"As I've stated before, Captain Reynolds, while I appreciate your concern, I am certain that if Miss Serra requires any assistance, she will contact us directly.

"Ma'am, with all due respect, I need that name and I need it sooner rather than later."

A small vein began to pulse in the elegant woman's head. "I cannot, as I have said, reveal to anyone the names of our clients, for any reason."

Mal was just about two seconds from causing a major unpleasantness with the House Priestess of Madrassa. "Don't it strike you as odd that Inara hasn't contacted us at all?"

"Miss Serra has done a great many things I would consider odd since her association with you and your crew. However, that does not in any way allow me to put our clients through any breach of confidence."

Just as Mal opened his mouth to tell her exactly what her clients could do with their confidence, he heard River's voice in his head. 'It's all right, ai ren. I have what we need.'

Glancing at her to be sure he'd heard correctly, he was relieved to see her slight nod. Turning his most charming smile to the screen, he said, "I understand. Discretion is of course the hallmark of good breeding. I appreciate your time." He cut the connection, as Jayne objected, "Mal, what the hell...?"

"What ya' got, darlin'?" he asked, completely focused on River.

"Andrew Chau. Does it mean anything to you?"

"Nope, but if'n it meant soemthin' to her, it's a good place to start."

Zoe was already tapping in inquiries on the cortex. "Could be we got our man, sir. Seems Mr. Chau is quite the businessman. Owns a large estate on Persephone too."

"'Nara said her client had one of the nicest estates here," Kaylee confirmed.

"Zoe, can you pull up any plans for the property? Maybehaps we'll see somethin' promisin'."

Zoe nodded, already working.

"Jayne, River, I'm thinkin' we might need to pay Mr. Chau a personal visit." ***************************** Kaylee sat cross-legged in the engine room, fiddling with one of Serenity's broken parts. Simon poked his head around the corner. "Everything all right, ai ren?"

"Oh, Simon," Kaylee wailed, "What if somethin' really bad's happened to 'Nara? Cap'n was right when he said it ain't like her not to even call."

Simon sat down gingerly beside her, drawing her into the comfort of his arms. Struck by the sudden role reversal, he said, "The Captain is going to find her, Kaylee. Everything will work out fine."

"Ya' really think so?" Kaylee began to sniffle.

"Of course. And if Mal and Jayne can't do it, there's always my baby sister," Simon said, trying to make her smile. Kaylee set down the greasy part to wrap herself more completely around him.

"I love you, Simon Tam," she whispered.

"Love you too, ai ren." **************************** Fading in and out of consciousness, Inara felt a strange sense of detachment as Wing continued to inflict his punishment on her battered body. She felt no sense of passing time, each moment frozen individually, slowed to an indecipherable pace. She would have believed herself to be in Book's hell except that she was bone-clatteringly cold. Pitiful cries echoed in the room, and it took her longer than she could have imagined to realize they came from her own throat. Vaguely she knew that Wing would not let her live past this horror, but the thought seemed almost surreal. Finally, disconnected from her core, she passed into oblivion. **************************** "I'm sorry, sir, but Mr. Chau is not receivieng visitors at this time." The servant looked decidedly unimpressed with the three strangers standing on the doorstep. He moved to close the door, but was impeded by Jayne's very large boot.

Mal smiled pleasantly. "Maybehaps you didn't understand. This ain't exactly a social call."

"Let them in, Cerril. Show them in to the drawing room." Chau's voice floated from somewhere upatairs. "Tell them I'll join them shortly."

Looking most inconvenienced by the order, the servant led them to a cavernous wood-panelled room and left them there. Thrity minutes later, Jayne asked, "Explain to me again why we're sittin' here coolin' our heels insteada' searchin' through this here museum?"

River rolled her eyes, but Mal answered. "Because for all we know, Chau here had his little tea party with Inara and sent her on her merry. Could be whatever happened happened after she left here."

"If that's the way of it, how we gonna find her?" Jayne asked.

Mal was spared the need to answer by Andrew Chau's arrival. "Sorry to keep you waiting, but I generally do not receive visitors at this late hour."

"Thanks for makin' the exception," Mal said dryly. After perfunctory introductions, he continued, "We have a bit of a situation that we thought you might shed some light on."

Chau rasied his eyebrows in surprise. "I can't possibly imagine what I could do to help a man such as yourself."

Ignoring the implied insult, Mal said, "It's my understanding that you had an appointment with a friend of mine a couple of days ago. A Miss Inara Serra."

"Yes, I did. Very charming woman. But, begging your pardon, how does that concern you?"

"Well, she seems to be missing."

"Sir, I mean no disrespect, but I find it difficult to believe she had an appointment with you." Looking briefly at Jayne, he added, "You don't really seem the type."

"You're right enough there, but that ain't really the point. I need to know where Miss Serra is." Mal studied Chau's face intently.

"I'm sure I don't know. I have no idea where she went when she left here."

Mal glanced at River, who nodded slowly. "And she left here when?"

"Yesterday afternoon," Chau replied smoothly.

"Under her own steam?" Mal persisted.

"Of course."

"He's lying." River looked suddenly ill.

"Young lady, I assure you she's not here," Chau insisted.

River began to tremble at the images she saw. Mal gripped her arms and steadied her. "What do you see, River?"

Jayne moved quickly behind Chau. River looked up, tears welling in her eyes. "Didn't leave on her own. Drugged, unconscious." She turned angry eyes to Chau. "You hurt her, used her. Sent her to the lion's den."

Chau backed up, right into Jayne's solid form. "You're quite mistaken," he said shakily, as Jayne gripped his arms tightly.

Mal advanced to stand mere inches from Chau's face. "You might think on revisin' that last statement. Ya' see, Mrs. Reynolds here ain't ever wrong," he said, his eyes like blue steel. "Where is Inara?"

"I...I don't know. I don't have her." Jayne began to slowly twist Chau's forearm behind his back. "I did do...what she just said, but that's all." There was a loud snap as Jayne released his right arm. Crying out, Chau clutched the useless appendage. "Are you insane? You just broke my arm!"

Jayne calmly secured the left arm, as Mal waited. "Apt to lose the other one, too, less'n you answer pretty gorram quick," Mal said. "Where's Inara?"

Quivering in pain and fear, Chau begged, "Please, I really don't know." Jayne began to twist again. "Wait...wait a minute."

Mal nodded, motioning Jayne to hold his position. Breathing heavily, Chau confessed. "I gave her to someone else. A business associate."

"Who?" Mal's voice was a growl.

"Atherton...Atherton Wing."

The name slammed into Mal like a sledgehammer. Looking at Jayne he said, "Break it." The resulting snap was almost as satisfying as Chau's scream. Jayne let him slump to the floor.

"You'd best pray to any God you got she's alive when we find her," Mal said grimly, stepping over Chau's cowering form. ********************** Zoe looked over Kaylee's shoulder at the schematics for Wing's estate. "That's a state of the art system, sir. If she's in there, we're humped."

Kaylee bit her trembling lip. "I can't see no way in, Cap'n," she said, a sob catching in her throat.

"It's all right, Kaylee. We'll think of somethin'," Mal said, thinking that if something didn't give soon, he was like to start bawling himself. It was nearly daylight, and they were no closer to Inara than they'd been yesterday. Carefully clamping down thoughts of what that tamade hundan was doing to her, Mal felt a murderous fury building like an inferno in his belly.

"Jayne, go check it out in person. See if you can spot any holes. Wing's never seen you. And make sure he don't now either. Zoe, go with him."

River laid a hand on his shoulder. "I'd like to go, too. Maybe I can pick up on something if I'm close enough." Mal started to protest. No way in hell he wanted River anywhere close to Atherton Wing. "I'll be careful. Promise." She looked at him squarely. In his head, he heard, 'You know it's our best chance.'

Nodding shortly, Mal said, "Stick with Jayne."

River grinned. "Of course. Wouldn't want anything to happen to our only merc." *************************** Mal waited on Serenity, nerves stretched tight as bowstrings. He wanted desperately to be out there now, but knew if Wing shuld spot him, he'd go to ground quick enough. Finally, after an eternity of waiting, Jayne's voice crackled over the comm.

"Think we might have somethin', Mal. Hundan's left the house. Followed him to a place down by the dock. Looks like some kinda warehouse. He's been in there awhile."

"Send River and Zoe back to Serenity. Don't go in 'til I get there. Where exactly is it?" Mal was completely in command mode.

Following Jayne's directions, he found the building quickly. Jayne was crouching behind a row of barrels about forty feet away from the back entrance.

"Heard anything from in there?" Mal asked.

"Nothin' 'cept water drippin'. Place must be some sorta cold storage unit. Can't see nothin' either. No windows."

Mal nodded. "Good place to keep a prisoner." The two men stealthily made their way to the door. On Mal's signal, Jayne kicked it open.

Mal took in the horrible scene instantly. Gun pointed squarely at Wing's head, he said, "Get off her."

Wing, squinting in the sudden light, scrambled to comply.

"Handle it," Mal said to Jayne as he knelt to check Inara for a pulse.

"Any particulars as to how?" Jayne asked, easily subduing the the disoriented Wing.

Feeling a thready pulse at Inara's neck, Mal answered, "I'd prefer long and painful, but we ain't got the time."

"Wait," Wing said, finally finding his voice. "I'll pay you. Let me go, and you can have whatever you want."

Ingnoring him completely, Mal wrapped Inara carefully in his coat. He said to Jayne, "You got an hour." He picked Inara up as gently as possible, and added, "And I don't wanna be readin' about it on the cortex, dong ma?"

Jayne nodded, clearly disappointed, as he pulled the frantic Wing back into the shadows. ******************* TBC