Niko looked at Michelle – Karen, he corrected himself. He wondered, was all this as she had said – could he even believe her word?

"I'm sorry for the way I went about all of this," she said, her eyes landing soft on Niko's. For a moment, Niko sensed truth in her words; her eyes held a sad reflection of his. "After what happened there was no other way – you would have turned your back if I had–"
"I'm just glad it's all over," Johnny said with a sigh of relief.

Niko stared at the two in front of him. He wanted to believe Michelle – Karen – but he couldn't.
"I'm done here," Niko said after a pause. "I'm leaving Liberty City." Jamaica with Jacob, he told himself, but kept hat fact private.

Karen nodded and handed Niko an envelope. Niko folded his arms and stared defiantly.
"Another job?" he snarled.
Karen shook her head. "Please, open it."
Reluctantly, Niko did.

Inside was a couple of compact disks, a few memory cards and flash drives, and some folders. There was also a hard disk drive and a backup tape.
Niko stared up, his face showing his confusion.

"It's everything we have on you and those around you. Now my employers are gone and no one else will replace him, the office has been closed. As of now United Liberty Paper Company no longer exists. Marc saw to that. I'm the only person left who knows who you are and what you've done." She nodded at the envelope. "You're in control of your own freedom now." Her eyes flashed regret, but she blinked it away.

Niko took a breath and closed the envelope. "What's stopping me killing you now?" he asked coldly.
Karen looked at Johnny then Niko. "Nothing," she said.

Niko flexed his jaw muscles. "Don't think this means I'll forgive you. If you were a guy, I'd have killed you by now."
"Oh, gee…" Karen sighed. "Thanks."
Niko shook his head. "Just tell me why?" Karen took a moment.

"Have you ever got caught up in something?" she asked. "That you didn't want to be, you just got dealt a dud hand? I'm not like you – I haven't gone around killing people, or smuggling people. One mistake – and you pay for it for a lifetime.

"He came to my rescue, in a way. No jail, no fines, just a job." She looked up, her face looking torn. "You were in Europe, gallivanting all over he place. Smuggling people – who by the way ended up as sex slaves or meeting other unpleasant fates. I don't know how they picked up on you, but they did. Then they found out about your cousin. Immediately he was put on a watch list. After a few weeks, they intercepted your messages. You were coming to America. That's when I was… used. They set me up with a job, a cover, and I befriended Mallorie. Then I meet you." Karen lit a cigarette. "At first I thought I'd got the wrong person. You seemed so sweet…

"They thought you were going to be extending Bulgarin's operations into America. Ironically it wasn't you that helped him – or killed him."
Niko looked up. "Yeah, you said."
Karen nodded. "Lopez."

Johnny and Niko shot a glance at each-other.
Karen nodded and continued. "Then you got involved with Elizibeta Torres. We were – they were – starting to lose interest, to be honest. I wish I could take it back – feed them false information. But they had other sources; someone inside Torres' operation. Then we would have both lost."
"Lost?" Niko frowned. "You think this was a game?"
Karen shook her head, as if to shake the shame off.

"How could you lie to me so much?" Niko said through gritted teeth. Johnny was shaking his head.
Karen's eyes flashed anger then. "Like you two are perfect. Niko – you killed Mikhail Faustin. Why? Because you had no choice. What about Vladimir Glebov? The guy up in North Holland. Darko Brevic. Dimitri Rascolov."
"You killed Dimitri?" Johnny breathed.
"You knew him?"
Karen spat. "He knew him okay. You know what he was like. Using people, manipulating people."
"Like you," Niko added.
"Yes, like me. He used Johnny – made him kidnap your cousin. You remember that?"
Niko's eyes shot to Johnny. Air escaped from his lungs like a raging bull.
"Yes, Niko, you hypocrite. You killed Jim – Johnny's best friend. He kidnaps your cousin, you kill his childhood friend. A fair trade, no?"

The biker shot back an angered glance. She's lying, he thought. Ray killed him… Or so Ashley said.

Ashley.

Karen let out a malevolent chuckle. "You go around, getting revenge on those who've wronged you, not caring that you're doing the same. You did whatever you were told to, just to protect those you cared about. Or to survive. Then when others do the same, you act as if the world's turned its back on you. Hypocrites, both of you." Karen sighed. "I had hoped, Niko, that this would end with us being amicable to each other. Okay, so we wouldn't have been able to forgive and forget, and remain friends, or more, like I had once kind of hoped, but I thought at least we'd make peace, and part on good terms."

"You bitch," Niko snarled.
"Yes. I'm the bitch. Because I lied to you. The world doesn't revolve around you. Why is it okay for you to kill, kill everyone you see, to keep your head above water or protect Roman or," she turned to Johnny, "Ashley."

Karen shook her head. "For the last two years I hated myself for what I did, but I knew I didn't have any choice. Like you. If Johnny didn't kidnap Roman, his girlfriend would die."
"Ex-"

Karen ignored the biker's correction. "If you didn't kill Jim, your mafia friend wouldn't have found your big bad enemy, which might I remind you, we actually did. I am sick and tired of feeling guilty, of regretting what I've done. You're no saint either." She shook her head. "You know what, I'm glad this is all over. Have fun with your new friend." With that she turned and walked off.

Johnny turned to Niko. Niko turned to Johnny. None of what Karen had just said had sunk in.

To Niko, and to Johnny, there was only one thing on their mind.

Revenge.

Both men stared at their new-found enemy, sitting no more then a foot away from each other. Both men reached for their guns…