1/31/84, Liberty City…
"You think you can break me like you broke my sweet mother… do you, Frank?" Maria responded after she stood up, Frank Tenpenny's eyes wide with shock.
"Why haven't you died like your old man did?!" Frank growled.
"Because I swore that since you came into my life like the monster you are… that the only way I'd die is if I took you with me!" Maria said, shouting after grabbing Tommy's old baseball bat and whacking Frank with it repeatedly.
The fight spilled into the hallway with both having lost their weapons… Maria took her chance and with her losing blood fast, she knocked Frank into the wall and then shoved him again, watching as he tumbled down the stairs.
He didn't move after losing consciousness… and she grabbed her things and left.
The 14 year old reached the bus station and used a fake ID listing her as Rebecca Mendez and her age as 18… with the heavy makeup on, the ticket taker bought it and Maria was on her way out of the area.
'Well… on my way to a new life. Wherever it is.' Maria thought as she settled into a seat, the bus driver leaving once everyone was on the bus.
She really didn't want to leave without Tommy… but she knew he'd understand once she was able to get in touch with him.
Maria had been asleep for most of the trip when Carter and Michael got onto the bus.
"Damn, I can't wait til we hit Vice City. Two weeks of paradise." Michael said excitedly.
"Yeah, I can't wait to get drunk and see the hot chicks around the city." Carter said. "Maybe I'll be lucky to bring one of them home with me."
"Never know, old pal." Michael responded, the 16 year old sitting in one seat while 14 year old Carter sat in the one next to Maria, whose face was half hidden by the hood of her jacket.
"Hey, why you so shy?" Carter asked.
Maria opened her eyes after hearing that… and that was at the moment that the bus swerved to avoid a pothole, Maria grunting in pain as her back hit the armrest, Carter steadying her.
"You okay?" Carter asked, once again.
"Yeah… just a rough trip, been several stops so far. Going to visit family in Vice." Maria responded.
"Hey, that's where me and my friend are going to." Carter said.
"Hopefully the weather's nicer… I'm so sick of snow." Maria replied, Carter picking up a fallen ID card and seeing Maria's picture but next to the name Rebecca Mendez.
"Your name's Rebecca?" Carter asked.
"Yeah. Named after my grandmother." Maria said after Carter handed her the ID.
"Well, I'm Carter Grant, it's nice to talk with you." He said.
"Nice to talk to you." Maria responded as they shook hands…
Present time...
Afternoon soon turned into evening as Carter, Maria, CJ and Woozie were discussing the plan.
"If we can find two croupier uniforms, this should work… Carter, do you know any others who can get out here?" Woozie asked. Carter was about to suggest Michael and Brad but knew that Trevor would force them to bring him along.
"I know some people who can help, but there's a slight problem." Carter answered.
"Crazy crew member?" CJ questioned.
"Yeah…" Carter said.
"We can work around that. Maria, anyone you know?" Woozie responded.
"A safecracker but… he got arrested after trying to rob the gun stores in Vice." Maria answered. "Wait… I got another idea, someone I used to know up north." She said before she, CJ and Carter left.
Their first stop was to pick Ken up and Ken was ranting.
"So now I spend my days waiting for one family to cap me and blame the other one! My only friend is a bird named Tony!" Ken said, finishing his rant.
"I never fucked anyone over in my life who didn't have it coming to them!" Tony exclaimed before Ken explained how Johnny Sindacco was under threat from the Forelli family and in a shock induced state at the hospital across town.
"Damn it, Marco's probably dispatched hitmen to go kill him!" Maria said.
"We gonna stop them." Carter said.
'So here I am with two people I've only met earlier, trying to rescue a guy I scared half to death! If he wakes up through all of this, I'm screwed!' CJ thought before the trio drove to the hospital.
"Hi, we're here to pick up Mr. Sindacco." CJ explained to the young nurse.
"Mr. Sindacco? There must be some mistake. An ambulance just picked him up." The nurse responded, the three nodding before leaving in a Patriot.
The three were on the road, tailing an ambulance with CJ in the driver's seat and Maria and Carter in the back, CJ ramming the ambulance repeatedly until it stopped.
"Alright, who's messing with Forelli business?!" One of the hitmen shouted after stopping the ambulance, jumping out at the same time that CJ, Maria and Carter got out.
"Yeah, who's got a death wish?!" The second hitman demanded.
"Give him up or you're gonna be chained to cinder blocks and tossed in the ocean!" Maria shouted, her Uzi aimed at them.
"Let's kill them, baby!" Carter said, pulling out his Uzi.
The hitmen charged at them and were shot dead, the trio getting in the ambulance and Maria in the back as CJ drove with Carter in the passenger seat… Johnny reached out, gripping Maria's hand.
"Is that you, kiddo? You're all grown up." Johnny said quietly.
"It's me, pal. You're gonna be okay…" Maria whispered.
Johnny was at the safehouse and Maria left with Carter and CJ.
"If he saw me, I would've been screwed…" CJ muttered, the two putting it together as Paulie had done the same thing to Kent back in 1990 when a deal went bad.
The three reached the casino by the time it was dark after Maria and Carter decided to go get dressed up and explore the city.
"Hey, you wore that on our fifth date." Carter said with a smile when he noticed Maria's plum dress that wrapped around before the two kissed.
"You could never take your eyes off me when I'm wearing it, Carter Grant." Maria whispered, brown eyes sparkling with mischief.
They intended on making tonight a fun night for them.
2 ½ weeks later, Maria's Perspective…
"We all good?" CJ asked as we set everything up.
"Yep, we'll be waiting on your signal." Carter responded before he and I kissed… I don't know what it is, maybe it's just nerves throwing me off but I'm not feeling like I usually do and my lower back feels like it's being jabbed with a pen.
"You stick close and keep that armor on, girl. Carter would kill me if something happened to you." CJ said before we walked into the casino.
Well… time for a score.
