Chapter Eleven: Infiltration
It was more than terrifying to see the number of Reaver corpses. The sight caused Mal to grasp River's hand and be silently grateful that she didn't make any mistakes. Yes, it was quite disgusting, but they went to Reavers that were about their sizes and began to make the disguise. River was already ahead with her wounds and bloodied skin, so the others had to get dirty.
River suggested that they keep their real clothes and weapons in the bag of supplies that the Alliance men would carry onto the base. By the time the ship was opened to the base, everyone was in position. Mal and Jayne sported ragged clothes and combat boots, and they smeared blood wherever possible. Their clean haircuts would be noticed, so they made it look like their unkempt hair had been sheered away by soldiers. The security at the door didn't even notice them. They were too distracted by the carnage.
"What the hell is this?" one questioned. "You killed our troops?"
Patchy answered believably, "They revolted. We had no choice but to neutralize the threat. We think the Browncoats might have done something, but we aren't sure what. These three were the only Reavers that came back and followed orders."
"Gorram," the second security man muttered. "We've had two other reports of the Reavers refusing orders. Those ships didn't make it out alive. How'd you manage?"
There was a pause and Jayne carefully moved the gun behind his back to poke Bulky in the thigh. He took in a shaky breath and choked, "We got lucky. They turned on each other too. That didn't leave many to exterminate."
With that, the security guards checked the three officers into the base, and the guys led Mal and the others off the ship towards Reaver habitation. No one dared to speak. Mal, Jayne, and River didn't want to be discovered. The others guys didn't want to risk bodily harm from the criminals. When they reached Reaver habitation, they stood in front of a giant steel door. The men used their clearance to open it, and they slid inside.
As the doors closed, River whispered to Mal, "No cameras or listening devices. Safe to break cover. Successful infiltration."
That's all Mal needed to hear. He rounded on the guys with Jayne and River following suit. They needed more information, and Mal was going to get it. "Does anybody come in and out of Reaver habitation other than delivering Reavers?"
Grumpy grumbled in response, "Someone comes in twice a day to give them food. That's it. Nobody likes to acknowledge that they're even here. There are a few cameras on the entrance in case they somehow escape."
"Mal," Jayne whispered. "What's the plan? How exactly are three fake Reavers s'pposed to wander about this base?"
"Reavers aren't going to," Mal smirked, leaving everyone except River confused.
She smiled. "Playing more dress up. Empty cell three blocks down, Captain."
"Thanks, sweetheart," he grinned as he grabbed Patchy by the shirt. "Follow me."
That's when it made sense to the Alliance fellows. The Bulky struggled against Jayne's hold on his shoulder. "Don't leave us here!"
"You'll be safe in the empty cell," Mal shrugged while throwing Patchy into the cell.
Grumpy and Bulky were tossed into the cell as well, and Mal followed with his crew. River broke the news to the scared men. "Take off your clothes. Shoes. Socks. Everything. We need costumes."
As they reluctantly undressed with Jayne being the unfortunate guard to observe, River and Mal found a bucket of filthy water next to a pile of half eaten animal bones. They washed off all of the blood and put their regular clothes on to wear beneath the costumes. Then, they switched with Jayne so he could do the same. The Alliance men were given the Reaver garments, but Mal noticed a problem. River was smaller than all of the men, and Jayne was larger. Thus, getting dressed was an interesting experience. Mal was the only one that sort of fit the clothing.
"Give us the badges," Mal demanded to the men.
One by one, they handed over their badges. Mal passed them out and grabbed the supply bag. In a swift motion, they exited the cell and locked it. The men ran to the bars to reason with them, but River politely reminded them, "Someone's coming with food tonight. You'll be out by morning. Bye-bye."
While they walked to the door, Jayne limped and tried to tuck in the yellow shirt that hung under the Alliance uniform. "These ruttin' boots are three sizes too small. I got my heel poppin' out the back. I'm gonna get all manner of blisters."
"Jayne, stop complaining. I need you sharp. River, what can you tell us about out there?"
"Three cameras. Covering all angles except one. If we conceal our features by situating the Alliance hats properly and maintaining eye contact with the floor, we will go unnoticed before escaping camera view. I must use you both as obstructions. They'll realize the switch if they see a petite woman instead of the vertically challenged man in the Alliance group."
Mal nodded. "Stay behind me and tell me where to go."
As they were removing a bandage, they sharply exited in a tight group. Each of them tried to act natural and avoid showing any part of their faces. River guided the captain by gently pushing on the small of his back. They ducked into a hallway and entered the first room they could, which happened to be a storage locker. Jayne took a moment to give his feet freedom as Mal and River talked about a plan.
"The badges must be left here," River began. "They hold tracking technology. Give away our location. Cause alarm with the cameras. They'll know we aren't who we're pretending to be."
"But, don't we need those to get into places?" Mal disputed.
River glared. "Subordinates to not possess such clearance, and badges are not used as keys. Personal identification numbers are safe words are required. Can be easily obtained if granted enough concentration."
"Can we stay here until you get the information?"
"Yes, Captain. The men would be in this locker to return supplies. Not a concern to security."
Jayne happily sighed. "So, no walkin' for a bit?"
"If you whine one more time, I'm putting you in Reaver habitation. When I was in the war, I walked fifteen miles on rough terrain in nothing but molded socks."
"Well," Jayne pouted, "I told you I ain't no soldier. And them socks probably fit your feet okay."
"Hush," River snapped. "She must think."
They waited for ten minutes. The time was spent readying their weapons, but then River looked at Mal with intensity. He understood that expression. "Lead the way, little albatross."
Together, the team wandered through a labyrinth of corridors that all looked the same. Eventually, they came to a secure door that screamed secretive information nobody else should see. River's fingers flew across the entry pad. Jayne hovered her shoulder and gave her a strange expression.
"What's ice planets got to do with anything?"
"Safe word. Lieutenant Commander fondly reminisces about his childhood with his family. No questions. Go in quickly. Won't have much time."
Upon entering the large room, River ran right to the computer while the men watched the door. Mal glanced back worriedly. "How much time do we have?"
"Five minutes maximum. They'll know his code was used and he's in his office speaking to his mother. Inconsistency. They will notice."
Jayne turned to Mal quietly. "What're we lookin' for exactly?"
"Found it," River announced. "All files relating to creating, training, and using the Reavers. Can be used to stop future use and neutralize the Reavers."
Just as she copied the files to an external device, an alarm sounded. Mal looked to his reader for their next move. "Darlin'?"
"Only plausible exit is through the kitchen. Food service vehicle has arrived. We can stowaway, but we have to hurry."
Jayne opened the door and they made a run for it. River guided them in short bursts of directions until they got to the correct hallway. Next thing they knew, there was a wrench in the plan. River simply collapsed on the floor, which prompted a reflex from the captain. He scooped her up and carefully examined that reader look in her eyes.
"What's wrong?"
"They found her."
He paused and it hit him like a ton of bricks. "Serenity."
"Is Zoe okay?" Jayne demanded.
River weakly shook her head. "Yes. Keep running. We have to get to the ship as soon as possible. The food service vehicle is still there, but it's about to depart."
When they were about to get to the kitchen, boots sounded like thunder and guns cracked like lighting. The bullets were flying everywhere, so they just kept going. Workers in the kitchen screamed and scattered, which made a clear path for the door. However, men entered from the mess hall and Jayne had to shoot back. Mal was halfway out the door when Jayne toppled into a counter.
"Jayne!"
"It's the gorram boots, Mal! I tripped on my own feet!"
He rolled his eyes. "Then un-trip! Come on!"
Jayne pulled himself together and ran for the door. The vehicle was there as River had said. They leapt into the back as if there were an explosion behind them. Mal slammed the rear doors while Jayne held a gun to the driver's head. He stated simply, "Drive. Fast."
The vehicle lurched forward, and a sense of relief washed over them. Mal sat in between empty food crates with River situated on his lap. He tried to calm the agitated pilot with soothing motions on the small of her back. "How you doing?"
"They're on the ship. So many, and only Zoe can fight…"
"We'll get there."
That's when it all fell apart. The vehicle came to a sudden stop, causing all three of them to fly backwards. Jayne got onto his aching feet as fast as he could, but they slid out from under him. He wasn't able to get back up since his heels were improperly wedged in the footwear. Mal pulled his gun, yet it was shot from his hand. Thankfully, the bullet missed his flesh.
Gradually, the driver turned around to reveal a wide smile. "Malcolm Reynolds."
"Sergeant Rex Coleman…" Mal responded curiously. "I heard you died in that scuffle on Aberdeen with half your platoon."
He chuckled and ran a hand across his bald head. "I'm not dead, so I guess you heard wrong. I was in a medical base for near a year. Lost my left eye. Severe brain damage. You can't tell about the eye. I got a shiny new one. The brain damage, though, that's up to interpretation. By the way, it's Command Sergeant Major now. I'm partly runnin' this operation these days."
"I'm glad to hear that you're in mostly one piece," Mal smiled and quickly frowned. "So what exactly are you doin' with us?"
"Well, I'm taking you back to the base. When I saw the cameras, I knew you right away. They heard the girl say something about escaping on this vehicle, so I hopped in right before you. Thankfully for me, it took you some time to get here since your goon keeps falling over. Anyhow, the Alliance wants you and your crew awful bad. We can use that to finally win this war."
His eyes darkened. "We lost the war a long time ago, Rex. There ain't no winning anymore. Especially when you've resorted to Reaver soldiers."
"You would notice that, Sergeant Reynolds. We decided to beat the Alliance once and for all—no matter what it took."
"See, that's a problem. In our day, we wouldn't of killed our own people or used something as horrible as a Reaver to do our bidding."
"That's why we lost," he spat. "Not any more. Not this time. You can join us, Mal. You're one of the best soldiers we had. I heard the stories. You were a hero in Serenity Valley. Hell, you were a hero for getting the truth about Miranda out there. We need a man like yourself."
He shook his head. "You're wrong. I ain't a monster like you."
"What a shame. I really don't want to kill you, but I will if I have to."
Rex Coleman tossed a device into the back of the vehicle. Gas spilled into the chamber and the crew all went into a deep sleep. Rex had built a tolerance to the gas in training, so he was able to enjoy watching the crew of Serenity fall into his hands. Now that they had the ship and the crew, they could get the Alliance to give them just about anything.