*** Apologies for the delays in posting this. Real life and work took time away from it. Enjoy.

River’s Run – Part 15

River and Zoe were under the guns of at least twelve men who appeared to be under the command of Laurence Dobson, the same Laurence Dobson they thought dead by the bullet of Mal. Having been dropped off on Whitefall by an Alliance FTL Firefly where they had been knocked unconscious and taken prisoner, Zoe and River went searching for a Cortex screen to contact Serenity. Now Zoe had four guns pointed at her no more than few feet away and at least eight guns were pointed at River from the high wall surrounding Dobson’s compound. And now Dobson surprised them by wanting to know where Mal was.

River stretched out her mind and in a second knew all there was to know about Dobson, at least in the present. He was in pain, his artificial eye not set right, and he was under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or more than likely both, and wasn’t thinking clearly. He blamed Mal for his predicament, and he wanted revenge.

“Simon can fix it,” was all River said and Dobson was taken aback and then he smiled in an awful leer.

Dobson walked out a few more steps from the compound, his one good eye looking River up and down where she stood with her arms raised.

“I know you can read minds,” he said in such a low voice that River barely heard him and she was sure Zoe and the men heard nothing.

“Yes, I can,” River replied, talking quietly. “You are in pain and you blame the Captain.”

“Is he near? Is Serenity nearby?”

“Close,” River said. “We just need a Cortex screen to call it. And then he will come.”

“Reynolds? Or your brother?”

“Both.”

Dobson grimaced. “Why are you here? Where is Reynolds?” This was said in louder tone, so all could hear.

“None of your gorramn business,” Zoe said with scorn and looked to River and then back to Dobson. “And ain’t no way in hell we’re telling you where the Captain or our ship is!”

“You will tell, willing or not,” Dobson said slowly. “Serenit