JUSTICE IN FLAMES

[Mokrie Dela]

If you havn't already read it, I'd recommend reading City of Lies first

 

Thanks to Narcis_speed6 For the title Art.

The second, and final, 'City of Lies' story.

 

CLICK HERE to start reading or see below for each chapter!

 

Chapter Number:	Chapter Title (Click to Read)
PART ONE	A Dark Storm Rises
Prologue	Prologue
One	Changing of the Guard
Two	Target Zero
Three	The Mysterious Man
Four	Lords and Hustlers
Five	Parlay Crashers
Six	Italians and Russians
Seven	Italians and Russians: Part II
Eight	Close, But No Cigar
Nine	The Hunt for Johnny Klebitz...
Ten	On the Trail
Eleven	Reunion
Twelve	The Road to War
Thirteen	Capture the Flag
Fourteen	Let the Voting Commence
PART TWO	REVELATIONS
One	Funding an Army
Two	Right under your nose
Three	Between a Rock And a Hard Place
Four	Final Boarding Call
Five	It's All About The Guns!
Six	Welcome Back Party
Seven	Sweet Dreams, Niko
Eight	The Remnants of The Lost
Nine	Exit Polls
Ten	The Culling in North Holland
Eleven	Dearest Petrovic...
Twelve	Doublestrike
Thirteen	Fortune Cookie
Fourteen	Babylon!
Fifteen	Finding The Mole
Sixteen	And The Winner Is...
Seventeen	Whack-A-Mole
Eighteen	The Pickup
Nineteen	For Evil and Good
Twenty	Why Did We Come Here...?
Twenty One	...I Guess It Was The Weather
PART THREE	EXILE
One	Zero Hour
Two	The Depths of Error
Three	State of War
Four	Enemy At The Gates
Five	An Unstoppable Force...
Six	...An Unmovable Object
Seven	Public Enemies
Eight	Freedom Fighters
Nine	...An Old Friend
Ten	The Wrath of an Angry God
Eleven	Redemption
Epilogue	Epilogue

Edited February 22, 2013 by Mokrie Dela

[Mati]

That's almost as surprising as the GTA V announcement. Great work so far, I can see that you're going a different direction this time around. You've got an action-packed scene there with an open ending. I already can't wait to see what happens in the future chapters.

[Mokrie Dela]

That's almost as surprising as the GTA V announcement. Great work so far, I can see that you're going a different direction this time around. You've got an action-packed scene there with an open ending. I already can't wait to see what happens in the future chapters.

Now THAT'S a compliment!

 

I'll try to keep chapters coming regularly.

[dannyz]

Great. I like the story so far and it looks action packed right away, This story follows the Ending where Roman Lives ? I did not expect what has happened in the story so far. Keep up the Good Work.

[Mokrie Dela]

Great. I like the story so far and it looks action packed right away, This story follows the Ending where Roman Lives ? I did not expect what has happened in the story so far. Keep up the Good Work.

Yes it does, Roman is alive in this story.

[SilentSeas]

Another great piece so far Mokrie. You're doing a brilliant job of illustrating the setting, so much so that I could imagine playing out the chase in game. I'm just sorry I didn't find time to read it sooner.

[Mokrie Dela]

Another great piece so far Mokrie. You're doing a brilliant job of illustrating the setting, so much so that I could imagine playing out the chase in game. I'm just sorry I didn't find time to read it sooner.

Don't worry bout it man. I know you're a busy mo-fo

 

Just glad to get interest in this

[dannyz]

How this Coming along? Would Love to Read more of this Great Stuff.

 

[Mokrie Dela]

How this Coming along? Would Love to Read more of this Great Stuff.

it's going ok. Mostly it's hinging off of Mati's Life Price, so i'd recomend you check that out, as the more progress mati makes, the closer COL is to being regularly uploaded

 

Although i've got quite a bit written, I'm needing to check it with Mati's work to ensure continuity.

progress is still being made though

[Mati]

I'll update my stuff today with a new mission. Forget the preview I posted btw.

I kinda feel bad about it, like you can't progress just because of me

[Mokrie Dela]

I'll update my stuff today with a new mission. Forget the preview I posted btw.

I kinda feel bad about it, like you can't progress just because of me

Nah man it's cool - I'm still writing the story, and waiting for you only lets me re-edit it and make sure it's better. Please don't feel bad about it, as it's not affecting progress!

 

Also check out the GTA Wiki:

http://gta.wikia.com/GTA_Fan_Fiction#List_of_FanFiction

 

Someone's put my story up there! <- to whoever did

[Corndawg93]

Wow that was more epic than saint row the third, keep them coming mate

Edited December 7, 2011 by billy james

[Mokrie Dela]

Wow that was more epic than saint row the third, keep them coming mate

Haha thanks. Havnt played SRTT yet tho.

More chapters will come but most likely in the new yeah.

[megahypernova]

damn i never finished the first one -_- had alot of real life issues at the time, i'm gonna go finish reading it and then come back here!!!

[megahypernova]

Just Finished Reading City Of Lies Sad Ending , And I Just Read The Prologue It's Really Good, Can't Wait To Read More!!!

[GTAIndonesia]

The first part sound like Chevy Chase's revelation topic.

[Mokrie Dela]

The first part sound like Chevy Chase's revelation topic.

i'm not following ya mate... :S

 

 

@megahypernova - thanks man - your support on this and the first one's appreciated

 

New chapters will come in the new year

[GTAIndonesia]

But it's good anyway, sad to see that niko died at the end.

[Mokrie Dela]

 

But it's good anyway, sad to see that niko died at the end.

Could you maybe explain the "revelations" reference? I'm not getting it lol

 

If anyone wants to see more of the Rami Character - check my sig for a link to Life's Price - I've adopted the character from Mati's concept, as i really liked him (although the character's slightly different).

 

That should also keep you going till i upload new chapters (or check out the first story - also in sig)

[Corndawg93]

So when's the part 2 coming

[Mokrie Dela]

So when's the part 2 coming

not just yet. I'm writing it still, but it's not quite ready yet!

[Secura]

So when can we expect part two? it's been nearly five months now.

[dannyz]

So when can we expect part two? it's been nearly five months now.

I know. I read City of Lies again and I still Love it. I hope I am not rushing you but can we get a little peak into the Next Chapter Please

[Mokrie Dela]

five months? Really. sh*t, i better pull my finger out!

 

I am still writing it - i've scrapped a lot because i really want to surpass the quality of the first one.

I'm toying with the idea of uploading the next chapter. problem is if i do that i run the risk of catching up with my self, and i want to avoid writing it as i upload - as said i've scrapped some things in hope to ensure continuity.

 

I'll have a couple of proof reading sessions on the chapters i've got and see if i can uplaod one a month or something.

 

I can only apollogise for the lack of activity - been busy, but I appreciate all your support - which is what makes this live.

 

Also feel free to spread the word and recomend this, City of Lies, or any other works posted in the Writer's Discussion, after all, the higher the interest, the bigger the return.

 

Anyway, i had just finished writing a little Chase involving Luis, and who other than the cops. I'll proof read a little now and hope to get something up this week!

[TJtheS2000fan]

I must say, you did a great job with this. You should send it in to R*

[Mokrie Dela]

 

PROLOGUE

 

Niko Bellic hurried across the street in a break of traffic. He didn’t want to obviously look around, but he knew he was being followed. It was a warm day, And Niko was wearing a light suit – a white shirt under a creamy-beige jacket with matching slacks. His footwear was a pair of Khaki running shoes. He also wore a pair of tinted glasses.

He rounded a corner, and began walking east. Traffic roared on the skyway meters above his head. To his left a siren sounded as an ambulance tore out of Westdyke Memorial Hospital. Niko ignored it and carried on.

 

The man watched Niko cross over and carried on walking. He used the next crossing to traverse across Panhandle Road. He had to be careful here; the target knew his face and a pair of sunglasses and a baseball cap wouldn’t hide him enough to be lax. Not that it was in his nature to be lax. He’d been working in the business for years, ever since he’d left Shin Bet. There was a reason he’d survived. He’d even earned himself a reputation. He did not, however, come cheap. But, to his employer, price was not an issue.

Ahead of him was the Serbian, walking along as if oblivious to the threat that lurked behind him. That was just a facade, the man knew. Niko had been trained, not only as a cold-blooded killer, but, more recently, as a true operative.

 

Niko turned and cut through an alleyway. His car – or rather a stolen one - was parked there. He was confident that once he got in the car he’d be home free.

 

The man watched as Niko turned into the alleyway. He’s going for his car, he told himself. He wasn’t worried however, as he’d already discovered the location of Niko’s car – it hadn’t been too hard to tail him earlier. The man had his own car, parked just round the corner.

The gamble was, however, whether Niko would turn left or right. If the target headed south, he’d drive right into the man’s hands. If he headed north, the man could swing through the one way system in seconds, even without driving illegally.

 

Niko walked in to the car park and had a look round. He saw no one, so he approached his car – a black Intruder RX – the new 2011 model of the vehicle. It looked a lot sleeker and sportier then the 2008 model, and still looked very much executive. A businessman’s car. Niko liked the chrome trim around the windows. It reminded him of all the sleek electronic devices that were available for purchase in the shops. Cell phones, laptops and now even touch-screen pads. Niko planned to buy one of the new Fruit pads at the weekend. Niko checked his mirrors and, seeing no tails, started the engine.

The man had silently approved of Nikos mode of transport. The new Intruder RX was a very good car. Sure it couldn’t keep up with a Banshee or even a Sultan RS, but it could out run most sedans.

The man sat in a dark-green, almost-black Rebla, with slightly tinted windows. It wasn’t blatantly a government car, but the subtle tint would go a long way to hiding the driver’s face. Or at least distorting it. This vehicle had been tuned, for better performance, compared to the usual variety. It wouldn’t keep up with the Intruder in a flat-out straight, but it had more power at the low end.

 

The target Intruder appeared ahead. The man’s ignition as already on and he began to pull out. Timing was crucial here. If done correctly the Rebla would appear to simply be driving off, where it’d let the Intruder pass.

And that’s exactly what did happen. The target pulled out and drove right past the Rebla, The man chuckled to himself. This was going to be easy.

Niko was heading into Liberty, or more specifically, back to ‘H.Q.’ He checked his rear view mirror, making a mental note of what vehicles where there, then headed for the Booth Tunnel.

 

The man wasn’t sure about the tunnel. It seemed to work more in his favour then the target’s. Perhaps it was just the simplest route – the man knew where the target was heading – that’d make sense. Then again, if the target had spotted his tail, it could be a good way to make a break for it. Not for the first time, the man wished he could read minds.

 

Niko was trying to remember the name of the vehicle. Nebular? No that wasn’t it. Rebula... something like that. Either way, it had been following him since Alderney City. He’d taken a few random left/right turns, and one loop and, even though the Rebula had disappeared during the latter, it had reappeared by the time Niko had reached the tunnel.

 

The man felt the tug of complacency. It was not an unfamiliar feeling to him, but the wealth of experience he had developed over the years allowed him to ignore it easily. He was tempted to simply drive direct to the destination, but that was an emergency contingency, in case he lost the target. Besides there’s no telling whether the target would sneakily take a back door in, or stop off and change his apparel.

Leave nothing to chance, the man told himself.

 

Rebla! That was it. Niko now was sure he was still followed.Damn.

That meant the car was dirty. He had to dump it.

The realisation occurred to Niko as he crossed the city limit line, painted onto the tunnel wall. He checked his rear view mirror. The Rebla was behind him, four cars and one lane between them. Traffic was usually thick in here. Niko planned to use that to his advantage. He knew where he had to go.

 

The traffic bottlenecked ahead. The man tensed up. He pictured the operation as a chess board. It was his target’s move and as with chess – a game that the man was so-so at – he had an idea what his opponent’s move was going to be. Frustratingly however, there wasn’t much the man could do about it yet.

Niko reached the bottleneck and pushed his foot down. He felt the Intruder surge forward, and directed the vehicle through a gap ahead. Like threading a needle, Niko thought.

The man cursed as the Intruder sped up. He tried to speed up but the traffic was boxing him in. He had to swing wide and force his way through the traffic.

 

Niko reached to top of the hill and, rather than turning left or right, went straight on, slowing down into a narrow alley.

 

Bad move, the man thought. It was easy to follow, but now the operation had evolved into a chase. The man knew Niko was better at balls-to-the-wall play. Being hidden was no longer an objective – at least not a high priority one. The target was urging his tail to bring the fight to him.

very well, Bellic, The man thought. Bring it on.

Niko turned north at an intersection in the alley. He came out, crossed the road – barely missing a bus – and accelerated hard into the next alley. A feeling of déjà vu came over Niko, as he remembered chasing a biker the other way down here. Seems like a lifetime ago.

The man had to admit he was at a loss. He still had the target in sight; while the Rebla would fall behind on a straight sprint down the highway, it had the advantage in the myriad of turns of the city. The target had the top end speed, but the man knew he had the acceleration.

 

The target turned onto Frankfort Avenue. Now he had straight roads for a good couple of miles. The man didn’t like that prospect. The second he straightened out on Frankfort Avenue, he floored it.

 

Niko made a break for Frankfort high station. He hurriedly parked the car under the track and ran toward the station.

 

The man stopped his car on the side of the road and leapt out into a sprint, following Niko up the steps.

 

Niko vaulted over the turnstiles and turned for the steps. He expected to hear a gunshot, or a shout but he heard nothing. He knew better then to turn around.

 

The man reached the top of the steps, jumped the barriers and made an on-the-fly decision which set of steps to take.

 

Niko slowed down to a rushed walk, and moved down the platform. He could hear the tracks resonating as a train approached, even though the train was not yet visible. Niko kept moving, keeping the waiting passengers between himself and the steps.

 

The man reached the top of the steps and looked around. If he was being chased he’d break line of sight. That meant either using the crowds to his advantage or hiding behind a pillar. The man moved through the crowd to the platform edge.

 

Niko sensed a pair of eyes on him. He turned and saw his tail and stopped. Well, well...

 

The man stared at Niko. For a moment they just stood there, eyes locked on each other across the track. Neither really wanted to draw and instigate a shootout on a busy train platform. They entered a cold standoff. A stalemate.

 

Ultimately though, Niko had avoided drawing the short straw. The train approached and broker the line of sight.

 

The man cursed the wrong choice. It was a fifty-fifty choice. Left or right. Now though, he stood on the wrong side of the tracks, as the train stopped on the other platform.

The man moved.

 

Niko boarded the train and sat down. Come on, he willed the doors. Close!

 

The man jumped onto the tracks, causing some gasps from the crowd. He began to move toward the front of the waiting train when a low rumble made his blood freeze.

Another train was coming.

The man saw it, and knew he wasn’t going to reach the front of the train. He sprinted down the tracks, away from the approaching train, toward the rear of the stationary train.

 

The southbound train stopped as the man leapt up and clambered onto the far platform. He heard the automated voice from inside of the target’s train.

Stand clear of the closing doors.

The man cursed and threw all he had into reaching the doors. He got there as the doors were closing. He turned his body sideways and zipped through the doors just as they closed. He collided with one of the poles just as the train began to move, which made him lose his balance.

“Whoa there!” A middle-aged gentleman said, catching him. “Cutting it fine, son.”

The man nodded his thanks at the old man and scanned the carriage.

Nothing.

He moved through to the next one.

 

Niko relaxed as the train pulled out of the station. He would get off at the next station and catch a cab back.

 

The man had reached the last carriage and saw Niko sitting at the end.

“Got you.” He whispered before moving out of sight.

 

The train pulled into the next station and Niko stepped out. He headed down to the street and walked toward an alleyway. He’d just nip through here and call a cab. He wanted to be away from the station in case his tail drove here.

 

The man saw Niko disappear down the alley and moved to follow.

 

Niko saw a cab pass ahead and moved to catch up. He was almost at the far end of the alley when the hand grabbed his arm, spinning him round.

The gun was pointed in his face.

 

“Rami.” Niko said, catching his breath.

“Niko.”

“I thought I’d lost you. Twice.”

“Afraid not.” Rami said. “You almost did.”

“Where did I go wrong?”

“When you came out of the tunnel you should have turned left or right. Break the line of sight, then make a break for it.”

“I thought I had done that with the alley.”

“Not quite. As I came up the hill I saw your brake lights. You’d broken the line of sight but you went straight on. Turn left, then left again. By the time I would have reached the intersection you would have turned off of it. I would have lost you.”

“Can I have a do-over?”

“Sorry, Niko.” Rami held the gun to Niko’s head. “You know the rules.”

Rami pulled the trigger.

 

 

 

Click Here to read the next chapter - Changing of The Guard.

Edited February 22, 2012 by Mokrie Dela

[Mokrie Dela]

 

One - Changing of the Guard

 

Rami didn’t like debriefings. They were a waste of time in his eyes. The job was done, why talk about it? Nothing could be changed. He rarely made mistakes worthy of reflection. The only review he agreed with was his own.

But that was how things were done weren’t they? Not just in the United States, but also out in Israel, or anywhere else. Ultimately, did it matter?

 

Niko was a worthy adversary. Although Rami had triumphed, he had not wanted to face up against the man at all.

Still, life was a series of events, expected or unexpected. You had to roll with some of them, and dodge the others.

And so it was that they had another job. Rami sat in his car – a silver Habanero with darkened windows – as he cruised through the Liberty City traffic. He remarked on that word, Job. Sure, this was his form of employment, but he didn’t like calling each individual assignment a job. Rami didn’t work behind a counter. He didn’t like calling them missions either. Too military.

Assignments. That works, he decided.

And so he had another assignment. Soon he had pulled his vehicle in through the rolling door and into the secure underground car park. Minutes later he was in the office.

To a new face.

 

“There’s been an incident.” The man said matter-of-factly. “Your former employer was involved in an automobile accident. His Cavalcade was hit and fell off the elevated section of Union Drive. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Lancet Hospital.”

Rami nodded, as though hearing the weather forecast. He also noted the presence of two other men.

“As of now, I am your superior.” The man continued.

Again, Rami nodded.

“There is, however, one compilation. I do not believe that this was an accident.”

Rami raised an eyebrow. “How so?”

“Well firstly he was looking into some political corruption. Had he involved you two with that?”

Rami shook his head.

“I don’t know whether it got that far. Either way, here’s the flap: The Liberty City mayoral elections are approaching, as you’re probably well aware of. There are two running parties. I believe that your former employer was murdered to ensure a certain party comes in to office.”

“Makes sense.” Rami turned and looked at his partner. “Political corruption?” Rami asked.

His partner nodded. “That seems to be a major theme in this country.”

“Or indeed any country.”

Rami’s partner nodded. “Greed?”

“And power?”

Another nod.

“Alright that’ll do.” Their new boss said. “Let me give you some background. You both remember Julio Ochoa?”

“The mayor.”

“Yes. He had a hugely successful campaign to close all gun stores. Gun crime during his term was the lowest on record since the war.”

“That didn’t stop the sale of guns.” One of the two mystery men said.

Rami shrugged. “There will always be illicit supplies.”

“Exactly.” Their new employer said. “Things were good for Ochoa until the Kapowitz scandal.”

“Yeah.” Rami’s partner nods. “I know about that well.”

“Of course you do.” Rami poked.

“Indeed, gentlemen. Following that, Ochoa did not run for another term. This opened the doors to the current office’s predecessor. Now fast forward to today. As you know the current mayor had continued Ochoa’s gun policies. Only, they’re no longer working.”

Rami shared a look with his partner. “How so?”

“Where the gun shops were closed, other figures stepped in, selling guns illegally in alleyways, and out of car trunks.”

“That’s completely natural though.” Rami said. “The illicit firearms dealers have existed long before gun control policies were implemented.”

“True, but when you can no longer buy something legally, the demand and thus the supply goes up tenfold.”

Rami nodded. “Logical.”

“Which is a problem. To begin with Ochoa’s policies were working, but in the long term they’re simply not. Guns are no longer a rarity in this city.”

“So what’s this got to do with us?”

“My predecessor had run his operations to support Ochoa and his policies. In short to keep the streets supposedly gun free. However, as I said, it didn’t work. They were looking at it the wrong way. Instead of banning firearms, they should have simply regulated them. This is the key issue between both parties running for the mayor’s office.”

“So one wants to keep guns banned, the other wants to legalize them.”

“Yes, Rami.” The new boss said. “By legalizing guns we’ll drive out the organized crime element. No longer will old, often damaged guns be for sale. Every gun will be in a good condition. At the moment you could buy a gun in a dingy alleyway, but when you go to fire it, it may backfire, or fall apart. We’ve had incidents where such has happened, and people have died – other than the intended of course. Instead of the gun being a danger to one person or a method of defense, it’s endangered so many more.

“On top of that, the money made from the controlled sales of firearms can be injected back in to the city, and thus to schools and hospitals, police funding et cetera.”

“So you’re saying take the gun dealers out of the picture, steal their market and use the profits to support the city.”

“In a clench, yes.”

“And where do we fit in?”

“Like I said , I suspect that the current mayor’s office were aware of our existence, and made an attempt to eliminate us. The reason being, that they are in cahoots with the illicit gun smugglers and dealers, getting a tidy buck in the process. That puts us at war with...”

“...your own country.”

“Not quite that extreme.” The man told Rami’s partner. “We’re working on confirmation but if they had killed my predecessor, then this elevates this to an entirely new level.”

“So do we have an assignment?” Rami asked.

“Indeed you do. All four of you. Firstly we have to keep this contained. This does not leave this room. No one else may learn of any of this, is that understood?”

The man got four nods.

“Right. We are now operating black. Blacker than black. Invisible. Now a shipment of weapons has been secured and transported to places of our control. These weapons are to be used by us. They came from the middle east, and we’re using them so there’s no trace; guns bought from suppliers have model numbers on and can be tracked. These simply can’t, because of where they came from. Does that make sense gentlemen?” More nods. “The only problem is the unit that procured the weapons. They have decided that they wanted something else.”

Rami’s partner raised his eyebrow. “Blackmail?”

“Yes, blackmail. This is a sensitive situation because these are American citizens – American soldiers. Kind of like your special friend.” The man glanced at Rami’s partner. Rami knew full well what he was talking about. Rami’s partner nodded. “The blunt truth is that these so-called soldiers are threatening our operations. If they follow through on their threats of ‘exposing’ our operations – which, while not morally wrong, the public will disagree, mainly on the secret war subject – then we’ll be finished.”

The men nodded again.

“So to the meat. Two targets. One is the unit’s commander – likely the one who decided to blackmail us. He is on his way to meet someone in an effort to expose us. This cannot be allowed to happen.

“The second target is a soldier of the unit. A captain actually. I’ve managed to arrange a few other ‘incidents’ on some of the other soldiers but right now, these two targets are yours. There may be more afterward too.” The man picked up two manila folders and slid them across the desk.

“Firstly, to the Captain. He’s blessedly travelling through Liberty City. I want you two – ” The man nodded at the other two men, and Rami looked on “ – to intercept this man before he reaches the Alderney ferry terminal, where he’ll catch a ferry south. Make sure you eliminate him before he disembarks from the ferry. The ferry is your last chance to eliminate him.”

“Won’t be a problem.” One of the men said in a gruff voice, snatching the envelope up.

“Good. Now you two.” The man turned to Rami, who had picked up the file and begun flicking through it. “This guy’s trying to be slippery. He’s on his way to Vice City to meet with his contact. Your flight is already booked, and a vehicle and weapons are ready for you down there. Get to the airport and locate the target. Follow him to whatever hotel he’s staying in. Once there,” The man bent down beside his desk and came back with a small case. “plant this tracking device on his car. You can track it through the modified sat-nav, which is in here as well.” He slid that across the table to Rami. “Find out who he’s meeting with, and eliminate them.

“Gentlemen, I don’t need to tell you the importance of doing this low key. No witnesses if possible. Quietly.” The men nodded. “And careful with the files. Memorize the details then destroy them. Do not let anyone even see the envelope. Keep them hidden and safe until their destruction.” The man sat back and stared out at the four men in front of him, each one skilled. He watched them for a moment as they looked through the files then coughed. “Alright gentlemen. Off you go.”

 

A few moments later Rami and his partner were outside.

“What do you make of that?” Niko asked.

Rami offered a single-shouldered shrug. “An assignment’s an assignment.”

Niko squirmed. “I’m not sure. It all seems a little thin to me.”

“Makes sense to me. It’s all about money. Whichever way you look at it, guns are being sold on to the streets. At the moment they’re coming in from overseas suppliers, stolen, bought – whatever – and smuggled in through the borders. That’s a lot of work and risk – the smuggling part in itself is a huge operation. We’ve both seen it and how it can go wrong. The level of danger is significant. Then the guns are sold through the local dealers for a high price.

“He’s right, if guns are legalized, the smuggling operations are drastically reduced. The money goes to the ‘right’ people.”

“The right people – you believe that?”

Rami shrugged. “We’re talking guns, Niko. Humans have a natural instinct to kill. Think about it, from the dawn of time, there’s been war. Ochoa was ignorant. You cannot stop the sale of guns. There will always be someone selling them.”

“But there’ll still be people selling them illegally.”

“True, but much less of them and the margin for profit will be smaller. It won’t be worth it; obtaining them, shipping them, smuggling them moving them under risk....” Rami shook his head. “It’s not worth it.”

Niko nodded. “I guess.”

“Niko.” Rami laid a hand on Niko’s shoulder. “You need to segregate. We’ve got some work ahead of us. You’re a good operator, but you have one flaw.”

“What’s that then?” Niko asked with a scowl.

“You’re too moralistic. Too concerned with right and wrong. Now I put that down to your experience in the Baltic, but still. You’re a skilled and dangerous gunman, but your conscience gets in your way. A killer with a conscience is a danger to himself and others around him, Niko. When the chips are down, I need to know that you can pull the trigger without asking whether you should. People will capitalize on it. Imagine a kid comes up to you, aiming a gun at you. Or your cousin. Could you shoot that kid?”

Niko stared with weary eyes.

“I don’t think you could. As a result of that you’d get shot, or your cousin would get shot. Because you can’t do it. I like you Niko, but I’m a...”

“...professional?” Niko asked, holding back what he wanted to say.

“You know I hate that word, but yeah. This assignment is the priority, not friendship. If you’re unable to operate objectively then... I cannot work with you.”

Niko bit his tongue. Rami was right, he knew, but he didn’t like hearing it. In fact he’d rather have a conscience and morals then be like Darko. Or Dimitri.

“Look Niko,” Rami continued, as if reading the Serbian’s mind. “I’m not a monster. I do have morals, I do have a conscience. But in this game, there is no room for such things. I leave that at home. Perhaps it’s my training; all my life I’ve been trained to do this kind of thing. You kind of had it thrust upon you. Listen, we’ve got...” Rami looked at the ticket he’d pulled out of the file. “Our flight’s in the morning. Go home and chill out or whatever. If you can not think so much about things, I’ll see you at the airport in the morning.”

“And if I can’t?”

“Then this isn’t for you. Go drive a cab or something. For what it’s worth, I do hope you’re there in the morning. I think we work well together.”

Niko nodded and the men shook hands. Rami walked to his silver Habanero and Niko to his Comet. He had an hour’s drive ahead of him – longer if there’s traffic – and he used that time to think.

 

Niko pulled his car onto the driveway, stopping it behind the minivan that sat in front of the garage. He'd spent the drive mentally reviewing the excersize, which Rami had 'won' with a cheeky sense of theatrics. The assignment was also on his mind. He stepped out of the car, shutting and locking it. He could hear the engine ticking as it cooled, or was that the body? He shook his head. Who cares?

He pushed the doorbell.

Instantly his spirits lifted when the door opened. It wasn’t just the sight, but the smell.

“Niko!” Roman sang, instantly embracing his cousin. “Come in cousin.” Niko followed Roman to the kitchen where Roman fetched Niko a bottle of beer – a tradition they’d developed whenever Niko came round. In the mornings it was a coffee, or tea, which Roman had started drinking on his honeymoon. To anyone else, Niko knew, the image would be strange. Having a child had changed his cousin. He still ran his cab company – relatively successfully too. Sure he didn’t have the money for a luxury penthouse, a Super Drop Diamond and a yacht, there was no mansion, or Barbara with big titties – though Mallorie had put on a couple of pounds since the pregnancy, he breasts appeared larger, but Niko caught himself from such observations. She was still attractive, and in good shape – another change that had been impressed unto Roman. He’d started exercising – not with Brucie, thankfully, but he jogged round the block most mornings, and visited the gym often. He was not a skinny man, but he looked healthier. Niko remarked on the irony in that. Now, when he no longer pursued wanton girls, but his appearance would probably allow him to pick up pretty much anyone. Niko smiled at that thought as his cousin handed him a beer.

“Mallorie’s not in.” Roman said and, for a second, Niko worried that Roman had trespassed on his thoughts. “She’s taken Kate to the park.”

Niko smiled at that, something he didn’t do much before the child’s birth. The name stirred up mixed emotions for Niko. Every single time her name was mentioned his thoughts were cast back to Kate McReary. He remembered her and some say that she’ll live on in memories. But Kate Bellic was a beautiful girl. Her face promised to grow with the grace and beauty of her mother’s and the eyes had the same playful nature that Roman once had.

“I still see Kate in her you know.” Niko said. Roman nodded. He knew the story.

“How is the rest of the family?”

“What’s left of it?” Niko shook his head, knowing that he was responsible for the Irish-American family falling apart. “Packie’s back in Ireland.”

“I thought he was in Thames City.”

“He was. He was working with some club owner, but there was a raid – something to do with drugs – and the guy had to split. So Packie went back to Ireland with him.”

“What made him leave Liberty?”

Niko frowned “Haven’t you asked me that before?”

“He left two years ago, Niko.” Roman laughed.

“I think it was his family. He’d had enough of Liberty City.” Niko shrugged. “Soon he’ll be fed up with Ireland and go to Vice City, or Los Santos or something.”

Again Roman nodded. “He’d been through a lot.”

“Hadn’t we all?”

They sat there for a minute before Roman offered Niko a late lunch. Niko laughed.

“What?” Roman scoffed with an open mouthed half-smile.

“Coming here’s like stepping into a different world.”

“Well this isn’t Liberty.” Roman had moved after his wedding to a small town north of Liberty. The houses were nice – colonial style – and the neighborhood was postcard-esque. In the summer the place looked sublime, with trees evenly lining the road, sitting on the flawless grass between the asphalt and the concrete sidewalk. Detached houses sat neatly set back from the road by lawns and driveways, with well kept gardens. Roman referred to the road as American Dream Street. The perfect image of American suburbia. Another irony hit Niko; only when Roman had stopped pursuing his dreams had they finally come true.

It was quiet too. There was no highway nearby, and the main thoroughfare wasn’t hugely busy. Very little traffic came down the street – only residents of the street or surrounding ones, or the odd driver taking a suburban shortcut, or perhaps getting lost.

Niko loved visiting Roman and family. His niece – not technically his niece, Niko knew – always cheered him up. He had managed, with Roman’s family’s help, to put the war behind him. Darko, Dimitri, while still remembered, were nothing more than a memory. Coming out here was a joy and it made him forget his troubles.

And that reminded him why he’d come.

“Do you enjoy what you do?” Niko asked.

“What? You mean my family?”

“No – your job. Running your cab company.” Roman’s cab company had grown. His headquarters was now an office in Algonquin, with the cars being run out of the back, onto a main road. He’d never contend with the yellow companies, but he had, rather smartly, marketed his cabs as “comfort cabs”. In fact, his business’s tagline was “Comfort Cabs – Ride in style.” He’d also been voted for – and just beaten to – a city award. Although Roman had not won the award, his cars wore the “nominated” badge with pride, one day, Niko was sure, to be replaced by the ‘best of liberty’ badge.

“Yes.” Roman said. “It may not be glamorous but it’s nice.” Roman no longer ran dispatch. He simply ran the company, and could afford tons of time off. He’d made it. “Why?”

“I’ve got a new assignment – as Rami calls it.”

Roman nodded. Part of him disliked his cousin’s choice of work. But another part took solace in the fact that Niko was working for the good guys.... well, working against the bad guys at least. While unorthodox, and probably illegal, Niko was doing good work; protecting the city. Roman did, however, want Niko to quit and join him in the good life.

“What’s this assignment about then?”

Niko laid it out to Roman, knowing that he shouldn’t be telling anyone and not caring about that rule.

Roman listened patiently and, once Niko had finished, with a ‘there you have it’, leaned back with a sip of beer.

“Well?” Niko asked.

Roman was quiet for a moment. His face told Niko he was thinking. “Niko. As a father, I want the best for my child. I want her to be safe. I don’t want guns on the streets. You’re right when you said that they’re sold anyway – you can buy a gun from a gun store or if they’re illegal, a dealer. I don’t know whether reopening the gun stores will work, but... “ Roman shrugged. “Kill the organized crime element? I can see that. I would rather there be none though – for the safety of Kate and Mallorie. I’ve been shot, Niko. Alright, I survived, but it wasn’t nice.” Roman shook his head. “But if they mayor’s corrupt, working with the gun smugglers.... I guess it’s the lesser of two evils.”

“So do you think I should go along with the job?”

“I would rather a way to rid the streets of guns completely, but yes, Niko. I think that perhaps you should. If the mayor’s deliberately flooding the street with illegal and potentially dangerous guns... He needs to go.”

Niko nodded. “Thanks cousin.”

Roman cocked his head, and then stood. “How about that lunch?”

 

Click Here to read the next chapter - Target Zero.

Edited March 19, 2012 by Mokrie Dela

[dannyz]

Alright a New Chapter. I have a Question is the Prologue the Beginning of the Story or is that part going to happen later? I like it so far, is Roman living just outside of Liberty City or is he in a New City that is just North of Liberty City?

 

Thank You.

 

[Mokrie Dela]

 

Alright a New Chapter. I have a Question is the Prologue the Beginning of the Story or is that part going to happen later? I like it so far, is Roman living just outside of Liberty City or is he in a New City that is just North of Liberty City?

 

Thank You.

the Prologue occurs immediately before chapter one. so beggining of the story. It's kind of a chapter before the story's trigger (the event that starts the whole story which is UPLC's death in the auto accident)

It was a training excersize

The opening of chapter one refers to it.

 

And Roman lives in an unnamed town north of Liberty. Sorta upstate new york.

Edited February 23, 2012 by Mokrie Dela

[ubergoon1912]

just call it the carraways as thats north of liberty