Mal watched as his crew efficiently dealt with all the people, herding them into one of the carriages. Jayne stood guard, ready to shoot if necessary, but that was highly unlikely. The passengers were scared, far too frightened to make any trouble with this big man.

“All secure,” Zoe said, rejoining Mal at the door into the last compartment, where their haul currently sat.

“Shiny,” he said, a grim smile on his face. He knocked with the butt of his gun on the door. “We’re coming in,” he called. “Best be standing in the middle of the room with your hands up, you don’t want to get shot.” He nodded to Zoe.

His first mate set the small charge on the lock, and they stood back. Ten seconds later there was a pop and the door swung inwards. Immediately a shot whined over their heads.

“Now, that was just what I said not to do,” Mal said tetchily.

Zoe tossed a smoke grenade into the carriage and pretty soon the compartment was filled with a grey fog that stung the eyes and choked the throat.

“Now, you gonna come out quiet, or do we have to come in there and kill you?” Mal asked, leaning back against the wall.

“I’m … I'm coming out!” came a voiced, wracked with coughing.

“Fine. Just make it with your hands up.”

An older man staggered to the door, surrounded by billowing smoke, tears rolling down his cheeks, a pistol in his hand. Mal raised his gun, his finger very close to the trigger.

“Sir,” Zoe said quietly, stepping forward and taking the man’s weapon from nerveless fingers.

Mal nodded and lowered his hand. “Best be getting the booty, then,” he said, pulling the kerchief he had tied around his neck into place. He headed into the compartment, coming out a few moments later with a box under his arm. “Call the ship,” he ordered.

His first mate nodded, watching her captain closely.

---

“He wouldn’t’a done it this way before, Jayne,” Kaylee said, stirring the soup dispiritedly. “He’d’a had some plan, got onto the train without having to scare all those folks.”

“Damn