Grand Theft Auto: The Innocent Rose.
Chapter 5: Blood Stained Dancefloor.
The Malibu Club.
Built by the rivers flowing from the ocean through the height of Vice City's Nightlife; a purple neon-lit building with signs of palm trees and martini glasses across the exterior walls, two tall palm trees lined the entrance to the interior guarded by a gruff-looking African-American man in an all-black suit with a black shirt and a dark blue tie.
Ryder stood under one of the palm trees; dress in pair of stonewash jeans, a Hymen Memorial Stadium t-shirt and his letter jacket; a wide grin cracked as he spotted Rosa turning the corner for his eyes were already eyeing her slim body and the pretty emerald green party dress she was wearing.
"Hi; hope I'm not late… I took a longer route as he felt like I was being followed; seems to be happening often" Rosa spoke in a hurried voice; glancing behind her but there was nothing except for other nightlife goers in their shiny and somewhat skimpy outfits.
"Nah; you're not late at all! Angelo, Becky and Sarah are already here" Ryder spoke with a smirk; his left hand taking Rosa's as he pulled her closer, his right placed against the small of her back and with his strong grip he wouldn't allow Rosa to back away from him.
"I remember Angelo from a few days ago… but who are the other two?" Rosa asked; ignoring Ryder's advances since he's kissed her just yesterday and couldn't deny she felt an attraction to him much like she'd felt when meeting Lucas.
"How did you not know them? They were at school with us? They were in the same Homeroom Class as you!" Ryder answered; gazing into Rosa's eyes which he couldn't help but think she had the most beautiful eyes hidden behind her glasses; releasing her from his grip and stepping back before taking her hand again to take her inside the club.
"I'm sorry; I never noticed them" Rosa answered calmly; but the looming and imposing form of the Bouncer stood at the entrance glaring at them both but his eyes lingered on Rosa like how Ryder's did, Ryder smiling as he took a hundred dollar bill from his wallet and passing it to the Bouncer to let them in.
"No worries; they said you weren't the most social of the girls in School" Ryder smirked a wide smile as the Bouncer glared at him before taking the hundred dollar bill; slipping the cash into his pocket before allowing them both inside much to the protests of those queuing up but took a second glance at Rosa as she passed him by.
Not sure of what to make of the comments made about her; Rosa merely shrugged her shoulders and followed Ryder into the club, the interior dazzled her with its blinding lights and the mass of moving bodies on the dancefloor with a live DJ performing his tracks on a fully functional sound station atop the stage.
"C'mon Rosa! My friends are all waiting to meet you" Ryder spoke with that same flirty tone he often spoke with; his eyes leering down at Rosa as he guided her around the walkway to a group of three people all watching her with the same interested gaze as Ryder's eyes.
Angelo was exactly like Rosa recalled him to be; the tall tanned-Latino jock with matted black hair also dressed in his letter jacket but in black jeans and a black V-neck, Sarah and Becky though took Rosa by surprise, Sarah: a skinny wannabe-model with flowing blonde hair and dressed in a skin-tight designer-brand dress and a open-toed sandals, Becky: a slightly plump girl with brunette hair tied into a tail behind her head while she also wore a designer-brand dress that didn't give away too much about her body.
Rosa quickly realised that Sarah was the same girl she'd seen in Angelo's car a few nights ago while she was out riding and flipped them both off; Rosa hoped that they did not recognise her nor feel offended by her actions that night.
"Hey, I remember you now! you're that girl who wouldn't go to the beach with us and the girl who was riding that dirt bike!" Sarah shouted loudly to make herself heard over the chattering people waiting in line to get inside the famous club, Rosa however only got the impression that Sarah liked being the centre of attention remembering her giving a headshot photo and her contact information to her mother on Graduation.
"Hey! You didn't invite me to the beach but you invited her? A girl you lot barely know!" Becky shouted; her eyes leering at Ryder and Angelo for daring to exclude her from their post-graduation trip to the beach, Rosa getting the impression that Becky was not often part of the group but was clearly as stuck-up as Sarah.
"Come on now; no need to get all up in a huff here, we came to have a good time and getting wasted sounds like a good night" Ryder spoke; drawing the attention of the two girls to himself as his boyish charms quickly lowered the tension.
Rosa watched as Becky's temper subsided and Sarah's eyes fluttered at the very sight of Ryder's charming smile; he was exactly what she'd thought Ryder was: a playboy and a compete asshole.
"I agree; lets halt these pointless hostilities and get us some drinks!" Angelo called out; Becky and Sarah both quickly nodding in agreement after previously being at each other's throats, but Angel was just the same as Ryder in her book.
The bar was headed by a total of three bartenders each serving drinks to a multitude of customers; two of the bartenders were men in simple trousers and shirts while the third was a woman in the same outfit but her shirt had a low-cut so low her cleavage and navel were in full display.
Rosa merely watched as Ryder and Angelo ordered and paid for a dozen shots of hard alcohol; Becky and Sarah each taking a shot each before going for the next while Angelo took a shot but clearly had zero tolerance for the stuff for his sense of balance quickly vanished.
"Rosa… I notice you've not drunk anything yet; drink this" Ryder spoke with a smirk after downing a shot; pushing a shot glass full of vodka but a small pill sat in the bottom of the glass.
Rosa took a different glass than what Ryder offered her but shot him a disapproving look for attempting to drug her; just as the alcohol hit her tongue she felt the bitterness of the adult beverage triggering her gag reflex.
"Ha; is this your first time drinking?!" Sarah yelled with a shout so loud she drew the attention of the drinkers around her; smiling widely upon becoming the centre of attention again, her slender model-like body leaning against the bar with men blatantly eyeing her fine curves or muttering about the things they'd do to her behind their hands to their friends.
"Shut up" Rosa didn't hesitate to answer and backtalk the stuck-up wannabe-princess, reaching for the next shot glass while Ryder smirked as Rosa knocked back the rest of the shots and ordered another platter of a dozen shots.
Knocking back drinks one after another began to blur Rosa's vision; a half-drunk smile spreading across her lips when the bouncer at the door kept looking over at her before pointing her out to a group of six men all walking into the club at once, all wearing the same stonewash jeans, dark blue t-shirts and jackets.
"Spread out; and keep yourselves ready for showtime" spoke a middle-aged Haitian in the middle of the group of six, his gruff voice hindered by a rattling cough; deep circles rounded his eyes while a 5'o clock shadow coated his jawline.
The other five Haitians scattered without any word of confirmation with the man; walking amidst the dancers and drinkers as if they were invisible, armed with Tec-9 sub-machine guns and Machete's hidden in their jackets while moving into position, each taking out a laser-pointer and signalling when positioned with one Haitian on either side of the stage, one by the bar, one by the restrooms and the last staying close to the exit.
Outside The Malibu Club.
Waiting outside The Malibu Club stood Marco and Lucas; the line of eager nightlife goers wasn't moving so much as an inch as the Bouncer kept eyeing the line with a look that screamed that if anyone dared to enter right now they'd be tossed out with a lifetime ban, the group of four at the front of the line shouting and cursing the Bouncer to allowing the group of six men to enter without queuing up though one glanced at the queue before heading inside.
It helped that Lucas and Marco had thought to change their clothes before following on a tip that Rosa was present in the club tonight; both having dressed in black formal pants and deep red button-up shirts though Marco had kept his cigarettes on his person and Lucas had added a waistcoat to his outfit.
"What do you think is going on?" Lucas spoke with a tone of uncertainty; he'd been contacted by Ken Rosenburg that Rosa was visiting The Malibu Club with a group of supposed friends and they'd seen Ryder escort her inside, the memory of Ryder kissing Rosa still stoked the fires of hate within him.
"I don't know… but since Haitians were going inside its nothing good, good thing it's a night off heh" Marco spoke with a smirk; giving off the impression that he didn't care what was going to happen with Haitians entering the same building as the girl they're meant to protect.
"We're not on a night off; we're…" Lucas spoke with a tone of irritation in Marco's nonchalance; realising where he was and being surrounded by so many people making it a very bad idea to admit they're tailing Rosa, "Yeah; a night off".
"That's the spirit! Now quiet down before you alert that big guy… I think I've seen him before" Marco slapped Lucas hard on the back while keeping his eye on that Bouncer; an unnerving sense of dread forming in the forefront of his mind.
Inside The Malibu Club.
The middle-aged man glanced down at his watch; counting the seconds until his watch showed midnight only to grin once the digital display of his watch beeped upon striking midnight, "Alright then… begin!".
Just as the DJ halted the music; the middle-aged man's voice carried to all his men just as they all took their Tec-9 Sub-machine Guns from their jackets only to open fire on the ignorant crowd of drunk men and dancing women on the dancefloor, screamed erupted as bullet tore through bodies leaving only bullet ridden corpses laying on the dancefloor.
Rosa screamed as Ryder's arm suddenly curled around her as Ryder threw himself along with Rosa herself behind the bar moments after the shooting began, Angelo and Sarah both rolling over the bar joining their friends and the three bartenders laying slumped against the display of top-brand wines, spirits and beers only to then notice the bullet holes in their heads.
"Oh my god…" Sarah muttered' her eyes widening with shock as their situation dawned on her.
"Where is Becky? Did anyone see her?" Angelo spoke in a panic; trying to stand up to peek over the bar as another hail of bullets soared through the air only to break the various bottles and cans of alcoholic drinks over their heads; the liquids pouring down on top of the four teenagers.
"The fuck is going on?!" Ryder shouted too loudly just as the bullets stopped; only the unnerving sounds of footsteps edging closer and closer until a harsh voice shouted at them.
"You four! Get out of there so we can see you… DO IT NOW!" shouted a harsh voice; the sound of a ammunition clip being loaded into a gun sounding in the deadly silent club that only moments ago was noisy with music and bustling with life.
Just as Rosa, Ryder, Angelo and Sarah stood up; they were met by a horrifying sight as their friend Becky lay on the bar with her eyes staring blankly into nothingness but her back was splattered with blood leaking from numerous bullet wounds while two Haitians stood glaring at the group of four.
"Which one of you is the girl?" called out a Haitian on the overweight side; his expression one of dumbfounded blankness as he stared at Rosa, Sarah and the deceased Becky, his eyes darting at the three girls though one was dead and he feared what his boss might do if he'd accidentally killed their target.
"The one in the flashy green dress! are you a fucking idiot?" shouted the middle-aged man; having moved locations to the main stage where he was looking through various vinyl records while his men marched around the club, the sounds of screaming and gunfire sounding in the men's and women's restrooms.
"Yes Mr Ender; I'm sorry" spoke the overweight Haitian; his hand gripping his Tec-9 in one hand and his Machete in the other hand, grinning wide in preparation to murder the other three teenagers alongside a partner a tall skinny Haitian with the same weapons.
"They just might be!" shouted a familiar voice followed by a gunshot, The Bouncer standing by the door keeled over gasping for breath while clutching his stomach as Lucas and Marco rushed in through the main entrance with Combat Pistols and Suppressors in-hand; firing bullets that flew through the air while the skinny Haitian threatening the group fell dead after a bullet struck him in the head thus killing him instantly.
"What the fuck?!" shouted the other Haitian as Ryder lunged forward grabbing his Tec-9 only to turn the weapon on the overweight gang member and pull the trigger; bullets rattled out of the weapon tearing through The Haitian's body leading for the man to fall dead amidst a pool of his own blood.
Rosa could only stare in horror as Ryder killed a man; Angelo and Sarah both having ducked and missed witnessing the murder while Ryder dropped the spent weapon on the bar due to his hands shaking uncontrollably after having killed a man in real life rather than in any video game.
A second overweight Haitian pulled a large knife: a Machete from his baggy pants only to swing the weapon at Lucas as he rushed to stab the member of The Vercetti Gang with the razor-sharp blade only for Lucas to sidestep the attacker and snatch the Tec-9 from the Haitian's hand before firing his Combat Pistol into his attackers neck.
Marco shoulder-tackled the first Haitian he saw standing beside the bar with his gun pointed at Rosa's friends; seizing the Machete from the Haitian's grip before thrusting the blade down into its owner's throat before leaving the gang member to die by choking on his own blood.
The Middle-aged Man glared around the ruined club; three of his men lay dead by gun wounds while one of them lay dead with his own Machete sticking out of his throat and a fourth man had been killed with his own gun, his cold deadpan eyes leered out at the young man standing behind the bar who'd so easily killed one of his men before scoping Marco and Lucas on the dancefloor; Lucas tossing the Tec-9 on the floor before raising their own guns.
"Well Douglas… what have you got left?" Marco stepped over the body of a dead Haitian; a Combat Pistol with a Suppressor attachment removed from the inside of his shirt and gripped in his hand, his eyes staring daggers at the Haitian Leader.
"Marco Lower and Lucas Winters… to think that Vercetti would entrust the girl to you two" Douglas growled while speaking; his dead-man-walking stare leering at Marco like he was waiting for a chance to take Marco's life.
Rosa stood up from behind the bar; having overheard Douglas' words about Lucas and Marco protecting her is actually their job assigned by a mob boss: Tommy Vercetti, that revelation had cast away any fear she'd been experiencing and left only curiosity.
Douglas glanced at the one remaining living Haitian standing against a giant speaker; his hand grasping a gunshot wound in his stomach and was clearly bleeding out, Douglas' facial muscles barely flinched as he took out a simple Pistol and fired; the bullet flying through the air before embedding itself in the Haitian's head.
Rosa let out a yelp as the gunshot rang out in the nearly-empty club; the one remaining Haitian collapsing to the floor: dead, Ryder stood by her side watching in awe as Douglas barely hesitated to murder his own men let alone the sudden reveal that Rosa was somehow connected to a known mob boss.
Lucas glanced behind him when he heard Rosa yell; spinning back around just as Douglas aimed his Pistol at Lucas but Lucas was younger and faster thus allowing Lucas to fire first, Lucas' bullet struck Douglas' gun sending the weapon flying from his grip amidst several beads of blood; Marco grinned at his partner's skills with a gun and his speed.
"I'll concede this time; however you will not get a second chance to kill me" Doulas spoke; cupping his wounded hand in the other, turning his back on the group and leaving the club only to vanish into the night just as Police Sirens became to be heard in the distance.
"Well they sure took their time… considering a Station is only a couple miles down the road" Marco spoke with a sudden sarcastic tone of voice; holstering his Combat Pistol and rushing towards the exit only to eye the incoming police vehicles.
"Yeah; we should leave before we're arrested on Gang Warfare charges" Lucas stated; following after Marco only for the pair to return to the interior of the club and make their way to the backdoor and find their Sentinel.
"Wait! I have questions that need answers!" shouted a familiar voice; Rosa walked out from behind the bar and blocked the path to the backdoor that doubled as the fire exit, spreading her arms out in a gesture that she would not let them go.
Marco and Lucas both turned to face Rosa; both staring with uncertain stares before turning their looks to her friends: Ryder, Sarah and Angelo though the fourth was laying dead on the bar, Lucas and Marco only looked to each other before Marco spoke to Rosa in an uncharacteristic serious tone.
"Now is not the right time; too many people and it'll take too much time".
"That's not an answer! You're just dodging my questions! Now answer me!" Rosa shouted at the top of her lungs; her spread out arms being touched by Lucas' hand only for her to be pushed aside with little effort, Rosa could only stand by and watch as Lucas and Marco both left without another word spoken but having left her with unanswered questions.
Ryder quietly stood by and observed as Lucas and Marco leave; Sarah and Angelo both occupying themselves with looting as much alcohol as they could carry and make a break for the exit before Police Officers arrived, but Ryder also felt impressed with The Haitians attack though it had failed but Douglas' merciless actions had left a deep impression on him.
After The Police Arrived.
The police had arrived mere seconds after Lucas and Marco left; instantly setting up a perimeter and closing the club while they investigated, a full team of CSI Officers wrapped the bodies of the five dead Haitians in body bags along with the dozen dead nightlife goers of whom included Becky.
Sitting besides a police car; draped in a warm blanket and a hot coffee in his right hand that had been provided by the Police Captain, Ryder stared down at his left hand that held, fired that gun; the hand that had taken life, numerous thoughts raced through Ryder's mind while staring at the hand that had taken life; a wide grin spreading across his face, a grin that stretched from ear to ear.
Rosa gazed over at Ryder from her own cup of coffee; bearing witness to his smile after having committed murder, thoughts of concern passed through her own mind but most of all she feared what he might become.
