Disclaimer: Not mine, no pay.

Thanks: To Jacqui, Josh and to Rion, my own personal BDH. You guys are the greatest.

Rating: PG-15, for references to violence.

Remarks: Jayne and Kaylee struggle to define their relationship amid plans for a shaky job. Set following my most recent story “The Birthday Gift”, after “Objects in Space”. Inara has departed from Serenity and things on board ship are getting more difficult. Click on my name to read the backstories.

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Leaps of Faith

Chapter Six

The bright rim of Aberdeen arcs across the black, nearly fillin’ Serenity’s bridge windows.

Mal steps through the doorway, tells Wash, “Wave Emerson. Let him know we’re in orbit. Keep it simple, but I wanna know what he’s got in mind. There’s a lot of farmers down there and I don’t reckon on havin’ this deal go down where innocent folk are like to get caught up in it.”

Jayne pokes his head into the bridge. “Look, Mal, I need to have a word with ya. Got a minute?” The merc gestures toward the corridor with a tilt of his head.

Mal pats Wash’s shoulder. “Holler if you need me.” He follows Jayne out into the corridor.

The big man is obviously tense, fidgety. “You know I ain’t felt right about this job since the get-go.”

The Captain nods.

“We been gorram lucky so far. Got the goods off Santo clean, ain’t even seen a hint of any Alliance patrols. But luck’s got a way a bein’ fickle and I just wanna make sure you know what kinda guy we’re dealin’ with here.”

Mal sets his jaw. “I take it you got some personal history with the man I might need to know about, so I’m listenin’.”

Jayne goes on, ”Couple a years back, I done a bank job with Emerson an’ another guy. Equal split a the take. Day before payday in a little company town, so bank’s full a coin. You know, just get in, scare the hell outta the locals, grab the cash and beat it. Only, that weren’t how it went down.”

Mal raises an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“We hit the ruttin’ place right at openin’, nobody in there but the one cashier. Emerson’s stuffin’ the haul into a duffle an’ I got the cashier at gunpoint. Th’ other fella’s keepin’ an eye out for the law. Gorram cashier ‘bout ta shit himself, he’s so scared, sure wasn’t givin’ us no trouble.”

“We get ready to cut outta there and bam, for no reason, that chou wang ba dan Emerson just blows that cashier’s brains out and grins.” Revulsion is obvious in Jayne’s face. “Mal, we could’a done the job quiet, got away clean. No call to shoot that man.”

“Next thing I know, Emerson’s capped our lookout and drawin’ down on me, too. I dove behind the counter but still took a bullet in the side. Damn lucky it weren’t no higher up, either.” Jayne snarls, the memory of betrayal still bitter.

“I fired back at ‘im, clipped the door frame right next to his head. Tah mah de took off with the haul, left my ass in a sling. I barely made it out before the local sheriff showed up. Later on, I heard the splinters cost Emerson an eye.”

The merc exhales sharply, realizes his hands are so tightly clinched that his fingernails are digging into the flesh of his palms.

“So here’s my point: Hadley Emerson ain’t a guy to be trusted. He’d make Patience look like yer sweet ol’ gran’mammy, Mal. Zhu tamin ya min zhu yi! This guy will set us up and kill us and not think twice about it, dong ma?”

Mall nods grimly. “Then I guess we just better be smarter.”

+++

Dinner is over and River and Simon wash the dishes as Mal goes over the plans for their contact with Hadley Emerson the following afternoon. Kaylee is unusually quiet.

“Well, folks, we’re gonna have to play this one real careful. Seems like our buyer is a tricksome sorta fellow and like as not, will try to pull something shifty on us. Seems he’s got a bit of grudge against Jayne, here,” He nods toward the merc, “so we might do well to keep him outta sight as much as possible. No point in provokin’ someone we already know is twitchy.”

“Wash, there’s an area of open rolling hills south of Brandemere, no settlers or farmin’ folk about. I want you to put the ship down there and we’ll use the second shuttle to haul the crates to the drop point.”

“Piece a cake, Mal.” Wash glances at Zoë and she puts her hand over his.

“Zoë, you and Jayne are with me. The land falls off to the south where there’s a small lake. Emerson wants to meet us there. I figure you,” he points at Jayne, ”can find a good vantage point on the ridge to give us some cover.”

“No problem, Mal. Just you and Zoë be prepared to get th’ hell outta there if lead starts flyin.”

“Zoë, the minute we’re paid, I want us in the air. Jayne, you circle back to Serenity.”

The merc nods.

“Just remember, it’s the money we’re after. Those gorram arms are way too hot for us to hang on to. Guns won’t keep the ship flying, fill our bellies, dong ma? No stoppin’ to pick up shiny toys, Jayne.”

Simon and River have returned to the table and the doctor speaks up, “I assume you’ll expect me to be ready to put you all back together as usual, so I’ll have the medlab ready for incoming wounded.”

Kaylee looks up at Jayne with alarm. Her mouth is open, like it’s suddenly dawning on her just how dicey this one is. She snaps at the doc, “Simon, you don’t mean that, do you?”

Then she turns on Mal, “Now Cap’n, this isn’t gonna be another one a them shootin’ jobs is it?" Her voice is rising, alarmed. "I thought you promised we wasn’t gonna do no more shootin’ jobs!”

Mal runs his had though his hair and shakes his head. “Just calm down a minute, mei-mei. I don’t recall sayin’ we wasn’t doin’ no more jobs involvin’ guns. We gotta take what we can get, and in case you don’t remember too well, ain’t been much to choose from. That’s why we’re doin’ all this plannin, makin’ sure it all goes down easy.”

Under his breath Jayne growls sarcastically, “Yeah, real easy…”

(To be continued...)