Bonnie & Clyde

Chapter 7

Simon Sheppard- Neal Patrick Harris Death Nail- Agent 453-21-768- played by Christoph Waltz ( Colonel Hans Landa ** Inglorious Basterds) Eddie Livouski- Saloon Owner Flint Lattimer- Livestock-Stable Owner Pete Nole- town resident Bill Waxen- Hotel Owner Max Hargrove- Myka ranch hand Teddy Rosenthal- Myka ranch hand

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Just as the ruff and rugged way of conducting business is done out on the small towns and tiny provinces of the rim worlds and border planets, justice is pretty much conducted the same way. Eddie, Pete and Lattimer were not the only citizens of Warehouse Pass who’d formed a posse the day Flint Lattimer‘s stable had been robbed. Bill Waxen, Max Hargrove and Teddy Rosenthal, the hotel owner and two of Myka’s ranch hands respectively, had also form a posse to search for the stable owner’s stolen property.

These three men had launched a separate search for the horse thieves by taking their mounts east. Although they weren’t trackers, they could most certainly follow a trail. The horse tracks the thieves had made were defiantly not hard to follow and the two deputies tracks paralleled that of the horse thieves.

“ Look here!” Max told the others as the posse members studied the tracks in the dirt. “ Looks as if the crooks doubled back!”

“ Yeah,” Bill agreed,” Headed north. Looks as if the deputies followed too.”

“ Isn’t Whittaker’s Salvage Yard out that way?” Teddy questioned.

“ Yes it is, “ Bill said, “ ……and the county reclamation yard too, where they keep all property seized by Marshal Tate and the authorities of Dewayne County. Might be they headed that direction to steal a ship and head off planet!”

“ Maybe we can catch them!” Max concluded.

The three men spurred their mounts and headed north.

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Malcolm Reynolds found himself, along with Zoë and Jayne confined within the holding cells of the jail in Warehouse Pass. Not that being in a jail cell for the crew of Serenity was unusual, but this time they had actually done nothing wrong.

“ Sheriff Tate! When are we gonna be let outta here?” Mal said while standing at the cell bars.

“ Soon as we confirm your story Mr. Reynolds.” The marshal told him.

Mal looked a bit surprised.

“ Yeah, we know who you are captain Reynolds…….and we know you’re owner of a Firefly class transport vessel located two miles just south of town. Soon as your people get here, “Everett”……..and your activities have been cleared by means of identification you may be released, maybe!” The sheriff of Warehouse Pass looked over at the captain of Serenity with distain.

“Of course, we really don’t know if your real name is Malcolm Reynolds, Everett Tubrook or King Ogopogo do we?” He finished, then went back to the paperwork that lay before him.

Sheriff Tate had been a bit embarrassed by the past days events. First he’d let a pretty girl distract him and his officers into believing she’d been robbed of the horses she’d just rented from Lattimer’s Stable Yard. Second, he let the main business in town, Myka’s General Store Goods, get robbed by a group of unprofessional thieves. Third, he’d fallen victim to one of the biggest faults a lawman out on the border planets could have, his trust in the good nature of people.

A good friend of his, Sheriff Bourne, lawman of Paradiso, had told him to be leery of strangers come to his town, but Tate had always trusted the goodness of people. But, his trust today was being severely strained by the strangers that had come into his town recently. He continued typing the report he was tasked with to submit to the government agent 453-21-768.

Mal Reynolds had no way of knowing who was coming to vouch for his innocence, and that of Zoe and Jayne, maybe it was Shepherd Book. A preacher was always beneficial to have as a friend in situations like this.

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Death Nail stood at the controls of Serenity’s shuttle #2. He wasn’t sure but he had a hunch that the prisoners that had been captured that day may be the “Bonnie & Clyde” crime ring leaders that had been plaguing this quadrant. The ones listed in the book within the library onboard the “ Sea Witch”. He meant to study the recorded transmissions of the shuttle to find out if there were any connections between the people that were in the lock-up and past illicit activities around the border worlds over the past few months.

He reviewed the cortex history of the shuttle transmissions but found no evidence of unlawful activity. Still that meant nothing really, there were always ways of erasing a vessel’s transmission logs. He may have to resort to prisoner interrogation. Something that Death Nail enjoyed thoroughly.

Agent 453-21-768 studied the transmissions of the small shuttle vessel by himself. He had sent deputy Bunker and the remainder of his party back to the town of Warehouse Pass to assist Sheriff Tate with the prisoners. Death Nail often preferred looking for clues and investigating crime scenes alone. This way, if he found something all the glory would be focused on himself. Death Nail was certainly the type of man that enjoyed prestige. He thought about the people back in the cell lock-up.

Now in custody were the two men found in the road that Death Nail figured had robbed Myka’s General Store, and, a man and woman that had come riding up on a land rover. They were still searching for the woman that had claimed to have had the horses stolen from her. Seems, now that she’d been an accomplice of this little band of lawbreakers.

Back in town, Alexis had locked up Sheriff Tate and his deputy at gunpoint and forced them into one of their own jail cells before making her exit. The town’s lawmen weren’t released until the deputy who’d accompanied lawman Bunker had returned and found them imprisoned. This had been the emergency message the government agent gotten on his communicator.

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Mal Reynolds, Zoe and Jayne all waited inside their jail cell impatiently. The Sheriff finally announced that someone had come for them.

“There is someone here to vouch for you……” Sheriff Tate said.

“ Great, Preacher Book’s here. “ Mal looked at Zoe and Jayne.

“ No! It ain’t no Preacher!” Marshal Tate said.

Just then they noticed Wash coming through the front door. His eyes focused on his beloved Zoe.

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Shepherd Book along with Simon had dropped Wash off near the town of Warehouse Pass. The Serenity’s pilot’s mission was to have the authorities release Mal, Jayne and Zoe with as few questions as possible. This he meant to do by using the highly effective ID pass Book carried around with him.

Shepherd Book had given Wash his personal ID security card which overruled any protocol used by authority outside the core planets.

Sheriff Tate ran the security code through the cortex system. The green blinking light confirmed that the badge owner was held with the highest degree of confidence and his orders were to be followed to the letter. Upon Wash’s request, Zoe, Mal and Jayne were to be released to him. Marshal Tate had to comply.

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On their way to retrieve shuttle #2 from the holding compound, which was located a mile north of Warehouse Pass, Simon and preacher Book received a wave from Kaylee back on Serenity. It was a simple message.

“Can’t find River! Look aboard!”

This wasn’t good news, especially since they were about to land at the holding compound.

“ Simon! This isn’t a good time for little sister to become a stowaway! Look for her while I make a landing.” Book told the young doctor.

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Back in the impoundment area Agent Death Nail heard the noise of a vehicle approaching. He exited the small shuttle to find out what was going on. He noticed another shuttle landing some distance from all the junk contained within the yard.

The impoundment area had been found in a state of clutter. An organizational nightmare really. All matter of old rusty vehicles were on display within the compound. A big mess of rusty metal and space vehicles, one hardly discernable from the other. Death Nail concluded that he’d have to speak with Sheriff Tate about his tidiness issues after his investigation was completed.

The Agent marched over to the small vehicle which had just landed. He stood there as the door opened. A man exited thereafter and came towards him.

“ Hello, I’m….Book” The Shepherd said as he extended his hand. Book took it that this man was in charge of the compound.

From Death Nail’s viewpoint there was no mistaking this fellow was of holy influence, or at lease pretending to be. The collar on his shirt showed him to be a holy man.

“ Hello I’m Ruddy!” Death Nail lied, “…..keeper of the flame.” He had no intention of telling this man who he really was. Book was surprised by his answer. From his cloths, Death Nail looked like your common small town lawman, or citizen for that matter. His words were certainly confusing to the preacher.

At that moment the young doctor Tam came out of the shuttle door.

“ Shepherd! I still can’t find River……” The older Tam stopped mid sentence as he noticed the other man standing there. Just then the younger Tam made an appearance.

“ Simon! I found you!” She exclaimed as if it were a game she’d be playing the whole time.

Death Nail, being the super parliament agent that he was, solidified the current situation swiftly, in the blink of an eye he drew his weapon and aimed it at the individuals who stood before him.

“ Well……Simon, the Shepherd and River! Who would have thought that I would have become so lucky?” Death Nail proclaimed.

Not only had he have been gifted with one capture of a “ Bonnie & Clyde” clan of fugitives listed in the criminal book located on the Alliance vessel “Sea Witch”, but maybe another as well. He recognized Simon and River Tam from their description and pictures found in the “ Bonnie & Clyde” case library.

“I’m getting the feeling that I will be rewarded very handsomely for this days work!” The agent exclaimed as he eyeballed the trio of latest captives.

“ May come a day when I become a member of Parliament myself!” He told them. Simon had no idea what he was talking about. But Shepherd Book and River knew.

“ You two,” Death Nail motioned with his weapon, “…….over here next to the preacher! Hands up high where I can see them….and no talking!”

Things didn’t look so good for the folks that had boarded Serenity at Eavesdown docks back on Persephone. No! Things looked bad indeed!

End Part 7