Ch. 17
"Before beginning a Hunt, it is wise to ask someone what you are looking for before you begin looking for it."
Winnie the Pooh quotes
I finally find some place to get some well earned sleep.
I'm standing over a body, a turian, a knife in my hand, oozing with blood, a crowd looks on, looks of shock and fear...
I feel the ground shake and I wake up. "What's going on," I say. Getting up from the patch of ground I had been sleeping on. I find Garrus and Tali waiting for the elevator. "What's going on," I ask them.
"We are headed to the Citadel for resupply," Garrus says, "while you were asleep Shepard had us move some supplies to help out the colony."
"So we get to wander the Citadel," I say.
"Yes," Garrus says, "after what we've been through so far it's not an unwelcome break."
I decide to try and get some company, "So... Tali do you have any plans," I ask as the elevator comes down.
"No why," She asks.
"Just wondering if you would like to take in the sights," I ask, now if only I knew where the sights were.
"Sure Will," Tali says, my heart jumps. The elevator door opens.
"Liana," I say when it opens.
"We have to go," She says and grabs me to pull me in the elevator.
"Wait I'm..." I start to say she forces the doors closed on Garrus and Tali. "What are you doing," I ask.
"We have a mission," She says, "someone on the Citadel is getting close to his identity."
"So what," I shout. She glows blue and the elevator shudders.
"We have our orders," She says with finality.
"I don't kill," I say, "so if you plan on killing this person I wont help you."
"We are not going to kill him," She says with uncertainty, "if we can help it, the Owner knows full well about your squeamishness."
"What are we supposed to do then kidnap him," I ask.
"Yes," she says, "if he cooperates with the Owner he will be released unharmed."
"I want your word no harm will come to this person," I say firmly.
"I'll do what I can," She says sadly.
"Damn it, do I really have a choice," I ask.
"Truthfully no," She answers. Damn it.
After we pressurize our way through the Normandy's air lock, we pass through C-sec without any incident. We reach a shady alley in the Wards. We find a salarian in dress clothes, ok that's weird. "You informant," he asks talking fast.
"Yes," I say without any enthusiasm.
"Good subject, turian, no face paint, gray skin, white suit, two krogans guarding, will be in markets, 2 hours," The salarian rummages around in his pockets, he pulls out a tranq gun similar to the one Liana used on me, "sedative, gives appearance of death, other agents will pick up in morgue."
"That's it," I ask a little stunned, "just poke him and be gone."
"Summarized yes," The salarian says.
"Why can't someone else do this," I ask.
"Order for you," the salarian answers. Is this some kind of dominance play from the Owner? He telling me he is the boss? Whatever I'll catch this guy, his life is in his own hands after that.
"What would Shepard do," I say aloud after the salarian had left.
"You should ask yourself," Liana says who was still near me, "what would Will do."
"So I should trust my feelings," I ask.
"Be true to yourself, that's all anyone can do," Liana says.
"By following his orders I'm already being untrue to myself," I say I look at the tranq gun my mind flashes it's the knife from my dream.
I hate this, but I don't know what he'll do to me or my friends if I don't. So running's not an option. I get into position by a shop when it's five minutes to show time. I steady my breathing, I pretend to look interested in whatever the shop keep was selling. 4 minutes to go, I decide to make a purchase, I bye whatever it was that the shop keep was suggesting. 3 minutes, I move off to another store closer to the entrance to the markets, I notice it sells armor. "Do you have anything for quarians," I ask the shop keep. 2 minutes, I make another purchase, getting my shopping out of the way before a kidnaping, man that's messed up. 1 minute, I hand the bags I had gotten to a delivery service "dock 422," I say to the worker. I look over to the entrance, that's definitely the guy. He seems to be some kind of politician, white suit, turian, just like the salarian said, a pair of body guards, krogan just like the salarian said, in blood red armor, Blood pack. I wait for him to pass and slowly work my way through the crowd after him, thinking of the motions in Assassin's Creed, I wait until I'm a few feet behind him and I sprint forward and leap into the air, push the needle into his neck, going through his plates he goes down. The two krogan respond a moment late and I'm gone sprinting through the crowd weaving in and out while they try to push through. I decide to take a risk and jump down a flight of stairs I land in a roll and I'm up and running fast. I reach the exit point I had agreed on with Liana. She's in a rented flying car, yeah, I said a rented flying car. There is a bundle of clothes in the back, a dress outfit similar to Udina's but black with red trim. I take off my outfit and get into the new clothes. We arrive in the Presidium, with the dim light in the cab I never noticed, but Liana was wearing a dress.
"We never discussed where we were going after my escape," I say raising an eyebrow.
"A restaurant that the Owner, owns," Liana says, "doubles have been in place as a cover."
"I made purchases at the stores wont they track those," I ask realizing how dumb I had been.
"The shop keepers and delivery man will be 'convinced' not to tell anyone and your credit chit is untraceable," She answers.
My mind set at ease I had one question, "So what does my double look like."
The restaurant, was a little too high class for me, like the ones in my time, just more holograms and aliens. The holomenu had a dozen different things, I had no idea what they were. "I feel very very out of place," I say looking up to Liana, from my menu.
"Stay way from anything in red type," she suggests, "they are for turians and quarians."
"Why am I eating here," I ask, it's too high class, give me an fast food place any day.
"To provide our cover," she answers.
"This is a stupid question, but who's paying," I ask.
"It's on the house," She answers, making a choice. Her menu fades from view.
I see the foods from various planets, I decide to try something new... "Varren steak," I ask.
A look passes over her face, almost imperceptibly. "Try it," she says. My practical joke senses start tingling.
I order it, my menu vanishes. "I've got a bad feeling," I say to myself.
The dishes are delivered not by machines like I suspected, but by a group of asari waitresses. I cut a chunk and realize why the colonists on Feros were eating these just to survive. "S'cus.." I feel throw up rising my throat. I sprint to the rest room leaping from table to table. Ok, apparently I don't like Varren Steaks and they don't like me. I try and return with my dignity, but get accosted by several patrons who's meals had foot prints in them. Well I think I've established that I've been here. I make quick my escape and return to the car.
Oh crap I think I left Liana behind. Sure enough the car door closes and she's sitting there, rather than look angry she seems to be holding in a laughing fit. "Dock 422," I say to the computer. She loses her internal battle and begins laughing heartily, I reflect on the situation and start laughing too. "Not the best first date," I say to her with a grin. We arrive at the dock, just as the commander is, she looks mad.
She stops when she sees us... "Don't ask," I say cutting off any questions.
A trio of C-sec officers arrive through the elevator, armed to the teeth, a turian steps forward, "Sir we need to have a word with you."
