WASH: CONNECTING FLIGHT

by AintWeJust

Chapter 5 -- Cleared for Departure

Synopsis: It's the end of the beginning of Wash's "maiden voyage." Most of the crew still needs rescuing, and their only hope is ... the Hero of Canton?

Jayne took stock of what he could see on the store's shelves, then turned back to look at the "kill zone."

'Probably shouldn't oughta call it that, not even in my head,' he thought sourly. 'Anybody gets hisself dead 'cause I wasn't careful, Mal's gonna be powerful angry, even if I save his captainy ass.'

The mercenary sighed. 'Still, it makes sense, sorta. I could git away with killin' Niska, maybe. After all, he is breakin' the law. But killin' some passing rich folk is only gonna make things worse. I don't want Feds anymore than Mal does, and that's a fact.'

Jayne set his jaw and stared at the group across the way. 'Ain't enough of a break in the crowd to shoot in a straight line. And I need to take down Niska and his people fast enough to keep 'Nara safe. That means I needs somethin' automatic, so I can fire more shots in less time. And it's gotta have stock tranks in the load set, or somethin' like 'em. I can't be makin' custom ammo here.'

"Hey," he said in a loud voice, his eyes never leaving Niska. "You got a second floor in this place?"

The merchant shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir, but everything above shop level is support machinery and storage."

"No high ground, then," Jayne muttered. "And no gorram windows, anyway." The mercenary thought some more, then turned his head and checked the inventory again.

Something clicked behind his eyes, and he grinned.

"I'm seein' some Riggs & Murtaugh small arms. Revolvers and such," he said, walking back towards the counter. "But I ain't seein' any of the bigger pieces."

"You mean hunting rifles, sir?"

Jayne snorted. "Yeah, hunting rifles. Somethin' for bigger game." His eyes narrowed slightly. "Like maybe the Interceptor."

The merchant's jaw drop