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toxic_cornSeries: Persephone
Title: Chapter Two (2/7)
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Firefly is owned by Joss Whedon. I own nothing, sadly.
WARNING: This deals with some dark subject matter that may not appeal to everyone. Also, this is an AU where River never went to the Academy and Jayne never joined the Serenity crew. So if you're really into canon, this fic is not for you.
Summary: River and Jayne in the blackout zone and we meet Jayne's accomplice.
Notes: Written as a gift to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sandwch__zombie. Here's to you, sweetie!
Chapter one can be found here.
CHAPTER TWO
River led the way into the dark, eerie building, hyper-aware of the man behind her who held not only her life in his hands, but her brother’s life as well. She looked around desperately but like he’d said, there was no one there to help her. Something told her that if there had been, they would’ve looked dispassionately on.
Humans could be such a cold species.
The building seemed to be deserted and the man impatiently nudged her in the back.
“I don’t know where I’m supposed to go,” she snapped at him.
“To the right,” he growled. “First door leads to a flight of stairs.”
Her fear had faded somewhat over the course of a few minutes. She was now sure that he had no intent to kill or rape her. When she had suggested such a likelihood, he’d gotten angry, almost offended that she’d think him capable of such a thing. Apparently, the old saying about there being no honor among thieves was incorrect.
When she reached the door, she opened it and found the staircase led down and not up as she had assumed.
“A subterranean hideaway. You must be a traditionalist.”
“Just shut up and move, girl.”
There was no light so she had to make her way down slowly, careful not to take any missteps. She’d hate to survive being kidnapped just to tumble to her death because she was being careless. What a downright stupid way to die.
At the bottom, the man nudged her again. “Left.”
Holding her hands out in front of her, River went left and it wasn’t long before her fingertips brushed a wall. The man grabbed her hair and held tight, making her hiss in pain.
“Don’t move,” he snapped and started fumbling in his pocket. She heard the sound of a key in a lock (how he managed to find it in the dark was anyone’s guess) and he tugged her into a room where he flicked on the lights.
She blinked in pain until her eyes adjusted to the illumination. Then she was able to get a good look at her surroundings.
“This isn’t quite what I was expecting,” she said.
The room was furnished, though sparsely. There was one unmade twin bed set close to the wall with a dresser the foot of it, a little refrigerator stood under the tiny covered window, and a card table with three chairs was placed in the center of the room. A door at the far end of the room led to a little bathroom with what looked like only a shower and a toilet, a cot folded up pressed to the wall. Rugs had been thrown along the cement floor. It wasn’t the dank, leaky, rat-infested hole she’s envisioned.
“Sorry it ain’t exactly a four-star hotel,” the man snarled. “Get on the bed.”
River swallowed and stared up at him in alarm. Perhaps she’d read him wrong?
“I ain’t gonna do anything, just get on the gorramn bed!”
Shaking, River did as she was told. She watched the man stalk over to the dresser and pull out two sets of handcuffs.
“Lay down, arms out,” he muttered.
River carefully laid back, yanking her skirt so that it covered more of her legs and then raised her arms over her head. The man stared at her a moment and she turned her face away, which suddenly felt uncomfortably warm. She knew what kind of picture she must make.
Wordlessly, he cuffed her hands together and then looped the other set of cuffs around the chain and one of the metal rungs of the headboard. He gave it an experimental tug and grunted in satisfaction as the cuffs held. Continuing to ignore her, he pulled out one of the folding chairs and held the walkie-talkie up to his mouth.
“No!” River exclaimed, starting to struggle. “I’ve done everything you said, please don’t kill my brother!”
He frowned at her in confusion for a moment before remembering his earlier threat. “Oh. We don’t got your brother, I was bluffing.” He pressed one of the buttons. “Axe man, this is Canton Hero, over.”
River stared at him in stunned disbelief. “You…”
“Hello, Jayne,” a cool voice crackled over the radio.
The man hunched over the radio and turned his back to River but she could still hear him when he growled, “Yer s’posed to be usin’ my code name.”
“I don’t have time for games, Cobb,” the voice rejoined, sounding bored. The man called Jayne hissed out a string of curses at the use of his surname but the other party didn’t hear it as he asked, “Have you got the girl?”
“Yeah, she’s here.” Jayne looked over his shoulder at her and she gave him the nastiest look she could muster up.
“Excellent. Meet me at our rendezvous point in an hour.”
“Over and out.” Jayne turned the walkie-talkie off and set it on the table. He then went to the bed and reached under it, pulling out a quilt and pillow.
River watched him through narrowed eyes and when he was close enough, she lifted her feet and kicked him in the stomach as hard as she could. “You bastard!”
“Ooof!” Jayne hit the ground, clutching his gut and was at the perfect level for her to draw her foot back again and get him in the face, splitting his lip.
“How dare you?!” she screeched.
“Crazy… little… bitch!” Jayne puffed out as he struggled to breathe.
“You made me think my brother was in immediate danger! I never would’ve cooperated with you otherwise!”
“Was the… point.” He glared at her and struggled to his feet, dabbing at his lip. “You ever do anything like that again, I’ll-”
“What? Kill me?” She glared right back. “Go ahead. You’d be doing me a great favor.”
Jayne growled. “No. I’ll make good on that threat on your brother’s life. And this time I ain’t bluffing.”
All the fight went out of River and she sagged on the mattress, turning her face away from him. Her life was as good as over if anything ever happened to Simon.
“You through? You gonna be kickin’ me again?”
“No,” River said, weakly.
Jayne stepped closer, cautiously. “What was that?”
“I said no,” she repeated louder, voice shaking. “I won’t try to fight against my captor anymore, all right? Animals trapped in cages always resist, I don’t know why you’re so surprised.”
She didn’t look up when she heard him come even closer but jerked when he tossed the quilt over her. Confused, she looked up and their eyes locked for a moment before he glanced away, tucking the covering closer to her body.
“Gets kinda chilly in here,” he muttered. “Want the pillow?”
“Yes, please.” The manners that had been ingrained in her at an early age felt strangely out of place here, but his sudden charity had surprised her and falling back on early behavior patterns was an instinctive reaction.
“Here, lift your head.”
She did and he leaned over her to slide the pillow under her head. His girth and proximity made her shy away in alarm and he jerked back quickly once the pillow was in place.
“I’m gonna change first then I’m leavin’ for awhile. I’ll be back in maybe two hours.” He went to the dresser and pulled out some cargo pants and a t-shirt. “Don’t bother screamin’, no one’s gonna hear ya and you’ll just strain yer voice.”
“Jayne.”
He didn’t look at her but paused in the doorway to the bathroom. “Yeah.”
“What’s going to happen to me?” River tried to keep the quiver out of her voice but didn’t have much success.
“Nothin’. If you go along with us, you’ll be home ‘fore ya know it.” He shut the door behind him, effectively ending the conversation.
River stared at the wall and heaved a sigh. “Promises, promises.”
~*~
The bar he usually met Hatchett at wasn’t too far from where he’d stashed the girl. Jayne frowned thinking of her. Before he’d left, he’d asked her if she was hungry and if there was any particular food she wanted him to pick up. Not that she’d get it, but some input here and there wasn’t too much to ask. But she hadn’t answered.
Fine by him. He wanted burgers and if she didn’t like it, that just meant more for him.
Hatchett was already at the corner table when Jayne dropped into his chair. The man practically reeked of money. Jayne figured a fancy gent like him must’ve got himself into a heap of trouble to be involved in a scam like this with someone like Jayne.
“Cobb,” Josh said, putting out his cigarette. “How’s the girl?”
“Fine. You call her daddy yet?” Jayne wanted to get paid sooner rather than later.
A big smile spread across Josh Hatchett’s face. He was a good looking guy who never went long without a woman but there was something about him that set Jayne’s teeth on edge. “Oh, it’s a little soon for that, don’t you think?” he asked, lightly. “By now, Gabriel Tam probably thinks she’s at the library or out with some of her girlfriends.”
Jayne’s eyes narrowed. “She doesn’t have friends. I should know; I’ve spent the last week following her to get her routine down like ya said.”
Hatchett waved dismissively. “Whatever. I’ll give it time, let the old man worry. It’s more fun that way, huh?”
“You are one sadistic hundan, you know that?” Jayne snorted, shaking his head.
“Now, now. Is that the way to speak to your employer?” Hatchett downed the rest of his drink and slammed the glass down. “You might hurt my feelings. Who knows what I’d do then?” He stood up to slip on his jacket. “I’ll call you when it’s time for the next step, all right?”
“Yeah, sure. See ya, Josh.” Jayne raised an arm to signal the waitress.
“Not if I see you first,” Hatchett replied with the ghost of a smile. He left a few bills on the table and damn near strolled from the room.
Jayne pocketed the money as he watched him go. Something felt wrong here, besides kidnapping a young girl for ransom. Hatchett wasn’t letting him in on something. No doubt this deal was going to go sour.
Maybe River Tam would be the one to pay if or when the bad went down.
< Chapter One : Chapter Three >
Title: Chapter Two (2/7)
Author: Toxic Corn
Rating: R
Disclaimer: Firefly is owned by Joss Whedon. I own nothing, sadly.
WARNING: This deals with some dark subject matter that may not appeal to everyone. Also, this is an AU where River never went to the Academy and Jayne never joined the Serenity crew. So if you're really into canon, this fic is not for you.
Summary: River and Jayne in the blackout zone and we meet Jayne's accomplice.
Notes: Written as a gift to
sandwch__zombie. Here's to you, sweetie!Chapter one can be found here.
River led the way into the dark, eerie building, hyper-aware of the man behind her who held not only her life in his hands, but her brother’s life as well. She looked around desperately but like he’d said, there was no one there to help her. Something told her that if there had been, they would’ve looked dispassionately on.
Humans could be such a cold species.
The building seemed to be deserted and the man impatiently nudged her in the back.
“I don’t know where I’m supposed to go,” she snapped at him.
“To the right,” he growled. “First door leads to a flight of stairs.”
Her fear had faded somewhat over the course of a few minutes. She was now sure that he had no intent to kill or rape her. When she had suggested such a likelihood, he’d gotten angry, almost offended that she’d think him capable of such a thing. Apparently, the old saying about there being no honor among thieves was incorrect.
When she reached the door, she opened it and found the staircase led down and not up as she had assumed.
“A subterranean hideaway. You must be a traditionalist.”
“Just shut up and move, girl.”
There was no light so she had to make her way down slowly, careful not to take any missteps. She’d hate to survive being kidnapped just to tumble to her death because she was being careless. What a downright stupid way to die.
At the bottom, the man nudged her again. “Left.”
Holding her hands out in front of her, River went left and it wasn’t long before her fingertips brushed a wall. The man grabbed her hair and held tight, making her hiss in pain.
“Don’t move,” he snapped and started fumbling in his pocket. She heard the sound of a key in a lock (how he managed to find it in the dark was anyone’s guess) and he tugged her into a room where he flicked on the lights.
She blinked in pain until her eyes adjusted to the illumination. Then she was able to get a good look at her surroundings.
“This isn’t quite what I was expecting,” she said.
The room was furnished, though sparsely. There was one unmade twin bed set close to the wall with a dresser the foot of it, a little refrigerator stood under the tiny covered window, and a card table with three chairs was placed in the center of the room. A door at the far end of the room led to a little bathroom with what looked like only a shower and a toilet, a cot folded up pressed to the wall. Rugs had been thrown along the cement floor. It wasn’t the dank, leaky, rat-infested hole she’s envisioned.
“Sorry it ain’t exactly a four-star hotel,” the man snarled. “Get on the bed.”
River swallowed and stared up at him in alarm. Perhaps she’d read him wrong?
“I ain’t gonna do anything, just get on the gorramn bed!”
Shaking, River did as she was told. She watched the man stalk over to the dresser and pull out two sets of handcuffs.
“Lay down, arms out,” he muttered.
River carefully laid back, yanking her skirt so that it covered more of her legs and then raised her arms over her head. The man stared at her a moment and she turned her face away, which suddenly felt uncomfortably warm. She knew what kind of picture she must make.
Wordlessly, he cuffed her hands together and then looped the other set of cuffs around the chain and one of the metal rungs of the headboard. He gave it an experimental tug and grunted in satisfaction as the cuffs held. Continuing to ignore her, he pulled out one of the folding chairs and held the walkie-talkie up to his mouth.
“No!” River exclaimed, starting to struggle. “I’ve done everything you said, please don’t kill my brother!”
He frowned at her in confusion for a moment before remembering his earlier threat. “Oh. We don’t got your brother, I was bluffing.” He pressed one of the buttons. “Axe man, this is Canton Hero, over.”
River stared at him in stunned disbelief. “You…”
“Hello, Jayne,” a cool voice crackled over the radio.
The man hunched over the radio and turned his back to River but she could still hear him when he growled, “Yer s’posed to be usin’ my code name.”
“I don’t have time for games, Cobb,” the voice rejoined, sounding bored. The man called Jayne hissed out a string of curses at the use of his surname but the other party didn’t hear it as he asked, “Have you got the girl?”
“Yeah, she’s here.” Jayne looked over his shoulder at her and she gave him the nastiest look she could muster up.
“Excellent. Meet me at our rendezvous point in an hour.”
“Over and out.” Jayne turned the walkie-talkie off and set it on the table. He then went to the bed and reached under it, pulling out a quilt and pillow.
River watched him through narrowed eyes and when he was close enough, she lifted her feet and kicked him in the stomach as hard as she could. “You bastard!”
“Ooof!” Jayne hit the ground, clutching his gut and was at the perfect level for her to draw her foot back again and get him in the face, splitting his lip.
“How dare you?!” she screeched.
“Crazy… little… bitch!” Jayne puffed out as he struggled to breathe.
“You made me think my brother was in immediate danger! I never would’ve cooperated with you otherwise!”
“Was the… point.” He glared at her and struggled to his feet, dabbing at his lip. “You ever do anything like that again, I’ll-”
“What? Kill me?” She glared right back. “Go ahead. You’d be doing me a great favor.”
Jayne growled. “No. I’ll make good on that threat on your brother’s life. And this time I ain’t bluffing.”
All the fight went out of River and she sagged on the mattress, turning her face away from him. Her life was as good as over if anything ever happened to Simon.
“You through? You gonna be kickin’ me again?”
“No,” River said, weakly.
Jayne stepped closer, cautiously. “What was that?”
“I said no,” she repeated louder, voice shaking. “I won’t try to fight against my captor anymore, all right? Animals trapped in cages always resist, I don’t know why you’re so surprised.”
She didn’t look up when she heard him come even closer but jerked when he tossed the quilt over her. Confused, she looked up and their eyes locked for a moment before he glanced away, tucking the covering closer to her body.
“Gets kinda chilly in here,” he muttered. “Want the pillow?”
“Yes, please.” The manners that had been ingrained in her at an early age felt strangely out of place here, but his sudden charity had surprised her and falling back on early behavior patterns was an instinctive reaction.
“Here, lift your head.”
She did and he leaned over her to slide the pillow under her head. His girth and proximity made her shy away in alarm and he jerked back quickly once the pillow was in place.
“I’m gonna change first then I’m leavin’ for awhile. I’ll be back in maybe two hours.” He went to the dresser and pulled out some cargo pants and a t-shirt. “Don’t bother screamin’, no one’s gonna hear ya and you’ll just strain yer voice.”
“Jayne.”
He didn’t look at her but paused in the doorway to the bathroom. “Yeah.”
“What’s going to happen to me?” River tried to keep the quiver out of her voice but didn’t have much success.
“Nothin’. If you go along with us, you’ll be home ‘fore ya know it.” He shut the door behind him, effectively ending the conversation.
River stared at the wall and heaved a sigh. “Promises, promises.”
The bar he usually met Hatchett at wasn’t too far from where he’d stashed the girl. Jayne frowned thinking of her. Before he’d left, he’d asked her if she was hungry and if there was any particular food she wanted him to pick up. Not that she’d get it, but some input here and there wasn’t too much to ask. But she hadn’t answered.
Fine by him. He wanted burgers and if she didn’t like it, that just meant more for him.
Hatchett was already at the corner table when Jayne dropped into his chair. The man practically reeked of money. Jayne figured a fancy gent like him must’ve got himself into a heap of trouble to be involved in a scam like this with someone like Jayne.
“Cobb,” Josh said, putting out his cigarette. “How’s the girl?”
“Fine. You call her daddy yet?” Jayne wanted to get paid sooner rather than later.
A big smile spread across Josh Hatchett’s face. He was a good looking guy who never went long without a woman but there was something about him that set Jayne’s teeth on edge. “Oh, it’s a little soon for that, don’t you think?” he asked, lightly. “By now, Gabriel Tam probably thinks she’s at the library or out with some of her girlfriends.”
Jayne’s eyes narrowed. “She doesn’t have friends. I should know; I’ve spent the last week following her to get her routine down like ya said.”
Hatchett waved dismissively. “Whatever. I’ll give it time, let the old man worry. It’s more fun that way, huh?”
“You are one sadistic hundan, you know that?” Jayne snorted, shaking his head.
“Now, now. Is that the way to speak to your employer?” Hatchett downed the rest of his drink and slammed the glass down. “You might hurt my feelings. Who knows what I’d do then?” He stood up to slip on his jacket. “I’ll call you when it’s time for the next step, all right?”
“Yeah, sure. See ya, Josh.” Jayne raised an arm to signal the waitress.
“Not if I see you first,” Hatchett replied with the ghost of a smile. He left a few bills on the table and damn near strolled from the room.
Jayne pocketed the money as he watched him go. Something felt wrong here, besides kidnapping a young girl for ransom. Hatchett wasn’t letting him in on something. No doubt this deal was going to go sour.
Maybe River Tam would be the one to pay if or when the bad went down.
< Chapter One : Chapter Three >
