Brian could feel it. Like a noose tightening around his neck. The Alliance had been on his tail before, but he’d managed to shake them every time. Always pulled his head out just as they yanked on the cord. Heck, he’d even untied the knot once or twice, just to confound them even more. Why, back on Persephone, when they tried to…

Focus, Brian. Focus. Now’s not the time to be wandering off.

He hated it. The way his mind drifted when he started getting nervous. And he’d been that way ever since he set foot on the skyplex. The large amount of Alliance soldiers that were spread throughout had only intensified the feeling. But he’d had no choice, he was running low on supplies, and he’d had to drop off the goods in order to get paid.

But I’ve got the money now. My ship’s ready to go, but the minute I try to take off, they’ll be all over me. I’ve got to find a way out of this!

Which was why he was walking around aimlessly, trying to find a way to escape this new trap that had been laid. Only problem was, the Alliance knew him too well, and had prepared for everything he could think of. They had even taken extra precautions to prevent him from trying something new.

Figures. They drilled into my head, pumped me full of drugs, and even invaded my dreams. They know just about everything there is to know when it comes to my life, so why wouldn’t they be cautious.

Brian stopped next to a bazaar. He pretend to be interested in the man promoting some proof of alien life, all the while trying to figure something out. Roaming around without a plan was only making things worse. He ran through the list of people he’d done runs for, when he remembered Amnon. A while back, the post hadn’t been moving like it was supposed to, and Brian had taken a load to help get things going again. Amnon was always thanking him for that, maybe it was time he cashed in.

Having made a decision, Brian headed off towards the post office.

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

Captain Malcolm Reynolds was watching River