The room was quiet. It suited everyone's needs as it was very comfortable and warm. A chandelier hung from the roof and light up the room. The blinds over the windows were down. Expensive looking pictures were hanging on the walls, thousand dollar carpets paved the floor. Fancy chairs and tables and desks filled the room.
A man dressed in all black sat at the desk, with a bottle of whiskey and a small crystal cup at his side. A knock was heard at his door. A man dressed in a suit walked in.
"Sir. Someone's here to see you." He said in a deep voice. He almost sounded black.
"Who the fuck is it this time? My fucking dad?" he replied.
"Sir, it's your son."
The man in the chair exhaled, "Let him in."
After the order, a young man walked in dressed in brown pants and a blue shirt. "Hey Connor." he spoke.
"Son."
"Why'd you come? To just talk with you father?" Connor asked.
"No, Connor-"
"Why do you call me Connor? Am I not good enough to be called, Dad?"
"No, Dad-"
"That's better. Now did you finish you're homework?"
"I've been done with home school for over a year now." he sighed and shook his head.
"I'm sorry Jesse, it's just that-"
"You feel like I'm helpless, like you need to watch out for me?" Jesse got serious, talking in a loud, firm tone. "I'm not a little kid anymore, Dad! I want to help you."
"No. By the way, did you get into that college?"
"Yes, but I'm not going."
Connor stood up, "Oh yes you damn well will."
"You can't make me!" he walked up to Connors desk. "I," He slammed his fist down on the desk with every word he said, "am, a fucking, grown, man!"
"You only think that!" Connor pointed into his face.
The door opened, "Sir, is everything okay in here?"
Connor turned around, showing the guard his back, "Stephen, everything's okay, let us talk." After the door closed he turned around.
"I just wanted to talk about mom! That's all I came here for! DAMN!"
"Well I'm sorry son, but don't you think Dianne would have wanted you to go to college?"
"NO!"
"Okay fine! You can work with me! And then we'll see if you really can handle this!"
"Okay, fine!" Jesse started towards the door.
"Okay, fine!" Connor replied.
"Okay!"
"Okay!" Connor sat down and took a big drink. He put his fist to his head and closed his eyes to think.
---
Max sat at his desk. "Damn it! Are we getting anywhere?"
Pierce was looking out the window, over Shoreside. The city looked almost normal, a bit more trashy than normal, but other than that, it looked normal. The sun was shining brightly in the sky, producing eighty degree heat. "Well, let's review. It's been three days since that assassination attempt, and since then, no evidence. No gang wars, no gang member deaths, no suicides, no explosions, no nothing."
"This city seems to be recovering pretty fast. Glad there was no tsunami." said Joey, who was sitting in a chair in Max's cubicle. His legs were bandaged up, and he was recovering pretty well.
"Yeah." said Pierce.
"Well, something has to be coming up. The gangs of Liberty City do not just shut up and stop acting for three days."
"I know, Payne. But what can we do? Ya know?"
"Yeah, I know."
"So… you uh, think that it's the JCF that murdered that family?"
"Yeah, I think. Then after that construction yard incident, the JCF tried to have me assassinated, remember?"
"Yeah, you said that theMafia said Connor's name?"
Max shook his head, "The leader of the JCF… has it out for me." He almost laughed.
"You'll be aight Max."
"You had better be careful Max,' SAID Joey, "when the Mafia has it out for you, you had better be watching you're back at all times, believe me. I've seen them do what they do."
Max shook his head again.
---
"Toni. What are you gonna do? What's your plan?" Connor asked, at Toni's restaurant, while outside while sitting at the tables, surrounded by guards.
"We're gonna take back Staunton Island from those assholes. We're gonna finish off that bitch of a man, Claude. He'll be at his condo. And if not, oh the fuck well. They will go down anyway." Toni explained.
"Okay, okay. I agree. So if he's not their you a-"
"Are going to burn I to the fucking ground anyway!"
"Alright," Connor was shaking his head in approval.
"Let's go get the men together. The JCF is going to take over Staunton once and for all."
Connor found himself strapping a bullet proof vest to himself, next to his son who wanted to get in on the action. "Ready to see some wild shit, Jesse?"
"Hell yes, Connor."
---
"Calling all units, all units. Officer down! We need backup, we're at Newport! Taking heavy fire-ahhhh." Max, Pierce, and Joey were at the Shoreside Vale station listening to the gunfire and screaming over the radio.
"Okay, okay, we need all available units in the city to Newport." said the dispatcher.
Max grabbed his gun and strapped on his vest along with Pierce. They left the station with Joey inside, he would be safe there. The Police Cruiser glided smoothly over the road as they made hast to Newport. Cars along the road pulled out of the way and then they found themselves upon the emergency ferry for emergency vehicles.
By the time they were coming up to Newport it had been ten minutes. They drove alongside four other cruisers that were coming from Shoreside. Just past Ammu-nation was a roadblock of police cruisers. Each of them had their red and blue lights flashing. After they got out, the gunshots were heard, never stopping just like before.
Beyond the roadblock were about seven dead bodies, some of officers, some of the JCF. Beyond that, over the edge of the Jason Drive, the battle was taking place. There was no sign of any other gang besides the JCF, who were taking cover inside one of the condos. The police had secured the area around the condo, a few JCF were outside battling, while others were picking off the police from inside. Gunfire seemed never-ending. Lines of bullet were exchanged form the police above the battlefield on Jason Drive.
Police were hiding behind police cars, street signs, light poles, basically anything that could stop a bullet. Two SWAT vans were parked giving a large area of cover. Snipers were posted in buildings that would give a clear view of the condo and the battlefield. Two police helicopters flew above giving cover fire for the ground forces. A news helicopter had been shot down a few minutes ago. It managed to fly a few hundred feet away before cascading to the water where it combusted.
As Max ran up behind one of the SWAT vans, he shouted, "How the hell are there SO many JCF members?"
"I don't fucking know!" Pierce responded.
"Oh well!" Max jumped out, shooting at the exposed members.
"Max! Come on! Let's get a good vantage point!"
"But where?"
"AAAHHHHH!" And officer standing beside Max was gunned down as he was taking pot shots from the side of the van.
"No." Max dove behind a cruiser, nearly landing on another officer. Pierce followed him.
"Don't think! Shoot!" Max kneeled behind the cruiser, shooting at the yellow flashes of light, doming form various windows in the condo.
Toni was down on the bottom floor of the condo with a high caliber sniper rifle, picking off SWAT members.
Connor came up behind him, along with Jesse, holding M4's. "Jesse, go over to that window, at the end!" He pointed down to the other end of the 'lobby'
As Connor was about to shoot, he jumped because of glass shattering, he ducked down as he heard bullets passing by, crashing into the wall beyond them. Next to him, Toni fell down coved in glass, and a little blood.
"Damn!" Toni screamed. A few shards of glass penetrated his face, making him bleed.
"There's too many of them! If they bring in the FBI, we're done for!" said Connor.
"I know! I know! We've gotta get outta here! And why the fuck wasn't Claude's gang here? Damn!"
Max sparked an idea. He ran back to where the Staunton PD sergeant was.
"Sir!" Max said.
"W-what do you want?" the sergeant sounded irritated.
Max pointed at the condo, "There's a dock behind it! We could get some boats to-to drop off some men from behind!"
He shook his head saying, "Yeah, good idea. You, JOHNSON! MEDERITH! JACKSON! CASEY!" A group of men dressed in black with bullet proof vests on arrived.
The next thing Max knew, he was speeding over the Liberty City waterways. Two boats were heading to the Condos. Everyone in the boat was rising and falling as the boat went up and down over the waves of the solid blue water.
Looking around, Max noticed that all of the faces in the boat he didn't know. Aw, shit, where's Pierce?
Pierce was stuck behind a police cruiser, in front of the condo. The shooting temporarily stopped, and yet Pierce was to afraid to run back to the secure area. How had he gotten himself into this? Looking around, he could see all sorts of police officers hiding behind cars, crawling towards the condos, and now even a team of eight FBI that were closing in on the condo.
The helicopters were gone now, it was too dangerous to keep flying above that area, in the case of another chopper going down, it could take out most of the law enforcements in that are.
Pierce found himself alone on the battle field. All of the police and FBI and SWAT seemed to disappear. He felt his stomach drop. "Oh…. Crap." He whispered to himself.
Meanwhile, upon Jason Drive, the law enforcement were just going to keep the area secure, instead of going in a loosing all of their men. This way, they couldn't escape.
"Connor! We have enemies in boats! Coming from the back!" cried a Mafia soldier.
Punching the air, Connor screamed, "DAMN IT! TONI THIS IS YOU'RE FAULT." Toni frowned. "YOU! Are going to come up with a solution, to get us outta here! NOW DAMN IT!"
Next door, Tommy, Claude, and Phil, along with a few members their gang were hiding form the cops. The JCF attacked the wrong condo, they were all next door watching a movie, and having a party.
As the boat neared it's destination it was being shot at it. One officer was shot in the head and flew out of the boat into the water. When they reached the dock, four Mafia were running down the stairs shooting, armed with Ak's and Shotguns. Max had to dodge the gunfire while trying to get onto the dock. As soon as he made it, there would be hell to pay.
The driver of the boat was killed, and it was drifting away. A few men dove into the water, while others made it onto the docks, pulling out their firearms to take down the Mafia.
With one leap, Max landed on the dock twisting his leg, sending a shot of pain up his leg. He got up just in time to dodge a few shots. He followed three surviving officers who were making their way up the stairs, while taking out any Mafia who crossed their way.
Max took a dead Mafia's Shotgun. Now at the top, they took out a few guards at the door and around the pool. It was time to make their way inside the condo.
Just before that, Toni, Connor, Jesse, and Stephen fled upstairs, up a few floors. They knew that some well trained SWAT members were coming, but they weren't expecting Max. Max was just about as good as a SWAT member, except he was more intelligent than them and had better judgment.
This battle had just begun.