we do now, Father?" Annassa asked softly. "The Five Fingers. . . ."
"I just said that," Flint stopped long enough to glower at his daughter. "I. . .I don't know. Not as yet."
"Father, I do not mean to pressure you, but Ironhorse is unlikely to let this pass unanswered. If he connects us to them. . . ."
"I know," Flint sighed. "I. . .I am open to suggestions, Daughter," he said formally. "What are your thoughts?"
Annassa sat back, fighting to school her features and hide her shock. She failed.
"I realize that I rarely ask your opinion," Flint said, a little humbly. "But. . .your recent attitude change has left me wondering if that was a mistake. And as I said, I have waited long for you to step up, and become my partner. Now, I would hear your voice in this matter," he said formally.
"I am unsure which direction is best," Annassa admitted. "We have to have better information, before we can cover ourselves. Firstly," she counted on her fingers, "we have to assess the two men in custody. Are they likely to talk, and if so, will they place the blame for this on us? If so, then we must be prepared to depart without delay, and to be deemed as fugitives when we do."
"Secondly, we need to assess why their mission failed. Who is this girl, and why was she with Ironhorse to begin with? We've been told she is his daughter, and while I doubt that, I will concede for the moment it is true."
"Thirdly, where was his wife in all of this? She is still the target, is she not? We need to find this woman, and keep her in our sights. We cannot afford another slip up like today's fiasco."
"Finally, we need to make a back up plan. We need a secure way off this planet in the event of our worst case scenario. We need to make sure that we desire to pursue this particular avenue to it's outcome, regardless of difficulty. And finally, we have to find some kind of leverage to use on Ironhorse to force him to do our bidding." She sat back, satisfied that she had delivered. Even under pressure.
"Well reasoned, and spoken, Daughter," Flint nodded in agreement. "What do you suggest we do first, and how would you like to proceed?"
"Finding and maintaining surveillance on the woman should be easy enough," Annassa began. "We need only. . . ."
The two plotted well into the morning hours, finally setting out a new strategy. They would set about engaging that strategy the following morning.
FF
River lay awake next to a sleeping Jayne, frustration roiling through her. Jayne had said very little while they were out, and had gone to bed shortly after they returned to the ship. He was asleep in minutes, long before River had the chance to say anything.
She forced herself to lay still, staring at the ceiling, as she re-evaluated her actions. What had she done wrong, that Jayne was so. . .angry at her for? She didn't understand, and attempts to glean anything from him had hit a brick wall of anger, resentment, and depression. Anger and resentment she understood, but the depression had surprised her.
River new that her actions against the Slasher had strained their relationship. The talk with Jayne on way to Astra had made that crystal clear, reader or no. She could, at least academically, understand his attitude. She had wronged him in doing things the way she had. Add to that the months he had spent wondering if his wife would ever remember him, and nothing about his attitude was surprising, or even unwarranted.
But using that against her for what had happened today was something else. She had no intention of hiding anything from him! He entire plan was to gather information and give it to him, so that he could decide what to do!
Of course, she hadn't told him about it. She'd just done it. Made the decision herself. Without consulting him, or at least letting him know what she had done. When she'd hired Thorne, it was simply a safety precaution. A way to make sure Flint didn't try to get back at them somehow.
But then, when Thorne had waved her about the five people, who turned out to be assassins, she hadn't said anything about that, either. She had again made the decision, on her own, to retrieve the photos, and information. She'd planned to share it with him when she returned.
It began to dawn on her why Jayne was so angry. And hurt. She had done the same thing again! She sat up suddenly, the thought taking full form.
She had repeated the same kind of actions that had led to so much trouble before. Going off on her own, without even giving Jayne the benefit of knowing what she was doing.
Worse, she realized that had she warned him before hand about the people meeting with Flint, then he and Chelsa would have been more cautious, or perhaps even put their trip off until they could evaluate what the meeting between Flint and the other offworlders could mean.
As the import of all this hit her full on, River dropped her face into her hands, amazed that she hadn't seen all of this. What was wrong with her? She was smarter than that! She turned to Jayne, and grabbed his shoulder, shaking him slightly.
"What?" Jayne was instantly awake, reaching for his pistol.
"There is no need," she whispered to him, reaching for his hand, and stopping it. "Everything is fine. I. . .I'm sorry, Jayne," she told him. "I realize, now, why you were so upset. I didn't even think about it before, and I am so sorry. I would never. . .Jayne I would. . .I will never again cause you such pain as I did before. There is no apology strong enough for what I did to you, what I put you through. You, Chelsa, Simon, everyone, and I have learned that the hard way."
"I swear to you, I did what I did only as a precaution. I should have told you about the newcomers as soon as Thorne called me, but I didn't realize how. . .I didn't see, my Jayne, the danger they might represent."
"That is no excuse," she continued, "but I swear to you, my great bear, that I did not withhold information from you with the intent to deceive you. I was going to show you everything tonight, when I had it in my hand."
"I see, now, that was wrong. I should have told you at once, and let you accompany me. To see for yourself. Please, Jayne, please, don't be angry with me." Tears were starting to fall now, as River poured her heart out to the man she loved more than her own life.
"I will never do anything like this again, to remind you of what I did. Never. I want. . .I want things to be as they were, Jayne, before you realized you couldn't trust me. That you couldn't depend on me. Please, Jayne. Let it be like it was." Sobbing, spent, she fell upon him, crying her eyes out. Jayne wrapped his arms around her, holding her close.
She had said the right things. He hoped she meant them. He couldn't go through it again.
"It's all right, River," he whispered, kissing the top of her head. "We'll get through it, just like we always have." He continued soothing her until she finally succumbed to the stress induced fatigue that wracked her, and went to sleep.
Now it was Jayne who laid awake, staring at the ceiling. Thinking long into the wee hours.