There have been clues to the Prisoner's identity in the last four 'days'. Any guesses? A few people have gotten it right, but I'm not going to tell you who.

The first five 'days' can be found here:

Day 1. Day 2. Day 3. Day 4. Day 5. Day 6.

Thanks to Tamsibling for the beta.

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The Prisoner

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Day 7

Simon’s eyes crossed as he tried to sit up, but the fire that rushed through his veins as he made the attempt forced him to reconsider the motion. He groaned, whispering his sister’s name, as he rested his forehead against the cold stone floor.

“Still no questioning?”

Simon shook his head, trying to clear the foggy haze that had taken up permanent residence. “I don’t understand it.”

“When they break your body, your mind will quickly follow.”

Simon shifted position so that he could at least look in his cell-mate’s direction without craning his already bruised neck. “Remind me to ask you how you know this when I have regained the mental capacity to fully understand the explanation.”

The man’s lips thinned into a small smile that Simon could not see. “It is unusual that they seem to want to continue with the question-less interrogations.”

“It can’t be too amusing to see my head bounce off the stone floor day after day.” Simon said dryly, groaning as he tried yet again to sit up.

A deep chuckle was the only response for a moment. “They haven’t broken you, yet. You’ve still got a sense of humor.”

Simon groaned in response and closed his eyes, taking deep breaths to try and will away the pain. The gashes in his back and chest felt infected, and that would turn very dangerous if he didn’t get medical help soon. Lost in a diagnosis of his lengthy list of injuries, Simon almost missed his cell-mate’s next question.

“Who is she?”

Simon’s eyes snapped open and his breath caught for a moment. His voice shook as he asked, “Who?”

Simon could hear the man’s voice question as her name rolled off his tongue. “River.”

Simon swallowed thickly, not realizing he’d said her name aloud, and thought for a long, long moment, before whispering, “My sister.”

~*~

River was standing on the ramp as it lowered, her eyes darting around the landscape for any surprises. There was no Alliance presence here, but that didn’t keep her from worrying that something might go wrong. Her hands clenched and unclenched and her stance betrayed her readiness to get moving; to retrieve her brother. They had waited long enough.

They weren’t close. Not yet. But they were close enough to get the information required to free him. It had come at a high price, but what didn’t when one wanted access codes to a secure Alliance facility.

“No, and that’s final.”

River didn’t bother to turn around. She knew the voices. There wasn’t anyone on the crew who would let Kaylee accompany them on this mission, even if she wasn’t emotionally involved with the man they were trying to rescue.

“It ain’t fair!”

“There’s a lot of go se in this ‘verse that ain’t fair, lil’ Kaylee. This is just one in a long ass string of them.” Mal continued his journey across the catwalk above, glancing briefly down at River as he moved.

“I wanna go with you.” Kaylee followed on his heels, her much shorter legs skipping down the steps and keeping stride with the Captain.

“No.” Mal turned around and addressed her directly. “Don’t go askin’ again. It’ll be the same answer.”

River turned then, as Zoe and Jayne approached from opposite directions, their weapons strapped and ready, and touched Kaylee’s arm. “Need to wait here. Have to keep the ship ready so we can take off as soon as we get back.”

“Promise me you’ll get what you need.” Kaylee’s eyes pleaded with River’s for reassurance.

“We’ll get it,” River said, forcing herself to push out the words. It wasn’t a lie. They would get all the intel they needed to infiltrate that place. And they would bring Simon back; alive or dead.

TBC

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