2001, San Andreas
A payphone rings out in the desert at a small rest stop. It rings once more before a man wearing a long black coat that hangs around his knees and jeans answers.
"Hello?" "Hey Max." The man holding the phone smiles as he holds the phone. "So you've finally caught up huh?" he says into the phone. "You didn't think you could just, walk away did you?" "If you haven't noticed it's been more of a brisk run." he says. "Its over Max. From Liberty, to Vice City, and now to Andreas. Its over." the receiver says. In the distant background of the desert a helicopter approaches. "Its never over Jim." the man says and hangs up the phone and turns around just in time to see the small rest stop surrounded by incoming police cars.
Once again he smiles. Out of one of the cop cars steps a man wearing a long brown trench coat and puffing a cigarette. "Jim, Jim, Jim." the man in the black coat says as he begins to put his hand on his head and looks toward the ground. "I told you, its over. You cant run anymore." the man called Jim says as he approaches Max. "You know damn well what you did." Max says as he looks up in a menacing glare.
In a brisk movement he runs his hand into his coat and pulls out a pistol, but before he can get out a single shot, the police force pelts him with a spray off bullets. Stunned, he stumbles back and hits up against the payphone and slides down next to the pole. Slowly his hand on the Desert Eagle loosens and it falls from his grip. Everything dazed and unfocused in his vision he thought to himself 'so this is when I die. How did I get here again?' Slowly it all came back...
1997, Liberty City, Portland
"Dispatch, we have a situation over off the Red Light District. The Diablos have started a small disturbance of the peace, backup may be needed." came through over the police radio. "That's us." the man driving the police car says. Next to him is Max. Dressed in his black coat and packing a police issue colt, he was new on the force. "Well rookie, your going to get to see how a real cop works." the driver, a middle aged African American man said. "I'm 24, you think you can stop calling me rookie." Max said more as a statement than a comment. "Listen here boy, age don't mean nothin, if you aint been on the force long enough to know every cranny of this city, your still a rookie.
"Oh so that's how it is?" Max asked. "Yea that's how its is." the man said and gave a raspy chuckle. Soon the car pulled to a stop behind a large apartment complex. "Now look here, I want you to go around back and secure the area. And remember, you gotta gun, your goin to have to use it if you need it." the man said. "Did that even make sense?" Max asked. "Get on boy." Crouching Max headed around the left and came out behind a small metal staircase leading up to the monorail.
He continued on and before soon he could see in between the two large complexes. In the middle were four Diablo Gang cars. In the middle of them was a gathering of men. He looked up slightly and in the second story window was a sniper holding an old shotgun. Over his radio came a whisper. "On my count, we move in. One, two-" he was cut off. Behind Max came a voice. "Eh' its a copper!" on of the Diablo's screamed. Immediately the gang scattered. "You want some uh me you pig?" the Diablo said as he charged forward holding a knife. He swung at Max but Max jumped back and in the recoil of his arm movement he punched him in the throat. Immediately the knife dropped and his hands went around his neck. "Your under arrest. Anything you say-" Max began as he cuffed the guy but was cut off by a voice behind him. "Noone messes with Lopez holmes!" he turned to see a large burly Latino brandishing a sawn off shotgun. Max suddenly froze and couldn't move a single muscle in his body. Just before his finger closed down, Max saw the side of the mans head burst open and his body fall to the ground. Around the corner rushed his partner. "You ok?" he asked. Max didn't answer and stared at the mans body. "Are you ok!" his partner shouted and he looked at him with a blank expression. Slowly he nodded. "Good. Finish up with that one and come on. There's a hostage situation.
After cuffing him he recuffed the man to the staircase and ran around the corner. Max ran up behind his partner. "Hey Danny, what's he wanting?" Max asked as he looked in the second floor window and saw the man holding his shotgun to a red-haired woman's head. "So far it's been 'All coppers die'." Danny said. "What about a sniper on the roof opposite the building?" Max asked. "We're working on it, but we're afraid that if he even sees movement or something suspicious he go off." "Man, fuck you pigs!" he screamed from the window. "Goddamnit." Max muttered.