The Museum was closed. Inside, it was eerily empty. They'd used the northern door to get inside, Luis using the picks Karen had given him.
Niko had also visited a backstreet gun shop and gotten some guns. Each man now had a pistol; Niko a Desert Eagle, Luis a .44 and Johnny an automatic; and a sub machine gun. Niko had, under his jacket, an MP5, Johnny had an Uzi.
Niko led the two men through the museum. Johnny had speculated that Karen would probably be where their deal had gone wrong over two years ago and, although the museum had changed somewhat, the layout was pretty much the same.
Karen waited in the shadows. When the men arrived, and she was sure they were alone, she stepped out.
"I'm glad you're still alive," she said to Johnny and Niko. She smiled weakly. "My boss wasn't too happy once he found out what had happened and that there were no bodies by the APC."
"How did he find out?" Niko asked, his eyes asking the question obvious to him.
Karen shook her head. "I don't know. Perhaps the mole was a double."
"Maybe he figured it out, with all the people we've been killing." Johnny suggested.
Karen shrugged. "It doesn't matter either way."
Niko scoffed. "How do you figure that one out? We just got attacked by some PMC at something you set up, and you're saying it doesn't matter?"
"No, I mean… We got it all wrong, Niko. He wasn't waiting for the election, or the final, huge debate."
"When then?"
"Now. It's D-Day. The main debate/forum is today. In an hour… It's already begun."
Niko exhaled.
"So what do we do now?"
"Try to stop it..." Karen began, but there was something left unsaid.
"Or?"
"Or walk away."
"Right," Niko said, "Give me that option now I have a private army after me."
"I am not trained for this," Karen snapped. "I am not supposed to be running counter-terrorist operations. I'm supposed to have a nice job, with a nice man, living in a nice house. I am trying here, Niko, to do something good. A fine job I've made of it so far."
Niko sighed and ran his hand over his head.
"You want us to leave you alone for half an hour?" Luis asked. "Maybe some angry make up sex?"
"This is not the time for jokes," Niko said.
"No, you're right bro. But you two need to kiss and make up, or something. We're up to our eyes in shit here, and you're arguing like a couple of school girls."
Karen closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly, cradling her forehead between her thumb and forefinger.
"Luis is right," Johnny said. "We have less then an hour before the debate starts. What the fuck do we do?"
Karen lit up a cigarette. "Look, this is what we know. They're setting up bombs around city hall – they're probably already there. They'll detonate them, killing most, if not all, of the politicians – and civilians – inside. Then they'll blame it on middle-eastern terrorists or something. Then they – being the only remaining politicians – will step in and clean things up, perhaps after some charade of appearing to decline the positions. Then they'll begin changing their policies, setting things up for their own goals. By the time the next elections come around they'll either have skipped country, or covered their tracks well enough to 'retire'. Or they may play dirty again."
"So we find the bombs?"
"That was the plan, even though I had misjudged it. Except the only person who can tell us where they are is dead. That's why you were meeting him so late on in the game – if he disappeared any earlier, they might move the bombs."
"How do we find them then?"
"My contact has made a list of potential sights where they could be planted. They could be timed, or remotely detonated or both. But we don't even know how many there are."
"I know you don't want to reveal too much at the moment, but I think they've forced your hand."
Karen looked at Niko. "What do I do?"
Luis shrugged. "You gotta evacuate City Hall."
Karen's breathing became shallow.
"Call in the army or something," Johnny suggested.
"If I evacuate, he'll just blow them. You guys have got to do something…"
Luis nodded. "Yeah. I think I got an idea too."
Ten minutes later, Armando and Henrique, along with one of one of their cousins, arrived on three bikes. Luis, standing with Niko and Johnny across from the Libertonian, stepped out from the archway.
"Thanks, bro. I'll explain all this soon."
"No problem, L."
"Do me one more favor too will you."
"Oh come on man. You ask too much."
"No, I'm serious." Luis then switched to Spanish. "Go to Mami's and take her out of the city."
Armando's eyes went wide. "Why?"
"'Mando, just do it please."
Armando nodded. "Sure."
Luis stepped over to Henrique. "Don't come back to the city until I tell you it's safe."
"And if you get your ass killed?"
Luis inhaled. "Then take Mami and go somewhere else. Vice City perhaps. She'd like it there. Look after her, mis hermanos."
"You better come back, L." Henrique said, back in English now. They embraced.
"Follow me." Luis said to Niko and Johnny as he put on his crash-helmet. He gunned the Hakuchou Custom's engine. Niko and Luis, also on Hakuchou Customs, also opened their throttles.
Luis led them to Frankfurt, by the entrance to the Booth Tunnel. He backed his bike down an alley opposite the river crossing and stopped, aiming the front toward the river crossing.
He nodded at Niko and Johnny and revved the engine.
The bikes leaped out of the alley, one after the other. Luis darted toward some road works and hit a small wooden sheet, which acted as a ramp. Niko followed. Then Johnny.
The three bikes flew through the air, their sheer speed pushing them high and far enough to reach the subway tracks.
This was the tricky bit – which Luis had warned Johnny and Niko of. They had to hit the track and slow, or else they'd hit the side and fall to what would likely be their deaths.
Luis landed, pulled a stoppie and spun the bike round. Niko landed on both wheels and skidded into the side. He didn't fall off, and one of the supports prevented him for carrying on. Johnny stopped just behind Niko, but managed to accelerate before him. Luis led them into the subway tunnel.
The three men tore through the station, causing shrieks and profanities from the waiting passengers. A little down the tunnel they passed an oncoming train. The speed of which the train passed was incredible – most of it was the combined speed of the train and, mainly, the bikes.
Later on down the tracks there was another train, heading in the same direction as they were. Luis swung wide to overtake, but immediately pulled back toward the train; another train was coming the other way.
"Oh Shiiiiiit!" Johnny shouted as he followed, both train's turbulence canceling each other out. Niko gritted his teeth and went for it.
They passed the train and carried on going until Luis tapped at the brake. A minute later they'd all stopped.
"Here we are., Luis said, discarding his crash helmet. Above them was an access hatch.
There was a little yellow and black striped sign on it that read Emergency Exit. Somehow Karen's 'contact' had found out about that. Luis climbed up, using foot-holes in the wall, and opened the hatch. Niko and Johnny followed.
Luis's phone rang.
"There's a surveillance team," a much more composed Karen said. "They're watching City Hall, likely looking for anyone leaving. If they see anyone flee…"
"…Boom," Luis said.
"In a word."
"What's our next step?" Luis looked up and saw feet pass. He realized they were directly underneath one of those metal grates that were all over the city. He thought they were just air vents for the subway, but he supposed they could double as access points.
"Niko's the best shot. He needs to get up there and take them down, quickly and quietly." Luis nodded and relayed the message to Niko.
Niko pulled out the silenced pistol and cocked it. He'd donned a pair of fingerless gloves for this, figuring the extra grip may come in handy – and it already had on the bike and in the service hatch.
"And Johnny?" Luis asked.
"He goes with you, into City Hall. You're looking for both the bombs and the mayor – you have to warn him."
"How do we make him believe us?"
"Tell him; 'Greg's dead, and his daughter's the last one left.' You got that? He'll know what you mean."
Luis nodded.
"After that, Rendezvous at the place I mentioned. I've spoken to mister Amir, and he's done his part."
Luis nodded, his throat suddenly dry.
"Good luck, Luis. Pass the same on to Niko and Johnny."
Luis did.
"Oh and Luis? Tell Niko, for what it's worth, I'm sorry."
Luis relayed the message and Niko shook his head.
Karen ended the call.
Luis turned to Niko and Johnny.
"You ready?"
Johnny let loose a melancholy laugh. "Not really."
Niko, however, was focused.
Niko saw the men on the roof – just about; they were well hidden. He entered an adjacent building and climbed up.
A man stood in the stairwell, blocking access to the roof. Niko saw him and nodded. The man glared at him.
Niko turned and acted as if he was about to enter an office, but he dropped something on the floor – his phone.
Niko bent down to pick his phone up, but suddenly sprung up, grabbing the man, spinning him round.
Niko put his arm round the man's neck and tightened the sleeper hold. The man struggled to breath, or shout, or even move and, within a few seconds, he was unconscious. Niko then pulled upwards on the neck and twisted. That was the secret – moving on two planes. The man's neck snapped. Niko dragged the man a little way up the stairwell and hid him behind the door.
At the top, he peeked out of the door to see the four men watching City Hall. He stepped out and, gun up, approached them.
One of the men saw him, but it was too late. Niko was on him, grabbing him in a sleeper hold, squeezing as he fired a shot at one of the other men.
The third went for his gun and actually got two shots off, but Niko's human shield ate the bullets. Niko shot that man, dropped the body and shot the last man in the back of the head. He shot the strangled man too.
Niko then took up position, grabbing the man's suppressed Advanced Sniper Rifle. He looked down at the street and realized why they had to get here unseen. There must have been twenty police and N.O.O.S.E cruisers, a dozen N.O.O.S.E Patriots and several private security vehicles, including two limos. There was also a N.O.O.S.E tank – an APC armed with what could be an LTL cannon or a grenade launcher on the roof – parked behind City Hall itself.
The roads were shut off, and there must have been close to a hundred officers walking around plus whatever private security and feds were inside. Karen had said that there had been a terrorist threat. Niko wondered if the warning to the police came from her or whether it was part of 'his' plan. Either way, rather reminiscent of Ochoa two years ago, the bridges to and from Algonquin had had checkpoints set up on them.
A helicopter hovered overhead – a news helicopter and a police helicopter were doing the rounds. Niko was glad for the gray tent-like structure the men had erected, hiding the little nest from the skies.
Definitely professionals, he thought.
He scanned the rooftops and windows, looking for any more snipers. He found one more – on a building next to the WTF Center.
He aimed at the man's head and fired.
There was some recoil, but not too much, and the shot was next to silent. Niko could hear the gun's mechanism more then the actually shot. He searched for more targets.
Luis and Johnny were inside City Hall – having broken into a maintenance door from the service tunnel and entering through the basement. They watched out of a window and saw Niko take the men down.
"We're clear," Luis noted. "I'll find the mayor. You look for the bombs."
"Oh sure, give me the shitty one."
Luis shook his head, but he wore a thin smile. "I'm used to dealing with rich people, VIPs and such. I can get to the mayor better."
Johnny nodded, unsure if there was an insult in there. Luis's face didn't look disrespectful so he said, "Yeah, okay. See you on the river."
"'luck, bro."
Niko took two more snipers down. One was on a rooftop in Little Italy, another to the south. He wondered if they had 'fleeing' orders, to get out of there when the shit hit the fan, or whether they too were to be sacrificed.
Probably the former, he thought to himself. Leaving behind four snipers, dead or alive, or just the guns, was not too smart.
Luis made his way into the main corridor behind the scenes. He strolled down the hallway as if he owned the place – look like you belong, and people more often-than-not didn't notice you. Skulk around, however, and you may as well be in a bright clown suit.
He found a door labeled Mayor. He opened it, barging in to what appeared to be a changing room, but it was empty.
"Shit," he breathed. "Mierda."
"Can I help you?"
Luis turned to see a petite woman wearing a well fitted suit. A very well fitted suit.
"Yeah," Luis said, nodding. He pulled the woman in and shut the door.
He started on her neck, fondling her ears. She let out a sigh of pleasure and dropped whatever papers she was carrying. She wrapped an arm around Luis's neck.
A minute later Luis had his hand on her hip.
"I need a favor," he whispered in a husky tone.
"What?" she breathed, her eyes still staring at the inside of her own head.
"I need to see the mayor."
"He'll be in the main room in a minute." She grabbed Luis and pushed him onto a sofa. "But who cares about that old crone." She put a hand under his shirt. "Oh, my."
Luis didn't have time to go all the way, as much as that pained him. He didn't want to explode at the same time as the bombs.
Luis whispered in her ear. "It's important."
The woman stepped back but before she could react insulted, Luis grabbed her and kissed her. "Do this one favor for me, and I'll take you to the most glamorous restaurant in town. I work at Maisonette, by the way. I'll give you a month's free VIP access, for you and your friends."
"Yeah, right."
Luis pulled a business card from his pocket. "Trust me, fiera." He tucked the business card down her bra, carefully sliding it over her nipple.
She inhaled with pleasure and he stared at her eyes.
"Okay!" she said after a moment. "But if you don't call, expect to hear from the cops…. Or maybe the FIB."
"Fair enough. You are un tigre aren't you." Luis smiled.
The woman managed to get Luis to the mayor who had one foot in the threshold to the debate stage.
"Who the hell's this? Christ's sake, Diane, did you get him past security."
"Greg's dead," Luis blurted out. The mayor stopped and stared.
"Greg?"
"His daughter said to tell you – she's the only one left."
The mayor shook his head then Luis saw the recognition in his eyes. "Shit." The mayor turned and walked away from the stage.
"Thank you," Luis whispered to the woman. She held out a card. Luis took it with his teeth, then pocketed it with a wink.
"Greg's dead. You're sure?"
Luis nodded. "And his killer is working with your opposition. They've got bombs planted around here and they're going to blow this place up… today."
The mayor's eyes went wide. Then came the rushing of feet. Evidently his bodyguard had heard it and immediately he leaned in.
"Is this credible?" the bodyguard asked.
"Sir," someone said to the bodyguard. "We've found a man downstairs with what looks like a bomb. Looked like he'd just set it up."
"What did he look like?" Luis asked.
The man frowned.
"Tattoo on his neck?" Luis slapped the left side of his neck.
"Yes," The man replied.
Luis nodded. "I know it sounds crazy but he's with me. He's trying to disarm them."
"Does he know how?"
"He's been told how, yes. Unless the intelligence was wrong." Was that the word they used, Luis wondered? Intelligence?
"Who are you? FIB? Marshals?"
"A nightclub owner," Luis said.
"Either way. There's a bomb in this building. Sir, we've got to get you out." The body guard grabbed the mayor.
"Follow me," Luis said
The bodyguard screwed his face up. Luis could read his mind: Fuck off.
"There's three of us. The bad guys had set up surveillance. If they see you leave, they'll blow this place up. My other man has disabled one of the surveillance teams. You want to live? Follow me – and do not call for a car or anything."
"My staff – they have to come too." The mayor glared.
Luis shook his head. "You leave now. You guy here will agree with me – you have to get out of here." The mayor shook his head. "I'll come back and get your staff out. You need to go now."
The bodyguard nodded. "He's right, sir."
The mayor sighed. "Okay, dammit."
Niko tensed as the door opened. It had hit home that there were bombs here and they could go off at any time.
Luis stepped out and nodded at Niko. Niko began searching for possible assassins.
The mayor was ushered into a police vehicle – a riot Blockade, as it happened – and taken away like a prisoner. It was the safest option, Niko realized. Hidden and protected.
In the crowd, Luis had heard rumors of the army in Liberty City. That escalated conversation and speculation to terrorist activity.
You've no idea how right you are, Luis thought.
"So if we evacuate, they detonate."
"Almost certainly."
"Well we found one, so we'll believe you."
"Try to get key members out that same door," the security chief said. "Usher them into the building opposite. The media trucks will block any view from the front and the roadblock will hide them from the north. Get them straight out of the back. An armored prison bus will wait to take them to safety."
"Don't let word spread," Luis warned. "We've no idea if there are any snitches in here."
"Don't worry. We'll get our guys out first – one by one and individually – then we'll get the public out. Find those bombs."
Luis nodded.
Johnny had found three in the basement. Two potential sites were empty and a third appeared to be – the third bomb was well hidden.
Johnny's cell rang. He quickly silenced it and answered. It was Karen.
"I've got one of the main players – the man who will become deputy mayor. I'm following him."
"You're here?!"
"Just got here. He's outside but, he's leaving."
"Fuck," Johnny slurred his whisper.
"Luis is doing well but I've got two targets. I can't take them both."
"Yeah. Where is he?"
"Heading up Liberty Lane. Probably going to the subway. Follow him. I'm texting you a picture. I'll let Luis know."
Johnny nodded and hung up. A second later the photo came through.
Johnny ran.
Luis wasn't happy – Johnny had been pulled out to follow one of the bad guys. A big player, apparently so that meant there weren't many left.
Or she's clutching at straws.
More worryingly for Luis, however, was that it meant they were out of time.