The Last Spartan – Chapter Thirteen

Author owns no rights to Firefly, and receives no money for his efforts.

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Mal regained consciousness slowly, his head throbbing as he tried to focus his eyes. He remembered being hit from behind as he and Inara were. . .Inara!

Forcing his head up despite the pain, he was both relieved and afraid to find Inara sitting opposite him in a chair. She was tied to her chair, just as he was to his own. Her head was hanging to her chest, and he hoped she was all right.

“Inara?” he whispered. “Inara, can you hear me?”

“Awake are we, Captain Reynolds?” Mal’s blood froze at that. He knew that voice. He turned his head to see. . .

“Yes, it’s been a long time, Captain,” Atherton Wing walked into the room. “But I warned you then, I would have my revenge, did I not?” Wing walked over to Inara, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her head roughly up. She groaned in pain, still not fully conscious.

“And the beautiful Miss Serra as well,” Wing mocked, releasing her hair. Inara’s head flopped unceremoniously back to her chest. Mal’s rage flared.

“If you hurt her, I’ll. . .”

“Kill me?” Wing smirked nastily. “I doubt that. You seem to be unaware of where you are, Captain. Allow me to explain,” he said, taking a chair next to Inara. As he sat, he began to fondle her unconscious form, knowing it would add to Reynolds’ discomfiture.

“You are in an underground defense complex that was bought by a company of mine some years ago. It’s largely deserted, of course, as I rarely get over here. But it serves my purposes quite well from time to time. As you can see.”

Mal wasn’t listening as he strained at his bonds, furious at Wing’s groping of Inara.

“You needn’t bother, Captain,” Wing assured him. “You will not escape. As for Miss Serra, have no doubt, I will be doing far more than fondling her before I am through. You see, Captain, she is as much to blame for my anger as you. Thanks to her little ‘black mark’, I have been unable to contract with any Companion for q