Chapter 53: Dear Love of Mine
Figueroa Unit Central New Austin (Two Weeks Later)
The sound of a loud horn blaring was all that filled the ears of Milton "Tough Guy" Filmore as he found himself being led off the prison bus by two armed guards. He was just one of the many BSU members swept up in the raids on the Sunbelt members for drug trafficking across state lines. He was the first to be trued and lived convicted for the charges.
As he walked into the prison and forced into his military fatigue he was quite surprised as the guards walked him outside of the prison and towards the prisons gymnasium.
"Hey I'm BSU, I'm supposed to be put in Protective Custody." He stated to the guard.
"With the charges and gang injunctions against you and your brothers the great state of New Austin has now listed you assholes as a minor threat group within the DOC. So instead of being put in Protective Custody you'll now find yourselves on the yard with the real gangsters or should I say the gym which houses over three hundred inmates." The guard stated earning a shocked look from the man once dubbed "Tough Guy".
"Good luck son you're gonna need it." The guard said with a sick smile before walking the man into the gym and closing the door on him.
"Shit!" the BSU member whispered under his breath as he turned around and took a look at the various inmates in the gym as they eyed him like he was nothing more than a piece of meat.
New Arcadia
The sound of the shower going seemed to be the only thing that filled the ears of Alison as she found herself standing under the warm sprinkling waters with her eyes closed in a true moment of peace and serene quiet.
After a few minutes of lathering herself up and washing herself off though she soon found her peace ending as she turned the knobs and ended the barrage of water before wiping herself off and wrapping a white towel around her body.
As she then moved to slide open the shower curtain she was immediately being taken aback by the sight of two women, who were now becoming more than familiar, standing before her with emotionless looks on their faces.
"I see why Mark likes you so much now." Said Shawna as Alison stood with a raised brow. "You got a nice tits and a nice ass on you." She stated earning a roll of the eyes from Alison as she moved to walk out of her bathroom with a serious angry look on her face.
She didn't know much about Shawna and Whitney other than the fact that they'd been killed a few months ago at the hands of Miguel and that they were there along with the others to warn her about the coming war that would see the downfall of many people, but now that they were amongst the dead it seemed like she knew almost everything about them.
When Delilah, Miller, and Viktor had first approached her she thought she was in some kinda dream that didn't seem to want to end but the more her days seemed to go on the more it seemed that wasn't the case.
The dead were reaching out to her and warning her of a coming war and if it was as bad as they said it was many of them wouldn't be seeing the end of it.
"Don't you two have someone else to bother?" Alison asked earning a slight chuckle from Whitney.
"Damn you've got tired of us already Alison. You know most people would kill for the ability to speak to ghost." Whitney retorted while watching the woman as she moved to get dressed.
"Most people want to talk to a dead parent, sibling, or grandparent not the ex's of the man you're with." She replied earning a chuckle from Shawna.
"So you admit that Mark's your boyfriend?" she asked earning a roll of the eyes from Alison.
"We're not going down this rabbit hole again." She retorted while continuing to get dressed.
"Most people would want to talk to those people, but your case is different Alison. Both your parents are alive, you're an only child, and you didn't have a close relationship with your grandparents." Whitney shot back while Alison remained silent.
"If you want to talk about a war that Mark needs to prepare for why don't you just go and tell him about it?" she asked with venom in her tone.
"Like Delilah already told you we can't get close to Marcus because of something his grandmother did to him when he was younger." Whitney shot back with disappointment in her tone.
Delilah had explained to her that night they talked that the reason they couldn't reach out to Mark directly stemmed from something his grandmother did to him as a child. Mark had mentioned when he was younger that his grandmother was a proud Southern Baptist but in her youth, she was also into Voodoo and Black Magic and on the day of his birth she'd performed some form of ritual used to keep demons and spirits away from him. It was one of those things many people wouldn't be able to see to believe but it seemed to have worked as Mark has some form of barrier around him that wards off spirits and ghost and forbids him from seeing them.
Even Lee and the rest of them seemed to all have this same barrier around them from being so close to Mark, but it had its limits the biggest being death. If one of them is brought so close to the verge of death the barrier will fail and they will be able to see the ghost and interact with them but only for a short period of time and if they are brought back to the world of the living they will be unable to see them.
"Are you going to go see him today?" Shawna asked with her arms folded over her chest.
"No!" Alison shot back.
"You're still mad at him. You arrested the woman in the video and she confused to sexually assaulting him why are you still mad?" asked Whitney.
"That's not why I'm not going to see him…it's because I don't think he's in the best of moods right now." She replied with a hint of disappointment and anger in herself.
Elsewhere
The sound of punches landing and loud gasps for air seemed to fill the air in the warehouse outside of fishery in the 17th Ward as Mark, Lee, Link, Jimmy, Davey, Eddy, and Buck found themselves standing over a Caucasian male with short brown hair as he was tied to a chair with a gag in his mouth.
"Hit him again." Mark ordered before watching as Lee moved towards the man and barraged his stomach with blows to the center of the man's gut with enough force to watch him cough up blood and spit on the floor.
"Please…I'm sorry!" the man said with tears in his eyes while Mark only stood over him and chuckled.
"You're sorry, because of your actions and those assholes in San Andreas and Waston we're dealing with the fallout of your bullshit." Yelled out Mark.
"Because of you our guys are being arrested for showing up at hardcore shows, wearing colors, having tattoos, and even gathering together in a room." Lee added as he grabbed the man's right ear and violently twisted it until it turned purple in color and the man screamed in pain.
"We should be feeding all of you to the Alligators right now." Jimmy added earning more minutes of silence from the man while Mark merely looked down at him with anger in his eyes before the group was interrupted by the sound of the door of the warehouse being opened up and a familiar woman of Japanese American woman standing on the otherside.
"I told you to stay out of here." Said Mark with venom in his tone.
"Yes and you also told me to keep my eyes and ears open for you and you just got a phone call from Sunbelt." Ren stated to the confusion of Mark.
"From who?" he asked with a seriousness in his tone.
"Ryan!" she replied earning silence from the New Arcadia group as they all sent looks to their leader who merely remained silent before speaking out.
"Guess we're going to Sunbelt." Mark retorted with a hint of venom in his tone. "Jimmy I need you, Davey, and Eddy to watch over everyone and make sure the rest of these assholes don't try and jump ship." He stated earning a nod from the redheaded man before Link grabbed him by the arm and stopped him in his tracks.
"Is it really a good idea for you two to go to Sunbelt right now?" asked Link as he sent a look to both Mark and Lee who stood in silence before finally speaking out.
"I don't think we have a choice." Mark retorted only to walk away.
East Sunbelt City
The sound of a door being slightly creaked open was the only thing that could be heard in the Rifa clubhouse as Task found himself peeking through a small crack in the door at the familiar Chola who was lying with her back to the door.
"How long she been like this?" Task asked with a hint of concern in his tone.
"Since we picked her up from that gas station in the desert." Felon retorted while Task merely shook his head.
"And you're sure it was the Azteca's that was in on it?" the Lakota asked with venom in his tone.
"Everyone up and down that street identify them." He added. "Payback for us killing one of their old shot callers." He added earning a scoff from Task.
"You guys called Mark to help you on that one right?" he asked earning a nod from Task.
"We needed the heavy artillery for that shit and he's one of the heaviest hitters in the South." Felon retorted while Task merely shook his head in anger. "Those Ass-Takers gotta pay for this shit whether you like it or not." He added earning Task's full attention.
"If we strike back so soon they'll be ready." Task shot back.
"It doesn't matter if they'll be there waiting we'll match firepower with theirs and we'll win." Felon shot back.
"And take heavy losses in the process especially if Ernesto is still there." Task retorted.
"It doesn't matter whether you want it to happen or not." Felon shot back with a hint of venom in his tone.
"Shit!" Task retorted before answering his ringing cellphone and hearing the voice of Adahy on the otherside.
Meanwhile
"How's your East African Gift?" Mark asked while sitting in the driver's seat of his black Duke as he kept his cellphone to his ear to hear the voice of the familiar IAA Agent on the otherside.
"The NAPD backed down on him after a threat to cut some of their funding." Ana replied earning a slight chuckle from Mark.
"They're already undermanned and underfunded so I doubt they'd put up a fight when you threaten their pockets." He stated.
"The NAPD we're a real problem our major obstacle comes in the form of the FIB. Since Muujai was arrested on American Soil they're trying to take the credit and reap the rewards of bringing him in and by reward, I mean Government Funding." she replied.
"I thought the war between government funding was over." Mark shot back.
"The war is only over when we're standing on top." Ana shot back with a slight chuckle. "They're forcing our hand and you know what that means." She added.
"If you're calling on me to serve I shouldn't be too long." Mark retorted.
"Sorry baby but Devlin wants you as far away from Muujai as possible we want him alive and you create a conflict of interest." She retorted.
"Hey just because I want a bullet in the assholes head doesn't mean I'd blow shit up for you."He retorted.
"Still nothing I can do about it." She replied. "Besides I think you and Lee have your hands full at the moment so I won't be adding anything else on you." she added earning a slight chuckle from Mark before they both gave each other their goodbyes and hung up.
"IAA found a way to get to Muujai?" Lee asked earning a nod from Mark as he continued to drive.
"Yeah the silver and cold method." Mark responded as he got off the freeway and entered the city of Sunbelt.
"We get Muujai off the streets but getting him out of New Arcadia is harder than we though, we get Joe off the throne and put you on it, but in the end we're dealing with this shit…RICO!" the Chinese man retorted with venom in his tone.
"We should just be lucky our names weren't at the top at that list for once." Mark shot back with venom of his own. "This way we have total deniability. This is a BSU problem not our own."
"It'll become our problem when they see that we're harboring five fugitives." Lee shot back just as Mark pulled up in front of an old two-story building on the Northside of the city near Sunbelt University.
"It's still not our problem." Mark retorted as he noticed Pete standing outside with two other BSU members who neither men knew.
"So what's this about Petey?" Mark asked as he and Lee were led to the second floor of the building where a large door was already half-opened.
"Guy inside want to talk." The Vice President of the Sunbelt Chapter as he moved to open the door further for Mark and Lee who walked inside the dark room with mixed looks as they each moved their hands behind their backs to reach for their sidearms only for the lights to turn on and blind the duo.
"There won't be a need for that." Came a new voice that caused the duo to adjust their eyes and notice a somewhat familiar man standing before him. He was a rather tall man of African and Irish Descent with caramel skin, short black hair, lips like that of his black father, and eyes green like his mother. This man's name was Dexter Wilsons and he was known by many men in the hardcore industries as being one of the founding members of Brothers Stand United or as they were originally known as Bust Shit Up.
The duo had actually never met the man before only heard stories and rumors about him that none of them could confirm, but as they looked at him now he seemed more like an old guitarist trying to relieve his younger years.
Alongside him though was a woman that neither Mark nor Lee had seen before. She looked to be in her mid to late twenties with dark brown eyes and a somewhat sun kissed skin tone. What immediately caught the duo's eyes though was the woman's long dark orange dyed hair that almost looked like a miniature sun was in the back of her head. She seemed to carry an air of authority with her that left the duo somewhat intrigued.
"Do you know who I am?" the man asked earning silence from both Lee and Mark who only responded by nodding their heads.
"You're shorter than we thought." Mark retorted earning a chuckle from the man.
"And you two look almost exactly like I pictured and expected." He shot back before moving to walk around the duo. "Gangsters in disguise as punk rockers and here I never thought I'd see the day." He stated with anger in his tone.
"Call us what you want but at the end of the day what's happening to your brother isn't on us." Mark shot back.
"Is it…I seem to recall you were the guys hitting licks and ripping and running." He shot back with venom in his tone.
"But never working with the Vanguard and moving shit for them across state lines. That's on your guys, that's on those assholes here under Ryan's command, and that's on San Andreas." Lee shot back with venom of his own in his tone.
"I guess that's why we're in the situation we're in now aren't we." Dexter shot back with a slight chuckle. "All of our misfortune is because we've gotten lazy and lax with in our structure and discipline. We should have seen this coming in the long run…everyone must change with the times in order to survive." He added.
"You mind getting to the point of all of this." Mark asked with anger in his tone.
"Out with the old…in with the new." Dexter shot back with a slight smile. "BSU in Sunbelt is dead and Ryan and his entire administration is being cut out like the cancer they are." He stated while Mark looked at him with a raised brow. "We want you to take over as the New Chapter President…in New Arcadia." He added to the shock of Lee and Mark.
"We both know that nothing like this would have happened under your leadership and you have enough street smarts to know how to survive especially in New Arcadia a city you seem to control." He added while Mark merely chuckled while Lee sent him a look as Laurie's words filled his ears.
"What makes you think we want that shit, like you said I control New Arcadia and just about every ward gang in it with no real affiliation other than my own. What makes you think I want to add being the leader of a gang under a RICO case that turned its back on me in the past a part of my industry?" Mark asked with a hint of anger in his tone.
"Because both you and me know for a fact that nobody from this chapter will survive on their own without a leader for guidance and you making sure they're safe." He stated with a seriousness in his tone. "This chapter has a lot of enemies in this city. The Thunderskins, Vagos, Azteca's Marabunta, 52's, and Spanish Lords are just at the top of that list. They won't survive…and you know that and you'll want to prevent that by any means." He stated while both Mark and Lee remained silent before Mark's cellphone started to ring causing him to quickly answer.
"What is it Delgado." Mark asked with venom in his tone.
"If you're in Sunbelt you need to meet me under the overpass now!" the police officer ordered earning a confused look from Mark who sent a look to Lee who merely looked at him with a raised brow.
"We gotta go!" said Mark as he looked to Lee who nodded his head before following him out of the room.
"Follow them and make sure they don't get into too much trouble." He said to the woman earning a slight nod from her.
Elsewhere
"This is bullshit!" Tasha yelled out from her position on the bed besides the injured Ryan who was lying next to her with a cane after having both his arms and legs broken by the AV. "They can't just kick you out." She stated while Ryan shook his head.
"They can, they did, and there's nothing I can do about it if I want to stay intact." He shot back while Tasha shook her head.
"Well whose gonna lead them now because I don't see them just letting the Sunbelt Chapter shut down and die." Tasha interjected with venom in her tone.
"Yeah, but I think we both know a more suitable person to be president." He replied causing Tasha to go wide eyed at the man.
"Mark would never agree to that." She shot back while Ryan shook his head.
"It could be a fuck you to the both of us." Ryan retorted with sadness in his tone. "All along I thought I was doing the right thing but in the end…I get cast aside." He stated before lowering his head and clenching his fist.
"So what happens to us?" Tasha asked earning silence from Ryan before the sound of their bedroom door being kicked open caused them both to jump in fear before taking in the sight of an all too familiar man standing before the both of them with a sick smile.
"I hope you two aren't too cozy enough for a drive." Dallas yelled out as he looked at the quivering duo who could only freeze up in fear at the man's presence.
New Arcadia
The drive back to work wasn't long for Alison as she found herself pulling up in front of the FIB Headquarters in the city before stepping out and making her way inside where she noticed Steve talking with a few other FIB Agents who were all wearing full tactical gear with their faces covered and Assault Weapons.
"What's going on?" she asked as she took a look to the man and noticed he was wearing his black Kevlar Vest under his blue jacket with FIB written on the back.
"Some inmate tried to slip cyanide in Muujai's food at the jail we're holding him in. It seems like Mark's greenlight on the BGA has reached far and we're moving Muujai to a private prison in Central Louisiana where hoping they won't get to him." Steve retorted while Alison merely shook her head.
"I guess Mark must really want this guy dead." Said Shawna as both she and Whitney appeared behind Steve with the man being unable to see the both of them as Shawna rested her arm on his shoulder.
"Then you should let me be a part of the transport." She shot back with a fire in her tone.
"I can't let you do that with your last altercation with him." He shot back.
"Harsh!" replied Whitney.
"All the more reason I should be there Steve." She replied.
"Look!" he started before reaching out and grabbing her arm. "I know you want to see this guy locked away for a long time but you've done your part so let me do mine." He stated before moving to give the woman a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll be home later." He added before moving to walk past her while Alison turned to watch him leave.
"I still don't see what you see in that guy." Shawna added while Whitney merely nodded his head.
"He seems like he's cut on the straight and narrow so no real fun." Whitney shot back while Alison merely rolled her eyes.
She was beginning to get used to hear the two women speaking and not answering. She'd quickly learned that she would be speaking out loud since nobody else could see them. Still it was something she had to get a hand on and she felt like she knew the perfect place to go to already for answers.
Sunbelt City
The drive to the underpass in the city wasn't long for Mark as he pulled his car up in front of a dark blue Buffalo and quickly noticed a familiar bald Caucasian man standing before him with his hands on his hips.
"What's this about Delgado?" Mark asked with a hint of venom in his tone.
"Does the name Tough Guy ring any bells to you?" the Officer asked earning a raised brow from both Mark and Lee. "My unit swept him and a few others of your chapter up when the RICO Case came down on all of you. As you can expect he was pressed to give up Ryan but didn't and well let's just say he had a speedy trial." He added.
"Get to the point." Lee ordered earning silence from the man.
"It seems he wasn't so tough after all." Delgado retorted to the confusion of both men. "Fucking kid got his cheeks bust in front of three hundred people in less than one hour in and I guess you can figure none of them said or did anything about it." He stated causing both Mark and Lee to go wide eyed at the man's statement.
"A couple of guys from the Vanguard took your boy viciously." He added earning a slight angry growl from Mark.
"And let me guess the guards did nothing about it?" the Creole asked.
"Hard to know something his going down when you've got your face shoved into a pillow." Delgado retorted causing Lee to clench his fist in anger.
"Where is he now?" Mark asked with rage in his words.
"When they were done the Aryans cracked him over the head with a weight and beat him to death." He interjected while both Mark and Lee sent him angry looks. "Since that RICO Case came down they're treating you boys like you're any other gang and throw you in the same cell blocks with your enemies." He stated while Mark gave a low growl in anger.
"Of course they are it's their way of putting fear in the hearts of everyone in hopes that they'll cut a deal." Mark retorted while Delgado nodded his head.
"Speaking of which we arrested three of the guys involved in that RICO case but five more are still at large and we have all reason to believe that you're hiding them." Delgado stated while Mark gave a loud scoff. "I'm also gonna an extra five guys from you and either your President Ryan or the Vice President Pete." He added earning a loud chuckle from Mark.
"I hope you aren't expecting me to hand them over if I do have them." The Creole retorted.
"Be Smart Roman, I can arrest you right now because of your past relationship with them and so can any other officer and it's not only the DA in New Austin that want us to stick it to you boys hard it's San Andreas for that shit you pulled in Rancho." He added while Mark sent a look to Lee.
"Look Pete or Ryan you don't have to put anything on them or do anything to fuck them over just give us one of them…or I'll have to take whoever the DA picks and that extends to New Arcadia." He retorted just as Mark's cellphone started to ring again from a familiar number.
"I gotta take this." He said before walking away and answering the phone. "What do you want Tasha?" he asked with venom already in his tone.
"Wow is that any way to talk to the woman you love?" Came a familiar voice that caused Mark to go wide eyed at the sound of the familiar chuckle at the end of the sentence.
"Where is she?" Mark asked with rage already filling his voice.
"Don't worry both she and her white knight over her are safe but they won't be for long if you don't bring me fifty thousand dollars in the next two hours." He ordered while Mark gave a slight chuckle.
"You must be smoking crack if you think I'm gonna do that." He retorted while the Vanguard member merely chuckled.
"I know you will, you know first-hand the things my boys can and will do to a woman if I give the order." Dallas retorted while Mark went silent before the memories of Shawna flooded his mind the night she'd returned to him after being taken advantage of by the Aryans. "Now since I know you won't want that to happen again. I'm gonna expect you and my fifty thousand at Skeeter's Ranch outside of Sunbelt in the by eight o'clock tomorrow. Feel lucky I'm giving you so much time." He finished before hanging up the phone and leaving Mark alone to is thoughts as he inwardly cursed himself.
"DAMNIT!" Mark screamed out while tossing his cellphone on the ground.
"We gotta go!" Mark yelled out to Lee earning a confused look from Delgado who quickly watched as the Creole and Chinese man made their way over to his car.
"Remember what we talked about Mark!" Delgado yelled out as both Mark and Lee climbed into his car and started it up.
"What's going on?" Lee asked.
"Yes what's going on?" came a new voice that caused both Mark and Lee to draw their Pistols and whip their heads around before catching sight of a familiar orange haired woman sitting in the backseat with a non-chalant look on her face despite the two firearms being aimed at her head.
"How the fuck did you get here?" Lee asked with a hint of venom in his tone.
"Does it really matter?" the woman shot back with both men taking in the woman's thick Irish Accent as she sat in the backseat with a smile on her face.
Red Stick, Louisiana
The forest scenery had quickly changed for Steve as he found himself sitting in the passenger seat of an all-black Baller that was in the middle of five vehicle convoy of FIB Vehicles that was transporting the Somalian BGA leader as he sat in the backseat behind Muujai with handcuffs on his arms, legs, and even his waist as he sat in his orange jumpsuit and looked down on the floor.
"So, are the rumors true?" asked the driver as he looked back at the two FIB Agents sitting in the backseat with Muujai. "You really some kinda cannibal?" he asked while eyeing the man who remained silent.
"You know these assholes like to make up stories about their leaders like they're the fucking Boogeyman. This guy probably ate a dog before he ate a person." Another FIB Agent shot back.
"Doesn't matter what this asshole ate in the past. He's gonna be eating nothing but bologna sandwiches in the foreseeable future." Steve shot back out earning a slight chuckle from Muujai.
"Guess he does have a voice." Said the man sitting next to Muujai.
"That fact that you believe that any of us have a future is laughable." Muujai retorted earning the attention of all the men in the vehicle.
"That a threat inmate?" asked the FIB Agent closest to him.
"No…just a word from the wise." Muujai interjected before a loud explosion caught them all by surprise and caused them to each to turn their heads and notice the first SUV that was leading the convoy burst into flames and stall in the middle of the road.
"SHIT GO LEFT!" Steve yelled out with fear in his tone as he grabbed the steering wheel from the driver and swerved to avoid the lead SUV only for another explosion to go off that filled their Baller and sent it sliding on its side before landing upside down in the middle of the road.
The force of the impact had successfully knocked Steve unconscious and killed the driver of the vehicle and as soon as things started to return to Muujai he quickly recognized the familiar sound of gunshots going off just outside of the vehicle as his FIB escorts engaged their attackers in a bloody firefight.
"FISHER!" Muujai yelled out trying to get to the Steve who was sitting upside down in his seat thanks to his seatbelt still being fashioned. "FISHER!" he continued to yell while moving to break his handcuffs as a few bullets collided with the side of his transport vehicle.
As he moved to look out the bulletproof window though he quickly noticed as two FIB Agents armed with Colt Assault Rifles moved to cover behind a parked Sentra before laying down covering fire for a third to get to his own cover behind a dark blue Buffalo.
"AHHHHH!" The Somali man screamed out as he finally managed to break his handcuffs from their seat restraints and fell back before looking out the window and watching as the three FIB Agents continued to lay down covering fire while a fourth man he didn't notice fell to the ground with a bullet wound in the side of his neck.
As he shimmed to get a deeper position in between the seats five more FIB Agents quickly came from behind his vehicle and joined in on the gunfight that saw another FIB Agent being shot in the chests and another in the face.
He then watched as the third man who had moved behind the Buffalo fell to the ground with three bullet wounds in his chest and quickly started to gurgle in pain as blood spewed from his mouth.
"GRENADE!" yelled out another FIB Agent armed with an M4A1 Assault Rifle that stood alongside a building to the right of Muujai's vehicle before he was shot in the center of his nose and dropped to the ground with a loud thud.
The sound of the explosion was almost muted to Muujai behind the bulletproof glass of the SUV. The sound was missing but the aftermath wasn't as he noticed the grey Sentra the first two Agents was standing behind go up in a violent explosion that sent one man flying back and colliding with the side of his SUV and the other having the entire front portion of his body blown off.
"Stay in the car!" yelled out the FIB Agent that collided with the side of his car as he looked into the glass at the Somali National with blood and dirt on his face.
As he moved to turn his head around though his right cheek was quickly met with a bullet that sprayed his brains all over the side of the windshield.
After the last Agent was shot down things quickly started to return to Muujai as he noticed nine people wearing ski masks and armed with various Assault Rifles making their way to his SUV with a rather large man who was armed with a Metal Cutter moving to the side of his vehicle and beginning to cut open the door in order to get to the man.
Things then seemed to be going in slow motion for the BGA leader he didn't know if these were some of Mark's guy coming to finish him off, the BGA tying up loose ends, or La Onda trying to make sure he didn't touchdown in prisons. All of this was going through his mind but it all ended with the same results…A bullet in his head.
As the door finally was opened and Muujai found himself being dragged out by a rather large masked man he quickly looked up and noticed six more FIB Agents running his way with their weapons armed.
"Take him out!" yelled one of the men as he looked to another who drew his Glock 17 and raised it in the direction of the first FIB Agent who ran at him with his Rifle raised only to be hit once in the right leg and crumble to the floor before being struck again in the head.
The shooter then turned his Pistol to another FIB Agent and struck him once in the head and another man in the throat before taking cover behind the SUV and then barrel rolling out and shooting another man once in the face and another in the neck.
"Son of a bitch!" yelled out an FIB Agent as he fired at the man who again barrel rolled out of the way and started to reload before a car while the FIB Agent riddled with it bullets.
"Shit!" the man said with anger in his tone as he threw his Pistol and struck the man in the nose, breaking it, and then charging him with enough force to knock the agent down before pulling out his knife, stabbing him in the throat, and twisting the blade before pulling it out and watching the man gurgle blood as he hit the ground.
"Let's go!" the attacker yelled out as he ran away from the corpse with the others as an all-black SUV pulled up and the group piled in and forced Muujai in with them.
"Who are you?" the Somalian man asked.
"Don't think if us as your saviors…we're far from that." Said the Chinese woman sitting in the front seat as Muujai looked up at her and noticed the smile on her face as the man sitting beside him took off his mask and took a loud deep breath. "Good work Taskmaster." She stated while Task wiped the blood from his hands.
"You'll keep your end of the deal?" he asked earning a slight smile from the woman.
Sunbelt City
The sound of guns cocking and the song Dead in a Dark Room by Sir Dyno filled the ears of Felon and several other Rifa members as they found themselves driving towards the Southwest area of the city where they knew their rivals would be and more than likely waiting for them.
Just as the driver turned down another street the car immediately came to a screeching halt as they noticed a police checkpoint at the end of the stop light with a line of vehicles already in place.
"This is just routine check!" said a female officer as Felon and the others watched her ask the driver out of his vehicle after giving her his credentials.
"Shit!" Felon said with venom in his tone as he looked to the Mini Uzi in his hands and the various weapons in the hands of the Rifa members.
"What do we do boss?" asked a Rifa in the backseat as Felon inwardly cursed before yelling something out in the Spanish then jumping out of the car with his Pistol raised at a dark green SUV that was passing by and forced the driver out while he and his associates climbed inside.
"Hey stop right there!" the female officer yelled out as the man with the AK fired a barrage of rounds into the air above her head before Felon slammed onto the gas petal and sent the vehicle rocketing forward with enough speed that all of the men inside violently jerked from the force of the vehicle.
"FUCK!" Felon yelled out with anger in his tone as he drove back to the neighborhood.
Frenchtown, New Arcadia
The drive to the French District of New Arcadia wasn't long for Alison as she found herself walking around the streets before stopping in her tracks in front of an old building that looked more like an old Liberty City style town home that was wedged between two larger buildings.
"This looks like the right place." She breathed out with a small sigh before making her way to the front door and noticing the small sign in the front that read "Open" before pushing on it and walking inside.
Once she did though she immediately took a step back as she took in the sight of the room before her. It was filled from top to bottom with hundreds of trinkets, artifacts, and African Tribal masks while the sound of West African Tribal music hung in the air and filled her ears and left her in a state of shock and surprise.
"I knew you'd show up." Came a somewhat familiar voice that caused Alison to whip her head around and notice a familiar heavy set African American woman wearing an all-white dress, black shades, and a head scarf.
"You're…the woman from the streets last year." Alison greeted with a raised brow while the woman merely nodded her head.
"Glad you still remember me." She replied with a smile. "Then again I was the one who showed you the death of the man you love. So I guess that makes me unforgettable." She added on with a slight chuckle before moving over to Alison and taking a hold of her hand.
"You feel tense so I guess there is something else bothering you now...like how you can prevent what you saw." She added while Alison merely nodded her head before the old man led her into a backroom where a lone table sat in the middle of the room.
"So what is it you've come to me with my child?" she asked while Alison remained silent before speaking up.
"What if…what if I told you that I know what lead up to his death and the deaths of so many others…friends of his." The FIB Agent shot back.
"Okay…how may you have come to acquire such knowledge." she asked with a raised brow.
"Do you…do you believe in ghost?" Alison asked earning a slight chuckle from the elderly woman.
"Sweetheart are you really asking me that in my line of work." She asked with a smile. "You see almost everything around you is meant to ward off spirits. I've dealt with both good and bad in my lifetime." She added while Alison looked around the room and found herself finally realizing that neither Shawna, Whitney, or any of the other dead BSU members had shown their heads around her.
"Sorry about that." The FIB Agent replied while the woman merely continued to chuckle.
"No harm, so are you trying to ward off spirits as well?" she asked with a smile while Alison merely shook her head.
"Sorta, what if I told you the spirits are…leaving me messages and telling me things about…a conflict on the horizon. A conflict that will see many people dying and that they want to…make sure everyone is ready for the coming conflict." She replied earning a slight nod from the woman.
"I do enjoy our new President but I'm guessing World War III isn't what you're referring to." She stated earning a nod from Alison.
"Tell me about these ghost why are they visiting you and what's their connection with those involved in the conflict?" she asked earning silence from Alison. "Don't worry everything you say here is all confidential." She added with a smile while Alison took a deep breath.
"The man I'm talking about…the man I love, his name is Marcus Roman." She replied earning a slight nod from the woman.
"Shirley Roman's youngest grandson." She replied earning a surprised look from Alison who watched the woman rise from her seat and walk over to a dusty desk.
"You know him?" she asked with a raised brow.
"I changed his diaper once but me and his grandmother we have history." She replied before walking over to Alison with an old photo that she handed to the FIB Agent who looked it over with wide eyes at the sight of two much older African American women and three young African American men one of whom was a baby in the arms of the eldest boy.
"His grandmother Shirley did everything she could to try and steer those boys down the straight and narrow path, but their fates were already sealed." She replied causing Alison to look at her with a raised brow.
"His grandmother was involved in Voodoo?" she asked earning a nod from the woman.
"She learned from her grandmother and her grandmother before her and it was that knowledge that made her family push her away and call her crazy but all she wanted was what was best for that boy and I can see in your eyes you're the same." She added while Alison looked down at the floor.
"So tell me about him?" she asked earning silence from Alison before she finally smiled and spoke.
"Mark is…loyal, kind, loving, strong, and all about protecting his friends." She started only to be cut off by the Voodoo Woman.
"But he's also a criminal with more blood on his hands than a WWII General." She shot back earning silence from Alison. "His fate was sealed from the day he was born and both me and Shirley knew it but we also knew that there was no way to stop it no matter what we did and in the end death got to her and now her grandson walks with him like a badge." She added. "You said there were ghost visiting you and warning you about a coming war, do tell me are these ghost old friends of his?" she asked earning a nod from Alison.
"Friends and former lovers." She replied earning a nod from the woman.
"He must be a really good man then, I've heard of it only once in the past. That a General who was so kind to his men that his men continued to serve him…even in death and that's what his men are doing now." She stated while Alison remained silent.
"But why come to me wouldn't it make more sense to go to him?" she asked with a raised brow. "Every time I ask them about that though all they say is that he has some kinda-." She started only for the woman to cut her off again.
"Invisible barrier around him that wards off ghost and spirits." She finished earning a slight nod from Alison. "When people kill they often say they see the faces of those they've killed whether they want to or not and that the dead often haunt them even after their deaths until they get used to it. We knew when Mark and his brothers were young that they were going to see a lot of death of those they cared for so their grandmother performed a ritual meant to ward off spirits from them and because of so…they can't see the dead and the dead don't show up around them." She added while Alison nodded her head.
"They're coming to you because they know that you have his eyes, his ears, his attention, and more importantly…his heart. He will listen to you even if he doesn't agree with what you say…he will do it and he will serve…with a smile." She added while Alison lowered her head.
"So they want me to prepare him for a war that I might be able to prevent?" Alison asked while the woman chuckled.
"If they're coming to warn you…I can tell you from experience that there is no way to prevent this war and that they mostly just want you to spend as much time with him as you can and make him happy, because if he sees the end of the war…he'll never be happy again." She added just as Alison's cellphone started to ring causing her to pull it out and answer it.
"I gotta go!" she said before running out and leaving the old woman who merely rose from her seat and made her way over to her fireplace and started to look into the flames.
"It seems your fears have come true Shirley…the end of the Roman Family is near and the devil has set his sights on your grandson." She added before tossing some dirt into the fire and getting a small image of a man in all-black with an axe in one hand and tank in the other.
Outside of Red Stick
"I've been waiting for the prick to finally show his fucking head." Lee let out with venom in his tone as Mark got off the freeway. "Wasn't expecting him to do this though." He added.
"You know capturing and torturing in the worst ways imaginable is his thing. He's trying to hurt me and despite me and Tasha not being together anymore he knows I wouldn't want to see what happened to Shawna happen to her." Mark added while Lee nodded his head in anger.
"I think this might be a trap brother." Lee stated.
"More than likely and I may have to call in backup but we're getting them out." He added with venom in his tone only for a few seconds of silence to pass over him and Lee before the Irish woman sitting in the backseat spoke up and broke that silence.
"So are you fellas just gonna beat around the bush or are you gonna talk about what the cop said?" she asked with venom in her tone.
"We aren't talking about that in front of you." Lee replied.
"Yeah may want to learn to start." She shot back with venom in her tone.
"Who the fuck are you again and why are you here?" Lee asked with more venom in his tone.
"Nicole Stark, BSU Waston and now your newest recruit in BSU Sunbelt slash New Arcadia." She shot back with more rage in her tone only for Mark to slam his hands on the steering wheel and pull his car into a roadside diner.
"Alright we're gonna sit here and talk about it." Mark started before reaching into his back pocket and pulling out his wallet before handing the woman two hundred dollars in cash. "And you can go inside and eat whatever you want because I know the drive from here to where ever you're from is a long one so enjoy yourself while we talk about this shit and when we're done we'll come in, join you, and talk about all of this over some Pecan Waffles and bacon chicken grill cheese." Mark finished earning silence from the woman before she took the money.
"This place better have good Toast." She retorted with a smile and stepped out of the car while Mark and Lee both breathed a sigh of relief.
"If it's not two things I gotta deal with its three, then four, and five, and finally I'm gonna be looking like I just walked out of the white house after two terms in office." He stated with venom in his tone before looking over to Lee who say in silence before finally speaking.
"Are we really gonna talk about Tough Guy and the rest of those assholes that we're hiding." Lee he started only for Mark to remain silent. "I don't like the idea of it either but if what Delgado says is true then that means we're in danger ourselves by harboring them." He added while Mark gave a loud scoff.
"Did I give you up to Neto when you fucked up and killed someone close to him?" he asked earning silence from the Chinese man. "I never called you on it because I know I royally fucked up with Ernesto myself. We have to look ourselves in the mirror brother. We aren't facing our demons by turning ourselves into them, so why should we pass judgement onto them." He asked.
"Because we fucked up individually and they fucked up collectively." He retorted only for Mark to go silent.
"Are you thinking about taking Dex up on his offer?" he asked while Mark remained silent.
"If I do take him up on his offer…I'll be damned if I'm gonna start up another BSU Chapter especially in my own city." Mark stated with venom in his tone. "If we're running things we're doing it different then we were in the past…different rules and different us." He finished.
"I'd stand beside it plus BSU New Arcadia doesn't right to me." Lee added earning a slight chuckle from Mark who watched him step out of the car just as the sound of police sirens started to fill the air behind causing him to look back out his window and notice a series of squad cars heading their way.
"Shit!" said Lee with venom in his tone.
"Follow protocol!" said Mark as he tossed Lee his M1911 and then watched as the Chinese man took off running away from the car just as the police cruisers pulled up and Mark stepped out with his hands raised.
"Something wrong officers?" Mark asked with a smile while Nicole looked out the window of the diner with everyone inside and watched as a series of NOOSE Officers stepped out the vehicles armed with MP5's and aimed them directly at the Roman.
"DO YOU FUCKING MOVE!" yelled out the lead man as Mark gave a loud scoff.
"Jesus a man can't drive black no more." Mark yelled out only to be struck in the face by one of the men and knocked to the ground before being handcuffed.
Elsewhere
The sight of Muujai being dragged on a plane seemed to somewhat bring a smile to the face of Task as he watched Marco and Charlie force the handcuffed BGA member with sick smiles on their faces just as Ana approached him from behind.
"That favor I called in worked as planned but I doubt they'll see that as a routine traffic stop as just a coincidence." The IAA Agent stated while Task shook his head.
"Better they know I stopped them before they could get themselves killed." Task retorted before sending a serious look to Ana. "That other thing we talked about…can you make it happen?" he asked.
"With a few pulled strings and some mishandled information, I can and you'll be seeing the results of that in a few days." She replied earning a slight smile from Task. "Explain to me though Chayton, why are you so willing to help the Rifa's when you aren't even one of them?" she asked earning a few seconds of silence from Task before she merely chuckled.
"I see, if you really care about her then you should tell her." She replied causing the Lakota man to send her a mixed look. "Take my advice from looking at Mark, everyone he seems to care for seems to leave him one way or another." She stated with a smile.
"You're still here!" he shot back.
"But for how long, that's the question I stress to him every day. How long am I gonna be here, how long is he gonna be here and its questions like that that are the reason he lives like every day is our last day together and when you finally tell her…you'll do the same." She retorted before moving to walk away from the Lakota who merely stood in silence before watching her pull out her cell phone and go wide eyed with what she heard on the otherside.
"Goddamn it Mark!" she muttered with venom in her tone.
New Arcadia Police Department
The sight of Alison rushing through the front doors of the building caught both Locke and Sawyer off-guard as she moved to her with mixed looks on their faces.
"Where is he?" she asked with fear and anger in her tone before they turned their heads and she quickly noticed Steve walking outside of a room with a bandage over his forehead and a serious look on his face.
As he caught sight of the woman he immediately moved to recoil as she ran up at him and brought him in for a warm embrace that he quickly accepted and hugged back with a slight smile. "You had me worried." She said while Steve merely chuckled.
"A lot of our guys gave their lives for me to be here right now and I thank them for that." He replied while Alison nodded her head.
"You should be resting." She said with worry in her tone.
"I will, but not now when I have the cause of all this in interrogation room one." He replied earning a raised brow from Alison before Steve moved her over to the window of the interrogation room where she noticed a familiar Creole sitting behind the glass on the floor handcuffed to the table and blood leaking from the side of his mouth.
"We got both Marcus Roman as he and his second in command Lee Shen as they were coming into Red Stick. Roman came willingly but Shen took off running more than likely carrying anything illegal with him. Units are sweeping the neighborhoods in Red Stick as we speak." He replied with venom in his tone while Alison stood in silence and watched as Mark wiped the blood from his mouth on his shirt, a clear sign that he'd been hit in the face.
"Why's he bleeding?" Alison asked with concern in her tone.
"Because Jameson was two weeks away from retiring and now he's going home in a box, because Connors is gonna be shitting in a bag for the rest of his life, and Curtis's own brother had to pull the plug on him to keep him from suffering. This is on him and he ain't leaving this place comfortable." He stated with anger in his tone as Alison noticed that not only was Mark denied a chair to sit in so his arm was hanging from the table but there was also water on his face from where someone splashed him with water probably to keep him awake and disoriented.
She didn't have to figure that the camera was off because the sight of this alone is nothing but one big PR nightmare.
"Given what happened the last time we had him in an interrogation room the higher ups want you away from him, but I can assure you that I'm gonna break him." Steve stated while Alison cringed under his words of breaking.
Before she could say something to him thought the duo was interrupted as Jenna approached him with a serious look on her face that smelled of disappointment.
"Well?" Steve asked with anger in his tone.
"His alibi of being taken by the Sunbelt Police Department does check out." She replied before showing him a report that both Mark and Lee were held by the Delgado and the Sunbelt Gang Task Force.
"Of course, it does." He said with defeat in his tone and causing Alison to breath an inward sigh of relief.
"Although-." She started earning the attention of the duo. "Sunbelt PD was pressing him hard about giving up the locations of the wanted BSU members in that RICO Case, to which Mark refuses when they know he's harboring them." She added earning a raised brow from Alison and Steve. "They believe an aiding and abetting charge won't really hold him, especially if the BSU Members in question turn up dead." She finished earning a smile from Steve.
"They're willing to make the meeting disappear if we can get him to give up his brothers?" Steve asked.
"Not just any brother, either Ryan James or Peter Sultan. Ryan is the President of BSU's Sunbelt Chapter and Peter is his Vice President. SCPD wants at least one of them to look like they've got the BSU situation handled. If Mark gives either of them up they'll won't charge him for harboring, but we can make him look like a suspect in the attack if he doesn't though we can charge him with harboring and can turn his life upside down." She stated earning a slight smile from Steve.
"Either way it goes it's a win-win for us." Steve replied with venom in his tone.
"Shit!" Alison whispered under her breath in anger.
"I'm going back in!" Steve retorted before moving for the door and making his way inside to which Mark lifted his head and gave a slight smile to the FIB Agent.
"Came to try again have we?" he asked with a slight smile.
"Yeah and you covered your tracks well, but not well enough." He shot back to which Mark merely looked at him quizzically as he kneeled down before him and looked him directly in the eyes before stating, "You're gonna tell me the locations of all those BSU members you're harboring and don't lie to me or else we'll book you and all of your friends on charges of aiding and abetting." He stated to which Mark merely went silent.
"You really think you have enough evidence to make those charges stick?" he asked.
"No, but maybe sending you and your friends to a New Austin prison will make you see the light." He replied while Mark looked at him angrily while Alison merely looked at him with wide eyes. "You may have powers on the street's but I have control of the system and I have control exactly where you and your friends will land. It could be filled with Onda, Aryan's, Guerrilla's, or whoever. Lord knows you have enough enemies." He stated while Mark clenched his fist before the sound of the door opening caused them both to turn their heads and notice a woman of Chinese descent wearing a red button up shirt, black pants, and dress shoes with a stern look on her face.
"Who are you?" Steve asked while Mark inwardly breathed a sigh of relief.
"I'm Attorney Wendy Yen, I'll be representing Marcus Roman." Ana lied with a smile that even left Alison amazed as she eyed the woman and watched her walk over to Mark, grabbed his chin, and quickly started to inspect his injuries. "I see my client has been given the warm welcome. I'll be sure to let the DA know." She added.
"He didn't ask for a lawyer." Steve shot back angrily.
"Did he or did you just not understand him when you were putting your fist in his face?" she asked with venom in her tone earning a slight chuckle from Steve. "So what exactly are you trying to charge him with?" she asked her usual sinister smile.
"Six counts of aiding and abetting members of the street gang Brothers Stand United who are wanted on RICO Charges and being a part of a violent street gang." Steve shot back.
"If you read his file you would know that he isn't affiliated with that group anymore." She shot back.
"He claims to not be affiliated with them but he isn't doing anything to help us catch them either." He shot back while Ana merely chuckled.
"So your just gonna to accuse him of harboring them with no real evidence that he's doing so. Seems like you're pulling straws and you're threating him with imprisonment in order to get him to give you information that you don't know is there." Ana shot back with a smug grin.
"WE HAVE PROOF!" Steve shot back with fury in his tone a feet that seemed to bring a wide smile to the face of Ana. She loved getting under people's skin and Mark knew that's exactly what she's doing to Steve and she was gonna exploit it.
"I'm gonna talk in private with my client so if you don't mind I need you to leave Agent Fisher." She retorted before turning to look away from the man and moving to face Mark while Steve merely gave a low growl of defeat before walking out of the room while Mark looked up at Ana.
"Are you okay?" he asked while Alison continued to look through the glass. She was well aware Ana was not a lawyer and didn't have attorney client privilege, but she would have to step away when Steve angrily marched past her.
"I should be asking you that question?" Ana shot back with a slight smile before moving to rub the side of his face.
"It's a little police brutality you know I can handle it by this point." He interjected while Ana gave a slight chuckle.+
"They couldn't pin the attack on them by you so now they're threating you with imprisonment for harboring fugitives." She said while moving to lean on the side of the table next to Mark.
"It's not me I'm worried about and you know that." He shot back.
"I know, but maybe you need to start." She shot back only for the duo to turn their heads and notice a familiar redheaded woman walk into the room and look to the ceiling at the camera where she noticed that it was disconnected.
"You two are in some deep shit." Alison greeted while Mark merely looked away from her.
"How so?" Ana asked with a raised brow.
"Before I tell you anything do you two have anything to do with Muujai being taken and that convoy being hit?" she asked with a hint of venom in her tone. "And be honest with me right here and right now." She added with more fury in her tone while both Mark and Ana remained silent.
"Marcus had nothing to do with it…but I guess you can figure I did." Ana retorted causing Alison to look at her with wide eyes. "The IAA needed Muujai and you weren't giving him up so we had to take him." She stated while Alison merely looked at her with wide eyes.
"Good people died because of your actions." She stated while Ana merely nodded her head.
"And nobody would have had to if your higherups had heeded our warnings and now they're dealing with the consequences of not doing so." Ana stated while Alison continued to eye her angrily. "So what exactly are we dealing with?" she asked while Alison remained silent for a few seconds before looking to Mark who was still looking away from her.
"SCPD collaborated Mark's story that he was being held by Detective Delgado and his Gang Task Force." She started earning a nod from Mark. "But some higherups in their department is saying he'll make the meeting disappear if Steve gets you to crack and give up the locations of the wanted BSU members." She stated while both Mark and Ana sent her surprised looks.
"Looks like you're in quite a bind Marcus." Ana said while moving to rub his shoulder.
"I know me and you aren't on the best of speaking terms right now Marcus but I need you to think, not about yourself but about Lee, Jimmy, Buck, Manfred, and all the others. They won't survive without you and you may be able to win a case in court but you will lose if you're out of their lives for even a few months." She stated while Mark continued to sit in silence. "So don't leave them…and don't leave me." She added causing Mark to look up at her for a second before the sound of the front door opening caused all three of them to turn their heads and notice Steve walking inside with a raised brow.
"I thought you were having a moment with your lawyer?" he asked in anger.
"That ended a few moments ago and Detective Trueblood here was the first to come in and greet us." Ana let out with a smug smile before all eyes fell on Alison who moved to walk out of the room.
"Agent Trueblood!" Mark finally called out causing the redheaded woman to turn her head and look back at the serious look on his face. "Do you believe in Ghost?" he asked earning a raised brow from Alison who looked at him with a serious and scared look on her face.
"No!" she whispered out while Mark merely chuckled.
"You don't…but I do." He started earning Alison's full attention. "Ghost are real, they're all of your failures, mistakes, lies, and regrets that a person has made in his lifetime. I don't see ghost but I'm reminded of them everyday when I look back and see that some of my friends aren't here anymore." He continued before letting out a slight chuckle. "In all those instances I didn't have the choice to keep what happened to them from happening but this time I do and I hope you can understand that." He stated before lowering his head to her while Ana gave a slight smile before looking to Steve who merely eyed him angrily.
While both Mark and Ana seemed to be getting the most attention at the police station, Lee found himself sitting in another interrogation room with his head in his hands before the sound of the door opening caused him to lift his head and notice a familiar elderly Caucasian man with a serious look on his face.
"What do you want?" Lee asked while Locke stood over him with a serious look on his face before cracking a smile.
"To help you help me." He replied earning a confused look from the Chinese man.
Outside of Sunbelt City
The sound of loud rock music filled the ears of both Ryan and Tasha as they found themselves tied to a set of chairs in a barn while a familiar dark-haired Caucasian man stood by cleaning a silver Desert Eagle with a smile on his face.
"I gotta say I don't feel much for you Bullshitters but I gotta admit all of you pricks have good taste in music." Dallas let out with a slight chuckle.
"You're stupid if you think Mark is gonna give you money for us." Tasha yelled out while the Vanguard leader merely chuckled.
"I know your boyfriends gonna try some real smart shit but in the end it won't work." He replied while cocking his gun before pointing it at the girl. "Especially if I'm pointing this gun at you just like this." He added while Tasha quivered in fear before she breathed out, "He's not my boyfriend."
"I know and I'm quite curious as to why." Dallas started with a slight smile. "I mean I know white is right and many of you corn fed baboons want us, but it's mostly the men who are after our women. I mean even Mark is no stranger to that, but I am curious as to why you left someone like Mark for…this." He replied while looking over to Ryan and slapping him across the face.
"I'd never hit a woman with a closed fist and that's exactly what this guy is…a grown bitch who probably spends more time in the mirror than both you and me combined." He stated before looking over to Tasha. "I've been in fights with Mark and I'm man enough to admit that I've felt him brush across my leg in a few of our fights but I've seen what this guy is packing and I gotta admit he's on the smaller side of the white spectrum. So exactly what do you see in a guy like this what does he bring to the table that rev's your engine?" he added only earning silence from Tasha while Dallas merely laughed.
"Don't worry I'll find out soon and so will Mark the last time you see him." He finished before walking away and leaving the duo together.
Red Stick (Hours Later)
"Shit!" said Lee as he found himself hopping the fence of some guys backyard and quickly sprinted across his pool only to be interrupted as a set of flood lights came on and quickly blinded him.
"Stay the fuck off my lawn you fucking kids." Yelled a Caucasian man with a shaved head from the second story window as Lee continued to sprint across the man's yard while flipping the man the middle finger.
"Asshole!" Lee yelled out as he jumped over another fence just as an all-white Buffalo pulled up in front of him.
"Get in!" yelled out a familiar woman from the driver seat causing Lee to look both ways before jumping into the passenger seat.
"Where'd you get the ride?" he asked.
"You're not the only one who knows a thing or two." She replied while Lee gave a slight chuckle. "You want to tell me why the Feds took the Soldier?" she asked with a raised brow while Lee merely chuckled.
"If you're gonna be one of us you're gonna need to learn that the feds are always taking Mark and, in the meantime,…we see through our mission." He added with a smile. "Take Freeway it'll take us all the way back to New Arcadia, we're gonna need firepower." He replied with a slight smile.
New Arcadia
"You disobeyed my orders again." Steve let out with a hint of venom in his tone as he looked to Alison who couldn't even meet his gaze.
"You weren't gonna get him to crack by playing tough cop and I could see that his lawyer was unnerving you. So I thought I'd give it a try myself." She replied while Steve rubbed his forehead.
"We can't have you near him Ali, especially with what happened last time." He shot back with a hint of anger in his tone before the duo was interrupted as Jenna walked into the room with a serious look on her face.
"What is it?" he asked with more venom in his tone.
"GSR Test on Mr. Roman came back negative and he's as clean as can be with no sign of bleach on him or his vehicle." She replied. "Interesting to note though is that his car is four tons heavier than any other car of that particular model and type." she added.
"Why is that interesting?" asked Steve.
"It's interesting, because his car is almost just as armored as the presidential limo and can probably take a direct hit from an RPG and still be mostly intact." She stated.
"Mark's a gangster with a lot of enemies who survives by being one stepped ahead, faster on the trigger, and having the best protection for himself." Steve retorted. "His car being armored doesn't surprise me and him being clean isn't a surprise either." He added.
"Makes you wonder where he's getting all of this firepower and protection from." Jenna added before both she, Steve, and Alison each turned their heads and looked through the glass of the interrogation room where they noticed Ana standing next to Mark who was talking on her cellphone.
"HEY!" Steve yelled out before rushing into the room with Jenna in tow and quickly snatching the cellphone away from the Creole.
"What the fuck is wrong with you?" asked Steve with venom in his tone as he looked to Ana who merely gave her usual victorious smile.
"Farmington Avenue Warehouse Three." Mark retorted earning a confused look from Alison and others. "You'll find the fugitives there within the hour wrapped up nice, tight, and unarmed for you." He stated while looking to Steve angrily.
"Don't worry no tricks." He finished before lying back into his seat with his own smug smile while Steve looked back and forth at the duo before turning to Alison.
"Looks like we've got a job." He said with a smile before leading the woman out of the office.
Northeast Sunbelt
The sound of the front door closing seemed to cause Task to breath a sigh of relief as he walked in through Cheta's front door only to turn around and notice the woman standing in the doorway with a serious look on her face.
"You're awake." He said with surprise in his tone.
"And you think you're running shit." She replied to the confusion of the Lakota Warrior. "I got a call from Felon a few hours ago about a road block in Southwest Sunbelt that kept them from hitting up the Azteca's." she stated while Task sat in silence.
"Cheta-." He started only for the woman to move to slap him across the face.
"You piece of shit you could have gotten them arrested or worse with that fucking stunt you pulled." She yelled out with venom in her tone.
"The cops were meant to keep them from going there and let them escape." He retorted.
"Why, you don't think they deserve to spill a little blood after what happened to me?" she asked with venom in her tone. "Or are you upset that they might kill your new friend?" She asked earning silence from Task.
"You're really good at playing both sides but you did say that you're a hired gun with loyalties to no one." She added.
"I've been with you since the very beginning." He shot back with venom in his tone.
"And you helped us against everyone but the Azteca's because of your close relationship with them." She shot back causing Task to again go silent. "If you want to prove that you're truly one of us prove it." She yelled out while Task merely eyed her angrily before his cellphone started to ring causing him to step out of the house to answer out while Cheta slammed the door on him.
"What is it Lee?" he asked while Task looked at the door with an angry expression on his face.
New Arcadia
"All units form a perimeter!" yelled out Locke as she and a wave of other officers swarmed a warehouse in the cities 17th Ward that was near the water. "I don't want anyone escaping so cover all positions." He yelled out before looking to Sawyer who moved over to the front door of the warehouse and kicked it in before making his way inside with the other officers.
"Locke I think you need to get in here!" Sawyer said over his radio causing the Police Captain to make his way into the building and immediately go wide eyed with what he saw inside.
"Jesus!" he said while taking in the sight of five young men tied to wooden chairs with blindfolds over their faces, gags over their mouths, and enough bruises covering their bodies to show that they've been tortured.
"Well I guess he kept his promise." Interjected Sawyer with a smile.
"Yeah and I'm starting to think they may be better off in prison then here." Locke shot back before getting on his cellphone and calling Alison.
"Mark made good on his promise and Locke is arresting the fugitives right now." The FIB Agent stated before looking to Steve who had an agitated look on his face.
"What the fuck are you talking about we made good on our promise and I expect you to do the same." He yelled out catching Alison off-guard.
"What you're asking me to do Agent Fisher is commit a crime and last I checked Marcus Roman called us and gave up the location of the one we really wanted not you so even if I was that kinda person-." He started only for Steve to toss the phone against the wall.
"He fucking got to them!" Steve yelled out before moving passed Alison and making his way into the interrogation room where he quickly moved to step to Mark only to be stopped by Ana who blocked his path.
"You motherfucker you-." He started only to be stopped as Ana moved to put a hand on his chest.
"You used us to do your dirty work." He yelled out while Mark merely sat back in his seat with a smile on his face.
"I'd watch what you'd say Agent Fisher-." Ana started only to be cut off by the man.
"Don't you fucking speak to me like the both of you are a pair of saints. You just used the FIB, NAPD, and Sunbelt PD to do your goddamn dirty work." He yelled out while looking to Mark.
"Arresting bad guys is your job not my clients it's not his fault if you finally decided to get off your behinds and do your actual jobs." Ana stated with her usual smug smile forcing Steve to look at her angrily before clenching his fist in anger.
"Steve don't!" said Alison as she looked to the man before looking down to Mark who could sense the tension in the air and was already moving to try and get free from his cuffs to which she knew he could easily do.
"My client has been here long enough, and you've gotten what you want so unless you want a lawsuit coming your way I suggest you let him go." Ana stated before smiling at Steve who merely eyed her angrily while Alison moved to step past him and begin to undo the handcuff on Mark's right wrist to which she noticed his bruised skin from the restraints being too tight.
"Have a good night Agent Trueblood!" Mark let out before standing up and moving to walk past both her and Steve with Ana and in tow. The latter of whom couldn't help but to kick the chair that Mark was previously sitting in.
"Thanks for that!" Mark let out while Ana merely chuckled.
"Someone has to keep you out of prison." The IAA Agent replied with her usual grin. "So where are you headed now you look like you've got a lot on your mind?" she asked with concern in her voice.
"Dallas is back and he's kidnapped Tasha and Ryan and I know I have problems with them but I can't just sit back and let him kill them and then slip away only to pop his head out again just to do it again." He stated earning a nod from Ana.
"Do you need me to watch your back. He's an ex-Navy Seal after all and you remember the last time you two fought." She replied.
"I was a seventeen year old kid then with no real military training but now I'm different…and I can handle this." He replied just as a familiar yellow Dominator pulled up in front of the both of them.
"Just be careful…you won our deal and I'd hate to see you lose your life before you get your reward." She shot back with a smile while Mark merely gave her one of his own.
"Don't count on it." He shot back before moving to climb into the passenger seat of the Dominator where he noticed a familiar group of people sitting around him with serious looks on their faces.
"Let's go!" he said before Lee stepped on the gas petal and sent the vehicle rocketing forward.
Outside Sunbelt City (Hours Later)
The sun had finally set on this long day as Mark found himself pulling his Duke up to an unfamiliar farmhouse far on the outskirts of the city. As he made it up to the gate though he quickly took in the sight of three Caucasian men standing at the front gate armed with Assault Rifles.
"Step out of your car with your hands and the money up!" said the lead man causing Mark to turn off the engine of his Duke before stepping out with a rather large black duffle bag that he immediately showed to the group.
"I'm unarmed!" Mark said with venom in his tone as one of the men quickly approached him and started to pat him down.
"You killed my brother you piece of shit!" the lead man said as Mark merely smiled at him.
"Bet you wish it was you I killed don't you?" Mark replied.
"I'm gonna enjoy watching Dallas cave your skull in motherfucker." He yelled out before pushing Mark forward and then watching him make his way towards the barn with an emotionless look on his face as he walked down a dirt road where he noticed a number of Skinheads coming out of almost everywhere just to watch him.
As he walked through the front double doors of the barn he immediately caught sight of two familiar people sitting in a pair of chairs tied back to back to each other with both of their heads down while a familiar dark haired man stood behind them with his back turned.
"Well look whose's finally showed his face." Started Dallas as he eyed Mark with a sick smile. "Just like I knew you would." He added.
"Yeah save the semantics about my terrible love life and just get on with it." Mark yelled out before tossing the bag over the Aryan Gangster who quickly opened it up and started to look at the bills inside before looking up at Mark.
"I never understood why people in this situation always go through with everything." Dallas interjected while looking up at Mark and tossing the bag of money to another Skinhead. "Both you and me know you're not gonna walk out of here so why bring the money?" he asked.
"Maybe you see it as an offering for you to take me and let them both go." Mark retorted while Dallas chuckled.
"I gotta give you an A for effort but you may have been the guy pulling the trigger on my men, but this asshole here has been ordering it, and she well…let's just say I don't want you to be too alone in your grave." He replied while Mark shrugged his shoulders.
"Worth a shot!" he replied with a smile of his own before being struck in the face once by Dallas who watched the Roman hit the ground with a shocked look on his face.
"Before I kill you though I've always been pretty curious though as to what led up to you leaving BSU in Sunbelt for the swamps of New Arcadia." Dallas started earning a roll of the eyes from Mark. "I know it was because of these two hooking up but do you care to fill me in on what really went on behind the scenes?" he asked while Mark merely chuckled.
"You're gonna have to ask her that because I still don't know the answer to it." Mark retorted with a chuckle. "She cheated, I left, and I can't tell you much more about what led up to it." He added while Dallas chuckled.
"I guess that means I know somethings that you don't than." He replied before kicking Mark in the side and watching him it the ground with a thud. "Would you like to know why, it'll spare you a few minutes before a long agonizing death." He stated while Mark gasped for air.
"Sure I'm all ears!" Mark shot back with a slight chuckle before looking to Tasha.
"Don't be an asshole…ask her to tell you why she cheated on you and fucked your friend?" he asked while Mark set a look over to Tasha who looked down at him with tears in her eyes.
"Aren't you gonna tell me?" he asked while looking to her with an emotionless look on his face while she sat in silence for a few seconds before finally speaking out.
"I grew up in Garden Point, you knew that though. You also knew I grew up surrounded by drugs, gangs, and violence. You knew that was my homeless…but you didn't know that was my school life." She started causing Mark to wide eyed at her story. "I attended Harrison Prep, a mostly white school on the cities Northside. Far away from the gangs, far away from the drugs, and far away from the life that should have been me." She stated while Mark continued to look at her in confusion.
"I met a lot of people at that school one of them more prominently is sitting behind me." She replied causing Mark to send a look to Ryan.
"He was a few years older than me but we crossed each-others paths enough to recognize each other when I started hanging around you guys." She added while Mark nodded his head. "Whenever you were away I could always go to Ryan and talk about my problems and one day when we were talking…one thing led to another." She stated while Mark lowered his head.
"One day when you were gone Ryan came to me and told me that he wanted to be with me and that he wanted to walk away from all of this." She interjected while Mark turned to the BSU Sunbelt Chapter President. "Our plan was for Ryan to step down and you to step up as leader and when you did I'd leave you or make you choose between us or your brothers and I knew you wouldn't choose me." She replied earning a chuckle from Mark.
"But I walked in on you before you could bring your plan into light?" he asked earning silence from the woman.
"Wow…that's fucked up Mark, you really would choose your brothers over your woman?" he asked.
"She assumes that, but in reality I would have left BSU for her." He replied to the shock of everyone in the room. "I knew she was tired of seeing me coming home hurt and not coming home at all so I talked about it with the others and Lee and Link were willing to take over my spot while I step down and be with her." He stated while Dallas let out a slight chuckle before looking to the stunned Tasha.
"Wow, I guess the lack of communication and trust is what caused you twos downfall." He let out before moving to approach Mark who merely chuckled at him.
"Isn't it good to have peace of mind before you die?" he asked.
"You tell me!" Mark replied before turning to look at the Aryan carrying the bag of money causing Dallas to immediately go wide eyed.
"TOSS THE BAG!" he yelled to the man who immediately threw the bag into a corner and waited for an explosion that never came only to be replaced by the sound of Mark laughing.
"Ah man that was so worth it." Mark let out with a slight laugh before watching Dallas turn to him angrily.
"You fucking nigger-!" He started only before the sound of glass breaking and a gun firing filled the air as Dallas felt a sharp pain in his right arm and fell flat on his back.
"Target dropped!" said Jimmy as he looked out the scope of his Sniper Rifle and took aim at the head of a stunned Aryan before squeezing the trigger and watching it be replaced by a bloody mess.
"Who's the fucking nigga now white boy?" Mark asked as he climbed on top of Dallas and proceeded to punch him three times in the face just before another gunshot went off that hit an Aryan in the chest.
"SHOOT HIM!" Dallas yelled out to another Neo Nazi who was moving to raise an MP5 in the direction of Mark only for the man to be hit once in the right eye by an arrow that went over his eyelid and out the back of his skull.
"What the shit?" Dallas asked as Mark threw another punch before watching as Task, Lee, Thire, Tup, Buck, Davey, and Eddy came crashing through the doors of the barn and immediately started to lay down fire on the Nazi's.
"Motherfucker!" Dallas yelled out before striking Mark in the side of the head and watching him hit the ground with a thud before moving to stand up.
"I got a clear shot on him brother." Said Lee as he aimed his Shotgun at Dallas.
"Nah he's all mine!" Mark yelled out before getting back up and ramming his right shoulder into Dallas's abdomen taking him off his feet and running him back first into a wooden wall with enough force to send them both through the plywood.
"BOSS!" yelled out another Aryan with a shaved head before he was shot three times in the chest courtesy of Thire who aimed his MP5K at another Aryan.
"You should worry about yourselves right now buddy!" he replied before feeling a sharp pain in his chest and being knocked backwards as an Aryan with a Remington Shotgun shot him once in the stomach that thankfully didn't break his bulletproof vest.
"Shit!" said Task as he aimed another arrow that hit the man with the Shotgun in the throat and then watched him it the ground while clutching his wound.
"Piece of shit!" Dallas yelled out as he threw a punch at the side of Mark's head that sent him somewhat reeling before running back and hitting the Ex-Navy Seal twice in the face before headbutting him and sending him moving backwards and falling down with blood leaking from his nose.
"Not gonna just come out shoot me?" Dallas asked while Mark merely chuckled.
"Nah I want you to feel the pain of everyone you've hurt over the years." Mark replied.
"You ever stop believing you're the righteous one?" Dallas asked while looking back up at Mark.
"NOPE!" Mark shot back before running at Dallas and jumping up with the intention of crushing his skull only for Dallas to move out of the way and charge Mark before tossing him out the window of the barn and into the fields where both he and Dallas noticed that much of the farmhouse was now covered in flames and members of the both BSU and the Thunderskins were lying dead on the ground while a few others were running around shooting at one another.
"Fuck you!" yelled out a BSU member as he knocked a Thunderskin off his feet and started to repeatedly punch him in the face before another man came up and shot him in the head.
"Fucking Bullshitters." The Neo-Nazi yelled out before standing over the Punk Rocker and shooting him again twice in the head before another BSU Member with a Molotov Cocktail caught sight of the man and tossed his weapon at the man and then watching him go up in flames and begin to scream his head off.
"Death is getting closer so fight harder." Mark yelled out earning a sea of loud and angry screams from the BSU members as they started to fight much the Thunderskins harder and fierce enough for Mark to momentarily smile as he watched a BSU Member gouge the eyes out of a Thunderskin Gangster.
This momentary distraction though was all Dallas needed to strike back as he grabbed Mark from behind and lifted him over his shoulder for a German Suplex that left the Creole landing on his neck and becoming momentarily disoriented.
"You want them to fight hard that's good for you, but you better fight me like you mean-." Dallas started before Mark charged him and brought him in for a tight bear hug before slamming him back first on the ground and then repeatedly punching him in the face while Dallas put his hands in the face of the youngest Roman before moving to bite his hand and earning a loud scream from Mark.
"AHHH MOTHERFUCK!" Mark yelled out before raising himself up and moving to knee Dallas in the nuts only to be stopped as Dallas punched him in the gut and sent him doubling over.
"You tried that nutcheck shit the first time we fought and it happening again." Dallas yelled out as Mark swung his arm at him only for the Vanguard member to grab his arm and give it a hard jerk causing a loud snapping sound as Mark punched him once in the nose before jumping up and kneeing him in the face.
"Fuck!" Mark yelled out as he used Dallas's moment of disorientation to try and pop his arm back into his shoulder.
"You guys can untie us now!" Ryan yelled out as he watched Lee shoot another Aryan once in the chest and arm before running past the duo and taking cover behind a wooden crate.
"Nah you're safer where you are." Lee shot back before moving to knock the chair over so that the duo could avoid being shot.
"My fucking face!" Ryan yelled out as he looked down at his bloody nose.
"Goddamn it Lee." Tasha yelled out as the Chinese man continued to dodge bullets before barrel rolling to cover and striking another man in the back as he tried to run away.
"I'm gonna watch you die!" Dallas yelled out as he jumped on the back of Marcus and proceeded to try and choke him with the dog tags Ana had given him only for the youngest Roman to undo his wrist watch and use the metal pin on it to stab Dallas just above his right eye.
The feeling of the pin slicing into his orbital caused the Vanguard member to scream out as the blood from his eyes fell onto Mark's back the youngest Roman quickly rolled over and managed to kick Dallas off of him before hitting him with an uppercut that knocked him back off his feet.
"Get up we aren't finished yet." Mark yelled out with venom in his tone while watching as Dallas slowly rose to his feet.
"On the contrary we're all finished kid." He replied earning a confused look from Mark before he watched the man pull out a small red device out of his jacket pocket. "You know you boys have a lot of impressive toys Marcus. So I hope you didn't mind if I took one for myself when I took your Towel Head friend." He said while Mark continued to look at the device in the man's hands before realization finally hit him at what it was.
"You wouldn't!" Mark yelled out earning a smile from Dallas.
"Better me and my men die in a hellfire from the skies then by the hands of some nigger and his liberal friends and killing you all will be a bonus." Dallas yelled out only to be struck once in the right hip courtesy of a familiar redheaded woman standing behind him with a serious look on her face.
"You fucking bitch!" he yelled out while clutching his injured arm.
"You men talk too much down here!" Nikki yelled out while Mark moved over to her and quickly took the gun from her hands. "Watch it fella." She yelled out.
"He's the least of our worries give me your phone." He ordered earning a confused look from the Irish woman before she complied and handed him her phone.
"It's too late Mark my boys have orders to bomb the shit out of this place and they're gonna follow it." He yelled out to the confusion of Nikki.
"Not if I can stop it." Mark yelled out as he dialed a number in the phone and put it to his ear.
"Manny, tell me you know and are working on the Drone problem that's heading our way?" Mark asked causing the Indian man to type in a few things in his laptop.
"Already ahead of you brother I've been trying to hack into the drone since it took off but it's locked up tight." He replied while Mark gave a low growl.
"What's its ETA?" he asked.
"Three minutes!" he replied.
"Radio everyone and tell them get clear of the area now that drones gonna level just about everything here and try to get in contact with Ana she'll know the override for the drone." Mark yelled out earning radio silence from Manfred as he quickly went to work.
"DRONE!" Nikki asked earning a nod from Mark.
"Yeah now get everyone and get going." He ordered.
"What about you?" she asked with some concern in her tone.
"I gotta finish this." He replied earning a nod from the woman before she ran off and Mark felt a sharp pain in his right leg that caused him to turn his head and notice a switchblade pocking out of his leg.
"You're really didn't think I'd stop without a fight?" Dallas yelled out while slowly moving to stand and refrain from putting much weight on his injured leg.
"Damn these assholes!" said Lee as a bullet whizzed past his head and nearly shaved off a piece of his skin.
"They fight hard!" Task shot back as he pulled out his Pistol and shot an Aryan three times in the chest.
"You guys can untie us anytime soon!" yelled out Tasha from her position behind the Chinese man.
"Everyone you gotta clear the area now drone strike incoming." The voice of Manfred over Lee's radio causing everyone in the barn to look at each other quizzically.
"Drone strike why would-." Lee started only to be interrupted by Task.
"Don't ask questions when you heard something like that." The Lakota yelled out as he pulled out his pocketknife and cut both Tasha and Ryan free before looking to Lee and the others as they started to lay down cover fire and moved for the exit while Jimmy gave them covering fire from his Sniper Rifle.
"I get you guys want these assholes dead but is this all really necessary?" asked Task as he started to run away with Lee and the others.
"Don't look at me this wasn't in my plan." Lee shot back with fear in his tone. "But I do I have a plan that may get us out of this." He added.
"Where's Mark?" Tasha asked as she looked back and failed to notice the Creole take a swing at Dallas only to have his arm grabbed and be tossed over Dallas's hip before watching the man collapse because of his injuries.
"Even injured I'm still the man you can't be." He let out while Mark pulled the blade from his leg and looked at Dallas with malicious in his eyes before tossing the weapon and hitting him in his other leg causing him to again scream out in pain before he was rushed and knocked to the ground.
"This is for everyone you've hurt and I mean fucking everyone!" Mark yelled out as he threw several blows to the face of the Aryan Vanguard member until it was red, puffy, and with trickles of blood leaking from his face.
"THIS IS OVER!" he yelled out before cupping his hands together and then reeling back until both hands were well past the back of his neck. "FAREWELL FOREVER!" Mark yelled out before whipping his arms forward almost like they'd been shot out of a cannon and slamming both of his fist down on the top of Dallas's forward with enough force to not only crack the man's skull but burst multiple blood vessels in his eyes causing them to both turn a deep shade of red, send blood spewing from his nose ears, and mouth.
The sight of the now deceased Vanguard seemed to bring a slight smile over the face of Mark as he quickly pulled off the man's dog tag before giving an animalistic roar to the heavens alerting everyone to his position before he climbed off the man and started to move away from him just as a loud whistling noise could be heard in the distance.
"Come on!" Lee yelled out as he and Task moved towards Mark and quickly grabbed him by both his arms and started to carry him away from the farmhouse just as the Drone could be seen coming into sight.
"We're not going to make it!" said Task as Mark looked up at the drone as it came into their view and watched as it fired a missile in the direction of the barn.
"HOLY SHIT!" All three men yelled as the Missile hit the barn behind them and created an explosion that sent them each flying.
New Arcadia (Hours Later)
"New Austin Sheriff's Department are still baffled by what caused the violent explosion at this local ranch just outside of Sunbelt city." Said the younger reporter as she found herself standing outside a charred farmhouse along with officers and paramedics.
"The explosion was deafing and killed over forty young men and women who were having a rave in the fields just outside of the farm." the woman continued while Alison found herself watching the news report carefully before the sound of a knock at her front door caused her to rise from her seat and move to open it.
"I wasn't expecting to see you after everything you and Mark did last night." She greeted earning a familiar smile from the Asian woman on the otherside of the door.
"I wanted to be the first to apologize for that and I figured now would be a good time while he was away." Ana replied referring to Steve.
"He's working late trying to do whatever he can to link Mark to attack." Alison replied while Steve chuckled.
"I guess it's a good thing I didn't take Mark along with me than." Ana shot back while Alison sat in silence.
"I knew some of the people you killed." She replied with venom in her tone while Ana remained silent before speaking up.
"It all could have been avoided if your higher ups had listened to us." She replied.
"So that's what we're doing now…fighting amongst each other when we're supposed to be on the same side?" Alison asked.
"Me and you are on the same side, but the FIB and the IAA have been on separate sides since they're beginnings." Ana replied while Alison remained silent for a few seconds while the Asian woman moved to take a stand beside her.
"I know you don't like my action's but you need to see this was for the better. Muujai has a lot of power within the United States Prison Systems no matter where you would have sent him, but under us we can keep him from using his power to reach out to hurt Mark or any of the others." She replied while Alison continued to stand in silence as Ana moved to place a hand on her shoulder.
"You'll get another win." Her words somewhat stung the FIB Agent who merely shot back with her own interjection.
"A win won't bring back those lost today." she stated.
"And nothing ever will but let them be remembered as the heroes they were and not what led to their deaths. That's what they teach you in the IAA, it's a cold way of thinking but it gets the job done." She finished before moving to walk away from Alison who merely sat in silence before finally realizing that she hadn't seen either Shawna or Whitney since seeing Mark.
Sunbelt City
The sound of pounding at his front door seemed to be what stirred Pete from his sleep. As he climbed out of his bed and moved to answer the door in only his pajama pants and a white wife beater he couldn't help but to wipe his eyes.
"I'm coming!" he yelled out while continuing to approach the door only for a loud crashing sound to interrupt him as he noticed men in Tactical Gear and carrying Assault Weapons rushing through his front door.
"Oh shit!" the BSU Vice President yelled out as he turned around and started to run away while Sunbelt Police Officers chased him down before tackling him to the floor and beginning to slap him in handcuffs.
"Peter Swarts, you're under arrest for drug trafficking, racketeering, and Conspiracy." The lead officer yelled out while Peter layed in pain with a stunned look on his face as he was dragged out of the house and failed to notice a trio of familiar men standing across the street with a cellphone to the ear of the redheaded man.
"Police just picked him up boss." Jimmy let out as he watched the officers force Peter into the back of a squad car.
"Good I've talked to Delgado he's in good hands until he touches down and hits the yards, but I'm working on getting him some real protection." Mark shot back from the other end of the phone while Jimmy sent looks to Thire and Tup.
"You really think sending him to prison was the right choice granted we knew who the other option was?" he asked.
"I don't like the idea of sending anyone of my guys to prison, but we have to look at the big picture and that's our safety." He stated earning a nod from Jimmy. "Besides I know Petey he can handle himself inside and I'm gonna make sure of that." The Creole finished before hanging up his phone while Jimmy, Thire, and Tup started to leave the scene.
"Shit!" said Mark as he found himself sitting up on the guest bedroom of Ryan's parents' home while Nikki sat behind him wrapping bandages around his abdomen, hands, legs, and forehead while Ren did the same to Lee while Task stood by watching with Link, Manfred, and Buck.
"You really think he can handle himself brother?" Buck asked while Mark shook his head.
"Not on his own, but the Rifa's owe me a few favors." Mark retorted while sending a look to Task.
"You know your actions put Cheta in a really bad situation." The Lakota stated while Mark nodded her head.
"If you're talking about what happened to her family I understand that, but we're gonna make that right soon. First thing with them though needs to be finding them a new leader because I doubt that washed up has been is gonna be of real use." He added while Task nodded his head.
"I found one from the list you and Ana pulled up of potential leaders and my actions with Ana earned me a way to get them here. Hopefully everything goes smoothly." He stated while Mark nodded his head.
"We'll make sure it does." Lee shot back with a slight smile before clutching his injured sides.
"You boys are lucky you got far enough away that Missile didn't do too much damage to you but you guys still need to take it easy these next couple of weeks." Ren retorted while Mark rolled his eyes.
"The only easy day was yesterday." He shot back earning a slight chuckle from Nikki.
"I think I'm gonna like being here!" she stated while slapping Mark on his injured leg and earning a loud wince from the Roman.
"Who are you exactly you're not just some groupie from Waston you handled yourself well back there…a little too well for someone affiliated with BSU?" Mark asked causing all eyes to turn and face the woman who merely chuckled.
"Nicole, Nikki, Stark Sister of BSU and Daughter of Waston's own Patrick Stark and if you know History as much as everyone says you do Mark then you know who those people are." She replied before moving to walk out of the room and leave everyone behind with mixed looks on their faces.
"You know who she's talking about?" Task asked while Mark nodded his head.
"Her father was a Waston Gangster with ties to the IRA and often smuggled guns for them." He replied.
"How come I've never heard of him?" asked Lee.
"Because his gang was wiped out by Milky Malone when he decided to become the only game in town." Mark retorted while everyone remained silent before the sound of the door to the room opening caught everyone's attention and caused them each to turn and notice a familiar woman standing on the otherside of it.
"I need to speak with you...in private." Tasha yelled out earning mixed looks from everyone in the room before Mark nodded his head.
"Of course, send the guy with Shrapnel in his leg out of the room." Lee angrily grunted before moving to rise from his chair before following the others out with Task helping him out in the process.
"We need to talk." Tasha stated while Mark shook his head.
"Not really there's nothing for us to talk about." He replied to her confusion.
"Yeah we do, a lot of secrets came out tonight and I want to talk to you about them." She replied while Mark merely chuckled. "I loved you and to this day I kinda still do. I never wanted to truly hurt you when me and Ryan came up with that plan…but at the same time I didn't want to see myself hurt either from watching you get hurt." She stated while Mark sat back and listened to her speak before finally speaking up.
"You know today I had the option to send Ryan to prison for the rest of his life for his fuckup with running this chapter as poorly as he did these last couple of years." He stated to her shock and surprise. "On top of that I bet you already know that the higher ups are casting Ryan out of power and want me to take over. Sending him to prison would have made it all seem just as sweet." He finished while Tasha eyed him closely.
"Then why didn't you?" she asked.
"Because I've gotten over you and I've moved on." He replied with venom in his tone. "I was hurt when I found out about you and Ryan but I always suspected you were cheating on me. In return I came home later and spent more time out with people who actually did care for me and my feelings and I hoped everything would one day disappear or return to normal, but instead I opened the door and walked in on the act." He stated while Tasha looked at the floor.
"I don't blame you but I don't pity you as well, because you cheating on me drew me into the arms of some of the greatest women on the planet. Women who actually give a damn about me and my feelings and I've hurt them in the past but they still love me the same and aren't going anywhere anytime soon. That is the only reason I chose to let Ryan stay in your arms instead of sending his ass to the Figueroa Unit where I know he won't last two minutes." He stated while Tasha eyed him closely.
"I'm taking BSU out of Sunbelt and I'm moving it to New Arcadia under new rules and new management. There isn't a place for either you or Ryan in my ranks, but you can have the scraps of what's left after I gut this group from the inside out and make them each into something better." He replied earning a slight chuckle from Tasha.
"A better army for you wage your wars with?" she asked with a raised brow.
"Or fight yours." He responded before watching the woman head out the door while he reached into his pocket and pulled out Dallas's Dog Tags before smiling at them.
"I kept part of my promise soon you girls will be able to sleep peacefully." He whispered under his breath while pulling out his cellphone and scrolling to a picture of Shawna and Whitney that was taken just before he left Sunbelt.
Authors Note: Phew finally finished, sorry for the late update but I kinda went through a setback after a doctor's appointment the yesterday. I know this chapter explored something new that I haven't done in any of my other stories with the introduction of ghost so allow me to explain.
When you live in the south you hear a lot of ghost stories regarding plantations, lynching's, and various other horrible events. You hear them a lot and in some cases you see the ghost that come from these stories so why not feature in some ghost.
This was the first introduction to ghost and they were only seen by Alison while Lee saw Laurie in a vision but I can promise that each of my characters will see ghosts as this story goes along.
Sunbelt PD and the arrest of the BSU members are kinda a result of what happened in Onkwehonwe's latest chapter of Concrete Jungle. It didn't really affect my group per say but in all cases Mark has to clean up their messes and this case is no different from the rest.
The attack on the FIB at the hands of the IAA is based somewhat from the otherside of the GTA V where you work for the FIB fucking over the IAA. I wanted for Ana to bring this up to Alison but I doubt she would know the full details of the FIB attacking the IAA in Los Santos since she's way at the bottom of the totem pole.
And it finally happened Mark's fight with Dallas, tell me how you liked it or hated it I'm really interested in the feedback for that fight.
Thank you all for reading, I know I'm cutting the Authors Notes short but I really want to get this chapter up so stick around for next chapter as Mark and Alison reconcile, Lee finds himself helping out Task and the Rifa's with their new leader situation, and since I didn't feature them this chapter Felix, Adahy, and Ernesto find themselves retaliating against a murder gone wrong in Sunbelt and a new foe rises from the ashes.
