Chapter 61: The War For Marcus Roman
Unknown Location
Blood
The red metallic liquid was something Mark was all too familiar with. The way it smelled of copper, its warm thick feeling, and even the way it tasted was all too familiar with the youngest Roman. He wasn't a doctor, surgeon, or even a real soldier, but in his profession, he might as well be with how much blood he's spilled in his lifetime.
What made this different though was the fact that the blood he was smelling wasn't that of his enemies or even his friends, but his own. The sheer amount he'd lost left him somewhat baffled as he looked down at his once white shirt through hazy eyes and noticed that it was now a bright shade of pink with rips covering it.
There was also pools of blood on the floor in splatters even a few footprints made from his blood to the door from his torturers.
He always knew that when someone was in intense pain time seems to speed up to those in pain but in reality only a few minutes pass and that's what it felt like to Marcus. It felt like he'd been tortured for weeks but he knew at the most only a day or maybe two had probably passed.
He knew just how much time had passed because of the rather large clock hanging on the wall high above his head. From there he was able to accurately calculate just how much time he'd been in the room.
A little over forty-seven hours, twenty-two minutes, sixty seconds.
These guys were professionals when it came to torture. They didn't want him to die so soon and they wanted him to hurt so they'd give him hours to sleep, recuperate, and heal so that when they came back to torture him they'd start off slow and hurt him just enough so that he didn't die.
He'd been beaten, sliced across his body, he'd had screws drilled into his arms and legs, toenails and fingernails pulled, his eyes had almost been gouged out, he'd been drugged, stabbed, and even electrocuted yet he wasn't dead.
It was a surprising sight even to his torturers that stood in another room watching him from a hidden camera. They'd put him through the ringer to the point where most men wouldn't be alive right now. They were hopeful for that but they knew he might not be alive for much longer not with what they had planned for him.
After a few more seconds of waiting though the sound of the front door being kicked open caused Mark to lift his tired head and notice a familiar man with a shaved head standing over him with a smile on his face.
"Glad to see you're awake again Marcus…I was really getting bored." He spoke out earning a low groan from the youngest Roman.
"FUCK YOU!" Mark shouted before watching him pull out a pocketknife and swipe it across his left pectoral and crossing a large slice across his Fleur De Lis.
The feeling of the cold piece of metal slicing into his skin caused him to let out a rather loud whimper in pain as he felt more of his blood start to ooze out and stain his tattered shirt and pants.
"You know slave masters used to brand their slaves with this symbol whenever they got out of line, but I guess it just goes to show that you never can escape the slavery mindset no matter how much money you make, no matter how many people look up to you, and no matter how many white girls you fuck." He stated while dragging the blade across the wound again and forming a rather prominent X over Mark's Fleur De Lis before looking back down at him with a smile as he shook in pain.
The more he continued to cut the more pain Mark could feel and the more his mind seemed to bring him back to happier times with the people he'd loved the most. Then as he cut again Mark's mind was brought back to shootouts, explosions, and even the many car crashes he'd been apart of.
"Son of a bitch…I'm gonna fucking kill you." Mark screamed out earning a rather loud chuckle from the man.
"Save your energy young Roman…you'll need it." He added before moving to slice another wound into Mark's side and causing him to again squirm in pain as his blood hit the floor and stained his clothing.
"You broke the record I had from the last man I had in this chair…I want to see just how long we can keep you." The Torturer added earning a low groan of pain from the youngest Roman who watched as he walked back over to a table and picked up a bloody hammer before presenting it to the youngest Roman.
"Mr. Percival is expecting you but he did say I can…pretty you up before we take you to him." He stated before kneeling on the ground then slamming the hammer down the foot of Marcus with enough force to earn a crunching sound as Mark gave a loud scream of sheer pain while jumping up in his seat and as the man continued to hammer away until his feet were bloody.
"Don't worry this will make that pain go away." The bald man stated before moving to pick up a power drill and causing Mark to squirm even at the sight of it but his squirming soon became thrashing as the man drilled a rather large hole into his right leg almost to Mark's bone and causing him to let out another loud shriek in pain.
New Arcadia
The scene back at the club in New Arcadia didn't seem to match it's usual picture. The spot was always a place where people came for a good time and left happy, but now it was a place that was gearing up for a war.
In total there must have been well over twenty soldiers split between BSU and The Roman Boys sitting in the lobby of the building while the gang leaders stood in the back room talking amongst each other about their next course of action.
"Those motherfuckers got my brother I say we go torch their asses until we find him…scorched fucking Earth." Marrick spoke out with venom in his tone while Lee, Jimmy, and the others stood back with smiles on their faces.
"We can't just go across the country hitting every Merryweather base trying to find him. We'll do more harm to ourselves and him and do no real damage or make any real progress." Ren spoke out earning an angry growl from the man.
"Better then sitting here doing jack shit." The middle Roman shot back just as Nikki turned to look at Lee an the others with an angry expression written on her face.
"Whose stupid fucking plan was this again?" the Irish lass yelled out while looking back and forth at the BSU leaders.
"Mark's stupid fucking plan and we don't like it, but he left us instructions and we're sticking to them." Lee shot back with a hint of venom in his tone as he sent a look to Courtney who was watching from a distance so until we get his signal on where exactly he is we're not moving." Lee shouted as loud as his lungs would carry causing mixed looks from the group before they watched him walk back into the backroom of the club with Jimmy, Link, Buck, Davey, Eddy, Robbie, where he noticed Manfred sitting behind the desk staring at his computer with a solemn look on his face while Ren sat on the couch with tears in her eyes.
"You found him?" Lee asked with wide eyes as the Indian man nodded his head.
"Just as Mark planned his cellphone turned on and I was able to ping his location and from there I was able to hack into some security cameras in the area." He stated with a shaken tone.
"And!" Jimmy asked raising his voice in anger as he and the other BSU members watched as Manfred turned his laptop around and showed the group a live video of the youngest Roman sitting in a chair screaming at the top of his lungs as a bald Caucasian man drilled a hole into his right leg.
"Holy shit!" Buck spoke out while trying to hold in his tears as he watched the grizzly display with sadness and anger in his eyes.
"They've been at it since I hacked into their systems." Manfred spoke out with a hint of sadness in his own voice as he looked to Link, Lee, and Jimmy who stared at the video with tears beginning to form in their eyes.
"Do you have his location?" Jimmy asked trying to hide his sadness and replace it with anger.
"I got his location and I know where they're going and if we leave in the next thirty minutes we can intercept them in about an hour and thirty." Manfred shot back with anger in his tone.
"Send this video to Ana…tell her we found him and we're gonna need that ride." Lee added before turning to Jimmy. "Tell everyone out there to ready up and place a call to Task and the Rifa's and see if they are willing to back us up." He added before patting Manfred on the shoulder and motioning for him to follow him.
"Where are you two going?" Link asked while eyeing Lee closely.
"To get more muscle." The Chinese man added before walking away while Manfred sent the video to the phone of Ana.
Arcadia Parish Jail
Time seemed almost at a standstill for Neto as he found himself leaning with his back touching the wall in his new cell in solitary confinement. He had no idea why either himself, Beans, Cyclone, and even Ralphy had been moved to solitary.
It was clear the guards hadn't found out it was them who was the reason for all the conflict between them and the black inmates but still the reason for them being moved here was unknown to him.
But after hearing the locks on his cell door being undone and watching it slide open to see a familiar woman of Chinese descent he got an idea as to why they'd been moved.
"Leave us!" Ana ordered earning a nod from the two guards who nodded their heads at her order before walking away and leaving Neto sitting back watching with a smile on his face.
"Well I guess Mark's suicide mission worked I gotta say I might actually miss him." Neto spoke out while eyeing Ana closely.
"He ain't dead and his suicide mission ain't over…this is the part where we rescue him." Ana stated earning a chuckle from Neto.
"This the part where you tell me you're gonna get me out of here if I help you?" he asked with a smile.
"Glad to see you're ready." She replied earning a laugh from the Mayan.
"What if I told you'd I'd rather sit in this cell for the rest of my life then help you and him?" Neto asked this time earning a chuckle from Ana.
"Then I tell you that if you and me don't walk out of this prison together then you will live the rest of your life in misery." Ana retorted earning a chuckle from Neto. He knew she was about to threaten his life and those close to him and in truth he wanted to see just what lengths she was willing to go to get his help.
"We have a schedule to keep so I'm going to skip the threats." She spoke out playing minds games with Neto who merely gave her a disappointed look before changing it to a confused one as he watched her pull out a brown envelope, dropping it on the ground, then kicking it over to the man.
"I think you don't even need to open it to understand what's inside." She stated prompting Neto to kick the envelope back towards her.
"If you're here to feed me more bullshit about ghosts you can keep that and go." He replied with venom in his tone.
"Come on Neto, you've heard it from Mai, then Mark, and now myself. The evidence that your son is alive is right in front of you and you won't even give it a glance." Ana spoke out earning a chuckle from Neto.
"You're all liars cut from the same cloth." He started while eyeing Ana closely. "I trusted Mai and she betrayed me so why should I trust you?" he asked while eyeing her angrily.
"Because where Mai and Mark are telling you to your face your child is alive I'm giving you visual proof that he's alive, healthy, and well." She stated before kicking the paper back over to the man. "Despite what a lot of people say and believe about my relationship with Marcus it's not just business, it's not one-sided, and it's not a ploy." She added earning Neto's full attention.
"Marcus is the only person on the planet who makes me feel more then I am…and I refuse to lose that. So help me get him back and I will help you get your son back." Her words though forceful seemed full of sadness and anger. It was something Neto had never experienced before with the woman and thought it was something she wasn't capable of but seeing her here and now in this state made him believe that what she was saying was true.
He didn't want to say it out loud and he didn't want to let her know that she swayed him so instead of standing up and saying he would help her he asked for her to lead him out of the jail as though that was the only thing he wanted.
He didn't want to admit his thanks to her, but Ana knew he was grateful and was happy. If Neto hadn't come along with her not only would he be sitting in a jail listening as his friends in the cells next to his were brutally beaten and murdered, he'd also be hearing about his homies back in Los Santos and even Mexico being murdered as well. She doubted that would get him to crack but she was really thankful she didn't have to cut off his sons head and send it to him to get him to believe that his boy was still alive.
That was her second option and she was glad she didn't come to it.
Unknown Location
The torture had finally stopped and Mark soon found himself fading away from reality once again as his torturer stood over him with a wide smile on his face as he watched him pass out once more after another round of what he called "The Fun Hour!".
The torture didn't end for Mark though once he did pass out as the enemies, demons, monsters, and warriors from his past plagued his dreams and haunted his thoughts with many of them rejoicing in the pain of the youngest Roman who'd slayed them back in his past.
"This guys an amateur with a drill I would have put it in your shoulder." Stated Dutch Oven as he found himself standing over the youngest Roman flicking his lighter.
"Nah those BSU pricks like piercing I would have put that shit right through his tongue or even his balls." Stated another Skinhead with gages in his ears and covered head to toe in tattoos.
Mark couldn't remember his name, along with the names of a lot of the ghost that were haunting him, but he did remember that he was another of the men who Shawna had pointed out was there when she was raped so that earned him a rather…biblical style of death.
He had his eyes and mouth sewn shut while his jaws, knees, and back were left broken. He'd been drenched in honey and then then buried alive next to what Lee had dubbed "The biggest anthill he'd ever seen!". It didn't take a genius to figure out what happened to the man, but Mark called it poetic justice for what he did.
"Fuck you!" Mark yelled out angrily while looking through the crowd as Dallas stood over him chuckling.
"There ain't no tuning us out now Marcus you're gonna hear us and feel us." He added while staring at the youngest Roman with a smile.
"BACK OFF!" Came a familiar voice that shook everyone including Mark who looked back up and noticed that all of his former enemies were now gone just like he remembered them but in their place stood two familiar men looking at him with smiles on their faces.
"Miller…Viktor!" Mark called out before the duo helped him to his feet and proceeded to carry him away.
"Even in death…we always got your back brother." Miller spoke out just as Viktor patted the injured Mark on the back.
New Arcadia
Despite being back in her home and in her bed after weeks in captivity Alison still found herself trapped in nothingness as she found herself staring up at the ceiling with a blank expression on her face. She couldn't think about what that man, William Poindexter, and all he'd done to her.
More importantly though all her mind could keep going to was Mark and his safety. She didn't know if he was dead or alive, but all she knew was that she was at fault for it. He'd given himself up for her and Ana, he was willing to give up his life for her.
She'd been with bad boy types like Mark before but none of them were ever as selfless as the youngest Roman who was willing to die for her. It was almost like a cheesy romance movie, except this wasn't a romance movie and he really might not ever be coming home.
He was willing to die for her…but was she willing to do the same for him.
After a few more minutes of pondering the question she soon found herself rising up from the bed and walking over to her dresser where her P220 lay resting along with her badge and a box of ammo. She then found herself picking it up and moving to load a fresh magazine inside of it before a knock at the door caused her to turn her head and notice Steve standing behind her with a smile on his face.
"Sorry I didn't mean to startle you." He spoke out while Alison turned to look at him with an emotionless look on her face.
"It's okay, I thought you were at work." She replied while Steve nodded his head.
"I thought we could go out for lunch together." He retorted while Alison gave a slight smile.
"Thanks…but I'm not really feeling well." She replied while Steve nodded his head.
"Right…then at least you can talk to me about where you've been these last couple of weeks." He shot back while Alison gave a slight chuckle.
"I already told you I was in Waston with my dad." She lied while moving to walk past the man.
"Why weren't you returning my calls then." He asked while watching Alison walk over to the bed and take a seat.
"It slipped my mind." She shot back.
"It slipped your mind that you have a fiancé?" he asked while eyeing her closely.
"Please I don't want to fight with you Steve." She retorted before rubbing her forehead in frustration.
"This isn't a fight it's a simple conversation amongst adults." He shot back while folding his arms over his chest.
"Then why are you pressing the issue?" she asked with anger in her tone.
"Because I feel like I have a right to know." He yelled out catching her by surprise and earning wide eyes from the woman. "I apologize!" he corrected while Alison shook her head.
"I think you should go…at least until you can calm down and talk to me like a civilized person." She spoke out earning a few seconds of silence from Steve before he did as he was told and walked out of the room slamming the door behind him while Alison sat on the bed with tears beginning to fall from her eyes.
She hated lying to the other man in her life but she knew it was for the best in order to keep Lee and the others safe, but still it ate her up inside. What seemed to eat her up more though was the possibility that Mark could be dead and her she was fighting with the only other man in her life. She may not feel for Steve like she feels for Marcus but she did love him and right now she needed him.
She would remind him of that…after she'd gotten the other man in her life back.
Metra, Jenner Parish
"Are you sure about this brother." Manfred asked as both he and Lee found themselves walking into Little Honduras with mixed expressions.
Manfred kept a scared expression on his face because he found himself entering enemy territory but Lee seemed fearless as he found himself walking down the street and catching a few eyes in the process and earning a few whistles from some of the residents who'd watched him go by with mixed looks on each of their faces.
Before long the duo had drawn a crowd with a couple of Azteca's following behind the duo and watching them closely as they entered their territory unopposed and found themselves walking up to a familiar house where they noticed a familiar group standing outside with mixed looks on each of their faces.
"We didn't need the escort." Lee spoke out with a hint of venom in his tone.
"Just making you feel welcome." Ernesto spoke out with a hint of anger in his tone.
"Don't even think about asking us for help in getting him back." Adahy spoke out while Lee chuckled.
"You consider yourself one of them but I don't see no Azteca ink on you." Lee added with anger in his tone before turning to Felix.
"We're getting Mark back just thought you'd want a little payback and be with us when we deliver the final blow." Lee retorted before turning to Ernesto.
"Why should we help you after you kidnapped Felix?" Loka asked.
"He's right here right now ain't he…all apart of our plan and we doubt any of you would have been alright with him going willingly." Lee shot back with anger in his tone.
"How do you even know Mark is alive right now. You all could be fighting for a corpse right now." Syke O yelled out with anger in his tone before Lee motioned for Manfred who nodded his head and opened his laptop to allow the group to see the bloody unconscious Mark lying in a chair fast asleep after another round of torture.
"He's alive, but dead or alive this war with Merryweather is far from over and you all know it." Lee yelled out with anger in his tone. "Once they figure out that one is alive they'll be swarming all over the barrio gunning all of you down once again and the only difference this time will be you won't have us there you back you up." He added.
"Like we needed you to begin with!" Syke O shot back earning a chuckle from Lee.
"You had me fooled then." The Chinese man retorted before turning back to Ernesto. "I came here extending a hand in helping you get revenge for your dead homies, but I can clearly see you're contempt with where you're at…so with that we'll be going." Lee finished before moving to turn around only to be stopped by a familiar voice.
"I'm going with you." Felix declared to the surprise of many of the gangsters who watched him step off the porch with a serious look on his face. "They killed my mother and I'm not contempt. I'll fight with you but that doesn't make us friends again." He added.
"Wouldn't want it any other way." Lee shot back before sending a look to Ernesto. "Anyone else!" he asked earning a nod from man.
"I can't ask any other Carnal here to help you, but I will if you give me what I want and I think you already know what it is amigo." He spoke out earning a low growl from Lee as he stared him in the eyes.
Unknown Location
Mark had no idea where the ghost of Miller and Viktor had brought him or much of anything for that matter only that after the duo had appeared the ghost of all his former enemies seemed to vanish and he had a moment of peace.
When they'd finally reached their destination though Mark found himself staring at a rather beautiful oasis with a lake that overlooked a rather large volcano in the distance. The sight of which made him instantly think back to a postcard he once saw from a resort in Hawaii.
"Here you go brother!" Viktor let out as he and Miller lowered Mark down into the water and watched as a breathed a heavy sigh of relief at the feeling of the cool waters engulfing his body and leaving him feeling almost completely numb.
"What is this place?" Mark asked before turning his head around to look in the direction of Miller and Viktor only to notice that the duo were no longer behind him.
"A place we always talked about going." Came a new voice that caused Mark eyes to widen as he whipped his head around and noticed a familiar duo looking at him from across the waters with a set of wide smiles.
"What is this?" Mark asked as he found himself staring at Shawna and Whitney as though the duo were nothing more then figments of his imagination.
"Your enemies aren't the only ones watching over you." Whitney spoke out as she found herself swimming over to the youngest Roman and immediately wrapping up into his arms to which Mark didn't fight or protest.
"So I am dead?" he asked earning a shake of the head from Shawna who moved to swim directly next to him.
"You're near death but not entirely dead." Shawna spoke out to a man's confusion. "It's like you're dreaming while your mind and body repairs itself and right now it's helping you deal with a lot of your demons." She added while Mark gave a low growl.
"So neither of you are here right now?" Mark asked before feeling Whitney's smooth hand brush against his chin and bring his gaze down to her own.
"Does it feel like we're here with you though?" she asked while planting a small kiss on the side of the man's neck and forcing Mark to let out a low groan of pleasure as he remembered her touch and the feeling of her soft lips.
Just as he moved to give her a kiss of his own he was stopped though as Shawna pulled his gaze away from Whitney and forced his lips against her own in a move that didn't take him by surprise but left him somewhat thunderstruck by the feeling and just how much passion she was letting out.
"I always get the first kiss." She let out after pulling away from Mark with a smile and earning a chuckle from the man who merely pulled the two girls closer in his arms and held them as tight as he could.
"I'm sorry about what happened, I should have-." He started only to be silenced by the two women.
"Hush, that's in the past and you need to think about those that are your future." Shawna stated while Mark eyed her closely.
"Alison is good for you…much better than the both of us." Whitney added while Mark gave a smile before lowering his head.
"I don't think I'm that good for her." Mark shot back earning a chuckle from Whitney.
"If you weren't good for her you wouldn't be in this situation, you're in right now would you?" She asked while eyeing Mark closely before running her hands over the new scars, bruises, and open gashes that now dressed his body.
"You're as good for her as it gets Mark and don't forget that." Shawna spoke out while running her fingers under Mark's chin in a soothing manner. "Now own what you did to those assholes out there and go to her." She finished earning a nod from Mark before he shared another deep kiss with the two women only to be interrupted the familiar sound of laughter causing him to lift his head and notice that the ghost of his enemies had once again reappeared over him and causing Shawna and Whitney to disappear in Mark's arms.
"Looks like even in death you can't protect your own Mark." Spoke out the skinhead with the face tattoos as he stood over Mark with a wide smile while the youngest Roman gave a low growl before responding.
"You know after I left you to those ants I kinda wanted to see how long it would take before you expired." Mark let out with a sick chuckle causing the man to take a few steps back away from him.
"You know the more and more I see you guys the more I think just how much of a fucked up person I can be." Mark replied before looking through the crowd and smiling at each person who looked at him in confusion.
"I killed you all, I slaughtered all of you motherfuckers with ease and I don't regret any of it." He yelled out before looking up and seeing a familiar Mexican gangster standing on his side. He didn't know the man's name but he did remember he was the family member of Loka, the one he killed after being drugged.
"I may see you all in hell someday but I'm glad I was the one to send you all there." He yelled out with more venom in his tone causing the group to step back with a few even starting to fade away from the youngest Roman.
"Whether I stabbed you, shot you, or just flat out fucked over all you I don't care." He continued while looking through the crowd and seeing familiar African American gangster who was once a member of the families whose head he crushed using a cement block. The man then vanished into thin air almost like a gust of wind.
There was also another man, this one a member of the Deuce whose face he remembered practically melting off with boiling water. He soon followed the first but letting out a slight shriek of pain similar to the one he made when Mark killed him.
Then there was a Vago who he remembered tossing in a pool filled with lye and having his skin pulled off by the substance, there was an Azteca who he tied up and had his eyes eaten out by ravens, and a Marabunta member who he and Lee left stripped and tied to a Stallion Station on a farm.
"Raped to death by horses that had to be a way to go out." Mark let out while chuckling at the man whom he remembered killed one of his BSU members and stole money from the group. "I've done the worse to a lot of you." He continued before looking to Doom and remembering the man's head coming off like the top of a soda can.
"And I still laugh at the way many of you asshats died." He added while smiling at Doom then looking to Brian.
"If I could do it all again I'd do it a lot worse." He groaned out before finally looking to Doom and eyeing him angrily.
"Especially to you!" he finished earning a half smile from the Aryan man whose smile quickly faded as Mark slammed his forehead against the man's nose and upon doing so finding his eyes snapping open to realize that he'd been brought back to the reality.
He was back in the torture room still tied up but he was left alone and as he looked up at the clock he realized that it would be a while before his torturer would return so with the little strength he had and the fuel of adrenaline and anger coursing through his body he quickly started the process of trying to free himself.
Airfield Outside Metra
The sound of a car engine approaching in the distance quickly caught the attention of Lee, Ernesto, Jimmy, Felix, Syke O, and the other BSU members as they noticed an all-black SUV pull up to their location before watching with half smiles as Marco and Charlie stepped out with three other men of Caucasian men dressed in full military fatigues and carrying Assault Weapons.
"Glad to see the new director of the IAA could send us some real support." Jimmy joked while loading a fresh magazine into his M14 Battle Rifle before looking out the scope to see if it was adjusted correctly.
"He probably didn't send them they're more then likely here from Ana's own pocket money." Link retorted while looking to Lee who kept his AA-12 close to him as he eyed the new arrivals closely.
"I hope these guys are some of your best." Lee spoke out while eyeing the group closely.
"Better than you and yours will ever be." Charlie retorted while eyeing the Chinese man closely before looking back at the BSU and Roman Boyz members who were more then likely gonna lay down their lives today for the rescue of Marcus Roman.
Lee wanted to argue with the Italian man, but he knew the man was more than likely right. Many of the men they were taking with them weren't that skilled or trained for real combat like himself, Lee, and damn sure not the IAA Contractors before them. Guys like them could take out an entire base in a few short hours but he needed soldiers and right now that was all that really mattered to him.
"We got company coming in behind us." Marco spoke out as he turned his head along with Lee and the others and quickly noticed four teal colored cars pulling into the airfield and coming to a complete stop in front of the group.
"How'd you manage to bring them along with this?" the Afro-Dominican man asked as Marrick walked up from behind Lee and the others with a serious look on his face.
"A little hard convincing." He replied earning a low groan from the middle born Roman.
"I don't trust those motherfuckers!" he spoke out while watching as Ernesto, Felix, Adahy, Skye O, La Tortura, Lady Casper, and several other Azteca members each stepped out with serious looks on each of their faces and weapons in each of their hands.
"I don't either, but like use they're survivors and they know that if they want to end this shit with Merryweather we all have to work together." Lee spoke out without even turning to the Roman.
"Plus if we do survive this and we do get Mark back I'm not burn their cliqua in Metra to the ground along with their homies in Sunbelt." Lee added earning confused looks from the group. "While Merryweather has been thinning them out. "A dead Marabunta OG and his family in their neighborhood is gonna go a long way especially in their weakened state." He finished earning a nod from the group before they noticed the group stop in front of all of them.
"Glad to see you could make it." Lee spoke out while Ernesto eyed him closely.
"Don't consider us here to help Marcus, we're here to put an end to Merryweather." Ernesto spoke out while Lee nodded his head.
"We wouldn't want it any other way." Jimmy added while eyeing the group angrily.
"So where are these Ferryweather fuckers?" Felix asked before the group heard the sound of helicopter blades whirring in the distance causing them each to lift their heads and notice a Blackhawk Helicopter flying above each of their heads and hover for a few seconds.
"I hope you guys like flying." Lee let out with venom in his tone as he watched in anger as Kyra landed the Blackhawk in front of the group before Ana opened the side door to reveal a smiling Neto, Task, and a somewhat annoyed Tully.
"I hope you boys missed me." Neto joked while eyeing Lee, Jimmy, and the other angry looking BSU members who each hated the idea of pulling the man out of prison in order to fill their ranks with guys they knew could handle themselves.
They hated it but at the end of the day the ends justified the means.
Elsewhere
The hinges of the club doors crashing open didn't seem to bother Alison who forced them open so hard that someone on the other end would have thought that she'd kicked the door open instead of pushing it open.
"LINK, LEE, JIMMY!" she screamed out with fear and anger in her tone as she scanned the floor and the VIP section of the club in search of the group before calling out to Buck, Manfred, and any of the others in hopes that one of them would come out and talk to her.
"They aren't here!" came a new voice that caused Alison to whip her head upward to the VIP section of the club and notice a figure standing in the shadows looking down on her. "They've left to go and save him."
"I want to help!" Alison spoke out while looking to the figure who gave a low chuckle.
"They can handle it without you." The person retorted to Alison's confusion. "Plus it gives me and you time to finally get to know each other." Courtney spoke out as she revealed herself from the shadows, in a similar fashion to Marcus, and stared down at Alison who looked at her confusingly.
"I know who you are, and I bet you know who I am." She replied while starting to make her way down the stairs.
"I do!" Alison retorted while keeping her eyes on Courtney as she finally reached the ends of the stairs.
"I think it's time we get to know each other face to face." She finished while giving Alison a smile to which she surprisingly returned.
Elsewhere
The sound of the metal door being kicked open filled the torture room as Mark's tormentor returned and stared at the unconscious man with a wide smile before drawing his knife and licking the blade before approaching the youngest Roman.
"Well Mr. Concrete Soldier, or better yet Concrete Pretender our fun has come to an end." He started while moving to undo the restraints arounds Mark's arms only to notice that the ropes had already been cut.
"SHIT-!" he started only to feel a sharp pain in the front of his neck as Mark bit down on the side of the man's neck with enough force to draw blood and causing the man to let out a low wheeze as the teeth of the youngest Roman pierced the man's voice box and gnawed at the man's vocal cords like that of a predator silencing their prey.
As the torturer tried to stab at Mark the youngest Roman merely forced his hand back while continuing to bite at his throat before finally pulling back and tearing a large piece of flesh from the side of the man's throat prompting his blood to spew out almost like a fountain before Mark threw him to the ground and watched him convulse before finally choking on his own blood.
"Sweet dreams!" Mark whispered out before spitting on the man then limping towards and out of the door while also taking shallow breaths.
He was hurt and hurt bad, almost to the point where he could barely stand but he knew if he stayed where he was he would be signing his own death warrant. He needed to push on…even if he was in pain, he would push through it for his own sake and the sake of his friends.
As he walked through the dark hallway's he quickly realized that he was leaving bloody footprints with each step he took. He knew there was nothing he could do about it, they would be on him soon so he had to act quickly.
After a few minutes of walking though he'd finally arrived at a metal door at the end of the hallway and upon with a large circular handle like that of a boat.
"Please don't tell me-." Mark started before turning the handle, opening the door, and immediately being hit with the familiar smell of sea water as he noticed that he was standing on the front deck of a rather large battleship that was approaching a large land mass. "You have got to be kidding me!" he stammered with anger in his tone.
He knew from the reports given to him by Devlin and the IAA that he was more then likely gonna be transported to Merryweather's last fortified American base and only maritime base known as The Nautical. He knew he was gonna be taken here, but not on a boat especially the size of the one he was on. He couldn't see the boat all the way but he could tell just by seeing the deck that this boat was entirely huge.
"Shit!" he whispered out before ducking back into the shadows as a pair of Merryweather Officers walked passed his location on patrol.
As the duo walked passed him Mark slowly stepped out of the shadows with the knife he'd taken off his torturer at the ready. He was too weak to fight but he knew eventually it wouldn't be long before the soldiers discovered his escape and started hunting for him. So he would need to get better and fast, and he knew there was at least one place he could do so.
Meanwhile
The sound of water splashing seemed to easily fill the ears of Lee as he found himself leading a small strike team composed of himself, Ana, Marco, Felix, Neto, and Syke O through the underground sewer system that coiled around the Merryweather installation.
The group had managed access the sewer system through a hole in the side of the base near the ports and used snorkeling equipment to get inside. It was a similar tactic that they employed during their heist on a previous Merryweather installation in hopes that they hadn't stepped up their security in other locations at the time.
It was a longshot, but it was all they had at the moment.
"How did I get pulled in for this suicide mission?" Syke O asked with anger in his tone.
"Even numbers three of us three of you." Lee retorted without even looking to the man. "And the three of us can blend the most on their base." He added earning a laugh from Neto.
"Right, the rainbow coalition will fit in rather well on a mostly white male base." He spoke out with sarcasm plainly evident in his tone.
"We're the best we got and for this part of the plan we're gonna need to be our small and flexible." Marco spoke out with no real emotion in his tone as he shined his flashlight down the end of the tunnel and caught sight of an opening in the side of the wall.
"That's our way up!" he spoke out before watching as Lee went to raise his AA-12 in the direction of the door only to be stopped as Ana put her hand on the top of his weapon and forced him to lower it.
"What gives?" he asked only to watch as the woman reached in the back of her pants and pulled out a rather familiar Bowie Knife and M1911 Pistol with a Suppressor attached to it.
The group then watched in surprise as she knocked on the door and took up a stance on the side. This drew mixed looks from the group who stepped to the side in order to blend into the shadows. Then as the door came swinging open with a young Merryweather Agent standing on the otherside the Chinese woman pounced with almost cat like reflexes and stabbed the man in the side of the neck before tossing him to the side then firing off striking shots and hitting the three men standing behind him all in their heads.
"Let's go!" she ordered with anger in her tone without turning to the group who only watched as she walked off with mixed looks on their faces.
"She's going all out?" Syke O asked while Lee gave a low chuckle before speaking.
"You would be to if the one you loved got snatched up." He retorted while moving to follow the woman.
"You really believe she loves your amigo?" he asked while noticing Lee look down at one of the dead Merryweather Agent before grabbing the belt of Hand Grenades that was around the man's torso.
"More then you can believe." He retorted while wrapping the belt around his own torso before readjusting his AA-12 Shotgun and following after the woman with Neto and the others in tow.
"We're inside!" he added over his earpiece and earning a confirmation from Jimmy who was on the otherside of the earpiece looking out the scope of his Barret Sniper Rifle with Charlie and three IAA Agents doing the same while Ernesto, La Tortura, Lady Casper, Davey, Eddy, Buck, Thire, Marrick, and the rest of their force found themselves perched a few miles outside of the base with mixed looks on their faces.
"Loud and clear!" Jimmy spoke out while noticing Buck and a couple of other BSU members loading a stolen tanker truck with C4 and Semtex while Davey and Eddy found themselves setting up a Mortar and giving instruction to their Mortar Team.
They were short handed, despite the combined might of the BSU members they'd managed to pull from New Arcadia, Sunbelt, Los Santos, and the additional force of the Aztecas, Roman Boyz, and even IAA they were still outnumbered three to one by the Merryweather's forces inside of the base.
On top of that the group was also outgunned by the many ships and aircrafts that were inside of the base as well. The only thing they had on their side was the element of surprise and a longshot. It wasn't a longshot they wanted, but it was all they had.
It was the only thought going through all of their heads, but they knew it had to work for all their sakes.
New Arcadia
The smell of ginger tea seemed strong in the air of the night club as Alison found herself sitting in a booth watching as Courtney approached her with two white glasses filled with the liquid before setting one down in front of her.
"I'd offer you drink, but I'm trying to quit myself." She spoke out while Alison nodded her head.
"It's fine thank you!" the FIB Agent retorted before slowly moving to pick up the glass and take a sip from it. She wasn't really thirsty but acting more out of courtesy than anything else. "We shouldn't be sitting here…we should be out helping them." Alison spoke out earning a low scoff from Courtney.
"We should?" she asked while looking at Alison with a raised. "Tell me have you ever shot your gun at someone with the intention of killing them because its different then what you're used to." She added earning a low growl from the woman.
"I can't just sit here and do nothing." She yelled out while Courtney held her finger up at her.
"What can you do aside from get in the way if you haven't gotten your hands dirty?" the New Arcadian Stripper asked while Alison asked.
"I haven't killed anyone, but you have so why aren't you there helping?" She asked with more anger in her tone and earning a few seconds of silence from the woman before she answered.
"Because I promised Mark I wouldn't." She replied to Alison's confusion as she watched the woman look down in her drink with an emotionless look on her face. "Mark was set on giving himself up to save you two…I convinced him to reconsider his plan but in return I had to sit back and watch as Lee and the others go and save him without my help." She added while Alison looked on in confusion.
"I was kidnapped, tortured, drugged, and…worse." She added to Alison's shock and surprise. "Despite all that happened to me Mark never stopped looking for me and he hunted down everyone that had a hand in what happened to me…including working with his enemies to do it." She continued with Alison noticing a gleaming smile beginning to form on the woman's face.
"He saved me…I should be saving him, but he doesn't want that for me. I was a stripper before all of this but now thanks to Mark I'm one of the biggest club owners in the city. I'd do anything for him right now…but he promised me he'd come back to me and I believe him." She added before looking up to Alison with a smile and clasping her hand over the FIB Agent's own.
"He promised to come back for all of us." She finished while looking to Alison who merely lowered her head after a few seconds of staring into the woman's gaze.
"He wouldn't want me after…what's happened." The Waston Native spoke out earning a look from Courtney who merely gave a low scoff before rising from her seat and moving closer to Alison and taking a seat next to her much to the woman's surprise.
"I felt the same way you're feeling but trust me, when he wraps you in his arms…he's never gonna let you go again and you're gonna feel as though you're the safest person in the world." She added while moving to wrap her arm around the shoulder of Alison and bring her in for a tight hug to which the FIB Agent responded by blushing.
"I'm scared of losing him." She spoke out while Courtney nodded her head.
"I am too...but I know he's gonna come back." She added while looking up to the VIP Section of the club and noticing a familiar bulletproof vest hanging near the rafters. "He's gonna come back!"
The Nautical
A low pain filled moan filled the air as Mark found himself slicing the throat of another Merryweather Agent then watching with a smile as his body hit the ground with a loud thud while a blonde haired woman in a white lab coat stood back watching him with fear in her eyes.
The Medical Wing of the Nautical was a literal cache of medical supplies for the youngest Roman who after taking one of the doctors hostage and using her to close his wounds and drug him up enough to the point where pain was almost nonexistent he almost easily dispatched of all the Merryweather Guards resting in medical along with a few doctors to the fear and disgust of the doctor who watched him pick up an L86A1 Machine Gun and load a fresh sixty round magazine inside of it.
"Please-!" the doctor started while looking to Mark and noticing him look at the bandages covering his body along with the bulletproof vest he'd taken off a dead Merryweather guard.
"Grab a life vest!" he ordered earning a confused look from the woman who watched him point his weapon at her before moving to follow his command.
After she'd put the vest on Mark quickly pulled her back out onto the deck of the ship where she'd noticed two more dead Merryweather Agents before Mark grabbed her by the back of her jacket and forced her to the edge of the ship.
"I hope you can swim!" he spoke out before pushing the woman over the side of the ship and watching her hit the water with a loud splash.
He didn't want to kill her, hell she was just a doctor, but he also couldn't leave her to get caught so this seemed like the most viable option.
After making sure she surfaced Mark then found himself making his way to the bridge of the ship. He had no idea how to drive a boat or fire the weapon's but he was gonna find out today.
Meanwhile
The sound of helicopter blades filled the ears of the Merryweather soldiers near the airfield as they watched an all-black helicopter land in one of the stations before noticing a familiar heavy set Caucasian man step out with a rather serious look on his face and a familiar man following behind him.
"Sir!" one of the Merryweather Agents greeted while saluting the man.
"Fuck your formality soldiers, where is he?" Dan Percival asked with anger in his tone while Poindexter stood behind him with his usual unamused look on his face.
"Enroute and exactly fifteen minutes from reaching the ports." The soldier shot back while Dan nodded his head just as the helicopter, he'd arrived in started to fly back upwards
"Good make contact with the Nautical and confirm that Marcus Roman is still alive and-." Just before he could finish his sentence, he was completely taken off-guard along with Poindexter and many of the other soldiers as a Rocket came from almost nowhere and slammed into the side with enough force to send it falling back to the ground a flaming heap.
"Great shot Thire!" Jimmy spoke out looking to the man of Polynesian descent who merely nodded his head after loading another Rocket into his Carl Gustaf M4 before taking aim at one of the watchtowers on the right side of the base then firing another missile that literally tore the roof off the top of the tower and sent it falling outside of the base with three dead Merryweather Agents being burned and crushed in the sequence.
"Marrick you're up!" Jimmy called out over his Walkie Talkie to the middle Roman.
"Way ahead of you!" the Middle Roman spoke out over his Walkie Talkie as he found himself sitting in the passenger seat of the chemical truck while a Roman Boyz member with a camouflage bandanna wrapped around his face drove the truck straight for the checkpoint on the East Side of the base.
"STOP THAT TRUCK-!" one of the Gunners in the second tower called out only to be taken off-guard as he noticed another Missile come rocketing towards the tower just as he was speaking.
It was coming fast and he knew he couldn't go for the stairs along with the others so he merely took the leap of faith off the side of the tower just as the missile collided with the base of it and blew off a rather large piece of the metal causing the tower to teeter to the side before collapsing on the East Side Wall.
"SHIT!" Marrick screamed out as bullets collided with the windshield of the truck and managed to strike the driver several times in the chest killing him instantly and leaving Marrick looking quizzically before barrel rolling out the side of the vehicle as it continued to speed forward towards the wall.
"MORTARS!" Jimmy screamed out earning nods from the Mortar teams who quickly found themselves dropping high explosives rounds into the five weapons then watching with smiles as they each fell inside the walls of the base and creating five explosion that shook the base.
Then in a shock to everyone inside another loud almost ear shattering explosion went off as the truck filled with plastic explosive collided with the Eastern Wall and created an explosion so violent it shattered windows, knocked men to the ground, shook the earth, and could even be seen from the Nautical and all those aboard it.
"What the hell was that?" the younger Percival asked while looking to Poindexter who was looking in the direction the explosion came from and noticed watched in shock as a rather gapping split was now in between the brick and metal that made up the wall.
"Oh Shit!" he started only before another barrage from the Mortars started to go off around the base this time focusing primarily on the ground near hole.
Then to his shock the sound of car engines started to sound off in the distance and he watched with mixed looks as a car armed with Machine Guns lead a convoy of vehicles through the hole and started laying down anyone that got in their way.
"Damn!" Marrick whispered out as he noticed Ernesto whip the lead vehicle with ease as he turned a corner and layed out four more Merryweather soldiers before running a fifth man over.
"You fucked with the wrong Barrio!" he whispered out with venom in his tone as he whipped around another corner and fired off another barrage of rounds while the South Siders in the vehicles behind him tried their best to keep up with him but within the first five minutes alone he'd managed to rack up well over twenty five kills.
"You need a lift?" came an unfamiliar voice to Marrick who lifted his head and noticed a pickup truck filled with BSU members armed with a Browning Machine Gun on its truck bed pull up to him with a screeching halt.
"Just shut up and drive!" the Middle Roman spoke out before moving to climb up the back of the truck
"Manfred you're clear to engage!" Jimmy spoke out over his radio before lifting his head and watching as three Drones flew down from the heavens and started to rain down a barrage of missiles on the Airfield and Port in hopes of slowing down the Merryweather Counterattack.
"On your word brother!" the Indian man spoke out from his usual position behind a laptop tapping away at the Keyboard as one of the drones dropped a missile onto a Tank on the far side of the base while another bombed a building filled with Merryweather Agents, and the last dropping a bomb on the Airfield that left Poindexter's ears ringing violently.
"Lock onto those birds and take them down!" Poindexter yelled out over his Walkie Talkie before being greeted with a series of chatter as a set of Surface to Air Missile Launchers seemed to come to life on the side of one of the boats before firing and striking two aircrafts and sending them falling to the ground and crashing into nearby buildings on the base.
"There goes fifty million dollars." Jimmy spoke out with anger in his tone before a violent explosion on the cliffside farthest to him left him and the others stunned as they noticed a smoke cloud form beginning to form around the groups left side from where one of the Merryweather Naval Ships had shelled their position.
"Shit there goes our left flank!" Jimmy screamed out at the top of his lungs as he noticed a series of body parts start to rain down on the remainder of the group.
"Prepare to level that entire cliffside on my mark!" Poindexter started just as the guns on the docked ships turned in the direction of the cliff Jimmy and the others found themselves resting on.
"GET READY TO MOVE IN!" Jimmy screamed out before picking up his Rifle and moving with others.
Just as Poindexter went to give the command to fire though he was taken off-guard by a serious of loud explosion going off on one of the decks of the ships as two F-22 Raptors came diving from the clouds and letting off a storm of missiles and bullets on the top hull of one of the ships until an explosion from the cockpit caused everyone to look around.
"They have air support?" Poindexter started only to let out a loud shriek of pain as a bullet collided with the side of his right ear and tore off his ear lobe causing him to look back in pain and anger and notice a familiar Chinese woman staring at him an angry look on her face as she lifted Mark's CM901 Assault Rifle and managed to hit the man standing behind her with a shot to the neck before finishing him with a headshot that caught him in the right.
"I HOPE YOU DIDN'T THINK WE WERE JUST GONNA LAY DOWN!" Lee screamed out at the top of his lungs before pulling the pins on two of the Grenades from his belt and tossing them in the direction of Poindexter who could only roll out of the way as the explosives went up in two loud explosions that killed four other Merryweather Agents and left him lying on the ground dazed.
"Shock and Awe!" Marco screamed out at the top of his lungs as he fired a barrage of rounds from his ACR Assault Rifle and managed to strike down two more soldiers nearest Dan Percival who started to panic as the bullets went off around him.
"Aww!" he screamed out before moving to turn around and run only to be hit on the side of the head with the butt of a Rifle.
"Si Danny where you going?" came an unfamiliar voice to the youngest Percival that caused him to turn his head and notice a man of Mayan descent kneeling in front of him with a wild look in his eyes. "Come on you're the guest of honor and this party is really just getting started." Neto stated only to slam the butt of his Rifle into the man's right hip with enough force to shatter it and Dan to let out a banshee like scream before being grabbed by his ankles and pulled away with Felix, Syke O, and Marco providing covering fire.
"Damn it!" Poindexter muttered out with anger in his tone as he slowly rose his feet and pointed his M4A1 in the direction of the fleeing group only to look out and notice four Merryweather Humvee's and a transport truck pull into the Airfield and start firing a barrage at the group who could only take cover inside of a nearby building.
"Shit reinforcements came to early." Felix yelled out with anger in his tone as he watched Neto and Syke O fire their Assault Rifles out the shattered windows trying to strike the Merryweather Goons who took cover behind their vehicles with the Gunner on the Humvee quickly aiming his weapon at the building and unleashing a barrage that caused the group to hit the ground.
"You sons of bitches are dead there's no way you're gonna get out of here." Dan Percival yelled out earning a punch to the side of the head courtesy of Ana who eyed the man angrily after doing so.
"If we die so do you!" Lee spoke out before pulling two more pins off the Grenades on his belt before tossing them outside the window and creating another violent explosion.
"I'll die with a smile because you're fighting a meaningless cause with no way out." He added while Ana chuckled.
"We have a way out and you gave us a way out." Lee added to everyone's confusion.
"What are you talking about, how did I do that?" Percival asked with venom in his tone.
"When you put someone like Marcus Roman on your biggest battleship." Ana finished to the confusion of the Merryweather Owner.
"Get ready to shell that place again!" Poindexter screamed out as he walked up to the Humvee and noticed the Gunner loading another fresh belt of bullets into the weapon while a Merryweather Agent armed with an M32 Grenade Launcher took up aim at the building.
Before any of them could fire though everyone lifted their heads at the sound of a violent explosion going off on the top deck of one of the Merryweather ships docked at the port. The explosion was ear shattered and seemed to almost create a tidal wave in the port while one of the ships was split almost completely in half by the force of the explosion.
As water started to run inside of the ship many of the men on board started to jump out along the side of the ship in hopes of escaping while those stuck inside merely awaited their fate at the bottom of the water.
"That was a harpoon missile." Poindexter pointed out just as his radio crackled to life.
"The enemy have control of the Nautical!" the words left him both shocked and surprised as he remembered the approaching ship without the ability to see Mark force the ship into high gear and send it speeding towards shores before breaking of the main wheel.
"Ramming speed!" he muttered out before pressing a few more buttons in hope of finding another weapon on the ship but only managing to activate the ships heavy cannons and managing to hit one of the other two ships in the side.
"Wait this looks nice!" Mark spoke out with a smile only to lift his head and notice three Merryweather Agents making their way for the door of the main deck only to fall down as Mark lifted his Machine Gun and fire a barrage of rounds that hit one man in the neck and the other two in the face and chest.
"Shit you couldn't get lost along the way!" he spoke out while firing another barrage outside the window and forcing the oncoming soldiers to take cover while he slammed his fist on one of the buttons then watched with a smile as a Torpedo was launched from a tube on the deck of the ship and into the waters where it then rocketed towards one of the other boats.
"We got a Torpedo heading our way!" yelled one of the Captains of the ships over Poindexter's Walkie Talkie.
"THEN MOVE THE DAMN SHIP!" he screamed out only for another explosion to go off at the port this time from under the water and creating another giant wave of water that actually knocked a few Merryweather Agents from the port into the water below where they could only watch in terror as a massive hole was placed in the side of the ship causing water to rush inside.
"All forces target the Nautical now!" Poindexter screamed out as the guns of the last ship turned on the Nautical only to go in up in flames as the two F-22 Raptors performed another flyby on to the last ship with the purpose of destroying or damaging the guns on the vessel.
The result was a success.
"Good hit flyboys-!" Charlie started only to regret his words as the two aircrafts were almost immediately hit by Surface to Air Missiles courtesy of a group of Merryweather ground troops armed with Javelin Missiles.
"There goes fifty million dollars each!" Jimmy spoke out as he found himself taking cover behind a building firing off a barrage of rounds as Ernesto turned a corner with the other vehicles in tow only to make sharp turn as he noticed an M1A1 Abrams tank parked at the end of the street.
"You gotta be fucking-!" the Ondero member started as the tank fired off one round from its main cannon that Ernesto narrowly avoided but to the misfortune of the vehicle of Vagos behind him as the powerful round struck the very top of the vehicle and send it up in a violent explosion.
The force of the blast was strong enough to actually force Ernesto to lose control of his vehicle before crashing it into one of the buildings while the rest of them scattered in hopes of avoid the war machine.
"Our bullets aren't getting past that armor." Tup spoke out with a hint of fear in his tone until he noticed Thire loading another Missile into his Rocket Launcher.
"Let's bring out the heavy artillery then." The Samoan man added just as another barrage of bullet went off in another location along the base as Marrick stood behind the Browning Machine Gun with a smile as he shot down four Merryweather Officers standing atop a building and firing on the white pickup truck.
"FUCK YOU!" the middle Roman screamed out at the top of his lungs before a series of bullets hit the driver and passenger of the vehicle, killing them both and sending the vehicle rocketing with Marrick tumbling out and rolling on the ground.
"Damn where the fuck are you Mark?" he asked with anger in his tone as he clutched his side and took in the sight of the blazing fire that now seemed to be ravaging the installation.
"I hope you assholes are buckled up!" Mark screamed out with anger in his tone as he finished reloading his Machine Gun before blindly firing at the Merryweather Agents who responded by tossing three hand grenades into the cockpit.
"SHIT!"
Mark's words couldn't be any louder as he ran for one of the windows of the cockpit before diving out as a violent explosion went off inside that blew out the remaining windows and knocked the hearing from Mark's ears.
After hitting the ground with a loud thud Mark merely looked up with an angry smile at the now blazing cockpit before rising back up and limpingly making his way below the deck of the ship and locking the door behind him.
He'd put the boat on a collision course for the port and with the destruction of the cockpit there would be no way of stopping it from hitting. He'd seen how regular boats looked when they crashed onto land but he often did wonder how it would look for a much larger ship.
Right now all he had to do was wait and brace himself because it wouldn't be long before he joined his friends on the ground and there the real battle would begin.
"Take cover!" A BSU member screamed out as he and a couple of South Sider narrowly dodged another blast the battle tanks main cannon with one falling along the way before being grabbed by one of the BSU members who tried to pull him out of the line of fire only to be hit by a barrage of bullets courtesy of the tanks secondary guns.
"Damn!" La Tortura spoke out as she lifted her head and noticed Ernesto climbing out of the damaged car with his .44 Magnum in his hands and firing off a single shot that managed to hit one of the Merryweather officers in the head before running to cover as the Machine Gun of the tank moved to turn on him.
Before a bullet could be fired though a missile hit the back of the tank and created a violent explosion that blew off a few chunks of the tank metal but not completely destroying it.
"That got their attention." Tup spoke out as he watched Thire load another Missile into his Rocket Launcher before letting it fire and striking the side of the tank and this time creating another violent explosion that knocked around the men inside.
"Damn it they got us-." Started a Merryweather Soldier before he was hit in the right side of his neck by a bullet that severed his jugular and sent blood spewing on both of his comrades.
"Sergen-!" one of the men started before he to was hit with a shot to the neck and the last was hit with a bullet that caught him right between the eyes.
"Pieces of shit!" Jimmy spoke out with venom in his tone as he continued to fire off rounds from his M14 at any passing Merryweather Agent before a loud explosion caught him by surprise as Lee tossed two more Grenades out the window of the building he was using for cover while Marco launched a Grenade from the M203 attachment on his ACR Assault Rifle.
The resulting explosion seemed to kill six more Merryweather Agents but not stop the Gunner on the Humvee who started back unloading on the building and forcing everyone on the ground once again.
"Damn when is that guy gonna take a fucking break!" Lee yelled out with venom in his tone while watching Neto reload his FX-05 Xiuhcoatl with an angry expression evident on his face.
"When we put a bullet between his eyes!" his words seemed to run hollow as he was forced back into cover while angrily looking to Felix and Syke O who'd both were looking as though they were close to running out of ammo.
"Get Down!" Ana yelled out to the confusion of the group who noticed her clutching an M32 Grenade Launcher in her hands and aiming it in the direction of the broken window before firing off a Grenade that slammed into the side of the Humvee and sending it up in flames.
"Damn!" Poindexter screamed out before looking back to the broken window and watching as Ana fired another Grenade that blew away another truck before being pulled down by Lee as the Merryweather Agents returned fire towards the woman who managed to fire off another Grenade before she hit the ground with a bullet now lodged in the top of her shoulder.
"You're playing it close!" Lee spoke out with anger in his tone as he watched Ana clutch her wound angrily. "We're fighting to get Mark out and we don't need to die doing it." He added while Ana continued to look out the window at the smiling Poindexter as he raised his Rifle in the direction of the building.
CRASH
It was the only word that could come to mind when everyone's screams, yells, and the background noise of gunfire and explosions seemed to fade almost at the same time and instead be replaced by something much louder that caused them all to whip their heads around and force themselves upright as the ground started to violently shake and splinter.
"What the hell?" Poindexter screamed out as the Merryweather Agents on the docks found themselves running for their lives as the Nautica slammed through a wooden pier and collided with the concrete surface with enough force to tear up the asphalt and rip through its own hull.
"Holy shit!" Jimmy screamed out as he watched the ship push past the docks and crush those unfortunate enough to get in its path including a couple of small buildings and vehicles.
Along with the ship also came a wave of water that crashed into the shore with enough force that it knocked a couple of Merryweather soldiers off their feet and left them soaked from head to toe.
While the Merryweather forces were being decimated by the crashing ship and water Manfred sat peacefully watching the scene with a smile on his face as one of his drones hovered high above the base recording the scene.
One would think this plan was a fools gamble, but Mark had carefully planned out this attack before he gave himself up. It was a gamble thinking that he'd be able to escape and gain enough control of the ship to get it to crash into the Merryweather base but if he was able to do it or not he had planned and strategically placed all of their forces on the other side of the base opposite the ports in hopes that they wouldn't be effected by the crashing ship and surge in water.
So far the plan seems to be working as far as Manfred could see. He wasn't truly paying much of attention to the screen, being given an order to coordinate their troops away from the ships and waters, he was more so focused on another task Mark had given him. It was a task that only he could do but would assuredly end their hostilities with Merryweather.
"And here I thought I made the best entrances." Neto spoke out while noticing the ship starting to come to a halt in the distance while Poindexter and the other Merryweather Agents stood back watching the scene in shock.
"NOW'S OUR CHANCE!" Ana screamed out at the top of her lungs as she jumped back up with her Grenade Launcher at the ready before firing off her remaining High Explosives and watching with a smile as they killed another five Merryweather Agents.
"Shit!" Poindexter screamed out as he was knocked off his feet and forced to reach for his radio while Lee did the same.
"All forces regroup at the airfield…it's time we finish this." The duo spoke out almost in unisons and upon doing so the entire base seemed to move almost at once as the Merryweather Agents and their attackers found themselves speeding towards the Airfield where another deadly gun battle ensued.
While the two sides continued to battle it out the surviving Merryweather Agents on the ship were caught off guard as the ships anchor dropped and crashed onto the ground below them with a loud boom that caused them all to turn their heads and watch in awe as they noticed Mark climbing down the metal chain of the anchor with the Machine Gun he'd taken strapped to his back.
"There he is!" one of them yelled out alerting the youngest Roman of their presence and causing him to jump from the anchor and land in the waters below before swimming off while the survivors on the ship let off a barrage of rounds in his direction.
"Gotta move, gotta move!" those two words were the only thing going through the mind of the youngest Roman as he found himself moving on almost pure adrenaline through the shallow water until it finally turned back to land and he noticed several Merryweather Soldiers standing by looking at the stalled ship with mixed looks on all of their faces.
Those looks soon faded as Mark jumped from the water with his an L86A1 Machine Gun at the ready and emptying the entire weapon into the bodies of the men who could only fall back dead with one man with a bullet in his right cheek and three more in his chest crawling towards his fallen M13 Assault Rifle only to give out a loud yell as Mark walked up and stepped on his hands with enough force to break four of his fingers.
"You're gonna bleed for this-." He started only to be forever silenced as Mark drew the man's knife and stabbed him through the back of the head with enough force that the blade actually came out the man's mouth.
"Whose bleeding now?" the youngest Roman asked as he picked up the man's Rifle and quickly started to make his way to what he would refer to as "The Real Battle!".
He called it The Real Battle and a real battle would truly be an understatement if one was trying to describe the gun battle that was playing out in front of them. To a Historian the sight would probably remind many of them of a brutal engagement in France or Italy during the first World War.
There weren't trenches but there was two sides heavily firing on the other and an unoccupied barrier of land between them with bodies lining the ground.
It was a No Man's Land!
On one side of the battlefield there was the Merryweather Defenders, having being regrouped by almost three dozen additional troops with more bodies and firepower on the way. Once the Attackers, they now found themselves on the defensive against their newest foe. They had the advantage of fighting on their own territory along with their advanced training and weapons but still the seemed to be on the losing end.
The otherside of the battlefield was merely a coalition of Street Gangs who only had a burning hatred of Merryweather in their heart of hearts. Some former enemies but now they found themselves brothers on the frontlines fighting against a foe that had taken so much from a lot of them. They were the attackers but in any attack against a well dug in foe there were casualties and right now they were losing as well.
For every Merryweather Agent dropped almost two or three BSU, Vagos, Aztecas, or Roman was met with a similar fate. Only their more seasoned combatants were truly adept at fighting in scenarios like this one and many more found themselves freezing up in the battle and succumbing to the same mental breakdowns that soldiers of war past faced.
It was a horrible sight to Ernesto who found himself firing off round after round from an M13 Assault Rifle he'd taken off the body of a BSU member who'd been shot in the forehead by a Merryweather Sniper.
As he squeezed the trigger and fired off shot after shot he seemed to embrace the sound of the gunshots as they muffled out the background noise around him. It was a haunting noise that was filled with the screams and cries of men who'd been hit or were slowly dying. He didn't bring many soldados from the Barrio for this mission but all he could do was feel his own pain for the ones who did follow him and the others.
He had faith in the gunplay of many of his amigos, but he also knew that what many of them knew wasn't going to match up to the challenge they would be facing here. This wasn't a shootout with Rifas or ambush from Mark this was the equivalent of fighting the U.S. Army. In a way he felt good about the thought, but seeing the aftermath of it all before his eyes did leave a sinking feeling in his gut.
"Keep fighting!" he could hear Jimmy scream out as he fired off three shots from cover while Thire fired off a Rocket that blew up behind four Merryweather Agents and sent them flying.
"Return fire!" Poindexter screamed out from his side on the Merryweather sideline where he watched a Merryweather Agent armed with a Minigun cut down two Vagos and three BSU members before both Davey and Eddy barrel rolled forward and fired off a barrage of rounds that hit the man in the chest and sent him falling back before the latter of who moved to toss a Hand Grenade at the opposition only to let out a loud scream as a bullet struck him in the arm and forced him to drop the explosive with the pin being pulled.
"MOVE!" Davey screamed out knocking the man away before the both of them were subsequently caught in the blast. They'd managed to avoid the big boom but both were still caught in the blast radius and were knocked away with pieces of shrapnel being caught in the bulletproof vest.
"SHIT!" Buck yelled out as both he and Tup ran to the duo and pulled them into cover while the La Tortura and Lady Casper stood by giving the duo covering fire.
"Rocket!" Adahy screamed out as he lifted his head and noticed a Merryweather Agent armed with an RPG raising weapon and pointing it at the group.
Just as he moved to take out the Heavy he was taken by surprise as the man was shot once in the neck with an arrow courtesy of Task who stood by with a half-smile on his face as he watched the man fall back onto a building and fire the Rocket into the air where it fell back and exploded against the ground.
"We need to-!" Task started before he felt a sharp pain in his side that caused him to fall forward courtesy of a Merryweather Sniper who pulled back the slide on his Rifle in order to make the kill shot on the Lakota only to have the top of his head blown off as Adahy unloaded his entire magazine on the man before rushing to Task and immediately pulling him into cover.
"We're being slaughtered here!" Ernesto screamed out while looking to Jimmy who was looking at the building where Lee and the others continued to hold out against another wave of Merryweather Attackers with what little ammunition they had.
"RIGHT SIDE!" Neto screamed out as loud as his lungs would carry prompting Lee to turn his Shotgun to the right and fire a single blast that struck a Merryweather Agent directly in the face and blew a gaping hole in the center of the man's head that exited out the back.
"When will it fucking end?" Lee asked while turning to Neto and watching as the man fired off a single shot that struck one man in the side of the neck while firing off four more that hit another in the chest.
"And here I thought you lived for this type of shit!" he retorted while pulling the pin on a Grenade he was given before tossing it out a hole in the wall then watching with a smile as it went up in a violent explosion.
"It's all over for-!" Dan Percival started only to be struck over the head courtesy of Ana who merely watched with wide eyes as a couple of smoke Grenades were tossed inside of the building.
"Toss them out!" she screamed out in hopes that the group would follow her command with only Felix being able to catch one of the Grenades and toss them out while the other four filled the building with smoke.
"Prepare to move in…once we secure the VIP prepare for immediate evac." Poindexter yelled out with venom in his tone as he watched several Merryweather Agent prepare to move inside of the building only for the lead man to be taken out as Jimmy fired a single shot from his Rifle that hit the man in the side of the head and sent him falling to the ground with blood oozing out a rather large wound.
"I'm still-!" the redheaded man started only to be caught off-guard as a bullet struck him in the chest and sent him collapsing to the ground clutching his wound.
Time seemed to slow down almost at once as everyone took in the sight of the falling Ginger who hit the ground with a loud thud and immediately spit blood up afterwards.
"Dead!" Poindexter screamed out with venom in his tone as he watched Jimmy fall and prepared to fire another shot this time into his head but before he could he was taken off-guard by the brains of the Merryweather Agent standing closest to him splattering across his him and causing him to turn his head and notice Lee firing his AA-12 like a madman into the Merryweather Agents before turning his weapon on Poindexter and shooting the gun out of the man's hand prompting him to draw his Pistol and fire five of his sixteen shots into the bulletproof vest of the Chinese man who fell back as another bullet caught him in the leg and left him leaning with his back against the side of the wall.
"FINISH-!" Poindexter started while shaking his bleeding hands only to be again taken off-guard as an explosion in the distance went off that seemed to catch everyone by surprise as they turned their heads and notice a hole in the side gate of one of the airfield and a cloud of smoke being picked up with it.
"He's here!" Neto whispered out as he watched with wide eyes as a familiar figure came running from the cloud of smoke firing an M4A1 like a madman and striking down two Merryweather Agents as they tried to turn their guns on him.
"You gotta be fucking-!" Poindexter started as Mark tossed a Grenade he'd taken off a dead Merryweather soldier into a group of five of them and created another violent explosion that killed none of them could have escaped in time.
"He's still alive!" La Tortura asked with a raised brow as Mark shot down two more Merryweather Agents while four more were taken down courtesy of Tup, Buck, and Thire.
"He's joining the fight so now it's time to pick it up!" Thire yelled out while two more Merryweather Agents moved to grab the body of Jimmy and pull him into cover while Felix and Syke O did the same with Lee while Ernesto merely fired a single shot into a Merryweather Agent armed with a Light Machine Gun that was moving to take aim at the youngest Roman.
"Path clear-!" Ernesto started only to watch in awe as Mark ran past him and all the other survivors without saying a word as he jumped over Jimmy, Buck, Tup, and the piece of rubble the group was using for cover with almost relative ease and making a beeline for Poindexter.
"Don't just stand there-." Came a familiar voice that caused everyone to lower their heads and notice Jimmy slowly trying to rise to his feet but clearly struggling with the bullet in his side. "GET IN THERE!"
No sooner had those words left the mouth of Jimmy, Ernesto and the other South Siders watched in sheer shock as all the surviving BSU members including Marrick almost as one vaulted across whatever cover they were using and started to run at the remaining Merryweather Agents while firing whatever ammo that had into the group as well.
"FUCK YOU!" Poindexter screamed out while moving to aim his Pistol at Mark who fired off the last couple of shots from his Rifle and this time actually striking the man in the hand with enough force to blow two of his fingers.
"SON OF-!" he started only to be knocked down courtesy of Mark who immediately started to throw punches into his face before being punched in the side and thrown off.
"FUCK!" Lee screamed with pain evident in his voice as he looked up and noticed Marco looking over his injured body that sported two bullet wounds in his chest.
"Vest took most of the damage but you need to keep still." The Afro-Dominican man ordered before turning his head and watching as Ana vaulted from behind her cover and started to charge into No Man's Land where the deadly gunfight had now turned into a vicious melee as the BSU members now found themselves fist fighting alongside Mark against the Merryweather Agents who now found themselves being overwhelmed by the BSU members coming at them from close range and Vagos coming at them from the front.
"Lee we've got it!" Manfred screamed out over Lee's Walkie Talkie and causing the man to painfully reach for the device with a smile on his face.
"Good proceed with step two!" he added with a chuckle.
"FUCK YOU!" Poindexter screamed out as he tried to put Mark in a headlock only for the youngest Roman to bite his arm with enough force to draw blood before tossing him off then running at the man and striking him with a hard knee to the side of the head.
"Commander!" A Merryweather Agent yelled out as he moved to turn his Rifle on Mark only to be stopped as a bullet blew off the top of his head causing the youngest Roman to turn his head and notice a familiar Asian woman standing behind him with her Rifle raised high.
Mark wanted to smile at the sight of his first love, but he knew right now wasn't the time or the place for love so instead the duo merely performed what could best be described as a bloody dance.
The weapons the woman had brought was Mark's own and she expected him to take at least one of his guns but Ana was quite surprised when the Concrete Soldier merely reached for her right hip and pulled his knife from its sheath then using it to kill a Merryweather Agent who was running at him with a Bayonet while Ana shot down another soldier.
Just as the duo was about to be surrounded, everyone was interrupted by a red flare streaking from out of one of the buildings and shooting into the air where they all took in the sight of an Osprey hovering high over the battlefield and out of the sight of everyone.
"What the hell?" La Tortura started as all eyes moved to the aircraft where they noticed a number of speakers on its side.
"Stand Down Agents!" a familiar voice shot forward that immediately drew confused looks on the face of everyone on the battlefield.
"That's Don Percival." Felix spoke out while keeping his eyes to the helicopter in a confused expression.
"As of two minutes ago Merryweather Share Holder Daniel Percival's Stocks and Share within the company had been bought out and now Merryweather has a new majority share owner...Marcus Roman." The voice of the Merryweather CEO spoke out to the shock of all his soldiers including Poindexter who couldn't help but to look to Mark and Ana who turned to look at him with smiles on their faces.
"We win!" Ana mouthed out to Poindexter who merely eyed the duo with hatred in his eyes before looking to Mark who received a pat on the back from Ana in a manner that Poindexter already knew the meaning of.
So when Mark came charging his way he merely lifted his gun only to have it knocked out of his hand courtesy of the youngest Roman who grabbed his arm and knocked him back while everyone else merely stood and watched the fight in awe and horror as punches, kicks, and slams were traded between the two men who both tried to ignore their pain.
The pain was only intensified though as Poindexter tried to gouge out Mark's eyes only for the young Roman to push him back up against a burned out Humvee with enough force to drive a sharp piece of metal through his left arm.
"Ah you mother-!" Poindexter started only for Mark to deliver three shots to the man's face before kicking at his impaled arm before the Merryweather Agent responded by kicking him in the groin.
After forcing himself off the piece of metal Poindexter looked at the gaping wound in his arms with a pain filled look on his face that quickly shifted as Mark charged him once more and forced him arm back onto the piece of metal but this time getting it deep enough to the point where the man was wedged then proceeding to kick and punch the arm before delivering a swift kick to the head of the Merryweather who feel back and hit the ground like a log while Mark stabbed his arm at the shoulder before kicking him off his blade.
"This is over!" Mark started before stabbing the man once in the stomach with the blade only for Poindexter to punch him in the side of the head to knock him back.
"You're right…for you!" the Merryweather Agent spoke up with blood spewing from his mouth as he charged Mark once again and kicked him in the side before grabbing him by his shoulders then tossing him back first against the side of the same burned out Humvee with parts of Mark's vest being cut open by the piece of sharp metal.
As Mark rolled around to try and face the man he was quickly met with a punch to the face courtesy of the Merryweather Agent who was trying his hardest to pummel the youngest Roman who was still moving on nothing but adrenaline and managed to stab him once again in his already injured arm before twisting his blade and earning a snapping sound from the arm of Poindexter who tried to jump back only for Mark to move up on him and headbutt him again and again until finally a large head wound had opened up in the middle of the man's forehead and coated his entire face with blood.
"Holy shit!" Adahy spoke out while he, Neto, Felix, Ernesto, and everyone else watched as Mark kicked Poindexter's already injured arm so hard that he managed to rip the limb from the man's body then use it to strike him over the head with enough force that the Merryweather Agent actually dropped down on both of his knees and looked up at Mark with blood covering his entire face and a few teeth missing from his mouth.
"Farewell!" Mark yelled out as he lifted his blade high above the man's head before bringing it down into the man's shoulder just at the end of the neck before giving it a quick jerk and twist.
He kept up this process until finally after a few spurts of blood the head of the Merryweather Agent came flying off and his body hit the ground with a low thud while Mark held up his head before looking to Ana who merely nodded at him.
Then in a gruesome display that would plague the minds of all those watching Mark tossed the head of Poindexter in the air where Ana fired a serious of shots from the man's Assault Rifle that hit the man's head and blew it into chunks that rained down on the youngest Roman and coated them both in his blood.
After the blood had finished falling Mark merely sent looks to the remaining Merryweather Agents in a "Whose Next" challenge that none of them answered. Instead they all merely dropped their weapons and fell down to their knees in front of the youngest Roman who merely stood over them like a king standing before his subjects while everyone else stood on and watched with wide eyes.
Hours Later
After the battle was won a mass exodus soon took place as the BSU members, Vagos, Aztecas, and Roman Boyz all found themselves leaving the destroyed base while the surviving Merryweather Agents did the same with the intent to lay low until the time was needed.
The battle was won but it came at a great cost all sides suffered heavy losses and injuries were a plenty. Ernesto himself wasn't even spared as he found himself sitting in the medical wing of an IAA controlled battle ship being told that he'd suffered a high ankle sprain after crashing his car and would need to rest for a number of weeks.
It was a minor injury compared to alof of other people who were having bullets and pieces of shrapnel pulled out of their bodies. This included Mark, Lee, Jimmy, Davey, Eddy, and a number of others who had taken up an entire medical wing by themselves.
Thanks weren't exchanged between the BSU leaders and the South Siders but Mark knew he'd be returning them with a favor in the long run. A favor he was not gonna be pleased with just giving out.
Authors Note: I know this chapter took me long as hell to get out but hey I've been busy these last couple of days so my bad. A lot of people got hurt in this chapter and there is a lot to go over but I really can't sum it up more other then this being the end of the Merryweather War Arc, but don't worry it's not the end of the story a lot is still coming and a lot more deaths as well.
So stick around for the next chapter Zilla 2000.
