Some days it didn’t pay to get up. He considered himself a simple man. Uncomplicated. Ran a tight starship, stayed out of trouble for the most part. Did a little crime, a little legitimate business. Had a good crew, some not so trustworthy, but for the most part good folk. Why was it nothing ever went smooth? It had been a good plan. Deliver the goods, pick up the money, create a little diversion, give the new owners the slip and while they were … diverted, have some of his crew relieve them of the goods again to sell to the next group of patsies. Hadn’t quite worked out the way he had planned, though, on account of not being able to give ‘em the slip. Then again, maybe he could still manage to turn this to his advantage. It was worth a shot.

"How much they payin' you?" Jack Cooper asked the big man who was holding a gun trained steadily on his heart. Guy didn't indicate he'd heard him, even. Just moved his cigar from one side of his mouth to the other and continued to wait. Patient fella. They'd been there a good hour already, and it was damned hot. How he'd found him was a mystery to Jack. Must be one helluva tracker. Radioed someone after he had Jack subdued, then sat down on a rock about six feet away from him, trained the muzzle of his big-ass revolver on him, and waited. Silently.

"Bet it's not more than ten percent, is it?" he asked conversationally. Oh, that got a reaction. The hired gun narrowed his eyes, but not another muscle in his face moved. Still, Jack knew he had his attention.

"You come over to my boat, I'll double that. And we do business on a larger scale than that luh suh Firefly you're on. You'd pull in five thousand a month, easy."

"That a fact?" The merc chewed on his cigar, seemed to consider Jack with a little more respect.

"That it is. You share your bunk?"

The man nodded. "Yep."

Jack laughed, got a little more comfortable. This was gonna be like taking candy from a baby.

"That's too bad. Tell you what. You cut me loose here and I'll throw in a nice, fat sign-on bonus. Say, two months' pay, upfront? Plus, goes without saying, your own bunk. Whattaya say?"

The man came a little closer. Tall, muscular guy, but lean with it. Had eyes like the cold steel of his gun. He looked Jack up and down, spat out his cigar, and drawled,

"Well, now, that's a right invitin' offer, no denying it. Just one problem. No, wait. Make that two problems." He stopped, seemed to be doing some difficult mental arithmetic. "Well, more like three."

The mercenary took his eyes off him for a split second, as something off in the distance caught his attention, and Jack saw his chance. Tried to rush him, butt heads, grab his gun.

For a big fella, the mercenary moved like lightning. Turned, used Jack's momentum to toss him roughly into the rock he'd been using for a chair earlier. When he looked up, dazed, Jack was staring once again into the muzzle of the big-ass gun aimed right at his nose. Saw the safety being eased off. His mouth went dry.

The man put his boot on Jack's chest, effectively squashing him, and stood there with his head cocked, listening. Then, apparently satisfied that whatever the hell it was he could hear that Jack couldn't was no kind of danger to him, he returned his narrowed gaze to the man beneath his boot. Picked up the conversation right where he'd left off.

"One. Serenity ain't luh suh. Two. That bunk I'm sharing? Don't think my girl'd take too kindly to me leaving it. Three. I ain't for hire. So, whyn't you just keep your gorram mouth shut for about five more seconds and we'll see if the captain lets you live or not? He don't take kindly to back-stabbers."

"That he don't." Mal said, as he and Zoe materialized from behind cover. Jack hadn't even heard them approach, he'd been so intent on the man holding the gun on him.

The weight on Jack's chest eased up as the big man stepped back, let his captain take over the situation.

"Good work, Jayne," Mal slapped the man on the shoulder, earned himself a grunt in reply.

"You get the goods back?"

"We got 'em." The captain grinned, kind of lopsided, "Seems his crew ain't near as loyal as mine."