TITLE: "PURGATORY RISING"

AUTHOR: Alison M. DOBELL

FANDOM: "FIREFLY"

PAIRING: Canon pairings

RATING: G.

STATUS: SEQUEL to "HELL"

ARCHIVE: Yes. Just let me know where.

FEEDBACK: Welcomed.

EMAIL: AlisonMDobell@aol.com

WEBSITE: http://unilelu.net/Alison/Ali00.html

SUMMARY: "Jayne gets out of his prison. Shepherd Book

gets some answers and Mal is on the brink of an abyss."

The usual disclaimers apply. The characters and 'Firefly'

are the property and gift of Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.

No infringement of copyright is intended.

"PURGATORY RISING"

"Firefly" story

Written by Alison M. DOBELL

* * * * *

It was dark. Pitch black and seemingly deserted. Something near the ground moved like a shadow breaking away from the deeper darkness oozing around it. Coalescing into the crouched shape of a man. The figure froze, seconds widened into minutes with only the echo of silence to pool around him. After a few minutes the figure rose to its' full height, listening and stepping with care. There was no moon but the stars above his head were bright. Dim as it was he could at least make out shapes. With a grin Jayne Cobb shook himself and brushed off the worst of the soil clinging to every bit of him, every crease of his clothing and every inch of his skin. But he was alive and that gave him a chance to do what his friends surely could not. They didn't know where he was otherwise he would have been rescued by now.

On that sober thought Jayne moved from shadow to shadow, using the change from dim light to dimmer to give him some advantage should the area not be as deserted as it appeared. He could not afford to make any mistakes. Unarmed, hungry, thirsty and mad as *diyu* he might only get one chance to do this right. He had to find Mal and somehow get them back to Serenity. It was the work of a few more minutes to confirm that he really was alone. Jayne felt his elation flat line and tried not to wo