Drew Karpyshyn - Retribution

“I need you to go up to Captain Jimenez and tell her you’ve gotta use the bathroom.”

“The bathroom’s right over there,” Yando said, pointing to the rear of the cafeteria.

“I know. Just tell her you gotta go, but you’re scared. Tell her she has to come with you.”

“She’s a girl! She can’t come into the boys’ washroom!”

Nick gave an exasperated sigh.

“She’s a security guard. She can go wherever she wants. Let me finish.”

“Sorry,” Yando muttered.

“Go inside the bathroom and count to ten. Then start crying and screaming like you’re freaking out.”

“What? No way! Everyone will make fun of me for being a baby!”

“I won’t let them,” Nick assured him. “You know I’ve got your back.”

It was true; Nick had been watching out for Yando ever since he got here. But the younger boy still wasn’t entirely convinced.

“Come on, buddy. I need you to do this. It’s important.”

“Why? What are you going to do?”

“I can’t tell you,” Nick said. “That way, if I get caught you won’t get in trouble.”

Yando thought about it, shaking his head slowly back and forth. But when he spoke, he didn’t say no.

“Okay. I’ll go tell her.”

“Attaboy,” Nick told him. “I knew I could count on you.”

Nick turned in his seat to watch the action as Yando got up and crossed the cafeteria to speak with Captain Jimenez.

He was too far away to hear them talking, but he could see Yando shifting uncomfortably from foot to foot, just like he had to pee and was fighting to hold it in.

For a minute he thought Captain Jimenez was going to refuse or maybe send him with someone else.

Then she took a quick glance around and took Yando’s hand, leading him off to the restroom.

Careful not to move too quickly, Nick got up and made his way over to the door. Nobody paid him any attention. The younger kids were half asleep in their seats. The older ones were sitting in tight little groups, excitedly discussing the evening’s strange events. The instructors and security guards were distributing food and drinks to the kids and trying to act like they knew what was going on.

He stood off to one side, trying to appear inconspicuous. And then he heard a high-pitched wailing coming from the rear of the cafeteria as Yando delivered on his promise.

As everyone turned to see what was happening, Nick opened the cafeteria door and slipped out into the hall, quietly closing the door behind him. He knew Yando wouldn’t rat him out, and with so many kids to worry about he didn’t think anyone would even notice he was gone.

Impressed with himself for carrying out such a brilliant plan, he realized there was one fatal flaw: now that he was free to go after Kahlee, he had no idea where she’d gone.

He hesitated, trying to figure out what to do next. Going back to the cafeteria wasn’t an option, not after he’d worked so hard to get out. So he headed down the hall back toward the dorms, hoping he’d figure something out or simply get lucky and stumble across either Miss Sanders or the kidnappers.

Kai Leng had never been to the Grissom Academy. Fortunately, the school was designed to accommodate unaccompanied visits from parents of the students. The walls were marked with maps showing the general layout to help visitors unfamiliar with the station find their way around.

It was easy enough to guess that Grayson had gone to the Ascension wing, given the history of his daughter. Using the maps, Kai Leng was able to find his way there without any real difficulties.

The halls were completely deserted; not even a security patrol crossed his path. Kai Leng considered that a stroke of bad luck — if he had run into some guards he would have been able to arm himself with some kind of weapon. As it was, he had nothing to go on at the moment but his training.

When he reached the Grissom Academy’s entrance, he briefly studied the map on the wall. There was no way to be certain, but his instincts told him Grayson would be heading for the large area marked Restricted Area .

He wound his way through the halls, but before he reached his destination he heard a young man’s voice coming from behind him.

“Don’t move unless you want to find yourself thrown through a wall.”

Kai Leng stopped and turned to face the unexpected threat. A young teenager with dark, messy hair was standing in the hall.

“I’m a biotic,” the kid warned. “I can bounce you around like a basketball!”

His words were defiant, but it was clear to see he was terrified.

Kai Leng had no doubt he could close the distance between them before his opponent could gather himself and unleash a biotic power. But violence wasn’t always the best solution.

“You’re one of Kahlee’s students,” he said.

“You know Miss Sanders?” the boy replied, a look of uncertainty coming over his face.

“I came here with her. We’re working together.”

The kid let out a deep breath and relaxed. “Sorry. I thought you were one of the kidnappers.”

Kai Leng wasn’t exactly sure what he was talking about, but it was easy enough to play along.

“If I was a kidnapper, wouldn’t I have some kind of weapon on me?”

The kid shrugged. “Maybe you don’t need one. You look like sort of a badass.”

“This badass is on your side,” he assured the young man. “I need to find Kahlee. Do you know where she went?”

The kid shook his head. “She had security take us all into the cafeteria, then she ran off. But I snuck out to help. I’m the strongest biotic in the school.”

“I don’t doubt it,” Kai Leng said with a nod. “What’s your name?”

“Nick. Nick Donahue.”

“My name is Steve. Maybe you can help me.”

“Sure,” Nick eagerly agreed. “What do you need?”

“The maps on the wall have a section marked off as a restricted area. You know what’s there?”

“If I tell you,” the kid replied, “you have to take me with you.”

“Deal,” Kai Leng answered, knowing it couldn’t hurt to have a powerful biotic around — even one as young as Nick — if he ran into Grayson. Plus, he could always use him as a hostage if he got into a tight situation.

“That’s the lab and data archives,” Nick explained. “You figure that’s where Miss Sanders went?”

“There’s a good chance. Care to show me the way?”

“Sure thing. Follow me.”

Kahlee rounded the corner and stopped when she saw Anderson crouched in the middle of the hall.

He was facing away from her, his shotgun pointed at the door of the lab.

She was about to call out to him when Grayson suddenly came barreling through the door. Anderson fired with the shotgun, but the bullets were repelled by a shimmering biotic barrier. Grayson thrust his fist out and a rippling biotic wave rolled down the hall.

Her brain had just enough time to register Anderson hurtling backward in her direction as if he had been fired from a cannon before the wave struck her, too. Fortunately, she was far enough away to be spared the brunt of the concussive impact; much of the energy had dissipated, and she was only knocked off her feet. But Anderson had been much closer to Grayson when the power was unleashed, and had been hurtled a good twenty meters before landing in a crumpled heap beside her.

Kahlee grunted in pain as she had to use her fingers to struggle back up. At her feet, Anderson didn’t move or make a sound. Before she could check on him, however, Grayson was standing in front of her, pointing a pair of pistols in her face.

Grayson knew the Reapers were going to kill Kahlee, and there was nothing he could do about it.

They had locked him inside his own body, helpless to affect the physical world.