Chapter Three: I Need To Know

Mal, Zoë, Wash and Jayne all walked up the ramp into Serenity's cargo bay.

"Wash, get ready to leave as soon as everything's loaded," Mal instructed. Wash nodded and hurried up to the bridge.

Kaylee walked down the steps into the cargo bay and asked, "We leaving soon?"

Mal nodded, "Soon as everything gets loaded, we're taking off."

"Shiny," Kaylee said. She turned and headed toward the engine room. There were a few things she needed to get taken care of before they left.

"Wait for Adam here," Mal instructed Zoë. "And let me know when he gets here."

"Sir?" Zoë asked.

"Just let me know when he gets here," Mal said, giving her a look that said they would discuss it later.

Mal walked through the cargo bay and into the infirmary. Simon was sitting in front of a screen entering some information.

"We're taking on a passenger to Beaumonde," Mal said.

"Alright," Simon said, surprised. Ever since he and River had joined the crew they had rarely if ever taken passengers on. There was always the chance that one of them might recognize him or River. "Who is it?"

"Wash's brother, Adam," Mal said. "We're giving him and his cargo a ride to Beaumonde." He looked around the infirmary, "Might be a good idea if you and your sister lay low while he's here."

"But if he's Wash's brother, shouldn't he be trust-worthy?" Simon asked.

"I'm not locking you in your bunks for the whole trip, just try not to draw any attention to yourself until we know more about him."

"Right," Simon said. He was confused. If the passenger was Wash's brother, why didn't Mal trust him? And since when did Wash have a brother? True the crew of Serenity tended to keep quiet about their pasts but Simon thought that if Wash had any family, he would have mentioned them.

"Just lay low," Mal instructed. "And try to keep your sister under control…well more under control than normal."

Simon nodded and headed towards the passenger dorm where River was sleeping. The new medication that he had