"When you asked me to help, this is not what I had in mind." Niko glared over toward Francis in the driver seat of the surveillance van, hands firmly shoved into his jacket pockets. The phone call had been rather panicked and rushed, and he had hurried over after dropping Kate off at her therapist's office.
"What? Getting to sit in this swanky van instead of running around shooting people?" The sarcasm wasn't missed in Francis' tone, "This is the best tip we've gotten in over a month on the tech guy that supported Natalya's operation. Figured a fine and skilled man such as yourself would want some de-fine-ite closure and rest." Francis sardonically suggested, not bothering to look over toward Niko as he kept his eyes glued to the binoculars. He kept watching the two apartment windows that held a fire escape.
"And you believe that this mastermind computer hacker lives in a shithole like this?" Niko minutely swung the chair back and forth from his place in front of a couple of computer monitors. Bodycam footage from the NOOSE unit was displayed before him. They were approaching the unit in question and he could feel an uneasy apprehension settle on his shoulders. It had been a few months since he had been 'active' in any sense of the word from his past life.
"Boss. NOOSE unit is on the tenth floor. We did get the search or arrest warrant, right?" Another young detective sat behind Niko typing away on a laptop. He glanced nervously between the Deputy Commissioner and the rather daunting looking man that had joined them unwillingly. He swallowed thickly when Niko looked over his shoulder to him with his eyebrow raised.
"How do you even know this guy is home?" Niko scoffed as he turned back to study the footage on the screens. The place was a rundown dump of an apartment complex. He could see a few Russian tags on the walls warning people away. He doubted the men geared up could read them. He narrowed his eyes as more words were shown and disappeared as the men moved around the hall to get into position to knock the door down.
"He entered his unit a couple of days ago and hasn't left since. And yes. The warrant was granted late last night." Francis felt his insides knot up. They had been watching this person's apartment unit for weeks after a rather anonymous tip came to them. It had been an untraceable email sent to both Francis and Mitt. There was only a name and address. Nothing more and nothing less. But after doing some digging with his lead detective, they knew they had their guy.
"In position. On your mark boss." A familiar sounding voice came over the radio frequency in a hushed tone.
Niko immediately recognized it as Ron's, "You dragged him into this mess?" He darted his eyes in Francis' direction before looking back to the screen that displayed Ron's video feed. His uneasiness was reaching an all-time high. He was not liking the way things were adding up.
"When you are ready. You got the green light!" Francis tensed up as he couldn't take his eyes away from the windows of the unit his men were about to bust in to. They were so close to finally being done with the last of the Rascalov clan. 'And then I can finally relax and be free…'
"Hold that order!" Niko's eyes widened as he saw the trip wires and warnings in Russian spray painted on the door. 'The door is rigged!'
The body camera footage moved back from the door as two men moved in front with a metal ramming device. They swung it back and shoved it toward the feeble wooden door. The hall shook as the explosive device erupted, knocking everyone back and into the walls and ground. The fireball rushed out into the hall and cut the video feed in the van. Niko stood up abruptly as the screens went blank and static took over.
"Shit!" Francis yelled as he dropped the binoculars into his lap, watching in horror as the windows shattered outward with the ensuing fire and force of the explosion. He fumbled with the van door before shoving it open, staggering out into the empty street. He dragged his hand through his hair and let out a shaky breath. 'No! No! NO!'
Niko glanced around the interior of the van and his eyes landed on a couple of assault rifles that were hanging from a peg board. He moved over to them and pulled one off the wall and grabbed the magazine off the counter next to the young looking detective who was trying desperately to reestablish communication with the men in the apartment building. He slammed the loaded magazine into the rifle and pulled the firing mechanism back to load the first round. The man jumped at the sound of the gun cocking and lifted frightened eyes to him. Niko only slightly frowned before shoving open the back doors to the van.
Francis stood before the two men in the van and looked like he was about to completely lose it. Niko could see the fear and dread building and knew this was not how this morning was supposed to go down. Their eyes locked and Francis started to shake his head negatively before the radio in the van crackled with a couple of voices, the computer monitors flickering with the camera feeds.
Niko moved back to see the images, Francis climbing into the back of the van to see what was happening. A person's legs moved out from the destroyed entrance to the unit and started to head down the hall away from the NOOSE team. They had on all black clothing and were carrying a backpack.
"They are escaping!" Francis called out on the radio frequency hoping someone would be able to give chase.
"On it boss." Ron's voice sounded strained as one of the images on the screen jerked around with his movements, a couple of moans and groans from the other men echoed over the radio.
"You sure? What is your status?" Francis took the chair that Niko had been using and dropped his chin onto his clasped hands. He was beyond worried about him and didn't want to start reliving the nightmarish ordeal they had all gone through not that long ago. They were all so close to being able to close the case once and for all over Natalya Rascalov. And now it seemed like that opportunity was slipping between their fingers rapidly.
"Yeah. I'll be good. I'm- I'm in pursuit." Ron coughed a couple of times and started to stumble down the hall in the direction of where the person had fled, picking up speed as he neared the corner of the hallway.
The van jostled slightly and both Francis and the young detective turned toward the open van doors. Niko hopped down into the street and tossed the rifle strap over his shoulder.
"And just what do you think you are doing?!" Francis practically yelled standing up from the chair in alarm.
"What you asked of me. I'm helping." Niko smirked before dashing out of sight and toward the apartment building.
"Fuck. Fuck. Fuck! Katie is going to kill me!" Francis darted toward the exit of the van and used the edge to hop down to the cement. He took a couple of steps away before looking back to the new detective on his force, pointing a finger at him. "Call in backup. Fire department too if they aren't already on their way!" He pulled his pistol from his holster and readied himself to give chase.
"But! But boss!" The young man called out as his boss took off across the street after the intimidating looking man. "I am NOT paid enough for this crap." He grumbled before pulling the doors shut and pulling out his cell phone to call the fire department and their backup unit. And more importantly their leader over the shitstorm that was happening.
Niko saw the window cleaning lift and ran toward it. He knew the person fleeing would not try to make the ground floor. It would almost guarantee capture and arrest. No, the person would most definitely try to get to the roof and use an adjacent building to escape. It's something he would do. And at this point if they were still dealing with old Rascalov accomplices, they were bound to be thinking along the same lines.
"Niko, wait!" Francis called out, running toward him as quickly as he could. The morning air was still as cold as ever and it stung in his lungs as he sucked in a deep breath.
"Sorry room for one only. Go check on your men. I'll handle this." He placed his hand over the lever and pushed it toward the 'up' label. The machine shook slightly before taking off to the top of the building. Niko watched as Francis skidded to a stop where the platform had been seconds ago. He looked irate but he could care less. He was ready to be done with the Rascalov mafia and to know once and for all that he was free. 'And that Kate will have nothing else to cause her nightmares…'
It had been months of phone calls and meetings with Francis on making sure everyone had been caught and taken care of. IAA had mysteriously all but pulled out of Liberty City, letting FIB and LCPD handle the cleanup efforts. Niko was slightly concerned about the abrupt absence of Bernard, but knew if something wasn't right, he would've heard from him by now. LCPD was unrelenting in their pursuit of the ones who attacked their city. And for once Niko was glad to be sidelined.
It had given him the much needed rest he desired to fully recover. Even if he had stayed rather physically busy. A smirk tugged at his lips with the thoughts of keeping Kate in his bed in the mornings and nights. Till the nightmares started up for her. He had done what he could for her, but she had finally broke and told him she needed to see her therapist to deal with the images. It had hurt in a way he wasn't used to feeling. He tried to ignore the way it tore at him that she needed someone else to heal.
The edge of the roof entered his line of sight and he shook himself from his inner thoughts. The roof access door slammed open as the person charged out into the blinding morning light. Niko flipped the safety bar up and moved onto the gravel covered building. It crunched beneath his feet and he silently cursed with his luck. The noise alerted the person and they spun in his direction.
"Don't move!" Niko shouted as he aimed the rifle at the person who was glancing around them wildly for an escape path, "Uh. I'm. I'm LCPD!"
The person stopped moving and looked back to Niko and tilted their head to the side as if to say, 'oh really.' They had a face covering on, dark sunglasses, and a black beanie pulled over their head. There were no identifying features to be seen as even their hands were covered with gloves. Niko took a couple of steps closer trying to keep them from escaping. He didn't want to kill the person as he had made a promise to let the past go. He would detain them as Francis wished. 'As Kate would want…'
The person moved back toward the edge of the building by the door as Niko approached, slowly raising their hands as a show of surrender.
"On the ground! LCPD!" Ron shakily moved through the open door, rifle tucked to his person and aimed toward the target. His uniform looked like it had been dropped through a chimney as black splotches littered the dark blue material. The person shifted to face the officer and took another step back toward the railing.
"Don't move another step back! Get on your knees, hands on your head!" Ron was unsteady in his approach but would not let the person get out of his sights. He was furious that his team had been through an explosion. He hadn't been able to check them for injuries before taking off after the fleeing suspect.
"You heard the officer!" Niko edged closer to be backup if Ron passed out on him. He didn't look that great and it worried him. He moved to where he was within arm's reach of Ron and the person he was apprehending. It felt so awkward to be the one not in the middle of the action and a rather prominent itch developed between his shoulder blades. This wasn't like him. This wasn't his norm, and he winced at the feeling that settled over his shoulders.
'You gave it up… You've moved on…' The familiar coldness fought to gain control and he squashed it down. He had a new outlook on life, and he would not jeopardize it!
Slowly the person sank down to one knee and raised their hands up in a sign of complying. They seemed to be looking at Niko intently as if waiting for him to make a wrong move. Ron threw his rifle around to his back and pulled a pair of handcuffs from a pouch on his belt. As he went for the closest arm to slap the cuff on, Niko saw the blade emerge from the other wrist.
"Ron!" Niko charged forward as the person twisted around and grabbed Ron's wrist of the hand that held the handcuff. They pulled Ron forward and toward the ground, lifting themselves up and pinned the officer on the gravel covered roof. They knelt on Ron's chest and prepared to jab the blade down through the bullet proof vest they could feel.
Niko took aim and fired off two rounds at fairly close range, making sure to not hit anything too life threatening. The stomach and center mass. The person jerked back with the bullets, releasing their hold of the officer on the ground. Ron lifted his leg and hooked it around the person, forcing them to tumble off to his side, following the movement to be able to roll to his own feet. The person recovered quickly, kicking Ron off of them, before charging for the edge of the roof at full speed.
The rifle fell to Niko's side as he took off after the person, hearing Ron do the same. He knew the person would be hurting from the bullets that had lodged into the hidden bullet proof vest they wore. For he knew had they been unprotected they would have been on the ground in agony, bleeding out from the wounds sustained from the bullets. The gravel crunched beneath his boots as he closed the distance to the person who was escaping.
At the last second the person jerked a long kbar knife from a concealed hip holster and threw it toward Niko. Ron shouldered into Niko's side and took the knife that was meant for him, dropping down to his knees with the impact. Niko slid as he came to an abrupt spot to stare in horror at the officer that forced him out of the way. His anger flared to life and he lifted the rifle to kill the person who had dared to kill him and noticed the roof was vacant, except for him and Ron.
He rushed to the edge of the roof and tried to spot where the person had dropped off to. Across the alley gap between buildings, he spotted the person shove open a window on a fire escape platform and disappear from view.
"Well. Shit." Ron coughed horribly and slumped back on his calves.
Niko hurried to his side to inspect the damage. The blade had shredded the vest and impaled deep into the right side of his chest. Blood was slowly working its way through the clothing and material of his uniform. Niko glanced to Ron's face as he sputtered slightly. It was difficult to not have Bernie's face overlay his and he felt his hands tremble where they grabbed his shoulders. 'No. This is different! Snap out of it!'
"It's going to be okay. Don't worry." Niko had to force his voice to be steady. He wasn't sure what all the blade had severed inside or if the top of the lung had been punctured. The blood was starting to saturate the uniform around the handle of the knife. He spotted a radio on the opposite shoulder and reached over to call for help.
"If. If this is it. I- I don't have anyone waiting for me." Ron felt lightheaded and started to slouch forward into Niko's arms.
"Don't. You have family and friends." Niko shifted his hold and pulled the radio free, pressing the talk button quickly, "Officer down on the roof. Repeat. Officer down." He wasn't sure what code words were needed, and he didn't even know the address of the building he was kneeling on top of. All he knew was Ron needed help and the person who they were after was getting further and further away.
"Niko?! What happened to Ron?! Is he DEAD!" Francis' winded voice crackled over the radio when he released the talk button.
Ron lifted his head and tried to motion to Niko to let him speak, knowing what needed to be said. Niko shook his head and let Ron lean more into his shoulder, "Save your strength."
Ron grabbed Niko's hand that held the radio and pressed the talk button, "Boss. Suspect escaped. I'm hit. Need help." He dropped his hand off of Niko's and felt his energy start to plumet. He closed his eyes and took in a shaky breath. His body shivered in the cold air of the winter morning.
"Hurry Francis. It's not good." Niko lowered the radio to the gravel and shifted Ron into a more comfortable position. He could hear sirens in the distance and prayed that an ambulance was in the mix of sirens. He knew there was only a small window left open for his friend. A rush of thundering steps echoed from the open roof access door and Niko grabbed the rifle that rested over Ron's body and took aim. He would make sure to take anyone else out that would be a threat.
Francis emerged from the doorway with a couple of other NOOSE agents. Niko immediately lowered the weapon and dropped his gaze back to the injured man in his arms. The other two men with Francis moved forward carrying a field first aid kit. They took over for Niko and moved Ron into a laying position to start rendering aid. Carefully Niko rose to his feet and removed the rifle strap from around his body. It wasn't his weapon and he held it out to Francis as he approached. He glowered with the feeling of missing his trusty rifle or handgun.
"Report." Francis took the offered rifle and kept his eyes trained on his best detective who was on the verge of promotion. His heart was pounding in his chest and he tried to dig deep to stay idle and strong for his other officers on the roof.
"They were skilled. I'd say on the same level as me." Niko crossed his arms over his chest and his frown deepened when he felt a warm wet spot on his chest. He glanced down to see that Ron had bled onto his brown leather jacket and sweater underneath.
"And?" Francis shifted the rifle in his hands and dislodged the magazine to see if any shots had been taken. Seeing a few rounds missing he reloaded the weapon and lowered it to the roof so one of his officers would collect it for evidence. It wasn't supposed to be taken from the surveillance van, and he would think of a way to explain it being on the roof.
"We had them cornered, was going to handcuff them. They surprised Ron as he went for the arrest. Hidden blade in the sleeve. I shot them as they went to stab him. Bullet proof vest. And a good one. I was too close for the bullets to not penetrate it. I gave chase as they went to jump off the roof. That's when they threw the knife. It should have been a direct hit to my heart. Ron shoved me and took the hit." Niko turned away from the sight of the blade that was still fully impaled in Ron's chest. "I should have known or been more prepared for something like that…"
It was an unpleasant and uncomfortable feeling and he somewhat twitched against the over critical thinking that wanted to descend upon him.
"We will catch them. Which direction?" Francis placed a hand on Niko's shoulder in silent support and waited for him to look back to him. He was worried about so many things and right now he didn't need Niko going off the deep end on him. They were working toward a brighter future, there was no need to dip back into the darkness.
"Opened a window off the fire escape on that building. They are probably already a block away. Most likely ditched their disguise and would be walking. Not running." Niko nodded to the building that the person had jumped to.
"All units, this is Deputy Commissioner McReary requesting a blockade be setup between Astoria and Denver, and between Wardite and Vauxite. Anyone carrying a backpack or appears to be limping needs to be detained for questioning. They are wanted in an attempted murder of an officer." Francis spoke into the walkie talkie he was carrying in his jacket pocket.
"This is dispatch confirming blockade request. East Holland and Liberty City units responding." More sirens lifted into the sky as police officers responded to the call to arms.
"Boss. We might want to air lift Ron to Holland Hospital. I don't think we should waste time with the elevator and ambulance ride." One of the NOOSE officers spoke up from his position on the roof next to Ron's still, but breathing body.
"Call it in. You've got my full permission!" Francis gave him a look as if he couldn't believe he was being asked the question. He watched as the person gulped and spoke into his radio requesting med-evac from the apartment rooftop.
Niko sighed heavily and moved back toward the open roof access door leaning into the brick wall. He kicked his boot against the gravel trying to resettle his nerves. Things had gotten out of hand rather quickly and he hated to admit to himself that maybe he was getting out of touch with who he was and who he was meant to be. He had gratefully given up the killing, fighting, stealing, and criminal lifestyle. But with one single phone call from Francis, he had been more than willing to jump back into the fray.
'I shouldn't miss this so much…'
"Ron is going to be okay Niko." Francis leaned into the wall next to him and sent him a concerned glance. He knew how strong willed his detective was and he would hold out hope and faith that he would pull through and make a full recovery.
"So long as they don't pull the knife before he gets to a hospital. It's a serrated blade. Will do more damage coming out." Niko's eyebrows scrunched down at the thought. He only knew a few people who used those types of knives. He wasn't a fan of it as it tended to be on the heavier end of the scale. He didn't like having to adjust his stance in order to throw one properly. It worked great in close quarters fighting and was dangerous to the person it was used against. Plus, the blade was difficult to conceal.
"I know that look. Whatcha thinking?" Francis turned to face him and crossed his arms. They had come to know each other better over the last couple of months. Whenever he needed something translated on the case, he would call Niko. When he needed answers, he called Niko. And when he needed an extra layer of protection and eyes, he called Niko. He didn't want to admit how dependent he had become on his knowledge and skills, but he was one asset the LCPD desperately needed. But then he thought of his sister and he would regret getting Niko involved.
"Nothing. The person who I know specifically uses that blade isn't exactly active anymore." Niko glanced Francis' way before going back to study his boots.
"Ah. Our missing person's case. Yeah, I don't think that was them. Then again, I didn't get a close up look." He knew who Niko was talking about. IAA had only mentioned a third person on the island once and then all records of said person went inexplicably missing. He had asked Niko privately and was told they had an inside man who more than likely died in the fight against Natalya. But there had been no body where Kate was discovered.
"I couldn't make out any identifying marks on the person. Can't even be sure it was a man or woman. Average height, average build, but definitely trained." Niko nodded his head as he thought back on the scuffle. 'If you want to call it a scuffle…'
"Boss. Do you want us to start searching the unit? Or wait for the bomb squad?" Francis' radio chirped in his pocket causing both the men to look at one another.
"No. Hold your position." He pulled out the radio and lifted an eyebrow in Niko's direction to see if he wanted to search the place or not. He got a slight nod and turned back to his radio, "I have a bomb expert right here."
"Holding position. I have Ron's partner on her way over to take over the case in his absence."
"Great." Francis mumbled under his breath before pressing the talk button, "Be down soon."
"Ron's partner?" Niko had to fight the smirk from growing seeing Francis roll his eyes toward the sky completely exasperated.
"A complete pain in my ass! That's who. By the books, goody-two-shoes, beyond devout religious, and just an overall- UGH!" Francis let out a loud exaggerated groan and slapped a hand to his eyes. A couple of his men on the roof snickered at his reaction knowing full well the beat down they all received from her over their 'bad habits.'
"Ohhh so the complete opposite of you!" Niko chuckled when Francis shoved off the wall and headed for the metal door that led down into the apartment building, waving him to follow. A helicopter came into view above them and hovered over the roof, letting a couple of ropes drop down to the gravel. He watched a LCPD medical team lower a stretcher out the side doors of the bird. Ron would get the help he needed.
"Yes! For the love of Ireland! Why?! Come on. Let's go sweep the unit before her righteous ass gets here." Francis held his hand up to keep the wind from stinging his eyes as he looked back to where Niko was standing.
"Whatever you say man." Niko moved off of the wall and followed him into the stairwell and descended the steps behind Francis.
"I'm telling you. It has to be just one last stab at me from Mitt. He's decided to retire, which means he is going to make my life a living hell before I can run for the position. I've already locked Ron down to be my running mate. He will take my old Deputy position. But this chick is not good news for me." Francis used the railing as he moved down the steps.
"You don't say? Starting to sound like a rather familiar conversation we had not too long ago… Someone who threatens your position and power- Not good for the Deputy Police Commissioner? I'm shocked!" Niko rolled his eyes and almost walked into the back of Francis when he stopped abruptly. The bitter thoughts about his work he did for Francis died in his mouth with the halt down the stairs.
"Keep your voice down." Francis hissed out over his shoulder. While he didn't mind the occasional ribbing he got, he was in charge and they were about to be around his men. The last thing he needed was something being said to make them question his authority.
"Francis. I think we both know that I'm not about to jeopardize things." Niko narrowed his eyes and moved to step down to be on the same level as him. They were both in a rather precarious position to be in on the path of life.
"I know. But I have to be extremely careful. WE have to be careful. For once things are working out and I'd like to keep it that way for as long as I live." He met the stare he was getting and tried to let him know that they were on the same page and more importantly the same team.
"No complaints here. Now let the bomb expert through. Although I don't see Packie anywhere!" Niko let out a hearty laugh as Francis gapped at him. He rounded the corner of the hall that held the unit in question, letting his laughter die at the sight. Noticing how badly the walls and floor had been damaged in the blast, he moved closer to the marks that had been created on the walls. He couldn't see any indentions, so he figured there wasn't any ball bearings or shrapnel expelled into the hall. The men were casually leaning into the scorched walls catching their breath, but once Francis rounded the corner, they all snapped to attention.
"At ease. If you need medical assistance, make your way down to the ambulances waiting outside. Otherwise take a breather and rest. You did good." Francis moved past Niko who was inspecting the damage to the walls and random spray painted words.
"Hey boss. How is Ron? He okay?" One of the agents spoke up from his hunched over position against the wall.
"He will live. Stab wound to the chest. Culprit got away." Francis stood in front of the blasted open doorway and tried to not envision the force that would have blown the door from its hinges. He glanced to his side as Niko approached him, "Well?" He held his hand out and silently asked him to do his thing and elaborate on the scene of the crime.
"No shrapnel. Otherwise, everyone would be dead or close to dying. Outward blast clearly." Niko took a step into the burnt doorframe and checked both ways before seeing the warped door laying against the floor just off the entrance. "Evidently the officers got the door open all the way before the blast was activated." He studied the floor looking for other trip wires or pressure plates. The unit itself was relatively unharmed.
"So, it was activated because the door was opened, or would it have had to been denoted by a different device?" Francis called out into the unit that Niko had entered, watching as the man who was dating his sister turned a full circle to stand just on the other side of the charred surface of the floor.
"My guess? Improvised claymore. Or type of landmine. It can be tripped by a pin being pulled from the movement of the door, or if someone were to be watching…" His voice trailed off as he noticed a table was turned over on its side in the corner. What was left of a thin wire curled along the floor in the direction of the table. Niko held his hand out in Francis' direction urgently asking for a weapon.
Francis pulled his sidearm and tossed it to Niko. He knew the look, having seen it at the hospital when he ran off with Karen and his gang of friends to fight off the attacking Russians. "Stay alert men." He turned his head to the side to command the remaining agents that were in the hall.
Niko approached the table cautiously, making sure to watch his feet for further hidden traps. He adjusted his grip on the handgun, not liking the lightness of it. He wasn't a fan of the 9mm guns the police carried, preferring his .45 or .50, but would make do with what was present. He rounded the table and saw the space empty. But from the vantage point it would be easy to set off the blast and not get hurt. He lowered down behind the table and knew that the person was probably watching from there.
"Niko?" Francis called out to him.
"Clear so far. But I think our suspect was waiting for the door to be kicked in. They were also in a prime spot to see the van." He looked behind him out the broken window and noticed the black van they had been camping out in.
"So they were expecting us? Pretty skilled computer hacker then." Francis shuffled into the unit and looked around at the space, scrunching his face up at the disgusting sight it made.
"I am beginning to think something is more at play here." Niko moved from behind the table and started to search the couch cushions and drawers of the entertainment center. The living room was small and attached to the kitchen. There was a space where the dining table had been between the two spaces, chairs had been toppled over in the haste to drag the table over to the corner.
"Why is that?" Francis took the pistol back from Niko as he walked past him toward the kitchen in search of something, immediately holstering it.
"This is why…" Niko glanced into the sink and saw a bunch of bloody medical supplies resting at the bottom of the metal sink. Knives, scalpels, and other rather pointy looking devices with dried blood rested on the rusted metal. Francis walked over to his side and grimaced at the sight of the instruments. Open, half empty bottles of vodka littered the countertops as well as bloodied rags and bandages. The trash was also piled high with takeout food containers and empty beer bottles.
"Boss. If you want to avoid the wrath of God's right hand woman you got about five minutes before she storms in here!" One of his men called into the unit ducking into the doorway with a cell phone up to his ear.
"We need to hurry. She will want us to go complete protocol when she gets here." Francis sighed and moved back from the sink, "Don't touch anything else either. She will skin your hide if she knows you've contaminated the crime scene."
"I'd like to see her try." Niko scoffed and moved toward the small hallway that he assumed led to a bathroom and bedroom. He checked the edges of the doors and dirty carpeting for other traps or signs of tampering. The itch from earlier on the roof returned full force and he rolled his shoulders slightly to dispel the uneasiness. 'Everything is okay. Calm yourself.'
"I don't know about that. She isn't from here. Pretty sure she'd put you on your ass." Francis followed closely behind wanting to make sure the place was safe before he let any more of his officers and detective into the unit.
"The only one allowed to put me on my ass is your sister." Niko sent a rather devious smirk over his shoulder before kicking the bedroom door open. The door snapped into the adjacent wall with a loud bang. The smell greeted them first before they both turned away gagging from the stench.
"What the fuck!" Francis choked out covering his nose and mouth with his hands.
"Death. And fairly ripe too." Niko covered his mouth and nose with a hand before edging into the room. On an office chair rested a dead body of a person. The computers were smashed and knocked over. The closet was also opened and looked to have been ransacked. The walls were covered in photos and papers of various building layouts and locations, and the floor was covered in random pieces of paper and magazines. Niko took a full spin and felt extremely uneasy.
"Well. That is the computer hacker." Francis said as he squinted his eyes toward the dead body. He stepped closer to make sure he made a good ID before moving on, his feet crunching on the papers that littered the dirty carpet. Even the slight bloating didn't hide the identity of the man they had been after for the past month. "This is definitely him. So, who does that make the person on the roof?!"
"We have a bigger problem." Niko's voice was low and strained and the accent was rather prominent.
"What?" Francis turned away from the slowly decaying body to see what had caught Niko's attention. He wasn't used to that tone from Niko, and it sent a chill down his spine.
"That. That courtyard look familiar?" His voice shook and he fisted his hands at his side. There were several pictures of the courtyard down in Lancet. Photos of the vantage point he had taken in order to use his sniper to… His throat tightened at the sight of him resting on the ledge of the building he had gained rooftop access to. There was no mistaking him. His typical jacket sleeves were visible, even if the scope of the rifle covered most of his face.
"Holy fucking shit...!" Francis breathed out, stumbling closer to see the images plastered all over the walls. His own guilt and fear causing his body to shake uncontrollably. Something clicked beneath his foot and he looked down to see what it was, before snapping his eyes up in a full blown panic at the pictures on the wall.
"Boss? Detective Rosen reporting for duty, you in here?" A feminine voice called out through the unit and they could hear her approaching the bedroom.
"SHIT! Don't move Niko! Detective don't come in here! Niko just activated a bomb of sorts. Call the bomb squad! Evacuate the building! Hurry! That's an order!" Francis called out and didn't even have to pretend to be freaked out. He couldn't tear his eyes off of the pictures of him sitting next to Derrick, knowing that was the last time he had been alive. The image below was of him cradling Derrick's dead body.
"On it boss! Just stay put! I'll get help!" The hurried footsteps got quieter as she moved away from the unit and out into the hall, "Detective Rosen calling for the LCPD bomb squad. We need all available units to help with a large scale evacuation. Let's go people!" The sound of hands clapping urgently faded as they moved further away from the apartment unit.
"I didn't?" Niko glanced to Francis to see him paling and sweating. He looked down to Francis' feet and saw a metal disk where part of the plate had sunken with the pressure from his shoe. "Don't move. Whatever you do, don't move." 'Shit Francis… This is not good!'
"Forget about the damn bomb. Get those fucking pictures off the wall before someone sees them!" Francis pointed to all the glossy images of the courtyard where Niko had shot Derrick on his order. "Someone knows. This is so fucked Niko."
"You think I don't know that!" Niko seethed, checking the floor space around the wall by the pictures, "Why do you think the bomb is right there?! Someone wanted us to find them and either die to keep the secret or be exposed for it!" Seeing no other bombs, he reached out and grabbed every single image and piece of paper he could that would lead to either him or Francis getting caught for the death of Derrick McReary.
"Burn them once you get out of here. We- Katie can't know. Packie already suspects." Francis was shaking and trying to keep the pressure on his foot level and the same. He had once walked away from the gates of hell… He would do everything he can to do it once more.
"What!" Niko halfway yelled and sent a murderous glare over his shoulder as he ripped down another piece of paper from the wall.
"At the hospital. When I thought Gerry died- I was the one to tell Packie. He confessed to me that Derrick wanted you to kill ME!" Francis shoved his fists to his hips and gave an expectant glare in Niko's direction, "You wanna explain that one to me?!"
"Oh fuck off. You asked first." Niko spotted another image and knew in an instant that he had been way too careless after killing Lenny. More photos of Kate peaked out from behind the blueprints for the McReary brownstone.
"That's what you go with?! 'You asked first'!" Francis was bordering on hysterical now. 'Were you really that undecided and just picked on a whim?!'
"What was it you told me? There is no good, and no evil…" His eyes softened as he glanced over all the pictures of Kate and him out at random places, completely oblivious to the person who was taking the photos of them. He trailed his finger over her smiling, laughing face as they stood rather close to one another playing darts.
"Just shades of fucking gray…" He slightly sobered with the reminder of when he had spoken the words to Niko in his office in Westminster. Things had started to landslide by that point.
"I'd keep your temper under control or we both will get blown to bits- secret be damned or not!" Niko didn't bother to look at the McReary brother as he searched through the pictures of his girlfriend, before seeing one that twisted his stomach coldly. They were out at Steinway Beer Garden. He could tell how drunk she was by the way she had moved to sit next to him in the booth. She was giving him her teasing smile and was leaning into him heavily. It was the first time he had ever been in her personal space. He could hear her voice in the back of his mind as she teased him mercilessly.
As he went through the timeline in his head, he realized this was the night before Francis asked him to kill Derrick. It was also that night that he had let his guard down the most and wanted to desperately enjoy his time with Kate. He had seen something different in her eyes that night, and it had given him hope that maybe one day they could possibly be more. And now that they were so much more… He gulped as his thoughts tumbled down into the darkness.
"Sure. SURE! Let me just calm my ass down. How much you want to bet the hard drives are missing from the computers? And that these images are probably stored on them?" Francis was now reaching internal madness. Everything he had worked toward was balancing in front of him. He had turned a new page and was doing his best to correct the wrongs he had committed. He thought it had been a clean kill. No tracing him to the crime or to Niko being the killer. He had destroyed everything in the area that had recorded the hours leading up to the death and after.
"Will you shut up! This isn't just your mess. It's mine too! Now be quiet! This is a timeline of sorts." He held up the picture of him and Kate at Steinway, "This was the night before you called me. And then right next to this is the killing. So, they, or whoever, must have been trailing me and you for a long time." Niko turned around in the room to see if he could spot any other crimes that tied him to Francis.
"Fuck! I can see Goldberg, Ligand, and Shyster's building blueprints. This is bad Niko." Francis tried to calm down some and get a grip. Everywhere he looked he could see different crimes and pictures of him and his family. And some of the images had Niko in them as well. "Who is that?" He jerked his chin to the far wall wanting to know who was yelling at Niko in the picture.
"Vlad. He's long gone." Niko frowned at all the images in the room. Here was his life in Liberty, and it made him feel slightly sick. Michelle was in a couple of photos. Him coming and going from the ULP building. Him and Bernie jogging in the park. The Bank of Liberty robbery newspaper article. His meeting with Dimitri on the bench before he was ultimately betrayed by him.
"We need to destroy it all. This can't get out. It'll burn this whole city to the ground with you and me at the center." Francis spotted their first meeting down in Castle Gardens on the pier. Everything was displayed in such clarity… And for the first time he regretted everything he had ever done in his life. Even the good moments couldn't outweigh the truth that stared at him in this rundown apartment unit.
"You are going to have to trust me this time. And do exactly as I say. Is there anything you need in this room of importance for the case?" Niko pocketed the image of him and Kate into the interior pocket of his jacket. His mind was racing on what he needed to do in order to bury everything around him. He wouldn't be able to keep moving on if any of it got out into the open. And he was dead-set on not letting a single thing leave this apartment unit.
"Check the body and desk for any USB drives or other pieces of tech that might hold some info on it. Whatever is your plan we need to hurry. Bomb squad shouldn't be too far off." Francis looked down to the metal disk and gulped. They were in a bad spot. But if there was any way to destroy the images and evidence against them, and not get blown to bits, he would trust Niko with his life. He had to…
Niko carefully walked over to the dead body and noticed the handle of a different kbar that was jabbed into the heart of the corpse. It looked too much like Darko's to be coincidence. "Do you have gloves?" He looked back toward Francis hoping he could take the knife and maybe get some fingerprints. To prove his mind wrong or right. 'Wouldn't put anything past him at this point…'
"Yeah, here." Francis pulled out some latex gloves from his pocket and held them out for Niko to take. "You think there would be prints? If they are as skilled as you think, they wouldn't leave behind something so damning."
"Or. It's to throw us off onto someone else's path. Either way. I have a feeling about this." He took the gloves from Francis and placed one over the handle, before slipping the other over his hand. Carefully and quickly, he went through all the drawers and compartments of the desk and dresser, before searching the pockets of the corpse. "Nothing. Bunch of papers and photos. But…" He pulled out a key from the small hidden pocket inside the man's jeans pocket. He tucked the key into his fist and pulled the glove off in order to protect it and preserve any prints on it, before shoving it into his pants pocket.
"It'll have to do. Now what?" He was starting to feel the strain of keeping completely still as to not set the bomb off. He couldn't be sure how much longer he could maintain the same pressure before it waivered and slipped.
"There is a reason for how this is set up. That bomb? I can build one- standard issue landmine. They are all over the empty fields back home. And I know how to disarm it. But I think we should let it go off and burn all this to the ground." Niko took another glance around the room before pulling open every single drawer and dumping every scrap of paper onto the floor. He would ensure that nothing would be left to harm him, and through him the McReary family.
"I hope your joking. I'd like to live to see another day." Francis couldn't believe his ears. 'Blow the bomb up?! Hello! My body is quite literally on top of it!'
"I did say I can disarm it idiot. Now let me concentrate." He moved out of the bedroom and grabbed every single bottle of alcohol he could find in the cabinets and countertops. Swiftly he moved back into the room and started pouring the liquid over the paper on the floor and bed. He placed the empty bottles on the desk as he continued the process of soaking the paper and photos.
He grabbed the photos of Derrick's death and stopped at Francis' side, "Lighter?" He held his hand out knowing Francis still occasionally smoked. Even if he vehemently denied it.
"Really?" Francis sighed and pulled out his lighter and dropped it into Niko's hand.
"I'm making sure these get destroyed no matter what." He left Francis standing on the landmine and entered the bathroom. He stacked the photos up in the sink and flipped the lighter open, watching as the flame jumped to life. He held the fire to the images of him killing Kate's brother and scowled as the pictures turned to ash before his eyes. It was one decision in his life that he knew would be with him till the day he left for the afterlife. He had debated it heavily as he reached that rooftop… Francis or Derrick? Derrick or Francis? And before he pulled the trigger, he felt the weight of what it was going to do to Packie and Kate…
"Forgive me Kate… Never again…"
"What was that?" Francis called from his position in the bedroom not understanding the words spoken aloud.
"Nothing." He walked out into the main living space and dragged the table around to face the small hall to the bedroom. He would try to give them a chance to be protected from the blast as he detonated it remotely. He grabbed a full box of rock salt from the kitchen cabinets and noticed the spool of thin wire on the ground by a dining chair. He grabbed it on his way back into the bedroom.
"There are two ways to do this. We can do the quick way, with about a fifty/fifty chance it fails, or you can stall for some time while I completely disarm it before rearming it." Niko knelt down by the bomb and studied it closely. He was a little fuzzy on the design but figured he could call someone who might remember more than him. He yanked his cell phone from his pocket and snapped a couple of pictures, ignoring the missed calls and texts he had.
"How much time do you need? Pretty sure bomb squad just arrived." He could hear the loud diesel engine of the bomb squad truck outside through the windows.
"Whatever you can give me." Niko opened the pour spout for the salt box and worked the wire around it to secure it to the metal flap. He closed it and placed it within reach. Carefully he unspooled the wire as he walked back into the living space, placing the spool down on the floor behind the dining table. He lifted his phone and sent the photos to Bernie and immediately dialed his number.
"This is Deputy Commissioner McReary, calling on all units responding to the bomb threat. I've changed places with a friendly civilian and now have my foot on the bomb. I want everyone to ensure this building is empty before coming to help. That is a direct order." Francis spoke into the radio and prayed that his officers would heed his word.
"Francis! Jesus! You know we can't let you sacrifice yourself!" Police Commissioner Mitt Fitzsimmons called over the radio, his voice slightly elevated in his panic.
"I can and will. Now make sure the people of this city are safe before sending up the bomb squad." Francis put as much weight behind his words as he could. He would do everything he could to buy Niko time to do what needed to be done. They needed to destroy the entire room and apartment unit in order to make sure their sins wouldn't come to light.
Niko moved over to the broken window waiting for Bernie to answer his call to see a large crowd had gathered on the street below. 'So much for people staying clear of the blast radius…'
"Ah Niko! Just the man I was wanting to talk to! You will never-" Bernie started talking on the phone, voice slightly cheerful with the undercurrent of anger.
"Florian, I sent you some photos. I need your help. It's Francis. He's on an improvised field mine. You know the ones." Niko spoke in Serbian hoping to make Bernie focus and not waste time. He wasn't sure how long the pressure plate would hold out before just detonating under Francis' foot. They weren't always the most reliable things on the planet.
"Well. Fuck. Okay. Uhhh. Are there side relief plates? Like the old safety mechanisms, we used?" Bernie answered him in Serbian and sounded worried, bordering on scared.
Niko walked back into the bedroom and lowered down to the floor looking for the relief plates that would allow him to disarm the ignition trigger of the pressure plate. He felt around the sides and frowned at not feeling the usual indentions or slides that they had used as a failsafe. "Negative. And I'm not sure how they assembled this one. It looks more sophisticated than ours."
"Materials are easier to get around here and half of them are on sale at the local hardware stores. Let me look at the images, one second." Bernie definitely sounded worried now.
"Well?" Francis looked down to him hoping for some good news.
"Not looking good for the safer option." Niko spoke up to Francis before dropping his eyes back to the bomb under his foot. 'There has to be a way to get this disarmed before blowing it all to hell. I need this to work out!'
"Niko. I- That is beyond my knowledge. Do you need me to come up there?" Bernie responded on the phone after looking over the images.
"Come up here? Where are you?!" Niko changed back to English as he shifted around on the ground to look toward the bedroom windows. He couldn't believe how close he was, or what he was doing in the heart of Holland on a Monday morning.
"If you would have let me finish my greeting you would know that I am standing on the street with your VERY concerned girlfriend after having a rather interesting ordeal. Now I can come up there and leave her down here, or you will have to make a switch. You remember the correct weight needed to not set it off right?" Florian spoke harshly in order to get his point across. He was enraged at the current situation and was only slightly miffed that he had been denied his chance to explain things.
"What is Kate doing down there with you!" Niko's voice rose slightly, and he looked up to meet the very irate eyes of Francis. 'This is NOT happening!'
"Kate you better not be down there, so help me God! There is bomb about to go off and you DO NOT need to be around for it!" Francis yelled into the walkie talkie not caring if his direct boss or any of the listening in officers heard him. He swore in his mind about their luck and how their morning was playing out. 'It can't get any worse… It just can't!'
"And leave you to get blown to bits?! I don't think so!" There was a rustling of sorts before Kate spoke up again over the radio, "Sorry family discussion." Kate took over for Mitt on the radio not liking the situation she found herself in.
"I'm making the switch Bernie. Tell everyone to take cover." Niko hung the phone up before he could listen to any protesting from his friend or girlfriend. The last thing he needed was Kate running up into the apartment unit and seeing all the photos on the walls. "Francis, silence the radio. I need to focus." Niko grabbed Francis' ankle and the salt box. He knew what needed to be done, but he didn't want to second guess anything by hearing Bernie or Kate protesting his actions.
"Listen Katie. Everything will be okay. Promise. I'll see you in a minute." He twisted the power button till it clicked to off, cutting Kate's loud protesting off, "Should I have said my goodbyes?" He frowned as he watched Niko get everything into position.
"No. Now I am going to shove your foot back off the plate and you are going to run out of this unit as fast as you can." Niko let go of the salt box and flicked the lighter on and held it out to the bedsheets waiting for it to catch fire. "I have to make sure this all burns to the ground. Not sure if the blast will be enough." The bedspread caught fire quickly and the flames spread across the surface rapidly drinking up the alcohol that was soaked into the paper and sheets.
"Good idea." Francis squinted against the smell and heat.
"Grab the knife too on your way. Be quick about it." Niko sent a warning glare toward Francis hoping he understood just how dire their situation was. One hesitated second could spell the end of them both. And he was not about to be responsible for another one of Kate's brother's to be killed by him. On purpose or not…
"On the count of three." Niko got into a better position and bumped the salt box against the toe of the shoe. "One. Two. THREE!" He jerked Francis' foot backward and slid the heavy box of salt onto the pressure plate. He lifted quickly from the floor and chased after Francis who jerked the knife free from the corpse. The fire was crawling up the walls eating all of the pictures and blueprints that lined the wallpaper. He ducked down behind the dining room table and watched as Francis turned back in the doorway, question about to fall from his open mouth.
"You once spoke about there not being good or evil; that there are only shades of gray everywhere. I think it's time we find out just how dark that shade of gray can get!" Niko picked up the spool of wire and jerked it toward him, dropping below the edge of the turned over table. The salt box fell off of the pressure plate and there was a loud hissing sound before the entire room erupted into a fireball. The force of the explosion knocked the table back toward the doorway and Niko shifted as best as he could to slide out into the hallway with the force of the blast.
His feet connected to the opposite wall of the hall and he rolled toward the direction of the stairwell. He shoved off the ground and dashed over to where Francis was sprawled out on the floor, desperately trying to get to his feet. Fire danced out of the opening of the destroyed apartment unit, consuming everything it touched. Niko helped haul Francis to his feet and together they hobbled down the hall to the stairs that would lead them to the ground floor.
"That fire is going to collapse the floors if it is as hot as I think it is." Niko threw Francis' arm over his shoulder to help partially carry him down the steps. The building was groaning against the blast that had shaken it to the foundations. The crackling, roaring fire was growing above them.
"That was a bigger explosion than I was thinking it would be." Francis tried to balance his weight off of Niko, but his legs just wouldn't stop shaking on him. He slipped momentarily before regaining his footing.
"It's a landmine. It's meant to destroy a vehicle or tank." Niko huffed out as they rounded another corner in the flight of stairs. 'Come on. Don't slow down!'
"I am sorry for your upbringing. I can't imagine what you went through. The more time we spend around each other, the more I realize I judged you poorly." Francis started to breath heavily and a sharp pain started up on his side. He dropped his free hand to where the pain was coming from and felt the hilt of the knife he had grabbed in his hasty escape.
"Don't apologize. Nothing will change the past." Niko shook his head as he realized that someone was out there with knowledge of everything he had done. 'Maybe a call to Bernard isn't too far out of the question now…'
"Fuck Niko. Slow down." Francis sucked in a breath as the pain radiated up and down the right side of his body.
"Can't, this building might come down on top of us in any second." He nearly fell over when Francis went almost dead weight on him.
"I'm hit." Francis wheezed out, his vision blurring before him. He lifted his hand from his side to see it covered in blood. He paled significantly at the sight of it.
Niko tilted forward slightly to see Francis' bloody hand, "We are only on the fourth floor. Can you hold out?" He knew they needed to keep going. They would surely die in the collapse if they didn't get out quick enough. But the sight of blood was making him second guess the need to move faster.
"Don't have much of a choice. But I'm fading fast." His head nodded forward, and he snapped it back upright. The pain was excruciating, and his fingers were going numb against the pain.
"Niko?! Niko I'm on my way up!" Bernie called out from further down in the staircase.
"HURRY!" Niko yelled back. He shifted Francis' body around to sit him on the ground to be able to inspect the damage. Blood oozed from a large gash the knife had made when it cut through the jacket pocket. The wound stretched from right above his dress pants to about the middle of his side, the clothes and skin slightly shredded, showing how extensively the knife had torn into his body. "How… What happened?"
"Oh, my goodness! Here. I'll take a side and you take the other. Bomb squad thinks the building is going to come down. I ran in knowing they would take too long to get to you." Bernie dropped down at his side and observed the wound on the McReary brother, frowning deeply at the sight of so much blood.
"Hey. Hey Bernie." Francis croaked out. He felt like passing out and just letting the world go on without him. The pictures, the knowledge that people knew what he had done… It was almost too much to bear.
"None of that. Rest. We will get you out of here." Bernie moved over to the non-injured side and waited for Niko to get into position.
"Just another day in the life, am I right?" Niko muttered slipping Francis' arm back over his shoulder. He knew they needed to get him to a hospital quickly. The amount of blood loss would be dangerous and life threatening if not seen to immediately. It was like being in the hospital stairwell all over again. He inwardly grimaced as he made the comparison between the events and how it was too eerily close to one another.
"Would be ever so dull if it wasn't." Bernie rolled his eyes and lifted up when Niko nodded at him, moving Francis into a better hold. "Now about my day. Kate apparently has another suitor in his city!" His eyes glinted with the mischief and madness that came with knowing things Niko did not.
"What?"
"What?!"
"Oh! So this is news to both of you? Wonderful! So, there I was, minding my own business. Well. Someone's business anyway." Bernie let out a lighthearted sigh as they worked their way down the steps of the crumbling staircase. He did love it when Bryce made spontaneous calls to him to meet up at random locations.
"Bernie not now." Niko groaned out. He wasn't in the mood for a long drawn out story when he was in the middle of trying to figure out who was now after him, getting Francis to safety, and escaping an explosion riddled building. His list was piling up again and he was beyond upset for it. He had just wiped the slate clean, and now blood, dirt, and danger was staining it. He had thought he had made an exit from his dangerous past and life. And now it was knocking on the door wanting to come back into his life.
"But don't you want to know who is dating your girlfriend besides you?!" Bernie let out the most devious smirk he could manage and leaned forward past Francis' face to look at Niko. His cheeks almost hurt from holding the info back from just being blurted out. He would build the suspense before letting out his surprise and secret.
"If he- If he doesn't. I. I do!" Francis was shallowly breathing and was getting worried about who was trying to step in on his sister's relationship. It was bad enough he had to stomach the burden of Derrick's killer being with her, but now someone else was around he would have to worry about? 'Okay. I lied. This day keeps getting worse and worse…'
Bernie kept staring at Niko expectantly waiting for him to say something. They continued on in silence for the last couple of flights of stairs before Niko shot him a rather angry look, pausing at the exterior door.
"Fine, Bernie! Who dares to take what is rightfully mine?" He rolled his eyes for the hundredth time that morning and prayed for some kind of patience. 'This is not the time for this crap. I have too much to sort through than try and solve a riddle from Bernie…'
"Why me of course!"