The hours had elapsed, and CJ had his car parked deep in the forest next to the river. He watched the beautiful sunset across the river, its lights reflecting the rippling water underneath. The air was cool and serene. It felt good for CJ to be on his own for a long while. He figured he'd stick around the Badlands for a while before he decided to go to San Fierro.
It has been hours since Catalina had left to Liberty City with her new man. and CJ was glad he no longer had to deal with her nonsense ever again. He hoped he never would come across a girl - or anyone else for that matter - like her ever again. It was still very hard for him to believe she was relate to Cesar though.
Damn, Cesar! he thought. How the hell did you ever put up with that crazy bitch?!
Just then, he heard his cell phone ring. CJ pulled the phone out of his pocket to answer it.
"Hello," CJ answered.
"Yo CJ," It was Ryder. "What's crackin', homie?"
"Ryder!" CJ answered so ecstatic to hear his friend's voice away. "What's happenin' with you?"
"Smoke's yay, homie!" Ryder answered. "Yo peep this. My homie LB told me every Mondays and Fridays, the cash leaves Los Santos for San Fierro, and on Wednesday and Saturday, the courier delivers the yay back to Smoke's fat ass!"
"Cool, homie," CJ replied. "You want me to keep an eye on them?"
"I got this, CJ," Ryder answered. "Smoke's lieutenants can't escape me! I'll handle this while you just do whatever."
"Thanks, homie," CJ told him. "And just to remind you, we got a garage over in San Fierro. So just drop by over there to find me and the rest."
"A'ight," Ryder replied. "Later, homie."
CJ set his phone aside. He felt satisfied that he had help from his friend. He didn't have to do too much work, and he was giving every chance he could take. It was a relief for him. The guy who had criticized CJ ever since the latter's return had still stuck by his side, whereas the friend he was much closer to was the one who stabbed him in the bad instead.
Then it all came back to CJ once again. He was still upset of Big Smoke's betrayal. He reminisced all the good times he and Big Smoke had with each other. About how he saw Smoke as a father figure. About how Smoke was like family to him along with Ryder and his two siblings, as well as the rest of the gang. Just the thought of Big Smoke betraying him broke his heart. It was taking him a while to get over it.
He had just about eradicated his friend's betrayal out of his mind when he heard his cell phone ring once again. CJ pulled it out of his pocket to answer it.
"What's happenin'?" he answered.
"Hey, Carl," he heard The Truth say over the phone. "Dude. Now, I got that little mwah mwah you were after! But be careful man. People are listening to us. I got a little green village up in the hills! Come and get it! Whoa man! I don't know you! I don't know you! Prank caller! Prank caller!"
As Truth hung up, Carl set his phone aside and sighed. He wasn't sure what the eccentric old man had in stores for him this time. So he hopped inside his vehicle and drove through the forest.
As he drove through Leafy Hollow in Flint County, he spotted a familiar-looking farm with a shed. CJ put his car in park and hopped out as he made his way to the trunk of the car. He opened it and pulled out the suitcase of money he saved. The sun had just set, and it was almost dark outside. Without any hesitation, he made his way to the shed. Inside, he spotted Truth standing on his head meditating, capriciously spreading his legs as well.
Man, what a weird ass elderly dude, CJ thought.
"Peace," Truth said as CJ entered the shed. "I've got everything you need, lone traveler. It's in the Mothership, back there."
With his right leg, he pointed to a hippie van right behind him.
"Thanks, man," CJ told the old man handing him the briefcase. "Look, here go your paper."
"The karmic circle closes," Truth answered hopping back onto his feet. "All is as it should be - back to the egg."
CJ entered the van as Truth continued to hum. As he took a quick look, he quickly hopped out.
"Damn, man," CJ said approaching Truth. "There must be two tons of that stuff back there."
"Threeeeeeeeee," Truth said as he made an awkward pose as he meditated. "Ramayanaaaaaaaa..."
He then stop to listen to a familiar sound outside. Something whirling with heavy wind.
"What the fuck's that noise?" he asked.
"Hey, that sounds like a chopper," CJ answered.
"Oh man, narcs!" Truth said. "You fucking rat!"
"Dude, don't put this on me!" CJ protested. "You the one that deals with Tenpenny."
Truth didn't reply. He crouched under his van and pulled out two flamethrowers. He tossed one to CJ's arms.
"What's all this?" CJ asked.
"Calm, brother," Truth told CJ calmly as he hopped onto his feet armed with the other flamethrower. "Panic paves the way to bad karma."
"Man...," CJ muttered as he and Truth exited the shed.
"We gotta torch those fields," Truth demanded. "I only hope Gaia can forgive us!"
CJ wasted no time as he races to the field and aimed the flamethrower to the weed in the field. One by one, he burned each of them at a time as the distant chopper in the sky began to close in. Soon, CJ was feeling rather lightheaded and wobbly.
"Assholes!" Truth shouted. "Right-winged assholes!"
"I don't feel too good," CJ moaned.
"It's a cryin' shame, ain't it?" Truth called to CJ.
"No," CJ answered. "I mean I think I'm gonna black out!"
"Fight the ocean and you will drown, brother!" Truth replied vociferously.
Oh I'm fucking drowning alright! CJ thought.
"Carl, man, we'll take the Mothership and get our shit out of here!" Truth called.
"Go get her fired up!" CJ demanded. "I'll finish burning and I'll follow you!"
So CJ continued burning the weed in the farm despite feeling woozy from the weed he was burning combined with the cloud of smoke that permeated around him as he continued to perform the task. Everything looked hazy around him. The ground was becoming shaky. He saw a turbulent blur. He was becoming stoned.
Shit! CJ thought. Now I know how Ryder feels.
As CJ finished burning the fourth batch of weed, he tried to find his way to the second part, only to stumble a little while walking. The hazy smoke has stoned him out. Everything was blurring around him. CJ finally made his way to the plants and finished burning them.
By the time he finished, the chopper was closing in. CJ barely made his way to the hippie van, where Truth was already in, and handed him back the flamethrower. His vision had just cleared up a little.
"We got a chopper on our tail," CJ announced. "We'll never shake 'em now!"
"Hold on!" Truth told him. "I got a little something back here I was saving for a rainy day!"
So CJ headed to the trunk of the van and peered inside.
"Holy motherfucker!" CJ cried out as he spotted a rocket launcher in the trunk. "Where'd you get that?!"
"Found it in a bail of Thai Sticks!" Truth answered. "Shame really. I was going to make it into a lamp!"
CJ took out the weapon and headed over to the hovering chopper up above. Even though he was decent with guns, CJ had never used a rocket launcher before. At first, he was hesitant, worrying about his aim being off and he might hit something or someone else accidentally. But he quickly regained his confidence and took a firm aim at the chopper. It was moving around in multiple directions, and CJ was having a hard time getting his aim into place. So he took a few steps back, kept the rocket launcher firmly aimed at the hovering chopper, and pulled the trigger.
CJ watched as the rocket bullet skyrocketed to the chopper and slam into it with a direct hit. He ran away as the burning chopper plunged down the ground. As it hit the surface, it made a loud explosion as it crashed into the farm. CJ watched as smoke permeated around the destroyed chopper.
As CJ watched the smoke clear out, he headed to the van to see The Truth. He hopped in the driver's seat and spotted Truth sitting in the passenger's seat.
"Whatchu pull over fo'?" CJ asked as he drove uphill.
"You better drive," Truth answered. "I haven't driven in 15 years!"
"You was doing alright!" CJ declared as he drove on the road.
"Yeah, then the fear hit me!" Truth replied. "Now I'm rolling the number to calm the waves!"
"Shit!" CJ said pulling his cell phone out of his pocket. "I better call Cesar!"
While driving, he punched in Cesar's number and held the phone to his ear. It rang twice right before Cesar answered it.
"Yeah!" Cesar answered.
"Hey Cesar!" CJ called. No time to talk, man! I'm on my way to San Fierro, OK! I'll meet you and Kendl at the garage I won at the races! Holla at y'all later!"
"Cool!" Cesar answered. "I'll meet you there, holmes!"
CJ set his phone aside and came to a hairpin turn. He rode down the hill and came across a bridge over the river.
"Hey, this thing go any faster?!" CJ asked.
"Man, we got three tons of grass on board," Truth answered, "the engine block is held together with a macrame hammock, and it's running on 15-year-old cooking oil!"
"Shit!" CJ replied. "Can you shoot?!"
"Shoot?" Truth asked. "I'm a hippy! The only thing I've shot is acid! I heard about this dude who snorted it once. Thought his nose was a kangaroo and the moon was a dog. Whooo!"
"What's with all the aluminum foil, man?" CJ asked looking around the van.
"Protection from mind control, dude," Truth answered.
"Mind control?" CJ asked.
"Induction of images, sound or emotion using microwave radiation," Truth told him. "Do you know how many government satellites are watching any citizen at any moment?"
"No," CJ answered.
"Twenty-three," Truth replied. "Do you know how many religious relics are kept at the Pentagon?"
"No, I don't," CJ answered as he drove through the bridge and through the mountains.
"Twenty-three," Truth told him once again holding an unusual type of drug. "You see a pattern emerging here, man?"
"Man," CJ complained squeezing his eyes so the smoke didn't get into his eyes, "I'm seeing patters all over the place! Get that smoke outta my face!"
"Hey, you want a hit on this?" Truth told CJ offering him the drug. "A little Temple Charas in a cocktail with some Nepalese munga munga!"
"Put that thing out man!" CJ cried out. "I can't see!"
"Hey, mellow out, brother," Truth said. "It's good shit."
"Put it out, motherfucker!" CJ snapped sounding very irritated at the moment. "I'm warning you!"
"Whoa, chill the fuck out," Truth replied. "Firstly, you are a real buzz killer, amigo, and secondly, I never made love to my mother. She wouldn't, and thirdly, we're in this together, so be cool!"
"Sorry, man," CJ said as he finally made his way to the highway. "I just don't drive when I'm faded. You know, you remind me of Ryder."
"Really?" Truth asked. "He a friend of yours?"
"Yeah," CJ replied driving down the exit of the highway, "though he uses the term "friend" loosely. You'll meet him when we arrive at the garage."
"Seem like a wild fella," Truth said.
CJ just chuckled silently. Truth was already stoned at this point. In fact, he was making Ryder look like a civilized human being.
"Whooo!" Truth cried out as CJ drove in the streets of San Fierro. "There she is, brother; San Fierro: the City of Psychedelic Wonders!"
CJ looked around to see the flashing lights ignite the city in the dark sky. The street were replete with cars and traffic lights. CJ was amazed at how the city looked compared to his own hometown.
"Man, I can't believe I haven't been here before," CJ said as he drove through some train tracks.
"There ain't a better place to escape the man, man," Truth replied.
"Okay, Mr. San Fierro," CJ ordered, "where the spot at?"
"It's in the Doherty on the East side of Fierro," Truth answered, "between Garcia and Easter Basin."
"Jesus, we're screwed!" CJ said. "When'd you get this?"
"1967," Truth answered looking rather reminiscent.
1967? CJ thought. Damn, this van is twenty-five years old!
"How'd you get around here if you don't drive?" CJ asked sounding suspicious.
"I have an astral goat called Herbie," Truth told him. "She's faster than most, but gettin' old..."
"Yeah, whatever, man," CJ answered in a dubious tone of voice. "You talking shit."
CJ drove through the road of Easter Basin across the road from the Cranberry Station. He spotted the gas station to his left and the garage there as well. He parked the van in front of the garage and hopped out along with Truth.
"This is the place," Truth announced as he and CJ walked around the abandoned gas station outside. "Whoa, Jesus dude! Looks like you've been fed a bummer."
CJ turned around to see Cesar's car pulling up on the driveway in his red Savanna with Kendl in the passenger seat. CJ just stared back and smiled as Cesar parked over to the side.
"Ces, my man," CJ said chuckling as he gave Cesar a high five. "I knew you'd come through."
"I told you I got your back, holmes," Cesar answered as he and Kendl hopped out of the car.
"Great to see you again, Carl," Kendl said giving CJ a hug.
"Anytime, sis," Carl replied.
"How'd you get here?" Cesar asked CJ.
"I had a little help with this old man here," CJ replied pointing to The Truth. "Believe me when I tell you it was a rather...interesting conversation I had with this dude."
"I see," Cesar said. He looked around firmly. "So what is this place, holmes?"
"Some garage your cousin hooked me up with," CJ said. He pulled the deed out of his pocket. "Here's the deed," he said showing the deed to Cesar.
"Cool, holmes," Cesar said. He looked around again. "Hey, where's your homie at - Ryder? I thought that little midget was with you."
"Oh, he and LB just gotta take care of some shit," CJ told him shoving the deed back inside his pocket. "It's got something to do with Smoke's yay."
"Ah, I see," Cesar replied. "Is he gonna be here, holmes?"
"Yeah," CJ answered. "He might be here a little later though. Let's go take a look at that garage."
Truth pulled open the garage door as CJ, Kendl, and Cesar gaped at him with wide eyes.
"You pretty strong for an old guy," CJ said sounding rather impressed. He and the others took a quick glance around the garage.