The rain had gradually stopped by the morning. For half a second, Sylvester expected his back to be aching on the speedboat. But his back was relaxed on the nice bed. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the other bed. Empty, of course. Like usual, Adler had gone somewhere to do whatever he did. Sylvester shook his head and got up.
''There's not shit to do here in this place.'' Sylvester thought, he looked out the window to see a pool and the early morning shining down at the pool. He saw people swimming and he immediately closed his blinds. ''Fuck that shit.'' He said to himself. Sylvester got ready for the day and changed into his old clothes from yesterday. He went down the stairs, out of the hotel to get some fresh air.
He aimlessly walked around Star Junction, wondering what the hell to do. But something popped in his head. He remembered his mother had moved over to Liberty City. Maybe he should go visit her? But her last words weren't too friendly either. He remembered telling him he was human scum for following the life of crime like his father did. He shook his head to get the thought away.
Sylvester went around a corner and spotted an African-American preaching and trying to sell his CD's. ''You! You! Come over here, man!'' the man pointed to Sylvester and beckoned him to follow him. He was wearing a blue cap and a white shirt with a blue vest over it. ''Man, you got a cold look in your eyes! You remind me of someone I met back in 2008.''
''Good to know.'' Sylvester nodded.
''Man, these streets are rough. No one wants to buy my CD's, you want to buy one? I'll give you a discount cuz you just got that look, man. I can freestyle a mile away from someone, and their ears will be pourin' gold!''
''Er, no thanks. I'm not a big fan of rap either way.''
''Shit, once you hear my stuff you'll be begging for me to give you 10 of this shit! Let me give you a taste…'' the man cleared his throat and started bopping his head back and forward in a rhythmic manner.
''Spare me please,'' Sylvester grunted.
''Mmm… y'all better- ''
''I don't want to hear it, okay? Plain and simple! Man, get a job.''
''You didn't let me get my flow, man! If people heard this shit, they'd be yelling my name! Give it up for Pathos!''
''Yeah, I'm fine.'' Sylvester said.
''Man, you're a moody motherfucker. I think your skills can come in handy, I need help with somethin'.''
''Do I need to write lyrics for your new CD?''
''Nah, Pathos isn't no fucking two-timer. I write my own shit in my spare time. I don't get my precious checks and mail it off to a ghost-writer.''
''If I ever get into the rap game, that's some good advice.'' Sylvester sarcastically remarked.
''Get in my nice dope, car. Just bought it today.'' Pathos said.
Sylvester followed him into a parking lot to spot an orange Pegasus. ''Holy shit! That is a nice car, for a preacher you do well for yourself.''
''Nah! Not that one, this one!'' Pathos pointed to an old, rusty, black Patriot.
''Ah, I see.'' Sylvester quietly said. He went inside of the Patriot and Pathos went to the back.
''We going to the underground carpark off Topaz ST. Where the shooting was with the NOOSE team with Ray Bulgarin and some Dominican dude.''
''Yeah, don't know where the hell that is. I'm not from Liberty City. You might want to set the GPS to wherever the hell you want me to go.'' Pathos leaned near the radio to set the GPS to the underground carpark. ''Thanks, now why do you want to go here? You going to film your music video talking about weapon violence?''
''Nah, there's a rap battle going on. And I'm part of the crew, my dude! I'ma win the big money. We got three OG rappers on the case to judge us. I'm rocking it solo, I'm gonna win big cash! Shit, you'll be wishing you can get a share of this money once I win!'' Pathos laughed and put his feet on the dashboard, imagining what life would be like in riches.
''I don't even believe you'll make it a damn minute. But even if somehow, a God came out and granted you a miracle to make you win. You wouldn't even grant a cut to the guy who took you to this carpark? Damn.''
''Uh, I mean, yeah, yeah, I would.'' Pathos quickly covered up.
''All right, is this the spot?'' Sylvester asked as he pulled up to the underground carpark. He could see people waiting, and one with a beatbox. Sylvester parked the car and got out along with Pathos.
''Big money! Big money!'' Pathos said to himself, quietly.
''Yo! Look who just showed, Pathos in the house!'' someone said.
''Let's do this shit, man!''
''Get the music on!''
Pathos had started rapping, but Sylvester was sitting on the hood of the car on his phone, playing whatever game he had on there. He zoned out the rapping and the music. He could hear vague bits of laughter and insults, but he ignored it. Until one person turned off the music. Sylvester looked up and put his phone away.
''What the fuck did you just say about my mom's, man?'' a man in a black hoodie with a Liberty City Rampage t-shirt asked.
''It was a joke, man. I didn't mean nothing about it.'' Pathos pleaded.
''Fuck you! That ain't no joke! There's a line that you can cross, and you just crossed the damn line! I think it's your time to go, Pathos, pretty soon you'll be screaming 'oh no's.'
''German dude! Help me out!'' Pathos dived to cover behind a car and a man pulled out a Desert Eagle and started shooting.
Sylvester pulled out his pistol from his back pocket he had from last night and started shooting at the man with the gun. ''Destorm's shot! Kill both, man!'' someone else shouted.
''The hell did I get myself into? Fuck!'' Sylvester told himself. He started a gun battle with the remaining five people.
After about five minutes of gunfire, the coast seemed clear. Pathos ran out of cover towards his Patriot. ''Aw shit, man! I thought I was a goner for sure, take me to my street corner!''
Pathos went to the back of the car and Sylvester started up the car. ''Didn't you know these guys were sensitive about their mother? Damn, you idiot!''
''It was a stripping joke, nothing by it man. People always tell it to me,''
''So, it gives you the right to tell it to them? Fuck, I swear sometimes.''
''Shit! Flame Crew after our asses! Drive! Drive!''
''Why'd you have to pick out the shittiest car in Craplist?''
''It was cheap, all right?'' Pathos defended himself.
Sylvester took out his pistol and rolled down the windows. A black Huntley Sport was right on his side. He shot at the passenger and the driver. A dark blue Oracle pulled up to Pathos' side. He rolled down his windows and took out a Uzi. ''Pathos! Keep your head down, idiot!''
The man rapidly fired at the Patriot, but Sylvester used the weight of the car to his advantage. ''Fuck you!'' he insulted, he slammed the Patriot into the small Oracle and rammed it off the road into the sidewalk. He glanced at his rearview mirror to find the coast to be clear. Sylvester drove back to the spot where he had met Pathos. He pulled up to the parking lot and parked there. Pathos and Sylvester got out the car in a hurry.
''So, lesson learned today. Don't be fucking with sensitive people.'' Pathos panted.
''Don't be fucking with anyone! Shit…'' Sylvester took a moment to catch his breath.
''You know what, man. Keep the car.'' Pathos said.
''Hell no! You just want me to keep it so police will be pulling me over, and I'll be the one getting arrested. It's a trashy old car anyways. No need for me to use it.''
''Well… you predicted my plan… But I owe you, man. Tell you what. You seem like a German cold criminal. I know a group of people who can easily locate people. So if you ever need them. Give me a call.'' Pathos told his phone number to Sylvester, and he added it to his contacts.
Sylvester smirked and thought of Lukah. ''That'll come in handy, thanks, Pathos.''
''No problem. Catch you later, my dude.''
Sylvester walked back to the hotel and saw the car Adler had stolen back in the parking lot. Sylvester went inside the hotel, up the elevator, back to his hotel room.
He opened the door to find Adler sitting down watching TV. ''Syl, that shootout at the parking lot… That was you, wasn't it?''
''Fuck how'd you know?''
''I just do. I saw it on Weazel News. You should be lucky they have no cameras there, and cops didn't show up in time. We would have been fucked, big time. What happened and where have you been?'' Adler questioned.
Sylvester walked over to the bathroom while talking. He took off his shirt and looked at his wounds. ''Out.''
''Don't try that 'out' bullshit with me, where were you?''
''I met a guy named Pathos, I got involved in a lot of shit, but it was all worth it in the end, all right? That's all you need to know, all right?''
''How was worth it? Did we get any cash? I don't see you carryin' a duffel bag.''
''I got the guy's number. He said I could give him a call if I needed someone tracked down. We can track down Lukah now, get our revenge with Lukah, then we're home free!'' Sylvester left the door open to the bathroom so he could talk while in the shower.
''You want Lukah down so badly, don't you? I think we should get all the heat off of our backs before we deal with the big guns.''
''Lukah needs to be dealt with now! That guy overreacted, and I'll be overreacting too once I blow his damn head off!''
''We can't be rushing too much. We need to stragetically plan everything out.''
''Oh don't worry. I got a plan.'' Sylvester assured.
''You do?'' Adler narrowed his eyes. ''That's a first, usually I'd expect for you to not have a plan.''
''Yeah, we go in there with a damn shotgun, and kill Lukah and his men. That's my plan. Rest assured, we kill the rest of the NOOSE that arrives to Starfish Island, and we get out home free, easy. We'll be respected.''
''Yeah, respected in a jail cell by you being a boy-toy to all those inmates. Remember in prison? Garry and I had protected you from being a damn boy-toy to those people. We get back there again, we'll all be separated.''
''Fuck off, we'll be fine.'' Sylvester stepped out of the shower. ''Hand me a towel,'' he said. Adler threw him one and he dried himself off. ''If we do get caught, I'll wait my damn time, and get Lukah's brains on my shotgun.'' Sylvester said, obviously not thinking straight.
Adler sighed. ''No stopping you.''
Sylvester put on the same clothes and laid down on the bed. ''The Crimm Family will mean something. I promise you that. It's my priority to make the Crimm Family mean something in Vice City. The Crimm Crime Family will be the golden light of this city. I promise…''
