Read Online Mass Effect™: Retribution by Drew Karpyshyn - Free Book Online

Darrin’s body lay on the floor in a dark pool of his own blood. Jens was still crouched over him, injecting him with medi-gel, checking his vitals and hoping for a miracle. One glance at the body was enough for Kai Leng to know the medic was wasting his time.
    Making his way into the kitchen, he began a quickbut thorough search; opening cupboards and pulling out drawers, he found a very large, very sharp carving knife. Picking it up, he hefted the weight. Satisfied, he went back into the bedroom.
    “The terminal’s clean,” Shella informed him as he came in. “Must have wiped it before we came in.”
    Kai Leng frowned. He had no idea what kind of info had been on Grayson’s system, but it had been important enough for him to spend time getting rid of it even while his apartment was under attack.
    “Found this under the bed,” one of the others chimed in, holding up a cellophane-wrapped package about the size of a brick. “Four more here, too. Looks like red sand.”
    They’d finally caught a break. He knew Aria was involved in a drug war with a rival gang; with any luck, she’d think they were behind Grayson’s disappearance.
    “Take the sand with us. Any weapons?”
    “Just the one they used to shoot Darrin.”
    “How bad is he …?” Shella asked, her voice trailing off.
    Kai Leng simply shook his head as he crossed the room toward the bed. A shadow passed over Shella’s face, but she didn’t show any other emotion.
    Standing over the naked asari’s body, he drew the knife quickly across her throat. The cut was clean and deep. A river of blood ran down her neck and soaked into the sheets, the same dark color as the human blood pooling in the hall.
    “Two of you grab Grayson, two more grab Darrin,” he said, reaching around to slide the knife intothe back of his pants, then untucking his shirt to hide the protruding handle. “Let’s go.”
    The attack and search had taken less than ten minutes in total. Kai Leng was impressed with his team’s efficiency, though in this case it wasn’t really necessary.
    Residents of the other apartments inside the building had probably heard the sounds of gunfire. But none of them were likely to get involved; people on Omega tended to mind their own business. Even if someone did want to report the incident, there was no one to contact. Omega had no police force, and the guards at the entrance gate a few blocks away wouldn’t leave their post; they were paid to keep unauthorized people out of the district, not maintain order inside. News of the battle would reach Aria’s ears eventually, probably even before morning. He hoped to be long gone by then.
    Only one problem remained: getting Grayson’s unconscious form, Darrin’s still warm body, and eight kilos of red sand past the Omega First Security guards at the district gate.
    He led the team through the winding streets, back the way they had come. They were fortunate enough not to run into anyone else. As they reached the last corner before the guard station, Kai Leng brought his crew to a halt. He extended his hand and Shella slipped Grayson’s pistol into his palm. He registered with some disgust the fact that it was a turian-designed Elanus model before tucking it away under his shirt beside the knife. He could feel the two handles—blade and gun—pressing against the small of his back.
    “Wait here, but be ready to move.”
    Taking a moment to focus his mind and body, he rounded the corner alone, moving with an easy but determined pace.
    The turians noticed him as he drew near, but they didn’t draw their weapons or seem alarmed in any way.
    “What’s the matter?” one of them taunted. “Get kicked out of the party?”
    “Forgot something,” he muttered, still moving toward them.
    He was ten meters away—easily close enough to deliver an accurate kill shot. But the guards were wearing combat suits; their kinetic barriers would easily deflect a round from this far. He had to get up close and