Chapter 5: The Stolen Yacht
Three days later, Michael and Stephanie had bonded over the repo incident. She was sunbathing next to Michael who was lounging in his chair with his headphones in his ears smoking a cigar and listening to "I Don't Care Anymore" by Phil Collins. Steph can hear Tracey and Amanda arguing over Tracey's boyfriend. She saw a figure approach her and sat up, it was Franklin the boy who stole Jimmy's new car. "Look who it is, the credit fraud guy." Stephanie said sarcastically. Franklin scoffed and looked at her, she was pale with light brown hair and a body of a model, she wore a pink bikini woth black polka dots. She caught Franklin eying her up and smiled, she snapped her fingers at him. "Take a picture it'll last longer." She said in a cool manner. "Sorry, you're cute." He replied. Michael looked up at him and took out his headphones. "What do you want?" He asked Franklin. "Man I just come by for that drink you offered that's all." Franklin replied. "I wasn't really serious about that." Michael told Franklin. "Whatever, you're here. Sit." Michael told Franklin. Franklin sat down in the same chair as Steph, who was sitting up. "You're not gonna rob me again are you?" Michael asked Franklin. "Man, I never robbed you. That was just a repossession." Franklin replied. Michael chuckled at his reply. "Call it whatever you wanna call it. I really don't care." Michael told him.
Michael sat up in his chair and looked at Franklin, then he looked at his sister's niece. "So anyway what do you want?" He asked Franklin. "Just thought I'd see if there's something I can help you with. I see you doing well for yourself." Franklin replied. "I'm retired." Michael told him coldly. "Aren't you a little young for the pipe, slippers, and staring at the fuckin sunset?" Franklin asked him. "You know, I've been doing this for a long time, and I got out alive. That makes me the right age. You look like a good kid, if you want my advice, you give this shit up, you work hard, screw over everybody that you love, hurt, rob, kill indiscriminately and maybe…just maybe if you're lucky, you become a three bit gangster. It's bullshit, go to college. Then you can rip people off, and get paid for it. It's called capitalism." Michael replied. "So what I saw the other day was like when a corpse briefly reanimates itself and terrorizes everyone?" Franklin asked. "What you saw the other day, was a guy and his niece dealing with pests." Michael replied. "Good thing I never saw myself as a fucking pest." Franklin retorted back. "Well today's lesson is all about humility, tomorrow we'll do a training montage." Michael replied. "What?" Franklin asked. "Nothing, just lost in an 80's movie fantasy." Michael replied. "I see you spend all your time there." Franklin said. "Yeah as much as I can." Michael replied. "So that's why you're here in Vinewood right?" Franklin asked. "Maybe I'm here because I'm just an idiot, who thinks that imported palm tree's are a good substitute for not knowing what the fuck you're doing on this Earth. Michael replied. "Shit, you're a good time man you know that?" Franklin asked sarcastically. Michael stood up, Steph and Franklin did too. "Tell you what, least I can do is buy you that beer." Michael told Franklin. "I can get you in too Steph, bartender don't care to serve minors as long as their 18+. We'll take Amanda's car." He told the two.
As they walked through the house Michael's phone rang, he looked on the caller ID to see Jimmy on the screen. Michael pushed talk and put the phone to his ear. "Hey Jim, I'm going for a drink with—" Michael was suddenly cut off. "Dad, shit I'm in your boat going down the western highway. It's been stolen!" Jimmy told his dad. "What? The yacht's been stolen!?" Michael asked in disbelief. "Yeah, I was going to sell it. I know you didn't want it sold but I need money, but they don't want to buy it they just wanna take it. I'm hiding in the head." Jimmy replied. "You're insane! Alright I'm coming, for my boat." Michael said hanging up the phone. "Alright, change of plans. My darling boy is in trouble." Michael told Franklin. "I'll help with that." Franklin replied. "Me too." Steph told Michael. "Okay, nut go put some clothes on." Michael told Steph. Stephanie ran upstairs and to her room, she quickly put on a pair of blue beauty shorts and a black belly shirt, she put her cowboy boots on and ran downstairs. Michael and Franklin waited for her at the front door, when she joined them they got into Amanda's red Sentinel convertible and Michael drove off the land and down the street. "Rule number one, don't ever have kids." Michael told Franklin. "Hey if I had kids I don't think there'd be an argument over who had boat privileges and who don't. Motherfuckers will be lucky to sit in a bathtub." Franklin replied.
"Shit things that desperate?" Stephanie asked him. "Nah, I was just making a point." Franklin replied. "Mythologizing self deprecation, I know it well." Michael said with a smile. "Yeah, but where the boat at man?" Franklin asked. "Little shit's been hijacked, they're somewhere on the Western Highway." Michael replied. "Aren't you worried?" Franklin asked. "About my boat, yeah." Michael replied. "Man you can always buy another boat." Franklin replied. "Tell my accountant that." Michael said calmly. "You can always get credit for one." Franklin suggested. "And have you come repo it, no thanks." Michael replied. "Alright homie." Franklin told Michael. "I ain't your homie, I'm someone you wanna impress." Michael replied. "I thought you was retired, why do I wanna impress some slipper wearing motherfucker?" Franklin asked Michael. "Because I can still teach you a thing or two, maybe open the doors to what boast related parenting issues entail." Michael replied. They reached the highway off Vespucci Beahx where a semi was pulling a sailboat. "Whoa, there it is. That's my boat!" Michael shouted. "Your boat's in a fuckin hurry Uncle M." Stephanie told Michael. "Yeah well we'll catch em." Michael replied. "So we got a plan?" Franklin asked. "Yeah, I'm gonna get up close and you're gonna jump on the back." Michael replied. "You serious?" Franklin asked. "Yeah, anything happens I got a piece in the glovebox. Stephanie will take down anyone who gets in your way." Michael assured Franklin. "Aight." Franklin replied climbing out of the seat.
Franklin climbed over the windshield and onto the hood, Michael got close enough and Franklin jumped onto the back of the boat. Michael opened the glovebox and pulled out his pistol, he handed it to Stephanie who cocked it. "You any good with that?" He asked her. "Regional Skeet Shooting Champion, Ludendorff High." Stephanie replied confidently. "Nice." He told her. Franklin was trying to climb on the boat when a man ran up and tried to push him off, Steph took aim and fired at him hitting him in the head. Shots were fired from the back of the semi, one shot pierced the hood and hit the engine. "They shot the engine, fuck!" Michael shouted. Franklin was on the boat now fighting with a guy, Stephanie shot at him and missed. "Try it again, this target is bigger than a clay pigeon remember that." Michael told her. Steph shot again piercing the man's side, he fell of the back of the boat into traffic. "Good now go find my son!" Michael shouted at Franklin. Jimmy walked outside of the head and looked, he saw his dad. "Dad?" He asked in confusion. He noticed Franklin and backed up. "Hey you're the guy from the dealership!" Jimmy said leaning against the boom. "Jimmy watch out for the boom!" Michael shouted as the boom come lose.
The boom swung over the highway with Jimmy hanging on, Michael sped up the car alongside the boat. "Hang on kid!" Michael shouted. "Hang om Jimmy don't fall!" Stephanie shouted as she cried with worry. Michael lined the car up under Jimmy as he let go, he fell on the car and in the backseat in Steph's lap. "Dad." Jimmy said sitting up. "Don't dad me you little shit, you better hope she's still sea worthy." Michael replied. Franklin was at the end of the boat, he raised his hands to his mouth and shouted at Michael. "Hey, get me off this thing!" He shouted. Michael got close to the boat and Franklin jumped off, he climbed back in the front passenger seat and sat down. "Everybody in? Good, let's stop this ship from sailing." Michael told the crew. He chased the boat across the Miriam Turner overpass until he heard sputtering, the engine gave out. "Shit." Michael said frustratingly. "We ain't catching shit in this thing." Franklin told Michael. "Come on baby, come on." Michael said to the car. The car just got slower as the semi drive off. "Ah fuck my fucking boat!" Michael shouted as he turned around. "It's just a thing, at least you still got a son." Jimmy said assuredly. "My boat." Michael said in a frustrated tone.
Steph looked at Jimmy, he was shocked at Michael's anger. "Please stop doing that, I'm not gonna lie. That was a really bad judgement call, but shit dad I nearly dies and all you give a shit about is that fucking boat!" Jimmy yelled. "No it's not that its." Michael replied. "All we do is scream at each other. No wonder I can't get a job, it's all your fucking fault. I mean partly your fault, I mean I just wanna impress you." Jimmy told Michael. "By selling my boat to some gangbangers?" He asked. "I didn't know they were gonna take it." Jimmy replied. "Jimmy I love you, but you're an asshole. And right now with my boat going over the horizon, that's all I can see." Michael told Jimmy. "Franklin, call me a cab and get this ride fixed up. Then drop these two off, I wanna headbutt the road in peace." Michael told Franklin. Franklin pulled his phone out of his pocket and dialed Downtown Cabs, the phone rang before someone answered. "Hey I need a cab as soon as you can send one…Los Santos Customs, by the airport….thank you." Franklin said before hanging up. "So uh, do much yachting?" Franklin asked Michael. "Not anymore no. "Michael replied. "Before I mean." Franklin told Michael. "Not really no, never had anyone to go with, this little shit stays in his room all day and my niece here is getting settled in. I like looking at it, go down to the marina, pour myself a drink and look at her. Jacqueline, let's me get out of my head you know? Dream." Michael explained to Franklin. "Maybe you should find other shit to fill your time, dream other dreams man." Franklin told Michael. "Yeah…" Michael replied disappointed.
Michael pulled up in front of the Los Santos Customs garage, he parked the car and looked at Franklin. "I know the mechanic, his name's Hao. He'll look after you." Franklin told Michael. "Here take what I got in my pocket, a couple thousand bucks. That oughta cover it." Michael replied handing Franklin the money. Michael got out of the car, Jimmy started to climb up front. "I'm gonna come up front." Jimmy said. Steph grabbed him and pushed back into the seat, she climbed up front next to Franklin. "Not today, I'm sitting next to this hunk." She said with a smile. "Hey I'm gonna get the ride fixed and drop it off at your house along with these two, man. You go and get your head right alright. "Okay, listen thanks for today. Stop back by the house, we'll talk." Michael told Franklin. "Fo sho man, sorry we didn't get your boat back." Franklin replied. "Come on man, let's trick this whip homie." Jimmy said enthusiastically. Stephanie turned around and looked at him, he quieted down knowing why she was agitated.
Franklin drove into the garage, they waited for a half hour while Hao and his men replaced the engine. "What do I owe you?" He askes Hao. "On the house, get outta here. To be honest I thought you were gonna talk smack about that race you won." Hao replied. They left the garage and drove down the road, Franklin and Jimmy talked about Michael while Steph looked at the scenery. They reached the De Santa household and Franklin parked the car in the driveway, the three got out and looked at each other. "So like since we're both unemployed, maybe we can run together." Jimmy told Franklin. "Yeah, I'll think about it homie." Franklin replied. "Or maybe je can take me out and show me around." Stephanie said looking at Franklin. "Yeah or maybe we can like chop it, play darts, get our drink on, strip clubs." Jimmy said. "I got your number should I need it." He replied to Jimmy's comment. "Hey girl what about you, lemme get your number.?" Franklin said looking at Stephanie. She smiled and took his phone out of his pocket she saved her number in his contacts and handed his phone back. "Wanna smoke a joint with us before you leave?" Steph asked. "I'd love to babe, but I gotta go." Franklin replied. "Hey Jimmy, go easy on your pops dog." He told Jimmy. "Alright church." Jimmy replied. "Exactly homie." Franklin said leaving the property. Steph and Jimmy looked at each other and walked inside.