Nick lay on the roof watching the building across from him. It was opening night for the Leones. Their new club was getting a grand opening and Nick was here to make sure it was a memorable night for all. People had been entering and exiting the club all night and Nick had watched them come and go. He was waiting for the right moment. The mass exodus of the Leones once the club closed for the night.
They would be heading back to the St Marks area, which had been their turf for as long as Nick could remember. The leaders still lived there though now they owned most of Portland and Staunton Island. The Forellis had been forced into their remaining territory of Shoreside Vale. A nice place to live but it lacked the business opportunities of the red light and commercial districts. The Forellis were growing weaker and soon the Leones would take Shoreside too.
The club and its clientele looked outwardly respectable. Nick was sure it wouldn't stay that way too long. Today the whole Leone family seemed to have turned out for the occasion, children included. Most had left earlier in the night but those high up in the organisation had stayed on. Either to talk business or to toast the clubs health, Nick assumed.
It was a cold night. On the roof Nick was exposed to the elements. A cold wind whipped around him, chilling him despite his heavy leather jacket. Nick hardly felt it, he was so deep in concentration.
The lights in the club began to go out, starting with the neon sign on the front of the building. As they slowly flickered off and the club became darker Nick waited patiently. It was just gone five am. The only time when the streets of Portland could be described as quiet. Soon the morning rush would start. But right now the night was relatively silent, broken only by the occasional car or raised voice. It seemed odd in the usually noisy and busy area. It was so quiet he thought he could hear the hum of voices inside the club. A truck passed by, noise obliterating the small sounds he was straining to hear.
He got into position, looking through the sight on the sniper rifle at the door of the club. He tensed, ready for action. A man opened the door and walked outside. Nick lined up the sight and aimed the gun. The man was young, probably late teens. He leaned back against the wall and yawned. He looked as though he had drank more alcohol than he could hold.
"Luigi! Go get the car!" a voice shouted from inside the club.
"Yeah, yeah" Luigi shouted back, walking off in the direction of the park.
Nick waited five more minutes before a limo pulled up outside the club. Leones began to pour out of the building. Nick recognised a few of them. He waited until the last three figures walked out. The Don, Giovanni Leone and his son, Salvatore Leone, followed by his own young son, Joey, who looked like he was barely managing to stay awake. If Nick could kill those three that would do some serious damage to the Leones. He would be a legend. Three generations gone. He watched as one of the Leones locked the front doors to the club. Perfect.
Now was the time. He couldn't see through the tinted windows but he estimated where the drivers head was. He lined up his shot, pulled the trigger. The front window of the limo cracked as the bullet found its target.
Nick smiled to himself. Now the Leones would have no way to escape. He could take them out as they rushed to get back into the safety of the club. He was mistaken. Giovanni quickly got in the backseat of the limo and he knew he had missed. Nick shot at Salvatore as he pushed his son into the limo. The aim was bad and the bullet hit sidewalk. "Shit!" Nick muttered.
The limo pulled away with the three generations of the Leones inside. It moved erratically but far too fast for Nick to even try to shoot after it. He turned his attention to the six Leones still outside the club. He shot the first, Anthony Cipriani, in the head. His son, Toni junior, took off down the street. Two of the Leones were stupidly trying to open the doors to the club. Nick took them out with ease.
The remaining two ran towards the building the shots had come from, guns drawn, returning fire. Simon, the older of the two turned and ran to his right onto the street which led to the alleyway round the back of the building. His younger brother Luca ran in the other direction, cutting off any escape route for the sniper.
Simon ran into the alleyway. He could see the stairs to the roof of the building. He knew this area well from battles he had fought here against the Forellis. His brother appeared on the other side of the alley. He saw that Luca was about to run forward and put up a hand, signalling him to stop, silently urging caution.
They advanced slowly. The area was creepily silent now that all gunfire had stopped. They stayed close to the walls. Simon knew that the sniper wouldn't have been able to get away without one of them seeing.
They met in the middle of the alleyway. They looked identical in the dark. Same dark suit, same slicked back hair, same light build. Simon had a older face, prematurely lined from the pressures of life and supporting his family. His eyes were cautious and wary and burning with intelligence. Luca was younger by almost ten years. Right now his face showed emotion, pure anger at seeing three of his comrades gunned down. He was ready to make this bastard pay.
They stood with their backs to the wall of the building. Protected from gunfire by geometry. Simon kept his gun pointed up in case the sniper was foolish enough to look down over the wall. He listened and heard nothing.
Luca looked at Simon questioningly.
Simon nodded and began to back away from the wall, moving to the entrance of the alley. He could get a good view of the edge of the roof from here, anyone standing would be visible him. The streetlights would light the area just enough to make out an outline. The curve of the wall gave him some cover. He studied what he could see of the rooftops. He saw nothing and nodded to his brother.
Luca moved slowly to the stairs, gun raised, alert for any noise. Simon watched the roof as he did so, covering him.
Luca reached the stairs and put one foot on the bottom step. He waited, looking up and ahead at the roof. He could only see the edge from where he stood. It seemed clear. He stepped forward. The stairs creaked slightly as he put his weight fully on the lowest step. Slowly, listening intently for any sound he began to climb the stairs.
Up on the roof Nick waited.
Simon didn't see his brother climb the stairs. His eyes and gun were fixed on the darkness on top of the roof. He watched, waiting for movement.
On the roof Nick lay flat, sniper rifle trained on the top of the stairs. He could hear someone moving up towards him, step by step. They grew closer. Nick lay as still as a statue, calm and ready. He looked through the sight on his gun. He could see the top of the steps shake slightly with every step. He saw a gun emerge over the lip of the roof. Another step and he could see the arms of the man who held it.
Luca stopped. Another step and he would be able to see on the roof. He brought the gun down slightly, to eye level. He stepped forward.
The gunshot cracked through the night. Luca stopped mid-step and crumpled forward. He fell and slid down the steps, stopping halfway. On ground level Simon shot up at the roof and started to run. Above him Nick rolled to the side, picked up his Uzi and got to his feet. Simon reached the roof in a few seconds. He ran towards Nick, firing his pistol. Nick ran towards him, firing with his Uzi. Nicks accuracy and greater amount of bullets per second won out. The other man fell to the floor, clutching his stomach.
The bullets impacted in Simons gut. Simon staggered backwards and fell onto the stairs. He raised a hand to his stomach to test the damage and felt his shredded flesh. He pulled his hand away in pain, covered in hot, sticky blood. His gun slipped through his fingers and fell through the gap between the stairs. He heard the thump as it hit the ground. He couldn't move. His body was giving up on him. He was already dizzy from blood loss and couldn't think. Black dots danced in front of his eyes. He struggled to stay awake and conscious. He had to move, had to get away from here. He felt his senses dulling. Even the pain felt far away now. His body was distant, like this had happened to someone else and he was merely observing. He lay on the stairs, barely alive and unable to move.
Nick brushed the dirt off his blue jeans and adjusted his leather jacket. He walked back to his guns and quickly packed up. Others would be here soon, the cops or Leone reinforcements. No-one he wanted to wait around for. He pulled his rifle over his shoulder and walked down the stairs. He kicked Simon's body to the side. Nick didn't waste a bullet on him, he would be dead soon enough.
Nick walked in the direction of Chinatown. The few people he passed looked a little surprised to see a man walking down the street with a sniper rifle over his shoulder. He smiled at them and they looked away. He was amused at the expressions on their faces. This was Liberty City! Where did these people live? Under a rock?
By the time he reached his car he had walked most of the tension out of his muscles. Lying still on a cold roof for eight hours was tough on his body. He didn't feel tired though. He felt elated from the kill. He strolled into the car-park in front of the school hall. People were talking about closing it down. Said it was too dangerous an area for kids. They were right. Nick got in the car, putting his guns in the back. Four Leones! Or was it five? He decided to count it as five. He thought about getting something to eat but decided to go home and pack. Easier to get something at the airport.
Nick drove through the streets of Staunton Island. He felt he had exacted a just revenge. Despite what the Forellis might think he was not entirely without loyalty. The business had been partly his too before the Leones took it down. He didn't blame the Leones for that. He accepted that it was the way things worked. One group could not be on top forever. But they had destroyed the life he had built up and he could not let that go unpunished. He felt as if a weight had been lifted. He had no wish to destroy the Leones and reinstate the Forellis. He knew he had never been fully part of that world. There was only so far a man like him could rise in their organisation. Now was the time for him to put this behind him and get on with his own life. The Leones knew he was not someone they could fuck with and get away with it. That was enough for him.
He turned right onto the Shoreside bridge and headed towards the airport.