'' I'm looking forward to this Junior. A month in Vice City.'' Benson said as he turned off of the highway and on to the main road into the city. As he did, his phone received a message.
''Daddy, i've always wanted to come here.'' Junior said, looking with wide eyes out of the window.
''Yeah well you can forget the holiday. Just got this.'' Benson said, showing a text message on the hands-free system in the car.
''But can we at least go on the beach first?'' Junior asked. Benson had to admit, he wanted at least some sort of holiday while he was here on this now interrupted retirement.
So two hours later, Benson found himself sat on the concrete wall of the beach, an ice cream in hand. He hadn t eaten ice cream since before he first encountered Sam over a year back and only now did he realise how he missed it.
''Daddy! I got something!'' Junior shouted from the waterline, holding something in his hand.
''What is it?'' Benson called. Junior ran to him with his find to reveal a sea snail shell ''Junior, that s going on the mantlepiece. Right next to the picture of your mother from twenty years ago when she was good looking.'' Benson said.
''Hello there Benson.'' A voice said from behind him.
''Hello there, do I know you?'' Benson asked, turning around to look at this individual.
''Wait You're him! You're the guy who set Niko up to get that weird as shit car. When i first encountered Sam.'' The sheriff said. Was this the guy who'd sent him the challenge?
''I have the challenge for you to get from here in Vice city to my ranch just outside Alderney by noon tomorrow with an advertisement on your roof.'' The man said.
''Advertising what?'' Benson asked.
''My new fish restaurant.'' This man said as two girls in bikinis walked past them, carrying a large plastic shark with the advertisement for this food place on it s side. The car was only behind the pub across from the beach so they were quickly tying it to the siren lights.
''Get that thing off my car!'' Benson shouted before realizing the point of it. They wanted to embarrass him into not taking the bet.
''Terms are, if you win you get two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. If you lose, i get your famous badge for a belt.'' The challenger said.
''Junior! Get in the car! We re going!'' Benson called before getting in his car and waiting for Junior. When he got in, they were gone.
''Now then. Time to start part two.'' The man said as he dialed a number he'd hunted for.
Over two thousand miles away, Carly De Santa sang to herself as she cruised down Vinewood on her bike.
''Well the days are fun and the nights are too...cause you love me and i love- hold on who's this?'' Carly said, pulling over the bike to answer her phone.
''Hello?... Yes who s this?...Two hundred and- whoa whoa! Two hundred and fifty?... I gotta be Sam? I haven't got to haul anything but my own ass around and be Sam?... You know what? You ve just got yourself a Sam.'' Carly hung up and full throttled it back home.
As she entered the house, Carly was greeted by her mother coming down the stairs.
''Mom? Is something wrong with dad?'' Carly says, pulling her light brown curls out of her black stone wash hoodie. It was rarely cold in Los Santos but a cold front from San Fierro blew in last night. Michael had gotten into a car accident last month and was recovering from a broken arm but it didn't stop Carly from worrying.
''He's okay, honey. You look like you just got a weird offer. What is it?'' Amanda says.
''Someone called me from Vice City asking me to dress up as Sam and drive to Alderney. I don't know why.'' Carly says. She'd been trying to avoid going to Alderney since the time that she stabbed that guy to death when he tried to kidnap her.
Carly continued up the stairs. She d never really seen the life Sam had lived on the roads. Now she was about to live it herself.
When she emerged, Carly had brushed her hair like Sam always had hers and was wearing the most Sam-like clothes she could find. While she didn't have a white dress, she did have a leather jacket. So Carly made a decision and as much as she hated dresses, she went out and bought a white knee length one just like Sam's.
If Sam had entered the house at this moment, it would have been impossible to tell them apart.
''Now what else? Oh right, the main piece of the costume.'' Carly said as she ran back downstairs and into the garage, walking over to the Imponte Ruiner, Sam's other car when she wasn't using the Phoenix.
''You want Sam? You got a Sam.'' Carly said to herself. She hadn t expected it but she actually felt rather excited to be Sam. Even if it was just for two days.
''Carly! You can't go right now!'' Amanda shouted from the bedroom balcony.
''You know Sam mom! bye bye!'' Carly shouted back before driving out of the driveway and into the street.
''Right then. Highway.'' Carly said. If she was going to pull this off, she had to convince almost everyone that she was Sam.
If this was how Sam always felt when driving, she wanted to be Sam more often.
Carly picked up her phone and selected Johnny s number.
''Hey John .Yeah, i'll be gone for a few days...no, not that! I'm earning us a quarter of a million dollars while being Sam for forty-eight hours Yes it can go towards us finding a house together if you wish Ok then yes i know, if any trouble comes call you. The most trouble will be the sheriff. Yeah, speak soon bye bye and love you.'' Carly put her phone down and her eyes went back to the road.