PART FOUR

All you women who want a man of the street But you don't know which way you wanna turn Just keep a coming and put your hand out to me 'Cause I'm the one who's gonna make you burn

I'm gonna take you down - down, down, down So don't you fool around I'm gonna pull it, pull it, pull the trigger I'm like evil, I get under your skin Just like a bomb that's ready to blow 'Cause I'm illegal, I got everything That all you women might need to know I'm gonna take you down - yeah, down, down, down So don't you fool around I'm gonna pull it, pull it, pull the trigger

Shoot to thrill, play to kill Too many women with too many pills Shoot to thrill, play to kill I got my gun at the ready, gonna fire at will 'Cause I shoot to thrill, and I'm ready to kill I can't get enough, I can't get the thrill I shoot to thrill, play to kill Yeah, pull the trigger I'm gonna shoot to thrill Play to kill Shoot to thrill

Shoot to thrill – AC/DC

Vera accepted Sarah from Zoe's arms. “You keep her safe, now.” Vera nodded, “To my last breath, if it comes to it.” Zoe bent her head, “Momma won't be long. Got to go deal with a real bad man and rescue folk.” She gave Sarah a tender kiss and walked off. Jayne lingered nearby, seeing how easy Vera looked with a child in her arms. He remembered them looking after Ping, then that screaming toddler and his kid sister. Playing Ma and Pa hadn't been nearly as much fun as it had looked from the outside. But there was still a small part of him wishing he could put a child of his own in Vera's arms, no matter how medically impossible that was for them and how dangerous, with the 'verse likely to bite back. He sidled closer, “If we could'a...?” Vera read the undercurrents and the unspoken message in his eyes, “*If we could, then yes.” He nodded, satisfied. For a split second there was heat and gratitude in his eyes, “All I needed to know.” “We could still adopt.” “Not a baby, though. Had my gorram full share of them. If'n it were ours, it'd be different. Mebbe someone older?” “If a suitable child comes across our path. It'll be dangerous with us out in the black, though.” Jayne grinned, “Danger's my middle name, darlin'!” * Jenneth rejoined Vera, “Quite the big hairy bear, isn't he?” Vera grinned, “That's how I like 'em! Jayne and I are handfasted, by the way.” Jenneth laughed, “Wasn't going to trespass. He's got 'taken' written all over him, so have you. Now, Todd on the other hand...” Her eyes gleamed. “Ah; so it's you he's arranged 'hospitality' with.” Jenneth licked her lips, “And it'll be a pleasure, trust me. I'd do him for free. Tall, muscly, and with a huge sensual Polynesian appetite raging under that Alliance uniform. Planning to ride him till he begs for mercy.” “I had a Maori lover once, over on Beltane. He was quite the stud; but not as much as Jayne.” “You don't need to tell me! You can barely keep your hands off each other! Newlyweds?” Vera shook her head, “Been about three years now, plus a week in the sack several years beforehand.” Jenneth nodded, understanding, “Ah. You're fully bonded with each other. I've heard of it. Happens sometimes; fires the libidos like crazy.” Vera smiled, “Certainly does. We love each other as well.” “I can see that. Jayne clearly adores you. So, do you want to come and wait at my place? I'm living in a fairly luxurious bed-sit till the new whorehouse is complete. Got nothing that'll bother a kiddie.” Sarah looked at Jenneth, extracting a thumb from her mouth, “Milk 'n cookies?” “Yeah, we can do that, little Sarah. I'll get out the family photos I have going back a ways, might find out *exactly how you and I and Jayne are all related to each other beyond us two sharing a dad.” “Did you know him?” “Not really; Ma had few decent prospects 'cause of grandpa being an embezzler, so she basically slept with our dad to have a child.” “I can tell you more about him, Jenneth. I'd better help look after Serenity, though.” Jenneth smiled, “We can go and get the supplies, then relocate to your ship. This is going to be fun! I'm going to like having a sister!” “So am I!” * Niska had one of the Maori in his 'study'. Actually, it was a metal box of a room with torture equipment, chains and handcuffs. Since Crow had disappeared courtesy of Malcolm Reynolds, Niska had obtained the services of another big, dumb, biddable, heavily muscled thug. The new guy was called Wolf and was a hulking silver-haired ex-wrestler. With exquisite care and control, Niska used threats, manipulation and a thin, long bladed knife along with his electronic shock devices. Wolf provided the pummelling. It was a very effective combination. Niska decided he'd had enough satisfaction and payback after one day. He let Wolf get rid of the corpse. On to the next Maori. They'd soon learn it had been a big mistake to refuse his 'help and assistance' all those years ago. * “So, let's see the photos and stuff, then!” Jenneth and Vera spread the pictures on the galley table of Serenity. Sarah was nearby, strapped into a toddler chair that attached to the table. She had a supply of milk and cookies and some playdough. Sarah's mouth wobbled slightly, “Mum?” Vera smiled at her, ruffling Sarah's hair, “Gone to catch some bad guys; she'll be back soon.” Kaylee's twins were strapped in at the end of the table. Sarah grinned, “Twins. Naughty twins!” Inara got Sam and Lee some of their own milk and cookies. Lee soaked his cookie and then decided to use some of it as hair shampoo as he fed himself rather haphazardly. Sarah giggled loudly at the twin's antics. Jenneth had her family tree spread out, “It ain't complete and I'm the last of my line as far as I can tell. There's Mum and our Dad.” Vera frowned, “'Lorscky'? You've got a distant cousin over there with that surname. I had an aunt on my mother's side with that name; Grace Lorscky. I'm using that name at the moment quite a bit of the time for official dealings in order to stay under Alliance radar. Not really much need for it any more, not since the Rising.” “Well, it's the same name. She died some time ago.” Vera sighed, “Yeah; start of my personal bad spell. She was a Companion and I was very fond of her.” “Sounds like the same woman; her side of things all goes back to an earlier Grace Lorscky who was my great grandmother.” Vera frowned, “I thought Companions didn't marry; well, not often. And I thought my aunt Grace never married, but you've got her wed to a Bethan Cobb a year before she died.” Vera gasped, “Cobb?!!? Are we more closely entangled than I think?” Jenneth shuffled through her papers and photos, “This is freaky. *You should have this information, not me. Here's a picture.” Vera looked, “That's Grace all right.” Then she grinned, “And that Bethan Cobb is a dead ringer for what Jayne might look like at about fifty with a full grey beard! Says here he's the brother of Allison Cobb – well, that's Jayne's Pa! Makes Jayne and I real cousins; by marriage anyway. I wonder why my lawyer didn't know that...?” “There's a letter here... Yes, says they married and went on the run, as far away from Alliance influence as possible. After that, just her death certificate two years later. Bethan vanished as well.” Inara smiled slightly, “Companions weren't supposed to get married; at least not before Mal blew the whistle on the official medicine. We might stay with a guy – or gal – indefinitely; even becoming bonded. Got offered that by Atherton Wing once, but he was a stiff idiot. A wealthy, stiff idiot, so I was a tiny bit tempted by a life of ease. Wouldn't have been happy, though, not with him. For a start, a Companion's children weren't recognised for inheritance purposes, if they had them at all. And he'd have been free to marry a legal wife as well.” “Aunt Grace wouldn't have liked those rules! She may have had Guild training, but she was something of a free spirit. Jayne might know the end of Bethan's story. I believe she came off the Companion medicine and without proper assistance, I'm sure the shock of it killed her. Her remains are laid to rest on Avalon. All we got was the urn. No grieving widower.” “The verse is so big; must be lots of folk related to one another without knowing it.” Vera chuckled, “Some of the border moons have non-diverging family trees, if you get my drift.” Jenneth commented, “You mean 'I'm my own grandpa'. Yes, I've seen some of those types. There's a handful of moons with inbreeding that I wouldn't care to visit.” * The submersibles drifted down through the sea, then through one of the access holes into the darkness beneath the thin skin of rock of Venice. Lights on the submersibles were cut and infrared beams clicked in. The element of surprise was vital. They inched closer to Niska's craft, deep down in the inner sea. Niska's craft had sleek and ugly written all over it, just like the man himself. “Hmm,” Todd commented over the intercom, “Spaceshark; makes a fair submersible. He's at the limit of his ship's underwater capacity. I can see signs of strain on the metal. Much lower and the pressure will buckle it.” Mal considered, “I'm thinking the pressure won't be kind to our bodies, either.” “No, we can't go over there outside these vehicles. Need to find a way to dock or gain access...” Jayne looked concerned, “We gonna get squashed flat? I don't wanna get squashed! Got me a woman needs sexin' up regular.” “Thought Vera was your wife?” Mal commented, dryly. “Hell, yeah!” Jayne was chomping on an unlit cigar. He did have enough sense not to light it in the present circumstances. “But she was my regular sexin' up woman first. Thought of her being up there without me, all wet and waitin'...” Jayne's nosrils flared. Mal slammed his hand on the console, “Wuh de mah! I don't talk 'bout Inara and me in public!” Jayne grinned widely around his cigar, “You can, any time you like! Tell me, is she a screamer?” Mal set his jaw and his teeth, “Not. Going. To. Answer. That. Get your brains outta your nadgers for once and let's concentrate on taking Niska and rescuing Kaylee and the others.” * Todd came on the intercom between the ships again, “Niska's ship is sealed up tighter than a gnat's chuff. We're gonna have to blow our way in.” Jayne grinned, “Sound like my kinda guy! PBXW-115 do the trick or underwater grenades?” “We need to be more precise than that. I suggest using the underwater thermal cutter on my ship near the underbelly of that beast over there, then latching on really fast. I can see somewhere that should prove useful and I'll do the latching. We can link the submersibles by their airlocks and hey presto. Plus attacking that ship from the bottom gives us a bit more time.” Mal shrugged, even though Todd couldn't see him, “You know what you're doing. Don't forget our lives are in your hands.” “No worries, mate!” * Todd and the others drifted closer, using minimal engines. They hooked up airlocks, so that the three submersibles now resembled some kind of monster caterpillar. Todd delicately manipulated the consols in his craft to cut open the Spaceshark's starboard missile door. As the circle completed, he latched on his secondary airlock on the top of his own craft and they stuck there, like some kind of trailing metallic weed. The metal circle he'd cut fell down with a clang and some water got in, but not much. The seal was holding. Todd activated the secondary holding clamps and then everyone crawled one by one up into the missile bay of the Spaceshark. Todd drew on the metal decking, “Bridge at the fore, as you'd expect. Engines here and here. Cargo holds on this level, at least one likely to be full with our people. I suggest we spread out and be as sneaky as possible.” Mal nodded and exchanged signs with Zoe and Jayne. River and Zhang made a team with Simon, then Todd went with White Lotus and Mal plus Jayne and Zoe made the third team. River touched Zhang's arm and they made for the captives, using River's psychic abilities. Todd and White Lotus went to deal with the engines and Mal's team headed for the ship's bridge. * River saw in her mind Wolf guarding a door just around the next corner. She could hear the whimpers and moans of the captives. There were two missing, no longer there, but Kaylee wasn't either of them. River could feel Kaylee strong and true in her mind. River smiled at Simon and his spirits lifted. Zhang joined River and they exchanged significant glances. Zhang unsheathed the katana he was carrying on his back. River still had her Reaver hacking axe, the one with the sweetly curved blade. A quick nod to each other and they jumped Wolf. Simon tried not to watch too closely as the big guy was quickly overpowered and efficiently disected. He moved quickly behind them as they forced open the big door of the cargo hold. He went to Kaylee first and untied her. She fell into his arms in a limp, eager bundle. He hugged her tight, quickly checking her all over. “Gotta see to the others, bao bei.” Kaylee nodded, “Be shiny now. Didn't talk.” Simon's eyes narrowed, “They hurt you?” Kaylee shook her head, “Just threats, sweetie. Are the kids okay?” Simon grabbed a kiss and moved to see to the Maori, “Left 'em with Vera and her surprise half-sister who turned up on Venice. They were fine when I left them, promise.” Kaylee managed a smile, “Probably covered with cookies and playdough by now!” There were a couple of badly injured Maori, but the rest were okay, if scared and frightened. Simon, River and Zhang got everyone back to their temporary airlock connection and down into the last two submersibles, leaving room for the others. River and Zhang went back up to render assistance. * There was the unmistakeable sound of shooting coming from the forward section of the Spaceshark. Zhang and River followed the noises and the sporadic trail of dead bodies to just short of the front of the ship. Mal, Zoe and Jayne were hunkered down in front of a thick metal door. Jayne gestured with his thumb, “Ruttin' dai hwoon dahn gone and locked his self in there.” Mal looked at Jayne, “Well, *you've got the C4.” Jayne grinned around his cigar, “Well, all *right, then!” He started putting it in place. River and Zhang let the others know that Kaylee and the remaining surviving Maori were safe. Mal pressed his temples, “Pressure increase! The bastard's diving!” The metal ship around them started groaning as Jayne set the charge. They retreated around the first corner seconds ahead of the blast. On the other side of the door was a jumble of obstacles hastily put in place. As they began to negotiate the blockage, there was a distinct clunk from up ahead. Mal groaned, “Forward escape pod! Everyone, back to our submersibles!” The Spaceshark was buckling an groaning fiercely now. Jayne was swearing under his breath. They plus Todd got back to the submersibles at the same time. “I disabled the engines; we're just drifting down now; saved us a few precious seconds.” They got in, detached from the Spaceshark and started the ascent back to the light. * As they neared the surface, about three hours away from the town, Mal sent a hopeful wave to Serenity. The submersibles righted themselves and Jayne's was the first head out of the hatch, with one hand reaching for the jetty. The other held his gun, Lux. Vera was slung at his back, too big to be held through the hatch. He boosted himself up rapidly, followed by Mal and Zoe. It was light again; they'd been down nearly twenty four hours. On the dock were about twenty armed officers with guns drawn and, in the middle, Vera, in full sheriff mode with a cowering Niska at the point of her gun. Someone was taking photographs. Jayne's huge grin widened with a heap of pride and pleasure. Vera looked like a semi-tame goddess mixed with a heap of Amazon warrior woman. She also looked exactly the same as when he'd first seen her. It was a very public a statement of Vera's reclamation of her true identity as well as underlining the triumph over Niska's reign of torture and extortion. Jayne's gaze met hers and a whole heap of silent hot promises passed between them. “Hey, gorgeous; wanna hand?” “That big gun of yours would be handy.” Niska spoke, “It will not avail you much. I will not stand trial, hmm?” Jayne grinned evilly on the other side of Niska, “Can kill you now, hwoon dahn.” Niska actually cowered a little before recovering, “You don't think I'm cleverer than you?” Then turning smoothly to the others now coming towards them, “Well, mein Kapetan Malcolm Reynolds. How pleasurable it is to see you again. How *is that ear of yours?” Mal had his gun cocked, “Just fine, no thanks to you.” Zoe barely hesitated. She fired her gun twice and did an expert double kneecap job on Niska who collapsed in a ball of pain on the ground. “Zoe!” Mal tried very hard to protest, with a certain lack of conviction. “Had it coming, sir.” Vera waited a beat, “Okay, chaps. Chains and handcuffs, please.” Jayne leered, “In public, you bad, naughty woman?!!?” Vera's lips twitched with humour, “Jayne... I *meant for Niska here. But I can chain you later.” Niska commented through his haze of pain, “My kind of woman!” Jayne kicked him, “*My woman!!” He helped truss Niska up securely. Once Simon had done another check on the Maori, he came over, trailing Kaylee close behind. He bandaged Niska up as best as possible, considering the major trussing job that Jayne had done. * The photos of the newly 'rediscovered' Vera Samuels with a cowering Niska were blazoned all over the 'verse, against Vera's wishes. The new government took interest and scheduled a big trial in the full glare of the media. Mal grumbled, but they were all big damn heroes for being in the team that brought Niska to justice. The sly old fox was still trussed up in chains and secured in one of Serenity's spare crew rooms under triple locks. It took several days to get everyone that wanted to contribute to put in sworn affadavits and evidence. Then there was no other option but to fly exactly where they did *not want to go; back to Ariel. The powers that be had subpoenaed them to give evidence. Mal was curled up with Inara in his bunk, “They're gonna have their way, unless we're very sneaky. I'm gonna be landed right back in the gorram Presidential palace.” “You'll be with me.” Mal tenderly kissed her shoulder, “I know; and I'll insist if it comes to it that the rest of the crew are on my 'staff' and having Serenity at hand is non-negotiable.” “Planning another escape?” Mal smiled in the semi-darkness, “Too right! Sooner or later they'll give up and let us be out here on the raggedy edge.” Inara sniffed, “Do you smell something different?” “It's not your incense?” Inara shrugged, “Ain't anything I recognise as dangerous.” “We got those fancy new escape pods if it is. Go to sleep, mei-mei.” * Jayne and Vera were lying in a blissed out sweaty tangle in her bunk. Jayne slowly licked across Vera's collerbone, “You taste of roses and hot sex.” Vera chuckled drowsily, “Could be because we just *had sex, darling wan nao.” Jayne nuzzled up to her ear, settling her closer, “Always smell of sex. Makes me hungry like a bear.” His big hands tucked Vera against him and she nuzzled closer, snuggling in. Vera pillowed her head on his chest, “Mmm. Big sexy bear in mating season, I'm thinking.” The apex of her thighs naturally cradled where he was never less than semi-erect with her around. Jayne pressed her closer by cupping her behind with one hand, “Mmm, yeah. You're my mate all right.” Vera could feel him rising back up again and shivered with pleasure, “Don't think any lady bear ever had such a randy big poppa bear to pleasure her.” Jayne chuckled as his hand circled slowly across her hip, “Mebbe you're Goldilocks and I'm gonna show you how big, bad poppa bear treats naughty little girls who sleep in his bed, hmm?” His hand was drifting slowly down towards his goal when they both smelt something...different. “What's that? Hey, don't stop now you've got me interested!” “Smells...sweet. Feelin' tired...” “Yes..” Vera yawned suddenly, “It can keep till morning. Don't mind; got to sleep now...” * Niska grinned in his cell. The capsule hidden in one of his teeth should be working by now. They'd all go to sleep and lose at least some of their memories. He'd long since built up resistance to the particular gas he was using, on the chance that deploying it might come in handy. The crew should be drugged enough to forget about him and give him time to escape. He started to work on his chains. *