The Treasure of Lei Fong Wu

Chapter Eight

River was soundly asleep, surrounded by her flock, when it happened.

Voices. In her mind.

Unfriendly voices.

She opened her eyes, immediately awake.

They were not here yet. But they were coming. She could feel them coming. Five of them.

Bad men.

She swept aside her flock and bolted out of bed in her nightgown – one of Kaylee’s too-big hand-me-downs – and ran to the door of her room without turning on the light. She cracked the door a hair, just to confirm what she already felt.

There they were. Five men. Four Sinic men in bad suits, garish ties, and uncomfortable shoes. The fifth man – he was the leader, she knew – was an Anglo who looked quite at home in his suit, even though he disliked the cut and color. He also disliked the four thugs in his employ. He thought they were incompetent.

They had dishonorable intentions towards the Captain. Even if they didn’t know him or know why, they aimed to do him harm.

She couldn’t allow that. He owed her. Four days.

He pinky swore.

Not making a sound she opened the door wider and padded across to the other hallway, unseen and unheard by the criminals who were searching for the Captain’s room. She was reeling, inside, and despite her own internal protests she was lighting up those areas of her mind that They had put there. The ones she hadn’t wanted. The special knowledge that seventeen-year old girls shouldn’t know. The ones They wanted her to have when they crafted her into a tool.

She made it to Zoe and Wash’s door without a sound and without being noticed – They taught her that, too -- and tapped quickly three times. She waited ninety seconds and repeated. She was about to do it again when Zoe answered the door.

“River. What is it?” she asked. She was naked. Her eyes were sleepy. They had just made love a while ago. Zoe had thought it was one of Wash’s better performances, although he lingered too maddeningly long on the foreplay. She smelled of sex and whiskey and