Law of the West : part 5 final

Morning came to the sleepy little backwater town of Barron Belly. Course when people did get up there was plenty of excitement to go around. There was a hanging scheduled for that day. There was cheer in the air just like a holiday.

Malcolm sat in his cell. His hands formed around his throat.

“ This necks to pretty to stretch.“ He said to himself.

He looked over at Jayne who lay there snoring without a care in the world. Course not, his noggin wouldn’t be swinging at the end of a rope later in the day. Holy mother of clam chowder, the finish of Mal’s existence would end in a dung heap like Barron Belly. He could hardly stand the thought.

Mal could hear the banging of wood being nailed together right outside of the bank door in town center. Whatever Kaylee and the crew had planed they’d better get it done quick.

The minutes ticked away like hours. Jayne had awakened but there hadn’t been much to say between the two cellbirds. Just then they heard.

“……………..and it better hold up!”

There was a voice at the jailhouse door. It was Ned and he was talking to someone on the outside. He came in and greeted the two, Shady and Grady who’d been left there for guard duty the remainder of the night.

After a while Ned walked over to the cells.

“ What’s the last request you want for breakfast?” He asked

“ Well I’ll have eggs with a couple slices of bac……………..” Jayne was saying

“ Not you! “ Ned and Mal both were looked at him.

“ Don’t guess I really want anything.” Mal said.

“Ok,” Ned looked at his watch, “ You’ve got thirty minutes.

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The time slipped away just as the dry, sandy roads of Barron Belly would run through somebody’s fingers. There were things going on outside but Mal couldn’t tell what was happening. All that copper still sat on the table. They sure hadn’t been in a hurry to put it away. Maybe this was just an elaborate trap. Something put together to catch folk like himself. It had worked. Mal had taken the bait hook, line and sinker.

Jayne walked over to his side of the bars.

“ Mal I just want you to know, it’s been good…….. being part of your crew.”

Looking over at the big burly man Malcolm Reynolds could see that there was nothing but genuine honesty in his words. He said nothing but smiled a little smile at Jayne. Ned appeared at the doorway. “ It’s time!” He said. He unlocked Mal’s cell door and with the assistance of Perry, escorted a handcuffed Mal to the jailhouse door.

Stepping from the doorway Malcolm could see a wooden structure had been built twenty feet from the banks entrance. Perry and Ned stood beside him, Grady and Shady stood near the gallows. Judge Bailey was up on the structure by the noose, and there looked to be a crowd of about thirty people gathered around. Thank goodness there were no children.

Ned walked Malcolm over to the wood built frame and followed him up the rickety steps. He stood next to the Judge as Slipknot Bill pulled the rope around Malcolm’s neck.

Looking down Ned notice that there wasn’t a trapdoor for Mal to stand on. Only an opening strait to the ground.

“ What the hell is this? Where is that half-ass builder?”

“ Cool down there sheriff.” Bill told him, “Got Nicholas and Slim going down to the Pitch Forward to bring back a couple of whiskey barrels for him to stand on. Gonna use a horse to pull them away when the time comes.”

Ned still wasn’t happy but he quieted down.

“ Mr. Head…..got any last thoughts? Want a preacher to speak over you before…..well you know?”

“ No thanks!” Malcolm said.

“ A preacher?” Ned said, “ We haven’t any preachers here local?’

“ That fellow over there said he’d do the deed.” Bill said pointing across the street.

There stood Shepherd Book all decked out and collared. The Good Book held firmly to his chest.

“ I already checked Ned. Got a wave. The guys on the level.” Bill continued.

“ Dammit” Mal thought. “I did it again.”

A rope was thrown around and tied to the top barrel, then hitched to a horse forty feet away. George was ready for a slap to the horse’s rump and Mal was instructed to step onto the surface top of the whiskey barrel. He did as told.

He looked over to Slipknot, “What no hood?”

Bill gazed over to the condemned man, smiled “No!”

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There’s a saying that one’s life flashes before one’s eyes at the moment life is surrendered. Malcolm wasn’t quite there yet. But he was thinking about it. To see his mom one last time, to tell Inara things he wanted to say. To tell each of his loyal crew that he would never trade their moments together………he wished, but knew he didn’t have time for all that. He took a deep breath then readied himself.

Off in the distance there came the crack of gunfire to his left. The crowd ran screaming and hollering. The marshals on duty turned to face the threat. Judge Bailey turned and signaled George to swat the animal. The barrel pulled sideways and Malcolm Reynolds fell. There was a jerk, blue sky, then darkness.

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Where does one go when one’s life ends? Malcolm didn’t know. In fact he knew nothing. For a time he may have been floating, he wasn’t sure. There was some noise then he realized he should open his eyes. He lay on the floor of Serenity’s cargo bay. Simon was there looking after him and he could see River up on the catwalk. There were all these faces looking down at him. Kaylee, Zoe, Book, Inara and Jayne. It was a beautiful sight. But with Mal, he always knew when something was amiss.

“ Where’s Wash?”

“ He went to pick up Jessica, he’ll be back shortly.” Kaylee said.

In an hour most of the crew were gathered in the galley. Mal’s throat was a little sore but other than that he was fine. Book had returned with a glass of water for the captain.

“So, see any angels while you were away? Any heavenly bodies? We’d like to know.”

Mal looked at him, “Thanks for the water preacher, but no.” He said. “I didn’t see angles.”

“ What about devils then.” Book shot him a smile.

“ Nope! Well only now.” He teased the preacher. “ But the thing I am curious about is what in the hell happened!”

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As Mal Reynolds lay dangling from the rope around his neck, Zoe had started a commotion westward at the edge of town. Immediately the lawmen of Barron Belly brought all guns against her, trouble was they weren’t sure of her position.

Book had slipped across the street and taken out George. Grady and Shady had moved up the street to get better aim at the shooter and Nicholas and Slim had been sent around the outskirts of town to flank the unknown assailant. That left Ned, Perry and the Judge. Wash had flown in with Serenity and with the transports thrusters laid waste to the whole structure Mal was hanging from. The whole thing crumbled into a pile of wood right before Book came to get him out. Simon was dropped off and freed Jayne from his cell.

There was such confusion that the three remaining lawmen had sought shelter and new vantage points while Wash turned Serenity this way and that so that several buildings collapsed, obvious carpentry work of prospector Jack.

They were laughing about it now but each knew how close they’d come to losing the captain. They all said little prayers. All but Mal of course. Book knew he still had work to be done there.

In a while Wash came down from the bridge. He’d set a course for off world and shortly they were joined by Jessica.

Kaylee’s cousin was a pretty girl just the same as the ship’s mechanic. Jayne was already thinking of a possible hook-up.

“Well where is it all?” The young Jessica asked.

They all stopped and looked at her. “ What?”

“ The bars from the bank! How much did we get?”

“We didn’t get any child!” Book said.

“ We’re lucky we got out with our necks!” Mal chocked through.

“You mean to tell me that you didn’t bring any of those boxes onboard………that prospector Jack got them all?” She was flabbergasted.

“ That’s right! We didn’t know it, but why should we care if Jack got all that worthless crap?” They asked her.

“There’s a silver mine just east of Orville mountain. It ain’t much known but the Feds use copper to sometimes conceal the silver contained within the bars. Those boxes contained silver, plated over with copper in them.”

The whole of Serenity’s crew jaws dropped.

“You’re meaning to tell me that the boxes I seen in the back of the hovercraft prospect Jack stole were all of those boxes………the whole shipment? The Feds don‘t send four extra marshals to guard six boxes of copper!” Jessica uttered.

The galley of Serenity was very quiet for a long time after that.

Later, Kaylee made her way back to the engine room. Hanging on a bolt near her hammock was the bag she’d had when she’d went to visit Jayne and Mal in the jailhouse. She pulled it free of the bolt and it hit the floor with a clank. Kaylee reached inside and sure enough she and pulled out a solid bar of SHINY bright copper. Well it wouldn’t be solid copper.

“ I might just get me that dress I been wanting back on Persephone.” She said with a smile.

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And what of prospector Jack? Jack knew of the silver found next to Orville mountain. He’d been the one that found it. He was soon conned out of his claim by government and the local officials and had vowed to get what was rightfully his….. He’d decide to wait his time and take revenge by Making Barron Belly the worst built town in the universe. Now though he found himself on a hovercraft, headed for the other side of Harvest, his vehicle heavily laden with boxes of copper from the Orville mines. He’d buy himself a ticket and get off this planet, but what else would he buy. He looked off in the distance and noticed a transport ship leaving Harvest behind. A Firefly, yeah maybe he’d buy himself one of those too.

END