Ascension

Nineteen

Even with all he had done for Cerberus, even after hundreds of missions and almost sixteen years of service, Grayson could count on one hand the number of times he had met the Illusive Man face-to-face.

As charismatic and impressive as he appeared over a vid screen, he was far more imposing in person. There was a seriousness about him, an air of authority. He possessed a cool confidence that made it seem as if he was completely in control of everything that unfolded around him. There was unmistakable intelligence in his steely eyes; coupled with his silver-gray hair and his daunting presence, it gave the sense that he had wisdom far beyond that of ordinary men.

This impression was further enhanced by the surroundings of the office the Illusive Man used for his personal meetings. The room was decorated with a classic dark-wood finish, giving it a serious and subdued, almost somber, feel. The lights were soft and a little dim, leaving the corners obscured by shadows. Six black meeting chairs surrounded a frosted glass table on the far side of the room, allowing him to accommodate larger groups.

This meeting, however, was a private session. Grayson was seated in one of the two oversized leather chairs in the center of the office, directly across from the Man himself. He'd noticed a pair of guards posted just outside the door as he entered the room, but inside the office it appeared to be just the two of them.

'We haven't found any hard evidence to back up your story yet,' the Illusive Man said, leaning forward in his own chair with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped before him.

His features were sympathetic and his voice understanding, but there was a hard edge just below the surface. Grayson once again found him to be compelling yet intimidating at the same time. He made it so that you wanted to confide in him. Yet if you chose to lie, his eyes seemed to say, he would know. . and there would be grave consequences.

Fortunately for Grayson, the truth was on his side.

'I stand by my report. I pulled Gillian from the Ascension Project as ordered. During the mission, I was forced to alter the plan because of interference from Kahlee Sanders and Hendel Mitra, who insisted on coming with Gillian. I made arrangements with Pel to deal with them, but when I arrived on Omega he imprisoned us all so he could sell us to the Collectors.'

The Illusive Man nodded as if agreeing with every word. 'Yes, of course. But I'm still not clear on what happened next.'

The question was innocent enough, but Grayson recognized it as a potential trap. Within two days of receiving his message, Cerberus had sent an extraction team to bring him from Omega back to Earth to meet with the organization's leader. Considering Pel and his entire team were dead — some of them by his hand — it was an invitation he wasn't given the option of refusing.

Upon landing they had hustled him into a waiting car and taken him directly to the nondescript office tower that served as the corporate headquarters of Cord-Hislop Aerospace, the legitimate business front for Cerberus. Virtually the entire building was staffed with everyday men and women engaged in the business of manufacturing and selling ships and shuttles. None of them had any idea they were really working for an anonymous individual who inhabited the secure penthouse at the very top of the building, above the privately accessed suites of the more well known corporate executives.

Grayson had been itching for a sand hit during the seemingly endless elevator ride to the top of Cord-Hislop. But it would have been sheer idiocy to dust up before a meeting as important — and dangerous— as this one. He had one chance to convince the Illusive Man that Pel was a traitor. If he failed, he likely wouldn't leave the building alive, meaning he'd never see Gillian again.

'I've told you everything I know about Pel's death. An unknown person or persons, probably quarian, broke into the warehouse. I presume they helped the others escape. Most of Pel's team were killed during the escape. During the battle I broke out of my cell. I killed Pel and one surviving member of his team myself. Then I contacted you.'

The Illusive Man nodded again, then stood up slowly. At just over six feet tall, he towered above Grayson, still seated in his chair.

'Paul,' he said softly, gazing down on him from on high, 'are you addicted to red sand?'

Don't lie. He wouldn't be asking if be didn't already know.

'I wasn't high on this mission. I wasn't hallucinating when I shot Pel, and I didn't kill him and his team to cover up some mistake I made while stoned. I just did what was necessary.'

The Illusive Man turned his back to him and took a step away, pondering his words. Without turning back to face Grayson, he asked, 'Do you care for Gillian?'

'Yes,' he admitted. 'I care for her as much as any father cares for his child. You told me to raise her as my own, so I did. It was the only way to get her to trust me.' And you already knew the answer to that question, too.

The Illusive Man turned back to face him again, but remained standing. 'Do you ever have doubts about what we do here at Cerberus, Paul? Do you ever feel conflicted over what's been done to Gillian?'

Grayson didn't speak for several moments, trying to carefully formulate his response. In the end, he couldn't find the words to answer while evading the question, so he replied as honestly as he could.

'It tears me apart whenever I think about it.' Then he added with conviction, 'But I understand why it must be done. I see how it serves the greater good. I believe in our cause.'

The Illusive Man raised one eyebrow in surprise, tilting his head to fix his gaze on the man sitting before — and beneath — him.

'Your former partner would never have given me an answer as honest as yours.' Grayson wasn't sure if the words were meant as a compliment or an insult.

'I'm not like Pel. He made a deal with the Collectors. He betrayed humanity. He betrayed Cerberus. He betrayed you.'

Grayson felt a small hint of relief when the Illusive Man sat down again.

'We've had no reports on your shuttle's location since it left Omega. Not a single sighting at any space station or colony in either Council Space or the Terminus Systems.'

'I think I know why,' Grayson announced, exhaling a breath he didn't even know he was holding as he played his trump card. 'I think they're hiding amid the quarian flotilla.'

Again, the Illusive Man raised an eyebrow in surprise. 'I'm curious as to what led you to this rather unlikely conclusion.'

He didn't have a good answer. His theory was based on a few pieces of highly circumstantial evidence: the shotgun he'd found at the warehouse, the prisoner in the basement, and the unshakable certainty that he just knew where Gillian was.

'Instinct,' he finally replied. 'I feel it in my gut. The quarians took my daughter.'

'If they did,' his boss replied, 'then she is beyond our reach.'

Grayson shook his head, silently refuting the other man's statement. 'I found Pel's mission reports in the warehouse. I know he was gathering information to infiltrate the Migrant Fleet, and I think that's what drew the quarian rescue team to the warehouse. But they left one of their own behind; a prisoner Pel had tortured to the brink of insanity. He gave me a transmission frequency and what I believe to be some kind of pass code before he died.

'Pel's reports also mentioned a quarian scout ship he'd acquired, the Cyniad. I think we can load a team onto the ship and use the frequency and code to get inside the flotilla and get Gillian back.'

The Illusive Man didn't try to deny the purpose of Pel's mission. Instead, he considered Grayson's plan, most likely weighing the risks against the potential rewards. 'It could work. . assuming you're right about the quarians taking Gillian.'

He stood up again, but this time the action seemed to signal an end to their meeting, as if he'd gotten what he wanted out of Grayson.

'I will have some of our operatives in the Terminus Systems see if they can find any information to support