Niko got up off of the pull out couch that Roman directed him to sleep on. He then proceeded to walk over to the kitchen, and open up the refrigerator. It was almost empty, and even the few items that were in the fridge literally were empty. There were just beer bottles and wine bottles scattered throughout. Niko bent down, and dropped on his knee to get a better look at the back. There was a jungle of mold clumped together at the back wall of the fridge. Niko looked around for anything to eat. Nothing. Niko got up and closed the fridge door. He sighed, and walked out the apartment door, swinging it closed behind him. Niko jogged down the stairs and out the door onto Bart St. The street of Roman's so called "Mansion". Niko frowned at the thought of Roman lying to him for all of these years. Some people never change Niko thought. Amidst Niko's thoughts, he noticed a hot dog vendor across the street. Niko's stomach was growling fiercely, and he needed to suppress it fast. Niko jogged across the street to the vendor while digging in his pants pocket for some change. "My dogs are long and hot"! yelled the vendor, hoping to attract some attention from this busy street. Niko jerked his hand out of his pocket to reveal some coins in his hand. Most of them were from his homeland, but he scrounged some American change. The vendor looked at Niko suspiciously. "You trying to cheap out"? Said the vendor. Niko looked curiously at him. "What? What do you mean cheap out? The sign says right there, $2.00". The vendor kept his concentrated stare at Niko and spat out some random racial hatred. "Extra dollar charge for immigrants". Niko looked at his hand with the change in it. All he had left was a dollar. Niko had no choice but to hand it over to the vendor to receive his hot meal. Niko scowled at the vendor as he shouted out; "Another customer satisfied! Get your red, hot meat here"! Niko walked down the street and turned left. He wondered to himself if everyone took advantage of others like that in Liberty City. That is very inhumane and Very unusual.. he thought to himself. Niko walked down the side walk into oncoming traffic of people. A big, burly African American bumped shoulders with Niko. "Hey Nigga! Watch where you're walking here, fool"! Niko turned around and yelled at him. "Hey, fuck you!". The African American gave him the finger and walked the opposite direction down the street. Niko was almost to his cousins Cab Depo, where he was instructed to meet at today. He could maybe chip in a few hours to earn some money. After all he was going to need it if there were more racial vendors like the one he had just encountered. Niko was just a street down from the Cab Depo.
Niko was thinking about how many more things Roman had lied about to him. He was totally stripped of his trust the moment he drove up to the door of their "Mansion". Niko thought about this until he came to the Cab Depo and walked through the door. Roman sat at the desk with his secretary Mallory, as he had a conversation on the microphone with one of his employed cab drivers. "Listen big guy, either do some work or get the hell out of here. We don't need jokers." Said Roman. A voice erupted through the microphone. "Screw you!" said the voice, quickly retalliated by Romans words. "No, screw you!" said Roman as he lowered down the microphone away from his mouth. Roman looked over and eyed Mallory in awe. "Baby, when I look into your eyes it means something. I see little Roman's. I see little Mallories! I see stars! I see angels! In my homeland, we have a saying-" Romans speech was interrupted by the voice on the microphone. "Yeah we have one too- You're a fag!" Roman's eyes widened in surprise as he dropped the microphone down on the desk. "Shit." Roman mumbled to himself as Mallory laughed and giggled at him. "Jesus, Roman, you fuckin' idiota, how am I supposed to take you seriously?" Said Mallory as she still laughed and giggled at Roman. A dark figure walked through the front doorway and responded to Mallories question before Roman could even open his mouth. "Very difficult, I think.. Hello Roman, hello... Miss?" said the man as he stepped into the light, revealing it to be Niko. "Haha! Mallorie, this is my cousin I tell you about, Niko' said Roman as he excitedly ran towards Niko, grabbing his left arm while pointing to Mallorie with the other. "Niko, this is Mallorie. The beautiful girl I tell you about. See? Not everything I tell you about is bullshit!" Roman continued to say. Mallorie got up from the desk and reached over the counter, holding her hand out to Niko. "I bet most of it was" Mallorie said. Niko grasped her hand tightly and shook it. "I hope you're less full of shit than your cousin over here" said Mallorie. Niko laughed. "This is the woman that I'm going to marry!" Said Roman. very enthusiastically. Before anyone could say anything else, a shape came through the back door and put his hands on Mallorie. "I thought you were going to marry me, baby?" Said the man. Roman piped up with fear in his throat. "Oh, hey Vlad.." said Roman while shimmying away from Niko. "Hey... Vlad.. Great! You're.. You're fucking crazy man!" Said Roman as he continued to stumble away towards the nearest wall. Vlad looked at Roman and spoke in a heavy, Russian accent. "You should lose few pounds. Otherwise this beautiful lady will leave you." Vlad said. Mallorie looked at Vlad and started to giggle seductively. "I know.. I'm a fat prick, what can I do?.." Said Roman very seriously without a hint of sarcasm. Vlad looked over at Roman and raised his eyebrows. "Pay your debts?" he said angrily.
Roman stumbled for words in his mind. "Yeah, I will.. I will do, we spoke of this". Vlad instantly turned around and faced Roman. "No we didn't speak- You spoke. Then say your phone out of batteries. You treat me like a bitch" Vlad said while staring at Roman. "Never! I'd treat you like an idiot, not a bitch, eh?" Said Roman, sneaking in a bit of satisfaction at fighting back at him with his words. Roman laughed nervously until his laughter died out as the last speaking voice in the room. Vlad walked up to Mallorie softly, and swiftly stroked her cheek. "I guess it's true.. The beautiful women like the guys with the sense of humor." Vlad stood up straight and looked Roman in the eyes. "Ho ho. I'm laughing." Mallorie started to giggle again. "I'll get you the money.." said Roman. Niko stood there awkwardly as Vlad began to talk again. "I know.. And Roman.. Tell this fucking yokel here if he doesn't stop staring at me, I'll have his head chopped off and put a film of it on the internet!" Screamed Vlad as he kicked over a trash can and screamed in Romans face. Vlad stormed out the door as Roman started to speak. "Ah.. All good.. Great." Roman said as he walked around the room sorrowfully. "Yeah, fantastic!" Said Mallorie sarcastically. Mallorie started to continue. "Look, say what you want, but atleast that guy knows how to talk to a lady." Mallorie said as she smiled and started typing on her computer. "Roman raised one eyebrow in surprise and annoyance. "Yes. He's all "Charm". Let's go Niko". He said as he motioned Niko to the back door. "Darling, I'll... Uh.. I'll see you later. I've got to take my cousin around some more to get him settled." Roman said as he held the door open for Niko. The two walked out the doors into the bay where Roman's cabs were parked. "Niko, you're driving us to a store on Dylan St." Said Roman as he got into the passenger side of the car. Niko obeyed and got in the drivers side. Roman threw the keys to Niko, who shoved them in the ignition and put the car into drive. Niko started to accelerate slowly, looking both ways, and then merging onto the street with traffic. Niko turned right on the street that was jammed with traffic. He had no choice but to wait and engage in god-awful conversation with Roman. Niko was beggining to really hate it here, and it's only been a day.
"Doing some home improvements Roman? You going to build this mansion you tell me about?" Said Niko while driving up the street towards the hardware store. Roman looked over his left shoulder at Niko and replied, "No funny guy- We're going to get money. In America you need money to do anything. You're taking me to a backroom game where I'll win all the dollars we need to really see this town. Nightclubs... Women... Titties..." Niko stopped the car at a red light and shifted his attention over to Roman with a cautious look on his face. "Uh, you can play, right?" Niko asked. "I am the best. I kick all the asses that play me. They call me the Janitor." Said Roman, with a hint of bragging in his tone. Niko accelerated the car as the light shifted from red to green. "Because you can't pay your debts and they make you mop the floor? Incredible.." mumbled Niko with a half smirk on his face. The car fell dead silent for a minute as they crept up to the side walk of the store. Roman Undid his seatbelt while talking to Niko. Only problem is I'm playing with some money I'm meant to give to these Albanian scumbags. Just wait for me here while I go inside to clean up." Roman got out and slammed the door closed. He only managed to walk a few steps before stumbling back to the car. Roman poked his head in through the open window. "Shit, I almost forgot. I'm giving you my old phone, my new number's in there. Call me if some Albanians show up in some shitty Beige Willard. Those are the guys I owe money to. And do not hurt them, I know what you're like Niko Bellic!" Roman tossed Niko the phone and walked away. Niko sighed at Roman as he strutted away into the hardware store. "You and your debts Roman. Always the same. Never change..." Mumbled Niko as he slouched back in his seat. Niko cupped his hands and intertwined his fingers, resting his hands on his stomache. He closed his eyes and slowly started to drift off. Niko's eyes were forced open as a reflection of the sun on a windshield shone into his eyes. Niko shielded his eyes with his hands, and saw the car with the reflection pull up on the opposite side of the street, with two men inside discussing something. It was a Beige Willard, with two foreign looking men. "Shit.. Here are the loan sharks, of course" Said Niko in an angry tone. One of the men yelled out while crossing the street in broken English, "That is his cab, the fat Roman must be in here." Niko picked up the phone and dialed the only contact on his phone, Roman. Roman picked up immediately. "Cousin, two guys are going in the store. I think they are the loan sharks you speak of. You better get out of there." Niko could here Roman gasp through the speaker. "Shit, I'm down." Niko saw Roman run out of the allyway towards the car. He must have slipped out of the back entrance. Niko reached over and opened the door for him. "Shit, Niko, It's them, they must have been told I was here.." yelled Roman as he slammed the door shut. The two loan sharks ran out of the hardware store and to their car. "We will get our money Bellic!" Yelled the loan shark who got in the drivers seat.
Niko squealed the tires, and sliding the car all the way around and took off with the loan sharks fast behind them. The two cars slipped in and out of traffic, avoiding death by inches. "Remember, do not hurt them! the debt will just increase!" Yelled Roman while gripping onto his seat. Niko looked in his mirror and saw one of the loan sharks sit half out of the window, holding up a Glock. The glock pointed towards their car, and before Niko could process it, bullets penetrated the trunk of the car. Bullets whizzed past, some sinking into the windshield, and digging into the dashboard with force. "Fuck, get us back to the cab depo quick!" Yelled Roman as Niko sharply turned the corner. Niko sped up, and dove in between a traffic jam of cars. Niko could hear sirens in the distance, he knew it was an opportunity. Niko took the opportunity of stopped cars, swerving in and out of stopped traffic until he reached Cisco Street, the location of Roman's cab depo. Roman piped up, quivering. "Hey, they have stopped following us.. Clearly they are too scared of what I could do to them." Niko looked at Roman with rage. Niko slowly pulled up to the sidewalk infront of Roman's cab depo. "So.. You like your phone? Maybe one day you can get a premium one like mine! Then you have really made it!" Said Roman with pride. Niko just glanced at Roman, and said sarcastically; "I can only wish.." Roman waved goodbye and stumbled into the cab depo while Niko drove off for the day, exploring the city.