The Return Home – Part 15

Wash and Inara stayed on the bridge to keep an eye on any activity and frankly both were glad because they didn’t want to see what was going to happen to Forbes. Inara knew Mal had no mercy with those who crossed him or were his enemies and she knew Forbes was never going to leave Haven or even stay here alive. Wash was a pilot, not a soldier or a man of action, and even though he himself had killed on occasion, he didn’t have the stomach for it. Like Simon had said, they all had their roles to play, and Wash was glad his was on the bridge. Kaylee normally wouldn’t want anything to do with questioning prisoners either but if Forbes knew something about her father, she had to find out.

As they came into the cargo bay Kaylee saw the Colonel, tied and chained to the stairs, surround by the guns of some of the few Miranda survivors like Jayne had said, a bloody bandage on his right side.

“Greetings,” he growled at Kaylee as she silently looked at him, the huge Reaver less fearful in the light of the cargo bay, wounded and in bonds.

“Hello,” she said quietly. “Guess shoe’s on the other foot now.”

“Yes, I am now your prisoner.”

“Enough chitchat with him, Kaylee,” Mal said as he came down behind her.

“Capt’n, what’s gonna happen to him?”

“Drummond lives, he gets the cure.”

“And if he doesn’t?” Colonel Hopkins asked.

“We ain’t at that bridge yet,’ Mal said. “But when I make a promise I aim to keep it if can.”

No one knew what he meant and Mal didn’t say it out loud but he intended to let the Colonel go, cure or no cure. Mal reasoned that the Colonel was an enemy of the other Reaver leader and if the Reavers were at each others throats the less likely they’d be attacking human settlements on the Rim. But if he told the Colonel he was letting him go, the nearby Miranda people would have a fit and most likely look to kill him right away or later, especially if Drummond died. Drummond’s serum only worked for 24 hours anyway and Mal needed to have a talk with his peo