**UPDATE: So this fic is being worked on. I'm adding in new scenes and developing characters more.
Constructive criticism is welcome.
Hope you enjoy!
Shadows of the Night
Part One:
The Night Terror
~oOo~
Chapter 1:
New Employment & Opportunities
When Kate died, I swore I'd never get close to anyone again. It was for the best; that's what I kept telling myself. My heart withered, my soul died, and my mind numbed.
Then I met her.
No matter how hard I tried to fight it, in the end, her magnetic pull was too strong and I caved. There were moments when I thought that maybe I had made a mistake, that my folly would get her killed. Somehow my past would come creeping up again and snatch her away from me and that almost happened. She was too good for this world. Kind, beautiful, and stubborn when she wanted to be. I don't know what she saw in me, but I didn't deserve her. Still don't, but when I look out my window and see them in the yard, I know I've made the right choice. I will always protect them.
Even if it kills me.
Colony Island
February 10, 2009
Niko parked his red and white Sabre GT across the cemetery and stepped out. After looking both ways, he crossed the street. It didn't take him long to find the row of headstones that read McReary. Maureen, Gerald Sr., Francis, Derrick, and Kate were all buried side by side.
He laid a rose on top of Kate's stone and wondered where they would be now if she were still alive. He thought about the following years they'd never have. Would they have married, had children? He'd never know because Jimmy Pegorino had robbed them of that.
Three months after her daughter's death, Maureen McReary died. Some would say it was just old age, but Niko and Packie both knew it was a broken heart. She had to bury two children in less than three months and it took a toll on her. A month after that, Derrick overdosed on heroin, just like Niko predicted.
Gerald was only allowed to attend his mother's funeral and never got to say goodbye to his siblings. Shortly after Derrick's death, Packie informed Niko that he was leaving for San Andreas. He wished his friend luck. The day before he left, Packie told him, "It ain't your fault, Niko. I blame that shit head Pegorino, not you."
But Packie was wrong. Niko had no one to blame but himself. For a while after Kate's funeral, Niko isolated himself. He never answered calls and continued his life of crime. It wasn't until Roman showed up at his apartment demanding to know why his cousin was ignoring him that the guilt set in. He knew then he was hurting the only family he had left.
He tried to take Roman's advice and move on by going on dates with other women, but none of them was anything like Kate. Far from it. Alex was too materialistic and conceited, Kiki wouldn't have been so bad if she wasn't crazy, and Carmen was just as bad as Alex except, Carmen was a little more laid back and grounded in reality than the later woman. Even after they broke up, he still remained "friends" with her.
His phone rang, interrupting his thoughts. He reached into his pocket and saw Roman on the caller ID. He answered the call and was greeted by Roman's cheerful voice.
"Niko, it's Roman! Are you still coming over for dinner tonight?"
"Of course, cousin."
"Great! Mallorie wanted me to make sure. There's a certain someone who misses you, too."
That certain someone Roman had mentioned was Mijo, Roman and Mallorie's son. He was afraid to grow attached to his "nephew", but in the end, the two-month-old had burrowed his way into his heart, something he didn't like to admit out loud. The call ended a few minutes later, leaving Niko to grieve in peace once again.
A girl wearing a red leather jacket and a black skirt snagged his attention as she moved slowly through the cemetery. She looked to be Hispanic with an average height, a slim build, and long black hair that came mid-back. She continued to move up and down the rows of headstones, but it didn't look as if she was finding what she was looking for. She turned and walked back towards the parking lot to an orange Blista Compact. He found it strange that a girl dressed as nice as she would drive something like that.
Niko turned his attention away from the girl and back to Kate's headstone. Roman often asked Niko why he continued to torment himself over her death. Roman never believed Niko that it was his fault, but then again, he didn't expect his cousin to understand. Roman would never know the feeling and Niko hoped he never would.
His phone went off and he sighed.
What now? he thought. He checked the caller ID. Brucie.
He chose to ignore the call, knowing that Brucie wouldn't be too happy about it, but oh well. Even though he liked the 'roid junkie, the man did get on his nerves at times. The call ended and he checked the time. He put his phone away and walked back to his car.
As he walked through the parking lot, he noticed the Blista was still there, slowly being cranked up. He heard a soft feminine voice swear and complain on the other side. He stopped and wondered if he should offer to help her.
"Come on, why won't you come off!" She hissed.
I guess I'll have to.
He approached the girl as she was struggling to remove the lugs from her hubcap.
"Uh, excuse me, miss."
She looked up and froze in place as her dark brown eyes shown fear. She gripped her tire iron and didn't move.
"What do you want?" she said, sounding a bit standoffish.
"I thought maybe you needed help." He replied, now unsure if this was a good idea.
"Oh," She seemed relieved, but still kept the tire iron close. "Well, I guess so. I know how to change a flat, I just can't get these stupid lugs off!"
He knelt down beside her. "First of all, you have to get the hubcap off then crank it up," he said as he lowered the car.
"I do?"
"Yes. Haven't you done this before?"
"Honestly, I haven't, but I didn't think it would be that hard," the girl admitted.
The lug nuts were on tighter than he thought, but he managed to loosen them.
"Do you have a spare?" he asked.
"I think so." she opened the trunk but appeared to be disappointed. "I have a tire, but it's too small."
"That's how your spare is supposed to look," he said. He was surprised she had never seen a doughnut tire before. Well, maybe it wasn't too surprising.
"I've seen my cousin change a tire before. He made it look easy," she said as she lifted the spare out of the trunk. She dropped it and it bounced slightly. He was already jacking the car back up when she rolled the tire over to him.
It didn't take long for him to replace the flat. Once he finished, he placed the hubcap back in place and lowered the car.
"Thank you!" she said. "You don't know how much this means to me. I have a job interview today and I was so worried I would be late."
"Don't mention it, kid." and with that, he turned and walked away.
Roman and Mallorie moved to Dukes shortly after their marriage. Their house wasn't far from the old McReary house, something Niko wasn't too fond of. Roman felt strange about it as well, but Mallorie insisted they lived there, claiming that the school in that area was one of the best. She told them both her son wasn't having a "ghetto education".
Mallorie answered the door with a fussy infant in her arms. She tried to sound chipper when she greeted Niko, but he could see and hear how tired she was. There had been complications during delivery, forcing Mallorie to have a c-section. She recovered quickly, but Niko had noticed there was something off about Mallorie lately since she had given birth. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but he didn't dwell on it too much. She would be okay. Mallorie was a strong woman and would get back to normal in no time.
"Look who decided to stop by and visit," Mallorie said. She opened the door wider to let him in.
"Hello, Mallorie. Hello, Mijo." He wanted to reach out and touch the baby but decided against it.
"Roman's in the backyard sleeping." She said, sounding annoyed. "I have to lay Mijo down for a nap and I'll join you both shortly."
Their backyard was the same as everyone else's in the neighborhood. He only knew this because he used to run through it when the cops were after him. He wondered what Roman would have thought about that if he told him.
He found his cousin sleeping in a hammock and tapped on him. "Roman."
Roman stirred, grumbled, then turned over.
"Roman!"
"I'll get to it later," he mumbled.
Niko grabbed the hammock and flipped it, sending Roman tumbling out. He cried out and face planted the dirt. He snapped up, looking around frantically before he noticed Niko standing over him.
"Cousin, what the hell? I was sleeping!" Roman said. Niko extended his hand and pulled Roman to his feet.
"Your wife is trying to calm your son inside and you sleep out here? You need to be helping her."
Roman rubbed the back of his neck. "I didn't mean to fall asleep." He sighed. "Come on, let's sit over here." He pointed to the new patio furniture by the sliding glass door.
Niko pulled up a chair while Roman grabbed two Sprunks from the cooler.
"I hope you don't mind a nonalcoholic beverage. Mallorie wants me to cut back on the drinking." He handed Niko the can and pulled up a chair beside him. "But if that's what she wants."
"So, Roman, how's fatherhood?"
Roman shrugged. "It's alright. Better than I expected."
"Oh, what were you expecting?"
"I dunno, to be honest. It still feels strange. I never imagined myself as a parent, but it's not so bad. Maybe you should try it out for yourself."
Niko gave a nervous laugh. "I've already ruined enough lives. I don't need to ruin more."
Mallorie stepped out sometime later to tell them dinner was ready. They had minestrone soup and salad since Mallorie was busy with the baby and because the soup was simple. It wasn't as bad as the last dish she made. Niko felt bad for admitting it, but Mallorie's cooking skills were far from top notch, but at least she was trying and kept Roman away from the Burger Shot. He even noticed that his cousin had lost some weight since he married.
"It's just a little something I put together," she said. "I hope you don't mind."
"Mallorie is still practicing her cooking skills," Roman teased.
His wife's eyes narrowed and she gave him a playful jab to his stomach.
"Oh please, as if you're starving."
"Hey, that's a low blow, Mallorie."
She gave Roman a sly smile and took a sip of lemonade.
Niko thought most couples argued after the baby was born, but Roman and Mallorie seemed to be getting along fine. He had to admit, he thought they would have separated by now. It was good to see they were still together. Niko couldn't keep Roman in line forever and Mallorie seemed more up for the task than he was. That poor woman had a long road ahead of her.
After dinner Roman and Niko went outside again while Mallorie tended to the baby. Niko didn't like the fact that she was stuck inside while they were outside, but Mallorie was starting to withdraw towards the end of dinner anyway. Maybe she wanted to be left alone.
"So cousin, have you thought about working for Bellic Enterprises full-time?" Roman asked.
"I have."
Six months earlier, Niko had given up his life of crime for good, but now he was becoming bored. After giving it much thought, he decided to take up Roman's offer of becoming a full-time employee at the cab depot. Even though he hated the thought of dealing with annoying passengers, it was at least an honest living and he could go to bed with a clear conscience.
"Well don't keep me waiting, man, tell me."
Niko sighed. "Yes, I'll come join you." I know I'll regret this someday...
"Great! You're the second employee I've hired today."
"You hired someone else today?"
"Nice young girl by the name of Lilian. She's an Indian."
"Native American!" Mallorie called from the kitchen window.
Roman turned his attention back to Niko. "Right, Native American. Can't remember what tribe though."
Mallorie called out from the window again, "Lakota!"
"Uh, yeah Lakota."
Niko didn't know much about the Indigenous people of this country, except that they didn't exactly receive the best treatment. He remembered the western flicks that came on back in the old country. For a while, he was confused about Indians and Native Americans until he actually went to India. He had wondered at one point, what Indians thought about Native Americans.
"So when does she start?"
"Tomorrow, same as you."
"Thanks for letting me know ahead of time, cousin," Niko replied sarcastically.
"No problem. Now, how about we go out and do something?" Roman said, getting up.
Niko raised a brow. "Shouldn't you be here with Mallorie? I don't think she will like you running off like that."
"Yeah, you're right. She'll probably rip my head off."
It was early the next morning when Niko finally got home. He dragged himself into the apartment that was once Playboy's and collapsed on the bed. He buried his face in a pillow, wondering if maybe he was getting too old to be staying out all night and getting busted up in fights. Well, at least it was mostly him on the winning end. He went to teach some scumbag a lesson the night before and it wasn't like the prick was going to stand there and let him.
How long would he keep at this though? Not even he could answer that, but at least he was doing good with the only skills he possessed. No one knew what he was doing and he'd rather keep it that way. The last thing he needed was Roman to make a joke or lecture him or both.
He rolled onto his back and shut his eyes. He was almost asleep when his phone began to go off. He groaned and pulled a pillow over his face. Why couldn't people just let him be for one fucking day? When the ringing persisted, he grabbed his phone and answered.
"Yeah?" He said groggily.
"Cousin, where are you? I thought you'd be at the office by now."
Fuckā¦
Niko sighed. "Sorry, cousin, I'll be there soon."
He hung up and dragged himself out of bed. As he threw on a fresh pair of clothes, he wondered how he could have forgotten he was supposed to be at the depot. It didn't matter now, he figured. He stopped off at a convenient store and purchased an energy drink before he went to Roman's cab office.
The new cab office and depot was located near Brucie's garage. Niko wondered why Roman didn't just buy another one in a nicer part of the city, but then again, that would be more than they couldn't afford. Roman had kept the old cabs with the new Cavalcades. The new employees had to use the old ones until they could be fully trusted with the SUVs.
Niko parked the Sabre around the back of the depot and got out. On the other side of the parking lot was a familiar looking orange Blista.
He entered the office and found Roman talking with the same girl he had helped out the day before. She wasn't wearing formal clothes, but much more casual ones. Instead of her red jacket and shirt, she wore a black Love Fist t-shirt over a white long sleeve with ripped jeans and tennis shoes. Instead of wearing her hair down, it was pulled back into a ponytail.
How old was this girl? Niko thought as he looked her over. However old she was, she wasn't old enough for him.
Roman handed her the car keys to a cab and turned his attention to Niko.
"Niko, there you are! I want you to meet your fellow co-worker. Lily, this is my cousin, Niko. Niko this is Lily Bedard."
She smiled at him and stuck out her hand. Even though she was being friendly, he could see that she was nervous. "Hi Niko, I do believe we've met before." When she spoke he thought he heard a slight accent in her voice. Probably from someplace north, close to Canada.
He gingerly took her hand and was amazed at how soft it was. "We have. So I guess your job interview was with my cousin."
"Yep! Thank you again for helping me."
Roman looked at them both in astonishment. "You two have met before?"
"She was in a bit of trouble and I helped her out."
"Small world," Roman said.
"I'll say," Lily replied. "Well, I guess I should get started." She looked at the key to see what number she had. "Cab number 8, got it. I'll see you two this afternoon!" With that, she left the office.
"See you, Lily," Roman called after her. "And don't wreck!"
Roman turned back to Niko.
"So what cab do I get?" Niko asked.
Roman made his way to the keys hanging on the board and grabbed one with the number 4 on it. He tossed them at Niko, who almost didn't catch them.
"Come on, you gotta have better reflexes than that!" Roman said.
"I didn't sleep well," Niko admitted.
"You alright? Can you still drive?"
"Of course I can. The army used to keep us up for days, so I'm used to it." He said.
"You're not in the army anymore, cousin. Anyways, have fun, but not too much fun. I know how you can get! And cousin, she has a nice pair don't you think?"
Niko rolled his eyes and flipped off his cousin. As he walked out into the garage he couldn't help but think that some things would never change.
