Chapter 22 – Absence Makes the Heart… Ache
In that extra hour and a half that Clay had given them, the shuttle engines were now rigged way past their usual capacity by the young quarian, and Adams and Cortez were running diagnostics to ensure it wouldn't explode before it got to where it had to get to. Brynn had replicated Teryck's prototype tracker in physical form, and Kaidan had returned to the Normandy with it.
Sitting in the medbay, Kaidan waited for Chakwas to complete her final assessment. He was the only occupant - Jack had hustled out of there to join the search the minute the doc had finished administering to her, and she'd looked far better for it. Kaidan wished he could be out there, too.
When the doctor turned, she didn't look happy.
"I don't know, Kaidan," Chakwas said, honestly. "We've never used anything like this before, and the turian testing didn't involve anything with biotics."
"Turian biotics are rare," reasoned Kaidan. He didn't like the idea of another implant, let alone an untested one, but he, Garrus and Terra needed this - to improve her chances of finding them. "Do it."
Her face severe with concern, Chakwas retrieved the tracker. It looked little more than a metallic splinter. She placed it into a medical device that looked similar to a piercing gun. After sterilising the area, she double-checked that it wouldn't hit his implant, placed the device at his nape, angled it, and injected the tracker just under the skin. Medigel flowed after, immediately sealing the small puncture, and it was done.
"How does it feel?" Chakwas asked as she started running scans.
Kaidan twisted his head from one side to another, then up and down. "Can't feel the implant at all. Edi? Do you have the tracking program installed? Are you picking this up?"
"Affirmative. The signal is extremely strong and precise. If it continues to transmit in this way, and Liara is able to get the program into her beacons, tracking you will not be a problem."
"And without the program running?"
"I am far more sophisticated than most systems, and can only detect the barest of static. I am confident that standard programs will not detect anything at all."
"Sounds good. Though Doc, I think I'm getting a headache."
Chakwas nodded, her scan had already indicated something she'd thought was likely to cause him trouble. "It's raised the temperature of your biotic implant. Kaidan, I'm not comfortable with this."
"Is the temp stable or climbing?"
Chakwas pursed her lips like she didn't want to say, knowing it would mean his refusal to have it extracted. "Stable."
"Then I'll deal with it."
"You could end up with a full-on migraine."
"Where I'm headed, it's likely a migraine is the least of my worries. This is important. Not just for Garrus and I, but if they don't release Rorie."
Chakwas squeezed his hand. "God forgive me, but I wish those people unbelievable harm."
"That's why we're leaving the tracker in. Just pray it will keep working."
Sighing, Chakwas shut down her tool. "Well, I need to be useful, so I'm going to help Shepard. But Kaidan, if you experience any symptoms, no matter how small, I want to know about it."
"Yes, Ma'am." With that, Kaidan traipsed out of the medbay, intending to wait out the remaining time in the cabin.
O
Ten minutes later, Kaidan was sat on the end of the bed, watching the video footage on a datapad of their last trip together, Rorie's toy and VI beside him. The squeals of delight from Rorie as the waves of the Kahje ocean swarmed up the sands and caught her bare feet, squeezed at his heart. He'd give anything to have her here again. That last goodbye, days ago, now seemed horribly inadequate.
He understood Terra's reaction perfectly. He felt the same. He was a soldier rendered defenceless, surrendering without a fight because they held a gun to the head of someone incredibly precious to him. An insult, as it was no doubt meant to be. He tried to have faith that Rorie would be found, but when had anything ever been simple? One thing he did know with certainty was that Terra would never give up hunting them down, and that was enough.
The hands that came from behind him, smoothing over his shoulders, made him jerk a little in surprise. "I didn't hear you come in."
"I know." Terra shifted on her knees where she was kneeling behind him on the bed. She began to massage the muscles under her hands, working to ease the tension within him. She'd passed Chakwas on the way out, which meant Kaidan had the tracker in place. Knowing he'd have hated the implant, regret hit her - she should have been there for him. She'd been in the midst of searching for Rorie one condemned hangar after another, when she'd checked the time. Three quarters of an hour before Kaidan would have to leave and they'd be at the mercy of unproven tech. Yet still they hadn't covered a quarter of those on her list. Her head was everywhere. Rorie. Kaidan. Garrus. All at risk. Two of them were out of reach, but right now, Kaidan was here, and if they didn't find Rorie in time, if…if the tracker failed…this would likely be the last time she had with him. She'd felt a panic swarm through her, and knew she had to leave, to be here with her husband. "How do you feel?"
"My head hurts. A dull ache."
She noted that he only spoke of his physical discomfort. The fact that he hadn't noticed her arrival, or her moving onto the bed, was testament to his inner turmoil. Her hands moved to his temples, fingertips circling, though she doubted her attempts to help him would prevail. He needed the implant out. Terra leaned forward to kiss his nape, then pressed herself against his back, her arms encircling him as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "Forgive me. I haven't been here for you."
Kaidan let his head fall back, his face tilting enough to feel her cheek on his, his hand raising back to smooth over her hair. "You're searching for Rorie. There's nothing to forgive."
"Yes there is. We're a partnership. We're both missing our baby, but I locked myself away from you and left you completely in the cold, too."
"You were just dealing with it in your own way."
"Badly?" she said, wryly. "I'm sorry I hurt you."
Kaidan refused to admit to anything that might cause her further regret later. "I knew you'd come round."
Loving him even more for the faith he had in her, Terra brushed her lips over his cheek. "I was nearly too late."
He gave a short laugh. "Hh. That's how we do things. In the nick of time."
Her arms tightened, and she buried her face in his neck, unable to hold it in any longer.
Kaidan felt the way she clung to him, like his life depended on her not letting go. "I don't want to leave you. To leave Rorie." He heard her pulling it all back in.
"You won't. Not for long. And we could still find her before then."
"In case you can't, I want you to take this." Terra released him enough for him to turn in her arms. He removed his wedding ring, took her hand and placed it in her palm to the sound of her gasp. "I don't want them touching it." He wrapped her fingers over it, enclosing her hand in his as he did so.
Terra stared down at her fisted hand, the ring warm against her palm. "She has to be here. I know it. We'll find her."
"I hope so, more than anything, but if it's not in time, if the tracker doesn't work, promise me you won't blame yourself should the worst happen," pleaded Kaidan.
She shook her head. She couldn't promise that. To do so would be to admit to the possibility that it might happen.
He tipped her chin up. "Just human," he stressed.
Kaidan kissed Terra with a softness that made her crumble again, and this time he was able to embrace her as she let go. When she had re-gained herself, she tugged him up to the head of the bed. Neither of them had the desire for anything more as they relaxed into each other's arms. It would have felt wrong with their daughter still missing. This was all they needed. They stayed that way for the time that remained. Two people entwined so tightly that it defied logic that anything should have been able to part them.
Closing his eyes in order to sharpen his other senses, Kaidan absorbed the feel of his wife, so soft yet strong beneath his hands. Inhaling her scent he imagined it filling his lungs, giving him life, giving him strength, and the love she encompassed him with was like a shield. He would use this to help him through what may come.
With her head on Kaidan's shoulder, Terra studied her husband's handsome face. She knew it better than her own, but it felt extremely important to remember every detail. The bottom lip that protruded ever-so-slightly further than the top that she liked to catch between her teeth; the soft dimple in his chin; the perfectly straight nose; tanned skin that was darkened by the stubble along his jaw and above his lip. Unable to resist, she ran her fingers down those lips, the tips catching briefly on his lower lip. She heard his deep inhalation that preceded him capturing her hand, and she watched his lids slowly open to give her those whisky eyes so full of love. He lifted her hand back to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her fingertips, completing what had been their first romantic gesture years back when their relationship was on the verge of dawning into something that broke regulations and they'd agreed that they were both prepared to take the risk.
The chime at their door tore them out of each other, and separating, they stood with eyes that didn't look away until they were at the door. When it opened, Hackett stood there, his serious visage turning apologetic when he saw his daughter there.
"It's time. The shuttle's been transferred to my ship. We're just waiting for you," Hackett said quietly to Kaidan.
Entering the elevator, Terra's hand slipped into Kaidan's, fingers lacing together. Behind them Hackett was silent.
"I haven't told my parents," Kaidan said, hoarsely. "Though I should warn you they've caught the news about Rorie. Despite my arguments, they're on their way out here. They were already upset, mom especially, so I didn't want to add to it. Anyway, I made them a vid."
"I won't need to send it," Terra murmured, certain he would have also made one for her and Rorie; some final goodbye in the event of his…. Terra couldn't even think it. "We'll find Rorie." She was beginning to sound like a recording on repeat. Terra hung her head. "Then it will be a rescue operation for Garrus."
"My ship will wait in place when you leave with the shuttle," explained Hackett. "Once the exchange has been made, we'll head over to pick it up," he added. "Should Rorie be discovered beforehand, we'll be there as soon as possible to bring them down. If not, we'll get a head-start until the Normandy catches up, and start tracking the minute we get a reading from one of Dr T'Soni's beacons. She's assured me that she'll have an extensive coverage in place by the time it's needed."
They exited the elevator, the walk through the CIC not nearly long enough for Terra.
"Hey, try not to come back to the ship the way I did," chirped up Joker over-cheerfully from the cockpit, indicating the heavy bandages still in place over his healing bones.
Kaidan tried to laugh, but Terra didn't.
"Sorry, Shepard," Joker said sincerely. "See you soon, Kaidan."
Outside the airlock, Kaidan moved in front of Terra. "I want this to be the memory I take away. You against the Normandy back-drop."
Hackett had carried on to the bay next door, where they'd moved his ship.
Kaidan's embrace lifted Terra off her feet, his mouth savouring hers, for it could be his last. When the kiss broke, her face fell against his, before finally lifting up to meet his gaze. "Tell Rorie I love her."
"You'll be telling her that yourself, Kaidan. I will find you. So whatever happens, hold on to that. I will find you and I will raze the ground around you."
The look in her eye was so fierce, he truly believed that.
"I love you," Terra whispered, not trusting her voice.
"I love you, too. Always." He lowered her to the ground, reluctantly relinquishing his hold. Walking away was unbelievably hard, and he didn't dare look back. He was glad he had that chance to say goodbye – in case.
When Kaidan disappeared from sight, Terra felt that panic threaten to overwhelm her again. But she clung to the possibility that she could still stop this. She just had to find her baby. Once again focused, she headed back to the search party, hoping with every step that she'd get a call to say they'd found Rorie.
…
Hackett was waiting at the airlock of his ship, a heaviness inside him as he contemplated the journey he was taking with his son-in-law. Like Terra, he felt an intense anger. These people had them scrambling to comply, casually dangling Rorie in front of them like a piece of meat.
Zaeed's part in it was hard to take. Clearly, the man he'd grown up with, who'd fought at his back, had harboured resentment after all. It was unwarranted, and Hackett regretted having not made an effort to find him and clarify his own part in Zaeed's departure from the Alliance. If he had….
Kaidan's appearance – a man weighed down by sadness – had Hackett shutting it all away. He was about to lead the way inside when Kaidan stopped him.
"Steven. I know I have no right to ask this, but… stay here. With Terra."
"She's surrounded by people who care about her, Kaidan. You'll have no-one."
"I appreciate the thought, but I'm at peace with this. But not Terra. She needs you."
The respect Hackett felt for the man his daughter had chosen, heightened, and he took hold of Kaidan's shoulder. "We will be coming for you, son."
That he sounded so much like Terra made Kaidan smile wistfully. "Yes, sir."
"Stay strong. You've got a reunion with Rorie to look forward to. We'll follow that tracker and get you right back to her."
With Kaidan's nod, they moved into the ship, Hackett lingering only long enough to explain to his ship's commander that he wouldn't be joining them for this run, and to give a final hand-shake farewell. Out in the bay, he stayed to watch his ship transport a good man away from his family. Having to accept it was like swallowing acid. The people responsible were cowards, striking out from behind the shield his grand-daughter was being used as. It had to end.
oOo
oOo
It had been a while since Kaidan had left, and Terra exited another empty hangar. That familiar disappointment pulled at her soul, shredding it just a little more each time. Regardless of the pain each opening hangar door brought, she headed for the next.
Checking the time had become an addict-like habit. Kaidan was now in the shuttle on route to people who wanted to do him harm, and she still hadn't found Rorie.
She stopped in the corridor outside hangar P37, her thoughts scattering again. Was Rorie alright? It was late. She'd be tired, maybe sleeping, having had no bedtime story, no favourite toy to cuddle up with. Terra imagined her laying on some dirty floor, surrounded by rubble, in the dark with some unkind stranger. And that was the best scenario, because if she wasn't here, then she was with them on whatever ship they were using to pick up Kaidan. Were they lying when they said they'd leave her on the Citadel? Maybe they'd simply dump her in the shuttle Kaidan would leave behind! She should have thought of that! Her father should have gone with Kaidan, so Rorie would have a familiar face! What if Antella chose to destroy the shuttle!
"Terra? Are you alright?"
Shepard realised she'd been breathing erratically, motionless in the corridor, and she quickly gathered herself, turning to Brynn who had accompanied her. "No," she admitted. "I'm second-guessing myself. Creating unhelpful scenarios in my head."
"I can only imagine what you're going through. The thought of Drake… Sorry. That doesn't help."
Staring at the hangar door, Shepard thought of Brynn and Jacob's little boy. Rorie loved playing with him, undeterred by Drake's boisterous nature. The memory of them giggling as they pretended to be in charge of the Normandy, ordering the crew about, still made her smile. "He's not here on the Citadel with you?"
"No. It's Jacob's turn this week. We broke up a few months ago. I suppose I should be grateful he never went as far as committing to marriage. Saves a messy divorce at least. Luckily, sorting out custody of Drake has been something we were able to do between us."
So many families were forced apart, it saddened Terra that others just fell apart all by themselves. "I'm sorry, Brynn."
"Drake's unexpected conception probably pushed it further than it was ever likely to go otherwise. Jacob prefers free rein, though he is at least making an effort with his son. But you don't need to be hearing about that. You have more pressing concerns than our broken relationship." Brynn took a deep breath. "Don't give up hope, Terra. You'll find Aurora."
Facing the door again, Shepard also took a breath. Like every other time, her low ebb was replaced with a desperately hopeful wave, her heart thudding loudly in her chest. Was this the one? With her weapon poised, the door slid open...
It offered nothing more than the same mess highlighted in emergency-lighting red, and the re-emerging drag of distressing failure. Her pistol hand dropped to her side and she needed a few seconds before she could continue. Her baby wasn't here, but nevertheless, she would search it thoroughly for any sign that someone may have been here.
She'd only gone a few steps inside, when she noticed the tracks of footsteps. Her heart-rate quickened. Then, Terra caught sight of the markings in the dusty floor, and everything inside her leapt up to her chest. She bent down, needing to be sure her mind wasn't playing tricks on her, but there it was. Rorie had been here! Her name was written as proof, alongside the simple figures that represented Rorie in the middle of mommy and daddy, and another beside them that Terra knew from countless previous pictures, was Uncle Gus. They were all inside a circle which started from the raised hand of the figure of Rorie - a barrier. Underneath that doodle was a clear spot on the ground, and Terra could imagine her daughter sitting cross-legged there as she drew with her finger.
Further around them it was clear a ship had been here recently, a muddle of foot-prints indicated several people, and an empty crate that Terra was certain would correspond to the crate ID of the one Teryck had traced. Against the wall, there was a large crate upon which the dust had been almost completely wiped away by whomever had sat there.
"Teryck!" she blurted out when her call was answered. "P37! It's empty now, but they were here!"
"I'm on my way."
Going back to that drawing which was now her closest link to Rorie, Terra tried to quell the strange excitement happening inside her. She had to focus. Assessing the surroundings she decided that Rorie was indeed still here. The ship would have left quickly after the abductions, leaving no time for Rorie to have made those marks had she been on it.
Teryck rushed in, followed closely by Bailey and her father, and others congregated in the corridor outside.
"Someone did remain here on the Citadel with Rorie. Look. They stayed here for a while."
"Then they must have heard us coming," commented Bailey. "Why else abandon their hidey-hole?"
"No. We made sure to keep the searches quiet," argued Teryck. "There has to be someone else involved. An insider. Someone who knew we were getting close."
Leaving Hackett staring down at the drawing, Shepard moved to the panel beside the large outer airlock hatch. She looked at the jumble of wires that spewed through the broken panel cover. Everything was caked in dust, meaning it hadn't been touched. "This is too damaged. It wouldn't have been possible to manually over-ride it. Edi?" she called out.
"I am here, Shepard." Edi skirted by the on-lookers and came into the hangar.
"Can you tell if this shutter was by-passed externally?"
"The internal memory logs would have to be intact." Edi stepped up to the panel to hack it. "They are. This was not a by-pass. The log indicates that it was accessed by Citadel Control."
"Damn," cursed Bailey.
"I can isolate the user point."
"Give it to me. I'll be able to check records, find out who it belongs to," Bailey said, thunder in his face.
A couple of minutes later, they had a name, and with Teryck staying behind to re-deploy the search parties outwards, Shepard left with the others for the Control tower.
oOo
Zaeed wasn't happy. A half hour previously, he'd gotten a call from Weasel with 'permission' to leave the hangar and find an alternative place. Apparently, search teams were closing in. He wasn't surprised. They'd messed with Shepard's kid. This was the woman who'd come back from the dead to finish dealing with the Reapers. When it came to determination, she was a powerhouse, and now she was personally motivated. The distance he'd put between the hangar and the courier's crate destination wasn't nearly enough to give them long to dwell. But then he hadn't expected to be hanging around. Goddamned Weasel shouldn't have touched the kid. Goddamned conscience; why had it decided to dust itself off?
He'd had to crawl through bleeding ducts having to pull along a resistant kid who didn't want to go through them because last time 'the bad man' got her. Goddamned CAT6. With a bit of distance he'd found a quiet corridor where he could get up onto the catwalks they were currently situated on.
He looked down through the grates to the corridors below, people passing, having a good time, enjoying their evening with drinks and company. That should be him.
The kid yawned behind him as he tugged her along, her hand in his after she'd protested his grip on her arm. She rubbed her eyes. He supposed it was late for a kid.
"Sarni? Can I go home now?" With a small frown, she fidgeted with the biotic suppressor that circled her neck.
"Not yet. Soon." The weasel had given him a time, and thankfully it was slowly getting closer.
"Oh. … Sarni?"
"What now?"
"I'm hungry. ... And thirsty. ... And sleepy."
Irritation ran through Zaeed. Damn kids were demanding, and he was used to having no one to worry about but himself. He had no idea why Hackett would have wanted one. No one was going to be calling him Grandpa, that was for sure.
There was a gasp, then a squeal, and Zaeed looked down at the kid in confusion as she started to jump up and down with excitement.
"It's Blasto! It's Blasto!"
Hauling her off the ground, Zaeed clamped his hand over her mouth, yet still she continued her excited, but muffled, exclaims, little hands reaching for something below. "Quit the noise." He looked over the platform for what it was she'd seen, then rolled his eyes. "It's just a hanar." He released her mouth.
"It's Blasto!"
He quickly replaced his hand. "Shut up! What the hell's the matter with you? We've passed tons of the jellyfish and that one looks just the goddamned same." Then he noticed the crowd turned into more of a queue, the hanar moved to the front, and a volus started speaking loudly.
"Get your official 'Blasto 18: The Clones Attack' poster, signed by Blasto himself!"
Impressed, Zaeed lowered her to the ground. "You're freaky kid. Now are you going to shut up?" He dropped his hand again, and she immediately began bouncing again.
"Can I have one, please? Can I?" she rushed out in an excited voice that was trying to whisper.
Zaeed nearly snapped out a no, then hesitated. He'd witnessed plenty of kids have tantrums when they didn't get what they want, and he didn't need the attention. "If I go get you one, will you stay quiet?"
"Uh huh! Yay!"
He grabbed her upper arms to stop her bouncing. "That's not quiet. I mean it, zip it, or you don't get it."
She mimicked zipping her mouth, locking it, and throwing away the key. With a sigh, Zaeed looked for somewhere he could make sure she wasn't stumbled upon, and spotted a small room used by maintenance. Leading her inside, he saw a space behind some crates where she could remain hidden, and lifted her over and into it. "Don't let anyone see you. Got it?"
She only nodded, wide-eyed and still very excited, crouching down until she was out of sight. Zaeed shook his head at her gullibility - like he was really about to queue up for a shitting poster. He was however, going to get some water and food (he'd been hungry for the last hour, and had given her his only ration bar) and he headed out of the room and down to the ward floor, mixing in with the crowds wherever possible, pretending for just a while that things weren't FUBAR.
oOo
Roy Mathers was on the verge of a breakdown. He sat at his desk in his partitioned office in the corner of the room that was Citadel Control, glancing out at his colleagues who were all obliviously going about their jobs. None of them had a clue about the meltdown inside him. He'd known the second Antella had called that this was going to be bad, but what choice had he got? Antella had made it sound so simple, but things were heating up. He'd nearly fainted then and there when he'd realised Antella's plans involved kidnapping the Executor and Aurora Alenko. But it was too late. He was in it up to his ass already. He sank his head into his hands, sweat slickening them. He'd just wanted to move on, put his past behind him and support his family. Instead, he'd become complicit in destroying someone else's. He wasn't a bad man, but he continually ended up as easy prey for bullies. And there wasn't a thing he could do about it, because he was too afraid to stand up to them. So he'd do as he was told, and hope this would be the end of it.
"Mathers."
Turning at the voice, Roy nearly freaked at the familiar face staring back at him with a hardened look.
"I think you know who I am," said Shepard. She grabbed up his collar, hauling him out of his seat and towards her, almost nose to nose. "Where is my daughter?"
Around them, Mathers' co-workers were staring gob-smacked at their meek supervisor in the hands of a Spectre.
"I don't know, I swear! Oh my God! Please don't kill me! I was just told I didn't have to watch them anymore! They moved out of the hangar and I don't know where they went!"
Shepard frowned at that. "Why did you have to watch them?"
"I don't know! Something changed, I think! They were going to take her and then they didn't and I got a call saying I was to make sure the guy didn't contact anyone!"
Hackett found that interesting. "What did he look like? The one who stayed?"
"Uh… uh, he had a scarred face and, and, uh, tattoos all up one arm," stammered Mathers.
"Give me your omnitool," gritted out Shepard. She released him and he fumbled with it, handing it out to Shepard with a shaking hand. She passed it to Edi who interfaced with it as Mathers collapsed back into chair.
"Mathers was in contact with Antella only forty minutes ago," Edi stated.
Shepard bent down to place her hands on the chair's armrests, giving Mathers nowhere to look but at her. "What did you call him for?"
Mathers lowered his head in shame. "I told him about the approaching search party. I'm sorry! I thought if it went wrong, Antella would send that big guy after me!"
Forty minutes could have gotten them quite a way.
"Antella also sent the ransom message here," informed Edi.
Shepard hadn't lifted her intent gaze from Mathers sweating face. "So you sent the datapad via the volus courier. Edi, anything else on there?"
"Nothing except personal correspondence."
"What else did Antella task you to do after this?" Shepard asked the man who squirmed in the seat.
"I- I'm just to wait until he sends me a message that I'm to forward to you. A location... for your daughter."
"You mean when he has my husband," she said, stonily.
"But I swear I don't know where she is now or where they intend to release her!" Mathers blurted out quickly.
"Anything else?"
"Just that I was to scrub my omnitool so nothing came back to him, and, and when the man with your daughter sends me his omnitool deletion record, I'm to scrub that too," he shrugged.
Shepard searched his face, seeing only fear. This man was a weak wreck. "Why do this?"
Mathers sagged. "I'm so sorry. I had no idea what they were doing until it was too late. Antella has stuff on me. Stuff that will land me in trouble with C-Sec. When it got serious I wanted out, but he threatened my family. I was just...protecting my family."
"And yourself. What did he have on you?"
Mathers winced, but he knew there was no hiding from it any longer. "A few years back, I was approached by Cerberus. They offered me more credits than I make in a year," he added, in some pitiful attempt to explain himself, "and I took it. I helped them get onto the Citadel undetected whenever they needed. I didn't think there was much harm. When they attacked… I didn't want any part of that, and I vowed not to have any more association with them. I went out, got drunk, and called the agent who'd recruited me to tell him he and his organisation could go use someone else. Antella overheard my conversation and threatened to turn me in to C-Sec unless I paid him a stipend every month to keep him quiet. So I did. When he called a few days ago and said he had a way for me to quiet him for good, I was relieved. I just wanted it to end. But not like this. When I saw that little girl… Antella told me he'd send that big guy to visit my family. I have a wife and two boys. I'm so sorry."
Shepard straightened. Mathers was a pitiful figure she had trouble feeling anything for, but he was just Antella's pawn. "You should have told the authorities. You wanted protection, C-Sec were the only ones who could have given it to you. All of this could have been avoided if you'd just shown some damn backbone and owned up to your mistakes. You really think you'd have been free after this? People like Antella will keep coming back to leech off you whenever it suits them."
With Mathers' hanging head, Bailey stepped forward. "You're under arrest-"
"No. Let him go," she said, tiredly.
"Shepard?"
She leaned back over Mathers. "You owe me. Do you understand? You want to repay me, you will make no mention to Antella that he or you have been rumbled. When this is over, when I have my daughter back, you will spend the rest of your life keeping your nose squeaky clean, or I will rescind my authorisation for Bailey to refrain from your arrest."
"Oh my God! Thank you! I will! I promise! Thank you!"
"I'll keep an eye on him if you want to go back to the search," said Bailey, and Edi passed the omnitool over to him.
Liara suddenly raced through the entrance on the other side of the room, a light in her eyes. "Shepard! One of my agents just spotted Massani!"
"Alone?"
"Yes. But he went up to the catwalks." Liara left the conclusions unspoken.
Leaving Bailey with Mathers, Shepard raced out of the Control tower with Liara, her father and Edi not far behind. There was still a chance they could get to Rorie, send in her father's ship to rescue Garrus, and stop Kaidan handing himself over. That ticking clock told Terra this would be close, and Kaidan's earlier words echoed in the back of her mind: 'It's the way we do things. In the nick of time.' With the thought of Rorie's sweet face at the forefront of her thoughts, she held onto the hope that she'd have her daughter in her arms very soon, and that Kaidan's words would continue to be true.
oOo
Not much further and Kaidan would be at the rendezvous. The journey had been spent immersing himself in more footage and images of Rorie and Terra, absorbing everything he could to refreshen memories.
His omnitool had remained woefully silent, no hoped-for call that Rorie had been found, and he remembered what he'd said to Terra. In the nick of time… He knew from experience that it didn't always go that way. Terra hadn't escaped the SR-1, and he hadn't caught up with her before she'd gone through the Omega relay.
Kaidan slumped back into the pilot's seat satisfied that he was saving his daughter, but worried beyond measure about Terra. She'd survive because she had to for Rorie, but, having been on the grieving end, Kaidan knew that there was a big difference between surviving and living. He hated the thought of her as a shell of herself.
The ache in his heart it caused, matched the one in his head, and he ran his hand over the back of his neck. For Rorie.
oOo