Zaeed

This damn batarian was starting to get on his nerves. He had been on the bounty's tail for a month now, but the man always seemed to be two steps ahead of him. It would have been easier if Zaeed could just shoot the bastard, but whoever requested him to catch the runner had specifically asked to keep him alive. The batarian obviously was going to be taught some manners and did not have a happy life in front of him.

At least the chase was coming to a close. The idiot had run to Omega, probably hoping to get lost in the crowd. Too bad the station was the closest place Massani had for a home. It was where his network was based. No one could hide for long from him here.

So Zaeed wasn't surprised when he got a call from one of his many informants about his bounty's location as he docked his small ship in its usual hanger.

"Zaeed, how you doing?" the salarian asked.

"Cut the bull, Ish. Where is he?"

Ish bounced with nervous energy. "That's what I like about you humans. Always straight to business. No need for the fluff."

The bounty hunter's harsh glare helped to refocus him.

"Right. The location. He's in Afterlife."

The batarian was dumber than he thought. Afterlife was the damn central government of Omega. Any informant worth their weight in eezo knew to watch who goes in and out of that bar. You didn't go there if you wanted to disappear.

Of course, Afterlife wasn't without its problems. If the boss of Omega didn't like how you were operating your business in her place of business, she could and would make your life a living hell. It would be easier to flush the bounty out of Afterlife and catch him then.

"Perfect," was Zaeed's simple reply.

Just before he was able to end the call, Ish spoke. "What about my fee?"

"You get a quarter of it now, the rest if your info turns out correct."

"Come one, Massani," the salarian pleaded. "I always give-"

Whatever the information broker was about to say was cut off when Zaeed ended the call. He wasn't in the habit of paying for bad information, and he wasn't going to listen to some sniveling salarian rant about how unfair he was being.

He left his rented hanger with only his pistol on his hip. Zaeed didn't think he would need anything heavier. The batarian was a difficult one, but he wasn't the type to stand up and fight. Once he had the slippery bounty cornered, the man would crumble.

He made it into Afterlife quickly once he got there, slipping a few credits to the bouncers to sneak past the line. Zaeed was lucky he was being paid so much to keep this bounty alive. After all the added expenses after the chase, the additional charge was the only reason he would get a profit after the job.

Not that I need the credits, Zaeed thought as made his way to the bar and ordered a beer. His next job paid enough for him to retire to some small paradise world if he survived it.

He sipped on the cool, crisp beverage as he searched the crowd for his prey. He finally spotted the four-eyed alien. He was on the edge of his seat, drooling over one of the asari dancers. She didn't seem particularly happy with how close he was but kept moving. She was more than likely used to the leers by now. And if she wasn't, she would have to get used to it. You didn't expect much from your clientele on Omega.

Zaeed took one last, long drink from his beer before setting it down. It was a shame to leave so much of the refreshing liquid behind, but he could come back and celebrate his meager earnings with more after he turned in his bounty.

He slowly made his way to his target, making sure not to cause too much of a disturbance in the crowd. He needed to be closer if he didn't want the batarian to slip away again and cost Zaeed more credits on information brokers.

When the bounty hunter was just a few short paces away, Massani stepped away from the crowd and behind the dancer his bounty was so eagerly watching. His top set of eyes flicked over to the new addition to his field of view before all four focused on armored man. His eyes widened, and he tried to scramble away, knocking over the chair and running into a few patrons as he rapidly tried to leave.

Zaeed didn't have to move very fast to keep up. The crowd of people between his bounty and the exit kept him from making a quick escape, and he made quite the convenient path as he shoved through the mob.

Eventually, the batarian made it out, Zaeed right on his heels. The street outside Afterlife wasn't nearly as packed as the interior, but it was still full of late hour traffic. The four-eyed alien didn't realize how heavy the group his was running toward was when he turned to see how far away his pursuer was. He ran directly into a hulking krogan. His bounty was knocked to the ground while the other alien barely moved.

"What the hell are you doing, batarian," the large alien sneered.

The batarian didn't get a chance to answer because Zaeed was already there, lifting him up and forcing him through a small door. No one bothered to stop him as he practically dragged his bounty away. No one showed much interest in the whole scene for that matter. It was a common sight here.

Once they were alone, he threw the alien into a wall.

"That was a long, bloody chase you led me on," Zaeed said.

The batarian held up his hands in a desperate attempt to quell some of the human's anger. "Look, I don't know what you've been told, but it's all a lie. I didn't do anything wrong."

The gesture and words didn't work. The hunter kneed the batarian in the gut, making him collapse on the ground.

That's when Zaeed heard the heavy footfalls of armored boots on the metal floor. His new capture also noticed them.

"Please. You have to help me," he pleaded to the new arrivals.

Massani kicked him in the face, not hard enough to break anything, but enough to make him think twice about talking again.

"No one said you could talk, jackass."

The newcomers didn't move on. He hoped that he wouldn't be forced into a fight. It made losing his bounty again very likely.

"You Zaeed Massani?" a deep voice asked.

He turned and instantly recognized the man in front. Commander Shepard, Savior of the Citadel, and the person Zaeed would be working with for however long his next insane mission lasted.

"Yeah. That's me," he answered. "And you must be Commander Shepard. I hear we have a galaxy to save."

Shepard glanced at the batarian behind him. "My contacts told me we were picking up one man, not two."

"Batarian delinquent," Zaeed explained. "Pissed off someone rich enough to hire me personally to go after him. And for my 'bring 'em in alive' rates even."

His bounty misunderstood the conversation for an opening to beg for his freedom. "Please. I didn't do it."

Zaeed turned and gave him another boot to the face, a little harder than last time. Two of the alien's nostrils started to bleed.

"I said shut it." He turned back to Shepard. "Tried to lead me on a chase all over the Systems. He should have known better. These people always run to Omega."

Shepard nodded with a less than pleased expression on his face. He apparently didn't appreciate Zaeed's profession. The hunter didn't care for or want his approval. As long as the commander didn't interfere with his work, they wouldn't have a problem.

"I assumed you've been briefed?" Shepard asked

"I've done my homework. Cerberus sent me everything I needed to know."

The commander stiffened when he asked, "What's your relationship with Cerberus?"

Zaeed shrugged at the simple question. "Easy. Cerberus is paying me a lot of money to help you on your mission. That's the long and short."

"Not many mercs would take a suicide mission for the pay."

"Most mercs don't get an offer like the one Cerberus sent me. This mission doesn't sound like good business. But your Illusive Man can move a lot of credits."

Zaeed remembered when he received that particular anonymous message, asking him to contact using the address imbedded in the mail. Initially, he dismissed it. Thousands of messages like that were sent every day, hoping to steal some gullible sap's money. So when another message got through his various filters followed by a third, Massani took notice.

So he called, and the man on the other end got straight to the point: Cerberus wanted him on a very important and very dangerous mission. To show this was not some prank, a quarter of their offer had been transferred into his account as they spoke.

Zaeed really wanted to end the message right there. He didn't like people hacking into his accounts even if it was to add credits. But the money was more than he made in a good year, and it was supposed to be only a fourth. The offer was too much to pass up.

So here he was, in front of the first human Spectre and ready to take on some goddamn suicide mission.

Shepard stuck out a hand. "Good to have you, Zaeed. We have a lot of work to do."

He firmly gripped the commander's and shook. "That's what they tell me." Zaeed unholstered his pistol and motioned for his bounty to stand. He needed to get the batarian back to Goran.

Then he remembered of the one additional term he required. "I assume the Illusive Man told you about our arrangement."

"No. I guess he decided to leave that out of the dossier," Shepard answered. His voice was hard and angry.

"Good thing I asked. Picked up a mission a little while back, just before I signed up with Cerberus. Thought you might be interested. You heard the name Vido Santiago? He's the head of the Blue Suns. Runs the whole organization."

Shepard shook his head.

"Well, seems he recently captured and Eldfell-Ashland refinery on Zorya and is using their workers for slave labor. The company wants it dealt with."

What the man didn't need to know was that Zaeed didn't give a rat's ass about the workers or the factory. He just wanted Vido. The marine wouldn't let him anywhere near the factory if he knew that. He knew Shepard's reputation. He was too much of a child scout. Shepard would probably go on the mission without him if there was a chance he would comprise it, and Massani would be left out of his revenge.

That couldn't happen. So he played it off as just another assignment he received, careful not to betray the importance and anger that came with it.

"I'll make sure we get that done."

"Good. Get it out of the way so we can concentrate on being big goddamn heroes."

His batarian bounty took that as his cue to make a break for it. The alien quickly stood and made a break for it down the small alley. Zaeed easily stopped him with a well-aimed shot through his calf. It wasn't a mortal wound, but limping to Massani's contact was going to hurt like hell for him.

"I better turn this thing in before it starts to stink," Zaeed commented as he walked to his bounty and gruffly lifted him.

The batarian gasped in pain at the sudden movement but was completely ignored.

"Once you're done with that, get whatever weapons you need and meet us in Afterlife. I guess I have an appointment with someone named Aria."

Massani nearly laughed at Shepard's ignorance before waving in acknowledgment. The man obviously hadn't been this way in the Terminus Systems. Anyone who came within a system of Omega knew who Aria was. He just hoped Shepard would survive the encounter. Cerberus might take back his payment if Zaeed didn't even make it aboard their fancy new ship.

At least I'll be able to get that beer, he thought as he shoved his prisoner along.

Zaeed got to the bar much later than he thought. By the time he was done haggling with Goran (the glorified bounty board had the balls to ask for more of the cut; the request came specifically for Massani; the go-between was lucky he got a single credit) and retrieving his Vindicator assault rifle and Mantis sniper, nearly an hour had passed. He hoped Aria was feeling chatty today.

He quickly made it to the bar and was vying for the 'tender's attention when a hand landed on his shoulder. He spun to find Shepard standing there.

"We've got to pick up two more recruits here," he yelled over the thumping bass. "And I don't think they are going be as easy to get to as you were."

Shepard pointed over his shoulder to the exit and started to move in that direction. Zaeed trailed, bumping shoulders with the two people obviously following him. He didn't give the two much thought when they met earlier. They were Cerberus by the emblems on their clothing and didn't appear to be extraordinary in any way.

Of course that didn't mean he was going to underestimate them. They looked very capable of protecting themselves, and Zaeed learned long ago that even the docile hanar could be deadly.

Shepard led them to the street just outside the bar, away from the pounding noise and putrid smell of stale alcohol and vomit that was Afterlife.

"Jacob, Zaeed, you're with me," he continued where it was quieter. "Lawson, go back to the ship."

"Of course, Shepard," the woman said icily before heading off.

Zaeed didn't miss the glare the marine sent her way. Shepard obviously had some issues with the people he was working with.

"So where to first?" Zaeed asked, eager to get underway.

"Mordin Solus' clinic. It's in a quarantined part of the station."

"Quarantined? Are you sure it's safe to go in there?"

"It doesn't affect humans, I guess," Shepard answered with a small shrug.

Massani didn't like how effortlessly the man could explain a plague. "And you aren't fazed by this in the slightest."

"When you've seen an ancient plant that could control people or an even older talking spaceship that wipes out galactic civilization, there isn't much that surprises you anymore. Come on. We're wasting daylight."

Jesus goddamn Christ, he thought as he followed the two men. What the hell did I get myself into?

Zaeed got the feeling that beer he was hoping for was going to have to wait a little bit longer.