Disclaimer: Biowares owns all.
A/N: This chapter rated M for violence and language.
Chapter 42
I focused on the empty air before me, pushing aside the uncertainty and fear threatening to rise. Even if Vale would have been stupid enough to leave on his own, he would have notified me – left of message of some kind. Upon searching my apartment, the feel of it still familiar and strangely comforting, I found nothing out of the ordinary save for the vid screen. It had been damaged, a single corner slightly warped by what looked to be chemical burns.
I frowned, remembering the chemical rounds favored by a good majority of Aria's henchmen. I was not surprised that she had taken him, but that the individuals tasked with his abduction had so completely avoided the many traps in my apartment. Not a one was sprung and I cursed myself for a fool. If I had not been in such a hurry to see Aria, I could have prevented this fiasco, or at least eliminated a few of Vale's kidnappers.
I signed resignedly, clutching the datapad in my hand and again studied its contents. The target was a deep cover Cerberus operative making her home in Omega's substructure. Foolish. I was more than familiar with the layout, the many ventilation shafts a boon to any competent assassin. However, the longer I studied the information, the more I realized the possible leverage I had. I could only speculate on the motivation behind an assignment, and a Cerberus affiliation was more than adequate motivation, but I couldn't help but suspect there was more to this game than the standard players.
Granted I had no intention of cooperating with a Cerberus lackey, but if I could decipher Aria's motivation behind the assignment, I would be in a far better bargaining position for Vale's return. I had no doubt that is was on Aria's orders that Vale was relocated, and knowing her as I did, Aria would flaunt her brazen insult upon my return to her side. It was no spectacle for her, but a lesson to me and to those who failed to heed her orders. Her control of Vale was my punishment, and as I set the datapad aside, I decided I would no longer play her game.
First Arch, now Aria; I was done playing the slave.
o O o O o O o
She was a blonde, petite little thing and on any other day I'd likely overlook her as one of the countless gutter rats that haunted Omega's back alleys. I was almost dismissive at first, toying with the idea that Aria had sent me on a false assignment. There seemed nothing special about this girl. Her hair hung in filthy locks, slicked with grime and glued to a forgettable face, thin lips and gaunt cheeks poking out from underneath. An aquiline nose gave her the appearance of a bird, but it was her eyes that caught me, crystal blue and brilliant. Those eyes took in everything around her, from the dying batarian in the corner to the elcor vendor's burning cigar, her hooked beak sniffing the air and taking note of the smoke's sharp flavor.
I watched her from the shadows, casually eating my noodles, the greasy box slippery and welcome in my hands. I kept my face hidden from her, deep within my jacket's hood, wary of her Cerberus connections and still annoyed with the bounty on my head. I'd no doubt she'd recognize me immediately, but given her young age, I also doubted she'd played at such deception long enough to master it. She was young, far younger than I would have thought practical, but perhaps that was Cerberus' game: use youth to dissuade suspicion. Unfortunately Aria cared not for age. She cared for power and the idea that Cerberus threatened her power was mildly amusing.
I watched the young girl move to and fro, melding into the crowds, picking pockets of the passers-by with ease. She was talented, this little bird, and I couldn't help but remember the days when I was just starting out. Aria had been a welcome change from Arch and allowed me an illusion of freedom that I'd never before believed in. I went into our arrangement open-eyed, but still naïve despite everything. I hungered for a taste of the power she offered, the skills she taught, the thrill of control. I wanted to become master of my own destiny through her tutelage, and yet I had willingly become barely more than a thrall. I had let the love of the hunt overshadow my better sense, a decision I now came to regret. Funny thing about life's lessons: they only were worthwhile when I was already covered in shit.
Halting my musings I checked my chronometer and tossed my now-empty box on the nearby trash heap. Like clockwork the operative scuttled down the alley and into an abandoned apartment as she had the four cycles previous. I moved deeper into the shadows, finding the ventilation shaft I had discovered on a prior mission. It was a tight fit, but I maneuvered easily thanks to a century's worth of leaked industrial lubrication. Vermin scurried ahead of me as I slid forward, avoiding the bits of wire and debris in which the pests made their homes. It was not long before I was overhead, the grating sound of the operative's high-pitched voice echoing down the long tube.
She should have secured the area first. Careless.
I listened in silence as she reported the day's events, what tiny fragments of information she had gleaned, the movements of the local vorcha pack, and the residential gossip regarding the latest issue of Fornax. My heart sank as the realization dawned on me: this was not a mark with priceless intelligence, but a message to be sent. Aria wanted Cerberus to know that their agent's cover was blown. She wanted them to acknowledge Omega's singular rule.
However, as my distress turned to anger a wicked desire struck me: I wanted nothing more than to break Omega's one rule.
Adrenaline surged through my system as the little bird completed her report, and I knew the end was drawing nigh. I shifted slightly in the tube, adjusting my body to better fit in the tight enclosure and bringing my knife to bear. Focusing my breathing I slid further down the shaft toward a small outlet. I would have only mere moments after she entered the alley to complete my assignment and I would not fail.
I watched from above as she carefully exited the apartment, melding seamlessly into the shadows. I would have lost her had I not already been paying careful attention. Perhaps she was better than I gave her credit; or perhaps not, as she never heard me slip from the vent to land soundlessly behind her.
She was stronger than she appeared and actually tried to struggle against the inevitable, but to no avail. I checked her shoulder firmly before wrapping my free arm around her forehead, her untrained response exposing the soft skin of her neck. The knife was sharp and the cut quick and the little bird fell limply to the ground, the flood of her life draining into the grates with the rest of Omega's trash. I wiped my knife on her soiled clothes before dumping her body in the nearby drainage pipe, already clogged and overflowing with refuse. However, I need not worry as the local vorcha pack would make short work of her, and if not, I doubted she had anyone who cared enough to search her out.
An initial search of the abandoned apartment was bare save for an archaic terminal, a thick layer of dust on the console save for a set of greasy fingerprints. I sighed in dismay; she was no professional, but most likely a local recently recruited by Cerberus. It was a shame really, and another of life's shitty lessons.
After securing the area I synced up my 'tool to the outdated terminal, scanning recent activity and downloading her keystrokes. I noted with admiration that the little bird had been the only user on the terminal for some time and had likely repaired it on her own. A twinge of irritation stirred my temper and again I couldn't help but wonder what Aria really had to gain from this assignment. Clearly the girl was no threat and messages could be sent in an easier, more potent manner, but as I studied the readout the answer eventually stared back at me. The little bird's contact was on Omega.
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