The five men stood with eyes locked, only Inara’s sobbing broke the silence. Bo reached for his rifle but froze as he felt Skoal’s mind slam into his.

‘You make a move boy and her brains will cover that pretty door there.’ Came the abrasive thought that echoed with the man’s voice.

‘Let her go Skoal. She has nothing to do with you and me, or what you did to me.’ Bo replied.

‘No, but she has to do with me and the captain here.’ The large man laughed in Bo’s head.

Jayne moved first. His knife came up and flew toward the young man that had followed Skoal into the room. The young man moved deftly out of the way. Behind him the knife thudded as it buried itself into the wood wall.

“Do that again and the little lady dies, got me big man?” Skoal snarled as he tightened his grip on Inara.

Mal dropped the shotgun to the floor. It went off, firing steel pellets across the room. A few hit Inara, but the scatter hit Skoal in the eye and the younger man in the chest. Before Skoal could react, Bo was on him. He slammed his elbow into the large man’s head, knocking him to the floor. Jayne pounced on the other man, but was tossed aside almost effortlessly. Inara screamed as she fell to the floor and the men began to fight.

“Mal! Get her out of here!” Bo shouted as Skoal’s fist connected with his jaw.

Mal grabbed her and half dragged half carried her out onto the lawn. Two ships sat on grass in front of him. The bodies of the guards and the owner lay underneath them, along with the bodies of more thieves that had come to take the dagger. He helped her into one of the ships, then followed and began to set coordinates. He looked on the radar for Serenity, but she wasn’t where she was supposed to be. About a mile over their heads the boat was flying away from the house, two fighters in pursuit.

Back in the house, Bo and Jayne fought for their lives. Jayne’s right eye was blackened and bleeding, but his opponent had two broken ribs. Bo was moving as he had upstairs, avoiding heavy blows and dealing as many as he c