It was just an ordinary night in Northwood, hookers walked the corners, and dealers were pedaling drugs, and gang members were hustling.

An undercover cop car roamed the streets searching for any dealers to take down. Jack Hoyt, a man of 32, sat in the driver's seat. With one hand on the wheel, he used his other to rub his hand through his black goatee and then his shaggy black hair. He was wearing his favorite black leather jacket that he has worn on over two hundred arrests. He considered it his lucky jacket to say, and rarely would go out without it.

Darrel Harrison, Jack's partner, sat in the front passenger seat. He was an African American man of 30. Darrel kept his facial hair scraggly and always wore a Liberty City Warriors cap to cover his bald head. He was wearing a ragged tan colored coat to make his appearance less cop like and more like a junkie, he even had that smell of booze that seemed to leak from his clothes.

Both veteran cops had been put into the new anti-drug task force unit CADET, City Against Drugs Elite Team. Drug related crimes had risen nearly 45% in the last year. Fearing not getting reelected, Mayor Julio Ochoa, appointed a city wide drug taskforce that would be given a wide range of leniency in how they operated in the hopes to lower the ever rising crime rate and help him win his reelection.

Darrel adjusted his hat as he looked out the window as they passed a few prostitutes. "I could sure go for some pussy my man."

Jack responded, "I sure could get my dick wet however Fernandez and I have a couple hundred running on which one of us will get the best bust tonight."

"If you split it, you know it will be us."

"Knew you would say that man, lets' do this," Jack bumped fists with Darrel who said, "Hell ya."

Jack stopped the car on the curb next to a dealer wearing red a black hoodie, he clearly had to be working for Playboy, one of the city's biggest drug dealers in the city and the one CADET was supposed to place in a state of extreme priority.

Darrel rolled down the window, put his arm out the window and rested it on the side of the car. The dealer came up and with a nod of his said, "What do you want?" Darrel took a wad of cash from his jacket's pocket and said, "Three dimes." The dealer grabbed the cash and the second the drugs exchanged hands, Darrel firmly grabbed the gangster's wrist and with a jerk pulled him forwards causing his head to crash into the side of the car, knocking the gangster flat on his back. Jack jumped out of the car and with his gun drawn bolted over to the dealer lying on the ground and yelled, "Hands where I can see them Nigger!"

Darrell stepped out of the car and slapped the cuffs on the perp before he searched him. He pulled a 9mm form the back of the gangster's pants as well as an ounce of coke and said, "Think we'll win the bet with this?"

Jack roughly lifting the criminal up by the back of his collar said, "Ya, probably going to get some heavy jail time, no way it's this Nigger's first offense.

The dealer spat "Fuck you, this is entrapment and police brutality."

Jack slammed the dealers head hard against the car and said, "Shut up and listen." He spun the dope dealer around to face him and got an inch from his face so that they were nose to nose. "I could give dog shit about what you're doing, give me your supplier and you can split."

The dealer spat, "Fuck no I'm not a rat."

Darrel pulled his gun, and pressing it close to the perp's head said, "You'll do whatever I say unless you want your cell mate to be a member of White Pride."

Smiling evilly, Jack cockily said, "What will it be? Enjoying prison in the Aryans' cellblock being the bored in an arousing game of butt darts or you being alive on the streets?"

The dealer sighed, "Fine, Fine, my supplier is a guy named Freckles."

Jack with a tone of annoyance said, "Real name and location or you might find yourself very busy in prison."

The dealer looked at Jack with intense hate and said, "Deshawn Washington, he's in the Greg Johnson project houses, building 3, apartment 45."

As Jack pushed the dealer out of the way, Darrel said, "Get out of here before we charge you." While both cops got into their car they heard the dealer mumble, "Fucking corrupt pigs."

Jack taking his position behind the wheel said, "Ungrateful moron, doesn't realize how fucking lucky he is that he caught me in a good mood."

Darrel responded, "Guess next time we send him to prison, so what are we keeping?" "The gun and the coke no point to turn that in we might find some use for it."

"Ok, are we going to raid the den by ourselves or with backup?"

"Call Jefferson, I want somebody I can trust."

"Sure thing", Darrel took out his phone and made the call.

Jack stopped the car at a red light a few minutes later and said, "So how's the family?"

Darrel let out a combination of a sigh and grunt, "Michele is on my ass about the mortgage, wish I could just shove are retirement money under her nose."

"I hear you, between alimony and child support for my four kids I barely scrape by and it's even harder knowing that I have a stock pile of cash, which I can't use,"

"That's what retirement is for, when we're finally done protecting this city; we can go to Venturas, get plastered and enjoy ourselves at the Big Spread Ranch."

"Now that's the dream." He pulled up to the building and added, "Where's Jefferson?"

Darrel looked out the window in search of Jefferson's black blista compact. His mind couldn't help wander to his fight with his wife. It seemed near constant now, they had three mortgages, two car payments, and his wife was Diabetic that a lone devoured a huge chuck of his sixty grand a year pay.

Jack rested his hands on the wheel of the car and thought of his family. He had fucked shit up, he always chosen to hit the streets, he missed his son's kindergarten graduation, dozens of his daughters soccer games and his elder son's football games, and dozens of nights out with his wife no wonder she had left him. It had been for them though every good for nothing scumbag criminal he locked, up to every dollar he stole, or the drugs he snatched. Maybe if he had told his wife what he had been doing instead of constantly besieging her with lie after countless lie they'd still be together.

Maybe if he stopped his extracurricular activities he might be able to win her back but then the streets would suffer. What he was doing made sure that murders, rapists, and dealers were locked up where they couldn't harm any innocents.

Darrel tapped Jack on the side of his shoulder, "I see his car."

Jack gave a nod and got out of the car; after slamming the door shut, Jack followed Darrel over to Jefferson who was casually leaning against his car.

Jefferson Moab, a man of 33, and Jack's best friend since child hood friend had joined the force a year after Jack. He had sort black hair and a dark five o'clock shadow over his face. He wore black sunglass over his face, was dressed in a black button shirt left open to show a white t-shirt underneath, and dark blue jeans.

Jefferson nodded to his fellow officers and said, "So who are we going after?"

As Jack and Jefferson clasped hands and did a quick hug, Jack said, "Guy's name is Deshawn." Jefferson asked "What about the warrant, or probable cause?"

"We'll say a neighbor complained about the music, and when we entered the apartment we saw this on the table," said Darrel as he waved the ounce of coke.

Jefferson walked around his care, popped the trunk to reveal a combat shotgun and two smgs. "Figure we'll need some heavy firepower just in case."

Jack grabbed the shotgun and loading it said, "Never know what the jacked up fuckers will do."

Darrel picked up an smg and made sure that it was loaded. "Ya the animals are insane that's why we need to stay alert."

Once inside the building the three cops took position in front of the dealer's door. Everything seemed still, except for their hearts which were racing with anticipation of the raid.

The calmness suddenly changed to chaos, Jack kicked down the door and with his partners entered the small apartment yelling, "LCPD hands in the air!" The entire raid was a rush of endorphin induced excitement, flashes of bad rap music, yelling and a gun shot.

Within a minute after the raid, three suspects were down on the floor with their hands on their heads and another was against the wall clasping a big gaping hole in his gut where several slugs had penetrated.

Darrel coming down from the adrenalin high kept his gun pointed at the suspects on the ground and the spoke. "Find the shit I got this covered."

Jack and Jefferson ignored the gangster who was leaking blood all over himself and into the white carpet, while they looked for the coke. After a minute of searching Jefferson walked over to the wounded gangster and said, "Drugs now or you won't make it to the hospital."

Spitting a mouthful of dark red blood onto the carpet the gangster said, "Fuck you motherfucker, you better have a warrant or I'm going to sue your pig ass."

BANG, Jefferson pulled the trigger causing the gangster to slump to his left with a whole in his chest. After murdering the criminal, Jefferson said, "First shot didn't take him down he went for his gun again, I had no choice."

A gangster with cornrows raised his head from the floor to speak. "You fucking! Pig! that's not what fucking happened!"

Darrell stomped his foot on the back of the smart mouthed gangster's head. As his foot forced the gangster's face deep into the carpet, he proudly said "We're the fucking police! Whatever we put in the report is what happened."

Jack flipping over a couch cushion added, "Who is going to believe a filthy criminal over three decorated police officers?"

Jefferson smirked; he always loved to toy with drug dealers. It gave him a chance for revenge for what the bastards had done to his mother. "Hell we could execute you all now and no one would bat an eye because it was just some drug dealer from Northwood."

Darrel still squeezing the man's face into the carpet said, "Ya not like it's some rich coke whore, so what will it be?"

The dealer mumbled, "The AC."

Jack's jaw dropped as he saw the entire key of coke and the stacks of cash piled inside. "We definitely won the bet, D."

Darrel chuckled, "Told you we would."

Jefferson put his hand cuffs tightly on each gangster and said, "I'll take these dope dealing fuckers to your car you, two handle the evidence."

Jack separated the cash and coke into half and put what he was going to keep in a garbage bag that he found in a cabinet in the kitchen. He then put the remaining cash back into the AC exactly the way he had found it.

Darrel arranged the position of the dead gangster's gun so there report would make the second shooting justifiable. He then went about carefully whipping down Jack's prints on the cabinet and AC.

Jack with the bag headed outside and gave a nod to Jefferson to come over to him. As he handed his friend the drug's Jack said, "Take the drug's to Armando, and we'll meet you at the unit to deposit the cash later."

Jefferson firmly grabbing the bag, started to head for his car and said, "We should have a beer after."

Jack said, "Ya that would be good."

After calling for backup and giving IA their false statement concerning the shooting, Jack and Darrel were ordered to go home until they could give a more formal statement the next day. However, they did not do this; they headed off to China Town.

Darrel, in the pass anger seat, sighed and said, "Jefferson was crazy back there, and he needs to learn control."

Jack shook his head in agreement, "I know but we handled it fine both of our statements collaborate well, we're fine."

"If he keeps pulling stunts we're going to lose our badges."

"Like I said are stories are good so what are you worried about, Darrel?"

"The guns, you know they're going to check them and Jefferson used his not mine."

"Darrel, Relax." Jack put his hand on his partner's shoulder and continued to reassure his friend.

"Don't worry we'll send a tribute Commissioner McReary's way and he'll bury the report in paper work."

Darrel pushed his hands to his face and said, "Good, your right nothing to worry about. I'm just worried about what would happen to my family if I lost my badge."

Jack casually turning the car into Chinatown responded, "I know but don't worry I've had your back since the academy."

"Your right man, let's forget this and hit a couple of hookers after we meet up with Jefferson."

He gazed out the widow and added, "Mmhm that is one fine bitch."

Jack glanced at the rearview mirror to see the hooker standing on a corner and said, "Damn, she'd mine."

"What the fuck I saw her first why should you get the first go."

"I thank of it as community service to help you not cheat on your wife and if that means I have to fuck that hot piece then I will."

"Fuck!" Darrel shook his hands in the air and said, "Your right, I don't want a divorce just yet and I don't think my wife is above hiring a P.I. with all of the fucking fighting we've been doing."

Jack parallel parked the car outside of a storage building. Opening his door and stepping out into Chinatown's morning air he said, "Then that's all the reason to keep your dick in your wives pants."

Darrell steeping out of the car jokingly snapped, "The guy who had what was it seven mistresses? Is one to talk?"

Jack slightly serious said, "Seriously those girls were the biggest mistake of my life ok and I regret it every day" He then added after a short pause, "They were great fucks though and I mean great the things they'd do shouldn't even be allowed in this country."

X

Jefferson was already in the building and leaning against the cold metal door of the lockup. He wasn't worried about the shooting no one would believe the crack heads that he was even in the apartment. He also knew that Jack and Darrel were pro's they weren't going to fuck anything up and risk getting themselves caught.

He thought that maybe he shouldn't have killed the dope dealer, last thing they needed was IA sniffing their asses, yet the killer deserved it. He hated corner boys; it was their fault his mother had died. The bastards had got her hooked and when he was eleven she over dosed. That was the reason he had became a cop, to put an end to all the dope dealers hustling on the streets. Even if it meant giving drugs to a dealer it was all part of the plan or at least that's what he told himself. Eventually they would turn on Armando when he was no longer useful to them, but so long as he tipped them on deals, he would accept that putting dope back on the street was for the greater good.

Jefferson recognized two voices. He clearly heard a voice which he had to be Darrel's say, "You just don't want my sloppy seconds."

Darrel and Jack came into view as they entered the hallway. He watched Jack run his hand through his hair and hear him say, "No shit."

Jefferson tossed Jack the bag of cash and said, "About time."

"I know it took forever to get around all the yellow tape," Jack commented, as he unlocked the storage locker.

The door slid open and the three men entered the space filled with boxes. Jack navigated his through the clutter and said, "Armando get our drugs?"

Jefferson following Jack closely replied, "Ya and he paid us his rent and then some."

Darrel a few feet behind Jefferson sighed, "He's probably trying to make up for being late with the last tribute."

Jack said, "Good, means he knows who the boss is."

Jefferson caught himself on the wall, as he nearly tripped over an old box stuffed with random stuff and muttered, "Guess so."

Jack sorted the 28 grand and split it evenly among the three of them. He tossed his partners their cut from the bust and Armando's gift. As he put his share into his foot locker he commented, "This make a 150 for me."

Darrel looked the cash in his foot locker over and said, "Damn that's at least 20 more than mine."

Jefferson said, "And ten grand behind me. Darrel, you'd have more if you took a few more risks."

Darrel slammed his footlocker shut, put the padlock on and spoke. "I take enough risks, I work with you don't I?"

Jefferson looked back as he exited the lock up said with a tone of verging on anger, "I'm a risk?"

Jack burying his locker underneath several boxes spoke before Darrel could reply. "We are all a risk, look at what we did tonight that could of went a whole lot differently."

Darrel, exiting the storage unit, said, "Don't take it personally like Jack we're all risks.

Jack slammed the door of the storage unit shut and locked it, while he spoke. "But at the least we know we can all trust each other."

Jefferson nodded in agreement. "That's why we've lasted so long."

Darrel said, "I sure could use a beer, ease my nerves for tomorrow."

Jefferson replied, "Definitely, I hate IA."

Jack exited the building as he heard, Darrel said, "That explains why you left us there."

Jefferson shrugged his shoulders and said, "Somebody needed to get the cash and drugs out of there."

Darrel said, "It seems you're always the one who gets lucky with the easy job."

Jefferson said, "Working with a fucking scumbag like Armando Torres is not easy, all I want to do is slam my gun down his fucking throat watch him slowly suffocate before I pull the trigger.

Jack chuckled, "We appreciate that you hold yourself back."

Jefferson getting into his own car said, "Good to know because if I didn't we wouldn't be rich."

Darrel thought to himself that they may have money but they certainly weren't rich since they couldn't use it. He sat down in Jack's car, pulled out a cigarette and lighted it.

Jack stood with his door open and said, "Hey don't forget who does most of the leg work."

Jefferson leaned out his car window and said, "That would be Pérez" He started up the car and closely followed by Jack's car, got onto the road.

Darrel fiddled with the heater and said, "So why haven't we got Pérez into this deal with Armando." Jack turned on the car's right blinker and said, "Same reason he hasn't got us involved in the scam that he has going on in the evidence locker. To many people in a single gig is stupid; He has our back we have his but we don't need him to make sure no one touches our boys on the streets." Darrel replied, "Guess it would be less money for us; not sure what good the extra cash is though, we can't even spend it." Jack said, "If you really want to spend it be smart and go on vacation like Jefferson and drop twenty grand." Darrel's jaw dropped in surprise, "What?" Jack chuckled realizing that Darrel had no clue of his child hood's friend visit to Vice City. "What did you think he was doing that week he wasn't at the station or how he only has ten grand more than me when before it was like thirty something?" Darrel said, "I thought we were supposed to be inconspicuous with are money?" "He doesn't have a family, Darrel, it's easier for him to go on vacation and not explain how he got the money to do it." Darrel's heart started to race slightly, as he said, "What if someone starts asking questions?" Jack chuckled, "About what? How a single guy saved money to go on an expensive vacation all of which he paid with money and bought nothing suspicious." Darrel shook his head and said, "It's not fucking fair, I could use my money to pay myself out of debt and make my wife happy." Jack responded, "Your right it's not fair, but paying off your house on a cop's salary is suspicious and out of all of us you have the most to lose if we allow slip ups to happen." Darrel sighed deeply, "Your right as always, Jack, I have to play it closer to the vest." Darrel knew Jack was right he could lose everything if he didn't play it smart but it still pissed him off that here Jefferson had been down in Vice getting his dick sucked by a couple of whores, living the good life and he was stuck up in Liberty.

Jack stopped the car at new bar, The Golden Lamb, in Suffolk. Jack stepped out of the car as, Jefferson parked his car a few spaces away from them.

Once inside the three men ordered a round of beers and celebrated the murder of the gangster and the theft of the dope.

They would not have celebrated that night if they knew that the second Jefferson pulled the trigger of his gun that he would be opening Pandora's Box.

As the men drank they were still unaware of how connected the dead dope dealer was but they soon would know.