“You’re a gorram fugitive,” Mal accused. The astonished man stared back, frozen by Mal’s intrusion. He knelt next to Anna, a vial and a full syringe in his hands. Mal took those details in for a fraction of a second, then grabbed him by the collar and flung him bodily out the door. He stumbled into Zoe who thrust him towards Jayne. Jayne shoved him to the ground. He crawled back on his hands as Mal menaced him again.

“After all you done, you got the gaowan to sneak on my ship, terrify that poor girl into attackin’ you, and then murder your wife to make it look like she did it? You are one sick son-of-a-bitch. I oughta shuffle you off right now.” The steel in his voice was matched with the click of the hammer as he pressed the gun to Wray’s forehead. Wray stared past the barrel with desperate eyes.

“Captain, you’re making a mistake.”

“What, that ain’t really your wife? Zoe, get the doc,” Mal said, his sights never wavering.

“Mal, what are you doing!?” Inara demanded, the voices drawing her from her room.

“He’s wanted by the Alliance. Saw the bulletin myself. So how does a man get a million credit bounty on his head? Steal Academy secret weapons?”

“What?”

“Did you say a million credits?” Jayne asked. Zoe hustled down the stairs with Simon in tow, and Kaylee right behind him. Simon skidded to a halt.

“What’s going on?”

“River was right. Check on Mrs. Shen. He was about to stick her with somethin’,” Mal jerked his head towards the room. Simon stared at Wray for a moment, eyes hardening, before darting into the room.

“Captain, please listen. I’m not who you think I am. I’ve never met the girl before.”

“Funny, she seems to know you pretty well. Why don’t we just bring her on down here and you two can have a little chat.”

“She’s still sleeping as far as I can tell,” Simon called from within the room. “Her vitals seem fine. I don’t think he got a chance to inject her. It was as shot of Pescaline-D.” He emerged, holding the vial and syringe, mildly confused. Mal eyed hi