Bonnie & Clyde

Chapter 4

Simon Sheppard- Neal Patrick Harris Death Nail- Agent 453-21-768- played by Christoph Waltz ( Colonel Hans Landa ** Inglorious Basterds) Everett Tubrook- Mal Reynolds Mason Williams- Jayne Cobb

Chapter 4

Day 2 at Warehouse Pass

Simon Sheppard, ex-Independent freedom fighter and radio man sat at a table in Eddie’s Saloon drinking his worries away. Well, that wasn’t true, he was drinking, but still, he would have the same worries after he became sober again.

The thing was, he was looking to ease those worries a bit by making a heist of the small general store of Warehouse Pass on Ita moon. Sure, it wouldn’t be enough to assure a retirement for himself, but it may net him, and his crew enough for the next three months.

This is what Simon Sheppard was thinking. There was bound to be a vault inside Myka’s General Store somewhere and he meant to find it and relieve it of it’s cache of money. There were only three in his party. Him, Don and Alexis. All veterans from the browncoats war for independence. Well, maybe they had lost, still the powers of government owed him. They owed him a soul lost to the horrors of war and they owed him a love lost. A love given from the pilot seat of an Independent transport vessel. The drink also helped him ease the misery of the loss of his beloved Lola.

Simon had come up with a plan. A plan to rob Myka’s General Store out of it’s vault of cash. First of all he knew the business owner herself wouldn’t be there. Myka had let it slip that she would not be at the General Store the following day, she would be at her ranch. Therefore the person in charge would be an employee and not the business owner. It was always easier convincing someone who did not have a large stake in the business to reveal the location of a hidden safe, especially if there were a gun to their head.

Second, he would send Alexis to the local deputies office with the rouse of having had some horses stolen from her. There would at least be a couple of sheriffs sent out to investigate. This would leave the Marshal and two others to guard the town. The entire town of Warehouse Pass had a total of five officers. That may seem like a large number for such a small town, but considering the range of their jurisdiction included a hundred mile radius, then the number didn’t seem so big.

Simon Sheppard set his glass down on the saloon table. He looked over at Alexis.

“ Well, how about you head down to the stable yard and rent a couple of fast steeds so we can steal them from you tomorrow.” He told her. The Simon’s heist plan had been set into motion.

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Malcolm Reynolds and Jayne Cobb entered the small town of Warehouse Pass the following day around noon. They were there to make contact with Badger’s associate and rent a couple of horses to be used in whatever was to happen come time to get the goods. Mal always preferred renting horses or using other means of escape when pulling a job such as this. The reasons being, you could leave the animals behind and make your exit in a shuttle back to Serenity. Firefly transports were easy to identify so Malcolm usually kept his ship well away from the town or village where the robbery was to take place.

“ First, we’ll go in and check out the general store to find out if any of the local authority are floatin about, then we’ll head to the stable to rent some animals.” He told Jayne.

They entered Myka’s General Store and began looking it over again. To their surprise the owner was not in the store. But they did recognize the person in charge.

“ Jeff!?” He looked up from behind the counter.

“ Everett, Mason! How are you guys?”

“ What are you doing here?” Mal asked.

“ I work here!” He replied. “ Don’t think I can afford whiskey with empty pockets do ya?” There was a bit of pride in his answer.

Many of the residents of Warehouse Pass didn’t have regular jobs. Ita moon was a place pretty much populated by scavengers. There were bones yards and salvage lots all over it’s surface. Petty crime had gone rampant so that when criminals were caught, local authorities and honest business people usually delivered justice to the max.

“ Well, I guess not.” Mal said, “ Where’s the lady that was here yesterday?”

“ Oh, Myka? She’s off today and tomorrow. Got me in charge of the store.”

Mal looked at the store employee. “ This was great!” He thought sarcastically, “ Of course it didn’t change anything. Not that it was a big deal, it was just that when Mal began formulating a plan he hated inconsistencies. He wanted everything smooth.

The two Serenity crew members looked around a while then it was decided to head to Eddie’s and wait for Bagger’s man to make contact. They were about to walk out when Jeff called to them…..

“ Can’t get you fellows anything?”

For the second day in a row, Mal and Jayne were about to leave the general store without purchasing one soldiery item . This would seem very suspicious had there been lawful eyes watching the place, which there were. Thinking quickly Jayne made a request.

“ I’ll have a raspberry soda.”

There was a fountain machine to the right side counter with fruity drinks of all assortments and flavors.

“ Excellent!” Jeff exclaimed.

“ Make that two.” Mal said.

With this the store employee made two raspberry drinks and rang up the sale.

“ That will be a copper each.” Jeff informed them. Mal paid for the sodas.

“ Would you like an olive with that?” The store employee announced.

Mal and Jayne’s eyes nearly fell out of their sockets.

“ You?”

Jeff smiled, “ Yep, me.”

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After moments of finding out that Jeff was Badger’s associate in the town of Warehouse Pass Mal Reynolds and Jane Cobb were already questioning him on what they were to steal…….. and other details.

“ Well……” Jeff walked over to a bin full of heavy burlap sacks of rice. “ Here’s what you’ll need to take back to Persephone.”

“Rice?” Mal and Jayne questioned in unison.

“ No, something contained within the rice.” He informed them, “ I can’t tell you what. All I can say is that is seems to be pretty important. It can’t be sent directly to Eavesdown Docks. The authorities there would find it. Smuggling it on your transport is the best way to get it to Badger. He must trust you fellows a lot.”

Mal looked at a sign posted above the burlap bags, it read, “ 3 copper each”

“ Why would we need to steal this stuff when three coppers is all it takes to buy it?” He questioned.

“ Who said you were to steal it?” Jeff queried, “ Just purchase the stuff and be on your merry.”

Mal began to dig into his pocket to find the cash to purchase the rice.

“ Oh….wait there a minute cowboy!” Jeff said. “ The stuff ain’t made it here yet.”

“ What?”

“ That’s why I didn’t try to make contact with you yesterday. The shipment was delayed., won’t arrive till tomorrow morning.” He stopped, then continued, “ This is the plan. I’ll have a big red X marked on the two bags that you are to purchase. Come in tomorrow morning, buy the goods, hop on your land rover and off to Persephone you go. Simple enough.”

“Yeah.” Mal spoke, “ But why the red marks? Just tell us which ones and we’ll load them up.”

“ The marks ain’t for you, they’re for me…….so I remember which rice bags they are.” Jeff said.

Made sense. Mal looked over at Jayne.

“ Guess we won’t be needing rented mounts after all.” He said.

End Part 4