Mal and Jayne are mid-way through the mountain alley, following the tracks of Shepherd Book.

Mal: "Never simple. Not once has a plan of ours just gone like it's s'posed to." Jayne: "'By the book' is never as entertainin'. I'd rather have a little intrigue thrown in now and then." Mal (stops walking, stares dumbfounded at Jayne): "Did the word 'intrigue' really just pass your lips? That may be the biggest word I've ever heard you … do you even know what it means?" Jayne (stops, doesn't take the bait): "We just became very rich men, Mal. 'Nuff gold in that chest to last a lifetime, then some. Poke fun all you want - I'm as happy as I've ever been right now." Mal: "That's just fine. You get along with your happy-happy and I'll just keep on bein' the pissed off Captain." Jayne: "Works for me."

As they turn to continue their search, they notice something that wasn't there before - or at least something that wasn't visible. Two figures are shoving Book into a familiar-looking ship from the bottom hatch.

Mal: "*Zhen zao gao.*" Jayne: "What the *diyu* …"

They start to run toward the ship, but it's in the air before they have a chance to do anything. Both immediately turn and rush back toward Shuttle 2.

Jayne (in between huffs and puffs): "Guess we're good at findin' planets where people like to kidnap folk." Mal (also panting a bit): "They ain't from here." Jayne: "No way you coulda ID'd them from … you seen the ship before?" Mal: "One like it."

***

Book is still unconscious on the floor of the cargo bay. Jubal and Neriah stand in the doorway surveying the landscape.

Jubal: "My ship's not here yet." Neriah: "I programmed it to lock on to my ship's location and meet us shortly after. It'll be here by the time we're ready to leave. Now, you know this girl. Where'd they go?" Jubal: "Alliance fixed her up good. She senses danger, her mind starts workin' and she figures out the best plan for the situation without even havin' to think about it. She could be anywhere." River (unseen, playful voice echoing throughout the ship): "Peekaboo! I see you!" Neriah begins looking around nervously, but Jubal reassures her. Jubal (loudly): "That trick won't work again, little girl. Fool me once …" Simon (the doctor has snuck behind Jubal from one of the cargo holds) "Shame on you." One blow with one of Kaylee's wrenches knocks Jubal out cold. He tries to strike Neriah, but she catches his attack and holds his arm in place. Neriah (eerily happy): "Doctor Tam!" She forces the hand holding the wrench violently back toward his own head, knocking him out. She catches him before he hits the floor and begins to drag him off the ship. "Time to go."

Neriah leaves the ship dragging Simon behind her. She doesn't even check on Jubal. River and Kaylee rush into the cargo bay and outside, but cannot get to Neriah before she and Simon get on the ship. As Neriah drops Simon where Book was sitting previously, Inara leaps from her box and leaps sloppily at Neriah, who catches the companion and drops her out of the open hatch. Neriah quickly closes the hatch and hits the sky.

River and Kaylee exit Serenity in time to see Neriah's ship taking off and spot Inara. Kaylee: "'Nara? 'Nara, is that you?" Inara tries to get up but doesn't have the strength. As Kaylee tends to Inara, River's face turns angry as she turns to return to Serenity. Jubal is coming to as River approaches him.

River (coldly): "Takes one, leaves two." She kicks Jubal hard in the stomach. "Bad math." A kick to the head knocks him out again. As she bends to pick Jubal up, River hears the Captain's voice over the com near the cargo bay doors. Mal: "What's goin' on on my ship?" River: "Book's knocked out. Early's knocked out. Kaylee's bringing Inara in. Early's mom took Simon and left." Jayne (to Mal): "Crazier'n ever." Mal (on the com): "You wanna run that by me one more time?" Kaylee passes Inara off to River, to takes her toward the medical room. Kaylee (on the com): "You heard right, Cap'n. Early and some woman came on the ship with Book, Simon knocked Early out, but the woman …" (interrupted) River (yelling from the other room): "His mom!" Kaylee: "River says it's Early's mom. She took Simon to her ship. Before she left, she threw Inara out." Mal: "Kaylee, you try and get ahold of Zoe and Wash, get them back to Serenity. Me 'n Jayne'll be back soon." Kaylee (upset): "Cap'n, she took Simon! We gotta …" Mal (one rung short of soothing): "Don't worry about the doctor, Kaylee. We'll take care of that. You just get Serenity ready to fly, *dong ma?*" Kaylee (starts sobbing a bit): "OK, Cap'n." Leaves the com and heads for the medical room. "*Laotian fu.*" She notices Book beginning to stir as she walks by. She kneels beside him and begins to unbind his hands. "Book? Are you OK?" Book (speech a little slurred): "OK. A bit tired of members of the Early family knocking me out, but …" As his hands are freed, he takes the ropes from Kaylee and begins to tie Jubal's hands and feet, his voice becoming clear. "… seems we've got an opportunity for a little 'eye for an eye.'"

***

Neriah doesn't break atmo. She flies high above the surface of Sedalia and sets a course for the other side of the planet. Simon awakens several minutes into the flight.

Simon (a bit slurred): "Who… where…" Neriah: "How many questions do you have? Maybe you should pick one to start with." Simon: "Who are you?" Neriah: "Oh, come now, doctor. You're a bright, young man. We were only on your ship for a few moments, but I'm sure you were able to glean at least part of an answer to that question." Simon (silent for a moment, composed and no longer slurred): "If I were to guess, I'd say you were Jubal Early's mother." Neriah: "You sure it wasn't your brain the Alliance worked on? Or maybe deep intuition just runs in your family." Simon (ignoring her sarcasm): "Why take me? The price on River is much higher than mine. I'm not worth that much alone. Why didn't you …" Neriah: "Don't sell yourself so short. You're worth plenty. True, not as much as your sister as far as money is concerned, but I'm set for life. You think my boy's a good bounty hunter - he came by it honest. I'm not so bad myself." Beat. "I don't need you for the money." Simon: "Then what do you need me for?" Neriah: "Notice any similarities between your sister and my son?" Simon: "That's ludicrous. My sister is … my sister is good. Your son is evil. I've never seen evil so pure as I see in your son." Neriah (a bit annoyed): " My whole family's evil. Let's get a bit past the surface, please." Simon: "I'm not sure I understand what you're asking." Neriah: "Let me spell it out for you. I know more about you and your sister than you can imagine. Jubal's little quest to get the two of you on his own wasn't really on his own. We'd been working on that plan for a while, and your sister foiled it rather effortlessly. I'd like to think my boy would have done something similar were he in such a situation." Simon's look of confusion merges with a hint of understanding. "Guess we're about to find out." Simon (almost horrified): "Are you telling me …" Neriah: "The Alliance knew your sister was special, but it's not like she's one of a kind." Beat. Simon: "So how long ago did they experiment on him?"

***

As Shuttle 2 is docking, Zoe and Wash drive the mule into the cargo bay, hauling a brand new trailer full of new supplies. They hop off and head straight for the medical room, where Book, Kaylee and River are talking to Inara, who is now sitting up on the exam table. Jubal is tied up in the corner, not moving, but conscious. Kaylee: "So they didn't do anything to you? Try to hurt you or …" Inara: "Not after she knocked me out. That was it." Book: "Same here." Stares at Jubal. "Not quite as efficient as last time, though." Jubal is silent. Kaylee (now looking at Jubal): "I thought you were more of a talker." They stare at each other, Kaylee begins to get nervous and falters a bit as Zoe and Wash enter. Zoe (tense): "Alright, what happened? Where's the Captain? What are we … Hi, Inara." Inara (smiling slightly): "Hi." Wash (walking slowly toward Jubal): "So THIS is the guy that beat up half our crew and got outsmarted by River and left to die out in space?" Beat. "What's he doing here?" Book: "His fate shouldn't be decided until the Captain gets back." Zoe: "He is back. Saw the shuttle preparing to dock when Wash and I got back. Let's get Early back to the cargo bay. Got a feelin' he may be getting' acquainted with Serenity's engine soon." Jubal: "He ain't gonna kill me." River: "You're right. I am." Silence as everyone stares at River. Mal and Jayne reach the door of the crowded medical room. Mal (angrily): "Get him out here" He steps aside as Jayne and Wash head to the cargo bay. Zoe and Book grab Jubal and haul him out of the room. River follows, staring a hole through the back of Jubal's head (not literally, of course). Kaylee turns to leave … Kaylee: "You comin', 'Nara?" Mal is in the doorway staring at Inara. Inara (a little uneasy): "I think I better stay in here for now." Kaylee leaves, looks worriedly at Mal. Mal (no emotion): "You came back." Inara: "I was brought back." Beat. Mal: "You OK?" Inara (softly): "I'll be fine." Beat. Mal takes a breath and prepares to speak, but instead leaves for the cargo bay. Inara (drops her head): "Good to see you, too."

***

Jayne, Book, Zoe, Wash and Kaylee are all yelling incoherently as Mal enters the cargo bay. River and Jubal, who is kneeling on the floor, are just staring at each other. Mal (loud, angry): "* Nimen dou bi zui!*" Silence. Mal turns to Jubal. "Serenity's engine ain't eaten nobody in a while. You wanna tell me why she shouldn't have you for dinner tonight?" Jubal: "Mom's got your doctor. You want him back, you're gonna …" Mal: "We sure as hell won't need you. We can track her on our own." (to River) "River, I thought you said his mom was disappointed in him. Why would they be working together?" River is silent, still staring through Jubal. Jubal (to Mal): "The book of my life is not so simple as a picture on the console of my ship. I trusted my mother, and she used me. You want your doctor back, you'll need me. You can track her, find her, but then what are you gonna do?" Jayne (coldly): "Shoot her." Jubal: "Not before she shoots you, the doctor and at least half of this crew. She's quicker with a gun than you could ever hope to be." Zoe: "What makes you think we'd trust you to help us? We left you to die." Jubal: "But I didn't. Past is past. Mom's got a price on her head bigger than the Tams put together." Wash: "You'd turn your own mother over to the Feds?" Jubal: "For that payday, you'd turn your mother in, too." Mal: "So, what is this? You askin' to join my crew?" Jubal: "One job. You'll get a cut of the profit, then you'll never see me again." Beat. Mal: "Zoe?" Zoe: "Unless he's lying, sounds like we'll need his help to get Simon back." Beat. Mal: "We don't have much of a choice." Wash: "Pretty quick decision considering we're taking the help of someone we just tried to kill." Mal (ignoring): "Wash, get to the bridge and get to work on tracking her ship. Jayne, I want Early bound tighter and locked in a room, and I want you guarding the room until I say otherwise. Kaylee, you know your job. Zoe, head to the bridge, I'll be there shortly." While those orders are being carried out, River, Book and Mal are still in the cargo bay. Almost instinctively, Book and Mal begin to take out the new supplies and store them. Book: "What shall I do?" Mal: "That depends. What did they say while you were on their ship?" Book: "Not much, but it's not always what's said that matters." Mal: "You think her leavin' him on the ship is part of the plan?" Book: "Difficult to say. When I tried to point out that his mother had something to hide, he seemed a bit surprised. I'm not sure they're on the same page." River: "They are, and they're not." Beat. Mal (to Book): "I love it when she's cryptic." River (angry): "I'm not laughing! They took Simon!" Book approaches her to try and calm her, but she pushes him away. "Early's a liar. We'll slip, and he'll find his moment. We'll all die." Mal (a little harsh): "We don't have a choice. We can't save Simon alone." River: "I can."

XXX