MAX & CARLOS:

Despite the trick that the Mobster had pulled Max decides to check the door to his left. He goes inside strolling across the tanned carpet he stands in front of a large oak table, with a projector at the end of it - next to him, on the right. He shuts the door calmly and slowly, turning the lights off he presses a button on the top of the projector.

The bloody figure of an Asian man, in a fish factory outfit appears on screen. Shot full of holes. Another with a business suit on with his throat slit, blood dripping across his own table. Max can make out the typical tropical design of a Cartels short sleeve. Something unusual was going on. He keeps pressing buttons. Live people this time. A shot of a man through a hospital window, apperently taken from a separate rooftop shows Max the slightly familiar face of Sal Nico, his brother Agostino at the foot of his bed. A picture of Fidelio Gerodi eating at Mama's Restaurant, Samantha Baldassarre through a window in a house nice enough to be a mansion. Yakuza leader Amaya Kaida getting into a Limo. Max flipped through all of the pictures. Realizing he was looking at the beginning results of a revolutionary mass hit that would eventually lead to the death of almost every major crime leader. The last three, 8-ball, Trent, and Fido.

'Holy shit...' Max's picture had been in the slide too. He had no choice but to find Donald Love and find out how this tied in with Liberty City Survivor and how Lovemedia was involved.

Max heres the familiar sound of foot-steps on tile and jumps forward launching himself onto the floor, he hides at the other end of the table. He watches light creep into the room as the door opens up the door clicking shut. He listens carefully at the rustling of clothing.

"Anyone in here?" The voice is quiet withdrawn, and familiar!
"Carlos!" Max reveals himself, with a slight flinch from Carlos.

"Max! Jesus, man, how'd you get here?"

"Did you see the body out there?"

"Yeah."

"You have to look at this Carlos."

"Why?"

"See these two pictures?" He goes back to the first two pictures. Showing the dead bodies of two triads.

"Uh-huh?"

"These two guys are very important Triads. See, Triads are a group of people with three leaders. These are two of them. One of them's not on here. You know who?"

"Who?"

Max pulls out a piece of paper, it's the hit list. "Sheng Yul, the leader from this hit list. You know who else there ISN'T a picture of on this projector?"

"I get it! I get!" Carlos says in his 'hurry up!' voice.

"Donald Love... Do you get it? Their names are bullshit no one's after them, they're running the show, probably along with Augustus Armando, he's the only other leader who's name isn't on here or the projector."

"Naw can't be man -"
"Why not!"

Carlos gives him a bad look "Think about it man, Sheng Yul was killed yesterday, I heard it on the news. If he's dead then how come it couldn't have been the Cartel who killed 'em? Also if their names aren't on here because they aren't going to be killed then how come Augustus' name isn't on there. And why would the Mafia be working for Donald Love when they KNOW that he's going to be killing their boss.

"Maybe they don't that's the point. -"

"But that still doesn't explain the other things."

"Fuck. Fine maybe your right. But someway I'm right I know it."

A Colombian Man bursts through the door in a frenzy, firing bullets at the two of them. Max watches the man slowly pull the trigger the door gliding open. The room going from black to a yellow-orange. Bullets swimming towards them.

Both Max and Carlos fire at the Colombian Max misses, and runs after him. -

- A Colombian man tears the door open and starts firing bulllets at Carlos and Max. Carlos fires six bullets in the Colombian's direction and misses. 'BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!' Three holes explode through Carlos, his right arm, his left shoulder and his rib next to his right arm. Max runs out of the room unaware, it's too dark to see. Carlos stumbles backwards his body slams into window shades, he listens as the crinkling sound of the shades becomes the crinkling sound of glass, the shades hold his weight for a small amount of time then he feels himself dropping. His right arm grabs hold of the floor, his body jolts from his fall, but his arm manages to keep him up.

Carlos painfully lifts his left arm and places his left hand next to his right one. Both of his arms rest against his head. At first he doesn't try to pull himself up. Luckily for him, the floor to ceiling window wasn't wet on the inside yet, making his grip on the carpet solid. He'd have to pull himself up soon or deal with a wet floor when trying to pull up his weight. He starts to hear footsteps crimp the carpet floor. Coming towards him, getting louder.

"Max?..."

Carlos waits for a response. None. He looks up as a Colombian appears over him, smiling. Blood sprays across Carlos' face, it washes away from falling rain. The Colombian above him has an uncountable amount of holes in his chest. Max pushes the Colombian's back and watches him fall forward. Helping Carlos through the window he watches the body soar towards a black Rancher.

"Jesus Christ..." Max says quietly, thinking aloud. BAM! The body hits the Rancher's windshield, speeding up it slams into a green Sabre, that fly's up a small hill and bleeds into the streets. A black Sentinal speeding ahead crashes into it violently. Max can't believe that he caused all of that chaos.

He turns to Carlos, "You okay?"

"Naw, man I'm not gonna' make it, go on with out me."

"No Carlos, You aren't going to die."

Carlos' head snaps up, "Who the said anything about dying, I'm getting the fuck out of here!"

"Okay, are you going to be good by yourself."

"I think I can manage. Especially if you give me that." He says pointing to a Tec-nine in Max's hand.

"The guy outside had it. Here."

Carlos takes it and stands up, refusing Max's help.

"I'm going home for a little while, spend some time with my family... It's been cool meeting you Max. I hope you've got my back in the future."

"Sure count on it man." The two of them shake hands.

The two of them begin to part ways.

Carlos lifts up his tec-nine "It's always good when a former criminal has a cop for a friend."

"Yeah..." Max says laughing as he walks away. -

- Carlos bolts down the steps as fast as he can move, woozy from loss of blood. He gets through the front door without confrontation. He bumps into a girl as he's coming through the door. Getting blood on her clothes.

"Oh shit! Sorry... uhh." He can't think of anything else to say he starts to run again. He makes it into the street. He sees a man leaning into a thrashed up Sentinal. He gets a glimpse of a payphone, a Cartel using it. He contemplates his next move.

'I don't have time for this shit!' he pumps the Cartel full of bullets and runs through the street towards the phone. He lifts the reciever to his ear. "He won't be calling you back." and slams it down then puts a quarter into the phone. 'Man I must really be out of it.' he think's to himself as he realizes he didn't need to put the quarter in. He dials the number '911'.

"Send an Ambulance... I've been shot!" His last words before he slams the phone down once again, and drops down next to it resting. - - Max had noticed something about the Plaza earlier. Not only was there an American flag at the top of the building but one hanging from the side one floor below the roof. He didn't think much of it at first but now realized above or below that flag was probably Donald Love's office. He gets into the elevator. Pressing the second to last floor. First. As the doors open Max spots the familiar Lovemedia insignia. He steps forward and pushes open the doors. Walking inside like it's his home. Max had to be quick, he had no more painkillers left he'd be a victim of his own condition in less than an hour.

Donald Love almost pretends not to notice Max coming through the door. He shoves things into a black suitcase, his plum colored suit and hardwood floors were the signs of his wealth and status. The lights were dimmed and Chatterbox was carrying on in the background. Love was obviously keeping watch on one of his radio stations.

"Max," he says continuing to put things in his suitcase. "I didn't expect you to be here.

"What's going on with Augustus Armando."

"Are you going to kill me for not telling you, that would be a serious crime that could effect your career."

"I've done worse."

Donald Love opens his mouth and starts to say something but stops and continues apperently changing his mind about what he's going to say, "Fine, I'll tell you what's going on I'll be disappearing anyway, and you'll have no proof that I said it in the first place."

"Where are you going?"

"Not here -"

"Where!-"

"Shoot me."

"Alright, finish what you were saying. First I want to know who's running Liberty City Survivor." Max felt a slight sense of Deja vu.

"I would have thought that's be obvious, Tony Cipriani had had the idea from the beginning. He new that smart members of his family and allies like 8-ball would be smart enough to make it out alive. Other prisoners who try are executed by my staff. The mobsters don't realize that Augustus's paying me to have Tony killed. Augustus Armando was planning on taking over every crime element in this lurid city himself. I reasoned with him expressing the disturbing unrealistic nature of his plan. As a result I found immunity for only two of us. Myself and Mr. Yul. As a result Yul had to kill his other two partners including his own brother... It was to be our own Triad, American, Chinese, and Colombian. But that woman got a hold of Mr.Yul and the plan was ruined."

"Marilyne..."

"Yes, I should have gotten out of it when Augustus suggested that we finish the mute. If he ever finds out I was involved I'm a dead man. Augustus will never make it through this alive. Tony has three of the best men I've ever seen. This is my only chance to leave, and I'm taking it now... Now," Donald love lifts up his suitcase and goes forward. Max stops him.

Love turns towards the monitors, "Your friend Carlos is here... My men have him"

"What?" Max says without looking away from Donald Love.

"Ah, hear he is now," Love says pointing behind Max.

Max turns around, 'SSHHHPP!'

A dart sticks out of Max's neck, he loses some mobility and falls to the ground.

Donald Love sticks the dart gun in his suit and sets the case on the ground. He'd used the suitcase to hide the dart gun.

"It's just a normal tranquilizer. I'm sorry, Max but I can't have you interfearing in my affairs." he lifts the case up and walks out of the room. Stepping over Max.

Max lies on the floor of Donald Loves office he had no choice but to sleep, but he was releaved that he'd solved the mystery. The last thing Max could think before drifting asleep was what was going to happen to him...