Chapter 11
A/N: Apologies in advance for any minor spelling errors in this chapter if they exist, I'm having to rush it out somewhat without checking it much because of personal reasons.
The visions are back. The Reaper's screaming and rage penetrating deep into my skull and brain, the images of Protheans burning into my eyes, DNA strands rotating hypnotically as visions flash past and the human figures rise and fall in battle. The strands rotate faster and faster, a flash from what looks like a Mass Relay fires, and the DNA atoms drift further and further apart…
"Ian, are you alright? Can you hear me!" I burst back into consciousness, jolting straight upright in the bed. Shit, where am I? What's going on? Garrus is standing next to the bed, mandibles widened in a look of huge concern. Oh yeah, I moved in with Garrus, didn't I. Just relax, it's a vision, it can't hurt you…much.
"I'm fine," I reply, clutching my head. Fuck, those visions really mess with your mind, and give you the mother of all headaches in the morning. "Just a bad dream…that's all."
"That's the worst dream I've ever seen someone have," Garrus says, sceptically. "You were having muscle spasms, and your face was all screwed up like you were in pain or something." Yeah, that sounds about right. I didn't know the visions were giving me external symptoms, though. "You sure there's nothing wrong?"
There's plenty wrong, but unfortunately nothing I can really tell you about. "I've been having trouble sleeping since I left Earth." That's technically true, I suppose. "Crap, I didn't wake you up, did I?"
"Don't worry about it," he sighs, sounding relieved that I'm okay. "I don't sleep that much anyway. As a species, turians don't need that much rest."
"Yeah, well, humans do." I barely stifle a yawn. "What time is it?"
"It's just gone six. We need to set off for the office in about," he glances at his omni-tool, "ten minutes."
Wait, what? We have to go already? Right, I hate my job. I normally don't like to be up before eight o'clock, at the earliest!
"Is that a joke?" He shakes his head, grinning. "Fine. Give me a few minutes to get my stuff together. Any chance for some food?"
"Dextro-amino only." That's really getting on my nerves. It would be so much simpler if we all had the same DNA structure, but no, the universe loves diversity so fucking much. "Relax, we'll get something on the way to C-Sec."
We'd better, or I'm going to be a very sad panda. And a very hungry panda, for that matter. I wonder what you can get for breakfast around here, though if I can order pizza I'm sure I'll find something to my liking.
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Twenty minutes later, we're walking out of the levo-amino food store. Garrus is already clutching a similar looking burrito thing to what he had yesterday, and chugging a bottle of Tupari he'd brought from the apartment. Apparently, he loves the stuff, considering the only drinks I could find in the kitchen were some wine (best he can afford on a C-Sec salary, I imagine) and a shedload of sports drink. Each to their own, I went for coffee this morning since I'm absolutely shattered. I take a sip. Holy shit, that's really bitter…although a salarian made it, so it shouldn't be a huge surprise that he probably made it to salarian tastes. At least the roll I managed to get is pretty tasty, though bacon tastes a bit different to what I can remember, but I'm not complaining. It is food, after all.
"What's that you're eating?" Garrus asks, small smile on his face.
"Oh, just a bacon sandwich. You got them back on Palaven?"
"Sandwiches? Yeah, we've got something that looks similar to that." He throws a glance at my roll, then sniffs the air. "What did you say was in it?"
That's weird, I didn't have Garrus down as the forgetful type. "Bacon. Why, you like the smell?" Understandable if he does, considering dextro-amino stuff smells so good to me.
"No, I just think it smells more like varren than anything else." He sniffs again. "Yeah, that's definitely varren, not this bacon thing you were talking about. You sure you picked the right sandwich?"
I look pointedly at the packaging, and the word 'bacon' stares back from the label. Oh, that fucking salarian bastard! I've already eaten three quarters of the damn thing! I toss the roll into the nearest bin. Right, that's pissed me off. Garrus, on the other hand, is pissing himself laughing.
"Laugh it up, Garrus. You could have mentioned it before I ate most of the thing!"
"Just trying to broaden your horizons of food from different cultures. I hear it's a delicacy for krogan." Oh, that makes it okay then! "Besides, you seemed to be enjoying it. Didn't want to spoil your breakfast."
"Right, your intentions were completely noble. Of course."
"Like I said, you were enjoying it." He crosses his arms. "Why do you care so much that it was varren?"
Shit, that's an excellent point. In hindsight it was actually pretty tasty, though now I'm thinking about Urz, the varren you can have follow you around on Tuchanka, and I'm feeling a bit guilty… "That's not the point! The salarian lied to me!"
"True," Garrus replies with a shrug. "But you found some new food you enjoy. Isn't that worth it?"
Bloody hell, I hadn't expected this to turn into some philosophical discussion. "Yeah, I guess, but it doesn't make it right for the salarian to lie," I point out. "The ends don't justify the means."
"Not necessarily," Garrus says, in a way that can only be described as mysterious and a bit sinister. Of course, Garrus has always seemed to think the ends justify the means, displayed by his antics on Omega in a few years time. Let's hope Shepard can talk him round… "Well, let's go check if Pallin's been true to his word."
We've arrived at C-Sec. Garrus sure wasn't lying when he said he lived close to C-Sec, the walk's been about five minutes excluding my food stop. Oh yeah, Pallin was supposed to be assembling a squad for us. If he's lied and been playing us I'm not going to be happy, that's for sure…
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Okay, so Pallin didn't lie to us. We've got the six officers he sent in the Investigations office while Garrus and I talk them through the plan. There's four turian officers, and two human officers. I'm surprised Pallin ordered humans on something this important, maybe he's doing it to placate me? Eh, it's not important.
"We're going to split into four teams of two, and each team will interview a quarter of the suspect list. The detective and I have split the list into four groups of suspects that live near to each other, and you've each been assigned a group that I'm uploading to your omni-tools now." Everyone in the room checks their omni-tool, bathing the room in a dull orange light. "Anything to add, Ian?"
"Remember, this isn't an interrogation. Check alibis, see if they know anything, but no violence and now excessive force. Just talk to them politely and see what they know and where they were at the times of the killings. You got all that?"
All the officers nod. "Then what are we waiting for? Head out, and good luck."
Garrus waits until they've all left. "We should go too. You sorted the lists so we got the high priority suspects, right?"
"Yep." Yeah, Garrus and I decided it would be better if we took the suspects most likely to be the killer. There's no-one I trust more than him with this, and I think the feeling's mutual. "Get the cruiser. It's time we started to finish this."
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We've been through about seventeen of twenty-five suspects, and so far we've got nothing. All the elcor have had watertight alibis, which admittedly isn't a bad thing because it's narrowing it down. Unfortunately, it also means we haven't found our killer yet, and I'm starting to get a little bit concerned that we've either missed some vital clue or the real killer isn't on our list. Still, no choice but to press on. Who's next on the list…the apartment we're standing outside is huge, even bigger than Garrus's place which I thought would be hard. Then again, elcor probably need a lot of space to live, so it shouldn't come as too much of a shock. The guy's name is Caltan Xenvalis, according to the list he's a junior elcor ambassador, but he's been caught trying to use diplomatic privileges to smuggle tainted eezo in some scam. No major supplies, but enough to pick up C-Sec attention.
"Looks like the elcor pay their politicians well," Garrus says admiringly, eyeing up the apartment. "This probably cost more credits than we'll earn in our lifetimes."
"Is that a credit to how much he earns, or how little we get paid?"
He frowns, flaring his mandibles. "Both, I guess." He reaches for the button to buzz Caltan's apartment, and an elcor answers almost immediately.
"State your business."
Garrus takes the lead. "We're from C-Sec. My partner and I would like to ask Mr Xenvalis a few questions about a case…"
"Annoyed: Mr Xenvalis is extremely busy and does not have time to answer petty questions."
"We're investigation a serious murder case in Tayseri Ward, it would be extremely helpful if he could just spare five minutes of his time…"
"Increasing frustration: Like I said, Mr Xenvalis is busy and has no legal obligation to answer your questions. Good day, officers." The line dies, then suddenly flickers back on as a slightly different monotone speaks.
"Apologetically: Excuse my secretary, officers." Ah, this must be Caltan. Looks like our questions are going to be answered after all, though I'm sceptical to how good these answers are going to be. If elcor politicians are the same as the Council, there's going to be a lot of evasive wordplay, something we don't really have time for. "Please, come in."
I've got a reallllly bad feeling about this.
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The interior matches my expectations. There's not much in it, but all the furniture (tables, desks, the like) are absolutely massive. Much like Caltan Xenvalis himself, who towers over me, and even Garrus has to take a few steps back to see the ambassador's face.
"Warmly: Welcome to my house, officers. Curiously: What can I do for you?"
Ah shit, talking to elcor was never going to easy or fun. That monotone is slowly starting to bore into my brain…if I talk maybe it'll put me off his voice. Yeah, that could work.
"We're inquiring into a murder case, sir. There's been a string of murders in Tayseri Ward and we've managed to determine an elcor is behind them, but we don't have a DNA match."
"Tersely: Are you trying to imply something, officer?"
Yes, I am, but I can't actually say that, can I? Screw it, I'll stop trying to be discreet.
"We're checking elcor with criminal records, and your name came up on the list. What my partner and I need to know is: where you were at the times of the murders?" He's not going to like that…but then political word-games were never exactly my forte.
"Furiously: How dare you insult a member of the elcor government with your questions. I have been in diplomatic meetings all week."
Garrus steps in, probably to try and be the voice of reason. "Can anyone confirm your presence at these meetings? And what were they about? We need to know as a matter of procedure," he says apologetically. It does nothing to placate Caltan, of course.
"Angry rebuke: My superiors do not have the time to waste with your questions, and the subjects of the meetings are highly classified. I suggest you and your partner leave now to avoid any further ambassador. How dare you try and suggest I am someway involved in murder and illegal activity."
Shit, this isn't going anywhere. Time to cut our losses and move on elsewhere. "Thank you for your time," I say, a little sarcastically, while backing out the door with Garrus following suit. "You've been very helpful."
"Irately: I will be reporting this to your superiors in C-Sec. An investigation into an elcor official? This is an outrage." That seems to be something of a favourite saying of politicians around here…
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"Like hell was that elcor ambassador in meetings all week," I say to Garrus, back in the Investigations office at C-Sec. The other elcor we interviewed turned up blanks, all of them had alibis as well, and the other teams say they've got some small leads to chase up. Pointless, because I'm almost certain Garrus and I have found our man.
The turian looks over, flaring his mandibles in surprise. "What makes you think that?"
"Think about it, Garrus. His secretary tells us to piss off initially, yet as soon as you mention Tayseri Ward and murders he's inviting us into his office. I mean, he wouldn't do that unless the case is of extreme personal interest to him in some way."
Garrus looks thoughtful. "Go on…"
Oh, you don't need to prompt me mate. "He's been in classified meetings all week, which we can't confirm his presence at and he won't disclose what they're about? And when we left he said something about us investigating murder and illegal activities. And I'm pretty damn sure I didn't mention illegal activity. I'll bet the only business he's been doing this week is the organ trade!"
"Look, it sounds plausible, but we can't bring him on that. It would be pathetic, even if he wasn't a pretty high up elcor official! We can't just go arresting ambassadors without something completely concrete, something that irrefutably proves him guilty!"
Already ahead of you, Garrus. "Then we follow him until he slips up. All the murders happen late on in the evening, and I bet if we tail him we can find out what he gets up to. Five hundred credits says it's not elcor government business."
He sighs, shaking his head. "No way. Pallin would never allow it, we're probably already in trouble for investigating him in the first place!"
"Who said we were going to tell Pallin?" I say with a smile. Come on, Garrus, I know you don't mind breaking the rules for justice!
His expression shows he's torn between staying at C-Sec and going on our little rogue mission… "What if it's not him? What if we get found out and it's all for nothing?" he finally asks, after a long silence.
"Come on, Garrus, we both know it's him! Don't you trust your partner?"
Another long silence. After what seems like an eternity, he looks at me, mandibles widened in a smile.
"I assume you've got some kind of plan, right?"
I grin back. "Don't I always?"
A/N: It is on! Next chapter should be the confrontation between us and the elcor, and it shall be suitably epic…expect a chapter a little longer than usual.
Of course, that means it's going to take a little while to write, and I have no free time for a few days (family and friends, isn't real life a bitch?). So, I'll keep you in suspense with the next chapter update
Oh yeah, super special thanks to justsomebody2 this chapter, for inspiring me with the elcor interview section (I know I said I'd use your exact dialogue, but it didn't work out. I'M SORRY!) and for being this story's official fangirl. She's awesome.
Until next time…