Sandy Shores

Thursday, August 22 2013

6:47am

Trevor Phillips, Sandy Shores' most hated and feared resident woke with a start in his dingy old trailer. He hadn't made it to his bed last night. In fact, he had barely made it through the door. The drunken stupor he had put himself in last night had been a little more than he was use to. Usually he could hold his alcohol pretty well, but last night he had drank way too much. It was a surprise to him and the people who knew him that he hadn't died of alcohol poisoning yet. Carefully, Trevor lifted himself off the dirty floor and got to his feet. The sudden dizziness made him sway side to side a few times before he finally got his bearings. He looked down at his right hand and noticed the fresh bruising around his knuckles. He had gotten into a fight last night, but he couldn't remember who with. Probably some other drunken idiot that pissed him off. It wasn't difficult to make Trevor angry. A man mad at the world and nothing to live for had a short fuse. Extremely short. It really didn't matter that he had become a millionaire overnight. The big heist he pulled with Michael and Franklin had made them all rich beyond their wildest dreams, but only two of the three team members was actually enjoying it. It had been over a month, and all Trevor had done was keep to his usual pathetic routine. He would never admit it to anyone, but he was lonely. Strippers and hookers were a temporary fix. He would always wake up after a one night stand to find the other half of his bed empty again. He secretly wanted more than that. He wanted to be able to wake up and roll over to see a real beautiful woman who genuinely loved him lying there sleeping. That would never happen though. No woman wanted a physcotic, drug addicted, killing machine as a husband. Trevor was making himself mad with these thoughts. He quickly pushed them aside and looked around his trailer. He found his wallet and his keys, but where was his phone?

"Oh great. Fucking great." He grumbled, teeth clenched. He walked out the already open door to his home and headed for his truck. As he walked he heard a familiar voice calling to him.

"Mornin T, how's things?" Ron, one of Trevor's few friends asked from his front porch next door.

"Just fucking wonderful, Ron." Trevor said sarcastically then got into his pickup. Without saying another word, he peeled out of his driveway and headed down the dirt road. He must have left his phone at the bar last night. Hopefully the nightshift bartender had just picked it up and put it in the lost and found. Worst case scenario, some dumbass took it to sell for drug money. As he pulled up to the bar, he noticed a motorcycle parked near the entrance. It probably belonged to the day shift bartender. Quickly he got out of his truck and walked up to the door. Of course, it was locked. He had half a mind to kick it in, but if his phone was in there, it would probably be wise to not piss off the person behind the counter. He wasn't in the mood for another fight. He decided instead to bang on the door.

"We're closed." A female voice rang from inside the bar.

"Yeah, I got that. I'm just trying to find my phone." Trevor responded losing his patience already. He peered through the glass door to see a a woman with long wavy jet black hair and sky blue eyes come out from the back room where the booze was stored. She walked over and unlocked the door to let Trevor in. Close up, Trevor could tell she was an older woman, probably around his age. The only real give away was the beginnings of crows feet on the sides of her eyes, and little strands of gray in her hair. Even so, she was gorgeous...and so damn familiar. Trevor had seen this woman before, but where? He scanned her up and down. It was driving him crazy that he couldn't remember her. As he met her gaze once more, he noticed that she was staring at him with a small smile. Trevor looked over his own shoulder then back at the woman.

"What? What are you staring at?" He asked confused. The woman giggled and walked behind the counter.

"You're trying to place me." She said as if she had read his mind. Trevor stepped up to the bar and gave her a concentrated look.

"Yeah. We've met before, haven't we?" He questioned. The woman nodded.

"It's been a while, but yes. I'm flattered that you remember." She said as she reached down into a little basket under the bar and pulled up Trevor's phone. He reached for it, but stopped short. It finally hit him. He did know this woman.

"Holy shit..." Was all that Trevor could get out with his surprise. The woman smiled at him sweetly and placed her hand on his cheek. Her eyes rimmed with tears of happiness.

"Hi Trevor." She said softly. Trevor's eyes widened. He quickly jumped the bar to close the gap between them. He wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her into a crushing hug. (Authors note: obviously he would never do this unless it was someone he really cared about.) He buried his face into her soft sweet smelling hair and inhaled deeply. The woman returned his embrace dispite the fact that he was a mess.

"Holy shit...Jade." Trevor had to hold back a sob. He refused to do that again. His mother showing up then disappearing again had already made him break down once. It was difficult though. Jade, his only childhood friend, the girl who had his back in every fight in school, the girl who would hide him in her own house while his hooker of a mother brought home another man from the street to fuck for money...the girl who had the power the power to make Trevor feel happy even in the darkest of times. All these memories came flooding back to him. He didn't dare let go of her. Part of him was convinced that as soon as he let go, she'd dissappear as if she were only a drug induced memory. The last time he had seen Jade was in Ontario. They were both 17 at the time. Jade's parents were moving them to the U.S. which meant that Trevor was going to be alone. Jade had actually tried to convince her family that Trevor needed to go with them, but they refused. Jade's parents didn't want anything to do with him. Where Jade saw her best friend, her family saw just another piece of trailer park trash. Trevor didn't choose that life. His fate was sealed after Jade disappeared. His life could have been something much more if Jade had never left. Finally he loosened his grip on her and pulled away from the hug. Still, he left one hand on her waist. He wasn't going to lose complete contact. That fear of her disappearing still haunting his mind. Jade was still the same person she was 30 years ago. Trevor knew this because she pulled a move she use to when they were kids. She licked her thumb and reached up to wipe away the dried blood on his cheek. She use to do that to him all the time after they'd get into fights at school. If anyone else tried to do that to him, they would have lost their hand. Jade was special to him. He accepted her loving gesture without hesitation.

"Someone has been getting into fights without me." Jade said as she picked up a clean damp cloth and continued to clean him up. Trevor's eyes drifted closed. He leaned against the bar holding Jade by the hips while letting her do her thing. He could stay like this forever. This feeling of true happiness was something he hadn't felt in many years. He hoped to god no one walked into the bar now. Not only would it break this wonderful moment, but he'd have to kill that person for seeing him this way. Trevor was a feared man. If someone saw him melting in the arms of a woman, people would begin to think he had gone soft. He sighed heavily and reopened his eyes. His eyes held the look of happiness and concern.

"Jade, what the hell are you doing in this shit hole? Someone like you could get hurt in a town like this." Trevor said as he moved his hands up from her hips and up to her arms. Jade set the cloth down on the bar and placed her hands on his shoulders.

"I ran into your mom in Los Santos. She said she was so happy to see me, and that I needed to come here and find you...so, here I am." Jade explained. Trevor was dumbfounded. That was undoubtedly the best thing his mother had ever done for him in his life. She found Jade, and sent her his way. Any sensible person would have told Jade to run and not look back. Still, he couldn't shake the thought that she wasn't safe here. A lot of men in this town wouldn't take no for an answer, and would most likely take advantage of her. A sudden rush of protection rushed through Trevor. He had to keep Jade safe, but he couldn't do it here. He needed to take Jade back to Los Santos and set her up somewhere there. He had more than enough money to give her a comfortable life. He took hold of her hand and started for the door.

"Trevor, what are you doing?" Jade asked, giving little resistance to his pull.

"You're not safe here, Jade. I need to get you back to the city before something happens." Trevor said as he peered out the door and looked around cautiously. Jade rolled her eyes.

"Oh come on Trev, what's gonna happen? It's not like you're a criminal or anything...right?" Jade finished that sentence with a hit of fear. Trevor looked at her only briefly then tossed his gaze in another direction. That was a question he was not prepared to answer. Sure, he had gotten into some trouble as a kid, but not like now. He was a drug user and producer, he'd killed hundreds, and he was on the top of the list for bank robbers that had to be found. No one knew he was part or the group that robbed Union, but he was, and that was bad enough. He looked at Jade once more when he felt her yank her hand away.

"Jade, now is not the time." He said in a rushed tone. Jade stepped back a few feet and stared at him.

"Trevor...what have you done?" She asked, voice shaking. Trevor could see the fear and concern growing in her eyes. Before he could respond, he heard the sound of cars pulling up to the bar. He glanced out and saw eight vehicles, each holding four people with guns.

"Fuck...fuck!" He locked the door and ran to Jade. He scooped her up bridal style and ran into the back room.

"Put me down, Trevor!" Jade yelled. Trevor set her down in the farthest corner of the room and covered her mouth to quiet her. Jade slapped his hand away but kept her mouth shut. Trevor grabbed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

"Jade, I'm sorry, ok? I've done some pretty fucked up shit since you last saw me. I'm a wanted man. Wanted dead by a lot of people. Those guys out there are just the beginning. They'll kill both of us if they get in here. I know you have a lot of questions, but now is not the time. Just stay here and keep your head down. I'm going out the back door to lead them away." With that said, he kissed her forehead and started for the back door of the bar.

"Oh no, I don't think so." Jade grabbed his arm. Trevor turned around to retaliate, but he was shut up by the sight of Jade holding a semi automatic rifle. She had a weapon stash in here. She threw him the gun and proceeded to grab another that was hidden behind some beer crates. She tucked a couple of extra ammo clips into her jeans then knocked a hole in the dirty window with the butt of her gun. The fear in her eyes had been replaced with a fiery look of anger, the look she use to have during their fights in school.

"Jade...what the fuck?!" Trevor was completely caught off guard by this side of Jade. Sure, she was a fighter, but not like this. Jade have him an intimidating glare.

"I'm not a criminal like you, Trevor. I was a Marine for eighteen years. Whatever you did to piss these people off was most likely an illegal action. Me, I'm just using self defense." Jade took aim at who was most likely the leader of this little gang and stood her ground.

"Get out of here, now!" Jade yelled as if she were still a Marine. Trevor suddenly felt very aroused by the sight of Jade. This was definitely not the time for that, but he couldn't help it. She had gone from sweet and innocent to full blown soldier mode in less than a minute. All he could think about now was nailing her on the hood of his truck. That was something he had to put on his to do list. For now, he took position behind the bar and aimed his gun at the front door. He then heard the leaders voice.

"We will ma'am. No worries. We're just here to collect our dear friend Trevor." The hillbilly sounding leader said as he approached the bar with his own gun in hand. Trevor clenched his teeth hard. He knew that voice. It was Johnny's older brother, Duncan. He must have heard about his brothers death and come to kill the man responsible, him.

"What for, if you don't mind me askin?" Jade asked, not daring to put her rifle down. Duncan smirked and spar out his toothpick.

"Well, you see ma'am, Trevor is responsible for a death in my dear family. He stomped my poor little brothers face in causing bleeding in his brain, and all because he was defending himself and his girl, who, I might add was being fucked by Trevor just before he killed Johnny." He explained all while watching Trevor behind the bar. Jade's face went pale. No...no way Trevor actually did that. Still, she held her ground.

"Do you have proof of these accusations?" Jade asked, finger still firmly on the trigger. Duncan chuckled.

"No ma'am, I'm afraid I don't. The buzzards and coyotes got to my brother before I could." He exclaimed, clearly becoming impatient.

"Then I see no reason why I should believe you. So, get away from here now before we have any more problems." Jade demanded. Duncan took another step towards the bar.

"I don't think so missy." As he finished his sentence, he bolted sideways, firing his pistol at the front door aiming for Trevor. Trevor fired back trying to catch him as he ran. Duncan ducked behind a dumpster and proceeded to fire, the rest of his crew began to unload their weapons at the bar, not caring who they killed. Jade wasted no time joining the fire fight. She wasn't going down that easily. She clipped one of the thugs in the thigh as he tried to run for cover behind the same dumpster as Duncan. He tried to crawl the rest of the way, but Trevor put a bullet in his brain to end it. Jade winced at the sight of it. Yes, she had seen some pretty gruesome things as a Marine, but the sight of a person's brains leaking out onto the dirt was something that would always make her feel sick to her stomach. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Duncan reaching out for his fallen comrades weapon. Quickly she turned her attention towards him and put a bullet through his wrist. She heard an agonizing scream as he retracted his injured arm. She kept her sights on the edge of the dumpster, waiting to see if Duncan would make another move. She wasn't worried about the others. But the looks of things, Trevor was having no problems gunning down the other gang members. Finally, the shooting stopped. Jade scanned the area to see everyone of the gang dead. Now they just had to deal with Duncan. She lowered her gun and came around to the front of the bar. Trevor was standing in the doorway staring at the gruesome sight. Jade got a cold chill from him. He was smirking, like he had just accomplished something positive. This wasn't the Trevor she use to know. This was a monster, a monster who have no remorse for death. She tensed up as he grabbed her by the waist and pulled her to him.

"We did it baby. Those sacks of shit are done." He sounded so proud. Jade's rage built up. She pushed him away and glared at him.

"How can you possibly be happy about this? What the hell is wrong with you?!" She yelled and threw her gun to the ground. Trevor's smile faded.

"Jade I...come on, they were trying to kill us." Trevor tried to defend himself.

"Wha...that doesn't mean we can be happy about this! Yes, we're alive, that's great, but how can you be so happy about taking lives?! Just how screwed up have you become?!" Jade shoved him back as he tried to calm her down. Now his normal everyday rage was returning.

"Hey, fuck you Jade! I just saved your fucking life! You shouldn't give a fuck about how screwed up I am, you should be getting on your knees and sucking this cock for saving your worthless ass!" Trevor yelled. In an instant, his demeanor changed. He couldn't believe he had just said that to her. Now he really fucked up. Jade looked utterly defeated. She crossed her arms over her stomach and stormed out of the bar crying. Trevor dropped his gun and ran out to catch her. Jade tried to sit herself on her motorcycle, but Trevor grabbed her arm.

"Let go you son of a bitch!" Jade said still in tears from his outburst. Trevor held her arm tight to stop her from leaving.

"Hang on, please, Jade plea-" He was cut off when Jade swung around and punched him in the nose. He stumbled back and got on his knees holding his gushing nose. Jade proceeded to get on her bike and start it up. After a few seconds, she shut it off again. She looked down at Trevor who was trying to control his nose bleed. He looked back up at her, eyes still rimmed with fresh tears and cheeks stained by the dried ones.

"I came here because I wanted to take you away from all of this. I thought you needed my help. I wanted to restart our lives together, be friends again...actually, I wanted more than that. The bar waitress thing was just temporary until I found you, then I'd bring you back home with me...but now...knowing what you've done, what you've become...I can't. You're not the same anymore." Jade looked at him with sympathy. Trevor stood up and once again tried to touch her. Jade flinched away from him, and he stopped.

"Jade, I'm still me. I've made a few mistakes, but I'm still the same guy." He tried to persuade her. Jade shook her head.

"You can tell yourself that all you want, Trevor, but I can see the real you, and the real me should do the world a favor and gun you down." Jade looked away from him.

"Jade..." Trevor was at a loss for words. He had to find a way to get her back on his side. Not even twenty minutes ago they were embracing each other, loving each other. Now, Jade was talking about killing him. Jade started up her bike again and gave Trevor a warning glare.

"If I see you again, I will kill you. This will be your only warning. You were my friend, Trevor, at one time, so I'm giving you this one chance to stay away. If you come find me, I'll put an end to you. I may be retired, but I can still serve my country." With that said, Jade took off down the road and headed for the highway leading to Los Santos. Trevor watched until she was out if sight then collapsed back to his knees. He balled up his fists on the ground and let out a blood curdling scream.

"I had her! I fucking had her in my arms! Now she's...she's gone!" He yelled at himself as he dug his nails into the pavement making his fingers bleed. He began punching at the ground over and over as he yelled in a mix of sadness and rage. He was so close to having happiness, and he fucked up.

He fucked it all up.