Author: Tinadoll (aka Tina- That’s me!)

Setting: After BDM.

Rating: R to NC-17.

Spoilers: Yes.

Author’s note: This is a new chapter. Don’t remember if this chapter was Beta’d or not. I try to do the best I can editing by myself but you can do nice by just ignoring all the mistakes.

Chapter 19-Staring Death in the face.

Jayne growled and Maria looked at him. It was an indescribable look. It wasn’t about fear or hate but something that he understood and he shut up.

It was a “If we get caught, we die.” Kind of look.

The dashing officer and the undercover snake chatted for what seemed like an eternity. Jayne looked bored, but did his duty. What else was he going to do?

With much fanfare and applause- Ming had arrived. After all- it was his birthday party and he always liked being the center of attention. No wonder he was surrounded with a bevy of beauties and immediately went to the food table where Maria approached him daintily. She heard Jayne chuckle as he kept surveying the room for any suspicious activity. It took a bit of coaxing on Maria’s part, to part the red-sea of ladies but when she did she everything went into a blur. She managed to speak with him for a brief moment ad she said the phrase that was to grant them access. After that she found a data chip in her hand with the pick up and drop off locations and now Jayne and her could depart. But she couldn’t help feel a sense of dread. She made eye-contact with Inara who seemed to be having a good time. But there was a presence that she couldn’t shake. ** Lady Yoshida watched her from her perch. She smiled an evil smile. It was only a matter of time…

** She had to get out of there. Her job was done, she motioned to Jayne who was inching closer and closer to the food and he r agreed to leave. Before she left though she grabbed a couple of strawberries for Kaylee and a banana for River and hid them in her purse.

She felt bad for Jayne so she tossed him an orange.

He seemed grateful.

McGovern looked on and they shared a smile. And she deperated without telling him goodbye

**

The shuttle ride back as silent as the first. She broke the monotony: “You looked nice tonight,” she said uncharacteristically.

He grumbled and muttered “Thanks.”

And then the silence resumed.

When they got back to Serenity she relayed the news to Capt Reynolds.

“Good job, we head out in the morning once Inara comes back,” he said, looking pensive.

And everyone headed to their bunks, even though Maria could not shake this sense of dread.

** The next morning Inara hadn’t comeback yet. There was a wave waiting.

She would stay a couple of days longer.

Mal didn’t like the sound of it, nor did Zoë. But a job was a job and off they went.

** Inara turned off the wave. She sat there with a mask of calm on her face. Dr Death looming over her.

“Good,” he said, breathing down her neck “You did well, my dear.” He stroked her hair and tears ran down her cheeks.

And she asked Buddha for forgiveness.Was he going to kill her? Why would a high level official kidnap her?

Because she didn’t know what was happening. She was now a silent prisoner, helpless and afraid.

The only thing that he assured her,was that no harm would come to her and that he wasn't after her.

** “Are you kidding me,” Jayne exclaimed. He was all stressed out because of the cargo. It was women’s undergarments. Fancy knockoffs for them outer rim folk.

“Not even one peek?” he said pleadingly. And then added under his breathe looking at Maria: “Not even one to have modeled”

“FOR THE LAST TIME,” Mal exclaimed, making sure each crate was sealed. “The answer is no,”

River was sitting on the steps laughing at him.

Maria loaded up cargo and said nothing. Zoë was helping her and quizzing her about her job.

“Did you get the protein,” she asked, as she stood there watching the woman sweat and do her job.

“Yes ma’am,” she said sweating and out of breathe. Those crates were heavy.It was more the crate rather then the content. It was disguised as protein, bootlegging was illegal.

“Fuel? Water stores?” she asked, probing some more.

“Both stores are full and we are ready to go,” she said, beads of sweat dripping down her neck. The crates seemed to be heavier then their content.

No one said anything about Inara’s absence but you could have cut the tension with a knife.

Simon walked up the ramp with a bag of medical supplies (mostly bandages and pain killers) he had procured from town. Kaylee had followed him to town and had bought some converter type doohickey that now she was carrying. It would probably save their lives one day.

Mal closed the aft bay door. He made a motion towards Maria to get airborne and she went to her post on the bridge.

It didn’t take them long until they were up in the black. Maria sat at her post guiding Serenity along but where she really wanted to be was in the shower. She was still sweaty. Captain Reynolds and Zoë walked onto the bridge having a conversation about Inara.

“Well didn’t seem right, ‘tis all” Mal said, crossing his arms.

“She has a right to come and go when she pleases, states so in her lease,” Zoë said.

“She looked like she was having a good time,” Maria interrupted. She shouldn’t have though- Mal glared at her. “Although something was a bit off about her date, Councilman Herbert West..…” her voice trailed off. She closed her eyes and remembered him.

** Cold hard steel. Cold shining light. Grey eyes.

He had Grey eyes.

“Again,” he said and the charges started. She tried to scream but the pain was too great.

“Resistance is futile, my dear,” he said, marking her responses on a clip board. “If you are good I will bathe you again.” He liked woman especially the strong ones. She was in hell all day and blacking out at night. But she remembered silk sheets and lavender. She remembered being disconnected from her body-seeing atrocities, nothing else.

He was called by the nickname of Dr Death. And at this very moment he had his paws on Scorpion.

She blacked out when her Sai-ai “saved” her from him. There were chunks of memory that were still missing- but that’s all she remembered.

** “Councilman???” Mal asked, waiting for her to continue.

“Yes, West,” she said and then added, “I was introduced to him last night- he was very interesting.”

Zoë and Mal nodded and headed off the bridge engrossed in another conversation. She didn’t know why they trusted her judgment.

She wasn’t meant to be trusted.