The Treasure of Lei Fong Wu

Chapter Twenty Nine

“River?” Simon called out, his voice anxious with worry, as his sister came into the cargo hold, crowded with large metal cylinders, with Johnny and Kaylee flanking her. Kaylee looked stricken, and Johnny looked determined. River looked dazed, but no more than usual. Simon strode up to her and whisked off the baseball cap she wore, handed it off to Johnny without a glance, handed his medical case to Kaylee, and examined River’s face carefully.

“River, are you all right?” he asked, breathless. “Wash said that there had been – that something had happened!”

“I’m shiny,” she assured. “No physical damage, no emotional trauma, and mentally speaking I’ve had more disturbing times with my breakfast cereal,” she said, confidently. Once Simon was himself assured that she was unhurt, he swept her into a big hug.

“There was a man, a cop, I think,” Kaylee said, distressed. “Oh, Simon, I’m so sorry! I said I’d protect her, but I never thought anyone would come for her here, ‘cause no one knew we were headed here, but there was and—”

“He was a bounty hunter, I think,” added Johnny.

“But he just burst into the store with a gun and started screamin’, an’ River was tryin’ to tell me that he was comin’ but I just thought she had gone all cuckoo again because of the subliminals and the pheromones—”

“Simon,” River croaked under his embrace. “You’re . . . crushing . . . me . . .”

“Oh, sorry,” he said, letting her breath. He looked at Kaylee, eyebrow raised. “Subliminals? Pheromones? Just what kind of store did you take my teen-aged sister to?” he demanded.

“Shoes! I swear, it weren’t nothin’ illicit! Just shoes!” she said, thrusting her new pumps at him to demonstrate.

“It was horrible,” Johnny said, his face grim. “Everywhere you looked, there was . . . shoes. In all sizes. Enough to keep a woman busy for . . . for weeks,” he said. Simon gave him an extended look, then turned back to Kaylee.

“She said he – this man, this bounty hunter