To Quote Inara

Chapter 9

The night of the capper had finally come. The crew of Serenity were prepared and Jayne was ready for his mission. There’d been a small change in plans, it was decided that Alexandria would accompany him and stay with the shuttle till they returned the next day.

At 10:10pm shuttle 2 lifted off and the nights activities began. Jayne flew right to the spot that he and Alex had landed two days before. In a short while there came the sound of a motor vehicle approaching. A fellow arrived in uniform, rather impressive….sharp looking and handsome. Jayne relaxed a bit.

“Hello, I’m Cecil.” The fellow shook Jayne’s hand.

“Jayne.” he replied.

After the introduction the man strolled over to the rover buggy and returned with clothing for Jayne.

“Here put these on.” He told him.

It was the prison guard uniform. After one last talk about the plan Cecil and Jayne packed into the rover and headed toward Betsville Holding.

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“ So, been here long?” Jayne asked the fellow.

“ Six months. I’m getting a little tire of it though. Getting ready to move on I think. This little bit of coin from Alexander and Alexandria will help me start off someplace new I hope. Spoke with a reverend today. He told me that the verse is a big place. May not be a good idea to only view it’s ugly side for to long. I’m thinking he may be right. Might take his advice, get out and see the worlds a bit. I donno, I’ll see what happens.”

The rest of the trip was mixed with small talk but mostly the two rode in silence. At the prison’s entry gate the vehicle was brought to a stop and Cecil and Jayne were passed through without problem. They parked the rover alongside several others then exited and headed toward a two story building one hundred yards from them and to the left of several others.

Lights were on in the second floor of the building.

“ That’s cell block A. That’s where Alexandria’s brother is being held in the sub-level area. See those windows……… those are the cells of the inmates below ground level.” Jayne’s partner informed him. “He’s in one of those.”

They stopped a few feet off center of the building.

“ There’s an entry hall to the left. Beyond that two doors and a gate. I’ll have to go up to the second floor and get a gate pass for us to enter. We have to return them each day before we leave. Go around the side there and wait for me. I’ll be back shortly.” He finished.

Jayne did as instructed and true to his word Cecil appeared with the card pass a short time later. He ran the card through the slot and the door creaked open. There wasn’t much light around the compound and this was a bit confusing to Jayne Cobb.

“ Well there are sensors all around the compound. They’re turned on at night. These uniforms are fitted with chips so that the sensors don’t go off. Anyone else outside the buildings will cause the alarms to sound.

They went down some steps to another door then around a corner to a gate. The gate pass let them through each time. Finally Jayne was faced with a long corridor with prison cells on either side. It was dark in there but there was enough light to see where one was going.

Cecil pointed, and in a low tone whispered.

“ He’s down there that way a bit and to the left. I’ve got to log in. Head on down there and see if you can find him. I’ll be back soon.” Then he left.

Jayne took a slow stroll down the corridor. He looked side to side viewing each cell. Nearly every bunk had someone in it. Things were very quiet. The incarcerated all seemed to be asleep. Finally he was near the end with only two cells remaining on either side. After that there was a walled hallway then some steps going up. As Jayne approached he noticed in the last cell on the left there seemed to be two people inside, one on the bunk and one at the bars starring out at him. The guy didn’t speak but did seem to have a funny look of delight upon his face. He kept winking at Jayne…..so strange. As Jayne drew nearer he notice the cell next to this fellow was empty. He looked closer and noticed a banner hanging up inside across the back. It read “ HAPPY BIRTHDAY” in big bold letters.

“ Who’s cell is this?” Jayne kinda half asked the inmate standing there.

He said nothing, only smiled.

Then Jayne heard a voice behind him.

“ Yours.” was the answer. There was a thud, a sharp pain at the back of his skull then all went dark.

End part 9

To Quote Inara

Chapter 10

Jayne awoke the next morning, head throbbing with an ache he hadn’t felt in a long time. He looked around and noticed that he was in a prison cell. Light from a high window behind him lit across some iron bars and it wasn’t until then that he realized that he was a prisoner.

With hand held to the back of his head he sat up and noticed Cecil standing there at the bars.

“ Well good morning Jayne.” He said with a wicked smile.

“ What’s going on?”

“ Well let me inform you. You’re in prison for attempting a jail break. Actually attempting is the wrong word, you were successful in springing your two buddies over there.”

He pointed to the next cell over.

“ Blinky and Stinky Houlihan escaped but as fate would have it you yourself got caught.” He stopped for a second, “ Yepper it was a terrible break-out. Your friends got away but me being the quick and dutiful government servant that I am………well I caught you, fought you and stuck you in here. I’m likely to get a commendation and extra credits for it.”

“Why?” Jayne asked. He felt like &^%$# (

“ Well it’s all in the planning. You see I’m not Cecil……. my name is Alexander, Alexander Leads.” He leaned in up close to the bars. “ Actually it isn’t Alexander Leads either. It’s William Leeds.”

Jayne ran the name through his head. He remembered hearing of a Billy Leeds…and he voiced those thoughts to the man facing him..

“ Billy Leeds, yes sir that’s me. Actually I shortened it to B.Leeds.”

“ Bleeds!” The light came on in Jayne noggin. He remembered a gang called the “Bleeds” and now he realized that he’d just been duped by the self same leader of that band of swash-bellies.

“Yepper the family disowned me some time back. Seems I get myself in trouble for them too much and too often. So my wife and I, that would be Alex over there commanding shuttle 2, we decided to straiten up and try leading the legal life. I became a prison guard for a few months while she hung around the parts shops taking in the new arrivals of spacecraft coming in every day. Course we never did intend to make this a way of life for us. We were just doing it until something better came along. A new opportunity, which now has happened.” He looked around a bit.

“ Ya see we intend to take your ship head off to a cleaner, better world and sell it when we get there. Before that though the ransom from Alex’s rich parents should arrive here at a secret location. Yeah that part is true. Also I got my uncle to send me bail money to help get me out of this place. He never suspected that I was a guard. Combining all of it together makes for a pretty decent payday……don’t you think?”

He didn’t wait for an answer.

Blinky and Stinky Houlihan have already put in a ransom request to Alex‘s parents and her folks are more than willing to pay to get their little girl back in one piece. Send some captures of those dirty old ruffians with Alexandria tied up and even I may be swayed to forward them some ransom cash myself.” He laughed.

“ You sadistic bastard!!” Jayne called as he lunged forward trying to get William Leeds by the throat.

To avoid this all Billy had to do was step back.

“ Temper, temper Mr. Cobb. The judge won’t like it to much if you can’t control yourself.”

Jayne relaxed a bit and Leeds continued.

“Yeah, you do have a date with the judge later this afternoon. I don’t think he’s been feeling good as of late though. Hung the last three fellows that were brought before him……and that was just for stealing food. Don’t know what he’ll do about someone who’s cut loose two of his detainees.” He shook with a false shiver. “ Dread the thought.” He chuckled.

He looked over and saw a figure standing in the dim light at the foot of the stairs.

“ Now there’s maybe someone that can help you.” He said to Jayne.

Glancing back over to the man at the stairs he voiced.

“ Reverend! I think this fellow may be in need of your assistance! Maybe he‘s in need of confessing his past monstrosities! Get things out of his system ya know!”

The man came forward into the light near Jayne’s cell.

“ How may I help you my son?” was his question.

End Block 5