CJ looked around the land. It was a nice view. The sky was now bright blue. The sun shone brightly in the sky. The wind was blowing smoothly. The leaves on the trees were changing to brown and orange.
CJ had just got out of his seat when he suddenly heard his cellphone ring. CJ pulled it out of his pocket to answer it.
"Hello?" he answered.
"Yo, it's Jethro, man," he heard Jethro say over the phone. "Listen, me and Cesar have used our contacts to, like, get a wish list of cars, but we'll need to turn them around real quick, dude. Now there's a showroom around the block that's come up for sale, and I thought it would be a good idea to make things look as legitimate as possible."
"Yeah, that's a great idea, man," CJ replied. "I'm a look into it. I'ma holla at you."
So CJ hung up the phone and began to walk to the road. He walked about ten feet from the cabin before his cellphone rang a second time. He groaned loudly and pulled the ringing phone out of his pocket to answer it.
"WHO. THE. FUCK. IS. THIS!" CJ empathized in annoyance.
"Son, get back to the ranch and I'll explain everything!" he heard the mysterious robotic voice utter through the phone. "And I mean EVERYTHING!"
"Can't you just tell me now?" CJ asked. "I guess not!"
So with a deep breath, CJ turned around and headed back to the cabin at the ranch. As soon as he got to the front door, he felt a hand touching him.
"Hey, Carl," a mysterious voice said softly.
"Hey, what the fuck, man?!" CJ cried out in surprise as he turned around.
He was even more surprised when he saw who it was – Mike Toreno!
What the fuck?! CJ thought. I thought I blasted that dude from the sky! He still alive?!
"Hey, Toreno!" CJ shouted out. "I told you my bad, man!" What the hell can I say? I screwed you over!"
"Calm down, kid," Toreno told him calmly.
"Just go ahead and kill me then!" CJ shouted frantically, expecting Toreno to execute him.
"Calm down!" Toreno repeated, sounding slightly annoyed this time.
"Man, you ain't nothin' but a fucking yayo dealer anyway, Toreno!" CJ continued shouting.
"Shut up and sit down!" Toreno finally snapped, no longer sounding as if he were in the mood. CJ complied to his demands and took a seat on the steps. "What, you think I'm a drug dealer?! You think you're a crusader for good?! Do you have any idea what's going on? Any idea whatsoever? Do you? DO YOU?!" Toreno got into CJ's face in the last three sentences he spoke through clenched teeth.
"No," CJ replied sullenly. "I pay as little attention to things as possible."
"Do not be a fucking smartass with me," Toreno growled as he motioned around CJ. "I work for a government agency. It is not important which one. I will try not to confuse you. Yes, when we last met, I was involved in battling threats in Latin America, BY ANY MEANS NECESSARY! That does not make me a drug dealer. Now, the money that we raised, the friends that we won over, have helped us immeasurably in our overseas interests."
"Government agency?" CJ asked as if he had no idea what he just heard. He was still confused as to what Toreno was talking about.
"Kids like you," Toreno sighed, shaking his head. "You expect heroes. We're fighting a war out there. I'll be a hero and I'll lose, and what'll we have? Communism in Ohio. People sharing. Nobody buying stuff. That kind of bullshit. So relax, and listen!"
CJ knew that there was nothing else more to say back, and he was no longer interested in wondering how Toreno escaped as he was more than not shocked at the fact that the guy who once worked for a small time gang was part of the US Government. There was no way he would get anywhere by arguing. So the best thing for him to do was to comply
"Alright, alright," CJ finally said. "I'm listening."
"I know what kind of guy you are," Toreno told him. "I need a guy like you. To do things I can't get caught doing."
"Like what?" CJ asked.
"I need you to commandeer a truck," Toreno answered. "A rival agency, with a confused social agenda. They got things that we need."
Okay, so now this guy wants me to do all his dirty work for him so he can avoid getting caught for some shit I don't know what the fuck he did, CJ thought. I'm putting myself in danger, man.
"Now this is a two-man job," Toreno added. "You'll need a friend."
A friend? CJ thought. Now this guy wants one of my friends to do his dirty work for him?
Toreno leaned closer to CJ. "Use your sister's boyfriend," Toreno responded, "but don't tell him a thing. Remember, I'll be watching you."
"Well, while you're watching me, care to explain how you're over here when I blasted you out of your helicopter just yesterday?" CJ asked.
"Hey, nice reveal, kid," Toreno replied. "I guess you've never heard of decoy, have you, kid?"
"Decoy?" CJ asked.
"Exactly!" Toreno responded. "I would've killed you then, but then that would taint my cover. So I decided to just simply have you do my dirty work instead. Like I said, I'm watching you!"
As Toreno walked away, CJ stood up and pulled out his cellphone. He punched in Cesar's number.
"Hey, Ceez," CJ answered. "No time to talk. Just meet me over by this cabin at the ranch here in Tierra Robada."
As CJ quickly hung up the phone, he plopped back down on the steps thinking. He really hoped he wouldn't have to deal with any more gangs, because he was in the middle of building his first empire back in San Fierro and couldn't afford to lose all the hard work he and his allies had put in.
After sitting for an hour and a half, Cesar, wearing a helmet finally arrived on a motorcycle. CJ stood up on his feet.
"I got here as fast as I could, CJ!" Cesar called, parking up front.
"Yeah, you sure did," CJ replied. "How you know I needed help?"
"Man, you losing it holmes!" Cesar chuckled. "You phoned me a half hour ago, man!"
"I did?" CJ asked. "I mean, oh yeah, I did. Sorry man, I got a whole lot on my mind."
"Hop on, holmes," Cesar demanded, handing CJ a helmet.
CJ adjusted the helmet on his head and took the vehicle. Cesar rode behind as CJ drove the vehicle on the highway.
"We need to jack a truck on the freeway," CJ told Cesar. "It's headed to San Fierro!"
"We can get on the freeway here, holmes!" Cesar reminded as CJ drove onto the entrance on the freeway through the Robada intersection.
He felt the cool, morning air blowing through his face and clothes. The cars were moving steadily. CJ could feel the adrenaline flowing through his veins as he rode through the Garver Bridge.
"What's the plan?!" Cesar yelled.
"I'm gonna pull alongside and you're gonna hop on board!" CJ responded vociferously.
"Oh shit, you did not mention that on the phone!" Cesar shouted back.
"It'll be a walk in the park!" CJ told him out loud,
"Tell Kendl that I love her!" Cesar yelled.
CJ just continued riding as fast as he could and spotted a familiar vehicle down the freeway just distance away.
"There's a rig up ahead!" CJ shouted as he closed in on the object.
There it was – a freight truck driving through a freeway slamming into several cars. CJ drove faster and pulled over to the front. Cesar crouched down and sprung his legs preparing to jump.
"Just a little closer, holmes!" Cesar demanded. "Match the truck's speed!"
CJ started to lose his speed a little bit as he hesitated. The truck started to pull away.
"What do you think, I'm a Mexican jumping bean?!" Cesar shouted. "Closer!"
CJ shook his head frantically to focus. He then sped faster and held his speed steady. After a while, Cesar finally hopped off the motorcycle and opened the door, moving the driver inside to the passenger's seat and out of the door.
CJ just watched as the driver that was inside the truck got back onto his feet and ran away. CJ hopped off the motorcycle and ran to the truck. Cesar slid to the passenger's seat and let CJ take the wheel.
"Damn, holmes!" Cesar laughed. "That was some cool shit! I felt as if I was a gymnast!"
"Man, you were hopping like Michael Jordan on that truck, Ceez!" CJ joked.
"Which is why I got his signature shoes," Cesar added. "Okay, CJ, let's get this rig back to the garage!"
So CJ drove the truck off the freeway and made his way through Doherty street, in which he parked the truck in front of the garage. He and Cesar hopped off the bench just in time for LB and Ryder to walk over to them.
"Where'd you get this from?" LB asked.
"We hijacked it from a freeway, holmes," Cesar replied.
"For real?" Ryder asked. "What you do, Air Jordan on that motherfucker?"
He and LB slapped each other high-fives as they both laughed at Ryder's joke.
"Good guess, holmes," Cesar replied.
"So what y'all two been doin'?" CJ asked LB and Ryder.
"Playing poker," LB replied. "You want in, CJ?"
"Fo show, LB," CJ responded. "Count me in!"
"Me too, holmes," Cesar added.
The foursome walked inside the garage and gather around to prepare for the game.
Just like good times, CJ thought.
Even though Big Smoke had turned on him, at least he still had his childhood friend and two new friends to hang out with. It was going to be one of the best experiences for him.