Inferno – Chapter Thirteen

I do not own Firefly, nor any rights to it, at all. I write only for fun, and not money.

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Jayne and Liam worked their way through the rubble to a spot mere feet from the slaver shuttle. Even as they watched, two men emerged, dragging a struggling woman between them.

Jayne glanced at Liam, and was surprised to see a look of fury on his face. He reached over to touch his arm lightly, and Liam jerked at the touch. Jayne placed his finger to his lips, then held up the same finger. Be quiet, wait. Liam nodded.

Kid musta had a run-in with slavers, somewhere, Jayne decided. He turned back to the shuttle. Presently the two men emerged again, going straight back into the building. Jayne looked at Laim.

“No telling how many are on that shuttle,” he whispered. “Those look like the same two we saw earlier to you?” Liam nodded.

“Okay then,” Jayne decided, “let’s introduce ourselves.” The two men erupted from their hiding spot, covering the distance between them and the shuttle in seconds. Jayne looked at Liam, nodded, and turned the corner, heading straight into the shuttle.

“Who the hell are. . .” a man standing in the entrance demanded, but cut off abruptly as Jayne introduced him to Vera’s stock.

“Harry, what’s got you. . .” another man started, walking into the entrance, only to meet Liam Greggs’ hard fist. The younger man caught his victim as he folded up, lowering him to the ground without noise. Jayne nodded in approval.

They quickly bound and gagged the two men, depositing them in a small storage compartment. They might run out of air, but Jayne wouldn’t waste much time crying over slavers. He motioned to the passageway, and he and Liam started up. A quick search of the bridge proved the ship to be otherwise unmanned. Satisfied, they moved to the shuttle’s cargo bay.

Jayne was appalled by what he found. Women, children, and a few men, were all crammed into the small hold, often piled atop one another. He heard Liam growl softly, and turned to him.

“Keep a