To all the folk who endure traumatic events and somehow find the courage to rebuild their lives.

Disclaimer: Not mine, no coin changed hands. This story has not been beta-ed. Please accept my apologies for any errors or correct me.

Rating: NC17, Adult content, violence. Sensitive readers may find this chapter too intense. You have been advised. Remarks: The next section in my long story arc following Jayne and Kaylee as they define and strengthen their relationship. Takes place between the series and the BDM, three weeks after my previous story, “Leaps of Faith”. Click on my name to read the backstories.

Italics indicate internal dialogue.

Feedback: Sincerely appreciated when civilly offered; that’s what it’s all about. Some of you have expressed distress over this story’s title. Please consider the following:

Definitions: Source: The Random House Dictionary of the English Language Raping – (3) The act of seizing and carrying off by force (7) Plundering. Serenity – (1)The state or quality of being serene, calm, or tranquil.

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Raping Serenity

Chapter Ten – Making a Break

After the dimmer lighting inside the ship, the morning brightness outside Serenity is blinding and Kaylee initially closes her eyes against the glare as Jed Kurtz pushes her along. Lazley and Portman are leaning up against the loaded trailer, chatting and awaiting further orders.

“Git this load on back to the cave, pronto, and get Denton and McFee to help ya get it all crated up and ready for pick up by Andersen late today. I want you boys and all the goods off Newhall by sunset.”

Kaylee assumes she will be loaded up onto the utility tractor along with the two scarpers. Instead, Kurtz drags her to his horse and frees her numb, bound hands. “Mount up,” he tells her.

The girl’s eyes are wide in alarm and she shakes her frantically from side to side, trying to back away from him. The scarper boss grabs her arm again and yanks the filthy bandanna from her parched mouth. “Git yer ass up on that ruttin’ horse,” he orders, leaving no room for argument. After Kaylee manages to climb into the saddle, he puts a boot into the stirrup and swings up behind her. “Now, don’t you go givin’ me any trouble, you hear?”

Desperately, Kaylee reaches out to River, not knowing what the girl can and cannot sense. She pictures her friend’s face as clearly as possible, directing her thoughts to her. River, it’s me, Kaylee. If you can hear me, ya gotta tell the Captain they’re leavin’ by dusk and taking all Serenity’s gear with em’.

Kurtz hollers back over his shoulder as he turns his horse and canters away, “Tell Andersen I’ll catch up with him on Three Hills.”

++++

Evert Lazley cranks up the tractor and he and Portman head back to the cave where the rest of the gang are waiting. The departing vehicle leaves a clear trail in the sandy soil, made all the more noticeable with the additional weight of their haul.

Bossman Jed Kurtz spurs his mount to a brisk, rocking canter and turns west toward a high pass cutting through the mountains. Kaylee hangs onto the horn of the saddle with all her might and Kurtz wraps an arm around her middle to make sure she doesn’t fall or leap free. Kaylee feels his foul breath on the back of her neck and cringes at the contact with his body.

Terror fills her and she struggles to calm herself. Jayne’s a great tracker. He can follow this horse, she thinks. He’ll come after me, I know he will.

She recalls the mercenary’s work with her following Jubal Early’s intrusion into Serenity, his gentleness and patience. For weeks, whenever they found time, Jayne taught her simple, practical ways to defend herself. “At least, this way, you’ll have a better chance. I know you ain’t ever gonna carry no gun, but at least you’ll know ways you can move and things that can help you hurt a man if ya have to. Confidence is yer best ally, Kaylee.” Over and over, he reminded her “Stay alert, no matter how scared you are. Study your opponents for his weaknesses. Look for an opening to make your break and keep yer wits about ya'.”

As they ride, she does her best to study and store away everything she can sense about her kidnapper and the ground they’ve covered, waiting for her opportunity to escape.

After fifteen minutes they’ve passed out of the relatively level plateau, gray-green with a haze of creosote bush and sagebrush, and turned up an arroyo, climbing on loose rocky scree between cottonwoods and lodgepole pines at a slower and more careful pace. The incline forces Kaylee back against Kurtz and she can’t help but feel his body’s response. As he grows aroused, he shifts his hand upward from Kaylee’s middle to paw at her breast.

The slight loosening of his grip is just what she’s been waiting for and she lunges forward and launches herself over the horse’s shoulder, hitting the rocky ground hard and rolling downslope. The abrupt, forceful landing knocks the breath out of her, but as soon as she stops rolling, she’s on her feet and running for her life, slipping and stumbling on the loose gravel, aware that Jed Kurtz has leapt from the horse and is only a short distance behind her.

++++

The ship has been dead silent for some time.

River shakes her head to clear the dregs of sedative and reaches out with her mind to scan the ship. She can feel Simon’s thread – frantic, anxious, disgusted. The Shepherd is calmer and more focused. His mind reaches toward that Mystery he talks of. But where is Kaylee’s thread, all laughing and rose-gold? And why is Serenity utterly still?

The girl finds no foreign presences on board, and carefully cracks the cabinet door to peer out, the fresher air clearing her mind even more. She clumsily untangles herself from the blanket, her arms and legs still wobbly from the sedation and long confinement. “Must find Simon,” she mutters. “Bad men are gone, Kaylee’s gone, too.”

Running her hands along the walls of the silent ship, River follows the thought thread from her brother up stairs and down, through the galley and on to the crew bunks. Standing in front of Jayne’s bunk, where she feels him most strongly, she yells to him through the closed door, “Simon! You can come out now. The bad men are all gone.”

The doctor lunges up off Jayne’s bunk and calls up to her, “Thank God, River! Are you alright, mei mei? We’re locked in down here.” He glances back at Book, who has taken a pistol from Jayne’s armory and loaded it, just in case.

Simon asks, “Can you punch the door latch button and let us out? Quickly!”

There’s a soft hum and the door chute swings open as River peers in. “Jayne won’t like you playing in his room.”

“Let me go up first, son,” Book advises, and he carefully climbs the ladder and scouts the corridor. “Looks all clear.”

Simon looks around Jayne’s “den” with a shudder and scoots up the ladder to join the others, embracing River and immediately inspecting her to make sure she is unharmed.

“Not me, Simon. Kaylee’s gone. Serenity’s gone. Nothing but still, dark metal, no heart, no light.” River’s eyes fill with tears as she struggles to convey what she has sensed.

“They took Kaylee?” Simon is horrified. “We need to call the Captain back.” He looks to Book.

“Can’t call.” River tells him. “They took Serenity’s eyes and ears, took her brain and heart. He took the little Queen and he’ll break her.”

++++

Serenity’s shuttle moves low and swiftly over the desert and Wash scans the horizon for the Firefly’s silhouette. Behind him, Jayne is grousing to Mal.

“Cap’n, we need us another mule. Ever since we blew up the old one bustin’ ya outta Niska’s skyplex, we been luggin’ heavy stuff the hard way."

“Ain’t had the coin to spare for such as that yet, Jayne. You know we just dropped a bundle for that sensor array.” Then he adds in a mock whisper, behind his hand, “All ‘cause certain folk," he glances back at Wash, “hounded me mercilessly for near on to six months for such a shiny toy.”

“So yer sayin’ I need to bitch more to get us a new mule?” The merc looks puzzled.

“You bitch enough as it is, Jayne…”

Wash breaks in, his alarm clear. “Mal, I think you better check this out.”

Serenity’s captain leans in over the pilot’s shoulder and peers out of the shuttle’s viewport. Two braided trails of heavy tread marks winds across the desert and back. The trails converge on Serenity.

“Radio ‘em, Wash,” Mal orders.

“I already tried and can’t even get the homing signal. The ship’s dead silent, not even any auto-response.”

++++

The slope is steep and covered with loose gravel and irregular scree. It’s all Kaylee can do to keep her footing as she slides and stumbles laterally across the hillside, dodging and grabbing at the cottonwoods and pines. She can hear Kurtz skittering behind her and she flinches as the sharp report of a pistol shot rings out, the zip of the bullet just above her head.

“You best stop now, gal, ‘cause next time, I won’t be aimin’ high!” he yells.

I’d just as soon be shot as raped, Kaylee thinks and continues running and sliding just as hard as she can go. The terrain grows rougher and scattered with boulders. “I gotta be careful,” she pants to herself just as she snags her foot and tumbles headlong onto the rocky ground, her forehead striking hard on stone with a blinding flash of pain. Get up… she thinks, and fades from consciousness.

Jed Kurtz makes his way to Kaylee’s unconscious body and chuckles nastily at the irony of her recapture. He rolls her over and she’s out cold, with a rapidly darkening lump on her forehead. With little effort, he lifts her and throws her across his shoulder.

The scarper carefully makes his way back up-slope to where his horse is patiently nibbling browse. He grabs his canteen and splashes water on Kaylee’s face, jostling her until she comes to. Her eyes flutter open and she sees Kurtz staring down at her, his face blurring and then clearing as everything seems to spin around. Her stomach clenches, and for a brief moment, she thinks she might vomit.

“That was real stupid, gal. In case you ain’t noticed, I ain’t exactly a patient fella. I’d a jest shot ya, but I’ve got better play in mind…” He grabs under her armpits and pulls her upright as she wobbles unsteadily.

“Now git back on that horse, ya hear?”

This time he takes no chances, and once he’s shoved her up into the saddle, he ties Kaylee’s hands to the saddle horn. Where her forehead struck the rock, there’s a trickle of blood and a large, swollen bruise. Her head swims and throbs with every jolt of the horse. They continue to climb the ever steeper slope, crossing debris fields and aspen thickets, boulder-strewn areas and thick forest. Kurtz nuzzles at Kaylee’s neck and she shudders at the contact. With the reins in one hand, he is free to maul and paw at her breasts with the other while the mechanic grits her teeth in fury.

++++

The young doctor looks at his sister questioningly, “River, how did you manage to stay safe?”

The slender girl smiles smugly. “I fit in your cabinet. Became invisible. Hide and seek – remember? I always win.” The lithe girl quickly turns her head, sensing something, and urgently grabs at her brother's shirt. “They’re coming. Soon. Need to hurry!”

Simon is puzzled and leans closer to River. “What do you mean, Mei-Mei?”

“The others are landing now and we’ll need to meet them.”

Book continues to hold Jayne’s small pistol at the ready. “I think your sister means the others are on their way back. We’d best get down to the cargo bay.”

With the Shepherd carefully leading the way, the threesome quickly head down the corridor and follow the stairs to the catwalk over the cargo bay. The ship echoes in an eerie, hollow way.

++++

Wash lands the shuttle right next to Serenity’s ramp.

Mal’s immediately anxious. He, Zoë and Jayne draw their sidearms as Jayne undogs the shuttle hatch. The captain edges forward.“Something ain’t right and we’d best take care.” He nods at the hatch. “Zoe – cover me.” Jayne slides the hatch back and Mal carefully scans the ramp and as much of the surrounding area as he can see from the protection of the hatchway.

The ground’s all torn up and there’s bits of wire scattered on the ramp. The bay doors have been opened, too. He turns back to the others. “Far as I can see, she’s clear but somebody’s been visitin’ while we were gone. I wanna know what the holy hell’s been going on here!”

His voice tight and flat, broad shoulders tense under his brown leather duster, Mal announces, “I’ll take point. Jayne, you back up Zoë. An’ Wash, stay put ‘til I call you. Keep her hot.”

“Will do, Mal.” The pilot answers.

The captain edges up the ship’s ramp, pistol in hand, ducking behind whatever cover he can find. At the bay doors, he pauses and nods back at Zoë, then sweeps around the doorframe and into the cargo bay. More wire and cable lies scattered about the deck.

River spots Mal and calls down to him. “Pawns came and cleaned her out, but the rook took Kaylee.”

Book urges them quickly down the stairs to meet Mal. Every minute counts. At the same time, the captain’s waved the others in from the shuttle and hollers over his shoulder “Wash, I think we got scarped. Check the bridge! Jayne, Zoë – make sure there’s no one on this boat ain’t supposed to be here.”

“Gou zao de! What the hell happened? Shepherd? Doctor?” Malcolm Reynolds is the model of cold fury.

The Shepherd explains, “They locked us up. Never did get a look at any of them.”

Simon stammers, “River tried to warn us but I, I didn’t understand. We think they also took Kaylee.”

Wash howls down from the upper level, “Ai ya women wanle! The gorram bastards gutted the ship, Mal. Sensors, monitors, cable, everything. Gone, every damn piece of electronics on the bridge. Our cortex links, radios, everything – all gone.”

Mal takes River by the shoulders and peers intently down into her face. He is impatient but tries to make his manner gentle with the girl. “How ‘bout you, li’l one? You see what happened, maybe can tell me in some way as makes sense? Captain Dummy talk, remember?”

River looks into his eyes with an urgent, pitying look. “The bad men took all of Serenity’s vitals. They’ll be gone by tonight. A ship will come to take them away.”

“How long ago did all they leave? Can you tell me?”

“One twenty-fourth of a vestigal solar time unit.”

Mal looks to Simon and Book. “So, maybe half an hour’s head start?”

Book concurs. “That would be about right, Captain.”

River’s face contorts in pain and she begins to sob, "The mean one is taking Kaylee away to his cabin. Kaylee sunshine friend is so afraid. The rook plans to hurt her, bad."

The big merc comes stumbling down the stairs. “Ship’s clear but looks like a lot of the…”

Mal snaps, “Yeah, Jayne, I know.”

“An’ Cap’n, Kaylee’s gone.” Jayne’s obviously alarmed.

“Zoë, Wash!” Mal yells out. “Get your asses back here now. We got no time to lose. Why can’t nothin’ ever go simple?” He turns and storms out though the opened bay doors and down the ramp with the others in his wake.

(To be continued…)