I wake in a comfy bed, in overalls. I can't move. The place smells of anaesthetic. The ceilings are painted green, the walls, green, the floor, green. Using all the strength I can muster, I pull myself to a sitting position, and squint at the label on my clothes. My vision is blurred.

Name: unknown

Admitted: 11 Aug

Someplace Maximum

Security Hospital for

The Convicted.

Clever. Take out the name and no one will know where they are. Well, nothing can hold me back. I run to the window, but fall to my knees in pain. Maybe I'll wait till tomorrow. I crawl back to bed and enjoy the best sleep I've had for months.

I am awakened the next morning with a PA message.

A gruff male voice mumbles, "Could, um..." I hear voices whisper. "What the hell is his name?"

"How the hell should I know!"

The voice returns to full volume. "Could the guy what was taken in yesterday come to da reception desk. There's a...um...phone call?" The voice whispers "Is that okay? A phone call?"

"Yeah its fine. Hurry up."

"A...phone call." The voice continues, "what is very important. So come right away."

I control the urge to laugh. Toreno's up to his tricks again. I half walk, half limp down the corridors and towards the entrance, where Toreno is standing with a gun pointed at the receptionist and the man I recognise as the driver from the night before sitting by the intercom. He looks at me with a stare that suggests that if I don't hurry and get out his sight he will kill me. "I'm still pissed off about that mafia thing, kid. I tell ya, if I catch you working for Salvatore again I'm gonna have your head. Now beat it."

Still in my hospital issued green smock, I dash out the door and steal a moped from a pizza delivery guy. I head back to the hotel to change into some real clothes, then over to Salvatore's to try and tell him that I won't be doing business with him any longer. Hopefully he won't kill me to make sure.

Standing outside the casino doors, I take a deep breath, stand up as straight as possible with my chest pushed out, and quickly walk in, ignoring the stares from the bouncers. I sit in the seat opposite Salvatore. He slams the paper down on the desk in front of me.

"NOBODY SAW YOU? NOBODY SAW YOU? LOOK AT THIS ARTICLE AND TELL ME THAT NO ONE SAW YOU!"

I pick up the paper and begin to read the part circled in red.

"SALVATORE STRIKES AGAIN"

Vince Taylor, a former journalist for this newspaper and known for his hard hitting articles about the state of organised crime in this city was murdered yesterday by a man who is thought to be working for leading mafia boss Salvatore Leone. The only witness, who preferred to remain unnamed claims that the man forced him at gunpoint to chase down Vince on his motorcycle and attempted to...

"I would lecture you kid, but it looks like you got a job to do. He's boarding a plane out of the country. I suggest you stop him, before I really lose my temper."

"Thank you sir" I manage, and walk slowly toward the door. I guess this is a bad time to explain my situation.

He shouts after me, "This aint over kid. You lied to me. I'd sleep with one eye open if I was you."

I nod, then head for the exit. I get in my "new" car, a beaten up old Glendale I bought at a used car lot with my payment for the assassination and begin the long drive to the airport. At least it'll give me time to formulate a plan, as I drive through the badlands, where the scenery seems to repeat itself like a badly drawn cartoon.

I arrive at the airport to see the luggage being loaded onto a plane. I produce my pistol, with a silencer I crudely welded on the end, and shoot the guards with pinpoint accuracy. I climb aboard the luggage floor and hide, desperately trying to work out phase two of my plan. The plane shakes, and I tumble to the ground. The plane begins to move. I curse under my breath. It looks like I'm leaving too. I sit for a few moments, and wonder if this is really such a bad thing. Surely if I had stayed here any longer Salvatore would have had me killed, and Toreno can't bug me with his stupid war games if I'm no where to be found. This is perfect. I lie back, and relax.