Chapter 3 – Welcome to Shirago
Fido, Portland, Liberty City 2002
I got in 8-Ball's red and white Banshee and he pressed down the accelerator.
"Listen brother" 8-Ball said trying to speak over the noise of the engine "there's a flight coming in about an hour so you can catch that"
I nodded in approval
8-Ball continued "I don't suspect you've got any luggage to take"
If I did have anything to take it would be illegal anyway.
He drove past Chinatown, which was Triad territory. They tried to shoot at me recognising me but we went fast past the territory anyway and they never hit us. They shouted there usual pathetic insults but we just ignored them. We were soon on the Callahan Bridge driving along, hoping none of the LCPD caught us and pulled us over. Before I knew it we were on the Shoreside Lift Bridge, going past where I had escaped the LCPD only hours before. The LCPD had seemed to give up looking for me now. They probably guessed I had escaped and was now hiding in some Liberty state borough. We were soon at Francis International Airport. 8-Ball parked the Banshee and got out with me and we walked into the terminal. 8-Ball walked up to the ticket desk.
"Hello brother, do you have a flight to Shirago, Ritchigan" 8-Ball asked the woman at the desk
8-Ball always seemed to say brother to absolutely anyone.
"Yes there's Juank Air flight JA13 to Shirago which leaves in 1 hour" the woman at the desk said
"Good, you can get that, I'll pay for it"
"That'll be 130.00" the woman said
8-Ball got his cash out and paid for my flight. All I had to do now was wait for the flight.
We walked away from the ticket desk and made our way to the check in desk.
I got out my fake passport, I looked at the name on the passport 'Eddie Forelli' it said along with my picture.
I sniggered at it when I saw it and wondered who the heck made that name up, the girl at the check-in desk will think I'm a Forelli relative.
"I'm not going with him brother, it's only him that's going" 8-Ball said just to make sure
"Do you have any luggage sir" the woman asked me
"Oh, he's a mute" 8-Ball said "and he's got no luggage unless you count the shirt on his back"
"Oh right" the girl said "can I see your passport"
I handed over the passport. She looked at the name and read it out in a whisper "Eddie Forelli". Suddenly a worried look came on her face and she started looking a bit nervous.
"Sorry for asking, but are you any relative of…. the Forelli Mafia"
"Yeah" 8-Ball said "we're both in the Forelli Mafia, he's Sonny's son, Sonny died in 1986"
She said "Okay, you're… you're checked in Eddie, you can go to Security"
8-Ball walked with me to security "See why I chose that name" 8-Ball said giving out a laugh "I wanna scare this airport, look 'round now"
I looked around; the girl at the check-in desk was on her phone, nervously speaking into it.
"I think your gonna have a good flight Fido" 8-Ball said "I have to leave you now Fi… sorry Eddie" 8-Ball said correcting himself seeing a security guard. "See you in Caronto"
I managed to get through security pretty fast, because I had no hand luggage and no illegal stuff in my pockets I wasn't searched at all. I got into a waiting room. It suddenly dawned on me how hungry I was. I saw a Burger Shot there. I simply had to go and get something.
I walked into the restaurant, because of me being a mute; it took ages to get through to her what I wanted. I tried pointing at them but it took her ages to understand. After a minute of communication problems I finally ordered a Double Barrelled Burger, French Fries and a blast of Sprunk to wash it down. I sat down and ate the burger fast indulging the taste. I came out of Burger Shot and sat in the departure lounge. Just then I remembered I had a bullet hole in my back underneath my jacket. I had completely forgotten about that bullet hole since I had cleaned it at 8-Balls house and had put a bandage on it. The flight got announced over the tannoy 'Juank Air flight JA13 to Shirago is ready for boarding now'
I went along the passage that led to the plane and the Air Hostess welcomed me.
"Can I see your passport and tickets please sir?"
I brought them out and she said "Ah, there seems to be a slight problem, there's no Economy Class seats left, we'll have to move you to Business Class I'm afraid, Mr. Forelli"
I now realised what 8-Ball meant. I was taken up to Business Class and was given a seat.
The flight took off from Liberty City and I sat in comfort looking at Liberty City out my window knowing in a couple of hours I would be in Shirago away from the Leone Mafia punks.
We were in the air in a few minutes when suddenly the drinks tray came around.
"Hello, would you like any drinks" the girl said
I held my hand up and sort of shook it to say no, I wasn't in the least bit thirsty.
"Fido, I can't believe it's you"
I got a shock when I heard this.
"Do you remember me Fido, remember me, I'm Misty"
Misty…. Misty, he searched his mind through the endless category of names he had collected through his life. Suddenly he remembered, it clicked, one of Luigi's girls.
"Oh yeah I forgot, you're a mute, I always wondered what happened to you, I suddenly heard all these crappy rumours of you killing the Don of the Leone mafia, I forgot his name and then I never heard your name mentioned again by Luigi"
I signalled her to keep her voice down.
She lowered her voice "I left Luigi's Club about six months ago, I decided to get a job with Juank Air, I get to go everywhere now, Vice, Los Santos, Shirago, even to some places in the Caribbean" Misty said "hey I've got something for you"
I listened eagerly to what she was saying
"I know a little place in Shirago that does voice box surgery for you, would you like that"
I nodded my head; I was going to be able to talk again.
"Here's a card, it tells you where the place is, and you can take my credit card to pay for it, I never use it anyway."
I stuck them in my jacket pocket and Misty went away to serve more drinks to the other people on the plane. The rest of the flight only took an hour or so and I was soon flying over Shirago City watching through the smoky air as I landed at International Airport.
I was soon off the plane and was going through security. I didn't need to stop at baggage because I didn't have anything with me. I stepped outside the airport and hailed a yellow SC cab that came past. I got in the back of the cab and shut the door.
"Where do you wanna go" the taxi guy asked
I handed him the card and he read it. He pressed his foot down and drove to the surgery which took about ten minutes to get there. I was drove through the city of Shirago until the cab stopped outside the surgery I was supposed to go to.
I stepped out the cab and walked up the stone path that led to the surgery and opened the glass door and went to the reception.
"How can I help you" the woman asked
I pointed at my throat.
"I guess you want to get voice box surgery, yeah?"
I nodded my head
"Okay, just wait in the waiting room sir"
Then I made my way through to the waiting room. The waiting room was empty. Not one other person was waiting for surgery at all. Well, maybe there wasn't much demand for this type of surgery in Shirago. There were no decent magazines lying about, they were all women's magazines in surgeries like this. A man with brown hair came through dressed in a white doctor's coat. "Excuse me, is it you that wants voice box surgery?"
I gave a swift nod and followed him into a small room.
"Hello sir, I'm Dr. Roberts and I'm specially trained in voice box surgery"
I nodded my head as usual
"If you would just lie on the bed please"
I lay down on the bed and put my arms to my side
"Okay, I'm just going to give you some anaesthetic sir, the needle shouldn't hurt"
The doctor put the needle into my arm and I immediately started feeling drowsy
"Now count to three sir, and you'll be off to sleep"
I counted in my head 'one... two…… three...' After three I dropped off into a deep, untroubled sleep.
I suddenly woke up. The doctor was sitting in the chair reading a magazine. He put down the magazine when he saw me awake.
"I was wondering when you were going to awake" Dr. Roberts said "that's the voice box surgery completed, you should be able to talk now"
I opened my mouth and the words came out
"My, your right" I said
The words came out kinda croaky but I knew that I would soon be able to talk pretty normally.
"I'm kind of interested how it happened?" the doctor asked
"Well, it's a long story" I said "I got a bullet in the throat from an angry ex-girlfriend which stopped me from using my vocal chords"
"Are you from Shirago" the doctor asked
"No, I'm originally from Los Santos, but spent the last year in Liberty City"
"What's your name?" the doctor asked
"My name?" I said in amazement "well my mum was the kinda person that believed names were for tombstones, she never gave me a name"
"You've not got a name?"
"Some people call me Fido, but that's just a nickname" I said
"My, you better get that wound in your back sorted out it looks nasty"
"Yeah" I sniggered "that's why I came to Shirago to get away from the person that did that"
"Well, it's been a pleasure doing surgery with you Mr….. Fido" Dr. Roberts said "you can go to the reception desk and pay.
"Bye doctor" I said before coming out the room.
I walked out the room and made my way to the reception.
I gave the lady the credit card, in a few seconds she had took the money off and I was out of the surgery.
Now all I had to do now was find a hotel for the night, get to a clothes shop, take off these damn clothes I had been wearing for the past year or so, have a shower and look for some opportunities in this town. For the first time since working for the Leone family Mafia it looked like my life was looking up.
I kept on walking down the street still looking for a hotel when suddenly I noticed a Mafia Sentinel was following me. I quickened my pace when the car came up to me, the doors opened and a guy in a black hat pulled me in to the car roughly. That was it I thought, I was finished.
I shouted out loud "What are you doing you f-ers, let me go"
"What are we doing" the guy echoed "let me explain to you what we're doing, Eddie Forelli…"
