CM2.09 - Everything Under Control

Jayne pauses, eyes wild, for just a moment. Vilmar adjusts his one-armed hold on her, dropping his other gun to do so; he's got her locked into him now. He turns to Rusty, but Rusty has gone spread-eagled, still on the floor. Vilmar expresses his approval of this by not shooting Rusty.

Aubrey is going to go into shock fast here. He's already gasping, looking down at the wound on his outer thigh. He grabs part of the sleeping bag he's sitting on and pushes it against the wound. "Don't kill me! Don't kill me! Don't kill me!" But he's just whispering it to himself, as though he were alone in the room. Jayne is hyperventilating.

Knott purses his lips and pulls out something that looks a lot more like a syringe than that other thing he has. He crosses to Jayne and injects her upper arm with the syringe quickly, through her shirt sleeve. She quits struggling and slumps against Vilmar. Vilmar lets her slide to the floor.

Knott hands a second syringe and a bottle of what must be antiseptic to Vilmar. "Let's keep everything under control, shall we? Clean up after yourself, please." Vilmar keeps an eye on Rusty and moves to Aubrey. He forces Aubrey to lie down. He removes Aubrey's belt and pulls out a white handkerchief, using them to bandage the gunshot wound.

Meanwhile, Knott gets his sample from Jayne. Returns to his case. Removes the vial. Does his thing with it and the keyboard. "Let's see just who Miss Priss thinks she is...." His voice trails off.

"Oh, my. I see." Abruptly, he looks up, staring at nothing, stroking his chin.

"No, I don't see. This changes things, and the more I think about it, the more it changes things." Knott's demeanor changes. "Vilmar, let's pack up. I need to speak to Uncle Vito in person. We have to track her, and, just to be safe, him." He points at Rusty. "I can't find a thing on him. He's blank," he explains.

Vilmar takes the reloaded barreled syringe from Knott, but just looks at him.

Knott grimaces. "You're right. You're right. Track them all. But the boy you shot is worthless, as far as I can tell." Vilmar turns and jabs each of the kids once more, in turn.

Uncle Vito's personal assistant packs his briefcase and closes it. Then he walks over to the prostrate Rusty and nudges him with his foot. "What's your name?"

"Rusty."

"Well, Rusty, your friends will be all right. The girl will wake up in about an hour with a headache. The boy will need to have his bandage changed whenever it gets bloody. We have injected all three of you with a few thousand nanotransmitters that will allow us to find you should we wish to recover you. I suggest, however, that you remain here until we return. It will make things much easier for everyone."

"Yes, sir."

"And I strongly recommend that you not use any of the computer equipment--it just wouldn't be safe. Terribly sorry about the handkerchief, Vilmar. I'll make it up to you. Let's go."

And they were gone.