Inferno – Chapter Nine I do not own Firefly, nor is any copyright infringement intended. It’s all fun. ------------- “What kinda problem?” Mal sighed, looking up at his new investigator. “Another killing,” Bontrager told him flatly. “Looks like someone is declaring war on the drug dealers.” “Who is it this time,” Mal asked, not that he was likely to know them. “Sid Marley,” Bontrager replied. “Another one that always managed to stay outta jail, somehow.” “Toby, is this some kinda vigilante thing, you think?” Mal asked, worry in his voice. “No, sir, I don’t,” Bontrager answered. “I think that some of the smaller hoods, seeing the bigger fish without Grip to look after them, are trying to eliminate the competition.” “That’s all I need,” Mal groaned, leaning back in his chair. “A buncha hoods sluggin’ it out.” “So far, it’s just hoods doing the dying,” Bontrager pointed out. “Long as it stays that way, I wouldn’t worry over much.” “I can’t just let all these killings go unchecked, Toby!” Mal objected. “People will begin to think we can’t keep things under control.” “Things aren’t under control, boss,” the detective pointed out. “And they knew it would be bad. Grippen kept too much information close to his vest. We don’t know who all the players are.” “And I suspect that any of the men who did know were among them as quit,” Mal stated, and Bontrager nodded. “‘Fraid so.” “And just as unlike to help us in that regard,” Mal finished. Another nod. “‘Bout the size of it, I’m afraid.” “Okay, what do you need? We have got to get something done, somewhere, and soon, or we’ll be out of a job.” “Well, I got a good tip on a drug operation, and another on a fence,” Bontrager replied, opening his notebook. “I’d suggest we take the fence down, first. Might recover a good bit of stolen merchandise, and that will make for good news coverage.” “And we may can backtrack the stuff, and put some of the thieves in jail,” Mal nodded. “Okay, let’s go with that. What do I need to do?” Bontrager pulled a piece of paper from his folder. “Sign this,” he said, handing the paper over. “It’s a request for a warrant to search the premises. I’ll get the judge to sign it, and we’ll go.” “Just like that?” Mal asked, signing the document. “Just like that,” Toby nodded, then grinned. “Course, it’ll probably not go as smooth as it sounds.” Mal snorted. “Does it ever?” ------------------ “There ain’t gotta be no trouble, less’n you make it.” Jayne’s voice was firm, and final. This wasn’t going to end well, no matter what. No point in giving the hundan time to plan. “Ain’t no need for violence,” the man said, raising his hands slightly. “We’ll just go. But we’ll be back,” he grinned evilly. As he started to turn, he kept turning, faster than needed, and his hand stabbed for his gun. His move was fast, and obviously well practiced. It caught Zoe by surprise. But not Jayne. Even as the man’s gun boomed, Jayne shot him dead where he stood. Then, everything came apart at once. Seeing their boss make his move, the men waiting by the vehicles opened fire. Jayne ducked slightly, then hit the floor, taking up a prone firing position. Zoe hit the floor as well. When he didn’t hear her shooting, Jayne risked a glance over to her. Zoe had taken a bullet in the abdomen. She was bleeding heavily, trying to staunch the flow of blood. “Goldie!” Jayne yelled. Goldie was busy shooting as fast as he could. He turned to look toward Jayne, and saw Zoe on the floor. “Drag her clear!” Jayne ordered, and Goldie, slinging his rifle, ran to grab her. Taking her hands, he drug her quickly away from the firing, while Jayne and Greggs covered him. “Take it easy, baby,” Goldie crooned, lacing his own hands atop Zoe’s wound after getting her behind some crates. Zoe tried to sit up, but Goldie held her down. “Stop that!” he scolded, then turned, looking for Simon. “Doc!” he yelled, and Simon’s head popped out of the stairway door. “Zoe’s hit!” he yelled, and Simon ran to them, bag in hand. He slid in beside them, looking at Zoe’s wound. “Penetrated her armor,” Simon murmured. “I’ll take it from here, Goldie,” Simon assured him. “You help Jayne.” Goldie nodded, looking down at Zoe. He knelt quickly, and stole a kiss. “You’ll be fine,” he told her. “I won’t hear of anything else. Dong Ma?” Zoe tried to smile, but coughed, and blood flecked her lips. “I’ve got her, Goldie,” Simon told him again, his voice gentle. Goldie took off, back to the ramp. Jayne and Greggs had each taken down three raiders, and Goldie had accounted for two before he left. Their number drastically reduced, the remaining three clambered aboard a mule, and ran for it. Jayne sighted along Vera’s long barrel, and squeezed the trigger. The mule coughed, then sputtered and died. The men bailed out, running along the same way they’d been moving. Jayne took one more down, before the last two disappeared into the tall sage. He stood. “How’s Zoe?” he asked, and Goldie shrugged. “Doc’s got her,” was all he said. “I’ll go and check on her.” “Leave it, for now,” Jayne ordered. “We need to make sure we’re secure. I need to talk to River and Kaylee about flying conditions. I want you to stay here with Liam until I can do that. Okay?” Goldie looked as if he might object, but relented at last. “Okay, kid,” he nodded. “Just. . .don’t take too long, okay?” Jayne looked at his friend with sympathy. “I won’t ge ge. I promise.” ----------------- “With Zoe down, we don’t have anyone else, except River, who can fly a shuttle,” Kaylee pointed out. “I like the idea o’ being off the ground, but we can’t keep the ship in orbit ‘thout a pilot.” “And can’t get back to the ground without one, neither,” Jayne nodded. He rubbed his head. “I’m open to suggestions,” he told the two women. “I don’t think we can protect the ship, on the ground, and send anyone to find Mrs. Mann. And I don’t like the idea of the ship being in space without a pilot, or enough folks to guard her.” “What if we could find a better place to set the ship?” River offered. “A more secluded place. One less likely to invite attack.” “One that offers some concealment,” Jayne nodded in agreement. “That would help, I’m thinking.” Kaylee stood. “Let’s go talk to my daddy.” -------------------- “Yes, I know a fairly good spot, I think,” Caleb Frye nodded, as the three explained their problem. “There’s an old mine, not far from here. Used it back years ago, before they came up with a way to squeeze the oil out of the shale from the surface.” “It might be large enough to hide the ship in,” he mused. “But even if it’s not, there’s good cover there, and it’s far off the beaten path, anymore.” “Will you go to the bridge with River?” Jayne asked. “Show her the way over there? I want to get you all under some cover as soon as possible.” “Sure,” Caleb stood. Jayne looked to River. “Take us there, ai ren,” Jayne ordered. “Make sure it’s. . .safe, ‘fore you set us down.” She smiled at him. “I will.” She took Caleb’s hand. “Come with me, Mister Frye. You can tell me all about Kaylee while I fly.” Kaylee squealed at that. “Don’t you dare, Daddy!” Caleb grinned. “Kaylee, I need you back in the engine room,” Jayne said softly. “I got to go and relieve Goldie so he can check on Zoe.” “She gonna be okay?” Kaylee asked. “Don’t know, mei mei,” Jayne replied honestly. “Up to Simon, I guess.” “Simon’ll take good care of her,” Kaylee said confidently. Jayne nodded. “‘Spect so,” he smiled. He headed over to Goldie. “Go on down to the infirmary, brother,” he said quietly. “We’re about to move, anyway.” Goldie nodded his thanks, and moved away. He stopped suddenly, and looked back at Jayne. “You’re doin’ good kid,” he said quietly. “Don’t give up.” Before Jayne could reply, Goldie was gone. He looked at Liam. “We’re lifting, kid,” he called to him. “Shut us up.” Liam nodded, and hit the door controls. Three minutes later, Companion was in the air. ---------------- Mal watched as his men, Bontrager, the Greggs, and three of his experienced deputies, prepared to knock on the door of one Tony Dancer. He snorted again at the name. “It’s his real name,” Bontrager had assured him. Mal just shook his head. He stood back, letting Toby run the show. He had the Greggs brothers on the ram, using their great strength, while making sure they weren’t the first one’s in. Just in case. Toby nodded to Ryan, and he and Leander lifted the heavy maul between them. Swinging it three times, on the third swing they used all their considerable strength to slam the maul into the wooden door. Not surprisingly, it gave. In fact, it disappeared, falling into three pieces. The brothers dropped the maul, as Toby had instructed, and stepped to the side, drawing their guns as they did so. Toby and another deputy shot into the building. “Hold it right there, Tony!” Mal heard Bontrager shout, as he followed the Greggs brothers into the place. He found Toby, gun leveled at a man who had obviously been heading for the rear exit. Two more deputies entered through that door a minute later. “Tony, why you in such a hurry to leave?” Toby asked, cuffing the suspected fence. “Man might get the impression you don’t want to talk to him.” “Who’d wanna talk to you, Bone Trader?” Dancer snarled, and Bontrager smiled. A nasty smile, Mal noticed. He wondered idly if Toby and Jayne were somehow related. “Now that ain’t nice, Tony,” Toby said amiably, then slammed Dancer’s head into the counter top. “Ain’t nice at all.” He reached into his pocket, and produced a paper. “This here is a warrant, says we can have a look around. You don’t mind if we have a look around, do you? Tony?” “If Grippen were still Sheriff,” Dancer started, and Mal cut him off. “He ain’t,” Mal pointed out. “And I am. Now you best hush, for you anger my man here anymore. I don’t think you’re like to enjoy that.” “Keep an eye on him, boys,” Toby ordered the Greggs brothers, who nodded, and took up posts to either side. “Let’s have a look,” he said to the other three deputies. It didn’t take long for them to find what they’d come for. A rather large room, it’s entrance hidden fairly well, was almost running over with goods of all description. Toby looked at Dance with a smirk. “Well, doing your Christmas shopping early this year?” “Gao yang jong duh goo yang!” Dancer snarled. Toby just laughed. “Right,” he nodded. “Well you’ll soon have more things to worry about than my lack of parentage. Take him to jail, boys,” he ordered, and the brothers Greggs started out with him. “Good job, Toby,” Mal said quietly. “Looks like a good haul.” “Hopefully just a start,” the other man replied. “But a good one, at least.” ---------------- “So you and the big man, Jayne, are married?” Caleb Frye asked, as River piloted them toward the relative safety of the mine. “Yes, sir,” River nodded. “Seven days, today.” “Quite a honeymoon,” Caleb remarked, and a sad smile spread over River’s face. “That’s what Ethan told us,” she admitted. “He was as surprised as you are.” Caleb smiled fondly, trying to imagine his son’s reaction to this attractive little woman. “I’m sorry about him, Mister Frye,” River told him suddenly. “It happened so fast, no one knew what was happening, until it was done.” “It’s not your fault, anymore than it was your husband’s,” Caleb told her. “But thank you, just the same. Over there,” he told her, pointing to a stand of trees. “Ease over those trees, and we should see a small clearing around the mine entrance. Ain’t never been here by air,” he added with a chuckle. “Might have to look a bit.” “Always looks different from up here,” River nodded, guiding the ship gently over the trees. Sure enough, there was an opening in the side of the mountain. Really just a large hill, she decided. “I don’t know if we can fit in there,” River said finally, studying the opening. “We may just have to be content with sitting down in the clearing. But the trees will still help hide the ship.” “‘Fraid it ain’t quite as big as I remember,” Caleb admitted. “Clearing large enough to sit down in?” “Yes,” River smiled, starting her landing sequence. “Kaylee, I’m setting us down.” “Okay, River,” Kaylee called back. “We’re good.” The ship settled gently to the ground, and River flipped through the shutdown sequence, powering the ship down. Caleb watched her intently. “You’re awfully good for someone so young,” he complimented. River flashed him a smile. “I’ve lived a lot in a short time, Mister Frye,” she told him. “Looks like,” he nodded. “How’d you and Jayne wind up together?” he asked, curiosity getting the better of him. A broader smile met him this time. “I chased him till he gave up.” -------------- “Liam and I are gonna scout around,” Jayne told River when she and Caleb returned to the bay. “Close up after us, until we can get back. With Zoe down, we don’t have enough manpower to protect the ship while you get it in the air.” “Wouldn’t leave you, anyway,” River pointed out, and Jayne frowned. “Something happens, you get this ship in the air, and get gone,” he ordered sternly. “You can always come back for us in a shuttle,” he added when River threatened to explode. She calmed at that, and nodded. “Very well, Zhang fu,” she said, kissing him lightly. “But take no chances.” “I won’t,” he promised. “I already promised you,” he winked. “Let’s go, kid,” he said to Liam, who nodded, and hit the door release. Both men checked their coms, and Jayne looked back at River. “Close it up,” he reminded her, and she nodded. Before she could tell him to be careful, gunshots rang out, and bullets began bouncing off the hull.