Archangel – Chapter Nineteen

Author owns no rights to Firefly and no copyright infringement is intended.

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Jasmine Carter had seen the trio of Cobb, Tam, and Frye emerge from an alleyway with Reynolds’ first mate, Washburn. She had crept across to the alley and surveyed the damage. She shook her head at the carnage.

Cobb is definitely dangerous, she thought, not realizing that River was responsible for half of it. She hurried away, lest she be caught there.

The man who had fled returned shortly with a large group of men, all rather dirty, she noted, dressed mostly in animal skins.

“Right here, Rye,” she heard the runner say. “Just walked up on us, and waylaid us.”

“Who was it?” she heard the man called Rye demand.

“Ain’t never seen’em a’fore,” the man admitted. “Don’t think they’s from around here,” he added.

“Means they’s on one o’ them ships,” Rye jerked his head toward the landing area. He turned to his men. Carter guessed there were thirty in all.

“Spread out,” he ordered tersely. “Somebody seen where they went. Want’em dead. Can’t have this. Folk’s here’bouts’ll start gettin’ idees. Ain’t havin’ it.” The men all growled in acknowledgment, and started moving up and down the street.

Carter had seen enough. She hurried on her way back to the ship. She had to warn the crew.

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River sat up suddenly, alert. Jayne noticed from his spot across the bay, and eased his arm from around a sleeping Kaylee.

“Reporter returns,” River hissed. “She hurries,” the girl added. “Fearful.”

Jayne nodded, and slipped silently out the door, away from the ship. If the girl was being followed, he’d take care of it.

Carter hurried up the ramp, starting when River was suddenly standing in front of her.

“Where’s the Captain?” she asked at once. “There’s a large group of rather unsavory looking men who are rather upset over their dead friends.”

“What is it?” Kaylee sat up, cold without Jayne’s bulk to wrap into, and awakened by Carter’s arrival. “Where’s Jay