Chapter 20 – What The Eye Can't See…The Heart DoesGrieve Over.

When Bailey walked into the Council chamber, he found himself the focus of the galaxy's elite. It had taken some doing but he'd finally managed to reason with Vega that it was best that he deliver the bad news. Vega was barely holding together under his self-imposed guilt, and what the parents needed was information, not a rush of verbal remorse. Vega was too close to this, and Bailey, unfortunately, had plenty of experience. Searching was where a personally-motivated Vega would be of most help.

Quickly locating three of the people he'd come for, Bailey thought it odd that the Executor wasn't here. He'd thought for sure that the reason Garrus was incommunicado was because he was in the meeting…. Something didn't feel right there, and he'd be contacting Vakarian Senior about that the first chance he got.

"Apologies for the interruption, Councillors, but I need to speak with Shepard and Alenko immediately. Admiral Hackett, too."

"Anything we should be concerned about?" enquired Sparatus.

Bailey's face was a pained grimace. He'd been filled in on the Leviathans, and Aurora's importance. "Not real sure at this point in time, Councillor. At the moment this is more of a personal issue."

While many in the room were frowning as they read into that, Shepard, Kaidan and Hackett worriedly hustled out of the room, Shepard gesturing for Liara to join them.

A horrible heaviness settled in Kaidan's stomach as his mind worked overtime. "What's going on, Bailey?"

"I'm sorry, but Aurora is missing."

"Goddess!" breathed Liara.

"Missing!?" exclaimed Shepard.

"She was supposed to be watched!" Kaidan glanced at Terra, who looked as nauseous as he felt.

"What the hell happened?" Hackett asked Bailey, stonily.

"According to Commander Vega, some duct-rat ran off with her toy."

Terra already knew what was next. "She went after it." She turned and started striding towards the elevator.

"Right into the ducts," confirmed Bailey, having to quicken his step to keep up with the quartet, T'Soni already on her omnitool.

"So she's here somewhere," grasped Kaidan. "She's just lost." He made it sound less of a worry than it was. In fact, getting lost in the hundreds of miles of maze-like tunnels wasn't anything to sniff at.

"There's more to it," Bailey added, regretfully. "Your friend, Jack… she followed Aurora into the ducts. We searched the area and found Jack unconscious. She'd been assaulted."

They all halted just short of the elevator, Bailey nearly colliding with Hackett.

"No…" whispered Shepard, staring back at Bailey like she could get him to retract the implication of those words. Lost, she could cope with. Taken…led her to a dark place where all the awful things she'd seen over the years reminded her of what could be, and it truly terrified her. What was happening to her baby?

Bailey swallowed, wishing all that past experience with 'breaking the news' meant it was easier. "We believe the duct-rat's theft was staged to draw Aurora away from her minders."

"She's been abducted." Kaidan was awash with fear, anger, and guilt. He should have been there for her. It was his duty as her father to protect her, yet she'd been left with others who'd failed.

Bailey nodded. "We think it's a strong possibility."

This time, Kaidan led the final stretch to the elevator slamming the button to return them to the Presidium grounds, Liara stepping in last, focused on her omnitool.

"The docks have been shut down," continued Bailey, "No flights are allowed to leave, but we have to consider that we may already be too late."

"I thought Vakarian was supposed to be securing this place," bit out Hackett.

"From the Leviathans," Kaidan murmured, his head distracted with the punishments he was going to inflict when he found whomever was responsible. "This is someone else."

"Someone using her as leverage for something?" wondered Hackett. "Then there'll be a ransom."

"Bailey." Terra pulled herself away from the serene Presidium view, clawing back her professional mask. "We need her last known location, and I want to know what areas your people have covered."

"You've got it." Bailey tapped away at his tool.

"I have her," announced Liara as they arrived at the foot of the tower. "I had Glyph trace Moon," she added in explanation.

"Moon?" queried Bailey.

Pre-occupied, no-one answered him. Kaidan and Terra studied the moving co-ordinates. "Thank God."

"That's not far from the sector Commander Vega was last searching," informed Bailey.

Terra made the call, which was answered instantly.

"Lola, I'm so sor-"

"James. I'm sending you co-ordinates Liara picked up from Rorie's VI. Get to her. We'll meet you there."

"On my way. I-"

Shepard closed the line, making no eye contact with anyone as she headed to the cabs, silently praying that Rorie would be waiting at the other end, and this nightmare would be over as quickly as it had begun.

O

James ran hard, the officers Bailey had assigned to him barely able to keep up. He'd been offered a lifeline - a chance to right this - and he wasn't about to risk losing her.

"Where's the nearest tunnel entrance?" he shouted back as they neared the signal's source.

"Um… a little way ahead-" said a human officer.

"No, no. There's one just around that corner, I'm pretty sure," corrected a turian officer.

James aimed for it, with no time for relief when he saw it, instead thundering into the passage. The artificial evening lighting turned into a harsh unnatural red in here - one he was more than accustomed to now and hated with a passion. It felt especially ominous knowing Nugget was in here with God knew who. Closing in on the signal, James scrutinised the surroundings, spotting someone crouched against a wall, pressed into the shadows.

"Nugget!"

The figure launched away from the wall, and the signal moved with him… Him. Not Rorie.

"Stay where you are!" James yelled, a borrowed rifle in his hands. He couldn't fire, though. This was the kid from earlier. All James could do was race after him. Then the boy veered towards a duct and James realised he was about to lose him. In desperation, James fired just in front of the boy, who shrieked and fell back, scrambling backwards then turning to push himself to his feet. James dived at him, catching the boy's ankle, then yanking the falling boy towards him, where he pinned the frail arms. This kid couldn't have been more than seven or eight, and the utter terror on the boy's face made James feel like shit. Only his concern for Nugget kept him focused, and he retrieved 'Moon' from the boy's pocket.

"Where is she?" His voice was fierce. "Where's the little girl you stole this from?"

All the boy did was make small, rapid shakes his head, fear silencing him.

Frustrated, his heart thudding from far more than the pursuit, James forced himself to calm down. This was a kid. Only he didn't have the ability to be patient; guilt was eating into him. He hadn't done his job, and his Nugget was missing. Getting to his feet, James brought the kid with him and despite the boy's resistance James held on tight to the only link he had to Rorie, hauling him out of the tunnels and into the ward corridor.

James faltered over his omnitool for a moment. He had to let down her parents again. Swallowing, he contacted Lola. "Shepard. It's not Rorie. The kid who took her toy also had her VI." There was a short but loaded silence that made James wince.

"Okay. Take him to the nearest C-Sec office. We'll meet you there."

"Yes, Ma'am." Signing off, James just gestured for the officers to lead the way, his head too full of bad stuff to be able to concentrate on direction.

oOo

Zaeed paced the disused bay, occasionally disturbing more dust that made him hack, which in turn made him swear in irritation.

"If you don't like coughing, you should stop walking," came a little voice.

Halting in mid-stride, Zaeed peered over at the little girl who was sat cross-legged on the dirty floor, half-heartedly doodling in the dust with her finger. He couldn't argue the sense in that statement, but he wanted to have a reason to bite back. She had cost him a retirement's worth of credits… Before he could, she sent him a sad face and spoke again.

"Can I go home now, so mommy and daddy can save Uncle Gus?"

"No. I'm waiting for a call. So just sit there and shut up." He cursed again when his sharp response provoked her bottom lip to tremble. Thankfully, she didn't start bawling. He supposed it wasn't such a surprise. "Tough like Hackett," he mumbled to himself.

"Ganpa?" her eyes widened, hopefully.

Grandpa… Zaeed swore again. "We were friends once. A long time ago." His comment had obviously stoked some interest in her, because she got up from the floor and walked over to him, his scowl not working to deter her.

"Did Ganpa make you cross?" She stood right at his feet, head craning up to meet his eyes.

Zaeed crossed his arms and peered down at her. "Something like that."

She thought about it, then inhaled as an idea got hold. "I can sing a song to make you happy."

Zaeed frowned. "What are you? The happiness police?"

The kid gave him a funny look. "They're not real."

"Whatever," was all Zaeed could retort. He checked the time, swearing again. The fact was: that call was unlikely to come anytime soon. Weasel would want distance. Then again, this could all be a set-up. Would he even get a call? For all he knew, Weasel could get Alenko and then rat out their location… Then he wouldn't even get Vido. He unfolded his arms restlessly, hands fisting at the thought of being shafted by that ferret. He should just send the kid off and let her parents hunt the asshole down. … But what if this was kosher? He'd be letting Vido slip out of his grasp again.

Two hands gripped one of his fists, and he looked down at the kid.

"Being busy makes time go faster," she said, sincerely.

"You're just full of helpful information, aren't ya?" He shook off her hands. "What are we going to do, stuck in here?"

"Dancing?"

"No music."

"I have-!" She felt her pocket, then looked sad. "I lost Moon. And Puppy."

With no idea what she was talking about, Zaeed just looked up at the ceiling and heaved a sigh.

"Singing?"

He scowled back down at her. "What's with you and singing? Besides, I've evolved beyond nursery rhymes."

"Hide and seek!" she bounced.

Zaeed found some hope in that one. "Will it shut you up?"

She nodded, seriously. "If I talk you'll find me."

"Okay. Great. Go hide."

She went to move, then paused. "You've got to count."

"I am. In my head. Better be quick, I'm on seven."

Gasping, she ran off into the mess. Zaeed settled on a crate that abutted the wall. Stupid kid. He leaned back, folding his arms. He imagined throttling Weasel to death. Nah. Too quick.

A hand on his forearm had him jerking upright to see the kid next to him, surprised that he hadn't heard her approach. "Thought you were hiding. Quietly."

"I'm hungry."

Heaving a sigh, Zaeed fished into a pocket, removed a ration, and handed it to her.

"Thank you."

When she went to climb up onto his crate he held his hand out. "What do you think you're doing?"

"I feel sad. If I sit next to you, we won't be lonely." She then took his hand like he'd been offering it out to help her instead of pushing her away, hauling herself up right next to him.

Zaeed contemplated shoving her off. "I like being alone. So bugger off over there."

"No one likes being lonely," she stated as though it was indisputable fact, scooting snugly up against Zaeed before holding out the food bar. "Can you open it for me, please?"

"What did your last slave die of?" Nevertheless, he impatiently took the ration and unwrapped it. "Now stick it in your gob and give me a minute's peace."

"Thank you, Sarni."

Frowning as he thought that over, Zaeed concluded that was a messed up version of his name which she'd overheard earlier. "It's Massani, kid." Then he swore as he realised that she'd repeat that to her family at some point. He'd be hunted by Hackett and his daughter for this. Pissing Weasel.

"Rorie," she corrected.

"I prefer 'kid'."

"Antie Edi says that's a baby goat. I'm not a baby goat."

"You bleat enough, so it's debatable."

A small smile tugged at her mouth. "You're very silly, Sarni."

Grabbing her hand which held the ration, Zaeed guided it into her mouth, willing Weasel to hurry up so he could get the hell out of here.

Instead of taking a bite, Hackett's grandkid just let her hand fall into her lap, her face crumpling. "I want Uncle Gus back. I want mommy and daddy. And Ganpa."

Zaeed sat there motionless as she pressed her face into his armoured side, the ration bar forgotten about as her arms hugged his waist. Her sniffing was getting louder, causing her shoulders to shudder, and Zaeed ran a hand down his face. "God damn Weasel. There better not be a live feed of this going to that ferrety little bastard," he shouted up at the camera.

Pulling her off him, he replaced the ration bar in her hand. "Quit crying like a baby and eat."

Snuffling, she did as she was told, much to Zaeed's relief. He wasn't cut out to be a goddamned babysitter.

oOo

By the time Shepard entered the C-Sec office, she'd locked away the immense despair that had descended upon her when Moon hadn't led them to Rorie.

With the news, Liara had left in order to access her agents. Edi was scouring docking manifests for any departures which included a child matching Rorie's description, and Hackett had gone to gather all Alliance personnel currently on the Citadel, including Coats. Everyone else was lending themselves to the search effort.

Beside Terra, Kaidan was a mirror image of his wife – on the surface, the epitome of a seasoned soldier who'd seen it all and was calm in the worst situations, giving nothing away - but beneath it all, this horrendous inner torment made him want to rage at everyone who crossed his path with nothing more to offer than platitudes. The only thing he wanted to hear was that his daughter had been found, alive and well.

James rushed over to them, his face pale. "Lola-" his voice broke.

Shepard raised her hand to stop him. She couldn't go there with him, else she'd end up saying things she'd regret later. "Where's the boy?"

Swallowing down his emotion, James gestured to a cell. "He won't say anything."

"I'll handle it. I want you to head to Huerta. Check on Jack."

"What about the search?"

"Bailey's got every available resource on it. But the fact is, without any idea which direction they went, or any way to trace them, it's like looking for a needle in a haystack."

"We need information," agreed Kaidan, containing his own knee-jerk reaction to thump the man. "Anything to lead us to a name of who did this. Jack might be able to give us something we can use."

James noted the lifeless tones of the two parents he'd let down so absolutely. He understood. They wanted him out of their way. Out of their sight.

"And James, she's likely to be volatile," continued Shepard.

Nodding solemnly, James pulled out Puppy and Moon from his pockets and handed them to Shepard. "I'm so sor-"

"Vega," Shepard stopped him with an added shake of her head. "Whatever you're feeling right now…" She swallowed before continuing, needing a few extra seconds to push it all back down. "I can't deal with. Okay? Just stay focused."

Sucking in a deep breath, James squared his shoulders and gave her a salute. "Yes, Ma'am."

With James gone, Terra stared down at the items in her hand, fighting back her useless emotions, Kaidan's hand on her shoulder nearly working against her; as much as she knew he was experiencing her pain too, she couldn't deal with his emotions either. She had to stem her own wounds before she bled out and collapsed. She needed distance or she'd break apart.

Stepping out of Kaidan's reach, she passed Rorie's treasured possessions to him, then moved to look through the one-way glass into the cell beyond. She was dismayed at the young age of the boy. Where were his parents? Why was he all alone, living in the ducts? She looked at the guards who watched over him with stern faces and guns attached to uniforms. No wonder he'd clammed up under adult scrutiny.

He was sitting in the chair at the table, but his knees were brought up to his chest in a comforting tight embrace, cheek resting atop them, staring at the wall and away from the guards. Garrus needed to train his people on how to deal with children.

She frowned then. Why hadn't she heard from him? "Bailey. Where's Garrus?"

Bailey rubbed his hand over his nape, uncomfortably. "Don't exactly know. He hasn't answered our calls."

Exchanging a glance with Kaidan, Shepard called Garrus, only to get no connection at all.

"How long has he been off-grid?" asked Kaidan.

"Since shortly after the krogan dispute," admitted Bailey. "His father thought he was headed to the meeting, but clearly he didn't make it."

"This can't be coincidence," frowned Kaidan. "Maybe he stumbled onto something to do with Rorie."

"His father's going over the security footage, trying to work out where Garrus went. Sorry I didn't inform you. Figured you had enough to deal with, and it's in hand. Trust me, Teryck Vakarian is a pit-bull right now. He'll find out what's happened to Garrus."

Accepting that, Terra wondered how much bad news a person could take before they went screaming mad. Shutting down her errant thoughts, she walked into the cell and gestured for the guards to leave. Instead of sitting opposite the boy in the interrogator's chair she walked slowly round to where he sat, crouched down so she was his level, then slowly tipped her head into his field of vision.

"Hi," she said softly. "My name's Terra."

Blue eyes looked back at her sadly, studying her, assessing any danger, but his cheek never lifted from his knees. "I don't have a name," he whispered back.

Terra pulled in her bottom lip, biting it in a bid to remain composed as her already hurting heart took another hit. "Is there a name you like?"

He thought about it. "There's a turian called Zactin." The boy maintained his whisper. "He's nice. He has a café, and he always saves something for me at the end of the day."

Smiling, Terra held out her hand. "Nice to meet you, Zac."

Little brows rose slightly, the tiniest twitch at the corners of his mouth that gave away his approval. He looked between her eyes and her hand, then slowly released his clasp and placed his hand in hers. Taking care not to give his hand more than a soft shake, Terra noticed how cold his hand was. He was frightened. Shepard hated that she had to push him when all he needed was a hug, but her baby was missing.

"Zac. I need you to help me. You're not in any trouble," she emphasised. "We're just looking for the little girl who was chasing after you earlier."

Terra saw the boy close down, his body now visibly shaking, tears flooding his eyes.

"I can't say," he rasped. "I can't. He-" He stopped himself, clearly terrified he'd already said too much.

"Zac." She laid her hand on his back, running it up and down in comfort. "Her name is Rorie, and she's my little girl." She had to take a breath to steady her wavering voice. "I know this man made you lead her away, and I think he said he'd hurt you if you told anyone."

Zac gave the smallest nod.

"There are people here who can protect you, Zac."

"He knows the tunnels where I live. He'll find me, then put his knife in my tummy and make me eat what's inside."

Terra's anger was a raging furnace at this man. "Zac. Do you know who I am?"

"Terra."

"Terra Alenko, except when I'm working. Then I'm known as Shepard. I'm an Alliance soldier, and a Council Spectre."

"Admiral Shepard!?" It was the first time Zac had spoken above a whisper, his eyes wide as he looked at her in a new light.

"That's right, Zac. I'm going to hunt that man down and make him pay for taking my daughter. If he comes in quietly he'll be spending the rest of his life in a jail cell. If he doesn't, then he'll die. Either way, he will never be able to come near you again. Do you understand?"

Zac nodded. "You killed the Reapers. You can stop the bad man, easily."

Terra hoped so. "That's right. Was he human, turian..?"

"Human. And really big."

"Do you mean tall?"

"Quite tall, but really strong. He looked stronger than a krogan! He picked up that lady by the neck…"

Jack… "What else can you remember about him?"

"He had no hair at all, and he looked mean. He injected himself with a drug. And he hates biotic people."

"What did he do with Rorie?"

"Rorie… He stuck a needle in her arm too, and she fell asleep. Then he put her in a bag and ran. I didn't know he was going to do that!"

"I know," soothed Terra. She brought up a map of the area where it had all happened, pointing out where Jack had been found. "Do you know which way he went?"

"Um…" He studied the map carefully before answering. "That way."

It wasn't much but they could stop the searches in the opposite direction. He'd have known he was on borrowed time, and she doubted he'd have wasted it on an indirect course. "That's great, Zac. Anything else you can tell me? Do you know his name?"

"No. Sorry."

"You did fantastic, Zac. Thank you. Before I go, can you think of anything else that might help me find Rorie?"

Zac's eyes searched the air as he thought hard, then his face lit up with a memory. "Someone called him before he sent me to take the toy. He said a name… Ant- um… Antella!"

Terra felt the blood rush from her face, certain she could hear Kaidan cursing outside the room. Antella. … This was her fault…

oOo

James walked into the hospital room to a scene of chaos. Several nurses were trying to pin down an enraged Jack as her wrists and ankles were secured in bindings.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" James pushed away the nurses. Hands reaching to untie the bindings, one of the nurses tried to stop him.

"Sir, please. She's became violent. It's for her own protection as well as the staff here. She's a biotic. You free her hands and she'll try to rip out the inhibitor again."

"Inhibitor? Look, this is making her worse. Just back off and let me talk to her."

Reluctantly, the nurses retreated to the doorway, and James focused on Jack. Straining against the bindings, she was hyperventilating in her dazed state, the left side of her face severely swollen and bruised.

"Bella."

She turned, one good eye fixed on him, and he saw only torment.

"Calm down for me, Bella. Breathe easy now."

"I can't move!"

Ignoring the nurses' protests, he immediately untied her and Jack flopped back into the pillow, chest heaving, and adrenaline draining away to leave her shivering. Her gaze was directed at the ceiling.

"Tell me you have Ror," she croaked, pain accompanying her speech, not only from her tender throat, but also from the left side of her face.

James' head dropped with shame and worry. There was nothing he could say to make it better. All he had was honesty. "No. Everyone's looking."

Then Jack was sitting up, and despite her blurred double-vision and dizziness, scooted off the bed.

"Whoa! You can't leave!"

"Watch me. Where the fuck did you people put my boots?" Then she spotted them and, occasionally balancing herself on the bed frame, grabbed them up and glared her way past the nurses who parted for her with frustrated looks at one another.

"Bella. You need medical attention," James said, trying to reason with her as he followed her along the corridor, ready to catch her whenever she started to sway.

"I need to find Ror. Why are you even here? Why aren't you out there, ass-hole?" Jack snarled back at him.

"Lola asked me to come."

That stopped her, and she braced herself with one hand on a wall, shoulders sagging. "She was right there. In that tunnel. It was a split second, but I saw her on the ground. She looked lifeless-"

"Don't say that. She wasn't there when we found you. Whoever it was-"

"He. Big-ass guy, pumped up on steroids." Jack touched her throat where the bruises from his fingers marred her skin.

"He didn't kill you, and he could have."

"He wasn't wasting time, that's all," she flung back, knowing she'd be dead otherwise.

"He wanted Rorie alive. She's alive," James insisted, but his eyes were begging her to agree.

Jack nodded. She remembered brief snatches of the doctor telling her about her broken cheek bone which was now throbbing mercilessly, and something about finding a sedative in her system. It was likely that Ror had been drugged. And she hadn't been able to stop it.

"I didn't react fast enough. I was too fucking slow!" her voice broke. Then she pushed away from the wall and continued along the corridor, a hand reaching back to the inhibitor attached to her skin over her implant.

Before she could rip it out of her flesh, James nipped into her path so she walked into him, and placed his hand over hers. "Don't do that. It needs to be taken out properly or you'll tear the skin."

"So fucking what? I deserve the pain." Her fingers gripped the implant, but James' tightened over her hand. When he met her defiant, angry stare with eyes that exuded concern for her, along with that same torture she was feeling inside, Jack lost her desire to punish herself – at least in front of him. She allowed him to pull her hand away, noticing that he didn't let go, and unable to take her eyes off his hand clasped over hers.

"I know that if it had been humanly possible to fight back, you would have, Bella. Now you have to let the medics get you back to fighting fit so we can get back out there, no?" Even with the swelling, James could see her left cheek-bone was flattened. "But not like this, Bella. Please."

Travelling up his solid form, to that battle-scarred face, Jack gave the slightest nod, her vision darkening even with that small movement.

Relieved, James waved over a nurse. "I want this inhibitor removed."

"Sir, we have a policy-"

"To hell with your policy. Just take it off. Now."

Unimpressed by his demand, the nurse cocked her hip. "It has to be authorised by a doct-"

"I'll take over from here," came Chakwas' voice from behind them, eliciting a look of gratitude from James. "Jack. Really. You must know you can't function like this," she admonished as she detached the inhibitor.

"I can handle it," retorted Jack. "I need to be out there finding the fucker. Only I know what he looks like. I have to find Ror."

"I know, and I understand," assured Chakwas. "That's why you're going to give me ten minutes to do what I can for you, so you can at least remain conscious long enough to be useful."

"You know it makes sense, Bella."

With Jack's reluctant go-ahead, Chakwas ushered her back to her room, dismissing the other medical staff in the process. While she tended to the fiery biotic, Chakwas would have been pleasantly surprised to see Jack hold onto James' hand throughout, were it not for the circumstances that had hit her adopted family. They were all hurting.

oOo

Teryck Vakarian walked into the apartment building where he'd tracked Garrus' movements via the camera feeds. He'd also spotted an individual following his son, but the human male had flitted from one crowd to another, making it difficult to get a clear view of his face. Garrus had been completely focused on pursuing the two krogan who were clearly after the salarians. Teryck understood why his son had waylaid his journey to the meeting. What worried him now was what he'd find inside this apartment block, because none of the footage afterwards showed Garrus exiting. The krogan males had, and so eventually had the human male, but not his son.

He'd notified Bailey, who was on his way, and apparently Shepard had suggested the prothean would be able to help. He knew nothing about the man or his species beyond the basics, so he was dubious about what this Javik could do to help that he wasn't already doing himself.

Fidgeting as he waited for Bailey, Teryck stared at the apartment building system which could give him access to the internal cameras. Only he wasn't C-Sec anymore. He had no authorisation to override the security. In his position, Garrus would have hacked it by now, and the urge for Teryck to do the same was overwhelming. Stay within the law, his head told him. But Garrus might be running out of time… He reached for the console just as Bailey arrived, and he sighed in relief. Principles intact.

"Any progress locating Aurora?"

Bailey shook his head sternly, accessing the system to check the internal cameras. "Not a damned thing. Bastards knew what they were doing."

"Plural?"

"Seems so."

Teryck could relate to what her parents would be feeling right now. Utter helplessness. He remembered how Aurora had been able to ease the tension that always seemed to exist between him and Garrus; saw the lighter side of his son when he interacted with the little human. He hadn't seen Garrus laugh in his presence for a long, long time…

"Damn lazy management companies," moaned Bailey. As with most of these places, less than half the floors had working cameras, and none of those that did had who they were looking for, within the timeframe.

"Try the stairwell cameras," suggested Teryck.

"Wouldn't they have used the elevator?" Bailey followed the thumb Teryck gestured with, to see the 'out of use' sign. "Right. Didn't catch that. Too damned distracted," mumbled Bailey, his thoughts haunted by Aurora.

"There," Teryck pointed at the re-playing screen, and Bailey slowed the speed to see the salarians, followed by the krogan and then Garrus and another officer not far behind, with the human male meandering up last. "They exited on the seventh floor."

Bailey searched the system again for all the rooms housing salarians. There were a few, but only one had two males on the rent agreement. Of course, it could have been one inhabitant inviting a friend over, but it gave them a place to start, and they headed for the stairwell at the same time as Javik entered the lobby and joined them. "Did you find anything at the scene?"

"I have forwarded my impressions to Shepard."

Apparently that was as much as the prothean was prepared to say.

"And?" prompted Teryck, pushing where Bailey clearly wasn't going to.

Javik regarded the turian for a moment as they set a fast pace up the steps. "The human male who took her is volatile, unmerciful. Dangerous. He has enhanced himself with a synthetic substance. Weak," judged Javik, disapprovingly.

"You're only as strong as your ability without crutches," imparted Teryck, in agreement.

"Indeed."

"Damn riddles," muttered Bailey. "Nobody speaks English anymore."

"Should he run out of whatever it is he uses to strengthen him, he'll be in withdrawal. Weak," explained Teryck.

"Oh. Right." Nothing like hanging around with a seasoned turian ex-C-Sec officer and a prothean to make a simple man feel like a complete idiot. Bailey released his weapon when they got to the seventh floor.

After two corners, they found Huxton propped against a wall having just emerged from consciousness. Teryck carried on past him to knock on the salarians door, while Bailey called the medics.

"Who is it?" came the response through the door.

"I'm with C-Sec's Commander Bailey. I need to speak with you. Open the door, now."

One salarian appeared in the opening, the other further back. "Sorry. It's just we weren't sure whether it was safe."

"You couldn't call a medic for this officer, either?"

"Best not to get involved. Less chance of reprisals."

"What did you see?"

"Nothing. That man was with a turian officer. Saved our lives, I'm sure. We took the chance to flee, locked the door and got right back."

"We heard a bang," called out the other salarian. "Then a few shots, and talking. Didn't hear what they said."

"Sorry," said the salarian in front of Teryck. "Good day."

Left staring at the closed door, Teryck was long since used to such dismissal. Until they were the ones in need, people tended not to care beyond their own lives. It was one of the hardest things he'd had to adapt to. Palaven was all about society. That had slowly changed for many of the turians living elsewhere as they integrated with other races. Selfish attitudes weighed over social concerns.

"I recognise the traces of Vakarian, and someone else," announced Javik. "Someone once on the Normandy."

Teryck turned to see the prothean touching the ground. "Traces?"

"I am prothean."

"So?"

"I am not here to deal with your ignorance, turian. Shepard knows the one who did this."

"Ignorance!" Teryck settled himself down. "Can you answer what happened to Garrus?"

"No, but the intent was not to kill."

"This has to be linked with Aurora's disappearance," commented Bailey.

Teryck circled. "If Garrus was taken, we need to know how they removed him from this building. Wait a minute… Bailey. Can you get me the external footage again?"

Bailey transferred the section of ward recordings Teryck had singled out earlier, and Teryck paused it. "Here. A courier delivered a crate, and then here he's leaving with it. Do we have a working lobby camera?"

"Funnily enough, it stopped working seconds after our mystery man entered."

"I want that crate traced to its destination."

"I'll contact the courier company."

Teryck looked at the prothean. "Do you know this man's name?"

"No. He was before my time on Normandy. But Shepard will."

"Then call her."

oOo

The two Spectres were close to where their daughter had been taken, co-ordinating the assembled crew and others for the search of further tunnels. Javik had been placed on speaker as they perused the holographic maps that Bailey had made available to them, Hackett and Coats on either side of them adding their own suggestions for likely routes. The mass of tunnels was dizzying, intersecting one another, over and over, but neither of them were about to admit it was a futile effort. Javik's earlier assessment of the soul behind the abduction had left them chilled.

"The starboard cargo hold?" The question about who had occupied that part of the ship before Javik joined them, had been placed in lieu of a greeting, and so bluntly and out of the blue that Shepard was off-footed.

"Allow me," offered Edi. "The occupant was Zaeed Massani. A bounty hunter of some renown, with a known vendetta against his former Blue Suns partner, Vido Santiago."

"Javik. Are you saying he's involved with this?" asked Shepard.

Hackett leaned forward, his face creased. He'd never spoken of his connection to Massani. When he'd learned that Terra had picked up Massani as part of Cerberus' selected elite, he was going to warn her about his methods, but she'd already gauged Zaeed's ruthless side, and he knew she'd be alert. He hadn't been surprised when the mission to Zorya had turned out like it did.

"He was present with Vakarian," confirmed Javik. "In my time, he would have rivalled me as avatar of vengeance. You have also invited his wrath?"

"I refused to sacrifice innocent lives to help him get to Santiago. Then left him behind." It was a double-whammy for Shepard. First Antella, now Massani. Two people who had an axe to grind with her. Two people who had found each other and had worked to take those she loved. She was to blame for this...

"There's something else," added Garrus' father. "We tracked a crate we believe Garrus was stowed in. Sending the co-ordinates now. If this Massani is a veteran he wouldn't send it directly to where he wanted it to go, but it'll be close. It narrows down the search."

"If the two incidents are connected," reminded Kaidan.

"It is in the direction Antella's man was heading," pointed out Shepard. "We need to find a connection between them to know for sure."

"In the meantime, do you want me to concentrate my officers in that area?" asked Bailey.

"Do it," decided Kaidan after a consenting nod from Terra, appreciating that Bailey was willing to defer to their judgement.

Disconnecting, they were left with a silence that felt foreboding.

Kaidan looked at Terra, who stared off at some unseen point. "This isn't your fault."

Returning from her thoughts with a blink, Terra didn't answer. Couldn't. "I'm going to call Liara. Give her the update."

Kaidan watched his wife traipse to a secluded area. It was a picture that reflected the way she was handling this. She was pushing him away; detaching herself. He understood, but wished she could take comfort from him. She would eventually, and he'd be there to hold her because it was what he himself longed for. Only with her beside him would he have any chance of surviving this with his soul intact.

oOo