On the ninth day of Christmas my true love gave to me nine ladies dancing

“Why hasn’t the prey slowed down?” demanded the man at the desk, his voice menacing.

“We shot him with the tranq, he went down straight away.” Nate protested, conveniently not mentioning how the big man had woken up too early.

“He should be slowed down by now then. Never takes more than a day. Instead he’s out there killing my valued customers. Two of those killed yesterday were Core folks, repeaters, worth lots of money to me. And the girl, your drawcard, where is she? Aside from the fight in the holding yard we’ve hardly seen her. People pay well to see pretty prey hunted.” “We didn’t see him at all yesterday. Maybe there was some sort of delayed reaction or somethin’” Red could see that they were in trouble. It didn’t do to disappoint the man in charge that could result in death, their death. “We could go out ourselves, see what we can do,” he offered.

“Alright, I’ll have the shield lifted for long enough for you to fly to their last known location. You’ll take my men with you and report to me at all times. I’m warning you however, if you don’t rectify the situation, don’t come back.”

*******************************

Mal was listening to all the reports, tryin’ to absorb all the information.

“There’s a shield of some sort over the whole hunting ground. Means we can’t just fly in and rescue them.”

“Pity”

“The gates into the grounds are guarded electronically and physically, guards are tough too.”

“All the guests are confined to the landing area and the space around this facility.”

“I’ve been studying Jayne and Kaylee’s route” said the shepherd

“And found what?”

“They’re heading in this direction.”

“What’s that?” Mal was surprised

“They’re headed in this direction.” Repeated the shepherd “Perhaps in order to reach the boats, hijack one to get out of here.”

The captain hadn’t thought of that, didn’t know that Jayne would’ve. How would he even know which direction to go? Of course tracking, hunting and killing were what Jayne was good at. Maybe he had come up with a workable plan. Mal was beginning to realise that he didn’t really know what his mercenary was capable of.

He’d also been surprised at Kaylee’s part in the fight in the holding yard. The expression on her face, her stance said Zoë not Kaylee. Made him think he didn’t really know her.

Since the time in the holding yard, except for an occasional glimpse of her, Kaylee had been conspicuous by her absence. He was worried about her. He was worried about Jayne; neither had been seen since yesterday.

He turned to the girl beside him. River had been remarkably well behaved so far gazing round with big eyes, staying relatively silent.

“Girl can you hear them?” he asked.

“Birds swimming rings and lords. Christmas cheer. Girl worried, sick.”

“Kaylee’s sick?”

“No.” River rolled her eyes. “Jayne is.”

“Uh-oh” Wash’s voice interrupted “folks look at your screen.”

The captain stared in concern at the running figure on the screen, it was Kaylee and she was alone.

*******************************

Kaylee stretched her arms, boy she was stiff. She’d been sittin’ here with Jayne for a night and day now and at last he seemed to be restin’ easier. He wasn’t burnin’ up no more and the shiverin’ was dying down. She smoothed his hair gently.

Jayne was goin’ to be so mad that they’d lost a whole day. She was anticipatin’ another argument. Be good actually to have him talkin’ to her again, lookin’ at her. She missed him, fancy that.

It was time for her to take a look around, do her rounds. She could leave him for a minute. When she came back, she could wake him and they could eat before they left.

Kaylee looked at the gun lyin’ on the ground, best take it with her. She didn’t think she could shoot it, but Jayne never went anywhere without his guns, so she wasn’t goin’ to either.

She avoided the cameras as she walked the perimeter like Jayne had showed her. She was only a couple of meters away but couldn’t see Jayne or their hidin’ spot at all. He’d chosen real well.

As she turned ready to get back she was grabbed from behind.

Purely in reflex she spun round kickin’ out at her captor. He dropped back and she ran, leadin’ him away from where she’d left Jayne. She risked a glance over her shoulder and ran straight into the arms of another man. Her fingers tightened on the trigger of the gun and it went off with a bang.

*******************************

Jayne jerked awake; the shot sounded like it were right beside him, where the hell was Kaylee? She’d been right there with him every time he woke up.

He rolled over and jumped up, nearly fallin’ over again, his head was swimmin’ that much. He shook his head to clear it and trained his eyes on the ground to follow her tracks. Pickin’ up his weapons he started to walk, didn’t have to go far from their hidin’ place to find the gun he’d given Kaylee lying discarded on the ground beside a groaning low life. From the tracks all round it appeared his little girl had put up a fight.

He grabbed the man by the throat tightening his fingers brutally “gonna tell me what I want to know?”

*******************************

The whole room watched as Jayne dispatched the injured low life with brutal efficiency.

“He doesn’t look well sir”

“River said he was sick.” Mal replied “I’m more worried about him keepin’ his temper. You know he don’t think so well when he’s in a fury.”

*******************************

Jayne was havin’ a hard time keepin’ calm. If he didn’t keep calm he couldn’t think straight, was likely to do something stupid. Couldn’t do anythin’ stupid, do anythin’ to endanger Kaylee.

The wang bad an had told him where the camp was, told him ‘bout the hill just above it. He was goin’ to use that to his advantage, they wouldn’t be expecting him.

Approaching the campsite cautiously, he dodged the guards posted about. Had to take his time crawlin’ through the underbrush on the hill above the camp. From his vantage point he could see Kaylee surrounded by at least half the men in the camp while the other half looked on, that group includin’ the two hun dans that’d snatched them.

Someone was goin’ to die.

He closed his eyes for a moment to think, clear his mind, took a deep breath and opened fire with the machine gun.