I enter through the hotel doors, forcing a smile at the receptionist on my way to the elevator. The few seconds spent staring into the eyes of the other lodgers always seems like an eternity. I feel as thought they can see right through me. Like they know me. When it reaches my floor, I quickly shuffle out, without glancing back, and walk along the corridor to my room. The wooden floors echo my every step. More than once I have checked if I am being followed. My door is easily distinguishable due to my home made "Do Not Disturb" sign. Of course...my choice of words were a lot less flattering. I reach into my pocket and produce my key card and insert it into the lock. I open the door sharply, and in the same movement, a figure spins from behind it and points a gun at my head. It takes a few steps backward, and I can see it clearly.

"You really are an idiot." smirks Toreno. He shoves a crumpled up piece of paper in my face. The note from Salvatore's goon.

"Wh...where did you get that?"

"Oh, come on kid. You left it in the trash can. How was I not to find it?"

I resist the urge to mention the sign on the door. "You raided my trash. Toreno?" I smile, but hopefully not in a mocking sort of way.

"I search every inch of this room. You can't be too careful these days."

Even through the sternness of his voice, and the stiffness of his actions, it is obvious he is enjoying himself. He is in control, he has power. To him, he has everything.

"So you work for the mafia?" he asks, in a clearly rhetorical question. "I'm sure you know my views on organised crime?"

I stare blankly.

"Its only good when I get a cut, you hear me? You betrayed me kid. I thought I could trust you. But I'm a fair man. You get ten seconds to tell me what you've been doing, before I blow your head off."

"Well...um-"

"Nine."

"It's just that-"

"Eight. Seven."

"I -"

"Six. Five."

I feel myself shaking. What the hell am I supposed to say?

"Four. Three. Two."

He loads the gun and smirks.

"One."

A spotlight beam shines through the window, obscuring his vision. I duck and roll out of his path as the gun goes off.

Rapid fire bullets stream through the window, and Toreno hits the deck. It's a police chopper!

"We've got you now Toreno! We have you surrounded," came a muffled voice from the intercom. "You've faked your death for the last time. Now its the real thing!"

Toreno grabs me by the arm and barges through the door, where several SWAT team officers are stationed. Keeping his vision locked directly forward, he loads his gun.

"You're not gonna fight your way out are you? Man you're crazy!"

He hands me a pair of goggles. "Put them on. Trust me."

"Night vision goggles? Cool!"

He points the gun upwards, and shoots the light. I put the goggles on and follow him through the rows of disoriented law enforcers, to the exit where a black van is waiting.

"Why did you make me follow you? I thought you wanted me dead."

We step into the van.

"Hey, you may come in handy some day. You do good work."

He looks under the driver's seat and produces an SMG. He rolls down a window and commences fire.

"What do you want me to do?" I enquire.

"Why don't you go get me a coffee." He says in the annoyingly sarcastic tone I have grown accustomed to. "What do you think I want you to do? Grab a gun from under the seat and shoot some cops! And take those damn goggles off!"

The driver hands me an SMG and, standing on a seat, I lean out of the sunroof. What I see is chaotic. Choppers swerve between buildings, SWAT vans screech along the roads and pavements. The street is engulfed in flames, and the debris from destroyed vehicles falls like rain.

I'll handle these guys, kid. You take em out if they get to close." commands Toreno from below.

Though few there are, I manage to immobilise any vehicles that successfully avoid the juggernaut that is an armed Toreno. I had a clear shot anyway. Straight through the windows before they had a chance to stop me.

Lost in my own world of smug self satisfaction, I hear a voice.

"What?" I yell.

"I SAID GET IN! HURRY UP OR YOU'RE GONNA DIE!"

I look to my right to see, a squad car, almost completely covered in flames speeding along beside us. I dive down onto the seat and put my hands over my head. A few seconds later, the whole van rocks, knocking me against the wall. I stagger to my seat, to see Toreno attending to the driver. The windshield has smashed and there is a lot of blood.

Toreno walks over to me. "Can you drive?" he asks in the sort of tone that suggests that I will be doing it no matter what I say. "His hands are pretty messed up and I think he's a little concussed. He'll be fine though." Toreno assures me, as if reading my mind.

"Sure. I'll drive."

I take the wheel, SWAT trucks in hot pursuit. I take a sharp turn onto the freeway and floor it to top speed.

"I think it's time we brought out the heavy artillery." I hear Toreno say to the former driver. Both of them appear to be laughing hysterically. It is very unnerving.

I look back to see Toreno posing with a rocket launcher in his grip. He smashes the back window with it and leans out. First shot causes the truck to swerve, second shot narrowly misses. Third shot. Total annihilation. The explosion from the first truck causes a chain reaction with three more vans combusting. This really is crazy, I think to myself. This guy nearly killed me earlier today, and now he's in the car brandishing a rocket launcher! I have to get out of here. I have to get my life back on track. I have to-

"KID! WHAT THE HELL? PAY ATTENTION!"

I gaze forward to see a shape forming in the distance. I focus on it, trying to determine whether it should be considered a threat. Seconds later, when I am in viewing distance, the shape becomes more apparent. A good old fashioned army blockade, with new-fangled military intelligence. Tanks. I use what I call quick thinking, (what Toreno would have called acting like a stupid jackass if he hadn't been busy firing at the trucks behind us).

"HOLD ON TIGHT!" I yell, and swerve over onto a newly ploughed field. I look back to see the army trucks follow us over the field, then look forward to see why this part of the road was not blockaded.

The car was already plummeting over the cliff.

Realising there is nothing I can do, I leap into the back of the van and watch the ground close in. Toreno and the wounded driver leap from the van via the back doors seconds before we crash. I don't see where they go.