“It ain’t gonna happen,” Zoe said flatly. “You’re not going in there alone.”

Inara’s voice bristled with frustration. “Zoe, I’ve been there before. Atherton’s security system is practically invulnerable. And he has a large contingent of very well-trained man who act as bodyguards at his offices and his estate. He’s a man who’s made enough powerful enemies to know that he needs good protection. He won’t let you through. But he might just let me get through.”

“Yeah, he might,” Zoe agreed. “But if he does, what’s to say he won’t just do to you whatever he’s doin’ to the Captain?”

Inara took a deep, cleansing breath. “I don’t believe he will. But in either case, I’m not going to stand by and let Mal die without even trying to do something. So, unless you have a better plan, I’m going in.”

“But didn’t River say the Cap’n was somewheres isolated?” Kaylee asked. “How will going to his estate do any good if’n the Cap’n ain’t even there?”

“I can persuade him to take me to him,” Inara said with certainty. “I know I can.”

Silence fell around the table for a moment as the crew thought about the implications of such a statement. To everyone’s surprise, it was Jayne who supplied the plan. “If Moonbrain’s right and Mal is somewhere out in the countryside, and Inara can get the hundan to take her to him, we might have our way in.”

“I can’t imagine Wing would be stupid enough to let Inara see where she would be going,” Simon observed.

“She wouldn’t have to if’n we could rig up some way to track her. Then, she gets to Mal and we follow. Prolly won’t be a big group of men guardin’ the place if’n it’s in the middle of nowhere.”

“That’s a lot of ‘ifs’, Jayne,” Zoe replied grimly.

“Well, let me give you one more,” Inara said decisively. “If we don’t do something soon, Atherton will kill him. Count on it.”

xxxxxxxxxx

The small room was filled with the sound of Mal’s shallow breathing and the constant whir of the recording equipment. Wing’s men had left for the night, placing the