The Gun Counter

Lambs to the Slaughter

***Firefly is not my IP it is the property of Joss Whedon, and whoever else owns the rights. Just having fun here.***

Enjoy.

Chapter 2 is under way.

Here's a sneak peek.

[spoiler]“Who are you really Mr. Book?” The waitress asked.

He smiled, showing well cared for teeth. “I can neither confirm nor deny my identity.”

“So you’re a closed book then?”

He chuckled and ran a hand through his dark hair, with just the slightest hint of gray. “You might say that.”

“Why did you take me with you?”

He fiddled with a couple of switches on the panel. “You killed a man back there.”

“An evil man.”

“Yes but just because he was a very bad man doesn’t change the fact that you shot him in the face in front of a room full of people who know you.”

Pei frowned, she hadn’t ever killed anything other than flies, the reality of her situation came crashing down and pressed on her shoulders. “Why… why did you get me involved?”

Book put the ship on autopilot and unlocked his chair, swiveling it toward her. “I am sorry, but you were the one who decided to liberate the man’s head from his shoulders.” He sighed, “Had you not killed him you could have returned to your job and…”

Pei slapped him. He saw it was coming but did nothing to stop her ineffective attack. It stung a bit.

“No you Goram assassin! When you decided to kill those bun tyen-shung in my restaurant, you put me in the front row seat. You made me deliver that bomb!”

Book smiled which infuriated her more. “Yes I gave you a front row seat, but you were the one who decided to climb up on stage. I’m sorry this happened to you, but you chose your own path. I did not make you pull those triggers. You wanted Slim dead, why else would you give him both barrels.”

Pei knew he spoke the truth; she buried her head in her hands and sobbed. Book put a hand on her shoulder and she shrugged him away. “Touch me not!”

The assassin turned back to his console and fiddled with the navigation computer for a while. He wondered what he was thinking bringing the waitress along he should have left her to sort out her own problems. She would complicate… things. Perhaps he could get rid of her on Persephone. He pulled out the specimen sample vial he had filled with a bit of Slims brains. His employers required proof of each hit. If he killed someone halfway important on a core world he wouldn’t have to do anything. The news feeds would provide the required proof. But on a hole of a world something a bit more substantial would be required.

According to the files provided by his handlers, this Slim Tony had once been a Federal officer. The Alliance didn’t like its soldiers going AWOL and becoming brigands. Once he had been located it was only a matter of time before Book or one of his fellow operatives would be sent to eliminate the offender.

This hadn’t been a large job, but it wasn’t ever really about the pay. Book thrived on the pursuit. He felt the most alive when he was tracking down his prey.

He glanced over at his passenger; she had quit crying and was staring out at the stars. “Beautiful aren’t they?”

She said nothing, but had to admit the stars were breathtaking against the black. For a brief moment she almost forgot her sorry situation. After a while Ju figured she continue wallowing in self pity or find a way out of it.

“So, Mr. Book where are we going?”

“I have business in Persephone. You’ll probably be able to find work fairly quickly.”

“What kind of business?”

“None of yours.”

Pei didn’t feel like playing his little games. “Oh I see. You need to report back to your boss about your job. And you’re just going to dump me as soon as we make landfall.”

“If you’d rather get off before then the airlock is that way.”

“Is that some kind of threat?”

Book shrugged, “I don’t make threats. Pei, I have the latitude to cause a certain amount of collateral damage when required. I could shoot you, discard your lifeless corpse and sleep like a baby afterwards.” He flipped a red switch on the control panel. “You helped me eliminate Slims gang and I appreciate it, that’s why I didn’t leave you to rot in a work camp, or dank cell.”[/spoiler]

Chapter 2 is up

So we get to see a bit more of both characters, including the ship they'll spend the next week on.

Lambs to the Slaughter chapter 3 is up.

Enjoy!

Oh and standard disclaimer. The universe created by Joss Whedon "Firefly" is not mine. I'm just playing in his sandbox.

Chapter 4 is now up for your reading pleasure.