Chapter 30: The Hard Choice.
The data scrolled across his monitor. It was difficult to believe. At first he wanted to question the validity of it. But that was a futile wish for he knew it to be true. The information broker from Illium that had passed along the details was trustworthy. His son was on the Citadel. Normally any parent would relish the idea of reuniting with their child estranged or not. But the reason why his only child was here was of grave concern. Thane admitted if only to himself it broke his heart. He had never desired nor wished for his son to follow him.
He had to stop Kolyat before he slipped into the battle sleep Thane had been in for so long before his beloved wife Irikah had awoken him. He did not want this for his son. He did not want him to slip into darkness.
To do this alone would be difficult but not impossible. His chances of saving his son were far greater if he brought in Shepard. She had the clearance that allowed her to move without impunity. It had been a long time since he had been on the Citadel, and he had not kept up his regular contacts. Shepard may not have the same underground ties as Thane once had, but as a Spectre she didn't necessarily need them. For the sake of his son's soul he would beg if needs be to the Spectre for her aid.
He radioed the CIC getting Kelly who told him that as far as she knew the Commander was still meeting with the Council, but if he wanted she could relay a message on her OMNI tool that he desired to talk to her. He thanked her and asked her to pass along the message and he'd meet her at Apollo's Café at her earliest convenience
Nearly two hours had passed before Shepard made her appearance at the café. Her first stop was to the counter not to inquire after her crew member but to take in a rare indulgence of a tall double caramel mocha latté with chocolate dust. The coffee on the Normandy was fine as coffee went but sometimes a girl wanted a bit more in the flavour department. While she waited for her order she spotted Thane sitting almost contemplatively in the corner booth on the balcony that overlooked the gardens below.
The gardens themselves seemed to be in a bit of a transition from what the Spectre recognized as flora from Thessia to some that seemed as if they came from Hawaii, Tahiti, the West Indies and Brazil. Shepard was no botanist, but she was positive some of the plants that were in the process of being installed in the planters definitely came from her people's home planet. Shoving the detail into the back of her brain as being not important she made her way to the meditative drell.
"Thane." she said his name softly as not to startle him though she was sure he already knew she was there when she had first stepped up to the counter. The man didn't miss much, if anything in his immediate area.
"Kelly said you needed to talk to me. She said you sounded a little troubled. What's going on? It's not your illness is it? Huerta Memorial..."
"No." Thane held up his mottled green scaled hand. "It is not my illness. Though I suppose that is a part of it. My mortality has me dwelling on things." he rose from the table and went to the balcony. He stooped his body to rest his elbows upon the balustrade. It seemed easier for him to speak if he was not looking directly at the woman behind him. "I had a family once. I still have a son. His name is Kolyat. I haven't seen him in a very long time.
Shepard wasn't so sure this conversation was for public consumption. But they were here now regardless. She padded up to his side and looked out over the garden, she kept her tone even and professional hoping her manner would help whatever it was Thane needed to get off his chest. "Did something happen to them?"
In equal delivery Thane simply said. "I abandoned them" he turned to meet his commander's eyes believing he'd see judgment in her blue eyes, instead he found blankness, her face gave no hint of what she was thinking at the moment. He supposed it was due to her Officer's Training.: give nothing away. He looked back to the garden. "Oh not all at once. Nothing dramatic. No sneaking out at the middle of the night. No final argument, or slammed door." he shifted his stance and placed his hands behind his back in a near proximity of parade rest. "I just did my job. I hunted across the galaxy. 'Away on business.' my wife would tell people. I was always away on business."
There was some glimmer at last in the eyes of the Spectre. Recognition, perhaps. She could probably relate more than most. Thane realized. She came from a career military family. Her mother always on duty, on tour on one ship or another. If Shepard wasn't with her she was with father on some space-station: same story. They might have been there physically but she was more or less abandoned too. Now her own wife is left on Illium pregnant with their child while Shepard hunted the galaxy.
There was recognition of his position in her voice too as she spoke. "How long has it been since you've talked?" She meant of course his whole family, not yet knowing the details of what had happened to them. He gave no sigh as answered. "Ten years. He showed me some of his school work, and asked me if we could dance crazy. He did that when he was younger."
There was a faint glimmer of a smile on the woman's lips, and more in her voice as she spoke. "What kind of dance is that?"
"It's..." Thane's green eyes hazed with the flash of instant recall: "I checked my extranet contacts. I expected updates on my next target. The console plays music. Old. unfashionable. Kolyat jumps into the room 'Hi Father!' flies around in circles. I scoop him up and toss him into the air. He shrieks. Laughs. 'Spin me!' The console beeps I put him down. Click the message. 'Father' he pleads. Tugs at my sleeve. I need to read this I say. I don't' look at him." Thane's eyes slip back to the present. There is shame in them. His voice too is with the now of time not locked in the memory fade.
"Why are you bringing this up now?" it sounded harsh she knew, but she needed context. "Did something happen to him?"
"When my wife departed her body—I attended to that issue. I left Kolyat in the care of his aunts and uncles. I have not seen nor talked to him since."
"That's not the choice I expected. Why didn't you raise him yourself?" There was no harshness in her tone this time. It was softer—
"My body is blessed with the skills to take life. The hanar honed them in me. I have few others." he took a breath. "I didn't want that life for Kolyat. I hoped he would find his own way. If he hated me, so be it. He would not have shared the path of sin." he shifted his stance so he was now facing Shepard, for this next part he had to. "I used my contacts, one of which is an agent for your wife. to trace Kolyat. He has become-disconnected. He does what his body wills."
He saw a flicker of confusion in her eyes before she said. "You'll have to explain that one to me."
Of all people he had hoped as a warrior and a bondmate to an asari she would have understood his premises. Perhaps he need only clarify for her to see the meaning behind his words. . "Our body is not our true self. The soul is. Body and soul work as one in a whole person. When the soul is weakened by despair or fear-when the body is ill or injured the individual becomes disconnected. No longer whole."
There was true dawning light of compression in Shepard's eyes. After the events that followed in the wake of her daughter's murder and the attempted assassination on her wife. Shepard had become disconnected. Her body made ill by the Cyan Syndrome that made her mind make choices or follow paths she may have never ventured if she had been whole at the time. Her soul darkened by inconsolable rage. Yes she knew well what it was to be disconnected.
"What's wrong with him? Is he hurt?"
"Something happened that should not have. He knows where I've been. What I've done. I don't know his reasons but he is here now on the Citadel. He has taken a job as a hit man. I would like your help to stop him. He is- This is not the path he should walk.
Shepard shook her head. "You don't hire a raw rookie for a contract killing."
Thane agreed. "I am afraid someone my have seen we share the same name and assumed we share the same skills. I don't know why he would accept the task."
Two possibilities popped into the Spectre's head. "To trade on your name to get hired or to be closer to you maybe?"
"That last thought haunts me more than any other."
"What made him come here?" she pressed.
"Years ago I prepared a package for him. A relic of my ill-spent life. I had volus bankers store it and arranged for delivery once I died. He acquired it early. I really don't know how. I did wet work on the Citadel around the time his mother died. That may be why he came here."
"Thane, barring Liara's network, I don't have your contacts and I don't have your tracking skills. Why do you need my help for this?" she said straight forward.
Thane almost sounded offended by the query. "I don't need your help. I want it." He took a breath. "The last time I saw my son...'they wrapped her body in the sea moss, weighted it with stones He tries to pull from me. Calls to her. The hanar lift her off the platform. They sing like bells, 'The fire has gone rekindled anew.' he begs them not to take her away. They let her body slid into the water. He hits me. 'Don't let them! Stop them! Why weren't you...' It rains. It always rains on Kahje. Warm water pours down his face." The memory fade stops and Thane is thrust back to the now.
Shepard looks away, pity touches her features. "I didn't mean to make you relive that. I'm sorry."
"Perfect memory. It is sometimes a burden." he said almost but not quite a jest.
She half smiled. "Alright let's do this. Garrus could be of help, or at least I know of a cop in C-Sec who might be of some aid. A guy named Bailey. He runs the precinct on Zakera Ward. Garrus used to work with him back in the day. Said he can be trusted. That's good enough for me. We'll go to him and find out what he knows. I was going to ask him about Goto any way."
Thane bowed his head. "Thank you Shepard." more than ever he believed her to be Siha, though he doubted he'd ever tell her the meaning of such a name
She nodded. "Of course." And only then did she take that first sip of a cooling cup of coffee.
ME~ME~ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME
Hiring one of the local taxies from a transport pad the commander contacted her XO to find out a bit more about Captain Armando-Owen Bailey before she spoke with him. She wanted to know how to deal with him. Was he another Executor Pallin or a Chellick or something other? She knew a lot of C-Sec cared little for Spectres and she wanted to know how much grief he was going to give her if any.
"Garrus, I need a SitRep for Bailey."
*Going to see him after all?*
"Yeah, so tell me what you know."
*He's a no-nonsense officer more interested in results than rulebooks or idealism.* Garrus said.
Shepard smiled. "A bit like you then,"
She heard laughter albeit a bit dry on the other end of the radio. *Maybe. But I've been accused of idealism on more than one occasion. More now that I've joined your crew. You have that affect on people, Commander. *
Now it was her turn to offer a humorless chuckle. "True, true. Tell me more about him."
*He is competent and impartial, if unorthodox. He has something in common with you too, Shepard. He was with the Alliance Navy for decade before he mustered out. I think its on account of his family. He wanted to stay in one place and its why he joined C-Sec. I think stationary life suits him.
*He's got Zakera ward, a hard place to run. Been a beat cop there for nearly two decades. He'll tell you himself that he runs a "rough and tumble precinct", believing that serious crime in Zakera Ward requires much effort to thwart. I don't know what he means, but I think I got the context when he likened policing the Wards to policing New York City. There are places like that on Pavlon so I knew what he meant.*
"Ah. Yeah. New York: a hard place, tough. Some districts tougher than others. So Zakera is the Bronx eh? Bet that means a tough hand when comes to the criminal elements amongst other things."
*If you mean Bailey's comfortable with beating suspects and accepting bribes, and is only tolerant of formality "until it stops people from doing their jobs" then yes, I'd say it is. I know he hates being a desk jockey. Like me he prefers to work the field. And like most cops he has a low opinion of politics and politicians. Doesn't trust them.*
"Who does? Not exactly a clean cop then?"
*Not exactly dirty either. Shepard there's a difference between being dirty and getting your hands dirty. Might be a thin one but there is a difference.*
"So he's not another Harkin? Sounds like he came in around the same time as that scuzz-bucket."
*Far from it. Harkin was dirty as dirty as they came. Bailey's pretty straight up on most things. His record is clean, just not too clean. You can trust him. I did when I served, I still do. He was one of the first humans I got along with. We saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things. He knows how to handle the things on the gray side a bit better than I do. Hell I don't even know what to do with gray.*
Though he couldn't see it, the Spectre nodded her raven head in assurance. "Thanks buddy. I have to go."
The Captain wasn't a difficult man to find. It turned out his office was just off the Ward Entrance. Shepard and Thane were stopped by a turian cop: a sergeant by the stripes on his uniform and his badge named him Haron. Her bio-scan blipped her Spectre status allowing her to pass with little trouble. Thane on the other hand took another full minute before he was permitted thought the gates.
"Sorry for the inconvenience Ma'am." Haron offered to the Spectre on hearing her sigh of contempt at being stalled.
The assassin scoffed. "They seemed to have stepped up some security measures but I counted fourteen flaws in their system that a skilled assassin can exploit, eight of them are still here from when I was here decade ago. C-Sec is not the best security in the galaxy regardless of their declarations."
The sergeant growled under his breath at the assassin's words yet passed them through with nary a word spoken.
Shepard smirked. "All security systems have flaws if you know where to look. Why do you think I need people like you and Kasumi on my team? With your skill sets the two of you breaking the security of the Collectors and exploiting their weaknesses may be challenging but not impossible."
Thane offered a very slim grin of appreciation.
Bailey was a man in is late fifties with a greying flattop haircut that was still as popular with the military crowd today as it was when it was first introduced back in mid Twentieth. Everything about him, his face, his posture even behind the desk screamed cop.
Only when he saw Shepard's shadow's pass over his desk did he look up, there was instant recognition of who was before him even before the she spoke. "Ah Spectre Shepard glad you have time to talk. I'm in charge of this precinct. Welcome to Zakera Ward. I'm Captain Owen Bailey."
She tilted her head and he spoke once more before she even had a chance to respond to his salutation.
"You know I read about your career. Trouble follows you." he held his hand up as if to stall any protest. "Not that I'm getting on your ass about it. You get things done. I respect that. If you're going after someone, tell me who and I'll get the civilians out your way and provide any information you need."
Shepard liked this guy immediately. "Good to hear. One of the reason's I'm here actually." Before she rattled off her request, she decided to use a bit of 'small-talk' to see just how this man thought. It was one thing to know about a man it was another to know him on a personal level.
"Looks like most of the damage from Saren's attack has been repaired." Shepard said looking out into the hive of activity beyond the station's threshold.
"The Presidium was pretty shot up. Of course they fixed that first." he sounded a little more disgruntled "But all the Wards got hit with debris when the ship exploded. Most of the damage was superficial and the Keepers got things restored fast. Tayseri Ward got hit worst. Big chunk hit near the Dilinaga Consort Hall. They're still clearing wreckage and trying to restore power there.
"All the Wards are more or less multicultural. Where the other four are dominated by asari, turian or salarian, in Zakera we have major enclaves of volus, elcor and hanar. There is also major human commercial zone near Shenakeba. We have a few krogan walking around and I saw a quarian the other day."
That perked Shepard's interests. She highly doubted Bailey was talking about Tali. "Hey do me a favour about the quarian." Shepard said. "They're probably on their pilgrimage. It's a rite of passage. They're probably just passing through. Quarian youths have to find something to bring back to the Flotilla—to the captain of the ship they wish to join as adults. Some kind of tech or knowledge, whatever is useful, could even be a new ship. There is what two used ship dealerships here?" At Bailey's nod Shepard continued. "Do this kid a favour and make sure they're not harassed too much."
"I'll make a note of it." Bialy said dismissively. "You seem to have a soft spot for these kids."
"They have it rough. Almost everyone thinks of them as thieving gypsies and suit-rats. I have the privilege of having one serving on my ship and she's never run better."
"Hell I can see that. No one knows ship maintenance better than the quarians. Look this kid keeps her nose clean I'll pass it on to my men she's just passing though."
Shepard saw why Garrus said this man was trust worthy. Hell she liked him. Now for the reason what she sought the police captain out. "My associate is looking for his son. We think a local criminal tried to hire him."
Bailey nodded look up to Thane who had not spoken since Shepard entered into congress with the Captain. "That shouldn't be too hard. We don't get many drell through here." He swiftly opened the record files and typed in drell into the search engine. "There we go ...one of my men reported a drell recently. And he was talking to Mouse."
"Mouse?" Thane said the name as if he recognized it. Even if he didn't Shepard sure as hell did. It was the name as one of Garrus's contacts. He was also the one that sold her XO and Chief Engineer the illegal VI of herself
"Petty criminal. Probably not the guy who hired your boy. Most likely a messenger. He's a former Duct Rat. He runs errands for anyone who can pay."
Shepard knew of the Duct Rats were what the poorer kids called themselves. Despite the dangers they hung out in the ducts. Sometimes their little bodies were broken by fan blades, killed by a dead fall, suffocated by the vacuum of space and those were just the ones C-Sec knew about. More just disappeared, some might have gotten sucked into space, or fell into the protean vats the keepers run. Garrus told her that Mouse had survived long enough that he couldn't fit in ducts anymore. He was one of the smarter ones or the lucky ones.
"What sort of trouble has Mouse gotten himself into?" Shepard asked.
"Doing odd jobs for shifty people. Duct Rats take whatever job becomes available to get by. Data running, fencing stolen goods, selling illegal VI personalities. Actually he was selling one of you." He looked to the Spectre.
Shepard grinned. "Yeah, I came across it. When you erased a file it's say, 'I delete files like you on the way to real errors."
"Yep, I always thought that was a bit extreme." the old man shrugged.
"Laugh it up Bailey." Shepard crossed her arms though there was a smirk on her face. "And for the record I've never said that. But yeah it sounds like something I might say on a bad day.
"Buggy as hell though, crashed every half hour. The error message was how the galaxy was at stake and you should fix the people yourself."
"Sounds like you own a copy." The Spectre said knowingly. Bailey only shrugged conspiratorially. "So where can I find Mouse?" She didn't say that the last time the kid came in contact with the crew of the Normandy it had been Garrus and Tali who spoke to him and his crew who had all taken the names of vermin. A tradition amongst the Duct Rats.
"He hangs out side the night club The Dark Star. He uses the public comm-terminal. I'd tell you pick up of a copy of the Shepard VI but sounds like you already have one." he turned to Thane. "Sounds like your boy is running with the wrong crowd."
The assassin nodded. "Yes I agree."
"If Mouse can't get you in touch with your son directly, he'll know who can. I'll help you if you needed it."
"You don't know us Captain. Why you going so far to help us?"
"I've worked Zakera for two years. Every day kids turn crime because they've got no other choice because their parents don't care. You're trying to save yours."
"He faces a dark path." Thane said grimly.
Shepard reached out and touched his arm. "We'll get him Thane. Let's go find Mouse." She dropped her hand and headed for the exit of the office. When they were clear of the facility Thane walked up to her. "You didn't tell the Captain, my son plans to assassinate someone."
Shepard shook her head. "He's a cop, he'd try to stop Kolyat and one or both could end up dead. Nobody wants that."
"Yes of course." Thane dipped his head. "Thank you Shepard."
Shepard inclined her head "Anytime. Come on, let's go. We need to find this Mouse guy."
ME~ME~ME~ ME~ ME~ ME~ ME
Mouse was where Bailey said he'd be, hanging out at the public terminal just outside Dark Star. A man-child of nineteen- maybe twenty years of age, scrawny and wiry, Shepard would have been surprised if there was any body-fat on the street kid at all. Though he didn't look malnourished as she might have first imagined him to be. She knew the kids he tended to look after the other Duct Rats were not so fortunate. His mousy-blonde hair looked bed-tussled and unkempt adding to his disheveled appearance. Purposely done or happenstance it was something that tended to work to the kid's favour. people didn't want to notice him the same way no one wanted to notices the homeless vet or beggar on the streets. You looked away or dropped a cred into their plastic cup without thought by reflex.
Garrus was right these unfortunate souls were the unseen and yet they saw everything. Was it any wonder he had cultivated a network amongst their kind. A man like Thane probably did the same. For a moment Shepard pondered the inception of a thought that Samara might have the same or at least know where to look and ask if she needed underworld Intel. How many information brokers utilized such a bountiful harvest of the unseeing but all seeing network of scraggly spies?
'A little bird told me…' had a whole new meaning.
As they approached they heard Mouse's end of a conversation. "I've got some quarians that can strip the copy protection. It just costs more. The package will be there don't worry…..Yeah sure, I can get you two cases by the end of the day."
'Bootlegged games or vids.' Shepard thought as she got closer. Pretending not to hear what she just had she called out to the young man. "You Mouse?"
He spun around, "What do you…" then jumped when he saw Thane "Shit Krios? I thought you retired."
The assassin shook his head
Mouse swallowed and looked at the speaker. He had the look of a man wanted to be anywhere even in a dentist's chair getting a root canal rather than be where he was. "Commander Shepard? Wh-what do you want with me?"
Thane took pity on the poor boy. "Be still Mouse. You can change your pants in a moment."
Shepard frowned a little. "How do you know Thane?"
"Krios? He didn't…ah…." he stopped mid sentence. "He didn't tell you?" his arms were folded defiantly over his chest. "If he didn't say nothen' I ain't either."
Thane ignored the bluster. "When I heard the name I didn't think it could be the same Mouse. He was a contact on the Citadel when I was active. He and some other children were gathering some information for targets."
"You too eh?"
Thane nodded. "Children, the poor. My people's name for them is drala'fa. They are everywhere, see everything yet they are never seen."
"Those were Garrus's reasons too." she said to her companion, then looked back to the kid. "Sounds like you get around Mouse. Garrus now Thane? You wouldn't happen to know any Justicars would you?"
Mouse opened his mouth then shut it then opened it again. "What's a Justicar?"
"Nevermind." she waved it off
Thane reached out and grabbed the younger male by the arm. "You gave another drell instructions for an assassination. Who is the target?"
Shepard made a show of cracking her knuckles as a preamble for the good cop bad cop theater the kid was going to need to open up.
Mouse shook his head frantically. "I don't know! I didn't ask. The people I work for…they can make me disappear. I'd like to help you Krios. You've always done right by us, but I ain't gonna die for you." he shook Thane's arm.
He was petrified. Fear could be more of a blockage than greed. Shepard upped the ante. Loyalty could move mountains…or very the terrified. "Look you know Thane. He wouldn't ask if it wasn't important. .Do it for him."
"I want to…He was always nice to us." his voice was weakening, as was his resolve. "But these people ain't nice. Krios" he was now whispering.
They didn't have time for this. She was about ready to push this kid back, knock him over and use a bit of pressure to get what she wanted out of him. He had one more chance before she opened up a can of whoop-ass on the punk. Thane seemed to read her intent.
"We swear you won't be named. Help me Mouse! My son is out there in the dark."
"That's why I carried for him. I thought you'd want me too. He came with that holo you took of me. He said he wanted a job. I put the word out. Used your old contacts. Elias wanted to hire him. Elias Kelham."
"Tell me about Kelham." Shepard demanded her own arms folded in front of her, more imposing than the kid's earlier defiance.
Mouse rubbed the back of his neck; fear reeked in waves off of him. "Human. Move to the Citadel about ten years ago. He was little people when you were here Krios." he swallowed hard. "He got big when after the geth attack. Lots of the big guys from before got cacked. All of them up in those big fancy apartments on the Presidium. Now he runs the rackets on lower end of the Wards Shin Akiba. He's seriously bad news."
"You did good Mouse." Shepard said more gently
"Yeah, if I live long enough to pat myself on the back. I can't do anything about it but hide"
"Kelham will never know." Thane offered.
"I hope not. It was good seeing you Krios, but next time you're in down leave the family." He started to walk away but Shepard grabbed his arm.
"One more thing, kid. About the Shepard VI. You gave a copy to my XO, Garrus, so don't even try and deny it."
He hung his head. "Ah shit. Look I know I know using your likeness without you being dead or something….is totally illegal…and you can get the lawyers and shit….but if I gave you a cut of the profits and we call it even? "
"No. But you will make a couple of changes. For the record. I have never said 'Truth, Justice and the Spectre way. Stop making it say that!"
"I know. That wasn't my idea…" he held up his hands "Just so you know we've got three volus working on patching it all the time. We made a few up-grades in the personality matrix it's a little more assertive but it still um… we….it… keeps talking about the Reapers…Its creepy wired how every time we think we got it fixed it rewires itself. It's almost AI smart."
Shepard leaned in whispering "Yeah well I know why. I also know it's used to contact the hacker known as the Wizard."
"Garrus said something about needed to talk to him. Guess you unlocked it."
She nodded. "I want the upgrades. Then you can go."
He was surprised she didn't bust him for it. "Yeah sure." he reached for one of his many pouches on his utility and handed her a matrix OSD. "Here. It's only fair I guess." as soon as it was dropped into the Spectre's hands he all but sprinted away.
Thane watched silently. For all the world it looked like he was watching another son leave. "That couldn't have been easy." Shepard said placing the OSD into one of her own pockets.
"Mouse knew more about my life than Kolyat ever did…" he slips into the memory fade. "…He smiles up at me with broken teeth and scabby knees. Bare feet black. A dead end future looking up at me, worshiping the petty gifts I offer him." the now of time took reasserted itself. "I was the only good thing back then. But I had left him as I left Kolyat." Thane looked away from his friends eyes unwilling or unable to meet them. Shame filled his continence.
"Mouse said you had a holo of him." she said carefully.
"Yes. A foolish bit of sentimentality. I can perfectly recall every moment I had with Mouse:…He pulls at my arm, smiles. He wants to know if I will remember him. If anyone will remember him. I take a holo of him. He smiles at himself in miniature in the palm. Then a frown wrinkles his brow. He pats my pockets, he's checking for other holos. 'Where's your son Krios' he asks." Thane blinked as he pulls once more out of the memory fade.
He saw an indefinable emotion cross the face of the woman standing before him. "Don't blame yourself, Thane."
"If I don't who will? We must carry the weight of our decisions. You of all people know this."
She nodded. "Yeah ….I do." she took in a breath of air as she redirected what would only become a morose conversation "Let's head back to Bailey." They walked in silence as they headed back to the precinct. What more was there to say?
Bailey was where they had left him, behind his desk staring at the monitor of his computer. "Shepard? You talk to Mouse? Did you get the name of the guy he's working with?"
"Elias Kelham." Shepard offered the name. The very syllables made the cop wince.
"Kelham. Shit." the sour expression stayed a moment longer as he looked up to the Spectre. "Ah…look this is awkward. Kelham and I have an agreement: he doesn't cause too much trouble and buys tickets…" here the good captain actually used air quotes "to the C-Sec's charity ball from me and in return I ignore him."
"He pays you off. I can tell you I don't care how you run your precinct. And I don't. You were eager to help me before, how about now? Or is it too inconvenient?"
"Yeah absolutely. I said I'd help and I will. I'll have a couple of my guys bring him in and set him up in one of the private rooms. You can interrogate him yourself. Look Shepard there could be some serious repercussions if I don't handle this right. We give each other space. It keeps the peace. I'll stay out of sight. If I'm lucky Kelham will believe I had nothing to do with it."
"Mouse was terrified of this guy too." Shepard said nonplused. "I've seen worse. It won't trace back to you, I guarantee it. Bring him in. We may not have much time."
Bailey nodded and got up from behind his desk. "I'll make it happen. Wait here."
Both Shepard and Thane watched as Bailey spoke to couple of his people. A human woman and Sergeant Haron within moments after hearing their orders they departed in a squad car.
"When he arrives, we should question him together. Keep the pressure on. Thoughts on how we approach it?" the assassin asked, his hands clasped behind his back in his typical 'at ease' stance.
Shepard smirked with her infamous 'I got an idea.' grin. "I plan to improvise. No plan survives enemy contact anyway."
"I suppose that's true. I won't interfere then. This will be difficult. If we're too gentle his advocate will get past Bailey. If we're too rough…well we need information more than we need a corpse."
Shepard was still grinning. "Trust me. I know what I'm doing. He'll talk long before he becomes one."
"I place my faith in you, Shepard." Thane said earnestly.
Ten minutes later Haron and the other cop were duck-walking a man in an expensive tailor made green business suit and matching black and green loafers. So this was the scum bag that had so many afraid of him? He looked like he sold aircar insurance, not a mob boss. His limp body suggested Kelham had met the business end of a truncheon; he wasn't offering so much of a protest about being manhandled. Probably for the best.
"We got Kelham. Tell Bailey we're ready." Shepard addressed a bald man who was linked up to a data pad as she watched the whole proceedings.
The uniform nodded to the order, saluted and departed leaving Shepard and Thane alone for a moment. Then Bailey reappeared. The cop looked to the door then back to the raven haired Spectre. "He'll expect me to get him out of this."
Hands still behind him Thane shook his head. "Not today I think."
Bailey was about to respond when a turian's voice piped up over his inner ear radio. "Captain, his lawyer's here. His VI was set to page him if we got within ten meters of Kelham."
"I'll stall him." Bailey said to Shepard. "Get in there and work fast."
Shepard said nothing. She walked into the room and watched as the mob boss was pulling at his restraints binding him to metal chair.
All passivity displayed outside was long gone. "Get me out of these restraints, Bailey! Pretty funny bringing me down like this…" As he saw Shepard and Thane his voice growled in the same contempt. "Who the hell are you two?"
Spectre and assassin said nothing as they both casually strolled in, hands clasped behind their backs. Shepard going around the back to stand just behind his right shoulder while Thane took position at the man's feet, staring at him.
"My name is Shepard. I'm a Spectre."
He didn't seem impressed. "Prove it." he scoffed.
Shepard took out her N7 Eagle and pointed it directly at Kelham's temple. She bent down to his ear and hissed. "I don't have to prove anything. Spectres are above the law." she grinned maliciously. "We clear?"
Now he looked panicked. "Crystal."
"Good. Now fortunately I'm not after you. You contracted an assassin. Who's the target?"
"Joram Talid. A turian. He's running for office. He lives in the eight hundred blocks." Kelham growled.
She holstered her pistol. "Thanks. You won't see us again. No offence but you're a problem below my pay grade." she walked for the door.
Just as they passed through the threshold, Thane turned to his CO. "That may go down in history as the shortest interrogation, ever."
Shepard chuckled.
Bailey saw them and waved them over to where he was standing with his back leaning up against a bulkhead. "That was quick. So what's the story? Why Kelham hire the boy?"
"Assassination. A turian named Jorum Talid. You know him?"
"Jorum? Yeah. You might have seen his posters around. He's promising to put an end to organized crime on the Ward. The thing is his message is all mixed up in race politics. He's anti-human."
"Are things so bad that people can openly campaign as anti-human?" Shepard was surprised to hear this. Guess they had short memories.
Bailey shrugged and walked away to look out at the great bay window that overlooked a section of the Ward. "Before the Battle of the Citadel the alien population thought we were violent upstarts." he pointed a several humans in C-Sec uniforms. "Look what's happened since then. A human fleet guarding the station for months. C-Sec filled with humans. Anderson does what he can, but some people have lived on this station since before humans had starships. They see it as a coup."
Shepard shook her head. "We need to stop the assassination. Can you get us to the eight hundred blocks?"
Bailey nodded as he looked beyond Shepard's shoulder to dark haired the female that had helped bring in Kelham. "Sergeant, get a patrol car. These two need it."
She snapped a crisp salute before carrying out her orders. "Yes sir."