Mass Effect: The Complete Novels 4-Book Bundle (113 page)

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Hana replied. “But it’s a difficult task and like all difficult tasks it’s going to take time.”

Was Hana being nice? Or was he relieved to hear that Anderson hadn’t learned anything? It was impossible to tell. “Yes, sir. I can report that we have made some progress where Gillian Grayson and Nick Donahue are concerned and hope to locate them soon.”

“Good,” Hana said. “Keep me informed.” The call came to an end a few seconds later.

“What was that about?” Kahlee wanted to know.

“That,” Anderson said, “is a very good question. I wish I knew the answer.”

Hendel was tired. And for good reason. The Biotic Amp and Supply Laboratory was open around the clock. So, having assigned himself the task of monitoring it, it was necessary to go without sleep for as long as he could. The theory was simple. Being a biotic himself, Hendel knew that amps require occasional maintenance. And since everyone agreed that the BA&S lab was the best on Omega, every biotic who could afford to go there would at some point. And that included Gillian Grayson and Nick Donahue. The problem being
when
. It might be days, weeks, or even months before one of the youngsters
made an appearance. But Hendel had nothing better to do and, according to his reasoning, some effort was better than none.

“The hide,” as he thought of it, consisted of a badly damaged delivery vehicle located across the street from the lab. It had been home to one of the city’s beggars before Hendel threw him out and moved in. Then, after making appropriate arrangements with certain locals, he settled in. That was when? A day and a half earlier? Something like that. Although it could have been more given the way he smelled.

Gradually, bit by bit, the light level outside the truck increased slightly, signaling the start of a new artificial day. There hadn’t been much foot traffic in or out of the lab during the night, but things were starting to pick up as members of the day shift arrived. Hendel had been watching long enough to recognize many of the employees and give them nicknames like “Stick Figure,” “Four Eyes,” and “Fatso.” The problem was keeping his eyes open as he stared through the spotting scope that was set up in the back of the van’s cargo compartment.

So Hendel welcomed the knocks that signaled the arrival of some much needed caf and his breakfast. He placed a hand on his pistol, said “Come,” and watched as one of two back doors swung open. The street urchin’s name was Cora and he was paying her to buy what he thought of as his rations and deliver them at regular intervals. Cora had lots of tangled hair, dark skin, and luminous brown eyes. “Do you like pancakes?” the little girl inquired, as she pushed a steaming carton into the truck. “I like pancakes.”

“Then we’ll share,” Hendel said kindly. “Please close the door behind you.”

Once Cora was inside, and the morning’s feast was spread out on the floor, Hendel had no choice but to turn away from the scope in order to eat. Cora was hungry, and she was a chatterbox as well, which meant that she had a tendency to talk with her mouth full.

But that was okay with Hendel, since he had very little to say, especially to a seven-year-old street urchin. So he drank caf and listened patiently as Cora stuffed food into her mouth and told him all about her plans to grow up and be just like Aria T’Loak.

In between bites of food Hendel peered through the scope as people came and went. He was finishing his half of the sausage-filled pancakes when a large truck pulled up in front of the lab and stopped. Hendel swore as the driver got out, made his way to the back, and began to unload boxes. Due to the way the vehicle was positioned Hendel couldn’t see the front of the building. And that meant people could come and go unobserved.

Fortunately it wasn’t long before one of the lab’s employees came out to collect the boxes, which freed the truck driver to move on. And it was then, as the vehicle pulled away, that Nick Donahue appeared. He’d been inside the building. For how long wasn’t clear. A red jacket was draped over his shoulders, but was open in front, and Hendel could see the white bandages that ran diagonally across his chest.

The youngster looked taller than Hendel remembered him, and he was armed with two pistols. And there, at his side, was a pleasant-looking young
woman with brown hair. And judging from the way she clung to him they were more than friends. Nick, the formerly awkward teenager, with a girlfriend? It was hard to believe.

The girl said something into Nick’s ear and Hendel saw him nod. Then they turned away. Hendel knew he had only seconds in which to exit the wreck and catch up with them before the twosome disappeared into the surrounding maze. He left the scope where it was, grabbed the shotgun, and gave fifty credits to Cora. “Thanks, hon, and here’s a piece of advice. Don’t model yourself on Aria T’Loak. She isn’t very nice.” Then he threw the back door open and hit the pavement.

There were people on the street by then. Lots of them. And some looked annoyed as Hendel plowed through the crowd and shouldered pedestrians out of the way. Then, about ten seconds later he spotted the couple, strolling arm in arm up the street.

Hendel wanted to dash forward, grab Nick, and shake some sense into him. But that would be a mistake and he knew it. Nick might spill his guts regarding Gillian and the Biotic Underground and he might not. So the smart thing to do was to follow the boy home and decide what to do at that point. But, having completed whatever errand had taken them to the lab, it soon became clear that Nick and his girlfriend were in no hurry. They walked a long way, and wandered in and out of a dozen shops, before eventually hailing a pedicab.

That forced Hendel to jog for a while, worried lest they look back and spot him, before hiring a conveyance of his own. It was a cart hitched to a rough-looking
turian. “See that cab?” Hendel demanded. “Follow it. But stay back.”

If the ruffian between the traces was surprised by the order he gave no sign of it as he pulled Hendel through a maze of interconnecting streets. The ride continued for a good ten minutes before Hendel rounded a curve and saw the couple standing on a corner. Their cab was pulling away and had clearly been paid off.

“Keep going,” Hendel instructed. “Pass them, turn into the next side street, and stop.”

As Hendel passed the twosome he saw that Nick was taking a long careful look around as if to spot any sort of tail. The teenager’s eyes swept across the cart and the man he had seen every day for years. But he failed to see past the beard, the scruffy clothing, and the situation. Nick didn’t
expect
to see Hendel on Omega so he didn’t.

Two minutes later Hendel was off the cart, on the street, and walking well back of the couple as they entered a narrow lane. A steep hill rose to the left of it and there was a shantytown on the right. It was lined by one- and two-story structures. Scruffy-looking people sat in front of many of them, eyeing passersby the way predators do, looking for any sign of weakness.

The debris-littered street turned gradually, so even though Hendel wanted to maintain eye contact, he was forced to hang back or risk being spotted. And that was how they lost him.

As Hendel rounded a curve he looked ahead fully expecting to see the couple in front of him. But they had disappeared. There was a door, however. A steel
door that was set into the hillside and was partially open to allow a sleek gyrocycle to exit. The mechanically stabilized vehicle roared loudly and generated a cloud of dust as it sped away. A couple of guards, both of whom were wearing armor, stood watching as the gate closed. Were Nick and his companion inside? Yes, Hendel felt certain that they were, especially since the only other possibility was the shantytown off to the right.

Hendel was careful not to look around, or even glance at the guards, as he walked past. It would be a mistake to show how interested he was. But Hendel could think about the discovery and he did.
You may be wearing two guns
, the ex-security officer thought to himself,
and you may have a girlfriend. But you’re still a pimply faced troublemaker and your ass is mine. Have a nice day, Nick. I’ll be back
.

Kahlee and Anderson had been on Omega long enough to develop habits—one of which was to eat lunch at an upscale restaurant called Michele’s. And that’s where they were, comparing notes on a largely frustrating morning, when Hendel came barging in. He looked like a homeless person and was armed with a shotgun. So the restaurant’s security people hurried to intercept him. Hendel was complaining loudly, and threatening the batarians with bodily harm, when Anderson arrived. “It’s okay,” he said soothingly. “In spite of all appearances to the contrary he’s with us. Hendel, please stop threatening people. It makes the situation worse.”

It took some talking and ten credits each to convince the guards that they should return to their posts.
Then, with a hand on Hendel’s shoulder, Anderson escorted the biotic over to the table where Kahlee was waiting. “Good grief,” she said disapprovingly. “Where have you been? We were worried about you. And you look terrible.”

“He smells even worse,” Anderson said, as the two men took their seats.

“Good morning to you too,” Hendel said grumpily. “I was about five kilometers from here, sitting in the back of a wrecked truck, watching a place called the Biotic Amp and Supply Lab.”

Kahlee frowned. “Why?”

“Because biotics go there.”

Kahlee’s eyes grew wider. “That was smart. Very smart. Did it work?”

“Yes,” Hendel said smugly. “It did. Nick Donahue showed up this morning with a girl on his arm.”

Anderson leaned forward. “And?”

“And they led me to what could be the Biotic Underground’s headquarters.”

“That’s huge,” Kahlee said. “What are we waiting for? Let’s go there.”

“Not so fast,” Hendel said. “The place is bound to be full of Level Three biotics all armed to the teeth. We wouldn’t stand a chance. Plus, if it’s there it’s behind a steel door inside a hill made out of solid rock.”

“Hendel’s right,” Anderson said gloomily. “We would need a small army to tackle a place like that.”

Kahlee broke the ensuing silence. “Right … So let’s ask someone who has a small army if we can borrow it.”

Anderson’s eyebrows rose. “Aria T’Loak?”

Kahlee smiled. “Of course. Who else?”

* * *

Kai Leng lay on his back, staring at the rocky ceiling and feeling sorry for himself. Where the hell was Cerberus? Surely the organization could have located the cavern by then. Assuming they wanted to. But the decision to invest the necessary time and effort would have to be made by the Illusive Man himself. Leng thought to himself,
I put in more than ten years for Cerberus and they leave me to rot
.

Leng’s thoughts were interrupted as an old-fashioned key rattled in the lock and the door to his cell swung open. “Rise and shine,” Kim said as she stepped inside. “It’s time for your walk.”

“Just like a dog.”

“Yeah, pretty much. Now get off your butt. You have all day but I don’t.”

So Leng swung his feet over the side of the bed and onto the floor. Then came the task of pulling his boots on. Once they were secured he slipped the toothbrush into one of them and stood. Kim jerked her head toward the open door. “You know the drill. Get going.”

Leng walked past her, through the doorway, and out into the brighter illumination of the main cavern. As he looked down onto the area below he saw very little activity. There wasn’t much going on insofar as he could tell.

Gravel crunched under Leng’s boots as he followed the path down and out onto the floor. “Okay,” Kim said, “start walking.”

Leng obeyed. And it felt good to stretch his legs. They followed their shadows across to the far side of
the cavern where they were forced to turn back. “So,” Kim said, as she broke the silence. “Are you ready?”

“Ready for what?”

“Ready to escape. Look straight ahead. See the door? That’s the only way out. Gillian Grayson is on duty and the second guard is taking a bio break. She’s a lot more powerful than I am but I’ll take her by surprise. There’s a biometric scanner but I can open it.

“Then we’ll run through the tunnel. That leads to a second door which you can open by hitting the slap switch. Two guards are stationed outside and I should be able to deal with both. But if something goes wrong jump in with both feet.

“From there we’ll run straight across the street into the shantytown on the other side. People will follow us, but the place is like a maze, so with any luck at all we’ll be able to lose them. Got it?”

Leng looked at her. He’d seen that expression before. Back in Hell’s Half Acre. Kim had been in love with him then and still was in spite of words to the contrary. “So, you think I’m worth saving?”

Kim smiled. “Maybe … But it doesn’t matter what I think. The Illusive Man wants to get you out of here. And he’s willing to blow off all the work it took to place an agent in the Biotic Underground.”

Leng’s eyebrows rose. “So, you’re still part of Cerberus?”

“Of course.”

“Thank you.”

Kim made a face. “You can thank me if we survive. Get ready … 
Now!
”

Gillian was standing next to the first door looking at her omni-tool when Kim sent a biotic shockwave
straight at her. The dark energy plucked Gillian off her feet and threw her against the wall. Then, before she could recover, Kim was there to pistol-whip her.

Leng felt helpless as he waited for Kim to step in front of the retinal scanner. It seemed to take forever before the green light came on and Kim hit the switch. As the door rumbled up out of the way Leng heard a distant shout and knew they had been spotted. The alarm was followed by a burst of gunfire as what sounded like a host of angry bees buzzed past his head. “Come on!” Kim shouted. “Follow me.”

Leng followed the biotic as she ran to the next door and slapped a switch. The second door rumbled open to reveal a couple of street guards. They looked surprised. Kim slammed one of them and Leng took care of the second with a right cross. His fist connected with the man’s jaw, the biotic went down, and his submachine gun fell free. Leng scooped it up and followed Kim as she led him across the street. A horn blared as a car came to a screeching halt. Leng dodged around the front of it as one of the guards shouted something unintelligible and gave chase.